# Thumping Our Way Through Disneyland.



## Thumper_Man

*Planning 2 Disney Vacations-Part 1. (Pre-Trip Report)*

My first trip report and I already dont know where to start.  I guess I can start by saying thanks to a certain TR writer (I won't mention Nebo's name quite yet *coughs*)and all his sidekicks for pushing me into writing this TR.  I just hope I can write this TR as could as he can, and hold everyones attention.  Of course I will have lots of help from DW.  She's the true writer between the 2 of us.  I'm just going to pretend that I know what I'm doing.  I dont want this to turn into a cookiep-cutter TR.  If any of you followed Pkondzs Hawaiian TR, then you know its filled with many cookie recipes. 

Patience Nebo, patience. I'll give you credit at the end of this TR.  If it makes it that far. Im not as good at this as you are.  As many trips as you take to WDW, you would think you wouldve taken one to Disneyland by now.  Send the rookies out to DL and wait to hear back from them.  Decide if its worth going or not.  We do feel honored though that you consider us WDW veterans, although weve only been to WDW twice.  

So who are the rookies you ask?  Well I guess that would be me (Mike), T-Man as Im known by Nebo and all his sidekicks.  Although Ive also been called thumpy, thumper dude and wascally wabbit.   

Can you guess which one is me?  Im the cute cuddly one.  




Then theres DW, the love of my life and the lady with many nicknames.  Most know her as Lady H (H standing for her real name Heather).  Shes also been called Mrs. T, Smiley Queen (
	

	
	
		
		

		
			
		
		
	


	




), TMW (short for Thumper_Mans Wife, her disboard name) and what ever other names people have come up with for her.  For this TR, I will refer to her as Lady H.  This seems to be the nickname that has really stuck with her.  

Meet Lady H.  She is also the cute cuddly one. (She wanted me to post a warning so you don't get scared to death.  So I guess *WARNING: Cute lady in picture.*)




No these pictures weren't taken on our DL trip.  We haven't gone, yet.  "Hey Ponzi, quit pushing us out the door.  Not time for us to go yet."  These were taken on our last trip to WDW in October of 2010.  We almost gave up hope taking a picture with Miss Bunny.  Finally got a picture with her on our last day there.  Literally within our last hour, but that wouldve been another TR we never got a chance to write about. 

And heres the 2 of us together.  





So now you met the rookies.  

Why am I calling us rookies?  This will be our first trip to DL together.

Lady H and I have each gone to DL, but never together.  Its been years since either one of us has been to DL.  That last time Ive been to DL was about 19 years ago.  Disney California Adventure wasnt even built yet.  Heck, I dont even know if what was even a thought back then.  

All I remember was I was young, dumb and full of.................................................................................RUM of course. What were you thinking I was full of? I had just turned 21 that year.  I was legal now.  And I went with family, so I had to be some what good.

As for Lady H, its been 14 years since shes last been there.  Probably just started building DCA the last time she was there.  

How we could we be rookies since weve each been there in the past?  Well so much has been added and changed since weve last been there.  The only parts of Disney that existed back then was DL and the Disneyland Hotel.  Since then, DCA been added; as well as 2 more hotels and Downtown Disney.  Now that there is more to do and see, and it's taken us FOREVER to go back, we feel like this will be our very first time going to DL.  

Which brings me to why I called this chapter, Planning 2 Disney Vacations.  
I (yes, yours truly) am in the process of planning 2 Disney vacations for us.  Lady H just comes along for the ride.  She leaves me to do all the planning.  Isnt it supposed to be the other way around?  I know all the women here like to take control and plan their Disney vacations.  Or at least most do. Anyways, I just have to tell her when and where were going, and how much dinero, moo la moo, yens, pounds, loonies I need.  

Our first Disney vacation will be to DLR.  Which is why most of you are probably here.  Our second Disney vacation will be back to WDW in December.  This will be our 3rd trip to WDW (first close to the winter holidays).  You probably want to know how DLR will compare to WDW.  If this is your true objective, then I will disappoint you right now; we will not compare DLR to WDW.  Or at least we will try not to.  If we do, it may be inadvertently.

Our objective is to tell you about all the wonderful things we did, and about all the things we wish we had done. And the occasional, we'll never do that again and this is why.  Were going with an open mind and really dont want to spend all our time on vacation comparing DLR to WDW.  Ive read TOO many heated threads about how DLR is better than WDW, and vice-versa.  I believe everyone who goes to each place should enjoy each place for what they have to offer. This is our intention and exactly what we plan to do.

I hope Lady H and I can take you on a magical journey.  So grab your glass of wine (you know who you are), beer, fuzzy cup or whatever it is you like to drink; sit back relax and have a good time with us.  Hope to have Part 2 up by tonight.


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## Thumper_Man

Reserved in case this turns into another cookie recipe TR and I need a place to post the links to the recipes.  

*Chapter Links*
Planning 2 Disney Vacations - Part 2. (Post #17)
Time For Us To Fly (Post #124)
We're Going to Disneyland! (Post #193)
The Adventures of Larry, Curly & Moe. (Post #237)
Dining With Walt @ Steakhouse 55 (Post #255)
A Mile to the Turnstile (Post #284)
Taking Advantage of EMH (Post #318)
Disneyland In Half A Day (Post #342)
No Stamp! No Entry! (Post #371)
FANTASMIC Ending to a Fantastic Day (Post #392)
Hollywood or Bust! (Post #415)
Cars, Dinos and Apes Oh My! (Post #436)
Tram-Tastic! (Post #475)
The Curse Of The Mummy (Post #518)
The Curse Of The Mummy Continues(Post #549)
Escaping The Curse...NOT!(Post #550)
Roasting in Radiator Springs(Post #593)
Trying to Escape the Heat. Still cursed.(Post #619)
Escaping The Heat, In The HOT Tub. (Post #636)
It's a World of Color (Post #686)
Goodnight Carsland (Post #717)
T-Man and Lady H Try To Take Over The World.......Sea World (Post #739)
The Curse Continues...at SW? (Post #797)
Pieces of the Puzzle Missing... (Post #820)
 Be Gone Satan...Hello Shamu! (Post #832)
On The 6th Day, They Rested! (Post #880)
The Beginning of the End (Posts #910 & 911)
The Dream Begins (Post #924)
Mickey's NOT so Fun Wheel!!! (Post #993)
It's Here! Finally! A New Chapter (Post #1037)
Goodbye Disney California Adventures (Post #1038)
Finally! The Finale! (Post #1046)
The Final Finale! (Post #1047)
Farewell!  Until We Meet Again In Other TR's! (Post #1087)

Looks like this is going to turn into more of pie/cake TR.  

*Pie Links*
Queenbetsey: Low Fat Oreo Cream Pie
mmeb144: 7 Layer Cookies
cjlvsccm: Peanut Butter Cream Pie w/Pretzel Crust



*Cake Links*
None submitted.  




*Photo Links*
Disneyland
Disney California Adventure
World Of Color
Downtown Disney
Disneyland Resort Hotels
Resort Photos (World Mark Dolphin Cove)
Universal Studios Hollywood
Sea World
Miscellaneous Vacation Photos


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## Thumper_Man's Wife

Thumper_Man said:
			
		

> Reserved in case this turns into another cookie recipe TR and I need a place to post the links to the recipes.



Nah...we have plenty of cookie recipes over on Ponzi's RR, what we need now is CAKE!!!  Or Pie!


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## pkondz

Yes! First one here! It's late, so I'll read the first post tomorrow... 

Cake or pie, hunh? Hmmm.....


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## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> Yes! First one here! It's late, so I'll read the first post tomorrow...



Well technically I was the first one here.  I guess since I'm the one writing the TR, that would only be obvious.  I'll give it a little time to see if others realize I started a TR before I send out a pm. Like you, I hope I don't disappoint and lose the audience.



pkondz said:


> Cake or pie, hunh? Hmmm.....



Lady H is the baker of the family.  So sounds like this might turn into a cake or pie recipe thread.


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## bankr63

I'm number two!  I'm number two!  I'm number....   ewwww!!



Thumper_Man said:


> Well technically I was the first one here.  I guess since I'm the one writing the TR, that would only be obvious.  I'll give it a little time to see if others realize I started a TR before I send out a pm. Like you, I hope I don't disappoint and lose the audience.



Oh, phew!!

I'm number three!  I'm number th...  oh!  Nevermind...


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## Thumper_Man

bankr63 said:


> I'm number two!  I'm number two!  I'm number....   ewwww!!
> 
> Oh, phew!!
> 
> I'm number three!  I'm number th...  oh!  Nevermind...



Don't matter what number you are.  Just glad to have you aboard.


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## Sandy Mouse

I'm number 3 on the all new Thumps and Lady H report.  My seat belt is fastened and I'm ready to be off.  

Hey, Millard, at least I'm not number twwooo!

Posting from my phone can get tricky when a typo is waaaayy up there by the send button. Then I have to edit.


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## Thumper_Man

Sandy Mouse said:


> I'm ready to be off.



Welcome Sandy.  We're ready to take off to, but we still have 2 weeks before we go.  Until then, we'll try to keep you all entertained. TRY being the key word.


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## shan23877

Joining in!  I've never been to DLR, can't wait to hear all about it!


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## mmeb144

Hey, T-man, I don't mind if you want to compare WDW to DLR.  Sometimes it's not about one being better than the other, but more a question of how they differ.  Differences can be fun!

Rock on!


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## Sandy Mouse

Thumper_Man said:
			
		

> Welcome Sandy.  We're ready to take off to, but we still have 2 weeks before we go.  Until then, we'll try to keep you all entertained. TRY being the key word.



I've been to DLR once, almost 40 years ago and had a great time.  It was just one park, then.


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## Thumper_Man's Wife

Whoo Hoo! We have readers!!!! This is exciting! 

 




pkondz said:


> Yes! First one here! It's late, so I'll read the first post tomorrow...
> 
> Cake or pie, hunh? Hmmm.....



I'm a recipe fanatic, so I'll take whatever you got! 




bankr63 said:


> I'm number two!  I'm number two!  I'm number....   ewwww!!
> 
> Oh, phew!!
> 
> I'm number three!  I'm number th...  oh!  Nevermind...



Your HERE! That's what matters most! 




Sandy Mouse said:


> I'm number 3 on the all new Thumps and Lady H report.  My seat belt is fastened and I'm ready to be off.
> 
> Hey, Millard, at least I'm not number twwooo!
> 
> Posting from my phone can get tricky when a typo is waaaayy up there by the send button. Then I have to edit.



Hopefully the ride won't be too bumpy! We're new, so we are not quite sure how to drive this thing yet. 



shan23877 said:


> Joining in!  I've never been to DLR, can't wait to hear all about it!



We can't wait to tell you all about it! We just have to get there first! 



mmeb144 said:


> Hey, T-man, I don't mind if you want to compare WDW to DLR.  Sometimes it's not about one being better than the other, but more a question of how they differ.  Differences can be fun!
> 
> Rock on!



I'm sure there will be some comparisons, it will probably be impossible not to compare, however, I hope that our comparisons will be regarding the differences and the new experiences we will hopefully have. 

As TM said, this will be the first time in years that either of us have gone, and the first time we will do it together. Thinking about it, we have been to WDW 3 times now, and there are so many things we haven't had a chance to do there...it gives us a great advantage to see this park with newbies eyes, and since we haven't had the pleasure of doing everything at the World, we can't compare and contrast to the Land too much.  I think this will be a great way to share our experiences and our adventures into new territory with all our Disboard friends and anyone else who wants to join the fun!


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## Thumper_Man

shan23877 said:


> Joining in!  I've never been to DLR, can't wait to hear all about it!



Hi Shan.

And we can't wait to tell you about it.  I've recently learned from reading Laura's report; make sure to take plenty of pictures.  



mmeb144 said:


> Hey, T-man, I don't mind if you want to compare WDW to DLR.  Sometimes it's not about one being better than the other, but more a question of how they differ.  Differences can be fun!
> 
> Rock on!



Hi Marie.

As Lady H said, I'm sure there will be some comparisons; hopefully not in the fashion like the food is so much better at DL than at WDW.  The CM's are so much nicer at WDW than at DL.  These are the type of comparisons I was referring to when I said I wouldn't make comparisons. 

We will try to stick to comparing Splash Mountain to Splash Mountain.  What we liked on each.  What is the same or different as far as theming.  And who knows, I may let it slip if I like one more than the other.    Though I'm going to try hard not to.



Sandy Mouse said:


> I've been to DLR once, almost 40 years ago and had a great time.  It was just one park, then.



As I mentioned in my opening chapter, it was only one park then to.  It will be exciting to see how much it has expanded.  Especially excited to see the new Carsland.


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## jedijill

I'm in...I'll post a cake recipe this weekend.

Jill in CO


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## Thumper_Man's Wife

jedijill said:


> I'm in...I'll post a cake recipe this weekend.
> 
> Jill in CO




Whoo Hoo! CAKE!!!!!!!  

ok...can you tell it's Friday afternoon?


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## Thumper_Man

This should finish up the first chapter.

You would think since Lady H and I live so much closer to DL, we would go at least once a year.  Or at least more often.  If Nebo and Smidgy can drive to WDW a gazillion times a year, surely Lady H and I could drive to DL at least once a year.   Right?  When you compare it would only take us a little over 12 hours to drive there, compared to Nebos & Smidgys 20 hours; and both Lady H and I can see where were going, surely we could do it.  

Ok.  Im poking fun at poor Nebo and hes not even around to defend himself.  Sure hope hes doing ok.  

Anyways, Lady H and I prefer to fly and just rent a car.  You waste valuable park time by driving.   Plus I need the airline points.  Flights to WDW are expensive and we use our points to fly to/from Orlando.  

Of course you dont want to read about Nebo & Smidgy driving on this TR.  If you wanted to read about that, you would just go to their TR.  You want to know about Disneyland.  We want to know about DL myself.  We still have a little over 2 weeks before we go.  Well all have to wait a little longer.  What shall we do until then?  I could re-write a song.  I usually save that skill (if you want to call it a skill) for other peoples TRs.  I guess I can tell you how we came about deciding to take 2 Disney vacations this year.  Sounds weird dont it, 2 Disney vacations; especially since when we talk about a Disney vacation, we are actually referring to a WDW vacation.  Of course maybe not as weird as taking a Hawaiian vacation, sneaking in a day trip to Aulani and calling that a Disney vacation.  

Oh Ponzi, come back.  Didnt mean to chase you away already.  It was a great TR.

Almost every year since weve been together (a little over 9 ½ years now), Lady H and I have taken a trip to Las Vegas, NV.  Our very first trip together was to Vegas. Ever since then, weve made it a yearly tradition to go at least once.  There is only one year I can recall we didnt go, and that was the first time we went to Orlando back in 06.  Orlando would be our only trip that year because the following year, we decided to get married.  And to answer this question ahead of time, no we didnt run off to Vegas and elope.  Although I propositioned it one time we where there.  We valued our lives though and finally decided it was best to make sure to include our parents.   

Where was I? Oh yeah; slot machines, card games, craps (the table game) and why we go to Vegas each year.  Some years, weve even gone twice in a year.  So this will be the first year since 2006 that we decided to skip Vegas.  We thought about going this year until I got the bright idea we could probably go to DL instead.  Hmmm, I wonder if we could keep the tradition alive.  Vegas isnt too far from DL.  

Sorry.  My mind keeps drifting off.  

Last year while we were in San Diego was when we first thought about going to DL.  After all, it was only an hour drive from where we were staying and it was my birthday. *IF* we wouldve had enough money, we wouldve gone; but since we didnt we said maybe next year.  Fast forward to next year and we start talking about our annual Vegas vacation and possibly going for my birthday.  Which reminds me, our first trip together to Vegas was for my birthday.  April is really a good month to go to Vegas.  Not too hot and not too cold.  Completely forgot about going to DL. By this time weve already decided to go back to WDW.  The truth be told, we had decided to go back to WDW while we were still at WDW.  Im sure most of you know how that goes.  

Since were not going to WDW until December of this year, where could we go for a mini vacation until then?  Since Vegas is our go to place, we decided might as well go to there.  April is always a good time, so maybe we could go for my birthday again.  I know we were just there in October, but we have flight credit to use before it expires and we know its the one place we enjoy going to.

Does anyone else have Rapid Rewards through Southwest Airlines?  Anyone sign up for email alerts and travel deals for them?  If you do, then you know how it was magically there one day.   I received an email alert about traveling to DL.  I had totally forgotten we said last year that we could probably go to DL next year, which is now this year.  The hamsters start turning the wheel in my head and I think, I wonder if we could afford to go to DL instead of Vegas.  Now Lady H will tell you Im the king of the spreadsheets.  So naturally, I put one together to compare the costs.  

_(Use your best Michael Buffer voice when reading this)_
Fighting out of the blue corner, this city has been chosen 10 times and is the current reigning vacation destination of the Thumpers.  Ladies and gentlemen, the sin city capitol of the world.  LAS VEGAS, NEVADA.  
And fighting out of the red corner, this city lost out last year due to financial situations.  He is 0-1 when it comes to city choices but hoping to pull off an upset victory here tonight.  He holds the land that Walt built. Ladies and Gentleman, I give you ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA.  

I tell Lady H my thought and remind her how we said we could probably go to DL this year.  So I start crunching the numbers, if you can crunch numbers.  Let me rephrase that then, I started doing the math and the research on what each trip would cost.  I would put all the figures onto my newly created spreadsheet and see which destination comes out on top.  

I started thinking, what do we normally spend on hotel, flights, rental car, food and gambling when we go to Vegas?  With the gambling money, we can apply that to the theme park tickets.  Still have flight vouchers to use from our bad flight to Vegas last year, plus I have enough points for a free flight.  Just need to pay for Lady Hs flights.  If we stay in the timeshare, then we can eat breakfast in the room and cut down on meal costs and hotel costs.   We can push the vacation back to August and go for our wedding anniversary instead. This will also give us time to save up a little more money. This just might work I think (as I pat myself on the back).  I present my findings to Lady H and we have a winner.

Ill give you one guess on which trip came out on top.  If you need more than that, then obviously you have no clue why Im writing this TR; or why youre even here.  

Ah, I get it now.  Youre hoping to gather cake and pie recipes.  

Needless to say, planning 2 Disney vacations has been fun (well not really that fun) and a lot of work.  Im sure in the end, it will all be worth it. 

Ill try to get another chapter up in the next couple of days.  No Im not trying to get through this TR as quickly as I can.  Just trying to keep the conversation going until such time we actually do go to DL; and to Sea World and Universal Studios as well.  

Sea World and Universal too you ask?  Stay tuned and well tell you all about it.


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## mmeb144

Waiting......


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## Backstage_Gal

T-Man and Lady H. I am reporting in to join in the fun.

Great start!


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## shan23877

I was going to vote for pie recipes because I have an awesome one for frozen lemonade pie, but I can dig up some cake recipes too!

I've made fancy cakes and wedding cakes for a while, so I just don't bake them for fun anymore.


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## Thumper_Man's Wife

shan23877 said:
			
		

> I was going to vote for pie recipes because I have an awesome one for frozen lemonade pie, but I can dig up some cake recipes too!
> 
> I've made fancy cakes and wedding cakes for a while, so I just don't bake them for fun anymore.



Pie is good. I'm not picky. Hence the reason I mentioned cake OR pie. Frozen lemonade pie sounds yummy. 

Don't blame you on the cakes. I wouldn't want to be the cause of any traumatic stress for you, so please post what you would make.


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## DisneytheKid

Joining! I'm enjoying reading along


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## Thumper_Man

DisneytheKid said:
			
		

> Joining! I'm enjoying reading along



Welcome DtK.

Thanks for joining. We'll try to keep you entertained until we actually take the trip.


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## pkondz

I'm gonna tackle this one at a time... otherwise it ain't gonna happen.



Thumper_Man said:


> My first trip report and I already dont know where to start.



The end. Well that was quick. What? Still going?

Okay, then...



Thumper_Man said:


> I guess I can start by saying thanks to a certain TR writer



Oh, no. It's perfectly all right. You don't have to thank me. Really, it was my...



Thumper_Man said:


> (I won't mention Nebo's name quite yet *coughs*)



Oh. 

Nevermind.



Thumper_Man said:


> I just hope I can write this TR as could as he can, and hold everyones attention.



I'm sorry, what? Drifted off there for a bit. What were you saying?



Thumper_Man said:


> Of course I will have lots of help from DW.  She's the true writer between the 2 of us.



Don't worry. You're doing just fine.



Thumper_Man said:


> Patience Nebo, patience. I'll give you credit at the end of this TR.



You're going to give him a swelled head, you know. Then we'll never hear the end of it.



Thumper_Man said:


> So who are the rookies you ask?  Well I guess that would be me (Mike), T-Man as Im known by Nebo and all his sidekicks.  Although Ive also been called thumpy, thumper dude and wascally wabbit.



Bunny-boy works too.



Thumper_Man said:


> Can you guess which one is me?  Im the cute cuddly one.



Got it. Who's the dude standing beside you?



Thumper_Man said:


> Meet Lady H.  She is also the cute cuddly one. (She wanted me to post a warning so you don't get scared to death.  So I guess *WARNING: Cute lady in picture.*)



Thanks for the warning. Cute one beside the rabbit.

Check.



Thumper_Man said:


> We haven't gone, yet.  "Hey Ponzi, quit pushing us out the door.  Not time for us to go yet."



Oh, all right. I just thought some helpful nudging was in order.



Thumper_Man said:


> Why am I calling us rookies?  This will be our first trip to DL together.



Hang on... let me check the book.

umm...

Okay, here it is! Yup. That qualifies as a reason to be called rookies.



Thumper_Man said:


> All I remember was I was young, dumb and full of.................................................................................RUM of course. What were you thinking I was full of?



crumb?
gum?
plum?
scum?

Nope. I have _no_ idea what you might be alluding to. :

Family board! Family board!



Thumper_Man said:


> I had just turned 21 that year.  I was legal now.  And I went with family, so I had to be some what good.



And you hung out with them? What were you thinking? 



Thumper_Man said:


> How we could we be rookies since weve each been there in the past?



Yeah! Wait a minute! Gimme back that rookie card!



Thumper_Man said:


> Well so much has been added and changed since weve last been there.  The only parts of Disney that existed back then was DL and the Disneyland Hotel.  Since then, DCA been added; as well as 2 more hotels and Downtown Disney.  Now that there is more to do and see, and it's taken us FOREVER to go back, we feel like this will be our very first time going to DL.



Welll...... all right, you can keep the rookie card.



Thumper_Man said:


> I (yes, yours truly) am in the process of planning 2 Disney vacations for us.  Lady H just comes along for the ride.  She leaves me to do all the planning.



Wow, does _that_ sound familiar!



Thumper_Man said:


> Isnt it supposed to be the other way around?  I know all the women here like to take control and plan their Disney vacations.  Or at least most do.



Not in your household.
Not in my household.

That's two for two.



Thumper_Man said:


> Our first Disney vacation will be to DLR.  Which is why most of you are probably here.



Wrong. I can read about DLR in a book. But I can't get your personal insight anywhere else.



Thumper_Man said:


> You probably want to know how DLR will compare to WDW.  If this is your true objective, then I will disappoint you right now; we will not compare DLR to WDW.  Or at least we will try not to.  If we do, it may be inadvertently.



I'm okay with that. I'm sure you'll mention anything that strikes you as really worthwhile. Otherwise, I'll just enjoy the ride.



Thumper_Man said:


> And the occasional, we'll never do that again and this is why.



Those are the good ones.



Thumper_Man said:


> I believe everyone who goes to each place should enjoy each place for what they have to offer. This is our intention and exactly what we plan to do.



Sounds good to me. 



Thumper_Man said:


> I hope Lady H and I can take you on a magical journey.  So grab your glass of wine (you know who you are), beer, fuzzy cup or whatever it is you like to drink; sit back relax and have a good time with us.  Hope to have Part 2 up by tonight.



Great start, T-man. I'll be back later for the next bit.


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## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> I'm gonna tackle this one at a time... otherwise it ain't gonna happen.
> 
> *Football is just getting started again and you already want to tackle something.  Now that's a true fan.*
> 
> The end. Well that was quick. What? Still going?
> 
> Okay, then...
> 
> *Short, sweet and to the point.  And yes I'm still going.  I spent a lot of money on this vacation already. *
> 
> Oh, no. It's perfectly all right. You don't have to thank me. Really, it was my...
> 
> *Yes, Ponzi.  I have to thank you to.  You and Nebo have both given us inspiration to try and write.*
> 
> *(Psst.  Think Ponzi bought that.)*
> 
> Oh.
> 
> Nevermind.
> 
> *Fine, I take that back then. *
> 
> I'm sorry, what? Drifted off there for a bit. What were you saying?
> 
> *Already putting people to sleep.  Man I better find a way to up my game.*
> 
> Don't worry. You're doing just fine.
> 
> *As he's laughing while typing that.  "Man this Thumpy dude thinks he can write.  He should just stick to re-wording songs."
> 
> I guess thanks in order.  We'll see how it goes when I get down to the actual trip reporting itself.*
> 
> 
> You're going to give him a swelled head, you know. Then we'll never hear the end of it.
> 
> *His head is already swollen.  Every time he falls down, falls on his head and gets swollen.  Heck I don't think the swelling even has time to go down before he hurts himself again.*
> 
> Bunny-boy works too.
> 
> *Look Lady H, I have another nickname.  Soon I'm going to have as many as you.*
> 
> Got it. Who's the dude standing beside you?
> 
> *Some guy that thinks he can write TR's as good as you and Nebo. *
> 
> Thanks for the warning. Cute one beside the rabbit.
> 
> Check.
> 
> *Isn't she though. *
> 
> Oh, all right. I just thought some helpful nudging was in order.
> 
> *We'll get there eventually.  Man this waiting business is brutal.  Maybe I should go start packing to kill some time.*
> 
> 
> Hang on... let me check the book.
> 
> umm...
> 
> Okay, here it is! Yup. That qualifies as a reason to be called rookies.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> crumb?
> gum?
> plum?
> scum?
> 
> Nope. I have _no_ idea what you might be alluding to. :
> 
> Family board! Family board!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And you hung out with them? What were you thinking?
> 
> *Her actually.  Just me and my aunt.  Our main purpose of going to CA was to watch a tennis tournament.  There was a day break before the final, so we spent the day at DL.*
> 
> Yeah! Wait a minute! Gimme back that rookie card!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Welll...... all right, you can keep the rookie card.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Wow, does _that_ sound familiar!
> 
> Not in your household.
> Not in my household.
> 
> That's two for two.
> 
> *Lady H might tell you I have OCD and don't let her plan.  Don't believe her. *
> 
> 
> 
> Wrong. I can read about DLR in a book. But I can't get your personal insight anywhere else.
> 
> *And what makes you think you'll get it here?  Oh right, I'm the one writing this TR.
> *
> 
> I'm okay with that. I'm sure you'll mention anything that strikes you as really worthwhile. Otherwise, I'll just enjoy the ride.
> 
> *You need to buy a park ticket in order to enjoy the ride.  For that matter; you need to plan a trip to the park, to buy a ticket, to enjoy the ride.  Just don't take my word for it.*
> 
> Those are the good ones.
> 
> *Usually.  What's good for the goose isn't always good for the gander. *
> 
> Sounds good to me.
> 
> *Glad we finally agree on something. *
> 
> Great start, T-man. I'll be back later for the next bit.



Great, there he goes again.   

Thanks Ponzi.  I'll make sure and keep taking the credit for Lady H's writing.


----------



## Thumper_Man

mmeb144 said:


> Waiting......



Me to.  

Oh right, my TR.  I forget.  I'm used to someone else doing the writing. Plus I gave you two chapters already.  Well really it was only one, but in 2 parts.  Not even Nebo and Ponzi gave them to you that quickly.  

Working on it.  Want to have at least 2 more pre-trip chapters up before we go.


----------



## queenbetsey

I'm in!   can't wait to hear your thoughts on DLR.  
Low Fat Oreo Cream Pie
1 Large box of cookies and cream instant pudding
2 cups fat free milk
 tub fat free whipped topping
Mix pudding and milk let set up for 5 minutes, fold in whipped topping
Pour into crust of choice (i make a ghrahm cracker crust using I can't believe it's not butter half a stick melted and crushed crackers bake 15 minutes)
Chill for 2 holurs

ok so it's not zebra domes with real butter and eggs and... sorry just miss my heart clogger desserts. 

Does that get the in on the fun?? 
 I hope you enjoy our corner of Disney.  I   hear Carsland is amazing.  
we are regulars out here so if ya need anything pm me.


----------



## cp'ersmom

I'm in! Boy you guys like putting this pastry chef to work! As it happens I used to work in a Pie Bakery so I will share some of our best selling recipes...later

As for comparing DL (can't get used to calling it DLR) to WDW, you almost can't help it. As we were walking around, the thoughts kept popping in my head. Some of it was, this is better this is worse and some of it was this is different, this is interesting. The biggest thing is the castle. 

Can't help but mention that if you drove you could have kind of combined Vegas and Disney as there are several casinos along the way.

Oh and seriously get a fastpass for the Carsland ride which means being at the gate for rope drop and bee lining right to the fast pass area. Also get a fast pass for world of color, ou have to do that early too!


----------



## Thumper_Man

queenbetsey said:


> I'm in!   can't wait to hear your thoughts on DLR.
> Low Fat Oreo Cream Pie
> 1 Large box of cookies and cream instant pudding
> 2 cups fat free milk
> tub fat free whipped topping
> Mix pudding and milk let set up for 5 minutes, fold in whipped topping
> Pour into crust of choice (i make a ghrahm cracker crust using I can't believe it's not butter half a stick melted and crushed crackers bake 15 minutes)
> Chill for 2 holurs
> 
> ok so it's not zebra domes with real butter and eggs and... sorry just miss my heart clogger desserts.
> 
> Does that get the in on the fun??
> I hope you enjoy our corner of Disney.  I hear Carsland is amazing.
> we are regulars out here so if ya need anything pm me.



Hi QB.

Thanks for posting the recipe.  I added the link to my reserved post (Post #2).  No recipe necessary to join in the fun.  Well at least I'm not requiring it.  Lady H on the other hand, she's the one asking for them so you may have to pay her admission fee.  Glad you could join us.

I've been spending a lot of time on the DL boards.  So I think I have found most of the answers I am looking for.  At least for now.  If I come up with anything though, I'll be sure to ask.  TIA.


----------



## Thumper_Man

cp'ersmom said:


> I'm in! Boy you guys like putting this pastry chef to work! As it happens I used to work in a Pie Bakery so I will share some of our best selling recipes...later
> 
> As for comparing DL (can't get used to calling it DLR) to WDW, you almost can't help it. As we were walking around, the thoughts kept popping in my head. Some of it was, this is better this is worse and some of it was this is different, this is interesting. The biggest thing is the castle.
> 
> Can't help but mention that if you drove you could have kind of combined Vegas and Disney as there are several casinos along the way.
> 
> Oh and seriously get a fastpass for the Carsland ride which means being at the gate for rope drop and bee lining right to the fast pass area. Also get a fast pass for world of color, ou have to do that early too!



Hi CP.  

I'm sure it will be a natural instinct to compare. Just hope we're not comparing so much that we don't enjoy it.  So that's why we're going with an open mind.  

If we didn't have the flight credit to use before it expired, we probably would've drove and stopped at Vegas on the way. With the credit we had, it was good for a one way ticket for each of us.  Plenty of casinos where we live as well.  Pass one each day to/from work.  If we go again next year, the plan might be to drive.  I really don't feel like planning a 3rd vacation at the moment, so we'll get through this one first before Lady H starts, oops, I meant until I start planning the next one.

Thanks for the FP tips.  We'll keep them in mind.


----------



## CoolMom2112

Ooooh.   A DL TR!  Can't wait to read more!!


Woo hoo Top of page 3!  a new record for me!!!


----------



## MAGICFOR2

I'm looking forward to reading your DL adventures! We have been to DL alot, but not since all the changes to DCA.  We are moving to Phoenix soon and plan to drive over for weekends and have APs!!!  You amd Lady H make a cute couple, BTW


----------



## Thumper_Man

CoolMom2112 said:


> Ooooh.   A DL TR!  Can't wait to read more!!
> 
> 
> Woo hoo Top of page 3!  a new record for me!!!



Welcome and thanks for joining us. 

I'm glad we are able to help you set a personal record.  This is will be a first for us as well.


----------



## Thumper_Man

MAGICFOR2 said:


> I'm looking forward to reading your DL adventures! We have been to DL alot, but not since all the changes to DCA.  We are moving to Phoenix soon and plan to drive over for weekends and have APs!!!



Welcome Magic.

As I said in my last chapter, being from NM, you would think we would go more often since DL is so much closer to us, and cheaper.  At least that's what I'm finding out.



MAGICFOR2 said:


> You amd Lady H make a cute couple, BTW



Ah.  Thank you.  You're just being modest.  I bet you say that to all the TR writers.  

Nebo and Smidgy
Laura and Mr. Squid
Ponzi and ?  Well I know Ponzi's DW's name is Ruby.  Being we have never seen Ruby, I don't know if Ponzi is cute enough for her.  Could be she's too cute for Ponzi.    If their daughters look anything like mom, I may not be too far from the truth.  

J/K kidding Ponzi.  I'm sure you and Ruby make a cute couple.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> Lady H might tell you I have OCD and don't let her plan. Don't believe her.



Obsessive Compulsive DISer



Thumper_Man said:


> Nebo and Smidgy
> Laura and Mr. Squid
> Ponzi and ?  Well I know Ponzi's DW's name is Ruby.  Being we have never seen Ruby, I don't know if Ponzi is cute enough for her.  Could be she's too cute for Ponzi.    If their daughters look anything like mom, I may not be too far from the truth.
> 
> J/K kidding Ponzi.  I'm sure you and Ruby make a cute couple.



Nah. Everyone knows I'm butt-ugly... and mean, too. Ruby's cute though. Don't know why she picked me. 

Probably felt sorry for me or something.


----------



## RigLee

Coming out of lurkdom to say Hi.


----------



## Backstage_Gal

RigLee said:


> Coming out of lurkdom to say Hi.


----------



## CoolMom2112

RigLee said:


> Coming out of lurkdom to say Hi.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> This should finish up Chapter 1.



...and my comments thereof.



Thumper_Man said:


> You would think since Lady H and I live so much closer to DL, we would go at least once a year.  Or at least more often.  If Nebo and Smidgy can drive to WDW a gazillion times a year, surely Lady H and I could drive to DL at least once a year.   Right?



Right! What the heck gives?



Thumper_Man said:


> When you compare it would only take us a little over 12 hours to drive there, compared to Nebos & Smidgys 20 hours; and both Lady H and I can see where were going, surely we could do it.



Heck, where we live, you can't get _anywhere_ without a minimum 8 hours of driving. You gotta do 14 or so to get anywhere interesting.



Thumper_Man said:


> Ok.  Im poking fun at poor Nebo and hes not even around to defend himself.



Technically, that's the *best* time.



Thumper_Man said:


> Sure hope hes doing ok.



We should know soon, I think.



Thumper_Man said:


> Anyways, Lady H and I prefer to fly and just rent a car.  You waste valuable park time by driving.   Plus I need the airline points.  Flights to WDW are expensive and we use our points to fly to/from Orlando.



Sometimes we have no choice but to drive... but I'd prefer to fly and rent too, given the choice.



Thumper_Man said:


> Of course maybe not as weird as taking a Hawaiian vacation, sneaking in a day trip to Aulani and calling that a Disney vacation.



That's a shot, isn't it?

It is!

I'm outta here! 



Thumper_Man said:


> Oh Ponzi, come back.  Didnt mean to chase you away already.  It was a great TR.



Well... ok. I'll stick around for a little longer.



Thumper_Man said:


> Almost every year since weve been together (a little over 9 ½ years now),



9 ½ years? Wasn't that with Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger?



Thumper_Man said:


> Orlando would be our only trip that year because the following year, we decided to get married.



That's no excuse! Slacker!



Thumper_Man said:


> Although I propositioned it one time we where there.



Isn't that illegal within city limits? Oops! Never mind. What happens in Vegas...



Thumper_Man said:


> We valued our lives though and finally decided it was best to make sure to include our parents.



Good call.



Thumper_Man said:


> Where was I? Oh yeah; slot machines, card games, craps (the table game) and why we go to Vegas each year.



Isn't slot machines, card games and craps (the table game) why you go?



Thumper_Man said:


> Sorry.  My mind keeps drifting off.



That's what happens to things that are lighter than air.



Thumper_Man said:


> Which reminds me, our first trip together to Vegas was for my birthday.  April is really a good month to go to Vegas.  Not too hot and not too cold.



There's an _outdoors_ at Vegas? Who knew? 
DD15 and my DDad have April bdays, too.



Thumper_Man said:


> The truth be told, we had decided to go back to WDW while we were still at WDW.  Im sure most of you know how that goes.



 And then they try to sweeten the pot with bounce backs, too.



Thumper_Man said:


> Now Lady H will tell you Im the king of the spreadsheets.  So naturally, I put one together to compare the costs.



 All hail the King! Long live the King!


too much?



Thumper_Man said:


> _(Use your best Michael Buffer voice when reading this)_
> Fighting out of the blue corner, this city has been chosen 10 times and is the current reigning vacation destination of the Thumpers.  Ladies and gentlemen, the sin city capitol of the world.  LAS VEGAS, NEVADA.
> And fighting out of the red corner, this city lost out last year due to financial situations.  He is 0-1 when it comes to city choices but hoping to pull off an upset victory here tonight.  He holds the land that Walt built. Ladies and Gentleman, I give you ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA.



 This should be good. My money's on Vegas... it cheats.



Thumper_Man said:


> I tell Lady H my thought and remind her how we said we could probably go to DL this year.  So I start crunching the numbers, if you can crunch numbers.  Let me rephrase that then, I started doing the math and the research on what each trip would cost.  I would put all the figures onto my newly created spreadsheet and see which destination comes out on top.



I do that too. Then skew the numbers in favor of wherever it is I wanna go.



Thumper_Man said:


> I started thinking, what do we normally spend on hotel, flights, rental car, food and gambling when we go to Vegas?  With the gambling money, we can apply that to the theme park tickets.  Still have flight vouchers to use from our bad flight to Vegas last year, plus I have enough points for a free flight.  Just need to pay for Lady Hs flights.  If we stay in the timeshare, then we can eat breakfast in the room and cut down on meal costs and hotel costs.   We can push the vacation back to August and go for our wedding anniversary instead. This will also give us time to save up a little more money. This just might work I think (as I pat myself on the back).  I present my findings to Lady H and we have a winner.



Like I said. Skew the numbers.

Atta boy.



Thumper_Man said:


> Ill give you one guess on which trip came out on top.  If you need more than that, then obviously you have no clue why Im writing this TR; or why youre even here.



Mexico?



Thumper_Man said:


> Ah, I get it now.  Youre hoping to gather cake and pie recipes.



Might have one for you tonight.



Thumper_Man said:


> Needless to say, planning 2 Disney vacations has been fun (well not really that fun) and a lot of work.  Im sure in the end, it will all be worth it.



It always is, isn't it? 



Thumper_Man said:


> Sea World and Universal too you ask?  Stay tuned and well tell you all about it.



I'll be here! You're off to a great start T-man!


----------



## pkondz

RigLee said:


> Coming out of lurkdom to say Hi.


----------



## Thumper_Man

RigLee said:


> Coming out of lurkdom to say Hi.



Is this really who I think it is? WOW!  
	

	
	
		
		

		
			
		
		
	


	




 Well howdy pardner! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Long time no post.  And no talk.  I feel honored that you came out of lurkdom to read our TR.  We've been wondering where you disappeared to.  How have things been on the ranch?  You and Rig planning a return trip to WDW yet? Great to have you back.



RigLee said:


> Coming out of lurkdom to say Hi.
> 
> 
> Backstage_Gal said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> CoolMom2112 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> pkondz said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Click to expand...
Click to expand...


Now look what you've gone and done.  Don't go giving all our readers heart attacks before we even take our trip. Need someone to tell our story to.  And for the record, you better be around when we get back.


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> ...and my comments thereof.



Well I hope these aren't the last of your comments.  Otherwise I quit and everyone will have you to thank for this TR not getting done.  



pkondz said:


> Right! What the heck gives?



Lack of funds mostly.  WDW gets expensive.  Might have to switch to DLR more in the future.



pkondz said:


> Heck, where we live, you can't get _anywhere_ without a minimum 8 hours of driving. You gotta do 14 or so to get anywhere interesting.



So you saying I shouldn't visit Winnipeg anytime soon?



pkondz said:


> Technically, that's the *best* time.



I gotta admit, when you're right, you're right.  I can't believe I actually just typed that. 



pkondz said:


> We should know soon, I think.



I'm sure, once the wounds have healed.



pkondz said:


> Sometimes we have no choice but to drive... but I'd prefer to fly and rent too, given the choice.



I really don't mind driving sometimes.  All depends on where I'm driving too.  The drive going isn't bad, it's the drive back that seems so long.  Especially after a week of fun, walking and fuzzy cups.  



pkondz said:


> That's a shot, isn't it?
> 
> It is!
> 
> I'm outta here!



I told you on your TR to vewy vewy quiet, that I was hunting Ponzi's.  Ha ha ha ha ha



pkondz said:


> Well... ok. I'll stick around for a little longer.



Oh good.  And that shot I took, that was only to scare you into staying.  I wasn't really aiming to hit you, honest.  



pkondz said:


> 9 ½ years? Wasn't that with Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger?



Think that was 9 1/2 weeks.  Never saw it.  If it only lasted 9 1/2 weeks, Lady H and I got them beat. 



pkondz said:


> That's no excuse! Slacker!



It is when we paid for about 50% of our wedding.  Maybe we should've eloped.  Could've saved that money and used it to gone to Vegas. 



pkondz said:


> Isn't that illegal within city limits? Oops! Never mind. What happens in Vegas...



Only if you get caught.  



pkondz said:


> Good call.



We thought so.  



pkondz said:


> Isn't slot machines, card games and craps (the table game) why you go?



Those are only some of the reasons we go.  Did you know alcohol is free when you're playing those games?  Although it's been know to cost me about $50 or so for a couple of beers.  



pkondz said:


> That's what happens to things that are lighter than air.



That sounded like a shot back?  This means war.  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	






pkondz said:


> There's an _outdoors_ at Vegas? Who knew?



Believe it or not, there is.  I know it was hard to believe at first myself.  



pkondz said:


> DD15 and my DDad have April bdays, too.



Do they strive for perfection like me?  Aries?



pkondz said:


> And then they try to sweeten the pot with bounce backs, too.



I guess I'll find out when we go in December.  



pkondz said:


> All hail the King! Long live the King!
> 
> too much?



Don't give Lady H any encouragement will ya. Which reminds me, I need to update my WDW spreadsheet with the new ADR's I just made.  



pkondz said:


> This should be good. My money's on Vegas... it cheats.



And yet, when you try to cheat, you get taken out back by a big guy called Bubba.  How is that fair?



pkondz said:


> I do that too. Then skew the numbers in favor of wherever it is I wanna go.



I'm not I think as dumb as you am.



pkondz said:


> Like I said. Skew the numbers.
> 
> Atta boy.



Well maybe just a little. 

"Look honey. For $2,000; we can fly to Vegas, stay at Bellagio, rent a luxury car and see a show.  Or for half the price, we can use our flight credits and fly to Los Angeles, stay at the resort on the 1/2 off deal, rent a compact car and go to Disney."  



pkondz said:


> Mexico?



You must've hit your head and still have a concussion from the surfing fall don't you?



pkondz said:


> Might have one for you tonight.



Or tomorrow night, or the night after that, or MAYBE EVEN POSSIBLY the night after that.  



pkondz said:


> It always is, isn't it?



Is sure is.  



pkondz said:


> I'll be here! You're off to a great start T-man!



And so will I. Thanks as always Ponzi.  Hoping to have at least one more chapter up before we go.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> Well I hope these aren't the last of your comments.  Otherwise I quit and everyone will have you to thank for this TR not getting done.



Oh! So that's why people kept calling me and saying thank you.



Thumper_Man said:


> So you saying I shouldn't visit Winnipeg anytime soon?



No. I'm saying _nobody_ visits Winnipeg, any time.



Thumper_Man said:


> *I gotta admit, when you're right, you're right.  I can't believe I actually just typed that. *



No comment. Just thought it was worthwile to repeat.



Thumper_Man said:


> I told you on your TR to vewy vewy quiet, that I was hunting Ponzi's.  Ha ha ha ha ha



Still missed! 



Thumper_Man said:


> And that shot I took, that was only to scare you into staying.  I wasn't really aiming to hit you, honest.



Oh. And here I thought I was just really good at dodging.



Thumper_Man said:


> That sounded like a shot back?  This means war.



Note to self: Try, _try_, not to tick off the dude with the gun. 



Thumper_Man said:


> You must've hit your head and still have a concussion from the surfing fall don't you?



I don't remember. It's all just a blur...



Thumper_Man said:


> Or tomorrow night, or the night after that, or MAYBE EVEN POSSIBLY the night after that.



Well... eventually.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

Backstage_Gal said:


> T-Man and Lady H. I am reporting in to join in the fun.
> 
> Great start!





DisneytheKid said:


> Joining! I'm enjoying reading along



Whoo Hoo! More readers! This is getting good! 




queenbetsey said:


> I'm in!   can't wait to hear your thoughts on DLR.
> Low Fat Oreo Cream Pie
> 1 Large box of cookies and cream instant pudding
> 2 cups fat free milk
> tub fat free whipped topping
> Mix pudding and milk let set up for 5 minutes, fold in whipped topping
> Pour into crust of choice (i make a ghrahm cracker crust using I can't believe it's not butter half a stick melted and crushed crackers bake 15 minutes)
> Chill for 2 holurs
> 
> ok so it's not zebra domes with real butter and eggs and... sorry just miss my heart clogger desserts.
> 
> Does that get the in on the fun??
> I hope you enjoy our corner of Disney.  I   hear Carsland is amazing.
> we are regulars out here so if ya need anything pm me.



As TMan said, it's not a requirement, however, I'm pretty sure his stomach will thank you later!  The recipe sounds delish! I will be sure to make this soon. And welcome to the fun...



cp'ersmom said:


> I'm in! Boy you guys like putting this pastry chef to work! As it happens I used to work in a Pie Bakery so I will share some of our best selling recipes...later



Welcome aboard! OOooh...Best selling recipes! I can't wait! 



Thumper_Man said:


> Hi QB.
> 
> Thanks for posting the recipe.  I added the link to my reserved post (Post #2).  No recipe necessary to join in the fun.  Well at least I'm not requiring it.  Lady H on the other hand, she's the one asking for them so you may have to pay her admission fee.  Glad you could join us.
> 
> Technically my admission is non stop fun...but sweetening up the pot with a few home made recipes will definitely be fun later when I am baking and when you are eating...so I'm sure you don't mind them one bit.
> 
> I've been spending a lot of time on the DL boards.  So I think I have found most of the answers I am looking for.  At least for now.  If I come up with anything though, I'll be sure to ask.  TIA.



Are you sure we don't need a tour guide or a dinner buddy or something? 



CoolMom2112 said:


> Ooooh.   A DL TR!  Can't wait to read more!!
> 
> 
> Woo hoo Top of page 3!  a new record for me!!!



Records set, recipes coming in, fun being had...I would say we aren't off to a bad start! (I saw we like i'm having anything to do with this other than reading it for the first time myself when I log in here and commenting afterwards. ). 



MAGICFOR2 said:


> I'm looking forward to reading your DL adventures! We have been to DL alot, but not since all the changes to DCA.  We are moving to Phoenix soon and plan to drive over for weekends and have APs!!!  You amd Lady H make a cute couple, BTW



I hope we (there is that we thing again) don't disappoint! Awww...Thank you!  



pkondz said:


> Obsessive Compulsive DISer



Now that's the kind of OCD i can get behind. 

I blame his OCD on the fact that he's an Aries, and has to have everything "perfect". What tends to happen is, he will start talking about the possible vacation and bring in possibilities here and there. Then he will ask me what I think in regards to say a certain ADR. I throw my two cents into the mix and then I get, "Well I was thinking..." and it will be something completely different, so I throw in the towel in the beginning now and let him plan and just nod and smile throughout the process. In the end I know I'll have fun. 




RigLee said:


> Coming out of lurkdom to say Hi.











OMG! You're here! I can't believe your here! I hope you stay out of lurkdom  and we get to hear from you more! This is exciting!


----------



## dwheatl

Subbing in now, I'll come back to read later. I'm a teacher and tomorrow is our first day of school, so DH is telling me, "Come to bed. It's a school night!"


----------



## Thumper_Man

dwheatl said:


> Subbing in now, I'll come back to read later. I'm a teacher and tomorrow is our first day of school, so DH is telling me, "Come to bed. It's a school night!"



Thanks for joining in.  Hope you had a good first day.


----------



## cjlvsccm

I'm jumping in too, T-Man!  Looking forward to lots of TRs to keep me occupied while lounging, after arthroscopic knee surgery Fri.  Stupid torn meniscus. 

And just for Lady H, I'll gladly provide pie.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

cjlvsccm said:


> I'm jumping in too, T-Man!  Looking forward to lots of TRs to keep me occupied while lounging, after arthroscopic knee surgery Fri.  Stupid torn meniscus.
> 
> And just for Lady H, I'll gladly provide pie.



  Your too good to me!


----------



## orangecats2

I'm here too. Can't wait to see pics of DL. Never been there. 

So if I'm a kitty and you're a bunny, will there be problems?


----------



## Thumper_Man

cjlvsccm said:


> I'm jumping in too, T-Man!  Looking forward to lots of TRs to keep me occupied while lounging, after arthroscopic knee surgery Fri.  Stupid torn meniscus.
> 
> And just for Lady H, I'll gladly provide pie.



Welcome.

Sounds painful.  Still a week and a half before we take the actual trip, so if you're still lounging when we come back, we'll be glad to provide you with some more reading material.


----------



## Mac Brew

Hi  thumper mam just thought i would let you know i"ve been lurking in the back ground still reading the usual reports with all your mates on them But I must say  it must be up with the best to get a post from Rig Lee . So although this is your first trip report it must be somthing special I look forward to reading about your californian adventure.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

orangecats2 said:


> I'm here too. Can't wait to see pics of DL. Never been there.
> 
> So if I'm a kitty and you're a bunny, will there be problems?



Problems? What problems could a kitty and bunny get into? Kitty vs Bunny

I for one will be thoroughly entertained


----------



## Thumper_Man

orangecats2 said:


> I'm here too. Can't wait to see pics of DL. Never been there.
> 
> So if I'm a kitty and you're a bunny, will there be problems?



Hi O kitty squared.

Depends on what type of kitty you consider yourself.  If you consider yourself a house cat, then we're good.  Any other type of cat, then you may never see me again. 



Lady H won a camera not too long ago, so we each have one now. So between the 2 of us, we should have lots of pictures.  I even bought extra batteries to take along with us.  Hopefully we don't forget them in the room like someone did when he went to Hawaii.  Not going to going to say who though, poor Ponzi I'm sure is still kicking himself for that.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Problems? What problems could a kitty and bunny get into? Kitty vs Bunny
> 
> I for one will be thoroughly entertained



That is one of the funniest videos I've seen yet.


----------



## orangecats2

I'm a fat and sassy spoiled house cat. 
Hilarious video - that bunny was fierce! 

I soooooooooo want to go to DL!!! But for us it's more expensive than WDW.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Mac Brew said:


> Hi  thumper mam



Mam?  Oh you must be referring to Lady H.  "OH Lady H.  You have a fan."

Always glad to have new readers.



Mac Brew said:


> just thought i would let you know i"ve been lurking in the back ground still reading the usual reports with all your mates on them But I must say  it must be up with the best to get a post from Rig Lee . So although this is your first trip report it must be somthing special I look forward to reading about your californian adventure.



I don't know if I can run with the best, but I'll certainly give it a shot.  Yes, it was nice to get a shout out from RigLee.  Although I don't think it's my writing skills that made her come out of lurkdom.  During the time she was writing her TR, people were calling her a troll and telling her she was making up her TR (and it wasn't any of the mates here telling her that). We would pm each other back and forth.  Tried to give her encouragement to keep writing.  Especially if she hadn't posted for a long while.  There were a few times she just wanted to give up.  I'm glad she stuck it out and finished it.

She used to tell me I needed to write a WDW TR.  She was probably waiting for a TR from our 2010 trip.  Given I never found the time to do one, she's probably saying "it's about time he did some type of TR."  Since she's probably been waiting, I'm guessing that's what prompted her to drop in.  Glad she at least popped in to say hi even if she don't post again.  She better though.  I posted many times on hers.  (hint hint Leela)  Post she must, yes.


----------



## Thumper_Man

orangecats2 said:


> I'm a fat and sassy spoiled house cat.
> Hilarious video - that bunny was fierce!
> 
> I soooooooooo want to go to DL!!! But for us it's more expensive than WDW.



And for us, it's the other way around.  More expensive to go to WDW. At least that's what we're learning.


----------



## Mac Brew

Mam :# Whoops as you can tell I"m not verry good at proof reading or spelling without the word program to hand. My apologies to your self Thumper Man see I got it right this time.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Problems? What problems could a kitty and bunny get into? Kitty vs Bunny







Thumper_Man said:


> I even bought extra batteries to take along with us.  Hopefully we don't forget them in the room like someone did when he went to Hawaii.



I have _no_ idea to whom you may be referring.


----------



## queenbetsey

dwheatl said:


> Subbing in now, I'll come back to read later. I'm a teacher and tomorrow is our first day of school, so DH is telling me, "Come to bed. It's a school night!"



I hear ya dwheatl!
I am a one on one aide and we just started school today so I heard the same thing from my DH.


----------



## smidgy

I'm here!!!! just wanted to announce myself!!!! now I'm going back to read the report.


----------



## smidgy

great report so far!  I can't wait to hear all about DL, as we have never been there.  we are hoping to go maybe fall of 2013.

when in dec are you going to WDW?   we will be there (hopefully) end of nov until dec 5, (I think).. going for nebo's birthday, nov 26.. but we will be over at universal then.

I LOVE ponzis new nickname for you  bunny boy.  reminds me of "pony boy".   now, what movie was that from??? hmmm?

I want to hear all about where you are staying and all that good stuff!!!

ps, we have never been to vegas..  had a trip semi-planned one year, but went to WDW instead...


----------



## dwheatl

You're off to a great start. Can't wait to hear your views of DL. FP for Radiator Springs Racers is too true. They ran out by 9 a.m. when we were there, and stand-by was 4 hours! 


Thumper_Man said:


> Thanks for joining in.  Hope you had a good first day.


It was a great day. They were all squirrely and goofy, just like I expected them to be. Cute as buttons!


queenbetsey said:


> I hear ya dwheatl!
> I am a one on one aide and we just started school today so I heard the same thing from my DH.


Bless you for being a one-on-one aide. One of the most under-appreciated jobs in any school.
DH is very protective of me because our 2 Disney trip summer (DL & WDW), plus a side trip to Boston, ended with me coming home with pneumonia. I just can't do Disney any way but commando (even though I wore my undies, 'cause my mom told me going without could lead to pneumonia), and too much fun led to, well, pneumonia. Draw your own conclusions.


----------



## queenbetsey

Hi Smidgy!

Ooo, ooo, I know "The Outsiders"  Great book and movie.
I think it would be great to get you and Nebo out here to the "other" resort.


----------



## Thumper_Man

smidgy said:


> I'm here!!!! just wanted to announce myself!!!! now I'm going back to read the report.



I knew you would be eventually.  Tell Nebo he better be to.  After all, this TR was *HIS* request.  



smidgy said:


> great report so far!  I can't wait to hear all about DL, as we have never been there.



Thank you.  There are some tough acts to follow.  I will give it my best though.



smidgy said:


> we are hoping to go maybe fall of 2013.



Hmm.  I wonder if we could put together a return trip to DL in 2013?  I think we probably could.  I'll have enough SWA points for a free flight by then.  What say you Lady H?  I know her answer already, I'll start planning it as soon as we get back.  



smidgy said:


> when in dec are you going to WDW?   we will be there (hopefully) end of nov until dec 5, (I think).. going for nebo's birthday, nov 26.. but we will be over at universal then.



We arrive on Dec 1st and will be there until the 15th. We're staying off-site the first half of our trip and then moving over to CBR the second half.  Nebo gave me your number.  I'll be calling as we get closer so you can teach me how to get the best room.  We'll be doing Universal the first couple of days we are there. I think a Dis meet is in order? We'd be willing to re-arrange our schedule.  Send me a pm and let me know.  Just in case I need to change our ADR's around.



smidgy said:


> I LOVE ponzis new nickname for you  bunny boy.  reminds me of "pony boy".   now, what movie was that from??? hmmm?



I honestly didn't know the answer.  I know the answer now because Lady H just scolded me (thanks to you) for never have seen the movie.  I've seen the ending, does that count?  Just really haven't seen the movie all the way through.  And the worst part about that is, we own the movie.  Guess I'll have to convert to watch on my iPod.



smidgy said:


> I want to hear all about where you are staying and all that good stuff!!!



I will have another chapter up tomorrow night.  I may or may not tell you about where we're staying.  I just might save that for the TR itself.  Only I know what is in the next chapter.  So don't go trying to pry the information out of Lady H.  



smidgy said:


> ps, we have never been to vegas..  had a trip semi-planned one year, but went to WDW instead...



Never been to Vegas.    Ah, went to WDW instead.  You're forgiven.


----------



## smidgy

ok, so you're doing uni, and then CBR, and we are doing UNI and CBR, but we are about a week ahead of you??? aarrgh!!!


----------



## Thumper_Man

smidgy said:
			
		

> ok, so you're doing uni, and then CBR, and we are doing UNI and CBR, but we are about a week ahead of you??? aarrgh!!!



We could arrange to do Uni during the middle of the week,  AFTER you and Nebo leave for home. We won't check in to CBR until the 11th. We could easily meet up with you the 2nd, 3rd or 4th.


----------



## smidgy

betsey, it's not the outsiders (although a very good book).
t-man, we will def. talk about a meet up!!!!


----------



## MAGICFOR2

Thumper_Man said:


> Welcome Magic.
> 
> As I said in my last chapter, being from NM, you would think we would go more often since DL is so much closer to us, and cheaper.  At least that's what I'm finding out.
> 
> 
> 
> Ah.  Thank you.  You're just being modest.  I bet you say that to all the TR writers.
> 
> Nebo and Smidgy
> Laura and Mr. Squid
> Ponzi and ?  Well I know Ponzi's DW's name is Ruby.  Being we have never seen Ruby, I don't know if Ponzi is cute enough for her.  Could be she's too cute for Ponzi.    If their daughters look anything like mom, I may not be too far from the truth.
> 
> J/K kidding Ponzi.  I'm sure you and Ruby make a cute couple.



Yes, lots of cute couples, but are they as fuzzy and cuddly as you two?


----------



## queenbetsey

I was almost sure it was the outsiders.  shucks


----------



## pkondz

Yeah, The Outsiders was my guess too. Only movie I can think of that has a Pony Boy in it.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

smidgy said:


> great report so far!  I can't wait to hear all about DL, as we have never been there.  we are hoping to go maybe fall of 2013.
> 
> when in dec are you going to WDW?   we will be there (hopefully) end of nov until dec 5, (I think).. going for nebo's birthday, nov 26.. but we will be over at universal then.
> 
> I LOVE ponzis new nickname for you  bunny boy.  reminds me of "pony boy".   now, what movie was that from??? hmmm?
> 
> I want to hear all about where you are staying and all that good stuff!!!
> 
> ps, we have never been to vegas..  had a trip semi-planned one year, but went to WDW instead...





smidgy said:


> betsey, it's not the outsiders (although a very good book).
> t-man, we will def. talk about a meet up!!!!



I was in the same line of thinking with QB and Ponzi. I even scolded Bunny boy and DM for not seeing the movie completely . I went on and one about what a terrific cast it had and that it's one of my top 10 movies of all times. My first instinct was to post: 

STAY GOLD SMIDGY! STAY GOLD! 

But now i'm perplexed. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			
		
		
	


	




As for a meet up. Just tell us when and where! I'm sure we can work something out. Just talk to the man in charge since he knows what we are doing on which days. Looks like the other half is already making plans for next year. See i told you Ponzi, All I have to do is show up


----------



## Thumper_Man

smidgy said:


> betsey, it's not the outsiders (although a very good book).





queenbetsey said:


> I was almost sure it was the outsiders.  shucks





pkondz said:


> Yeah, The Outsiders was my guess too. Only movie I can think of that has a Pony Boy in it.





Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I was in the same line of thinking with QB and Ponzi. *I even scolded Bunny boy* and DM for not seeing the movie completely .



I get scolded

for not seeing the Outsiders completely and that's not the answer.  So what is the answer?  Inquiring minds want to know.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Mac Brew said:


> Mam :# Whoops as you can tell I"m not verry good at proof reading or spelling without the word program to hand. My apologies to your self Thumper Man see I got it right this time.



No apology needed.  Glad you're here to share in our experience.


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> I have _no_ idea to whom you may be referring.



Let me help you refresh your memory.  



pkondz said:


> *Do you remember what was the last thing I did when I ended the last chapter? Just before going to bed, I made sure to charge the battery. Got a big day of underwater photography ahead. Gotta make sure the batterys charged!
> 
> I grab my camera. I already know what I want. A nice panorama shot of this gorgeous vista and nothing.
> 
> Oh, the battery is fully charged. As a matter of fact, itll stay that way for the foreseeable future cause its plugged in back at the hotel.*


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> Let me help you refresh your memory.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> pkondz said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Do you remember what was the last thing I did when I ended the last chapter? Just before going to bed, I made sure to charge the battery. Got a big day of underwater photography ahead. Gotta make sure the batterys charged!
> 
> I grab my camera. I already know what I want. A nice panorama shot of this gorgeous vista and nothing.
> 
> Oh, the battery is fully charged. As a matter of fact, itll stay that way for the foreseeable future cause its plugged in back at the hotel.
Click to expand...


Now what moron would do that? Nope, still doesn't ring a bell. :


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> Now what moron would do that? Nope, still doesn't ring a bell. :



You must've hit your head harder than I thought.


----------



## orangecats2

Going to DL for the first time and meeting the infamous Nebo and Smidgy??? That would be AWESOME!!!

Can I come too? Please, I'll be good, promise.


----------



## smidgy

o kitty, we are not going to DL when they are.  we are going to WDW in late nov, early dec, and out time with the bunny people will overlap.

ok, doesn't Marlin call the seahorse "pony boy" in the begining of Finding Nemo?   (there might be a pony boy in outsiders, too, I don't remember.  in which case, you are right after all, just not what I was thinking of)


----------



## Thumper_Man

One if by Land, Two if by Sea, Look Out Universe, the Thumpers are Coming, The Thumpers are Coming. Run!  Hide!

*STOP!!!* Where is everybody going?  Youre not afraid of 2 cute cuddly bunnies are you?  Besides, I was just about to tell you how I, ok we, decided to not only go to DL; but to SW and US as well.

Just dawned on me I havent let you know exactly when were going.  Probably thinking to yourselves,  when are these 2 going?  Are they really going or just telling us theyre going?  They havent posted any dates yet.  Just telling us theyre going in a couple of weeks.  Bet theyre making up a TR from the Unofficial Guide to Disneyland book and the Disney Website.

Did I mention the purpose of this trip is to celebrate our wedding anniversary?  In case you didnt know, Lady H and I will be celebrating our wedding anniversary. This coming Saturday (August 18th) DW and I will celebrate our 5 year wedding anniversary.  This will be our gift to each other and a much needed vacation from work. Our flight in the AToD is scheduled to leave at 9:15 am (MST) on Saturday August 25th.  Well be in CA for a week and return home on Saturday September 1st.  Figured we would get out of there before the Labor Day Weekend rugrats come in with their get out of my way I need to be in line first parents.  If anyone is wondering why were not going the weekend of our anniversary, thats because most schools around the Anaheim and Southern California area dont go back until August 26th.   I gurgled it during my research.  We picked this week hoping the crowds will have died down when the kids go back to school and they send their parents back to work. 

If you remember from my last chapter, I said stay tuned and I would tell you how we decided to go to SW and US as well.  As I was researching ticket prices, I came across one ticket that I grew particularly fond of.  The ultimate ticket, the ticket I knew I had to get.  The Southern California City Pass.  I waste no time and take out my credit card and order 2 right away.  Better buy these puppies before they go up in price.  Especially since DL tickets had just gone up in price.  Guess what?  Theyre still the same price, even after DL has raised their prices.  

With the So. Cal City Pass, we get 3 fabulous days to tour DL/DCA.  We can park hop between to the parks if we so choose.  We also get one day each to Sea World and Universal.  This is the best deal around.  Its almost like buying a 3-Day Park Hopper ticket to DL and getting US and SW for free.  Who could resist that offer?  Put your hand down Nebo.  The CP costs $279 per ticket.  A 3-Day Park Hopper for DL costs $250.  Purchase separate tickets to SW and US, and it comes out to $393 per person.  We knew that we wanted to go to US as well this trip.  Really hadnt planned on SW since we went there last year.  I had to tweak the plans months in advance to work it in.  Last year it got really cold, windy, cloudy and rained the day we went. Going to SW hopefully will be better this trip, and be a better do over. 

Heres a quick list of how were hoping (well how IM hoping) our week will go:
The day we get there, we arrive in Los Angeles at around10:30 am.  Pick up the rental car (because I have super duper strength), fly us over to our resort and check-in.  Buy a bus pass and head on down to Downtown Disney.  I know what youre thinking, they just rented a car?  Why not drive to Downtown Disney?  Were pretending that well be in WDW.  Uh-oh, its starting already.  I have to remind myself its not WDW.  We calculated it will be cheaper for us to take the bus to/from Disney, then to drive to the park and pay for parking each day.  We want to get a feel for the bus system to see if it will actually work out for us.  If we feel like it wont work for us, then well just have to fork over more money to Disney and pay to park.  

After we hitchhike a ride on the bus, well head back to the resort and change for our ADR over at Steakhouse 55 for our anniversary dinner.  I did mention its our wedding anniversary right?  Ill mention it one more time to be on the safe side.  Lady H and I will be celebrating our 5-year wedding anniversary.  Decided we would do SH 55 first while we will still have money.  If we wait until later on, I might spend all our money on souvenirs I dont really need.   Like a glass sculpture or something.

Sunday will be our first Park Day  DL.  This is one of the only days well get to see Fantasmic and get to take advantage of an extra early morning hour.  Might sneak out of the park and go across the street to the Garden Walk and replenish the Sunny D mixtures.  Now that I mention it, I better write that down on our shopping list. 

Monday well head out to Universal.  Eat at Hard Rock Café.  Hard Rock is changing theyre All Access Club, so I have credits to use before I lose them. Cant wait to see how US remodeled after the fire.  Looking forward to doing the new Transformers ride as well.  Yes, Lady H and I have been here to.  I have bragging rights though; I got to go there before she did.

Tuesday-DCA.  Get up and out the door early, and hope theres not a ton of people waiting to get into Carsland.  Really looking forward to World of Color as well.

Wednesday-Sea World.  Get up even earlier and drive to SW.  No time for breakfast this morning, unless theres a Mc. Ds on the way.  Hopefully Lady H wont be too sleepy.  If I remember correctly, the drive down to San Diego takes you close to the coast.  Beautiful drive.  Get Lady H in the car for a drive that lasts longer than 45 minutes, and shes out like a light.  Although I must admit, lately shes gotten better a staying awake.  Im willing to bet coming back from San Diego is when shell sleep.  Place your bets.  Oh right, gambling isnt allowed on this site.  

Thursday Sleep in.  Im promised Lady H a day of rest.  Might even try to go to the beach this day depending on what time we get up.  Of course what time we get up depends on what time we get back from San Diego.  If we dont make it to the beach, well just lounge around on some lungers at our resort pool.  Spend the day relaxing and recuperating from the constant hangover.  At night well go to Downtown Disney again.  Well for sure have to take the bus this night.  Have an ADR for Rainforest Café.  3 words:  Orange Sherbet Margarita.  So much for recuperating from the hangover.  Of course to recuperate from a hangover, arent you just supposed to drink more?   

Friday- DCA/DL.  Probably park hop on this day as this will be our last full day there.  Do our favorites again, or do the things we wanted to do but couldnt because we wouldve had to wait 10 hours in line.  

Saturday.  Get up, pack and head back home.  Our flight home doesnt leave until the afternoon.  So we can sleep in a little.  Might be up early anyways so we can have breakfast before heading to the airport.

I think the hardest part of planning this trip has been deciding where to eat.  We looked at the website and not too many TS places jumped out at us.  And there seems to be a ton of CS places.  We might find ourselves spending a lot of time at GardenWalk when it comes to meals.  GardenWalk is a shopping center just a little ways down the street from DL.  Some of our favorite restaurants are there.

 Now that Ive provided yall with the 411, I hope Ive provided enough to get you through until such time we take the trip and come back.  Nebo and Smidgy are back (though Nebo is broken it sounds like) Im sure they will pick up where they left off.   So you will all have something more entertaining to read while were gone.  Besides Im running out of things to talk about; unless you want to start posting your favorite cocktail recipes in addition to the cake and pie recipes. 

Date is getting closer and almost time for us to fly.


----------



## smidgy

I responded to your email!!!

by the way, what resort are you staying at in California?

ps happy Anniversary!!!!!!


----------



## Thumper_Man

smidgy said:


> I responded to your email!!!
> 
> by the way, what resort are you staying at in California?
> 
> ps happy Anniversary!!!!!!



I got your email.  I'll have to juggle a few things around.  I also have to check with D'Sis.  She is going with us, so there are 3 of us.  She's a picky eater, so I don't know if she would be interested in Teppan Edo.  We will meet up with you and Nebo somewhere though.  I can definitely work around your schedule.  Once I talk to D'Sis, I'll reply to your email and let you know.

We own timeshare points through WorldMark.  They have a resort called Dolphin's Cove which is about a 1/2 mile from Disney, or two blocks down. Two LLLOOONNNGGG blocks.  This is where we will be staying. According to Gurgle, about a 20-25 minute walk to DL from the resort.  

Thank you for the anniversary wish.


----------



## dwheatl

smidgy said:


> By the way, what resort are you staying at in California?
> 
> ps happy Anniversary!!!!!!



I was going to ask you (T Man and Lady H, not Smidgy) the same thing, and also wish you a happy anniversary. Smidge just beat me to it.


----------



## shan23877

Happy anniversary!  I wondered where you were staying too.  Can non-Disney hotel guest use EMH at DL?  

I would expect a crowd for CarsLand.  I've heard a few people reporting 45 minute lines for a FP at rope drop.  Better get there early!

Maybe I'll save my famous pie recipe for when you're gone.  That can be my contribution to keeping things moving. 

Enjoy your trip!


----------



## MAGICFOR2

Happy Anniversary to you and Lady H and also Happy 5th anniversary to you and DW. Oh!  Wait!  They are one and the same! 

What a great way to celebrate your anniversary!   Sounds like your plans are great!  The City Pass sounds like a great deal!  That's only $25 per park per day!  We haven't done that because we are always visiting family when we go, so we have to see what we have time for and what everyone wants to do.  

I am relieved to see you do know when you are going and how you are getting there!


----------



## orangecats2

smidgy said:


> o kitty, we are not going to DL when they are.  we are going to WDW in late nov, early dec, and out time with the bunny people will overlap.
> 
> ok, doesn't Marlin call the seahorse "pony boy" in the begining of Finding Nemo?   (there might be a pony boy in outsiders, too, I don't remember.  in which case, you are right after all, just not what I was thinking of)


 
I meant if you guys to go DL next year in September. It will be me and DH's fifth anniversary! 
Although Ponzi and I were thinking about a meet with you two in Minneapolis at Mall of America next year (not sure if you have read that yet on your TR). 

I have not seen Finding Nebo,,,I mean Nemo. 
The only Pony Boy I know is in The Outsiders. 

Happy anniversary


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

orangecats2 said:


> Going to DL for the first time and meeting the infamous Nebo and Smidgy??? That would be AWESOME!!!
> 
> Can I come too? Please, I'll be good, promise.



Well if you are going to be good then...No... What is the point of that? 



smidgy said:


> o kitty, we are not going to DL when they are.  we are going to WDW in late nov, early dec, and out time with the bunny people will overlap.
> 
> ok, doesn't Marlin call the seahorse "pony boy" in the begining of Finding Nemo?   (there might be a pony boy in outsiders, too, I don't remember.  in which case, you are right after all, just not what I was thinking of)



I guess I'll have to watch Finding Nemo again. I don't remember that reference off hand. I just automatically think The Outsiders when hearing the name Pony Boy. I think I'll have to watch that one again too. Can't go wrong with watching a young Patrick Swayze, Tom Cruise, Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez Ralph Macchio and Matt Dillon. 



smidgy said:


> I responded to your email!!!
> 
> by the way, what resort are you staying at in California?
> 
> ps happy Anniversary!!!!!!



 Thank you! There are days it feels like the wedding was just yesterday...Others............not so much. 



dwheatl said:


> I was going to ask you (T Man and Lady H, not Smidgy) the same thing, and also wish you a happy anniversary. Smidge just beat me to it.



Thank you! 



shan23877 said:


> Happy anniversary!  I wondered where you were staying too.  Can non-Disney hotel guest use EMH at DL?
> 
> I would expect a crowd for CarsLand.  I've heard a few people reporting 45 minute lines for a FP at rope drop.  Better get there early!
> 
> Maybe I'll save my famous pie recipe for when you're gone.  That can be my contribution to keeping things moving.
> 
> Enjoy your trip!



Thank you!  And yes, we have heard many horror stories about the lines at Carsland. For sure it will be an interesting adventure to see how fast we can get to the FP area for tickets and to see how bad the lines will be with a FP. 



MAGICFOR2 said:


> Happy Anniversary to you and Lady H and also Happy 5th anniversary to you and DW. Oh!  Wait!  They are one and the same!
> 
> Sometimes you have to wonder if they really are...
> 
> What a great way to celebrate your anniversary!   Sounds like your plans are great!  The City Pass sounds like a great deal!  That's only $25 per park per day!  We haven't done that because we are always visiting family when we go, so we have to see what we have time for and what everyone wants to do.
> 
> I am relieved to see you do know when you are going and how you are getting there!



In all reality it wasn't until after we started the planning that we realized that we would be going around our anniversary. I think that made it a little more exciting. Which reminds me. Must pick up anniversary card today. Good think I drove in and didn't take the train to work. 



orangecats2 said:


> I meant if you guys to go DL next year in September. It will be me and DH's fifth anniversary!
> Although Ponzi and I were thinking about a meet with you two in Minneapolis at Mall of America next year (not sure if you have read that yet on your TR).
> 
> I have not seen Finding Nebo,,,I mean Nemo.
> The only Pony Boy I know is in The Outsiders.
> 
> Happy anniversary



Thank you. And I am all for a Dis Meet up at DL. It looks like Tman is already starting the planning on that one  I'm excited to actually get to meet Smidgy and Nebo at WDW. I think Tman is getting a little frustrated with me, because he keeps going over his spreadsheets, while I keep telling him, I don't care what we are doing that day, we have to meet them!


----------



## Thumper_Man

shan23877 said:


> Happy anniversary!



Thank you! 



shan23877 said:


> I wondered where you were staying too.  Can non-Disney hotel guest use EMH at DL?



I've been doing my homework since it's back to school time.  To answer your question, yes and no.  

EMH is available everyday, to each park, for guests staying at the Disney hotels.

EMH is available only one time to DL (not DCA) for non-hotel guests that buy a 3-day (or more) park ticket; and the only days you can use the EMH is either on a Sat, Sun, Tue or Thu.  Once you use it, that's it.  Unless you want to buy another 3-day ticket.  Since the City Pass has a 3-Day hopper included, we get to use it one time.

Non-hotel guests with 1 or 2 day tickets don't get an EMH to either park.



shan23877 said:


> I would expect a crowd for CarsLand.  I've heard a few people reporting 45 minute lines for a FP at rope drop.  Better get there early!



We plan to.  We've also read that stand-by times are close to 2 hours.   So we really hope to get a FP.



shan23877 said:


> Maybe I'll save my famous pie recipe for when you're gone.  That can be my contribution to keeping things moving.



I was beginning to wonder if there were going to be anymore recipes.    I'm sure Lady H will like that.  As will I. 





shan23877 said:


> Enjoy your trip!



We have every intention to.


----------



## Thumper_Man

dwheatl said:


> I was going to ask you (T Man and Lady H, not Smidgy) the same thing, and also wish you a happy anniversary. Smidge just beat me to it.



Thank you for the anniversary wish.  

I was rather surprised how fast Smidgy replied to that.  No sooner did I post it and she was already replying.


----------



## Thumper_Man

MAGICFOR2 said:


> Happy Anniversary to you and Lady H and also Happy 5th anniversary to you and DW. Oh!  Wait!  They are one and the same!



Shhh!  


You promised not to tell DW about Lady H.  

Thanks for the anniversary wish.  



MAGICFOR2 said:


> What a great way to celebrate your anniversary!   Sounds like your plans are great!  The City Pass sounds like a great deal!  That's only $25 per park per day!  We haven't done that because we are always visiting family when we go, so we have to see what we have time for and what everyone wants to do.



It was too good of a deal to pass up.  More parks (bang) for our bucks.    



MAGICFOR2 said:


> I am relieved to see you do know when you are going and how you are getting there!



You're relieved?  Took a lot of work.


----------



## Thumper_Man

orangecats2 said:


> I meant if you guys to go DL next year in September. It will be me and DH's fifth anniversary!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thumper_Man's Wife said:
> 
> 
> 
> And I am all for a Dis Meet up at DL. It looks like Tman is already starting the planning on that one
Click to expand...


Dates people.  I need dates.  They come in handy when planning.  



orangecats2 said:


> Happy anniversary



Thank you.  



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I think Tman is getting a little frustrated with me, because he keeps going over his spreadsheets, while I keep telling him, I don't care what we are doing that day, we have to meet them!



Well it would be helpful for a little input.  After all I'm not the only one going on this trip.  I don't want to get scolded again for changing something I shouldn't have.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> One if by Land, Two if by Sea, Look Out Universe, the Thumpers are Coming, The Thumpers are Coming. Run!  Hide!










Thumper_Man said:


> *STOP!!!* Where is everybody going?  Youre not afraid of 2 cute cuddly bunnies are you?



Are you _kidding_??? Have you forgotten *this*:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcxKIJTb3Hg



Thumper_Man said:


> Besides, I was just about to tell you how I, ok we, decided to not only go to DL; but to SW and US as well.



Oh. Well. That's different.

Please. Go right ahead.



Thumper_Man said:


> Just dawned on me I havent let you know exactly when were going.



That's true. I was just thinking, "When are these two going?"



Thumper_Man said:


> Probably thinking to yourselves,  when are these 2 going?



See? Toldja.



Thumper_Man said:


> Bet theyre making up a TR from the Unofficial Guide to Disneyland book and the Disney Website.



That's not a bad idea... I'm sure I could make something up about... oops.



Thumper_Man said:


> Did I mention the purpose of this trip is to celebrate our wedding anniversary?  In case you didnt know, Lady H and I will be celebrating our wedding anniversary. This coming Saturday (August 18th) DW and I will celebrate our 5 year wedding anniversary.



No you didn't and 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	






Thumper_Man said:


> With the So. Cal City Pass, we get 3 fabulous days to tour DL/DCA.  We can park hop between to the parks if we so choose.  We also get one day each to Sea World and Universal.  This is the best deal around.  Its almost like buying a 3-Day Park Hopper ticket to DL and getting US and SW for free.



Wow. Sweet deal. 



Thumper_Man said:


> The CP costs $279 per ticket.  A 3-Day Park Hopper for DL costs $250.  Purchase separate tickets to SW and US, and it comes out to $393 per person.



Nice!



Thumper_Man said:


> The day we get there, we arrive in Los Angeles at around10:30 am.  Pick up the rental car (because I have super duper strength)



Hah! And you said to not be afraid!



Thumper_Man said:


> I know what youre thinking, they just rented a car?  Why not drive to Downtown Disney?  Were pretending that well be in WDW.  Uh-oh, its starting already.  I have to remind myself its not WDW.  We calculated it will be cheaper for us to take the bus to/from Disney, then to drive to the park and pay for parking each day.  We want to get a feel for the bus system to see if it will actually work out for us.  If we feel like it wont work for us, then well just have to fork over more money to Disney and pay to park.



Okay, got it. Rent a car just for weight training.



Thumper_Man said:


> I did mention its our wedding anniversary right?  Ill mention it one more time to be on the safe side.  Lady H and I will be celebrating our 5-year wedding anniversary.



I'm sorry. Still not quite clear on this. Is it a special occasion of some sort? Perhaps an anniversary of some kind?



Thumper_Man said:


> Decided we would do SH 55 first while we will still have money.  If we wait until later on, I might spend all our money on souvenirs I dont really need.   Like a glass sculpture or something.



Nah. That would be dumb. How would you get it home?



Thumper_Man said:


> Might sneak out of the park and go across the street to the Garden Walk and replenish the Sunny D mixtures.  Now that I mention it, I better write that down on our shopping list.



Usually people forget things _after_ the Sunny Ds.



Thumper_Man said:


> Cant wait to see how US remodeled after the fire.



Do you mean the 2008 fire or the 2011 fire?



Thumper_Man said:


> Tuesday-DCA.  Get up and out the door early, and hope theres not a ton of people waiting to get into Carsland.  Really looking forward to World of Color as well.



And I'm looking forward to your report on same. I have no idea what World of Color even _is_.



Thumper_Man said:


> Get Lady H in the car for a drive that lasts longer than 45 minutes, and shes out like a light.  Although I must admit, lately shes gotten better a staying awake.



Both those sentences sound like DW.



Thumper_Man said:


> If we dont make it to the beach, well just lounge around on some *lungers *at our resort pool.



Saw that. Nice shout out.



Thumper_Man said:


> Have an ADR for Rainforest Café.  3 words:  Orange Sherbet Margarita.



I've been forced to go to Rainforest Cafe more times then I care to recall...

But I've never heard of an Orange Sherbet Margarita. It sounds awesome, and I never knew. 



Thumper_Man said:


> unless you want to start posting your favorite cocktail recipes in addition to the cake and pie recipes.



I'm getting there! Sheesh. Such a nag. 



Thumper_Man said:


> Date is getting closer and almost time for us to fly.



Just around the corner now!


----------



## Rozz

Happy Anniversary! Can't wait to for you to see CarsLand and report back to us!


----------



## Thumper_Man

*Happy 5 Year Wedding Anniversary to my Lovable, Huggable, Kissable Bunny - Lady H.*


----------



## Thumper_Man

Get to a few call outs later.  Lady H's grandpa is stopping by.  Thanks again to everyone who sent out anniversary wishes.  

By this time next week, be at the airport waiting to go to DL.


----------



## cp'ersmom

Happiest of Happy Anniversays! Hope it's a magical day


----------



## Backstage_Gal

Happy Anniversary Lady H. and Mr. T!


----------



## Sandy Mouse

Happy anniversary, Thumpie and Lady H.


----------



## smidgy

Oh, how they danced, on the night they were wed.
they danced and they danced, cause the room, had no bed.

happy anniversary


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> Are you _kidding_??? Have you forgotten *this*:
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcxKIJTb3Hg



 I hadn't seen that in a long time.




pkondz said:


> That's true. I was just thinking, "When are these two going?"



Feels like time came to a halt.  Sometime this month if our date ever gets here.



pkondz said:


> No you didn't and



Thanks again.




pkondz said:


> Wow. Sweet deal.



The not so sweet deal is if you want to add a day to that ticket.  You only get $219 towards upgrading your ticket.  So almost $50 per ticket to add a day.  At least that's what City Pass told me. I'll inquire more about it while we're there.



pkondz said:


> Okay, got it. Rent a car just for weight training.



Gotta stay in shape some how.  If I ever get in shape that us.  Some shape other than round. 



pkondz said:


> I'm sorry. Still not quite clear on this. Is it a special occasion of some sort? Perhaps an anniversary of some kind?



Why yes.  Lady H and I are celebrating our 5 year wedding anniversary on this trip.  Thanks for asking.  Wasn't sure if I mentioned it or not.



pkondz said:


> Nah. That would be dumb. How would you get it home?



UPS of course.  Shipping fees I'm sure would be much cheaper for us as they would've been for you.



pkondz said:


> Usually people forget things _after_ the Sunny Ds.



I am going to introduce you to something other than Sunny D.  We won't be packing any miniatures to take with us.  Stop cringing Nebo.  We want to stay under the weight limit.  



pkondz said:


> Do you mean the 2008 fire or the 2011 fire?



I know about the 2008 fire, but I don't recall a 2011 fire.  Is this a test of the emergency broadcast system?  Or are you referring to the 2011 fire in Orlando?  We're not going to Orlando until December.  Remember this TR is about us going to the one in Hollywood. How many Sunny D bottles have did you have while writing this TR that you already forgot? 

"We're going to Hollywood." 






pkondz said:


> I have no idea what World of Color even _is_.



And I bet you Googled it right after I mentioned it?




pkondz said:


> I've been forced to go to Rainforest Cafe more times then I care to recall...
> 
> But I've never heard of an Orange Sherbet Margarita. It sounds awesome, and I never knew.



They're actually called a Margarilla: "The Rainforest Cafe® house specialty featuring Jose Cuervo Gold Tequila and orange sherbet."   I highly recommend them.  If you ever find yourself around Albuquerque, NM; drop by, we live just outside of this city.  I know how to make them and might be a little stronger if you know what I mean. 



pkondz said:


> I'm getting there! Sheesh. Such a nag.



It's not just you we're waiting on.    Think everyone is waiting until we leave to post their recipes.  Help keep our TR going.  What a thoughtful group. 



pkondz said:


> Just around the corner now!



Counting the days.  

As always, thanks Ponzi.  Glad to see I haven't chased you away yet.  With Nebo and Smidgy being back, I'm glad to see we still have some readers. 

Not even Nebo himself has come to read our TR yet.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Backstage_Gal said:


> Happy Anniversary Lady H. and Mr. T!





Sandy Mouse said:


> Happy anniversary, Thumpie and Lady H.



Thank you.  It was a nice and relaxing day.


----------



## Thumper_Man

smidgy said:


> Oh, how they danced, on the night they were wed.
> they danced and they danced, cause the room, had no bed.
> 
> happy anniversary



I will admit, I didn't know that was a song until Lady H pointed it out to me. I had to Google it to listen to it.

Thank you for the anniversary wish and the sweet song.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> Gotta stay in shape some how.  If I ever get in shape that us.  Some shape other than round.



Round is a shape. 



Thumper_Man said:


> I know about the 2008 fire, but I don't recall a 2011 fire.  Is this a test of the emergency broadcast system?  Or are you referring to the 2011 fire in Orlando?



Nope. There was a fire December 8th, 2011 at US Hollywood. Here's a link. But it looks like it wouldn't have affected much anyway. I just googled fires at US Hollywood and saw 2008 and 2011.
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/l...-in-Universal-Studios-Building-135281168.html



Thumper_Man said:


> We're not going to Orlando until December.  Remember this TR is about us going to the one in Hollywood. *How many Sunny D bottles have did you have while writing this TR that you already forgot?*



Umm.... I think the question might be _how many have did you have?

_


Thumper_Man said:


> And I bet you Googled it right after I mentioned it?



Actually... no. I decided that I'd rather learn about it from your TR then Google it. I'm content to wait for you to fill in the knowledge gap.



Thumper_Man said:


> Not even Nebo himself has come to read our TR yet.



That's because I'm a better person and friend, don't you think?


----------



## nebo

Holy Smokes, almost 8 opages already?

 I'll tell you why I haven't come sooner:
  I just spent 20 minutes searching for this stupid thread, I didn't know there was a separate section for D'Land pre trip reports from people that are only from the Southwest who work together. Geesh

 but this is going to be a real treat for me,,, 
  I finally get to shoot back after all these years of taking abuse. 
  First Ponzi, and now Team Thumper, life is good. 
Plus, I really do want to hear comparisons of the two resorts, we really are hoping to make it to D-Land next year, and I want to be armed and ready. 
  I can also tell already your report is going to be a hit, both of you are good at telling stories and you even seem to be able to spell correctly, or is Lady H proofreading for you? 

  What's cool is seeing all our same friends doing a lot of the posting, we seem to have turned into our own mini-society, if I was to lookk at just the posters, I wouldn't be able to tell w;hose report I'm reading,, mine, Ponzi, Laura's Shan, we need to come up with a  name for us, like: 
 "The Flat Earth Society" or the "It'l never work Society". 

   By the way,  the pictures you posted of yourself, Mike? 
  You arent' going to make a habit out of that, are you? 
  Just teasin', oh, life is good!

   Great start, can't wait for the real report to begin. 




pkondz said:


> Obsessive Compulsive DISer
> 
> 
> 
> Nah. Everyone knows I'm butt-ugly... and mean, too. Ruby's cute though. Don't know why she picked me.
> 
> Probably felt sorry for me or something.



If it makes you feel any betterf, I believe you 100 percent!
  And as for why Ruby picked you? 
  Remember back in high school, there was always a super fox who dated the biggest loser in school, usually a big, dumb, butt ugly jock type, that nobody could figure out why she's with him? 
  Well, you should feel proud because I think that YOU were that guy? 

  And before you say it, yes, I know because I was that guy too, just look at the pictures of me and Smidgy.


----------



## smidgy

um, honey, when were you ever a jock type?


----------



## pkondz

smidgy said:


> um, honey, when were you ever a jock type?



 owned!


----------



## Thumper_Man

nebo said:


> Holy Smokes, almost 8 opages already?
> 
> I'll tell you why I haven't come sooner:
> I just spent 20 minutes searching for this stupid thread, I didn't know there was a separate section for D'Land pre trip reports from people that are only from the Southwest who work together. Geesh



Well took you long enough.

You know, you could've just looked at either my signature or Lady H's signature to get the link.  We did post to your TR before, during and after your trip.  The link was also posted back on Ponzi's TR by bankr63 and was in our signature then as well.  Given your current state, I'll give you a pass this time.



nebo said:


> but this is going to be a real treat for me,,,









nebo said:


> I finally get to shoot back after all these years of taking abuse.



Careful, I can still shoot back to. 





nebo said:


> First Ponzi, and now Team Thumper, life is good.



Hey, I like that.  Team Thumper.  I may have to use that more during this TR.  I knew you were good for something.  Once I figure out what, I'll let you know. 



nebo said:


> Plus, I really do want to hear comparisons of the two resorts, we really are hoping to make it to D-Land next year, and I want to be armed and ready.



First thing I said, was I'm not going to compare the two; and what does everybody ask for?    I'll do my best.  

I replied to Smidgy's email about meeting up with you two when we go to WDW in December.  Gave her some options.  If you make it out to DL next year, let us know when, maybe we can meet up with you there as well.  



nebo said:


> I can also tell already your report is going to be a hit, both of you are good at telling stories and you even seem to be able to spell correctly, or is Lady H proofreading for you?



I use Office Word.  I write the TR there first, then copy and paste on to here.  Lady H has no idea what I post until it's posted.  I'll ask her a question every now and then, then she gives me the "What and Why" stare.  
	

	
	
		
		

		
			
		
		
	


	






nebo said:


> What's cool is seeing all our same friends doing a lot of the posting, we seem to have turned into our own mini-society, if I was to lookk at just the posters, I wouldn't be able to tell w;hose report I'm reading,, mine, Ponzi, Laura's Shan, we need to come up with a  name for us, like:
> "The Flat Earth Society" or the "It'l never work Society".



I vote for Team Thumper!    Oh wait, I just claimed that name for me and Lady H.  Never mind.



nebo said:


> By the way,  the pictures you posted of yourself, Mike?
> You arent' going to make a habit out of that, are you?
> Just teasin', oh, life is good!



Between the warning shots between you and Ponzi, those may be the only pics I post of Lady H and myself.  Thanks for the warning.



nebo said:


> Great start, can't wait for the real report to begin.



We can't wait to get there.  Only 3 more work days to go after today.


----------



## Thumper_Man

smidgy said:


> um, honey, when were you ever a jock type?





pkondz said:


> owned!


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

Thumper_Man said:


> *Happy 5 Year Wedding Anniversary to my Lovable, Huggable, Kissable Bunny - Lady H.*



 Awww...Thanks honey! And thank you to everyone for their anniversary wishes. We really do appreciate them! You made our day that much more special. 



pkondz said:


> Are you _kidding_??? Have you forgotten *this*:
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcxKIJTb3Hg
> 
> That was hilarious!
> 
> Oh. Well. That's different.
> 
> Please. Go right ahead.
> 
> Why thank you kind sir.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> That's true. I was just thinking, "When are these two going?"
> 
> Sometime in the near future...At least that's what TMan tells me...
> 
> That's not a bad idea... I'm sure I could make something up about... oops.
> 
> Now I have to wonder if your trip to Hawaii was actually real...hmmmm
> 
> Hah! And you said to not be afraid!
> 
> We're innocent I tell ya!
> 
> Okay, got it. Rent a car just for weight training.
> 
> If you would have seen the car I got when I went on a business trip a few weeks ago...I wouldn't have thought twice at that statement. That's how tiny this car was. I felt like Andre the Giant in it. So TMan, heck, even I could have probably benched it.
> 
> I'm sorry. Still not quite clear on this. Is it a special occasion of some sort? Perhaps an anniversary of some kind?
> 
> Nothing special, just 5 years of marriage...
> 
> Nah. That would be dumb. How would you get it home?
> 
> oh that's easy...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Usually people forget things _after_ the Sunny Ds.
> 
> Huh? What were we talking about?
> 
> Do you mean the 2008 fire or the 2011 fire?
> 
> I had to google both of those. I knew there was a fire at some point, but I couldn't tell you where, or when, or what happened. What can I say, I live under a rock
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And I'm looking forward to your report on same. I have no idea what World of Color even _is_.
> 
> That makes two of us.
> 
> 
> Both those sentences sound like DW.
> 
> I have no idea what your...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I've been forced to go to Rainforest Cafe more times then I care to recall...
> 
> But I've never heard of an Orange Sherbet Margarita. It sounds awesome, and I never knew.
> 
> That is very sad. Margarilla's are yummy, but very dangerous. You can't taste the alcohol until later when it hits you as you walk out the door.
> 
> I'm getting there! Sheesh. Such a nag.
> 
> I am not...Honey what have you been telling him?! Oh..wait...You mean about the...Nevermind.
> 
> Just around the corner now!



Today is going by so slow! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	






Thumper_Man said:


> Gotta stay in shape some how.  If I ever get in shape that us.  Some shape other than round.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> pkondz said:
> 
> 
> 
> Round is a shape.
Click to expand...


 Yup...







nebo said:


> Holy Smokes, almost 8 opages already?
> 
> I'll tell you why I haven't come sooner:
> I just spent 20 minutes searching for this stupid thread, I didn't know there was a separate section for D'Land pre trip reports from people that are only from the Southwest who work together. Geesh
> 
> Your here, that's all that matters.
> 
> but this is going to be a real treat for me,,,
> I finally get to shoot back after all these years of taking abuse.
> First Ponzi, and now Team Thumper, life is good.
> 
> Uh oh...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Plus, I really do want to hear comparisons of the two resorts, we really are hoping to make it to D-Land next year, and I want to be armed and ready.
> 
> We will do our best to give you everything you need to go into battle. Or at least go into the park.
> 
> I can also tell already your report is going to be a hit, both of you are good at telling stories and you even seem to be able to spell correctly, or is Lady H proofreading for you?
> 
> Proof reading? I'm lucky if I get a glimpse of this before everyone else does. Just like the planning stages I just go along for the ride
> 
> What's cool is seeing all our same friends doing a lot of the posting, we seem to have turned into our own mini-society, if I was to lookk at just the posters, I wouldn't be able to tell w;hose report I'm reading,, mine, Ponzi, Laura's Shan, we need to come up with a  name for us, like:
> "The Flat Earth Society" or the "It'l never work Society".
> 
> How about, "The Disneyhood of the traveling keyboards"
> 
> By the way,  the pictures you posted of yourself, Mike?
> You arent' going to make a habit out of that, are you?
> Just teasin', oh, life is good!



Your enjoying this aren't you?


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> The Disneyhood of the traveling keyboards



Gotta admit.... I like that.


----------



## cp'ersmom

I know there is a reason why you are eating at Rainforest Cafe but having just eaten at that particular one may I try and steer you in the direction of, say umm, oh I don't know, ummm, ANYWHERE else!!!


----------



## Thumper_Man

cp'ersmom said:


> I know there is a reason why you are eating at Rainforest Cafe but having just eaten at that particular one may I try and steer you in the direction of, say umm, oh I don't know, ummm, ANYWHERE else!!!



You may try, but I don't think it will work.  Not to sound condescending, but I've tried RFC at different places and have never had a bad experience.  We will usually give each place a try at least a couple of times before we decide if we really like it or not.  We know there could be some off nights where the food just wasn't good, and other nights will be tis tasty.  What some people may not like, we love and vice-versa.  

I am willing to compromise though, tell me what you ordered and I'll be sure to steer clear.  Although I've learned after 2 or 3 Margarilla's, almost all food starts to taste good after a while.   

Thank you for your concern though.


----------



## queenbetsey

dwheatl said:


> You're off to a great start. Can't wait to hear your views of DL. FP for Radiator Springs Racers is too true. They ran out by 9 a.m. when we were there, and stand-by was 4 hours!
> 
> It was a great day. They were all squirrely and goofy, just like I expected them to be. Cute as buttons!
> 
> Bless you for being a one-on-one aide. One of the most under-appreciated jobs in any school.
> DH is very protective of me because our 2 Disney trip summer (DL & WDW), plus a side trip to Boston, ended with me coming home with pneumonia. I just can't do Disney any way but commando (even though I wore my undies, 'cause my mom told me going without could lead to pneumonia), and too much fun led to, well, pneumonia. Draw your own conclusions.


Ehy thank you!  That really does mean alot comming from a teacher.  :flower3I wish all teachers felt that way


----------



## orangecats2

Where did everybody go? 

Are you all packed?


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

orangecats2 said:
			
		

> Where did everybody go?
> 
> Are you all packed?



Packed? Shoot...I knew I was forgetting something!!! *starts running around like a mad woman* 

(Darn phone doesn't do smileys. Use your imagination, I'm sure it would be close to what I really look like).


----------



## MAGICFOR2

Just stopping by to say Have a Magical Trip!


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Packed? Shoot...I knew I was forgetting something!!! *starts running around like a mad woman*
> 
> (Darn phone doesn't do smileys. Use your imagination, I'm sure it would be close to what I really look like).



Oh, you poor thing. Unable to post smileys? You must be having wicked bad withdrawal symptoms. Allow me.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

pkondz said:


> Oh, you poor thing. Unable to post smileys? You must be having wicked bad withdrawal symptoms. Allow me.



 Thank you. That is exactly the smiley I needed last night. Long live the king! 



and, Yup, this was pretty much me without the smiley's...
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 I love the Disboards app on my phone, because it's easy to access, but no access to smileys is just wrong!!!


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

pkondz said:


> Gotta admit.... I like that.



I can see us all now. Just handing off the keyboard to the next TR writer on the list. Everyone getting their turn to either write, or get their revenge as Nebo would say.  Our own happy, dysfunctional, lovable family.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I can see us all now. Just handing off the keyboard to the next TR writer on the list. Everyone getting their turn to either write, or get their revenge as Nebo would say.  Our own happy, dysfunctional, lovable family.



Sometimes typos just stand out and demand to be addressed...

That's *DISfunctional*... just so's ya know.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

pkondz said:


> Sometimes typos just stand out and demand to be addressed...
> 
> *That's DISfunctional... just so's ya know.*




 Great catch!  I stand corrected!


----------



## Thumper_Man

So then I guess we can be called the *DISfunctional TR Writers*.


----------



## orangecats2

Thumper_Man said:


> So then I guess we can be called the *DISfunctional TR Writers*.



So does that make me a groupie? 

Where do you get all the great smilieys? I looked but couldn't find ones I could copy and paste. 

Have a great time!!! I'm jealous!


----------



## Thumper_Man

You know, weve got to do it someday. Throw away all the puns, and invite all the TR writers from the North and the South to Disney to have a cocktail party.  Last person standing on his/her feet at the end writes the report.

Less than 24 hours to go and well finally be in California.  

This will be a short chapter because I still have to pack.  I can sense the women cringing already less than 24 hours to go and he isnt packed yet.  He shouldve been packed since last week.  Now what can I say, at the end of the day, gals Im still a guy.  At least I have a good idea of what I want to pack.  Clothes, toiletries and the theme park tickets.  Everything else I can buy over there.  Now that wasnt so hard was it.

Now Ive seen what you all can do with Nebos TR when he leaves.  You all run amuck in there.  Unlike my friend from the windy city, I so happen to have a smartphone with the Disboards app.  So there will be no running amuck in this TR.   While the Thumpers are away, the Disers will play.  

Oh alright, go ahead.  This TR could use a little boost.  It hasnt even gotten off the finish line yet.  I bet it wont even make it to 15 pages by the time we come back.  I know, I know, only so much you can say in pre-trip report.  With Nebo and Smidgy back, I know youll have some entertainment over on his TR while were gone. No telling though, we might try to give some live updates from the parks.  Gotta love technology.

Well now its time to say goodbye to all our disboard friends.  We would like to thank you folks fer kindly droppin in. You're all invited back again to this locality. To have a heaping helping of our visit to Disney. 

Land that is. Fairy tales. Pop the wine bottle. 

Y'all come back now, y'hear.


And on that note, well leave you with one more song.

*Time For Us To Fly* by T_Man.
_*(Parody of the song Time For Me To Fly performed by REO Speedwagon)*_

Weve been around for you, shared lots of laughs with you
But its almost time that we leave
Weve packed up luggage to, waiting all thats left to do
 I wonder if well get any sleep.
Yes its almost time to go away, on this trip weve been planning. 
Praying well get there safe, in the plane which were flying
Oh, weve shared some laughs and sometimes we cry. 
I believe its time for us to fly. 

Please dont start to pout
Well be back to tell you about
Disney and the things that we loved
Oh, but time seems to be dragging on, weve been waiting so long
I hope the money we have is enough.
Well take lots of pictures on our fun filled vacation
Enough to make you jealous of our exploration.
Oh, weve shared some laughs and sometimes we cry.
I believe its time for us to fly

(Time for us to fly)
Were on our way to Disney
(Time for us to fly)
Talk to you again next week.
This a temporary goodbye, cause it's time for us to fly

Time

Ooh Yeah

Time for us to fly
Oh, Were on our way to Disney 
(Time for us to fly)
Oh, Disers, that's just how it's got to be
Oh, This a temporary goodbye, cause it's time for us to fly 
It's time for us to fly
It's time for us to fly
(It's time for us to fly)
It's time for us to fly
(It's time for us to fly)
It's time for us to fly
(It's time for us to fly)
It's time for us to fly


----------



## nowellsl

Have a GREAT trip!  I'm very jealous


----------



## jedijill

Have a wonderful trip!  

Jill in CO

<can we start running amuck yet?>


----------



## Thumper_Man

nowellsl said:


> Have a GREAT trip!  I'm very jealous



Don't be jealous. We'll have lots of fun for you.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> Less than 24 hours to go and well finally be in California.



 Have a great trip!



Thumper_Man said:


> I can sense the women cringing already less than 24 hours to go and he isnt packed yet.



And being a guy, I'm like, "meh".



Thumper_Man said:


> at the end of the day, gals Im still a guy.  At least I have a good idea of what I want to pack.  Clothes, toiletries and the theme park tickets.



Toiletries? You did say you're a guy, right?

shaver, toothbrush, deodorant. That's it. Anything more and I got some questions, buddy. 



Thumper_Man said:


> Everything else I can buy over there.  Now that wasnt so hard was it.



That's better. I was worried there for a while.



Thumper_Man said:


> Well now its time to say goodbye to all our disboard friends.  We would like to thank you folks fer kindly droppin in. You're all invited back again to this locality. To have a heaping helping of our visit to Disney.
> 
> Land that is. Fairy tales. Pop the wine bottle.
> 
> Y'all come back now, y'hear.



I have _no_ idea why that sounds familiar. 



Thumper_Man said:


> *Time For Us To Fly* by T_Man.
> _*(Parody of the song Time For Me To Fly performed by REO Speedwagon)*_



Another great tune T-man... Hmmm.... Maybe the T doesn't stand for Thumper. Tune-man? I like it.

Nah. You'll always be bunny boy...


----------



## Thumper_Man

orangecats2 said:


> So does that make me a groupie?
> 
> Where do you get all the great smilieys? I looked but couldn't find ones I could copy and paste.
> 
> Have a great time!!! I'm jealous!



We'll being I re-write songs, that might qualify you as a groupie.  

Just throwing out names still.  How about Nebo's Posse?  After all, he's the reason we're all on the same TR's anyways.  Again, just throwing out ideas.


----------



## Thumper_Man

jedijill said:


> Have a wonderful trip!
> 
> Jill in CO
> 
> <can we start running amuck yet?>



Thanks, we're hoping to.

Oh sure, wait til we leave to run amuck.


----------



## shan23877

Have a great trip and safe travels! 

Can't wait to hear all about it.

I need a 'running amuck' smiley.


----------



## smidgy

I like "nebo's Posse"


----------



## smidgy

. Gotta love technology
*******************************


who says I have to? I hate it!  despise it!  (oh except if it weren't for technology, I guess I wouldn't know all you guys!   )

i think for a couple who are pushing 60, we do pretty darned good!  

anyhoo, mike and heather, have a fun and safe trip!!!!   you be sure to take notes!    and I can't wait to run AMOK!!!!! (it sounds like such fun!!!)  wheee!


----------



## smidgy

whether you drive or fly.. join hands.. pray for a safe flight.


----------



## laura74

Hey T-Man! Just found this and don't have time to read it all yet but I will. 



Thumper_Man said:


> Hi Shan.
> 
> And we can't wait to tell you about it.  I've recently learned from reading Laura's report; make sure to take plenty of pictures.



And, I resemble that remark!


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

We just boarded our flight. Waiting for all the others to do the same. Should be leaving in about 15 minutes...so...let the "amoking" commence. 

P.S. if anyone is interested in a post card from Disneyland, send either myself or T-man a PM with your info.


----------



## CoolMom2112

Have Fun!!!!


Let the 'amuking?' begin..


how do you spell that word anyways???  amok amuck hmmmm...


----------



## Backstage_Gal

Darn, I missed the send-off. Have a wonderful trip!


----------



## mmeb144

Are they gone?  Now we can run amuck!  Or tell funny stories about them to pass the time. Oh, wait, we don't know them that well.  I guess we'll have to make some up.


----------



## jedijill

Amuck, Amuck, Amuck, Amuck!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZzRf9eXdKQ

Jill in CO


----------



## mmeb144

jedijill said:


> Amuck, Amuck, Amuck, Amuck!
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZzRf9eXdKQ
> 
> Jill in CO



That was really weird!   I like it!


----------



## jedijill

mmeb144 said:


> That was really weird!   I like it!



Hocus Pocus...one of favorites movies 

Jill in CO


----------



## Thumper_Man

Just got back from Steakhouse 55. Highly recommended. Just wanted to let Nebo know, they have sustainable fish.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> Just got back from Steakhouse 55. Highly recommended. Just wanted to let Nebo know, they have sustainable fish.



With bonus appendages?


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:
			
		

> With bonus appendages?



Didn't order the fish, so your guess is as good as mine.


----------



## nebo

Thumper_Man said:


> Just got back from Steakhouse 55. Highly recommended. Just wanted to let Nebo know, they have sustainable fish.



*Sustainable fish is the kind that doesn't rust, right? And they make silverware out of?


Areyou going to be commenting all during your trip? 
 Seems like it's a good time to get away from the Dis boards for a break, at least it is for me. 
  Oh,,,, and the fact I don'[t have a laptop or anything invented in this century might have something to do with it. 
  Have a great trip you two. *


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

I don't know about posting all through the trip. I'm sure there will be days and times we will be too tired to think. It's full day number 1, so we are still rested. Give T-man time to run me around Disney like a mad woman. 

On another note: for those that have already requested postcards. They were placed in the mail drop at Paradise Pier just about 15 minutes ago. If anyone else is interested in a postcard, just send me your info. You don't even have to give me your real name if you don't want...its just our little thank you for coming along for the ride. We will be taking requests until Thursday night. 

I better go...trying to.work my way through the Grand Californian hotel while replying is just waiting for something to go wrong.


----------



## mmeb144

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I don't know about posting all through the trip. I'm sure there will be days and times we will be too tired to think. It's full day number 1, so we are still rested. Give T-man time to run me around Disney like a mad woman.
> 
> On another note: for those that have already requested postcards. They were placed in the mail drop at Paradise Pier just about 15 minutes ago. If anyone else is interested in a postcard, just send me your info. You don't even have to give me your real name if you don't want...its just our little thank you for coming along for the ride. We will be taking requests until Thursday night.
> 
> I better go...trying to.work my way through the Grand Californian hotel while replying is just waiting for something to go wrong.



I look forward to the postcard.  Thanks for sharing!  Try not to crash and burn while texting.  But if you do, be sure to take pics and post.


----------



## pkondz

nebo said:


> * Seems like it's a good time to get away from the Dis boards for a break, at least it is for me.
> Oh,,,, and the fact I don'[t have a laptop or anything invented in this century might have something to do with it.  *



Well, I _do_ have a laptop... but I don't post on my trips. Makes it too much like work. When I'm on vacay, I'm Free!!!


----------



## Thumper_Man

nebo said:
			
		

> Sustainable fish is the kind that doesn't rust, right? And they make silverware out of?
> 
> Areyou going to be commenting all during your trip?
> Seems like it's a good time to get away from the Dis boards for a break, at least it is for me.
> Oh,,,, and the fact I don'[t have a laptop or anything invented in this century might have something to do with it.
> Have a great trip you two.



Since I'm only posting quick posts and not long chapters, sure. It's like watching the trailer to a good movie, you get a teaser and have to go see later if its a pleaser.


----------



## dwheatl

Thumper_Man said:


> Since I'm only posting quick posts and not long chapters, sure. It's like watching the trailer to a good movie, you get a teaser and have to go see later if its a pleaser.



Or maybe they're just worried how far amok we'll go!


----------



## Sandy Mouse

jedijill said:
			
		

> Hocus Pocus...one of favorites movies
> 
> Jill in CO



A must watch for every October with the grandkids.


----------



## Sandy Mouse

nebo said:
			
		

> Sustainable fish is the kind that doesn't rust, right? And they make silverware out of?



I hate when my fish rusts.


----------



## pkondz

Sandy Mouse said:


> I hate when my fish rusts.



Agreed. There's something fishy about that.


----------



## nhpooh

Hey, am I too late??    Nothing much going on here at work so I thought I would check your vacation out!!!   Hope your having fun, of course you are your at DL!!!



ENJOY!!


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

nhpooh said:
			
		

> Hey, am I too late??    Nothing much going on here at work so I thought I would check your vacation out!!!   Hope your having fun, of course you are your at DL!!!
> 
> ENJOY!!



Your right on time! Maybe you can liven this place up, looks like it died a slow agonizing death while we have been away...  :'( .  We hope we can do thus trip justice, its been tons of fun so far and we still have a couple more days left!

Speaking of, we are still willing to send postcards from The Land. We bought a bunch, and have only had a few requests. Please feel free to send me or Tman your info and we will be more than happy to send some love your way! Or at least send some Disney Love. . 

Gotta run, Dinner is on its way!! It's a darn good thing calories don't count on vacation!!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Gotta run, Dinner is on its way!! It's a darn good thing calories don't count on vacation!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Calories? Don't Thumper-folk just eat carrots and such? And don't your legs get tired from all that thumping? And what's with that anyway? Is it some kind of morse code or something? Is that how you two communicate? Is that how you _met_? Or is it... what? What's that?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGt9jAkWie4

Oh. Sorry.

I'll shut up now.


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:
			
		

> Calories? Don't Thumper-folk just eat carrots and such? And don't your legs get tired from all that thumping? And what's with that anyway? Is it some kind of morse code or something? Is that how you two communicate? Is that how you met? Or is it... what? What's that?
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGt9jAkWie4
> 
> Oh. Sorry.
> 
> I'll shut up now.



One veggie burger please, hold the veggies.


----------



## nhpooh

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Your right on time! Maybe you can liven this place up, looks like it died a slow agonizing death while we have been away...  :'( .  We hope we can do thus trip justice, its been tons of fun so far and we still have a couple more days left!
> 
> Speaking of, we are still willing to send postcards from The Land. We bought a bunch, and have only had a few requests. Please feel free to send me or Tman your info and we will be more than happy to send some love your way! Or at least send some Disney Love. .
> 
> Gotta run, Dinner is on its way!! It's a darn good thing calories don't count on vacation!!!!!!!!!!!!!



So glad to hear your having a great time!   But as I said YOUR at DISNEY of course your having a great time.  


So what did you have for dinner?  Yes no calorie counting on vacations!   


Well got to go look forward to more news from you all!!


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> One veggie burger please, hold the veggies.



We have a word for that! It's 'bun'.


----------



## mmeb144

I got my postcard today!  Yay!


----------



## Dizwyz

Sandy Mouse said:
			
		

> ??????
> I hate when my fish rusts.



?


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

mmeb144 said:
			
		

> I got my postcard today!  Yay!



Yay! I'm glad you got it. I'm always worried they won't make it.  I hope you liked it. Please excuse my hand writing. We were working on a couple of them during lunch at DTD and I didn't have much room to groove while trying to keep the Postcard out of the food. Lol.


----------



## mmeb144

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Yay! I'm glad you got it. I'm always worried they won't make it.  I hope you liked it. Please excuse my hand writing. We were working on a couple of them during lunch at DTD and I didn't have much room to groove while trying to keep the Postcard out of the food. Lol.



Oh yeah, I like it!  It's got my fave on it, Mickey Mouse.    And that girl mouse he keeps around for laughs...


----------



## orangecats2

I got mine too!!! Thanks!!! So excited to see the "little" castle.


----------



## nhpooh

Morning!!    How's it going?   TGIF!


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

orangecats2 said:
			
		

> I got mine too!!! Thanks!!! So excited to see the "little" castle.



Yay! I'm so glad you got yours too! 

We have a few more we are mailing out today. So if there are any last requests get them in now. Otherwise we will see you all when we get back.


----------



## Thumper_Man

nhpooh said:
			
		

> Morning!!    How's it going?   TGIF!



Going good Pooh. Thanks for joining our TR. Our last day here. Be headed out in a little bit. Talk to you all real soon.


----------



## momrek06

HEY MIKE and HEATHER, I AM HERE!!!!!!!! BETTER LATE THAN NEVER!!!!!!!!  

I just found this on the WEATHER thread!!!!

LOVE THE TITLE!!!! 

OK, looking forward to reading everything!!!!!

I so hope you both LOVED OUR DISNEYLAND!!!!!


----------



## Thumper_Man

Last of the post card requests were mailed out today. Thanks everyone for the requests. It was our pleasure to mail them out.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Well everyone, we are home. We had a wonderful time and that finishes this report.

What's that you say? We're not getting off that easy. You mean you actually want to hear all the boring blah blah blah. We went here, we went there; we rode this we rode that.  The old pie in the face TR.

Speaking of pies, didn't see any new recipes yet. I was hoping we would have a few more recipes to try out by now. 

Anyway, you twisted our arms. I'll try to get this TR in full swing soon. Just like when Nebo and Smidgy got home, I have to upload the over 2,000 pictures we took between the 2 of us and figure out which ones are the ones I want use. Hopefully we jotted down plenty of notes as well.


----------



## Backstage_Gal

Welcome home! Looking forward to the Thumper report


----------



## dwheatl

Can't wait to hear how it went.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> Well everyone, we are home. We had a wonderful time and that finishes this report.
> 
> What's that you say? We're not getting off that easy. You mean you actually want to hear all the boring blah blah blah. We went here, we went there; we rode this we rode that.  The old pie in the face TR.
> 
> Speaking of pies, didn't see any new recipes yet. I was hoping we would have a few more recipes to try out by now.
> 
> Anyway, you twisted our arms. I'll try to get this TR in full swing soon. Just like when Nebo and Smidgy got home, I have to upload the over 2,000 pictures we took between the 2 of us and figure out which ones are the ones I want use. Hopefully we jotted down plenty of notes as well.



Whoa! Back already? That just seemed to fly by!

And yes, you are definitely _not_ getting off that easy. We want details folks.

No, I haven't forgotten the pie recipe... I'm just so far behind it's not even funny. I'm working right now on a response to Nebo's latest, I'm behind on Monica's and Laura just posted...

oy.


----------



## cp'ersmom

Welcome home! Can't wait to hear all about it. Did you wave as you drove through Phoenix?


----------



## MAGICFOR2

Welcome Back!  That week went by so fast we even (mostly) forgot to run Amuck!    Looking forward to it - don't wait too long or we'll all drin too much coffeeand you know what happens then....


----------



## momrek06

WELCOME HOME!!! 

REST UP!!! 

THEN WE WANT PICTURES, *Thumper*!!! 

I will tell you, Mike, you and Heather picked a great week to come to DL  as the DISNEYLAND HALF MARATHON is here this 3 day weekend  OMG OMG OMG there are ONE MILLION people in town today AND all at the Parks!


----------



## smidgy

Thumper_Man said:


> Anyway, you twisted our arms. I'll try to get this TR in full swing soon. Just like when Nebo and Smidgy got home, I have to upload the over 2,000 pictures we took between the 2 of us and figure out which ones are the ones I want use. Hopefully we jotted down plenty of notes as well.



just do what nebo does. he posts every picture that shows my, um, ( fat).

we will be responding to your email about the meet up shortly. I had forgotten that I changed our ADR at teppan edo to 4.. oops..I .better get on that!


----------



## orangecats2

(im)patiently waiting for the adventure to start...


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

orangecats2 said:
			
		

> (im)patiently waiting for the adventure to start...



Haha. We are still (im)patiently trying to get the pictures uploaded. Just checked on T-Man, he has been working in uploading pictures since yesterday and he is still at the computer  .  Hopefully we will get to the adventure very soon.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

smidgy said:
			
		

> just do what nebo does. he posts every picture that shows my, um, ( fat).
> 
> we will be responding to your email about the meet up shortly. I had forgotten that I changed our ADR at teppan edo to 4.. oops..I .better get on that!



That's what I'm afraid of, that T-Man will find every unflattering picture of me (which will probably be all of them). I guess that's the price I pay for handing him a loaded camera. 

We will await your reply. We are very excited to meet you both!


----------



## dwheatl

Does anyone else have the CityPass ad at the top of their screen? Just a little too creepy, Big Brotherish for me. Last night, my sister told me she was curious about a product advertised on late night TV, not that she wanted to buy it, mind you 
She said she was afraid to Google it though, because the computer always seems to know what you've been looking at or talking about, and she didn't want ads popping up when, for instance, her grandkids are playing games on the computer.


----------



## MAGICFOR2

dwheatl said:


> Does anyone else have the CityPass ad at the top of their screen? Just a little too creepy, Big Brotherish for me. Last night, my sister told me she was curious about a product advertised on late night TV, not that she wanted to buy it, mind you
> She said she was afraid to Google it though, because the computer always seems to know what you've been looking at or talking about, and she didn't want ads popping up when, for instance, her grandkids are playing games on the computer.



I have DCL because I was just looking at cruises.  We used to play a game on one thread here.  We would put a random word in and wait for the ad to appear at the top and laugh with each other.  Good one on Friday night with a glass of wine.


----------



## Backstage_Gal

this interweb is very creepy. Try typing hearing aid for example, and see if you dont get ads for them


----------



## nebo

Thumper_Man said:


> Last of the post card requests were mailed out today. Thanks everyone for the requests. It was our pleasure to mail them out.



*Boy, now I feel left out for not asking for a card. If it's not too much trouble, would you mind flying back and,,,,,

  ok, ok,,, I just didn't want to have you asking for the 45 cents first thing if we do meet up. *


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

nebo said:
			
		

> Boy, now I feel left out for not asking for a card. If it's not too much trouble, would you mind flying back and,,,,,
> 
> ok, ok,,, I just didn't want to have you asking for the 45 cents first thing if we do meet up.



We did have one waiting for you and Smidgy but never got a request from you all. We could always send it, it just won't come directly from Disney like all the rest. And the stamp only cost 32 cents for post cards, except for international postage of course.


----------



## Thumper_Man

orangecats2 said:
			
		

> (im)patiently waiting for the adventure to start...



Yeah, me to. That T_Man is taking forever to post. Wonder what he's waiting on?

Oh wait, that would be me. As Lady H said, I've been working on the pictures. Deleting the not so good ones, and trying to remember what the heck we were trying to take pictures of in others.

Also trying to go through all my notes. Looks like I had one too many fuzzy cups when I wrote them down at the end of each night. Plus gotta remember what some of them reference. Like this one: "Pearls , Ponzi". I think there's a picture that goes with this and some how relates to his TR.

Hoping to have a chapter up by Wednesday night.

Plus I'm behind again on other TR's,gotta catch up on those to.


----------



## orangecats2

Thumper_Man said:


> Yeah, me to. That T_Man is taking forever to post. Wonder what he's waiting on?
> 
> Oh wait, that would be me. As Lady H said, I've been working on the pictures. Deleting the not so good ones, and trying to remember what the heck we were trying to take pictures of in others.
> 
> Also trying to go through all my notes. Looks like I had one too many fuzzy cups when I wrote them down at the end of each night. Plus gotta remember what some of them reference. Like this one: "Pearls , Ponzi". I think there's a picture that goes with this and some how relates to his TR.
> 
> Hoping to have a chapter up by Wednesday night.
> 
> Plus I'm behind again on other TR's,gotta catch up on those to.



Yeah, hurry up you!   j/k
I mean we've all seen WDW hundreds of times, we need some DL! 
Just glad you're going to start before I leave in 11 days.


----------



## jcc0621

Color me surprised when I wandered over to the DLR Boards and I see this TR.  We aren't planning a trip to DLR for several years (gotta save) but can't wait to read you TR.  It's never too early to plan right?


----------



## Thumper_Man

dwheatl said:


> Does anyone else have the CityPass ad at the top of their screen? Just a little too creepy, Big Brotherish for me.



CityPass ad pops up quite often in the Disneyland Threads.  That's how I first learned about it.


----------



## Thumper_Man

momrek06 said:


> HEY MIKE and HEATHER, I AM HERE!!!!!!!! BETTER LATE THAN NEVER!!!!!!!!
> 
> I just found this on the WEATHER thread!!!!
> 
> LOVE THE TITLE!!!!
> 
> OK, looking forward to reading everything!!!!!
> 
> I so hope you both LOVED OUR DISNEYLAND!!!!!



Hi Kar.

You will have to stay tuned.  Too bad we missed you this trip.  I know you mentioned on the weather board you and DH were traveling.  Hopefully we can meet up again next trip.



momrek06 said:


> WELCOME HOME!!!
> 
> REST UP!!!
> 
> THEN WE WANT PICTURES, *Thumper*!!!
> 
> I will tell you, Mike, you and Heather picked a great week to come to DL  as the DISNEYLAND HALF MARATHON is here this 3 day weekend  OMG OMG OMG there are ONE MILLION people in town today AND all at the Parks!



I didn't know about the half marathon when we planned this trip.  I tried planning it around the times school would be back in session.  We heard more about the half marathon towards the end of the trip.  Good thing we left when we did.

Oh we have plenty of pictures.  I still need to upload them to an internet site.  I spent most of the weekend uploading them on to our computer and deleting the not so good ones. I still have pictures I need to pull off the camcorder as well.  Hopefully I'll have all that done by the time I get to those days.


----------



## smidgy

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> We did have one waiting for you and Smidgy but never got a request from you all. We could always send it, it just won't come directly from Disney like all the rest. And the stamp only cost 32 cents for post cards, except for international postage of course.



rats. I was going to send you our address, but I thought for  sure nebo must have already.   (sometmes we don't communicate)


----------



## Thumper_Man

Heather and Mike, you have just reached your 5-year wedding anniversary, what are you going to do next?

We’re going to Disneyland!!!!

Saturday August 25th, 2012.  5:00 am and visions of Disneyland were running through my dreams.  No sooner is it 5:30 and the alarm goes off.  Then again at 5:40 and one more time at 5:50.

 You think we would’ve just sprung up out of bed, but we have a memory foam mattress so there are no springs in our bed; plus we didn’t get the ejection feature either.  So now we have to get ourselves up out of bed.  You’ve all seen the commercial “I’m too excited too sleep,” I don’t know about Lady H, but that was me until I finally did fall asleep.  Now all I wanted to do was sleep, at least a couple more hours.  I tried calling Southwest and asked them to hold the plane for us; but they were not willing to. Shoot darn.  Good thing is, it’s an hour and 40 minute flight, so at least I can take a nap on the plane. 

By the time we finished packing and actually got to bed the night before, think it was close to midnight; so we knew it would be just a quick nap.  Think it was finally close to 2:00 that I fell asleep.  Our flight was scheduled to leave at 9:15 am.  Maybe we’ll get a text message saying our flight was delayed and we can sleep a couple of extra hours.  Look at my smartphone and I have one text message.  Hopes run high thinking maybe, just maybe, I can sleep a couple of more hours.  Nope, text was from a friend wishing us a safe and happy trip.  Stroll on over to the kitchen, turn on the coffee pot and proceed to wake Sleeping Beauty.  I smile each time I can wake Lady H up just like Prince Phillip woke up Princess Aurora.  Sometimes it takes more than one kiss and a bucket of water, but eventually she wakes up.  5 minutes after waking up Sleeping Beauty, coffee is done so we each grab a cup and proceed to get ready.  After a couple of cups of coffee and a hour later, we’re finally alert and ready to go.  Pack any last minute stuff we may need, even though we’ve probably forgot something already.  

Now I don’t know about the rest of you, but it never seems to fail with us.  There’s always one or 2 items you need, and when you start unpacking at the hotel that’s when it dawns on you. “Oh man, I forgot my super duper mega hold, holds like glue styling hair gel. Guess I’ll just have to buy a hat.”  Not like I have much hair left anyways.  Soon I won’t need any glue, shampoo or conditioner.  

Soon the bags are loaded into D’Mil car, as she’s going to take us to the airport and pick us up when we get back.  Well let me rephrase that; the bags are loaded into D’Mil’s car and I will be driving us to/from the airport.  D’Mil  likes to think she’s Miss Daisy, sit in the back seat and let me drive.  After the bags have been loaded into her car, I do one final check for my carryon bag.  Park Tickets, check. Boarding passes, check.  Driver’s license, check.  Smartphone, still on the nightstand.  Run back and get it, now we’re all set.  All systems are go.

Stealing this line from Nebo and Smidgy.

“AND WE’RE OFF!’

On the way to the airport, I keep thinking we need to stop for cash.  I tell Lady H to remind to stop for cash.  5 seconds after I tell her to remind me, she reminds me.  Thanks, honey. I’ll try.  We look at the time and it’s getting close to 7.  No time to stop for cash now, just got to head straight to the airport.  Still a 35-45 minute drive from our house to the airport, depending on how many Sunday drivers are on the road on a Saturday morning. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			
		
		
	


	




 Lady H tells me there’s an ATM for our bank at the airport, we can get cash there.  Great.  Disney is going to get enough money from us during the week.  I don’t need to be spreading the wealth around with our bank and other banks on the ATM fees.  

Checking our luggage and getting through security was easy breezy.  Smooth sailing.  A walk in the park.  Like taking candy from a baby.  Although I hear taking candy from a baby can be difficult at times.

Lady H and I head over to Hudson News to buy the paper.  Our usual routine whenever we fly somewhere.  They were out of the paper we usually buy.  There’s another Hudson closer to our gate, we’ll check to see if they have it there.  On our way to our gate, we notice the first item we forgot to pack.  COFFEE.  There’s a particular brand of coffee that is packaged and sold locally called New Mexico Pinon Coffee.  This is the type of coffee we drink each morning.  We meant to buy a small bag from the supermarket, but completely spaced it out.  As luck would have it, they sell the small bags here in the airport at one of the kiosks.  Instead of paying the $8 we would have at the supermarket, we’re paying almost double in the airport.   With our bag in coffee in hand, we now head on down to one of the eateries for breakfast.  We divide and concur.  Lady H heads off in search for the paper, after reading the menu and telling me what she wants for breakfast.  I stay and stand in the first of many long lines we’ll encounter during the week.  I wait, and wait, and wait, and finally after 3 long minutes, I place our order.  We both got a breakfast croissant, which had eggs, cheese and choice of ham, bacon or sausage.  I got a sausage patty on mine while Lady H got bacon on hers.  

Lady H came back from her quest to find the newspaper.  We chow down on breakfast and no sooner did we finish than it was time for us to board.  Once on board, Lady H and I picked out our seats.  One of our first observations, the pilots took turns going in and out of the restroom.  We hoped it’s from having too much coffee and not from the party the night before.  Only time will tell.  On the plane, Heather had the aisle seat, I had the window seat and the middle seat was empty, for now.  Across from Lady H on the next aisle seat was a lady that was either: A, already suffering from air sickness or had some bad sushi and looked like she was ready to hurl; B, was already asleep; or C, both A & B (sleeping to fight the air sickeness).  This lady had her head on her forearm, which was on the seat in front of her.  I told Lady H, “For your sake, let’s hope she’s already sleeping.”  Pilots are done in the restroom, take their seats and we push back from the hub. The pretty yellow stripe that is there for pilots to follow, well our pilots aren’t following it very good. As we taxi down the runway, I notice the plane is swerving from one side of the yellow strip to the other side of the yellow stripe.  So much for my theories they had too much coffee or are suffering from the night before.  I think they’re still drunk.  

The flight attendants give their usual safety instructions and soon the pilots make that famous announcement, “we’ve been cleared for departure” and I start to pray.  

“AND WE’RE OFF!”  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Sorry, just had to say that one more time.  

I’m guessing we had a famous music producer on board, because not too long after take off, we had a singing audition from one of the stewardess’.  Oh wait, let me use the politically correct term, flight attendant.  She gave us the Southwest rendition of “When You Wish Upon a Star.”  I don’t remember exactly how she worded it, but I was wondering if she might be a long lost cousin since she re-wrote the words to the song.  I would’ve recorded it, but the use of electronic devices is strictly prohibited until the captain gives the ok.  Plus I left my camera in my bag, which is stowed neatly under the seat in front of me.  How was I to know we would be serenaded? 

Now that the audition is over (I never did see a producer approach her by the way) the captain has given the ok to NOW use our electronic devices.  The “Flight Attendant,” makes her announcement that they will soon go through serving complimentary soft drinks, coffee or water.  If you wish to purchase a Monster energy drink or cocktail, they only accept major credit/debit cards; or drink coupons if you have them.  They no longer accept cash. 

*CASH!*

We forgot to get cash out of the ATM.  Looks like we’re now doomed to pay the ATM fees.  

While filling up our jet back at the airport, they must’ve put some kind of super fuel.  We actually arrived in Los Angeles ahead of schedule.  Which is a good thing.  We actually got a tour of LAX and we didn’t even have to get off the plane or pay any extra fee.  How thoughtful of them to give us a complimentary tour.  The terminal we had to dock at must have been the terminal at the end; because each time we drove up to one, the pilots kept driving past it.  Sometimes I even had to wonder if we were driving in circles.  I could’ve sworn we passed the same terminal at least twice.  Finally make it to our terminal.  Turns out the lady sitting next to Lady H must have been sleeping.  Once we landed, she finally sat up and the good thing is she never got sick.  

After we get off the plane we head down to baggage claim, because where else would we go. Ever since Lady H’s bag didn’t make it back from vacation once, we always get a little worried now.  We split up our clothes between each other’s bag.  I gave her some of my clothes to put in her bag and vice-versa, some of hers in mine.  This way if one bag makes it and the other doesn’t, we will both have clothes. We also had a carryon with us in which we packed couple of day’s worth of clothes for each of us, in case neither one of our bags showed up.  A couple of tips I learned here on the Disboards.  

As we stepped off the moving staircase that lead down to baggage claim, Lightning McQueen was there to greet us.


----------



## mmeb144

Woot! An update!  I'm ready to be floored!


----------



## Thumper_Man

jcc0621 said:


> Color me surprised when I wandered over to the DLR Boards and I see this TR.  We aren't planning a trip to DLR for several years (gotta save) but can't wait to read you TR.  It's never too early to plan right?



We hope you enjoy it.  There are some hard acts we're trying to follow.  And it's never to early to start planning.  Soon as people tell me dates for DL next year, I'll have Lady H get right on it.


----------



## Thumper_Man

smidgy said:


> rats. I was going to send you our address, but I thought for  sure nebo must have already.   (sometmes we don't communicate)



Even better yet, yours will be personally hand delivered to you when we meet up in December.  We are meeting up in December right?


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

Thumper_Man said:


> We hope you enjoy it.  There are some hard acts we're trying to follow.  And it's never to early to start planning.  Soon as people tell me dates for DL next year, I'll have Lady H get right on it.








I don't think you know how this works hun, but that's OK, I'll remin you...You plan. I just show up, look fabulous, and have fun!  OK OK...I show up and have fun...now stop laughing.


----------



## Worfiedoodles

Yay! We're Off! I've never been to Disneyland, can't wait to enjoy your trip!

Maria


----------



## princesszelda

Just joining now. I can not wait to read the rest of your trip and see your pictures.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Worfiedoodles said:


> Yay! We're Off! I've never been to Disneyland, can't wait to enjoy your trip!
> 
> Maria



We hope we can make it enjoyable.  Thanks for joining us.


----------



## Thumper_Man

princesszelda said:


> Just joining now. I can not wait to read the rest of your trip and see your pictures.



Thanks for joining in.  I'm still getting them uploaded to Flickr, but should have them all uploaded by the time I get to each chapter.


----------



## princesszelda

Thumper_Man said:


> Thanks for joining in.  I'm still getting them uploaded to Flickr, but should have them all uploaded by the time I get to each chapter.



Sounds great.... I will be wait as patiently as I can!


----------



## Backstage_Gal

Off to great start T-Man!

Another Disboard tip: add "getting cash" to the check list before you leave, just sayin...


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

Backstage_Gal said:
			
		

> Off to great start T-Man!
> 
> Another Disboard tip: add "getting cash" to the check list before you leave, just sayin...



It was on the spreadsheet! Just didn't make it off the spreadsheet until we were there. The worst part: we both passed a credit union ATM on our way to the restrooms before boarding the plane. Did we snap? Of course not! D'oh!


----------



## smidgy

Thumper_Man said:


> Even better yet, yours will be personally hand delivered to you when we meet up in December.  We are meeting up in December right?



nebo said he will call you this week!!!!

and you can use "WE'RE OFF!"  anytime you like.  we stole it from my dad.  he used to say that at the beginning of every trip when I was growing up. that's where I got it. and my daddy loved to share!


----------



## jedijill

Off to a great start even though you are going cashless. 

Jill in CO


----------



## momrek06

YEAH . GREAT START, Mike!!!


----------



## Thumper_Man

jedijill said:


> Off to a great start even though you are going cashless.
> 
> Jill in CO



We may have been cashless, but at least we did have our debit and credit cards with us.  Good thing most places take them now a days.


----------



## Thumper_Man

smidgy said:


> nebo said he will call you this week!!!!
> 
> and you can use "WE'RE OFF!"  anytime you like.  we stole it from my dad.  he used to say that at the beginning of every trip when I was growing up. that's where I got it. and my daddy loved to share!



I appreciate him and you sharing with us.  

I look forward to Nebo's call.  I programmed both numbers into my cell phone that way it shows on my caller ID.  Like you, if I don't recognize a long distance number, I won't answer the phone.


----------



## Thumper_Man

momrek06 said:


> YEAH . GREAT START, Mike!!!



Thanks Kar.  Already working on the next chapter.


----------



## Sandy Mouse

Your plane arrived early because your drunk pilots were speeding!  (is that even possible?). I fly Southwest a lot and they're always early.   
As for the cash, the trick is to have your account at a big bank with branches and ATMs everywhere you want to travel, then you don't pay ATM fees. 

Great chapter... ready for more.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Sandy Mouse said:


> Your plane arrived early because your drunk pilots were speeding!  (is that even possible?). I fly Southwest a lot and they're always early.



We're regulars on SWA as well. For the most part, it seems we're always leaving a little behind schedule and some where in the air, they make up time to get us to our destination on time.  I can count on 2 fingers how many times we've actually been early.



Sandy Mouse said:


> As for the cash, the trick is to have your account at a big bank with branches and ATMs everywhere you want to travel, then you don't pay ATM fees.
> 
> Great chapter... ready for more.



The trick is to remember to get cash.    Since most places take debit/credit cards, we usually just stick with that.  We don't get much cash.  Mostly for tips at the airport or to buy Mickey Bars from the little carts.  Lady H and I each have our separate accounts still.  Mine is with a big bank, but all my money went to bills.  So there was no cash available on my card to take out.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> Thanks Kar.  Already working on the next chapter.



Gack! I haven't even read the last one yet! (Or Nebo's, or Laura's )

But I did get this today:


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

pkondz said:


> Gack! I haven't even read the last one yet! (Or Nebo's, or Laura's )
> 
> But I did get this today:



 You were right, you would get by this week! Although i think you mentioned you'd have it by Wednesday... 

Sorry it took so long to get to you. Hope you liked it though.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

Thumper_Man said:


> Saturday August 25th, 2012.  5:00 am and visions of Disneyland were running through my dreams.  No sooner is it 5:30 and the alarm goes off.  Then again at 5:40 and one more time at 5:50.
> 
> You think we wouldve just sprung up out of bed, but we have a memory foam mattress so there are no springs in our bed; plus we didnt get the ejection feature either.  So now we have to get ourselves up out of bed.  Youve all seen the commercial Im too excited too sleep, I dont know about Lady H, but that was me until I finally did fall asleep.  Now all I wanted to do was sleep, at least a couple more hours.  I tried calling Southwest and asked them to hold the plane for us; but they were not willing to. Shoot darn.  Good thing is, its an hour and 40 minute flight, so at least I can take a nap on the plane.




Nope. Told you the night before I was going to take some Advil PM to make sure I get some sleep 

. Otherwise I would be worthless by the time we got to Anaheim. Since you say I fall asleep the minute I get in the car, I wanted to make sure I was bright eyed and bushy tailed for our trip.  




Thumper_Man said:


> By the time we finished packing and actually got to bed the night before, think it was close to midnight; so we knew it would be just a quick nap.  Think it was finally close to 2:00 that I fell asleep.  Our flight was scheduled to leave at 9:15 am.  Maybe well get a text message saying our flight was delayed and we can sleep a couple of extra hours.  Look at my smartphone and I have one text message.  Hopes run high thinking maybe, just maybe, I can sleep a couple of more hours.  Nope, text was from a friend wishing us a safe and happy trip.  Stroll on over to the kitchen, turn on the coffee pot and proceed to wake Sleeping Beauty.  I smile each time I can wake Lady H up just like Prince Phillip woke up Princess Aurora.



Sleeping Beauty huh? I'm sure your using that to butter me up for something later on...




Thumper_Man said:


> Lady H and I head over to Hudson News to buy the paper.  Our usual routine whenever we fly somewhere.  They were out of the paper we usually buy.  Theres another Hudson closer to our gate, well check to see if they have it there.  On our way to our gate, we notice the first item we forgot to pack.  COFFEE.  Theres a particular brand of coffee that is packaged and sold locally called New Mexico Pinon Coffee.  This is the type of coffee we drink each morning.  We meant to buy a small bag from the supermarket, but completely spaced it out.  As luck would have it, they sell the small bags here in the airport at one of the kiosks.  Instead of paying the $8 we would have at the supermarket, were paying almost double in the airport.   With our bag in coffee in hand, we now head on down to one of the eateries for breakfast.  We divide and concur.  Lady H heads off in search for the paper, after reading the menu and telling me what she wants for breakfast.  I stay and stand in the first of many long lines well encounter during the week.  I wait, and wait, and wait, and finally after 3 long minutes, I place our order.  We both got a breakfast croissant, which had eggs, cheese and choice of ham, bacon or sausage.  I got a sausage patty on mine while Lady H got bacon on hers.



Which they still never get right. I like my bacon extra crispy, 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 and they never make it extra crispy. It's always limp and greasy and hard to chew and I end up taking it out of the sandwich at some point anyway. From what I remember, they said it was because they are using the pre-cooked stuff and only warm it up when making the sandwich, all I ask is that you take the bacon out of the sandwich, nuke it until it holds its own weight and then add it to the sandwich. Is that so hard?  OK. Vent over. 



Thumper_Man said:


> Lady H came back from her quest to find the newspaper.



And I still wasn't able to find the paper I wanted. I wanted the New Mexican, and obviously so did every other person in the airport because they were sold out of both Hudson News Stands. I had to settle for the Albuquerque Journal which isn't as fun, because it doesn't have the quiz or the good horoscopes. 



Thumper_Man said:


> I told Lady H, For your sake, lets hope shes already sleeping.  Pilots are done in the restroom, take their seats and we push back from the hub. The pretty yellow stripe that is there for pilots to follow, well our pilots arent following it very good. As we taxi down the runway, I notice the plane is swerving from one side of the yellow strip to the other side of the yellow stripe.  So much for my theories they had too much coffee or are suffering from the night before.  I think theyre still drunk.



I was really worried about that lady...She looked like she was gonna be sick. Of course by mid flight she seemed to be rested enough. Now i was worried for the lady in front of her, who had one cup of coffee, and was ready to burst and was trying to get around the FA to get to the bathroom only to find it was occupied and had to wait. This happened not once, not twice, but three times during the hour and 45 minute flight. 




Thumper_Man said:


> We forgot to get cash out of the ATM.  Looks like were now doomed to pay the ATM fees.



I will put some of the blame for this on myself, since before we loaded onto the plane I noticed the ATM and thought to myself that we should get cash here, but then something distracted me, I'm sure something shiny flashed by or something and I spaced it. Ergo, no cash!


----------



## nebo

smidgy said:


> rats. I was going to send you our address, but I thought for  sure nebo must have already.   (sometmes we don't communicate)



*Whu, scribs on cave wall no gud nomore? Do I hafe to lurn cunifoam/*



Thumper_Man said:


> Heather and Mike, you have just reached your 5-year wedding anniversary, what are you going to do next?
> 
> *Write out the wedding gift thank you notes.
> yeah, well, I thought it was funny, never mind.*
> 
> Were going to Disneyland!!!!
> 
> we didnt get the ejection feature either.
> *The WHAT bedtime feature? Oh, never mind. geesh*
> 
> Youve all seen the commercial Im too excited too sleep, I dont know about Lady H, but that was me until I finally did fall asleep.  Now all I wanted to do was sleep, at least a couple more hours.  I tried calling Southwest and asked them to hold the plane for us; but they were not willing to. Shoot darn.  Good thing is, its an hour and 40 minute flight, so at least I can take a nap on the plane.
> 
> *Wow, yeah, thats a short flight, I'm jealous. Ours is only 2 and a half, but seems like twenty to me. Shoot, you'[re walking distance. *
> 
> By the time we finished packing and actually got to bed the night before, think it was close to midnight; so we knew it would be just a quick nap.  Think it was finally close to 2:00 that I fell asleep.  Our flight was scheduled to leave at 9:15 am.  Maybe well get a text message saying our flight was delayed and we can sleep a couple of extra hours.  Look at my smartphone and I have one text message.
> *Don't you feel inferior when you have to refer to your stupid electronic gizmo as a "SmartPhone". I would, no way would I give it the pleasure. *
> 
> 
> Hopes run high thinking maybe, just maybe, I can sleep a couple of more hours.  Nope, text was from a friend wishing us a safe and happy trip.  Stroll on over to the kitchen, turn on the coffee pot and proceed to wake Sleeping Beauty.  I smile each time I can wake Lady H up just like Prince Phillip woke up Princess Aurora.  Sometimes it takes more than one kiss and a bucket of water, but eventually she wakes up.  5 minutes after waking up Sleeping Beauty, coffee is done so we each grab a cup and proceed to get ready.  After a couple of cups of coffee and a hour later, were finally alert and ready to go.  Pack any last minute stuff we may need, even though weve probably forgot something already.
> 
> *That's where I've been good, so far 've never, ever forgotten something that I might need. *
> 
> Now I dont know about the rest of you, but it never seems to fail with us.  Theres always one or 2 items you need, and when you start unpacking at the hotel thats when it dawns on you. Oh man, I forgot my super duper mega hold, holds like glue styling hair gel. Guess Ill just have to buy a hat.
> 
> *Oh yes, believe me that would scare me, to forget my hair styling gel, but I can say that I've never forgotten that either. *
> 
> Not like I have much hair left anyways.  Soon I wont need any glue, shampoo or conditioner.
> 
> *Oh, that's a shame. If you need assistance on how to prevent that from happening, just call me, I have the answer. And it ends with the word, "Special" or, Weston. *
> 
> Soon the bags are loaded into DMil car, as shes going to take us to the airport and pick us up when we get back.  Well let me rephrase that; the bags are loaded into DMils car and I will be driving us to/from the airport.  DMil  likes to think shes Miss Daisy, sit in the back seat and let me drive.
> 
> *I've never seen it, but does that make you Morgan Freeman?*
> 
> After the bags have been loaded into her car, I do one final check for my carryon bag.  *"Carrion"*  Park Tickets, check. Boarding passes, check.  Drivers license, check.  Smartphone, still on the nightstand.  Run back and get it, now were all set.  All systems are go.
> 
> Stealing this line from Nebo and Smidgy.
> 
> AND WERE OFF!
> 
> *A "Great" way to start a trip!*
> 
> 
> 
> Checking our luggage and getting through security was easy breezy.  Smooth sailing.  A walk in the park.  Like taking candy from a baby.  Although I hear taking candy from a baby can be difficult at times.
> 
> *Baby faced Nelson? for example?*
> 
> Lady H and I head over to Hudson News to buy the paper.
> 
> *They have papers in New Mexico? Really? You're talking rolling, right?*
> 
> Our usual routine whenever we fly somewhere.  They were out of the paper we usually buy.
> 
> *Boy, 35 years ago I could have filled in a name here, alas,,, nuttin. *
> 
> We divide and concur.
> 
> *I love this, I don't know if it was intentional or not, but doesn't matter, that's why typos can be such fun.
> 
> "Ok, here's our strategy for winning this battle:
> I'll head straight up the flank on the rightside, you will use stealth from the left, slowly moving forward as our re-inforcements catch up, and we will rendezvous near the oak grove to the right of the machine gun nest, do you agree?
> 
> Absolutely, I concur.
> 
> (yes, you are right, wasn't worth it. "May not be a show stopper, but it can surely slow it down.")*
> 
> Lady H came back from her quest to find the newspaper.  We chow down on breakfast and no sooner did we finish than it was time for us to board.
> 
> *Or in my case, spend the next half hour in the bathroom, and not the one on the airplane.
> This is why I always make a  point of stealing the keys out of the ignition on my way back out to the restroom.
> "Nope, not going anywhere without me!"*
> 
> Once on board, Lady H and I picked out our seats.  One of our first observations, the pilots took turns going in and out of the restroom.  We hoped its from having too much coffee and not from the party the night before.  Only time will tell.  On the plane, Heather had the aisle seat, I had the window seat and the middle seat was empty, for now.
> 
> 
> *Wow, that has exactly been our seating pattern fro the last four trips, she, aisle, me window, and good luck to whoever gets stuck betwixt us. *
> 
> 
> . The pretty yellow stripe that is there for pilots to follow, well our pilots arent following it very good. As we taxi down the runway, I notice the plane is swerving from one side of the yellow strip to the other side of the yellow stripe.  So much for my theories they had too much coffee or are suffering from the night before.  I think theyre still drunk.
> 
> *Great, nothing like getting pulled over for a DUI in a 747 for weaving!*
> 
> The flight attendants give their usual safety instructions and soon the pilots make that famous announcement, weve been cleared for departure and I start to pray.
> 
> *"We pray now for our dearly departed."  Who really wanted to take a train today,,,*
> 
> AND WERE OFF!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sorry, just had to say that one more time.
> 
> *Understood, fun, isn't it?*
> 
> 
> 
> Now that the audition is over (I never did see a producer approach her by the way) the captain has given the ok to NOW use our electronic devices.  The Flight Attendant, makes her announcement that they will soon go through serving complimentary soft drinks, coffee or water.  If you wish to purchase a Monster energy drink or cocktail, they only accept major credit/debit cards; or drink coupons if you have them.  They no longer accept cash.
> 
> *Isn't that great they don't accept cash now?
> How long before you need to have a 3 digit number on your hand stamped like the book says will come to . *
> 
> *CASH!*
> 
> We forgot to get cash out of the ATM.  Looks like were now doomed to pay the ATM fees.
> 
> *  UH OH*
> 
> While filling up our jet back at the airport, they mustve put some kind of super fuel.  We actually arrived in Los Angeles ahead of schedule.  Which is a good thing.  We actually got a tour of LAX and we didnt even have to get off the plane or pay any extra fee.  How thoughtful of them to give us a complimentary tour.  The terminal we had to dock at must have been the terminal at the end; because each time we drove up to one, the pilots kept driving past it.  Sometimes I even had to wonder if we were driving in circles.  I couldve sworn we passed the same terminal at least twice.  Finally make it to our terminal.
> 
> 
> 
> *Our last flight home from Orlando got us back 22 minutes ahead of schedule.
> Cheers all around!
> 
> And then we spent the next half hour waiting for a terminal to open up, drove me absolutely crazy!
> Just sitting there.
> Or rolling at 3 miles per hour.
> *
> 
> 
> As we stepped off the moving staircase that lead down to baggage claim, Lightning McQueen was there to greet us.



*Well how cool, my luck, I would have gotten Hopper!

  Hey dude and dude ette; 
  great opening chapter, you act like you 've been doing this foreever, I'[m guessing this was mostly Mike this time?  Again, nice job. 
  Ok, that's done, I've officially welcomed and sung your praises. 
  Now, the gloves come off, as you knew they would. 
  adios. *


----------



## smidgy

thumper_man's wife said:


> i will put some of the blame for this on myself, since before we loaded onto the plane i noticed the atm and thought to myself that we should get cash here,* but then something distracted me, i'm sure something shiny flashed by or something *and i spaced it. Ergo, no cash!



squirrel!


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> You were right, you would get by this week! Although i think you mentioned you'd have it by Wednesday...
> 
> Sorry it took so long to get to you. Hope you liked it though.



I did! It's been a long week and it's just gotten a *lot* longer. I have three days off; Friday, Saturday and Sunday. My boss came up to me and the training that I told him I had to give the staff by the 15th? The training that he didn't want them to get for a couple of months? Suddenly he wants it done asap. So now I'm working 16 hours straight on Friday, 8 hours on Saturday and 8 hours on Sunday! My next day off is the 15th or 16th. 

But when I picked up the mail today and saw the postcard, it put a smile on my face. 

And now I have an idea of what World of Color is.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Nope. Told you the night before I was going to take some Advil PM to make sure I get some sleep
> 
> . Otherwise I would be worthless by the time we got to Anaheim. Since you say I fall asleep the minute I get in the car, I wanted to make sure I was bright eyed and bushy tailed for our trip.



And bright eyed and bushy tailed you were, after a couple of cups of coffee.  




Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Sleeping Beauty huh? I'm sure your using that to butter me up for something later on...



Or later on tonight.   



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Which they still never get right. I like my bacon extra crispy,
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> and they never make it extra crispy. It's always limp and greasy and hard to chew and I end up taking it out of the sandwich at some point anyway. From what I remember, they said it was because they are using the pre-cooked stuff and only warm it up when making the sandwich, all I ask is that you take the bacon out of the sandwich, nuke it until it holds its own weight and then add it to the sandwich. Is that so hard?  OK. Vent over.



I told them.  We just might have to start bringing you bacon from home.  



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> And I still wasn't able to find the paper I wanted. I wanted the New Mexican, and obviously so did every other person in the airport because they were sold out of both Hudson News Stands. I had to settle for the Albuquerque Journal which isn't as fun, because it doesn't have the quiz or the good horoscopes.



I still say they hadn't delivered them yet.  



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I was really worried about that lady...She looked like she was gonna be sick. Of course by mid flight she seemed to be rested enough. Now i was worried for the lady in front of her, who had one cup of coffee, and was ready to burst and was trying to get around the FA to get to the bathroom only to find it was occupied and had to wait. This happened not once, not twice, but three times during the hour and 45 minute flight.



I guess I missed that one.  Hunger Games had my attention.  I hope the odds were ever in her favor.




Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I will put some of the blame for this on myself, since before we loaded onto the plane I noticed the ATM and thought to myself that we should get cash here, but then something distracted me, I'm sure something shiny flashed by or something and I spaced it. Ergo, no cash!



That's quite alright.  We still managed.


----------



## Thumper_Man

nebo said:


> *Whu, scribs on cave wall no gud nomore? Do I hafe to lurn cunifoam/*



You could always send her a telegram.  You still remember how to send those right?  



nebo said:


> *Write out the wedding gift thank you notes.
> yeah, well, I thought it was funny, never mind.*



I knew we forgot to do something.   Better late than never? 



nebo said:


> *Wow, yeah, thats a short flight, I'm jealous. Ours is only 2 and a half, but seems like twenty to me. Shoot, you'[re walking distance.*



Well now I'm jealous.  When we fly to WDW that flight was about 3 1/2 hours.  It's still about 3 1/2 hours, but it's going to take us even longer to get to Orlando this year.  SWA used to have at least one direct flight to MCO, but they eliminated it.  So now we have to change planes when we go in December.    We'll leave at 10 am our time, and won't get to Orlando until 6 pm their time.  



nebo said:


> *Don't you feel inferior when you have to refer to your stupid electronic gizmo as a "SmartPhone". I would, no way would I give it the pleasure.*



I just use the technical term.  Half the time I'm calling it something else. insert curse word of choice here phone.



nebo said:


> *That's where I've been good, so far 've never, ever forgotten something that I might need. *



And if you did, just turn around to go get it.  Even if it means driving an extra 2 hours.  



nebo said:


> *Oh yes, believe me that would scare me, to forget my hair styling gel, but I can say that I've never forgotten that either.*



I noticed in your pictures that your mustache stays put rather nicely.



nebo said:


> *I've never seen it, but does that make you Morgan Freeman?*



Yes'um Mr. Nebo sir.



nebo said:


> *A "Great" way to start a trip!*



We thought so. 



nebo said:


> *Baby faced Nelson? for example?*



Baby faced who?  Not referring to Ponzi here are you?



nebo said:


> *They have papers in New Mexico? Really? You're talking rolling, right?*



We even have indoor plumbing and electricity.  Water we still need to draw from the well though.  When it decides to rain and we have water that is.



nebo said:


> *I love this, I don't know if it was intentional or not, but doesn't matter, that's why typos can be such fun.
> 
> "Ok, here's our strategy for winning this battle:
> I'll head straight up the flank on the rightside, you will use stealth from the left, slowly moving forward as our re-inforcements catch up, and we will rendezvous near the oak grove to the right of the machine gun nest, do you agree?
> 
> Absolutely, I concur.
> 
> (yes, you are right, wasn't worth it. "May not be a show stopper, but it can surely slow it down.")*



Ha Ha!  That was a typo, a major typo      Funny how it did work out though.  We did concur who would go get what though.



nebo said:


> *This is why I always make a point of stealing the keys out of the ignition on my way back out to the restroom.
> "Nope, not going anywhere without me!"*



Don't want Smidgy leaving you behind huh.



nebo said:


> *Wow, that has exactly been our seating pattern fro the last four trips, she, aisle, me window, and good luck to whoever gets stuck betwixt us. *



Actually, no one did ever sit between us.  We had the whole row to ourselves.    I guess we looked suspicious.



nebo said:


> *Great, nothing like getting pulled over for a DUI in a 747 for weaving! *



I was thinking the same thing, but never happened.  Just glad we made it to LA.



nebo said:


> *Understood, fun, isn't it?*



I concur! 



nebo said:


> *Isn't that great they don't accept cash now?
> How long before you need to have a 3 digit number on your hand stamped like the book says will come to.*



Won't be a 3 digit number.  They have microchips for pets. I'm guessing we'll be next.



nebo said:


> *Our last flight home from Orlando got us back 22 minutes ahead of schedule.
> Cheers all around!
> 
> And then we spent the next half hour waiting for a terminal to open up, drove me absolutely crazy!
> Just sitting there.
> Or rolling at 3 miles per hour.*



So does that mean you arrived 8 minutes late?



nebo said:


> *Well how cool, my luck, I would have gotten Hopper!
> 
> Hey dude and dude ette;
> great opening chapter, you act like you 've been doing this foreever, I'[m guessing this was mostly Mike this time?  Again, nice job.*



What makes you guess that?  Don't let the fact that I wrote the pre-trip influence your guess.    Thanks though.  Coming from you, that's a big compliment.  



nebo said:


> *Ok, that's done, I've officially welcomed and sung your praises.
> Now, the gloves come off, as you knew they would.
> adios.*



Are you sure you should be taking the gloves off?  The doctor clear you for that already?  You know how the rash spreads.  

Thanks for chiming in Nebo.  

Talk to you tomorrow.  Literally.


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> I did! It's been a long week and it's just gotten a *lot* longer. I have three days off; Friday, Saturday and Sunday. My boss came up to me and the training that I told him I had to give the staff by the 15th? The training that he didn't want them to get for a couple of months? Suddenly he wants it done asap. So now I'm working 16 hours straight on Friday, 8 hours on Saturday and 8 hours on Sunday! My next day off is the 15th or 16th.
> 
> But when I picked up the mail today and saw the postcard, it put a smile on my face.
> 
> And now I have an idea of what World of Color is.



Since you said you would experience WoC through us, we thought it was the perfect postcard to send you.  Glad you liked it and that we could put a smile on your face.


----------



## bankr63

Hi T-Man and TMW!

Yes I know I am quoting from, like, 3 weeks ago.  Summer vacay causes DisBoard Interruptus followed by a bad case of Catchupitis.  I think I'm getting better slowly.  FWIW, I'm catching up on yours BEFORE I tackle Nebo's.  Of course to fall behind on a Nebo report is to fall hopelessly behind, I may never make up time there...



Thumper_Man said:


> So you saying I shouldn't visit Winnipeg anytime soon?





pkondz said:


> No. I'm saying _nobody_ visits Winnipeg, any time.



This got me to thinking.  I'm a Canuck and even I don't know much about about the Peg; aside from Portage and Main is windier than Chicago.  So I went to the Winnipeg Tourism site to see what there is to do.  (Did ya'll know you have a tourism site Ponzi?)

Checked out the "_One Week Itinerary_".  Winnipeg doesn't appear to be a one week town.  For the first 4 days it is nothing but restaurants and expensive shopping.  Then when you are full and broke, they suggest a handful of museums for the last 3 days.  

Nope, I'm sitll going to Disney next year.

Sorry Ponzi, don't mean to slag your hometown.  Of course if everywhere was as exciting as Orlando, we wouldn't need Orlando...


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

pkondz said:


> I did! It's been a long week and it's just gotten a *lot* longer. I have three days off; Friday, Saturday and Sunday. My boss came up to me and the training that I told him I had to give the staff by the 15th? The training that he didn't want them to get for a couple of months? Suddenly he wants it done asap. So now I'm working 16 hours straight on Friday, 8 hours on Saturday and 8 hours on Sunday! My next day off is the 15th or 16th.
> 
> But when I picked up the mail today and saw the postcard, it put a smile on my face.
> 
> And now I have an idea of what World of Color is.



Yikes! I sure hope they are compensating you for all that over time, especially if you had this weekend off originally. 

I'm glad we were able to brighten your day a little. We actually saw that post card a couple days before your request. T-Man's words went something like, "If Pkondz sends a request, we have to get him that card!!!!" in which I dutifully said..."Yessir... 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			
		
		
	


	




"


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

Thumper_Man said:


> I told them.  We just might have to start bringing you bacon from home.



Well that could be an interesting conversation at security check...


----------



## pkondz

Okay, I'm 15 hours into my shift and I've got a couple minutes while my trainee writes her exam...



bankr63 said:


> This got me to thinking.  I'm a Canuck and even I don't know much about about the Peg; aside from Portage and Main is windier than Chicago.  So I went to the Winnipeg Tourism site to see what there is to do.  (Did ya'll know you have a tourism site Ponzi?)
> 
> Checked out the "_One Week Itinerary_".  Winnipeg doesn't appear to be a one week town.  For the first 4 days it is nothing but restaurants and expensive shopping.  Then when you are full and broke, they suggest a handful of museums for the last 3 days.
> 
> Nope, I'm sitll going to Disney next year.
> 
> Sorry Ponzi, don't mean to slag your hometown.  Of course if everywhere was as exciting as Orlando, we wouldn't need Orlando...



Well lets see.... we've got the Mint (see money being made... cry 'cause you can't have any)
We've got the Forks (Fork of Assiniboine and Red rivers... a meeting place for 100s of years... probably now our #1 tourist attraction)
The zoo... it's a zoo... animals and such... whatever...
Ummm.....
We'll eventually have the extremely expensive and horribly bloated Human Rights Museum
Ummmm....
Uhhh....

Yeah, that's about it.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Yikes! I sure hope they are compensating you for all that over time, especially if you had this weekend off originally.
> 
> I'm glad we were able to brighten your day a little. We actually saw that post card a couple days before your request. T-Man's words went something like, "If Pkondz sends a request, we have to get him that card!!!!" in which I dutifully said..."Yessir...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> "



I knew as soon as I saw the card that you picked it on purpose. I immediately thought "Wow! They remembered!" Which officially puts you in the very teeny tiny 'I actually once listened to pkondz' club.

Yes, the company is paying through the nose for this... otherwise I wouldn't be here. 

Oh, great... now I'm giddy with exhaustion.

one more hour.... one more hour...


----------



## Thumper_Man

New chapter hopefully tonight.


----------



## orangecats2

Woo-hoo! I'm there! 

Would you like me to sent you a postcard from WDW? 
This offer is for ANYONE that reads this thread---even you ponzie! 
PM me with your address by Friday night.
We leave on Saturday and don't have a laptop or smart phone so I won't be checking messages while on vacay. 
5 days! 

Hope you don't mind my going off topic T-man.


----------



## momrek06

HEATHER AND MIKE, you are the BESTEST EVER!!!! 

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE POSTCARD YOU SENT TO BRETT AND I!!!! 

AND YES YES YES  come back QUICKLY and we will do DINNER!!!! 

DL IS CALLING BOTH YOUR NAMES!!!! 

LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT CHAPTER OF "THUMPING"!!!!


----------



## Thumper_Man

momrek06 said:


> HEATHER AND MIKE, you are the BESTEST EVER!!!!
> 
> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE POSTCARD YOU SENT TO BRETT AND I!!!!
> 
> AND YES YES YES  come back QUICKLY and we will do DINNER!!!!
> 
> DL IS CALLING BOTH YOUR NAMES!!!!
> 
> LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT CHAPTER OF "THUMPING"!!!!



You are welcome.  Right now WDW is calling our names.  That is our next trip in December.  We will have to get together again one of these days.

I never got a chance to work on the chapter last night. The chapter itself is written, I just need to attach some pics.   I'll TRY again for tonight.


----------



## Sandy Mouse

Thumper_Man said:
			
		

> I told them.  We just might have to start bringing you bacon from home.
> 
> .



She can bring home the bacon,
Fry it up in a pan, ....


----------



## Sandy Mouse

bankr63 said:
			
		

> So I went to the Winnipeg Tourism site to see what there is to do.  (Did ya'll know you have a tourism site Ponzi?)



Wow!  Who knew!



			
				bankr63 said:
			
		

> Sorry Ponzi, don't mean to slag your hometown.



It sure sounded like he did


----------



## Sandy Mouse

Thumper_Man said:
			
		

> We even have indoor plumbing and electricity.  Water we still need to draw from the well though.



I used to get this one all the time.   But seriously, you still have Pony Express, right?


----------



## Thumper_Man

Sandy Mouse said:


> I used to get this one all the time.   But seriously, you still have Pony Express, right?



Nope.  Didn't last very long back in the days when William H. Bonney was around.  Some how the US Govt. found a way to add snail mail services around here.


----------



## Thumper_Man

orangecats2 said:


> Woo-hoo! I'm there!
> 
> Would you like me to sent you a postcard from WDW?
> This offer is for ANYONE that reads this thread---even you ponzie!
> PM me with your address by Friday night.
> We leave on Saturday and don't have a laptop or smart phone so I won't be checking messages while on vacay.
> 5 days!
> 
> Hope you don't mind my going off topic T-man.



Don't mind at all.  We had fun sending out postcards.  Lady H said she was going to send you a pm.


----------



## pkondz

I haven't read the responses to this chapter yet... didn't want to 'spoil' the fun. Curious to see how much repetition (if any) there'll be with my comments.

Shall we?



Thumper_Man said:


> Heather and Mike, you have just reached your 5-year wedding anniversary, what are you going to do next?
> 
> Were going to Disneyland!!!!



No way! When did this happen? You should tradmark that comment, I'm betting no one else has ever used it. 



Thumper_Man said:


> Saturday August 25th, 2012.  5:00 am and visions of Disneyland were running through my dreams.



When on the bed there arose such a clatter,
"A snore!" I said, but it didn't really matter.



Thumper_Man said:


> You think we wouldve just sprung up out of bed, but we have a memory foam mattress so there are no springs in our bed;



As long as you've got one in your step, it's all you need.

Of course if you've been woken up at 5:30, 5:40 and 5:50 am you might be forgiven to have less of a 'spring' in your step and more of a stagger. 



Thumper_Man said:


> plus we didnt get the ejection feature either.



But wouldn't that be awesome if it was a feature? Might make it hard to hit snooze though.



Thumper_Man said:


> Now all I wanted to do was sleep, at least a couple more hours.



Or a dozen. But that's just quibbling.



Thumper_Man said:


> I tried calling Southwest and asked them to hold the plane for us; but they were not willing to.



Really? That doesn't seem like good customer service to me. You should complain.

"Dear Southwest, I asked for the plane to be delayed by a couple of hours and they said no. What gives?"


"Dear Mike, Thank you for your interest in Southwest, we value your opinion. Normally we delay any flight on request, however all the other passengers wanted to go on time. In the future, we will remove your seats and you can sit in them whenever you chose."

Actually that reminds me of a joke I like.

A not too intelligent passenger on a commercial jet bound for Boston decides that he would prefer to sit in a nice big first class seat. A flight attendant informs the passenger that he has to move since he's only purchased a coach seat. The passenger refuses to move. The supervisor informs the passenger that he will have to move as all the 1st class seats are taken and he has a coach ticket. The passenger again refuses to move. The pilot comes out of the cockpit to see what the delay is. When informed of the situation, he calmly walks up to the passenger and whispers in his ear. The passenger immediately jumps up and hurrys to the rear of the plane. The amazed flight attendant and supervisor ask the pilot what he said. The pilot replies, "Oh I just told him that coach was going to Boston but first class was going to Detroit."



Thumper_Man said:


> Good thing is, its an hour and 40 minute flight, so at least I can take a nap on the plane.



Wish I could do that.... but nope. Not even on a six hour night flight.



Thumper_Man said:


> Maybe well get a text message saying our flight was delayed and we can sleep a couple of extra hours.  Look at my smartphone and I have one text message.  Hopes run high thinking maybe, just maybe, I can sleep a couple of more hours.  Nope, text was from a friend wishing us a safe and happy trip.



Ah! So you're an optimist. I think I would be more worried that the text _would_ be from Southwest.... letting me know the flight's been cancelled.



Thumper_Man said:


> Sometimes it takes more than one kiss and a bucket of water, but eventually she wakes up.










Thumper_Man said:


> Pack any last minute stuff we may need, even though weve probably forgot something already.



That's a truism. If you're not going on vacation, you probably haven't forgotten anything. If you're going on vacation, you've forgotten something.

I don't make the rules, don't blame me.



Thumper_Man said:


> Now I dont know about the rest of you, but it never seems to fail with us.  Theres always one or 2 items you need, and when you start unpacking at the hotel thats when it dawns on you. Oh man, I forgot my super duper mega hold, holds like glue styling hair gel. Guess Ill just have to buy a hat.



I always find it's a bit of a relief when that moment comes. "So _thats_ what I forgot! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 At least now I can stop driving myself crazy, trying to remember what I forgot.



Thumper_Man said:


> Not like I have much hair left anyways.  Soon I wont need any glue, shampoo or conditioner.



I'd still recommend the deodorant, though.



Thumper_Man said:


> DMil  likes to think shes Miss Daisy, sit in the back seat and let me drive.



All DMils and DMoms are like that, I think. Unless your DMil's last name is Andretti or something like that.



Thumper_Man said:


> Smartphone, still on the nightstand.  Run back and get it, now were all set.



So were you foolishly thinking, "Great! Now I didn't forget anything!"?



Thumper_Man said:


> Stealing this line from Nebo and Smidgy.
> 
> AND WERE OFF!



I regret to inform you that this particular phrase has been tradmarked and may not be used without the express written consent of the owners. Any consent received is for a one time use only and a fee of $13.47 will be assessed.

Please forward a cheque for the above stated amount to the holder of the trademark. If you do not have the address (like if they didn't ask for a postcard in time, or something like that... ) please send the cheque to myself at the address you have on file and I will forward it on. :



Thumper_Man said:


> Lady H tells me theres an ATM for our bank at the airport, we can get cash there.  Great.  Disney is going to get enough money from us during the week.  I dont need to be spreading the wealth around with our bank and other banks on the ATM fees.



Bank fees. When did it become financially sound to keep your money under the mattress again?



Thumper_Man said:


> Checking our luggage and getting through security was easy breezy.



Lemon squeezy. (Was that a match? Huh? Was it?)



Thumper_Man said:


> Smooth sailing.  A walk in the park.  Like taking candy from a baby.  Although I hear taking candy from a baby can be difficult at times.



Nah. They're small and pretty weak. Just pick up the candy and they'll usually let go. If they do hang on, just give the candy a good shake and after a little bit the babies just drop off.



Thumper_Man said:


> On our way to our gate, we notice the first item we forgot to pack.  COFFEE.



See? There's that relief thing right there. But since you're not at destination yet, it might not count.



Thumper_Man said:


> I stay and stand in the first of many long lines well encounter during the week.  I wait, and wait, and wait, and finally after 3 long minutes, I place our order.



Hey that's a long time! 180,000 milliseconds. Long time to a Mayfly. Potentially 15% of it's life, right there. 

Could you imagine if you spent 15% of your life in lineups at Disney?

Oh, wait. Some of us _have_.



Thumper_Man said:


> We both got a breakfast croissant, which had eggs, cheese and choice of ham, bacon or sausage.  I got a sausage patty on mine while Lady H got bacon on hers.



I like the croissant much more than the english muffin, biscuit or bagel. Good choice.



Thumper_Man said:


> One of our first observations, the pilots took turns going in and out of the restroom.  We hoped its from having too much coffee and not from the party the night before.



Please. I know a lot of pilots and they do *not* drink alcohol prior to flying.

Weed on the other hand...



Just kidding! Don't want to freak anyone out.



Thumper_Man said:


> On the plane, Heather had the aisle seat, I had the window seat and the middle seat was empty, for now.



I like the way you say "on the plane" like you guys had aisle and window seats in the food court.

I also like the seat between you. "Look, I have to live with him/her. That doesn't mean I want to _sit_ beside him/her!"



Thumper_Man said:


> Across from Lady H on the next aisle seat was a lady that was either: A, already suffering from air sickness or had some bad sushi and looked like she was ready to hurl; B, was already asleep; or C, both A & B (sleeping to fight the air sickeness).



Or D hates flying and was already starting to panic.



Thumper_Man said:


> Pilots are done in the restroom,



exit with a big cloud of blue smoke,



Thumper_Man said:


> take their seats and we push back from the hub. The pretty yellow stripe that is there for pilots to follow, well our pilots arent following it very good.



And the pilots, too, are saying, "Whoa, dude. Look at the pretty yellow stripe, man. Awwwwwwesome."



Thumper_Man said:


> AND WERE OFF!
> 
> Sorry, just had to say that one more time.



Please remit a further $13.47.

Thank you.



Thumper_Man said:


> She gave us the Southwest rendition of When You Wish Upon a Star.  I dont remember exactly how she worded it, but I was wondering if she might be a long lost cousin since she re-wrote the words to the song.



Ha! I was thinking the same thing before you wrote that.



Thumper_Man said:


> I wouldve recorded it, but the use of electronic devices is strictly prohibited until the captain gives the ok.



Is it just me, or does it make you nervous that if you make a phone call you can crash the plane? 

What about the people in the airport? Shouldn't they turn off their phones, just in case?

And how safe is the plane when they allow everyone to bring a phone on board?



Thumper_Man said:


> They no longer accept cash.



Well of course not. It's not like it's legal tender or.... Hey, wait a second...



Thumper_Man said:


> We forgot to get cash out of the ATM.  Looks like were now doomed to pay the ATM fees.



 Yay! You figured out what you forgot! Congratulations!



Thumper_Man said:


> While filling up our jet back at the airport, they mustve put some kind of super fuel.  We actually arrived in Los Angeles ahead of schedule.



Just to be clear, first you want the plane to be late, then you want it to be early. So which is it, mister?



Thumper_Man said:


> I couldve sworn we passed the same terminal at least twice.



Well sure. They had to make up for saved time.



Thumper_Man said:


> After we get off the plane we head down to baggage claim, because where else would we go.



My favorite way to travel is just with a carry on. Get off the plane and right out the door. No waiting.



Thumper_Man said:


> As we stepped off the moving staircase that lead down to baggage claim, Lightning McQueen was there to greet us.



Really? Cool! That's really amazing! And you even took a picture of the billboard talking about him. I guess you'll have photos of you and Mrs. T posing with him? Can't wait. Was his voice similar to the movie?


Thanks for the update and sorry for taking so long to get to you!


----------



## pkondz

nebo said:


> *That's where I've been good, so far 've never, ever forgotten something that I might need.
> *



Uh, huh. 



Thumper_Man said:


> You could always send her a telegram.  You still remember how to send those right?



Oh, snap! 



Thumper_Man said:


> Baby faced who?  Not referring to Ponzi here are you?



Sigh. Kids these days, ya gotta tell them _everything._ Here let me help you out, click this:Baby Face Nelson 



Thumper_Man said:


> Ha Ha!  That was a typo, a major typo      Funny how it did work out though.  We did concur who would go get what though.



 I saw that too and immediately thought, "Oh that's clever, betcha they use that line all the time..."



orangecats2 said:


> Would you like me to sent you a postcard from WDW?
> This offer is for ANYONE that reads this thread---even you ponzie!
> PM me with your address by Friday night.
> We leave on Saturday and don't have a laptop or smart phone so I won't be checking messages while on vacay.
> 5 days!



PM coming up!


----------



## Thumper_Man

One for the money, two for the show, grab some beer or wine, it's on with the show.

The time has come.  Time to find out if our luggage made it, or if it traveled without us again.  As you recall, I mentioned we always get a little worried if our luggage makes it to our destination, ever since Lady Hs luggage got lost one time.   Her bag traveled without us once to Dallas, and back to Las Vegas before it decided to come back home.  How did this happen?  Your guess is as good as ours.  It was awfully rude to not invite us to Dallas or back to Vegas.  The nerve of it traveling without us.  No consideration what so ever.  

In April of 2011, we took a trip to Vegas to celebrate my birthday.  We each checked a bag and both made it to Vegas.  Little did we know, both would not make it back from Vegas.  Well back on the same day.  When we came back from Vegas and went to claim our luggage, mine came and hers didnt.  So we filed a claim with Southwest. After filing the claim, they said to allow them 24 hours to locate her bag.  If we didnt hear back from them in 24 hours, give them a call and they will try to give us an update.  We allowed 36 hours to pass before Lady H had to give them a call.  They said they still didnt have it, but they would try to find out where it is.  Hour later, they called Lady H back and told her that her bag was still in Vegas.  It would be put on the next flight out.  What they failed to mention is, that it would be put on the next flight out to Dallas.  24 hours later, Lady Hs bag is still in Dallas and again told it would be put on the next flight.  The next flight back to Vegas that is and then to Albuquerque.  

Huh?!  So youre telling me you have to send my bag to Vegas before sending it back to me in Albuquerque.  Why cant it just be sent from Dallas to Albuquerque?  Lady H made that argument but unfortunately SW won.  After a while we were starting to come to terms that we may not get the bag back; and we would have to proceed with filing another claim with SW for the value of the bag and all its contents.  Finally after being on vacation without us for 5 days, Lady H gets a call from SW close to 10 pm at night and they tell her they have her bag in Albuquerque.  Would she like to pick up the next day or would she like it delivered?  Delivered please.  SW is it ok if we deliver tomorrow?  

_Cue music from the movie "Halloween."_  Anyone ever seen Bill Cosbys comedy "Himself" and how he explains what a conniption is and how his wife had one?  If you've never seen it, click HERE to watch it (at 7:50 into the video).  Anyways, it was my turn to see one.  I knew I needed to run and hide when they asked if they could deliver it tomorrow.  I didnt want to be the witness to a murder.  Better yet, I didn't want to be the one murdered.  Needless to say, Lady H finally got her bag back.  After coming out of hiding, Lady H didnt have me break out the bleach to clean up any blood evidence, so Im guessing the SW employee made it out alive.  Maybe she played it smart by ringing the door bell, dropped it off and ran.  

Which brings us back to claiming our luggage at LAX.  We proceed to the only baggage claim thingy that seems to be working.  No sign of our luggage yet.  We dont even see our flight number on the display yet.   On the conveyor belt thingy, there is a bunch of hard sided suitcases.  And around each bag is a tie down strap to make sure they didnt open.  No one is there to claim the luggage.  Then there they were, like a group of army ants.  Oriental people.  All ladies.  And like a group of army ants, they worked fast to get the luggage off the conveyor belt, turned them over on the side with the wheels and marched them away in a single file line.  A convoy of suitcases was all you could see.  Lady H and I watched as they rolled them away and  couldnt help but start laughing.  Too bad neither one of us thought to take a picture.  

Finally the conveyor belt shows our flight number and bags slowly start coming out.  

Oh look.  Theres the bag that has all our shampoo and stuff.  At least well be clean.

Here comes my bag.  At least we know we each have some clothes.

Now were just waiting on Lady Hs bag. 



We make our way out to the shuttles for the rental cars.  Its not a very big waiting area for all these shuttles to come in and out of.  Only 2 shuttles can fit at a time.  Were renting our car through Thrifty, so were on the look out for Thrifty shuttles.  We waited for about 10 minutes before one finally shows up.  It stops and we start walking towards it, right as we get close to the shuttle, it takes off without us.    Did that really just happen to us?  I thought about jumping in front of the shuttle to get the drivers attention (because us running towards the shuttle, yelling and waving like crazy lunatics obviously didnt work), but getting run over at the beginning of vacation wasnt high on my priority list.  10 minutes or so goes by before another shuttle drives up.  This time we make sure to get the bus drivers attention.  Lady H lifts up her shirt and flashes him. He immediately stops as well as all the other buses that just ran into him trying to sneak a peak. Thats one way to get them to stop.  Then I look at the pile up and traffic jam behind the big pile of wreckage. Were never going to make it to the rental car place now.  Probably going to throw Lady H in jail for indecent exposure.  No sooner did I say that did the airport police show up and haul Lady H off to jail.  Time to call DMil for bail money.

What?  You dont believe that happened?  It did happen that way.  In my imagination.  

Ok, so this is what really happened.  It is true the first shuttle drove off without us. 10 minutes or so does go by before another shuttle drives up.  We make sure to flag him down this time.  We do our lunatic routine again and this time this shuttle makes sure to stop.  No other shuttles were stopped at the time, so it was easy for this shuttle to pull up.  We hand him *ALL* our luggage, Lady Hs bag included, and off we go to the rental car facility.  Not before getting another tour of LAX though.  This time on the opposite side of the terminal.  There were still 7 more shuttle stops along the way.  After picking up several more hitchhikers along the way were finally off to pick up a rental car.

When we arrive at the rental car facility and I do my best to get all our bags unloaded while the shuttle driver helps everyone else.  The reason Im in a hurry to get them unloaded is because I have no CASH to give the guy a tip.  Although at this point neither one of us was really in the mood for giving a tip considering the first shuttle left us and the amount of time we stayed waiting on shuttles.  We stayed at the airport close to an hour and we still werent on our way to the resort were staying at.

All the hitchhikers got off the shuttle before we did and are now standing in line before we were.  Great this is going to take forever until I saw the pretty sign that said Blue Chip Members Proceed Directly To Car Pick Up.   

Ha.  So long su........per people.  Have a nice wait.

We proceed to the VIP line to get our walking papers, aka rental agreement.  As we approach the counter, 2 dudes cant figure out where their vehicle is and ask the clerk if he can help them out.  He tells them hes not allowed to leave his station, they need to go back inside for help.  They wrestle the poor dude down to the ground and beat him to a pulp until he agrees to surrender and help them.  Well they yell and make a fuss anyways.  The clerk tells them to hold on while he at least helps us out.  He asks my name and hands me the rental agreement. He tells me I can pick from row C and takes off with tweedle dumb and tweedle dumber following right behind him.  Lady H and I look at each other.  Which way to row C?  

We see which way the clerk took off and figured row C must be in the direction he went.  We head off in the same direction in search of row C.  Luckily enough, it was the first row as we get outside.  So we look at row C and its almost empty.  There are only 3 vehicles in row C and 2 of them are already taken.  All we see left is a Ford Escape.  Is that right?  Its a SUV.  We double check to make sure were in the right row.  Sure enough.  Looks like the Ford Escape it is.  Load up our luggage, start er up, drive up to the guard shack and present him with our release papers.  I wanted to pull a Nebo and tell him Is this going to take long? We just got parole for good behavior and were in hurry to get out of this joint, but I decided not too.  Nobody at this place seemed to smile, so I decided not to chance it.  We were free to go and didnt want to have our parole revoked.  Before pulling up to the guard, I made sure to program Drus gps system.  I think thats what shes called on the commercials.  Dru is the green Android Robot and the reason I know its a she is because shes giving me directions in  female voice.  Long story short, we slip past the guard and were finally on way to Anaheim.  

According to Gurgle (Google) should be about a 45 minute drive to Anaheim.  Dru takes us through I-405.  Had I not needed Dru for the return trip, I wouldve tossed her out the window.  Shes also my smartphone, so she was lucky to be spared.  On this day, she dont seem so smart though.  As we start to head down 405, we come to almost a complete halt.  There was so much construction on 405, traffic was barely moving.  I yell at Dru, why did you bring us this way?  She had no response, she was dead silent.  On top of that, I needed the restroom really bad.  I knew I shouldnt have eaten chili the night before.  We start to look for the nearest exit and finally take the first one we see. One of the first places we see is Vons supermarket.  Pull into the parking lot, jump out of the drivers seat while the vehicle is still moving and tell Lady H to park.  We did our best Duke of Hazzard impersonations here.

After I take care of business, we decide since were at the grocery store, might as well get the most important provision of the trip.  Beer.  Well get everything else when we actually get to our resort and check-in.  Now I remember back in the days, beer used to come in either a 6-pack or a case (Four 6-packs in a cardboard tray).  Ever notice all the different choices now a days.  6-pack, 12-pack, 18-pack, 30-pack, 4-pack that holds just as much as liquid as a 6 pack..  And thats just cans.  I dont even know if they sell the standard case (24 cans) anymore.  Only way I see you can buy a case is in bottles.  But now here at Vons, just when Ive thought Ive seen it all, theres this new choice; a 36-pack.  Well be here a week, so naturally we get the 36-pack.  

And for the record, I looked for the 36-pack now that we got back home, cant find them anywhere.  Wonder if theyre specific just to California.  

Beer in hand, along with a couple of sodas and Dru leads us back onto the 405.  Traffic seems to be moving just a little bit faster now.  As we get towards the end of construction, it really starts to move.  Power merge on over to the carpool lane and now were really moving.  Anaheim, here we come. 

Being in California for close to 3 hours now, we finally make it to Anaheim and stop by our resort to see if by some chance we can check-in yet.  

This is the first view of resort as we drive in.










Maybe by some chance theyll have our room ready.  Check-in isnt until 4 pm but just maybe, possibly it will be ready. We go inside to check-in counter.  There was one couple ahead of us.  A man and his partner (white man and black man).  The white man well call Moe, and the black man whom well call Curly, because he had curly hair.  Oh great, now I'm making up names like Laura.   Ill try not to talk too much about Moe and Curly, but they did provide us with some laughs; with and without their knowledge.  After a brief wait, another front desk clerk comes to help out.  She asks our name and 2 minutes into the check-in process the phone rings.  She answers it and puts us on hold.  After explaining 20 times to the person on the phone that they needed to call the 1-800 to make reservations, she finally returns to us only give us the bad news.  So sorry, but your reservation was lost and youll have to sleep out on the street.  Here is some complimentary popcorn and candy though.  

Ok, ok.  Just trying to have some fun with this TR, geesh.  Give a bunny a break will ya.  

She actually tells us the rooms arent ready yet.  Disneyland is down the street.  You can hang out there and well call you when theyre ready.  Well not her exact words, but regardless we had to wait until 4pm to check-in.  They did give us a temporary key card to look around, park and access the pool if we wanted to.  The resort is gated all around, even for parking.  That gave us an added sense of security.  They also offered to hold our luggage until such time we were able to check-in.  

The front desk clerk verifies our contact information, hands us the key card and sends us on to the next desk where Larry is finishing up with Moe and Curly.  I always dread this desk.  They call it Resort Host Desk.  What they really need to call it is, lets see if we can bamboozle our owners into buying more points desk.  At this desk, they butter you up with a little welcome package.  Free samples of shampoo and stuff; discount coupons for the local restaurants and free stuff with a minimum purchase of a $100 or more.   Its our turn with Larry and he tells us about Moe and Curly.  He remembers how they were at the resort last year and how they apparently like to party the whole time theyre there.  During their stay last year, they were so drunk that they even provided a free boxing match for the fellow patrons.  Well those lucky enough to see it.  Larry tells us how Curly got his butt whooped by Moe; Moe done knocked his 

out.  An hour later, they were back at one of the outdoor tables drinking again as if nothing happened.  Larry said he remembered them mostly because of the fight and had us laughing.  He also tells us how hes seen some people so drunk, that other people are using the luggage carts to wheel them to their units.  Now theres a thought.  Lady H and I keep this in mind in case one of us needs it later.  I think Larry even told us that Moe had to put Curly on one of these carts one time.  Wheeled him to room and left him sleeping outside on the cart.  

Were laughing and having good time with Larry.  He breaks out what he calls the guys map.  A picture map of the local area.  He shows us on the map where Disney is, local shopping centers, restaurants and even the new resort that opened up about a year ago that is part of our timeshare group.  Which is conveniently one block over from the resort were staying at.  Right across the street from one of the Disney parking lots actually.  All of sudden BAM, Larry throws a right hook and almost knocks us out.  Like the salesman they hired Larry to be, he gives us the dreaded line we hate to hear.  

At this resort, they offer free breakfast in the morning with a brief 45-minute presentation.  

Oh Larry, you didnt just go there did you?  We were laughing and having such a good time at Moe's and Curly's expense.  Why did you have to go and ruin it?  

There is nothing brief to these 45-minute presentations.  45 minutes turns into 150 minutes and they expect you to buy something.  They hold you hostage and give you the chinese water torture until you agree to buy more points.  He tells us, Go to the presentation, have free breakfast, tell them youre not interested in buying at the moment and theyll give you a $100 American Express gift card just for attending the presentation."  Yeah, just like the time I was supposed to get a free trip.  Still waiting on that by the way.  "So which day should I put you down for?  Larry asks.  Tricky Larry is trying to get us to commit to a presentation by buttering us up with a gift card now.  

Watch out for Tricky Larry!





We told Tricky Larry no thanks, we dont have time for a presentation.  Our days are pretty booked, but if we need money later on down the line we might consider it.  We dont want to spend part of our vacation learning how we can go on vacation.  I think we have that down to a science pretty well by now.  Weve been to one of these so called 45-minute presentations 5 years ago.  How does he think we landed up staying at this resort in the first place.  After about 10 minutes of not having much fun with Larry anymore (and declining his offer over and over), we finally break free of his grasp and head out to explore the grounds.  

Heres a few things we saw on our exploration.

Club house and swimming pool.




Plenty of empty lungers in the early morning.




Empty tables on the top balcony of the club house.




Entertainment area inside the 2nd floor of the clubhouse.




Pagoda on the way to the swimming pool




BBQ area and DSA right below our room.  Came in handy each night.





Obviously youre not here to look at resort pictures and hear about Larry.  I'll post a link to more resort photos later if you really want to see more.  You want to find out about our time at Disney.  Were getting there.  For our next stop is:

*DISNEYLAND!*


Disneyland Hotel that is.


----------



## mmeb144

Thumper_Man said:


> Watch out for Tricky Larry!



He looks so nice!  I'm glad you warned us to watch out for him.


----------



## nhpooh

I will have to come back tonight to read it!  Busy at work today, if I don't get back tonight will be back tomorrow!!


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> I haven't read the responses to this chapter yet... didn't want to 'spoil' the fun. Curious to see how much repetition (if any) there'll be with my comments.



I see you survived your 16 hour shift.  



pkondz said:


> Shall we?



We shall, as long as you're buying.



pkondz said:


> No way! When did this happen? You should tradmark that comment, I'm betting no one else has ever used it.



I called and they said unfortunately Disney already has it trademarked.  Must be reading my report and stole it from me. 



pkondz said:


> When on the bed there arose such a clatter,
> "A snore!" I said, but it didn't really matter.



You mean you could hear Lady H to? 



pkondz said:


> Of course if you've been woken up at 5:30, 5:40 and 5:50 am you might be forgiven to have less of a 'spring' in your step and more of a stagger.



I think the stagger comes more the beer I drank than the lack of sleep.  



pkondz said:


> Really? That doesn't seem like good customer service to me. You should complain.
> 
> "Dear Southwest, I asked for the plane to be delayed by a couple of hours and they said no. What gives?"
> 
> 
> "Dear Mike, Thank you for your interest in Southwest, we value your opinion. Normally we delay any flight on request, however all the other passengers wanted to go on time. In the future, we will remove your seats and you can sit in them whenever you chose."



That explains the seats I saw on the side of the plane.  Thought they put them there for the pilots to sober up.



pkondz said:


> Actually that reminds me of a joke I like.



Uh Oh!



pkondz said:


> A not too intelligent passenger on a commercial jet bound for Boston decides that he would prefer to sit in a nice big first class seat. A flight attendant informs the passenger that he has to move since he's only purchased a coach seat. The passenger refuses to move. The supervisor informs the passenger that he will have to move as all the 1st class seats are taken and he has a coach ticket. The passenger again refuses to move. The pilot comes out of the cockpit to see what the delay is. When informed of the situation, he calmly walks up to the passenger and whispers in his ear. The passenger immediately jumps up and hurrys to the rear of the plane. The amazed flight attendant and supervisor ask the pilot what he said. The pilot replies, "Oh I just told him that coach was going to Boston but first class was going to Detroit."



I'm sorry this happened to you.  I hope you learned your lesson.  



pkondz said:


> Wish I could do that.... but nope. Not even on a six hour night flight.



I do this everyday on a hour train ride.  



pkondz said:


> All DMils and DMoms are like that, I think. Unless your DMil's last name is Andretti or something like that.



That would explain her lead foot.  



pkondz said:


> So were you foolishly thinking, "Great! Now I didn't forget anything!"?



Nope.  Still had the feeling I was forgetting something.




pkondz said:


> I regret to inform you that this particular phrase has been tradmarked and may not be used without the express written consent of the owners. Any consent received is for a one time use only and a fee of $13.47 will be assessed.
> 
> Please forward a cheque for the above stated amount to the holder of the trademark. If you do not have the address (like if they didn't ask for a postcard in time, or something like that... ) please send the cheque to myself at the address you have on file and I will forward it on. :



What address?  I never received any address from you.  Well not from you directly.  And I never got a PM from the owners.    

Lady H, you deleted Ponzi's PM with his address already right?  

And I officially have written consent from the owner herself.



pkondz said:


> Bank fees. When did it become financially sound to keep your money under the mattress again?



Since the banks started bank fees.



pkondz said:


> Lemon squeezy. (Was that a match? Huh? Was it?)



Let me Google that and I'll get back to you.



pkondz said:


> Nah. They're small and pretty weak. Just pick up the candy and they'll usually let go. If they do hang on, just give the candy a good shake and after a little bit the babies just drop off.



Had some experience with this have you?  Poor Kay and Elle.  I'm sure they would've shared with you.




pkondz said:


> Please. I know a lot of pilots and they do *not* drink alcohol prior to flying.
> 
> Weed on the other hand...







pkondz said:


> Just kidding! Don't want to freak anyone out.



Now Nebo will never fly to Disneyland.




pkondz said:


> And the pilots, too, are saying, "Whoa, dude. Look at the pretty yellow stripe, man. Awwwwwwesome."



Too much weed? 



pkondz said:


> Just to be clear, first you want the plane to be late, then you want it to be early. So which is it, mister?



You're not clear.  You kinda cloudy.  The plane arrived early, but not because I wanted it to.  Just happened that way.  I guess when the pilots are high, the fly higher and faster.  




pkondz said:


> My favorite way to travel is just with a carry on. Get off the plane and right out the door. No waiting.



I prefer carry on as well if I'm not going for more than 3 days.  Anything beyond that usually means I'll be taking a checked bag. 



pkondz said:


> Really? Cool! That's really amazing! And you even took a picture of the billboard talking about him. I guess you'll have photos of you and Mrs. T posing with him? Can't wait. Was his voice similar to the movie?



Couldn't really hear him.  Kept revving his engine.  That show off.




pkondz said:


> Thanks for the update and sorry for taking so long to get to you!



I knew you had some long days ahead of you.  Thanks as always for posting.


----------



## nebo

Hey man, great chapter, mean it!  Wish I knew a better way to  pick a few things out of here;





Thumper_Man said:


> _Cue music from the movie "Halloween."_  Anyone ever seen Bill Cosbys comedy "Himself" and how he explains what a conniption is and how his wife had one?  If you've never seen it, click HERE to watch it (at 7:50 into the video).  Anyways, it was my turn to see one.  I knew I needed to run and hide when they asked if they could deliver it tomorrow.  I didnt want to be the witness to a murder.  Better yet, I didn't want to be the one murdered.  Needless to say, Lady H finally got her bag back.  After coming out of hiding, Lady H didnt have me break out the bleach to clean up any blood evidence, so Im guessing the SW employee made it out alive.  Maybe she played it smart by ringing the door bell, dropped it off and ran.
> 
> *Bill Cosby was brilliant in "Himself"*
> 
> .  And around each bag is a tie down strap to make sure they didnt open.  No one is there to claim the luggage.  Then there they were, like a group of army ants.  Oriental people.  All ladies.  And like a group of army ants, they worked fast to get the luggage off the conveyor belt, turned them over on the side with the wheels and marched them away in a single file line.  A convoy of suitcases was all you could see.
> 
> 
> *Ok, hold it. Oriental, army, marched in a single file line. You talking about the Bataan Death March? *
> 
> 
> 
> Oh look.  Theres the bag that has all our shampoo and stuff.  At least well be clean.
> 
> *And the people cheered!*
> 
> Here comes my bag.  At least we know we each have some clothes.
> 
> *And the people cheered!
> Again.*
> 
> 
> 
> On top of that, I needed the restroom really bad.  I knew I shouldnt have eaten chili the night before.
> 
> *Has anybody told you athat sharing is overrated?  Oh, wait, I did a whole chapter about this, didn't I?  Never mind. *
> 
> And for the record, I looked for the 36-pack now that we got back home, cant find them anywhere.  Wonder if theyre specific just to California.
> 
> *nope, never heard or seen a 36 pack case. And just how many did you have before you thought you saw one? *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Ok, ok.  Just trying to have some fun with this TR, geesh.  Give a bunny a break will ya.
> 
> *Good idea, where would you like it? You know, the place looks really nice from the pictures so far. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> At this resort, they offer free breakfast in the morning with a brief 45-minute presentation.
> 
> *uh oh*
> 
> Oh Larry, you didnt just go there did you?  We were laughing and having such a good time at Moe's and Curly's expense.  Why did you have to go and ruin it?
> 
> *Isn't it amazing how good they are at that? Almost magical.*
> 
> 
> Heres a few things we saw on our exploration.
> 
> 
> 
> Obviously youre not here to look at resort pictures and hear about Larry.  I'll post a link to more resort photos later if you really want to see more.  You want to find out about our time at Disney.  Were getting there.  For our next stop is:
> 
> *DISNEYLAND!*
> 
> 
> Disneyland Hotel that is.



*NO, we started out just looking for stuff on Disneyland, now we are reading for stuff on Disneyland, and the Thumpers! The more you know someone, the more interesting the report gets. *


----------



## smidgy

resrot looks great.. was that a timeshare also? how far a walk to disneyland?

SO funny about Larry.  just last night saw a King of Queens episode where they went on a "free" ski weekend, and they had the salespeople masquerading as guests.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

Thumper_Man said:


> You mean you could hear Lady H to?



Hey now...I've told you a million times I don't know how that bear keeps getting into our room, but it's him, not me! 





Thumper_Man said:


> What address?  I never received any address from you.  Well not from you directly.  And I never got a PM from the owners.
> 
> Lady H, you deleted Ponzi's PM with his address already right?
> 
> And I officially have written consent from the owner herself.



Nope, I still have it in a secret hiding place in the off chance that he's driven us to the point of crazy by the end of this TR and i need to send him a bill for the psychiatrist.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

smidgy said:


> resrot looks great.. was that a timeshare also? how far a walk to disneyland?



I'll tell you my pretty...and your little Nebo too ...All in good time my dear, all in good time. 

You think I've watched Wizard of Oz a little too much?


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

nebo said:


> Ok, hold it. Oriental, army, marched in a single file line. You talking about the Bataan Death March?



I wish we would have taken pictures of this...It was hilarious. Picture about 6 or 7 petite oriental women rushing through the crowds to get to their luggage. and then proceeding to pick it up (which took at least 2 of them per bag) and set it on it's rollers, and then roll it to the next oriental in line, and that one would run it (literally) over to the nearby seating area, where a line of other oriental women would be waiting to roll it down their line until all luggage was accounted for.


----------



## nebo

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I'll tell you my pretty...and your little Nebo too ...All in good time my dear, all in good time.
> 
> You think I've watched Wizard of Oz a little too much?



*That's good stuff, I could not begin to count the number of times I have used a quote from that movie. My favorite "Oz-ism" was when we had to get up reall early to catch the boat from Beach Club to early entry at the Studios, and a rabbit ran in front of us on the path. 
  I did my best Scarecrow impersonation: "Look, he's come, to take us to Dorothy!" 

  And Smidgy responded with a verb, and the word, "Dorothy."
  She's not a morning person. *



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I wish we would have taken pictures of this...It was hilarious. Picture about 6 or 7 petite oriental women rushing through the crowds to get to their luggage. and then proceeding to pick it up (which took at least 2 of them per bag) and set it on it's rollers, and then roll it to the next oriental in line, and that one would run it (literally) over to the nearby seating area, where a line of other oriental women would be waiting to roll it down their line until all luggage was accounted for.



*Cool. Synchronized baggage!*


----------



## Thumper_Man

mmeb144 said:


> He looks so nice!  I'm glad you warned us to watch out for him.



Of course he was nice.  He wanted to sell us something.  

He really was a nice man though.  As I mentioned, he was fun to talk to and really made us feel welcome from the start.  I know he was just doing his job.  We've experienced some that can get really put the pressure on you to attend, to the point we've had to walk away.


----------



## Thumper_Man

nebo said:


> *Cool. Synchronized baggage!*



That's exactly what it was.  If they had an olympic event for this, I bet they could win the gold medal.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

nebo said:


> *That's good stuff, I could not begin to count the number of times I have used a quote from that movie. My favorite "Oz-ism" was when we had to get up reall early to catch the boat from Beach Club to early entry at the Studios, and a rabbit ran in front of us on the path.
> I did my best Scarecrow impersonation: "Look, he's come, to take us to Dorothy!"
> 
> And Smidgy responded with a verb, and the word, "Dorothy."
> She's not a morning person. *



Now I'm not a morning person either, so I hear Smidgy there...but that was good ! WoO is one of my all time favorites. There are some pretty good lines in that movie. 





nebo said:


> *Cool. Synchronized baggage!*








 That's exactly it! I was expecting music to come from somewhere up above as they did this. Cue Mission Impossible Theme or Circus music...

I told T-Man yesterday that I really wished we would have thought to have taken video or even a picture of it, but as he mentioned, we were so enthralled watching and trying desperately not to laugh out loud that we didn't think about it.


----------



## cjlvsccm

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> That's exactly it! I was expecting music to come from somewhere up above as they did this. Cue Mission Impossible Theme or Circus music...



  Musical accompaniment would definitely have sent it over the edge!  

Holy cow!  I forgot to thank y'all for the postcard!!  We both just love those image-shifting-3d-ish scenes... and DH fondly remembers taking them apart as a child to see how they work.    Thanks for brightening up our fridge, which is where it's now hanging under a Mickey magnet.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

cjlvsccm said:


> Holy cow!  I forgot to thank y'all for the postcard!!  We both just love those image-shifting-3d-ish scenes... and DH fondly remembers taking them apart as a child to see how they work.    Thanks for brightening up our fridge, which is where it's now hanging under a Mickey magnet.



I'm so glad you liked it! We had so much fun picking out the postcards and then deciding who would get what. They actually had a nice selection to choose from. And how else would you display a DL postcard but with a Mickey magnet?! Sounds like a perfect match to me


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

OK all (I say all like there is a whole stadium full of people reading this )...Starting to work on the next chapter. I have to remember where T-Man left off and then try to remember what all we did. Hopefully we can get this TR moving a little and not bore you to tears 

.


----------



## jcc0621

Thumper_Man said:


> _Cue music from the movie "Halloween."_  Anyone ever seen Bill Cosbys comedy "Himself"



 Actually have the ahem album.  CHocolate Cake for Breakfast is one of my favorites.



Thumper_Man said:


> And for the record, I looked for the 36-pack now that we got back home, cant find them anywhere.  Wonder if theyre specific just to California.



Nope, can get them here in Philly!

THe pictures are great.  Looks like a really nice place


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

jcc0621 said:


> Actually have the ahem album.  CHocolate Cake for Breakfast is one of my favorites.



"Dad is great! Give us the Chocolate Cake" 

We have the video ourselves and will occasionally watch it, even though we know it pretty much by heart. My favorite is bath time. 


Ok, now that T-Man's team has officially slaughtered my team, I can get back to work on the latest chapter. I should hopefully have it up by tonight.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

In the last episode we left you with some wonderful pictures of the resort after narrowly escaping The Resort Host from HI mean, the gracious, pleasant, and witty resort host Larry.  He explained that at 3:00 that afternoon there would be a wine and cheese social at the club house, which was where he explained to us that if we had a little too much to imbibe at the whine and cheese social (see what I did there? Haha*cricket cricket cricket*) that the luggage carts could be used to cart more than said luggage. Evidently an elder couple used this trick once before when the wife had a few too many wine samples and the husband couldnt carry her all the way to the room. We stored the information away for later, since we already had a 36 pack of beer in the SUV that was calling our names. 


Before leaving for Anaheim, the ever so thoughtful husband found some great coupons at Restaurant.com for certain percentages off at places like Johnny Rockets and Buca Di Beppo. So naturally, having a Johnny Rockets close to home, and never having been to Buca Di Beppo, we chose Johnny Rockets for lunch. 

Actually, we didnt want to eat too much as we had reservations for Steakhouse 55 at 7pm, and not really knowing what their portions were and knowing full well that we would, if nothing else, have steak, and that in itself can be filling, we wanted to eat something light and familiar, and early enough, so we would have an appetite later. 

We headed to Garden Walk and after getting turned around only once, were able to find the parking structure. Garden Walk is your typical outlet mall of sorts, 3 or 4 stories of shops and restaurants all with an outside walk way. I saw a few shops that looked promising, but we were on a mission to find lunch, not souvenirs, so on we went. And on, and on and onWhere was this place? Honestly Garden Walk didnt seem like it was that big, but goodness, weve walked around the whole ground floor, and nothing. We find a You are here map and see that Johnny Rockets is on the top floor, so off we go again in search of an escalator. 

Finally, on the top floor, clear on the other side, we find Johnny Rockets. 
We love this place back home because of the fun the employees have. Certain songs that the customers play on the tiny jukeboxes on their tables will get the servers to bust out in spontaneously choreographed numbers in the middle of the joint. Of course, when we got there, we still had NO CASH, therefore, no change, in order to play anything on our mini jukebox.  But it may be all for the better, the employees all look like they can barely speak English, let alone break out into a spontaneous dance. Plus this place is really small compared to the one we have back home. So with a slight disappointed sigh, we grab a menu. 

Both of us were undecided about two different burgers that they had. One was the Houston, which was the spicy burger, with Jalapenos, pepperjack cheese, and a spicy sauce, which I believe was pretty much a spicy aoli. The other, was called the Route 66 which was your typical mushroom, swiss burger, with grilled onions and mayo.  

So, being the smart ones that we are (Im setting myself up for something here arent I?), we ordered one of each, and decided to split them, that way we each got a taste of both burgers.  We also ordered the Bacon cheese fries, thinking we would share them as a side (little did we know that we should have specified that to the waiter, as it seems he thought only one of us wanted to substitute the fries that come with the order for bacon cheese fries, and the other plate should come with a heaping pile of fries that could feed an army!). 

Unfortunately, this was the second fail of the trip so farNo food porn pictures of our lunch.  But the burgers were good. We have never had mayo on our burgers before, usually opting for mustard or spicy mustard, but were pleasantly surprised by how well the mayo went with the burgers. The spicy burger was just that, spicy, but tasty. The mushroom burger was good, after I was able to pick out all the onions (blech). 

Once lunch was over and we had given Jose (This is the name I so distinctly gave our heavily accented waiter) the discount coupon for 20% off, and paid our bill, we were off once again to find our vehicle and the grocery store we saw on the way to the resort. 

Grocery shopping was pretty blasé. The only good thing was that we went while we were full, and not while we were hungry, which probably helped in the long run. We always manage to get way too many snacks and then never eat them while we are in the room. We did manage to find a package of onion dip that T-Man just HAD to have, and then almost forget the sour cream that was needed to mix it. I had to run through the store while Mike stood holding our place in line.  

Now, the Albertsons grocery stores in our neck of the woods, does not do discount cards, they used to, but did away with them  and now go by the, we always have low prices for our customers way of thinking. I think its one of the very few places that does not do it in NM. But of course we are now over the rainbow and no longer in NM, and this Albertsons does have discount cards. So the lovely lady at the register asks if we have a card. We tell her no, we are just visiting her fine establishment and will only be here for a short time. So of course she asks if we want a card. And again we tell her we are just visiting and wont be around long enough, and dont need it. We mention that we had one a long, long, long time ago, and now she is practically begging us to give her a phone number that she may be able to look up in her database. Im very close to telling her that the possible phone number that the card could have been under is a phone number that I havent had or used in at least 10 maybe 15 years and is no longer in service, and I can barely remember what I had for breakfast, let along what my number was back in the daysbut before I could get all that out, a wonderful, thoughtful, and sweet lady behind us, took out her savings card and handed it to the cashier and told her to go ahead and use it. We thanked her at least 10 times, paid for our groceries, and left the store. 

Its a little after 4:00pm now as we load the car with groceries. T-Man left his phone in the car charging while we were in the store, so naturally he missed a call. There is a voicemail from the resort saying our room is ready. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




As we are driving back to the resort, we are thinking about all the baggagelet me rephrase thatAll the luggage, we have, plus the groceries that we just bought, and hoping and praying that we get a room on the ground floor. 

Each section of the resort has a block of probably 10 or 12 rooms, and two floors. The problem was there are no elevators, or escalators. There are stairs. Lots and lots of stairs. So of course, with 4 bags, plus our carry-ons, plus the groceries, naturally we would be in the very back, and on the 2nd floor. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Heres what our room looked like. 

















Oh look a hidden Mickey! 






After about 30 trips up and down stairs and to and from the room, we are finally settled in. I throw a few beers in the freezer to cool down while we unpack and situate ourselves, and then we are strategically placed on our balcony, overlooking the courtyard, with an ice cold beer in hand. 

This lasts all of about 30 seconds before we have to start scrambling to get ready for dinner. 

Now of course we dont go all out on our appearance for the evening. Im wearing a cute sundress that of course I cover up to hide the fat complimented by a pair of sandals. I left my hair down; this is a huge deal to me. I hardly ever leave my hair down because its long and will end up bugging me within a span of about 10 minutes. But T-Man loves my hair long and so, I deal. I believe T-Man was wearing jeans and a black polo. 

We take the stairs, because thats all we have. Jump into the SUV and head to Downtown Disney. 

T-Man is paying attention to the other woman in his life, the GPS, as we make our way to the DtD parking lot. The good news is we get to park for free for the first 3 hours. 

We get a pretty close parking, and head on over to the Disneyland Hotel. Since we have never been here, we have no idea where the restaurant is, so we choose the first door we come upon and enter. 

Magically we are transported to another dimension. Its a Disney-esque version of Gullivers Travels. Everyone around us is as small as ants, and yet, we are normal sized. Or maybe the ants are normal sized and grew, like Alice in Wonderland when she took a bit of that cake?! 





Alright, alright, that was just a scale model of Big Thunder Mountain that we came across as we walked through part of the hotel. 

We then walked right out of the hotel. 

Now Im pretty good with directions. I can remember how to get in and out of any casino or park, and will more often then not, be able to tell you where we parked in a sea of thousands of cars. But now, right here, Im lost. We walk out of what seems to be the ballroom part of the hotel, and start wondering through a courtyard. Here there are signs pointing the way to every destination possible, we see the sign we need and head in the direction it tells us to. 





Along the way we see the Disneyland Hotel pool, and another restaurant that looks quite interesting, with tiki torches all along the outside perimeter. I bet that looks awesome once the sun goes all the way down.









We finally see another door leading to what we now hope is the restaurant and YES! Jackpot! 





We walk up to the counter and T-Man gives them our names and reservation time.

Happy Anniversary Mr. & Mrs. Sandoval 

Huh? How did they know? I look over at T-Man with a quizzical look, and suddenly he has amnesia. Cant figure out how they would know that we are celebrating our anniversary. Uh huhSure you dont remember. 

They are still working on setting up our table, so they usher us into their bar area to wait. We begin to look at their drink menu and just as we order, our table is ready.  

I got a Godiva Chocolate Martini,




and I think T-Man got a Hurricane or Mai Tai.




They give us the opportunity to pay for and receive our drinks before being carted away. And off we go. 

The first thing you notice when you walk into the restaurant is the huge black and white photo of Walt Disney in the archway. This looked like a perfect place to take a picture. Which we didright after we ate. 

We are seated in a booth towards the back of the restaurant, in front of us, is a 6 top, with what looks like a triple date going on. They are quite animated and interesting to watch.  We laughed when they were finishing up, because one guy kept going on and on about how full he was, and couldnt eat another bite, but yet, kept eating until they finally brought over to go boxes and started packing it up for them. 

Our waiter comes around with menus and takes our drink orders. Since we already have adult drinks, we order Iced Tea as well and begin to look over the pricey but delicious menu.  This is where we saw the Sustainable Fish item and thought of Nebo and our disboard friends. 









I order the 8 oz Filet Mignon with shrimp scampi, 





and T-Man takes the Bone-In Rib Eye with the Signature Steakhouse 55 Rub and scallops 





and a side of the Yukon Gold Garlic Mashed Potatoes. 


Dinner was delicious. I know for certain that I was able to cut my steak with my fork. That is how tender it was. Perfectly cooked and I ate every bite. I believe at the end of it all, we left about half of the mashed potatoes, that serving could have served the table across from us. 

Our server came back and showed us the dessert menu. We looked it over to be nice, but really we didnt think we could handle dessert, so politely refused and asked for the check. It was taking him a while to get our check out to us, but it gave us time to finish our drinks. We werent in too much of a hurry at this point. 

About 15 minutes later (maybe it was 10, I wasnt really counting) out comes our waiter with this.





He said that it was our anniversary and he couldnt let us go without at least a little bit of chocolate. A man after my own heart! 

We devoured it. Its a good thing we were so full from dinner right? 

After paying the insurmountable bill, we ask for roll out service. Waddle over to the picture of Walt and take our pictures. 









and then one of the hostesss offers to take a picture of us together. Awww





We decide it would be better to walk a little of the food off, otherwise we may go into a food induced coma before making it back to the hotel and of course we still have about another 30 minutes or so before our 3 hour limit is up on the free parking, so we take advantage. 

We stop in one of the cute souvenier shops and pick up a few postcards for later. T-Man thoughtfully asks about stamps and we are directed to the Paradise Pier Hotel for those (We decide to go tomorrow to pick those up) and off we go to DtD to get a feel of the land. 





Waddling through DtD, there are a multitude of shops, restaurants, and people. The World of Disney shop takes up about half of the right side, but of course we have to go through and see what there is. We see many possibilities and agree to come back closer to the end of the trip for souvies. 

We notice the entrance from DtD to the Disneyland and California Adventures parks at the end of the walkway and there are quite a few people coming towards us, so we turn around and hurry back the way we came, in hopes of not being caught up in the barrage of people leaving the parks. 

As we are headed out of the area, we hear the loud boom of what we can only think is a bomb. Theyre bombing us! At Disney! What thethen I look up in time to see the beautiful colors of the fireworks display from Disneyland. 

We watched for a little while before realizing the time and hurrying back to the car. 

As we work our way through the traffic to the pay booths, we see a speed limit sign that strikes me as odd. Now Ive seen speed limit signs for 10 mph, 15 mph, but never one for ... 



Yup, thats right, 14 miles per hour people. Not 13, not 15, but 14. 
Nowhere else but Disney right?

OK. I think I will leave it at that for now, if you are still awake that is...


----------



## dwheatl

Great update, Lady H. You make me wish I was there. DH says the 14 mph sign is to catch your attention, since we're all used to 10 or 15. Maybe he's right!?!
We haven't been to Garden Walk yet, which is weird, because we usually stay right next door, at the Plaza Inn. We have had APs for the last couple of years, so we usually just end up eating in the parks. 
Love the pictures with WD. He looks like he's just stepping out the door to meet you.


----------



## cp'ersmom

Enjoyed the chapter Lady H. I like the tag team TR writing. Your place looks great. How far away from the park is it?


----------



## Thumper_Man

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> T-Man is paying attention to the other woman in his life, the GPS, as we make our way to the DtD parking lot. The good news is we get to park for free for the first 3 hours.



Hmm.  Don't remember paying attention to Dru here.  Pretty sure I was just following the signs.  



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Along the way we see the Disneyland Hotel pool, and another restaurant that looks quite interesting, with tiki torches all along the outside perimeter. I bet that looks awesome once the sun goes all the way down.



I took a picture of the name.  






Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> We finally see another door leading to what we now hope is the restaurant and YES! Jackpot!



Can also follow the signs to Goofy's Kitchen if you ever decide to go to Steakhouse 55.  SH 55 is right next to GK.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> We walk up to the counter and T-Man gives them our names and reservation time.
> 
> “Happy Anniversary Mr. & Mrs. Sandoval”
> 
> Huh? How did they know? I look over at T-Man with a quizzical look, and suddenly he has amnesia. Can’t figure out how they would know that we are celebrating our anniversary. Uh huh…Sure you don’t remember.



Still have no idea what you're talking about.    All part of the Disney magic. 



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Our server came back and showed us the dessert menu. We looked it over to be nice, but really we didn’t think we could handle dessert, so politely refused and asked for the check. It was taking him a while to get our check out to us, but it gave us time to finish our drinks. We weren’t in too much of a hurry at this point.
> 
> About 15 minutes later (maybe it was 10, I wasn’t really counting) out comes our waiter with this.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> He said that it was our anniversary and he couldn’t let us go without at least a little bit of chocolate. A man after my own heart!



A man after your heart on our wedding anniversary?  Knew there was something fishy about that waiter.  Me and him are going to have words the next time we go back. 

On second thought, I better not.  Might not get free dessert again.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Waddling through DtD, there are a multitude of shops, restaurants, and people. The World of Disney shop takes up about half of the right side, but of course we have to go through and see what there is. We see many possibilities and agree to come back closer to the end of the trip for souvies.



Add one thing here.  As we were strolling through DtD, we noticed a souvenir kiosk and couldn't help but think of Ponzi when we saw this.












Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> As we are headed out of the area, we hear the loud boom of what we can only think is a bomb. They’re bombing us! At Disney! What the…then I look up in time to see the beautiful colors of the fireworks display from Disneyland.
> 
> We watched for a little while before realizing the time and hurrying back to the car.
> 
> As we work our way through the traffic to the pay booths, we see a speed limit sign that strikes me as odd. Now I’ve seen speed limit signs for 10 mph, 15 mph, but never one for ...
> 
> 
> 
> Yup, that’s right, 14 miles per hour people. Not 13, not 15, but 14.
> Nowhere else but Disney right?
> 
> OK. I think I will leave it at that for now, if you are still awake that is...



Little did we know that we didn't need to hurry back.  We could've stayed watching the fireworks.  We knew the first 3 hours at DtD parking lot were free; after that, you need to leave your first born as payment.  Well at least pay some major bucks.  Unless you just so happened to eat at one of the restaurants.  

As we approached the ticket booth and saw the 14 mph speed limit sign, we approach customs and they do a full inspection of the vehicle.  We're clean and no hidden contraband in our rental vehicle.  We still need to pay the toll for parking on their property though.  The guard (CM) asks if we dined at any of the restaurants.  She tells us parking is free if we got our tickets validated by the restaurant or if we have a meal receipt.  I told her yes, we dined at Steakhouse 55.  

Now this next part is no joke, she asks "Steakhouse 55.  Where's that? I've never heard of it"  Umm, aren't you supposed to know all the dining establishments on the DLR property.  I tell her its inside the Disneyland Hotel and hand her the receipt. She looks at our receipt and sees the (how did Lady H put this) insurmountable amount we paid.  She must have felt sorry for us because she hands us back the receipt and tells us to have a good night.  

"What? No parking fee?  Cool."  I burn rubber and I'm out of there before she changes her mind.  I wasn't going to stick around and force more money on them.

Good job honey.  

I'll go ahead and finally finish this day up, because we didn't really do much after we finished at SH 55 and took our brief tour of DtD.  By this time, we were both pretty tired from being up at 5:30, 5:40 and again at 5:50 this morning.  We drove back to the resort and had one last beer out on the balcony before calling it a night.  If you recall the picture we showed you of the bbq area and DSA, this worked to our benefit.  Since we really only smoke at night now, while we have a drink, we didn't have far to go to the DSA.  In fact, we never went to the DSA at all. We just made sure to smoke out on the balcony each night and not inside, as smoking is banned in the units.  Didn't want to get thrown out after the first night.  Being right above the DSA, we figured there was no need to go down to it since we didn't mind if anybody below us smoked, although we never saw anyone using it.

The following day would be our first full park day.  It would be the only chance we would get to use our Early Magic Morning and we intend to take advantage of it.  So I guess it's safe to say Day 1 is in the books.

I'll finish day 1 by showing you a few more pics we took at DtD.


----------



## Thumper_Man

dwheatl said:


> Great update, Lady H. You make me wish I was there. DH says the 14 mph sign is to catch your attention, since we're all used to 10 or 15. Maybe he's right!?!



He probably is because it sure caught my attention.  We're accustomed to seeing speed limit signs in increments of 5.  (15, 20, 25, etc.)  So to see 14 was quite odd and something I knew we may never see again.  Unless we go back to DLR that is.  



dwheatl said:


> We haven't been to Garden Walk yet, which is weird, because we usually stay right next door, at the Plaza Inn. We have had APs for the last couple of years, so we usually just end up eating in the parks.



Some of our favorite restaurants are at Garden Walk.  Some we have in our home town and some we don't.  Prices are about the same back home, so we knew it wouldn't hurt our budget.




dwheatl said:


> Love the pictures with WD. He looks like he's just stepping out the door to meet you.



We knew we needed some pictures of Walt.  One thing we didn't think to do was take pictures of the pictures (murals) on the walls. The pictures were all of celebrities dining inside Steakhouse 55 back in their days. They had murals of the rat pack, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, just to mention a few.


----------



## Thumper_Man

cp'ersmom said:


> Enjoyed the chapter Lady H. I like the tag team TR writing. Your place looks great. How far away from the park is it?



I will let you know in the next chapter.  If I tell you now, you might not come back.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Ok, you've seen the food porn at Steakhouse 55.  I wanted to comment on SH 55 real quick.  Although pricey, it was very good.  For those that love Le Cellier (which I happen to be one of those), I would rate this a little higher then LC, and just as good as Shula's.  Shula's is still my all time favorite, but this is a close 2nd.  This place reminded me of Shula's actually.  Your entree consists only of your main dish, which in our case was a juicy, tender steak.  You order side dishes separately and as Lady H pointed out, large enough to share.  The steaks were cooked perfectly and as Lady H also pointed out, you could cut it with a fork. I can't really compare SH 55 to Yatchman's or any other place place in WDW (only Shula's), at least not yet.  We have ADR's for Yatchman's this year.  I know, I know, I said I wouldn't compare.  Just trying to encourage each of you, if you have the money to splurge, to try SH 55.  

The service was superb and I'm not saying that just because we got free dessert.  It was nice of them to acknowledge our anniversary.  
I will stress this again, I still don't know how they knew it was our anniversary.    Disney Magic.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.  
This is actually the first time I can recall any Disney restaurant recognizing our special celebration.  Although the waiter was after Lady H's heart it sounds like, he was very courteous, as well as the rest of the wait staff. Even the manager was going around and making sure everyone was taken care of.  I love when managers go around doing this.  You don't see it very often, but it shows they care deeply about making sure they provide excellent service, and the food is to your liking.

A+ to the manager, wait staff, hostesses and of the course the cooks.   

I don't recall ever seeing a dress code to this place.  Like any upscale restaurant, it's always best to dress a little more appropriately. I wore jeans and a polo shirt to dinner. This is the only time during our trip I wore any type of pants.  Too Darn Hot.  I was glad to get back to the resort and change back into shorts.  

It wasn't very crowded either.  There were quite a few empty tables.  I don't know what it would be like going on the major holidays, but during the off-season, I'm sure you could just walk up and get a table. Just make sure to return it once you're done.  They do accept reservations just in case you're wondering.  Many people seemed to come in straight from the parks.  Could be there's no dress code to help fill up the tables and get business.  

Also, when I was looking at SH 55, be sure to call and make sure they are open.  I remember reading on here (under the Disneyland tab at the top of the page), that SH 55 is closed on certain days. I don't know how accurate this information is.  When looking at the DL site, they say they're open everyday.  Just don't want to give you misleading information.

So if you go, I hope it's just as good and as enjoyable as it was for Lady H and myself.  It was the perfect anniversary dinner and enjoyable night with my princess.  Something I will remember for years and years.


----------



## Thumper_Man

jcc0621 said:


> Nope, can get them here in Philly!



Now I'm jealous.  For the price we paid for the 36 pack, we pay for the 30 pack here.  I may have to look around some more.  



jcc0621 said:


> THe pictures are great.  Looks like a really nice place



I'm still uploading pictures,  but I will post links to all our pictures later. For the most part, we enjoyed it.  There were a couple of down sides which we'll cover in the upcoming chapters.  Lady H has already mentioned one. Being on the 2nd floor and no elevator.


----------



## bankr63

Sheesh!  With the co-authors doing breakdowns on each other's installments, this could be the easiest TR to read along with ever!  Just grab a cup o' joe and let it all unfold... 

Enjoying the TR so far.  I so know what you mean about LAX - that place goes on forever!  And the drive to the rental lots - are they actually located in the state of CA?  

What I hate about all the new beer sizes (both case size and can size) is that it is IMPOSSIBLE to figure out what the best deal actually is.  Is the 2*15 deal better than the 28 bottle case deal?  I am becoming an expert at calculating cost/volume.  The only time I use the calculator on my smart phone is when I'm buying beer.

Re TS salesmen.  I never say I "might" come back later after discovering that gives them the entree to call you up every morning to ask "how bout now?, No?, K, how bout now?, No? now?..."  Nope, I just tell em that we can't use all of the 3 weeks we already own, and there is no way in H-E-double-toothpicks that I am buying more!  Then I unplug the phone in our unit for good measure.


----------



## Backstage_Gal

That was a great update, really enjoyed it, thanks!
Speaking of signs, I saw some at one place in Montana I had never seen before: "please reserve for our senior citizens". Wow, I thout that was cool, getting up in years myself


----------



## Thumper_Man

bankr63 said:


> Sheesh!  With the co-authors doing breakdowns on each other's installments, this could be the easiest TR to read along with ever!



I told Lady H she could write the next chapter since she has the degree for this kind of stuff.  She wrote it and was going to hold it hostage until such time she got more cake/pie recipes.  Only one has been posted so far.  Anyways, I had to convince her to post the chapter.  I told her "If you hold it hostage too long, we might lose everyone and chances are, you won't get anymore recipes.  We may be the only one's reading how our trip went."  



bankr63 said:


> Just grab a cup o' joe and let it all unfold...



Ok, you go grab a cup o' joe and I on the other hand, will go make a fuzzy cup.   



bankr63 said:


> Enjoying the TR so far.



Glad you're enjoying it.  Took us long enough to get through day 1.  We're going to try and speed this TR up before we forget everything we did, and before we go to WDW in December.  Don't want to get the 2 trips mixed up.

"On our way to Carsland, we met up with Nebo and Smidgy.  Oh wait, we met them at AK in WDW.  What did we do at DCA again?" 



bankr63 said:


> I so know what you mean about LAX - that place goes on forever!  And the drive to the rental lots - are they actually located in the state of CA?



I was beginning to wonder that myself as we were going. 



bankr63 said:


> What I hate about all the new beer sizes (both case size and can size) is that it is IMPOSSIBLE to figure out what the best deal actually is.  Is the 2*15 deal better than the 28 bottle case deal?  I am becoming an expert at calculating cost/volume.  The only time I use the calculator on my smart phone is when I'm buying beer.



Funny you should mention that.  We did the same thing.  We have 18 beers at xx amount and 36 beers at xx amount.  How much is it per beer?  36-pack it is.



bankr63 said:


> Re TS salesmen.  I never say I "might" come back later after discovering that gives them the entree to call you up every morning to ask "how bout now?, No?, K, how bout now?, No? now?..."  Nope, I just tell em that we can't use all of the 3 weeks we already own, and there is no way in H-E-double-toothpicks that I am buying more!  Then I unplug the phone in our unit for good measure.



We never did tell Trick Larry we might come back.  I only thought it IF we were running low on funds, since supposedly, we would get a $100 gift card to use.  Funds never ran low, so we never had to resort to signing up.  

I know what you mean though.  When we went to WDW in 2010 with our friends and D'Sis.  We stayed at our timeshare in Orlando.  They didn't even send us to the resort host.  They asked right away if our companions would be interested in attending a presentation.  They would get free tickets to WDW and we would get bonus points for a vacation.  Right from the start I had to tell them the same thing, we already have tickets and our days are booked.  Good trick on the phone.  I'll have to remember that one for December.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Backstage_Gal said:


> That was a great update, really enjoyed it, thanks!



Hear that Lady H?!  She loved it.  Looks like you get to finish writing this TR.  



Backstage_Gal said:


> Speaking of signs, I saw some at one place in Montana I had never seen before: "please reserve for our senior citizens". Wow, I thout that was cool, getting up in years myself



I've seen signs like this on the train I take to/from work.  Seats are reserved not only for seniors but disabled people as well. I'll see if I can get a picture of it on the way home today.


----------



## mmeb144

7 Layer Cookies

½ stick of butter
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 ½ ounce can flaked coconut
6 ounce semi-sweet chocolate chips
6 ounce butterscotch chips
15 ounce can condensed milk
1 cup chopped pecans

Melt butter in 9 X 13 inch baking pan.  Add each ingredient in order listed, spreading evenly over the pan.  Bake in preheated oven at 325° for 30 minutes.  Let cool. Cut.


----------



## Thumper_Man

mmeb144 said:


> 7 Layer Cookies
> 
> ½ stick of butter
> 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
> 3 ½ ounce can flaked coconut
> 6 ounce semi-sweet chocolate chips
> 6 ounce butterscotch chips
> 15 ounce can condensed milk
> 1 cup chopped pecans
> 
> Melt butter in 9 X 13 inch baking pan.  Add each ingredient in order listed, spreading evenly over the pan.  Bake in preheated oven at 325° for 30 minutes.  Let cool. Cut.



Weren't cookies back on Ponzi's TR?    This a pie and cake TR.  

Just kidding of course.  I'm sure she'll try them anyways and I get the benefits.


----------



## Thumper_Man

mmeb144 said:


> 7 Layer Cookies
> 
> ½ stick of butter
> 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
> 3 ½ ounce can flaked coconut
> 6 ounce semi-sweet chocolate chips
> 6 ounce butterscotch chips
> 15 ounce can condensed milk
> 1 cup chopped pecans
> 
> Melt butter in 9 X 13 inch baking pan.  Add each ingredient in order listed, spreading evenly over the pan.  Bake in preheated oven at 325° for 30 minutes.  Let cool. Cut.



LMAO!!!!     

I see now why you posted this.  I was looking at the reason you edited your post.


----------



## Backstage_Gal

Thumper_Man said:


> I've seen signs like this on the train I take to/from work. Seats are reserved not only for seniors but disabled people as well. I'll see if I can get a picture of it on the way home today.


 
Disabled places are everywhere (it's the law), I thought the old decrepit people signs were really cool and new. We need them in FLorida for sure, with all the retirees. I want one of those special hang tags for that.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

dwheatl said:


> Great update, Lady H. You make me wish I was there. DH says the 14 mph sign is to catch your attention, since we're all used to 10 or 15. Maybe he's right!?!
> 
> That could very well be possible. I'm with T-Man, It caught our attention enough to take a picture.
> 
> We haven't been to Garden Walk yet, which is weird, because we usually stay right next door, at the Plaza Inn. We have had APs for the last couple of years, so we usually just end up eating in the parks.
> Love the pictures with WD. He looks like he's just stepping out the door to meet you.



That picture was awesome, and so nostaligic. Of course most of the pictures at the restaurant were the same. To be able to look up from your table and see a picture of Lucille Ball sitting in what could possibly have been the table right in front of you, or see a picture of Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra, laughing it up at the bar...There was definitely history there! 



cp'ersmom said:


> Enjoyed the chapter Lady H. I like the tag team TR writing. Your place looks great. How far away from the park is it?



Thanks.  Originally we hadn't planned on the tag teaming, but T-Man threw the idea out there and we ran with it. 



bankr63 said:


> Sheesh!  With the co-authors doing breakdowns on each other's installments, this could be the easiest TR to read along with ever!  Just grab a cup o' joe and let it all unfold...



We make it easy on you! It's like listening to your grandfather tell war stories on the front porch. All you need is a blanket, a cup of coffee and the stars at night for a little bit of ambiance. 





Backstage_Gal said:


> That was a great update, really enjoyed it, thanks!
> Speaking of signs, I saw some at one place in Montana I had never seen before: "please reserve for our senior citizens". Wow, I thout that was cool, getting up in years myself



Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. I tried not to make it too boring. 



Thumper_Man said:


> Hear that Lady H?!  She loved it.  Looks like you get to finish writing this TR.



Yeah, you would like that wouldn't you? 




mmeb144 said:


> 7 Layer Cookies
> 
> ½ stick of butter
> 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
> 3 ½ ounce can flaked coconut
> 6 ounce semi-sweet chocolate chips
> 6 ounce butterscotch chips
> 15 ounce can condensed milk
> 1 cup chopped pecans
> 
> Melt butter in 9 X 13 inch baking pan.  Add each ingredient in order listed, spreading evenly over the pan.  Bake in preheated oven at 325° for 30 minutes.  Let cool. Cut.



Recipe!!!! Whoo Hoo! I still have to try the Oreo Pie Recipe that we got too. My weekends are slowly winding down now that summer is over, so hopefully I'll have a chance to get back to baking! 

Thanks again everyone, for enjoying and more importantly, for reading!


----------



## cjlvsccm

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Recipe!!!! Whoo Hoo! I still have to try the Oreo Pie Recipe that we got too. My weekends are slowly winding down now that summer is over, so hopefully I'll have a chance to get back to baking!
> 
> Thanks again everyone, for enjoying and more importantly, for reading!



Whoops, forgot about the promised pie!  How about _*Peanut Butter Cream Pie with Pretzel Crust*_.    

Crust:
Mix together 1 1/4 cup finely crushed pretzels, 1/4 cup sugar, and 6 Tblsp melted butter.  Press the mixture into a 9-in pie pan.  Bake at 350° for 6-9 minutes, until edges just begin to brown.

Filling:
8 oz cream cheese at room temp.
1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream

Beat the cream cheese with a mixer until fluffy.  Beat in the condensed milk, peanut butter, and vanilla.

In a medium bowl, beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form.  Fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture, stirring very lightly, then pour the filling into the crust.

Topping:
1/4 cup milk chocolate chips, melted together with 1 tsp of shortening
1 Tblsp peanut butter, melted

Drizzle the chocolate mixture and peanut butter over the pie.  Refrigerate at least 2hrs before you DIG IN!


----------



## Thumper_Man

cjlvsccm said:


> Whoops, forgot about the promised pie!  How about _*Peanut Butter Cream Pie with Pretzel Crust*_.
> 
> Crust:
> Mix together 1 1/4 cup finely crushed pretzels, 1/4 cup sugar, and 6 Tblsp melted butter.  Press the mixture into a 9-in pie pan.  Bake at 350° for 6-9 minutes, until edges just begin to brown.
> 
> Filling:
> 8 oz cream cheese at room temp.
> 1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk
> 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
> 2 tsp vanilla extract
> 1 cup heavy cream
> 
> Beat the cream cheese with a mixer until fluffy.  Beat in the condensed milk, peanut butter, and vanilla.
> 
> In a medium bowl, beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form.  Fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture, stirring very lightly, then pour the filling into the crust.
> 
> Topping:
> 1/4 cup milk chocolate chips, melted together with 1 tsp of shortening
> 1 Tblsp peanut butter, melted
> 
> Drizzle the chocolate mixture and peanut butter over the pie.  Refrigerate at least 2hrs before you DIG IN!



A woman after my heart now.   

Don't worry, I'll make sure the TR gets done now.


----------



## smidgy

that hotel looks great! and the restaurant too.. I hope we get to go there next year.

excited to hear about everything!!!


----------



## Thumper_Man

smidgy said:


> that hotel looks great! and the restaurant too.. I hope we get to go there next year.
> 
> excited to hear about everything!!!



For the most part, the hotel was pretty great. As I told Nebo when he called, without giving too much away, I would go back to DL.  I keep telling ya, give me some dates and we can meet up there next year to.

Hoping to get a chapter up this weekend.  Still working on uploading pics.


----------



## pkondz

Four pages to catch up on? Pfft. I can do that in my sleep...

and considering I _am_ pretty tired...

Maybe a nap first...

zzzzzz......











Thumper_Man said:


> One for the money, two for the show, grab some beer or wine, it's on with the show.



Okay I'm finally ready, let's go!



Thumper_Man said:


> The time has come.



To talk of many things: Of shoesand shipsand sealing-wax Of cabbagesand kings And why the sea is boiling....

Uh... I may have gotten a little off track there...



Thumper_Man said:


> It was awfully rude to not invite us to Dallas or back to Vegas.  The nerve of it traveling without us.  No consideration what so ever.



If there's one thing I can't abide, it's rude luggage. Silly suitcases, fine. But rude luggage? No. 

You have to be firm and put it in its place... Usually in the overhead compartment or under the seat in front of you.

There's a conundrum for ya. You can put it overhead... and risk it falling on your head during extreme turbulence and killing you; or put it under the seat in front of you and have the certainty of being uncomfortable for the entire flight.

Decisions, decisions.



Thumper_Man said:


> When we came back from Vegas and went to claim our luggage, mine came and hers didnt.



It's sad when a couple who seemed to be getting along okay decide to separate.



Thumper_Man said:


> So we filed a claim with Southwest. After filing the claim, they said to allow them 24 hours to locate her bag.  If we didnt hear back from them in 24 hours, give them a call and they will try to give us an update.



Whadaya mean *try*. There's no try! Where's my dang bag???



Thumper_Man said:


> What they failed to mention is, that it would be put on the next flight out to Dallas.  24 hours later, Lady Hs bag is still in Dallas and again told it would be put on the next flight.  The next flight back to Vegas that is and then to Albuquerque.



 "My suitcase is more well travelled then I am."



Thumper_Man said:


> Huh?!  So youre telling me you have to send my bag to Vegas before sending it back to me in Albuquerque.  Why cant it just be sent from Dallas to Albuquerque?  Lady H made that argument but unfortunately SW won.



Because there are some people (far too many, IMHO) who cannot have an original thought in their teeny tiny little brains. "The computer says it has to go to Vegas". 



Thumper_Man said:


> Finally after being on vacation without us for 5 days, Lady H gets a call from SW close to 10 pm at night and they tell her they have her bag in Albuquerque.



Reeking of cheap booze, with lipstick on its... handle.



Thumper_Man said:


> Would she like to pick up the next day or would she like it delivered?  Delivered please.  SW is it ok if we deliver tomorrow?
> 
> I knew I needed to run and hide when they asked if they could deliver it tomorrow.  I didnt want to be the witness to a murder.  Better yet, I didn't want to be the one murdered.



Good call.



Thumper_Man said:


> Maybe she played it smart by ringing the door bell, dropped it off and ran.



Again... Good call.



Thumper_Man said:


> And like a group of army ants, they worked fast to get the luggage off the conveyor belt, turned them over on the side with the wheels and marched them away in a single file line.



That sounds.... weird. And funny!



Thumper_Man said:


> Now were just waiting on Lady Hs bag.



Uh, oh. Is this the same gadabout bag from before? And you _trust it_?



Thumper_Man said:


> We make our way out to the shuttles for the rental cars.



Hey! Wait! So you got the bag? Or did you just surrender to the inevitable?



Thumper_Man said:


> right as we get close to the shuttle, it takes off without us.



Probably on a schedule.
Probably didn't care about you.
Probably got dropped on his head a lot when he was a baby.



Thumper_Man said:


> Lady H lifts up her shirt and flashes him.



This TR has just moved to the top of my reading list.


Sorry Nebo, but you can't compete with that.



Thumper_Man said:


> He immediately stops as well as all the other buses that just ran into him trying to sneak a peak. Thats one way to get them to stop.  Then I look at the pile up and traffic jam behind the big pile of wreckage. Were never going to make it to the rental car place now.  Probably going to throw Lady H in jail for indecent exposure.  No sooner did I say that did the airport police show up and haul Lady H off to jail.  Time to call DMil for bail money.
> 
> What?  You dont believe that happened?



Nope. I don't believe she went to jail. There's no _way_ cops will show up that fast. I buy the rest of it... and no matter what you say from now on, _that's_ what happened.



Thumper_Man said:


> The reason Im in a hurry to get them unloaded is because I have no CASH to give the guy a tip.



Here's a tip. Tell the other driver to stop when he sees people trying to get on the shuttle.



Thumper_Man said:


> Ha.  So long su........per people.  Have a nice wait.



Nice that you had super people with you.

Kidding aside, that _is_ a nice perk. I've got a similar thing with National (through work). Two guys were ahead of me and the first was just getting his keys. The second guy has no reservation and will have to fill out all the forms, etc. This is going to take a while.

But the clerk looks at me and says "Are you an Emerald Club member?" then tells dude #2 to wait while he serves me.

Aaaaahhhhh....



Thumper_Man said:


> He tells me I can pick from row C and takes off with tweedle dumb and tweedle dumber following right behind him.  Lady H and I look at each other.  Which way to row C?



 So they're dumb and dumber for not knowing where their car is... then you guys come along and don't know where your car is either...

I'm not saying anything here. Just an observations :



Thumper_Man said:


> All we see left is a Ford Escape.  Is that right?  Its a SUV.  We double check to make sure were in the right row.  Sure enough.  Looks like the Ford Escape it is.



Isn't it nice of them to keep it simple for you? No traipsing up and down the aisle trying to figure out which car to take...



Thumper_Man said:


> Load up our luggage, start er up, drive up to the guard shack and present him with our release papers.  I wanted to pull a Nebo and tell him Is this going to take long? We just got parole for good behavior and were in hurry to get out of this joint, but I decided not too.  Nobody at this place seemed to smile, so I decided not to chance it.



"Oh a funny guy, huh?" <breaks kneecaps> "Who's laughing now, funny man?"



Thumper_Man said:


> Shes also my smartphone, so she was lucky to be spared.



You have two phones? And this was your spare?

Check.



Thumper_Man said:


> I yell at Dru, why did you bring us this way?  She had no response, she was dead silent.



Probably died of embarrassment.



Thumper_Man said:


> On top of that, I needed the restroom really bad.  I knew I shouldnt have eaten chili the night before.  We start to look for the nearest exit and finally take the first one we see. One of the first places we see is Vons supermarket.  Pull into the parking lot, jump out of the drivers seat while the vehicle is still moving and tell Lady H to park.  We did our best Duke of Hazzard impersonations here.



To make the story better, next time don't let there be an available restroom.

um... on second thought, let's just move on before you start talking about bowels moving on...



Thumper_Man said:


> Now I remember back in the days, beer used to come in either a 6-pack or a case (Four 6-packs in a cardboard tray).  Ever notice all the different choices now a days.  6-pack, 12-pack, 18-pack, 30-pack, 4-pack that holds just as much as liquid as a 6 pack..  And thats just cans.  I dont even know if they sell the standard case (24 cans) anymore.



Had that conversation with Nebo a while back. What's up with that?

"Could I have a 12 pack of beer, please? Only I don't want 12, I'd like 7. Can I get a 7 pack?"



Thumper_Man said:


> Oh great, now I'm making up names like Laura.



It rubs off, doesnt it?



Thumper_Man said:


> She asks our name and 2 minutes into the check-in process the phone rings.  She answers it and puts us on hold.



Thats a personal pet peeve of mine. 

Listen, I came all the way down to your store, but someone on the phone gets priority? Put _them_ on hold. I was here first plus I am actually _here_.

And God help em if its a personal call.



Thumper_Man said:


> After explaining 20 times to the person on the phone that they needed to call the 1-800 to make reservations,



Okay, thats a company policy but its a stupid one. Reminds me of a radio ad that may only have been up here. It was for some quick oil change company and basically wanted you to come to them where you didnt need and appointment. It illustrated the frustration of dealing with a dealership instead of with them

Dealer: Thank you for calling Massive Motors, if you want to book an appointment, press 1 if you already have an appointment press 2

Customer: Okay, I have an appointment so I press 2 <beep>

Dealer: Thank you! To reschedule your appointment press 3, to cancel your appointment press 11

Customer:11? There _is_ no 11

Dealer: Press 11!

Customer: Uh Okay.. uh one, one <beep, beep>

Dealer: Thank you! By pressing one you have confirmed your appointment! Thank you for calling Massive Motors.

Customer: What??? No!!! Wait!...

Dealer: <click>



Thumper_Man said:


> she finally returns to us only give us the bad news.  So sorry, but your reservation was lost and youll have to sleep out on the street.  Here is some complimentary popcorn and candy though.
> 
> Ok, ok.  Just trying to have some fun with this TR, geesh.  Give a bunny a break will ya.



You had me going there! I thought, Oh no! They lost the reso and now they have to call the stupid 1-800 number



Thumper_Man said:


> The resort is gated all around, even for parking.  That gave us an added sense of security.



Plus the machine gun nests and snipers on the rooftops



Thumper_Man said:


> He remembers how they were at the resort last year and how they apparently like to party the whole time theyre there.  During their stay last year, they were so drunk that they even provided a free boxing match for the fellow patrons.



And then, later, you wonder what hes telling people about _you_.



Thumper_Man said:


> He also tells us how hes seen some people so drunk, that other people are using the luggage carts to wheel them to their units.  Now theres a thought.  Lady H and I keep this in mind in case one of us needs it later.







Thumper_Man said:


> All of sudden BAM, Larry throws a right hook and almost knocks us out.  Like the salesman they hired Larry to be, he gives us the dreaded line we hate to hear.
> 
> At this resort, they offer free breakfast in the morning with a brief 45-minute presentation.



They really should preface that with the theme from Jaws, no?



Thumper_Man said:


> Oh Larry, you didnt just go there did you?  We were laughing and having such a good time at Moe's and Curly's expense.  Why did you have to go and ruin it?



Honeymoons over!



Thumper_Man said:


> Yeah, just like the time I was supposed to get a free trip.



I wouldve mentioned it just to see what Larry would say.



Thumper_Man said:


> Still waiting on that by the way.  "So which day should I put you down for?  Larry asks.



I _hate_ that line. How about the one when a certain hot place freezes over?



Thumper_Man said:


> Heres a few things we saw on our exploration.
> 
> 
> 
> Obviously youre not here to look at resort pictures and hear about Larry.



Au contraire! I thought the resort was pretty nice and wouldnt have minded even more.



Thumper_Man said:


> For our next stop is:
> 
> *DISNEYLAND!*



Oh, right! Almost forgot.  Thanks for the chapter, it was really good! :

Okay, off to read the next posts...


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> I see you survived your 16 hour shift.



Barely. You have no idea how glad I am that the past two weeks is in the past. 



Thumper_Man said:


> What address?  I never received any address from you.  Well not from you directly.  And I never got a PM from the owners.
> 
> Lady H, you deleted Ponzi's PM with his address already right?
> 
> And I officially have written consent from the owner herself.



I don't care! Where's my money!



Thumper_Man said:


> Had some experience with this have you?  Poor Kay and Elle.  I'm sure they would've shared with you.



When it comes to candy... I don't share.

Mine! All mine!



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Hey now...I've told you a million times I don't know how that bear keeps getting into our room, but it's him, not me!







Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Nope, I still have it in a secret hiding place in the off chance that he's driven us to the point of crazy by the end of this TR and i need to send him a bill for the psychiatrist.



Oh, you'll need one all right. 

heh heh heh.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I'll tell you my pretty...and your little Nebo too ...







nebo said:


> And Smidgy responded with a verb, and the word, "Dorothy."
> She's not a morning person.



 can't... breathe... too... funny...


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> He explained that at 3:00 that afternoon there would be a wine and cheese social at the club house, which was where he explained to us that if we had a little too much to imbibe at the whine and cheese social (see what I did there? Haha*cricket cricket cricket*)



I did! You used the word 'cheese' twice in a sentence! That's what you meant right?

right?

<cricket cricket cricket>



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> We stored the information away for later, since we already had a 36 pack of beer in the SUV that was calling our names.



"Miiiiiiike.... Heaaaaaather..... come for us..... pull off our heads and drink from our necks....."

ew 



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> So naturally, having a Johnny Rockets close to home, and never having been to Buca Di Beppo, we chose Johnny Rockets for lunch.



Naturally. This sounds so much like my DW.

Me: "Honey! Look at all the great places we can eat! There's Wu's Oriental Bazaar, Luigi's Famous Pasta House, Paolo's Paella Palace, Greek To Me, Mon Ami French Cuisine... oh and, ha ha, there's McDonalds."

DW: "Let's just go to McDonalds."





Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Actually, we didnt want to eat too much as we had reservations for Steakhouse 55 at 7pm, and not really knowing what their portions were and knowing full well that we would, if nothing else, have steak, and that in itself can be filling, we wanted to eat something light and familiar, and early enough, so we would have an appetite later.



Okay, that actually made sense. Maybe you should write the whole TR, not like that other guy?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> so off we go again in search of an escalator.



You were going to eat an escalator? I thought you wanted to eat light, not uplifting.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Finally, on the top floor, clear on the other side, we find Johnny Rockets.
> We love this place back home because of the fun the employees have. Certain songs that the customers play on the tiny jukeboxes on their tables will get the servers to bust out in spontaneously choreographed numbers in the middle of the joint. Of course, when we got there, we still had NO CASH, therefore, no change, in order to play anything on our mini jukebox.  But it may be all for the better, the employees all look like they can barely speak English, let alone break out into a spontaneous dance. Plus this place is really small compared to the one we have back home. So with a slight disappointed sigh, we grab a menu.



Gee, that sounds really cool. We went to a Johnny Rockets when there was one in Mall of America. It was small, no dancing or singing and the prices!!!  I don't need a burger so bad that I'll pay $20 for it. Four orders of burgers or dogs, fries and drinks came out to around $80. I suspect they cranked up the prices to pay for the primo spot they had in the mall... probably why we never went back.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Both of us were undecided about two different burgers that they had.



They both sound good...



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> So, being the smart ones that we are (Im setting myself up for something here arent I?), we ordered one of each, and decided to split them, that way we each got a taste of both burgers.  We also ordered the Bacon cheese fries, thinking we would share them as a side (little did we know that we should have specified that to the waiter, as it seems he thought only one of us wanted to substitute the fries that come with the order for bacon cheese fries, and the other plate should come with a heaping pile of fries that could feed an army!).



Note to self: Two huge burgers with heaps of fries = 'eating light'.

check.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> We have never had mayo on our burgers before, usually opting for mustard or spicy mustard, but were pleasantly surprised by how well the mayo went with the burgers.



Lots of places (not the chain places) up here put mayo on burgers. Chili too, if they know what's good for them. Heck, you can get (at a few spots) a chili burger which is a burger in a styrofoam cup that's covered in chili. You have to eat it with a fork... but yummm....



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Grocery shopping was pretty blasé.



Thats kind of a laissez faire attitude young lady.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> The only good thing was that we went while we were full, and not while we were hungry, which probably helped in the long run.



 I hear ya! 
Me when full: carrots, milk, chicken, blah, blah, blah
Me when hungry: carrots, milk, milk chocolate, chicken, chips, blah, blah, blah



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> We did manage to find a package of onion dip that T-Man just HAD to have, and then almost forget the sour cream that was needed to mix it. I had to run through the store while Mike stood holding our place in line.



So T-Man HAD to have it then makes _you_ run around the store?

Ill have to ask him what his secret is



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> So the lovely lady at the register asks if we have a card. We tell her no, we are just visiting her fine establishment and will only be here for a short time. So of course she asks if we want a card. And again we tell her we are just visiting and wont be around long enough, and dont need it. We mention that we had one a long, long, long time ago, and now she is practically begging us to give her a phone number that she may be able to look up in her database.



<sigh> Here we go again, I have to do it cause the computer says I do. 

Heres another WoO quote for you If I only had a brain. It can, unfortunately, apply in so many, many situations.

How do you put a kid in brain freeze? When the cash register tells him that you owe $17.38, give him $23.03. Heck, just give him $20.03.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> a wonderful, thoughtful, and sweet lady behind us, took out her savings card and handed it to the cashier and told her to go ahead and use it. We thanked her at least 10 times, paid for our groceries, and left the store.



Does she get points or something? Still, a nice gesture.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> T-Man left his phone in the car charging while we were in the store, so naturally he missed a call. There is a voicemail from the resort saying our room is ready.



So you dont have to be by the pool to get that call, hunh?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> There are stairs. Lots and lots of stairs. So of course, with 4 bags, plus our carry-ons, plus the groceries, naturally we would be in the very back, and on the 2nd floor.



Naturally.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


>



So just how many times did you trip over that garbage can?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Oh look a hidden Mickey!



Oh look a hidden Mickey _on_ the hidden Mickey.

Oh look, apparently we have no life! 



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> and then we are strategically placed on our balcony, overlooking the courtyard, with an ice cold beer in hand.
> 
> This lasts all of about 30 seconds before we have to start scrambling to get ready for dinner.



But I bet is was a nice calm, restful 30 seconds.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Now of course we dont go all out on our appearance for the evening. Im wearing a cute sundress that of course I cover up to hide the fat complimented by a pair of sandals.



Heinlein quote: All women are beautiful, some women more beautiful then others.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I left my hair down; this is a huge deal to me. I hardly ever leave my hair down because its long and will end up bugging me within a span of about 10 minutes. But T-Man loves my hair long and so, I deal.



T-Man is right. Hair down much nicer than hair up.

I said nicer I didnt necessarily say more comfortable or more practical.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> [SIZE="4
> We take the stairs, because thats all we have. Jump into the SUV and head to Downtown Disney. [/SIZE][/FONT][/QUOTE]
> 
> Wouldnt it have been more exciting to skip the stairs and simply jump into the SUV?
> 
> [quote="Thumper_Man's Wife, post: 46177741"]Magically we are transported to another dimension. Its a Disney-esque version of Gullivers Travels. Everyone around us is as small as ants, and yet, we are normal sized. Or maybe the ants are normal sized and grew, like Alice in Wonderland when she took a bit of that cake?!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Alright, alright, that was just a scale model of Big Thunder Mountain that we came across as we walked through part of the hotel.




I still think you were Magically we are transported to another dimension. You went from the mall to Disney just by walking through a door. Thats pretty magical, dont you think?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> We then walked right out of the hotel.



Okay, so much for the magical part. 



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> We walk out of what seems to be the ballroom part of the hotel, and start wondering through a courtyard.



Ill bet you were wondering!



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> [SIZE="4]
> Huh? How did they know? I look over at T-Man with a quizzical look, and suddenly he has amnesia. Cant figure out how they would know that we are celebrating our anniversary. Uh huhSure you dont remember. [/SIZE][/FONT][/QUOTE]
> 
> Mr. Smooth.
> 
> [quote="Thumper_Man's Wife, post: 46177741"] This is where we saw the Sustainable Fish item and thought of Nebo and our disboard friends.




Non-rusting fish. Excellent.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Dinner was delicious. I know for certain that I was able to cut my steak with my fork. That is how tender it was.



Sounds delicious.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> He said that it was our anniversary and he couldnt let us go without at least a little bit of chocolate. A man after my own heart!



That was nice! 



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> We devoured it. Its a good thing we were so full from dinner right?



Right! 



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


>



Nice picture of you Heather! 



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> We stop in one of the cute souvenier shops and pick up a few postcards for later. T-Man thoughtfully asks about stamps and we are directed to the Paradise Pier Hotel for those



So is that where you sold your kidney to afford postage to Canada?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> We notice the entrance from DtD to the Disneyland and California Adventures parks at the end of the walkway and there are quite a few people coming towards us, so we turn around and hurry back the way we came, in hopes of not being caught up in the barrage of people leaving the parks.



Stampede!!! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			
		
		
	


	






Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> As we are headed out of the area, we hear the loud boom of what we can only think is a bomb. Theyre bombing us! At Disney! What thethen I look up in time to see the beautiful colors of the fireworks display from Disneyland.



 Run for the hills! Wheres the nearest shelter??



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> As we work our way through the traffic to the pay booths, we see a speed limit sign that strikes me as odd. Now Ive seen speed limit signs for 10 mph, 15 mph, but never one for ...
> 
> 
> 
> Yup, thats right, 14 miles per hour people. Not 13, not 15, but 14.
> Nowhere else but Disney right?
> 
> OK. I think I will leave it at that for now, if you are still awake that is...




Still awake. Theres a thread on here about the 14mph speed limit. One person said that if the limit was 15 then theyd need speed bumps. Dunno.

Thanks for the chapter Heather! :


----------



## Thumper_Man

Now I know how Nebo feels when he's just about typed a whole chapter and then all of a sudden it's gone.  

I was hoping to have a chapter up today, but went to finish the chapter and there's nothing there. 

So now I have to try and remember everything I had already typed out.


----------



## Backstage_Gal

Thumper_Man said:


> Now I know how Nebo feels when he's just about typed a whole chapter and then all of a sudden it's gone.
> 
> I was hoping to have a chapter up today, but went to finish the chapter and there's nothing there.
> 
> So now I have to try and remember everything I had already typed out.


 


Ponzi, great breakdown


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> A man after your heart on our wedding anniversary?  Knew there was something fishy about that waiter.  Me and him are going to have words the next time we go back.
> 
> On second thought, I better not.  Might not get free dessert again.



Some things in life are more important than others... Dessert is at or near the top of the list.



Thumper_Man said:


> Add one thing here.  As we were strolling through DtD, we noticed a souvenir kiosk and couldn't help but think of Ponzi when we saw this.



I'm not surprised. A pearl is practically perfect in every way. Very much like myself. 



Thumper_Man said:


> She looks at our receipt and sees the (how did Lady H put this) insurmountable amount we paid.



 I like that!



Thumper_Man said:


> Being right above the DSA, we figured there was no need to go down to it since we didn't mind if anybody below us smoked, although we never saw anyone using it.



Oh you _rebel_ you!



Thumper_Man said:


> I'll finish day 1 by showing you a few more pics we took at DtD.



My first surprise. I didn't even notice this the first time around... I had no idea that there was a monorail there. And it amazes me that it goes to DTD.



Thumper_Man said:


> I wanted to comment on SH 55 real quick.
> ...
> I know, I know, I said I wouldn't compare.  Just trying to encourage each of you, if you have the money to splurge, to try SH 55.



Thanks for the mini restaurant review. Sounds like it was a good place.



Thumper_Man said:


> This is actually the first time I can recall any Disney restaurant recognizing our special celebration.



Really? Well it certainly was a nice way to start the vacay.



Thumper_Man said:


> Even the manager was going around and making sure everyone was taken care of.  I love when managers go around doing this.  You don't see it very often, but it shows they care deeply about making sure they provide excellent service, and the food is to your liking.



Agree. 



Thumper_Man said:


> This is the only time during our trip I wore any type of pants.







Thumper_Man said:


> Too Darn Hot.  I was glad to get back to the resort and change back into shorts.



Oh. <phew!>



Thumper_Man said:


> I'm sure you could just walk up and get a table. Just make sure to return it once you're done.



Why? Don't they have spares? What kind of flea-bag joint is this?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> That picture was awesome, and so nostaligic. Of course most of the pictures at the restaurant were the same. To be able to look up from your table and see a picture of Lucille Ball sitting in what could possibly have been the table right in front of you, or see a picture of Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra, laughing it up at the bar...There was definitely history there!



That. Is cool.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

pkondz said:


> Four pages to catch up on? Pfft. I can do that in my sleep...
> 
> and considering I _am_ pretty tired...
> 
> Maybe a nap first...
> 
> zzzzzz......













pkondz said:


> Okay I'm finally ready, let's go!



Too late...Been there, done that. Maybe next time. 





pkondz said:


> To talk of many things: Of shoesand shipsand sealing-wax Of cabbagesand kings And why the sea is boiling....
> 
> Uh... I may have gotten a little off track there...



You think? Alright I'll let it slide, You had a hard couple of weeks with work...But only this one time. 





pkondz said:


> If there's one thing I can't abide, it's rude luggage. Silly suitcases, fine. But rude luggage? No.



Right? I mean seriously. I don't ask much of the luggage. All I ask is that it holds the clothes and necessities I need and for giving me that, I take it to wonderful places, and here it goes, wanting to vacating without me! Hmph! maybe seeing only the inside of the airplane, airport and hotel isn't considered a vacation to it. 



pkondz said:


> You have to be firm and put it in its place... Usually in the overhead compartment or under the seat in front of you.



Its too big to take with me. I have the nice people at the airport feed it into the planes tummy for me, then wait for the plane to regurgitate it later at our final destination...Hmmm...Maybe that's why it got a little temperamental? 




pkondz said:


> There's a conundrum for ya. You can put it overhead... and risk it falling on your head during extreme turbulence and killing you; or put it under the seat in front of you and have the certainty of being uncomfortable for the entire flight.



If your like me, you can hog the middle seat in hopes no one sits next to you and then put the carry on under the seat where no one sits so no one is uncomfortable. 





pkondz said:


> Whadaya mean *try*. There's no try! Where's my dang bag???



That was basically my reaction. 





pkondz said:


> Because there are some people (far too many, IMHO) who cannot have an original thought in their teeny tiny little brains. "The computer says it has to go to Vegas".



Again, my thoughts exactly. Some people's children! 





pkondz said:


> Reeking of cheap booze, with lipstick on its... handle.









pkondz said:


> That sounds.... weird. And funny!



Hence the reason no pictures. We were so astounded at how they did things, and too mesmerized by the spectacle that we didn't even think about taking video or pictures. 





pkondz said:


> Uh, oh. Is this the same gadabout bag from before? And you _trust it_?



<sigh> it was...And i did. I just hoped that since it was going to a new destination this time around that it wouldn't take the opportunity to travel solo.  





pkondz said:


> Hey! Wait! So you got the bag? Or did you just surrender to the inevitable?



To bag or not to bag...that was the question...Wait...that didn't sound right. 





pkondz said:


> Probably on a schedule.
> Probably didn't care about you.
> Probably got dropped on his head a lot when he was a baby.




I'll take number 3 for $500 Alex! 




pkondz said:


> This TR has just moved to the top of my reading list.
> 
> 
> Sorry Nebo, but you can't compete with that.



Oh sure. Is that all it takes to get readers? 





pkondz said:


> Nope. I don't believe she went to jail. There's no _way_ cops will show up that fast. I buy the rest of it... and no matter what you say from now on, _that's_ what happened.



Trust me, Cops move pretty fast when someone is flashing them in the middle of the airport shuttle terminal. I'm pretty sure they didn't want the pilots to start veering off after seeing that and had to put a stop to it right away. 

Since technically I can't call it a Flash mob can it be considered a Flash Flash? Hmmm... 





pkondz said:


> Here's a tip. Tell the other driver to stop when he sees people trying to get on the shuttle.








 Why didn't I think of that?! 





pkondz said:


> Kidding aside, that _is_ a nice perk. I've got a similar thing with National (through work). Two guys were ahead of me and the first was just getting his keys. The second guy has no reservation and will have to fill out all the forms, etc. This is going to take a while.
> 
> But the clerk looks at me and says "Are you an Emerald Club member?" then tells dude #2 to wait while he serves me.
> 
> Aaaaahhhhh....



The joys of signing up for these little things. It was fun to watch the people in line just watch us as we walked on by. Of course, they are in this nice AirConditioned area waiting in line, We on the other hand had to go out to the garage area, and wait behind the dumb one who was getting quite upset that he couldn't find the car he wanted and was even more upset that the guy started to help us first and he needed help NOW! 





pkondz said:


> So they're dumb and dumber for not knowing where their car is... then you guys come along and don't know where your car is either...
> 
> I'm not saying anything here. Just an observations :



Hey! I resemble that remark!!! 




pkondz said:


> Isn't it nice of them to keep it simple for you? No traipsing up and down the aisle trying to figure out which car to take...



The funny thing is, we figure out where we need to go, find the only car available in the area we are told, and start looking at it and putting our stuff in the car, all with only a verbal command from the person behind the counter, all the while, we see Dumb and Dumber are still wandering around the parking lot trying to find their car.  





pkondz said:


> Probably died of embarrassment.








pkondz said:


> To make the story better, next time don't let there be an available restroom.
> 
> um... on second thought, let's just move on before you start talking about bowels moving on...



Yeah, let's not go there. That's not something I would have wanted to be left with when we still had a ways to go to get to the hotel! 




pkondz said:


> Had that conversation with Nebo a while back. What's up with that?
> 
> "Could I have a 12 pack of beer, please? Only I don't want 12, I'd like 7. Can I get a 7 pack?"



Nope, sorry sir, I can get you an 8 pk, I may even be inclined to get you a 6 pk (although very uncouth, I mean really, that's old school there!), but the only way you will get 7 is if you give the extra to your neighbor, or a whino on the street! 




pkondz said:


> Thats a personal pet peeve of mine.
> 
> Listen, I came all the way down to your store, but someone on the phone gets priority? Put _them_ on hold. I was here first plus I am actually _here_.
> 
> And God help em if its a personal call.



I know i probably looked at T-Man with "the look" and thought a few times about saying something to her, but thought, we just got here, our room more than likely isn't ready yet, The last thing i need is someone to implant a video camera or worse, a skunk or something in our room while they are getting it ready because I became Mrs. CrabbyPants! 





pkondz said:


> Okay, thats a company policy but its a stupid one. Reminds me of a radio ad that may only have been up here. It was for some quick oil change company and basically wanted you to come to them where you didnt need and appointment. It illustrated the frustration of dealing with a dealership instead of with them
> 
> Dealer: Thank you for calling Massive Motors, if you want to book an appointment, press 1 if you already have an appointment press 2
> 
> Customer: Okay, I have an appointment so I press 2 <beep>
> 
> Dealer: Thank you! To reschedule your appointment press 3, to cancel your appointment press 11
> 
> Customer:11? There _is_ no 11
> 
> Dealer: Press 11!
> 
> Customer: Uh Okay.. uh one, one <beep, beep>
> 
> Dealer: Thank you! By pressing one you have confirmed your appointment! Thank you for calling Massive Motors.
> 
> Customer: What??? No!!! Wait!...
> 
> Dealer: <click>



 I'm telling you, They must have random conventions and trainings for customer service reps and play commercials like this as a possible scenario that they may come up against and ask them how to respond, and then, after everyone is done telling them how to respectfully help a customer in need, they show them the many blank stares they can use as a response and tell them that all other forms of dialogue are no longer valid, and they must use the now mandatory blank stare whenever necessary. 




pkondz said:


> And then, later, you wonder what hes telling people about _you_.



This is exactly what I thought. I kept going over each day in the back of my mind thinking...OK...I didn't do anything stupid yesterday did I? Nothing in front of anyone that would be cause for storytelling later? I don't remember running around nekkid or flashing anyone at the resort...Whew...we are clear for today! 





pkondz said:


> I _hate_ that line. How about the one when a certain hot place freezes over?



This goes back to that Customer Service training I talked about earlier. If the blank stare doesn't work, then retreat back to the oldie but goodie, "So when I can put you down for?" 




pkondz said:


> Au contraire! I thought the resort was pretty nice and wouldnt have minded even more.



Trust me, We could fill a whole chapter with nothing but pics. We tend to over do them, especially at the resorts, because T-Man also posts them on the resort website for others to see. 




pkondz said:


> Okay, off to read the next posts...



Thanks as usually Ponzi, great breakdown! I will get to the other breakdown in a bit. I must do some sort of work, in order to get paid!


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

pkondz said:


> I did! You used the word 'cheese' twice in a sentence! That's what you meant right?
> 
> right?
> 
> <cricket cricket cricket>



I believe there's an infestation of Crickets in this TR...Must call exterminator. 





pkondz said:


> "Miiiiiiike.... Heaaaaaather..... come for us..... pull off our heads and drink from our necks....."
> 
> ew



Umm...Ewww is right...Now i'm not so sure about having a beer tonight. 





pkondz said:


> Naturally. This sounds so much like my DW.
> 
> Me: "Honey! Look at all the great places we can eat! There's Wu's Oriental Bazaar, Luigi's Famous Pasta House, Paolo's Paella Palace, Greek To Me, Mon Ami French Cuisine... oh and, ha ha, there's McDonalds."
> 
> DW: "Let's just go to McDonalds."



I'm usually not the adventurous type when it comes to food. I'm pretty particular...OK fine, I'm picky! But I can usually find something at any place I go. But just wait, it gets better in regards to eateries as we go...





pkondz said:


> Okay, that actually made sense. Maybe you should write the whole TR, not like that other guy?



I appreciate that more than you know , but don't tell the "other guy" that...I've been telling him I got through college by paying smart people to write my term papers! 





pkondz said:


> You were going to eat an escalator? I thought you wanted to eat light, not uplifting.



When your hungry, your hungry! What can I say?! 





pkondz said:


> Gee, that sounds really cool. We went to a Johnny Rockets when there was one in Mall of America. It was small, no dancing or singing and the prices!!!  I don't need a burger so bad that I'll pay $20 for it. Four orders of burgers or dogs, fries and drinks came out to around $80. I suspect they cranked up the prices to pay for the primo spot they had in the mall... probably why we never went back.



 I don't think we have ever paid that much at JR's. I think for 2 burgers, with the towering inferno of fries, plus the cheese fries, plus 2 drinks cost us less than $30. And I think that included tip. 





pkondz said:


> They both sound good...



They both were very good! 







pkondz said:


> Note to self: Two huge burgers with heaps of fries = 'eating light'.
> 
> check.









pkondz said:


> Lots of places (not the chain places) up here put mayo on burgers. Chili too, if they know what's good for them. Heck, you can get (at a few spots) a chili burger which is a burger in a styrofoam cup that's covered in chili. You have to eat it with a fork... but yummm....



Nothing can be bad with Chili on it. Of course i'm sure your chili and our chili are a little different. But to me it doesn't matter. Smother a burger with Chili and it's the best burger in town! I never thought about just putting it all in a styrofoam cup...Hmmm...





pkondz said:


> Thats kind of a laissez faire attitude young lady.



I'm just that kind of woman, what can I say, I'm impervious to the world around me.  Let it be. 





pkondz said:


> I hear ya!
> Me when full: carrots, milk, chicken, blah, blah, blah
> Me when hungry: carrots, milk, milk chocolate, chicken, chips, blah, blah, blah



It's best to go to the store full and with a list (at least when you are with me), otherwise you will come back from the store with everything other than what you need. 





pkondz said:


> So T-Man HAD to have it then makes _you_ run around the store?
> 
> Ill have to ask him what his secret is



When you get the answer, will you share it with me? I still have no clue how that happened. 





pkondz said:


> <sigh> Here we go again, I have to do it cause the computer says I do.
> 
> Heres another WoO quote for you If I only had a brain. It can, unfortunately, apply in so many, many situations.
> 
> How do you put a kid in brain freeze? When the cash register tells him that you owe $17.38, give him $23.03. Heck, just give him $20.03.



True story: Back when I was young...er...I worked at the mall, in one of the retail stores. One day, I was ringing up a customer, giving the usual credit card sales pitch as i was told I had to do, then gave the lady her total, it was something along the lines of $21.98 and she handed me a $20, plus 3 dollar bills and 2 pennies...and i looked at her with the weirdest expression I'm sure. 

Me: "Ma'am, Your bill is only $21.98 (As I try to give her back the $1.02)
Customer: "Yes, I know...And I'm giving you, $23.02
Me: "I realize that, however, I'm not sure why..."

Then the inevitable nickel dropped and I went..."Oh...Hahaha...nevermind." 





pkondz said:


> Does she get points or something? Still, a nice gesture.



It's possible. I know the system is different for all stores, but around here in certain stores you can gain points on your card and use them for gas and stuff. Who knows with this one, but she got major points with me, being she saved us from trying to remember a phone number from back in the dark ages. 





pkondz said:


> So you dont have to be by the pool to get that call, hunh?



Whodathunkit? Looks like, those calls only happen when you get comfortable at the pool, or when your at the grocery store arguing with the check out lady about old phone numbers. 






pkondz said:


> So just how many times did you trip over that garbage can?



After the first two times, we moved it to the wall just outside of the kitchen area. There really wasn't any other place to put it...





pkondz said:


> Oh look a hidden Mickey _on_ the hidden Mickey.
> 
> Oh look, apparently we have no life!









pkondz said:


> But I bet is was a nice calm, restful 30 seconds.



The most restful and calm 30 seconds I've had in a long time. 





pkondz said:


> Heinlein quote: All women are beautiful, some women more beautiful then others.



Awww...You are great for the Ego...

There is no exquisite beauty without some strangeness in the proportion. ~ Edgar Allen Poe





pkondz said:


> T-Man is right. Hair down much nicer than hair up.
> 
> I said nicer I didnt necessarily say more comfortable or more practical.



If I wanted practical I would have chopped off the hair a long time ago. I'm one of those weirdos that lets her hair grow in the summer and then will cut it in the winter, just in time to freeze to death! 





pkondz said:


> Wouldnt it have been more exciting to skip the stairs and simply jump into the SUV?



That would definitely have been more exciting, but then we wouldn't be writing this TR...Especially since there is a huge concrete shelter area for the cars, and ours is inside said shelter. 






pkondz said:


> Ill bet you were wondering!



D'oh! I knew my days of glory at writing without fault wouldn't last...

"Oh, well I roam from town to town
I go through life without a care
And I'm as happy as a clown
And with my two fists of iron but I'm going nowhere"







pkondz said:


> Nice picture of you Heather!



Thank you! 





pkondz said:


> So is that where you sold your kidney to afford postage to Canada?



No, Kidney selling takes place later in the week...





pkondz said:


> Stampede!!!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Run for the hills! Wheres the nearest shelter??



 Love the stampede smiley! 




pkondz said:


> Thanks for the chapter Heather! :



Thanks for the breakdown Ponzi!


----------



## Thumper_Man

It's a beautiful mornin' ahhh, I think I'll go outside for a while. An jus' smile, just take in some clean fresh air boy. 
Ain't no sense in stayin' inside, if the weather's fine and you got the time. 
It's your chance to wake up and plan another brand new day, either way; 
It's a beautiful mornin'.

I know I said well try to get this TR moving a little more quickly, so here it goes.

Sunday, August 26, 2012.  Went to DL in the morning, DCA in the afternoon and finished the day back at DL.  I now return you to your regularly scheduled TR over on Nebos thread.  


Still around?  Really, Nebos is more exciting at the moment.  Our day is literally a walk in the park compared to his; but if you insist, Ill try to make our day sound exciting and magical. 

Today is our first full theme park day, and our only chance to take advantage of the early magic morning we got when we purchased our tickets.  There are 4 days Disney allows you to take advantage of this perk: Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday; and the only park you can use it at is Disneyland.  We had just arrived on Saturday and wouldnt have made it to theme park early anyways.  Tuesday our plan is to hit DCA.  Thursday will be the relaxation day I promised Lady H and of course we leave on a Saturday.  So todays plan is to be at the park at 8:00 am, as Disneyland originally opens at 9.

That dreaded alarm goes off again.  This time at 6 am, and no I didnt go back to sleep.  Dont want to waste any precious park time.  I mosey on over to the kitchen to get some coffee before I wake up sleeping beauty.  She is not a morning person.   For that matter neither am I.  As others have mentioned, there are only 2 times that Im up early: work and vacation.  Since I work 5 days a week, that means Im up early all week.  Given the chance, I will sleep in and I take full advantage on the weekends.  Since were on vacation though, Im up.  

I get to the kitchen and coffee isnt ready yet.  The coffee pot in our room has an automatic timer and I set it up before going to bed.  I walk over and inspect the coffee pot.  Timer is on.  Put the correct time I wanted it to go on.  

Doh! 

 I didnt set the clock right.  

I fix the time on the coffee maker, because any sensible person would this; and every now and then Im smart that way.  Had I been smarter, I wouldve checked to make sure I had the correct time when I first set it.  The time looked correct, but I was off by 12 hours.  I switched day to night, and night to day.  Anyways, I turn the coffee maker on and head back (unarmed with coffee) to wake sleeping beauty.  This time I didnt need the bucket of ice water to get her up.  A kiss worked just fine.  Soon coffee is ready and so are we.  Pack our bags, grab our tickets and put them in the new lanyards we bought the night before, and off we go to the lobby.  Need to buy passes to ride the ART (Anaheim Resort Transportation) shuttle.  

For those that have been asking how far our hotel is from DL; it wasnt too far, but far enough if you decided to walk there.  The hotel is a mile down the road from the DL turnstile, or a 20-25 minute walk (depending on how fast you walk).  45-60 minute walk at the end of the day if youre tired and dont want to walk anymore.  Knowing that we would be in for a full day of walking, standing and walking some more; we didnt really want to walk.  Especially if we decided to go back to the hotel for a break.  

While I was planning this trip, I made sure to research how much parking was going to cost.  Had we parked at any of the Disney Theme Parks parking lots, it wouldve cost us $15 per day.  To use ART, it costs $4 per adult for an all day ride pass.  Given we were 2 adults, it would cost us $8 per day to get to DL; instead of paying the $15 that DL charges and you still have to take a shuttle to get there.  Yup, I typed that out correctly.  You pay to park at the DL parking lots and you still have to take s shuttle to DL.  Let me show you what Im talking about.

Here is Googles current map of DLR and the surrounding area.  I added a few lines and description to it so you can hopefully follow along.





I indicated on the map where Lady and I were staying.  The light blue line is how far Lady H and I would have to walk to catch the nearest ART shuttle.  The green line would be the route the shuttle would take to DL after it picked us up.   Notice the nearest parking lot to us is the Toy Story Mania parking lot.  Couldve been the parking lot was just called Toy Story and Im adding Mania.  Anyways, this parking lot isnt too far up the road from where we were staying.  There were also no short cuts from our hotel to this parking lot.  Not unless you wanted to jump the wall.  The red line indicates my best guess of the route the DL parking lot shuttles would take.  We never parked in this lot but looking at a closer Google Map of this lot, I indicated where the shuttle pick up probably is; and it dropped off/picked up in the same vicinity as the ART shuttle once it got to DL.   Needless to say, our shuttle ride would more or less be the same distance if we took the ART shuttle or the DL shuttle.   I think there is a parking garage closer to DL, but we never went looking for it.  So I cant tell you if it was closer or not.  I did see as you got to the end of DtD, there is an area where the parking lot trams (same type used at WDW parking lots) picked up and dropped off. 

Ok, now that I covered the whole parking issue, let me get back to the TR itself.  We head over to our hotel lobby to buy our ART passes.  Theres a kiosk in the lobby that you can buy your tickets from.  We figured it would be easier to do it this way, rather than pay the driver.  As we walk into the lobby, Sneaky Larry is already hard at work figuring out who will be his next victims.  We try not to make eye contact and proceed directly to the kiosk.  He spots us but just gives us a friendly good morning and goes to a back office.  Phew.  We escaped for now.  We quickly buy our tickets and get out of there before he comes back.  

ART passes in hand we head over to the shuttle stop.  Right now its about 7:45 and the ART shuttle is supposed to pick up about every 20 minutes or so.  We get to the shuttle waiting area and there is about 10 people waiting for the shuttle.  One observation I do make, just like at WDW, there are people with big strollers waiting to get on.  I start to fear for my shins and the back of my heals seeing these monster strollers.  We wait about 5 minutes and the ART shuttle pulls up.  Theyre not very big shuttles.  Im guessing they can hold about 50 passengers max.  As luck would have it, it wasnt really packed at this hour; little did we know it wouldnt be a quiet trip to Disneyland.

The shuttle driver must have been a yellow jacket in disguise.  No offense to anyone out there when I say he was an older man.  I would say he was either in has late 50 or early 60s.  I know what youre thinking, T_Man is calling us old.  He was older than me so how else would I refer to him.  On our 5 minute or so shuttle ride, the driver decided he needed kid participation.  He asked the kids if they knew where they were going.  Naturally the kids yelled out Disneyland.  Now heres where his old age kicks in, he tells them I cant hear you.  Now we have the kids yelling out even louder and some adults joining in.  Again he says I still cant hear you.  Did he remember to turn his hearing aids on?  Lady H wanted to tell him Alma, turn the pack on.  This time everyone screams out Disneyland, Lady H and I included. We wanted to make sure he heard this time.  He must have heard everyone this time because he seems satisfied and stops asking.  Good because now my ears are ringing.  He then gives the kids a public service announcement.  Stay with your parents, listen to mom and dad, have fun, blah blah blah.  Finally, our shuttle arrives to shuttle drop off/pick up area.  Once again, the driver wants crowd participation; Kids, do you know where you are?  They kids yell out Disneyland and the driver is now Mr. Funny Man, Wrong. Youre on the bus, and with that he lets us off.

Now its time for the ever so famous, daunting task of slipping by security un-noticed.  Walls are too high to jump here and I dont know where the snipers are positioned.  Best to play it safe and just go through security.  Lines arent too long at this hour.  Lady H and I open our bags to show security all the supplies we need for the day.  They confiscate our mountain climbing gear.  They said they already have CMs that act as mountain climbers and they arent holding open auditions for future climbers.  So much for climbing the Matterhorn today.  They let everything else we have pass through and we head towards the gate.  I look at the time on my phone; shoot, weve already lost 5 minutes of valuable touring time already.  Time to tour commando style.  We walk up to the turnstile and hand the CM our City Pass.  She scans them and hands them back to us, along with 2 new tickets.  Oh boy, bonus days I thought.  We must be the billionth visitors through the gate.  Nope, turns out these will now be the tickets we use for the rest of the trip.  Our City Pass for Disney is no longer valid.  Now the tickets we got are the cheap paper tickets.  Theyre not even the Tyvek type tickets that you get at WDW.  I wouldve rather have stuck to my sturdy, credit card like City Pass ticket.  

After we get our cheap paper tickets, the CM now scans these tickets.  No fingerprint system like WDW.  This would be a love/hate relationship later on in the TR.  We walk through the turnstile and we are finally inside Disneyland.  

Since it has obviously been stated on here that some like Lady Hs writing style more than THE OTHER GUY, TOG is ending this chapter here and will try to turn it over to Lady H so she can keep you entertained while I quietly sit in the back of the class; occasionally filling in any details that Lady H may not quite recall.  Secretly plotting my revenge and how I can torture you with more chapters.  
Bwaahhh hhhaaaa hhhaaa hhhaaa.


----------



## mmeb144

Thumper_Man said:


> Since it has obviously been stated on here that some like Lady Hs writing style more than THE OTHER GUY, TOG is ending this chapter here and will try to turn it over to Lady H so she can keep you entertained while I quietly sit in the back of the class; occasionally filling in any details that Lady H may not quite recall.  Secretly plotting my revenge and how I can torture you with more chapters.
> Bwaahhh hhhaaaa hhhaaa hhhaaa.



What?!? Look, I love you both equally, somebody, please get writing.  Besides, enough with the cliffhangers already.  I feel really bruised by Nebo's trip report, that guy can really string you along...


----------



## Backstage_Gal

mmeb144 said:


> What?!? Look, I love you both equally, somebody, please get writing. Besides, enough with the cliffhangers already. I feel really bruised by Nebo's trip report, that guy can really string you along...


 
T-Man, that was a great update! Stand strong and proud. 

That shuttle bus scenario seems weird. The one and only time we went to DL, we stayed about 5 min walk away, but not nearly as nice a place as yours.


----------



## Thumper_Man

mmeb144 said:


> What?!? Look, I love you both equally, somebody, please get writing.  Besides, enough with the cliffhangers already.  I feel really bruised by Nebo's trip report, that guy can really string you along...



It's not a cliffhanger.  It's a delay tactic while I organize all the pictures.


----------



## cp'ersmom

Thumper_Man said:
			
		

> It's a beautiful mornin' ahhh, I think I'll go outside for a while. An jus' smile, just take in some clean fresh air boy.
> Ain't no sense in stayin' inside, if the weather's fine and you got the time.
> It's your chance to wake up and plan another brand new day, either way;
> It's a beautiful mornin'.
> 
> I know I said we&#146;ll try to get this TR moving a little more quickly, so here it goes.
> 
> Sunday, August 26, 2012.  Went to DL in the morning, DCA in the afternoon and finished the day back at DL.  I now return you to your regularly scheduled TR over on Nebo&#146;s thread.
> 
> Still around?  Really, Nebo&#146;s is more exciting at the moment.  Our day is literally a walk in the park compared to his; but if you insist, I&#146;ll try to make our day sound exciting and magical.
> 
> Today is our first full theme park day, and our only chance to take advantage of the early magic morning we got when we purchased our tickets.  There are 4 days Disney allows you to take advantage of this perk: Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday; and the only park you can use it at is Disneyland.  We had just arrived on Saturday and wouldn&#146;t have made it to theme park early anyways.  Tuesday our plan is to hit DCA.  Thursday will be the relaxation day I promised Lady H and of course we leave on a Saturday.  So today&#146;s plan is to be at the park at 8:00 am, as Disneyland originally opens at 9.
> 
> That dreaded alarm goes off again.  This time at 6 am, and no I didn&#146;t go back to sleep.  Don&#146;t want to waste any precious park time.  I mosey on over to the kitchen to get some coffee before I wake up sleeping beauty.  She is not a morning person.   For that matter neither am I.  As others have mentioned, there are only 2 times that I&#146;m up early: work and vacation.  Since I work 5 days a week, that means I&#146;m up early all week.  Given the chance, I will sleep in and I take full advantage on the weekends.  Since we&#146;re on vacation though, I&#146;m up.
> 
> I get to the kitchen and coffee isn&#146;t ready yet.  The coffee pot in our room has an automatic timer and I set it up before going to bed.  I walk over and inspect the coffee pot.  Timer is on.  Put the correct time I wanted it to go on.
> 
> Doh! http://yoursmiles.org/s-negative.php?page=2 I didn&#146;t set the clock right.
> 
> I fix the time on the coffee maker, because any sensible person would this; and every now and then I&#146;m smart that way.  Had I been smarter, I would&#146;ve checked to make sure I had the correct time when I first set it.  The time looked correct, but I was off by 12 hours.  I switched day to night, and night to day.  Anyways, I turn the coffee maker on and head back (unarmed with coffee) to wake sleeping beauty.  This time I didn&#146;t need the bucket of ice water to get her up.  A kiss worked just fine.  Soon coffee is ready and so are we.  Pack our bags, grab our tickets and put them in the new lanyards we bought the night before, and off we go to the lobby.  Need to buy passes to ride the ART (Anaheim Resort Transportation) shuttle.
> 
> For those that have been asking how far our hotel is from DL; it wasn&#146;t too far, but far enough if you decided to walk there.  The hotel is a mile down the road from the DL turnstile, or a 20-25 minute walk (depending on how fast you walk).  45-60 minute walk at the end of the day if you&#146;re tired and don&#146;t want to walk anymore.  Knowing that we would be in for a full day of walking, standing and walking some more; we didn&#146;t really want to walk.  Especially if we decided to go back to the hotel for a break.
> 
> While I was planning this trip, I made sure to research how much parking was going to cost.  Had we parked at any of the Disney Theme Parks parking lots, it would&#146;ve cost us $15 per day.  To use ART, it costs $4 per adult for an all day ride pass.  Given we were 2 adults, it would cost us $8 per day to get to DL; instead of paying the $15 that DL charges and you still have to take a shuttle to get there.  Yup, I typed that out correctly.  You pay to park at the DL parking lots and you still have to take s shuttle to DL.  Let me show you what I&#146;m talking about.
> 
> Here is Google&#146;s current map of DLR and the surrounding area.  I added a few lines and description to it so you can hopefully follow along.
> 
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/realgoodman/8021749714/
> 
> I indicated on the map where Lady and I were staying.  The light blue line is how far Lady H and I would have to walk to catch the nearest ART shuttle.  The green line would be the route the shuttle would take to DL after it picked us up.   Notice the nearest parking lot to us is the Toy Story Mania parking lot.  Could&#146;ve been the parking lot was just called Toy Story and I&#146;m adding Mania.  Anyways, this parking lot isn&#146;t too far up the road from where we were staying.  There were also no short cuts from our hotel to this parking lot.  Not unless you wanted to jump the wall.  The red line indicates my best guess of the route the DL parking lot shuttles would take.  We never parked in this lot but looking at a closer Google Map of this lot, I indicated where the shuttle pick up probably is; and it dropped off/picked up in the same vicinity as the ART shuttle once it got to DL.   Needless to say, our shuttle ride would more or less be the same distance if we took the ART shuttle or the DL shuttle.   I think there is a parking garage closer to DL, but we never went looking for it.  So I can&#146;t tell you if it was closer or not.  I did see as you got to the end of DtD, there is an area where the parking lot trams (same type used at WDW parking lots) picked up and dropped off.
> 
> Ok, now that I covered the whole parking issue, let me get back to the TR itself.  We head over to our hotel lobby to buy our ART passes.  There&#146;s a kiosk in the lobby that you can buy your tickets from.  We figured it would be easier to do it this way, rather than pay the driver.  As we walk into the lobby, Sneaky Larry is already hard at work figuring out who will be his next victims.  We try not to make eye contact and proceed directly to the kiosk.  He spots us but just gives us a friendly good morning and goes to a back office.  Phew.  We escaped for now.  We quickly buy our tickets and get out of there before he comes back.
> 
> ART passes in hand we head over to the shuttle stop.  Right now it&#146;s about 7:45 and the ART shuttle is supposed to pick up about every 20 minutes or so.  We get to the shuttle waiting area and there is about 10 people waiting for the shuttle.  One observation I do make, just like at WDW, there are people with big strollers waiting to get on.  I start to fear for my shins and the back of my heals seeing these monster strollers.  We wait about 5 minutes and the ART shuttle pulls up.  They&#146;re not very big shuttles.  I&#146;m guessing they can hold about 50 passengers max.  As luck would have it, it wasn&#146;t really packed at this hour; little did we know it wouldn&#146;t be a quiet trip to Disneyland.
> 
> The shuttle driver must have been a yellow jacket in disguise.  No offense to anyone out there when I say he was an older man.  I would say he was either in has late 50&#146; or early 60&#146;s.  I know what you&#146;re thinking, &#147;T_Man is calling us old.&#148;  He was older than me so how else would I refer to him.  On our 5 minute or so shuttle ride, the driver decided he needed kid participation.  He asked the kids if they knew where they were going.  Naturally the kids yelled out Disneyland.  Now here&#146;s where his old age kicks in, he tells them &#147;I can&#146;t hear you.&#148;  Now we have the kids yelling out even louder and some adults joining in.  Again he says &#147;I still can&#146;t hear you.&#148;  Did he remember to turn his hearing aids on?  Lady H wanted to tell him &#147;Alma, turn the pack on.&#148;  This time everyone screams out Disneyland, Lady H and I included. We wanted to make sure he heard this time.  He must have heard everyone this time because he seems satisfied and stops asking.  Good because now my ears are ringing.  He then gives the kids a public service announcement.  &#147;Stay with your parents, listen to mom and dad, have fun, blah blah blah.&#148;  Finally, our shuttle arrives to shuttle drop off/pick up area.  Once again, the driver wants crowd participation; &#147;Kids, do you know where you are?&#148;  They kids yell out &#147;Disneyland&#148; and the driver is now Mr. Funny Man, &#147;Wrong. You&#146;re on the bus,&#148; and with that he lets us off.
> 
> Now it&#146;s time for the ever so famous, daunting task of slipping by security un-noticed.  Walls are too high to jump here and I don&#146;t know where the snipers are positioned.  Best to play it safe and just go through security.  Lines aren&#146;t too long at this hour.  Lady H and I open our bags to show security all the supplies we need for the day.  They confiscate our mountain climbing gear.  They said they already have CM&#146;s that act as mountain climbers and they aren&#146;t holding open auditions for future climbers.  So much for climbing the Matterhorn today.  They let everything else we have pass through and we head towards the gate.  I look at the time on my phone; shoot, we&#146;ve already lost 5 minutes of valuable touring time already.  Time to tour commando style.  We walk up to the turnstile and hand the CM our City Pass.  She scans them and hands them back to us, along with 2 new tickets.  Oh boy, bonus days I thought.  We must be the billionth visitors through the gate.  Nope, turns out these will now be the tickets we use for the rest of the trip.  Our City Pass for Disney is no longer valid.  Now the tickets we got are the cheap paper tickets.  They&#146;re not even the Tyvek type tickets that you get at WDW.  I would&#146;ve rather have stuck to my sturdy, credit card like City Pass ticket.
> 
> After we get our cheap paper tickets, the CM now scans these tickets.  No fingerprint system like WDW.  This would be a love/hate relationship later on in the TR.  We walk through the turnstile and we are finally inside Disneyland.
> 
> Since it has obviously been stated on here that some like Lady H&#146;s writing style more than &#147;THE OTHER GUY&#148;, TOG is ending this chapter here and will try to turn it over to Lady H so she can keep you entertained while I quietly sit in the back of the class; occasionally filling in any details that Lady H may not quite recall.  Secretly plotting my revenge and how I can torture you with more chapters.
> Bwaahhh hhhaaaa hhhaaa hhhaaa.



Glad you are on your way to your first magical day! Hope there's no blood shed, concrete smacked, WC mishaps or dining disasters!


----------



## smidgy

I love BOTH your writing styles!
you both look younger than I pictured. (of course everyone looks young to us 55 and older set, dontcha know?)

great job researching.  how silly would it have been to drive to the parking lot and end up taking a shuttle almost as far?  

there's one thing Nebo hates.. when any CM does the "I can't hear you" bit.  he refuses to play along.

ponzi mentioned what I wanted to and forgot.  that garbage can in the middle of the room.  If it was us, I would have put it in the bathtub if I couldn't find any other place.  it would have killed Nebo.. .. "death by trashcan".


----------



## mmeb144

Thumper_Man said:


> It's not a cliffhanger.  It's a delay tactic while I organize all the pictures.



Oh, nevermind...


----------



## bankr63

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Nothing can be bad with Chili on it. Of course i'm sure your chili and our chili are a little different. But to me it doesn't matter. Smother a burger with Chili and it's the best burger in town! I never thought about just putting it all in a styrofoam cup...Hmmm...



Ooooh, Chili recipes.  Now there's some recipes I could get into.  I make a Texas Red that blows the top of your head off!


----------



## bankr63

Thumper_Man said:


> I know I said well try to get this TR moving a little more quickly, so here it goes.
> 
> Sunday, August 26, 2012.  Went to DL in the morning, DCA in the afternoon and finished the day back at DL.  I now return you to your regularly scheduled TR over on Nebos thread.
> 
> 
> Still around?  Really, Nebos is more exciting at the moment.  Our day is literally a walk in the park compared to his; but if you insist, Ill try to make our day sound exciting and magical.



Oh, I insist alright!  At least I can keep up with yours.  Nebo is so popular that I always find myself 20 pages behind (I'm now at 88 and the rest of you are at 118!)  

Well the first two hours show some promise of the Magic yet to come.  Looking forward to hearing more...


----------



## orangecats2

Great pics of you guys at S55.
Need more pics...

Did you get the postcard?


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> You think? Alright I'll let it slide, You had a hard couple of weeks with work...But only this one time.



Sweet! I got a free pass!



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Right? I mean seriously. I don't ask much of the luggage. All I ask is that it holds the clothes and necessities I need and for giving me that, I take it to wonderful places, and here it goes, wanting to vacating without me! Hmph! maybe seeing only the inside of the airplane, airport and hotel isn't considered a vacation to it.







Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> To bag or not to bag...that was the question...Wait...that didn't sound right.



I beg your pardon?!?

Well, it was an anniversary vacation... 



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Oh sure. Is that all it takes to get readers?



yes



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Since technically I can't call it a Flash mob can it be considered a Flash Flash? Hmmm...



Again... yes.

Is T-Man going to hunt me down and shoot me by any chance?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Hey! I resemble that remark!!!



Hey! I remarked that... umm... 

oh nevermind.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I know i probably looked at T-Man with "the look" and thought a few times about saying something to her, but thought, we just got here, our room more than likely isn't ready yet, The last thing i need is someone to implant a video camera or worse, a skunk or something in our room while they are getting it ready because I became Mrs. CrabbyPants!



True. I meant it more like when you're at a store and not at their mercy.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> This is exactly what I thought. I kept going over each day in the back of my mind thinking...OK...I didn't do anything stupid yesterday did I? Nothing in front of anyone that would be cause for storytelling later? I don't remember running around nekkid or flashing anyone at the resort...Whew...we are clear for today!



But just for today, right?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I'm usually not the adventurous type when it comes to food. I'm pretty particular...OK fine, I'm picky! But I can usually find something at any place I go. But just wait, it gets better in regards to eateries as we go...



Oh? You guys should write a TR!



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I appreciate that more than you know , but don't tell the "other guy" that...I've been telling him I got through college by paying smart people to write my term papers!



So now that I've caused a schism in the Thumper household, will this TR degenerate into name calling and finger pointing?


That should be fun.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Nothing can be bad with Chili on it. Of course i'm sure your chili and our chili are a little different. But to me it doesn't matter. Smother a burger with Chili and it's the best burger in town! I never thought about just putting it all in a styrofoam cup...Hmmm...



The chili that's used up here (for burgers) is a ground beef chili (no beans).



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> When you get the answer, will you share it with me? I still have no clue how that happened.



Oh, carp... Sorry, no. Man code.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> True story: Back when I was young...er...I worked at the mall, in one of the retail stores. One day, I was ringing up a customer, giving the usual credit card sales pitch as i was told I had to do, then gave the lady her total, it was something along the lines of $21.98 and she handed me a $20, plus 3 dollar bills and 2 pennies...and i looked at her with the weirdest expression I'm sure.
> 
> Me: "Ma'am, Your bill is only $21.98 (As I try to give her back the $1.02)
> Customer: "Yes, I know...And I'm giving you, $23.02
> Me: "I realize that, however, I'm not sure why..."
> 
> Then the inevitable nickel dropped and I went..."Oh...Hahaha...nevermind."



Nope. Sorry, you lost me there. Was it a tip? Were you in a retail store that accepted gratuities? Otherwise the change works out to $1.04... which totally negates the $3.02 (or at least $1.02 of it).



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> After the first two times, we moved it to the wall just outside of the kitchen area. There really wasn't any other place to put it...



As soon as I saw that pic, all I could think of was, "What a dumb spot for the garbage."



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> There is no exquisite beauty without some strangeness in the proportion. ~ Edgar Allen Poe



Your quote is purtier than mine.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> If I wanted practical I would have chopped off the hair a long time ago. I'm one of those weirdos that lets her hair grow in the summer and then will cut it in the winter, just in time to freeze to death!



 That is weird! I had a buddy who decided that he'd try shaving his head... He thought winter was a good time to try it. Whoops!



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> No, Kidney selling takes place later in the week...



But you can get a $100 gift card just for sitting on your fannies for 6 hours at a presentation.


----------



## nebo

Mike, I still love you, and I think you are a wonderful writer. 
 I'm also not so sure that the "other guy" wasn't intended for you, but me. 

I also have something that is troubling me:

From Heather:

True story: Back when I was young...er...I worked at the mall, in one of the retail stores. One day, I was ringing up a customer, giving the usual credit card sales pitch as i was told I had to do, then gave the lady her total, it was something along the lines of $21.98 and she handed me a $20, plus 3 dollar bills and 2 pennies...and i looked at her with the weirdest expression I'm sure. 

Me: "Ma'am, Your bill is only $21.98 (As I try to give her back the $1.02)
Customer: "Yes, I know...And I'm giving you, $23.02
Me: "I realize that, however, I'm not sure why..."

heather, you should be punished for this. 
 I do this type of thing all the time, sometimes just to watch the fun as they try to figure it out, but something about the way you just phrased it,,,, had me totally confused trying to figure it out, not sure why. I still am. this won't make it an even dollar, will it? No, now it's 4 cents you owe her, Oh, Monty, Monty. 
  Just don't do it again.

  I mean, my method would have been to say, here's 22, keep the lousy two cents.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

nebo said:
			
		

> Mike, I still love you, and I think you are a wonderful writer.
> I'm also not so sure that the "other guy" wasn't intended for you, but me.
> 
> I also have something that is troubling me:
> 
> From Heather:
> 
> True story: Back when I was young...er...I worked at the mall, in one of the retail stores. One day, I was ringing up a customer, giving the usual credit card sales pitch as i was told I had to do, then gave the lady her total, it was something along the lines of $21.98 and she handed me a $20, plus 3 dollar bills and 2 pennies...and i looked at her with the weirdest expression I'm sure.
> 
> Me: "Ma'am, Your bill is only $21.98 (As I try to give her back the $1.02)
> Customer: "Yes, I know...And I'm giving you, $23.02
> Me: "I realize that, however, I'm not sure why..."
> 
> heather, you should be punished for this.
> I do this type of thing all the time, sometimes just to watch the fun as they try to figure it out, but something about the way you just phrased it,,,, had me totally confused trying to figure it out, not sure why.
> Just don't do it again.
> 
> I mean, my method would have been to say, here's 22, keep the lousy two cents.



 I don't say this very often but...O.M.G...I must have been typing in my sleep yesterday. I knew I was tired but that was ridiculous...not only Ponzi but also Nebo called me out, and I promise it wasn't intentional. 
I was a penny off...There was a little joke with the "nickel dropped in" quote and everything, but I seemed to have screwed it all up.

But to get the story straight and not look like a complete math idiot here...

 The customer hands over $23.03 which of course confused me as the bill is $21.98. I tried to explain that what she was giving me was more than what the total was...I was probably staring at her for a good minute or two before...wait for it...the nickel dropped in...and I understood what she was trying to do. 

I think there is a penny phobia in NM, because I found myself dealing with cases like this on a regular basis.

Now I must remember to not speak math when tired.


----------



## nebo

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I don't say this very often but...O.M.G...I must have been typing in my sleep yesterday. I knew I was tired but that was ridiculous...not only Ponzi but also Nebo called me out, and I promise it wasn't intentional.
> I was a penny off...There was a little joke with the "nickel dropped in" quote and everything, but I seemed to have screwed it all up.
> 
> 
> 
> The customer hands over $23.03 which of course confused me as the bill is $21.98. I tried to explain that what she was giving me was more than what the total was...I was probably staring at her for a good minute or two before...wait for it...the nickel dropped in...and I understood what she was trying to do.
> 
> I think there is a penny phobia in NM, because I found myself dealing with cases like this on a regular basis.
> 
> Now I must remember to not speak math when tired.



  Ok, so, now you owe her a dollar and 5 cents and this is supposed to simplify things in her mind, when a stinking keep the two cents would have worked,,,,,,
  Ponzi, leave it alone, there's no upside here.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

nebo said:
			
		

> Ok, so, now you owe her a dollar and 5 cents and this is supposed to simplify things in her mind, when a stinking keep the two cents would have worked,,,,,,
> Ponzi, leave it alone, there's no upside here.



I didn't say it was supposed to make sense...I just said it was a true story. There is a reason I am no longer working in retail. But now you know why I was stumped.


----------



## Thumper_Man

orangecats2 said:


> Did you get the postcard?



Are you referring to this one?  








If so, no; we didn't get it.  Please send another one.  

We wish we would've been there to. Can't wait until December when we are.  Thanks for sending it to us.  We really like it and it's already hanging on our bulletin board by the puter.


----------



## Thumper_Man

nebo said:


> Mike, I still love you, and I think you are a wonderful writer.






Now that's the funniest joke you've told yet.  



nebo said:


> I'm also not so sure that the "other guy" wasn't intended for you, but me.



No, I am the other guy.  If you look, Lady H is the one who wrote and posted the chapter.  Since I wrote the chapters before, I was clearly pointed out as the other guy.  



nebo said:


> I also have something that is troubling me:



Just one thing?  Usually you have more.  Eyes, back, dehydration, concussions.  That's 4 right there.  Should I go on?



nebo said:


> From Heather:
> 
> True story: Back when I was young...er...I worked at the mall, in one of the retail stores. One day, I was ringing up a customer, giving the usual credit card sales pitch as i was told I had to do, then gave the lady her total, it was something along the lines of $21.98 and she handed me a $20, plus 3 dollar bills and 2 pennies...and i looked at her with the weirdest expression I'm sure.
> 
> Me: "Ma'am, Your bill is only $21.98 (As I try to give her back the $1.02)
> Customer: "Yes, I know...And I'm giving you, $23.02
> Me: "I realize that, however, I'm not sure why..."
> 
> heather, you should be punished for this.
> I do this type of thing all the time, sometimes just to watch the fun as they try to figure it out, but something about the way you just phrased it,,,, had me totally confused trying to figure it out, not sure why. I still am. this won't make it an even dollar, will it? No, now it's 4 cents you owe her, Oh, Monty, Monty.
> Just don't do it again.
> 
> I mean, my method would have been to say, here's 22, keep the lousy two cents.



All those thing I just mentioned and this is the one that is troubling you?  Still suffering from the concussion I see.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> The customer hands over $23.03 which of course confused me as the bill is $21.98. I tried to explain that what she was giving me was more than what the total was...I was probably staring at her for a good minute or two before...wait for it...the nickel dropped in...and I understood what she was trying to do.
> 
> I think there is a penny phobia in NM, because I found myself dealing with cases like this on a regular basis.
> 
> Now I must remember to not speak math when tired.





nebo said:


> Ok, so, now you owe her a dollar and 5 cents and this is supposed to simplify things in her mind, when a stinking keep the two cents would have worked,,,,,,
> Ponzi, leave it alone, there's no upside here.



I... can't... must... re...sist... can't.... errr......ahh.....

But it still doesn't explain the $23 part instead of $22. The 3 cents makes, ahem, perfect sense. Sure get rid of three rotten pennies for a nice shiny nickel. But the customer handed you a $20 then 1, 2, 3 one dollar bills... and you just handed one right back. Makes no sense. Ugh... brain... going to... explode.... aaaaaaaaa.....








Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I didn't say it was supposed to make sense...I just said it was a true story. There is a reason I am no longer working in retail. But now you know why I was stumped.



Okay, at least you were stumped legitimately.

Phew.


----------



## Thumper_Man

smidgy said:


> I love BOTH your writing styles!
> you both look younger than I pictured. (of course everyone looks young to us 55 and older set, dontcha know?)



Why thank you.  I think.  



smidgy said:


> great job researching.  how silly would it have been to drive to the parking lot and end up taking a shuttle almost as far?



That was our thought exactly.  We did see one advantage to possibly parking in the Disney parking lot, but we'll cover that later in the TR.



smidgy said:


> there's one thing Nebo hates.. when any CM does the "I can't hear you" bit.  he refuses to play along.



It faster and easier to play along and get it over with.  



smidgy said:


> ponzi mentioned what I wanted to and forgot.  that garbage can in the middle of the room.  If it was us, I would have put it in the bathtub if I couldn't find any other place.  it would have killed Nebo.. .. "death by trashcan".



Especially if you would've put it in the Ariel shower over at AoA that Nowellsl posted pics of.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Backstage_Gal said:


> T-Man, that was a great update! Stand strong and proud.
> 
> That shuttle bus scenario seems weird. The one and only time we went to DL, we stayed about 5 min walk away, but not nearly as nice a place as yours.



I had read some reviews about this place.  Some good and some not so good.  For the most part, the good outweighed the bad.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

pkondz said:
			
		

> I... can't... must... re...sist... can't.... errr......ahh.....
> 
> But it still doesn't explain the $23 part instead of $22. The 3 cents makes, ahem, perfect sense. Sure get rid of three rotten pennies for a nice shiny nickel. But the customer handed you a $20 then 1, 2, 3 one dollar bills... and you just handed one right back. Makes no sense. Ugh... brain... going to... explode.... aaaaaaaaa.....



I know, I don't think she understood why I was so confused, she thought she was one smart cookie...and unfortunately, having your head explode in front of a customer us frowned upon in those establishments.


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> Some things in life are more important than others... Dessert is at or near the top of the list.



Well, yeah.  Every guy knows what's at the very top of the list.  



pkondz said:


> I'm not surprised. A pearl is practically perfect in every way. Very much like myself.



Ponzi.  Wake up.  You're sleep typing.



pkondz said:


> Oh you _rebel_ you!



Born to be wild!!!!




pkondz said:


> My first surprise. I didn't even notice this the first time around... I had no idea that there was a monorail there. And it amazes me that it goes to DTD.



And I (yes, ME as in T_Man, bunny boy, *THE OTHER GUY*) will discuss this in the next chapter.



pkondz said:


> Thanks for the mini restaurant review. Sounds like it was a good place.



Oh I didn't mention it was a good place?  It was a very good place.  I highly recommend it if you have the money to splurge.

Worth repeating.



pkondz said:


> Really? Well it certainly was a nice way to start the vacay.



I concur.



pkondz said:


> Why? Don't they have spares? What kind of flea-bag joint is this?



Right.  Sell you a big juicy steak cooked to perfection that you had to take out a 2nd mortgage to pay for and they don't even have the decency to let you have the table.


----------



## Thumper_Man

cp'ersmom said:


> Glad you are on your way to your first magical day! Hope there's no blood shed, concrete smacked, WC mishaps or dining disasters!



Keep hoping and maybe it won't happen.


----------



## Thumper_Man

bankr63 said:


> Oh, I insist alright!  At least I can keep up with yours.  Nebo is so popular that I always find myself 20 pages behind (I'm now at 88 and the rest of you are at 118!)
> 
> Well the first two hours show some promise of the Magic yet to come.  Looking forward to hearing more...



If Nebo is so popular, don't you think that you would be reading his TR first to keep up? Then come over to ours to catch up?  Maybe Nebo isn't so popular after all?  

I know.  Wishful thinking on our part.  It sounded good though right?


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> It's a beautiful mornin' ahhh, I think I'll go outside for a while. An jus' smile, just take in some clean fresh air boy.



I think it's admirable that you're taking in this clean fresh air boy. The fact that he's got a job selling fresh air to support himself tells me he's a keeper!



Thumper_Man said:


> Went to DL in the morning, DCA in the afternoon and finished the day back at DL.  I now return you to your regularly scheduled TR over on Nebos thread.



Okay! Well thanks for the chapter. Very informative. See you over there.


































Thumper_Man said:


> Still around?  Really, Nebos is more exciting at the moment.  Our day is literally a walk in the park compared to his; but if you insist, Ill try to make our day sound exciting and magical.



Yeah, but I've already read his and I've got nothing better to do....



Thumper_Man said:


> There are 4 days Disney allows you to take advantage of this perk: Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday; and the only park you can use it at is Disneyland.



I wonder why that is. To both parts. Why those particular days and why only DL?



Thumper_Man said:


> Doh!
> 
> I didnt set the clock right.



D'oh! 



Thumper_Man said:


> I switched day to night, and night to day.



 You're like a God!



Thumper_Man said:


> Anyways, I turn the coffee maker on and head back (unarmed with coffee) to wake sleeping beauty.  This time I didnt need the bucket of ice water to get her up.  A kiss worked just fine.



Does Mrs T know about this? It's bad enough you have random Disney princesses sleeping it off in your bed... but to kiss them? 

Heather, I'm sorry you had to read about this here.



Thumper_Man said:


> Soon coffee is ready and so are we.  Pack our bags, grab our tickets and put them in the new lanyards we bought the night before, and off we go to the lobby.



You put your bags in the lanyards?



Thumper_Man said:


> The hotel is a mile down the road from the DL turnstile, or a 20-25 minute walk (depending on how fast you walk).  45-60 minute walk at the end of the day if youre tired and dont want to walk anymore.



 True!



Thumper_Man said:


> Yup, I typed that out correctly.  You pay to park at the DL parking lots and you still have to take s shuttle to DL.



So sorta the same idea as at MK. You park and you're nowhere near the park. Have I got that kind of right?



Thumper_Man said:


> The light blue line is how far Lady H and I would have to walk to catch the nearest ART shuttle.  The green line would be the route the shuttle would take to DL after it picked us up.



The white line is for the loading and unloading of passengers, there is no stopping on a red line.



Thumper_Man said:


> There were also no short cuts from our hotel to this parking lot.  Not unless you wanted to jump the wall.



You have an SUV but you need the General Lee.


it rhymes, too.



Thumper_Man said:


> Ok, now that I covered the whole parking issue, let me get back to the TR itself.



What? I thought you'd parked the TR.



Thumper_Man said:


> As we walk into the lobby, Sneaky Larry is already hard at work figuring out who will be his next victims.



Is that Tricky Larry's brother?



Thumper_Man said:


> We try not to make eye contact and proceed directly to the kiosk.  He spots us but just gives us a friendly good morning and goes to a back office.  Phew.  We escaped for now.



Oh you poor young kids. He saw you avoiding him. Of course he's not going to make a pitch now. He's going to wait until your defenses are down... then pounce!



Thumper_Man said:


> The shuttle driver must have been a yellow jacket in disguise.



They're everywhere! OMG! Do you think they're taking over???



Thumper_Man said:


> No offense to anyone out there when I say he was an older man.  I would say he was either in has late 50 or early 60s.  I know what youre thinking, T_Man is calling us old.  He was older than me so how else would I refer to him.



Distinguished? Debonnair? Dashing?



Thumper_Man said:


> Now heres where his old age kicks in, he tells them I cant hear you.



 Oh, man. On behalf of old decrepit has beens everywhere... sorry.



Thumper_Man said:


> Did he remember to turn his hearing aids on?  Lady H wanted to tell him Alma, turn the pack on.



What? WHAT?? Oh, nevermind.



Thumper_Man said:


> He must have heard everyone this time because he seems satisfied and stops asking.



That's his whole schtick right there.



Thumper_Man said:


> Once again, the driver wants crowd participation; Kids, do you know where you are?  They kids yell out Disneyland and the driver is now Mr. Funny Man, Wrong. Youre on the bus, and with that he lets us off.



Yup I was right. That was his whole schtick.



Thumper_Man said:


> Now its time for the ever so famous, daunting task of slipping by security un-noticed.  Walls are too high to jump here and I dont know where the snipers are positioned.



On the roofs. But they're hard to spot.



Thumper_Man said:


> They confiscate our mountain climbing gear.  They said they already have CMs that act as mountain climbers and they arent holding open auditions for future climbers.  So much for climbing the Matterhorn today.







Thumper_Man said:


> Time to tour commando style.



Right! Because at times like this, who has time for underwear?



Thumper_Man said:


> After we get our cheap paper tickets, the CM now scans these tickets.  No fingerprint system like WDW.  This would be a love/hate relationship later on in the TR.



Hmmm... that sounds ominous.



Thumper_Man said:


> We walk through the turnstile and we are finally inside Disneyland.







Thumper_Man said:


> Since it has obviously been stated on here that some like Lady Hs writing style more than THE OTHER GUY, TOG is ending this chapter here and will try to turn it over to Lady H so she can keep you entertained while I quietly sit in the back of the class; occasionally filling in any details that Lady H may not quite recall.



Now which moron would've said _that_? Really T-Man, you're doing a great job. You both are.



Thumper_Man said:


> Secretly plotting my revenge and how I can torture you with more chapters.
> Bwaahhh hhhaaaa hhhaaa hhhaaa.



Oh dear, what have I done?

Great chapter Thumpy!


----------



## jcc0621

Thumper_Man said:


> Need to buy passes to ride the ART (Anaheim Resort Transportation) shuttle.



I was reading about this.  So it was worth it?  



Thumper_Man said:


> 45-60 minute walk at the end of the day if youre tired and dont want to walk anymore.



Exactly! 



Thumper_Man said:


> We figured it would be easier to do it this way, rather than pay the driver.



Do you have to do this everyday, or can you but one for multiple days just to save time?




Thumper_Man said:


> The shuttle driver must have been a yellow jacket in disguise.



This where they send the yellow jackets to retire?



Thumper_Man said:


> Once again, the driver wants crowd participation; Kids, do you know where you are?  They kids yell out Disneyland and the driver is now Mr. Funny Man, Wrong. Youre on the bus, and with that he lets us off.



Maybe he was a former Jungle Cruise Captain?



Thumper_Man said:


> City Pass.  She scans them and hands them back to us, along with 2 new tickets.



Have been looking into this too.  Seems to be the best deal???


----------



## Thumper_Man

jcc0621 said:


> I was reading about this.  So it was worth it?



Without giving too much away, for the most part it was. 



jcc0621 said:


> Do you have to do this everyday, or can you but one for multiple days just to save time?



They do offer multiple day passes.  Once activated, multiple days are for consecutive days.  So if you buy a 3 day pass and first use it let's say on Monday, then its valid for all day Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.  I think it depends on the time you activate it as well.  I can't be too sure though since we always bought and used ours in the early morning.  The way Lady H and I planned out our days, it was more beneficial for us to buy them one day at a time.




jcc0621 said:


> Have been looking into this too.  Seems to be the best deal???



It's a very good deal.  It's almost like paying for Disney and getting Universal & Sea World for free. 3-day adult ticket for Disney is $250 online.  Universal is $80 and Sea World $68.  Buying them separately you would spend $398.  City Pass is $279 per adult.  Save $119 per adult.  The only better deal you can get is if you can get someone to buy them for you.  With their money and not yours.


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> I think it's admirable that you're taking in this clean fresh air boy.



I had no choice if I wanted to go to DL.



pkondz said:


> Okay! Well thanks for the chapter. Very informative. See you over there.



Glad you enjoyed it.  See you there.



pkondz said:


> Yeah, but I've already read his and I've got nothing better to do....



Well since you made the effort to come back, you might as well.



pkondz said:


> I wonder why that is. To both parts. Why those particular days and why only DL?



You really think Disney is going to tell you why they do it this way?  Lady H and I wondered this same thing ourselves.  We would've rather used the EMH over at DCA rather than at DL.  



pkondz said:


> You're like a God!



I have my moments.  



pkondz said:


> Does Mrs T know about this? It's bad enough you have random Disney princesses sleeping it off in your bed... but to kiss them?
> 
> Heather, I'm sorry you had to read about this here.



Of course she knows this, she was there.  



pkondz said:


> You put your bags in the lanyards?



We got the super duper hold all lanyards.  




pkondz said:


> So sorta the same idea as at MK. You park and you're nowhere near the park. Have I got that kind of right?



That's exactly what it would be like.  



pkondz said:


> You have an SUV but you need the General Lee.
> 
> 
> it rhymes, too.



I needed General Lee to blast a whole in the wall.  
Oh, you meant the car.  



pkondz said:


> Is that Tricky Larry's brother?



His twin.



pkondz said:


> Oh you poor young kids. He saw you avoiding him. Of course he's not going to make a pitch now. He's going to wait until your defenses are down... then pounce!



Come to think about it, I think this is the last time we encountered Tricky Larry and his brother.



pkondz said:


> They're everywhere! OMG! Do you think they're taking over???



Everybody wants to rule the world.



pkondz said:


> Distinguished? Debonnair? Dashing?



More like dull, delirious and daring.



pkondz said:


> Oh, man. On behalf of old decrepit has beens everywhere... sorry.



No need to apologize.  I'll be there one of these days myself.



pkondz said:


> On the roofs. But they're hard to spot.



Thus the reason I didn't want to take the chance.



pkondz said:


>



I was really looking forward to climbing the Matterhorn to. 



pkondz said:


> Right! Because at times like this, who has time for underwear?



Too much of in a hurry to get out the door.  Knew I was forgetting something important.  At least I still had shorts on.  



pkondz said:


> Hmmm... that sounds ominous.



For the moment, I'll say it sure made park hopping interesting.



pkondz said:


> Now which moron would've said _that_? Really T-Man, you're doing a great job. You both are.



Some Canadian guy.  Nebo calls him Ponzi all the time.  

Thanks.  We're trying.  I'll take you all through this day and try to finish sometime this week so Lady H can take you through tomorrow, sometime next week.



pkondz said:


> Oh dear, what have I done?



Guilty conscience?



pkondz said:


> Great chapter Thumpy!



Thanks Ponzi.  Try to get the next chapter up quicker this time.


----------



## bankr63

Thumper_Man said:


> If Nebo is so popular, don't you think that you would be reading his TR first to keep up? Then come over to ours to catch up?  Maybe Nebo isn't so popular after all?
> 
> I know.  Wishful thinking on our part.  It sounded good though right?
> 
> 
> 
> Originally Posted by bankr63
> Oh, I insist alright! At least I can keep up with yours. Nebo is so popular that I always find myself 20 pages behind (I'm now at 88 and the rest of you are at 118!)
Click to expand...


First, I really enjoy your report, you and TMW really keep things Thumpin' along.   But for me it's really about time, so my logic is a bit different than yours.  Perhaps as a Project Manager, I feel I need to complete things; hit milestones as we say.  I can knock off one of the Neboite's reports and it stays that way for a while.  Especially with the Hot Dogs gone cold and Nomads wandering the desert now - hello Mony and Laura!  Each of those has been a 10 second check for weeks now!

Since I am a good Neboite and follow his orders, I read _everything_ on his report, and most of it on a 30 minute lunch (when I take a lunch).  So if I focus on the real Nebo report, I read to the end of the page, hit the next page, and watch Page 88 of 118 climb to Page 89 of 120 (I haven't even looked at his number yet today, and lunch is almost over).  Yup while I finished one page of Nebo, ya'll wrote two!  I know a lost cause when I see it, so with the real Nebo reports, I tawdle along in the background and finsh months after y'all have moved along.  Heck, I get the same repartee from all of you on any one of these reports!

That said, I need to get over there too.  I'm actually closer to page 100 now, and I think the Hammer might fall soon - shhhh, don't spoil it for me...


----------



## Thumper_Man

bankr63 said:


> First, I really enjoy your report, you and TMW really keep things Thumpin' along.   But for me it's really about time, so my logic is a bit different than yours.  Perhaps as a Project Manager, I feel I need to complete things; hit milestones as we say.  I can knock off one of the Neboite's reports and it stays that way for a while.  Especially with the Hot Dogs gone cold and Nomads wandering the desert now - hello Mony and Laura!  Each of those has been a 10 second check for weeks now!
> 
> Since I am a good Neboite and follow his orders, I read _everything_ on his report, and most of it on a 30 minute lunch (when I take a lunch).  So if I focus on the real Nebo report, I read to the end of the page, hit the next page, and watch Page 88 of 118 climb to Page 89 of 120 (I haven't even looked at his number yet today, and lunch is almost over).  Yup while I finished one page of Nebo, ya'll wrote two!  I know a lost cause when I see it, so with the real Nebo reports, I tawdle along in the background and finsh months after y'all have moved along.  Heck, I get the same repartee from all of you on any one of these reports!
> 
> That said, I need to get over there too.  I'm actually closer to page 100 now, and I think the Hammer might fall soon - shhhh, don't spoil it for me...



Spoil What?


----------



## orangecats2

Thumper_Man said:


> Are you referring to this one?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> If so, no; we didn't get it.  Please send another one.
> 
> We wish we would've been there to. Can't wait until December when we are.  Thanks for sending it to us.  We really like it and it's already hanging on our bulletin board by the puter.



That's it! Some other weird disney lover must have gotten it then.


----------



## Thumper_Man

orangecats2 said:


> That's it! Some other weird disney lover must have gotten it then.



I'm going to have to hunt that person down and get our postcard.


Attention!  ATTENTION!  

As I mentioned, we were going to kick this TR into high gear.  There has been an outcry for pictures.  I've finished uploading most of them, so these next chapters are going to start coming at you pretty quick.  So try to keep up and roll with us homies.  Should have the next chapter up sometime tomorrow.


----------



## smidgy

yay!!!


----------



## nebo

bankr63 said:


> First, I really enjoy your report, you and TMW really keep things Thumpin' along.   But for me it's really about time, so my logic is a bit different than yours.  Perhaps as a Project Manager, I feel I need to complete things; hit milestones as we say.  I can knock off one of the Neboite's reports and it stays that way for a while.  Especially with the Hot Dogs gone cold and Nomads wandering the desert now - hello Mony and Laura!  Each of those has been a 10 second check for weeks now!
> 
> *Malcolm, I wondered about the dogs and nomads too, best I can figure out is their schedules really got busy, I do know that Monica's did, I'm more familiar with hers. *
> 
> Since I am a good Neboite and follow his orders, I read _everything_ on his report, and most of it on a 30 minute lunch (when I take a lunch).  So if I focus on the real Nebo report, I read to the end of the page, hit the next page, and watch Page 88 of 118 climb to Page 89 of 120 (I haven't even looked at his number yet today, and lunch is almost over).  Yup while I finished one page of Nebo, ya'll wrote two!  I know a lost cause when I see it, so with the real Nebo reports, I tawdle along in the background and finsh months after y'all have moved along.  Heck, I get the same repartee from all of you on any one of these reports!
> 
> *Well, um, geesh, I encourage others to interact.
> I'm sorry. No I'm not. Well, really, yes I am. Um, no I'm not.
> You are saying that you really wish I'd put in links to new chapters aren't you? Here's one of the problems:
> I know how to do a link I think to a specific page, but not to a certain post, all 15 posts per page fall under the same umbrella. If somebody knows how, I guess it wouldn't hurt ot know this myself, for in the future.
> 
> But if you just read my chapter posts, then you'd be missing out on the world famous ad libber Ponzi, and the always clever Laura and Mony when they get around to it.
> Not to mention the Bunny tag team, and many others.
> I do at least put in the page number of the last chapter alwys, to help a little bit at least.
> 
> But the reason nobody gave away the result of the Hammer is because Nebo died at the end of that chapter.
> It was a shock but his contract with the Dis was up and they weren't going to re-sign him anyway.
> 
> I do wish they would have come up with somthing a bit more original though:
> "Trip writer Nebo's Santa Fe was shot down over the Sea of Japan, there was no survivors."
> 
> C'mon Mitch, you can keep up, just take it easy and slow, 20 minutes during the day at work, and then 20 minutes at night and you'll be right back up there, with a great new body and rock hard abs, not to mention a new outlook on life!*
> 
> That said, I need to get over there too.  I'm actually closer to page 100 now, and I think the Hammer might fall soon - shhhh, don't spoil it for me...



*Oh. *



Thumper_Man said:


> I'm going to have to hunt that person down and get our postcard.
> 
> 
> Attention!  ATTENTION!
> 
> As I mentioned, we were going to kick this TR into high gear.  There has been an outcry for pictures.  I've finished uploading most of them, so these next chapters are going to start coming at you pretty quick.  So try to keep up and roll with us homies.  Should have the next chapter up sometime tomorrow.



*Yeah man, can't wait!
  Not to tell you how to do your report, but Mike, if you can, since you have been to both parks now, I'd really love to hear a not only Park comparison, but if yoiu could, a ride comparison as well. I know, I'm being a jerk, but we hope to get there next year, and , like for one thing, I can't WAIT to compare the INDY JONES ride up against it's sister, Dinosaur.   Or the Disenyland side-by-side Space Mountain ride against the Worlds "single file" SM. 
  I've also wondered if food prices are the same. 
  I also have a feeling that there are more foreigners at Florida then in California, am I right? 

   See how I am? 

  Looking forward to what's next, as you might be able to tell!*


----------



## Thumper_Man

Come with me 
And youll be,
In a World of  
Pure imagination
Take a look
And youll see
Into your imagination

Well begin 
With a spin 
Traveling in 
The world of my creation
What well see 
Will defy 
Explanation





How could I be here both tomorrow and yesterday when Im here today?  I dont want to leave today, because then I might get to see what I came to see.  I dont want to wait until tomorrow and I cant go back to yesterday.   

This was the first thought I had when I saw this sign.  Either way, I was happy to be here; no matter which here it is.

As we enter DL, Lady H and I grab a park map and off we go.

There has been a demand for lots of pictures.  I dont want to get lynched, so I will grant you your wish.
















The marine layer wasnt quite as thick this morning.  Although it seems cloudy, it was pretty warm already.  Not a lot of people headed down Main Street yet either.  This would work in our favor.  As we entered the gate, the CM handed us a card that we would have to give to another CM at the end of Main Street in order to enter Fantasyland and/or Tomorrowland.    Again, this is another one of those things you want to know why DL does what they do.  They did and we had no choice but to go with the flow.  One would think (and believe me I thought it), once you are in the park you obviously had the proper credentials to enter early.  If you didnt, you would still be lined up outside the gates waiting to get in.  And why is it we were only allowed into Tomorrowland and Fantasyland?  Now I know why the sign referenced Tomorrow and Fantasy.  Makes perfect sense now.

After we hand the CM our makes no sense card, we notice most everyone is headed to FL.  We head in the opposite direction to TL.   We head on over to Space Mountain.  This would probably be our best chance to ride it.  We get to the entrance and notice the wait time.





Theyre not even distributing FPs yet. 




We walk through the queue and figure out why the wait time is 10 minutes.  The CM has to wait 10 minutes for you to get there as you walk through the Queue.  Take note how empty the queue is now.  










Now Lady H will ride each roller coaster at least once for bragging rights.  

Here shes already getting a little nervous.  This will be the first time on any trip she rides a roller coaster first.




This is probably the shortest line we would see for Space Mountain all day.





Now I know some of you wanted a few comparisons between rides.  First comparison, Space Mountain DL vs. Space Mountain MK.  Both are really good and each unique in their own way.  Queue for SM-DL is mostly outside (as you can see in the pics I posted).  SM-MK is mostly inside (although I have seen the line pretty long outside as well).  Mks has the new interactive queue which I really enjoy.   You get the pleasure of air conditioning on hot days.  Not so much at DLs.  As for the ride itself, the one I really like the most is..  Now all you WDW fans dont go hating on me.  Scroll down and skip to the next set of pictures if you must.  And please dont start a big debate, but I think DLs is just a little bit better.  Not to say I dont like the one at MK.  Trust me, I can read each one 5 times a day given the chance.  DL just seemed to have a little bit smoother ride.  I didnt feel like I was getting thrown side to side on each turn.   DLs also seemed to be much darker inside than the one at MK.  At MK, I can still see the track.  At DL, I could not see the track at all.  This made the ride a little more intense for me.  

Next would be Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters.   Another walk on ride.





There really is no difference between this one and the one over at MK.  At least none that I really noticed.  





Did I mention that I am the defending champ for this ride over at MK?  Lady H is the defending champ for TSM.  I have to defend my championship here at DL.  

The winner and still champion of the world:  Thumper_Man.  Look at that score baby. 





At the end of Buzz, you can actually email the picture to yourself.  Which was good, because the pictures we tried to take didnt quite come out.  I dont know if youre able to do this at MK.  Ill have to look when I defend my championship once again.

After Buzz we hopped on over to Star Tours to finish off what we really wanted to do in Tomorrowland before the park opened for everyone else.  Which was perfect timing on our part.  Not too long after we finished Star Tours, there was a large group lining up and Star Tours jumped from a 15 minute  wait when we entered the line, to a 30 minute wait. Darn CMs mustve opened up the park now.   Every attraction we did in Tomorrowland was literally a walk on for us.  EMH really worked to our benefit.

After were done in Tomorrowland we head on over to the Matterhorn.  




Dont we all wish the parks could stay this empty?  At least the whole time were there?  





I still need to figure out how to climb that mountain.  I'll end it here for now while I go and figure it out.  Plus our Early Morning Magic hour is over.  Park is officially open.


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> Au contraire! I thought the resort was pretty nice and wouldn’t have minded even more.



Ask and you shall receive.  I posted some of the major highlights of the resort.  Didn't want to post too many.  Then what would I talk about?  Plus trying not to make the posts too long.  

MORE RESORT PHOTOS!

I'll also post the link in Post #2, where I've been posting the chapter links; along with the pie and eventually cake recipes.


----------



## dwheatl

T-Man, I think anyone with a ticket can enter Main St. early, to do shopping, buy food, or just look around. They open the two areas that get the longest lines, Tomorrowland and Fantasyland, for EMH ticket holders. I imagine they don't open the whole park, because then you have to staff a whole park. That's my theory, anyway.


----------



## Thumper_Man

nebo said:


> *Not to tell you how to do your report,*



Ever notice when someone tells they don't want to tell you how to do something, they're going to tell you how to do something?



nebo said:


> *but Mike,*



Uh oh, there's that *but*.  That means it's coming.



nebo said:


> *if you can, since you have been to both parks now,*



Actually, we've been to all 6 parks now.  MK, AK, DHS, Epcot, DCA and DL.  



nebo said:


> *I'd really love to hear a not only Park comparison, but if yoiu could, a ride comparison as well.*



There it is.  Telling me how to write my TR.  Just because you're a celebrity now don't mean you can tell me how to write a TR.  I've stolen lots of ideas from you already.  



nebo said:


> *I know, I'm being a jerk,*



Jerk.  Hey, you said it first.  I'm just agreeing with you.



nebo said:


> *but we hope to get there next year, and , like for one thing, I can't WAIT to compare the INDY JONES ride up against it's sister, Dinosaur.*



Oh. since you can't wait to do it yourself, does that mean I don't have to now? 



nebo said:


> *Or the Disenyland side-by-side Space Mountain ride against the Worlds "single file" SM.*



I had to laugh when I read this.  You just posted before I did, and I did a Space Mountain comparison in my latest post.  Had I posted before you, you would've had your comparison.



nebo said:


> *I've also wondered if food prices are the same.*



Keep wondering.  Or better yet, keep coming back and you'll find out.



nebo said:


> *I also have a feeling that there are more foreigners at Florida then in California, am I right?*



IMO, you would be WRONG! In Florida, your major minority would be the Brazilian's.  In California, your major minority seemed to be a lot of Oriental's.  



nebo said:


> *See how I am?*



I can't really see how you are.  You're way over there and I'm way over here. I can't see that far.



nebo said:


> *Looking forward to what's next, as you might be able to tell!*



You just missed it.


----------



## Thumper_Man

dwheatl said:


> T-Man, I think anyone with a ticket can enter Main St. early, to do shopping, buy food, or just look around. They open the two areas that get the longest lines, Tomorrowland and Fantasyland, for EMH ticket holders. I imagine they don't open the whole park, because then you have to staff a whole park. That's my theory, anyway.



That would be odd then.  When we arrived, they had a separate gate open for the EMH ticket holders.  There were already people starting to line up at the regular gates.  So either those people didn't know they could get in, or the CM's didn't let them in without having the EMH on their ticket.  

I know what you mean about staffing the whole park.  We've never stayed on site at WDW, so we've never done EMH at WDW.  I'm not able to compare the 2, but makes sense to open those 2 lands first.


----------



## dwheatl

I know it's weird, but if the park "opens" at 9, then EMH opens at 8, and Main St. at 8:30. Then they have a rope drop (sometimes) at 9.


----------



## smidgy

I remember at MK when they only had morning EMH (called it early entry) and it was only fantasyland for about a half hour, then tomorrow land would open next.  then they let the Hoardes in.

It seemed weird to see main street and sleeping beauty's castle.. It look smaller than I thought.

the resort look sreally nice! I esp. like the nightime pictures.

I am interested how Matterhorn is  (for us coaster scardey cats, those of us deathly afraid of heights.

oh yeah, I wanted to add, did I ever get my butt reamed out a year or two ago on some thread when I said something about Orientals.

I was infomed that people are NOT Oriental.. they ar Asian..a  rug is Oriental. .... sheesh..   ok, if I say Asian, it could be oriental, russian, Indian, etc. etc.   dont' know why I shared this rebuke with you... well, so there is enough rebuke to go around.


----------



## Thumper_Man

smidgy said:


> It seemed weird to see main street and sleeping beauty's castle.. It look smaller than I thought.



Compared to Cinderella's castle, it is very small but still nice to look at.  Gotta remember, back when you were young , SB's Castle was probably built as tall as they would allow them.  I was reading about all the Disney castles and how Disney builds them to make them look bigger than they actually are. 



smidgy said:


> the resort look sreally nice! I esp. like the nightime pictures.



Thanks.  We hadn't taken any the whole week we were there.  Last night before we were supposed to leave is when we said, we still need to take some night time pictures.  



smidgy said:


> I am interested how Matterhorn is  (for us coaster scardey cats, those of us deathly afraid of heights.



I'll cover the Matterhorn in the next chapter.



smidgy said:


> oh yeah, I wanted to add, did I ever get my butt reamed out a year or two ago on some thread when I said something about Orientals.
> 
> I was infomed that people are NOT Oriental.. they ar Asian..a  rug is Oriental. .... sheesh..   ok, if I say Asian, it could be oriental, russian, Indian, etc. etc.   dont' know why I shared this rebuke with you... well, so there is enough rebuke to go around.



I'll keep this in mind.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Nebo asked for ride comparison's.  I provided my comparison for Space Mountain and I mentioned about BLAO being the same.  If there were any differences between MK's AO and DL's AO, I didn't really notice them.  It's all about blasting the targets once you get going.  

One ride I can't compare (just in case you're wondering Nebo) is Star Tours.  When we went to WDW in 2010, Star Tours was closed for a major refurb.  So we never got to ride it.  I don't know what changes were made to Star Tours over at DHS.  I'll find out this next trip.  I can let you know then.  Unless you already know what they are since you're the true WDW vet here.  Then you can tell me.  

Star Tours at DL is about the same as I remember riding it the first time back at MGM Studios in 2006.


----------



## wiscbugs

Space Mountain at DL is much, much better than at WDW.  We made our first trip to DL in August and I think my son rode is about 25 times.  It is much smoother than WDW and the sound is great.

Star Tours is exactly the same at the two places. 

Buzz is a bit better at DL because you get to lift the gun instead of it being connected to the car.


----------



## Thumper_Man

wiscbugs said:


> Space Mountain at DL is much, much better than at WDW.  We made our first trip to DL in August and I think my son rode is about 25 times.  It is much smoother than WDW and the sound is great.
> 
> Star Tours is exactly the same at the two places.
> 
> Buzz is a bit better at DL because you get to lift the gun instead of it being connected to the car.



When in August did you go?  This TR is for our trip in Aug. We were there 8/25-9/1.

See, I forgot the gun at MK was stationary.  No wonder I did better at DL.


----------



## pkondz

Haven't read the last chapter yet... getting late and I'm tired... but I'll be back tomorrow.

However...



Thumper_Man said:


> Well, yeah.  Every guy knows what's at the very top of the list.



True.

Sports.


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> Haven't read the last chapter yet... getting late and I'm tired... but I'll be back tomorrow.
> 
> However...
> 
> 
> 
> True.
> 
> Sports.



And beer.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> Come with me
> And you’ll be,
> In a World of
> Pure imagination
> Take a look
> And you’ll see
> Into your imagination



Yeah, yeah, yeah… where’s my chocolate?



Thumper_Man said:


>



Is it just me? Or does it look like they screwed up the sign? 
Either it was “Whoops, we forgot the space between ‘Yesterday’ and ‘Tomorrow’… just put a comma in and it’ll be fine.” Or maybe it was “We’ve got a comma between ‘Yesterday’ and ‘Tomorrow’ so we don’t need a space too, do we?”



Thumper_Man said:


> “How could I be here both tomorrow and yesterday when I’m here today?  I don’t want to leave today, because then I might get to see what I came to see.  I don’t want to wait until tomorrow and I can’t go back to yesterday. ”



I think what it means is that if you are here today, that means that if you were here yesterday then today has to be tomorrow but when you leave it’ll still be today. But if the park’s open late then it _will_ be tomorrow and that would be fantastic so it’s a fantasy land.

There. Doesn’t that make sense?



Thumper_Man said:


> This was the first thought I had when I saw this sign.  Either way, I was happy to be here; no matter which here it is.



Where?



Thumper_Man said:


> There has been a demand for lots of pictures.  I don’t want to get lynched, so I will grant you your wish.



I’m only gonna say this once… so pay attention. I appreciate all the pictures. Keep ‘em coming. I like looking at all of them. 

So next time when you post a bunch of pictures, don’t think, “Gee, pkondz must not like the pictures, he didn’t say anything.”

I might pick out one or two here or there, but otherwise I won’t mention ‘em again.
Speaking of which, the DL castle sure looks puny compared to the MK one. Or is that just the way the photo turned out?



Thumper_Man said:


> The marine layer wasn’t quite as thick this morning.



Only thing worse is a thick marine lawyer.



Thumper_Man said:


> As we entered the gate, the CM handed us a card that we would have to give to another CM at the end of Main Street in order to enter Fantasyland and/or Tomorrowland.    Again, this is another one of those things you want to know why DL does what they do



I think dwheatl covered this already… made sense to me, so it may not be accurate. 



Thumper_Man said:


> After we hand the CM our “makes no sense” card, we notice most everyone is headed to FL.



I know you mean Fantasy Land… but when I see that, I think: “Everyone headed to Florida? Disney_land_ not good enough? 



Thumper_Man said:


> Here she’s already getting a little nervous.  This will be the first time on any trip she rides a roller coaster first.



 Great shot! She really does look nervous.



Thumper_Man said:


> First comparison, Space Mountain DL vs. Space Mountain MK



Thanks for the comparison. I too had heard from several other Disers that the DL version was not as rough.



Thumper_Man said:


> There really is no difference between this one and the one over at MK.  At least none that I really noticed.



And yet just a couple of pics down, you clearly see the difference. You holding the ‘gun’ up in your hands. wiscbugs came out of lurkdom just to point that out for you.



Thumper_Man said:


> Did I mention that I am the defending champ for this ride over at MK?  Lady H is the defending champ for TSM.  I have to defend my championship here at DL.
> 
> The winner and still champion of the world:  Thumper_Man.  Look at that score baby.



You’re such a guy. Typical Mr. Competitive.

Attaboy.



Thumper_Man said:


> I still need to figure out how to climb that mountain.  I'll end it here for now while I go and figure it out.  Plus our Early Morning Magic hour is over.  Park is officially open.



Thanks for the update T-Man! :



Thumper_Man said:


> Ask and you shall receive.  I posted some of the major highlights of the resort.  Didn't want to post too many.  Then what would I talk about?  Plus trying not to make the posts too long.
> 
> MORE RESORT PHOTOS!
> 
> I'll also post the link in Post #2, where I've been posting the chapter links; along with the pie and eventually cake recipes.



Thanks, I looked at all of them (didn’t I mention that I won’t talk about the pics?) 
I liked the dolphin bench. Never seen one like that before.


----------



## smidgy

pkondz said:


> I think what it means is that if you are here today, that means that if you were here yesterday then today has to be tomorrow but when you leave itll still be today. But if the parks open late then it _will[/] be tomorrow and that would be fantastic so its a fantasy land.
> 
> ._


_

when my daddy would wake us up, after playing reveille on his recorder, he would yell out "it's today! It's tomorrow's yesterday! It's yesterday's tomorrow! It's today's today!"_


----------



## dwheatl

smidgy said:


> when my daddy would wake us up, after playing reveille on his recorder, he would yell out "it's today! It's tomorrow's yesterday! It's yesterday's tomorrow! It's today's today!"



Love it!


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

pkondz said:


> Yeah, yeah, yeah wheres my chocolate?












pkondz said:


> Is it just me? Or does it look like they screwed up the sign?
> Either it was Whoops, we forgot the space between Yesterday and Tomorrow just put a comma in and itll be fine. Or maybe it was Weve got a comma between Yesterday and Tomorrow so we dont need a space too, do we?



I noticed the same thing. And I wondered about it for awhile, and figured it had to be the Y from Yesterday, because it looks like there is enough space in between the two on the bottom and then thought...I'm at Disneyland and I'm wondering about whether the sign posted is grammatically correct...

. 





pkondz said:


> I think what it means is that if you are here today, that means that if you were here yesterday then today has to be tomorrow but when you leave itll still be today. But if the parks open late then it _will[/] be tomorrow and that would be fantastic so its a fantasy land.
> 
> There. Doesnt that make sense?_


_



 

Then why didn't they just say that? 






pkondz said:



			Im only gonna say this once so pay attention.
		
Click to expand...








pkondz said:



			I appreciate all the pictures. Keep em coming. I like looking at all of them. 

So next time when you post a bunch of pictures, dont think, Gee, pkondz must not like the pictures, he didnt say anything.

I might pick out one or two here or there, but otherwise I wont mention em again.
Speaking of which, the DL castle sure looks puny compared to the MK one. Or is that just the way the photo turned out?
		
Click to expand...


Got it...More pictures. That shouldn't be too hard. We took tons of them. Just have to upload them all...That may take a while...

Regarding the castle,  It is very different, and definitely much smaller than what we are all used to at WDW.  I think we are all used to seeing Cinderella's Castle and so when you see Sleeping Beauty's castle, the differences stand out. Between the size and the fact that it's pink, you can tell you aren't in Florida anymore. 





pkondz said:



			Only thing worse is a thick marine lawyer.
		
Click to expand...








pkondz said:



			I think dwheatl covered this already made sense to me, so it may not be accurate. 

Click to expand...


Makes sense that it would make sense, however, when we were there and trying to make sense out of the whole thing, it didn't make sense at all. Make sense? 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	










pkondz said:



			I know you mean Fantasy Land but when I see that, I think: Everyone headed to Florida? Disneyland not good enough?
		
Click to expand...


It is an automatic reaction to think Florida when you see that isn't it? 





pkondz said:



 Great shot! She really does look nervous.
		
Click to expand...


I was...Extremely nervous. I'm not a huge fan of coasters. I will go on them at least once so I can't regret it later and say "I wish I did it," but the whole line for any coaster I'm usually walking behind T-Man saying "dumb wife, dumb wife, dumb wife!!!" It's sort of a mantra you know? 

Because I have been on the one in WDW, I was expecting the same thing here and so got a little nervous when there really wasn't a line to give me time to psych myself into it. 





pkondz said:



			Thanks for the comparison. I too had heard from several other Disers that the DL version was not as rough.
		
Click to expand...


Even I can say that I liked this one. T-Man and I were discussing it recently and I mentioned that I was able to see more on this one compared to the other. He looks at me a little strange and says, "Really? because I thought this one was way darker and I couldn't see a thing. I normally have to wear my sunglasses at the one in WDW to get the same effect." I thought about it and said, "Maybe because this one was smoother and I finally opened my eyes and enjoyed this one."  






pkondz said:



			Thanks, I looked at all of them (didnt I mention that I wont talk about the pics?) 
I liked the dolphin bench. Never seen one like that before.
		
Click to expand...


The dolphin bench was one of the first things I noticed and fell in love with. It was so unique. Unfortunately it was little too heavy to try to take to our room or put in my luggage. I was already cutting it close, didn't want to pay $500 in overage fees for the extra 1000 lbs._


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

smidgy said:


> when my daddy would wake us up, after playing reveille on his recorder, he would yell out "it's today! It's tomorrow's yesterday! It's yesterday's tomorrow! It's today's today!"



How fun! All I ever got was "GET UP, OR YOU'LL BE LATE AGAIN!"


----------



## pkondz

smidgy said:


> when my daddy would wake us up, after playing reveille on his recorder, he would yell out "it's today! It's tomorrow's yesterday! It's yesterday's tomorrow! It's today's today!"


----------



## Backstage_Gal

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> How fun! All I ever got was "GET UP, OR YOU'LL BE LATE AGAIN!"


 
I just got a glass of cold water in my face. 
Yeah, I'm still horrible to get out of bed


----------



## dwheatl

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I was...Extremely nervous. I'm not a huge fan of coasters. I will go on them at least once so I can't regret it later and say "I wish I did it," but the whole line for any coaster I'm usually walking behind T-Man saying "dumb wife, dumb wife, dumb wife!!!" It's sort of a mantra you know?



I know your feeling. I love SM at DL, so I never feel nervous about it. But 3/4 of the way up the line for Summit Plummet this July, I looked around the line and saw that I was probably the oldest person in line. When I got to the part when you lie down, I wondered why I was doing this. And when I went over the edge, I thought it would really be idiotic if I died of a heart attack going down this slide. 
I think it's safe to say, I won't be riding Summit Plummet again in this lifetime, and if it's in the next life, you'll know I was a bad girl.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I'm at Disneyland and I'm wondering about whether the sign posted is grammatically correct...







Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Makes sense that it would make sense, however, when we were there and trying to make sense out of the whole thing, it didn't make sense at all. Make sense?



No... But I can make change... correctly. 



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I'm usually walking behind T-Man saying "dumb wife, dumb wife, dumb wife!!!" It's sort of a mantra you know?







Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I thought about it and said, "Maybe because this one was smoother and I finally opened my eyes and enjoyed this one."


----------



## dwheatl

Any one of the quotes Pkondz pulled out would be a great one for the tag fairy to stick you with. Particularly the "open my eyes and enjoy it" quote.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

pkondz said:


> No... But I can make change... correctly.



Yeah well...I still got my looks...
	

	
	
		
		

		
			
		
		
	


	








dwheatl said:


> Any one of the quotes Pkondz pulled out would be a great one for the tag fairy to stick you with. Particularly the "open my eyes and enjoy it" quote.



  Where's the tag fairy when you need them...

Unfortunately, it's so true. For the longest time I would get on the coasters, after repeating the "dumb wife" mantra through the que, and would proceed to close my eyes as tight as possible throughout the ride. Completely defeating the purpose of getting on the ride in the first place. We used to laugh at how I always managed to tuck my head to my chest, no matter how fast the ride was going. Everyone else's head would be stuck to the back of the chair, but not mine...i'm getting braver every time.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Anybody remember where we left off?  I've been busy at work and at home I haven't had much time to post.  So much for moving this TR along.  I guess I should go back and read my own posts. Don't go no where, I'll be right back.


_(Insert Jeopardy Theme Music Here)_





















Ok, I'm back.  I remember now.  

Last we left our traveling duo, EMH was over and they were setting out for the Matterhorn.




I did it.  I actually managed to climb the Matterhorn.

See for yourself.  Im the person in the red hat.




Still cant tell thats me?  Heres a closer look.




What thats?  Still dont look like me?  Well it is kind of hard to tell its me since you can only see my head.

Ok, for good TR reporting sake, lets pretend Im managed to climb the Matterhorn Mountain.  

After climbing the Matterhorn, I figured Lady H may be getting a little lonely waiting for me to come back down; so I jumped off the mountain so we can continue on with our DL day.  Hey, if *Secret Ponzi Man* can stop the purse snatchers, I can climb the Matterhorn.  

Anyways, after climbing the Matterhorn (as I stated before) Lady H and I decided we might as well give the ride a try.  Another short wait.  Wish the wait wouldve been a little longer though.  I wasnt prepared for the beating I would take on this ride.  After riding a smooth Space Mountain, this ride was rough.  

Smidgy, you dont have to worry about the heights too much on this ride.  You spend a lot of time going in and out of the mountain, that you hardly ever notice the height factor.  Just make sure and wear knee and elbow pads.  It wasnt completely horrible. There were a few parts that were pretty smooth, but overall I found it to be a rough ride.   Might have been a little smoother if I wasnt trying to take video and actually held on.  

After suffering whiplash,  (ok that may be exaggerating just a little) we toured the rest of Fantasyland.  I had heard about Mr. Toads Wild Ride and how people miss it over at WDW.  We had to see for ourselves what the hype was about.  The wait again was only 5-minutes.  On the ride, Lady H drove and she kept wrecking into all the walls and stuff.  See if I ever let her drive again.  If really was a cute ride.  

This is the only picture we managed to get for this ride. 




Well the only picture that didn't come out blurry.  We couldnt get our camera settings right while on the ride itself.  We would eventually figure them out, but until then we had a bunch of what were we trying to take pictures of here pictures that got deleted just as fast as they go uploaded.  

We were able to get on to Peter Pan quick as well & 30 minutes later we were done with Fantasyland.  Well for what we wanted to see at the moment.  The lines were starting to get a little longer as were the wait times.  Plus my stomach was starting to scream for food.  Feed me Seymour.  The marine layer has burned off and its starting to get hot.  I believe a snack is in order.  Not just any snack.

*Dole Whip!  Yummmmmm.* 

Its a love/hate relationship with Dole Whips.  Some people hate that they love them so much, that they cant get enough.  Others just simply love to hate them.  I love pineapple so I really like Dole Whips.

At WDW I had the pleasure of getting a Dole Whip, 2 in fact. It was an Epcot day and getting close to the end of our vacation.  Lady H had a Fast Pass from at least one major attraction from each park for her scrapbook, except MK.  The day we went to Epcot, I hopped on over to MK via the monorail; while Lady H played tour guide over at Epcot.  I thought it would be a quick trip there and back.  The monorail had other plans.  One decided it would stall and make the others wait.  While I sat suspended 20 feet in the air and about 100 feet from MK, I came up with a plan.  Go to Splash Mountain, grab a Fast Pass for Lady Hs scrapbook, and on the way back I can grab 2 Dole Whips (one for me and one for Lady H) and hopefully get them to Epcot before they melted.  I didnt get as far as Crystal Palace before they started melting.  I never ate 2 Dole Whips so fast in all my life.  No wonder people were staring at me funny.

Needless to say, Lady H had never tried a Dole Whip and I learned where in the Land to buy them.  Theres a stand close to the Enchanted Tiki Room that sells them.  Well at least we thought thats where we could get one.  We walk up and its *CLOSED*.  I hope its not closed all day.  Well try again a little later.

Since were in the area, Indiana Jones is close by.  Lets go see how long the wait is.  Only 10-minutes.  Cool, lets go.  Boy we are just breezing through DL this morning.  My theory of going during this time of year so far has proven to be right.  Were practically walking onto each ride.   

Heres an empty IJ queue:




Couple of pictures as we were walking through the queue.








Don't know what these tablets were or said.  Probably some kind of warning to turn back and run for your life.  Since I don't read hieroglyphics, we pursued on. 

Again, we figured out why the wait is 10-minutes.  This another LLOONNGG queue.  Felt like we were never going to reach the ride.  

My dear friend Nebo wants a ride comparison here, as Im sure some of you do to.    Indiana Jones compared to its WDW counterpart, Dinosaur.  Truthfully  I really dont know how to compare these 2 rides.  If you love Dinosaur, youll love Indy.  As far as the ride vehicle goes, its the same.  In Dino, they call it a time machine; in Indy its a jeep.  Of course the adventure is different, but each have points where you go slow, speed up, make sharp turns and the person riding next to you eventually winds up in your lap. And because each offers its own story, it makes each ride worth riding to experience the differences.  I really dont have a favorite here because of the different story lines.  This comparison is best experienced in person.  

Now that the Indy adventure is over, Lady H and I decide to head on over to Splash Mountain before the line gets too long.  Take a glance over to the Dole Whip stand, still closed.  On our way to Splash, we see there is only a 5-minute wait for Pirates of the Caribbean.  Should we?  We look at each other, shrug our shoulders, agree to go without a single word spoken and head towards the entrance.

Next comparison.  

Another one?  He sure is doing a lot of comparisons considering he commented that he would not commit to comparing.  Lets not forget who requested we actually do this TR.  Blame Nebo.  He asked for ride comparison's.  Remember?  

Now there are some similarities and major differences between MK and DL PotC.  The first major difference is the queue.  MKs queue gets pretty dark, pretty quick.  Not so much at DL.  Most of the queue is outside.  Even when you come in, it does get dark, but not like at MK.  The Blue Bayou restaurant is also part of DLs queue.  It adds a nice touch for the beginning and ending of the ride.   Once you enter the ride, it feels like youre in a swamp.  As you go through, you enter a little room before taking not one, but 2 drops.  After the 2nd drop, you see a bunch of skeletons.  I dont remember if theres any at the beginning over at MK, but there were sure a lot more at DL.  This is one of the major differences from the MK version.  As you go along, you soon see the mist and the projection of Davy Jones.  Blackbeard has yet to be added.  The next few scenes are pretty similar.  Barbossa on the pirate ship, the village call girls, pirates chasing wenches around the village, village on fire and the jail cells.  If my memory serves me correct, after the jail cells at MK, you get to the end where Captain Jack is sitting in a chair surrounded by riches.  At the end at DL, you have one more scene before getting to Captain Jack.  Once you pass Captain Jack, a big conveyor belt takes you up, up and away.  You have to jump ship and swim back to shore.  So all you WDW fans, turn away again; score one more for DL.  At least in my books.  The added scenes seemed to make PotC at DL just a little better.  

Sorry folks, I thought we had pictures, but I guess not.  I guess we actually decided to enjoy an attraction.  Bad Thumpers, Bad.  Dont you know the readers will need pics.  I pulled a semi-Ponzi on this one.  For some odd reason, one of the batteries to my camera didnt charge up completely.  By the time we got to PotC, my battery was quickly dying.  I did have a spare battery with me, but I thought I would save it for later in the day.  Besides the battery in Lady Hs camera was still showing a good charge, so I thought I would let her take the pics for a while.   

After jumping ship, we are still headed over to Splash Mountain.  Hopefully the line hasnt gotten too long by this point.  If it has, well just grab a FP and ride it later.  On our way to Splash, we come upon this.








I heard from a good source that this attraction would be closing on Aug. 27th for about a week so that they can do a holiday refurb.  Today would be our only chance to see it.  And what do you know, only a 5-minute wait again.  I feel like I could hit the lottery today.  

By the way, thanks Kar for this info.  If we haven't lost you already and you're still reading.

Now since the last time weve been to MK, I know they have done a refurb on HM.  I dont know what they changed, but I hear the queue is different.  Other than the outside, I can tell you the ride itself is the same.  

I think.  

Anyone read Riglees report?  Remember what they would do on dark rides?   Were on our anniversary.  So we only did some snogging on part of the ride.  If you know where to look for Hidden Mickeys, some of the same ones are here as well. 

Moving on.  

Yes, we finally made it. 




Dare to take a guess how long the line was?  If you said 45-minutes, youre wrong.  Anyone for 30-minutes?  Youre closer, but still wrong.  How about 15-minutes?  Well, you would be wrong to, but much closer.  10-minutes was the wait time.  Again, 10-minutes would be the time you would have to walk through the queue.  Queue here is much different as well.  For one, you go up a set of stairs, just to have to go back down again.  Its not all one level.  Once we finished walking through the queue, we waited all of 2-minutes to get on the ride.  Lady H graciously let me have the front and she sat right behind me. 





First difference you notice, you sit single instead of side-by-side.  

Heres a few more pics I took on the ride, before my first battery officially died for the day.  

Climbing our way to the big drop.




The Big Drop




Getting off SM totally soaked, Lady H and I take a few moments to dry off before taking a quick ride on Winnie the Pooh.  




Pooh is very similar to Mr. Toad as far as the ride aspect goes. Seeing him eat that honey has me craving that Dole Whip even more now.

After Pooh, we hop on the Disneyland Railroad.









All Aboard!  Next Stop. 




Only attraction we rode was Roger Rabbits (no relation) Car Toon Spin.  His wife is one hot............................  

Hi Lady H.  Dont worry, shes not real.  I only got love for you.  

The ride, very similar to Mr. Toad and WtP.  Only difference here is the car spins and you control how it spins.  After the ride, we looked around Toontown for a while.  

We had lots of fun pulling on door handles, ringing door bells, checking the mail.

Ah.  The mail.  Forgot we need to send out the first batch of postcards. 








We didnt really mail them from here, but playing with this mailbox was fun.  It talks back to you as do many other things in Toontown.  This also reminded us we needed to go buy postage and mail out the first requests for postcards.  Plus were really starting to get hungry.  Head over to Dole Whip stand and give it one last try.  

SCORE!  2 Dole Whip Floats all for me.




Ok, I shared.  It would be un-gentleman like of me not to do so.   That and I wouldve probably landed up with a black eye. Or worse.  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Ive read many comments about the float being better than just the whip by itself.  Naturally I had to see for myself.  Although good, I still like the whip by itself.  Save the pineapple juice for Mai Tais.  Oh right, no alcohol served here either.  

The Dole Whip was a nice little snack but didnt quite hit the spot.  Lady H and I decide to hop on the monorail to Downtown Disney and eat.  Not so much cause we wanted to eat someplace downtown; more 'cause we wanted to ride the monorail to see if it really does take you downtown.  Weve seen it at downtown, we just need to experience this for ourselves.  

To catch the monorail, you have to super lightning speed and be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.  Or you can just walk to Tomorrowland and wait for it to stop there.  Youve seen my picture; does it look like I can run super fast?  Much less leap tall buildings.  We opted for choice 2.  Wait for to stop at Tomorrowland.

Before we go on the monorail, we stop inside Innoventions.  This reminds me of the Carousel of Progress in the manner that the building rotates.  CoP does rotate right?  I cant quite remember if I saw it rotating; or if I was suffering from heat exhaustion and just imagined it was rotating.  Could be the beers I had at Planet Hollywood.  Anyways, Innoventions does rotate and we went in to check it out.  Not before I took these.

Remember the first picture we showed you of Space Mountain's wait time?  Here is the current wait time 3 hours and 45 minutes later.  We took the picture before climbing up the ramp to Innoventions.




And remember how empty the queue was?




Not so much anymore.

Well, we werent that impressed with Innoventions.  Probably because all the adults were hogging the good games.  One of the funnest (funnest? more fun? most fun?) things we did inside was design our dream home. It did one heck of a job and I wish I had the money to build it.  I would need to hit the lottery and then some.     

After we snapped back into reality and realized that the dream home was just that, a dream, we decided to go and wait for the monorail.  We went round and round in circles trying to figure out how to get out.  Kept looking at all the exit signs and they all kept pointing to the left.  We walked around in circles before we finally figured it out.  

After our heads stop spinning from making ourselves dizzy from walking in circles, we head over to ride Manny.  

Whos Manny?  

This is Manny.








Manny would be our chauffeur to Downtown Disney today.  Looks like families still get to ride in the front on this monorail.  

Ever since the opening of Carsland over at DCA, I guess all the monorails got a make over by Ramone.  Each have been given a name as well.  Manny is the red monorail.  There's also Mandy and the other one.  I don't know which color Mandy is and I don't remember the name of the 3rd one.  Just know there's also a blue and orange one.  Without realizing it until now, I managed to get a picture of all 3. 

12 noon and we finished DL in half a day. Well most of DL.  EMH and low crowds really helped us get through the lines quick throughout the morning.  As you can tell, they were really starting to pick up so we decided now was good time to take a break. 

And with this break, well break so I can write the next chapter.


----------



## mmeb144

Hey, T-man, did you pull or push any of the stuff in the Indiana Jones queue?  That is such the hoot!


----------



## Thumper_Man

mmeb144 said:
			
		

> Hey, T-man, did you pull or push any of the stuff in the Indiana Jones queue?  That is such the hoot!



No. This was my first time ever on this ride. Didn't know you were supposed to or that you could. We were getting through lines so fast, felt like were touring commando style and we really weren't.  I'll have to remember for next time.


----------



## dwheatl

The DL Innoventions used to be CoP and then America Sings. Good catch on the rotation.
Did you ride the train all the way around?


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

mmeb144 said:


> Hey, T-man, did you pull or push any of the stuff in the Indiana Jones queue?  That is such the hoot!



I failed at being tour guide on this ride for sure.  I was so excited for him to get to ride the actual ride I spaced out all the fun stuff in the queue. Although, to my credit, I hadn't been to DL in about 14-15 years, and didn't remember all that fun stuff, and secondly, because we were making such great timing on all the rides so far, didn't want to jinx it by stopping.


----------



## nebo

Thumper_Man said:


> When in August did you go?  This TR is for our trip in Aug. We were there 8/25-9/1.
> 
> See, I forgot the gun at MK was stationary.  No wonder I did better at DL.



*Ok, almost the first ride comparison you make, and you screw it up. So your fired!   But now I am looking forward to trying this again, maybe now I can finally beat Smidgy. 

  Space Mountain is something too that I can't wait to try over at Land, now that you did  a good job of describing. 

  And I too am amazed at how small the castle there looks. 
  Wow, doesn't even look like a castle, I think Bilbo Baggins lived in a larger home. 

   Can't wait to hear about the Matterhorn, that's something I know absolutely nothing about. 
   thanks Mike*


----------



## cjlvsccm

Thumper_Man said:


> Plus my stomach was starting to scream for food.  Feed me Seymour.
> 
> _<<chuckle>> I actually have that movie soundtrack album._
> 
> 
> Heres a few more pics I took on the ride, before my first battery officially died for the day.
> 
> _OOoooh, I HATE that!  The only time I was at DL ('04) my battery died about 5 minutes in... was barely up Main Street!!  _
> 
> 
> Ah.  The mail.  Forgot we need to send out the first batch of postcards.
> 
> _Thanks again for the postcard!!_
> 
> 
> SCORE!  2 Dole Whip Floats all for me.
> 
> Ok, I shared.  It would be un-gentleman like of me not to do so.   That and I wouldve probably landed up with a black eye. Or worse.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Ive read many comments about the float being better than just the whip by itself.  Naturally I had to see for myself.  Although good, I still like the whip by itself.  Save the pineapple juice for Mai Tais.  Oh right, no alcohol served here either.
> 
> _I prefer the float, but only if you get the pinapple/vanilla swirl.  Then the sharpness of the juice is offset by the vanilla part of the Whip.  But yeah, it would be altogether better with rum. _
> 
> 
> And with this break, well break so I can write the next chapter.



_Thanks!  Enjoying all the details._


----------



## orangecats2

Just want to say HI!!! 
I'm still here reading.
I have the post-disney-trip-blues.


----------



## nebo

Thumper_Man said:


> Anybody remember where we left off?  I've been busy at work and at home I haven't had much time to post.  So much for moving this TR along.  I guess I should go back and read my own posts. Don't go no where, I'll be right back.
> 
> *Yes, we left off where  you were going to send my 200 Disney dollars cuz they were going to expire in 2013 anyway, and you knew that we could use them.*
> 
> 
> _(Insert Jeopardy Theme Music Here)_
> 
> *Every time I try mentally, I keep coming up with Green acres.
> "Oh, Olivah"*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Ok, I'm back.  I remember now.
> 
> *Wow, when your mind goes blank, your computer does too.*
> 
> Last we left our traveling duo, EMH was over and they were setting out for the Matterhorn.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Ok, for good TR reporting sake, lets pretend Im managed to climb the Matterhorn Mountain.
> 
> *Right. Since we are playing pretend, can I also pretend you then fell off and were dashed on the rocky tourists below? Or would that be the trusty rocks below?*
> 
> After climbing the Matterhorn, I figured Lady H may be getting a little lonely waiting for me to come back down; so I jumped off the mountain so we can continue on with our DL day.  Hey, if *Secret Ponzi Man* can stop the purse snatchers, I can climb the Matterhorn.
> 
> *Gee, I wish I could exaggerate stuff like that once in a while and make things up. Gotta be a lot less painfull.*
> 
> Anyways, after climbing the Matterhorn (as I stated before) Lady H and I decided we might as well give the ride a try.  Another short wait.  Wish the wait wouldve been a little longer though.  I wasnt prepared for the beating I would take on this ride.  After riding a smooth Space Mountain, this ride was rough.
> 
> *Yeah? go on. *
> 
> Smidgy, you dont have to worry about the heights too much on this ride.  You spend a lot of time going in and out of the mountain, that you hardly ever notice the height factor.  Just make sure and wear knee and elbow pads.  It wasnt completely horrible. There were a few parts that were pretty smooth, but overall I found it to be a rough ride.   Might have been a little smoother if I wasnt trying to take video and actually held on.
> 
> *Ok, now right here it sounds a lot like Everest. Yes? No?*
> 
> After suffering whiplash,  (ok that may be exaggerating just a little) we toured the rest of Fantasyland.  I had heard about Mr. Toads Wild Ride and how people miss it over at WDW.  We had to see for ourselves what the hype was about.  The wait again was only 5-minutes.  On the ride, Lady H drove and she kept wrecking into all the walls and stuff.  See if I ever let her drive again.  If really was a cute ride.
> 
> *I miss it. I'd rather have the Toad, warts and all over Pooh and his honey pot.
> Hmm, that whole sentance sounds like it's fresh out of Hustler, doesn't it?*
> 
> 
> Feed me Seymour.
> 
> *Youknow, I still by that Betty Crocker product now and then just so I can sing in the kitchen when I'm making it, "Suddenly Susan, standing beside me,"*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Needless to say, Lady H had never tried a Dole Whip and I learned where in the Land to buy them.  Theres a stand close to the Enchanted Tiki Room that sells them.  Well at least we thought thats where we could get one.  We walk up and its *CLOSED*.  I hope its not closed all day.  Well try again a little later.
> 
> *I think it was a Dole Float we tried once, and I wasn't too impressed. But it's the orange/vanilla swirl thing I've been trying to get for the last 7 trips that keeps eluding me. *
> 
> Since were in the area, Indiana Jones is close by.  Lets go see how long the wait is.  Only 10-minutes.  Cool, lets go.  Boy we are just breezing through DL this morning.  My theory of going during this time of year so far has proven to be right.  Were practically walking onto each ride.
> 
> *that's just great. As compared to me who ends up crawling into/onto most rides.
> Or being carried.*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Don't know what these tablets were or said.  Probably some kind of warning to turn back and run for your life.  Since I don't read hieroglyphics, we pursued on.
> 
> *Hold on a moment, I can read Hiero,,,,,uh huh,  yes,,, ok, I got it.
> 
> "Road construction next 24 miles."*
> 
> 
> 
> My dear friend Nebo wants a ride comparison here, as Im sure some of you do to.    Indiana Jones compared to its WDW counterpart, Dinosaur.  Truthfully  I really dont know how to compare these 2 rides.  If you love Dinosaur, youll love Indy.  As far as the ride vehicle goes, its the same.  In Dino, they call it a time machine; in Indy its a jeep.  Of course the adventure is different, but each have points where you go slow, speed up, make sharp turns and the person riding next to you eventually winds up in your lap. And because each offers its own story, it makes each ride worth riding to experience the differences.  I really dont have a favorite here because of the different story lines.  This comparison is best experienced in person.
> 
> *sWell, very good at taking the stand you did.
> Tell me, do those little xpoints on the top of the fence start to hurt?*
> 
> 
> 
> Blame Nebo.  He asked for ride comparison's.  Remember?
> 
> *Yep, might as well, they're still blaming the dinosaur extinction on me.
> Oh, and if I hadn't milked Mrs. O'Leary's cow.......*
> 
> Now there are some similarities and major differences between MK and DL PotC.  The first major difference is the queue.  MKs queue gets pretty dark, pretty quick.
> 
> *Tell me!
> *
> Not so much at DL.  Most of the queue is outside.  Even when you come in, it does get dark, but not like at MK.  The Blue Bayou restaurant is also part of DLs queue.  It adds a nice touch for the beginning and ending of the ride.   Once you enter the ride, it feels like youre in a swamp.  As you go through, you enter a little room before taking not one, but 2 drops.  After the 2nd drop, you see a bunch of skeletons.  I dont remember if theres any at the beginning over at MK, but there were sure a lot more at DL.  This is one of the major differences from the MK version.  As you go along, you soon see the mist and the projection of Davy Jones.  Blackbeard has yet to be added.  The next few scenes are pretty similar.  Barbossa on the pirate ship, the village call girls, pirates chasing wenches around the village, village on fire and the jail cells.  If my memory serves me correct, after the jail cells at MK, you get to the end where Captain Jack is sitting in a chair surrounded by riches.  At the end at DL, you have one more scene before getting to Captain Jack.  Once you pass Captain Jack, a big conveyor belt takes you up, up and away.  You have to jump ship and swim back to shore.  So all you WDW fans, turn away again; score one more for DL.  At least in my books.  The added scenes seemed to make PotC at DL just a little better.
> 
> 
> 
> Anyone read Riglees report?  Remember what they would do on dark rides?   Were on our anniversary.  So we only did some snogging on part of the ride.  If you know where to look for Hidden Mickeys, some of the same ones are here as well.
> 
> *Right, from snoggin immediately to hidden Mickeys. *
> 
> 
> 
> Lady H graciously let me have the front and she sat right behind me.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Fool. One thing I have learned in Disney; the closest to the front you sit on a water type ride, the wetter yoiu will get. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Only attraction we rode was Roger Rabbits (no relation) Car Toon Spin.  His wife is one hot............................
> 
> Hi Lady H.  Dont worry, shes not real.  I only got love for you.
> 
> The ride, very similar to Mr. Toad and WtP.  Only difference here is the car spins and you control how it spins.  After the ride, we looked around Toontown for a while.
> 
> *Oh boy, something new.*
> 
> SCORE!  2 Dole Whip Floats all for me.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> That and I wouldve probably landed up with a black eye.
> 
> *Is that like a Black Cow?*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Before we go on the monorail, we stop inside Innoventions.  This reminds me of the Carousel of Progress in the manner that the building rotates.  CoP does rotate right?  I cant quite remember if I saw it rotating; or if I was suffering from heat exhaustion and just imagined it was rotating.  Could be the beers I had at Planet Hollywood.  Anyways, Innoventions does rotate and we went in to check it out.  Not before I took these.
> 
> *So, there's no CoP in California?*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 12 noon and we finished DL in half a day. Well most of DL.  EMH and low crowds really helped us get through the lines quick throughout the morning.  As you can tell, they were really starting to pick up so we decided now was good time to take a break.
> 
> And with this break, well break so I can write the next chapter.



*Yeah, great chapter my friend, I even learned something. *


----------



## queenbetsey

[BGreat pics Tman!  we were over at DCA that morning. We had an early pass holders entry day we were able to use so we could see Cars land.  Went to DL later in the day and the lines were ok then too.  Not as good as at rope drop but we were able to do quite a bit.
They were closing HM so they could put the Jack Skellington overlay on it. It stays that way thru christmas.
we just rode the new matterhorn the other night and found it to be really smooth.  before it was so bumpy and jerky we had stopped going on it at all.  But we were surprised at how improved it is.

We are going to the MNSSHP for the first time on friday... sooo excited

as far as comparisons go I agree that our buzz is better as the guns can be held up 
we like their space mtn better tho.


----------



## smidgy

a dole whip float is really good with rum....well, I imagine it would be.. not that I would know....


----------



## dwheatl

We rode the new Matterhorn early in the day, and it was super-bumpy. It jarred my joints. People told me it gets smoother later in the day. Don't know if that's true or not.


----------



## cp'ersmom

It's almost impossible not to compare the two parks so don't apologize or blame Nebo, it's uncontrollable. 


I've only ever had one dole whip and wasn't impressed but I like Smidgy's rum idea! BTW did your father really wake you up that way? Cool Dad!

Ponzi, the castle really is that small but you can walk through it and t tells the tale of Sleepy Beauty. It used to be a hidden gem.

Sounds like you guys had a great day, nothing better than not having to go commando and still getting to see the whole park in one day.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I failed at being tour guide on this ride for sure.  I was so excited for him to get to ride the actual ride I spaced out all the fun stuff in the queue. Although, to my credit, I hadn't been to DL in about 14-15 years, and didn't remember all that fun stuff, and secondly, because we were making such great timing on all the rides so far, didn't want to jinx it by stopping.



You didn't fail.  You were just as excited as I was.  We'll just have to remember for next time.


----------



## Thumper_Man

dwheatl said:


> The DL Innoventions used to be CoP and then America Sings. Good catch on the rotation.
> Did you ride the train all the way around?



On this day, no.  Just from New Orleans Square to Toontown.


----------



## Thumper_Man

nebo said:


> *Ok, almost the first ride comparison you make, and you screw it up. So your fired!*



Sorry everyone.  Looks I'm done with my part of the TR.  Nebo fired me.




In my defense though (no I'm not going quietly) our last trip to WDW (2 years ago) was the first time we ever rode Buzz.  And we only rode it once so it was kinda hard for me to remember all the details.  I know, no excuses, but that's all I got.  



nebo said:


> *But now I am looking forward to trying this again, maybe now I can finally beat Smidgy.*



Unless you find a better way to improve your eye sight, I doubt it.  It did make it easier to shoot at the targets though.



nebo said:


> *Space Mountain is something too that I can't wait to try over at Land, now that you did  a good job of describing.*



Well I was hoping for my job back.  I needed to redeem myself.



nebo said:


> *And I too am amazed at how small the castle there looks.
> Wow, doesn't even look like a castle, I think Bilbo Baggins lived in a larger home.*



You might be right.  I think everyone is used to Cinderella's castle that when they see this, it's hard to believe the size.   



nebo said:


> *Can't wait to hear about the Matterhorn, that's something I know absolutely nothing about.
> thanks Mike*



You had me baffled here.  Only thing I could thing of was that you hadn't read my latest chapter yet, until I saw your break down a little later.


----------



## Thumper_Man

cjlvsccm said:


> _<<chuckle>> I actually have that movie soundtrack album._



Been a long time since I've seen that movie.  I for one don't have the soundtrack album, cassette or any mp3 downloads.  



cjlvsccm said:


> _OOoooh, I HATE that! The only time I was at DL ('04) my battery died about 5 minutes in... was barely up Main Street!!_



My battery will usually last about a good 6 hours before kicking the bucket.  Depending on how many pictures I take and if I do video or not.  So it was weird this one only lasted 3 hours or so.  Brand new battery to.  



cjlvsccm said:


> _Thanks again for the postcard!!_



It was our pleasure.  Thanks for the request.




cjlvsccm said:


> _I prefer the float, but only if you get the pinapple/vanilla swirl. Then the sharpness of the juice is offset by the vanilla part of the Whip. But yeah, it would be altogether better with rum._



I'll have to remember this.  We can attempt to try it in December.  Lady H take note.  Dole Whip Float with Pineapple/Vanilla Swirl and Rum.  



cjlvsccm said:


> _Thanks!  Enjoying all the details._



Thanks for sticking around, even though we're taking forever.  We're not even finished with day 2 yet.


----------



## Thumper_Man

nebo said:


> *Yes, we left off where you were going to send my 200 Disney dollars cuz they were going to expire in 2013 anyway, and you knew that we could use them.*



They still have those?  



nebo said:


> *Every time I try mentally, I keep coming up with Green acres.
> "Oh, Olivah"*



This was before my time.  I had to go listen to it on Youtube. I've heard the music, just never knew it came from Green Acres.



nebo said:


> *Wow, when your mind goes blank, your computer does too.*



I have it trained well. 



nebo said:


> *Right. Since we are playing pretend, can I also pretend you then fell off and were dashed on the rocky tourists below? Or would that be the trusty rocks below?*



If that's what you want to pretend, then sure.  I'll pretend I landed safely on my 2 feet and lived to tell the tale.



nebo said:


> *Yeah? go on.*



I did go on.  Now I'm going to tell you about it.  Give me a minute will ya.    



nebo said:


> *Ok, now right here it sounds a lot like Everest. Yes? No? *



Both yes and no.  Mostly no.

On Everest, you can actually see how high you get on the climb up.  It's mostly outside except for the few portions you go through the mountain.  Matterhorn is more like riding through caves and mostly inside the mountain throughout the entire ride.    

Everest is faster and smoother.  Matterhorn has some decent speed and I found it to be a little bit bumpy.
Everest goes backward.  Matterhorn is all forward.

Both are fun, but I prefer Everest a little bit better.

Ok, score one for WDW now.  



nebo said:


> *I miss it. I'd rather have the Toad, warts and all over Pooh and his honey pot.
> Hmm, that whole sentance sounds like it's fresh out of Hustler, doesn't it?*



What is Hustler?   



nebo said:


> *I think it was a Dole Float we tried once, and I wasn't too impressed. But it's the orange/vanilla swirl thing I've been trying to get for the last 7 trips that keeps eluding me.*



Come to think about it, I don't know if they offered the Pineapple/Vanilla or the Orange/Vanilla at the stand.  I never bothered to look since I already knew what I wanted.  



nebo said:


> *that's just great. As compared to me who ends up crawling into/onto most rides.
> Or being carried.*



Well if you would save the Sunny D for after the rides, you might not have this problem.  



nebo said:


> *Hold on a moment, I can read Hiero,,,,,uh huh, yes,,, ok, I got it.
> 
> "Road construction next 24 miles."*








That explains why it felt like such a bumpy ride.



nebo said:


> *sWell, very good at taking the stand you did.
> Tell me, do those little xpoints on the top of the fence start to hurt? *



Nope. It's the rolled razor blade barbwire that hurts a little.



nebo said:


> *Yep, might as well, they're still blaming the dinosaur extinction on me.
> Oh, and if I hadn't milked Mrs. O'Leary's cow.......*







nebo said:


> *Tell me!*



Well since you asked, once upon there was this ride called Pirates of the Caribbean.  You go through water, see pirates and the end. 

How's that?



nebo said:


> *Right, from snoggin immediately to hidden Mickeys.*



The ride eventually ends.  



nebo said:


> *Fool. One thing I have learned in Disney; the closest to the front you sit on a water type ride, the wetter yoiu will get.*



And this exactly why I like the front seat.  I for one don't mind getting wet.  I know many don't like to.  As I mentioned, it was starting to get hot so it actually felt pretty good.  



nebo said:


> *Oh boy, something new.*



Yeah.  It reminded me mostly of Fantasyland.  A place mostly geared toward the small kids.  We still had fun seeing it.  Something not to be missed.



nebo said:


> *Is that like a Black Cow?*



More like a white cow with a big black spot.




nebo said:


> *So, there's no CoP in California?*



According to dwheatl (sorry still learning real names), not anymore.


dwheatl said:


> The DL Innoventions used to be CoP and then America Sings. Good catch on the rotation.






nebo said:


> *Yeah, great chapter my friend, I even learned something.*



Do you mind sharing it with me?  I didn't learn anything.  I was too busy having fun.  

Thanks as always Nebo.


----------



## Thumper_Man

queenbetsey said:


> [BGreat pics Tman!  we were over at DCA that morning. We had an early pass holders entry day we were able to use so we could see Cars land.  Went to DL later in the day and the lines were ok then too.  Not as good as at rope drop but we were able to do quite a bit.
> They were closing HM so they could put the Jack Skellington overlay on it. It stays that way thru christmas.
> we just rode the new matterhorn the other night and found it to be really smooth.  before it was so bumpy and jerky we had stopped going on it at all.  But we were surprised at how improved it is.
> 
> We are going to the MNSSHP for the first time on friday... sooo excited
> 
> as far as comparisons go I agree that our buzz is better as the guns can be held up
> we like their space mtn better tho.



How we known you were over at DCA, we could've met up with you.  We probably crossed each other at some point.  Lady H and I went over to DCA in the afternoon.  Talk about this in the next chapter.  

Sorry to say, we never rode Matterhorn again throughout the entire trip.  We'll try it again next trip for sure.  Since this was our first trip together and we hadn't been to DL in such a long time, I think we were trying to fit in as much as we could.  

Have fun at MNSSHP.


----------



## Thumper_Man

smidgy said:


> a dole whip float is really good with rum....well, I imagine it would be.. not that I would know....



I'm curious to know how you would know.  I remember someone getting busted and had their bottles confiscated.    Must've been a different trip.  Yeah, that's it.


----------



## Thumper_Man

dwheatl said:


> We rode the new Matterhorn early in the day, and it was super-bumpy. It jarred my joints. People told me it gets smoother later in the day. Don't know if that's true or not.



Oh now you tell us.    Kidding of course.  You'll have to ride it and let us know.  Don't think we'll get the chance anytime soon.  Hopefully next year.


----------



## Thumper_Man

cp'ersmom said:


> It's almost impossible not to compare the two parks so don't apologize or blame Nebo, it's uncontrollable.



This is very true.  We found ourselves comparing a few things here and there.  LIke PotC.  We would say, "Oh this is different. Did they have this at MK? I don't remember."  I think we did it mostly to take mental notes for this TR. 

And I can blame Nebo all I want.  Don't mean he's going to take the blame.  He knows it's all in good fun.  I hope.  If he didn't, then I'm sure he would've cancelled our meet by now.  



cp'ersmom said:


> I've only ever had one dole whip and wasn't impressed but I like Smidgy's rum idea!



Me to.  Going to have to give this a try in December.  



cp'ersmom said:


> Ponzi, the castle really is that small but you can walk through it and t tells the tale of Sleepy Beauty. It used to be a hidden gem.



Hey, now you're getting ahead of us here.  Kidding of course.  I'm sure many know this already.  



cp'ersmom said:


> Sounds like you guys had a great day, nothing better than not having to go commando and still getting to see the whole park in one day.



So far it started out to be a great day.  Would it last though?


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

Thumper_Man said:


> Anybody remember where we left off?



At that place, with the thing, and the stuff, and the ride andYou member! 



Thumper_Man said:


> I've been busy at work and at home I haven't had much time to post.



What is life thinking? Getting in the way of Dising!  



Thumper_Man said:


> _(Insert Jeopardy Theme Music Here)_



Oh great, Now I got that stupid tune in my head!  






Thumper_Man said:


> Ok, I'm back.  I remember now.



PhewI was afraid you were gonna ask me, and we know how well that goes over. 



Thumper_Man said:


> After climbing the Matterhorn, I figured Lady H may be getting a little lonely waiting for me to come back down; so I jumped off the mountain so we can continue on with our DL day.  Hey, if *Secret Ponzi Man* can stop the purse snatchers, I can climb the Matterhorn.



Wait a minute, if your making stuff up hereHow come you got to do it and I didnt? 



Thumper_Man said:


> Smidgy, you dont have to worry about the heights too much on this ride.  You spend a lot of time going in and out of the mountain, that you hardly ever notice the height factor.  Just make sure and wear knee and elbow pads.  It wasnt completely horrible. There were a few parts that were pretty smooth, but overall I found it to be a rough ride.   Might have been a little smoother if I wasnt trying to take video and actually held on.



I held on and I think it was still kinda rough.  Looking at it from the ground, it looked a lot higher than it really was once you got on it.  After riding Everest at Animal Kingdom, I expected worse, so I was happy that I got through this and lived to tell the tale. I would ride it again without repeating my mantra too, so that should say something. 



Thumper_Man said:


> After suffering whiplash,  (ok that may be exaggerating just a little) we toured the rest of Fantasyland.  I had heard about Mr. Toads Wild Ride and how people miss it over at WDW.  We had to see for ourselves what the hype was about.  The wait again was only 5-minutes.  On the ride, Lady H drove and she kept wrecking into all the walls and stuff.  See if I ever let her drive again.  If really was a cute ride.



For some reason the one thing that stuck out on this ride were the people in front of us. I want to say they were from England if I remember the accent correctly. But it was 2 small children, probably no older than 7, and the grandmother.  And as they got up to the front of the line, the grandmother actually wanted to see if one of the kids could ride by themselves while she went with the other child. Talk about picking favorites. You have to wonder what that conversation went like before getting in line

You go on and ride that car there, Ill go with my favorite, if you fall out or anything, well come back around and pick you up OK? 

Needless to say, the CM didnt allow that to happen, and they all had to ride in the same car, together. 



Thumper_Man said:


> Well the only picture that didn't come out blurry.  We couldnt get our camera settings right while on the ride itself.  We would eventually figure them out, but until then we had a bunch of what were we trying to take pictures of here pictures that got deleted just as fast as they go uploaded.



In my defense, My camera was pretty new. I won it at a training I went to and had only used it once or twice before this trip. So I was still learning all the settings and what it could actually do.  Your camera on the other hand, is the one you use all the time. So you have no excuse Mr. 



Thumper_Man said:


> Needless to say, Lady H had never tried a Dole Whip and I learned where in the Land to buy them.  Theres a stand close to the Enchanted Tiki Room that sells them.  Well at least we thought thats where we could get one.  We walk up and its *CLOSED*.  I hope its not closed all day.  Well try again a little later.



T-Man has hyped up these Dole Whips so much I was excited to try one. I dont mind Pineapple, and while I may not be as enthusiastic as he is on the subject matter, but I had to try these things and then the place is closed. And evidentially this is the ONLY place to find them at DL. 



Thumper_Man said:


> Don't know what these tablets were or said.  Probably some kind of warning to turn back and run for your life.  Since I don't read hieroglyphics, we pursued on.



Looks like Nebo had that one covered for you. We may need to take lessons from him when we meet up in December.  



Thumper_Man said:


> Again, we figured out why the wait is 10-minutes.  This another LLOONNGG queue.  Felt like we were never going to reach the ride.



We noticed on a lot of the major attractions, the wait times were posted as 10-15 minutes but by the time we got to the actual ride, we walked right on. After walking through the crazy queues we realized the wait time wasnt so much wait time as it was walking time. 



Thumper_Man said:


> Now there are some similarities and major differences between MK and DL PotC.  The first major difference is the queue.  MKs queue gets pretty dark, pretty quick.  Not so much at DL.  Most of the queue is outside.  Even when you come in, it does get dark, but not like at MK.  The Blue Bayou restaurant is also part of DLs queue.  It adds a nice touch for the beginning and ending of the ride.   Once you enter the ride, it feels like youre in a swamp.  As you go through, you enter a little room before taking not one, but 2 drops.  After the 2nd drop, you see a bunch of skeletons.  I dont remember if theres any at the beginning over at MK, but there were sure a lot more at DL.  This is one of the major differences from the MK version.  As you go along, you soon see the mist and the projection of Davy Jones.  Blackbeard has yet to be added.  The next few scenes are pretty similar.  Barbossa on the pirate ship, the village call girls, pirates chasing wenches around the village, village on fire and the jail cells.  If my memory serves me correct, after the jail cells at MK, you get to the end where Captain Jack is sitting in a chair surrounded by riches.  At the end at DL, you have one more scene before getting to Captain Jack.  Once you pass Captain Jack, a big conveyor belt takes you up, up and away.  You have to jump ship and swim back to shore.  So all you WDW fans, turn away again; score one more for DL.  At least in my books.  The added scenes seemed to make PotC at DL just a little better.



If my memory serves me correctly (and we all know how accurate that can be ) I believe it was Blackbeard in the mist. I remember this because I commented on trying to remember who it was, because I have yet to see all of PoTC 4. We even commented that there were a few added scenes from the 4th movie and that I would have to see the whole movie now to understand it all. 



Thumper_Man said:


> Sorry folks, I thought we had pictures, but I guess not.  I guess we actually decided to enjoy an attraction.  Bad Thumpers, Bad.  Dont you know the readers will need pics.  I pulled a semi-Ponzi on this one.  For some odd reason, one of the batteries to my camera didnt charge up completely.  By the time we got to PotC, my battery was quickly dying.  I did have a spare battery with me, but I thought I would save it for later in the day.  Besides the battery in Lady Hs camera was still showing a good charge, so I thought I would let her take the pics for a while.



Obviously I was not informed that I was now the cameraman for this ride, and didnt take any pics. Of course its always hard to get good pics on the ride when you cant use your flash because of how dark it is inside. 



Thumper_Man said:


> I heard from a good source that this attraction would be closing on Aug. 27th for about a week so that they can do a holiday refurb.  Today would be our only chance to see it.  And what do you know, only a 5-minute wait again.  I feel like I could hit the lottery today.



We knew we had to get in at least one ride today, since it was going to be closed the rest of the week. The queue was a little different from what I remember from MK, but once you get to the actual ride, its exactly the same in regards to the moving walkway. I had completely spaced this out until I stepped onto the moving walkway and almost biffed it. 



Thumper_Man said:


> Now since the last time weve been to MK, I know they have done a refurb on HM.  I dont know what they changed, but I hear the queue is different.  Other than the outside, I can tell you the ride itself is the same.



Well now we will definitely have to ride the one at MK in December to make a better comparison. This may be why I thought the queue was different. 

Regarding the actual ride, I noticed a few differences, the graveyard to me was a little different than I remember. Wasnt as lively as I recall from MK, but again, its been a while since Ive been on the one in MK so I could be mistaken.  

And I can never get a picture of that darn hitchhiking ghost. Im pretty sure its because of the holographic image, and trying to take a picture of a holographic image is almost impossible. But one of these days I am determined to do it. That way when odd things start happening around the house, and things go missing, I know who to blame. 



Thumper_Man said:


> Anyone read Riglees report?  Remember what they would do on dark rides?   Were on our anniversary.  So we only did some snogging on part of the ride.  If you know where to look for Hidden Mickeys, some of the same ones are here as well.



HmmmMaybe this is why I dont remember the graveyard as much




Thumper_Man said:


> Once we finished walking through the queue, we waited all of 2-minutes to get on the ride.  Lady H graciously let me have the front and she sat right behind me.



I forgot you took this picture. The sun was directly in my eyes so I was squinting to even see what was going on. I thoughtfully stored my sunglasses in my bag instead of on my face! And of course T-Man has to take an over the head shot of my dimpleLovely! 



Thumper_Man said:


> First difference you notice, you sit single instead of side-by-side.



This was a little uncomfortable, but I think it was more so because we also had our bags with us, so we were trying to hold onto our bags in a way so they wouldnt get too wet, or at least so the stuff inside will stay dry. I had graduated to raising my hands in the air on the drop at the one in MK, this was whole new territory for me, with the new sitting arrangements. My hands were securely holding on for dear life. 




Thumper_Man said:


> Getting off SM totally soaked, Lady H and I take a few moments to dry off before taking a quick ride on Winnie the Pooh.



I was quite proud of this picture, I finally found the anti-blur setting on my camera just as the ride was about to end and snapped it. 



Thumper_Man said:


> Only attraction we rode was Roger Rabbits (no relation) Car Toon Spin.  His wife is one hot............................
> 
> Hi Lady H.  Dont worry, shes not real.  I only got love for you.



Now I understand why you werent so upset with me when I dyed my hair red recently! 



Thumper_Man said:


> The ride, very similar to Mr. Toad and WtP.  Only difference here is the car spins and you control how it spins.  After the ride, we looked around Toontown for a while.



Yeah, this ride I let T-Man drive since I got to drive on Mr. ToadNot that great of an idea. If he thought I was a crazy driver (no smiley). He had us spinning in every direction. To say the least, I couldnt get any good shots of this ride. The minute I had a shot lines up in the lens, there we go spinning again. 

If I remember correctly, you cant spin the whole ride, which is good. There are certain spots that you have a little control over the spin. It was rather fun to watch T-Man trying to spin the heck out of the thing on the straightaways and then let out a whoo hoo when we would go into a major spin because he had the wheel turned all the way to one side when the spinning sections came up. 



Thumper_Man said:


> SCORE!  2 Dole Whip Floats all for me.



Given the opportunity, he would have had both of them. Dont think hes kidding here.  And I did like it. I will do another comparison later on the whip vs. the float, but I really did enjoy it, except for the fact that I was getting it everywhere but my mouth. It was literally melting faster than I could eat it. 



Thumper_Man said:


> Remember the first picture we showed you of Space Mountain's wait time?  Here is the current wait time 3 hours and 45 minutes later.  We took the picture before climbing up the ramp to Innoventions.



It was interesting to see the lines and the wait times now as opposed to when we first got there.  If I remember correctly, even Star Tours was up to a 40 minute wait when we were walking out. . 



Thumper_Man said:


> Well, we werent that impressed with Innoventions.  Probably because all the adults were hogging the good games.  One of the funnest (funnest? more fun? most fun?) things we did inside was design our dream home. It did one heck of a job and I wish I had the money to build it.  I would need to hit the lottery and then some.



I really wanted to try the aging computer. It would have given me an idea of what T-Man would look like in a few yearsbut alasother people were thinking the same thing I guess, because there was a wait to get to thiswheres the fast pass when you need one! 



Thumper_Man said:


> After we snapped back into reality and realized that the dream home was just that, a dream, we decided to go and wait for the monorail.  We went round and round in circles trying to figure out how to get out.  Kept looking at all the exit signs and they all kept pointing to the left.  We walked around in circles before we finally figured it out.



Literally walked in circles. We kept seeing the exit sign, and there were doors, but we had no clue where they would take you or if you could walk out of them and land up still in the park. I was afraid I would end up in the backstage area, and security would be there to throw us in Disney jail for trespassing. So we kept bypassing each exit until we came to the exact area we began. At least it was familiar. The only problem now was hoping that the door that lead back to the center of it all was making its way around with us and we didnt have to stop and wait for the rotating door. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			
		
		
	


	







Thumper_Man said:


> This is Manny.



Manny was fun! And he was very proud of his new look from Ramone. He kept mentioning it as we went. 



Thumper_Man said:


> 12 noon and we finished DL in half a day. Well most of DL.  EMH and low crowds really helped us get through the lines quick throughout the morning.  As you can tell, they were really starting to pick up so we decided now was good time to take a break.



I couldnt believe that we did it all in half a day. By the time we sat down for lunch I was already pretty tired, and now I know why. But it was nice to be able to see the park without the massive crowds we are used to seeing. 


Great chapter!


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

smidgy said:


> a dole whip float is really good with rum....well, I imagine it would be.. not that I would know....



Never thought about thisWill save info for future reference. By this time we still hadnt made it to the store for minis. 




cp'ersmom said:


> Ponzi, the castle really is that small but you can walk through it and t tells the tale of Sleepy Beauty. It used to be a hidden gem.



We have some info on that coming up later actually. This also includes pictures  



cp'ersmom said:


> Sounds like you guys had a great day, nothing better than not having to go commando and still getting to see the whole park in one day.



It was definitely fun and exciting. 



Thumper_Man said:


> You didn't fail.  You were just as excited as I was.  We'll just have to remember for next time.



Awww. Thanks!


----------



## queenbetsey

did you find our favorite bar while you were at DCA?  they have a great little place above the itialian restraunt there called the alfresco lounge, quiet and really pretty.  they also have on that overlooks screamin but that is really kinda loud, fun but loud


----------



## Thumper_Man

queenbetsey said:


> did you find our favorite bar while you were at DCA?  they have a great little place above the itialian restraunt there called the alfresco lounge, quiet and really pretty.  they also have on that overlooks screamin but that is really kinda loud, fun but loud



I'll say this.  We saw both.  I think I know which one's you're referring to.  There was one particular bar we were rather fond of.  You'll find out which when we get there.  It may or may not be one of these you mentioned.


----------



## bankr63

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Oh great, Now I got that stupid tune in my head!



Yeah, give him a little "love tap" for the rest of us will ya?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I forgot you took this picture. The sun was directly in my eyes so I was squinting to even see what was going on. I thoughtfully stored my sunglasses in my bag instead of on my face! And of course T-Man has to take an over the head shot of my dimpleLovely!



That is a lovely dimple!  And a very nice natural looking candid pic.  Now for the big bunny, is that fur in the foreground getting a bit thin?!?  



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I really wanted to try the aging computer. It would have given me an idea of what T-Man would look like in a few yearsbut alasother people were thinking the same thing I guess, because there was a wait to get to thiswheres the fast pass when you need one!



For that, check out the picture above and extrapolate...


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

nebo said:


> Yes, we left off where you were going to send my 200 Disney dollars cuz they were going to expire in 2013 anyway, and you knew that we could use them.



Rightthats it. Somewhere down the line, we must have blown it on the ridiculous rate of postage to Canada. (Yes) 





nebo said:


> Every time I try mentally, I keep coming up with Green acres.
> "Oh, Olivah"



Between you and T-Man, My head is going to explode. Now not only am I going through the Jeopardy theme music, but randomly Green Acres starts creeping in and its not pretty! 





nebo said:


> Right. Since we are playing pretend, can I also pretend you then fell off and were dashed on the rocky tourists below? Or would that be the trusty rocks below?



Sure. Anything can happen in the land of make believedidnt you ever watch Mr. Rogers? 




nebo said:


> Gee, I wish I could exaggerate stuff like that once in a while and make things up. Gotta be a lot less painfull.



Less painful for whom? 




nebo said:


> Ok, now right here it sounds a lot like Everest. Yes? No?



Kind of. WellNo, but in a wayYeahHmmTechnically, Its as close to Everest as you will get here. The drops are not as steep, and you dont get attacked by a Yetti, you get attacked by an Abominable Snowman. His arms move and his eyes glow, and he does growl at you. But I think thats pretty much where the similarities stop. Matterhorn isnt as tall as Everest, and you dont get the big knee buckling drops you get at EverestOf course Im not the best person to compare the two, since Ive yet to open my eyes all the way through Everest  




nebo said:


> I miss it. I'd rather have the Toad, warts and all over Pooh and his honey pot.
> Hmm, that whole sentance sounds like it's fresh out of Hustler, doesn't it?



I forgot all about Mr. Toads Wild Ride until we came upon it and then we just HAD to go. I knew it wasnt going to be anything majorly exciting for T-Man. His idea of exciting is Space Mountain. Ill take Mr.Toads any day. 




nebo said:


> that's just great. As compared to me who ends up crawling into/onto most rides.
> Or being carried.



Hey, How do you get carry-on service? 




nebo said:


> Hold on a moment, I can read Hiero,,,,,uh huh, yes,,, ok, I got it.
> 
> "Road construction next 24 miles."












nebo said:


> Yep, might as well, they're still blaming the dinosaur extinction on me.
> Oh, and if I hadn't milked Mrs. O'Leary's cow.......



Lets not bring up that poor cow againI think the poor things been through enough.  




nebo said:


> Right, from snoggin immediately to hidden Mickeys.



Obviously I wasnt as exciting as the hidden Mickeys. 








nebo said:


> Fool. One thing I have learned in Disney; the closest to the front you sit on a water type ride, the wetter yoiu will get.



Im no fool. That is exactly why I let him have the seat in front of me. Needless to say, I still got pretty darn wet. 





nebo said:


> Oh boy, something new.



I love Roger Rabbits ride. Its fun, and you never know when to expect those spins. 










nebo said:


> *Yeah, great chapter my friend, I even learned something. *



Then we did our jobThere will be a test at the end of this TR.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

bankr63 said:


> Yeah, give him a little "love tap" for the rest of us will ya?



You got it! 









bankr63 said:


> That is a lovely dimple!  And a very nice natural looking candid pic.  Now for the big bunny, is that fur in the foreground getting a bit thin?!?



Thank you for saying my dimple is lovely.  As for the fur getting a bit thin...We don't talk about that. It's a sore subject for T-Man. Just kidding. he considers it a sore subject. I just laugh every time he brings it up...he's threatened shaving off his hair numerous times now. 





bankr63 said:


> For that, check out the picture above and extrapolate...


----------



## Thumper_Man

*Something feels funny.  I must be thinking too hard.* (Winnie the Pooh)


And thinking too hard we were.  We were hungry but didn’t really want to eat CS.  We wanted to sit down for a while, relax.  Ok, what we really wanted was an ice-cold beer.  Two options: A. we head over to DCA and get one there; or B. go to Downtown Disney and get one there. Obviously we had already decided that from the last chapter.    

Lady H and I board Manny and let him take us back to Downtown Disney.  We’re leaving the world of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy, today; only to come back later since we won’t be going there tomorrow but later on in the near future. 

Another reason we’re headed to downtown is so we can go to Paradise Pier and buy postage for the postcards.  When we  bought the postcards, we asked the CM where we could get postage.  She let us know that PP sold it.  We figured we can sit down and have lunch, have a beer and explore the resorts.  

Manny is cruising along and tells us how Ramone gave him and the other monorails a new pimped out paint job.  We should go check him out over at the new Carsland.  On our way to downtown, Manny also cruises us through the Grand Californian.  Looks nice.  Might have to stop by and check this place out as well.  We may never afford to stay here, but at least we can see what we’ll be missing out on.  

Manny pulls in to the downtown monorail stop.  We hop on out and start going down more stairs.  At the end of the stairs is a CM with something in her hand, and she’s smacking people’s hands with it.  Lady H and I pause afraid we might lose our hand until we examine the situation.  Everyone seems to be getting through with both their hands and all their fingers intact, so it must be safe.  We finish proceeding down the stairs and stick out our hands and hope for the best.  10 seconds later I’m through and so is Lady H.  We both have our hands and fingers but are now branded with this invisible mark that can only be seen with a special flashlight.  We’re told if we want to get back into the park, we needed this special hand stamp.  

Let me refresh your memory here a little.  I said there would be a love/hate relationship with the tickets.  No finger scans, but they use a stamp.  Keep this in mind as we move along.

Lady H and I walk through downtown trying to figure out what we want to eat.  Don’t want to do Rainforest Café because we have reservations for later on in the week for dinner.  

Tortilla Jo’s is out of the question.  One thing about living in New Mexico, we get accustomed to the local Spanish cuisine.  It’s very rare that we will eat Spanish food when we travel, unless we take some along with us and make it ourselves.  Which we’ve been known to do in the past. The chili here in NM is much different than most states.  Anyone ever heard of Hatch Green Chili?  It is grown in the southern part of our state.  Leave it growing long enough and eventually it will turn red.  So if you ever have been in NM, or come to NM, the famous question you will here is “Red or Green?”  Anyways, since we’ve become so accustomed to this NM favorite, canned chili just isn’t all that great to us. 

Still trying to decide on a place, we spot the ESPN Zone.  I read good reviews about this place so we agree to give it a try.  We walk in and give our name the hostess.  She says give her a couple of minutes and she’ll seat us right away.  

Cool.  We walk in with no reservation and get a table almost right away.   People weren’t kidding when they said you don’t really need reservations here like you do at WDW.  Lady H and I each order our much needed beer along with a soda. Ok, our much desired beer.  We look over the menu (because it would’ve been too simple to put it down and watch the games on all the tv’s) and try to figure out what to eat.  
After a looking at the million and one things they have on the menu, we decided to get only appetizers. The Ultimate Tailgate Appetizer Platter that is.  Comes complete with hamburger sliders, buffalo & bbq chicken wings, chicken tenders, bbq riblets and dip. 

Now the dip I have never tried before so I was little leery about it, but it turns out I would absolutely love this dip.  I could’ve eaten only this and I would be content.  

I’ve never tried artichokes before.  Thought they would do just that, make you choke.  Turns out I was wrong.  If you ever want a good artichoke and spinach dip, I would recommend it here; unless of course you don’t like artichokes, spinach or even cheese for that matter.  

A fair warning if you’re going to order this platter as well.  Take an army with you because it is a lot of food.  That or don’t eat all day and have this for dinner.  For 4 people, this could probably be a decent appetizer.  For 2 people, it’s a meal and then some.  I think we managed to finish half, but that was about it.  Price wasn’t too bad either.  $39.99 for the platter.

While sitting down and enjoying our beer, I remember that the battery in my camera died.  Now would be a good time to switch it out.  We’re headed over to the hotels and it would be nice to get some pics.  Waiter comes over and hands us the bill.  Lady H has so graciously offered to treat me to lunch.  A woman after my heart, although she already knows it belongs to her.  She glances at the bill and sees it’s less than $30.  Wow for a $40 pile of food, 2 beers and 2 sodas, that’s cheap.   

Now I know what you’re thinking.  Some of you are thinking we need to let the waiter know he charged us wrong.  Others are thinking like me.  Cool, he screwed up let him take the loss.  We did what was right and brought it to his attention.  Turns out he handed us the wrong bill.  Trust me, we thought about not saying anything and just pay for the bill he handed us, but then we would feel guilty the next hour or so.  While Lady H is waiting for the proper bill, I excuse myself and go the restroom.  

Now guys, is this the coolest thing you’ve ever seen in a restroom?




Even above the used beer department.





I’ve read advertisements and the sports page, but never have I been able to stand (or sit for that matter) to do my business and WATCH sports.  

I showed Lady H the pics and she started laughing.  “Only you would think to take pictures of that,” she told me.  I told her I want to do this at home now.  I got that look.  Guys know the look.  "Uh-huh.  Sure.  Go right ahead" she tells me.  "Where you going to get the money to do that?"  Always a catch.   

After lunch, we set out for Paradise Pier Hotel.





I tell Lady H “I wonder if Earl of Sandwich is open yet?”  So we head out in search of EoS.  We’ve yet to eat EoS so we thought maybe we could try it for lunch later on in the week.  Get to where it’s supposed to be and they’re still working on it.  I think.  You can tell it’s almost done, but I didn’t see any workers actually working on it at the time.  So who knows how much longer it will be until it’s open.   

We walk to Paradise Pier and enter the back way.  Again we must try to navigate our way through the hotel.  Wasn’t as hard as the DLH and we find our way to the front desk.  We ask the CM where we can buy postage stamps for postcards. 

"I can sell them to you right here."

"Great we’ll take 10."

"That will be $3.20"

I had him over my debit card.  
“Oh I’m sorry we only take *$CASH$* for postage.  I have no way of ringing them up on our computers so it has to be a cash only transaction.”  

We knew this would come back to bite is in the rear. We tell the CM we don’t have any cash at the moment but we saw the ATM as we walked in the building.  We’ll have to go get cash and we’ll be right back.   Off we go to surrender ourselves to the enormous ATM fee we knew we would eventually have to pay.  Knowing Disney, it’s probably going to be something like $10 on the top of the fee my bank is going to charge me.  Since we knew we would have to pay the fee, might as well make it worth our while and get the max we’re allowed.  Turns out, the fee wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be.  Between the ATM fee and my banks fees, I think I paid $3.25.  

Now that we finally have cash, we head back to the front desk for our postage.  The CM that was helping us the first time is busy with someone else.  Another CM comes out from the back and helps us.  Younger CM.  Looks like he would be a college student.  We tell him that the CM next to him was helping us prior but we would like purchase postage for postcards.  He asks the CM next to him and he tells him “Oh yeah.  I put them back in the money bag” and he hands him the bag.   

Now junior starts counting out 10 more postage stamps. Grabbing the ones that the prior CM had already counted out probably didn’t sound like a good idea.  After counting out 10 postage stamps, he finally realizes there were already separated.  Shrugs his shoulders and says “I didn’t realize there was already 10 there.  Oh well.  That will be $4.50.”  

“Huh?!  $4.50 for 10 postcard stamps? Shouldn't it only be $3.20? That's the amount he told us.”  

“Oh, you were needing postcard stamps and regular stamps?"  

Ok.  Now junior is really lost.  I think we finally tell him twice that we only want the postcard stamps.  Not regular letter stamps before he finally gets it.  So now that he has the right amount of stamps and the right total, I hand him one of the 20’s that ATM machine just made for us.

Ok this next part is so true.  Stuff like this I can’t make up even if I wanted to.  After I hand him the $20 bill he just stares at it with this blank expression on his face.  Almost like he’s never seen money before.  Of course with all of today’s technology, he probably hasn’t.  You can see the hamster running in the wheel as he’s figuring out what to do with it.  Finally he realizes that I’m using it to pay for the postage since they don’t accept credit or debit cards for postage.  Next problem, junior doesn’t have change.  Which I can understand.  Since it’s the check-in/check-out desk, most people pay with their credit/debit cards and they don’t have any need to have cash on hand.  Unless you’re selling postage stamps.  So off junior goes in search of change for a $20.  Must have to go to the bank or US Treasury to get change.  Took him a while to come back once he disappeared.  At least he came back with the right change.

After 30 minutes, we were finally able to get postage and mail the first batch of post cards.





Because it took so long to get postage, we lost our interest to look around the hotel.  This time we went out the front door and across the street is the Grand Californian. 




Since it was on our way back to the parks, might as well go check it out.  We crossed the street and went in to the GC.




I have to look back at our pics and see if we have more.  I thought we took quite a bit here.  I guess I missed uploading some.  Oops, my bad.

We also looked in some of the gift shops, restaurants and pool (through the security gate). Not too shabby of a place.  I wouldn’t mind staying here.  It’s the closest hotel on property to both the theme parks.  Anybody want to contribute to the “Thumpers Wanting to Stay at the Grand Californian Charity Fund?”  

Anybody?  

No.  

Darn.  

It was worth a shot.  

After touring around the GC for a while, we decided to head on over to DCA and prepare ourselves for Tuesday’s visit.  Little did we know that you could get into DCA directly from GC.  We saw the entrance during our quick tour. Our first thought was you needed to be staying at the hotel to go in and out that way.  We would find out later in the week that anybody may go in and out through here.  Still we weren’t too from the main entrance.




Now here is where the love/hate relationship of the tickets comes in to play.  We had the huge platter over at ESPN.  It was all finger foods.  What do you do after you eat finger foods?  You wash your hands.  What was on our hands?  

I felt like a kid again when we tried to enter DCA.  The CM scolded us for not having our stamps, even though we did have them.  The system clearly tells her that we have park-to-park privileges on our tickets.  She could probably also tell this was the first day we used our tickets as well.  We explained that they must have washed off when we washed our hands.  She let’s us off with a warning and makes it crystal clear that we need the stamp to go in and out, and from park to park. Ay Ay Captain.  No stockade for us today.  

I understand the reasoning behind the stamp.  Since you ticket isn’t tied to a fingerprint scan like at WDW, anyone can just use the ticket.  Neither Lady H or myself ever signed the back of our ticket; and not once were we ever questioned about it.  Since all we received was a slap on the hand, anybody probably still could.  Regardless, we got in and that’s all the mattered to us.

Once inside, we could see why the wait times over at DL were so short.  The crowds are here.  Our plan for DCA is just to look around.  We'll save riding the attractions for Tuesday when we come back.  This being the first time to DCA for either one of us, we look for a park map.  Can you believe they ran out of park maps printed in English?  Well in the front of the park anyways.  

Oh well, we'll wing it.  We'll follow the road and see where it takes us.  We walk until we reach the crossroads.  Straight, left or right.  Right it is.  Along the way we pass Soarin', Grizzly River Rapids and the entrance from the GC.  Now we're seeing it from the other side.  Wait time for GRR was 40 minutes and Soarin' it was 30 minutes.  Definitely not doing rides this afternoon.  Besides by the time we finished lunch and toured the resorts, it was already close to 3:30 by the time we got to DCA.  We want to head back to DL to watch Fantasmic.  Now that summer has ended, they shortened the days when it would be showing.  Tonight would be one of the only chances we would get to see it.

Continuing on our way we land up at Paradise Pier. 




Isn't this the one picture everybody just has to take.  Us included.




Once here, Lady H and I go searching for another beer.  Again we head to the right in search of a place to quench our thirst.  We pass Ariel's Undersea Adventure and see Goofy's Sky School up ahead.  We stop when we get close to GSS because we have found what we came looking for at the Bayside Brews.  

To answer Betsey's question from earlier, this would not be our favorite watering hole.  It would do for now.  

With beer in hand, we see where Carsland is.  Might as well go see what all the hype is about.  We were really impressed with Carsland, but couldn't believe the crowds.  

Out of curiosity, we went to go see what the wait time was for Radiator Springs Racers.  Yikes!




Wandering aimlessly through Carsland, we saw a famous race car.  The real Lightning McQueen this time.  He had his own secret service and everything.




We even saw an old tow truck.  We were told he's a real knight.  Sir Tow Mater is what they call him.  




This concludes our brief tour of Carsland.  

What you wanted to see more pics?  Well we have plenty to show you.  Just not at this moment.  It's time for another beer.  From the Pacific Wharf this time. There's a beer truck that sells microbrew beers from a San Diego microbrewery called Karl Strauss. Sorry, we missed taking a picture of this beer truck, but you can do a google search and easily find a picture.

There were some pretty good brews here.  I got the Amber and Lady H got the Endless Summer Light.  Both were pretty good, but this would be the only time we would get a beer from here.  We found a place where we could get beer much faster.  We sat down and just took in the sights of DCA while we killed a little time and killed these beers so we can head back to DL.  Kill is such an awful word isn't it.  Maybe I should rephrase that.

We sat down and waited for time to pass by and enjoyed our microbrews so we can head back to DL.  We want to stake out a piece of real estate so we can build a home and live at DL forever.  Since we really can't build a home there, we'll settle for is a good spot to view Fantasmic.  

We're done with this beer and I'm done with this chapter.  I'll tell you a little more about our night at DL and finish up this day.  Once I'm done here, Lady H will take you through the next day.  

Have a good weekend.


----------



## Thumper_Man

bankr63 said:


> Now for the big bunny, is that fur in the foreground getting a bit thin?!?
> 
> 
> Thumper_Man's Wife said:
> 
> 
> 
> As for the fur getting a bit thin...We don't talk about that. It's a sore subject for T-Man. Just kidding. he considers it a sore subject. I just laugh every time he brings it up...he's threatened shaving off his hair numerous times now.
Click to expand...


Yeah.  Getting thin 'cause of all the love taps.  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Now for sure I'll be shaving it off.  Thanks bankr, that's the extra push I needed.


----------



## bankr63

Thumper_Man said:


> Yeah.  Getting thin 'cause of all the love taps.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Now for sure I'll be shaving it off.  Thanks bankr, that's the extra push I needed.



Oh welcome to the club (the "he-man gettin' older club", not the "Nebo's throwin' out the hairdryer club").  I'm a few years ahead of you; still got full coverage, but  i can see more scalp each time I go for a cut.  Why is it that gravity takes over and our hair starts migrating south?  By the time I'm 100 I'll be a giant hairy toed Hobbit.  

The wake up bell for me was the first time I burned the heck out of my scalp while at Canada's Wonderland a few years back.  I've always had thick thick hair and had never considered that I could burn up there.  I always try to wear a hat now, but I look stupid in most ball caps and I often rely on the kids to remind me to put one on.  I now own 3 Disney caps caused by forgetting to bring one along; for some reason I do like Disney caps over all others.


----------



## nebo

Thumper_Man said:


> Yeah.  Getting thin 'cause of all the love taps.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Now for sure I'll be shaving it off.  Thanks bankr, that's the extra push I needed.



*Mike, yu don't have to shave it, i've got a 12 dollar buzzer thing I'be been using for 8 years now and I just set it on the lowest setting and it get's really close, and no, never been cut yet. Heck, I hate shaving my face, if I had to shave my head too, uh uh, never happen. *



bankr63 said:


> Oh welcome to the club (the "he-man gettin' older club", not the "Nebo's throwin' out the hairdryer club").  I'm a few years ahead of you; still got full coverage, but  i can see more scalp each time I go for a cut.  Why is it that gravity takes over and our hair starts migrating south?  By the time I'm 100 I'll be a giant hairy toed Hobbit.
> 
> *I was 22, getting dressed for my buddy the groom's weding at his house as I was best man, when he suddenly told me, Neeb, holy cow, you're losing your hair, man.
> First time I heard of it or even thought of it, and no, you don't want to hear the "Best Man's Speech" he made later that night. *



*Mike, a great chapter again, but wow, a 40 dollar appetizer tray and you don't mind the price? Boy, I really must be a cheap ***turd. Boy, I can't wait to go there, I hope I hope I hope we can rent points and stay at the Grand Cali, I think it is. 

That strikes me odd that they don't have the finger imaging thing going on threr, I remember so well having to get your hand stamped on the way out. 

I also think your style works just great, the two of you switching off like this. 
  I'm not sure if you mentioned it yet or not, but I've heard that unlike World, Land is definately more crowded on weekends, your thoughts?

   Looking forward to hearing about that big coaster in teh background you took a pic of, you DID go and ride it, right? 
  I don't care how many "Dumb wife, Dumb wife" Heather had to chant!*


----------



## pkondz

Darn... now I've fallen _two_ chapters behind! Time to lace up the boots and wade right in...



Thumper_Man said:


> Anybody remember where we left off?



Well, it's been a while, but I think you were in DisneyLand.

Could be wrong.



Thumper_Man said:


> _(Insert Jeopardy Theme Music Here)_



I'll take Disney trivia for $500, Alex.



Thumper_Man said:


> Last we left our traveling duo, EMH was over and they were setting out for the Matterhorn.



See? I was right.



Thumper_Man said:


> I did it.  I actually managed to climb the Matterhorn.



Oh, yeah! There you are, up at the top.



Thumper_Man said:


> See for yourself.  Im the person in the red hat.



I know! I saw you right away.



Thumper_Man said:


> Still cant tell thats me?  Heres a closer look.



No, no. I saw you. Really.



Thumper_Man said:


> What thats?  Still dont look like me?  Well it is kind of hard to tell its me since you can only see my head.



Okay, now you're just getting annoying. I see you! I see you!


sheesh.



Thumper_Man said:


> Ok, for good TR reporting sake, lets pretend Im managed to climb the Matterhorn Mountain.



For excellent TR reporting sake, let's not pretend. Be firm T-Man.

Be firm.



Thumper_Man said:


> Hey, if *Secret Ponzi Man* can stop the purse snatchers, I can climb the Matterhorn.



I didn't say anything... I believed you.



Thumper_Man said:


> Anyways, after climbing the Matterhorn (as I stated before)



You did? Must've missed it.



Thumper_Man said:


> I wasnt prepared for the beating I would take on this ride.  After riding a smooth Space Mountain, this ride was rough.



Was it as rough as MK's Space Mtn?



Thumper_Man said:


> It wasnt completely horrible.



A ringing endorsement if there ever was one.



Thumper_Man said:


> After suffering whiplash,  (ok that may be exaggerating just a little)



Says the man in the neck brace.



Thumper_Man said:


> On the ride, Lady H drove and she kept wrecking into all the walls and stuff.  See if I ever let her drive again.  If really was a cute ride.



Emphasis on _was_ a cute ride. Now that it's been destroyed by Mrs. T, neither coast has this ride.



Thumper_Man said:


> Plus my stomach was starting to scream for food.



I'm sure it's embarassing when your stomach screams... probably scares the little kids too.



Thumper_Man said:


> Feed me Seymour.



Your stomach is a plant?

Odd.



Thumper_Man said:


> Dole Whip!  Yummmmmm.



Man, I miss those.



Thumper_Man said:


> I never ate 2 Dole Whips so fast in all my life.



Gee that's so sad. Forced to eat not one but two dole whip floats. Oh, the humanity!



Thumper_Man said:


> No wonder people were staring at me funny.



That or the fluffy tail sticking out of your pants.


just sayin'



Thumper_Man said:


> Don't know what these tablets were or said.  Probably some kind of warning to turn back and run for your life.  Since I don't read hieroglyphics, we pursued on.



Really? You don't know them? They're quite well known.

The one on the left is a depiction of the wheel of life (Not to be confused with the circle of life) which represents man's journey from life through Limbo, Nirvana and Heaven and then returning to the earth. I might have left out a step or two, it not being my faith. 

The one on the right says "Party rock is in the House, Tonight"

A lot of people prefer the one on the right.



Thumper_Man said:


> Truthfully  I really dont know how to compare these 2 rides.



But you're going to anyway, right?

Right.



Thumper_Man said:


> This comparison is best experienced in person.



You did a pretty good job of comparing them, I thought.



Thumper_Man said:


> Another one?  He sure is doing a lot of comparisons considering he commented that he would not commit to comparing.



 That's right you did... or didn't... You know what I mean.



Thumper_Man said:


> I pulled a semi-Ponzi on this one.  For some odd reason, one of the batteries to my camera didnt charge up completely.



I have no idea what you are referring to. _My_ battery was completely charged up. Sure the camera was at the beach and the battery was in the hotel... but still. All charged up.



Thumper_Man said:


> Anyone read Riglees report?  Remember what they would do on dark rides?



Yes. I believe it was sing, was it not? No? Could you elaborate?



Thumper_Man said:


> Dare to take a guess how long the line was?



Okay! I'll play! Ummmm..... how about 45 minutes?



Thumper_Man said:


> If you said 45-minutes, youre wrong.



Shoot! Okay, wait! Lemme have another chance. Uhhh.... 30! 30 minutes!



Thumper_Man said:


> Anyone for 30-minutes?  Youre closer, but still wrong.



D'oh! Okay I'll take one more crack at it. I'll guess.... 15 minutes.



Thumper_Man said:


> How about 15-minutes?  Well, you would be wrong to, but much closer.  10-minutes was the wait time.



Man! I just can't catch a break!



Thumper_Man said:


> First difference you notice, you sit single instead of side-by-side.



I think I knew that... but interesting nevertheless.



Thumper_Man said:


> Only attraction we rode was Roger Rabbits (no relation) Car Toon Spin.  His wife is one hot............................
> 
> Hi Lady H.  Dont worry, shes not real.  I only got love for you.



Yeah... but I hear ya.



Thumper_Man said:


> We had lots of fun pulling on door handles, ringing door bells, checking the mail.



You guys look like you're having a blast.



Thumper_Man said:


> SCORE!  2 Dole Whip Floats all for me.



Nice.



Thumper_Man said:


> Ok, I shared.  It would be un-gentleman like of me not to do so.   That and I wouldve probably landed up with a black eye. Or worse.



But you probably spent some time trying to decide if it'd be worth it.



Thumper_Man said:


> To catch the monorail, you have to super lightning speed and be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.  Or you can just walk to Tomorrowland and wait for it to stop there.  Youve seen my picture; does it look like I can run super fast?  Much less leap tall buildings.



Why not? You can climb mountains, right?



Thumper_Man said:


> We opted for choice 2.  Wait for to stop at Tomorrowland.



Oh, of course. You had Mrs. T with you. I'm sure she could leap tall buildings but then how would you hold her hand? 



Thumper_Man said:


> We went round and round in circles trying to figure out how to get out.  Kept looking at all the exit signs and they all kept pointing to the left.  We walked around in circles before we finally figured it out.



You spin me right 'round, baby
Right 'round like a record, baby
Right 'round, 'round, 'round,
You spin me right 'round, baby
Right 'round like a record, baby
Right 'round, 'round, 'round




Thumper_Man said:


> Manny would be our chauffeur to Downtown Disney today.  Looks like families still get to ride in the front on this monorail.



I noticed that right away and immediately wondered if you saw it. Interesting that they'd allow it there after what happened.



Thumper_Man said:


> And with this break, well break so I can write the next chapter.



Okay, but first I've got to catch up.


----------



## pkondz

No, havent' read the last chapter yet, but...



Thumper_Man said:


> What is Hustler?



It's an excellent movie about a pool shark starring Paul Newman and Jackie Gleason.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> go to Downtown Disney and get one there. Obviously we had already decided that from the last chapter.



It's amazing how you knew what the chapter was going to tell you to do even before you wrote it!



Thumper_Man said:


> Were leaving the world of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy, today; only to come back later since we wont be going there tomorrow but later on in the near future.



I don't know why, but my head hurts now.



Thumper_Man said:


> Manny is cruising along and tells us how Ramone gave him and the other monorails a new pimped out paint job.



Did he use the words 'pimped out'?



Thumper_Man said:


> At the end of the stairs is a CM with something in her hand, and shes smacking peoples hands with it.  Lady H and I pause afraid we might lose our hand until we examine the situation.  Everyone seems to be getting through with both their hands and all their fingers intact, so it must be safe.  We finish proceeding down the stairs and stick out our hands and hope for the best.



Reminds me of one of my 5th grade teachers. Sister Beatrice. Yes she was a nun and the old cliche about the mean nun teacher who'd smack kids with a yard stick was invented by her.

How I feared and hated that loathsome... ummm... SOB (take out the S and the O).



Thumper_Man said:


> We both have our hands and fingers but are now branded with this invisible mark that can only be seen with a special flashlight.



It lets the other theme parks know who you belong to.



Thumper_Man said:


> Anyone ever heard of Hatch Green Chili?



No, but I do use green chilis in a recipe. Comes in little cans, usually chopped or diced. Is that the same thing?



Thumper_Man said:


> It is grown in the southern part of our state.  Leave it growing long enough and eventually it will turn red.  So if you ever have been in NM, or come to NM, the famous question you will here is Red or Green?



Interesting. So it's the same plant just younger or older. Is the taste that much different between the two?



Thumper_Man said:


> We walk in and give our name the hostess.



So now there's a hostess who's called... what? Thumper_Man's Hostess?


Cool.



Thumper_Man said:


> She says give her a couple of minutes and shell seat us right away.



I should hope so, since she now has your name. That's what family's for.



Thumper_Man said:


> The Ultimate Tailgate Appetizer Platter that s.  Comes complete with hamburger sliders, buffalo & bbq chicken wings, chicken tenders, bbq riblets and dip.



Sounds good... and filling.



Thumper_Man said:


> If you ever want a good artichoke and spinach dip, I would recommend it here; unless of course you dont like artichokes, spinach or even cheese for that matter.



I don't mind artichokes, spinach or cheese... it's the dipping that I can't abide.


Oh, alright, I'm kidding.



Thumper_Man said:


> Price wasnt too bad either.  $39.99 for the platter.



I know Nebo flinched at that... but if it's enough for 4 people, that's not bad.

Don't mind him, though. He fell on his head, ya know.



Thumper_Man said:


> Now I know what youre thinking.  Some of you are thinking we need to let the waiter know he charged us wrong.  Others are thinking like me.  Cool, he screwed up let him take the loss.  We did what was right and brought it to his attention.  Turns out he handed us the wrong bill.



I probably wouldn't have noticed. I usually don't even look at the bill and just pay it. I'd guess 95% of the time it's right and the other 5% is usually in my favor and occasionally against. Obviously if it's really off (What? My hot dog, fries and coke is $82.75???? or Lobster, filet mignon, escargot, french onion soup and bottle of wine comes to $3.75) I'll catch it and let the waiter know.



Thumper_Man said:


> Now guys, is this the coolest thing youve ever seen in a restroom?



Yeah! Those potlights are great! And that ceiling ventilation is amazing!


What?



Thumper_Man said:


> Even above the used beer department.



Two things... 1. It's a wonder that there weren't a bunch of guys in there all staring at the screens and 2. I really hope there was no one else in there... "Uh, buddy? Would you mind putting the camera away until I finish my business, here?"



Thumper_Man said:


> I told her I want to do this at home now.  I got that look.  Guys know the look.  "Uh-huh.  Sure.  Go right ahead" she tells me.  "Where you going to get the money to do that?"  Always a catch.



Would this be a bad time to tell you that I have a flatscreen TV installed above my soaker tub?



Thumper_Man said:


> Oh Im sorry we only take *$CASH$* for postage.  I have no way of ringing them up on our computers so it has to be a cash only transaction.



Now that I think of it wouldnt it make more sense if they didnt take cash, instead? I dunno.



Thumper_Man said:


> Oh, you were needing postcard stamps and regular stamps?"



Well, thats your fault. You told him you needed stamps for postcards when you should have said postcard stamps. I can translate clerk speak, this is what he heard.

Blah, blah, blah, stamps, blah, blah.
Instead of
Blah, blah, blah, postcard stamps, blah, blah.

See? Totally your fault.



Thumper_Man said:


> Ok this next part is so true.  Stuff like this I cant make up even if I wanted to.  After I hand him the $20 bill he just stares at it with this blank expression on his face.  Almost like hes never seen money before.  Of course with all of todays technology, he probably hasnt.  You can see the hamster running in the wheel as hes figuring out what to do with it.



And the hamster is limping right?



Thumper_Man said:


> Finally he realizes that Im using it to pay for the postage since they dont accept credit or debit cards for postage.



Definitely limping.



Thumper_Man said:


> At least he came back with the right change.



Thats no save. He was probably told what the change should be from the person who gave it to him. Or more likely he was told, Here give these papers and these slivers of metal to the same person who gave you the paper you just gave me.



Thumper_Man said:


> After 30 minutes, we were finally able to get postage and mail the first batch of post cards.



 You look like youre thinking, Heres your freaking cards, I hope youre happy!



Thumper_Man said:


> Anybody want to contribute to the Thumpers Wanting to Stay at the Grand Californian Charity Fund?



Sure. Ill kick in the price of postage to Canada. Thatll get you started.



Thumper_Man said:


> Anybody?
> 
> No.
> 
> Darn.
> 
> It was worth a shot.



I said I would, but with that attitude, forget it!



Thumper_Man said:


> I felt like a kid again when we tried to enter DCA.  The CM scolded us for not having our stamps, even though we did have them.



So next time, both of you order ribs with extra sauce.

Do *not* wash your hands. When you go back to the park (with BBQ sauce dripping from your hands), make sure you shake the CMs hand whos checking for stamps and give em a hearty clap on the back for doing such a good job! Theyll appreciate it! They really will! Lets em know theyre appreciated.



Thumper_Man said:


> Since all we received was a slap on the hand, anybody probably still could.



Hands stamped and slapped. Boy, you sure this was _Disney_ land and not Marquis De Sade Land?



Thumper_Man said:


> Isn't this the one picture everybody just has to take.  Us included.



Yes. I believe its mandated by California Law. Nice pic, tho.



Thumper_Man said:


> Out of curiosity, we went to go see what the wait time was for Radiator Springs Racers.  Yikes!



Two and a half hours?

No ride is that good.



Thumper_Man said:


> Wandering aimlessly through Carsland, we saw a famous race car.  The real Lightning McQueen this time.



Curious, did his eyes move by any chance?



Thumper_Man said:


> Kill is such an awful word isn't it.  Maybe I should rephrase that.
> 
> We sat down and waited for time to pass by and enjoyed our microbrews so we can head back to DL.



Thats better. That description is dead on.



Thumper_Man said:


> We're done with this beer and I'm done with this chapter.  I'll tell you a little more about our night at DL and finish up this day.  Once I'm done here, Lady H will take you through the next day.
> 
> Have a good weekend.



Great chapter T-Man! Thanks! :


----------



## nebo

I don't feel like working on my chapter, I'd rather pick on you two guys:




pkondz said:


> It's amazing how you knew what the chapter was going to tell you to do even before you wrote it!
> 
> *What, ;you never got that kind of strange feeling before you did something?  I think it's called Deja Soon.*
> 
> I don't know why, but my head hurts now.
> 
> *Oh poor boy, I really feel for you. *
> 
> Did he use the words 'pimped out'?
> 
> *Hey, if Bunny Boy said so, then that's what he said!
> I don't believe he said pimped out, Mike.*
> 
> Reminds me of one of my 5th grade teachers. Sister Beatrice. Yes she was a nun and the old cliche about the mean nun teacher who'd smack kids with a yard stick was invented by her.
> 
> How I feared and hated that loathsome... ummm... SOB (take out the S and the O).
> 
> *Ha, oh yes, leaving in the S and the O make it much more politically correct.*
> 
> It lets the other theme parks know who you belong to.
> 
> *So, they are going steady with Disneyland?*
> 
> 
> 
> Interesting. So it's the same plant just younger or older. Is the taste that much different between the two?
> 
> *Why do I think that in many other similar instances concerning the above line, the disgusting response that would follow would be, "Depends."  Never mind.*
> 
> So now there's a hostess who's called... what? Thumper_Man's Hostess?
> 
> 
> *I've met her, her sign on her uniform says "The Witless Waitress".
> oh, he can hear me, can't he?*
> 
> 
> I know Nebo flinched at that... but if it's enough for 4 people, that's not bad.
> 
> *I'm still flinching over that,, and I thoguht there was only two of them. No, I never buy into the little comments on menus next to the items that say, "serves 4, or serves 6",  usually it's never enough for all of you. Especiall,,, PIZZA, "Serves 4"  yeah,,, right,, I can eat the thing by myself and you want me to split it with 3 other people? *
> 
> Don't mind him, though. He fell on his head, ya know.
> 
> *I heard that, is Fabio going to be allright?*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Two things... 1. It's a wonder that there weren't a bunch of guys in there all staring at the screens and 2. I really hope there was no one else in there... "Uh, buddy? Would you mind putting the camera away until I finish my business, here?"
> 
> *I kept waiting for him to take a picture of the little sign near the top that said, "You look up here, you're peeing on your shoes again."*
> 
> Would this be a bad time to tell you that I have a flatscreen TV installed above my soaker tub?
> 
> *Nope,  sounds like an excellent idea. *
> 
> 
> 
> Sure. Ill kick in the price of postage to Canada. Thatll get you started.
> 
> *I've always wondered why a postcard is cheaper then a regular letter,, does a regular letter weigh so darn much compared to a postcard that it's that much harder to deliver? *
> 
> 
> 
> Do *not* wash your hands. When you go back to the park (with BBQ sauce dripping from your hands), make sure you shake the CMs hand whos checking for stamps and give em a hearty clap on the back for doing such a good job! Theyll appreciate it! They really will! Lets em know theyre appreciated.
> 
> *Ok, answer this quickly, who would you rather shake hands with,, Thumperman after he's dripping with gooey BBQ sauce, or that jock itch guy I encountered at Epcot that day?*
> 
> Hands stamped and slapped. Boy, you sure this was _Disney_ land and not Marquis De Sade Land?
> 
> *I like it, can't wait to ride Pirates of the Inquisition!*
> 
> 
> 
> Thats better. That description is dead on.
> 
> *And your joke was DOA.*
> 
> Great chapter T-Man! Thanks! :



*Ok Mike, I did it for you. Your Welcome. ha ha*


----------



## pkondz

nebo said:


> *Ok Mike, I did it for you. Your Welcome. ha ha*



Who was that masked man? Oh wait, that's not a mask it's a bandage.

Shame it's not around his mouth...

:



jk Nebo


----------



## smidgy

pkondz said:


> Who was that masked man? Oh wait, that's not a mask it's a bandage.
> 
> Shame it's not around his mouth...
> 
> :
> 
> 
> 
> jk Nebo



just wanted to wish you a happy thanksgiving!!! do you eat turkey on your thanksgiving?  probably goose, right? (canadian geeese)


----------



## pkondz

smidgy said:


> just wanted to wish you a happy thanksgiving!!! do you eat turkey on your thanksgiving?  probably goose, right? (canadian geeese)



Thanks Smidgy! 

Yes we eat Turkey... I don't know anyone who eats goose... Maybe we should, there's a ton of them around right now.

Except I was at work... so I ran to Safeway on my break and bought a turkey salad sandwich... does that count?


----------



## bankr63

pkondz said:


> Thanks Smidgy!
> 
> Yes we eat Turkey... I don't know anyone who eats goose... Maybe we should, there's a ton of them around right now.
> 
> Except I was at work... so I ran to Safeway on my break and bought a turkey salad sandwich... does that count?



Any turkey will count in a pinch.

Ours was a nice 10 pounder, stuffed to overflowing with cornbread/sausage stuffing.  A mountain of mashed and a gallon of gravy.  Roasted beets and steamed yellow beans to round out the dinner.  Finished it off with one of my famous Gluten Free Key Lime Pies (gotta work a little Florida in there somewhere!)

Mmmm, I can almost taste it still.  Oh wait, I am tasting it; that's what I'm eating for lunch right now...

P.S. Nebo - thanks for not doing another chapter.  I'm now only 5 pages behind over on your TR...


----------



## pkondz

bankr63 said:


> Ours was a nice 10 pounder, stuffed to overflowing with cornbread/sausage stuffing.  A mountain of mashed and a gallon of gravy.  Roasted beets and steamed yellow beans to round out the dinner.  Finished it off with one of my famous Gluten Free Key Lime Pies



There ya go. We almost ate the same thing....


----------



## nebo

bankr63 said:


> Any turkey will count in a pinch.
> 
> Ours was a nice 10 pounder, stuffed to overflowing with cornbread/sausage stuffing.  A mountain of mashed and a gallon of gravy.  Roasted beets and steamed yellow beans to round out the dinner.  Finished it off with one of my famous Gluten Free Key Lime Pies (gotta work a little Florida in there somewhere!)
> 
> Mmmm, I can almost taste it still.  Oh wait, I am tasting it; that's what I'm eating for lunch right now...
> 
> P.S. Nebo - thanks for not doing another chapter.  I'm now only 5 pages behind over on your TR...



*You're welcome Marty, my perfect Thanksgiving dinner:
  slices of white meat off the breast, stuffing, rolls and butter, a mountain of mashed potatos, a gallon of gravy, and that's it, I'm good. Maybe just a tad of sweet potato casserole, but yes, you don't see a vegetable in there, not fond of the typical ones served with the big turkey dinner. (beets, green beans, yellow beans, lima beans, orange beans, purple beans, Orson Beans or Mr. Bean. *


----------



## Thumper_Man

Between work at home and work at work, haven't had Dis time. Just have to say y'all making me hungry. Try to reply tomorrow.


----------



## smidgy

nebo said:


> *You're welcome Marty, my perfect Thanksgiving dinner:
> slices of white meat off the breast, stuffing, rolls and butter, a mountain of mashed potatos, a gallon of gravy, and that's it, I'm good. Maybe just a tad of sweet potato casserole, but yes, you don't see a vegetable in there, not fond of the typical ones served with the big turkey dinner. (beets, green beans, yellow beans, lima beans, orange beans, purple beans, Orson Beans or Mr. Bean. *



you forgot to mention that the gravy has to be homemade. I simmer the giblets. then chop them up real fine and use them AND the water it was simmered in in the gravy.. (and some of the water from boiling the mashed potatos.)

unfortunately for the last 4 years or so, I work on thanksgiving.. we have a buffet at the restaurant.  nebo is home alone. (the boys are at their wive's families house.  never havesons, only daughters.  ponzi you are lucky.. if you have a son,your family is always 2nd )

actually, I'm sure nebo could go with the boys to their gatherings, but he would rather not. I buy a turkey when they are on sale and we ahve our own "turkey day"  (sometimes we get together with the kids on that sunday or something.. not this year!! flying south baby!!!)


----------



## Backstage_Gal

smidgy said:


> actually, I'm sure nebo could go with the boys to their gatherings, but he would rather not. I buy a turkey when they are on sale and we ahve our own "turkey day" (sometimes we get together with the kids on that sunday or something.. not this year!! flying south baby!!!)


 
Have the holiday sandwich at Earls. Cheap and yummy! No beans either.


----------



## smidgy

sounds great marita! we won't be in wdw until the 28th, tho.  maybe they'll still have it! (going to the "darkside" first for 3 days)


----------



## Thumper_Man

Ok.  Before work gets crazy busy today, lets see if I can do a few shout outs.

Hey you guys!  

Ok, shout outs done.



bankr63 said:


> Oh welcome to the club (the "he-man gettin' older club", not the "Nebo's throwin' out the hairdryer club").  I'm a few years ahead of you; still got full coverage, but  i can see more scalp each time I go for a cut.  Why is it that gravity takes over and our hair starts migrating south?  By the time I'm 100 I'll be a giant hairy toed Hobbit.
> 
> The wake up bell for me was the first time I burned the heck out of my scalp while at Canada's Wonderland a few years back.  I've always had thick thick hair and had never considered that I could burn up there.  I always try to wear a hat now, but I look stupid in most ball caps and I often rely on the kids to remind me to put one on.  I now own 3 Disney caps caused by forgetting to bring one along; for some reason I do like Disney caps over all others.



It's been going for a while now.  At least since my early 30's that I can remember.  It's more noticeable now though.  I tell Lady H at least I won't have to see my hair go gray.  It will all be gone by then.


----------



## Thumper_Man

nebo said:


> *Mike, yu don't have to shave it, i've got a 12 dollar buzzer thing I'be been using for 8 years now and I just set it on the lowest setting and it get's really close, and no, never been cut yet. Heck, I hate shaving my face, if I had to shave my head too, uh uh, never happen. *



Lady H really doesn't like when I shave either.  Especially after the winter beard that I sometimes let grow.  Being part of our winter will be in WDW this year, I doubt the winter beard stick around this year.  



nebo said:


> *That strikes me odd that they don't have the finger imaging thing going on threr, I remember so well having to get your hand stamped on the way out. *



Yeah, we found it odd as well.  I was afraid to wash my hands after the scolding we took.  



nebo said:


> *I also think your style works just great, the two of you switching off like this.*



We thought we would try something different.  This way you get 2 perspectives of the parks instead of just one.  



nebo said:


> *I'm not sure if you mentioned it yet or not, but I've heard that unlike World, Land is definately more crowded on weekends, your thoughts?*



My thoughts.  

I think baseball needs to get rid of the DH and shorten the season.  Playing the World Series in late fall just seems odd considering a majority of the season is played during the summer.

And all these new rules the NFL is coming up with for player safety is absurd.  It's really changed the game.  Like kicking off from the 35 yard line now instead of the 30.  You no longer get to see any possible run backs now.  Some of those were definite game changers.

Oh wait.  You wanted my thoughts about the crowds at DL being worse on the weekends.  No I haven't talked much about this yet.  Just the little bit from the 2 chapters.  

I'll tell you what I think more about this later, but here's a quick synopsis.  Being this was our first time to DL/DCA, and we only went to the theme parks 3-days, I don't have much to go by.  Given Carsland is new, the crowds were definitely there.  Just like any other new ride or expansion, crowds will be heavy for a good year or so before they start to thin out.  Sunday morning, crowds were pretty light.  At DL anyways.  As you can tell by the way we were just getting onto the attractions with almost no wait time at all.  Crowds were definitely over at DCA this day.  Again, I attribute this to Carsland.  

This is about the best I can tell you until we get to our day DCA day Tuesday.  



nebo said:


> *Looking forward to hearing about that big coaster in teh background you took a pic of, you DID go and ride it, right?
> I don't care how many "Dumb wife, Dumb wife" Heather had to chant!*



That big thing?  Who would want to ride that thing?  A thrill seeker like me maybe?  Only time will tell.


----------



## Thumper_Man

nebo said:


> *mike, a great chapter again, but wow, a 40 dollar appetizer tray and you don't mind the price? Boy, i really must be a cheap ***turd. Boy, i can't wait to go there, i hope i hope i hope we can rent points and stay at the grand cali, i think it is.
> 
> 
> 
> pkondz said:
> 
> 
> 
> i know nebo flinched at that... But if it's enough for 4 people, that's not bad.
> 
> Don't mind him, though. He fell on his head, ya know.
> 
> 
> nebo said:
> 
> 
> 
> i'm still flinching over that,, and i thoguht there was only two of them. No, i never buy into the little comments on menus next to the items that say, "serves 4, or serves 6", usually it's never enough for all of you. Especiall,,, pizza, "serves 4" yeah,,, right,, i can eat the thing by myself and you want me to split it with 3 other people?
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> *



If we would've minded the price, we wouldn't have ordered it.  

This platter was really a lot of food though.  4-chesseburger sliders, about 6 pieces each of the buffalo and bbq wings, 4 chicken strips, 4 riblets (about 3 ribs to each riblet), and a big bowl of artichoke dip with chips.  If you factor the price, it was about $20 per person for the 2 of us.  So overall, the amount we got for what we paid was really a good value.  We had a refrigerator in our room.  If we were going back to our room right after lunch, we would've taken the leftovers and snacked on them later.  

Now get a family of 4, take for example Ponzi's family, this would've been a meal for all 4 of them.  In that case, it would've been $10 a person.  Now a family with 2 teenage boys, you may have had to order them each one.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Welcome to Fantasmic.  Tonight, our friend and host Mickey Mouse uses his vivid imagination to create magical imagery for all to enjoy.  Nothing is more wonderful than the imagination, for in a moment, you can experience a beautiful fantasy; or an exciting adventure!  But Beware!  Nothing is more powerful than the imagination.  For it can also expand your greatest fears into an overwhelming nightmare.  Are the powers of Mickeys incredible imagination strong enough, and bright enough, to withstand the evil forces that invade Mickeys dream?  Youre about to find out.  For we now invite you to join Mickey and experience *FANTASMIC!* A journey beyond your wildest imagination. 
*(Quote provided above is from the opening verse of the Fantasmic Musical Attraction showing at Disney theme parks)*.

After our quick tour of DCA, we decided its time to head back to DL.  The time was getting close to 7 and we wanted to see, rather we had no choice but to see the 9pm show of Fantasmic.  The shuttle we came in on stops running a half hour of the park closes, so seeing the 10:30pm show would be cutting it close for us to get back to the shuttle on time.  Park closes at 11pm  and its about a 20 minute show.  We didnt want to run the risk of missing the shuttle so we figured best to play it safe.

On our way out of DCA, we asked the CM if the branding iron was good and hot this time.   We wanted to make sure the stamp on our hand would not come off this time and that it would get us through DLs gate.   One scolding a day was enough.  We get to DL and get to the gate.  Hand the CM our tickets and show her our new branding.  Phew! Didnt come off between DCA to here.  Never know what can happen in that 2-minute walk.  As we enter DL, we notice there were definitely more people.  They probably all had the same plan we did.  See Fantasmic tonight because it may be the only chance they get.  

Instead of walking through Main Street, we decided to hop on the train and see if we can beat some of the crowds there.  Wouldve worked out great except some blind, bald guy threw up all over the place.  Bet he was suffering from a concussion and shouldve just stayed back at the hotel.  

Oops.  Wrong TR.  

Well actually it was some poor kid got sick in line.  There are 2 separate lines to get on the train.  One to the left and one to the right.  Well the poor kid got sick in the line to the right.  So the CMs closed of this area and had us all move to the left.  About a minute or so later, they realize that maybe they can open part of the lane.  Or not.  About a minute before the train pulled in, they finally opened the right lane.  Another CM (armed with a big can of industrial strength lysol, paper towels and trash bag) was sent to clean up the mess.  While cleaning up the mess, the CMs decided it would be safe to partially open up the right side.  So they sent some of the crowd back to the right.  I wish they would make up my mind which way I need to go to get on the train.  

Lady H and I hop on the train and get off in New Orleans Square.  Same place we boarded earlier to go to Toontown.  Its now a little after 7pm and you can already see people staking out real estate.  Unlike Fantasmic over at DHS that has its own seating arena; Fantasmic is shown at DL on Tom Sawyers Island in Frontierland.  The premium viewing area was roped off and they had armed Yellow Jackets waiting to shoot anyone that dared cross under the ropes.  You needed to pay thousands of dollars to sit in this premium viewing area.  Well $1k may be a little steep, but I think it was about $65 a person; so close enough.  I called to see if I can get this set up for Lady H and myself, but once I heard the price and told her how much it cost, we figured well just get there early and wait it out.  I know you get a box of desserts and for that price, I better get some free Fast Passes thrown in as well.  Now for our upcoming WDW trip, I booked the Wishes Dessert Party  and didnt even spend $65 for the 2 of us.   

Anyways, people are already standing up along the railings that werent being guarded.  Across the walkway is a wall where people are already starting to sit.  We see a couple of empty spots and decide to grab them and wait 2 long hours.  

Right now youre all thinking we were nuts.  No way would you wait 2 hours.  By this time, the lines were long for the rides and we were starting to feel a little dragged out.  Thought we would sit and rest a while.  

It had been a while since we had lunch.  Even after the huge platter, we were starting to get a little hungry and thirsty.  I set out to get us a couple of drinks while Lady H held our spot tight with both arms.  Which was a good thing.  Some lady was trying to move in and take control.  Lady H was having none of it and threatened to use her pepper spray to keep them away.  This worked for a little while, but not too long.  Lady H would tell me about it once I came back with a couple of sodas and Ice Cream.  Mickey Bar for her and Nestle Cookie Sandwich for me.  Now weve heard of people watching was fun to help pass the time, so we did.  While munching on our ice cream, were looking around and I spot an open area right behind us.  Its a little area and part of it was fenced off to keep people out of the bushes and trees, but accessible for people to get to.  Its higher up and not directly off the walking path which we were currently on.  I tell Lady H Im going to see what the view is like from here.  I go and examine the area.  No trees in the way if we stand here.  Dont look like its a handicapped area as I didnt see any signs.  I think it will do.  I come back for Lady H and our bags, and we head off to our new viewing spot.  No sooner did we move and stalker lady comes in and takes the spots. She had more people with her now. Think she was assembling the troops for an all out war.  No matter, she wont be there long anyways.

Now in our new viewing spot, many people come by and check it out; but many dont stick around.  We thought for sure our little area would start filling up quick.  Once people realize the show lights might be in the way, they go off in search of a new spot.  Lady H is starting to get a little cranky from standing up and now wants a salty snack.  Theyre selling popcorn close by and I give her money to go and get us a bucket.  First she says she needs to find a restroom to make room for more beer tonight when we get back to the room.  On her way back she stops for popcorn and shes happy once again.  Plus the sun is going down and its at least starting to feel a little cooler.  Not as hot as its been throughout the day.  

Soon its starting to get close to showtime and more YJs are buzzing about.
Theyre busy building their nest and roping off part of the walk way to make a path for through traffic.  Theyre evening scaring away the people who were sitting in our previous spot, including the lady that moved in after we left.  I tell Lady H, its a good thing we moved.  We wouldve been evicted and we didnt even get a warning letter.  They werent allowing anyone to sit on the wall, which made it better for Lady H and myself.  When we first picked out this new spot, we knew as long as people stayed sitting down, we could see over them.  Only way they could block our view is if they stood up on the wall.  Since the YJs are telling them they have to move and cant sit here, we now feel that we have a premium viewing spot and didnt have to pay the enormous fees.

Heres the YJs in action.  Notice the yellow shirt with the black strip.  They even look like YJs.  The yellow thing in their hand is their stinger.  They would zap you if you didnt do what they told you to.




This yellow jacket was sent to keep people away from sitting on the wall.  Notice the man in the white shirt and the lady sitting next to him in the purple shirt.  
Now you see them.




Now you don't.




Soon the show lights start to lift to get out of the way of peoples view and Fantasmic starts.  Our view wouldve been spectacular and for the most part it still was, except the little girl who sat on her dads shoulder and pretty much appeared in our whole video.  Overall we still had a pretty decent view.

I took our camcorder along with us to tape the show.  Which really helped because now I can do a better comparison.

In this corner, fighting out the East Coast.  DHS/Fantasmic
And in this corner, fighting out of the West Coast: DL/Fantasmic.

And the winner is:  Its a draw.  

Yes ladies and gentlemen, a draw.  This is another one the main attractions you need to see for yourself.  If youve seen the Fantasmic over at DHS, you will find many similarities over at DL.  There are some noticeable differences though and to me, each show is unique in its own way.    

First difference is DHS is more on a hilltop setting where over at DL its more of a cottage type setting. Each one starts off the same. You have Mickey starting off the show in his tuxedo.




Followed by the Fantasmic movie projection, flower projections, the human flower, and the  monkeys in the boats.  One difference here is along with the monkeys, they have the large snake as well.  This snake goes more with the theme and not so much after Mickey like over at DHS.  At DHS, the snake is longer and more scary looking.  

Here's the human flower and the head that would appear in the video.  




Then we get more into the projections and they are very different.  Over at DHS, you see many projections of the Disney animated movies to where at DL you have more projections from the Fantasmic movie.  Now something different over at DL is the Fantasmic projections are stopped and you get Pinocchio and some lady marionettes on strings dancing. 




After its the same projection of the whale swallowing Mickey at both DHS & DL.  When the whale finishes swallowing Mickey whole, this is where it gets really different.  Over at DHS you have CMs acting out scenes from Pocahantas.  Over at DL, you have CMs on the pirate ship acting out scenes from Peter Pan. 

Here comes the hook, hook, hook.  




Pan vs Hook








Peter Pan and Hook sail off and then it's time for the ball.








Next comes the evil queen from Snow White turning herself into the mean ol witch and calling up the forces of evil.  




Over at DHS, you see many projections of all the evil characters from the animated movies.  At DL, the only evil character you see the most is Ursula.  Soon Maleficent shows up and turns into the dragon.  




Now I would have to say that DLs dragon is just a little better.  The dragon looks more like the dragon Maleficent turns into in Sleeping Beauty.  The dragon over at DHS not so much.  I was a little disappointed with the dragon though.  Ive seen videos showing it breathing out this big stream of fire from it's mouth.  That didnt happen tonight. Dont know if DL no longer does this, or if they need to do repairs.  Either way the dragon was still cool to see.

Of course Mickey saves the day with his sword and defeats Maleficent.




Tink comes out and spreads pixie dust and brightens up everything again.  Mickey now appears as his alter ego, Steamboat Willie, along with the other characters on different style ships.  DL uses the Mark Twain (similar to MKs Liberty Belle), and DHS has more a ship that resembles the boat from Steamboat Willie. 




Steamboat Willie




Now this Mickey Mouse is someone I wouldnt want to mess around with.  He has one powerful imagination and is very magical.  Once again he reappears as another alter ego, a wizard this time. Starting to wonder if Jaleel White plays Mickey.  Remember all his alter egos in Family Matters?  Fireworks are going off and DL also has a laser light show that goes along with the end of the show.  Didnt see this at DHS.  One more magic puff and big blast of fireworks, and Mickey is back in his tux.  

Mickey says, Some Imagine Huh, and the show ends.  The endings to each Fantasmic are very similar as well. Since each show is very similar in content, with a few changes, this is why I cant really say one is better than the other.  

Fantasmic is over and we wait for the crowds to start clearing out.  Its time for the running of the bulls.   We stayed waiting for the crowds to push, kick and shove their way to the front of the park and the exits.  Once we saw it was safe we started making our way out to the exits as well.  There is only thing that will stop all these people dead in their tracks.  Fireworks. About 5 minutes after Fantasmic had ended they started up.  We stepped off to the side to enjoy the show.  I stood behind Lady H, wrapped my arms around her and enjoyed the moment.  It felt like the fireworks were going off for us in celebration of our anniversary; and celebrating the end of a magical day over at DL.   What a perfect ending to a perfect day.  

Soon after the fireworks were done, we were pretty much done.   We head to the shuttle area so we can head back to the resort.  Shuttle area wasnt too packed.  Well at least not the shuttle we were taking.  The line to catch the shuttle to the Toy Story parking was pretty crowded. 

Now what fun what would it be if we didnt have one last story to tell.  As we approach the line, we notice a lady in a ecv.  Now weve all read horror stories about ecvs.  This isnt going to be one of them.  There are those that need them and the rest of us just have to be patient while they get in and out of the busses.  I for one am grateful that I dont need one.  Well at least at the start of the day.  By the end of the night, I think it would be nice to have one for my aching feet and the rest of my tired body.    

We notice the lady in the ecv was in the line for our shuttle.  With her was a younger girl (about 8-9 years old I would say).  The girl was holding some shopping bags.  We had a short wait for a shuttle to pull up.  We knew they needed to load her first. What we didnt know was that, not only was there a younger girl with this woman, but at least 6 more people appear out of no where.  Teenagers to younger adults.  Seems they just appeared out of thin air.  Whats worse, each person seems to have at least 3-4 shopping bags, and one of them has a stroller big enough to push all of us around.   The driver loads the lady onto the shuttle.  The people with her are getting off and on the bus to load up all their bags.  Theyre piling the bags onto the seats and take up about 4 seats.  Once on board the lady stands up, gets out of her ecv and sits in a regular seat.  Now I dont know what procedure is, but Lady H and I were wondering if there were going to be any seats left; or if we would just have to wait for the next shuttle.  We also wondered why didnt the lady just stay seated in her ecv.  Isnt that part of the purpose of strapping them down?  Now Im not trying to discriminate here, Im just trying to make sense of the situation.  Luckily another shuttle pulled up about 5 minutes after the first shuttle.  So there was enough seating room for everyone who were waiting in line behind these people.  We landed up on the shuttle with the lady in the ecv.  There stop was before ours and it was funny to see them get off the shuttle.  It was like the Asian women all over again.  They worked like ants getting all the shopping bags off the shuttle while the driver was busy helping the lady.  Finally after 30 minutes or so when we got on the shuttle, we finally get back to our resort.

We head on back to our room and the first thing we grab is a beer.  2 big drinks and its done.  We change into our pjs and get ready for bed.  Not before having one last beer out on the balcony.  As I mentioned earlier, this would be our nightly ritual.  Lady H grabs her Kindle and we sit out on the balcony enjoying our beer, smoke our flavored Djarum mini-cigars and take notes.  Once were done we head to bed, time for some hanky panky.  I mean time to go to sleep.  Have to be up early again tomorrow, for tomorrow were headed to:   

*Universal Studios Hollywood. * 

Sorry folks, for taking so long to get through this day. The day is finally over and so is this chapter.  Lady H will take you through USH.  I know she's already been working on the chapters so hopefully we'll get this TR rolling again.  

Thanks everyone for being patient with me.  I'm sure Lady was wondering when I was going to finish so she can get started.
	

	
	
		
		

		
			
		
		
	


	




 And thanks sticking around with us while we deal with this thing they call WORK.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> Welcome to Fantasmic.



Da plane! Da plane!

Whoops! Sorry, thought you said something else.



Thumper_Man said:


> The time was getting close to 7 and we wanted to see, rather we had no choice but to see the 9pm show of Fantasmic.



Nah. You had a choice, you could've just skipped it altogether. (Everyone: You couldve just skipped it!!)

Sorry, again.

On second thought, you couldnt skip it. Theres some dude who keeps insisting on comparison shopping.



Thumper_Man said:


> We didnt want to run the risk of missing the shuttle so we figured best to play it safe.



Or you couldve played it smart. Oh look Lady H, the park is closed and we missed our shuttle. Guess well just have to spend the night in DL. Hmmm that castle over there looks like a good place to crash, no?



Thumper_Man said:


> Hand the CM our tickets and show her our new branding.  Phew! Didnt come off between DCA to here.



And you were probably so nervous that you were sweating enough to have it come off.



Thumper_Man said:


> Instead of walking through Main Street, we decided to hop on the train and see if we can beat some of the crowds there.  Wouldve worked out great except some blind, bald guy threw up all over the place.



 Ugh. Theyre all over the place, arent they?



Thumper_Man said:


> Bet he was suffering from a concussion and shouldve just stayed back at the hotel.
> 
> Oops.  Wrong TR.



 Yeah, sometimes its hard to keep track!



Thumper_Man said:


> So the CMs closed of this area and had us all move to the left.  About a minute or so later, they realize that maybe they can open part of the lane.  Or not.  About a minute before the train pulled in, they finally opened the right lane.  Another CM (armed with a big can of industrial strength lysol, paper towels and trash bag) was sent to clean up the mess.  While cleaning up the mess, the CMs decided it would be safe to partially open up the right side.  So they sent some of the crowd back to the right.  I wish they would make up my mind which way I need to go to get on the train.



You do the hokey pokey
And you turn yourself around
Thats what its all about.



Thumper_Man said:


> Fantasmic is shown at DL on Tom Sawyers Island in Frontierland.



Interesting.



Thumper_Man said:


> You needed to pay thousands of dollars to sit in this premium viewing area.  Well $1k may be a little steep, but I think it was about $65 a person; so close enough.



Naw, I believe you when you say its $1K. It _is_ Disney after all.



Thumper_Man said:


> Now for our upcoming WDW trip, I booked the Wishes Dessert Party  and didnt even spend $65 for the 2 of us.



And Ive seen (pictures of) those desserts and less then $65 for two is pretty darned good.



Thumper_Man said:


> We see a couple of empty spots and decide to grab them and wait 2 long hours.
> 
> Right now youre all thinking we were nuts.  No way would you wait 2 hours.



Actually. no. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. And with two of you there that means you can do just what you did. One person guards then the other goes for a stroll, then you switch.



Thumper_Man said:


> Lady H was having none of it and threatened to use her pepper spray to keep them away.



Atta girl!



Thumper_Man said:


> No sooner did we move and stalker lady comes in and takes the spots. She had more people with her now. Think she was assembling the troops for an all out war.  No matter, she wont be there long anyways.



Oh?



Thumper_Man said:


> On her way back she stops for popcorn and shes happy once again.  Plus the sun is going down and its at least starting to feel a little cooler.



Plus shes relieved because shes just gone to ummm I mean.

Nevermind.



Thumper_Man said:


> Theyre evening scaring away the people who were sitting in our previous spot, including the lady that moved in after we left.  I tell Lady H, its a good thing we moved.  We wouldve been evicted and we didnt even get a warning letter.



Wow! Lucky break! 



Thumper_Man said:


> Heres the YJs in action.  Notice the yellow shirt with the black strip.  They even look like YJs.  The yellow thing in their hand is their stinger.  They would zap you if you didnt do what they told you to.







Thumper_Man said:


> Soon the show lights start to lift to get out of the way of peoples view and Fantasmic starts.



Not quite clear on that. The lights lifted?



Thumper_Man said:


> Our view wouldve been spectacular and for the most part it still was, except the little girl who sat on her dads shoulder and pretty much appeared in our whole video.



I guess its just Disney. Or maybe its me being a father. Either way, I dont mind that.



Thumper_Man said:


> Since each show is very similar in content, with a few changes, this is why I cant really say one is better than the other.



Thanks for all the pics and the great breakdown. I was impress by the dragon and the pirate ship in particular.



Thumper_Man said:


> It felt like the fireworks were going off for us in celebration of our anniversary; and celebrating the end of a magical day over at DL.   What a perfect ending to a perfect day.



Thats great. Thanks for the uh, wait. Theres more? But you already had the perfect ending!



Thumper_Man said:


> What we didnt know was that, not only was there a younger girl with this woman, but at least 6 more people appear out of no where.



Gee, and I just read another TR where a very similar thing happened.



Thumper_Man said:


> Luckily another shuttle pulled up about 5 minutes after the first shuttle.



Thats pretty good.



Thumper_Man said:


> We head on back to our room and the first thing we grab is a beer.  2 big drinks and its done.



Did you each have a beer and 2 big drinks (would that be doubles? Or triples?) or just you?



Thumper_Man said:


> Once were done we head to bed, time for some hanky panky.



Except when you put down the camcorder with the video with the girl on her Daddys shoulders, you forgot to turn it off and now youre being sued for $100 million.

Oh, wait. Thats Hulk Hogan.

I get you guys mixed up.



Thumper_Man said:


> Sorry folks, for taking so long to get through this day.



No worries. Youre doing just fine.



Thumper_Man said:


> And thanks sticking around with us while we deal with this thing they call WORK.



Terrible thing when you have to actually work at work. Thanks for chapter Mike! :


----------



## smidgy

thanks for the fantasmic comparison.   even tho I hate going into that huge auditorium at DHS and sitting there for an hour, at least you know they are all legal seats, and you don't have to "scramble" for seats much..

I would've been really ticked if I staked out a spot on that wall for an hour, then be told to move. a t least fot fant. as dhe, you've got your spot.. and at Mk, all you really need is a small spot to stand on .  but illum at epcot, it's more important to not have too many people in front fo you... I am content to sit on the groundstaking out a railing spot for a long time. nebo, not so much.

ps I really dislike it when people take up seats on the bus with packages.


----------



## Backstage_Gal

Thanks for the great update, T-Man. 

Fantasmic on either coast (surprise!). The one time I went to see it a few years ago at DHS, a tropical storm came through and it got cancelled. 
At least we got to have dinner at H&V that night.

A comet regarding vomit (hate to resurrect that topic, but I totally forgot about it on Nebo's TR). They now have some sort of spray that reduces it to basically dust than you can just sweep up. Not that I have ever witnessed it, and I have no plans to either.....


----------



## dwheatl

I really wish they had built a stadium to watch Fantasmic at DL, but then I guess that would block the view of Tom Sawyer Island and make NO Square ugly. 
I don't think folks are supposed to stay in the ECV while the vehicle is moving. Yes, the cart is strapped down, but the rider isn't. Shuttles and buses are made with shock-absorbing backs to the seats, so in a crash, you would be thrown into a kind of stiff pillow. On an ECV, you would be thrown into the steering mechanism. Not good. 
We were told at WDW, however, that a few of us could stay with the ECV driver, but if we had a larger group, the rest would have to wait in the other line, and get on when it was their turn, not with the ECV. That seems fair, I think.


----------



## pkondz

Backstage_Gal said:


> They now have some sort of spray that reduces it to basically dust than you can just sweep up. Not that I have ever witnessed it, and I have no plans to either.....



I can see it now...
"See? Isn't this great? Instead of mopping up the mess, you can just sweep it up or vacuum it!"

... and then a gust of wind came along...


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> Da plane! Da plane!
> 
> Whoops! Sorry, thought you said something else.



Well considering you enter a land of fantasy and the show is on an island, you weren't too far off.   



pkondz said:


> Nah. You had a choice, you could've just skipped it altogether. (Everyone: You couldve just skipped it!!)
> 
> Sorry, again.



Don't be sorry.  We actually like Fantasmic.  I know some don't.  It was really interesting to see the differences.  Plus being out in the park like that instead of some secluded little corner made it more interesting.



pkondz said:


> On second thought, you couldnt skip it. Theres some dude who keeps insisting on comparison shopping.



I was hoping some dude would've gone first and told us about it.  Take it he actually stays on his feet the whole time there.



pkondz said:


> Or you couldve played it smart. Oh look Lady H, the park is closed and we missed our shuttle. Guess well just have to spend the night in DL. Hmmm that castle over there looks like a good place to crash, no?



As tempting as that would've sounded, it might not have worked considering we were going to USH the next day.  We would've had to wait til 8 in the morning to be let out.  



pkondz said:


> And you were probably so nervous that you were sweating enough to have it come off.



No.  I had a towel and dried my hands.



pkondz said:


> Ugh. Theyre all over the place, arent they?







pkondz said:


> Yeah, sometimes its hard to keep track!



Especially as busy as I've been at work lately.  We're supposed to be going into our slower months, but seems busier than ever.  Could also be we'll be gone for 2 weeks in December, so I have to make sure and have everything done by then.



pkondz said:


> You do the hokey pokey
> And you turn yourself around
> Thats what its all about.



You let the line back in, you make the line get out.
You let the line back in, and make people want to shout.
You do the hokey pokey til the CM's figure it out.
That's what it's all about.



pkondz said:


> Naw, I believe you when you say its $1K. It _is_ Disney after all.



Right.  I've seen the box they give you on a few other sites.  Not worth the price IMO.



pkondz said:


> And Ive seen (pictures of) those desserts and less then $65 for two is pretty darned good.



They do.  This will be a first for us over there.  Figured might as well try at least everything once.  Well everything except jumping off a 200ft bridge without a parachute.  Gotta have a few standards.



pkondz said:


> Actually. no. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. And with two of you there that means you can do just what you did. One person guards then the other goes for a stroll, then you switch.



Yeah.  It worked out well.  Too bad DL is a dry theme park.  We covered that later on in the trip though.




pkondz said:


> Wow! Lucky break!



Couldn't have worked out any better than if we had planned it.




pkondz said:


> Not quite clear on that. The lights lifted?



Yeah.  There are what appear to be large wooden storage crates around the viewing area. Hidden inside these crates, below ground level, are actually the lights for the show.  They are on hydraulic lifts.  Before the show begins, they are lifted to ground level, so they look like they'll be in the way.  Once it gets closer to show time, they lift the lights.

I found a good thread on here explaining the lights (along with pictures) so you can see what I'm talking about.   http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2225094



pkondz said:


> I guess its just Disney. Or maybe its me being a father. Either way, I dont mind that.



Well I did.  She ruined my video and pictures.  

Ok, I'm just kidding.  We really didn't mind it either.  We got to see the show and that's all that matters.  It was just funny to see this silhouette in all my pictures and video.  Next time I'll just have to stake out a better spot 3 hours ahead of time.  



pkondz said:


> Thanks for all the pics and the great breakdown. I was impress by the dragon and the pirate ship in particular.



I was really impressed with the dragon as well.  Still wish I could've seen the fire come out of it's mouth.  Hopefully next time.



pkondz said:


> Thats great. Thanks for the uh, wait. Theres more? But you already had the perfect ending!



Well we did have the perfect ending, INSIDE the theme park. There's always adventures outside the park as well.  




pkondz said:


> Did you each have a beer and 2 big drinks (would that be doubles? Or triples?) or just you?



I guess I should clarify.  We each had 2 beers.  My first beer I finished by taking 2 swigs, gulps, drinks, swallows, you get the idea.  



pkondz said:


> Except when you put down the camcorder with the video with the girl on her Daddys shoulders, you forgot to turn it off and now youre being sued for $100 million.
> 
> Oh, wait. Thats Hulk Hogan.
> 
> I get you guys mixed up.



Considering the camera battery lasted just long enough to record the show, the world will never know.  



pkondz said:


> No worries. Youre doing just fine.



Thanks.  For a minute there, it seemed our thread just died and I lost all the readers.



pkondz said:


> Terrible thing when you have to actually work at work.



It sure does eat into my Dis time.  By the time I finish here, I mean at work, I don't want to turn on the puter at home since I work on one most of the day.



pkondz said:


> Thanks for chapter Mike! :



Thanks for breakdown.


----------



## Thumper_Man

smidgy said:


> thanks for the fantasmic comparison.



Anytime.  Glad I was able to share this adventure with you.  



smidgy said:


> even tho I hate going into that huge auditorium at DHS and sitting there for an hour, at least you know they are all legal seats, and you don't have to "scramble" for seats much..



Going into the auditorium is a P.I.........Neck.  Like you said, the one good thing about this is you actually have a seat.  Once we moved from the wall, it was a matter of sitting on the hard brick floor if we wanted to sit.  



smidgy said:


> I would've been really ticked if I staked out a spot on that wall for an hour, then be told to move. a t least fot fant. as dhe, you've got your spot.. and at Mk, all you really need is a small spot to stand on .



Oh there was some unhappy campers here.  There were some people who had been there longer than what we had been.  It gets more interesting later on in the week.  Sorta.



smidgy said:


> but illum at epcot, it's more important to not have too many people in front fo you... I am content to sit on the groundstaking out a railing spot for a long time. nebo, not so much.



We've done the staking out here to.  We learned a couple of good places to get a good viewing area that aren't along the railing.  We tried one last trip and it worked out pretty good.



smidgy said:


> ps I really dislike it when people take up seats on the bus with packages.



We did some shopping as well, but didn't have nearly as many bags as they did.  Considering this wasn't a Disney shuttle and it only held about 50 people max, they took up a lot of seats.  Thankfully another shuttle showed up and everybody was able to get on.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Backstage_Gal said:


> Thanks for the great update, T-Man.



Thanks for sticking around. 



Backstage_Gal said:


> Fantasmic on either coast (surprise!). The one time I went to see it a few years ago at DHS, a tropical storm came through and it got cancelled.
> At least we got to have dinner at H&V that night.



We haven't had any shows cancelled on us, yet.  



Backstage_Gal said:


> A comet regarding vomit (hate to resurrect that topic, but I totally forgot about it on Nebo's TR). They now have some sort of spray that reduces it to basically dust than you can just sweep up. Not that I have ever witnessed it, and I have no plans to either.....



I didn't see the CM actually do the clean up either.  I just remember seeing her come with a bag, lots of paper towels and a spray.  You could smell the spray and it smelled like Lysol.  Interesting to know that's what it does.


----------



## Thumper_Man

dwheatl said:


> I really wish they had built a stadium to watch Fantasmic at DL, but then I guess that would block the view of Tom Sawyer Island and make NO Square ugly.



I actually liked the way it was presented here.  Lack of seating was the only bummer, but we made it work.  



dwheatl said:


> I don't think folks are supposed to stay in the ECV while the vehicle is moving. Yes, the cart is strapped down, but the rider isn't. Shuttles and buses are made with shock-absorbing backs to the seats, so in a crash, you would be thrown into a kind of stiff pillow. On an ECV, you would be thrown into the steering mechanism. Not good.



Thanks for the clarification.  Wasn't sure what the rules were.  Makes more sense to me now.



dwheatl said:


> We were told at WDW, however, that a few of us could stay with the ECV driver, but if we had a larger group, the rest would have to wait in the other line, and get on when it was their turn, not with the ECV. That seems fair, I think.



This wasn't a Disney operated shuttle though.  Since we all paid for our passes, I guess it's also fair to say first come, first serve.  

Over at WDW, you read a lot of stories about people abusing this. Put one person in a ecv/wheelchair so the whole group can skip the regular lines.  I think it was even discussed briefly on Nebo's TR.  This is probably why WDW has limited the number of people who can go with the ecv/wheelchair.


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> I can see it now...
> "See? Isn't this great? Instead of mopping up the mess, you can just sweep it up or vacuum it!"
> 
> ... and then a gust of wind came along...



EWWW!!!


----------



## nebo

Backstage_Gal said:


> Thanks for the great update, T-Man.
> 
> 
> 
> A comet regarding vomit (hate to resurrect that topic, but I totally forgot about it on Nebo's TR). They now have some sort of spray that reduces it to basically dust than you can just sweep up. Not that I have ever witnessed it, and I have no plans to either.....



So, I'm the official spew reporter now, too? 
 ok, I can live with that. 
 But Marita, were you making a typo saying a "comment reguarding vomit, or did you mean Comet, the cleanser?
  and should I write a Comet Vomit Sonnet while we're on it?
 I have seen that stuff in action though, for anyone who's worked in a shop, it's basically a type of "Oil Dry". 
 Very effective. 



dwheatl said:


> We were told at WDW, however, that a few of us could stay with the ECV driver, but if we had a larger group, the rest would have to wait in the other line, and get on when it was their turn, not with the ECV. That seems fair, I think.



I hadn't heard of that change in policy, or seen it yet enforced, but it sounds more than fair to me. 
  Like I said before, that morning we waited for the woman in the ECV to load, after she got on so did the rest of her group, which included the Green Bay Packers and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. 



Thumper_Man said:


> I was hoping some dude would've gone first and told us about it.  Take it he actually stays on his feet the whole time there.
> 
> It has been clinically proven that even if the Dude stays on his feet that doesn't necessarilly mean that trouble will be avoided.
> Actually, Funtasmic is my least favorite nighttime Disney show. I think the end would be so much more dramatic if they would accompany Mickey standing on the top of the mountain with some real fireworks , instead of a couple of sparklers going off.
> My main thiought now when the spotlight hits Ol' Mick standing up there in all his glory is "What a target!"
> 
> You let the line back in, you make the line get out.
> You let the line back in, and make people want to shout.
> You do the hokey pokey til the CM's figure it out.
> That's what it's all about.
> 
> You're not going to do tthe Chicken Dance at the Dawa Bar too, are you?
> 
> 
> Yeah.  It worked out well.  Too bad DL is a dry theme park.  We covered that later on in the trip though.
> 
> What?
> Oh where have I gone wrong?
> I thought I taught you well. There ARE no dry parks in Disney, not unless you let it be that way.
> WHat with fuzzy cups, Sunny D's, little airplane bottles,
> I usually set up a stand in Frontierland. Although I do see
> that you and Lady H are mostly beer drinkers, which is more problematic, requiring tubes, body molded reservoirs and refridgerants, but it can be done. You just have to find an outlet to plug yourself in once an hour to keep the beer cold, but hey,  if you like your beer,,,
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Yeah.  There are what appear to be large wooden storage crates around the viewing area. Hidden inside these crates, below ground level, are actually the lights for the show.  They are on hydraulic lifts.  Before the show begins, they are lifted to ground level, so they look like they'll be in the way.  Once it gets closer to show time, they lift the lights.
> 
> I found a good thread on here explaining the lights (along with pictures) so you can see what I'm talking about.   http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2225094
> 
> ah, ok, now I get it. Normally I hate to agree with the Canadian Bacon but I didn't get what you meant at first either.
> 
> Well I did.  She ruined my video and pictures.
> 
> When there are people in my way and I want them to go away, I use one of two methods to accomplish that, with about a 55 percent success rate.
> Method one is the usually effective, "Wow, how long IS that thing, do you think it's poisonous?"
> Or, with the older crowd;
> "Uh oh honey, this is not good, I don't think I should have had that third chili-cheese dog after all, not after all that beer."  Usually by the time I get to " Does it seem as if things are starting to spin around?"  the offending people have skedaddled.
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks.  For a minute there, it seemed our thread just died and I lost all the readers.
> 
> Mike, these are not your normal sane readers over here. Unfortunately, a lot of them are from my thread, and they'll be the first to admit, they want BLOOD.
> Somehow, they have gotten more than a taste for it and now there's no going back, Ponzi found that out as well.
> I don't mean to be derogatory, they a ll have huge hearts and mean well, but that doesn't change the fact they want blood. Even the lovely Backstage Gal would have had a season pass for the Colosseum back in the day, holding her thumb either up or down.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks for breakdown.



Thanks for the chapter Mikey. 



pkondz said:


> Nah. You had a choice, you could've just skipped it altogether. (Everyone: You couldve just skipped it!!)
> 
> *You could have just skipped it.
> True story:
> 
> Yesterday, I got the mail and was going through it when I saw the telltale red Netflix envelope.
> 
> And I just said outloud to no one in particular,
> "Oh, we got a new movie." I hadn't even opened it yet.
> 
> Diane:  A movie?  What is it?
> 
> And yes, it came right down the middle and I did not miss it, you know what the response was, even Diane said
> "Thank you Leslie" letting me know she got it
> 
> If somebody out there  didn't get the unfinished joke just now, Mike or Ponzi will be glad to splain it to you, I'm sure.
> But really, how often are you set up like that?*
> 
> On second thought, you couldnt skip it. Theres some dude who keeps insisting on comparison shopping.
> 
> *All this "Dude-ing" I'm starting to feel like Dean Martin in one of my top five westerns, Rio Bravo.*
> 
> .
> 
> 
> 
> I guess its just Disney. Or maybe its me being a father. Either way, I dont mind that.
> 
> *That's cuz it's YOU that Ruby is putting on her shoulders so you can get a better view. *
> 
> Thanks for all the pics and the great breakdown. I was impress by the dragon and the pirate ship in particular.
> 
> 
> 
> Thats great. Thanks for the uh, wait. Theres more? But you already had the perfect ending!
> 
> *Yes, I was hoping you were done too. *
> 
> Gee, and I just read another TR where a very similar thing happened.
> 
> *Yeah?  AND SO, what happened?  (oh, this is gonna be good!)*
> 
> 
> Except when you put down the camcorder with the video with the girl on her Daddys shoulders, you forgot to turn it off and now youre being sued for $100 million.
> 
> Oh, wait. Thats Hulk Hogan.
> 
> *Oh no, he said he didn't know they were filming it.
> You'd think when the director yelled out "Action" that might have given it away. *
> 
> I get you guys mixed up.
> 
> *Wait, Mike and the Hulk? I got lost and confused reading just the one sides here. *
> 
> No worries. Youre doing just fine.
> 
> 
> 
> Terrible thing when you have to actually work at work. Thanks for chapter Mike! :



*And after Ponzi took all this time breaking it down, I'd like to give credit too, Thanks for the chapter,  Mike. *


----------



## pkondz

nebo said:


> You could have just skipped it.



_Thank_ you.



nebo said:


> True story:
> 
> Yesterday, I got the mail and was going through it when I saw the telltale red Netflix envelope.
> 
> And I just said outloud to no one in particular,
> "Oh, we got a new movie." I hadn't even opened it yet.
> 
> Diane: A movie? What is it?
> 
> And yes, it came right down the middle and I did not miss it, you know what the response was, even Diane said
> "Thank you Leslie" letting me know she got it



 Perfect set up!



nebo said:


> moi of course said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I guess its just Disney. Or maybe its me being a father. Either way, I dont mind that.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> That's cuz it's YOU that Ruby is putting on her shoulders so you can get a better view.
Click to expand...


I fail to see a problem with that. Sure she struggles... but what a great view for _me_!


----------



## Backstage_Gal

> I don't mean to be derogatory, they a ll have huge hearts and mean well, but that doesn't change the fact they want blood. Even the lovely Backstage Gal would have had a season pass for the Colosseum back in the day, holding her thumb either up or down.



Hey, I object! I do not like blood nor wish misfortune on anyone! I want everyone to have a great time and live to tell about it. And I most certainly would not have bought tickets for the Colosseum.


----------



## cjlvsccm

Diane: A movie? What is it? 


It's moving pictures on film, viewed for entertainment.


----------



## mmeb144

cjlvsccm said:


> Diane: A movie? What is it?
> 
> 
> It's moving pictures on film, viewed for entertainment.



Thanks!  I was having a hard time remembering the punch line.


----------



## pkondz

cjlvsccm said:


> Diane: A movie? What is it?
> 
> 
> It's moving pictures on film, viewed for entertainment.



Don't forget the "But that's not important right now." part.


----------



## Thumper_Man

nebo said:


> It has been clinically proven that even if the Dude stays on his feet that doesn't necessarilly mean that trouble will be avoided.



Oh that's right.  He likes to walk into walls with his shins to.  



nebo said:


> Actually, Funtasmic is my least favorite nighttime Disney show. I think the end would be so much more dramatic if they would accompany Mickey standing on the top of the mountain with some real fireworks , instead of a couple of sparklers going off.
> My main thiought now when the spotlight hits Ol' Mick standing up there in all his glory is "What a target!"



Well considering this is all DL has besides Fireworks, there really isn't too much night time entertainment.  So, as it's been so graciously pointed out to me that we could've just skipped it, we didn't really want to skip it since that's all there pretty much is.



nebo said:


> You're not going to do tthe Chicken Dance at the Dawa Bar too, are you?



Nah.  We were thinking of doing something more modern.  The Wobble or Cupid Shuffle maybe?   



nebo said:


> What?
> Oh where have I gone wrong?
> I thought I taught you well. There ARE no dry parks in Disney, not unless you let it be that way.
> WHat with fuzzy cups, Sunny D's, little airplane bottles,
> I usually set up a stand in Frontierland. Although I do see
> that you and Lady H are mostly beer drinkers, which is more problematic, requiring tubes, body molded reservoirs and refridgerants, but it can be done. You just have to find an outlet to plug yourself in once an hour to keep the beer cold, but hey, if you like your beer,,,



Uh-Hum.  I said we would take care of this problem later.

We tend to be more beer drinkers I think because it's usually more available in the parks.  Plus tends to be a little cheaper on the wallet.  Let me post a friendly reminder of what we had at SH 55.  Just in case you forgot already.  You did hit your head after all.

One Chocolate Martini for Lady H




And Mai Tai for myself




Now does that look like beer to you?  



nebo said:


> ah, ok, now I get it. Normally I hate to agree with the Canadian Bacon but I didn't get what you meant at first either.



I guess the phrase "you have to see it for yourself" comes to mind, to actually know what I'm talking about.  Glad I found that thread to help explain it better.  



nebo said:


> When there are people in my way and I want them to go away, I use one of two methods to accomplish that, with about a 55 percent success rate.
> Method one is the usually effective, "Wow, how long IS that thing, do you think it's poisonous?"
> Or, with the older crowd;
> "Uh oh honey, this is not good, I don't think I should have had that third chili-cheese dog after all, not after all that beer." Usually by the time I get to " Does it seem as if things are starting to spin around?" the offending people have skedaddled.



What about the other 45% of the time?  



nebo said:


> Mike, these are not your normal sane readers over here. Unfortunately, a lot of them are from my thread, and they'll be the first to admit, they want BLOOD.
> Somehow, they have gotten more than a taste for it and now there's no going back, Ponzi found that out as well.
> I don't mean to be derogatory, they a ll have huge hearts and mean well, but that doesn't change the fact they want blood. Even the lovely Backstage Gal would have had a season pass for the Colosseum back in the day, holding her thumb either up or down.



Well I did knick myself shaving.  Think that's enough blood to satisfy them?  





nebo said:


> Thanks for breakdown.



No, thank you sir.  



nebo said:


> *And after Ponzi took all this time breaking it down, I'd like to give credit too, Thanks for the chapter,  Mike. *



Of course he had time. No new chapters on your TR yet.     But you are welcome.  I'm already busy working on DCA while Lady H takes you through USH.


----------



## nebo

Pssst, 

   Here's a secret for you;



 There is a  mad flurry of construction activity going on at the Universal Studios, Florida. 
While the old Amity/Jaws area is being transformed into a London/Harry Potter Diagon Alley section, they are also building a Transformer ride on the other side of the park, similar to what they have at Hollywood. 
  All  I know about the ride is that it's similar to Spiderman, so I DO hope you are going to cover that when Lady H does her report on the Studios. 

   IMO, Spidey is the greatest ride/attraction in the COUNTRY!

  No, Uni isn't admitting Transformers yet, but my sources are good. 

   I think.


----------



## Thumper_Man

nebo said:
			
		

> Pssst,
> 
> Here's a secret for you;
> 
> 
> 
> There is a  mad flurry of construction activity going on at the Universal Studios, Florida.
> While the old Amity/Jaws area is being transformed into a London/Harry Potter Diagon Alley section, they are also building a Transformer ride on the other side of the park, similar to what they have at Hollywood.
> All  I know about the ride is that it's similar to Spiderman, so I DO hope you are going to cover that when Lady H does her report on the Studios.
> 
> IMO, Spidey is the greatest ride/attraction in the COUNTRY!
> 
> No, Uni isn't admitting Transformers yet, but my sources are good.
> 
> I think.



Well if you really want to know about Transformers, let me tell you about it real quick. If you think Spiderman is good, well Transformers is ............................................................................

Tune in later and Lady H will tell you all about it.


----------



## bankr63

nebo said:


> Pssst,
> 
> Here's a secret for you;
> 
> 
> 
> There is a  mad flurry of construction activity going on at the Universal Studios, Florida.
> While the old Amity/Jaws area is being transformed into a London/Harry Potter Diagon Alley section, they are also building a Transformer ride on the other side of the park, similar to what they have at Hollywood.
> All  I know about the ride is that it's similar to Spiderman, so I DO hope you are going to cover that when Lady H does her report on the Studios.
> 
> IMO, Spidey is the greatest ride/attraction in the COUNTRY!
> 
> No, Uni isn't admitting Transformers yet, but my sources are good.
> 
> I think.



Just 'cause I'm too lazy to go surfing around the Uni threads, any word on opening dates yet?  We'll be back in USF/IOA in March for a day or two - would be nice to have a new attraction to try!  Of course I may have to do Chinese Fireball this time as I've already been on the Hungarian Horntail with DS.  That is one INTENSE coaster, and will take a while to recover from.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

bankr63 said:


> Just 'cause I'm too lazy to go surfing around the Uni threads, any word on opening dates yet?  We'll be back in USF/IOA in March for a day or two - would be nice to have a new attraction to try!  Of course I may have to do Chinese Fireball this time as I've already been on the Hungarian Horntail with DS.  That is one INTENSE coaster, and will take a while to recover from.



I haven't heard about dates yet, but I haven't really been doing much in regards to research on it. T-Man may be able to give you more info. As for the Dragon Challenge ride, I agree with you 100%. Every time I ride that one, no matter which dragon side I am on, I need time to recover. But of course that's what the Hogs Head Pub is for. Gives us a chance to sit down afterwards and have a Hogs Head Brew or two before moving on to the next ride.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

Thumper_Man said:


> Well actually it was some poor kid got sick in line.  There are 2 separate lines to get on the train.  One to the left and one to the right.  Well the poor kid got sick in the line to the right.  So the CMs closed of this area and had us all move to the left.  About a minute or so later, they realize that maybe they can open part of the lane.  Or not.  About a minute before the train pulled in, they finally opened the right lane.  Another CM (armed with a big can of industrial strength lysol, paper towels and trash bag) was sent to clean up the mess.  While cleaning up the mess, the CMs decided it would be safe to partially open up the right side.  So they sent some of the crowd back to the right.  I wish they would make up my mind which way I need to go to get on the train.



What I laughed at was, they were pretty much done cleaning it all up, and there was a line waiting for the train in that section before they decided that they should move everyone over to the other side. I looked at T-Man and thought, shouldn't they have moved everyone once the kid threw up so they didn't have to sit there watching someone clean it up in the first place? But I guess they need witnesses to the clean up, but then have to give everyone an exercise routine to make sure everyone else is good, so there are no other clean ups necessary. "If we get them nice and dizzy, and no one else throws up, then we can put them back in this section for the next train." 





Thumper_Man said:


> Anyways, people are already standing up along the railings that werent being guarded.  Across the walkway is a wall where people are already starting to sit.  We see a couple of empty spots and decide to grab them and wait 2 long hours.



And grab them we did. We sort of spread out a little too. Placing our back packs on either side of us so we had that extra few inches to stretch, since we would be there for a while. Seems some people think that is just a holding area and the moment we move the bag to grab something from inside, they almost pounce on the spot. It's crazy! 



Thumper_Man said:


> Right now youre all thinking we were nuts.  No way would you wait 2 hours.  By this time, the lines were long for the rides and we were starting to feel a little dragged out.  Thought we would sit and rest a while.



I have to apologize to T-Man here. We are usually go go go all day long in the parks. Stopping periodically for either a drink or a snack if need be, but otherwise we don't take many breaks for rest. DSIL thinks her brother is a slave driver at times. So I know I get on him about giving us some time to rest and enjoy the experience. Well here we are, getting a great span of time to relax and enjoy and I turn into the Wicked Witch of the West for a time. I really did get a little crabby while we were waiting. I think I was just tired and hurting and trying to hide the fact that I was hurting and took it out on him a little. I'm sorry honey! 



Thumper_Man said:


> It had been a while since we had lunch.  Even after the huge platter, we were starting to get a little hungry and thirsty.  I set out to get us a couple of drinks while Lady H held our spot tight with both arms.  Which was a good thing.  Some lady was trying to move in and take control.  Lady H was having none of it and threatened to use her pepper spray to keep them away.  This worked for a little while, but not too long.  Lady H would tell me about it once I came back with a couple of sodas and Ice Cream.  Mickey Bar for her and Nestle Cookie Sandwich for me.  Now weve heard of people watching was fun to help pass the time, so we did.  While munching on our ice cream, were looking around and I spot an open area right behind us.  Its a little area and part of it was fenced off to keep people out of the bushes and trees, but accessible for people to get to.  Its higher up and not directly off the walking path which we were currently on.  I tell Lady H Im going to see what the view is like from here.  I go and examine the area.  No trees in the way if we stand here.  Dont look like its a handicapped area as I didnt see any signs.  I think it will do.  I come back for Lady H and our bags, and we head off to our new viewing spot.  No sooner did we move and stalker lady comes in and takes the spots. She had more people with her now. Think she was assembling the troops for an all out war.  No matter, she wont be there long anyways.



The lady and her husband were eying our spot for a while I think, and as soon as T-Man left they were ready to move in. The lady tried to sit practically on top of me on my right side, which was were T-Man was sitting. He had left his bad, and I had scooted over to my left a little, and set my bag with his to create a little more space to save, for when he came back. I swear if I hadn't moved the backpack, she would have sat on it. I looked at her and told her, "Excuse me, My husband is sitting there and will be right back." she looked at me like I was an alien and then gave me the biggest dirty look ever before moving. 

She then proceeds to move to the other side of me. There is about a good 4 feet or so between where I am sitting and the end of this wall to the stairs leading up and over to the restaurant behind us. There is also a trash can that is taking up a good foot of that space. But that didn't seem to phase these people, as the lady sat practically right on top of me now on my left hand side, and the husband sits right next to her, which put him just behind the trash can. So now every time someone wants to throw something away, they have to work their way around him and her to do so. And the looks they are giving these poor people who are doing nothing but making sure they are not litter bugs was ridiculous. I think this is where I realized what a sour puss I was being and tried to be better for the rest of the time we were waiting. 




Thumper_Man said:


> Soon its starting to get close to showtime and more YJs are buzzing about.
> Theyre busy building their nest and roping off part of the walk way to make a path for through traffic.  Theyre evening scaring away the people who were sitting in our previous spot, including the lady that moved in after we left.



To say the least the lady and her husband were not very happy. They had been sitting there a while and were pretty much ready to move in. I think one of them had literally laid down on the wall to wait it out. When they were "evicted" the lady kept trying to just inch herself down the wall, thinking that if she wasn't sitting in that one particular 6 inch section, then she could at least sit in this one, and I have to say it was quite funny to watch as she would inch herself off to her left, and think she was being sneaky, before the YJ's would come to tell her to once again move. After a few times of being told to move, she moved off the wall, and stood by the trash can, before finally trying her luck on the stairs next to the trash can. I lost track of her after that. 







Thumper_Man said:


> And the winner is:  Its a draw.



I have to say I'm in agreance with T-Man here. I really can't say I liked one above the other. Each one had their own special things that made it unique and interesting. Which I liked because I for one did not feel like I had seen this for the hundredth time. 




Thumper_Man said:


> Fantasmic is over and we wait for the crowds to start clearing out.  Its time for the running of the bulls.   We stayed waiting for the crowds to push, kick and shove their way to the front of the park and the exits.  Once we saw it was safe we started making our way out to the exits as well.



This was one thing I did like about the DL version, or at least the place Fantasmic was being shown here in DL as opposed to WDW. Even though there were tons of people almost everywhere you looked, It wasn't that difficult to get through the crowds. Maybe because everyone was so spread out, and there were so many possible exits, even if you went the long way around, it was worth it. Unlike WDW were you only have one way in and one way out. 




Thumper_Man said:


> There is only thing that will stop all these people dead in their tracks.  Fireworks. About 5 minutes after Fantasmic had ended they started up.  We stepped off to the side to enjoy the show.  I stood behind Lady H, wrapped my arms around her and enjoyed the moment.  It felt like the fireworks were going off for us in celebration of our anniversary; and celebrating the end of a magical day over at DL.   What a perfect ending to a perfect day.



It definitely was a great way to end the night. We had at one point said we wouldn't stay for the fireworks, because my back was starting to get to me, but the minute they started and I leaned into him, I knew I wouldn't have done it any other way.  



OK all, I am hoping to get the next chapter up tonight. Just putting the finishing touches on it.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

Let me splainNo, theres too much, let me sum up.  

The day we fly here, We get up at the crack of dawn. The next day, again up at the crack of dawn. (I think T-Man let me sleep about 30 minutes more, what a sweetheart!). So naturally, here we are, Monday morning. On vacation. No work. What do we do?

Thats right folks, you have been paying attention. We once again get up at the crack of dawn! I believe we had planned for another 30 minutes extra today for sleep, but I am pretty sure that didnt happen. We wanted to be on the road early, because today we have the exciting drive to Universal Studios Hollywood 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




. Which means, we get to drive to LA. Which means, we need to get out of here now or else we will be stuck in rush hour traffic that will take a week to get out of!

So sleeping beauty gets up 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




, and thankfully her prince charming is there to welcome her awake with a nice steaming cup of coffee. Bless him. Of course, after 5 years of marriage he knows what I can be like in the morning, and knows if he wants to live to see tomorrow he must talk to me after coffee has been issued.

We take care of the necessities, get dressed in our Monday Universal clothes and start packing our provisions. No, not those provisions. This is Universal, They sell alcohol in the park. No need to take any with us. Plus, trying to pack beer in the backpack can get awfully heavy, and once they get hot, they are not worth it. When I want a beer, I want an ice cold one, not a luke warm one from a locker.

We did pack some waters, and the necessary sunscreen for my precious sun sensitive skin. We had charged the camera batteries the night before to make sure there were no surprises, we also packed extra camera batteries, and extra cell phone batteries just to be safe. We knew that we would be out there for the majority of the day and evening, so best to be prepared.


Have you ever watched Jeff Dunhams stand up comedy or Ventriloquism act? He is a terrific ventriloquist, and hilarious to boot. One of the dummys, waitIm sorry, that may not be politically correct. One of the puppets? (I dont think that sounds any better), is Peanut, who is a strange purple monkey type thing, who speaks his mind and doesnt really care whether he offends anyone or not.. Most of the time he does his best to offend the other puppet Jose, who is a Jalapeno on a stick.


Anyway, Im getting off track here

I think Jeff Dunham via Peanut said it best in one of the skits where Jeff is trying to get Peanut to remember what city they are in:


"*Jeff:* The drive from the valley?
*Peanut:* Was bad as h**l
*Jeff: *Traffic?
*Peanut:* Sucked like h**l
*Jeff:* Drivers?
*Peanut:* Angry as h**l
*Jeff:* And you?
*Peanut:* Were scared as h**l
*Jeff:* Parking?
*Peanut:* Sucked more like h**l
*Jeff:* So?
*Peanut:* Oh my god, were in H**l!"

This was our ride to downtown LA. 



I can be a little freaked out when it comes to being a passenger on drives like this. People are crazy on freeways. They are even more crazy when it comes to construction or merging. I tend to freak out T-Man at times when I grab onto the handles in the car, but you have to understand. I have an astigmatism in my left eye, and I have no depth perception, which means that even if that car in front of us is about 2-3 car lengths away, it looks like we are about 2-3 inches away from him. (Slight exaggeration but still).

Let me try to paint a picture of the traffic that morningNah, better yet, let me just describe it. I can barely draw a stick figure let alone vehicles and roads and such.

The good thing in California is the car pool lane. If you have two or more people in your vehicle, you can take the car pool lane and for the most part, it can get you through traffic pretty easily. Not to say there wont be some slow downs now and then, but it does help. The problem with this car pool lane, is that its all the way on the left side of the freeway. The exits that you will need, are all the way to the right side of the freeway. In between are cars. Lots and lots of cars.

To get into the car pool lane you must find the in section, visible only by the markings on the road. Dotted lines show that it is ok to cross over. Solid lines or double lines, not OK. Your hope is that you can find a dotted line the moment you see your exit coming up, so you can power merge all the way to the other side to get to your exit without taking out anyone or anyone taking you out in the process.

We begin our journey on I-5 and by now its getting really close to 8am. Not good. But the way I figure it, everyone is trying to get somewhere by 8am, so maybe the traffic wont be as bad as if we left at 7? Right?

The park doesnt open until 10am, so we have time to get there. The trusty GPS lady tells us that its about a 45 minute ride to the park. No fast pass for this ride.. So we must wait in lineand when I say we must wait in line, Im not joking.

Traffic was OK in the beginning, we get onto the Interstate and start making our way to the car pool lane. There are 2 of us in the vehicle, 3 if you include GPS lady. So we qualify. Finally get into the far left lane and off we go. Traffic is still pretty heavy, but we are cruising along at a decent pace, Im thinking, Awesome! We should be there in no timeThat will teach me to think.

We go from a 6 lane road to 3. Construction on the Interstate has cut off the car pool lane, along with at least 2 other lanes. Which means we are all at a standstill for a while because no one knows what to do. Its like a ride at Disney has broken down and everyone is trying to see ahead of them to see what the problem is. Slowly we merge into the middle lane and are passing construction equipment and cones, but no one is doing anything. People are weaving in and out of traffic just to get about 5 inches ahead of us. For the next hour and a half we are pretty much inching our way to Universal.

My absolute pet peeve is people who wait until the last minute to merge in a construction zone, when they know about a good 5 miles back that one of the lanes will be closed. Then they try to squeeze in front of you with only about 2 feet of space for them to do so. In the process, possibly causing an accident that will now back up traffic even more, because they were too busy trying to pass every Tom, Dick and Harry before having to merge! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Finally we start to see the tall buildings of downtown LA and this is when you start to get excited. Of course like a idiot, I have my camera in my hand, but am too in awe to actually pick it up and start snapping pics. Im calling out random things to Mike, Oh look, theres Capital Records! Oh awesome, look at that! Oh wow, theres the Hollywood sign!  and hes like, Hellowheres the camera? By that time we are passed the landmark and theres no point. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




. Ill snap the pics on our way back, it will be better, cooler, because they will all be lit up and stuff. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Finally we get to Universal, and of course you have to try to follow the yellow brick road, so to speak to find the parking area. This way for VIPs, this way for team members, (Of course, some people do go both ways).  



We find the parking structure we need, pay to park, and roll into the garage. For those that have never been to Universal, the parking structures, its an enclosed parking garage, and each section is named for a character from Universal Movies, (i.e., Frankenstien, The Mummy, Hulk, Jaws, King Kong, etc.).  The first time we went to Universal in Orlando, we parked in the King Kong section. There is a running joke in our family now, because the first time we were there with my DSIL, she had just seen the movie for the first time and the moment I mentioned King Kong as we past under the sign, we hear her voice from the backseat go, Ohhe dies! I want to say Mike may have even hit the brake so he can turn to look at her and go, Huh?

Anyway, so its a random joke now that every time we see King Kong or anything mentioning King Kong, when we are around DSIL, we say, He Dies! She doesnt think its that funny. We still get a kick out of it.

Back on track nowSo we cruise into the parking structure and were wondering if we are going to get the King Kong section so we can send a pic to DSIL and again let her know of his unfortunate demisesadly, Frankenstein won out this time around. 




We park next to a group of Asian tourists (Not sure if they are Chinese, Japanese, or something ese) and its like a clown car. As Im waiting for the driver to close his door so I can open mine, I swear like 6 or 7 people climb out of the back seat. Wouldnt be a big deal if the vehicle was a van, but its a small jeep type SUV. I think two or three would have maybe sat comfortably, but 6 or 7? really? And Im watching these people hop out of the car one by one and thinking, where did they all sit? Was there a pyramid of people sitting on each others laps? How did the driver see out of the rear view mirror? Did he have the people at the top of the pyramid telling him if it was all clear?  

Finally get out, grab out backpacks out of the trunk and make sure we have our tickets ready, and head to the escalator.

The escalator takes us to the next tier of the parking garage, so we keep going to the next escalator. This escalator takes us to the top tier of the parking garage and the bathrooms. We keep going. Finally this escalator takes us to the sidewalk that will lead us to the opening of the park.

We take a few pictures of the Universal Sign up front, and make sure to add a mental reminder to take more at night, because it lights up.





We walk around to the entrance





and lookTheyve rolled out the red carpet just for us!






Off to the left hand side is a person in a booth, shouting out to everyone who walks by to pick up their programs, i.e., park maps. We pick one up and walk the red carpet to the entrance and head on in.

Our goal now is to find a locker so we can put our bags away. The lockers are off to the right and easy enough to find. We pay the kiosk and  it asks us to give it a 4 digit code that we can remember in order to get back into our locker throughout the day. We enter our super duper secret code, it asks us to do it again. We enter it again. It accepts it. Yay! Now we go in search of the locker the kiosk has issued us, stuff it with all our stuff, and close it. Just to be safe and sure, we enter our super duper secret code and yup, it opens. Phew!

I take Mr. Ts hand, and off we go in search of the one ride we HAVE to go on. If we do nothing else today, ride no other rides, we must make sure to take the Universal StudioTour.  

As we walk, we notice the awesome scenery.





This was definitely the long and winding road leading to the trams for the studio tour. We walked past an area where they were taking pictures with the Hollywood sign backdrop, then we went down an escalator. Finally we come to the tram, but now have to wind our way through the chained off lines, weaving in and out, and up and down, to get to the front of the line. If you want the English version of the ride, you have to get into one line, if you want the Mandarin version, you go to that line, I think they even had a section for french speaking tourists.

I have to give it to them, If nothing else the line is entertaining. They have posters up every so often of all the different actors and movies that have come out of their studios since its inception. Trivia posters give you insight into the particular movie its representing or the actor in a particular movie. And TVs are mounted along the top and bottom of each row giving you some information on movies, and actors, and of course the occasional rules and regulations of the ride.  

At the end of the line, they give us a pair of 3D glasses, and then point us in the direction of yet another line to wait for our tram. The tram is technically 2 trams hitched together. Each tram has about 7 rows, and each row has 6 seats. Not a seat was empty when we got on. A family of 4, from Spain, or Mexico, or Columbia, or Venezuela, or one of those Spanish speaking countries, piled on in front of us. I say that only because they were yapping up a storm through the tour and constantly getting in front of my camera when I would try to take a picture, and then apologize to me profusely in spanish, then proceed to do it again at the next stop.

We were able to cram in to the last two seats available on the right hand side of the tram and as the safety door came down, Mike and I got our trusty cameras out and were ready for the tour!

Ill leave it there for now. I have a TON of pictures from the tour to show you, along with a very jam packed day of riding escalators, getting into trouble with the Mummy, avoiding spitting dinosaurs, and trying to save the city from Decepticons for the next upcoming chapters. So I will go write, delete, and re-write the chapters to make sure I do it all justice.


----------



## smidgy

oh boy! I'm anxious to hear about universal!!!


----------



## Thumper_Man

smidgy said:


> oh boy! I'm anxious to hear about universal!!!



At the rate this TR is moving, we may be able to tell you about in person.


----------



## mmeb144

TMW, please don't take too much time on the next chapter.  I'm really enjoying your day, so far. I'm always happy when the lockers work.  Nothing worse than the feeling that you locked your stuff away forever.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

mmeb144 said:


> TMW, please don't take too much time on the next chapter.  I'm really enjoying your day, so far. I'm always happy when the lockers work.  Nothing worse than the feeling that you locked your stuff away forever.



As long as work doesn't get in the way of play time, I should be able to get another chapter up soon. I'm already working on it.  

and yes, no matter what locker we get, even if it has a key, I tend to be wary and have to double check that it will open for us again. Not that I couldn't go out and buy water or sunscreen if i couldn't get into the locker, but we do tend to bring another set of clothes, in case we get wet on a ride or it gets chilly at night, and we always bring an extra set of shoes for later. Those tend to be too expensive to replace.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> The day we fly here, We get up at the crack of dawn. The next day, again up at the crack of dawn. (I think T-Man let me sleep about 30 minutes more, what a sweetheart!). So naturally, here we are, Monday morning. On vacation. No work. What do we do?



Well you knew ahead of time we were going to have to. Did I not go over the spreadsheet with you?   



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> We wanted to be on the road early, because today we have the exciting drive to Universal Studios.
> 
> Which means, we get to drive to LA. Which means, we need to get out of here now or else we will be stuck in rush hour traffic that will take a week to get out of!



This was something I wasn't looking forward to.  Especially since I'm the one driving.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> So sleeping beauty gets up
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ,



Rise & Shine.  It's Universal Time.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> and thankfully her prince charming is there to welcome her awake with a nice steaming cup of coffee.



You mean to tell me I took coffee to a different sleeping beauty?  Oops.  My bad.  She looked like you.




Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> We take care of the necessities, get dressed in our *Monday Universal clothes* and start packing our provisions.



I didn't know we had clothes just for Universal on Monday's.  I guess for our Orlando trip, I'll have to re-arrange our schedule so we can make sure to go to Universal on Monday over there.  I would hate for these clothes to go to waste since I can't wear them on any other day of the week.  



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> No, not those provisions.



Don't tell Nebo that.  He's already disappointed in us.  



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> This is Universal, They sell alcohol in the park. No need to take any with us. Plus, trying to pack beer in the backpack can get awfully heavy, and once they get hot, they are not worth it. When I want a beer, I want an ice cold one, not a luke warm one from a locker.


Would've been more like a luke warm one from the car.  I don't know how we would've gotten them past the guards.  Of course, there's a solution to that problem, drink them while they're still cold.  





Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> We did pack some waters, and the necessary sunscreen for my precious sun sensitive skin. We had charged the camera batteries the night before to make sure there were no surprises, we also packed extra camera batteries, and extra cell phone batteries just to be safe.



Given we are no where close to the resort, we're going prepared.  



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> We knew that we would be out there for the majority of the day and evening, so best to be prepared.



A majority of the day? Did you have plans to go somewhere else?  Then again, to be there all day, we would've had to been there since midnight.  We were there before it opened until the time it closed and then some. So I guess technically, we were there a majority of the day.   



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I think Jeff Dunham via Peanut said it best in one of the skits where Jeff is trying to get Peanut to remember what city they are in:
> 
> 
> "*Jeff:* The drive from the valley?
> *Peanut:* Was bad as h**l
> *Jeff: *Traffic?
> *Peanut:* Sucked like h**l
> *Jeff:* Drivers?
> *Peanut:* Angry as h**l
> *Jeff:* And you?
> *Peanut:* Were scared as h**l
> *Jeff:* Parking?
> *Peanut:* Sucked more like h**l
> *Jeff:* So?
> *Peanut:* Oh my god, were in H**l!"
> 
> This was our ride to downtown LA.



Oh it wasn't that bad.  



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I can be a little freaked out when it comes to being a passenger on drives like this. People are crazy on freeways. They are even more crazy when it comes to construction or merging. I tend to freak out T-Man at times when I grab onto the handles in the car, but you have to understand.



I do understand, but still don't help me much.  



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> We begin our journey on I-5



I wonder how that happened?  I could've sworn we began at the resort, onto Orangewood, Harbor, Katella and then I-5.  I told you to get some more coffee for the road.  Or was I-5 when the coffee kicked in and now you were fully awake?  Or were you jealous hearing the other woman talk to me? 

"In 100 feet, turn right onto Harbor Blvd?"  



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> then and by now its getting really close to 8am. Not good. But the way I figure it, everyone is trying to get somewhere by 8am, so maybe the traffic wont be as bad as if we left at 7? Right?



I think we both hoped it would be that way.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> The park doesnt open until 10am, so we have time to get there. The trusty GPS lady tells us that its about a 45 minute ride to the park.



Trusty?!  She almost got tossed out the window remember.  



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> No fast pass for this ride.. So we must wait in lineand when I say we must wait in line, Im not joking.



Well it started out fast.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Traffic was OK in the beginning,



See I do get some thing rights every now and then.  



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Construction on the Interstate has cut off the car pool lane, along with at least 2 other lanes. Which means we are all at a standstill for a while because no one knows what to do. Its like a ride at Disney has broken down and everyone is trying to see ahead of them to see what the problem is. Slowly we merge into the middle lane and are passing construction equipment and cones, but no one is doing anything.



By this I think she means there are no construction workers to be seen anywhere.  The whole time we were stuck in traffic, through the construction zone, I don't think we saw anyone working.  Must be the economy.  No money to finish the road.  




Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Finally we start to see the tall buildings of downtown LA and this is when you start to get excited. Of course like a idiot, I have my camera in my hand, but am too in awe to actually pick it up and start snapping pics. Im calling out random things to Mike, Oh look, theres Capital Records! Oh awesome, look at that! Oh wow, theres the Hollywood sign!  and hes like, Hellowheres the camera? By that time we are passed the landmark and theres no point.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> . Ill snap the pics on our way back, it will be better, cooler, because they will all be lit up and stuff.



If I would've tried to look at these places, I might have landed up in someone's rear bumper. Or they would've landed up in mine.  I've still yet to see that Hollywood sign.  

Lady H, did you know we even passed Dodger's Stadium?  At least according to Google Maps.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Finally we get to Universal, and of course you have to try to follow the yellow brick road, so to speak to find the parking area. This way for VIPs.  We find the parking structure we need, pay to park,



Actually I paid for VIP parking prior to going. I just needed to show the parking attendant that I have access to the special entrance.  It's Hollywood. I want to act like a star for at least a day.   



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> and roll into the garage.



Well ok, so we didn't get to use the special access road, but at least we got pretty close parking.  



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> For those that have never been to Universal, the parking structures, its an enclosed parking garage, and each section is named for a character from Universal Movies, (i.e., Frankenstien, The Mummy, Hulk, Jaws, King Kong, etc.).  The first time we went to Universal in Orlando, we parked in the King Kong section. There is a running joke in our family now, because the first time we were there with my DSIL, she had just seen the movie for the first time and the moment I mentioned King Kong as we past under the sign, we hear her voice from the backseat go, Ohhe dies! I want to say Mike may have even hit the brake so he can turn to look at her and go, Huh?
> 
> Anyway, so its a random joke now that every time we see King Kong or anything mentioning King Kong, when we are around DSIL, we say, He Dies! She doesnt think its that funny. We still get a kick out of it.



It was just so funny, because it was just so random.  I even had to ask her, "Who dies?"  She said "Him, King Kong."  That's when she went on to tell us she had never seen King Kong.  Poor D'Sis.  She's never going to live it down.  

Nebo & Smidgy, you know what would be really funny?  If you mention it at random when we meet up.  She'll be with us.  



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Finally get out, grab out backpacks out of the trunk and make sure we have our tickets ready, and head to the escalator.
> 
> We walk around to the entrance



Considering the traffic and time it took to get here, we still made it to this point at 9:30.  Which would work to our benefit.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> and lookTheyve rolled out the red carpet just for us!



I thought we had each taken a picture on the red carpet?  I'll have to go back and look at our pics again.




Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Off to the left hand side is a person in a booth, shouting out to everyone who walks by to pick up their programs, i.e., park maps. We pick one up and walk the red carpet to the entrance and head on in.



Park doesn't officially open until 10.  When we got to the end of the red carpet, we could see them letting people in. I guess since we paid for VIP parking, we would get the VIP treatment and get to be let in early.  WOW, we really must be stars?  Or not.  They're letting everyone in early.  



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Our goal now is to find a locker so we can put our bags away.



Before this, I thought I would see how much it would be to upgrade our tickets to the front of the line pass.  When I inquired about it, it was something like $75 a person.    No thanks we'll pass on the pass. 



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> The lockers are off to the right and easy enough to find. We pay the kiosk and  it asks us to give it a 4 digit code that we can remember in order to get back into our locker throughout the day. We enter our super duper secret code, it asks us to do it again. We enter it again. It accepts it. Yay! Now we go in search of the locker the kiosk has issued us, stuff it with all our stuff, and close it. Just to be safe and sure, we enter our super duper secret code and yup, it opens. Phew!



Now lets hope we don't forget it by the end of the day.  



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I take Mr. Ts hand,



After stopping for a hat.  Some how I always forget to bring a hat.  



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> and off we go in search of the one ride we HAVE to go on. If we do nothing else today, ride no other rides, we must make sure to take the Universal StudioTour.



Like DL, we've each been here to Universal.  Again, it's been a long LONG time since either one of us has been here.  When we started comparing notes, some how I missed this on my trip.  Only thing I can think of was when it said, Studio Tour, I thought it was something additional you had to pay for.  So I bypassed it.  By the time I found out that you didn't, it was already shutting down for the day.  So if we see nothing else, this is something I definitely had to see today.  

Also, since they were letting people into the park early, this was the only attraction open at the time.  Better for us.  It was already starting to get hot.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> This was definitely the long and winding road leading to the trams for the studio tour. We walked past an area where they were taking pictures with the Hollywood sign backdrop, then we went down an escalator. Finally we come to the tram, but now have to wind our way through the chained off lines, weaving in and out, and up and down, to get to the front of the line. If you want the English version of the ride, you have to get into one line, if you want the Mandarin version, you go to that line, I think they even had a section for french speaking tourists.
> 
> I have to give it to them, If nothing else the line is entertaining. They have posters up every so often of all the different actors and movies that have come out of their studios since its inception. Trivia posters give you insight into the particular movie its representing or the actor in a particular movie. And TVs are mounted along the top and bottom of each row giving you some information on movies, and actors, and of course the occasional rules and regulations of the ride.



People avoiding the bees, the TM gardening.  It was really a fun queue though.  



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> At the end of the line, they give us a pair of 3D glasses, and then point us in the direction of yet another line to wait for our tram. The tram is technically 2 trams hitched together. Each tram has about 7 rows, and each row has 6 seats. Not a seat was empty when we got on.



Are you sure it was 2?  For some reason I want to say there were 4.  Ah yes.  Looking back at the pics, I can tell it was 4.  

Sorry folks.  You'll have to wait and see for yourself. 



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> We were able to cram in to the last two seats available on the right hand side of the tram and as the safety door came down, Mike and I got our trusty cameras out and were ready for the tour!



Better than being in the middle if the row.  



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Ill leave it there for now.



Oh man.  It was just getting good.  I want to know what happens next.  



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I have a TON of pictures from the tour to show you, along with a very jam packed day of riding escalators, getting into trouble with the Mummy, avoiding spitting dinosaurs, and trying to save the city from Decepticons for the next upcoming chapters. So I will go write, delete, and re-write the chapters to make sure I do it all justice.



Good start to our Universal day honey.


----------



## nebo

bankr63 said:


> Just 'cause I'm too lazy to go surfing around the Uni threads, any word on opening dates yet?  We'll be back in USF/IOA in March for a day or two - would be nice to have a new attraction to try!  Of course I may have to do Chinese Fireball this time as I've already been on the Hungarian Horntail with DS.  That is one INTENSE coaster, and will take a while to recover from.



*Really? You think so?  I don't know, I'm just not a real fan of ANY coasters in Florida, I guess, I still like wooden ones best, and I'l take the Raptor , Millenium Force, Magnum and Dragster, all at Cedar point, over Kraaken, Dragon Challenge, Hulk, Montu, Kumba , any of the steel ones in florida. To me, BTMR is still the most fun coaster there. But you need to get to Cedar Point to try "Intense".  The Milenium Force is 310 feet High, and the Dragster is 430 feet high, and those are NOT typos. *



Thumper_Man said:


> At the rate this TR is moving, we may be able to tell you about in person.



*That's good, funny how much more work it takes for these things than you think, eh? 
 And you have TWO of you doing it!*





Thumper_Man said:


> This was something I wasn't looking forward to.  Especially since I'm the one driving.
> 
> *You know, I have never rented a car in my life, and we were just talking that if we fly out there to Dland, what about Uni?  Well, the way my eyes are now, I dun't want to have to drive there, so not sure how we are going to work this part of the Cali trip out. *
> 
> Rise & Shine.  It's Universal Time.
> 
> *Rise and Shine, time to break Mike's Spine!*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I didn't know we had clothes just for Universal on Monday's.  I guess for our Orlando trip, I'll have to re-arrange our schedule so we can make sure to go to Universal on Monday over there.  I would hate for these clothes to go to waste since I can't wear them on any other day of the week.
> 
> *Yeah, and I was going to ask if you were also wearing your September underwear like you were supposed to . *
> 
> Don't tell Nebo that.  He's already disappointed in us.
> 
> *That's ok, you can get alcohol there.
> But you need the locker to keep the Vikes in, I understand.
> But, um, I don't remember what that 4 digit code was that you use for the locker, so just to be safe when we are there on our next trip meeting up, you probably ought to tell me in case you forget, or something comes up.
> You know, Like giving your next door neighbor your house key.
> 
> *
> 
> 
> I wonder how that happened?  I could've sworn we began at the resort, onto Orangewood, Harbor, Katella and then I-5.  I told you to get some more coffee for the road.  Or was I-5 when the coffee kicked in and now you were fully awake?  Or were you jealous hearing the other woman talk to me?
> 
> "In 100 feet, turn right onto Harbor Blvd?"
> 
> *We tried that one time, that's all, just once. And Mr. Garmin almost found himself defenestrated by Smidgy, and it wasn't a woman voice, but "Jack", when he went against the outlined, time proven Smidgy way one too many times.
> And who wants to take on "defenestrate?"
> Seriously, I don't think I've ever seen her so angry, and at a disembodied voice! Yes, we alomst missed our exit, but still....
> and my laughing didn 't help. *
> 
> 
> Trusty?!  She almost got tossed out the window remember.
> 
> *Oh, shoot, I didn't see this part. You beat me to it. *
> 
> 
> 
> By this I think she means there are no construction workers to be seen anywhere.  The whole time we were stuck in traffic, through the construction zone, I don't think we saw anyone working.  Must be the economy.  No money to finish the road.
> 
> *I don't understand;  you really expected to see workers in a construction zone?
> This is how CHIPS keeps the death road talley down, by staging fake construction zones and lowering speed limits. You'd have a better chance of seeing Erick Estrada than a real worker. *
> 
> 
> If I would've tried to look at these places, I might have landed up in someone's rear bumper. Or they would've landed up in mine.  I've still yet to see that Hollywood sign.
> 
> *Don't you hate that; there's finally something worth looking at and you can't take your eyes off the bumper in front of you. *
> 
> 
> Actually I paid for VIP parking prior to going. I just needed to show the parking attendant that I have access to the special entrance.  It's Hollywood. I want to act like a star for at least a day.
> 
> *Really? That was VIP?  So where is the regular parking, Alcatraz?*
> 
> Well ok, so we didn't get to use the special access road, but at least we got pretty close parking.
> 
> *It's not the parking but the walking part I worry about. *
> 
> It was just so funny, because it was just so random.  I even had to ask her, "Who dies?"  She said "Him, King Kong."  That's when she went on to tell us she had never seen King Kong.  Poor D'Sis.  She's never going to live it down.
> 
> *Wait, You're saying King Kong dies in the movie?  Well thank you very much, I've never seen it!
> Next you're going to tell me that the boat sinks in Titanic!*
> 
> Nebo & Smidgy, you know what would be really funny?  If you mention it at random when we meet up.  She'll be with us.
> 
> *Consider it done. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Park doesn't officially open until 10.  When we got to the end of the red carpet, we could see them letting people in. I guess since we paid for VIP parking, we would get the VIP treatment and get to be let in early.  WOW, we really must be stars?  Or not.  They're letting everyone in early.
> 
> *Oh the young and naive.*
> 
> Before this, I thought I would see how much it would be to upgrade our tickets to the front of the line pass.  When I inquired about it, it was something like $75 a person.    No thanks we'll pass on the pass.
> 
> *Gulp.  I just swallowed my keyboard. *
> 
> Like DL, we've each been here to Universal.  Again, it's been a long LONG time since either one of us has been here.  When we started comparing notes, some how I missed this on my trip.  Only thing I can think of was when it said, Studio Tour, I thought it was something additional you had to pay for.  So I bypassed it.  By the time I found out that you didn't, it was already shutting down for the day.  So if we see nothing else, this is something I definitely had to see today.
> 
> *They do'nt have this in Orlando. Is this something that's really special? *
> 
> Also, since they were letting people into the park early, this was the only attraction open at the time.  Better for us.  It was already starting to get hot.
> 
> *Yeah, ten really seems to me to be a late opening time. I mean C'mon!  That would mean, hmm, that the park does not open until 1 in the afternoon, Florida Universal time.
> No, I don't know, don't ask. *
> 
> 
> Better than being in the middle if the row.
> 
> *Agreed there. *
> 
> Oh man.  It was just getting good.  I want to know what happens next.
> 
> *Don't you hate that? Never catch me stopping at a point leaving people hanging in a report.
> And no, let's NOT count how many dangling participles were left in that sentance, hey, you think that's easy to do?
> 
> *
> 
> Good start to our Universal day honey.



*No, Heather that was a terrific chapter, really. I really enjoyed your writing style in it too, nice subtle sense of humor moments that work without hitting you over the head. great job!*


----------



## Backstage_Gal

Lady H, loved your update, especially the traffic descriptions, LOL. We never made it to Universal when we went to CA, but we went for our sons AF promotion, so we only had one day and spent that at DL. Maybe some other year.


----------



## dwheatl

Great update! Funny about Jeff Dunham. DH would agree. He's from SoCal and says he would never move back there because of the traffic. Too bad I want to retire in San Diego some day. We've still got a few years to argue it out.
My nephew used to be a narrator on the studio tour about 7 or 8 years ago. That's the last time we were there. Now I'm waiting until they build Harry Potter land, or whatever they're going to call it.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

Thumper_Man said:


> Well you knew ahead of time we were going to have to. Did I not go over the spreadsheet with you?



Too many spreadsheets for me to keep them straight. 





Thumper_Man said:


> This was something I wasn't looking forward to.  Especially since I'm the one driving.



I'm willing to drive. In the morning I'm fine, it's the evening after a long day at the parks, and after a few drinks that I tend to get sleepy. 





Thumper_Man said:


> You mean to tell me I took coffee to a different sleeping beauty?  Oops.  My bad.  She looked like you.



Told you I had an evil twin! 






Thumper_Man said:


> I didn't know we had clothes just for Universal on Monday's.  I guess for our Orlando trip, I'll have to re-arrange our schedule so we can make sure to go to Universal on Monday over there.  I would hate for these clothes to go to waste since I can't wear them on any other day of the week.



This trip we did, because Universal was on Monday. We had Disney Tuesday, and SeaWorld Wednesday clothes too. When we go to Orlando i'm sure there will be another spreadsheet with the days of the week and what clothes will be worn per park. 





Thumper_Man said:


> Don't tell Nebo that.  He's already disappointed in us.



At the rate I'm going, I could very well be disappointing everyone on this TR, so I'll take my chances. 




Thumper_Man said:


> Would've been more like a luke warm one from the car.  I don't know how we would've gotten them past the guards.  Of course, there's a solution to that problem, drink them while they're still cold.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Given we are no where close to the resort, we're going prepared.



I don't even remember being frisked at this park. Do you? And as for the luke warm beer from the car, been there, done that, and recently too. 





Thumper_Man said:


> A majority of the day? Did you have plans to go somewhere else?  Then again, to be there all day, we would've had to been there since midnight.  We were there before it opened until the time it closed and then some. So I guess technically, we were there a majority of the day.



So like I said...The majority of the day! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			
		
		
	


	








Thumper_Man said:


> I wonder how that happened?  I could've sworn we began at the resort, onto Orangewood, Harbor, Katella and then I-5.  I told you to get some more coffee for the road.  Or was I-5 when the coffee kicked in and now you were fully awake?  Or were you jealous hearing the other woman talk to me?
> 
> "In 100 feet, turn right onto Harbor Blvd?"



It wasn't so much having another woman talk to you, but the way she did it. Her sultry voice luring you to each direction she ordered you to go. Gets you all hyped up and then leaves the minute you get there. I've heard she's a player and will talk the same way to any man that can turn her on. 





Thumper_Man said:


> Trusty?!  She almost got tossed out the window remember.



Sorry...I thought she was coming on to you. I'll leave her alone next time. 




Thumper_Man said:


> By this I think she means there are no construction workers to be seen anywhere.  The whole time we were stuck in traffic, through the construction zone, I don't think we saw anyone working.  Must be the economy.  No money to finish the road.



Yes, by that I meant no workers or any work being done. And of course Mrs. GPS lady couldn't even tell us that there was construction. She had to lure us right into that trap. We gave her a piece of our mind on the last day though.  





Thumper_Man said:


> If I would've tried to look at these places, I might have landed up in someone's rear bumper. Or they would've landed up in mine.  I've still yet to see that Hollywood sign.



Sorry honey! I promise to do better next time! 



Thumper_Man said:


> Lady H, did you know we even passed Dodger's Stadium?  At least according to Google Maps.



Nope. Totally missed it. And of course that would have been the one thing I would have taken a picture of if i would have seen it. 





Thumper_Man said:


> Actually I paid for VIP parking prior to going. I just needed to show the parking attendant that I have access to the special entrance.  It's Hollywood. I want to act like a star for at least a day.



That's right, I forgot we had paid for parking in advance.  And we are stars, what are you saying? At least I pretend to be one every time i sing in the shower.  





Thumper_Man said:


> Nebo & Smidgy, you know what would be really funny?  If you mention it at random when we meet up.  She'll be with us.



Oh, she would kill us! But that would be sooooooo funny! 




Thumper_Man said:


> After stopping for a hat.  Some how I always forget to bring a hat.



Personally I think they are conveniently forgotten..."Oh shoot. I forgot a hat. And my poor head will get all sunburned if i don't get another one to add to my collection!!!" 





Thumper_Man said:


> Like DL, we've each been here to Universal.  Again, it's been a long LONG time since either one of us has been here.  When we started comparing notes, some how I missed this on my trip.  Only thing I can think of was when it said, Studio Tour, I thought it was something additional you had to pay for.  So I bypassed it.  By the time I found out that you didn't, it was already shutting down for the day.  So if we see nothing else, this is something I definitely had to see today.



I think I talked about this tour non stop while we were planning this trip. It was one of the main things i remembered from when i went back in the day and I was destined to go back again. i would have rode only that ride all day and been very content. 




Thumper_Man said:


> Are you sure it was 2?  For some reason I want to say there were 4.  Ah yes.  Looking back at the pics, I can tell it was 4.



I stand corrected, I think your right. I couldn't remember off hand how many cars there were and I couldn't find the picture to prove myself right or wrong. 





Thumper_Man said:


> Oh man.  It was just getting good.  I want to know what happens next.



Well, we went on rides, we got some beer, we ate, we went back home. 





Thumper_Man said:


> Good start to our Universal day honey.



Thanks honey! Let's see how well I can do the rest. I'm working on it...


----------



## mmeb144

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Well, we went on rides, we got some beer, we ate, we went back home.



Hey!  I figured you did those things.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

nebo said:


> You know, I have never rented a car in my life, and we were just talking that if we fly out there to Dland, what about Uni? Well, the way my eyes are now, I dun't want to have to drive there, so not sure how we are going to work this part of the Cali trip out.



The problem with rental cars is the hold they put on your CC. Usually we can find a pretty decent deal for a car, especially for the amount of time we will be going. But when you pay $150 - $200 for the week or so, and then they hold another $200 until they get the car back, just to make sure you have the money in your account, drives me bonkers. I could very well be using that hold money for food or booze.


T-Man said if you give him some dates, he would be happy to be your chauffer 

.

 Im a good driver. Said in his best Rain man voice.



nebo said:


> Yeah, and I was going to ask if you were also wearing your September underwear like you were supposed to .



Nope. August.




nebo said:


> That's ok, you can get alcohol there.
> But you need the locker to keep the Vikes in, I understand.
> But, um, I don't remember what that 4 digit code was that you use for the locker, so just to be safe when we are there on our next trip meeting up, you probably ought to tell me in case you forget, or something comes up.
> You know, Like giving your next door neighbor your house key.



Sure you got it. I forget so easily and Id hate to forget and have no one around who remembers.....

Um....Who are you? 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	









nebo said:


> We tried that one time, that's all, just once. And Mr. Garmin almost found himself defenestrated by Smidgy, and it wasn't a woman voice, but "Jack", when he went against the outlined, time proven Smidgy way one too many times.
> And who wants to take on "defenestrate?"
> Seriously, I don't think I've ever seen her so angry, and at a disembodied voice! Yes, we alomst missed our exit, but still....
> and my laughing didn 't help.
> Oh, shoot, I didn't see this part. You beat me to it.



T-Man tends to program the gps with the address, and then proceed to study the map for a different course. Instead of just listening to the gps lady, like I would, he hears where she wants him to go, and then checks the map to make sure. I think he has trust issues with her.

And yes, I had to look up the word defenestrate...



nebo said:


> I don't understand; you really expected to see workers in a construction zone?
> This is how CHIPS keeps the death road talley down, by staging fake construction zones and lowering speed limits. You'd have a better chance of seeing Erick Estrada than a real worker.



I know. It was silly of me to think that in a construction zone, there would be actual construction. I see it here at home all the time, lanes blocked off, detours, and yet nothing happening, so I dont know why I was surprised this time around.






nebo said:


> Don't you hate that; there's finally something worth looking at and you can't take your eyes off the bumper in front of you.



And I didnt help matters, by ooohing and ahhhing the whole time.





nebo said:


> It's not the parking but the walking part I worry about.



To be honest, the walking wasnt bad. Most of the way was just floating on an escalator, and the actual walk from the top of the parking garage to the park entrance wasnt far at all.





nebo said:


> Wait, You're saying King Kong dies in the movie? Well thank you very much, I've never seen it!
> Next you're going to tell me that the boat sinks in Titanic!



 Well...




Thumper_Man said:


> Nebo & Smidgy, you know what would be really funny? If you mention it at random when we meet up. She'll be with us.
> 
> 
> 
> nebo said:
> 
> 
> 
> Consider it done.
Click to expand...


Oh...She will kill us...But what a way to go...That will be absolutely hilarious! Please warn me, My luck, I will end up taking a drink just as you do it and will have it come out of my nose...Wouldnt that be a story for the TR!





nebo said:


> Gulp. I just swallowed my keyboard.



Yeah, it was crazy when we looked at that price, I swore it was a typo...





nebo said:


> They do'nt have this in Orlando. Is this something that's really special?



If your into the backlot stuff it is. I love all the behind the scenes stuff. Youll see it in my upcoming chapter, but I recommend it to anyone who goes. Its just awesome to see where some TV shows or movies have been filmed.





nebo said:


> Yeah, ten really seems to me to be a late opening time. I mean C'mon! That would mean, hmm, that the park does not open until 1 in the afternoon, Florida Universal time.
> No, I don't know, don't ask.



This is me, not asking. 






nebo said:


> Don't you hate that? Never catch me stopping at a point leaving people hanging in a report.
> And no, let's NOT count how many dangling participles were left in that sentance, hey, you think that's easy to do?



I learned from the best!






nebo said:


> No, Heather that was a terrific chapter, really. I really enjoyed your writing style in it too, nice subtle sense of humor moments that work without hitting you over the head. great job!



Awww. What a compliment. Im speechless...Thank you.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

Backstage_Gal said:


> Lady H, loved your update, especially the traffic descriptions, LOL. We never made it to Universal when we went to CA, but we went for our sons AF promotion, so we only had one day and spent that at DL. Maybe some other year.



Thanks! I tried to make my descriptions clear enough for our readers to see it too. As for Uni, I highly recommend it. We tend to go because of the rides. T-Man is a thrill ride seeker and some of the Disney rides just aren't exhilarating enough for him. 



dwheatl said:


> Great update! Funny about Jeff Dunham. DH would agree. He's from SoCal and says he would never move back there because of the traffic. Too bad I want to retire in San Diego some day. We've still got a few years to argue it out.
> My nephew used to be a narrator on the studio tour about 7 or 8 years ago. That's the last time we were there. Now I'm waiting until they build Harry Potter land, or whatever they're going to call it.



T-Man and I are big Jeff Dunham fans, we've seen him at least twice live, and we couldn't stop laughing. 

I'm from NM, I mean, we have traffic issues. I-25 and I-40 can be crazy during rush hour traffic, but Cali is just nuts! 



mmeb144 said:


> Hey!  I figured you did those things.



 Eeek! Ok Ok, I'm writing I'm writing!


----------



## bankr63

nebo said:


> bankr63 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Just 'cause I'm too lazy to go surfing around the Uni threads, any word on opening dates yet? We'll be back in USF/IOA in March for a day or two - would be nice to have a new attraction to try! Of course I may have to do Chinese Fireball this time as I've already been on the Hungarian Horntail with DS. That is one INTENSE coaster, and will take a while to recover from.
> 
> 
> 
> *Really? You think so?  I don't know, I'm just not a real fan of ANY coasters in Florida, I guess, I still like wooden ones best, and I'l take the Raptor , Millenium Force, Magnum and Dragster, all at Cedar point, over Kraaken, Dragon Challenge, Hulk, Montu, Kumba , any of the steel ones in florida. To me, BTMR is still the most fun coaster there. But you need to get to Cedar Point to try "Intense".  The Milenium Force is 310 feet High, and the Dragster is 430 feet high, and those are NOT typos. *
Click to expand...

 Sounds pretty tall, what's that in kilometers?

Well now coaster comparo's could make for a very long thread - I just try to ride them all; and I pretty much love them all.  I still have very fond memories of riding the Beast at Kings Island in 79 or 80; my last big wooden coaster - not so fond of the 2 hour wait to get on it tho.  

Dragon Challenge isn't very high at all, but altitude doesn't bother me much.  It is the severity and frequency of attitude changes (rolls, loops, curves) that gets to me.  About half-way through DC, I thought to myself (for my first time EVER on a coaster!), "I could lose my cookies" immediately followed by the thought "but the g-forces won't let anything come up"  I really did need a couple of hours of lesser rides before I faced Rip-Ride-Rocket later that afternoon.


----------



## bankr63

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> It wasn't so much having another woman talk to you, but the way she did it. Her sultry voice luring you to each direction she ordered you to go. Gets you all hyped up and then leaves the minute you get there. I've heard she's a player and will talk the same way to any man that can turn her on.
> 
> I like to change the voices on mine, that way I can have a whole harem of these ladies.  Something about the Australian accent that I really like, especially when she calls a ramp a "slip" road.
> 
> And of course Mrs. GPS lady couldn't even tell us that there was construction. She had to lure us right into that trap. We gave her a piece of our mind on the last day though.



What you need to do is upgrade to a higher end model with traffic reporting.  We just traded up our "Bossy" for a new smarter "Bossy II"  (or is that "Bossier"?)  Now she lures me past the point of no return on the slip road, only to announce "traffic ahead!"  

Stop right there!  I gotta know right now...


----------



## Thumper_Man

bankr63 said:


> Sounds pretty tall, what's that in kilometers?
> 
> Well now coaster comparo's could make for a very long thread - I just try to ride them all; and I pretty much love them all.  I still have very fond memories of riding the Beast at Kings Island in 79 or 80; my last big wooden coaster - not so fond of the 2 hour wait to get on it tho.
> 
> Dragon Challenge isn't very high at all, but altitude doesn't bother me much.  It is the severity and frequency of attitude changes (rolls, loops, curves) that gets to me.  About half-way through DC, I thought to myself (for my first time EVER on a coaster!), "I could lose my cookies" immediately followed by the thought "but the g-forces won't let anything come up"  I really did need a couple of hours of lesser rides before I faced Rip-Ride-Rocket later that afternoon.



Dragster is actually 420 feet high which translate to 130m.  

We didn't get to do RRR on our last trip.  They had closed it down to replace the cars.  Hoping to ride it this next trip.

I love Dragon Challenge but really love Hulk.  I used to be able to ride them back to back to back to back.  Now I can only do back to back before I can do them again.  It's the pits getting old.

Another coaster I love is Manta over at Sea World.  Going backwards on your back is something that will make you a little queasy.


----------



## nebo

bankr63 said:


> Sounds pretty tall, what's that in kilometers?
> 
> Well now coaster comparo's could make for a very long thread - I just try to ride them all; and I pretty much love them all.  I still have very fond memories of riding the Beast at Kings Island in 79 or 80; my last big wooden coaster - not so fond of the 2 hour wait to get on it tho.
> 
> Dragon Challenge isn't very high at all, but altitude doesn't bother me much.  It is the severity and frequency of attitude changes (rolls, loops, curves) that gets to me.  About half-way through DC, I thought to myself (for my first time EVER on a coaster!), "I could lose my cookies" immediately followed by the thought "but the g-forces won't let anything come up"  I really did need a couple of hours of lesser rides before I faced Rip-Ride-Rocket later that afternoon.



*Haven't tried Rip Rocket yet, going to next month. Any good?
  And the Beast is still my favorite. Only tried it once in '92, but it blew me away. I alsot like The Mean Streak at Cedar Point too. *



Thumper_Man said:


> Dragster is actually 420 feet high which translate to 130m.
> 
> *Not 430? Well forget it then, why bother? *
> 
> We didn't get to do RRR on our last trip.  They had closed it down to replace the cars.  Hoping to ride it this next trip.
> 
> I love Dragon Challenge but really love Hulk.  I used to be able to ride them back to back to back to back.  Now I can only do back to back before I can do them again.  It's the pits getting old.
> 
> Another coaster I love is Manta over at Sea World.  Going backwards on your back is something that will make you a little queasy.



*Heard good things about Manta, but havent been over to Sea Woild since '06. *

*Maybe at Animal Kingdom we cad ride EE together, Smidgy doesn't do that one. *


----------



## Thumper_Man

nebo said:


> *Heard good things about Manta, but havent been over to Sea Woild since '06. *
> 
> *I love Manta.  My favorite coaster at Orlando between Disney, US/IoA and Sea World.  It may not have the speed of Hulk or RnRC, but the ride is smooth.  And the way you actually ride Manta is what makes it a little better.*
> 
> *Maybe at Animal Kingdom we cad ride EE together, Smidgy doesn't do that one. *



*I'll ride EE with you.    We would probably have to meet up before 4 if we're going to ride it.  Or grab some FP's.  

Lady H is almost like Smidgy.  She'll ride it once and then be done with it.  Although lately she has gotten a little braver on some roller coasters and will ride more than once.*


----------



## bankr63

nebo said:


> *Haven't tried Rip Rocket yet, going to next month. Any good? *
> 
> 
> *Heard good things about Manta, but havent been over to Sea Woild since '06. *
> 
> *Maybe at Animal Kingdom we cad ride EE together, Smidgy doesn't do that one. *



Well if RRR's open, that's good!  I had heard a rumour that it was closing permanently because the continuous loading wasn't continuous - which is true, and it never lived up to its billing.  It is a pretty good coaster; but not great - the first 2 minutes are the best.  The lift is incredible as you go straight up (vertical), very slowly.  You really need to listen when they say you MUST stow all your gear in a locker.  I had zip pockets, and was still convinced my cell phone was going to slip out.  Heck, I was pretty convinced that* I *was going to slip out too!

The first loop is really cool because it flips you to the top of the track just as you near the top, you are never really upside down, but it is a fun sensation as the g's swap from neg to pos to neg to pos, along with the centripetal forces of the big loop and the barrel roll.  It's a bit of a rush blasting through the wall and out over the main walkway too.  The one downside of the ride is that there are approx. six interlock zones; they slow you down too often to wait for the previous train to clear.  The first two zones are good, but it gets slow and boring after that.  Hopefully THAT is what they have been tinkering with during the shutdown.

In all our trips to Orlando, we haven't hit Seaworld yet either.  I've seen the Youtube POV clips of Manta, and it looks pretty cool.  When we bore of Disney and Uni (yeah, right!) maybe we'll try it.  Got to fit in a trip to Busch one of these years too.  We visit family near Tampa already most trips.  

Wish I could be there to ride EE with you guys too!  That probably won't ever happen 'cause we only go on March break.  Maybe when I retire in another 30 years...


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

bankr63 said:


> Well if RRR's open, that's good!  I had heard a rumour that it was closing permanently because the continuous loading wasn't continuous - which is true, and it never lived up to its billing.  It is a pretty good coaster; but not great - the first 2 minutes are the best.  The lift is incredible as you go straight up (vertical), very slowly.  You really need to listen when they say you MUST stow all your gear in a locker.  I had zip pockets, and was still convinced my cell phone was going to slip out.  Heck, I was pretty convinced that* I *was going to slip out too!
> 
> The first loop is really cool because it flips you to the top of the track just as you near the top, you are never really upside down, but it is a fun sensation as the g's swap from neg to pos to neg to pos, along with the centripetal forces of the big loop and the barrel roll.  It's a bit of a rush blasting through the wall and out over the main walkway too.  The one downside of the ride is that there are approx. six interlock zones; they slow you down too often to wait for the previous train to clear.  The first two zones are good, but it gets slow and boring after that.  Hopefully THAT is what they have been tinkering with during the shutdown.
> 
> In all our trips to Orlando, we haven't hit Seaworld yet either.  I've seen the Youtube POV clips of Manta, and it looks pretty cool.  When we bore of Disney and Uni (yeah, right!) maybe we'll try it.  Got to fit in a trip to Busch one of these years too.  We visit family near Tampa already most trips.
> 
> Wish I could be there to ride EE with you guys too!  That probably won't ever happen 'cause we only go on March break.  Maybe when I retire in another 30 years...



The last time we were in WDW, RRR was closed for refurb, and it had just opened. So who knows what will happen with that ride. I'm interested to see if they will close it permenently after all the time and money that has gone into getting it in the first place. 

Of course either way I wouldn't be too heart broken. As T-Man has said, I've been getting better when it comes to coasters and have even gotten on a few more than once recently, but that one scares the bejeezus out of me. 

Mike will be thrilled that he has someone to go on EE with him. I tend to sit next to him and scream the entire way so it would be nice to have someone less vocal. Just a warning though, he does laugh, often. 

As for SeaWorld, if you get the chance, and you like coasters, then definitely do it. Mike rates Manta in his top 5. And from personal experience, it's pretty intense. His coaster buddy (his sister) is usually pretty good with all coasters and is trying to do Hulk 15 times in one day, and can probably accomplish it if given the chance, yet Manta did her in. It was good to finally see her with the green face for once. 

OK. New chapter coming up shortly!


----------



## nebo

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> The last time we were in WDW, RRR was closed for refurb, and it had just opened. So who knows what will happen with that ride. I'm interested to see if they will close it permenently after all the time and money that has gone into getting it in the first place.
> 
> *From what I'm hearing, yes, the ride is not a hit. It has long lines but only because of loading and shut down problems. Lately,  too many new coasters are One Trick Pony types that just don't work. Our local Great America, Six Flags park has replaced more than a few of those "one trick pony ' coasters.  Just recently, I think it was,,,, oh crap,,uh,, either Deja Vu, or Terminal Velocity that they got rid of after only a couple of years on the job. Then there was the kind of bobsled coaster, Rolling Thunder they demolished after too many injuries,,,yeah,, lots of them,, They had a very early Looping coaster,, that was just that,, one HUGE gigantic LOOP,, called the Tidal Wave,,,, all gone.
> I only wish you younger folks could have experienced some of the old wooden coasters of the Bronze Age.
> The Bobs at Riverview in Chicago, the Cyclone of Coney Island,,, you really, really, had to pay attention on those rides.
> 
> if not, you very well could die.
> 
> The urban legend of the guy on the Bobs waving to his wife at the top of the first lift, and then falling out  and getting sliced into thirds when he landed on a lower track and the train ran over him there is NOT an urban legend.
> The ironic part was, when he stood up to wave to his wife,,, and yes,,, you really could do that back then, no shoulder harnesses, just a movable lap bar,,, he stood up to wave, and got knocked out of the car by the sign going over the track at the top, the sign that said to stay in your seat at all times!
> 
> But that ride was probably only about 120 feet high, maybe hit a top speed of 55 mph.
> But the turns were so tight, drops so sudden, you got off feeling like ykou just defied death, laughing. The Cyclone at Coney was like that too. No, the word Smooth" was never used as an adjective.
> 
> Yeah, the Dragster is a one trick pony too, but the trick is so big you have to try it if your a coaster junkie.
> 
> Mike you are right, only 420 feet high, and you do go from 0 to 120 mph in 3.8 seconds. !
> I rode it with Jeremy,,, and that little sh,,, he conned me into the FRONT ROW!
> Only did it once,,, that was plenty, didn't need to do it again.
> And I was only five foot 6 when I got off the ride!http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZtg9teFusk&feature=related
> 
> Sorry, forgot how to do these things, and I didn't mean to take over your thread, I apologize again.
> 
> *
> 
> Of course either way I wouldn't be too heart broken. As T-Man has said, I've been getting better when it comes to coasters and have even gotten on a few more than once recently, but that one scares the bejeezus out of me.
> 
> *Rip Ride Rocket scares you huh? I've read that folks wish they could do it without having to listen to ANY music. *
> 
> Mike will be thrilled that he has someone to go on EE with him. I tend to sit next to him and scream the entire way so it would be nice to have someone less vocal. Just a warning though, he does laugh, often.
> 
> *Ah, hes' a laugher. Yeah, I can picture that from talking that day to him.
> I'm usually in prayer on rides I'm concerned about. *
> 
> As for SeaWorld, if you get the chance, and you like coasters, then definitely do it. Mike rates Manta in his top 5. And from personal experience, it's pretty intense. His coaster buddy (his sister) is usually pretty good with all coasters and is trying to do Hulk 15 times in one day, and can probably accomplish it if given the chance, yet Manta did her in. It was good to finally see her with the green face for once.
> 
> *I usually only need to do something once per trip, then I fell like I didn't chicken out, and I got my money's worth.
> But I can still be terrified, and as I get older, I start to worry more and more about my heart.
> I usually make the person they stick me with fill out an EMT aplication if I do the single rider line and end up with someone I don't know. I want to make sure they at least know basic CPR.
> Or at least C3PO. *
> 
> OK. New chapter coming up shortly!



Yeay,,, Nebo finally shuts up!


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

I will have to get through the studios tour in probably two chapters, since there are quite a few pictures to show and there is a limit to the amount of pictures I can place in each post. So let us begin shall we?

Off we go on the Universal Studios tour. The tram, which was actually 4 cars, not 2 as I previously described, begins its slow and steady pace down Kirk Douglas Dr. Our guide for the day introduces herself and the tram driver, unfortunately I cant for the life of me remember their names, so for the purposes of this report, they will be dubbed, Tour Guide Sally and Tram Driver Ted.

Tour Guide Sally, mentions that we have a celebrity guide with us, who will be helping her throughout the tour, and will pop up on the monitors every so often to give us some information on whatever we are passing through at the time. This celebrity is none other than Jimmy Fallon.

Now, the last time I rode this, the celebrity helper was Whoopi Goldberg. Jimmy Fallon came around not too long ago, when they re-did certain parts of the tour after the big fire. Thats when they remade King Kong into the 3D version (which I will get into later).

Jimmy Fallon comes on the monitor and tells us that we are in good hands with our tour guide and driver, Its funny how, since they have so many different people conducting the tours, the actual names of the tour guides and drivers are dubbed over while Jimmy (because we are on a first name basis and all) pretends to be saying their names. He does however mention that the tour guide does owe him $5. If this is the same on ever tram ride, this man will be rich without the comedy scene and late night show he has.

We then go into the safety rules. Tour Guide Sally lets us know that if there is a medical problem, a problem with the video feed or audio, or if you drop something you need (like a small child) off the side of the tram, then to pull on the cord in the middle and she will stop the tram and come to assist. There is no smoking on the tram. Keep your arms and legs inside the moving vehicle at all timesand away we go!

The first thing we pass is the Fire Station. Not too exciting, there were no hot firefighters out and about (shoot!),  but good to know that there is one on Universal Property. All those special effects for movies and stuff can get out of hand if you arent careful.





This year commemorates 100 years for Universal, so on the tour, there were posters along the sides with different movies and the year they were filmed there.






We passed by a lot of the sound stage areas, Stage 12, was one of the biggest sound stages and was recently used to film, The Voice,  but it was also used for films like, Dracula, Frankenstein, Scarface, Back to the Future, and Jurassic Park to name a few.





Unfortunately we did not get a chance to go into any of them, but there were a couple that were wide open, so naturally we did what any normal, curious person would do  We jumped ship and snuck inOK not really, but we did take a picture as best as we could from our view.





We passed some more stage areas. I took this one mainly because Im a huge fan of musicals and a huge fan of Wicked.





They even have a café all to themselves back there.





The next few shots are of the bungalows that used to house some of the stars as well as offices while they were filming here. They are now strictly offices for producers, writers, etc.









Mr. Potato Head took some time out of his busy schedule to come out to greet us.





What was really cool was that one of these bungalows used to be the office for none other than Alfred Hitchcock. Can you imagine the decor in that office?

Anyway... we passed the Johnny Carson theater.





From here we were transported to the streets of New York. Im not quite sure how they did it. Was there a time warp I wasnt aware of? Did we go into the future? Was this what my future would be like if I kept up with my sinful ways?





And where in the world is everyone? I feel like we were transported to a scene in The Day After Tomorrow or somethingSpooky

The building in the background of this next picture was used as an apartment building for the movie Bruce Almighty.





We slowly start to approach this rocky cave, and Im thinking...were not going in there are we? Of course I dont say that out loud, I cant look weak. After all I was the one that told T-Man that we HAD to go on this ride, and it was a total must do. What would he think of me if I started whimpering and cowering in fear now? But look at this place, Does this look like a place anyone would want to enter?





That was the entrance to Skull Island. Now I dont know how many people remember the old version of King Kong, but I remember the bridge that you had to go over, the sounds of the fight that King Kong was having and the distinct smell of bananas as King Kong got up close to the tram. Im actually not kidding on that last part. I conferred with my mom and brother and they both remember bananas.  

In the new version, there is no banana smell, but you are transported right into Skull Island and into the fight scene with King Kong and Tyrannosaurus Rex. We are chased by Dinosaurs and this will not be the only time dinosaurs will come to be our enemies this trip. All of a sudden a huge ape is leaping over our tram and tackling this huge T-Rex. T-Rex looks hungry and angry at us. He doesnt seem to be in a chipper mood at all. Im thinking he may just need one of the big guys bananas to regulate him but I say nothing, he doesnt look like hes in the mood to talk. He tries to knock us out of the path we are on, King Kong comes to our rescue.  In the end, King Kong won and we were able to get out safely.

Unfortunately, one of the other trams didnt get out so unscathed





After surviving, We roamed around the streets of New York a little while longer and then came to the car lot. I was hoping to come away with a brand new carbut no luckBut wouldnt it be nice to own one of these?





















From the car lot, we were escorted into special effects sound stage 55, where they showed us how they did the special effects for The Fast and The Furious Tokyo Drift. Since the reality of blowing up actual cars numerous times can be expensive and messy, they showed us how they take the shell of a car, and set it on special hydraulics to give the illusion that the car is being lifted or rolled. This way, if a scene has to be shot multiple times, all they have to do is reset the hydraulics, instead of purchasing a new car.





Once the demonstration was over, the cars took a bow and gave us a little show, on how they strut their stuff when they arent being blown up. It was actually really cool to watch. Its amazing what computers can do now a days.

Once more we were transported to another world, this time, it wasnt the streets of New York, or even LA, it wasnt a nice sunny beach somewhere in the tropics, noit was

Jurassic Park!






And of course the day we come to take the tour is the day the dinosaurs escape
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Well needless to say, as we proceeded through the area cautiously. Making sure we didnt pick up any hitchhiking dinosaurs or none of them tried to kidnap us, I feel something wet on my handdid that plant just spit at me? Hmmm

I shrug it off, and go back to looking at the landscape. Now Im getting this same wet feeling on my neckwhat the heck?

Darn dinosaurs are spitting at us! They are hiding in the shrubs and trees!





I sure hope they stay there and dont try to eat us! I beg and plead, telling the dinos that we are way too salty for them, and will cause them tons of cholesterol issues later down the road. It's possible that a whole tram of vegans may be coming around the corner and they should wait for them. At least get their daily intake of veggies and such that way.

I guess they figured they needed a more balanced diet so they let us go and we sped out of there in a hurry!


----------



## nebo

you ahve a great way of describing things!  we weren't planning on going over to universal whenever we go to DLR, but Ive been thinking otherwise.. I wonder how much a cab would be  from DLR to universal> 9no way do the 2 of us want to navigate a car aroud LA)


----------



## smidgy

oops, that was me above,posting under nebo's name


----------



## pkondz

Oh.... carp. Now I'm _two_ chapters behind.... better get a bucket. 

I mean, better get to work.





Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Let me splainNo, theres too much, let me sum up.



Now, now. No need to be devisive.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> The day we fly here, We get up at the crack of dawn. The next day, again up at the crack of dawn. (I think T-Man let me sleep about 30 minutes more, what a sweetheart!). So naturally, here we are, Monday morning. On vacation. No work. What do we do?
> 
> Thats right folks, you have been paying attention. We once again get up at the crack of dawn!



So you have a crack fetish. Gotcha.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Which means, we need to get out of here now or else we will be stuck in rush hour traffic that will take a week to get out of!



Makes you wish you lived there doesn't it?
"Sorry I wasn't in all of last week boss. I was stuck in traffic."
"Oh, that's all right then."

Gotta look at the glass half full side of things some times.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> We take care of the necessities, get dressed in our Monday Universal clothes and start packing our provisions.



If you mix up your clothes and accidentally put on Tuesday Disney clothes they won't let you in.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> We had charged the camera batteries the night before to make sure there were no surprises, we also packed extra camera batteries, and extra cell phone batteries just to be safe.



Good for you, 'cause only an idiot would charge his one and only battery and leave it in the hotel.

:



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Have you ever watched Jeff Dunhams stand up comedy or Ventriloquism act?



No, but I've heard good things. I think he's coming to our city next month, maybe I'll have to look into that.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> This was our ride to downtown LA.



Great smiley. I watched it for quite a while. 



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> People are crazy on freeways.



Ever see L.A. Story with Steve Martin? All these people are driving along the freeway when the radio DJ announces that it's the first day of spring. Suddenly, everyone is pulling out guns and everybody's shooting at everybody else.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I tend to freak out T-Man at times when I grab onto the handles in the car, but you have to understand. I have an astigmatism in my left eye, and I have no depth perception, which means that even if that car in front of us is about 2-3 car lengths away, it looks like we are about 2-3 inches away from him. (Slight exaggeration but still).



OK. At least you have an excuse. My DW will be looking down or out the side window. I'll see a car stopped far up ahead. I'll ease off the gas... coast for a bit, slowing down all the while... slowly apply pressure to the break... and then as we gently pull up behind the stopped car, she'll look up and suddenly see a car that's CLOSE!!! and freak out.

Gotta admit it's gotten to me a few times. I'm all relaxed and suddenly she's gasping like a semi's about to ram into us at 100PMH. I usually tell her to just keep her eyes closed.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> We begin our journey on I-5 and by now its getting really close to 8am. Not good. But the way I figure it, everyone is trying to get somewhere by 8am, so maybe the traffic wont be as bad as if we left at 7? Right?



First time I read that, I thought, "What? They want to be on the road when everyone's trying to get somewhere?" I re-read it and then I got it.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Slowly we merge into the middle lane and are passing construction equipment and cones, but no one is doing anything.



Ah, we have the same problems here too. I see some things are universal.

See how I did that?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> My absolute pet peeve is people who wait until the last minute to merge in a construction zone, when they know about a good 5 miles back that one of the lanes will be closed. Then they try to squeeze in front of you with only about 2 feet of space for them to do so. In the process, possibly causing an accident that will now back up traffic even more, because they were too busy trying to pass every Tom, Dick and Harry before having to merge!



Sorry what was that? Somthing about Tom's Harry something or other? Nevermind. The problem with the merging is that everyone's different. You've got some people who won't let you in, in front of them no matter what. You've got others who let in _everybody_, which means _that_ lane ain't moving.

I've heard of this zipper merging theory, but I can't see how it could work unless everybody's on the same page... and they never are.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Ill snap the pics on our way back, it will be better, cooler, because they will all be lit up and stuff.



Nice save. Did he buy it?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> This way for VIPs, this way for team members, (Of course, some people do go both ways).



Not that there's anything wrong with that.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> We park next to a group of Asian tourists (Not sure if they are Chinese, Japanese, or something ese) and its like a clown car. As Im waiting for the driver to close his door so I can open mine, I swear like 6 or 7 people climb out of the back seat...where did they all sit? Was there a pyramid of people sitting on each others laps?



Where's Ringling Brothers when you need 'em?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> This escalator takes us to the top tier of the parking garage and the bathrooms.



So you have to go all the way to the top so that you can let stuff out of the bottom?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> We take a few pictures of the Universal Sign up front, and make sure to add a mental reminder to take more at night, because it lights up.



If the night lights up... that's called 'day'.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Theyve rolled out the red carpet just for us!



Well, sure. They probably knew you were going to write this TR.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Just to be safe and sure, we enter our super duper secret code and yup, it opens. Phew!



But you were worried there for a sec. right?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> if you want the Mandarin version, you go to that line,



I might chose this one. I love their oranges.

What?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> They have posters up every so often of all the different actors and movies that have come out of their studios since its inception.



Actually, Inception is a Warner Brothers movie. But I'll let it go this time.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Trivia posters give you insight into the particular movie its representing



Yeah. No. Insight is a Braeburn Entertainment movie. You're 0 for 2 here... and you were there!

Or were you? Hmmmm...



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> At the end of the line, they give us a pair of 3D glasses,



You needed 3D glasses for the tour? I think I'm missing something here.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Ill leave it there for now. I have a TON of pictures from the tour to show you, along with a very jam packed day of riding escalators, getting into trouble with the Mummy, avoiding spitting dinosaurs, and trying to save the city from Decepticons for the next upcoming chapters. So I will go write, delete, and re-write the chapters to make sure I do it all justice.



Oh, boy! I can't wait.

Hang on... the next chapter's already up! Woo Hoo! Just a couple more comments and I'm off to read some more.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> It wasn't so much having another woman talk to you, but the way she did it. Her sultry voice luring you to each direction she ordered you to go. Gets you all hyped up and then leaves the minute you get there. I've heard she's a player and will talk the same way to any man that can turn her on.



 That was really funny!



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Personally I think they are conveniently forgotten..."Oh shoot. I forgot a hat. And my poor head will get all sunburned if i don't get another one to add to my collection!!!"



She's on to ya T-Man.

And BTW...
Defenestrate: The action of demonstrating the removal of a fence.

See? I knew what it meant.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> So let us begin shall we?



Yes. Lets.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Off we go on the Universal Studios tour.



Wait. Which one is it? Off or on? You can't have both.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Tour Guide Sally, mentions that we have a celebrity guide with us, who will be helping her throughout the tour, and will pop up on the monitors every so often to give us some information on whatever we are passing through at the time. This celebrity is none other than Jimmy Fallon.



I first read that a little too quickly and thought, "Wow! Jimmy Fallon showed up!"

Missed the word 'monitors'.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> He does however mention that the tour guide does owe him $5. If this is the same on ever tram ride, this man will be rich without the comedy scene and late night show he has.



Either that or there's some darn cheap tour guides out there.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> or if you drop something you need (like a small child) off the side of the tram,



Nah. You don't really _need_ a small child. I say if you drop one, pick him or her up on the way back.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Not too exciting, there were no hot firefighters out and about (shoot!),  but good to know that there is one on Universal Property.



Check. Somewhere on Universal Property there's a hot firefighter.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> This year commemorates 100 years for Universal, so on the tour, there were posters along the sides with different movies and the year they were filmed there.



That's a great movie. Jamie Foxx does an unbelievable job of channeling Ray Charles. I saw it was coming up again on TV and will be recording it to watch again.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> What was really cool was that one of these bungalows used to be the office for none other than Alfred Hitchcock. Can you imagine the decor in that office?



That's cool!



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> From here we were transported to the streets of New York. Im not quite sure how they did it. Was there a time warp I wasnt aware of? Did we go into the future? Was this what my future would be like if I kept up with my sinful ways?



There ya go. Back to the Future _was_ a Universal movie.

And yes... you did.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> The building in the background of this next picture was used as an apartment building for the movie Bruce Almighty.



Just watched that the other day and I recognized it. 



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> But look at this place, Does this look like a place anyone would want to enter?



Oh sure. Plenty of people.

Spelunkers...
Treasure seekers...
Miners...
Batman...



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> In the new version, there is no banana smell, but you are transported right into Skull Island and into the fight scene with King Kong and Tyrannosaurus Rex. We are chased by Dinosaurs and this will not be the only time dinosaurs will come to be our enemies this trip. All of a sudden a huge ape is leaping over our tram and tackling this huge T-Rex. T-Rex looks hungry and angry at us. He doesnt seem to be in a chipper mood at all. Im thinking he may just need one of the big guys bananas to regulate him but I say nothing, he doesnt look like hes in the mood to talk. He tries to knock us out of the path we are on, King Kong comes to our rescue.  In the end, King Kong won and we were able to get out safely.



How was this all done, Heather? Was it animatronics? Or implied? On the video? Sounds pretty amazing, though.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Unfortunately, one of the other trams didnt get out so unscathed



That'd be Nebo's tram.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> After surviving, We roamed around the streets of New York a little while longer and then came to the car lot. I was hoping to come away with a brand new carbut no luckBut wouldnt it be nice to own one of these?







Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Since the reality of blowing up actual cars numerous times can be expensive and messy, they showed us how they take the shell of a car, and set it on special hydraulics to give the illusion that the car is being lifted or rolled. This way, if a scene has to be shot multiple times, all they have to do is reset the hydraulics, instead of purchasing a new car.



Cool.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> And of course the day we come to take the tour is the day the dinosaurs escape



Geez, you'd think after all the trouble they had, they'd learn from their mistakes.

But nooooooo...



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Making sure we didnt pick up any hitchhiking dinosaurs or none of them tried to kidnap us, I feel something wet on my handdid that plant just spit at me? Hmmm
> 
> I shrug it off, and go back to looking at the landscape. Now Im getting this same wet feeling on my neckwhat the heck?
> 
> Darn dinosaurs are spitting at us! They are hiding in the shrubs and trees!



 That's great!



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I sure hope they stay there and dont try to eat us! I beg and plead, telling the dinos that we are way too salty for them, and will cause them tons of cholesterol issues later down the road. It's possible that a whole tram of vegans may be coming around the corner and they should wait for them. At least get their daily intake of veggies and such that way.



 That's really funny, Mrs. T.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I guess they figured they needed a more balanced diet so they let us go and we sped out of there in a hurry!



No! You can't be done already! I want more! Great chapter! Can't wait for more.


----------



## nebo

Heather, that backstage tour sounds really cool, I guess now we have to include a trip to Uni when we do D=Land, I 
 suppose there 's always a taxi. 
   And that spitting Dino gets me every time on the Yourasshashadit Park, River Adventure ride. 

  Do you happen to know if Magic Mountain is in the neighborhood, ever been there? 
  Thanks for the new chapter, we are definately now shooting for next Oct. for our first Dizzy trip. 

  But first looking forward to meeting you and Bunny Boy next month, should be fun, never been kicked out of a Disney park before!  Oh, and tell Mike I was able to pick up the Cherry Bombs after all, but how we get into the Hippo area undetected is still up to him.


----------



## dwheatl

Sorry to interrupt this TR, but here's a message for Nebo.
I think a taxi is about $200. A lot of the hotels around DL have Gray Line bus tours available. If you use them just for the ride (not the tour) it's about $35 per person. There's also a train/subway system that can get you from DL to Uni for cheap. Here's a link - http://socaltransport.org/tm_pub_start.php

Magic Mountain is pretty far from DL (60+ miles) and some of those miles are horrendous, traffic-wise. We just drove past MM today. I've never been inside, but DH has not had nice things to say about it. Quote from my BIL about the clientele - "I'd say the crowd turned ugly, but I believe they showed up here that way."


----------



## smidgy

holy cow!  $200!  one way?   that is so disheartening.  I know nebo and I would never be able to rent a car a drive a car from the airport to DLR, and then to Universal, etc etc.  

we would either cause a major traffic backup, a major accident, or, both end up with major panic attacks or heart attacks, or  (least case scenario) kill each other)


----------



## smidgy

thanks you so much , danielle , for your research!!!!


----------



## dwheatl

Smidgy, you're welcome.
Lady H, those little, spitting dinosaurs give me the willies. Aren't they the ones who killed Neumann (from Seinfeld) in JP?
And I want to know more about King Kong. Is it a 3D movie? An animatronic? Inquiring minds want to know!


----------



## smidgy

danielle. yes, they were.   I call them the "' h e l l o newman": dinosaurs. 
  he ran into the mud.. and he thought they were "cute".  (I thought that about nebo at one time myself...)    

(ok , I have about a day until he sees this, right?)


----------



## pkondz

smidgy said:


> I call them the "' h e l l o newman": dinosaurs.
> 
> 
> 
> he ran into the mud.. and he thought they were "cute".  (I thought that about nebo at one time myself...)



 I have this vision in my head now of Nebo chasing Smidgy around the house...


----------



## Thumper_Man

nebo said:


> you ahve a great way of describing things!  we weren't planning on going over to universal whenever we go to DLR, but Ive been thinking otherwise.. I wonder how much a cab would be  from DLR to universal> 9no way do the 2 of us want to navigate a car aroud LA)





smidgy said:


> holy cow!  $200!  one way?   that is so disheartening.  I know nebo and I would never be able to rent a car a drive a car from the airport to DLR, and then to Universal, etc etc.
> 
> we would either cause a major traffic backup, a major accident, or, both end up with major panic attacks or heart attacks, or  (least case scenario) kill each other)



You know, I have offered to drive.  Lady H and I like to rent a car while on vacation.  Some thing tells me you just don't want us to go.


----------



## Thumper_Man

nebo said:


> But first looking forward to meeting you and Bunny Boy next month, should be fun, never been kicked out of a Disney park before!  Oh, and tell Mike I was able to pick up the Cherry Bombs after all, but how we get into the Hippo area undetected is still up to him.



One thing is getting kicked out of a disney park.  I'm starting to think this might get us banned.  So I'm coming up with a rocket launcher instead.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> One thing is getting kicked out of a disney park.  I'm starting to think this might get us banned.  So I'm coming up with a rocket launcher instead.



If you're gonna go... go big.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

nebo said:


> you ahve a great way of describing things!  we weren't planning on going over to universal whenever we go to DLR, but Ive been thinking otherwise.. I wonder how much a cab would be  from DLR to universal> 9no way do the 2 of us want to navigate a car aroud LA)





smidgy said:


> oops, that was me above,posting under nebo's name



Looks like Nebo isn't the only masked crusader in the house . 

Thanks Smidgy, I definitely try to bring our readers into the action with us. I highly recommend Uni. I don't blame you for not wanting to navigate around. Depending on where you stay around DL, it's easy to get around, transportation is pretty much at your finger tips. I know Mike mentioned a shuttle or bus to Uni, and i think Danielle mentioned it as well. So there are options to get there.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

pkondz said:


> Oh.... carp. Now I'm _two_ chapters behind.... better get a bucket.












pkondz said:


> I mean, better get to work.














pkondz said:


> So you have a crack fetish. Gotcha.



I was hoping it wasn't so obvious...





pkondz said:


> Makes you wish you lived there doesn't it?
> "Sorry I wasn't in all of last week boss. I was stuck in traffic."
> "Oh, that's all right then."
> 
> Gotta look at the glass half full side of things some times.



My luck, my boss would tell me, "You've lived here long enough to know what traffic is like. Just live in your cubicle and we won't have this problem!" 





pkondz said:


> If you mix up your clothes and accidentally put on Tuesday Disney clothes they won't let you in.



I wouldn't doubt it. 

I said Monday Universal Clothes in jest, but technically, when we start packing for our trips, T-Man will lay out his clothes and figure out what he will wear, day by day depending on which park we will be at, if we will end up on a ride that may get us wet, the weather forecast, etc. I blame it on him being an Aries. 




pkondz said:


> Good for you, 'cause only an idiot would charge his one and only battery and leave it in the hotel.
> 
> :











pkondz said:


> No, but I've heard good things. I think he's coming to our city next month, maybe I'll have to look into that.



I love Jeff Dunham. T-Man corrected me the other day, we've actually seen him 3 times live. His stuff never gets old. I will warn you, he does cuss a little, but i've seen all kinds of kids at his shows. This last time he was a little pricey, but as many times as we've seen him, we think it's worth the cost. You walk away holding your stomach because of how much you've laughed. 





pkondz said:


> Ever see L.A. Story with Steve Martin? All these people are driving along the freeway when the radio DJ announces that it's the first day of spring. Suddenly, everyone is pulling out guns and everybody's shooting at everybody else.



Haven't seen that one, now i may have to. I give kudos to anyone who drives in that traffic on a daily basis. 





pkondz said:


> OK. At least you have an excuse. My DW will be looking down or out the side window. I'll see a car stopped far up ahead. I'll ease off the gas... coast for a bit, slowing down all the while... slowly apply pressure to the break... and then as we gently pull up behind the stopped car, she'll look up and suddenly see a car that's CLOSE!!! and freak out.
> 
> Gotta admit it's gotten to me a few times. I'm all relaxed and suddenly she's gasping like a semi's about to ram into us at 100PMH. I usually tell her to just keep her eyes closed.



 That's probably what T-Man is thinking himself. I don't know if i really gasp so much as grab onto the door handle or start searching for something to hold on to, which drives him nuts. To him, the astigmatism or depth perception thing is no excuse. 





pkondz said:


> Ah, we have the same problems here too. I see some things are universal.
> 
> See how I did that?



 Good one! 





pkondz said:


> Sorry what was that? Somthing about Tom's Harry something or other? Nevermind. The problem with the merging is that everyone's different. You've got some people who won't let you in, in front of them no matter what. You've got others who let in _everybody_, which means _that_ lane ain't moving.
> 
> I've heard of this zipper merging theory, but I can't see how it could work unless everybody's on the same page... and they never are.



Sometimes i wonder if everyone is on the same road nevermind the same page. I don't think people even bother to look in their rear view mirror when they merge. 

I remember back in high school, we had a trip to Chicago for a Journalism training and our teacher was upset about one thing or another, his boyfriend was mad at him, we had a huge layover, by the time we got to Chicago it was like 8pm, so we had one of the students trying to give directions while reading the map, and we had the teacher fuming in the drivers seat, talking to himself. He's all the way in the left hand lane when the student tells him that his exit is coming up, everyone in the back of the van holds on as he just power merges through the freeway just barely making the exit and just barely missing taking out 10 cars in the process. Maybe that's why i'm so tense when others are driving...





pkondz said:


> Nice save. Did he buy it?



At the time, probably, but i think he's learned his lesson since then. 






pkondz said:


> Where's Ringling Brothers when you need 'em?



No kidding. It was funny to watch but I couldn't believe how many were in such a small vehicle. I guess DL/Universal/SeaWorld wasn't enough for us on this trip, we had to include the circus as well. 





pkondz said:


> So you have to go all the way to the top so that you can let stuff out of the bottom?



Technically yes...but 





pkondz said:


> If the night lights up... that's called 'day'.



Ah...That would explain a lot. 





pkondz said:


> Well, sure. They probably knew you were going to write this TR.



You know, you could be on to something there. We did get through some of those lines pretty quickly...





pkondz said:


> But you were worried there for a sec. right?



I always worry about those things. Either that the code we use won't work the next time around, that someone will "crack" the secret super duper code, or that i won't remember it. 





pkondz said:


> I might chose this one. I love their oranges.
> 
> What?









pkondz said:


> Actually, Inception is a Warner Brothers movie. But I'll let it go this time.
> 
> 
> 
> Yeah. No. Insight is a Braeburn Entertainment movie. You're 0 for 2 here... and you were there!
> 
> Or were you? Hmmmm...



D'oh! 





pkondz said:


> You needed 3D glasses for the tour? I think I'm missing something here.



I'll explain this one in a minute...seems I confused quite a few people with this. 






pkondz said:


> And BTW...
> Defenestrate: The action of demonstrating the removal of a fence.
> 
> See? I knew what it meant.



Ah...Learn something new everyday!


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

pkondz said:


> Wait. Which one is it? Off or on? You can't have both.



Sure I can. With multiple personalities you can have anything and everything! 





pkondz said:


> I first read that a little too quickly and thought, "Wow! Jimmy Fallon showed up!"
> 
> Missed the word 'monitors'.



That would have been awesome! I know that he was there personally for the re-opening of it all. But I don't know if he's ever gone back to do the tour in person. That would be interesting to see. 





pkondz said:


> Nah. You don't really _need_ a small child. I say if you drop one, pick him or her up on the way back.



That's the spirit. No need to make everyone wait just because the child decided to go over board. The only hope is that the poor child doesn't wander off on it's own and end up in one of the sound stages. The next show you see may have your child wandering through the set. 





pkondz said:


> Check. Somewhere on Universal Property there's a hot firefighter.



Too bad I never saw one personally. 





pkondz said:


> That's a great movie. Jamie Foxx does an unbelievable job of channeling Ray Charles. I saw it was coming up again on TV and will be recording it to watch again.



I agree. He really did a phenomenal job playing that role. I can't see anyone else playing Ray Charles.





pkondz said:


> There ya go. Back to the Future _was_ a Universal movie.












pkondz said:


> Just watched that the other day and I recognized it.



That's awesome! 





pkondz said:


> Oh sure. Plenty of people.
> 
> Spelunkers...
> Treasure seekers...
> Miners...
> Batman...









pkondz said:


> How was this all done, Heather? Was it animatronics? Or implied? On the video? Sounds pretty amazing, though.



I will actually go into that in just a few. It seems a few people are wondering the same thing. so I will clarify in a new post. 





pkondz said:


> That'd be Nebo's tram.



 Poor Nebo! 




pkondz said:


> Geez, you'd think after all the trouble they had, they'd learn from their mistakes.
> 
> But nooooooo...



Well now I have to start worrying about bringing along dinosaur repellant with me when i travel. I don't know if that stuff will get past security! 







pkondz said:


> That's really funny, Mrs. T.



Why thank you! Hey Mr. T-- Look, I'm funny! Ponzi said so! 





pkondz said:


> No! You can't be done already! I want more! Great chapter! Can't wait for more.



I promise there is more on the way!


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

nebo said:


> Heather, that backstage tour sounds really cool, I guess now we have to include a trip to Uni when we do D=Land, I
> suppose there 's always a taxi.
> And that spitting Dino gets me every time on the Yourasshashadit Park, River Adventure ride.
> 
> Do you happen to know if Magic Mountain is in the neighborhood, ever been there?
> Thanks for the new chapter, we are definately now shooting for next Oct. for our first Dizzy trip.
> 
> But first looking forward to meeting you and Bunny Boy next month, should be fun, never been kicked out of a Disney park before!  Oh, and tell Mike I was able to pick up the Cherry Bombs after all, but how we get into the Hippo area undetected is still up to him.



I do not know about Magic Mountain. T-Man is always talking about it, but since I can only play "dumb wife" so many times in one trip, I didn't give him a chance to find it and book it too. 

Although, if we do end up going to DL around the same time you do, which T-Man keeps talking about so he can chauffer you around like Mr. and Mrs. Daisy, you can be my guest and go with him, as I am sure he would be ecstatic to have a coaster buddy! 

We are looking forward to meeting you and Smidgy too! Could the two of you at least give us a heads up so we can start walking out of the park before you get us banned too? 



dwheatl said:


> Sorry to interrupt this TR, but here's a message for Nebo.
> I think a taxi is about $200. A lot of the hotels around DL have Gray Line bus tours available. If you use them just for the ride (not the tour) it's about $35 per person. There's also a train/subway system that can get you from DL to Uni for cheap. Here's a link - http://socaltransport.org/tm_pub_start.php
> 
> Magic Mountain is pretty far from DL (60+ miles) and some of those miles are horrendous, traffic-wise. We just drove past MM today. I've never been inside, but DH has not had nice things to say about it. Quote from my BIL about the clientele - "I'd say the crowd turned ugly, but I believe they showed up here that way."
> 
> 
> 
> smidgy said:
> 
> 
> 
> holy cow!  $200!  one way?   that is so disheartening.  I know nebo and I would never be able to rent a car a drive a car from the airport to DLR, and then to Universal, etc etc.
> 
> we would either cause a major traffic backup, a major accident, or, both end up with major panic attacks or heart attacks, or  (least case scenario) kill each other)
Click to expand...


Interrupt away. Thanks for the info. It's good to know in case we ever go back and don't get a car. Sometimes with the prices of rentals now a days it's almost worth it to just get a taxi or take a shuttle. 

I can see it now. 

Now for your traffic report, -- "In an effort to revive her husband from what could have possibly been a heart attack but ended up being a panic attack, The wife started CPR only to find the husband responsive, so she smacked him unconscious. Unfortunately, this was all while they were on I-5 going to downtown L.A. and before the husband could take his foot off the accelerator. A 50 car pile up is causing some major slow downs at the moment, and we don't know when it will be completely cleared...Back to you in the studio!"



dwheatl said:


> Smidgy, you're welcome.
> Lady H, those little, spitting dinosaurs give me the willies. Aren't they the ones who killed Neumann (from Seinfeld) in JP?
> And I want to know more about King Kong. Is it a 3D movie? An animatronic? Inquiring minds want to know!
> 
> 
> 
> smidgy said:
> 
> 
> 
> danielle. yes, they were.   I call them the "' h e l l o newman": dinosaurs.
> he ran into the mud.. and he thought they were "cute".  (I thought that about nebo at one time myself...)
> 
> (ok , I have about a day until he sees this, right?)
Click to expand...


Danielle, I think Smidgy answered that perfectly. I just never thought they would now come after me. I mean, Newman we all knew had it coming...but little ol' me? 

I am going to give a more in depth look at King Kong coming up. 




Thumper_Man said:


> One thing is getting kicked out of a disney park.  I'm starting to think this might get us banned.  So I'm coming up with a rocket launcher instead.
> 
> 
> 
> pkondz said:
> 
> 
> 
> If you're gonna go... go big.
Click to expand...


Ponzi, don't give them any ideas!


----------



## Thumper_Man

I did look at Magic Mountain.  It's about 62 miles from DL.  According to Google Maps, it's about an hour and 15 minutes to drive there.  Since I can't leap tall buildings in a single bound, and I can't fly, it will take some planning to get there.  It is much further out than what Universal is.  Universal is about 30 miles from DL.  Since we were already doing a couple of long drives (not counting the long drive to/from LAX) to Universal and Sea World in San Diego, I didn't think Lady H would be up for a 3rd long drive.  I would love to go and ride some of the coasters at Magic Mountain.  Some I would probably be doing alone.  The so called "Dumb Wife" I'm sure wouldn't be so dumb and try them.  She could surprise me, but she would rather I rode with someone other than her.  

Plus we were on a limited budget since we have WDW coming up in about a month.  So financially we wouldn't have been able to squeeze it in.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

Apologies to you, it seems I wasn't as clear on my description of King Kong. And here I was priding myself on how well i was doing!  

If you remember me telling you about how during the queue, they gave out 3D glasses before moving us over to another line for the actual tram. These 3D glasses would come in handy for the King Kong part of the tour. 

Once you go into the "cave of darkness" 

, not to be confused with the "Cave of Wonder" 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 or the "Batcave"

, the director of King Kong comes on the monitors to give us some insight as to how they made everything and then asks us politely to put our shiny new glasses on. 

This is how King Kong comes alive. And it is as realistic as it can be, without having a 2000 pound Ape trying to jump on your tram. There are animatronics involved just like any 3D ride, to give the tram the effect that you are in the midst of what is going on. The tram will move, you can feel the thumps and crashes around you, it feels like the whole tram is being picked up by King Kong himself. You are basically pulled into Skull Island and saved by the mighty Kong. 

T-man mentioned that there may have been more than one dinosaur that was after us, and as I think about it, it makes sense, because King Kong kept hurdling our tram from one side to the other to try to keep the bad Dino's from attacking. 

It really was a fun experience, and the director was involved in the whole process to make sure that it was as close to the real thing as possible. Unfortunately, 3D Special effects, along with a non 3D camera, made for really horrible pictures, so I have none to show you. 

I hope this clarifies it a little more. If I am missing anything i'm sure T-man can fill in the voids.


----------



## nowellsl

Thumper_Man said:


> Plus we were on a limited budget since we have WDW coming up in about a month.  So financially we wouldn't have been able to squeeze it in.



When are you guys going to be at WDW?  We're going 12/2 - 12/4


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

nowellsl said:
			
		

> When are you guys going to be at WDW?  We're going 12/2 - 12/4



We will be there 12/1-12/15  I am not sure of the schedule, you will have to ask T-Man for the logistics.


----------



## nebo

dwheatl said:


> Sorry to interrupt this TR, but here's a message for Nebo.
> I think a taxi is about $200. A lot of the hotels around DL have Gray Line bus tours available. If you use them just for the ride (not the tour) it's about $35 per person. There's also a train/subway system that can get you from DL to Uni for cheap. Here's a link - http://socaltransport.org/tm_pub_start.php
> 
> Magic Mountain is pretty far from DL (60+ miles) and some of those miles are horrendous, traffic-wise. We just drove past MM today. I've never been inside, but DH has not had nice things to say about it. Quote from my BIL about the clientele - "I'd say the crowd turned ugly, but I believe they showed up here that way."



*Ok, hang on a second there little "pop your bubble" girl, I'm looking for clarification on a taxi ride for two to the Uni studios, one way. It can't be 200 can it? Or were you quoteing a price to magic Mountain? *



smidgy said:


> danielle. yes, they were.   I call them the "' h e l l o newman": dinosaurs.
> 
> 
> *Diane, rememer not long before my company went under, the two guys I worked with, their names? Paul Newman and Ed Sullivan?
> *
> he ran into the mud.. and he thought they were "cute".  (I thought that about nebo at one time myself...)
> 
> (ok , I have about a day until he sees this, right?)



*Oh, and here is my reward for confiding with her on old times. Just wait untill your wheelchair needs a tire changed in the future, I just might be busy!*



Thumper_Man said:


> You know, I have offered to drive.  Lady H and I like to rent a car while on vacation.  Some thing tells me you just don't want us to go.



*OK OK, believe me, Mike, You're HIRED!*



Thumper_Man said:


> One thing is getting kicked out of a disney park.  I'm starting to think this might get us banned.  So I'm coming up with a rocket launcher instead.



*Oh c'mon, we need to get with it. They're called RPG's, ok? 
  And yeah, that might work. A bit messier I guess, but still,,,At least we'll finally hear Peter Pottamus do the "Hippo Holler"!*



pkondz said:


> If you're gonna go... go big.



*Whoa!  Where in the heck did you find that "smiley' ?  
  From the Taliban web site? *


----------



## dwheatl

The taxi rate was on some travel website (tripadvisor maybe?), but the yellow cab site makes it look like that is round trip. Here's a link, I'll let you take it from there. http://www.yellowcab.com/rates/


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


>



Geez, I did didn't I? No need to crack the whip...

Then again, why do you have a whip, anyw....

*Don't answer that!* Family board.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Sure I can. With multiple personalities you can have anything and everything!



No, actually you can't.

Of course you can.

Well, maybe.

Probably not.


----------



## smidgy

I think the other part we were thinking of might be closer.. knot's berry farm? (no, I will not go on that ride with the swings 300 ft. up that the people got stuck in for about 4 hours... one couple, the wife had a fear of heights, and the hubby told her going on the rider would help.  I think he';d dead now.....)


----------



## pkondz

smidgy said:


> I think the other part we were thinking of might be closer.. knot's berry farm? (no, I will not go on that ride with the swings 300 ft. up that the people got stuck in for about 4 hours... one couple, the wife had a fear of heights, and the hubby told her going on the rider would help.  I think he';d dead now.....)



Well see? He was right! She's afraid of heights and doesn't want to go on high rides. Her husband talks her into it by telling her it will help. They get stuck. She kills him. Now nobody will ever force her on a high ride again. So it helped.


----------



## Thumper_Man

nowellsl said:


> When are you guys going to be at WDW?  We're going 12/2 - 12/4
> 
> 
> Thumper_Man's Wife said:
> 
> 
> 
> We will be there 12/1-12/15  I am not sure of the schedule, you will have to ask T-Man for the logistics.
Click to expand...


Well I can give you the whole schedule, but you're probably just interested in the days you are there.  

12/2 - Animal Kingdom
12/3 - Universal Studios
12/4 - Disney Hollywood Studios


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

So, while i work on the next installment, I thought it would be fun to show you a little of what we saw in the special effects sound stage. If you remember, I told you a little about how they did some of the effects with the cars in The Fast and The Furious Tokyo Drift. This video is from that.  I would however, like to warn you ahead of time, I believe we were very close to one of the speakers on the tram and so there is a lot of feedback on the video. It may be wise to turn your speakers down. Sorry about that! Just click on the link and it should take you to the video. Enjoy! 

Dancing Cars


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> So, while i work on the next installment, I thought it would be fun to show you a little of what we saw in the special effects sound stage.



That was pretty cool. I didn't quite get how they could use the same cars over again with explosions.... now I know.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

pkondz said:


> That was pretty cool. I didn't quite get how they could use the same cars over again with explosions.... now I know.



We learn something new everyday! 

I was actually very impressed with it myself. This is definitely a cheaper way to blow up stuff than to have to buy 20 of the same exact car.


----------



## mmeb144

Well, another myth about the exploding cars in the movies blown.  I love this kind of stuff!  I really like the exploding stuff in the movies.  I assumed they used lots of cars or lots of cg.  The dancing cars looked cool!


----------



## Thumper_Man

We just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Halloween.  Stay safe everyone.  Especially to everyone on the East coast.


----------



## sewmess

Okay!  Now that I've beaten my computer and actually am able to log in....

I just caught up on the official TR posts of this thread and I know I should go back and catch up on the comments, but I had to comment on one thing.

Or two - we'll see.

You two seem like an amalgimation of Me&DH and another couple we've gone with to Disney a couple of times.  (They are there right now & I shouldn't be jealous because we just got back last month and they haven't been for, like, 4 years.  But you know I am.)  It's a little wierd.  But in a cool way.  Like going with a good bud!

Our vacation style sounds the same, just with less beer.  (DH can't drink and every time I think about it, the siren song of my drug of choice calls me back and I end up ordering COFFEE.)  We get up at the crack of dawn on vacation too.

Can't wait to see more fun in the California Sun...Oh you're out there havin'  fun.......I think it's contagious.


----------



## nebo

sewmess said:


> bud!
> 
> Our vacation style sounds the same, just with less beer.  (DH can't drink and every time I think about it, the siren song of my drug of choice calls me back and I end up ordering COFFEE.)  We get up at the crack of dawn on vacation too.
> 
> Can't wait to see more fun in the California Sun...Oh you're out there havin'  fun.......I think it's contagious.



*  "Oh I'm  going out west where I belong
  Where the days are short and the nights are long." 

   Wow, you remem ber California Sun?  
  The Rivieras,, and no, I don't need to look it up. *


----------



## sewmess

nebo said:


> *  "Oh I'm  going out west where I belong
> Where the days are short and the nights are long."
> 
> Wow, you remem ber California Sun?
> The Rivieras,, and no, I don't need to look it up. *



I grew up in a very musical house: if it has a catchy tune, chances are I'll remember it.


----------



## Thumper_Man

nebo said:


> *  "Oh I'm  going out west where I belong
> Where the days are short and the nights are long."
> 
> Wow, you remem ber California Sun?
> The Rivieras,, and no, I don't need to look it up. *



Where the California girls are really the most.  
Pretty little chicks where ever you go.  

So true.  Not that I would know or anything.


----------



## Thumper_Man

sewmess said:


> Okay!  Now that I've beaten my computer and actually am able to log in....
> 
> I just caught up on the official TR posts of this thread and I know I should go back and catch up on the comments, but I had to comment on one thing.
> 
> Or two - we'll see.
> 
> You two seem like an amalgimation of Me&DH and another couple we've gone with to Disney a couple of times.  (They are there right now & I shouldn't be jealous because we just got back last month and they haven't been for, like, 4 years.  But you know I am.)  It's a little wierd.  But in a cool way.  Like going with a good bud!
> 
> Our vacation style sounds the same, just with less beer.  (DH can't drink and every time I think about it, the siren song of my drug of choice calls me back and I end up ordering COFFEE.)  We get up at the crack of dawn on vacation too.
> 
> Can't wait to see more fun in the California Sun...Oh you're out there havin'  fun.......I think it's contagious.



We'll see if we're up at the crack of dawn each morning when we go to Orlando.  2 trips to Orlando.  Out of the 2 trips to Orlando so far, we've spent a total of 11 & 1/4 days at WDW, and we've yet to see a rope drop.  The only time we've made it to any of the parks early was for the character breakfasts.  

And for the record, we really didn't have that much beer.  We had cocktails  and other drinks as well.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

Whew! We made it out of Jurassic Park without losing anyone in the process. Gotta give it to Tram Driver Ted, he did a great job! Of course with all the excitement it was lucky for us we came across this: 






Actually that is just a building from the Old Mexico set. As we made our way through the town, Al Roker from the Today show came on the monitors to give us an update on the weather throughout the studio. Mr. Roker gave us a warning that there could be some flash flooding in the area. Hmm...It looks sunny and warm to me. Not a cloud in the sky. I wonder what hes talking about? 

Hmm...That water is coming down pretty fast...





Um...Tram Driver Ted...Thats a lot of water...Do you want to move out of its path? 





I think i know what Mr. Roker was trying to warn us about! Tram Driver Ted...MOVE! 





Thank goodness there was a barrier wall, although now my feet are a little wet! 

This was pretty cool though, to see how they can make their own weather at the studios. All that water is recycled back to use for the next flood. 

As we continued on, we saw some great set buildings that were used in some of the old western movies. These sets are actually facades. 





In cases where they use only the porch or outside of a house or building, they dont build the entire thing, because it would be too costly, so they build facades. They do this also with city scenes like in Transformers, where the New York city street is blown up. It would be way too costly to build entire buildings to be blown up, when they can easily use the facades which have the same look, but are never used for more than just a street view. 






In that picture. The buildings off to the left hand side are actually made of styrofoam. Just thought that was an interesting tidbit. 

As we made our way into 6 points Texas, we got to see the old western sets that were built back in the silent film days. 





And right across the way, was an italian village. 





Its amazing how they separate the different sets and make them seem so real, even though, from one moment to the next you are in completely different worlds. I dont know anywhere else you can go from an old western, to an italian villa in just a few moments. And then be completely transported into a train station...

Wait...This place doesnt look very safe...Oh goodness! EARTHQUAKE! 

There we are minding our own business when the floor begins to shake. (Why is it that as I wrote that line, the first thing to pop into my head was the song from The Wizard of Oz?) Next thing you know, sparks are flying and the roof caves in. Out of nowhere a  semi comes barreling through the broken ceiling. Just as we thought it couldnt get any worse, flames erupt from the semi carrying a tanker of gas. Thats when we hear it. The approaching train. Its going to fast. It wont stop in time! It crashes and breaks in half, one half almost hitting our tram! 

As Tour Guide Sandy tells Tram Driver Ted to get a move on, a water main breaks on the other side and water starts rushing in from everywhere! Tram Driver Ted puts the pedal to the medal and out we go! Safe and sound on the other side! 

Dont believe me? Click here to see for yourself (Sorry for any noise interference. Darn speakers!) 


Ok Ok...So it was a sound stage and not an actual earthquake. This set was actually used for a scene in the TV show Bones...The production company for the TV show rented the sound stage just for this specific effect. It was pretty cool to watch it on the monitors and see how it transpired on film, but it was even better to watch it in person. T-Man may have something less enthusiastic to say about it since he was the one that got wet. You can actually hear him freak out a little when the water hits him in the video. He did laugh a little. 

As we moved on, we made our way to a serene island off the coast...I think its a pretty popular place from what they tell us. Maybe you recognize it...






We were a little disappointed that the beach was closed at the moment, but thought it would be fun to look around anyway. 





As we were getting closer to the waters edge, we saw a fisherman in the water. Tour Guide Sandy was trying to yell at him to get out, as the beach was closed and we would hate for him to get a ticket for being somewhere he shouldnt be when...

JAWS  (Again, sorry for the noise pollution. Although if you listen closely at the end you can hear T-Man laugh a little, see, nothing scares him. not even a shark!). 

Poor fisherman...If only he would have heeded the warning on the sign. 

According to Tour Guide Sally, the universal shark was better than the shark used for the film, because the universal one worked! Seems they had all kinds of problems with the mechanical shark in the film, and was constantly holding up production because of the issues. 


Does anyone remember Ms. Mona's Chicken Ranch?  






We then got to take a little tour of Wisteria Lane for all you Desperate Housewives Fans out there.  

This is where Gabrielle Solis lived: 




Bree Van de Camps house...




Lynette Scavos place...




And Susan Delfinos house...




Along with a shot of Mikes hat. Hey I never said I was a professional. 

Since Desperate Housewives has gone off the air, this street is no longer known as Wisteria Lane, it is now known as Mockingbird Lane: 





The house in that picture will be for the new TV show, sort of a modern version of The Munsters. 

Just up the road was a set most people will recognize from a popular Dr. Seuss book/movie: 





Its WhoVille, from the movie How The Grinch Stole Christmas. Those houses were made completely of styrofoam and chicken wire. Very creative if you ask me. 

Just on the opposite side of WhoVille, we came across this motel:





And came across this as we past by: 









Now Im not the brightest bulb in the bunch, but Im pretty sure he saw us. I mean we are in this massive, 4 car tram, with no windows, waving for all to see. But...maybe we were able to sneak by him. 

or...maybe not...





Step on it Tram Driver Ted! 

You know, I think this tour may be hazardous to our health. Getting attacked by Dinosaurs, involved in an earthquake, almost eaten by Jaws and now being chased by Norman Bates...geez! What else could happen? 

Maybe I shouldnt have said that...

As we escaped the clutches of Norman Bates, we came across this horrendous scene. 










According to Tour Guide Sally, This plane is from a scene in War of the Worlds. And this is not a styrofoam prop made to look like an airplane, this is an actual plane that they bought, and ripped apart for the scene. 

Just beyond the scene of the crash, was a green screen set behind a body of water. They use this for any scenes that use bodies of water, like a boating scene or something along those line. This way they dont have to go out on location to some major lake or ocean, they can do it all here with green screen technology. 





They have used this for films like The Truman Show, and just recently for the movie Battleship. I believe they also used this for the Disney movie, Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides. 

Yes Ponzi, I know that the Disney movie is not a Universal movie. In order to use it Disney would have rented the space to film the scenes needed. Which they can do, Universal is nice like that. Give me enough money and I would be too. 

We traveled past a wooded forest like area, that they use for scenes that well...take place in the woods...I think she mentioned that scenes in CSI have been shot there. 

As we continued to drive, Tour Guide Sally mentioned that there was a cave up a head that was the Tomb of Impotep. This is said to be cursed by many among the Universal Studios lot, and so no one goes in there. Scary things are said to happen, and so we were going to just drive around it. 

Unfortunately no one told Tram Driver Ted about this and he drove right into the cave. 





Tour Guide Sally was a little nervous. You could hear it in her voice. But she stayed calm and tried not to panic. According to her, the legend was that there was a curse on the tomb and anyone who entered would be cursed as well. I was fine until she mentioned the flesh eating scarab beetles...

The tram came to a stop and all of a sudden the room around us started to spin...or was it us spinning and the room was still? You heard the mummy begin to talk in his native tongue and it didnt sound like he was saying Hey Whats up? Wanna beer? 

The curse was clarified when up on the monitors comes Whoopi Goldberg who begins to talk to us and then all of a sudden is covered from head to toe in those beetles. 

Again...STEP ON IT TRAM DRIVER TED! If im cursed Im suing him...he's the driver! 

This marked the end of our journey through the backlot tour. Jimmy Fallon came on the monitors again to say goodbye with a song he wrote called: Tram-Tastic! 

We had a great time together, and now the ride is done.
We saw some crazy cool stuff and had a lot of fun.
This tram has made its final stop
But dont be sad and blue
Because theres still one thing, Id like to say to you
Have a tram-tastic day
Have a tram tastic night
Watch your step as you exit the tram
And everything will be alright


Ok guys, I should be able to wrap up the rest of Universal soon, so T-Man can begin talking about DCA. I hope you enjoyed the tram journey. I hope I didnt bore you to tears. And if I did...Oh well...Obviously youre still reading this so I must have done something right! You are still reading right? Hello? Anybody?


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

mmeb144 said:


> Well, another myth about the exploding cars in the movies blown.  I love this kind of stuff!  I really like the exploding stuff in the movies.  I assumed they used lots of cars or lots of cg.  The dancing cars looked cool!



Sorry...I'll probably put a wrench in a lot of myths and legends with this tour. I really did enjoy the dancing cars. Poor tram drivers have to listen to that song over and over again...I'm sure they get sick of it. 



sewmess said:


> Okay!  Now that I've beaten my computer and actually am able to log in....
> 
> Sometimes all it takes is a little beating...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I just caught up on the official TR posts of this thread and I know I should go back and catch up on the comments, but I had to comment on one thing.
> 
> Or two - we'll see.
> 
> You two seem like an amalgimation of Me&DH and another couple we've gone with to Disney a couple of times.  (They are there right now & I shouldn't be jealous because we just got back last month and they haven't been for, like, 4 years.  But you know I am.)  It's a little wierd.  But in a cool way.  Like going with a good bud!
> 
> I would love to go to DL with friends the next time around. It was great to do it by ourselves, but its so much fun to share!
> 
> Our vacation style sounds the same, just with less beer.  (DH can't drink and every time I think about it, the siren song of my drug of choice calls me back and I end up ordering COFFEE.)  We get up at the crack of dawn on vacation too.
> 
> Normally I am not a morning person. I can stay up all night, but the mornings take a while for me to get going, but I have found that on vacation, its hard to sleep late, you're so excited for the day to begin. It's the old commercial "I'm too excited to sleep!"  I know I complain about it here on the TR, but normally it's not a big deal.
> 
> Can't wait to see more fun in the California Sun...Oh you're out there havin'  fun.......I think it's contagious.



Others have beaten me to the punch, but I started singing that as soon as I read those lyrics. 



sewmess said:


> I grew up in a very musical house: if it has a catchy tune, chances are I'll remember it.



I'm the exact same way. Music is a big part of my life! 



Thumper_Man said:


> Where the California girls are really the most.
> Pretty little chicks where ever you go.
> 
> So true.  Not that I would know or anything.



Uh huh...Sure...Now i know why you wanted to stay so close to the beach that time we stayed in San Diego...


----------



## mmeb144

Why, oh why does Tram Driver Ted still have a job?  He should be thoroughly cursed by now.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

mmeb144 said:
			
		

> Why, oh why does Tram Driver Ted still have a job?  He should be thoroughly cursed by now.



Haha...maybe he has an "in" with the mummy. Tram Driver Ted brings him people to curse on a regular basis and he in turn gets the antidote for the curse.


----------



## nebo

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Whew! We made it out of Jurassic Park without losing anyone in the process.
> 
> *They should have an animatronic of the lawyer sitting on the toilet getting eaten by the Rex. I'll bet that actor is still living that scene down, like the guy who became known as the "Propeller Guy" who hit the  propeller when he jumped off the boat in Titanic. *
> 
> Thank goodness there was a barrier wall, although now my feet are a little wet!
> 
> *Wow, that sounds just like Catastrophe Canyon at Disn'ey Studios. *
> 
> Wait...This place doesnt look very safe...Oh goodness! EARTHQUAKE!
> 
> There we are minding our own business when the floor begins to shake. (Why is it that as I wrote that line, the first thing to pop into my head was the song from The Wizard of Oz?) Next thing you know, sparks are flying and the roof caves in. Out of nowhere a  semi comes barreling through the broken ceiling. Just as we thought it couldnt get any worse, flames erupt from the semi carrying a tanker of gas. Thats when we hear it. The approaching train. Its going to fast. It wont stop in time! It crashes and breaks in half, one half almost hitting our tram!
> 
> *How similar is this to Disaster, what used to be Earthquake at Orlando?*
> As we moved on, we made our way to a serene island off the coast...I think its a pretty popular place from what they tell us. Maybe you recognize it...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Yeah, I do, but tram man Ted is one heck of a driver cuz this is off the OTHER coast!
> I think.
> *
> We were a little disappointed that the beach was closed at the moment, but thought it would be fun to look around anyway.
> 
> *Code Brown?*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Now Im not the brightest bulb in the bunch, but Im pretty sure he saw us. I mean we are in this massive, 4 car tram, with no windows, waving for all to see. But...maybe we were able to sneak by him.
> 
> or...maybe not...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Step on it Tram Driver Ted!
> 
> *I have to say that an Anthony Perkins look a like just doesn't put much of a chill in me. Now, if it was Donald Trump heading to the tram,,,,,*
> 
> You know, I think this tour may be hazardous to our health. Getting attacked by Dinosaurs, involved in an earthquake, almost eaten by Jaws and now being chased by Norman Bates...geez! What else could happen?
> 
> Maybe I shouldnt have said that...
> 
> As we escaped the clutches of Norman Bates, we came across this horrendous scene.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> According to Tour Guide Sally, This plane is from a scene in War of the Worlds. And this is not a styrofoam prop made to look like an airplane, this is an actual plane that they bought, and ripped apart for the scene.
> 
> *Funny, I don't remember a downed airplane in the movie, now I have to watch it again and look for it.
> Oh great, that means another two and a half hours of Dakota screaming in my ear again. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> They have used this for films like The Truman Show, and just recently for the movie Battleship. I believe they also used this for the Disney movie, Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides.
> 
> *that last title sounds really familiar. And I still haven't decided yet if I liked The Truman Show or not.*
> 
> Yes Ponzi, I know that the Disney movie is not a Universal movie. In order to use it Disney would have rented the space to film the scenes needed. Which they can do, Universal is nice like that. Give me enough money and I would be too.
> 
> *Yeah Ponzi, she's not dumb, you know. Geesh!*
> 
> We traveled past a wooded forest like area, that they use for scenes that well...take place in the woods...I think she mentioned that scenes in CSI have been shot there.
> 
> *Right, CSI ; Miami shoots lots of scenes in wooded forest areas.
> Ponzi,, I'm rethinking that. *
> 
> As we continued to drive, Tour Guide Sally mentioned that there was a cave up a head that was the Tomb of Impotep. This is said to be cursed by many among the Universal Studios lot, and so no one goes in there.
> 
> *No wonder, when your name is Imhotep and it looks  more like Impotent, I'd feel cursed too!*
> 
> Ok guys, I should be able to wrap up the rest of Universal soon, so T-Man can begin talking about DCA. I hope you enjoyed the tram journey. I hope I didnt bore you to tears. And if I did...Oh well...Obviously youre still reading this so I must have done something right! You are still reading right? Hello? Anybody?



*Nobody here but us chickens. Thanks Lady H.*


----------



## dwheatl

That Norman Bates would have scared me more than anything. That movie scared the out of me when I was a kid.
We recognized the flash flood on an episode of Monk.
I miss that show, as well as all of my friends from Wisteria Lane. Thanks for the update.


----------



## Backstage_Gal

Great chapter, Lady H, sounds like a fun ride I would like to do.


----------



## bankr63

Reading through this, I can't believe how far the tour/ride has come over the years.  I visited Uni in 90 or 91 while doing some training in L.A.; I had to kill a Saturday as the flights were much cheaper if I stayed a full week instead of 5 or 6 days. The only parts I recognize from my tour are Earthquake and Jaws, well and driving by the sound stages.  It seemed pretty lame back then.  Sounds like there is so much more to see now.


----------



## cp'ersmom

Great chapters! I can't believe how much that tour has changed from the first time I took it. Seems like they don't do the parting seas or the Bridge on the River Kwai any more. Opps! Did I just date myself??


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Whew! We made it out of Jurassic Park without losing anyone in the process.



Which is really quite remarkable considering nobody had weapons... Oh wait. California. _Somebody_ must've had weapons, right?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> This was pretty cool though, to see how they can make their own weather at the studios. All that water is recycled back to use for the next flood.



Echoing the "That sounds like Catastrophe (Catastrophe trademarked... no, that's for another ride. Nevermind.) Canyon.

And no I don't want to get into a chicken/egg conversation on which ride came first!

And also... One of these days I'm going to write a book. The book will start with something like: It was a dark and stormy (

And then I'll write an entire novel inside the brackets and end it with: ) night.




Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> As we continued on, we saw some great set buildings that were used in some of the old western movies. These sets are actually facades.



Yeah.... except for the last decade or two, whenever I watch a western I always catch myself staring at the buildings and saying to myself, "That could be a facade. That could be one, too. Yup, for sure that one is... etc."



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> In that picture. The buildings off to the left hand side are actually made of styrofoam. Just thought that was an interesting tidbit.



Didn't know that. That is an interesting tidbit.

tidbit. you gotta be real careful when you type that.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> And right across the way, was an italian village.



Most old west towns did have Italian villages across from them.

It's due to the import/export ratio.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Dont believe me? Click here to see for yourself (Sorry for any noise interference. Darn speakers!)



Ah, shoot. The link didn't work for me, I'll have to wait until I'm home.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> T-Man may have something less enthusiastic to say about it since he was the one that got wet. You can actually hear him freak out a little when the water hits him in the video.



Heh, heh. That sounds entertaining.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> As we moved on, we made our way to a serene island off the coast...I think its a pretty popular place from what they tell us. Maybe you recognize it...



Hmmm... well, from the sign, I'd say it looks like a nice place to go for a swim.

And yes Nebo, both the movie and the real life event were on the East coast.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Tour Guide Sandy was trying to yell at him to get out, as the beach was closed and we would hate for him to get a ticket for being somewhere he shouldnt be when...
> 
> JAWS  (Again, sorry for the noise pollution. Although if you listen closely at the end you can hear T-Man laugh a little, see, nothing scares him. not even a shark!).



Oh, now you've gone and spoiled it! Just once, wouldn't it be cool if while everybody who's sitting in the tram, nodding and winking to each other as they await the inevitable shark "attack", Universal would have something even scarier jump out from the _opposite_ side?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Poor fisherman...If only he would have heeded the warning on the sign.



Scofflaws will be prosecuted... or eaten. Whichever comes first.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Does anyone remember Ms. Mona's Chicken Ranch?



No... and yes. I've heard of the Chicken Ranch in Nevada, but not Ms. Mona.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Hey I never said I was a professional.



This? After mentioning the Chicken Ranch?

Well, I guess I'm glad you clarified for people with their minds in low places.



like Nebo, f'rinstance.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> And came across this as we past by:



See? Now _that's_ service. Not only does that nice man hold the door open for the lady, he actually carries her! Now that's service!



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


>



And look. Now he's coming over to help fix any damage the tram might have received in the earthquake. See? He even has a screwdriver in his hand.


Oh, and Nebo. A tool for turning screws to affix pieces or parts together is *also* called a screwdriver.

Just trying to help.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> As we escaped the clutches of Norman Bates, we came across this horrendous scene.



The second I saw those photos, I immediately thought, "War of the Worlds".

No matter how horribly annoying Dakota Fanning was... it was still an entertaining movie.

Oh, and Miss Fanning?    SHUT UP!!!!


that felt good.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Just beyond the scene of the crash, was a green screen set behind a body of water. They use this for any scenes that use bodies of water, like a boating scene or something along those line.



I'm sorry. I know you didn't mean to be funny but... 

A green screen behind a body of water which is used for scenes with... wait for it... bodies of water! Holy cow!

See, I thought it was a green screen behind a body of water for use during scenes of airplanes in the sky, or forests... or possibly deserts.

Sorry.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> They have used this for films like The Truman Show, and just recently for the movie Battleship. I believe they also used this for the Disney movie, Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides.



Believe it or not, I've yet to see POCOST.

I like that. POCOST. The value of an item relative to a person's monetary worth.

But I have seen, and I like, The Truman Show.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Yes Ponzi, I know that the Disney movie is not a Universal movie. In order to use it Disney would have rented the space to film the scenes needed. Which they can do, Universal is nice like that. Give me enough money and I would be too.



What? I didn't say anything!



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> We traveled past a wooded forest like area, that they use for scenes that well...take place in the woods...I think she mentioned that scenes in CSI have been shot there.



But you'll notice that Nebo may have had a change of heart about your intellect.

I on the other hand have nothing but respect for you (just disregard that whole "green screen" thing, 'kay?)



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Unfortunately no one told Tram Driver Ted about this and he drove right into the cave.



Were Ted's parents brother and sister?

No reason, just asking.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> The curse was clarified when up on the monitors comes Whoopi Goldberg who begins to talk to us and then all of a sudden is covered from head to toe in those beetles.



Wouldn't it be wonderful if that happened to _all_ the people on The View?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Ok guys, I should be able to wrap up the rest of Universal soon, so T-Man can begin talking about DCA. I hope you enjoyed the tram journey. I hope I didnt bore you to tears. And if I did...Oh well...Obviously youre still reading this so I must have done something right! You are still reading right? Hello? Anybody?



What's the rush to get through Universal? You're doing a great job Heather. This chapter was terrific... and I learned a ton, too.


----------



## Worfiedoodles

The tour definitely sounds like it's well worth the effort to do it. Thank you for that entertaining account of your adventure!

Maria


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

nebo said:


> They should have an animatronic of the lawyer sitting on the toilet getting eaten by the Rex. I'll bet that actor is still living that scene down, like the guy who became known as the "Propeller Guy" who hit the propeller when he jumped off the boat in Titanic.



That would have been funnyWhat would have been better, is to get an actor to do it like they did for the Psycho part of the tour. Although Im sure they wouldnt get many volunteers for that part. 



nebo said:


> Wow, that sounds just like Catastrophe Canyon at Disn'ey Studios.



You know, I hadnt thought of that. Its been so long since we did the studios tour there, I actually had to youtube it to see what it was about. And yes, it has the same effect. The funny part is, you know its coming and yet as the water rushes down at you, you still shriek a little. 




nebo said:


> How similar is this to Disaster, what used to be Earthquake at Orlando?



Again, had to youtube it. I couldnt remember it from the last time we did it. I have to say, looking at the video, it is pretty similar. Minus the corny director telling you how to react. In the tram tour, they make it seem like its new to them (them being the tour guide). But they do point out when things are about to happen. i.e., Oh no, that semi is coming straight for us!, Oh dear, theres a trainstop! Brake! It cant stop in time!, OhI think the water main just brokewatch out! But the concept is almost exact. 



nebo said:


> Yeah, I do, but tram man Ted is one heck of a driver cuz this is off the OTHER coast!
> I think.



This is movie magic after allif you can have a Mexican village across from an Italian village, then why cant you make it clear across the coast in seconds? 



nebo said:


> Code Brown?



Eeewwww .There was a lot of red. And Im sure if you are that scared when a shark is attacking you, then surethat could happen. But Im not gonna stop to check. 





nebo said:


> I have to say that an Anthony Perkins look a like just doesn't put much of a chill in me. Now, if it was Donald Trump heading to the tram,,,,,



What was creepy, was that as we moved along, he kept following us. It was almost like he was stalking the tram. At one point we made it up a hill and were starting to round a corner, and you can peak through some of the trees down below by the motel and he was standing there at the base of the stairs just watching us. I think that was more creepy than him coming after us with a knife. 

If it was Donald Trump, Id be more worried that he would be trying to sell me something or tell me 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			
		
		
	


	




! 



nebo said:


> Funny, I don't remember a downed airplane in the movie, now I have to watch it again and look for it.
> Oh great, that means another two and a half hours of Dakota screaming in my ear again.



Just put it on mute. Or at least hold the mute button during the more intense screaming scenes. 



nebo said:


> that last title sounds really familiar. And I still haven't decided yet if I liked The Truman Show or not.



I actually liked The Truman Show. I think it was because while Jim Carrey is known more for his comedy, this movie put him in a role of being more serious with a sense of humor. Unlike what was it, Majestic? Where for some reason I just couldnt get into him being completely serious all the time. T-Man tries to reinact the scene where Jim Carrey guns the gas over the bridge while having his wife take the wheel because he cant drive over bridges, only T-Man will try to do it on our Interstate overpass, because he hates roads in the air. (Yet, he will be the first one in line for any crazy rollercoaster that takes you up and over and round and round in the airI dont get it!). 



nebo said:


> Right, CSI ; Miami shoots lots of scenes in wooded forest areas.
> Ponzi,, I'm rethinking that.



I said CSI, I didnt say which one!  CSI:Crime Scene Investigation (The original in Las Vegas) shoots there on the Universal Lot. According to the tour guide, Ted Danson walks around outside some of the scene stages at times. We didnt see him that day. 




nebo said:


> No wonder, when your name is Imhotep and it looks more like Impotent, I'd feel cursed too!



WowI so did not catch that before posting. Oops! 



nebo said:


> Nobody here but us chickens. Thanks Lady H.



As long as the chickens can read and reply, then Im happy!


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

dwheatl said:


> That Norman Bates would have scared me more than anything. That movie scared the out of me when I was a kid.
> We recognized the flash flood on an episode of Monk.
> I miss that show, as well as all of my friends from Wisteria Lane. Thanks for the update.



He was a little creepy. Like I told Nebo, I think it was more because he seemed to be stalking us. 

I did enjoy looking at Wisteria Lane. It was interesting to see the houses. I believe Mike Delfino's old house was there too, but it was being used as an art department studio or something. 



Backstage_Gal said:


> Great chapter, Lady H, sounds like a fun ride I would like to do.



It was very fun. I would do it again and again. Of course, like any tour ride, the guides are what make it entertaining. 



bankr63 said:


> Reading through this, I can't believe how far the tour/ride has come over the years.  I visited Uni in 90 or 91 while doing some training in L.A.; I had to kill a Saturday as the flights were much cheaper if I stayed a full week instead of 5 or 6 days. The only parts I recognize from my tour are Earthquake and Jaws, well and driving by the sound stages.  It seemed pretty lame back then.  Sounds like there is so much more to see now.
> 
> 
> 
> cp'ersmom said:
> 
> 
> 
> Great chapters! I can't believe how much that tour has changed from the first time I took it. Seems like they don't do the parting seas or the Bridge on the River Kwai any more. Opps! Did I just date myself??
Click to expand...


I am with you. There was a lot on this tour that I for sure did not remember from the last time, and stuff like cp'ersmom mentioned that I missed. I was waiting for us to come across the bridge, but never did. If I remember correctly, that was where they showed us the special effects for the rain, and flash flooding before, I remember getting my feet really wet during that part.  and the parting seas would have been awesome to see again, but alas, they did not do it. Of course, there have been a ton more popular movies that have been made since the first time I took this tour, so I'm sure the backlot tour has to evolve with that. 

And no you are not dating yourself, if I remember what you are talking about, then we will just stick with no.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

pkondz said:


> Which is really quite remarkable considering nobody had weapons... Oh wait. California. _Somebody_ must've had weapons, right?



I'm pretty sure there was probably a pistol or something hidden under the tour guide or driver's seats. 




pkondz said:


> And no I don't want to get into a chicken/egg conversation on which ride came first!



There's a chicken/egg ride at DL? 



pkondz said:


> And also... One of these days I'm going to write a book. The book will start with something like: It was a dark and stormy (
> 
> And then I'll write an entire novel inside the brackets and end it with: ) night.



That would be awesome! People will get to the night part and go "Wha?" 




pkondz said:


> Yeah.... except for the last decade or two, whenever I watch a western I always catch myself staring at the buildings and saying to myself, "That could be a facade. That could be one, too. Yup, for sure that one is... etc."









pkondz said:


> Didn't know that. That is an interesting tidbit.
> 
> tidbit. you gotta be real careful when you type that.



I don't even want to know what you typed first. 





pkondz said:


> Most old west towns did have Italian villages across from them.
> 
> It's due to the import/export ratio.









pkondz said:


> Ah, shoot. The link didn't work for me, I'll have to wait until I'm home.



Sorry, it's connected to T-Man's flickr account. If you can't look at Youtube while at work, that is probably blocked as well. 





pkondz said:


> Heh, heh. That sounds entertaining.



Hearing T-Man laugh because of something unexpected is always entertaining! 





pkondz said:


> Hmmm... well, from the sign, I'd say it looks like a nice place to go for a swim.
> 
> And yes Nebo, both the movie and the real life event were on the East coast.



I thought so too. But I was glad that I thought twice about the bikini before leaving the hotel that morning. 





pkondz said:


> Oh, now you've gone and spoiled it! Just once, wouldn't it be cool if while everybody who's sitting in the tram, nodding and winking to each other as they await the inevitable shark "attack", Universal would have something even scarier jump out from the _opposite_ side?



To be honest, I wouldn't put something like that past Universal. I have always wondered if they do something fun or scary for Halloween, That would really get people for sure during that time of year. 





pkondz said:


> Scofflaws will be prosecuted... or eaten. Whichever comes first.



Well since those laws are hard to enforce, I'm betting the latter. 





pkondz said:


> No... and yes. I've heard of the Chicken Ranch in Nevada, but not Ms. Mona.



It had been forever since i had seen the movie, and so when they mentioned it on the tram it took me a minute to put Ms. Mona and Chicken Ranch together. I mean, Who could forget Dolly Parton as Ms. Mona? Or Burt Reynolds as the Sheriff? 





pkondz said:


> This? After mentioning the Chicken Ranch?
> 
> Well, I guess I'm glad you clarified for people with their minds in low places.
> 
> 
> 
> like Nebo, f'rinstance.



Yeah, seeing as you were the one that mentioned it first....  






pkondz said:


> See? Now _that's_ service. Not only does that nice man hold the door open for the lady, he actually carries her! Now that's service!



It probably would have been nicer if the door that he held open wasn't the Trunk! 





pkondz said:


> And look. Now he's coming over to help fix any damage the tram might have received in the earthquake. See? He even has a screwdriver in his hand.



Sure...all the screwdrivers I know come with blood...




pkondz said:


> Oh, and Nebo. A tool for turning screws to affix pieces or parts together is *also* called a screwdriver.
> 
> Just trying to help.









pkondz said:


> The second I saw those photos, I immediately thought, "War of the Worlds".
> 
> No matter how horribly annoying Dakota Fanning was... it was still an entertaining movie.
> 
> Oh, and Miss Fanning?    SHUT UP!!!!
> 
> 
> that felt good.



I knew that I recognized it all from somewhere, but I couldn't pinpoint it until they mentioned it and started showing us a clip from the movie. The moment they showed the clip it all came together. Luckily we didn't get any of the screaming during the clip. 





pkondz said:


> I'm sorry. I know you didn't mean to be funny but...
> 
> A green screen behind a body of water which is used for scenes with... wait for it... bodies of water! Holy cow!
> 
> See, I thought it was a green screen behind a body of water for use during scenes of airplanes in the sky, or forests... or possibly deserts.
> 
> Sorry.



 No need to be sorry...That was good...And your right it was completely unintentional. I originally wrote that and thought, "A green screen behind a body of water used for...duh...a scene with a body of water." but took out the "duh" and re-wrote. I'm at least glad that someone saw the humor in it. 





pkondz said:


> Believe it or not, I've yet to see POCOST.
> 
> I like that. POCOST. The value of an item relative to a person's monetary worth.
> 
> But I have seen, and I like, The Truman Show.



I have yet to see POCOST all the way through...I will now be using the abbreviation instead of it's real name, because the real name is way too long! Thanks! 

And yes, I am with you on The Truman Show. 





pkondz said:


> What? I didn't say anything!
> 
> 
> 
> But you'll notice that Nebo may have had a change of heart about your intellect.
> 
> I on the other hand have nothing but respect for you (just disregard that whole "green screen" thing, 'kay?)



Uh huh...
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	








pkondz said:


> Were Ted's parents brother and sister?
> 
> No reason, just asking.



 





pkondz said:


> What's the rush to get through Universal? You're doing a great job Heather. This chapter was terrific... and I learned a ton, too.



No real rush. I'm just worried that I've lost the handful of readers we got because I'm taking so long to write. If work would allow me time in between the busy schedule for just the DIS, there would be no problems!


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

Worfiedoodles said:


> The tour definitely sounds like it's well worth the effort to do it. Thank you for that entertaining account of your adventure!
> 
> Maria



I think it is definitely worth it. You do get a lot of insight into what goes on behind the scenes, which is really awesome to see. 

Thank you for coming along for the ride! I hope to have more of our fabulous day up in the next day or so.


----------



## sewmess

heavens yes: darn work getting in the way of the really important stuff: DIS and...in my case...sewing!


----------



## Backstage_Gal

No need to rush, Lady H, I'm still here for one and not going anywhere.


----------



## nebo

Backstage_Gal said:


> No need to rush, Lady H, I'm still here for one and not going anywhere.



*oh, HERE you are!  Cheating on me with the Thumpers!
 Well, that's just fine, I get it, no need to let this get ugly. 
  Just remember me from time to time as the new age comes through, and don't forget, somebody had to lay the groundwork, but that' ok, the Bunny's are good people, you could do worse. 

  At least until I get through with them next month: 
 MBWAHAHAHAHaaaa!!

  Hey, Marita? Any chance you could meet us over at the Dawa Bar at Animal Kingdom?  I talked to Mike tonight and he is sending out a PM to Nowells who it appears will also be in the neigborhhood for a couple days. I don't know what kind of perks or admission set ups you have, but we'd love to see you again, and hopefully this time I won't be having Smidgy try to wipe blook off my shirt right before we meet. 

  HUH,  yeah, this really is weird, how I seem to get hurt EVERY STINKIN TIME we go there!
  But not this next time. 
  nope, nope nope nope*


----------



## nowellsl

nebo said:


> *  Hey, Marita? Any chance you could meet us over at the Dawa Bar at Animal Kingdom?  I talked to Mike tonight and he is sending out a PM to Nowells who it appears will also be in the neigborhhood for a couple days. I don't know what kind of perks or admission set ups you have, but we'd love to see you again, and hopefully this time I won't be having Smidgy try to wipe blook off my shirt right before we meet.
> 
> *


*


I PM'd him back .  I would really love to meet up with you guys, but ....  We have tickets for the Christmas party on the 2nd (celebrating DD's 28th birthday) and have early reservations at Tony's.  The only time during the trip we actually have anything scheduled you guys decide to have a meet   If you have anything else scheduled, let me know!  We'll be there until 12/04, staying at All Star Music.*


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Sorry, it's connected to T-Man's flickr account. If you can't look at Youtube while at work, that is probably blocked as well.



Well, I tried it at home too, but I guess I'd need a flickr account to see it. Ah well.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> To be honest, I wouldn't put something like that past Universal. I have always wondered if they do something fun or scary for Halloween, That would really get people for sure during that time of year.



Not that I've been, but I do know that Uni has Halloween Horror Nights.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I mean, Who could forget Dolly Parton as Ms. Mona? Or Burt Reynolds as the Sheriff?



Me. I've never seen Best Little... House in Texas. But I did know Dolly and Burt were in it, so I get partial points.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Sure...all the screwdrivers I know come with blood...



At Nebo's house they do.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> pkondz said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Were Ted's parents brother and sister?
> 
> No reason, just asking.
Click to expand...



Ah, I see I've lost you. You kept going on about the Tram driver doing these dumb things... Stopping in front of a flood, not avoiding killer dinos, going into cursed caverns...

Remember the joke: You know you're a redneck if your state's got a new law that says when a couple get divorced, they are still legally brother and sister. 

Perhaps your driver might've been a tad inbred?


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> Well, I tried it at home too, but I guess I'd need a flickr account to see it. Ah well.



Sorry.  My bad.  I forgot to change the permissions.  They work now.  Here are the links again so you don't have to go back searching for them.  And as a quick reminder, might want to lower your speakers.  

JAWS

EARTHQUAKE


And FYI, Flickr accounts are free you know.


----------



## pkondz

Got to see 'em, thanks! I especially like the Jaws one.


----------



## mmeb144

Thumper_Man said:


> Sorry.  My bad.  I forgot to change the permissions.  They work now.  Here are the links again so you don't have to go back searching for them.  And as a quick reminder, might want to lower your speakers.
> 
> JAWS
> 
> EARTHQUAKE
> 
> 
> And FYI, Flickr accounts are free you know.



Thanks for letting us see the videos.  They were great!  Probably the closest I'll get to experiencing the attraction for a while.


----------



## Backstage_Gal

nebo said:


> *oh, HERE you are! Cheating on me with the Thumpers!*
> *Well, that's just fine, I get it, no need to let this get ugly. *
> *Just remember me from time to time as the new age comes through, and don't forget, somebody had to lay the groundwork, but that' ok, the Bunny's are good people, you could do worse. *
> 
> *At least until I get through with them next month: *
> *MBWAHAHAHAHaaaa!!*
> 
> *Hey, Marita? Any chance you could meet us over at the Dawa Bar at Animal Kingdom? I talked to Mike tonight and he is sending out a PM to Nowells who it appears will also be in the neigborhhood for a couple days. I don't know what kind of perks or admission set ups you have, but we'd love to see you again, and hopefully this time I won't be having Smidgy try to wipe blook off my shirt right before we meet. *


 
There is definitely a chance, that would be fun. Getting into a park is no issue. But I have conditions ('cause Im old and crotchety). 1) daytime, I hate driving in the dark and 2) preferably not weekend. So keep me in the loop about your plans and I will see. Thanks for the invite


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> Got to see 'em, thanks! I especially like the Jaws one.





mmeb144 said:


> Thanks for letting us see the videos.  They were great!  Probably the closest I'll get to experiencing the attraction for a while.



Thanks for reading along.  Glad we have good friends we can share them with.  Otherwise they would probably just take up space on my hard drive.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Backstage_Gal said:


> There is definitely a chance, that would be fun. Getting into a park is no issue. But I have conditions ('cause Im old and crotchety). 1) daytime, I hate driving in the dark and 2) preferably not weekend. So keep me in the loop about your plans and I will see. Thanks for the invite



The weekend thing might be a problem.  The date is Sunday, December 2nd at 4 pm, at Animal Kingdom.


----------



## smidgy

nebo said:


> blook [/B]off my shirt right before we meet.
> 
> [/B]



is this a version of oobleck?    anyone know what that is?  (hint: dr. suess)


----------



## sewmess

smidgy said:


> is this a version of oobleck?    anyone know what that is?  (hint: dr. suess)



I work for a science center and We make oobleck!  As part of the non-education staff, I'd have to hunt up the recipe for y'all, but I do know that what science centers call Oobleck is a non-Newtonian Fluid: it doesn't behave like a true fluid, or a true solid.  It's very, very cool.


----------



## nebo

myaunt dixie made it once..   anyway, in a little known dr. suess story, the king was tired of the weather we have now  (snow, rain,sleet) and wanted something different.  someone invented oobleck (a gloppy mess) and naturally, merry mayhem ensued.


----------



## smidgy

honey!! I didn't know you had an aunt dixie, too!

ps  happy anniversary honey.. 9 whole years together!!!


----------



## Thumper_Man

smidgy said:


> ps  happy anniversary honey.. 9 whole years together!!!



So is this from the 1st marriage or 2nd?  Regardless.


----------



## bankr63

pkondz said:


> Believe it or not, I've yet to see POCOST.
> 
> I like that. POCOST. The value of an item relative to a person's monetary worth.



No, I'm sorry but if Pirates of the Caribbean is POTC then it is POTCOST.  And *THAT* sounds like something some of us worried about back in High School...


----------



## pkondz

bankr63 said:


> No, I'm sorry but if Pirates of the Caribbean is POTC then it is POTCOST.  And *THAT* sounds like something some of us worried about back in High School...


----------



## julydeya

Loving your reports!


----------



## Thumper_Man

julydeya said:


> Loving your reports!



Thank you.  I'm glad you're enjoying them.

If you love ours, for sure you'll love Nebo's.  He's a good friend and follows us here as well.  Go check him out.  Just watch out for Pkondz (aka Ponzi).  He's the Dennis Menace of our group.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Just paid off our stay at WDW.    22 days until we're back in Orlando.


----------



## dwheatl

Thumper_Man said:


> Thank you.  I'm glad you're enjoying them.
> 
> If you love ours, for sure you'll love Nebo's.  He's a good friend and follows us here as well.  Go check him out.  Just watch out for Pkondz (aka Ponzi).  He's the Dennis Menace of our group.



I think of him as the Will Rogers!



Thumper_Man said:


> Just paid off our stay at WDW.    22 days until we're back in Orlando.



Wooty woot!


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

smidgy said:


> honey!! I didn't know you had an aunt dixie, too!
> 
> ps  happy anniversary honey.. 9 whole years together!!!



Happy Anniversary Nebo and Smidgy! Here's to many many more happy years together! 



bankr63 said:


> No, I'm sorry but if Pirates of the Caribbean is POTC then it is POTCOST.  And *THAT* sounds like something some of us worried about back in High School...



I believe Ponzi said it best...



julydeya said:


> Loving your reports!



Thank you!  Hopefully I can get another chapter up in the next day or so. Between work and listening to the Stephen King novel I'm on, I've been neglecting my work here! 



Thumper_Man said:


> Just paid off our stay at WDW.    22 days until we're back in Orlando.









Now we are so happy, We do the Dance of Joy


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> Just watch out for Pkondz (aka Ponzi).  He's the Dennis Menace of our group.



I take umbrage (I take the cake, I take the A-train) at this statement! Dennis the Menace was a mischeivous boy who was always causing all kinds of trou....

um

Yeah, okay. I guess I can't really dispute that.



Thumper_Man said:


> Just paid off our stay at WDW.    22 days until we're back in Orlando.



Hey! Good for you guys! 



dwheatl said:


> I think of him as the Will Rogers!



William Rogers (MP) (14981553), Member of Parliament for Norwich 
William P. Rogers (19132001), U.S. Attorney General under Dwight Eisenhower and Secretary of State under Richard Nixon 
Will Rogers, Jr. (William Vann Rogers, Jr., 19111993), congressman from California from 1943 to 1944 and the son of the noted humorist by the same name 
Will Rogers (Oklahoma politician) (18981983), congressman from Oklahoma, 19331942 
Will Rogers (Maine politician) (born 1938), realtor and politician in Maine 
William D. Rogers (19272007), U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs and subsequently Undersecretary of State for Economic Affairs under Gerald Ford 
William Findlay Rogers (18201899), congressman from New York, 18831884 
William H. Rogers (mayor) (18501935), mayor of Madison, Wisconsin 
William J. Rogers (born 1930), Wisconsin State Assemblyman 
William Nathaniel Rogers (18921945), congressman from New Hampshire, 19231924 and 19311936 
William Charles Rogers (18471917), Cherokee leader 
Billie Rogers (born 1917), big band jazz trumpeter 
*Captain William Anthony "Buck" Rogers, science-fiction character * (I'll take that one.) 
Bill Rogers (voice actor), New York-based voice actor who works with DuArt Film and Video 
William Rogers (rugby union) (19021987), American rugby union footballer 
Bill Rogers (golfer) (born 1951), golfer 
Billy Rogers (born 1949), Australian association footballer 
Bill Rogers (athlete) (born 1985), runner 
Bill Rogers (footballer) (18931918), former Australian rules footballer 
William Rogers (engraver) (fl. 15801610), English engraver 
William Allen Rogers (18541931), political cartoonist for the New York Herald 
Will Rogers (18791935), "Cherokee Kid" cowboy, and humorist 
William C. Rogers III (born 1938), commander of the USS Vincennes when it shot down Iran Air Flight 655 
William Barton Rogers (18041882), founder of MIT
William H. Rogers (architect) (19142008), English architect 
William Wendell Rogers (18961967), World War I flying ace


----------



## sewmess

Whoot with the paying off!!

So, Pkondz, would that make Nebo Tweeky - or whatever the robot's name was?  You know, the one that was voice by Mel Blanc?


----------



## pkondz

sewmess said:


> So, Pkondz, would that make Nebo Tweeky - or whatever the robot's name was?  You know, the one that was voice by Mel Blanc?



Yes. Yes it would.


----------



## Thumper_Man

New chapter should be coming soon.  Sorry, we had a technical difficulty we had to resolve.  Modem decided to kick the bucket over the weekend.  



So we went out today and bought a new one.  Should be back in business soon.


----------



## julydeya




----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

As we exited the tram and tossed our nifty 3D glasses into the discard container, we started to contemplate what to do next. We looked at the map that we picked up on the way in and decided that we could take a quick look around and just slowly make our way down to the bottom area where Jurassic Park was.  On the way there, we ran into some astronauts posing for a picture.





We asked if they would be willing to take a picture with usthey agreed. Or at least they didnt disagree









Im not sure Kevin Bacon was too keen on T-Man using him as an elbow rest by the look on his face, but then againhe did not vocalize any discourse.

Now, for some reason, As I believe I have mentioned before, for the life of me, I cannot remember the escalators leading down to the bottom section of the park. I remember more of a long ramp of sorts, but definitely do not remember escalators. And I definitely do not remember a series of 3 escalators to get down from the top section to the bottom section.

However, there in front of me, as we made our way through the park, was the first in the series.





Now granted the last time I was here was over 14 years ago, and there are times I cant remember what I had for lunch yesterday, let alone what I did 14 years ago. But these I think I would have remembered

Anyway, we made our way down to the bottom. As we passed from one escalator to the other, we saw a few drink stands that were selling bottled sodas, and beer. Those beers were already looking good and it couldnt have been later than 11:00am at this point. We decided we could wait a little while longer and kept going. Finally we reached the bottom and the first thing we see is:





I was starting to wonder if taking the Tram tour first thing was a wise decision, the lines have got to be crazy by now down here. There were only 3 rides on the bottom section, Jurassic Park, The Mummy and Transformers. All of which are popular rides. This can not be good.

We strolled up to the line, to see what the wait time would be. Im expecting something like 45 minutes, What we saw was this:






NICE! We took that as a cue and walked right in. The longest part of the wait was getting through the que. By the time we wound our way in and out of the chain link fenced off areas, we only had to wait a couple of minutes to catch our ride.

Unfortunately there are no pictures of the ride here. Im not sure if they just didnt come out or if we were too worried about the camera getting wet to bother, but either way, I cant find anything. I know, I know, bad TR writer...

The ride is pretty much the same as the one in Orlando. You take a tour, only to veer off course into the restricted section and find out that the Dinos have escaped. (Hmm...Sounds a little familiar, Where have I seen that before?). Once again we are greeted by the spitting dinos, who have nothing better to do than to spit on me! And T-Man is having the time of his life watching me get drenched by them. He is paying too much attention to laughing at me to see that there is one we just passed and is now spitting directly at his back and neck! Haha...Laugh at me again will you?

As we start to make our way through the electrical building we see raptors tearing the place apart. Our only hope is that they dont see us! They seem to be more into feeding off the electricity than anything else. We continue.

Just as we come to an area that seems to have no escape, a humongous T-Rex comes right for us from the ceiling and tries to eat us, luckily a trap door opens up just ahead and takes us straight for a dive down into the waterfall of death! Haha Mr. T-Rex, maybe next time sucker! You wont be eating thumper tonight!

As we make our way out of the boat, I realize that I am soaked. Just before getting to the final exit area, another one of those stupid spitters takes a shot at me and lo and behold catches me just as I am taking off my sunglasses to wipe them clean, catching me directly in the eye! That hurt! Oooh...Ill get you, you little...

Once we worked our way off the boat and onto land, we needed to dry off! So of course, what better way to do that, then to ride this:





Once again, we are greeted with a wonderful, 15 minute wait time. Off to the right, we see a ton of people making their way to the lockers. Since we disposed of our stuff right when we got into the park, we didnt have anything to worry about. So we trudged on.

The que for this was what took the entire 15 minutes. No one was in front of us so we figured we would get to the ride in no time. We walked around the locker area and saw the roped off area. They must have been anticipating a huge crowd later, because we zigged and zagged our way through the roped off area. I felt like a mouse in a maze trying to find a piece of cheese. Finally, we make it inside the building. I thought for sure the maze was over. Unfortunately not. I think this might be a new way to make sure your still sober. If not, its definitely a way to sober you up.

As we zig and zag here, we are listening to someone talking on a screen ahead of us. I cant tell what he is saying, Its in some weird language and I am afraid I am not fluent in weird. I was paying more attention to the hieroglyphics on the wall. Ive read that they actually make out words and phrases and warnings. Unfortunately I dont read hieroglyphics so I have no way of heeding said warnings. Where is the translators when you need them?

We get to the end of the roped off area, only to come to a set of stairs. At the top of the stairs we are greeted and asked how many in our party, and directed a row in the second car. As the car pulled up, T-Man was ready to jump the gate, he was that anxious to ride. As the gate opened, T-Man rushed to the end, sat down, placed his hat in the little pouch for protection.

I however, slowly made my way over to sit next to him, and hurriedly brought the bar down securely on my lap.

Now I have a rule on coasters or rides of any kind. No seat belt or lap bar, its a great ride and I'm a happy Heather.

Lap bar or seat belt that goes across the hips, a few bumps and shakes, but relatively OK.

Anything that has an over the head harness, means it will probably be going upside down at some point. Time to start freaking out. A not so happy Heather. This is where the mantra starts to kick in. 

Anything that has an over the head harness and a seat belt to keep you locked in place, means they are either trying to launch you into space or nothing good can come of this ride except me screaming my head off. Since I am not an astronaut, I think the latter would be the correct answer. 

It has taken me years to get the courage to open my eyes during these rides. Im such a wuss. This trip, I was bound and determined to actually see what the heck I was afraid of. So as I timidly got in the car and sat next to T-Man, I reminded myself that this only had a lap bar. There is nothing scary about a lap bar. Im perfectly safe with my lap bar.

(Dumb wife, dumb wife, dumb wife!!!!!)

As the car started to move, I held on for dear life and did my best to keep my eyes open. Now I know why I close my eyes! Its dark in here...and there is a strange guy up ahead telling us something...wait...now hes being eaten by a bunch of beetles. That cant be good. I wanna go back now. Can I change my mind? Wait...No...not forward...dont you see there are dead guys up ahead? Yes those sarcophagus's, sarcophagi? They are not empty boxes...and theres another guy up head telling us something...wait...its just a head, made of sand...and hes crumbling as he mentions something about eternal life...thats definitely not good. Im ready to get out now!

Oh great, theres another guy wanting to talk to us. This one is saying something in a different language. Wait..this sounds familiar. When we went through that section on the tram ride, didnt Tour guide Sally say something about a curse? This sounds very much like what was said then. He cant be cursing us again can he? Can we be cursed twice? If we are cursed twice does that null and void the first curse?

No way to stop and ask questions as we take off, Im seeing nothing but pitch blackness...Oh wait...Open your eyes Heather!

Eeek! Ok...nevermind, close them again!

We stopped. Why does it sound like a ton of rats or something are after us. I open my eyes and look ahead. Theres a wall. A brick wall. And a bunch of beetles preparing to eat us for dinner...How do we get out of here. Theres no way out! Unless we go...

BACKWARDS!

or is that SDRAWKCAB?

PRAC! Oh...sorry, I mean CARP!

I completely spaced out that this ride goes backwards. Freaked the heck out of me. As I am screaming in T-Mans ear and repeating my dumb wife mantra, we finally come to a stop safely on the other side.

The TMs are applauding. We made it back without a scratch. Now Im the one trying to hurry out of the car, while T-Man is taking his time finding his hat and strolling out.

After this ride I needed a drink! I settled for a soda from a kiosk nearby. We bought the mugs so we could refill them throughout the park for only $0.99. This way we didnt have to purchase a brand new one each and every time.

As we took our time enjoying the ice cold coke, we walked over to the splash zone area near Jurassic Park. The last time I was here, I remember my brother getting completely soaked while standing in this area after one of the boats came down the cliff. He literally walked away dripping and wringing out his clothes. I may still have a picture of that somewhere, I'll have to dig through the garage to see if I can find it. 

Mike figured that would be a great way to cool off. So he stood as close to the wall as possible.





I dont think he got a drop of water on him. There was no splash. It was kind of sad. We tried again, thinking it was just a fluke...





Still nothin...

We may have vocalized our disappointment a little too loudly, because while we were getting ready to make our way to the next attraction, a T-Rex tried to grab us. I escaped. T-Man wasnt so lucky...





I was able to tickle the T-Rex into loosening his grip and we ran as far away as we could. Hoping if he did come after us, we could get some assistance from the Autobots...





The wait time for this ride was the longest we had seen so far this morning. 60 minutes. We looked at each other and figured this would probably be the best time for us to go, who knows how long the line will be later in the day. We still had our drinks, so we wouldnt die of thirst while waiting. We headed on in. 

There were two lines, off to the left was the stand by line. Off to the right, was the single rider line. The que for this ride was really entertaining. As you walk in, you are immediately transported to NEST base.





For those who have seen the movie you know what NEST is all about. As we enter, the first thing we see is the Allspark.





As we walk through the base we are informed via monitors surrounding the area that Decepticons have come to earth in search of this and are set on destroying anything in their path to get it.

As we continue our walk through NEST, we come across this:





I was thankful they had a blueprint of what this actually was, because I wasnt sure.





Seems like it came from a really big scorpion like robot type thing...

On one of the monitors, Megatron came up, telling us that they will defeat the Autobots, they have done it before and will do it again.





This didnt sit well with Optimus and the others and they asked for our assistance. Optimus, along with Bumblebee, Ironhide and Ratchet explain that they need our help to keep the Allspark safe, as they transport it to a safer location.

As we walked along, excited to help out Optimus and his pals, we saw buttons on the wall. I have no clue what these buttons did. But whenever there is a button, what is the first thing we do?





That was my Im pushing the red button evil face. I promise everyone can open their eyes again. Im sorry I scared you. I didnt mean it I promise. Look...this is much better.





Since I pushed the buttons, T-Man of course had to outdo me, and press 2 red buttons at the same time. Im wondering if somewhere in the rest of Universal Park, lights are being turned on and off or rides are being stopped and started as we press all these buttons randomly.

45 Minutes later we are at the front of the line. We are given a pair of 3D glasses and now we start to get really excited. It seems so do the TMs. I have to give it to them, they really got into character.

We are given our orders from Optimus, and told that we are heading on this mission with a new Autobot, Evac. He will see us, and the Allspark safely to the other side.

The TMs all dressed in Army fatigues, usher us to our specified rows. Another TM, waiting to usher us into the car looks us over, and in his best army voice says:

Now soldiers, you know what to do. Once the car comes to a full stop, you are going to go as far to the end as you can. Take a seat as quickly as possible and complete your mission. Right?! Right?! Now move Move, MOVE!

We are ushered quickly onto Evac, who kindly does not mind us stampeding onto his back.

Wow...Look at the time. No wonder Im exhausted. I should hit the hay, I still have to get up for work in the morning ya know....

What? You say I cant leave you hanging like that? That me leaving this chapter at this particular spot is cruel and unusual punishment?

Maybe...but I know youll be back to find out more...and that in essence is good writing. You will be back right?


----------



## julydeya

Sure I´ll be back!


----------



## sewmess

Count me in!!

I enjoyed the Mummy at Universal Orlando very much.  Probably the most of any of the rides we went on there.  

I'm with you about keeping my eyes open.  This year's test was Rockin' Roller Coaster...It's not as scary with your eyes open.  I was a little disappointed. 

Is it wierd that I want to ride those escalators more than the rides?


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

julydeya said:


> Sure I´ll be back!



Yay! 





sewmess said:


> Count me in!!
> 
> I enjoyed the Mummy at Universal Orlando very much.  Probably the most of any of the rides we went on there.
> 
> I'm with you about keeping my eyes open.  This year's test was Rockin' Roller Coaster...It's not as scary with your eyes open.  I was a little disappointed.
> 
> Is it wierd that I want to ride those escalators more than the rides?



Yay! 



I enjoyed the ride at Universal too, It's been so long since I rode it, I forgot all about some of the specifics until I got on it in Cali. 

I have yet to do the rides in Orlando with my eyes open. I guess we will see what happens in December when we are there. It should be interesting. My problem is I am scared of heights, hence the closing of the eyes and the mantra. But I am getting better! On certain rides I am now able to ease up on my death grip on the lap bars and may even raise my arms up depending on the ride. 

Not weird at all. We rode those escalators quite a bit when we were there, and we saw quite a few kids rushing down just to go right back up. I think it's a ride all on it's own.


----------



## Thumper_Man

sewmess said:


> Count me in!!
> 
> I enjoyed the Mummy at Universal Orlando very much.  Probably the most of any of the rides we went on there.
> 
> I'm with you about keeping my eyes open.  This year's test was Rockin' Roller Coaster...It's not as scary with your eyes open.  I was a little disappointed.
> 
> Is it wierd that I want to ride those escalators more than the rides?



We've been on both.  I have to say I personally enjoy the Mummy in Orlando just a little bit better.  The one in Hollywood seemed a little faster, but there wasn't as many props as Orlando had.  Mostly just neon ghost figures during the ride.  Now you do go backwards more in Hollywood than you do Orlando.  So that makes it a little more intense than Orlando.  Overall both are great rides.


----------



## pkondz

Great chapter Mrs. T. I'll be back tomorrow with thoughts, comments and general mayhem.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


>



Who knew Kevin Bacon was so tall? Smidgy is two degrees of Kevin Bacon, but it looks like you guys are one.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Im not sure Kevin Bacon was too keen on T-Man using him as an elbow rest by the look on his face, but then againhe did not vocalize any discourse.



"vocalize discourse?" You know, it's just us here. You don't have to get so fancy. You could just say, "enunciate circumlocution." See? _much_ clearer.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Now granted the last time I was here was over 14 years ago, and there are times I cant remember what I had for lunch yesterday,



You had a ham sandwich on rye with a pickle on the side and.... oops. I wasn't supposed to say that.

Forget I said anything and don't worry about the cameras in your.... ummm... 

lalalalalalala :



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Anyway, we made our way down to the bottom.



Sorry, I missed something... _whose_ bottom?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> We strolled up to the line, to see what the wait time would be. Im expecting something like 45 minutes, What we saw was this:



Where do you think you are? Disney?

Actually, sure sounds like you lucked out with wait times that day.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I know, I know, bad TR writer...



30 lashes with a wet noodle! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			
		
		
	


	






Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> You take a tour, only to veer off course into the restricted section and find out that the Dinos have escaped. (Hmm...Sounds a little familiar, Where have I seen that before?)



Jungle Cruise?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Once again we are greeted by the spitting dinos, who have nothing better to do than to spit on me!



Was it something you said? You didn't use the word 'extinct' did you?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> And T-Man is having the time of his life watching me get drenched by them. He is paying too much attention to laughing at me to see that there is one we just passed and is now spitting directly at his back and neck! Haha...Laugh at me again will you?



 How long before he noticed?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Haha Mr. T-Rex, maybe next time sucker! You wont be eating thumper tonight!



Hasenpfeffer? Hasenpfeffer!



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Just before getting to the final exit area, another one of those stupid spitters takes a shot at me and lo and behold catches me just as I am taking off my sunglasses to wipe them clean, catching me directly in the eye! That hurt! Oooh...Ill get you, you little...



Well... but you have to admire their persistence... and aim.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Its in some weird language and I am afraid I am not fluent in weird.



I am! I am! And, not to brag... well, maybe a little, I can also speak gibberish and a few others as well.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I was paying more attention to the hieroglyphics on the wall. Ive read that they actually make out words and phrases and warnings. Unfortunately I dont read hieroglyphics so I have no way of heeding said warnings.



 "I'm not going to pay attention to that because I don't understand it. Instead I'm going to focus on this because I don't understand it."



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Where is the translators when you need them?



Geez, I'm right here!



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Now I have a rule on coasters or rides of any kind. No seat belt or lap bar, its a great ride and I'm a happy Heather.
> 
> Lap bar or seat belt that goes across the hips, a few bumps and shakes, but relatively OK.
> 
> Anything that has an over the head harness, means it will probably be going upside down at some point. Time to start freaking out. A not so happy Heather. This is where the mantra starts to kick in.



What about: Over the head harness plus padding, helmet and mouth guard?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Anything that has an over the head harness and a seat belt to keep you locked in place, means they are either trying to launch you into space or nothing good can come of this ride except me screaming my head off. Since I am not an astronaut, I think the latter would be the correct answer.



So... you _would_ let yourself get launched into space?

Cool.

Did you see the video of the guy who just broke the record for skydiving out of a capsule on the edge of outer space? That *so* could have been you. 



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> (Dumb wife, dumb wife, dumb wife!!!!!)



 That kills me, everytime.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Yes those sarcophagus's, sarcophagi?



Back in the day, we just called 'em 'Gussies'.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> or is that SDRAWKCAB?



There's always a drawback to sdrawkcab.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> PRAC! Oh...sorry, I mean CARP!



Ha. I like it. That could be our knew code word. If someone says PRAC, we'll know just what they mean.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I dont think he got a drop of water on him. There was no splash. It was kind of sad. We tried again, thinking it was just a fluke...
> 
> Still nothin...



He probably didn't look 'unsuspecting' enough.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> We may have vocalized our disappointment a little too loudly, because while we were getting ready to make our way to the next attraction, a T-Rex tried to grab us. I escaped. T-Man wasnt so lucky...



Well miss the wit he brought to the TR, or at least his half.


ahem.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I was able to tickle the T-Rex into loosening his grip and we ran as far away as we could. Hoping if he did come after us, we could get some assistance from the Autobots...



Youre really, really, *really* brave Heather.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> That was my Im pushing the red button evil face. I promise everyone can open their eyes again. Im sorry I scared you. I didnt mean it I promise. Look...this is much better.



Somewhere on the planet, a missile was launched.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Since I pushed the buttons, T-Man of course had to outdo me, and press 2 red buttons at the same time.



Phew. Cause thats the abort signal. You coulda started WWIII.

Close call.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Maybe...but I know youll be back to find out more...and that in essence is good writing. You will be back right?



Thanks for all the ride descriptions Mrs. T. Entertaining _and_ educational. As for leaving us hanging, and whether Ill be back


----------



## Velvetia

Really loving your trip report Mr and Mrs T! You're both so funny! it's had me chuckling!


----------



## Thumper_Man

Velvetia said:


> Really loving your trip report Mr and Mrs T! You're both so funny! it's had me chuckling!



Thank you.  Glad you're enjoying it.  It really helps when you have a cast like Pkondz, Nebo and the rest (sounding like the theme song from Gilligan's Island now) behind you to help add humor to it.  Just as long as they don't ask for a raise in their salaries, we'll be able to afford to keep them around.  Otherwise, I may have to cut them loose and try to wing it on our own.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> Thank you.  Glad you're enjoying it.  It really helps when you have a cast like Pkondz, Nebo and the rest (sounding like the theme song from Gilligan's Island now) behind you to help add humor to it.  Just as long as they don't ask for a raise in their salaries, we'll be able to afford to keep them around.  Otherwise, I may have to cut them loose and try to wing it on our own.



If you could wing it, maybe we could get off this crummy island!

Ah, well. At least we have WiFi here.... good 'ol professor Nebo.

Hmmm.... So which one is Marianne and which one is Ginger?


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> Who knew Kevin Bacon was so tall? Smidgy is two degrees of Kevin Bacon, but it looks like you guys are one.



Must be the moon boots.



pkondz said:


> "vocalize discourse?" You know, it's just us here. You don't have to get so fancy. You could just say, "enunciate circumlocution." See? _much_ clearer.



Nebo was right, we need to take the thesaurus away from you.  I have no idea what you just said.  It sounded good though, whatever it is you were trying to say.



pkondz said:


> You had a ham sandwich on rye with a pickle on the side and.... oops. I wasn't supposed to say that.
> 
> Forget I said anything and don't worry about the cameras in your.... ummm...
> 
> lalalalalalala :



I guess its time to unplug the webcam.  Oh wait, we don't have a web cam.  I had a sense someone was watching us.



pkondz said:


> Sorry, I missed something... _whose_ bottom?



Bottoms Up?  





pkondz said:


> Where do you think you are? Disney?



Nope.  The waits were much longer there.  Well at least they were in the afternoon.  



pkondz said:


> Actually, sure sounds like you lucked out with wait times that day.



For the most part, they were pretty good, or not.  .  There's a reason we're calling this chapter *The Curse of the Mummy.*



pkondz said:


> Jungle Cruise?



Tram driver Ted.  I think Imhotep has him under his control.



pkondz said:


> Was it something you said? You didn't use the word 'extinct' did you?



Yeah, what did you tell them that they were spitting at us?



pkondz said:


> How long before he noticed?



Instantly.  I also got shot in the eye.  



pkondz said:


> Hasenpfeffer? Hasenpfeffer!



Sorry, no rabbit stew today. 



pkondz said:


> Well... but you have to admire their persistence... and aim.



I still say it's the curse.



pkondz said:


> I am! I am! And, not to brag... well, maybe a little, I can also speak gibberish and a few others as well.



Heather thinks men have their own language.  Every time my best friend calls, all she hears is "yeah, nuh uh, huh, don't know, eh, ok, later." And that's a whole conversation.  Does that qualify as gibberish?  Or is that caveman?



pkondz said:


> "I'm not going to pay attention to that because I don't understand it. Instead I'm going to focus on this because I don't understand it."



Either way, we would be cursed.  There's that word "cursed" again.



pkondz said:


> Geez, I'm right here!



Well what were are you doing here? We needed you over there.  Can't count on anybody now a days.



pkondz said:


> What about: Over the head harness plus padding, helmet and mouth guard?



That would be Manta.  That's next month.  I'll see if I can record the "dumb wife, dumb wife, dumb wife" chant as we board.  



pkondz said:


> Did you see the video of the guy who just broke the record for skydiving out of a capsule on the edge of outer space? That *so* could have been you.



How could we miss it?  It happened in our state.  It was all over the news. Plus I doubt she would do it even for a million dollars. 2 million maybe, but definitely not a million.



pkondz said:


> That kills me, everytime.



Hmm, funny, I never knew you had 9 lives like a cat.  How many are you down to now?  I mean after chasing purse snatchers, swimming with sharks and laughing every time Lady H says.....   Well I won't say it just in case you're down to your last life.  



pkondz said:


> Ha. I like it. That could be our knew code word. If someone says PRAC, we'll know just what they mean.



I like it to. 



pkondz said:


> He probably didn't look 'unsuspecting' enough.



We were talking about how they really turned down the pressure canons.  It used to be you would get soaked through your skin all the way to your bones, wet.  Now they don't even throw you a try bone.  



pkondz said:


> Well miss the wit he brought to the TR, or at least his half.
> 
> 
> ahem.



You'll miss who?  Nebo?  At the rate he's going with concussions and all.  Oh wait, better not put the curse on him to.

Thanks to Lady H, I'm alive.  There I was, just chilling.  Enjoying my ice cold Coca Cola in one hand and trying to take some pictures with my camera in the other.  This thing just came out of no where and grabbed me. Talk about almost being Hasenpfeffer.



pkondz said:


> Youre really, really, *really* brave Heather.



My heroine.  







pkondz said:


> Somewhere on the planet, a missile was launched.



Towards Winnipeg, Canada perhaps?  



pkondz said:


> Phew. Cause thats the abort signal. You coulda started WWIII.
> 
> Close call.



Well you should be glad I aborted the mission then.



pkondz said:


> Thanks for all the ride descriptions Mrs. T. Entertaining _and_ educational. As for leaving us hanging, and whether Ill be back&




If you leave us now, you'll miss the very best part just wait and see.
Ooh ooh Pzoni, please don't go.
And if you leave us now, you'll break the heart of Mr's T and me.
Ooh ooh Pzoni, please don't go.
Ooh ooh boy, we just want you to stay.

A friend like you is a friend that's hard to find.
How could we let it slip away.
We've come too far to leave it all behind.
How could we end it all this way.
When tomorrow comes and you'll regret
If this TR ended today.


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> If you could wing it, maybe we could get off this crummy island!
> 
> Ah, well. At least we have WiFi here.... good 'ol professor Nebo.
> 
> Hmmm.... So which one is Marianne and which one is Ginger?



Professor Nebo?  I was thinking Nebo would be our Ginger since he's the TR star around here. Or could he be.......  Nah, better not say it, don't want to age him more than what he already is.  Besides that would make Smidgy Mrs and she might throw something at me. 

  I don't want to get them mad at me before I meet up with them next month.  Now after we meet up, all's fair in love and postings.


----------



## nebo

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Im not sure Kevin Bacon was too keen on T-Man using him as an elbow rest by the look on his face, but then againhe did not vocalize any discourse.
> 
> *You know, I just cringed when I saw that Ponzi posted before I could get to this, and yep, sure enough, he beat me to it.
> I,,,,, was going to say that Kevin Bacon looks like he wants all six degrees of separation from Mike, but again, a day late and a looney short. By the way, Ponzi, am i missing a Smidgy connection with Kevin? *
> 
> *The Mummy is my second favorite ride in Uni Orlando, after Spidey, I'm always afraid my hair is going to start on fire when the ceiling goes up in flames.
> 
> What?*
> 
> 
> As we make our way out of the boat, I realize that I am soaked. Just before getting to the final exit area, another one of those stupid spitters takes a shot at me and lo and behold catches me just as I am taking off my sunglasses to wipe them clean, catching me directly in the eye! That hurt! Oooh...Ill get you, you little...
> 
> *That little spitter gets me every time, and by the time I spot them , itj's too late.*
> 
> 
> 
> Once again, we are greeted with a wonderful, 15 minute wait time. Off to the right, we see a ton of people making their way to the lockers. Since we disposed of our stuff right when we got into the park, we didnt have anything to worry about. So we trudged on.
> 
> *The longest line I've ever been in. LENGTH wise, has to be Dueling Dragons, at IOA, that's when I found out the wait time translates to "actual walking time".*
> 
> 
> I however, slowly made my way over to sit next to him, and hurriedly brought the bar down securely on my lap.
> 
> Now I have a rule on coasters or rides of any kind. No seat belt or lap bar, its a great ride and I'm a happy Heather.
> 
> Lap bar or seat belt that goes across the hips, a few bumps and shakes, but relatively OK.
> 
> Anything that has an over the head harness, means it will probably be going upside down at some point. Time to start freaking out. A not so happy Heather. This is where the mantra starts to kick in.
> 
> Anything that has an over the head harness and a seat belt to keep you locked in place, means they are either trying to launch you into space or nothing good can come of this ride except me screaming my head off. Since I am not an astronaut, I think the latter would be the correct answer.
> 
> *I personally, prefer the lap bar on ALL types of rides, evfen if it goes upside down. I really hate the "You aren't going anywhere no matter what' situation with the overhead harness, I's still much rather have an alternative escape route if needed.
> I was once on a crappy coaster at Six Flags Great America, Terminal Velocity, that had the overhead harness that just pinned me into the seat. At the end the ride broke down when in the station, and I was stuck there for 20 minutes before they could release the head restraints.
> Well,. the way my mind works, I kept pictureing a fire breaking out on the loading platform, and NOT being able to get out of the car!
> 
> And it didn't help those kids in Final Destination, either.
> Boy, wasn't that ONE heck of a creepy amusement park? *
> 
> It has taken me years to get the courage to open my eyes during these rides. Im such a wuss. This trip, I was bound and determined to actually see what the heck I was afraid of. So as I timidly got in the car and sat next to T-Man, I reminded myself that this only had a lap bar. There is nothing scary about a lap bar. Im perfectly safe with my lap bar.
> 
> (Dumb wife, dumb wife, dumb wife!!!!!)
> 
> *I'm with Ponzi on this one, I love when you say that.
> I liked it when Diane said it sometimes too, although I wish she had refrained from saying it on the night of Nov. 7, 2003 after we got re-married earlier in the day.*
> 
> Theres no way out! Unless we go...
> 
> BACKWARDS!
> 
> or is that SDRAWKCAB?
> 
> PRAC! Oh...sorry, I mean CARP!
> 
> *Well done!*
> 
> Now Im the one trying to hurry out of the car, while T-Man is taking his time finding his hat and strolling out.
> 
> *I would have bet my life the hat would have become a casualty on the ride. I still have one making the rounds on Dinosaur at AK. *
> 
> I was thankful they had a blueprint of what this actually was, because I wasnt sure.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *It's amazing what they are doing with Colorforms nowadays. *
> 
> Seems like it came from a really big scorpion like robot type thing...
> 
> *I have never seen anhy of the Transformers movies, never was interested and I'm not a Michael Bay fan, but now that they are building one in Orlando guess I better see one at least, cuz I have no idea what you are talking about. But I can't wait to hear your review of it, I've been told it's a lot like Spidey, and a lot of folks can't believe they are adding it into Orlando since they have Spidey already. *
> 
> That was my Im pushing the red button evil face. I promise everyone can open their eyes again. Im sorry I scared you. I didnt mean it I promise. Look...this is much better.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Since I pushed the buttons, T-Man of course had to outdo me, and press 2 red buttons at the same time. Im wondering if somewhere in the rest of Universal Park, lights are being turned on and off or rides are being stopped and started as we press all these buttons randomly.
> 
> *I'm pretty sure, that when you push those buttons, Test Track breaks down again. *
> Now soldiers, you know what to do. Once the car comes to a full stop, you are going to go as far to the end as you can. Take a seat as quickly as possible and complete your mission. Right?! Right?! Now move Move, MOVE!
> 
> We are ushered quickly onto Evac, who kindly does not mind us stampeding onto his back.
> 
> *Yeah, one hour standing in line,,,, EVAC sounds about right!*
> 
> Wow...Look at the time. No wonder Im exhausted. I should hit the hay, I still have to get up for work in the morning ya know....
> 
> What? You say I cant leave you hanging like that? That me leaving this chapter at this particular spot is cruel and unusual punishment?
> 
> Maybe...but I know youll be back to find out more...and that in essence is good writing. You will be back right?



*WOW, a cliffhanger, how cruel, how cruel ,, who would do such a thing as to make us wait?
  Ok, fine, I'll be back.
  But you'd never catch me treating my readers this way!*



Thumper_Man said:


> Professor Nebo?  I was thinking Nebo would be our Ginger since he's the TR star around here. Or could he be.......  Nah, better not say it, don't want to age him more than what he already is.  Besides that would make Smidgy Mrs and she might throw something at me.
> 
> I don't want to get them mad at me before I meet up with them next month.  Now after we meet up, all's fair in love and postings.



*Go ahead, finish it, you were right there anyway, geesh. 
  Call me Thurston. 
  Just let me have his money as well. 

  you know, in early trip writing days, some folk after reading more about my eyes and injuries even went so far as to compare me to Mr. Magoo, you know. 
  AND guess who got to voice both characters?*

   But I wasn't a Ginger fan, I was in the Mary Ann group, loved that belly button. 
  If you make me Mary Ann, do I have to show my belly button?


----------



## pkondz

I have comments on comments. Both for Mr. T and Neebs.... but I'm just plumb worn out (another 15 hour day... coulda been worse, it was supposed to be 24!)

Later.


----------



## smidgy

I'm super nervous about Forbidden Journey at IOA (universal).. now I am nervous about the escalators at universal hollywood!


----------



## MAGICFOR2

Hello?  Not sure if you remember me - I was reading your TR before moving and being pretty much without internet while staying with relatives.  We finally have our own place- trying to catch up on a zillion reports now!

I'm only up to the anniversary dinner now . Your dinner looks wonderful.  Hard to find such a tender steak these days. And, I might add, the two of you clean up pretty well too!  

14 mph speed limit -   Maybe they put Mad Hatter in charge of the parking lot!


----------



## cp'ersmom

MAGICFOR2 said:
			
		

> Hello?  Not sure if you remember me - I was reading your TR before moving and being pretty much without internet while staying with relatives.  We finally have our own place- trying to catch up on a zillion reports now!
> 
> I'm only up to the anniversary dinner now . Your dinner looks wonderful.  Hard to find such a tender steak these days. And, I might add, the two of you clean up pretty well too!
> 
> 14 mph speed limit -   Maybe they put Mad Hatter in charge of the parking lot!



Are you all settled in? What part of town are you living in?


----------



## cp'ersmom

Great Chapter! I am really enjoying your TR. 

Looking forward to the sequel when you get back from the world!


----------



## monymony3471

I guess I have lots of catching up to do.


----------



## MAGICFOR2

cp'ersmom said:


> Are you all settled in? What part of town are you living in?



Not really settled, but we almost got the kitchen unpacked today.  We have downsized by about half, and thought we got rid of half our stuff, but we are finding we have so many dishes and cookware that we have no room for food! 

We just moved in on Thursday and with working, social things, etc.  Today was actually our first "unpacking" day - lots more to go.  We got a cute place in Ahwatukee, right near the trail up South Mountain, and near the Arizona Grand, which we joined for the pools and gym.  7 miles to work for DH, and I am working from here.  We are happy to have our own space for sure!  Thanks for asking! If you and Lady H are in town, let me know - it would be fun to meet up!


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

smidgy said:


> I'm super nervous about Forbidden Journey at IOA (universal).. now I am nervous about the escalators at universal hollywood!



 Nothing to be nervous about. If you are a potter fan, then you will be more into everything else going on around you to be bothered with the actual ride. If I remember correctly, the thing you do have to be worried about, and some have already commented on it i think, is how dark it does get. Especially when you've been walking outside in the line for so long. Also, once you are ready to get into the ride, it has that conveyor belt thing that sort of tried to take off without you. Sort of like Haunted Mansion. Of course I've only been on it once, and i can't remember off hand. Maybe others can attest to this. 

As for the escalators at Uni...I want to say there was an elevator off to the Jurassic Park Ride side. But then you wouldn't be able to make fun of the people trying to climb the actual stairs, or see the skyline pop out in front of you. 




MAGICFOR2 said:


> Hello?  Not sure if you remember me - I was reading your TR before moving and being pretty much without internet while staying with relatives.  We finally have our own place- trying to catch up on a zillion reports now!
> 
> I'm only up to the anniversary dinner now . Your dinner looks wonderful.  Hard to find such a tender steak these days. And, I might add, the two of you clean up pretty well too!
> 
> 14 mph speed limit -   Maybe they put Mad Hatter in charge of the parking lot!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> MAGICFOR2 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Not really settled, but we almost got the kitchen unpacked today.  We have downsized by about half, and thought we got rid of half our stuff, but we are finding we have so many dishes and cookware that we have no room for food!
> 
> We just moved in on Thursday and with working, social things, etc.  Today was actually our first "unpacking" day - lots more to go.  We got a cute place in Ahwatukee, right near the trail up South Mountain, and near the Arizona Grand, which we joined for the pools and gym.  7 miles to work for DH, and I am working from here.  We are happy to have our own space for sure!  Thanks for asking! If you and Lady H are in town, let me know - it would be fun to meet up!
Click to expand...


Welcome back! I wondered where you had disappeared to.  I remember how crazy moving can be, so my prayers are with you my dear. I hope you can settle in soon without the worry of boxes. Although, not to put a damper on it or anything, but we have been in our house now for almost 5 years and we still have boxes of stuff in the garage...

And thanks, After having to dress up for work on a regular basis, it's always so nice to just put on jeans or shorts and a t-shirt for the parks, but I would feel silly walking into a place like this dressed like a bum. The one thing I won't do is wear heels while on vacation. I just can't do it. 

 That would be a Mad Hatter sort of thing to do wouldn't it? 

As for letting you know if we are ever in your neck of the woods, we would be happy to. I don't know when that would be, but with the way T-Man talks about wanting to go on road trips just to hit up a Shula's and the closest one being in AZ, it could be sooner rather than later. 



cp'ersmom said:


> Great Chapter! I am really enjoying your TR.
> 
> Looking forward to the sequel when you get back from the world!



Thanks so much! I hope to get another chapter up soon. Depending on how the undercover op that i was thrown into goes today, maybe I can get working on it this afternoon. I've got high hopes...



monymony3471 said:


> I guess I have lots of catching up to do.



Well get a move on girl! Just kidding...To be honest, I've been trying to keep up on yours as much as possible, just haven't been posting. (I know, bad lady H!). I promise to do better. I have to catch up on your last 2 chapters I think. Hopefully that can come this afternoon as well.


----------



## smidgy

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Nothing to be nervous about. If you are a potter fan, then you will be more into everything else going on around you to be bothered with the actual ride. If I remember correctly, the thing you do have to be worried about, and some have already commented on it i think, is how dark it does get. Especially when you've been walking outside in the line for so long. Also, once you are ready to get into the ride, it has that conveyor belt thing that sort of tried to take off without you. Sort of like Haunted Mansion. Of course I've only been on it once, and i can't remember off hand. Maybe others can attest to this.
> .



I am not worried about the dark!I'm not talking about Nebo's worries, I'm talking about MINE!!  I am petrified of heights, don't like roller coasters.  first time I rode both soaringm, spider man, and mummy, I was scared to death.

I hear it almost has you go upside down in the spider scene, and you zip around quite a bit. a simulator, which makes you FEEL like you are on a fast roller coaster.  which I don't like..... I grudingly do space mountain, that's about my limit.. I don't do everest.  I know, I'm a scardey cat!


----------



## Thumper_Man

smidgy said:


> I am not worried about the dark!I'm not talking about Nebo's worries, I'm talking about MINE!!  I am petrified of heights, don't like roller coasters.  first time I rode both soaringm, spider man, and mummy, I was scared to death.
> 
> I hear it almost has you go upside down in the spider scene, and you zip around quite a bit. a simulator, which makes you FEEL like you are on a fast roller coaster.  which I don't like..... I grudingly do space mountain, that's about my limit.. I don't do everest.  I know, I'm a scardey cat!



If you like Spider-man, then I really think you'll enjoy this ride.  It is a lot like Spider-man, part props part simulator.  You're not high off the ground like you are on roller coasters.  Yes, the simulator motion will make it feel like you are higher than you actually are. You are actually much higher on Soarin' then you are on FJ.  And probably feel like you're going fast, but you go faster on Space Mountain and Mummy.  Given the rides you mentioned, if you can handle those, then you can handle FJ.  That's my opinion anyways.


----------



## smidgy

thanks mike!  I heard it was like a combo of soarin and spiderman.  I do both, just afraid the combo would be too much.. sigh! wish I was a thrill junkie like nebo.. he has so much fon on coasters.   I hate being a wuss!!!!


----------



## sewmess

smidgy said:


> thanks mike!  I heard it was like a combo of soarin and spiderman.  I do both, just afraid the combo would be too much.. sigh! wish I was a thrill junkie like nebo.. he has so much fon on coasters.   I hate being a wuss!!!!



Ah - he may have more fun on FJ, but you will be able to see the queue, which is better than the ride, in my opinion, and he will still be in the dark.  Bwa-ha-ha... ahem...sorry about the evil laughter there.

Seriously... the queue is worth it & if you can make it through all those you mentioned, you can make it through at least one ride of FJ.  I think I disliked it so much because it did remind me of the paper-towel-tube ride at Kings Island.


----------



## pkondz

nebo said:


> By the way, Ponzi, am i missing a Smidgy connection with Kevin?



Ummm... you might want to check out *your* TR for details. 




Thumper_Man said:


> Heather thinks men have their own language.  Every time my best friend calls, all she hears is "yeah, nuh uh, huh, don't know, eh, ok, later." And that's a whole conversation.  Does that qualify as gibberish?  Or is that caveman?



Just Man. I understood every word. I mean, what else is there to say? 



Thumper_Man said:


> Well what were are you doing here? We needed you over there.  Can't count on anybody now a days.



Hey, you never _asked_. I would've been there, otherwise.



Thumper_Man said:


> How could we miss it?  It happened in our state.  It was all over the news. Plus I doubt she would do it even for a million dollars. 2 million maybe, but definitely not a million.



Shall we start fundraising, just to see if she would do it?



Thumper_Man said:


> Hmm, funny, I never knew you had 9 lives like a cat.  How many are you down to now?  I mean after chasing purse snatchers, swimming with sharks and laughing every time Lady H says.....   Well I won't say it just in case you're down to your last life.



I still have three li... OW!... Two lives left.



Thumper_Man said:


> Towards Winnipeg, Canada perhaps?



Ha! I was actually going to write that, then thought maybe it made me sound a little full of myself.



MAGICFOR2 said:


> Hello?  Not sure if you remember me



 Hi Tammie!


----------



## bankr63

pkondz said:


> If you could wing it, maybe we could get off this crummy island!
> 
> Ah, well. At least we have WiFi here.... good 'ol professor Nebo.
> 
> Hmmm.... So which one is Marianne and which one is Ginger?



Like Nebo, I kind of thought of him as Thurston as well, casting Smidgy as our beloved Lovey.  The Professor would have to Perfessor Pecans.  

Ok, TM is Gilligan, and TMW get's her choice of Ginger or Marianne.  Oh PRAC, that makes me the Skipper, doesn't it?


----------



## pkondz

bankr63 said:


> Like Nebo, I kind of thought of him as Thurston as well, casting Smidgy as our beloved Lovey.  The Professor would have to Perfessor Pecans.
> 
> Ok, TM is Gilligan, and TMW get's her choice of Ginger or Marianne.  Oh PRAC, that makes me the Skipper, doesn't it?



Excellent use of the new PRAC expletive, skipper. But lousy seamanship.


----------



## MAGICFOR2

pkondz said:


> Hi Tammie!



HI PONZI!


----------



## MAGICFOR2

Whew!  All caught up now.  I'm glad you survived the Backlot Tour - it is quite a harrowing experience!   I see it has really been upgraded since the fire - guess we need to go again.  

Um, yes along with the baloney sandwich you had for lunch, the escalators have  been there at least since our first visit -17 or 18 years ago.  I was just so impressed by them and the view of Hollywood that I couldn't forget.  (country girl easily impressed )   

Sorry you weren't able to get your shower near JP  



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Welcome back! I wondered where you had disappeared to.  I remember how crazy moving can be, so my prayers are with you my dear. I hope you can settle in soon without the worry of boxes. Although, not to put a damper on it or anything, but we have been in our house now for almost 5 years and we still have boxes of stuff in the garage...
> 
> And thanks, After having to dress up for work on a regular basis, it's always so nice to just put on jeans or shorts and a t-shirt for the parks, but I would feel silly walking into a place like this dressed like a bum. The one thing I won't do is wear heels while on vacation. I just can't do it.
> 
> That would be a Mad Hatter sort of thing to do wouldn't it?
> 
> As for letting you know if we are ever in your neck of the woods, we would be happy to. I don't know when that would be, but with the way T-Man talks about wanting to go on road trips just to hit up a Shula's and the closest one being in AZ, it could be sooner rather than later.



Thanks so much for your prayers!   We are seeinig that we will have some somewhat permanent boxes in the garage too!   We have the main living area about done now, just to hang pictures and decorate for Christmas.  Now to start putting away clothes and blankets upstairs.  I actually just found the bedding for our bed yesterday - we've been sleeping on top of quilts for over a week! 

Well, I'll look forward to you taking a "road trip" to AZ then!   If I don't catch up to you before your trip, have a fabulous time in the World!


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

bankr63 said:


> Like Nebo, I kind of thought of him as Thurston as well, casting Smidgy as our beloved Lovey.  The Professor would have to Perfessor Pecans.
> 
> Ok, TM is Gilligan, and TMW get's her choice of Ginger or Marianne.  Oh PRAC, that makes me the Skipper, doesn't it?



Hmm...That's a hard choice. But since I would probably scare everyone if i let my midriff show, I may have to pick Ginger just by process of elimination and of course for the fact that my hair is now red. 



pkondz said:


> Excellent use of the new PRAC expletive, skipper. But lousy seamanship.



I love that PRAC is being used now. It's the little things that make me happy! 



MAGICFOR2 said:


> Whew!  All caught up now.  I'm glad you survived the Backlot Tour - it is quite a harrowing experience!   I see it has really been upgraded since the fire - guess we need to go again.
> 
> Um, yes along with the baloney sandwich you had for lunch, the escalators have  been there at least since our first visit -17 or 18 years ago.  I was just so impressed by them and the view of Hollywood that I couldn't forget.  (country girl easily impressed )
> 
> Sorry you weren't able to get your shower near JP



I loved the backlot tour, and there were quite a few upgrades since the last time I was there, so it was in essence a new experience for myself as well. I encourage anyone to go see it. Even if they have been many times before. It's just an awesome adventure. 

 As long as it's fried, Baloney tastes fine no matter how long it's been around.  I have no idea why I can't remember these escalators. No one in my family remembers them from the time we went. It's just plain weird. 

I remember the splash zone area having a glass wall around it as well, because the splash was so huge. This time around it was completely open and we got nothin'. 




MAGICFOR2 said:


> Thanks so much for your prayers!   We are seeinig that we will have some somewhat permanent boxes in the garage too!   We have the main living area about done now, just to hang pictures and decorate for Christmas.  Now to start putting away clothes and blankets upstairs.  I actually just found the bedding for our bed yesterday - we've been sleeping on top of quilts for over a week!
> 
> Well, I'll look forward to you taking a "road trip" to AZ then!   If I don't catch up to you before your trip, have a fabulous time in the World!



Finding the bedding is good...maybe next week you'll find the towels, so you won't have to drip dry after the shower.  Just kidding...I know how that goes. But it's really a never ending project. Once you finish unpacking, it's time to pack up the christmas stuff, and find a place to store all of that. I'm sure that didn't help matters, did it... 

OK All...I'm working on the next chapter. I hope to get it up today. I'm already on vacation mode and don't want to do anything at the office...We'll see how long they let me get away with that.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

I'm finally done with this chapter. Between work and packing and work and resting, I'm plumb tuckered out and really need this vacation.  I'm breaking this chapter into two parts back to back only because I have quite a few pictures in it. I hope you don't mind. And if you do...well...tough! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We left off as we were being ushered into Evac, our trusty escort on our mission. As we settled in, Evac gives us the cue to put on our protective gear (i.e., 3D glasses). We round the corner and are immediately faced with red warning lights and warning sirens. There has been a safety breach and NEST is now on lockdown. Looks like the Decepticons found us, and they found us pretty fast. Now what?! 

The All Spark is right in front of us, when Ravage one of the D-Cons shows up and tries to swipe it. The little bugger grabs it and takes off. Well Evac is having none of that, and tries to go after him, only to be face to face with Bumblebee who is fighting off another decepticon. I get some of them confused, and cant remember all their names. Ill have to take better notes next time, but its hard to write things down when you have 3D glasses on and the car you are in wont stop long enough to write legibly. Plus i get car sick if im doing things that like in a moving vehicle.  

Anyway...Bumblebee is fighting off one of the mean guys, He seems to be enjoying himself as his radio goes off into a happy tune. Ravage tries to pounce on him, but Bumblebee throws him off with no problem. In the same motion, the All Spark flies out of his hands and Evac catches it. 

Evac puts the pedal to the metal as Megatron and Optimus fight it out. Giving us the opportunity to get away. Unfortunately Megatron had other things in mind. He grabbs hold of Evac and thrashes us around. I think they forgot to add helmets when they handed out the glasses...

As we try to escape we land up in a dead end. Great...we are doomed. There is no way out, unless we go back to the fight, and with Megatron willing to kill us all for the All Spark, Im thinking that wouldnt be the best choice. 

Low and behold, that is exactly what happens. Evac backs up, lands face to face with the mean one and he starts firing at us. Explosions are going up all around. One of them landing just near us, and opens a hole in the wall. Our escape route. 

Then the weather takes a turn for the worse. The winds are gusting like crazy. Evac and all his passengers (including us) are up inside the cyclone. Toto, I dont think we are in Kansas anymore...Oh, wait...Wrong movie...

Devastator, one of the many decepticons, is trying to suck us in, literally. The force is strong, and I dont think Evac will be able to hold his ground much longer. We get some cover from some of the Autobots (The good guys), and once again try to escape. They arent able to handle Devastator for long and he tries once again to come after us. We are close to death when another one of the mean guys grabs us and starts thrashing us around. Now we are driving through top floors of buildings and hoping to all that is holy that someone will come to our rescue. 

Did they really think that a rookie like Evac would be able to handle a car full of more rookies to take this All Spark to safety? Where in the handbook did it say that was the best idea ever? 

Once again we are faced with certain death, as Megatron looks us square in the eyes and pronounces our doom. Optimus tells us to protect the All Spark at all cost, and now is when Evac has a revelation and decides that running away is not an option. Great time to grow a conscious Evac! 

Evac takes the All Spark and shoves it into Megatrons chest. Sparks fly and smoke rises, as he stumbles over the edge of the building we are on top of. As Megatron falls to his death, he grabs hold of us in one last valient effort and down we go. This is it. My life is flashing before my eyes. I never thought i would die falling 20 some odd stories off a building. 

Wait a minute...Isnt Evac an autobot. Cant be transform? Of course that would require us not being in him because who knows what would happen to us if he did. We would probably end up crushed inside his robot body and never see the light of day. Maybe dying this way would be a little more pleasant. 

Fortunately, Bumblebee comes to our rescue, and catches the falling car inches before it slams to the ground. His radio springs up a happy tune and we are cheering him on. Optimus congratulates us on a job well done. 

As we make our way back to base, we see a mangled Megatron hanging from the ceiling. Gone for good! Evac tells us that we did a great job and we can ride with him anytime! We are welcomed back with a round of applause and good jobs and lead off the car to an exit to our right were we drop off the glasses and make our escape to the inevitable shop. 

I will say, this has got to be one of my all time favorite rides. As most of you know by now, Im not a thrill type person. I like my feet on the ground, with a steady block of concrete under it for stability. But this wasnt your everyday roller coaster or thrill ride either. 

If you have been on Spiderman at Universal in Orlando, then you have a feel for what this ride is like. Once you are thrown into the action of the 3D scene you forget that youre even in a car that is moving on a track. The action in front of you practically pulls you in and now you are part of the action. You are in the city, you are helping protect the world from the Decepticons. You are a hero. 

Once you are caught up in the moment, you forget that you just spent about 45 minutes on your feet in line, inching closer and closer to the front. You forget the heat outside and just bask in the glory that you are in this scene. It doesnt hurt that after 45 minutes on your feet you are also extremely excited that you can sit down for just a few moments. 

It always bugs me that you wait forever, just for a minute or two of thrill and excitement only to be tossed out on the street again just to wait in another line. But I guess thats what we as thrill seekers choose to do for that moment of pleasure. Why does it sound like Im no longer talking about park rides? 

Moving on...

We decide that a beer is in order. So we go back up the escalator (Being that i forgot about these before this trip, I started to wonder if they were really there at all, or if they would disappear before we got to them...but nope. Still there).





There was also a nice electronic directory at the base, telling us the wait times for all the major rides and the upcoming show times for major shows. Disney really needs one of these in each park!!!! 





Oh look, theres a nice picture of my backside for you all...(roll eyes). Almost didnt recognize myself with long hair. 

We get up to the top of the world, or at least the top section of Uni, and start walking around to see where we can find beer. We didnt have to look far. Just a little ways down to our right, there was a small beer stand. We each got a Corona, they even had lime!!! We started to look around for a place to eat. I was starting to get a little grumpy, I get like that if I havent eaten, and if i continue to not eat, I will eventually get a headache and be worthless the remainder of the day. Worthless and grumpy is not a good look on me. 

As we looked around at some of the food options, we came across this: 





Why is this such a big deal you ask? 

Because T-Man and I are avid Coca-cola collectors. Anything we find that has the coke logo on it, we will buy if given the opportunity. As of right now, we have so much coke stuff in our living room we have run out of room to store it and are now contemplating putting up track shelving. 

So coming across this was a collectors dream. Too bad there was no way to disassemble it and put it in our backpacks. 

We did however, stop to play for a bit. The place was deserted. I believe they had another little water park for the kids set up on the other side of the park, So this one wasnt as interesting, at least to the little ones. To us big kids, it was awesome. The two things at the bottom of the picture pretty much controlled the water throughout the area. 





Each button controlled a different section. For the next few minutes, we pushed each button at least once, if not more, to see what it would do. Obviously I learned nothing from pushing the big red buttons in the que at Transformers...

At one point, there was only one button we hadnt pushed, and when T-Man wasnt paying attention, I pushed it. Unfortunately, the button controlled the control area, and splashed T-Man right in the shorts...





Oops... Sorry honey...

As we began to walk around again to find a place to eat, we noticed that the next showing of Terminator 2D was not too far off.  We got there just in time. The last show was just letting out, we let the crowds thin out and made our way into the waiting area. We stood towards the back, There was no point in trying to weave in and out of the crowds until just before they open the doors. 

This is where the curse of the mummy really got started. As we stood around, waiting for the show to begin, we started to realize that it was taking a lot longer than it should. Finally, the pre-show began, but somewhere in the middle of it, things went haywire. They apologized for the inconvenience and told us to sit tight...or more like stand tight, as there are no seats in the pre-show area. 

The natives were starting to get restless, and you could tell some of them were not happy at all with this sudden issue. No one would come out and say what the actual issue was, they just kept saying they were having technical issues and would be up and running shortly. 

Eventually people started leaving, one or two at a time, then finally the lights came on and the TMs ushered everyone out. They had us going back and forth. One TM thought we should all go out the way we all came in. As they opened the doors and we started to work our way out, another TM decided that we should be snuck out the back door. 

I should have known something was up, when the eyes on the first TM who originally had the entrance doors open, became wide and worried. 

We slowly made our way back to the other side of the area, one of the TMs had a black bag in his hands. This is it I thought, They were going to put bags over our heads and lead us to our doom. They are all in this together. They all dont want anyone else in the park to know they had a technical glitch, and if we go out this way, and see the back of the park, we are definitely never seeing the light of day again. Once they have us all out back, they will cover our heads with bags and shoot us all! 

My imagination can run pretty wild huh...

We were ushered out the back, but there wasnt much to see. A few fenced off areas, which we were curious about, but didnt get a chance to peek through, because the TMs were leading us pretty hastily through. Im guessing they didnt want anyone to see a hasty exit from the attraction, at the same time that the attraction was supposed to be starting, hence the backstage exit. 

As we rounded back into the actual park, we decided that we should probably find something to eat and maybe wait around to see if they would re-open it. I was still hungry, and cranky, and the whole issue with Terminator didnt help my mood. 

As we began to walk around again to see what we could find, we heard over the loud speaker that the next showing of Water World would begin in 15 minutes. We both looked at each other, I wanted food, T-Man wanted to hit the show, this way we would be able to get it out of the way, and hopefully there wouldnt be too many people in there now, since it was lunchtime and everyone was trying to eat first. 

I gave in, and off we went to the amphitheater for Water World. As we walked on through the park to the amphitheater, we came across an interesting show: 





Honestly I cant remember what song they were dancing to, but it was Fivel, Scooby and the woodpeckers. We stopped to watch for a moment, they were just finishing up. Their final looked like this...





Im wondering if Scooby saw the water on T-Mans shorts and started laughing thinking it was something else, or if he found something else entirely funny...But I liked the shot. 

Now, If anyone has ever seen the actual movie Water World, starring Kevin Costner and Dennis Hopper,  then Im guessing the idea behind this show is based off of the movie. Since i have never seen the movie, I cant tell you for certain how close it is or is not. I know that the last time I was here with my family, we also saw this show, so its been around a while. I also know that the movie itself was sort of a bust in the box office, but went on become a star as an attraction at some Universal sites across the globe.  The last time I saw this, we were up in the top seats, with my little brother finding a seat in the splash zone. This time around, both of us were in the splash zone. In the very first bench in the middle section. 

The show starts off with the water world crew trying to get us to scream louder than the other teams, and if you didnt scream loud enough, they would throw water at you. For that matter, if you did scream loud enough, or too loud, then they would throw water at you. Only this time not as much. Sometimes, when pretending to throw water at us, the stunt men would turn around and drench the other team, resulting in a huge laugh from the other two teams, who would then be drenched by the first teams leader. 





Once the show began, we were taken to a futuristic time, where there was no land, only water. People learned how to live off the water, and built rafts and buildings as best they could on the water in order to live. 

The heroine of the story rides in on a boat, claiming to have found land. 





Only she was followed by some evil people who want to know where this land is and try to get her to talk. As a massive fight ensues, stunt men are falling from great heights straight into the water. Swimming from one end to the other, only to be blasted back into the water. Zip lining and chasing each other on jet skis. There was a ton of action in this show. 














Then comes the hero. The Mariner. No one seems to know his real name, thats all they know about him. He saves the heroine and they kill the evil people, and they all live happily ever after as they jet off to find dry land. 

Once the show let out, we made our way to the locker, so I could re-apply the sunscreen to my fair skin. We finally found a place to eat close by the locker area. Lunch consisted of an individual sized Pizza Hut pizza, an order of breadsticks and a refill on the soda in our refillable mugs. 





The refill station was awesome. It looked like a futuristic vending machine. It was all touch screen except for the ice which you dispensed the usual way at a refill station. Once you had your ice, you chose your beverage from the touch screen. It was all coke products, which included Dr. Pepper, Sprite, Coke, Fanta, and RootBbeer, among others, and all its flavor elements, i.e., cherry coke, coke with lime, vanilla coke, Cherry Dr. Pepper, etc. I filled our drinks while T-Man grabbed a table in the shade outside, and we enjoyed a few moments of rest and relaxation. 

From here, we started walking around, trying to decide what to do next. Shrek was getting ready to start, so we decided that it would be fun to watch it. It was exactly the same as the one in Orlando. In the pre-show area, you had the 3 little pigs, each held hostage in their building material of choice. 





You also had Pinocchio locked in a cage, you could only tell it was him because his nose had grown through the iron bars. On the big screen, The Gingerbread man lay strapped to a cookie sheet. It looked like he was waiting to be dissected. However, he managed to escape, and this is when the doors opened and we were let in to see the actual show. 

It was a fun show as always. Of course any time you get a chance to sit down for a bit, is welcomed in my book. 

From Shrek, we went back to our beer kiosk and got another beer for the long escalator ride back to the bottom section. We wanted to check out the wait time for Transformers, in hopes we could ride it again. 

As we made our way down, enjoying the view. We figured we would have plenty of time to enjoy our drinks as we made our way through the que, but nope. According to the wait time notice, it was a 25 minute wait. We still had almost full beers at this point, so we went into one of the Museums next door. Its sort of a timeline area of all the movies and a few costumes and items from the movie sets set up behind glass. There is also trivia information provided for each movie. It was pretty cool to see. I remember stuff from Apollo 13 and Back to the Future, I think there was even something from Psycho. It was sort of a mini reminder of the backlot tour.

Finishing our beers, we decided to see what the wait would be now, hoping it wouldnt go up in the time we spent dawdling. The wait time showed 35 minutes now, but didnt look too bad. We figured, most of that would be the que, and we were right. My phone has a timer on it, so I decided to test their wait time and see what it would actually take us from the main entrance to the time we got into Evac. 

As we walked through the que, there was no one in front of us most of the way, We were able to clear the first couple of sections without any problem. As we make our way through the tunnels of NEST, the line started to back up a little, but seemed to be moving pretty quickly. It was a steady trickle down the tunnels until we came across the Army dude handing out the 3D glasses. As we got to the main gate, we were ushered into the last line of the car. 

I stopped the timer just as the gate opened and the army person yelled at us to move Move MOVE! 11 ½ Minutes. Nice...

We enjoyed the ride just as much this time around. I dont know what it is about this ride, but I could do it over and over again. 

I think T-Man was able to read my thoughts. As we finally defeated the Decepticons, were congratulated by Optimus for the 2nd time, and made our way out of the vehicle, T-man mentioned how much fun that was and we should go again. 

I was ready to tell him to give me a moment to catch my breath, I dont do rides back to back. I usually cant. I need a breather before I can strike up the nerve inside to do any of the rides he likes more than once, and usually it doesnt happen. 

As we walked out into the bright sunlight, we looked over to the entrance and noticed the quick turn around once again. We thought, what the heck, and went directly to the entrance again. This time around was a little longer wait. We were actually backed up a little as we entered the Scorpion Tail section, but again, the standing around wasnt long. This time around, from entrance to gate took us about 16 ½ minutes. 

By the end of this ride though, I was feeling a little woozy. Between the high speeds and the 3D effects, I needed to rest a little. T-Man was raring to go again, but i told him I would need another beer before we could go again. He heard, blah blah blah, go again and looked at me like i was from another planet, and then smiled...That means you will go again right? 

I laughed and told him, yeah, but buy me a beer first! 

We walked out and found a beer stand near by. As we drank our beer, we people watched. There were restrooms near Jurassic Park, so we walked that way. Once the beers had been emptied, we decided to give Transformers a small break, and ride The Mummy. The wait was posted at 5 minutes. So we figured we would be in and out with no problem. 

As we began our journey through the line, a little girl and her dad were right in front of us. They had commented on our shirts, as we weaved in and out of the ropped off areas in the que. We had worn our Harry Potter T-shirts today. The front of the shirt says I solemnly swear I am up to no good. Then on the back it says, Mischief Managed. The father/daughter duo were excited to talk to us about the Orlando park, where The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is, as they are avid fans as well and are hoping to go there someday soon. 

It seems that the duo had just gotten off the ride and since there was no line to speak of, decided to go right back through the que and ride it again. We all got up to the main gate, were given the opportunity to stand in the first row, with the duo standing right next to us in row 2. 

As one of the cars approached and stopped in front of us, we all got ready to move past the opening gate to sit down. All the TMs pushed the lap bars down in each of the seats and then sent it on its way empty. 

Hmm...That was odd, we thought...Maybe because its not as busy now, they are putting away some of the cars. 

The next care came by, and just as it pulled up, the TM s did the same exact manuever. 

Hmmm...You would think they would at least let us on it's not like we are invisible...

This happened another 2 or 3 times before the overhead lights went on. The Curse of the Mummy Returns! 

This is what we kept seeing as they drove the cars in and out of the station. 





It seems someone in the previous run, had lost his wallet on the ride. The TMs were frantically searching each car, and sending it through the ride empty to come back around. After searching all the cars and finding nothing, they sent a few of the TMs in to see if they could spot it somewhere in the ride. The TMs each took a hard hat, each equipped with a light on it and went off to work...

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, Its off to work we go...*Whistle*

As the 7 dwarfs went off in search of the wallet, we stood around wondering what to do. They hadnt said anything about the ride being shut down or closed. There was a line now forming behind the gate and the duo was now starting to sweat. 

Evidentially, the mother (the childs, not the fathers) was calling to find out what was taking them so long. It seems, they had told her they were only going to ride it once, but since the line was so short decided to do it again, without her being the wiser. Unfortunately The Curse took hold of them too, and now they were stuck. 

You could see the man start to sweat a little as he held the phone closer to his ear. He was calm and sweet as he kept trying to explain to his wife that they were stuck at the moment waiting for the ride to get going again. He asked her if she wanted them to back out of line and meet them. You could tell whatever she said wasnt pretty, and he sort of sagged his shoulders a little and said OK...then we will meet you as soon as we can. 

He looked at his little girl and you could tell she knew. Is mom mad? Should we leave? He told her that she was a little upset, but not to worry. Mom will wait for us and we will meet up with her after we ride. 

I worried for them. I could only imagine the tongue lashing he would get once they met up later. But for now, the dwarfs are back and are resetting the ride to finally let us on. 

This time around we were in the very first row, and we made sure to secure our items like we did before, in hopes of not having to thrown off the ride for the next people in line. 

This time i was prepared for the ride to go SDRAWKCAB but still screamed out PRAC as it did. No matter how much you prepare it still gets to you. 

Once we were off the Mummy, we needed one more fix before heading back up for the day. Off to Transformers we go for the 4th time. 

This should tell you how awesome of a ride this is, if I...the dumb wife...ride this 4 times in one day! 

This time the wait time notice said 15 minutes. Awesome! I once again timed it just to see. I figured if the 35 minute wait time was 15 minutes, then how long would a 15 minute wait really be. 

We cruised along the que, this time we really didnt stop to take any pictures, there was no need after being here 3 times before. We just sailed through, almost at a jog. There was no one in front of us. As we got to the front of the line and were handed our glasses, we asked the TM if we could get an upgrade. 

The last 3 times we rode, we were in the back seat once, and the middle seat twice. This time we HAD to have the front row. 

Our request was granted and we were ushered to our spot. As EVAC pulled up, we jumped in. Excited to see it from this vantage point and see if it would change anything that we had seen so far. 

In essence, it wasnt that much different. But you do get some of the better 3D effects up close and personal in the front row. I think the couple next to us were laughing when we told them this was our 4th time riding today. At one point, during one of the action scenes, EVAC tells us something along the lines of a little warning next time? so right as the scene begins, T-Man and i yell, WARNING, of course he didnt heed our advice and the couple next to us looked at us funny until EVAC said his line and then they laughed. 

Maybe 4 times was enough...

Once done there, we took a few pictures as Optimus was outside signing autographs and posing with the kids. 





we decided to go back up to the top and grab another beer and see what else we were missing. As we cruised the escalator, we had to stop at take these breathtaking pictures. 









The Warner Brothers Studios were just over the hill and through the woods...













It really was nice to check out the scenary from that vantage point. Once we got to the top, we found out that the kiosk we were buying our beer from before had closed for the day. Cursed again! Darn Mummy! 

So we went in search of another beer establishment. We walked by the Simpsons Ride, but it was a 35 minute wait and there were tons of people walking towards the entrance at the time. I wasnt a big fan of this ride the first time I did it in Orlando, it was fun, but not one i would wait 35 minutes for. So we took some pictures and moved on...










The next part continues below.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

As we were looking around for a place that sold beer, we came across the Animal Actors show. It was just starting to fill up and the next show would be taking place pretty soon. We figured we could get a decent spot and watch the show for a bit. 

The first thing you notice as you are settling in, is a prop off to the side of the stage. Its one of those menu boards, showing the special of the day. As we walked in and sat down, the menu board said the special was Chicken fingers...





Not too long later, a chicken runs across the stage and changes the sign to read: 





I got such a kick out of that. 

As the show started, the animal expert came out with a parrot, who flew out over the audience and then showed us how they suspend in midair or look like they are flying in slow motion or for long periods of time. 





Of course, then they bring out the dog actors and ask for a volunteer. A young boy was called up and you could tell that he was overly excited. I wondered if he could speak much English, he had a very thick accent when he said his name and spoke in broken up sentences. He also kept trying to take the microphone away from the host. 

At one point she brings out this beautiful dog, and tells the kid to tell the dog a particular item of clothing, afterwards, the dog will then go back stage and rummage through the closet to find that particular item. 

Well the boy first off wanted the microphone to tell the dog what to get. When the lady told him just to tell the dog out loud, he wanted to then whisper it to the dog.  You can see even the dog is looking at the kid like, give me a break! 





Eventually the kid did as he was told, and the dog went back stage and came out with a bra...I know that was probably a joke, however, I wouldnt have been surprised if that was what the kid asked for...

Next came the obstacle course: 





Since there was already a communication problem with the kid, and it took him a few minutes to understand that he was the one that was going to be an obstacle and would not have to run through the course himself. 

Everything ran pretty smoothly though, and the two dogs raced each other, one doing the course the way it was supposed to be done, the other outsmarting everyone but going around the obstacles and getting to the finish line quicker. 

Then the Pig came by and changed the daily special: 





and finally one of them was smart enough to change it to please everyone: 





Once we left Animal Actors, we continued our search for beer. Finally finding a kiosk near the Blues Brothers Stage. This time they gave us the big 24 ounce cans of Corona. Im not a huge fan of Corona in a can, but its beer and at this stage of the game, Ill take it. 

We figured it would be a good idea to grab our bags from the locker, as the park closes early and we wanted to beat the rush. 

Once that was done, we saw that there was one last show that would begin shortly for the Blues Brothers. There was minimal seating available in front of the stage so we took the opportunity to once again rest our aching feet and enjoy our beer as we waited. 

While we were waiting they had some music playing the background. Off to the side, around the handicap entrance there was a lady, who seemed to be guarding that area. As the music began to play, she began to dance. And while she looked like she had been around the block a time or two, she could still move! 













She was pretty entertaining. We must have watched her for a good 10 minutes or so before the show started. 

The guys who played the Blues Brothers were dead on. They acted like the originals, sang like the originals, and for being the last show of the day, they had so much energy and were so lively, it really was a great way to end the day. 













As we finished off our beers, we went into one of the candy stores. We have been searching high and low for these honeysuckle candy sticks that we used to have as kids, and cant find them anywhere. We figured it couldnt hurt to look here. You never know. 

No luck on the candy, but we did finish off our beers and finally head out of Universal for the night. Our plan for the evening was to hit Hard Rock Cafe located on City Walk, right outside of Universal. 

As we began our trek down through the neon lights, 





We noticed these in a nearby window. 









As we walked on, there was a popcorn place we passed called Popcornopolis.  Now I love popcorn, but this was just crazy! Every kind of popcorn you can think of, plus combos of different types. Cinnamon flavored mixed with chocolate covered. There was cheese covered and caramel drizzled. Popcorn everywhere! 

As we were still taking in the sights, another store caught my attention. I grabbed T-Mans arm and pointed. 





T-Man and I are Dodger fans. It never occurred to me that they would have the clubhouse store here on CityWalk. Its a good thing we dont come here often. We did some pretty good damage in that store. 

We left with our loot and headed on towards HRC before we ran out of money and we couldnt eat. 

Along the way we captured a couple of photos. 









There was a show that was going on, on the stage near the HRC. I couldnt tell you the name of the band, but they seemed pretty decent. We hoped that the restaurant wasnt too packed. 

Luckily we were seated with no problem and first thing first, we ordered a Hurricane. I dont know what it is about these drinks here, but they are definitely good. 

We ordered nachos. These things are huge! Normally we get an order of these plain for my DSIL. She isnt much for add ons. But this time, since we were alone, we figured we could go all out. So we added shredded pork and extra jalapenos. 





Once we were done eating and drinking, we spent a little money in the shop. I needed a new pair of sweatpants and T-Man needed to add to his collection of pins. He has so many of them; we have to get a new case to add the new ones. 

As we made our way out of  HRC,. We noticed that there was practically no one around. There were still a few people milling about inside the restaurant, but outside on the CityWalk, there were only a few stragglersDid we enter an alternate universe? Pop into a rabbit hole no one knew about? Was the Curse of the Mummy still out to get us, and when it hit, we were protected only by the HRCs outer shell, and that is why only those inside the restaurant are the only people we see? Can you tell Ive been reading about time travel and rabbit holes and mysteries? Darn that Stephen King

Since no one was around we decided to take some pictures now that everything was lit up and pretty

Great pic of T-Man, me, not so much. You could tell I got a little too much sun that day and my make-up had already worn off. 





This sign turned different colors, so of course T-Man had to take one of each. 













We took our last ride of the day down the escalators to the parking structure. By that time, we were one of the only cars left in that section. It seemed a little eerie. I was waiting for a hord of zombies to start popping out from behind the poles or something. Once we got in the car,  and locked up to make sure no zombies could get to us, we headed back towards Anaheim. 

Remember in the beginning how I was too in awe to take any pictures of anything on our drive in, and how i would take better ones at night? UmYeah...That didnt happen. By the time I tried to get a picture of anything, it would wiz by and all I would get is a blur of lights. So much for that bright idea. 

We got back to our hotel kind of late. And I knew we would have to be up bright and early tomorrow morning for DCA. So, as we got ready for bed, T-Man got us a beer, and we sat outside on our balcony, talked about the adventures we had for the day, caught up on the goings on via our smart phones and then hit the hay.  


Whew...I didn't realize until I was writing this all down, how much we actually did that day. We packed a lot in. It doesn't help that I talk to much...
	

	
	
		
		

		
			
		
		
	


	




Alright, I'll shut up for now...T-Man will take over for the next chapter. As he mentioned earlier, we are trying to get everything done this week before we leave for WDW. This will be an interesting trip. Since we started going, we have never been left alone. We have always had either DSIL or DSIL and some friends with us. This time, DSIL will join us for the first week, but after that...it will just be us. Plus this time, we will get to meet Nebo and Smidgy! Very exciting trip indeed. 

Hopefully by the time we get back, this TR will still be here and we can continue to delight you all with our story. 

I was going to say I should really get some work done now, but looking at the time, I wouldnt get much done anywayFigures.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> It's the little things that make me happy!



Ummm...  Now I know more about Mike than I really needed to.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Good job honey.  I'll comment more a little later.  Elaborate on some of the things you mentioned.  Maybe post a couple more pics.  We'll see what happens. 

Looks like I'm up again.  One of the good things is, I've been working on DCA while she was working on Universal.  So hopefully I can at least provide you with a chapter or two before we leave.  IF I don't decide to just wait until we get back.  I know we've been dragging this out, but as Lady H stated, work has gotten in the way.  That and getting ready for WDW.  Still have packing we need to finish up.  

I know everyone is anxious to hear about Carsland.  I hope I can do it justice.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

pkondz said:


> Ummm...  Now I know more about Mike than I really needed to.



HEY! I didn't mean THAT!


----------



## mmeb144

It's ok if you want to post your DCA adventures before you leave.


----------



## MAGICFOR2

I know you went to the dark side, but what a great day at US!    Too bad you missed out on T2D. It is "SUPER!" YOU KNOW!  I didn't know the Blues Bros. did a stage show - I thought it was just a street performance.  How Cool!   Looks like we need another visit for sure!   What Honeysuckle candy are you talking about - was it a sucker, or a taffy?


----------



## Thumper_Man

MAGICFOR2 said:


> I know you went to the dark side, but what a great day at US!    Too bad you missed out on T2D. It is "SUPER!" YOU KNOW!  I didn't know the Blues Bros. did a stage show - I thought it was just a street performance.  How Cool!   Looks like we need another visit for sure!   What Honeysuckle candy are you talking about - was it a sucker, or a taffy?



We go to the dark side quite often actually.  We'll be going to the dark side on this trip as well.  We have fun where ever we go.  

The best way to describe them is they are like the flavored hard candy sticks, but with the texture of a candy cane.  I remember them back in the 80's.  Only place I used to find them was Hallmark stores.  They were sold in a little bag and you would get about 20 to a bag.  There were 3 different colors, all light in color: pink, yellow and green.  They were about 3 inches long.  They were the perfect size to stick in a lemon and they would act like a straw.  So when you would drink the lemon juice, you would get the sweet and sour taste at the same time.  I'm guessing they've been discontinued as I haven't been able to find them anywhere.


----------



## sewmess

Sounds like a good time was had by all.  Although I think we should all refer to the escalators as The Beer Ride.  

The views were amazing!  That picture of Warner Bros looks like it should start wavering into the 50th/75th -whatever anniversary that was - logo.  

Have fun with Nebo on your visit to the Dark Side Orlando.  And SIL.  And most especially when you two are on your own.


----------



## Thumper_Man

sewmess said:


> Sounds like a good time was had by all.  Although I think we should all refer to the escalators as The Beer Ride.



That's a good way to think about it.  Every time we went up and down the escalators, seems it was to get a beer.  



sewmess said:


> The views were amazing!  That picture of Warner Bros looks like it should start wavering into the 50th/75th -whatever anniversary that was - logo.



Once we zoomed in as far as we could with our cameras, we noticed it was WB.  Who knew it was so close by.    The views came from where we took the pics with Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon and Bill Paxton.  



sewmess said:


> Have fun with Nebo on your visit to the Dark Side Orlando.  And SIL.  And most especially when you two are on your own.



We will actually be meeting up with Smidgy and that other guy over at AK.  They will be done with the Dark Side way before then.  We don't have no set pattern as to how we're doing the parks.  One day Dark Side, one day Disney.  Not all of Dark Side first then all of Disney last.  

We are looking forward to spending some time alone at WDW for once.  D'Sis has always been with us the whole time. She was going to stay with us at WDW also, but her job wouldn't allow all the time off she needed.


----------



## orangecats2

Great huge chapters! 

Where are you staying this time?


----------



## Thumper_Man

orangecats2 said:
			
		

> Great huge chapters!
> 
> Where are you staying this time?



Staying at our timeshare for the first portion of our trip. Last 5 days it will be just Lady H and I staying at CBR. Day we switch to CBR is the day D'Sis leaves back home.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I'm finally done with this chapter.



You make that sound like a bad thing.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Between work and packing and work and resting, I'm plumb tuckered out and really need this vacation.



I got an idea. You should go to Disneyworld!



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I hope you don't mind. And if you do...well...tough!



Now is that a nice way to treat your faithful readers?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> As we settled in, Evac gives us the cue to put on our protective gear (i.e., 3D glasses).



Was it from dust? Don't want you to get dust in your eyes? Is that it?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Toto, I dont think we are in Kansas anymore...Oh, wait...Wrong movie...



Wrong park, too.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I will say, this has got to be one of my all time favorite rides. As most of you know by now, Im not a thrill type person. I like my feet on the ground, with a steady block of concrete under it for stability. But this wasnt your everyday roller coaster or thrill ride either.



It's pretty clear that you really liked the ride from your description of it. (Which was great BTW)



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> If you have been on Spiderman at Universal in Orlando, then you have a feel for what this ride is like.



Nope. It wasn't built yet last time I was there.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> You are in the city, you are helping protect the world from the Decepticons. You are a hero.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBwS66EBUcY



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> It always bugs me that you wait forever, just for a minute or two of thrill and excitement only to be tossed out on the street again just to wait in another line.



Yeah... but it's worth it, isn't it?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> We decide that a beer is in order. So we go back up the escalator (Being that i forgot about these before this trip, I started to wonder if they were really there at all, or if they would disappear before we got to them...but nope. Still there).



Maybe it's Schrodinger's escalator.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Oh look, theres a nice picture of my backside for you all...







Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Almost didnt recognize myself with long hair.



You _cut it???_ 



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I was starting to get a little grumpy



I told you already. Wrong park!



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> , I get like that if I havent eaten, and if i continue to not eat, I will eventually get a headache and be worthless the remainder of the day. Worthless and grumpy is not a good look on me.



As long as you don't get Dopey.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> So coming across this was a collectors dream. Too bad there was no way to disassemble it and put it in our backpacks.



Nothing that a set of wrenches and an acetylene torch cant fix.

Future planning.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> We did however, stop to play for a bit. The place was deserted. I believe they had another little water park for the kids set up on the other side of the park, So this one wasnt as interesting, at least to the little ones. To us big kids, it was awesome. The two things at the bottom of the picture pretty much controlled the water throughout the area At one point, there was only one button we hadnt pushed, and when T-Man wasnt paying attention, I pushed it. Unfortunately, the button controlled the control area, and splashed T-Man right in the shorts...



That has to be the most convoluted and creative story Ive ever heard to cover up incontinence. Next time, just dont take the picture.

And maybe cut down on the beer consumption? Nah.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> The natives were starting to get restless, and you could tell some of them were not happy at all with this sudden issue.



Cool. Did somebody get eaten?

Wait Didnt you say that _you_ were hungry?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Eventually people started leaving, one or two at a time, then finally the lights came on and the TMs ushered everyone out. They had us going back and forth.



But did you do the hokey pokey?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> We slowly made our way back to the other side of the area, one of the TMs had a black bag in his hands. This is it I thought, They were going to put bags over our heads and lead us to our doom. They are all in this together. They all dont want anyone else in the park to know they had a technical glitch, and if we go out this way, and see the back of the park, we are definitely never seeing the light of day again. Once they have us all out back, they will cover our heads with bags and shoot us all!
> 
> My imagination can run pretty wild huh...



Ill say! Im sure that by now Uni has a much more efficient way of disposing of its _problems_. Like a large trapdoor that opens into a trash compactor.

Why waste bullets?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> As we rounded back into the actual park, we decided that we should probably find something to eat and maybe wait around to see if they would re-open it. I was still hungry, and cranky, and the whole issue with Terminator didnt help my mood.



So did you finally get to see it? Or am I getting ahead of myself again.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Im wondering if Scooby saw the water on T-Mans shorts and started laughing thinking it was something else, or if he found something else entirely funny...But I liked the shot.



Water. Right. Uh, huh.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Now, If anyone has ever seen the actual movie Water World, starring Kevin Costner and Dennis Hopper,  then Im guessing the idea behind this show is based off of the movie. Since i have never seen the movie, I cant tell you for certain how close it is or is not.



Ive seen it in bits and pieces, never the whole thing from start to finish actually, definitely not the ending, since I have no idea how it ends. Oddly enough, I cant bring myself to care.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I know that the last time I was here with my family, we also saw this show, so its been around a while.



I was curious, so I googled it. 1995. Interesting to note that its in California, Japan and Singapore, but not Florida.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> The show starts off with the water world crew trying to get us to scream louder than the other teams, and if you didnt scream loud enough, they would throw water at you. For that matter, if you did scream loud enough, or too loud, then they would throw water at you. Only this time not as much. Sometimes, when pretending to throw water at us, the stunt men would turn around and drench the other team, resulting in a huge laugh from the other two teams, who would then be drenched by the first teams leader.



Sounds like a lot of fun provided you dont mind getting wet. Im thinking that Mike welcomed the opportunity to even out his wet areas.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> He saves the heroine and they kill the evil people, and they all live happily ever after as they jet off to find dry land.



They all live happily ever after? Do the evil people reanimate as friendly zombies? 

Cool. 



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> It was all coke products, which included Dr. Pepper, Sprite, Coke, Fanta, and RootBbeer, among others, and all its flavor elements, i.e., cherry coke, coke with lime, vanilla coke, Cherry Dr. Pepper, etc.



I havent been able to find Coke with lime for ages! Maybe they dont sell it up here anymore.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> From Shrek, we went back to our beer kiosk and got another beer for the long escalator ride back to the bottom section.



Was it still there?

Just wonderin



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> It seems someone in the previous run, had lost his wallet on the ride. The TMs were frantically searching each car, and sending it through the ride empty to come back around.



Ugh, can you imagine losing your wallet while on vacation? 



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> After searching all the cars and finding nothing, they sent a few of the TMs in to see if they could spot it somewhere in the ride. The TMs each took a hard hat, each equipped with a light on it and went off to work...
> 
> Hi Ho, Hi Ho, Its off to work we go...*Whistle*



*WRONG P.* oh PRAC, nevermind.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> You could see the man start to sweat a little as he held the phone closer to his ear. He was calm and sweet as he kept trying to explain to his wife that they were stuck at the moment waiting for the ride to get going again. He asked her if she wanted them to back out of line and meet them. You could tell whatever she said wasnt pretty, and he sort of sagged his shoulders a little and said OK...then we will meet you as soon as we can.



Never *ever* tick off an angry mother just dont.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I worried for them. I could only imagine the tongue lashing he would get once they met up later. But for now, the dwarfs are back and are resetting the ride to finally let us on.



I wonder if they found the wallet.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Once we were off the Mummy, we needed one more fix before heading back up for the day. Off to Transformers we go for the 4th time.



Not quite sure here So Did you like this ride? You havent really made that clear.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> At one point, during one of the action scenes, EVAC tells us something along the lines of a little warning next time? so right as the scene begins, T-Man and i yell, WARNING, of course he didnt heed our advice and the couple next to us looked at us funny until EVAC said his line and then they laughed.



 Had anyone else done that earlier? Or was it a Bunny invention?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> The Warner Brothers Studios were just over the hill and through the woods...



To Grandmothers house we go

Sorry, pretty cool about seeing WB though.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> We walked by the Simpsons Ride, but it was a 35 minute wait and there were tons of people walking towards the entrance at the time. I wasnt a big fan of this ride the first time I did it in Orlando, it was fun, but not one i would wait 35 minutes for.



But is it better or worse than Back to the Future?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> The first thing you notice as you are settling in, is a prop off to the side of the stage. Its one of those menu boards, showing the special of the day. As we walked in and sat down, the menu board said the special was Chicken fingers...
> Not too long later, a chicken runs across the stage and changes the sign to read:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I got such a kick out of that.



Me too. Thats hilarious. 



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> As the show started, the animal expert came out with a parrot, who flew out over the audience



Ive often wondered about these types of displays. Do they not feed the birds for a day or so before the performance? Or do they fit them with color matched, feathered diapers?

These are questions that need to be answered people!



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Well the boy first off wanted the microphone to tell the dog what to get. When the lady told him just to tell the dog out loud, he wanted to then whisper it to the dog.  You can see even the dog is looking at the kid like, give me a break!



Yeah, stuff like that is cute for a bit but then it gets old pretty quick. 

Unless its your kid, then it never gets old downside is then people hate you.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Eventually the kid did as he was told, and the dog went back stage and came out with a bra...



Been there. Done that. See Turtle Talk with Crush.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> While we were waiting they had some music playing the background. Off to the side, around the handicap entrance there was a lady, who seemed to be guarding that area. As the music began to play, she began to dance. And while she looked like she had been around the block a time or two, she could still move!



It looks like shes behind a roped off area. Any chance that she was actually a performer?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> The guys who played the Blues Brothers were dead on. They acted like the originals, sang like the originals, and for being the last show of the day, they had so much energy and were so lively, it really was a great way to end the day.



Thats cool. I wouldve definitely loved to have seen them.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> As we walked on, there was a popcorn place we passed called Popcornopolis.  Now I love popcorn, but this was just crazy! Every kind of popcorn you can think of, plus combos of different types. Cinnamon flavored mixed with chocolate covered. There was cheese covered and caramel drizzled. Popcorn everywhere!



Buy some?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> T-Man needed to add to his collection of pins. He has so many of them; we have to get a new case to add the new ones.



Heh. Sounds like a movie title from the golden age. The Case of the New Pins.

Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Paul Reubens



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> As we made our way out of  HRC,. We noticed that there was practically no one around. There were still a few people milling about inside the restaurant, but outside on the CityWalk, there were only a few stragglersDid we enter an alternate universe? Pop into a rabbit hole no one knew about? Was the Curse of the Mummy still out to get us, and when it hit, we were protected only by the HRCs outer shell, and that is why only those inside the restaurant are the only people we see?



They all died and turned into friendly zombies and lived happily ever after.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Great pic of T-Man, me, not so much. You could tell I got a little too much sun that day and my make-up had already worn off.



I couldnt disagree more. I dont see a woman without makeup and too much sun. I see a couple of kids who just had an absolute blast that day. Its a great pic!



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> This sign turned different colors, so of course T-Man had to take one of each.



Just be glad hes a guy. We only know 4 colors.

Mrs. T, Oh, look honey! The signs turned fuscia!
Mr. T, Huh?
Oh, look! Now its teal!
Huh?
Magenta!
Huh?
Indigo!
Huh?
Turquoise!
Huh?
Maroon!
Huh?
Red!
<click!>



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I was waiting for a hord of zombies to start popping out from behind the poles or something.



Where they lived happily ever after.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Remember in the beginning how I was too in awe to take any pictures of anything on our drive in, and how i would take better ones at night? UmYeah...That didnt happen. By the time I tried to get a picture of anything, it would wiz by and all I would get is a blur of lights. So much for that bright idea.



Saw that one coming. All you needed to do was have Bunny Boy pull over, set up your tripod, attach the camera, set a longish shutter speed and voila. Oh, and stop any other cars in the area so theyre vibration wouldnt blur the pic.

Simple, no?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Whew...I didn't realize until I was writing this all down, how much we actually did that day. We packed a lot in.







Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Hopefully by the time we get back, this TR will still be here and we can continue to delight you all with our story.


Ill be waiting. Thanks for the great chapter(s) Heather. Especially all the ride descriptions and pics. :


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

pkondz said:


> You make that sound like a bad thing.



Not necessarily a bad thing. I just know i've been neglecting you all and wanted to make up for it this time around. 





pkondz said:


> I got an idea. You should go to Disneyworld!



That my dear friend is the best idea EVER! 





pkondz said:


> Now is that a nice way to treat your faithful readers?



I could have put 

 afterwards. But I love you all and didn't think that would go over very well to all my faithful readers. 





pkondz said:


> Was it from dust? Don't want you to get dust in your eyes? Is that it?



You know, come to think of it. I believe the next day I was having issues with my eye, I wonder if all the dust Devastator kicked up while he was trying to suck us all in damaged my eye...





pkondz said:


> Wrong park, too.



I was waiting for that. Although, now for the holiday's that movie is on regularly and it's one of my all time favorites, so i incorporate when I can. 





pkondz said:


> It's pretty clear that you really liked the ride from your description of it. (Which was great BTW)



Thanks, I hope I didn't go overboard with the descriptions. 





pkondz said:


> Nope. It wasn't built yet last time I was there.



Well, the next time you go, which I hope is very soon, you will have to ride it. Although, hopefully by the time you go, Transformers will also be in Orlando, so you can compare. 





pkondz said:


> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBwS66EBUcY



 You just stole my '80's loving heart on that one! You rock! 





pkondz said:


> Yeah... but it's worth it, isn't it?



Yeah, I gotta admit, it is...





pkondz said:


> Maybe it's Schrodinger's escalator.



Hmm...So the escalator is really there, and not there...Interesting. 







pkondz said:


>



I'm glad someone likes it. 





pkondz said:


> You _cut it???_



Yeah...I cut it. And not just a smidge either...I really chopped it off, And will actually be going back in today for a trim and color. T-Man wasn't too thrilled with the cut either. He's used to it now, but I don't think he like its. 





pkondz said:


> I told you already. Wrong park!



I'll never get it right...Never, ever, ever!!!! 






pkondz said:


> As long as you don't get Dopey.











pkondz said:


> Nothing that a set of wrenches and an acetylene torch cant fix.



The wrenches I may be able to get away with through security...the Acetylene torch may be a little tougher. 





pkondz said:


> That has to be the most convoluted and creative story Ive ever heard to cover up incontinence. Next time, just dont take the picture.
> 
> And maybe cut down on the beer consumption? Nah.



I'm nothing if not creative...

I did tell him when I took the picture that people were going to think otherwise after I told them the story...So he knew ahead of time. 





pkondz said:


> Cool. Did somebody get eaten?
> 
> Wait Didnt you say that _you_ were hungry?



Everyone lucked out this time around. I'm a picky eater. 





pkondz said:


> But did you do the hokey pokey?



It got pretty close. 





pkondz said:


> Ill say! Im sure that by now Uni has a much more efficient way of disposing of its _problems_. Like a large trapdoor that opens into a trash compactor.
> 
> Why waste bullets?



Good point, I didn't think about that. No wonder they took us out the back way...If we fell through a trap door, no one would be the wiser, and no one but the TM's would know we were there. 





pkondz said:


> So did you finally get to see it? Or am I getting ahead of myself again.



Nope. Never saw it. When we finished eating we went back to see if it was open again and it was still closed down. We figured that was the universe's way of saying, we didn't need to see it. 





pkondz said:


> Water. Right. Uh, huh.



It is...Hey, even used beer is some percentage of water isn't it? 





pkondz said:


> Ive seen it in bits and pieces, never the whole thing from start to finish actually, definitely not the ending, since I have no idea how it ends. Oddly enough, I cant bring myself to care.



Never cared to see it myself, it just didn't look interesting to me. 





pkondz said:


> I was curious, so I googled it. 1995. Interesting to note that its in California, Japan and Singapore, but not Florida.



Interesting that it would be in Japan and Singapore...Being that it was such a box office flop, you wonder what the ratings for the show were like oversees...if it was even showed out there. 





pkondz said:


> Sounds like a lot of fun provided you dont mind getting wet. Im thinking that Mike welcomed the opportunity to even out his wet areas.



We didn't get as wet as we did at SeaWorld (That story will be my next chapter challenge). But it was rather fun. 





pkondz said:


> They all live happily ever after? Do the evil people reanimate as friendly zombies?



With the whole Zombie Apocolypse thing, I never thought about that...Between the Schrodinger escalator and the zombie's...this is quite the place. I'm amazed we got out of there alive. 




pkondz said:


> I havent been able to find Coke with lime for ages! Maybe they dont sell it up here anymore.



I don't even know if they still make it here. Although I've noticed these new coke machines popping up in more and more restaurants, that is the only place I have noticed them.  If I find some, I'll see what I can do about mailing you a 6 pack. 



pkondz said:


> Was it still there?
> 
> Just wonderin




Surprisingly enough, it was. Or was it?! 




pkondz said:


> Ugh, can you imagine losing your wallet while on vacation?



I know. i felt bad for whoever it was that lost it. The TM's were saying that they go through the entire ride at night once everything is shut down, to pick up those hats and what nots that people lost over the course of the day. So hopefully they ended up finding it that evening. 





pkondz said:


> *WRONG P.* oh PRAC, nevermind.



 D'oh (And FYI...That one *IS* the right park!  ) 





pkondz said:


> Never *ever* tick off an angry mother just dont.



I can only imagine the beating that guy took later. 





pkondz said:


> Not quite sure here So Did you like this ride? You havent really made that clear.



Meh...it was alright. 





pkondz said:


> Had anyone else done that earlier? Or was it a Bunny invention?



 Bunny invention...I like that. I don't remember anyone else doing it on the other 3 times we had gone. 





pkondz said:


> To Grandmothers house we go
> 
> Sorry, pretty cool about seeing WB though.



We thought it was pretty cool too. I just figured it was one of the sets from the backlot tour or something. It didn't seem that far off in the distance, but once we zoomed in enough, we realized what it was. pretty exciting stuff. 





pkondz said:


> But is it better or worse than Back to the Future?



It's been ages since i've been on Back to the Future, so I can't compare and contrast exactly. Simpsons is more of a roller coaster simulator. You are literally taking through on a roller coaster ride with the Simpsons, but it sort of jerks you around, and while it is in 3D, it's just a little too much for me. Maybe that's just me. I do remember enjoying Back to the Future back in the day. So I would have to say it was worse...but thats just from a dull memory. 





pkondz said:


> Ive often wondered about these types of displays. Do they not feed the birds for a day or so before the performance? Or do they fit them with color matched, feathered diapers?
> 
> 
> These are questions that need to be answered people!



I've wondered the same thing. I tend to duck when a bird is flying over me in these types of shows. You just never know. And we have seen where a bird will land on the trainers and then do it's business. The trainers I'm sure are used to it so it's no skin off their back, but I don't think an audience member would appreciate going around the rest of the day like that. 

Although i do recall one of the shows we saw, probably the last time we were at WDW, one of the birds landed on an audience member as part of the show and ended up leaving them a nice gift. 





pkondz said:


> Yeah, stuff like that is cute for a bit but then it gets old pretty quick.
> 
> Unless its your kid, then it never gets old downside is then people hate you.



Yeah, you could tell who the kid was with, they were constantly laughing and clapping the whole time. The rest of us were just shaking our heads. 





pkondz said:


> It looks like shes behind a roped off area. Any chance that she was actually a performer?



That roped off area was the entrance and exit for the handicapped. It wouldn't surprise me if she was a performer, She was having fun while she was dancing. I know we got a video of it at some point. We'll have to look and see. I did notice that she didn't have the usual TM uniform on. So I'm wondering if she was just a volunteer or something. Who knows. 





pkondz said:


> Thats cool. I wouldve definitely loved to have seen them.



They were pretty awesome to watch. I don't think i've ever seen a full show from them, Even when at WDW. So it was nice to sit back and enjoy it. And let me tell you, they could sing! I was very impressed. 





pkondz said:


> Buy some?



No. I contemplated it. I thought they would be great gifts for the office, but we were saving our money for HRC. 





pkondz said:


> Heh. Sounds like a movie title from the golden age. The Case of the New Pins.
> 
> Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Paul Reubens



"Here's looking at you, kid...I know you are, but what am I?" 




pkondz said:


> They all died and turned into friendly zombies and lived happily ever after.



Right...Zombies...I forgot about those. 





pkondz said:


> I couldnt disagree more. I dont see a woman without makeup and too much sun. I see a couple of kids who just had an absolute blast that day. Its a great pic!



You are too sweet! You're still trying to earn back that man card aren't you? 




pkondz said:


> Just be glad hes a guy. We only know 4 colors.
> 
> Mrs. T, Oh, look honey! The signs turned fuscia!
> Mr. T, Huh?
> Oh, look! Now its teal!
> Huh?
> Magenta!
> Huh?
> Indigo!
> Huh?
> Turquoise!
> Huh?
> Maroon!
> Huh?
> Red!
> <click!>









pkondz said:


> Where they lived happily ever after.







pkondz said:


> Saw that one coming. All you needed to do was have Bunny Boy pull over, set up your tripod, attach the camera, set a longish shutter speed and voila. Oh, and stop any other cars in the area so theyre vibration wouldnt blur the pic.
> 
> Simple, no?



I couldn't get the boy to slow down, let alone pull over and do all that stuff...





pkondz said:


> Ill be waiting. Thanks for the great chapter(s) Heather. Especially all the ride descriptions and pics. :



Yay...At least we know we will have a couple of readers when we get back. I'm afraid of the amoking that could happen, but I trust you all... did I just say that out loud? 

Thanks for the breakdown Ponzi!


----------



## Thumper_Man

Well everyone.  Sorry to keep you waiting; between work and getting packed to go meet up with Nebo and Smidgy, I just didn't have time to post a chapter.  I promise to tell you all about Carsland when we get back.  Take it I still remember all the details by then.    I'll post on Nebo's thread from time to time.   Talk to y'all when we get back.


----------



## orangecats2

Have a GREAT time!!! 

When you come back you'll have to tell us what Nebo is really like.


----------



## pkondz

Have a great trip you guys! See you when you get back.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Lady H, D'SIS and I accomplished a first today, we drank around the world showcase at EPCOT today. We're feeling pretty good at the moment. At least until the morning comes around.


----------



## Backstage_Gal

Awesome!


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> Lady H, D'SIS and I accomplished a first today, we drank around the world showcase at EPCOT today. We're feeling pretty good at the moment. At least until the morning comes around.



And you remembered it!


----------



## smidgy

let's all set our alarms for 5 AM, and call the thumpers, and sing "it's a small world"  .. very loudly!!!!


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

smidgy said:
			
		

> let's all set our alarms for 5 AM, and call the thumpers, and sing "it's a small world"  .. very loudly!!!!



With the way my D'SIL was wanting to party when we came back to the room, we may have all still been up at that time. Luckily we, and the alcohol, talked some sense into her.


----------



## MAGICFOR2

Thumper_Man said:


> Lady H, D'SIS and I accomplished a first today, we drank around the world showcase at EPCOT today. We're feeling pretty good at the moment. At least until the morning comes around.



And you typed this so well, even when feeling "pretty good."


----------



## smidgy

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> With the way my D'SIL was wanting to party when we came back to the room, we may have all still been up at that time. Luckily we, and the alcohol, talked some sense into her.



really? she seemed so quiet.   I would have liked to have gotten to know this "hidden" melissa!!!!

(nebo will tell you, once alcohol gets my tongue moving, there's no shutting me up)


----------



## smidgy

um... ponzie, you just shush now....


----------



## pkondz

smidgy said:


> um... ponzie, you just shush now....



Who, me? I never said a word... :


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

smidgy said:
			
		

> really? she seemed so quiet.   I would have liked to have gotten to know this "hidden" melissa!!!!
> 
> (nebo will tell you, once alcohol gets my tongue moving, there's no shutting me up)



Yeah, it takes a few drinks for her to loosen up. But get those few drinks in her and she's a riot.


----------



## nebo

Ok, I'm getting there Heather, just read your first War and Peace installment. 

   Transformers sounds reallly great, can't wait for it in Orlando, but I dind't understand Terminator 2-D. Isn't it 
 Terminator 3-D in Orlando?  Did they surgically remove a sense in California?  Touch? Taste?  Really, is it the same type of movie as in Orlando? And you took lots of great pictures that were included in your chapter, from Optimus to your Gluteus Maximus.   (that smiley shoud be lmgmo.)

   I just read you went drinking around the world; even we have never done something that stu,,,,,silly. You should have saved doing that for monday, I recall tuesday was a go nowhere day, I can't remember where you said you'd be throwing up on Monday. 

   I'm having a hard tijme getting back into the flow, serious post trippum depression has set in and it's going to take a bit to get back yup to speed, all 14 mph. 
   ok, back to it.


----------



## nebo

orangecats2 said:


> Have a GREAT time!!!
> 
> When you come back you'll have to tell us what Nebo is really like.



*I don't think Nebo really likes anything!*



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Well, the next time you go, which I hope is very soon, you will have to ride it. Although, hopefully by the time you go, Transformers will also be in Orlando, so you can compare.
> 
> *By the time he ever goes again, it will be in Winnipeg!*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I'm glad someone likes it.
> 
> *YOu guys are both still Stephen King touched from the last book, and just want to talk about injoying that good Derry-air. *
> 
> 
> 
> Yeah...I cut it.
> 
> *This was probably an inopportune time to reveal that you just cut it. *
> 
> And not just a smidge either...I really chopped it off,
> 
> *Something I should know about Smidgy?*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I know. i felt bad for whoever it was that lost it. The TM's were saying that they go through the entire ride at night once everything is shut down, to pick up those hats and what nots that people lost over the course of the day. So hopefully they ended up finding it that evening.
> 
> *So, they shut down the ride to guests and just kept sending around empty cars to see if the empty cars could find a wallet.
> Hooookayy.*
> 
> 
> It's been ages since i've been on Back to the Future, so I can't compare and contrast exactly. Simpsons is more of a roller coaster simulator. You are literally taking through on a roller coaster ride with the Simpsons, but it sort of jerks you around, and while it is in 3D, it's just a little too much for me. Maybe that's just me. I do remember enjoying Back to the Future back in the day. So I would have to say it was worse...but thats just from a dull memory.
> 
> 
> *Ruh Roh, Houston, we have a problem. When we got on Simpsons in Orlando, I asked Smidgy if she grabbed the glasses, she tole me no, it's not a 3- D ride. My Sherlockian Holmes tells me that somebody here is WRONG!*
> 
> 
> I've wondered the same thing. I tend to duck when a bird is flying over me in these types of shows. You just never know. And we have seen where a bird will land on the trainers and then do it's business. The trainers I'm sure are used to it so it's no skin off their back, but I don't think an audience member would appreciate going around the rest of the day like that.
> 
> *Smidgy had a great trip report story in their early days of a huge blackbird that settled down on her back as she was lying in a lounge chair, and thought it was me trying to tickle her, or just annoy her. *
> 
> Although i do recall one of the shows we saw, probably the last time we were at WDW, one of the birds landed on an audience member as part of the show and ended up leaving them a nice gift.
> 
> *I think when Smidgy found out what was actually happening that time at French Quarter with the big blackbird, she left herself a special gift on her own. *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> You are too sweet! You're still trying to earn back that man card aren't you?
> 
> *Do I hear Cub Scouts?*
> 
> Thanks for the breakdown Ponzi!



*Whoops, I forget when I'm commenting on breakdowns who's sayin' what.  Great story telling Lady H, nice comments Ponzi. *



Thumper_Man said:


> Lady H, D'SIS and I accomplished a first today, we drank around the world showcase at EPCOT today. We're feeling pretty good at the moment. At least until the morning comes around.





Backstage_Gal said:


> Awesome!





pkondz said:


> And you remembered it!



*Of course they remembered it, Disney is very good about gibving out receipts after every purchase, after a few hours, they are all over your body, in alll your pockets, fanny packs, backpacks, rago pants, shoes, cig packs,,, Disney receipts are everywhere, down to the penny ,,, you cant' HELP but remember it!*


----------



## pkondz

nebo said:


> Thumper_Man's Wife said:
> 
> 
> 
> Well, the next time you go, which I hope is very soon, you will have to ride it. Although, hopefully by the time you go, Transformers will also be in Orlando, so you can compare.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *By the time he ever goes again, it will be in Winnipeg!*
Click to expand...


 Sweet!


----------



## Mom&RN

With all the time I spend hanging around Nebo's TR I can't believe I just noticed that you two had a TR going also!  So sorry I'm so late to the party.  I just found your TR today so need to get caught up, I figure I have some time while you're at WDW.  Hope you have a great time!


----------



## bankr63

With all this talk of USH, I just wanted to mention that our tickets for USO arrived this morning   2+1 PTP passes.  They'll be under the tree for the kids on Christmas morning.  

Pretty sure that I am the most excited person in the house still, but hopefully the tickets will start to spur some more excitement. Move, ticker move!


----------



## Thumper_Man

Mom&RN said:
			
		

> With all the time I spend hanging around Nebo's TR I can't believe I just noticed that you two had a TR going also!  So sorry I'm so late to the party.  I just found your TR today so need to get caught up, I figure I have some time while you're at WDW.  Hope you have a great time!



Better late than never. Glad you could make it. We only have 2 1/2 days left here. Enjoying our stay at CBR. I started writing the next chapter before we left. My only hope now is we don't get our WDW trip mixed up with our DL trip, or that we remember everything we did at DL.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

Dumb wife, dumb wife, dumb wife, dumb wife, dumb wife, dumb wife.

DUMB WIFE!!!!!!!


----------



## sewmess

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Dumb wife, dumb wife, dumb wife, dumb wife, dumb wife, dumb wife.
> 
> DUMB WIFE!!!!!!!



Everest?

Space Mountain?

Rockin' Roller Coaster?

The Mummy?

The Hulk?


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Dumb wife, dumb wife, dumb wife, dumb wife, dumb wife, dumb wife.
> 
> DUMB WIFE!!!!!!!



 Can't wait to hear all about it!


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

sewmess said:
			
		

> Everest?
> 
> Space Mountain?
> 
> Rockin' Roller Coaster?
> 
> The Mummy?
> 
> The Hulk?



All of the above! Lol...this particular instance though it was RnRC.


----------



## nebo

sewmess said:


> Everest?
> 
> Space Mountain?
> 
> Rockin' Roller Coaster?
> 
> The Mummy?
> 
> The Hulk?



*I know it's not Everest, Cuz I rode it with her. 
  Then she kept saying, "Dumb internet friend. Dumb internet friend." 
  Shoot, I should have saved that for my own report. 
  Oh heck, I'll just use it again, by the time I get to that point everybody will have forgotten this anyway. *


----------



## Thumper_Man

Well it was a fun 2 weeks in Orlando.  Sad to come home knowing that it will be a long while before we will get back to WDW again.  Mostly because we have a trip planned to Hawaii with some good friends, in a couple of years.  This and hoping to meet up with Nebo and Smidgy at DL next year.  

Give me some time to settle in and I'll resume our DL trip report.  We're half way through that report.  I know I know.  It's already December and we took the trip back in August.  We'll get it done, I promise.  Need to tell you all about Carsland.


----------



## Thumper_Man

nebo said:


> *I know it's not Everest, Cuz I rode it with her.
> Then she kept saying, "Dumb internet friend. Dumb internet friend."
> Shoot, I should have saved that for my own report.
> Oh heck, I'll just use it again, by the time I get to that point everybody will have forgotten this anyway. *



Not everybody.  D'Sis and I were sitting right behind you.  Not to mention I have pictures of you on the ride.


----------



## pkondz

Congrats on hitting 4000 posts... or should that be condolences? Just how much time do we spend on here anyway???


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> Congrats on hitting 4000 posts... or should that be condolences? Just how much time do we spend on here anyway???



Thanks.  I knew I was getting close.  Just didn't know I was there already.  

And for the record, I'm only on here 8 hours a day.   So I don't spend that much time on here.


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> Congrats on hitting 4000 posts... or should that be condolences? Just how much time do we spend on here anyway???



I was going to post these while in WDW, but I was having problems getting them to work with my phone.  








We had to see what you liked about them so much.  For never having been to AKL, it sure was an adventure to find them.  It was almost like finding hidden  Mickey's.  We knew they were close to Boma's, but we didn't know where in AKL Boma's was located.  So at first we landed up at Kidani Village.  We had to go in and ask.  We were directed to the Jambo House.  We get in the Jambo House and start looking for Boma's.  We start walking up and down the halls and can't find it.  We come across a map, study it and head off again.  After 5 minutes of searching, we give up and go ask for directions again.  No where did it say we had to go downstairs to find Boma's.  We then head down and finally find Boma's and ask where the quick service is.  They tell us that it's Mara's and we have to take a Safari tour to get there.  We finally find Mara's and get these treats. 

My impression of them, eh.  They weren't bad, but it's not something I would go out of my way for again.  If I'm in the neighborhood, or eating at Boma's I would get some; but no way am I making any more special trips just for those.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

nebo said:


> Ok, I'm getting there Heather, just read your first War and Peace installment.



It was a little long winded wasn't it? 



nebo said:


> Transformers sounds reallly great, can't wait for it in Orlando, but I dind't understand Terminator 2-D. Isn't it
> Terminator 3-D in Orlando?  Did they surgically remove a sense in California?  Touch? Taste?  Really, is it the same type of movie as in Orlando? And you took lots of great pictures that were included in your chapter, from Optimus to your Gluteus Maximus.   (that smiley shoud be lmgmo.)



 I like lmgmo...That's great! and no I did not expect him to take a picture of my GM...But it was the best picture of the board that I was trying to show everyone, so now you've seen a different side of me, that I'm sure you regret!  

Transformers was awesome. It's one of the very few rides I can do over and over and not really get tired of. And I didn't say one dumb wife the whole time! 

As for Terminator...Since we never got to see it because it broke down, it got downgraded in my mind...



nebo said:


> I just read you went drinking around the world; even we have never done something that stu,,,,,silly. You should have saved doing that for monday, I recall tuesday was a go nowhere day, I can't remember where you said you'd be throwing up on Monday.



You can say it...Stupid...I know...This was our second attempt at this. The first attempt, happened a couple of years ago with some other friends. We started out really good, had a drink in Mexico, skipped China (although T-Man got a beer from China to catch up since he skipped Mexico). Got beer from Germany. Got a drink from Italy, and then doubled back to Germany. Got to America and had a beer there. Didn't get anything from Japan. Got a drink from Morocco, and as we ventured into France we found the pastry shop and got a pastry instead. At that point we were a little woozy and went back to the room. 

This time, we started in Canada, after having fed ourselves completely at Le Cellier. It took pretty much all night, but we paced ourselves well, and even took a little break for a ride on Test Track and to watch the candlelight processional. But after that it was back to business. Astonishingly enough, I had only a small minor headache in the morning. 

It would have made sense to save it for Monday, but Monday was our last Islands of Adventure day, and that means Roller Coasters, at least it does for D'SIL and T-Man...although, D'SIL was suffering from a hurt neck, so it wasn't much of an adventurous day. 



nebo said:


> I'm having a hard tijme getting back into the flow, serious post trippum depression has set in and it's going to take a bit to get back yup to speed, all 14 mph.
> ok, back to it.



 Your good! I'm still not sure why you could only go 14 mph there...I may have to ask next time. 

But I am with you on the Post trippum depression. I really didn't want to come back. 



nebo said:


> *I don't think Nebo really likes anything!*



Sure he does. Sunny D's and mini's, Baking in the sun, with no YJ's around, Writing TR's about his glorious trips to his magical happy place. 

"Raindrops on roses, and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens..."






nebo said:


> YOu guys are both still Stephen King touched from the last book, and just want to talk about injoying that good Derry-air.



So i see it wasn't just me who caught onto the IT reference in the new book? I almost burst out laughing when i got to that part. The worst of it, was I was listening to the audio version of the book, not actually reading it, so people would have really thought I was nuts! 





nebo said:


> This was probably an inopportune time to reveal that you just cut it.



Is there ever an opportune time to reveal it? 





nebo said:


> Something I should know about Smidgy?



I don't know, I just met her. You married her...Twice! 





nebo said:


> So, they shut down the ride to guests and just kept sending around empty cars to see if the empty cars could find a wallet.
> Hooookayy.



That was what it seemed like they were doing to me. The cars have the ability to spot a fallen wallet and somehow must speak telepathically to the TM's and let them know where this fallen item is. Either that, or the TM's were just buying time until they could draw straws to see who went in to actually look for the darn thing. 





nebo said:


> Ruh Roh, Houston, we have a problem. When we got on Simpsons in Orlando, I asked Smidgy if she grabbed the glasses, she tole me no, it's not a 3- D ride. My Sherlockian Holmes tells me that somebody here is WRONG!



Hmmm...The first and last time I went on the ride was a couple of years ago in Orlando, when we went with a couple of friends. I could have sworn it was 3D, but I very well could be wrong. It may just have a 3D effect, to make you seem like you are on the actual ride...Either way I didn't care for it. 




nebo said:


> Thanks for the breakdown Ponzi!
> *Whoops, I forget when I'm commenting on breakdowns who's sayin' what.  Great story telling Lady H, nice comments Ponzi. *



Yeah yeah yeah...Ponzi may have been jealous over your call to T-Man, but now the tables are turning...

Although, I honestly can say I do not mind being placed in the same category as Ponzi...At least it means I'm not putting anyone to sleep...just knocking them out enough so they don't remember who I am...





nebo said:


> *Of course they remembered it, Disney is very good about gibving out receipts after every purchase, after a few hours, they are all over your body, in alll your pockets, fanny packs, backpacks, rago pants, shoes, cig packs,,, Disney receipts are everywhere, down to the penny ,,, you cant' HELP but remember it!*



I can remember every drink I had that night, with or without the receipts...But it could also be because I updated my Facebook at every country with my drink of choice, so I would remember later. 



Mom&RN said:


> With all the time I spend hanging around Nebo's TR I can't believe I just noticed that you two had a TR going also!  So sorry I'm so late to the party.  I just found your TR today so need to get caught up, I figure I have some time while you're at WDW.  Hope you have a great time!



It's never to late to join the party. Glad you found us! I hope you enjoy what we have so far. and Thank you! We had a blast. Now it's back to the real world again...



bankr63 said:


> With all this talk of USH, I just wanted to mention that our tickets for USO arrived this morning   2+1 PTP passes.  They'll be under the tree for the kids on Christmas morning.
> 
> Pretty sure that I am the most excited person in the house still, but hopefully the tickets will start to spur some more excitement. Move, ticker move!








 I'm excited for you! I had so much fun at USO/IoA...Just take it easy on the Hogs Head Brew if you haven't eaten...Learned that one the hard way...



sewmess said:


> Everest?
> 
> Space Mountain?
> 
> Rockin' Roller Coaster?
> 
> The Mummy?
> 
> The Hulk?
> 
> 
> 
> Thumper_Man's Wife said:
> 
> 
> 
> All of the above! Lol...this particular instance though it was RnRC.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> nebo said:
> 
> 
> 
> *I know it's not Everest, Cuz I rode it with her.
> Then she kept saying, "Dumb internet friend. Dumb internet friend."
> Shoot, I should have saved that for my own report.
> Oh heck, I'll just use it again, by the time I get to that point everybody will have forgotten this anyway. *
> 
> Click to expand...
Click to expand...









Thumper_Man said:


> Well it was a fun 2 weeks in Orlando.  Sad to come home knowing that it will be a long while before we will get back to WDW again.  Mostly because we have a trip planned to Hawaii with some good friends, in a couple of years.  This and hoping to meet up with Nebo and Smidgy at DL next year.



I wanna go back! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	






Thumper_Man said:


> Give me some time to settle in and I'll resume our DL trip report.  We're half way through that report.  I know I know.  It's already December and we took the trip back in August.  We'll get it done, I promise.  Need to tell you all about Carsland.



It's been a whole two days! What are you waiting for? Just kidding...I'm a walking zombie at the moment myself. Vacation is great, but the jetlag and depression after a vacation is over is the pits! 



Thumper_Man said:


> I was going to post these while in WDW, but I was having problems getting them to work with my phone.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> We had to see what you liked about them so much.  For never having been to AKL, it sure was an adventure to find them.  It was almost like finding hidden  Mickey's.  We knew they were close to Boma's, but we didn't know where in AKL Boma's was located.  So at first we landed up at Kidani Village.  We had to go in and ask.  We were directed to the Jambo House.  We get in the Jambo House and start looking for Boma's.  We start walking up and down the halls and can't find it.  We come across a map, study it and head off again.  After 5 minutes of searching, we give up and go ask for directions again.  No where did it say we had to go downstairs to find Boma's.  We then head down and finally find Boma's and ask where the quick service is.  They tell us that it's Mara's and we have to take a Safari tour to get there.  We finally find Mara's and get these treats.
> 
> My impression of them, eh.  They weren't bad, but it's not something I would go out of my way for again.  If I'm in the neighborhood, or eating at Boma's I would get some; but no way am I making any more special trips just for those.



I thought they were pretty good. I of course am a huge fan of chocolate mousse and that's sort of what they reminded me of, that thick, decadent rich chocolate in the center. But it was an adventure just to get to these things.


----------



## Thumper_Man

7:30 am.  Alarm goes off.  Yes, we actually got to sleep in a little bit today.  Considering what time we got back from Universal. Plan today is to attack DCA, more importantly, Carsland.  We no longer have the advantage of getting in early so no need to be at the gates that early.  Little did I know I would be wrong, wrong wrong.We needed to be there at 8:30 instead of leaving the hotel at 8:30.  Poor planning on my part.  I’m never wrong.  Except for that one time when....., and that one time when.  Ok, I’m seldom right but when I’m right, watch out universe.   

Our mission, if we so decide to choose it..  Park opens at 0900.  That’s 9:00 am for all you civilians.  No I wasn’t in the military, so I guess I would be counted as one of the civilians.  However; my dad and grandpa were both in the Army, so when ever you asked them the time, they would tell it to you in military time.  I got to be pretty good at it.  

Oh right, our mission..  

Leave the resort around 8:30 and head on over to the shuttle stop.  If we don’t have to wait for the shuttle long, we should get to the park right about 8:45 or so.  Line up at the gate and head straight for the Radiator Springs Racers (from here on out to be known as RSR) fast pass line.  Grab a FP and then head straight to Carsland.  Our scouting report from the other day showed us that Carsland tends to be crowded.  Hopefully going first thing, the lines won’t be as bad.  You all remember the picture right.  150 minute wait for RSR.  This was our mission and your computer will self destruct in 5, 4, 3, 2, abort abort.  I’m not done telling you about DCA yet.  

I stroll over to the kitchen to get Lady H and I some coffee.  This time I got the time and timer on the coffee pot set up correctly, and coffee was actually ready by the time we got up.  We go through our normal morning routine, grab our stuff and head out the door.  We still need to stop by the front lobby to buy a new shuttle pass for the day.  They sell multi-day passes, but since we wouldn’t be going to Disney each day, it was cheaper for us to buy the single day tickets.  

8:35 and we’re making our way to the shuttle stop.  Not too bad.  It usually takes Lady H and I about 5 minutes at the most to get from our resort to the shuttle stop.  Not today.  Today we made it in outstanding 2-minutes.  As we start our walk and walk towards the street corner, guess what passes by?  Yup our shuttle.  If we miss this one, we’ll have to wait about 20-minutes for the next one to show up.  We take off running the 25 yard dash and make there in a whopping 10 seconds.  “Run, Thumpers, Run.”  Ok.  That is actually pretty slow for 25 yards, the point is we had to run to catch the shuttle.  Good thing there was a decent group of people waiting to get on the shuttle, as this allowed us a few extra seconds to make it and catch our breath.  Which reminds I need to start exercising more.  Once we get to the shuttle door, we realized, it wasn’t our shuttle.  It was the city bus.  Well at least we made it on time.  About 3 minutes later, our shuttle does show up.


This time when we get on, it’s standing room only.  Did I put deodorant on this morning?  It’s already pretty warm this morning and after that brief run, I’m already starting to perspire.   I recall what I did this morning and yup, I put deodorant.  Everyone’s noses will be safe today.  I can now safely grab the rail above my head to hang on.  This time we didn’t have the comedian, but a driver that isn’t aware of what time the last shuttle is supposed to leave.  Both DL and DCA close at 10 tonight, which means the last shuttle should leave at 10:30.  The driver tells us the hours of the parks and says the last shuttle will leave at 9:30.  Sounds like tonight is going to be another race to the shuttle night.  I’ll be getting my exercise today.  Hopefully I can lose about 20 pounds in the process.  A man can dream can’t he.  One man had a dream, and he built the place we all love to visit.


So far we’re making good time until we hit check-point Charlie.  Getting through security was a breeze the other morning.  Not a lot of people in line at 8 in the morning.  Now at 8:45, both lines were extremely long.   Now the main problem with security, I don’t remember if I mentioned it or not, is that they DO NOT have a separate entrance for non-bag people.  Everyone has to wait in the same line.  Sure you are waved right through if you don’t have a bag, once you get to the front of the line; but you have to wait in the line to get there.  Being we both have a bag, we were doomed to wait.  

After we pass inspection, we head over to DCA.  It’s 9 exactly and people are already being let into the park.  Each line is about 8-10 people deep, but they are moving pretty quickly.  We present our boarding passes to the CM and she lets us enter.  Time to put the rest of our plan in motion.  One thing we also like to do is rent a locker.  Every trip we’ve taken, we’ve stayed off-site; so we will bring what we will need with us for the day and stash it in the locker.  We each have a small waist pack and carry only what we will need at the time.  Usually our phone, ID (just in case the bartender wants to be nice and card me today), credit card and cash.  We have our lanyards with our tickets and will also use them to put our FP’s in.  

At this point in time we bypass the lockers.  We go to grab a map, but they are already out of the English ones.  We agree to look for one later and head straight for the FP line for RSR.  We’ll come back for a locker after we get a FP.  No time to waste.  We can tell everyone is headed in the direction we want to go.  Another thing we also learned is that the FP location for RSR is not actually by RSR.  Where most would expect it to be.  The FP location is close to the Bugs Land entrance.

Here’s a picture of the map. I indicated where the FP machine is.  Keep in mind where it is.




As we make make our way up Buena Vista Street, we get to Carthay Circle and come to complete stop.  I tell Lady H, “Surely that can’t be the line for Radiator Spring Racers Fastpasses?  WOW!”  Now this is not an exaggeration.  There must have been about 300+ people waiting in line.  For Fastpasses.  The line started where I indicated on the map and was more or less ending by Disney Junior and were still lining up.

Here’s another edited version of the map showing how the line was going. 




Time to revise the plan and come up with a new plan.  No telling what time they started giving out FP’s and if we wait in line, would we actually get one?  Or do we run the risk of them running out before we get to the front of the line?

We both agree it’s about a 30-40 minute wait for FP’s.  We have 2 choices.  A: We can wait in the FP line and hope we get one, or B: head straight to RSR and spend the time waiting in the stand-by line.  Either way, we’re going to have to wait if we want to ride RSR.  The way we figure it, we’ll wait 30 minutes to get a FP, then we’ll have to wait 30 minutes in the FP line once we actually get in line at the ride itself.   So either, way we’re going to wait an hour.  We go with plan B.  Might as well spend the time waiting in line now.  We know later it will be really crazy.  Especially if the wait is like it was the other day.  

We head straight for RSR and notice the wait time already says 80 minutes.




As the King once sang, it’s now or never.  We enter the stand-by line and take out our cameras.  Might as well take some pics to help pass the time.  









A half hour goes by and it’s already getting hot.  Look at the temp on my phone and it’s already 90 degrees.  At 10 in the morning.  Lady H has to break out her fan.




I sure as heck don't want to be near Stanley.












Good thing we brought our backpacks with us.  Each of us has a couple of bottles of water that we froze.  Poor things, sitting in the freezer just so they can melt to keep us cool.  They’re thawing out fast so we down them in no time.  

As we’re going through the queue, we came upon this sign.




I thought if we stay in this line any longer, I’m going to start melting right where I stand. 

Few more pics of the queue.








45 minutes, later and we make it to front of the line.  




Not bad considering the wait was posted as being 80 minutes.  Time for us to take a cruise.  We get in the car and I struggle to put my seatbelt on, because my foot is tangled in my bag.  In the process I drop my camera and can’t seem to find it.  I tell Lady H I just had it because I just took a pics of the cars.  And we’re off.  Oh well.  Looks like I get to enjoy the scenery.  I’ll have to find it once we get off the ride. 

Here’s the moment Nebo has been waiting for.  How does RSR compare to it’s WDW counterpart Test Track?  Well my friend, I hate to disappoint you, but I’m not going to compare this one.  I will tell you its just like riding Test Track with a completely different theme.  I’m sure most of us have taken a ride on TT.  If not, tough. You’re just going to have to take my word for it. For now, I’m just going to tell you about RSR.  Sorry, didn't mean to sound hostile.  

After searching for my camera and unable to find it because the seatbelt is already locked into place, we take a nice little cruise by the mountains before entering the bat cave.  Sorry, wrong theme.  I guess it’s more of a tunnel we enter.  In this tunnel we almost get plowed by Mac.  We’re bobbing and weaving trying to avoid traffic.  We must’ve been going kinda fast because the sheriff pops out from behind the sign telling us  “slow down, you’re not racing yet.”  Well my heart is still racing from almost getting plowed by a semi.  I thought for sure we were going to land up as his hood ornament.  So the sheriff calls good ole Mater over and we do a little tractor tipping with him.   We were having fun until Big Red started chasing after us with his plowing blades.  We hit the gas and hightail it out of there.  At the rate we’re going, we might not make it to the race.  This race car is a rental and I don’t think my insurance will cover any damages.  Heaven knows what Disney will charge us if we wreck this thing.  

Soon we meet up with Lightning McQueen and the rest of the cars.  Ramone gives our car a new paint job for the race.  I was actually hoping for a faster engine.  I want to win this race.  After our paint job, we get some last minute advice from Doc Hudson and prepare to race.  

We pull up next to another car, Luigi waves the flag and off we go.  Each car takes off at the same time and we take the lead as we come into the first turn.  Coming out of the turn and over the bridge we lose our lead and the other car is now ahead of us.  Coming into the final turn we take the inside lane to make up ground and pull even.  Out of the final turn we hit the gas going down the final stretch. We cross the finish line and…................................. …..................................................................................................................................................

Whoo Hoo.  Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy.  Our first race and we’re 1 & 0 baby.  We pulled out the victory on the final straight away.  I think I’ll retire from racing and go out a champion.

After pulling back into the pit and receiving the Piston Cup (well ok we didn’t really receive the cup, would’ve been nice though), we head back down the street over to Luigi’s Tires.  45 minute wait.  Not interested in waiting that long in this heat.  It’s starting to get really hot outside now.  I thought the average temps were in the mid 80’s.  Not on this day.  I have a weather app on my phone and it states it’s already 93.  Being the troopers we are, we proceed on.  We make a pit stop, inside Ramone’s, one of the gift shops at CL.  After Ramone’s we mozy, yes we know how to mozy and stroll, to the Cozy Cone Motel.





See what kind of snacks and beverages they sell.  There are 5 different cones and each cone sells a specific snack.






Cone 1 - Churros. Cone 2 - Ice Cream Cones. Cone 3 - Cone Queso (chili con queso I’m guessing). Cone 4 - Cone-coctions (which might have been drinks).  Cone 5 - Popcone (no these are not typos, that’s the name on the cones).  We thought about getting an ice-cream, but of course this was the one line that was the longest, so we just skipped the Cozy Cone Motel.  Next we went into Sarge’s Surplus Hut.  Your basic Disney shop selling Disney merchandise.  Mostly Cars merchandise.  It was pretty crowded so we just decided to see the rest of the park.  We’ll come back later in the evening.  We heard it’s something not to be missed at night.  Speaking of night, we got to meet a real Knight.  Sir Tow Mater.





And with this, I will say goodnight for soon it be morrow.


----------



## smidgy

carsland looks really cool!  we were able to walk over to Art of ANimation whenwe stayed at pop, and they have the big cars there, too (mater, luigi, etc.  and a cozy cone pool.. it's supposed to look really cool at night, too, but we didnt' walk over to see it . storm was coming in and we thoought we'd save it for when we stay there is april.

it's weird now seeing heather with the long hair.. doesn't look like her.   I love the short, reddish hair.. hmm, maybe I should cut mine....


----------



## mmeb144

Thumper_Man said:


> A half hour goes by and its already getting hot.  Look at the temp on my phone and its already 90 degrees.  At 10 in the morning.  Lady H has to break out her fan.



Nice pic of Lady H. 

I'm so jealous of you two, getting to hit DL and WDW in the same year. Although it sounds like you won't be coming back to either for a while.  I'm glad you had so much fun.


----------



## Thumper_Man

mmeb144 said:


> Nice pic of Lady H.



It is, isn't it.  Although her hair is no longer that color and that long.  



mmeb144 said:


> I'm so jealous of you two, getting to hit DL and WDW in the same year. Although it sounds like you won't be coming back to either for a while.  I'm glad you had so much fun.



We had already planned on going to WDW this year, but DL was a last minute decision.  We were going to take our usual Vegas Vacation.  When we did the math, we figured it would cost us just as much to go to DL as it would Vegas.  So as an anniversary gift to ourselves, we decided to go to DL.

I mentioned to Nebo and Smidgy it would be fun to meet up with them at DL.  Just give me some dates and we can meet them out there.  I would be happy to drive us to Universal Studios and to Magic Mountain.  I'm just waiting for them to let me know if they really want us to go or not.  If not, then we may try to go anyways.  It's a lot cheaper for us to go to DL as it is WDW.


----------



## Thumper_Man

smidgy said:


> carsland looks really cool!  we were able to walk over to Art of ANimation whenwe stayed at pop, and they have the big scars there, too (mater, luigi, etc.  and a cozy cone pool.. it's supposed to look really cool at night, too, but we didnt' walk over to see it . storm was coming in and we thoought we'd save it for when we stay there is april.



You're going to love Carsland.  Hope we get to meet up with you and Nebo out there. 



smidgy said:


> it's weird now seeing heather with the long hair.. doesn't look like her.   I love the short, reddish hair.. hmm, maybe I should cut mine....



I guess I shouldn't have mentioned that Ariel is my favorite princess.  Although Ariel has long hair.


----------



## MAGICFOR2

Thumper_Man said:


> I was going to post these while in WDW, but I was having problems getting them to work with my phone.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> We had to see what you liked about them so much.  For never having been to AKL, it sure was an adventure to find them.  It was almost like finding hidden  Mickey's.  We knew they were close to Boma's, but we didn't know where in AKL Boma's was located.  So at first we landed up at Kidani Village.  We had to go in and ask.  We were directed to the Jambo House.  We get in the Jambo House and start looking for Boma's.  We start walking up and down the halls and can't find it.  We come across a map, study it and head off again.  After 5 minutes of searching, we give up and go ask for directions again.  No where did it say we had to go downstairs to find Boma's.  We then head down and finally find Boma's and ask where the quick service is.  They tell us that it's Mara's and we have to take a Safari tour to get there.  We finally find Mara's and get these treats.
> 
> My impression of them, eh.  They weren't bad, but it's not something I would go out of my way for again.  If I'm in the neighborhood, or eating at Boma's I would get some; but no way am I making any more special trips just for those.



It is a safari to find things there.   ITA about the zebra domes.  They look way better than they taste, IMHO.


----------



## smidgy

we would love to meet up with you guys!  just haven't figured out the dates.   sept. would be cheaper, and no worries about parks being closed  with halloween parties like in oct.  but maybe they have the parties in sept too? but we have 2 grandkids birthdays in sept.  nov. gets too cold,.  we'll have to talk.. maybe sneak in a trip between the 2 birthdays..   not sure just yet.


----------



## cp'ersmom

Looks like they moved the RSR FP location. It used to be in the building right by the entrance to the ride.  Glad you got to ride it!


----------



## MAGICFOR2

Nice update! RSR does look like lots of fun.  Smart move on not being cattle and just getting in line, especially since it was 45 minutes, not 80!  IDK about the Cozy Cone Motel - one item per cone?  Can you imagine how long it would take to get all your items for a family?  I think they are missing out on sales by doing it that way - who would stand in more than one line?  Unless you all split up, I guess. 

Oh, and great pic of Lady H!  Very Pretty!


----------



## nebo

Hey, how the heck is it that you and Ponzi both have over 4000 posts, and I only have 2500, not even, and I've been on the Dis longer than either of you?





Thumper_Man said:


> 7:30 am.  Alarm goes off.  Yes, we actually got to sleep in a little bit today.
> 
> *Yes, sleeping inside is always better than  sleeping the hallway. Too many people walking by. *
> 
> 
> 
> Our mission, if we so decide to choose it..  Park opens at 0900.  Thats 9:00 am for all you civilians.  No I wasnt in the military, so I guess I would be counted as one of the civilians.  However; my dad and grandpa were both in the Army, so when ever you asked them the time, they would tell it to you in military time.  I got to be pretty good at it.
> 
> *But for some reason, saying it's 15:30 sounds silly.
> 
> Sir.*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 8:35 and were making our way to the shuttle stop.  Not too bad.  It usually takes Lady H and I about 5 minutes at the most to get from our resort to the shuttle stop.  Not today.  Today we made it in outstanding 2-minutes.  As we start our walk and walk towards the street corner, guess what passes by?  Yup our shuttle.  If we miss this one, well have to wait about 20-minutes for the next one to show up.  We take off running the 25 yard dash and make there in a whopping 10 seconds.  Run, Thumpers, Run.  Ok.  That is actually pretty slow for 25 yards, the point is we had to run to catch the shuttle.  Good thing there was a decent group of people waiting to get on the shuttle, as this allowed us a few extra seconds to make it and catch our breath.  Which reminds I need to start exercising more.  Once we get to the shuttle door, we realized, it wasnt our shuttle.  It was the city bus.  Well at least we made it on time.  About 3 minutes later, our shuttle does show up.
> 
> *We just had a room really close to the bus stop at CBR, and we could see the back end of a bus when we got down the path just a little bit. I got SO tired of running to the bus stop, not knowing if it's our bus,,,,,,,*
> 
> 
> This time when we get on, its standing room only.  Did I put deodorant on this morning?  Its already pretty warm this morning and after that brief run, Im already starting to perspire.   I recall what I did this morning and yup, I put deodorant.  Everyones noses will be safe today.
> 
> 
> *Whew.
> Or should that be Phew?*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> As we make make our way up Buena Vista Street, we get to Carthay Circle and come to complete stop.  I tell Lady H, Surely that cant be the line for Radiator Spring Racers Fastpasses?  WOW!  Now this is not an exaggeration.  There must have been about 300+ people waiting in line.  For Fastpasses.  The line started where I indicated on the map and was more or less ending by Disney Junior and were still lining up.
> 
> *Wow. I had no idea that those kind of crowds happened out there. When were you there again? Mid August?*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> We both agree its about a 30-40 minute wait for FPs.  We have 2 choices.  A: We can wait in the FP line and hope we get one, or B: head straight to RSR and spend the time waiting in the stand-by line.  Either way, were going to have to wait if we want to ride RSR.  The way we figure it, well wait 30 minutes to get a FP, then well have to wait 30 minutes in the FP line once we actually get in line at the ride itself.   So either, way were going to wait an hour.  We go with plan B.  Might as well spend the time waiting in line now.  We know later it will be really crazy.  Especially if the wait is like it was the other day.
> 
> *I like your progression of logic there,. sounds like you made the right choice. *
> 
> We head straight for RSR and notice the wait time already says 80 minutes.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 45 minutes, later and we make it to front of the line.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Not bad considering the wait was posted as being 80 minutes.  Time for us to take a cruise.  We get in the car and I struggle to put my seatbelt on, because my foot is tangled in my bag.  In the process I drop my camera and cant seem to find it.  I tell Lady H I just had it because I just took a pics of the cars.  And were off.  Oh well.  Looks like I get to enjoy the scenery.  Ill have to find it once we get off the ride.
> 
> *Yep, right choice.*
> 
> Heres the moment Nebo has been waiting for.  How does RSR compare to its WDW counterpart Test Track?
> 
> *Yeah Yeah Yeah, lay it on me. Give.*
> 
> 
> Well my friend, I hate to disappoint you, but Im not going to compare this one.
> 
> *But But But,,,,
> *
> 
> 
> After searching for my camera and unable to find it because the seatbelt is already locked into place, we take a nice little cruise by the mountains before entering the bat cave.  Sorry, wrong theme.  I guess its more of a tunnel we enter.  In this tunnel we almost get plowed by Mac.  Were bobbing and weaving trying to avoid traffic.  We mustve been going kinda fast because the sheriff pops out from behind the sign telling us  slow down, youre not racing yet.  Well my heart is still racing from almost getting plowed by a semi.  I thought for sure we were going to land up as his hood ornament.  So the sheriff calls good ole Mater over and we do a little tractor tipping with him.   We were having fun until Big Red started chasing after us with his plowing blades.  We hit the gas and hightail it out of there.  At the rate were going, we might not make it to the race.  This race car is a rental and I dont think my insurance will cover any damages.  Heaven knows what Disney will charge us if we wreck this thing.
> 
> Soon we meet up with Lightning McQueen and the rest of the cars.  Ramone gives our car a new paint job for the race.  I was actually hoping for a faster engine.  I want to win this race.  After our paint job, we get some last minute advice from Doc Hudson and prepare to race.
> 
> *Now that must have been eerie since he's be dead for a few years now. *
> 
> We pull up next to another car, Luigi waves the flag and off we go.  Each car takes off at the same time and we take the lead as we come into the first turn.  Coming out of the turn and over the bridge we lose our lead and the other car is now ahead of us.  Coming into the final turn we take the inside lane to make up ground and pull even.  Out of the final turn we hit the gas going down the final stretch. We cross the finish line and................................. ..................................................................................................................................................
> 
> Whoo Hoo.  Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy.  Our first race and were 1 & 0 baby.  We pulled out the victory on the final straight away.  I think Ill retire from racing and go out a champion.
> 
> *Wow. Your description made that ride sound like it's a half hour long!*
> 
> After pulling back into the pit and receiving the Piston Cup (well ok we didnt really receive the cup, wouldve been nice though), we head back down the street over to Luigis Tires.
> *
> Um, you hoo, the camera on the floor, remember?*
> 
> 45 minute wait.  Not interested in waiting that long in this heat.  Its starting to get really hot outside now.  I thought the average temps were in the mid 80s.  Not on this day.  I have a weather app on my phone and it states its already 93.  Being the troopers we are, we proceed on.  We make a pit stop, inside Ramones, one of the gift shops at CL.  After Ramones we mozy, yes we know how to mozy and stroll, to the Cozy Cone Motel.
> 
> 
> *Hold it. What's Luigi's Tires?  You holdin' out on us?*
> 
> 
> 
> See what kind of snacks and beverages they sell.  There are 5 different cones and each cone sells a specific snack.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Cone 1 - Churros. Cone 2 - Ice Cream Cones. Cone 3 - Cone Queso (chili con queso Im guessing). Cone 4 - Cone-coctions (which might have been drinks).  Cone 5 - Popcone (no these are not typos, thats the name on the cones).  We thought about getting an ice-cream, but of course this was the one line that was the longest, so we just skipped the Cozy Cone Motel.  Next we went into Sarges Surplus Hut.  Your basic Disney shop selling Disney merchandise.  Mostly Cars merchandise.  It was pretty crowded so we just decided to see the rest of the park.  Well come back later in the evening.  We heard its something not to be missed at night.  Speaking of night, we got to meet a real Knight.  Sir Tow Mater.
> 
> *Yeeah, that does sound irritating.*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And with this, I will say goodnight for soon it be morrow.



*Thanks Mike, great chapter!*


----------



## Thumper_Man

smidgy said:


> we would love to meet up with you guys!  just haven't figured out the dates.   sept. would be cheaper, and no worries about parks being closed  with halloween parties like in oct.  but maybe they have the parties in sept too? but we have 2 grandkids birthdays in sept.  nov. gets too cold,.  we'll have to talk.. maybe sneak in a trip between the 2 birthdays..   not sure just yet.



Just let me know.  We would love to hang out with you again.  And you can bring Nebo along if you like.    J/K.  Would like to ride California Screaming with him.


----------



## Thumper_Man

cp'ersmom said:


> Looks like they moved the RSR FP location. It used to be in the building right by the entrance to the ride.  Glad you got to ride it!



That's where we were more or less expecting to find it.  I bet having them there was causing a traffic jam.  Ha ha.  Get it?  Traffic Jam, Carsland.  Ok, I'll stick to writing songs.

Good thing we read the map as to its location.  I wonder if they'll move them back once the new wears off?


----------



## Thumper_Man

MAGICFOR2 said:


> Nice update! RSR does look like lots of fun.  Smart move on not being cattle and just getting in line, especially since it was 45 minutes, not 80!



We're lucky it turned out that way.  No telling how it would've turned out if we got in line for FP's.  With my luck, I would be the next in line and they would just run out.  "Sorry sir.  No more FP's.  You should've been here at 8:30 like everyone else."



MAGICFOR2 said:


> IDK about the Cozy Cone Motel - one item per cone?  Can you imagine how long it would take to get all your items for a family?  I think they are missing out on sales by doing it that way - who would stand in more than one line?  Unless you all split up, I guess.



It's mostly snack items, so hard to say.  If you plan on popcorn and ice cream, then yeah it would be a pain.  But if you're only doing one or the other, than not so much.  Personally, I would just hit up a different section of the park.  No lines at those other places.  



MAGICFOR2 said:


> Oh, and great pic of Lady H!  Very Pretty!



Thanks.  Did I mention her hair is no longer that color and short now?


----------



## Thumper_Man

nebo said:


> Hey, how the heck is it that you and Ponzi both have over 4000 posts, and I only have 2500, not even, and I've been on the Dis longer than either of you?



If you notice, when I do the call outs, I do separate posts for each person instead of one long post like you do.  Helps up the post count.  Not that it matters.  What matters most is what you write.  



nebo said:


> *Yes, sleeping inside is always better than sleeping the hallway. Too many people walking by.*



Depends on what time you fall asleep in the hallway and what time you wake up. 



nebo said:


> *But for some reason, saying it's 15:30 sounds silly.
> 
> Sir.*



Only to the civilians Nebo sir.  



nebo said:


> *We just had a room really close to the bus stop at CBR, and we could see the back end of a bus when we got down the path just a little bit. I got SO tired of running to the bus stop, not knowing if it's our bus,,,,,,,*



In our case, it was stated that the bus comes around every 20 minutes or so.  So if you missed it, you would have to wait 20 minutes for it to come back around again.  At least at CBR, I noticed plenty of park busses.  



nebo said:


> *Whew.
> Or should that be Phew?*



I've often wondered this myself.  Either way, I remembered to put deodorant. 



nebo said:


> *Wow. I had no idea that those kind of crowds happened out there. When were you there again? Mid August?*



We were there the last week of August actually.  We picked that week because kids went back to school that week.  At least from what I could tell from looking at all the local school calendars.  I think because CL is still brand new, the crowds will be there for a while.  Just like when WWoHP opened up.  We went the year it first opened during the fall.  Thinking it would have slowed down by then.  Nope.  FJ still had 45-60 minute wait times.  Now that we went, 10-15 minute wait times.  Probably because that's how long it takes you to walk through the queue.

Wait until you hear about our final day at DL.



nebo said:


> *I like your progression of logic there,. sounds like you made the right choice.*



As I just told Magic, who knows how it would've been had we not decided to go right away.  We may never have gotten to ride it.  



nebo said:


> *Yeah Yeah Yeah, lay it on me. Give.*



Now that Test Track has been refurbed, it is really hard to compare.  I don't have a favorite.  I like them both.  



nebo said:


> *Now that must have been eerie since he's be dead for a few years now.*



He's alive and well over at DL.  Unless he has twin.  



nebo said:


> *Wow. Your description made that ride sound like it's a half hour long!*



The ride itself is about as long as TT. It really was a fun ride.  Especially when you get to the race. 



nebo said:


> *Um, you hoo, the camera on the floor, remember?*



I remembered it.  Do you?  It was the same one my sister couldn't figure out how to use to take our picture.   



nebo said:


> *Hold it. What's Luigi's Tires? You holdin' out on us?*



A ride.  Question answered.  Next?  

Ok, ok.  Every played air hockey?  It's like an oversized version of that. The bottom surface blows up air and you sit in a big tire that floats like the puck when the air is on. To make it move the way you want it to go, you have to lean your whole body in that direction. 

Spoiler alert.  We never rode it.  Wait time was always hovering (see what I did there, I did it again.  Ok I'll stop) around 45 minutes or so.  Didn't interest us enough to wait 45 minutes to ride it.  I thought I took a picture of it, but I don't see it in my uploads.  I'll have to check my computer tonight when I get home.



nebo said:


> *Yeeah, that does sound irritating.*



Yeah, it was.  In the pic I posted, you can see how long the line is for popcorn, imagine for ice cream.  I never did think to get a picture of the line.  At the moment all we wanted was something cold to eat or drink because it was so flipping hot.



nebo said:


> *Thanks Mike, great chapter!*



Thanks for coming back.


----------



## MAGICFOR2

Thumper_Man said:


> Thanks.  Did I mention her hair is no longer that color and short now?



You did!  Are you in mourning or something?  I want to see a current pic now.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

MAGICFOR2 said:


> You did!  Are you in mourning or something?  I want to see a current pic now.



Yes he is in mourning. Anytime i cut my hair he goes into a depression I think. And I can't be subtle when i cut my hair either. It's usually all or nothing.  Poor thing. At least I warned him before hand. 

I'll see if I can find a decent picture with my hair now. Nebo and Smidgy should have one from when we met up with them as well...which i'm sure will be part of their TR down the line.


----------



## sewmess

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Yes he is in mourning. Anytime i cut my hair he goes into a depression I think. And I can't be subtle when i cut my hair either. It's usually all or nothing.  Poor thing. At least I warned him before hand.
> 
> I'll see if I can find a decent picture with my hair now. Nebo and Smidgy should have one from when we met up with them as well...which i'm sure will be part of their TR down the line.



My DH would be in mourning if I did a drastic cut too.  I'm even a little wary about a couple of inches, but he's said that as along as it's not above shoulder length, he's okay.  I don't push and try for more because then he might shave the beard and stache.  


Carsland looks like great fun, but I hate the lines in the "ooh Look!  new and Shiney!" period.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

sewmess said:


> My DH would be in mourning if I did a drastic cut too.  I'm even a little wary about a couple of inches, but he's said that as along as it's not above shoulder length, he's okay.  I don't push and try for more because then he might shave the beard and stache.
> 
> 
> Carsland looks like great fun, but I hate the lines in the "ooh Look!  new and Shiney!" period.



T-Man would prefer if I just cut a few inches off. When I ask him his opinion, he will tell me, "You can cut this much," and usually goes just to the shoulders.  But i have a tendency that when I grow my hair, I grow it really really long. Anywhere from waist length to past my GM (using Nebo's term there. I kind of like it). But I get tired of sitting on my hair or only throwing it up in buns or pony tails, so I chop it all off. The short hair helps the headaches, that's for sure. 

I've tried the whole, You grow your beard, I'll grow my hair thing with T-Man...It works for a while until the beard gets annoying to him and he shaves . 

Yeah, the new and shiney period was in full effect for CL. At least we got to ride it once. There was no chance I was going to try to ride it again. Even the Single Rider lines were like an hour wait at times.


----------



## smidgy

Nebo read where I wrote, "maybe I'll cut mine".  so he says, "gee I liked Heather's hair long!"  (not that he doesn't like it short, he just likes long hair).   and I sia d"I thought it was really cute short, and I liked the new color"  then I thought, and said"are you trying to tell me to NOT cut my hair?"   
  Nebo<" if it bothers you and is too much to take care of, cut it."   me"no, I just thought I might look better with it short, but are trying to tell me you like it long?"
   yes, he likes it long.

I can't beleive you can grow it past you waist and more!! mine has never been longer than it is now.   I think it won't grow any longer!


----------



## Backstage_Gal

Great updates!

Sorry for be absent for so long, I promise to do better


----------



## Thumper_Man

Backstage_Gal said:
			
		

> Great updates!
> 
> Sorry for be absent for so long, I promise to do better



You're not the only one absent. We were absent from our own TR. Should have another chapter up over the weekend.


----------



## sewmess

smidgy said:


> Nebo read where I wrote, "maybe I'll cut mine".  so he says, "gee I liked Heather's hair long!"  (not that he doesn't like it short, he just likes long hair).   and I sia d"I thought it was really cute short, and I liked the new color"  then I thought, and said"are you trying to tell me to NOT cut my hair?"
> Nebo<" if it bothers you and is too much to take care of, cut it."   me"no, I just thought I might look better with it short, but are trying to tell me you like it long?"
> yes, he likes it long.
> 
> I can't beleive you can grow it past you waist and more!! mine has never been longer than it is now.   I think it won't grow any longer!



Mine is currently at just below my waist.  When I was a kid my mom always kept it really short, as in "what a cute little boy" short, until I could take care of it myself.  When I could take care of it myself I was to lazy to have long hair.  Then I was trying to figure out long a braid would need to be to wrap around someone's head so I thought I'd grow mine out.  And it saved on the annoyance/cost of hair cuts.  

I miss the convenience of the wash and go short haircut, but I'm just too lazy to get it cut.


----------



## Thumper_Man

MAGICFOR2 said:


> You did!  Are you in mourning or something?  I want to see a current pic now.



Yes.  I am still in mourning.  Not so much with the color but with the cut.    I really do like it long, but she's the one that has to deal with it on a daily basis.  I will admit it's cute, but it was cuter longer.  

Here's a current pic of Lady H and how her hair looks like now.  Pay no attention to the man to the right.  This is from our recent trip to WDW.  We stopped to say hi to ourselves.


----------



## MAGICFOR2

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Yes he is in mourning. Anytime i cut my hair he goes into a depression I think. And I can't be subtle when i cut my hair either. It's usually all or nothing.  Poor thing. At least I warned him before hand.
> 
> I'll see if I can find a decent picture with my hair now. Nebo and Smidgy should have one from when we met up with them as well...which i'm sure will be part of their TR down the line.



I'll watch for it.  DH always wants mine long, too.  It grows so slowly - it took me 12 years to get it to my mid back one time, and I went in for some layers and she chopped it off to my collar bone!   So I've just kept it there since.  He is always worried when I say I'm getting a haircut.


----------



## MAGICFOR2

Thumper_Man said:


> Yes.  I am still in mourning.  Not so much with the color but with the cut.    I really do like it long, but she's the one that has to deal with it on a daily basis.  I will admit it's cute, but it was cuter longer.
> 
> Here's a current pic of Lady H and how her looks like now.  Pay no attention to the man to the right.  This is from our recent trip to WDW.  We stopped to say hi to ourselves.



And there it is!  You both look mah-va-lous!  Heather, I like it short too so you have my approval either way!  DS is there somewhere with DDIL from their honeymoon.  We always have to look them up, too!


----------



## nowellsl

Thumper_Man said:


>



Sorry TMan - I like it short too!  The color is really nice!  I bet it's a lot easier to take care of.


----------



## Thumper_Man

_"That's my only goal. Surround myself with funny people, and make sure everyone has a good time and works hard."_ (Joe Rogan)


After winning the Piston Cup and cruising through CL, we make our way back towards the entrance.  We want to get a locker to store our backpacks in.  My back needs air from the heat of the day.  Carrying a backpack is making my back sweat even more than what it normally would and I can feel it running down my back.  No its not walking down or even trickling down.  Its literally running down my back.  Our bags are a  little lighter now because we both finished the 3 bottles of water each of us brought with us.  We didnt want to be like our friend Nebo and take a dive.  Of course at the time we didnt know of his major accident.  We just knew that we needed to keep hydrated ourselves.  

On our way to the lockers, we pass Lady Hs favorite ride.  Do do do do, do do do do.  Yes the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.  Only a 5 minute wait.  I guess getting a locker will have to wait 10 more minutes then.  Now Ive heard the ToT is better here.  Personally, I didnt notice too many differences at all, but here is what I did notice.

For starters, the outside is different.

ToT over at DHS.




ToT over at DCA.




Notice over at DHS, the name Hollywood Tower is spelled out all the way across as to where at DCA Hollywood is above Tower.  There is a difference in color and over at DCA, the tower seems to be set more towards the back as to where the tower is more towards the front at DHS.  Next difference is the queues.  Over at DCA, depending on how long the line is, you seem to enter directly in front.  This gave it the feeling that you were actually walking into a hotel.  Over at DHS, the entrance is more to the side.  Next difference in the queues is the lobby.  It seems you get a little bit better view of the entire lobby at DCA than you do at DHS.  Get to see more of the props they use.  At least thats the sense I got.  Back to DCA, they have 2 rooms they use to see the video.  One to each side of the desk.  Theres a CM there to direct you as to which one you will go in.  I only recall DHS having one room to watch the video.  Just having visited DHS again, I looked to see if there is more than one room used.  Nope.  Still only use one room off to the right.  The video is pretty much the same video.  At least they remembered to put the right ToT for each location in the video.  Can you imagine seeing the DHS ToT over at DCA and vice-versa.  I wonder if anyone would even snap if they put the wrong ToT?  After the video, its pretty much the same.  You exit out into a boiler room and wait.  Well we didnt have much of wait.  We waited all of 2 minutes for our turn. 

Now I really gotta give it to the CM that plays the elevator attendant.  He really got into character.  Of course he starts by having people take their seats by their assigned numbers.   Once we were in our seats, he asked in a low, who cares tone of voice raise your hand if this is your first time riding?  No one. You all came back?  Did you not learn the first time?  I pity all of you, and gave his best fake smile.  Next he tells us I need you all to tug on the yellow rope connected to your seat belt, just in case theres a sudden drop in the elevator.  We dont want bodies flying everywhere because theres a hole in the corner, and we had a hard time cleaning up the last set of bodies as he points to the lady sitting in the corner seat; afterwards telling her Good Luck.  Next he points to me and Lady H, and asks us Would you like me to show your bags to your room?  I tell him sure to which he replies I bet you would.  If you want to see your bags again, you best find a way to hold on to them.  After hes done with all the safety checks, the CM tells us Welcome to the Hollywood Hotel.  Enjoy your fright, I mean your night  does his best evil laugh, steps out and closes the doors.

Now as far as the ride itself, its exactly the same.  You travel through the dark and see the video of the ghostly figures, exactly what happened that made them disappear and then.  Wait for it. The doors to see outside open and you drop.  You thank God for the seatbelt as youre going down, as you feel yourself coming out of your seat.  The ride reverses directions and now youre going up, gravity sits you back down.  This up and down action can get a little rough on the rear end.  Hmm.  That didnt sound right.  Flying by the seat of your pants can be a real pain.  The fun part was Lady H and I trying to hold onto our bags.  We put our feet through the straps, but that still wasnt enough to keep them in place.  I think we finally had to step on our bags to keep them from going all over the place. That was real hard to do when the ride would go down and our feet would leave the floor.  After about 3-4 minutes of going up and down, the ride comes to a stop.  Who better to greet us then the elevator attendant.  You all survived, yippee.  Please exit one row at a time and take no offense when I say, please dont come back.  The CM sure made it fun and we had a blast on the ride as always.

Once we get back outside, we forgot just how hot it was getting already.  We almost turned around and went on the ride again.  Just because it was nice and air-conditioned.  Finally we make our way to the front and get a locker.  Storing my bag may help keep my back a little cooler.  With bags securely locked away, Lady H asks where to next?  I only had to say one word Well.  I probably didnt even need to say that.  I couldve given my best Cheshire grin and she would know what that meant.  Every adventure requires a first step. Trite, but true, even here. _(Cheshire Cat) _ On to that monstrosity of a ride they call California Screamin.  You remember it dont you.  This not so bad boy.









Lady H told me I shouldve known and off we head to Paradise Pier.  In my defense I tell her TSM is there as well.  I want a shot at the title.  All I got was the look.  You know the look, all woman have it.  The slight head nod and the word Sure.  We get to Paradise Pier and to my horror.  NNNOOOOOO!!!!!!!  It cant be.  Do you know how long I waited to ride this thing?  Yup, it was closed.  How can they close California Screamin?  Dont they know how far I traveled just to come and ride that coaster?  Hopefully it will be open later.  Now what?  Well I guess well move on to TSM.  

STRIKE 2.  TSM is also closed.  I hoping we dont get a 3rd strike.  You know what happens on Strike 3.  Youre out.  You must do the walk of shame back to the dugout.  In this case, you must head straight to park entrance to the exit gates.  Do not pass go and please leave us another $200.  No wonder it didnt seem too crowded over here.  All the good rides are closed.  Only thing we can think of is theyre closed down because of the heat.  

As we come to the end of Paradise Pier, we decide to skip Goofys Flight school and replenish our fluids.  Ok, I know youre all probably wondering, what is Goofys flight school.  It would be DCAs version of AKs Primeval Whirl.  Since Cal Screamin and TSM were both down, the other rides were picking up the slackers and ride times were getting pretty high.  I dont know what they were smoking, but they said we would have to wait 30-40 minutes if we wanted to ride.  

We stop at the first watering hole we found the day we went on our recon mission.  We grab a beer just as Phineas & Ferb come out to perform.  








We follow them down because they are clearing the way in their truck.  As we are following them I remember we need FPs for World of Color.  We are right next to the viewing area so we might as well get FPs right away.  We head down to the viewing area and on the way down, Goofy is conducting a water show to music. A prelude to World of Color.  We stop to watch the ending of the show before heading down to see if we can find the FP machines.  We didnt find them anywhere up top, so we figured they might be where he was conducting.  Once the show is over, we head down the steps as Goofy comes up.  We give each other a high five as we pass each other.  Job well done.  We get to the spot where Goofy was performing and still cant find the FP machines.  Time to track down a CM and ask.  Remember, they were out of English maps when we first walked in.  We finally come across one of the CMs responsible for keeping the park clean and ask him for a map.  Ive learned in the past that these CMs always carry them.  We told him they were out of the English maps up front, and yo no hablo espanol muy bueno, much less able to read it.   Plus there was no way am I going to even attempt to translate French, Portuguese, Chinese or even Japanese.  Heck, my smartphone isnt even smart enough to translate these languages.  He couldnt believe they were out up front and luckily he had one left to give.  He was also kind enough to point us in the direction of the FP machines.  Man we were far off.  We were kinda close to the machines, but they were in a place we wouldve never thought of.   

On our way to find the FP machines, we spot a little bar off to the side of the Wine Country Trattoria.  Yes, we already finished the first beer.  Its now getting close to noon and the temp is up to 96 degrees now.  

Now I believe it was Queenbetsey who asked if we found her favorite bar.  Its called the Alfresco Lounge.  If this is the same bar shes referring to, then yes, we found it:  and it became our favorite bar as well.  

As we passed this bar, we thought at first it sold only wine.  Little to our surprise they sold not only wine, but beer as well.  BOTTLED BEER.  Every other place at DCA seemed to sell beer on tap.  You can see them bottles chilling in the chillers, and they were calling our names.  At first we tried to walk through WCT to get to the bar, but came to a dead end.  Seems the way up to this bar is through a short set of stairs to the right.  Once we find the stairs and make it to the bar, there are only 2 people in line ahead of us.  You dont get to drink the beer from the bottle itself.  The bartender pours it into a cup for you.  Too many husbands have probably been bashed over the heads with the bottles, so they probably figured this was a tad bit safer for them.  

With cold beer in hand, we head towards Soarin by way of Grizzly River Rapids.  On our way we spot the entrance to DCA from GC.  I wonder if were allowed to go in and out of this entrance as well.  Or is it only for guests staying at the hotel.  We go and ask a CM if were allowed and she tells us yes.  Just as long as we get branded with the hand stamp and have our park tickets.  

Great.  We still need to go back and get the postcard we saw for Ponzi in the gift shop.  We saw it while we were doing our resort tour.   Plus well need international postage to mail it to.  We can come back later and buy the card, and see if they sell the postage.  After we find out this useful information, we continue on our way.       

All the DL fans are probably screaming at me through their computers right about now.  
Turn back you idiots. Oh man, I cant believe they already forgot.  What a space case. The beer and heat must be getting to their brains already.

You see, the CM  told us the place to get WoC FPs is by the GRR FP machines.  Half are devoted to GRR and the other half to WoC.  Since I was more interested in keeping hydrated, I completely spaced the FP for WoC.  Plus, if we wouldve had the park map earlier, it states on there where to find them. 

So after absently minding forgetting to get WoC FPs, we make it to Soarin.





As we walk into Condor Flats, Minnie Mouse and some hotties; oh um, I mean some lady dancers dressed up as stewardesses are performing.  We stop and check them out (well ok, so I was the one checking them out) for little bit before checking out the lines at Soarin.   Its only a 25 minute wait here.  Yup, thats right.  Only 25 minutes.  Not the 60+ that you would normally see at WDW.  We decide since we still have to finish our beer, to just get a FP for it and start scoping the area for something to eat.  Either the heat, beer or combination of both has me feeling a little light headed.  We went inside Taste of Pilots Grill.  CS restaurant right next to Soarin.  It was nice and cool in here.  We stood there for about 5 minutes looking over the menu.  It wasnt too busy at the moment, so we decided it we find something that interests us, well get a bite to eat right away.  Besides, even if we dont ride Soarin now, we can always use our FP later.  Theyre not enforcing the return times here yet like they are over at WDW.  

After staring at the menu, nothing sounded good to us at the moment.  So we went back outside and found a couple of seats in the shade and finished our beers.  Our FP time came up fast and soon we were off to fly over California.




Which I find a little ironic.  Over at Epcot, which we all know is in Florida,  you fly over California.  Dont you think it should be the opposite for DCA?   Shouldnt we be flying over Florida instead? Which brings me to my next comparison.  

Again, other than the queue being a little different, its the exact same ride.  I gotta say that I was a little disappointed with DCAs version though.  More with the quality of the video.  There was a lot of distortion in the video.  Both Lady H and I recognized it.  There were times in the video that it looked like you were flying with a flock of birds.  Something we thought we missed the first time we rode it in Epcot.  Then there they were again, skiing.  Talented birds.  Whoops, they just disappeared.  Oh there they are.  This distortion was distracting and really ruined the ride for us. Needless to say, this was the only time we would ride Soarin.

As we got out of Soarin, we heard some people mention they need to get their WoC FPs.  Oh yeah.  Already forgot those once, dont want to forget those again.  Our luck is changing.  We found the WoC FP machine.  On a hot day like today, we also debated on whether or not we should go on GRR.  It sure would be nice to get wet and cool off right about now. I think we still have the Curse of the Mummy with us.  Brought it back with us from USH.





Looks refreshing don't it.





Only problem is, the wait time is 60 minutes and we just got a FP for WoC.  What we didnt know at the time is, we couldve gotten a FP for GRR as well.  WoC FPs dont count towards your FP collection.  We discovered this later on in the trip.  Now would be good time to go back to GC to get out of the heat. 

Since we had already did our recon mission, finding our way around GC was little easier this time.  So we thought.  Once you come from the DCA entrance, you have to walk an eternity to get the gift shop.  Good thing is, the front lobby isnt too far from there.  Which is where we would inquire about getting postage.  As we approach the guest services desk, there is only one CM working at the podium.  Hes a new CM.  How do I know this?  There was a lady in front of me that kept going on about something.  For the likes of me I cant remember what, but I give it to the CM.  He did his best to answer her questions, because she was ranting and raving about something.  After about 5 minutes he finally told her he would get someone else to try and help her because he was still fairly new.  Now my issue was simple, all I needed as International Postage to send my friend up north, (the one who lives in Canada, whos Nebos favorite and didnt send us a postcard when he went to Hawaii) a postcard that we went out of our way to get. 

The CM tells us we need to go 3 miles down the hall and we can get it there.  Well it seemed like 3 miles anyways.  On the way to the  business center we pass the mailbox and I tell Lady H mark this spot on your phones gps.  We made need it to find our way back here after we find the business center.

We find the business center and ask the nice lady if she has any international postage to sell.  Were in luck, she does.  This time we still have cash and we pay her for the postage.  After we hand her the money, she disappears.  Oh no.  Deja Vu all over again.  The last time we handed someone money for postage, we didnt see the guy for an hour.  I was hoping for complimentary room because the guy took so long to come back.  But this lady was good.  She was back in 2 minutes with our correct change.

Heres your postcard Ponzi.  You owe us one.




And with this, Ill call it a day.  Short work day today. I'm the lone worker today in our division.  The price I have to pay for wanting to go to WDW.  And you know what, I wouldn't trade it for anything.  I would do it again in a heart beat.   I should be able to wrap up this day in the next chapter.  The Ill turn it back over to Lady H so she can tell you about Sea World.

Thanks again everyone for sticking it out with us in this long, drawn out TR.


----------



## Thumper_Man

nowellsl said:


> Sorry TMan - I like it short too!  The color is really nice!  I bet it's a lot easier to take care of.



Never said I don't like it short, I think it's cute to.  I just prefer it to be a little longer.


----------



## smidgy

it's so weird reading about your comings and goings, criss-crossig, and having NO idea what you are talking about. Iknow we will feel like fish out of water at DL and CA.  not know our way around?

it's funny how easy it is to get distracted...squirrel!... you go for FP for WOc, then totally forget!  I guess that beer was calling your name!!


merry Christmas, by the way!!!! sorry you have to work on Christmas eve.  we did the family thing today.. tomorrow I work.


----------



## Thumper_Man

smidgy said:


> it's so weird reading about your comings and goings, criss-crossig, and having NO idea what you are talking about. Iknow we will feel like fish out of water at DL and CA.  not know our way around?



I think you'll be fine.  The lay out of DL is pretty close to that of MK.  DCA isn't too bad either.  



smidgy said:


> I guess that beer was calling your name!!



It was and it wasn't even noon yet. I don't think.  



smidgy said:


> merry Christmas, by the way!!!! sorry you have to work on Christmas eve.  we did the family thing today.. tomorrow I work.



Work wasnt' bad.  Being the only one there, I had time to post a new chapter obviously.  Helped make my time fly by.  So sorry you have to work tomorrow.   We're both off tomorrow, so we're doing our family things tomorrow.  

Merry Christmas to you and Nebo as well.


----------



## pkondz

Had to come over here too (even though I'm embarrassed to say that I'm way, waaaaay behind) to say...


Merry Christmas Mike and Heather!!!






OH, by the way...

When I clicked over here, I saw the picture of Mrs. T with short hair...
I'm partial to longer hair, but, dang... Mrs. T, you're hot!

It's a compliment T-Man, no need to come marching up here and beat me up.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

pkondz said:
			
		

> Had to come over here too (even though I'm embarrassed to say that I'm way, waaaaay behind) to say...
> 
> Merry Christmas Mike and Heather!!!
> 
> OH, by the way...
> 
> When I clicked over here, I saw the picture of Mrs. T with short hair...
> I'm partial to longer hair, but, dang... Mrs. T, you're hot!
> 
> It's a compliment T-Man, no need to come marching up here and beat me up.



Thank you. I'm typing on my phone and can't get to the smilies but if I could I would have a huge blushing smiley right here.  I appreciate that compliment though.  I now know why T-Man left...he's probably half way to canada by now haha.

Merry Christmas to you and your family Ponzi.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I now know why T-Man left...he's probably half way to canada by now haha.



oh, oh... 

ponzi
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 T-Man


----------



## smidgy

merry merry Christmas!!!!!!!


----------



## nebo

We decide since we still have to finish our beer, to just get a FP for it and start scoping the area for something to eat.  Either the heat, beer or combination of both has me feeling a little light headed.  We went inside Taste of Pilots Grill.

*Pontius Pilot has his own restaurant? What, does DCA stand for Disney's Calvary Adventure?
*
   Oh there they are.  This distortion was distracting and really ruined the ride for us. Needless to say, this was the only time we would ride Soarin.

*I think teh version at Epcot is ALSO losing it's clarity, A LOT, I won't wait for it anymore if it's not just about a walk on.*



Thanks again everyone for sticking it out with us in this long, drawn out TR.[/QUOTE]

*Yeah, thanks Mike,,,, and,, hmm, I just noticed that half my post  is missing.  grr.*


----------



## dwheatl

Just got caught up. Christmas and everything had me running around like crazy. Love your updates. 
I hate when you forget something like FPs or march around DCA only to find rides closed. There's not really a hub, so you feel like you have to walk for an eternity if you ever want to go back. It was even worse when they were doing construction, because they had you file through a maze to get most places. 

I felt the other way about Soarin'. Since it highlights CA when you are in CA, we hoped the FL one would highlight FL, or maybe the whole US of A, like the old "America the Beautiful" 360. No such luck.


----------



## smidgy

nebo said:


> I think teh version at Epcot is ALSO losing it's clarity, A LOT, I won't wait for it anymore if it's not just about a walk on.[/B]
> .[/B]



see how he is?  to me, I consider this a "thrill " ride, one I actually will go on.  (nebo says it borders between relaxing and boring).   so, I find a ride that's kinda scary to me, but I'll, do it, and I like it...so.. he won't wait for it anymore.!!!

harrumph...!!!maybe I won't wait for TOT or arrowsmith anymore, since I don't go on it anyway    sigh, he should have married a thrill junkie.   or at least one that will "bite the bullet", all the while saying "dumb wife, dumb wife"


----------



## Thumper_Man

nebo said:


> *What, does DCA stand for Disney's Calvary Adventure?
> *



*D*iane's 
*C*hildish
*A*dult

*D*isboards
*C*hicago
*A*uthor

Ok, ok.  I mentioned it at the beginning.  You were close.  Here's the real meaning.
*D*isney's 
*C*alifornia 
*A*dventure



nebo said:


> *I think teh version at Epcot is ALSO losing it's clarity, A LOT, I won't wait for it anymore if it's not just about a walk on.*



You know we got a FP for this ride.  The day we drank around the world.  We never did use them.  I think we're starting to feel the same way about this ride. 



nebo said:


> *Yeah, thanks Mike,,,, and,, hmm, I just noticed that half my post  is missing.  grr.*



I thought you were just trying to keep it short and simple.   
Now get back to work, inquiring minds want to know what else you wrote.  And if they don't, well at least I do.


----------



## Thumper_Man

dwheatl said:


> Just got caught up. Christmas and everything had me running around like crazy. Love your updates.



Thank you.  I know what you mean.  Given our recent trip to WDW and Christmas, I'm lucky I found time to post.  Thankfully I'm the lone worker at work.  So gives me a chance to work on the chapters.  



dwheatl said:


> I hate when you forget something like FPs or march around DCA only to find rides closed. There's not really a hub, so you feel like you have to walk for an eternity if you ever want to go back.



Our pub hub became the Alfresco Lounge.  To us, it's kinda the central point of the park and you can get to most places pretty easily from there.  



dwheatl said:


> It was even worse when they were doing construction, because they had you file through a maze to get most places.



If you look at DCA on Google Maps, they still have pictures of all the construction and the mouse maze.  I can only imagine what it was like during that time.  I'm glad we got to see the finished product.  



dwheatl said:


> I felt the other way about Soarin'. Since it highlights CA when you are in CA, we hoped the FL one would highlight FL, or maybe the whole US of A, like the old "America the Beautiful" 360. No such luck.



Well my thought process on this is this; those that live in or around CA get to see everyday (in real life) what they show on the movie.  What they don't get to see everyday is the East Coast or FL.  So lets bring the East Coast to the West Coast and vice-versa.


----------



## Thumper_Man

smidgy said:


> see how he is?  to me, I consider this a "thrill " ride, one I actually will go on.  (nebo says it borders between relaxing and boring).   so, I find a ride that's kinda scary to me, but I'll, do it, and I like it...so.. he won't wait for it anymore.!!!



This is my opinion; for Epcot, it would be a thrill ride.  Throw this in a park like Islands of Adventure, then it would teeter-totter between a moderate to non-thrill ride.  Who knows what kind of attention it would get.  So Disney was smart to put it at Epcot.  It used to be a must for us, but I agree with the Nebo.  The quality of the video is starting to make this ride a if we do it fine, but no longer a must.  Of course, you got to know me a little more now. You know I'm a thrill seeker junkie.



smidgy said:


> harrumph...!!!maybe I won't wait for TOT or arrowsmith anymore, since I don't go on it anyway    sigh, he should have married a thrill junkie.   or at least one that will "bite the bullet", all the while saying "dumb wife, dumb wife"



Oh oh Nebo. You disturbed she who must not be disturbed. Sorry buddy, you're on your own here. I'll comment more about this on your TR, when you get to that point.


----------



## smidgy

tee hee, I must admit, if there is any ride we have ridden a gazillion times, it would be big thunder mt., cause to me, it's a thrill ride.  and nebo puts up with it.  (but it is fun for him, too)

at cedar point, though, here's poor Nebo "do we HAVE to ride the Mine ride AGAIN!?"


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

Wow...Talk about losing track of things. Between finally getting my barrings after the trip, and then the holidays coming around and smacking me upside the head immediately afterwards, I haven't had a chance to catch up on our own TR, let alone anyone elses. I know MonyMony finished hers and yet I'm still a chapter or two behind there (Forgive me! ) and I while T-Man has given me info on Nebo's, I haven't had a chance to walk my happy GM over there to check it out and catch up. 

Threw out my back on Tuesday, Merry Christmas to me. Was laid up on Wednesday, because I could barely move. Came to work yesterday and went immediately to the Chirporactor who did wonders. And today is another short work day because I am going for a massage in hopes that I will be better by New Years Eve. Lets all hope for the best!!!! So...Because of that, I have been slacking. I'll try to catch up a bit.




Thumper_Man said:


> Yes.  I am still in mourning.  Not so much with the color but with the cut.    I really do like it long, but she's the one that has to deal with it on a daily basis.  I will admit it's cute, but it was cuter longer.
> 
> Here's a current pic of Lady H and how her hair looks like now.  Pay no attention to the man to the right.  This is from our recent trip to WDW.  We stopped to say hi to ourselves.



Oh get over it! HAHAJust kidding. It could have been a lot worse. The good news is my hair grows fastBad newsI keep going back for trims. 



MAGICFOR2 said:


> I'll watch for it.  DH always wants mine long, too.  It grows so slowly - it took me 12 years to get it to my mid back one time, and I went in for some layers and she chopped it off to my collar bone!   So I've just kept it there since.  He is always worried when I say I'm getting a haircut.
> 
> 
> 
> MAGICFOR2 said:
> 
> 
> 
> And there it is!  You both look mah-va-lous!  Heather, I like it short too so you have my approval either way!  DS is there somewhere with DDIL from their honeymoon.  We always have to look them up, too!
Click to expand...


My hair grows fast. I usually have to go back every 6 weeks or so to get it re-colored and trimmed because its already growing out. 

And Thank you! This was quite drastic as I did cut about 13 inches off.  But it was getting really heavy and all I was doing was putting it into ponytails and braids. 

Its funny that you mention looking up your DS and DDIL. We almost had to go look up our info too. We knew the general area we were at, but couldnt remember the exact place, and of course we forgot the information back home. So we searched and searched until finally T-Man had a light bulb go off and started looking at the old pictures we had taken to determine where we were. 



nowellsl said:


> Sorry TMan - I like it short too!  The color is really nice!  I bet it's a lot easier to take care of.



Thanks! You have no idea how much easier this is.  Im not going through shampoo and conditioner like its going out of style either! 



pkondz said:


> oh, oh...
> 
> ponzi
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> T-Man



 




smidgy said:


> merry merry Christmas!!!!!!!



I know I already said it on Facebook and Im super late with it herebut I do hope you and all our wonderful friends here on the DIS had a wonderful and merry Christmas and my only wish is that you all have a safe and happy New Year.  Here is to happiness, laughter, and love for 2013! 





nebo said:


> *Pontius Pilot has his own restaurant? What, does DCA stand for Disney's Calvary Adventure?*



Yup. You pray instead of prattle.  



nebo said:


> *I think teh version at Epcot is ALSO losing it's clarity, A LOT, I won't wait for it anymore if it's not just about a walk on.*
> 
> 
> smidgy said:
> 
> 
> 
> see how he is?  to me, I consider this a "thrill " ride, one I actually will go on.  (nebo says it borders between relaxing and boring).   so, I find a ride that's kinda scary to me, but I'll, do it, and I like it...so.. he won't wait for it anymore.!!! harrumph...!!!maybe I won't wait for TOT or arrowsmith anymore, since I don't go on it anyway    sigh, he should have married a thrill junkie.   or at least one that will "bite the bullet", all the while saying "dumb wife, dumb wife"
Click to expand...


Smidgy, correct me if Im wrong but you already are a thrill junkieI mean you married the manTWICE. Arent you already biting the bullet and saying dumb wife, dumb wife? 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




Sorry, NeboThat one was given to me on a silver platter. I had to take it. Still love ya! 



dwheatl said:


> Just got caught up. Christmas and everything had me running around like crazy. Love your updates.
> I hate when you forget something like FPs or march around DCA only to find rides closed. There's not really a hub, so you feel like you have to walk for an eternity if you ever want to go back. It was even worse when they were doing construction, because they had you file through a maze to get most places.
> 
> I felt the other way about Soarin'. Since it highlights CA when you are in CA, we hoped the FL one would highlight FL, or maybe the whole US of A, like the old "America the Beautiful" 360. No such luck.



I think I am with you on SoarinHeck, even if they had it switched like T-Man mentioned. Do CA in FL and FL in CAbut noooooI like your idea of it highlighting the USA as a whole. That would be neat. Maybe we need to start a petition to Disney! 


Great update honey! I really dont have anything to add. Carsland was awesome. You really did get transported to another place and time. I find myself really soaking up the different themes they have at these parks, so when reality hits after we leave I have to sort of stop and center myself. I think thats why I love Disney so much. It really gives you that sense of being in another world. CL for sure did that for me. When we walked out towards the other area of the park, for a while you are still walking along RT 66. The paved road is still under your feet, you can see the center divider line, and the rocks off to the side of the road, and then all of a sudden your no longer thereIt takes you a minute to figure out where you are and when you missed that transition. 

ToT was fun as always. I loved the CM. I wish all CMs for this ride would be this into it. I personally think thats half the fun. You have to wonder what that guy is like outside of the park. 

It was a little depressing that all the rides around Paradise Pier were closed at the time. I think it had to be due to the heat. It was extremely hot there that day and Im sure it wouldnt have been safe. 

OK. Off to see if I can catch up everywhere else, Plus I need to remember what we did at SeaWorld for my next part of the TRThis will be fun


----------



## Thumper_Man

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Wow...Talk about losing track of things. Between finally getting my barrings after the trip, and then the holidays coming around and smacking me upside the head immediately afterwards, I haven't had a chance to catch up on our own TR, let alone anyone elses.



Well you better catch up quick.  It's almost your turn again.  



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I know MonyMony finished hers and yet I'm still a chapter or two behind there (Forgive me! )



At least you're only a chapter.  I'm so far behind, I think I'm ahead.  



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> and I while T-Man has given me info on Nebo's, I haven't had a chance to walk my happy GM over there to check it out and catch up.



You didn't miss much.  Nebo isn't hurt, yet.  



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Threw out my back on Tuesday, Merry Christmas to me. Was laid up on Wednesday, because I could barely move. Came to work yesterday and went immediately to the Chirporactor who did wonders. And today is another short work day because I am going for a massage in hopes that I will be better by New Years Eve. Lets all hope for the best!!!! So...Because of that, I have been slacking. I'll try to catch up a bit.



I'll be hoping for the best to.    After all, we need to celebrate.




Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Oh get over it!



You can't make me.  





Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> My hair grows fast. I usually have to go back every 6 weeks or so to get it re-colored and trimmed because its already growing out.



You know you don't really have to go back.  Can just let it grow out again.  Save you time and money.  



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> And Thank you! This was quite drastic as I did cut about 13 inches off.  But it was getting really heavy and all I was doing was putting it into ponytails and braids.



Now I have nothing to grab......  Oh right, family board.  Disregard that last statement.  



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Its funny that you mention looking up your DS and DDIL. We almost had to go look up our info too. We knew the general area we were at, but couldnt remember the exact place, and of course we forgot the information back home. So we searched and searched until finally T-Man had a light bulb go off and started looking at the old pictures we had taken to determine where we were.



Good thing I posted the pics online or else we would've lost our minds finding ourselves.  



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Thanks! You have no idea how much easier this is.  *Im not going through shampoo and conditioner* like its going out of style either!



That makes 2 of us.  



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I know I already said it on Facebook and Im super late with it here



I don't do FB.  But then you knew that already.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> but I do hope you and all our wonderful friends here on the DIS had a wonderful and merry Christmas and my only wish is that you all have a safe and happy New Year.  Here is to happiness, laughter, and love for 2013!



Here, here.





Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Smidgy, correct me if Im wrong but you already are a thrill junkieI mean you married the manTWICE. Arent you already biting the bullet and saying dumb wife, dumb wife?










Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Sorry, NeboThat one was given to me on a silver platter. I had to take it. *Still love ya!*



Something going on here I don't know about? 



Man, I can't trust Ponzi or Nebo anymore, can I.




Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I think I am with you on SoarinHeck, even if they had it switched like T-Man mentioned. Do CA in FL and FL in CAbut noooooI like your idea of it highlighting the USA as a whole. That would be neat. Maybe we need to start a petition to Disney!



Dear Disney.  Please change Soarin to cover the whole USA.  

Now all we need are signatures.  



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Great update honey!



Thank you.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I really dont have anything to add. Carsland was awesome. You really did get transported to another place and time. I find myself really soaking up the different themes they have at these parks, so when reality hits after we leave I have to sort of stop and center myself. I think thats why I love Disney so much. It really gives you that sense of being in another world. CL for sure did that for me. When we walked out towards the other area of the park, for a while you are still walking along RT 66. The paved road is still under your feet, you can see the center divider line, and the rocks off to the side of the road, and then all of a sudden your no longer there
> It takes you a minute to figure out where you are and when you missed that transition.
> 
> *You missed it when we went to go get a beer. *
> 
> ToT was fun as always. I loved the CM. I wish all CMs for this ride would be this into it. I personally think thats half the fun. You have to wonder what that guy is like outside of the park.
> 
> It was a little depressing that all the rides around Paradise Pier were closed at the time. I think it had to be due to the heat. It was extremely hot there that day and Im sure it wouldnt have been safe.



For not having anything to add, you sure did say a lot.  



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> OK. Off to see if I can catch up everywhere else, Plus I need to remember what we did at SeaWorld for my next part of the TRThis will be fun



I didn't take notes, did you?  I remember what we did.  Just don't remember the order we did them in.    Good thing we took lots of pictures.  Hopefully we can figure it out that way.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Let's try to finish this day up, shall we?

After sending Ponzi his postcard, we ventured back out into the heat.  We actually forgot how hot it was outside, after being in a cool GC.  We’re more hungry now and the beer has us feeling pretty good.  We passed “Award Weiners” this morning after we got off of ToT and on our way to get a locker.  

Here’s a picture I took of it at night since I forgot to take one during the day.





We didn’t want a big meal.  We had plans on eating at either PF Chang’s or California Pizza Kitchen for dinner at GardenWalk.  Which is were we originally had plans to eat for lunch as well.  There’s a place at GW called “Bar Louie Tavern & Grill.”  Every Tuesday they sell $1 burgers with the purchase of a cocktail.  Since today was Tuesday, we wanted to go.  Again, the beer and heat were probably already getting to us, so we totally spaced it out.   We settled instead for AW.  

We both got a chili dog, chips and coke.  




The chili dog was actually pretty good and not too expensive if I recall correctly.  At least not for Disney counter service.  

After chowing down, we wanted to give Muppets 3D a try since it was right next door to AW.  We wanted to see how it compared to WDW’s version.  We were denied access.  Not because the ride was down, but because we hadn’t downed our sodas yet.  So we go to see what else is in the area while we finish our soda’s.  

There’s the Mad-Hatter’s Tea Party.  Nothing going on here.  It’s as dead as doornail.  Although I don’t know if you can consider a door-nail dead.




There’s Monster’s Inc.  Oh it’s also closed.  I think.  There’s a rope across the entrance area.  There was CM standing there so we asked her if it was closed.  She said “no, it’s open. They’re remodeling the entrance area, so you have to go in this way instead.”  Nice.  Only a 5 minute wait.  Let’s see what this ride is about.  Another ride similar to Pooh and Wild Toad.

Finally figured out a few action settings on my camera, so I was able to get better pictures.

TAXI!












Rozz was happy she put her best sweater on, and makeup, for pictures.




After Monster’s Inc, we wanted to see Aladdin since it was close by.  We just missed the 1:20 show and the next show wasn’t until 3:20.  We’ll come back then and catch that show.  Now that we ate and we’re not feeling as whoozy from the beer, naturally it’s time to get another beer.

We make our way back towards our new favorite place.  As we get close, we see they have already roped off sections for the Pixar Parade.  We make our way to our favorite watering hole.  We can’t cross over because the parade has just started.  Want to watch a parade?  Of course you do.  So did we.  What other choice did we have.  Well we did have choices, but we figured our hang out is just right there.  We can wait a little longer and see the show.





How did Rozz change and get here so fast?




See the umbrellas on top of the wall?  That's our new pub hub.  So close yet so far.

































After the parade, we cross over and get our beer.  We find a shady spot to sit and study the map.  It’s about 2:30 and my weather app says it’s now 98 degrees outside.  Feels like 110.  “Umm honey.  I thought this was Disneyland.  When did we land up in Las Vegas?”  While sitting there, neither one of us can think of what to do next.  Cal Screamin’ is still not open.  Don’t know if TSM is yet or not, and it’s too flipping hot to do anything, except.

No we still didn’t go do GRR.  Instead while sitting there slamming down a beer (because the beer is already getting hot) we decided to just head back to the resort for a while and go swimming.  We still have one more day left on our passes, we can catch Aladdin another time.  On our way out we make a pit stop at the locker.  We need one of our bags to bring back some provisions for the evening.  We empty one bag with everything but Lady H’s tennis shoes.  She wants to change into them for the evening.

We head over to our shuttle area and wait.

And wait.

Still waiting.

Is it ever going to come?  We saw shuttles for all the other routes except for ours.  

Finally.  After waiting for about 40 minutes, one finally shows up.  I thought this thing was supposed to come by every 20 minutes?  Turns out they were doing shift changes.  Yes, I’m psychic, I can tell when they are doing these things.  Don’t believe me?  The fact that we had a different shuttle driver than the one that pulled up has nothing to do with it.  Believe in my psychic abilities.  

Once aboard the bus, we sit there waiting for the 2 drivers to complete the shift change.  And wait and yes, we’re going through this routine again.  At least they let us sit on the bus, in the air conditioning while they do the change over.  Finally after another 30 minutes, we get rolling.  Could’ve probably caught Aladdin as long as we waited.  Plus this significantly cut into our pool time and even more so, our dinner plans.  Now we have to decide; if we want to swim for a couple of hours we can, but we’ll have to skip out on dinner over at GW.  We can just come back to the park to eat.  If we still want to eat at GW, then we can only get in an hour of swimming time, head over to GW, hope they’re quick and get back to the park before 7:30pm.  Why do we have to make this decision?  So we can get a good spot for viewing WoC.  They allow people with FP’s to start lining up an hour and a half before show time.  It’s just like Fantasmic and viewing Wishes.  If you want the prime real estate, you have to be like our ancestors and stake your claim.  

We decide it would be a little difficult to try and make it to GW to have dinner.  We’ll go with a couple of hours of pool time, get ready and head back to the parks and eat there.

I’m pretty sure I mentioned it, but in case I haven’t; for us to get to the shuttle stop, we have to pass by Denny’s.  We peak inside the windows and notice Denny’s is practically empty.  There’s plenty of empty tables.  This could be an option, but first we need to cross the street to the liquor store.  Nebo is probably disappointed already that there is a liquor store across the street, and we haven’t picked up any park bottles yet.  Now’s a good time.  Plus that’s the reason we brought one of our bags back with us. 

We cross the street and get some park bottles, then run back across the street, make a mad dash upstairs, change into our swim suits and head straight towards the pool.  Even the water wasn’t that cold, but it was cool enough to beat the heat.  Well for a little while.  Here’s the irony of the situation.  After we get in the pool, we jump in the hot tub.  Not before grabbing a beer.  Our room was close enough to the pool we could go back and forth.  Now for me, the hot tub was a little too hot.  Sure it felt good on my aching muscles and sore feet from all the walking.  I was going back and forth between the pool and the hot tub, but spent more time in the pool. Lady H on the other hand, will take the hot tub over the pool any day. 

Soon it was time to get out and start getting ready to head back to the parks.  Take a shower to wash all the bleach (aka chlorine) off and wait for Lady H to do her hair and make-up.  All us men know the routine by now. Might as well grab another beer while I wait.   

On our way to the shuttle, we take a peak inside Denny’s again.  Not busy at all.  There are only 2 tables being occupied.  We should be able to be in and out in no time.  Looks like it’s Denny’s for dinner.  I had the chicken fried steak and eggs while Lady H I believe had a grilled cheese sandwich.   What was interesting about her grilled cheese sandwich is that it was made with Fried Mozzarella Sticks, served with a side of marinara sauce and french fries.  Neither one of us has had anything like that before, but she said it was actually pretty good.  

Lady H's Grill Cheese Sandwich




Dinner was pretty quick.  I think we were in and out in about 45 minutes.  We even had some time to spare and would make it back to the park in no time.  Take it we didn’t have to wait long for the shuttle.  Which I hope comes soon.  It’s starting to rain.  Oh look, here it comes now.  Perfect timing.  Just as we boarded the shuttle, there was a brief down pour.  Great.  Now it’s humid along with being hot still.  Not as hot as it was 4 hours ago, it was finally starting to cool down.  As we got back to DCA, we needed to go through security again.  The line to get through security was long.  They had closed up one side and only had about 4 guards checking bags on the other side.  This is the time when you wish they had a no bag line.  I still think this is one of DLR's main down falls.  

It would take us about 15 minutes to get through security.  I didn’t have a bag.  My bag was still in the locker.  I had the park bottles in my cargo shorts.  When it came time for us to go through, I just walked on by.  Lady H had to get her bag checked.  It’s an easy bag to check though.  We took along our drawstring type bags, so there’s only one big pocket to check.  All she had in there were Simply Raspberry Lemonades.  

These are our equivalents to Nebo & Smidgy’s Sunny D’s. 




After we get through security, we head to the restrooms.  We haven’t worked up enough courage to prepare our mixes in open public.  Smirnoff for Lady and Jose Cuervo for me.  
You can tell everyone is headed to DCA for WoC.  The lines to get in are long.  Now comes the true test, will they let us back in.  We no longer have the branding on our hands.  They washed off in the pool and the shower.  Plus, before we left, we asked them if there would be any problem getting back in as we were headed back to go swimming.  The CM told us we shouldn’t.  I go to scan my ticket and the CM monitoring the gate starts to look for the branding.  I explained to her that we advised the CM’s of our intentions to go swimming.  No problem she said, have a good night.  

Wow, that was easy.  No slaps on the hand this time for not being branded.  I wish the last CM was like that.  

We make a pit stop at the locker again.  Told Lady H since we’re here to see WoC and not do anything else, might as well pick up my bag right away.  We won’t need to the locker anymore and I need the video camera.  After grabbing my bag, we make our way down Buena Vista St. with our simply lemonades.  It’s starting to sprinkle again.  No major down pour, but it did provide for us a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.  Carsland.





Soon we made our way to the WoC Showcase Lagoon.  People with FP's were already lining up.  Our FP section was Blue, which means our line and section is to the left of the Lagoon.  If you got  Yellow, you line up in a separate line to the far right and your section is to the right.   We got in line and were somewhat close to the front, but there was still a decent amount of people ahead of us.  Now like during rope drop, you line up behind a rope.  Well so I’ve been told.  We still haven’t made it to a rope drop yet.  Once they let the people in, a CM walks you down the ramp to the main entrance.  There are 2 lines here.  The one to the left will put you in the very front.  This is the lane that you will also get you wet.  The lane to the right leads you to the second row, or the non-splash zone.  We choose the splash zone.  We hurry down the ramp, and try to find a spot.  Being the rookies we are, we miss out on the good spots in the middle.  We find a spot upfront but it isn’t offering the best view.  I look at the yellow section and see some good spots there.  I take off to ask the CM if we’re allowed to stand in this section even though our FP was for the Blue section.  She said sure.  I give Lady H the all clear signal and we take a better spot in the Yellow section.  We’ll be able to really see the show from here.  Still got a good hour wait before the show starts.  Lets see what kind of pictures I can get while waiting.












Should I complain to DL that they ruined my picture by having a burnt out section on Mickey’s Fun Wheel?  Ha Ha




Soon the lights went out and it’s time for World of Color to start.


----------



## pkondz

Gonna start catching up now...



nebo said:


> *I know it's not Everest, Cuz I rode it with her.
> Then she kept saying, "Dumb internet friend. Dumb internet friend."
> Shoot, I should have saved that for my own report.
> Oh heck, I'll just use it again, by the time I get to that point everybody will have forgotten this anyway. *



Forgotten what?



Thumper_Man said:


> Sad to come home knowing that it will be a long while before we will get back to WDW again.  Mostly because we have a trip planned to Hawaii with some good friends, in a couple of years.



Oh, you poor thing! Being forced to go to Hawaii. Really, I feel terrible for you.

Really.



Thumper_Man said:


>



<GASP!!!> It's! It's! It's! *ZEBRA DOMES!!!!!!*

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm................. zzzzzzzzzzzzzeeeeeeeeeeeeebbbbbbbrrrraaaaaa ddddddoooooommmmmmeeeesssssssssssssss.......... mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm............






Thumper_Man said:


> For never having been to AKL, it sure was an adventure to find them.  It was almost like finding hidden  Mickey's.



Well, people like doing that, so...

I've only been to AKL _once_ and didn't have any problem... then again, we had an ADR at Boma... which Ruby hated, BTW.



Thumper_Man said:


> My impression of them, eh.  They weren't bad, but it's not something I would go out of my way for again.  If I'm in the neighborhood, or eating at Boma's I would get some; but no way am I making any more special trips just for those.



Okay, I'll give you that one. I wouldn't make a special trip to AKL just for them. Well, if I was in AK I probably would, cause it's not that far. Actually, the All Stars resorts would be okay, too. Come to think of it, CSR and Blizzard Beach are close enough too. So if I was at any of those places... or DHS... I would make the trip. Oh, add in any of the Epcot Resorts and Epcot too. Aw, heck might as well say I'd travel from anywhere in WDW excluding DTD... which I might as well include, too. Plus Kissimee... and Orlando... How about if I'm anywhere south of the Mason-Dixon line, there's a good chance I'll make a side trip?

But other than that? Probably not. So I'm just like you.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Your good! I'm still not sure why you could only go 14 mph there...I may have to ask next time.



Perhaps I might be of assistance here... Nebo might be referring to an obscure TR, here's the link: http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=46177741&postcount=255

and here's the visual: 







Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Although, I honestly can say I do not mind being placed in the same category as Ponzi...At least it means I'm not putting anyone to sleep...just knocking them out enough so they don't remember who I am...



So you're saying that my posts don't just put people to sleep but knock them out? Hmpf!





Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I'm a walking zombie at the moment myself.



Cool! So do you know the choreography to MJ's Thriller?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I thought they were pretty good. I of course am a huge fan of chocolate mousse and that's sort of what they reminded me of, that thick, decadent rich chocolate in the center.



I like you the best. Let's run off to Boma together.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> 7:30 am.  Alarm goes off.  Yes, we actually got to sleep in a little bit today.



Only on a Disney vacation can you call 7:30 'sleeping in'.



Thumper_Man said:


> Im never wrong.  Except for that one time when....., and that one time when.  Ok, Im seldom right but when Im right, watch out universe.



Is that when cosmic shrinkage will occur?

(I was in the pool!!!)



Thumper_Man said:


> Park opens at 0900.  Thats 9:00 am for all you civilians.



Thank you, but I'm hardly ever civil, so doesn't apply to me.



Thumper_Man said:


> No I wasnt in the military, so I guess I would be counted as one of the civilians.  However; my dad and grandpa were both in the Army, so when ever you asked them the time, they would tell it to you in military time.  I got to be pretty good at it.



Watch enough MASH and that happens too.



Thumper_Man said:


> If we dont have to wait for the shuttle long...



... then you have to wait for the shuttle short.



Thumper_Man said:


> This was our mission and your computer will self destruct in 5, 4, 3, 2,









Thumper_Man said:


> abort abort.  Im not done telling you about DCA yet.



_Now_ you tell me!



Thumper_Man said:


> We take off running the 25 yard dash and make there in a whopping 10 seconds.  Run, Thumpers, Run.



Run? Run?

I was so _sure_ you hopped.

Ah, well...



Thumper_Man said:


> Once we get to the shuttle door, we realized, it wasnt our shuttle.  It was the city bus.



All that park energy... wasted!

Wasted?

Oh, wait... the drinking around the world isn't until the next trip.



Thumper_Man said:


> Its already pretty warm this morning and after that brief run, Im already starting to perspire.



When I was younger, I perspired to be a fireman... I thought I could do it, no sweat.



Thumper_Man said:


> I can now safely grab the rail above my head to hang on.



Because if you didn't have deodorant on, you'd have to hang your head in shame.



Thumper_Man said:


> Hopefully I can lose about 20 pounds in the process.  A man can dream cant he.  One man had a dream, and he built the place we all love to visit.



And he made it really big so we'd all get exercise... then put all kinds of wonderful snacks within arms reach every few feet.



Thumper_Man said:


> So far were making good time until we hit check-point Charlie.



I had an Uncle who lived in the western part of Germany. His brother lived in Berlin, on the wrong side of the Berlin Wall. I remember my folks telling me how they and my Uncle went to visit his brother and had to go through check-point Charlie. My poor Uncle was apparently extremely nervous the whole time he was there. I guess he thought there was a possibility that he might not be allowed to leave again.



Thumper_Man said:


> Now the main problem with security, I dont remember if I mentioned it or not, is that they DO NOT have a separate entrance for non-bag people.



Whether you're a rich business tycoon or a poor bag lady (or man) you have to wait in line, huh?

And if you're in line behind a bag person, it takes forever, 'cause they always have all their possessions in a shopping cart where one wheel always shimmies back and forth whenever you push it.



Thumper_Man said:


> Being we both have a bag, we were doomed to wait.



Who's the ol' bag you've got with you guys? Did Mrs T get to ride in her cart?



Thumper_Man said:


> I tell Lady H, Surely that cant be the line for Radiator Spring Racers Fastpasses?



Yes it is...

and don't call me Shirley.



Thumper_Man said:


> Now this is not an exaggeration.  There must have been about 300+ people waiting in line.  For Fastpasses.



um.... Holy PRAC! 



Thumper_Man said:


> We have 2 choices.  A: We can wait in the FP line and hope we get one, or B: head straight to RSR and spend the time waiting in the stand-by line.  Either way, were going to have to wait if we want to ride RSR.  The way we figure it, well wait 30 minutes to get a FP, then well have to wait 30 minutes in the FP line once we actually get in line at the ride itself.   So either, way were going to wait an hour.



And considering you waited for 45 minutes, looks like your plan probably paid off.



Thumper_Man said:


> As the King once sang, its now or never.



Who knew Elvis stood in line at Disney? 



Thumper_Man said:


> Lady H has to break out her fan.



No. She didn't. I wasn't in jail, just busy.


Oh! That kind of fan...

Nevermind.

Nice pic of Heather, though.



Thumper_Man said:


> We get in the car and I struggle to put my seatbelt on, because my foot is tangled in my bag.



The one you didn't put in a locker?



Thumper_Man said:


> In the process I drop my camera and cant seem to find it.



Too bad. I was enjoying your pics and was hoping for some shots while you were riding... or wouldn't that have been possible?



Thumper_Man said:


> Heres the moment Nebo has been waiting for.  How does RSR compare to its WDW counterpart Test Track?  Well my friend, I hate to disappoint you, but Im not going to compare this one.



He'll just have to learn to live with DISappointment.



Thumper_Man said:


> Im sure most of us have taken a ride on TT.  If not, tough. Youre just going to have to take my word for it. For now, Im just going to tell you about RSR.  Sorry, didn't mean to sound hostile.



It's okay, Mike! Really! No problem.
Oh, and sorry for anything I might have said now or in the future that might tick you off.

sorry.

(I think I'm in the clear!)



Thumper_Man said:


> We pull up next to another car, Luigi waves the flag and off we go.  Each car takes off at the same time and we take the lead as we come into the first turn.  Coming out of the turn and over the bridge we lose our lead and the other car is now ahead of us.  Coming into the final turn we take the inside lane to make up ground and pull even.  Out of the final turn we hit the gas going down the final stretch. We cross the finish line and................................. ..................................................................................................................................................
> 
> Whoo Hoo.  Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy.  Our first race and were 1 & 0 baby.  We pulled out the victory on the final straight away.  I think Ill retire from racing and go out a champion.



Well that and you'll be dead of old age before the line moves enough for you to ride it again. 

Thanks for all the ride details. Pretty cool that you have two cars racing side by side, sounds like a blast.



Thumper_Man said:


> After Ramones we mozy, yes we know how to mozy and stroll, to the Cozy Cone Motel.



I still prefer to sashay.



Thumper_Man said:


> See what kind of snacks and beverages they sell.  There are 5 different cones and each cone sells a specific snack.



I guess that's great if you happen to want a snack that nobody else wants. The people at the ice cream cone are overwhelmed while the folks over at the raw chicken in a cup cone are bored out of their collective minds.



Thumper_Man said:


> We thought about getting an ice-cream, but of course this was the one line that was the longest,



See?



Thumper_Man said:


> And with this, I will say goodnight for soon it be morrow.



Great chapter, T-man. Thanks!


----------



## pkondz

So now I'm only two chapters behind... <sigh>



MAGICFOR2 said:


> It is a safari to find things there.   ITA about the zebra domes.  They look way better than they taste, IMHO.



 And here I thought you were my _friend_. Oh, the humanity!



Thumper_Man said:


> If you notice, when I do the call outs, I do separate posts for each person instead of one long post like you do.  Helps up the post count.  Not that it matters.  What matters most is what you write.



That's right, it's not the quantity, it's the quality.

Oh, wait. We're talking about Nebo, here right?

Just forget I said anything.



Thumper_Man said:


> Wait until you hear about our final day at DL.



Dun-du-dun-dun-dunnnnnnnnnn!!!



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Anywhere from waist length to past my GM (using Nebo's term there. I kind of like it).



I'm so happy for you that you like your GM.



Thumper_Man said:


> We stopped to say hi to ourselves.



Already commented on the pic... But that line reminds me of a scene they've done a few times on The Big Bang Theory:

Sheldon will mention that if they invent time travel, they will come back to now and tell their current selves... then they pause and look expectantly at the door.


----------



## smidgy

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Smidgy, correct me if Im wrong but you already are a thrill junkieI mean you married the manTWICE. Arent you already biting the bullet and saying dumb wife, dumb wife? ]



  yes, I sometimes can be found in the corner, in a fetalposition, mumbling that phrase. but it's kinda like that phrase I posted on facebook a while back.  something about wanting to kill your spouse so bad.. but you don't.. cause you would miss him too much!


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> Carrying a backpack is making my back sweat even more than what it normally would and I can feel it running down my back.



Your backpack is running down your back? Isn't that what the straps are for? To keep it from running around back there?

Are you sure it was running? Maybe it was just walking or trickling around?



Thumper_Man said:


> No its not walking down or even trickling down.  Its literally running down my back.



Oh. Okay then, I guess it really was running.



Thumper_Man said:


> Our bags are a  little lighter now



Yeah, sure. Because all the running it did has caused it to lose weight.

That makes perfect sense.



Thumper_Man said:


> because we both finished the 3 bottles of water each of us brought with us.



And that too.

But mostly it's the exercise your bag got from all the running.



Thumper_Man said:


> We didnt want to be like our friend Nebo and take a dive.  Of course at the time we didnt know of his major accident.  We just knew that we needed to keep hydrated ourselves.



So you're saying that you're smarter than Nebo?

At least that's the way I read it.

Nebo, are you gonna take that? Them's fightin' words!



Thumper_Man said:


> Yes the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.
> ...
> Personally, I didnt notice too many differences at all, but here is what I did notice.



Thanks for all the info on the ride. Interesting differences, not the least of which is the building facade.



Thumper_Man said:


> raise your hand if this is your first time riding?  No one. You all came back?  Did you not learn the first time?  I pity all of you,







Thumper_Man said:


> Would you like me to show your bags to your room?  I tell him sure to which he replies I bet you would.  If you want to see your bags again, you best find a way to hold on to them.



 Even better! Gotta love it when you get a good CM.



Thumper_Man said:


> The fun part was Lady H and I trying to hold onto our bags.  We put our feet through the straps, but that still wasnt enough to keep them in place.  I think we finally had to step on our bags to keep them from going all over the place. That was real hard to do when the ride would go down and our feet would leave the floor.



I was reading this and thinking, "Why didn't they just hold on to them with their _hands_?" Then I realized it's because you're holding on to for dear life with both hands and you don't have any to spare for incidentals.



Thumper_Man said:


> Finally we make our way to the front and get a locker.  Storing my bag may help keep my back a little cooler.



Nothing makes your back hotter then a backpack that's been running up and down and getting itself all hot and sweaty. 



Thumper_Man said:


> All I got was the look.  You know the look, all woman have it.  The slight head nod and the word Sure.



 Ah, yes. I know that look.



Thumper_Man said:


> We get to Paradise Pier and to my horror.  NNNOOOOOO!!!!!!!  It cant be.  Do you know how long I waited to ride this thing?



15 - 20 minutes?



Thumper_Man said:


> Yup, it was closed.  How can they close California Screamin?



Easy. They put a little sign on the gate that says "closed" and voila. Closed.



Thumper_Man said:


> STRIKE 2.  TSM is also closed.



Geez! Right about now I'd be thinking, "Where do I go to get my refund?"



Thumper_Man said:


> In this case, you must head straight to park entrance to the exit gates.  Do not pass go and please leave us another $200.



And it's only $200/person.... because of the closures. Otherwise it'd be more.



Thumper_Man said:


> Ok, I know youre all probably wondering, what is Goofys flight school.







Thumper_Man said:


> It would be DCAs version of AKs Primeval Whirl.



Okay.

Pass.



Thumper_Man said:


> I dont know what they were smoking, but they said we would have to wait 30-40 minutes if we wanted to ride.



Wait 30-40 minutes for a Primeval Whirl type ride?

Not.



Thumper_Man said:


> Once the show is over, we head down the steps as Goofy comes up.  We give each other a high five as we pass each other.  Job well done.



And here I thought you were gonna give him a smack in the head, "What's with closing TSM and CS??"



Thumper_Man said:


> Plus there was no way am I going to even attempt to translate French, Portuguese, Chinese or even Japanese.



Mandarin's okay though, huh?



Thumper_Man said:


> We were kinda close to the machines, but they were in a place we wouldve never thought of.



Inside a giant Taco? Buried under 6 feet of Mickey Bars?



Thumper_Man said:


> You can see them bottles chilling in the chillers, and they were calling our names.



See that would creep me out.

"Ponzi.... Ponzi....
pull off our heads...
and drink from our necks... "

Nope. Gross.



Thumper_Man said:


> Too many husbands have probably been bashed over the heads with the bottles, so they probably figured this was a tad bit safer for them.



Plus, how many would be launched from the apex of the roller coaster?



Thumper_Man said:


> Just as long as we get branded with the hand stamp and have our park tickets.



Heh. Branded. Just for fun, next time they stamp your hand, scream like you _were_ branded just to see the CMs reaction.



Thumper_Man said:


> Great.  We still need to go back and get the postcard we saw for Ponzi in the gift shop.



You're darn tootin' you do!



Thumper_Man said:


> Plus well need international postage to mail it to.



Next time, save yourself the hassle and just shove two stamps on it. That should be enough, no? It's overkill up here but I'd rather spend an extra 10-15 cents then run around trying to find exact postage.



Thumper_Man said:


> As we walk into Condor Flats, Minnie Mouse and some hotties; oh um, I mean some lady dancers dressed up as stewardesses are performing.  We stop and check them out (well ok, so I was the one checking them out)



Atta boy.



Thumper_Man said:


> Its only a 25 minute wait here.  Yup, thats right.  Only 25 minutes.  Not the 60+ that you would normally see at WDW.



And now you know why.



Thumper_Man said:


> We went inside Taste of Pilots Grill.  CS restaurant right next to Soarin.



Ummm. Ew?

Taste of Pilot? Whod want to taste a pilot? What if he had a bad day and was all sweaty from a bad landing. Man, thats just gross.

Ill pass, thanks.



Thumper_Man said:


> After staring at the menu, nothing sounded good to us at the moment.



Pilot au gratin
Pilot flambé
Honey Garlic or Hot Wings (see what I did there?)



Thumper_Man said:


> Which I find a little ironic.  Over at Epcot, which we all know is in Florida,  you fly over California.  Dont you think it should be the opposite for DCA?   Shouldnt we be flying over Florida instead?



Yeah and it would cost more to film. But really. How much more?



Thumper_Man said:


> On a hot day like today, we also debated on whether or not we should go on GRR.



I had to re-read the entire chapter (not that thats a bad thing) to figure out what GRR was.

Japanese version of GMR? (Great Roovie Ride)
Golly River Rapids?



Thumper_Man said:


> Only problem is, the wait time is 60 minutes and we just got a FP for WoC.  What we didnt know at the time is, we couldve gotten a FP for GRR as well.



Ah well. But, no. I wouldnt have waited an hour for KRR (or GRR in this case).



Thumper_Man said:


> Once you come from the DCA entrance, you have to walk an eternity to get the gift shop.



That statement boggled my mind. Well more than usual. You had to walk a long way to get to a _gift shop_????



Thumper_Man said:


> After about 5 minutes he finally told her he would get someone else to try and help her because he was still fairly new.



Or not and just fed up.



Thumper_Man said:


> Now my issue was simple, all I needed as International Postage to send my friend up north, (the one who lives in Canada, whos Nebos favorite and didnt send us a postcard when he went to Hawaii) a postcard that we went out of our way to get.



All you had to do was ask. Or even just PM me your address. When I went to the post office and asked them to send the postcard to Mr. & Mrs. Thumper they looked at me funny and slowly backed away.

Not sure why.

And for the record. Nebos favorite? 

Yes. Yes I am.



Thumper_Man said:


> On the way to the  business center we pass the mailbox and I tell Lady H mark this spot on your phones gps.  We made need it to find our way back here after we find the business center.



 Good thinking.



Thumper_Man said:


> Heres your postcard Ponzi.  You owe us one.



Oh, all right. I owe you one. PM me your address and Ill see what I can do.

Plus, I'm kinda mortified that you had to go to so much trouble for me. If I'd have known, I wouldn't have asked. So. Sorry about that.

Seriously, PM me your address.



Thumper_Man said:


> The price I have to pay for wanting to go to WDW.  And you know what, I wouldn't trade it for anything.



Thats so true. Many, many of us DISers will make sacrifices to feed our Disney addiction, no?



Thumper_Man said:


> Thanks again everyone for sticking it out with us in this long, drawn out TR.



And thanks for the chapter, Mike! :

Hey! Now Im only one chapter behind. Woot!


----------



## pkondz

nebo said:


> * I think teh version at Epcot is ALSO losing it's clarity, A LOT, I won't wait for it anymore if it's not just about a walk on.*



Yeah, its the movie. Its not your eyes. 
No, it couldnt be that. 
Nope. 
Definitely the movie.



Thumper_Man said:


> I agree with the Nebo.  The quality of the video is starting to make this ride a if we do it fine, but no longer a must



Hmmm. Okay, so maybe it is the movie.

Isnt that odd, though? Is it a _film_? Not digital? If its digital, there shouldnt be any degradation, should there?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Wow...Talk about losing track of things. Between finally getting my barrings after the trip



Cool! How many places did you get barred from?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Threw out my back on Tuesday, Merry Christmas to me. Was laid up on Wednesday, because I could barely move. Came to work yesterday and went immediately to the Chirporactor who did wonders. And today is another short work day because I am going for a massage in hopes that I will be better by New Years Eve. Lets all hope for the best!!!!



Ugh Sorry to hear about your back. Both Nebo and I know just how you feel. Hopefully by now youre back is back to normal.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Smidgy, correct me if Im wrong but you already are a thrill junkieI mean you married the manTWICE. Arent you already biting the bullet and saying dumb wife, dumb wife?



<snort> Heh, heh.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> When we walked out towards the other area of the park, for a while you are still walking along RT 66. The paved road is still under your feet, you can see the center divider line, and the rocks off to the side of the road, and then all of a sudden your no longer thereIt takes you a minute to figure out where you are and when you missed that transition.



Thats cool. I love how Disney does stuff like that.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Plus I need to remember what we did at SeaWorld for my next part of the TRThis will be fun



Cant wait! :



Thumper_Man said:


> Man, I can't trust Ponzi or Nebo anymore, can I.



No. No you cant.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> Let's try to finish this day up, shall we?



Well... if you must.



Thumper_Man said:


> After sending Ponzi his postcard, we ventured back out into the heat.



There! Right there! See? Because of me, you were saved from almost certain heat stroke.



Thumper_Man said:


> We passed Award Weiners this morning after we got off of ToT and on our way to get a locker.



Elle would love that. Hotdogs are her favorite snack food.



Thumper_Man said:


> The chili dog was actually pretty good and not too expensive if I recall correctly.  At least not for Disney counter service.



So that's what... around $325.00?



Thumper_Man said:


> After chowing down, we wanted to give Muppets 3D a try since it was right next door to AW.  We wanted to see how it compared to WDWs version.  We were denied access.  Not because the ride was down, but because we hadnt downed our sodas yet.  So we go to see what else is in the area while we finish our sodas.



Did you ever get back to it?



Thumper_Man said:


> Although I dont know if you can consider a door-nail dead.



Word of advice. If you ever see a door-nail that's alive.

Run.



Thumper_Man said:


> Theres Monsters Inc.
> ...
> Another ride similar to Pooh and Wild Toad.



Did any or all of the monsters in your pics move? Like was Boo smacking Randall?



Thumper_Man said:


> Finally figured out a few action settings on my camera, so I was able to get better pictures.



 Good pics!



Thumper_Man said:


> Now that we ate and were not feeling as whoozy from the beer, naturally its time to get another beer.



Naturally.



Thumper_Man said:


> Want to watch a parade?  Of course you do.



That parade looked pretty good. The attention to detail gets me every time.



Thumper_Man said:


> Its about 2:30 and my weather app says its now 98 degrees outside.  Feels like 110.



Know what the difference between 98 and 110 is?

12

Oh, all right. I don't think I'd be able to tell. Once it gets above 90, it's just *hot*.



Thumper_Man said:


> we decided to just head back to the resort for a while and go swimming.



Swimming? On a hot day? What a novel idea!



Thumper_Man said:


> We empty one bag with everything but Lady Hs tennis shoes.  She wants to change into them for the evening.



What was she wearing before? Sandals?

I guess at 95 degrees or so it's better to have coolness over walking comfort.



Thumper_Man said:


> Yes, Im psychic, I can tell when they are doing these things.  Dont believe me?  The fact that we had a different shuttle driver than the one that pulled up has nothing to do with it.  Believe in my psychic abilities.



I absolutely believe in your psychotic abilities.



Thumper_Man said:


> Once aboard the bus, we sit there waiting for the 2 drivers to complete the shift change.
> ...
> Finally after another 30 minutes, we get rolling.



30 minutes? What kind of a shift change was that?

"So the little pedal on the right makes bus go vroom, vroom.
Big pedal on left is stop.
Wheel in middle makes bus turn.
Got it?"

"No, tell me again. Which one makes bus go vroom, vroom?"



Thumper_Man said:


> They allow people with FPs to start lining up an hour and a half before show time.



Oooh. I was wondering how a WoC fastpass worked. But you said you could line up an hour and a half early. Do you mean at your viewing spot? Or just a queue that will get you to your spot quicker?



Thumper_Man said:


> If you want the prime real estate, you have to be like our ancestors and stake your claim.



I think our ancestors would walk up to someone whod staked a claim and hit him over the head with a club and take it.

But nevermind, I see your point.



Thumper_Man said:


> but first we need to cross the street to the liquor store.  Nebo is probably disappointed already that there is a liquor store across the street, and we havent picked up any park bottles yet.



I can see him shaking his head and muttering, Rookies, what were they thinking?



Thumper_Man said:


> Take a shower to wash all the bleach (aka chlorine) off and wait for Lady H to do her hair and make-up.  All us men know the routine by now. Might as well grab another beer while I wait.



Grab a beer.
Order Pizza
Watch a Football game or two.
Take a nap.
Read a book.
Etc



Thumper_Man said:


> What was interesting about her grilled cheese sandwich is that it was made with Fried Mozzarella Sticks, served with a side of marinara sauce and french fries.



Thats just weird. Im not gonna knock it, cause I havent tried it but weird.



Thumper_Man said:


> This is the time when you wish they had a no bag line.



Again with the racism? What is with you and maligning the poor bag ladies?



Thumper_Man said:


> I had the park bottles in my cargo shorts.  When it came time for us to go through, I just walked on by.  Lady H had to get her bag checked.  Its an easy bag to check though.  We took along our drawstring type bags, so theres only one big pocket to check.  All she had in there were Simply Raspberry Lemonades.



Im thinking that Nebo is shaking his head again. Im pretty sure youre supposed to mix the bottles _before_ you go in the park. So if you do get searched, all youve got are Sunny D (or in this case Simply Lemonade) bottles and no alcohol.



Thumper_Man said:


> No major down pour, but it did provide for us a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.  Carsland.



Nice pic.



Thumper_Man said:


> Soon the lights went out and its time for World of Color to start.



What? Cliffhanger? Sheesh, Nebo is rubbing off on you.
Thanks for the chapter! :


----------



## pkondz

I did it! I did it! I'm all caught up!!!


Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go lie down for a bit.


----------



## smidgy

Ponziis correct. you mix the alcohol into the sunny D' (or simply lemonade, but in that sase the word "simply" disappears) in your room. with booze from that big bottle you have in your room.

 however, ponzi, you still sneak in the little bottles, so later you can add them to the soda you buy. (we often save the empty sunny D bottles, then buy one soda and split it between the 2 empty, adding our little bottles.)

sigh..nebo, they have SO much to learn.


----------



## pkondz

smidgy said:


> Ponziis correct. you mix the alcohol into the sunny D' (or simply lemonade, but in that sase the word "simply" disappears) in your room. with booze from that big bottle you have in your room.
> 
> however, ponzi, you still sneak in the little bottles, so later you can add them to the soda you buy. (we often save the empty sunny D bottles, then buy one soda and split it between the 2 empty, adding our little bottles.)
> 
> sigh..nebo, they have SO much to learn.



Well, yeah. We's just little. We's still learnin'!


----------



## smidgy

pkondz said:


> Well, yeah. We's just little. We's still learnin'!



well, glad we could teach you. we all need t leave a legacy (our sons will be SO proud!)


----------



## cp'ersmom

When you were watching the stewardesses and Minnie do their act did you notice something unusual about Minnie?


----------



## orangecats2

smidgy said:


> Ponziis correct. you mix the alcohol into the sunny D' (or simply lemonade, but in that sase the word "simply" disappears) in your room. with booze from that big bottle you have in your room.
> 
> however, ponzi, you still sneak in the little bottles, so later you can add them to the soda you buy. (we often save the empty sunny D bottles, then buy one soda and split it between the 2 empty, adding our little bottles.)
> 
> sigh..nebo, they have SO much to learn.



Nebo was flabbergasted when I told him I don't really drink...He said "So then why are you reading my TR?" I think he's been suspicious of me ever since.


----------



## Mom&RN

Ugh, sorry it was such a hot day!  One of the benefits of DL is supposed to be that the weather is "always" beautiful there.  I'm really looking forward to your WoC pictures - I've heard its a great show.  Lady H - I LOVE your new hairdo, it is sooo cute and the color is great on you.  Sorry T Man, another vote for the new 'do!


----------



## MAGICFOR2

pkondz said:


> So now I'm only two chapters behind... <sigh>
> 
> 
> 
> And here I thought you were my _friend_. Oh, the humanity!
> 
> I'm so sorry to be a turncoat.   We'll always have Hawaii.
> 
> 
> 
> Already commented on the pic... But that line reminds me of a scene they've done a few times on The Big Bang Theory:
> 
> Sheldon will mention that if they invent time travel, they will come back to now and tell their current selves... then they pause and look expectantly at the door.



Love that show!   (and I'm not just sayin' that to make you feel better.)


----------



## MAGICFOR2

Nice update, Mr and Mrs T.  I can't wait to see Carsland! I think I would like to drive Route 66 out to see Disney's Route 66!    Sorry you missed dinner at GW.  We love CPK followed by dessert at Cheesecake Factory.  Your restroom bartending skills amaze me!


----------



## pkondz

MAGICFOR2 said:


> We'll always have Hawaii.


----------



## nebo

Boy, how did I fall this far behind?
  Gotta see if the Ponz left me any Easter Eggs;




pkondz said:


> So you're saying that you're smarter than Nebo?
> 
> At least that's the way I read it.
> 
> Nebo, are you gonna take that? Them's fightin' words!
> 
> *Um, actually, yes, because apparently his IS smart enough to stay wet. *
> 
> 
> 
> Wait 30-40 minutes for a Primeval Whirl type ride?
> 
> Not.
> 
> *I actually like Primevil Hurl, nothing yells out "Vacation" like having your back go out, and the sciatic nerve shooting down your leg.  Oh, I'm sorry, "trickling".*
> 
> 
> 
> Mandarin's okay though, huh?
> 
> *I speak fluent Cantonese like the people in Ohio.*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Plus, how many would be launched from the apex of the roller coaster?
> 
> *Apex? Did he just use "apex", to refer to the top of a roller coaster?  Oh gag me with a utilitarian kitchen utensil.*
> 
> Heh. Branded. Just for fun, next time they stamp your hand, scream like you _were_ branded just to see the CMs reaction.
> 
> *That's good. I wish I had thought of doing that when they still did it a the World.*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I had to re-read the entire chapter (not that thats a bad thing) to figure out what GRR was.
> 
> Japanese version of GMR? (Great Roovie Ride)
> *
> I was wondering the same thing,
> and that's the first thing that popped into my mind too!
> I can still picture a Get Smart villian who was Japanese holding up a deformed hand and saying;
> "My name is the Craw."
> 
> "The Craw?"
> 
> "No, not the Craw,  The Craw!"*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Ah well. But, no. I wouldnt have waited an hour for KRR (or GRR in this case).
> 
> *Ok, so, I still don't know. It IS Golly River Rapids?*
> 
> 
> 
> Thats so true. Many, many of us DISers will make sacrifices to feed our Disney addiction, no?
> 
> *Yes, and some of us even GO there occasionally!*
> 
> And thanks for the chapter, Mike! :
> 
> Hey! Now Im only one chapter behind. Woot!



*What?  That means I am too!*


----------



## nebo

orangecats2 said:


> Nebo was flabbergasted when I told him I don't really drink...He said "So then why are you reading my TR?" I think he's been suspicious of me ever since.



*That's right, and I've still got my eye on you.*


----------



## pkondz

nebo said:


> *Apex? Did he just use "apex", to refer to the top of a roller coaster? Oh gag me with a utilitarian kitchen utensil.*



Just because a Foreigner speaks better American English then you do is no reason to be churlish.

Go ahead, look up churlish... I'll wait. :



nebo said:


> *I can still picture a Get Smart villian who was Japanese holding up a deformed hand and saying;
> "My name is the Craw."
> 
> "The Craw?"
> 
> "No, not the Craw, The Craw!"*



 I remember that! And on a similar vein, The Evil Dr. Yes asks a question and his four henchmen answer (the henchmen are German, Spanish, Russian and French)

Dr. Yes: You agree, yes?
Ya!
Si!
Da!
Oui!



nebo said:


> *Ok, so, I still don't know. It IS Golly River Rapids?
> *



Don't tell him! Make him look it up like I had to!


----------



## orangecats2

nebo said:


> *That's right, and I've still got my eye on you.*



I had a Kahula and Creme on NYE. Then later I had non-alcoholic champagne!!! 

I read your TR's for the witty commentary! Seriously though you, thumper, ponzi and a couple others are all I'll read anymore, you have spoiled me!


----------



## pkondz

orangecats2 said:


> Seriously though you, thumper, ponzi and a couple others are all I'll read anymore, you have spoiled me!



I got bad news for ya then... It'll probably be _years_ before I get back to Disney.

You never know though, here's a true anecdote (it's too short to be a true _story_).

My eldest DD, Elle, goes to dance class five days a week. Luckily we live fairly close to another family who's DD also goes to the same dance studio, so we split the driving duties. Whenever I drive home from the studio I take "the long way around". It's a longer distance as the crow flies, but it's quicker with higher speeds and fewer lights. One stretch is on a highway that is used to bypass the city. 
Every time I get on that stretch of road... and I mean *every single freaking time*... I always think to myself, "If instead of turning right at the intersection I go one more mile to the next intersection and turn _left_... in thirty hours I could be in Disney World."

You doubt me? Let me tell you what I used to do about six times a year, ready?

I would wake up at 7am to get to work by 8. I would work from 8 to 4pm. Still with me? Then I'd come home, cook and eat dinner, watch some TV or read or play some video games... then go to work and work from midnight to 8am (been up for 25 hours straight by now). Still with me? Here's where it gets good. I get home shortly after 8am, grab some suitcases, hop back in the car with Ruby and then drive... no let me clarify... Ruby would sit in the passenger seat and *I* would drive to Winnipeg. No big deal? Well, it was a 12 hour drive. So by the time I finally got to bed, I usually would've been up for 39 - 40 hours straight.

So do you really think I wouldn't make that left turn and drive for 30 hours... to get to _Disney????_

There's just one problem... THE DRIVE BACK!!!


----------



## Thumper_Man

orangecats2 said:


> I had a Kahula and Creme on NYE. Then later I had non-alcoholic champagne!!!
> 
> I read your TR's for the witty commentary! Seriously though you, thumper, ponzi and a couple others are all I'll read anymore, you have spoiled me!



I don't know if its a good thing or bad thing to be put into the same category as Nebo and Ponzi.  I gotta say, I feel honored to be put into this category.  Thank you for the kind words.  I think.


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> I got bad news for ya then... It'll probably be _years_ before I get back to Disney.



It will be about 9 months until we get back to Disney.  The D to the L that is.  It will be a long time until we get back to WDW ourselves, as I mentioned earlier we're going to Hawaii next year.  I may have to pick your brain a little and get some info from you as to what sites you used to book your day time excursions.  




pkondz said:


> I would wake up at 7am to get to work by 8. I would work from 8 to 4pm. Still with me? Then I'd come home, cook and eat dinner, watch some TV or read or play some video games... then go to work and work from midnight to 8am (been up for 25 hours straight by now). Still with me? Here's where it gets good. I get home shortly after 8am, grab some suitcases, hop back in the car with Ruby and then drive... no let me clarify... Ruby would sit in the passenger seat and *I* would drive to Winnipeg. No big deal? Well, it was a 12 hour drive. So by the time I finally got to bed, I usually would've been up for 39 - 40 hours straight.
> 
> So do you really think I wouldn't make that left turn and drive for 30 hours... to get to _Disney????_
> 
> There's just one problem... THE DRIVE BACK!!!



Is this the same as "it's not the fall that will kill you, but the landing?"  But in your case it would be "its not the drive that will kill me, but the falling asleep behind the wheel plowing into the semi truck that will."  You know you could always stop at a hotel for the night and sleep.  Just a thought.


----------



## Thumper_Man

orangecats2 said:


> Nebo was flabbergasted when I told him I don't really drink...He said "So then why are you reading my TR?" I think he's been suspicious of me ever since.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> nebo said:
> 
> 
> 
> *That's right, and I've still got my eye on you.*
Click to expand...


Nebo, is that because you can only see better out of one eye than the other?  

Orange kitty don't drink?  Did you not learn from Nebo that you need to at least drink water.  Sure you may not drink alcoholic beverages much, but I'm sure you drink something.


----------



## Thumper_Man

cp'ersmom said:


> When you were watching the stewardesses and Minnie do their act did you notice something unusual about Minnie?



Was I supposed to be watching Minnie?


----------



## Thumper_Man

Mom&RN said:


> Ugh, sorry it was such a hot day!  One of the benefits of DL is supposed to be that the weather is "always" beautiful there.


Yeah.  People we know that live in the area said it was exceptionally hot that time of year.  We knew it was going to be hot, we weren't expecting it to be that hot though. 





Mom&RN said:


> I'm really looking forward to your WoC pictures - I've heard its a great show.



It's really a fabulous show.  I think it's become one of my favorite night time shows that Disney has to offer.  I uploaded the pictures last night.  I'm also trying (trying being the keyword) to put together a little video as well.  Pictures can't really do it justice, but we did get some pretty good pictures.



Mom&RN said:


> Lady H - I LOVE your new hairdo, it is sooo cute and the color is great on you.  Sorry T Man, another vote for the new 'do!



Oh sure, take her side.  And you want me to post pictures of WoC?  With everyone taking her side, I may have to think twice about this.  

Ok.  I'll post WoC pictures.  She really does look cute.  Still cuter with long hair if I haven't mentioned that already.


----------



## Thumper_Man

smidgy said:


> Ponziis correct. you mix the alcohol into the sunny D' (or simply lemonade, but in that sase the word "simply" disappears) in your room. with booze from that big bottle you have in your room.



Since we didn't drive, we didn't take the big bottle; or even little bottles.  We figured since we were right across the street from a liquor store, we could just buy some there.  Aren't you at least proud of us that we went to get little bottles?  



smidgy said:


> however, ponzi, you still sneak in the little bottles, so later you can add them to the soda you buy. (we often save the empty sunny D bottles, then buy one soda and split it between the 2 empty, adding our little bottles.)
> 
> sigh..nebo, they have SO much to learn.



You would be proud of us.  After we met up with you and Nebo, we took your advice about the Pineapple/Vanilla Swirl Dole Whip.  We went to a liquor store that night and bought some rum.  It made them so much better.  So we're quickly learning.  And we didn't even go to a restroom to mix them up.  Instead we went to our favorite DSA between Tomorrowland and Fantasyland.


----------



## Thumper_Man

MAGICFOR2 said:


> Nice update, Mr and Mrs T.  I can't wait to see Carsland! I think I would like to drive Route 66 out to see Disney's Route 66!



Hopefully by the time you go, some of the new will have settled down and the crowds won't be as bad.  If Nebo and Smidgy decide to go, and if we can manage to meet up with them; Lady H and I have thought about maybe driving out there.  Make a pit stop at the Grand Canyon on our way there and back.  



MAGICFOR2 said:


> Sorry you missed dinner at GW.  We love CPK followed by dessert at Cheesecake Factory.


Our trip isn't over yet.  Well at least not in this TR.  You would think it would be by now.  After 4 months of writing, we're about half way through.  Nebo will probably finish up his TR before we finish this one.  

We still had some chances to eat at GW though.  We have a PF Changs and a CPK close to us here that we can always go eat at.  What we don't have is a Cheesecake Factory.  Only time will tell if we made it back to GW.  



MAGICFOR2 said:


> Your restroom bartending skills amaze me!



We improved our skills along the way.  Sorta.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> I may have to pick your brain a little and get some info from you as to what sites you used to book your day time excursions.
> 
> And you expect me to remember??? Just kidding, feel free to ask as much as you want.
> 
> 
> Is this the same as "it's not the fall that will kill you, but the landing?"  But in your case it would be "its not the drive that will kill me, but the falling asleep behind the wheel plowing into the semi truck that will."  You know you could always stop at a hotel for the night and sleep.  Just a thought.



Sleep? Sleep? I've heard of it, but don't recall what all the fuss is about.


----------



## nebo

pkondz said:


> I remember that! And on a similar vein, The Evil Dr. Yes asks a question and his four henchmen answer (the henchmen are German, Spanish, Russian and French)
> 
> Dr. Yes: You agree, yes?
> Ya!
> Si!
> Da!
> Oui!
> 
> *Wow, I just barely remember that. And pretty sure the real actor who played Dr. No, just passed away about a year and a half ago, I should look his name up, but pretty sure he was actually German,,,,,I could be wrong. *
> 
> Don't tell him! Make him look it up like I had to!



*Pris, now who's being Churlish?*



pkondz said:


> My eldest DD, Elle, goes to dance class five days a week. Luckily we live fairly close to another family who's DD also goes to the same dance studio, so we split the driving duties. Whenever I drive home from the studio I take "the long way around". It's a longer distance as the crow flies, but it's quicker with higher speeds and fewer lights. One stretch is on a highway that is used to bypass the city.
> Every time I get on that stretch of road... and I mean *every single freaking time*... I always think to myself, "If instead of turning right at the intersection I go one more mile to the next intersection and turn _left_... in thirty hours I could be in Disney World."
> 
> 
> *For years and years and years, I have lived 35 miles from work, which meant highway driving.  But it was the very next exit past my work exit, that took me to the Tri State South,,,,and Disney, and once I found Disney,  there wasn't a day on the way to work I didn't thinkk about ,,'C'mon, one more exit, GO FOR IT!"*
> 
> You doubt me? Let me tell you what I used to do about six times a year, ready?
> 
> I would wake up at 7am to get to work by 8. I would work from 8 to 4pm. Still with me? Then I'd come home, cook and eat dinner, watch some TV or read or play some video games... then go to work and work from midnight to 8am (been up for 25 hours straight by now). Still with me? Here's where it gets good. I get home shortly after 8am, grab some suitcases, hop back in the car with Ruby and then drive... no let me clarify... Ruby would sit in the passenger seat and *I* would drive to Winnipeg. No big deal? Well, it was a 12 hour drive. So by the time I finally got to bed, I usually would've been up for 39 - 40 hours straight.
> 
> So do you really think I wouldn't make that left turn and drive for 30 hours... to get to _Disney????_
> 
> There's just one problem... THE DRIVE BACK!!!



*I did something similar, worked multiple jobs without sleeping. I fondly now refer to that time period as my "First Retinal Detatchment!" or, "The day my eye threw up".   I was 20!  
  So,,,,,,,, DON"T DO THAT NO MORE!  yes, bad grammar get's your attention. *



Thumper_Man said:


> I don't know if its a good thing or bad thing to be put into the same category as Nebo and Ponzi.  I gotta say, I feel honored to be put into this category.  Thank you for the kind words.  I think.



*Mike, um, well, no, it's not a good thing. *



Thumper_Man said:


> It's really a fabulous show.  I think it's become one of my favorite night time shows that Disney has to offer.  I uploaded the pictures last night.  I'm also trying (trying being the keyword) to put together a little video as well.  Pictures can't really do it justice, but we did get some pretty good pictures.
> 
> *looking forward to seeing them.*
> 
> Oh sure, take her side.  And you want me to post pictures of WoC?  With everyone taking her side, I may have to think twice about this.
> 
> Ok.  I'll post WoC pictures.  She really does look cute.  Still cuter with long hair if I haven't mentioned that already.



*I have tried to stay on the sideline on the hair issue, for good reason, but,,, with the fear of bodily harm hovering over me,,,, I like the long hair a "bit" better. *



Thumper_Man said:


> You would be proud of us.  After we met up with you and Nebo, we took your advice about the Pineapple/Vanilla Swirl Dole Whip.  We went to a liquor store that night and bought some rum.  It made them so much better.  So we're quickly learning.  And we didn't even go to a restroom to mix them up.  Instead we went to our favorite DSA between Tomorrowland and Fantasyland.



sniff, they grow up so fast!

  Hey, I'm still missing a chapter here somewhere aren't I? 
  I didn't go back far enough?


----------



## pkondz

nebo said:


> *Wow, I just barely remember that. And pretty sure the real actor who played Dr. No, just passed away about a year and a half ago, I should look his name up, but pretty sure he was actually German,,,,,I could be wrong.*



I had no idea... so I looked him up. He did die a few years ago (2009), but he wasn't German. Much to my surprise Joseph Wiseman (aka Dr. No) was born in Montreal, Canada! Apparently though, he grew up in New York.



nebo said:


> * For years and years and years, I have lived 35 miles from work, which meant highway driving. But it was the very next exit past my work exit, that took me to the Tri State South,,,,and Disney, and once I found Disney, there wasn't a day on the way to work I didn't thinkk about ,,'C'mon, one more exit, GO FOR IT!"*



Exactly! You understand!


----------



## smidgy

is that the DSA by the Indy speedway? or do you mean the one on the right side of the castle (if you are looking at the castle).  we always liked the DSA under the wedway to the right of the restrooms (left of COP)  .  good place to "fuel up"  . if too many nosy people are around, you could duck in the restroom.

 but no more meeting up at the dsa for us.. sigh..
actually I am more happy than nebo about quitting. I told him I could tell he is thinking about starting up again.  I told him we can afford one only  Disney or smoking.. not both.
  jan 35 will be 2 years!!!


----------



## pkondz

smidgy said:


> actually I am more happy than nebo about quitting. I told him I could tell he is thinking about starting up again.  I told him we can afford one only  Disney or smoking.. not both.
> jan 35 will be 2 years!!!



Do *not* start smoking again!!!!

Not only is the choice between smoking or Disney... it's about smoking for a few years or going to Disney for many, many years.


----------



## Thumper_Man

smidgy said:


> is that the DSA by the Indy speedway? or do you mean the one on the right side of the castle (if you are looking at the castle).  we always liked the DSA under the wedway to the right of the restrooms (left of COP)  .  good place to "fuel up"  . if too many nosy people are around, you could duck in the restroom.



Yes, the one by the speedway.  Keep walking past Space Mountain gift shop and you get to it.  Very few people walk this way.  They probably don't know you can walk that way.  We like to sit here and watch the trains go by.  




smidgy said:


> but no more meeting up at the dsa for us.. sigh..



Nebo picked the spot.  We were happy to meet you any place.  Like at DHS that morning.  I'm pretty sure that wasn't a DSA.  



smidgy said:


> actually I am more happy than nebo about quitting. I told him I could tell he is thinking about starting up again.  I told him we can afford one only  Disney or smoking.. not both.



My vote is for Disney.  Or course wasn't the main reason so he can keep what little sight he has left?  



smidgy said:


> jan *35* will be 2 years!!!



Is there some new calendar I'm not aware of?  Is this the mayan calendar you're referring to?  The one that said the world would end on Dec. 21st?  Last time I checked, there were still only 31 days in January.  

Anyways, congratulations for making it to 2 years.


----------



## pkondz

smidgy said:


> jan 35 will be 2 years!!!





Thumper_Man said:


> Is there some new calendar I'm not aware of?  Is this the mayan calendar you're referring to?  The one that said the world would end on Dec. 21st?  Last time I checked, there were still only 31 days in January.



 How did I miss that?!?!


----------



## dwheatl

pkondz said:


> How did I miss that?!?!



I thought it was like the twelfth of never. 
Congrats Smidgy and Nebo. When I quit smoking, my sister and I took a class together, and they showed a timeline of how the body heals after you quit. Two years makes a huge difference. Don't give in to the urges and lose all that progress. BTW, that sister is 6 years older than I am, and went back to smoking about 6 months after we quit. When people meet us, some ask if she is my mom. Just sayin'.


----------



## smidgy

sheesh! one little typo!!!!  tee hee!

ya thumper man, I know nebo picked the spot.. we figured it would be a good meeting area cause there's a bar!!!

I meant HE AND I meeting up after "mixing up" our drinks.

and, no one misunderstand.. I am NOT going back to smoking, EVER!!  I worry about nebo though...yes, Mike, his sight was the main reason.   but now that his sight isn't improving, he keeps letting that little devil poke into his brain and say "might as well smoke...." there are a LOT of bad things smoking causes.  like our oldest son's baseball coach just died of lung cancer at age 66, with 3 kids and about 6 grandkids.

NOT TO MENTION.. !!! we can'
t afford the price of cigarettes AND the price of disney!! so there!  

hhmm, I'll make Nebo a deal, if he can make it until Jan 35 without a smoke, I'll let him have one.....


----------



## mmeb144

smidgy said:


> hhmm, I'll make Nebo a deal, if he can make it until *Feb 4* without a smoke, I'll let him have one.....



A trip to Disney? Woot!


----------



## smidgy

actually, I meant I would let him have a cig. if he makes it without until Jan.  35  ...he will NEVER make it, as there IS no jan 35!


----------



## mmeb144

smidgy said:


> actually, I meant I would let him have a cig. if he makes it without until Jan.  35  ...he will NEVER make it, as there IS no jan 35!



lol, I would be afraid that one cig would make him want more...


----------



## bankr63

smidgy said:


> actually, I meant I would let him have a cig. if he makes it without until Jan.  35  ...he will NEVER make it, as there IS no jan 35!



Dee, Dee, Dee, Dah, Dee Dee, Dah, Dee, Dee
Dateline: Carpentersville, IL
Village President Ed Ritter today announced that Carpentersville Council has declared February to be null and void.  January will now be 59 days long in that part of Kane county.  
Insiders report an inordinate amount of lobbying by Big Tobacco for the change; motive remains unknown.
In other news, longtime Carpentersville resident Steve was seen actually SKIPPING towards the Quickie Mart.  Unfortunately he tripped over a curb stone landing himself in local hospital with multiple injuries.  Steve is expected to make a full recovery, but will remain in traction until January 36th.


----------



## pkondz

bankr63 said:


> Dee, Dee, Dee, Dah, Dee Dee, Dah, Dee, Dee
> Dateline: Carpentersville, IL
> Village President Ed Ritter today announced that Carpentersville Council has declared February to be null and void.  January will now be 59 days long in that part of Kane county.
> Insiders report an inordinate amount of lobbying by Big Tobacco for the change; motive remains unknown.
> In other news, longtime Carpentersville resident Steve was seen actually SKIPPING towards the Quickie Mart.  Unfortunately he tripped over a curb stone landing himself in local hospital with multiple injuries.  Steve is expected to make a full recovery, but will remain in traction until January 36th.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

bankr63 said:


> Dee, Dee, Dee, Dah, Dee Dee, Dah, Dee, Dee
> Dateline: Carpentersville, IL
> Village President Ed Ritter today announced that Carpentersville Council has declared February to be null and void.  January will now be 59 days long in that part of Kane county.
> Insiders report an inordinate amount of lobbying by Big Tobacco for the change; motive remains unknown.
> In other news, longtime Carpentersville resident Steve was seen actually SKIPPING towards the Quickie Mart.  Unfortunately he tripped over a curb stone landing himself in local hospital with multiple injuries.  Steve is expected to make a full recovery, but will remain in traction until January 36th.


----------



## smidgy

mmeb144 said:


> lol, I would be afraid that one cig would make him want more...



it would! but he will never have it, cause there IS no Jan 35


----------



## smidgy

bankr63 said:


> Dee, Dee, Dee, Dah, Dee Dee, Dah, Dee, Dee
> Dateline: Carpentersville, IL
> Village President Ed Ritter today announced that Carpentersville Council has declared February to be null and void.  January will now be 59 days long in that part of Kane county.
> Insiders report an inordinate amount of lobbying by Big Tobacco for the change; motive remains unknown.
> In other news, longtime Carpentersville resident Steve was seen actually SKIPPING towards the Quickie Mart.  Unfortunately he tripped over a curb stone landing himself in local hospital with multiple injuries.  Steve is expected to make a full recovery, but will remain in traction until January 36th.



  wow! you sure did your research!!!!   that is SO funny!!!  lobbying by Big Tobacco for the change!  and they probably would!


----------



## nebo

Milton, you're starting to scare me.


----------



## nebo

Hey Mike. I found your missing chapter finally, and it was great. No, not gonna do a Ponzi and break this one down, let's just say I'm having a bad hair day, K? 

  But I can't believe you need fastpasses to watch WOC?
  Do they take away your eyes if you watch it without a fastpass? 
but without a doubt, I think the strangest thing would be going to Disney and eating at a Denny's!
  "What? No Moons over MyHammy?"


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

nebo said:


> Hey Mike. I found your missing chapter finally, and it was great. No, not gonna do a Ponzi and break this one down, let's just say I'm having a bad hair day, K?
> 
> But I can't believe you need fastpasses to watch WOC?
> Do they take away your eyes if you watch it without a fastpass?
> but without a doubt, I think the strangest thing would be going to Disney and eating at a Denny's!
> "What? No Moons over MyHammy?"



We'll let it slide only because it's you and if you're having a bad hair day it has got to be pretty bad. 

In regards to WoC fastpasses. Technically you don't NEED them, but if you want to get a decent place to view the show from, it's best. Otherwise you might end up standing behind some 6' tall, 80's hair band wannabe and you won't see a darn thing. Plus the area that they have for viewing is so big, but it's also in tiers, so if you want the best options, you must stand the test of time and get a fast pass, and then wait in the fast pass line before the "running of the bulls", to get a good place. Once situated, we found this was also a good place to sit on the ground and relax with a nice bottle of Simply Lemonade, or Sunny D...you're preference. 

Yeah, I think both of us thought the same thing about Denny's, but since the original plans had gone out the window because the shuttle decided to shuffle we figured, food is food. Plus, if nothing else, it was good, cheap food. I figured the Moons over My Hammy would be a little too over the top, so I went with the cardiac arrest grilled fried cheese sandwich.


----------



## Thumper_Man

It was clear dark night.  Look up and you can see the stars.  There is the sound of trickling water, as if there was a small stream nearby.  No, not the strong rushing kind you would hear at Niagra Falls.  The kind that could lull you to sleep.  Standing next to me, also enjoying this wondrous night, is the love of my life.  The night couldnt have been more perfect.  Two young lovers spending a magical filled day at Disney. 

Then all of sudden, there is music and Mickeys Fun Wheel comes to life.




Anybody care to dance?  Then there was singing.

Color, (Color).  
(Spoken) Walt Disney Presents
The Wonderful World of Color.

Mickeys Fun Wheel really sprang to life now as did the fountains in the lagoon.  







There were shimmering lights all along the lagoon  Along with more singing The World is a Carousel of Color, A Rainbow of Imagination.  

Along with this singing, the lagoon comes to life with colorful fountains.
















For those that have seen Fantasmic, they have one of the same features here.  Showing clips of our favorite animated Disney movies








Throughout the course of the show, laser lights aid in making the fountains appear as if they are dancing.




Do you remember our choice to stand in the wet zone.  During this part of the performance, we got very wet.  There was a slight breeze and every time these water canons would get high, we would get a nice cool down.








At least they were kind enough to dry us off







Love is the air, can feel it everywhere.












Once again the fountains would spring to life for the finale








The main show is over, but the fountains continue to change color and provide these wonderful pictures.












Words cant really describe it.  This really is a show best seen live.  Just like the Osborne Lights. I hope our pictures did this show justice.

And that my friends, is a World of Color


----------



## mmeb144

That was nice!  I didn't know that they kept the fountains going for a while after the show.


----------



## Thumper_Man

nebo said:


> Hey Mike. I found your missing chapter finally, and it was great. No, not gonna do a Ponzi and break this one down, let's just say I'm having a bad hair day, K?
> 
> But I can't believe you need fastpasses to watch WOC?
> Do they take away your eyes if you watch it without a fastpass?
> but without a doubt, I think the strangest thing would be going to Disney and eating at a Denny's!
> "What? No Moons over MyHammy?"
> 
> 
> Thumper_Man's Wife said:
> 
> 
> 
> We'll let it slide only because it's you and if you're having a bad hair day it has got to be pretty bad.
> 
> In regards to WoC fastpasses. Technically you don't NEED them, but if you want to get a decent place to view the show from, it's best. Otherwise you might end up standing behind some 6' tall, 80's hair band wannabe and you won't see a darn thing. Plus the area that they have for viewing is so big, but it's also in tiers, so if you want the best options, you must stand the test of time and get a fast pass, and then wait in the fast pass line before the "running of the bulls", to get a good place. Once situated, we found this was also a good place to sit on the ground and relax with a nice bottle of Simply Lemonade, or Sunny D...you're preference.
> 
> Yeah, I think both of us thought the same thing about Denny's, but since the original plans had gone out the window because the shuttle decided to shuffle we figured, food is food. Plus, if nothing else, it was good, cheap food. I figured the Moons over My Hammy would be a little too over the top, so I went with the cardiac arrest grilled fried cheese sandwich.
Click to expand...


A bad hair day huh.  What's the matter, that one particular hair refuses to get shaved off?  Maybe Smidgy can help you out and get a pair of tweezers to yank it out.  Show that hair who's boss.

Lady H pretty much summed it up about WoC FP's.  There are plenty of areas around the lagoon to watch the show that don't require a FP.  But all the best viewing spots are from the front where the FP sections are.  And I know how you feel about getting the best viewing spots, so you would definitely want to get a FP.  

Yeah, it was a bummer about dinner. Although we've been known to resort to Denny's on several trips.  Usually because it's one of the only places open at 2 in the morning.  Good thing is we still have 3 1/2 days on this trip that we still need to cover.


----------



## Thumper_Man

mmeb144 said:


> That was nice!  I didn't know that they kept the fountains going for a while after the show.



Neither did we.  All the attraction and building lights came back on and the fountains kept going.  We were up in the very front so we were kinda trapped until the audience cleared out.  They played the same song at the end as they do the beginning.  All the fountains stay lit and going.  They still dance and change colors for about another 5 minutes or so.  They don't get much higher than what you see in our pictures.  So now you know to stick around a little bit and see them do a little encore number.  When the encore is finished, getting out will be a breeze.


----------



## Mom&RN

I'm back from my own trip to the World and your beautiful WoC pictures were waiting for me to help with the "back to reality" blues.  The colored fountains look so pretty! I haven't been to Disneyland in a lot of years but I have an Aunt and Uncle that live fairly close by.... maybe I need to think of a reason to visit them.


----------



## nebo

Jiminy Cricket!
 Mike, those are great pictures you took of World of Color,I can't wait to see it in person.And no fireworks involved at all?


----------



## Thumper_Man

nebo said:


> Jiminy Cricket!
> Mike, those are great pictures you took of World of Color,I can't wait to see it in person.



Thanks.  I can't take all the credit though.  The pictures I posted were some of the ones I took and some of the ones Lady H took.  



nebo said:


> And no fireworks involved at all?



There was fire, isn't that enough?  You want fireworks to?  Man you're a hard one to please.  To answer your question, no there are no fireworks.  Those came after the show.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> It was clear dark night.



No, no, no. If you want to keep people reading you have to use: "It was a dark and stormy night."

Trust me, that line's a keeper.



Thumper_Man said:


> Look up and you can see the stars.



Yeah? Like Tom Cruise, Matt Damon, Lindsay Lohan?



Thumper_Man said:


> There is the sound of trickling water, as if there was a small stream nearby.



Water? Just water? Definitely not Lindsay Lohan then.



Thumper_Man said:


> The kind that could lull you to sleep.



Like this chapter?

Kidding! Kidding! Im on the edge of my seat, here. Really!



Thumper_Man said:


> Standing next to me, also enjoying this wondrous night, is the love of my life.



Uh, oh. Does Mrs. T know about this?



Thumper_Man said:


> And that my friends, is a World of Color



And that my friend was just great! I had no idea and was really looking forward to reading/seeing all about it. Thanks, Mike! :


----------



## orangecats2

Hope you don't mind but I am currently using one of your WOC pics as my desktop. I love the ones where the Wonder Wheel is lit up too. 
I want to go to DL soooooooooooooooooo bad!!!


----------



## Thumper_Man

orangecats2 said:
			
		

> Hope you don't mind but I am currently using one of your WOC pics as my desktop. I love the ones where the Wonder Wheel is lit up too.
> I want to go to DL soooooooooooooooooo bad!!!



Please send the usage fee of $19.95, plus $2.95 processing fee to: 

Just kidding. Only Ponzi charges a fee. I feel honored that you're using one of our pictures as your desktop. 

Out of curiosity, which one are you using?

We have more pictures of Mickey's Fun Wheel. With the lights fixed. I'll post a link to all our pics once I get them organized a little better.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> Just kidding. Only Ponzi charges a fee.



This is true... and you're behind on your rent, mister.


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> No, no, no. If you want to keep people reading you have to use: "It was a dark and stormy night."
> 
> Trust me, that line's a keeper.



I thought about it, but then we all know how that ends.

One, Two Freddy's coming for you.
Three, Four better lock your door
Five, Six grab a crucifix
Seven, Eight better stay up late
Nine, Ten never sleep again.

This is Disney, we only want happy endings here.  



pkondz said:


> Yeah? Like Tom Cruise, Matt Damon, Lindsay Lohan?



You consider them stars?  Ok, maybe Matt Damon, but the other 2? 



pkondz said:


> Uh, oh. Does Mrs. T know about this?



Of course she does, I turned to her and told her.  



pkondz said:


> And that my friend was just great! I had no idea and was really looking forward to reading/seeing all about it. Thanks, Mike! :



It was really hard to really describe it.  I mean how else can I say, "These water canons would shoot 50-100 feet in the air.  The colorful LED lights would illuminate against the water and make it seem like the water was filled with light. "  I figured it was just best to show you.  There are some great youtube videos as well.


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> This is true... and you're behind on your rent, mister.



What rent?  No offense, you do some incredible things with photoshop, but having Coppertone Nebo as my desktop would be a little scary.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Mom&RN said:


> I'm back from my own trip to the World and your beautiful WoC pictures were waiting for me to help with the "back to reality" blues.  The colored fountains look so pretty! I haven't been to Disneyland in a lot of years but I have an Aunt and Uncle that live fairly close by.... maybe I need to think of a reason to visit them.



Welcome home.  Hope you had wonderful trip.  Do we have another TR coming?  

I think you need to visit your aunt and uncle as well. "Hi Auntie and Uncle, we're going to DL, want to come?"


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> This is Disney, we only want happy endings here.



 

Oh, wait. That's not what you meant when you said happy endings, is it.



Thumper_Man said:


> You consider them stars?  Ok, maybe Matt Damon, but the other 2?



<sigh>

No. When I read the TR, I thought, "Ok, gotta get some big name actors and then throw in Lilo for humor.... and with her well known propensity for excess, it would work with the 'water' part too.

The humor obviously didn't translate onto screen very well! 

Plus when I was trying to think of 'stars', I first thought of Damon... then couldn't remember his freaking name! I remembered Tom Cruise... and he _was_ big about 10-20 years ago... (Well _big_ as in name... I believe he's only 3 feet tall). Then I just got tired of the whole thing and went with it.to show you.  There are some great youtube videos as well.[/QUOTE]



Thumper_Man said:


> What rent?  No offense, you do some incredible things with photoshop, but having Coppertone Nebo as my desktop would be a little scary.



Oh, I don't charge for having it as a desktop. I charge by the number of times you click on it to view it.

And you're waaaaaay behind.

"Behind".... heh.


----------



## orangecats2

Thumper_Man said:


> Please send the usage fee of $19.95, plus $2.95 processing fee to:
> 
> Just kidding. Only Ponzi charges a fee. I feel honored that you're using one of our pictures as your desktop.
> 
> Out of curiosity, which one are you using?
> 
> We have more pictures of Mickey's Fun Wheel. With the lights fixed. I'll post a link to all our pics once I get them organized a little better.



Its one when the official show is over with the wheel mostly blue and green. 
I wish I knew how to save it to my computer so I could keep it.


----------



## cjlvsccm

Great pix of WOC, T-Man!  A FP really does give a good straight-on view.

I know you'll get to it if you did, but did you ride Mickey's Fun Wheel?  The one time we were at DL and rode it, my DH renamed it "The Spinning Mickey Head Wheel of Death!"  Yes, we had one of the sliding gondolas... which I thought was the coolest thing, but he was of a different opinion.


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> And you're waaaaaay behind.
> 
> "Behind".... heh.



Fine, I'll mail you the 5 cents tomorrow.  Who knew the interest rate would be so high on a penny.


----------



## Thumper_Man

orangecats2 said:


> Its one when the official show is over with the wheel mostly blue and green.
> I wish I knew how to save it to my computer so I could keep it.



Ah.  Lady H took that one.  I don't know how much she charges.  You'll have to get with her on her fees.


----------



## orangecats2

Thumper_Man said:


> Ah.  Lady H took that one.  I don't know how much she charges.  You'll have to get with her on her fees.



Geesh...We're already sending presents to each other(a thing from Facebook) what more does she want!


----------



## Thumper_Man

orangecats2 said:


> Geesh...We're already sending presents to each other(a thing from Facebook) what more does she want!



We're going to Vegas at the end of March, so she probably wants money to help fund the trip.


----------



## Thumper_Man

cjlvsccm said:


> Great pix of WOC, T-Man!  A FP really does give a good straight-on view.
> 
> I know you'll get to it if you did, but did you ride Mickey's Fun Wheel?  The one time we were at DL and rode it, my DH renamed it "The Spinning Mickey Head Wheel of Death!"  Yes, we had one of the sliding gondolas... which I thought was the coolest thing, but he was of a different opinion.



Ah yes, MFW.  I love the nickname your DH gave it.  

I'll have another short chapter up soon, then Lady H will take over for Sea World.  We still have one more Disney day left on our tickets, so I'll get to whether we rode it or not.  Or she will.  We're alternating days, but one of my days I can probably get into one chapter.  So we may share telling about our last day at DLR.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> We're going to Vegas at the end of March, so she probably wants money to help fund the trip.



"_help fund the trip._"... uh, huh. Yeah. Sure. Going to Vegas and the money is to "fund the trip". Of course it is.


----------



## Mom&RN

Thumper_Man said:


> Welcome home.  Hope you had wonderful trip.  Do we have another TR coming?
> 
> We had a good time.  Some of us more than others (alas, I did not convert my husband into a Disney fan)  I don't think I'm ready to jump into the trip reporting pool yet...
> 
> I think you need to visit your aunt and uncle as well. "Hi Auntie and Uncle, we're going to DL, want to come?"



Don't think they'd come along but they wouldn't feel used either so who cares!


----------



## MAGICFOR2

Love the WOC pics!  You did a good job with the narrative, too!  I can't believe we've moved this close and haven't made it over there yet - DH's new job is 6 days a week - they forgot to mention it when they hired him.    Maybe he'll demand a weekend off soon - I can only hope.


----------



## Disneybuckeye

Hi Thumper Man (and lovely wife),

I always enjoyed reading your comments on Nebo's trip reports.  When I found out last week I was going to Disneyland in 2 weeks I immediately went to the trip reports section to find out as must as I could about DL.  I was very excited to read your report to help me get ready for my trip.

Thanks for all the detailed information and looking forward to reading more.


----------



## Thumper_Man

MAGICFOR2 said:


> Love the WOC pics!  You did a good job with the narrative, too!  I can't believe we've moved this close and haven't made it over there yet - DH's new job is 6 days a week - they forgot to mention it when they hired him.    Maybe he'll demand a weekend off soon - I can only hope.



You're just a hop, skip, hop, skip and maybe a jump away.  Might have to take one more hop to get there.  I hope you get to make it out there one of these days.  It really is fun to visit.  Hoping to go back soon ourselves.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Disneybuckeye said:


> Hi Thumper Man (and lovely wife),
> 
> I always enjoyed reading your comments on Nebo's trip reports.  When I found out last week I was going to Disneyland in 2 weeks I immediately went to the trip reports section to find out as must as I could about DL.  I was very excited to read your report to help me get ready for my trip.
> 
> Thanks for all the detailed information and looking forward to reading more.



Hi Buckeye.

I don't think we'll finish up our report within 2 weeks.  Work has been getting in the way.  If there is anything you want to know about DL/DCA before then, let either me or Lady H, and we'll be happy to answer any questions for you.  There are few things we haven't quite covered in the TR that we did on our trip, but for the most part we've covered mostly everything.  

Thanks for reading along.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Mom&RN said:


> We had a good time. Some of us more than others (alas, I did not convert my husband into a Disney fan) I don't think I'm ready to jump into the trip reporting pool yet...



We weren't ready to jump into the pool either.  There we were, standing at the edge of the pool, dipping our toes in to see how cold the water was.  Deciding if we wanted to go in or not. Then this nearly blind, bald headed guy with a fuzzy cup in his hand walks past us and pushes us in.  He claims it was an accident and tried to pass it off to his poor eye sight.  Claims it was too bright out for him and he didn't see us standing there, and he didn't mean to bump into us knocking us in the water.  Yeah, sure it was an accident.  I know the difference between being bumped into and shoved.  So now we were left with a decision of either sink or swim.  Good thing we each know how to swim.  Now that we're in, it's not too bad actually. 



Mom&RN said:


> Don't think they'd come along but they wouldn't feel used either so who cares!



Then a visit is definitely in order.


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> "_help fund the trip._"... uh, huh. Yeah. Sure. Going to Vegas and the money is to "fund the trip". Of course it is.



Of course it would be to fund the trip.  What else what it be used for?  My days of visiting the gentleman's clubs are gone now that I'm married.


----------



## Mom&RN

Thumper_Man said:


> We weren't ready to jump into the pool either.  There we were, standing at the edge of the pool, dipping our toes in to see how cold the water was.  Deciding if we wanted to go in or not. Then this nearly blind, bald headed guy with a fuzzy cup in his hand walks past us and pushes us in.  He claims it was an accident and tried to pass it off to his poor eye sight.  Claims it was too bright out for him and he didn't see us standing there, and he didn't mean to bump into us knocking us in the water.  Yeah, sure it was an accident.  I know the difference between being bumped into and shoved.  So now we were left with a decision of either sink or swim.  Good thing we each know how to swim.  Now that we're in, it's not too bad actually.
> :



I'm glad Nebo pushed you both in, I'm really enjoying your TR.  I am especially enjoying the fact that you are co-writing it, its great to see two points of view in the same report.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Nebo probably didnt believe me when he asked if there was fireworks.  Oh there were fireworks all right.  As we made our way out of the WoC viewing area, I asked Lady H if she was having fun.  She said yeah and leaned over to give me a kiss.



Just then fireworks went off.  Man that must have been some kiss.  Try that again.  She did and fireworks went off again.  I knew she was one heck of a kisser, but never knew she could set fireworks off.  They even continued after she kissed me.  Turns out the fireworks were coming from DL, but Lady H set them off.   There are no fireworks during WoC, but you can see the fireworks that were going off at DL, after WoC had ended.  I think thats the one cool thing about DLR.  No matter where you are at, you can see the fireworks at DL.  If you remember, the first night we were at DTD and we could see them.  We saw them while we were at DL and now we can see them from DCA.  

We stopped on Buena Vista St. to watch the fireworks and decided to make our way back towards Carsland once they had finished.  As did the rest of the crowd.  I knew there would probably be no way we would get to ride RSR again, but it was told that we needed to see this place at night.  It truly is a sight to see at night.





Lets see what it looks like down Route 66 at night, shall we.  









Still no vacancy at the Cozy Cone Motel.  Guess well have to go back to our resort for the night.  




Flos V8 Cafe is hopping.  








Head on over to Luigis Tires.  Still a 45 minute wait for Luigis.  We pass yet again.








After Luigi's we head on over to RSR.  Yup, still a long wait.  120 minute wait and 45 minutes even for Single Rider.  I thought we took a picture of the wait times, but apparently not.  Oh well, it was still an amazing sight to see.









Can see the headlights of the cars as they come over the hill.








After Carsland we looked at the time and decided we had enough fun at DCA for the day and decided to head back to our resort.  We have to be up early again tomorrow, and get ready to drive an hour and a half to San Diego.  Want to be rested up for the trip tomorrow so going to bed early sounded like a good idea.  

We make our way towards the front gate by way of Bugs Land and pass one of Lady H's favorite rides.




Remember how dead the Mad Hatters Tea Party was?  They're sure rocking and rolling now.




We were going to go in and check it out until we heard the DJ announce it would be the last song for the night.  We didn't want to go in for just one song, we proceeded to the front, out the gates and to the shuttle pick-up area.  

We had some Disney Pixie dust sprinkled on us this night.  Tonight there were no ECV's waiting to get on our shuttle.  If you recall, when we went to DL, there was a lady on an ECV that was waiting to get on, with all her kids and all her packages that just about filled the entire shuttle.  And really, I understand the need for an ECV and I'm not trying to be insensitive to that those that use them.  The one thing that annoyed me was her kids came out from everywhere when the shuttle pulled up, then they took up a good amount of seats with their packages.  They could've held some, or stowed them under their seats, to allow others to sit.  But anyways, that was then and this is now (which actually happened  way back then).

No ECV's tonight.  Just as we got to the shuttle stop, the shuttle was already there.  No waiting 40 minutes for it this time.  Soon we were off and we made conversation with some people who had been there 10 days already.  They were sad to leave, but as we all know, eventually it's time to go back to work.  Unless of course you won the lottery or own a multi-milion dollar business.  But for most of us, it would be time to go back to work.  

Ok, let me get back on track now.  The pixie dust.  Well during our conversation with this couple, they asked how long we had been there and how much longer were we going to be around.  We told them this our 4th day here and we'll be here for another 3 1/2 days.  I wish I could remember where this couple was from, but the lady offered us her 2 adult passes for the shuttle.  They had bought or received a 3 week pass with their hotel package and still had several days left on their passes, so they gave them to us to use.  We thanked them graciously and offered to take them to dinner in the future, should our paths ever cross again.  

Our last bit of pixie dust for the evening was being let off the shuttle way before our stop.  Out of a shuttle of about 40 people, there were only 4 people getting off at our stop.  The driver offered to drop us off before driving down the road to let everyone else off.  The only downside was we would have to play dodge the cars to cross the street.  After he said he  would drop us off right before the light so we can use the crosswalk, taking all the fun out of trying to cross the street.  That didn't bother us one bit.  We needed to cross the street anyways.  

We stopped at the liquor store across the street one more time.  We had only bought a few park bottles for the day.  We were going to see how we were doing on finances before buying more, plus we still had plenty of beer back at the resort to drink.  Since the lady saved us money on shuttle passes for the rest of the week, we used the money we would've spent on shuttle passes and bought more park bottles.  Plus by eating at Denny's earlier in the day, we actually saved a little money that way as well.  

Soon we were back in our resort room and doing our nightly routine.  Sitting out on the balcony, jotting down our notes while enjoying a nice cold beer to cap off the night and to finally cap off this day.  

Y'all come back now, ya hear.  Lady H is going to tell you a story about Sea World.


----------



## Thumper_Man

In case you're interested in seeing all our pictures of Universal Studios Hollywood, I provided the link for you.  I also have the link provided on Post #2 of this report.  Hope you don't mind a lot of the same picture.  Obviously Lady H and I were thinking alike that day, and took a lot of the same pictures.  

UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD


----------



## smidgy

.  Since the lady saved us money on shuttle passes for the rest of the week, we used the money we would've spent on shuttle passes and bought more park bottles.  .[/QUOTE]

you have chosen wisely.


----------



## Thumper_Man

For those interested, here's the link to all the pictures we took at WoC.  Some better than others, but we tried.  I hope you enjoy.

*World Of Color*


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> Of course it would be to fund the trip.  What else what it be used for?  My days of visiting the gentleman's clubs are gone now that I'm married.



I'm playing catch up right now... but before I read the last chapter, had to comment on this.

I never mentioned the gentleman's clubs.... but thanks for letting us all know where _your_ mind is at! 

What I meant was the money was going to.... "Come on lucky seven!!" (or similar amusements)


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> Nebo probably didnt believe me when he asked if there was fireworks.



That's okay. When was the last time you believed *him* about anything???



Thumper_Man said:


> I asked Lady H if she was having fun.  She said yeah and leaned over to give me a kiss.
> 
> Just then fireworks went off.  Man that must have been some kiss.  Try that again.  She did and fireworks went off again.



Wow! Can I try? < ow! stop hitting me, Ruby! >



Thumper_Man said:


> Turns out the fireworks were coming from DL, but Lady H set them off.



Occupational hazard.



Thumper_Man said:


> I think thats the one cool thing about DLR.  No matter where you are at, you can see the fireworks at DL.  If you remember, the first night we were at DTD and we could see them.  We saw them while we were at DL and now we can see them from DCA.



I looked, last night from my front porch, but didn't see them. Then again, maybe they didn't have any last night. I'll try again, and let you know.



Thumper_Man said:


> but it was told that we needed to see this place at night.  It truly is a sight to see at night.



Great pics T-Man. Were they all handheld or did you prop up the camera on something?



Thumper_Man said:


> After Luigi's we head on over to RSR.  Yup, still a long wait.  120 minute wait and 45 minutes even for Single Rider.



Even after the daytime crowds are gone, huh? Wow. 

That'll be the day I stand in line for 2 hours to go on a ride.



Thumper_Man said:


> We have to be up early again tomorrow, and get ready to drive an hour and a half to San Diego.



Ya just can't win, can ya? You get up early to beat the crowds and make rope drop... then you have to get up early to go home... then you have to get up early to go back to work so you can afford to go to Disney so you can get up early to beat the crowds and make rope drop... then you have to get up early to go home.............. ad infinitum ad nauseum



Thumper_Man said:


> We had some Disney Pixie dust sprinkled on us this night.... Just as we got to the shuttle stop, the shuttle was already there.  No waiting 40 minutes for it this time.



I thought at first that's what you meant about pixie dust.



Thumper_Man said:


> They had bought or received a 3 week pass with their hotel package and still had several days left on their passes, so they gave them to us to use.



Nice!  Good ol' Disney magic. 



Thumper_Man said:


> The only downside was we would have to play dodge the cars to cross the street.  After he said he  would drop us off right before the light so we can use the crosswalk, taking all the fun out of trying to cross the street.



Yeah, where's the fun in that? Of course, visiting Disney is harder when you're dead.

Not impossible... just, harder.



Thumper_Man said:


> Y'all come back now, ya hear.  Lady H is going to tell you a story about Sea World.



Looking forward to it. Thanks for the update!


----------



## Thumper_Man

queenbetsey said:


> I'm in!   can't wait to hear your thoughts on DLR.
> Low Fat Oreo Cream Pie
> 1 Large box of cookies and cream instant pudding
> 2 cups fat free milk
> tub fat free whipped topping
> Mix pudding and milk let set up for 5 minutes, fold in whipped topping
> Pour into crust of choice (i make a ghrahm cracker crust using I can't believe it's not butter half a stick melted and crushed crackers bake 15 minutes)
> Chill for 2 holurs
> 
> ok so it's not zebra domes with real butter and eggs and... sorry just miss my heart clogger desserts.
> 
> Does that get the in on the fun??
> I hope you enjoy our corner of Disney.  I   hear Carsland is amazing.
> we are regulars out here so if ya need anything pm me.



Lady H and I thank you for the recipe.  Lady H made it yesterday and it was delicious.  Although I don't think it was lowfat anymore after adding the oreo cookies.


----------



## MAGICFOR2

Very nice goodnight.  I love how Kissing set the fireworks off.  Should be like that every day, right?  You can see the fireworks everywhere.  Even way up the hill in Anaheim where DH's uncle lives.  You can sit out on the balcony and watch them.


----------



## orangecats2

MAGICFOR2 said:


> Very nice goodnight.  I love how Kissing set the fireworks off.  Should be like that every day, right?  You can see the fireworks everywhere.  Even way up the hill in Anaheim where DH's uncle lives.  You can sit out on the balcony and watch them.



Just not from Winnipeg!


----------



## bankr63

orangecats2 said:


> Just not from Winnipeg!


Well of course not.  With all that aurora borealis around him, how can Pkondzi expect to see the fireworks?


----------



## pkondz

bankr63 said:


> Well of course not.  With all that aurora borealis around him, how can Pkondzi expect to see the fireworks?



It _does_ kinda visually drown out everything else...


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> I looked, last night from my front porch, but didn't see them. Then again, maybe they didn't have any last night. I'll try again, and let you know.



Maybe you need a more powerful telescope.  Or hijack the Google satellite.  



pkondz said:


> Great pics T-Man. Were they all handheld or did you prop up the camera on something?



All handheld I believe.  Some of the WoC pictures I may have used the railing, but not often.  



pkondz said:


> Even after the daytime crowds are gone, huh? Wow.



Yup.  We were hoping since it was during the week, it may have been a little less busy.  No such luck.  Hmm.  Maybe I better think twice about gambling in Vegas then.  



pkondz said:


> That'll be the day I stand in line for 2 hours to go on a ride.



Or you can do like we did and be there first thing in the morning.  Of course by the time you go, something new may come along by then and you won't have to wait.



pkondz said:


> Ya just can't win, can ya? You get up early to beat the crowds and make rope drop... then you have to get up early to go home... then you have to get up early to go back to work so you can afford to go to Disney so you can get up early to beat the crowds and make rope drop... then you have to get up early to go home..............



Who said we got up early to go home?  We're not on that day yet.  We did have to get up early most days though.  Best way to beat the crowds and get things done. 



pkondz said:


> ad infinitum ad nauseum



What did you call me?  Well same to you bub.  

Ok, I better go and search Google and see what this means first.  




pkondz said:


> I thought at first that's what you meant about pixie dust.



At first, we thought it was nice to not have to wait this time.  




pkondz said:


> Yeah, where's the fun in that? Of course, visiting Disney is harder when you're dead.



I suppose.  Good thing we used the crosswalks then.  

Even then it's risky.  Anybody else read the story on here about the CM who got hit by an undercover cop at DL?  She was in the crosswalk when she got hit.  See if I can find the thread.



pkondz said:


> Looking forward to it. Thanks for the update!



Thanks as always Ponzi.


----------



## Thumper_Man

MAGICFOR2 said:


> Very nice goodnight.


 
It was a nice goodnight and thank you.  I hope we get the chance to do it again in the near future.  



MAGICFOR2 said:


> I love how Kissing set the fireworks off.  Should be like that every day, right?


 

If you time it just right, it could happen every night.  We're just not a DL every night.  



MAGICFOR2 said:


> You can see the fireworks everywhere.  Even way up the hill in Anaheim where DH's uncle lives.  You can sit out on the balcony and watch them.



Apparently Ponzi can't see them from Winnipeg.  

I guess I should've said "you can see the DL fireworks from anywhere at DLR.  Whether it be the hotels, Downtown Disney or DCA."


----------



## Thumper_Man

orangecats2 said:


> Just not from Winnipeg!



Apparently not.  I think he may need glasses.


----------



## Thumper_Man

bankr63 said:


> Well of course not.  With all that aurora borealis around him, how can Pkondzi expect to see the fireworks?



Well that explains it.  Thanks bankr.  For a minute there, I thought Ponzi was getting like Nebo and needing to see an eye dr.  I know Nebo is rubbing off on him, just didn't think Nebo was rubbing off that much on him.


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> It _does_ kinda visually drown out everything else...



Gotta say I wouldn't know.  One thing I've yet to see in this lifetime.


----------



## nebo

Thumper_Man said:


> We weren't ready to jump into the pool either.  There we were, standing at the edge of the pool, dipping our toes in to see how cold the water was.  Deciding if we wanted to go in or not. Then this nearly blind, bald headed guy with a fuzzy cup in his hand walks past us and pushes us in.  He claims it was an accident and tried to pass it off to his poor eye sight.  Claims it was too bright out for him and he didn't see us standing there, and he didn't mean to bump into us knocking us in the water.  Yeah, sure it was an accident.:





Mom&RN said:


> I'm glad Nebo pushed you both in, I'm really enjoying your TR.  I am especially enjoying the fact that you are co-writing it, its great to see two points of view in the same report.



*I have read his post 3 times,,, and no where do I come across the name of Nebo, or Steve. 
  That's malicious accusery!
  And the sun was in my eyes. *



Thumper_Man said:


> Nebo probably didnt believe me when he asked if there was fireworks.  Oh there were fireworks all right.  As we made our way out of the WoC viewing area, I asked Lady H if she was having fun.  She said yeah and leaned over to give me a kiss.
> 
> 
> 
> Just then fireworks went off.  Man that must have been some kiss.  Try that again.  She did and fireworks went off again.  I knew she was one heck of a kisser, but never knew she could set fireworks off.  They even continued after she kissed me.  Turns out the fireworks were coming from DL, but Lady H set them off.   There are no fireworks during WoC, but you can see the fireworks that were going off at DL, after WoC had ended.  I think thats the one cool thing about DLR.  No matter where you are at, you can see the fireworks at DL.  If you remember, the first night we were at DTD and we could see them.  We saw them while we were at DL and now we can see them from DCA.
> 
> *So what is the name of the fireworks show at Disneyland?  Did I miss that?  I't snot Wishes, right?
> It's.
> Not.
> Is it Fantasy in the sky?*
> 
> We stopped on Buena Vista St. to watch the fireworks and decided to make our way back towards Carsland once they had finished.  As did the rest of the crowd.  I knew there would probably be no way we would get to ride RSR again, but it was told that we needed to see this place at night.  It truly is a sight to see at night.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Lets see what it looks like down Route 66 at night, shall we.
> 
> After Luigi's we head on over to RSR.  Yup, still a long wait.  120 minute wait and 45 minutes even for Single Rider.  I thought we took a picture of the wait times, but apparently not.  Oh well, it was still an amazing sight to see.
> 
> *So, is Luigi's Tires abasically a bumper car type ride?  Now I know why you passed it up earlier in the day. *
> 
> *And Carsland really does look coll at night,,, in April we'll be staying at the Art of Animation for six nights,,yeah,, not in a suite but the Mermaid section,,,b ut even there I've seen it during the day,,, but the Cars section I'm told,,, and the pics I've seen look really cool at night. *
> 
> We had some Disney Pixie dust sprinkled on us this night.  Tonight there were no ECV's waiting to get on our shuttle.  If you recall, when we went to DL, there was a lady on an ECV that was waiting to get on, with all her kids and all her packages that just about filled the entire shuttle.  And really, I understand the need for an ECV and I'm not trying to be insensitive to that those that use them.  The one thing that annoyed me was her kids came out from everywhere when the shuttle pulled up, then they took up a good amount of seats with their packages.  They could've held some, or stowed them under their seats, to allow others to sit.  But anyways, that was then and this is now (which actually happened  way back then).
> 
> *Had that happen once at the benches waiting for the Magical Depress bus to come,,, this family filled up the benches with all their suitcases and whatnot,  where nobody else could sit down.  I fixed the problem by taking them and putting them on the ground.
> When I asked who they belonged to,, nobody would answer me,, so I took things into my own hands.
> Then, "MOM" had a fit,,, and now it was "I" who had a problem hearing. She tried to sic her husband on me, but sometimes it helps being 6'1 and 200 pounds, he didn't want to play.
> You don't mess with the Neb on checking out of Disney day!*
> 
> 
> 
> Ok, let me get back on track now.  The pixie dust.  Well during our conversation with this couple, they asked how long we had been there and how much longer were we going to be around.  We told them this our 4th day here and we'll be here for another 3 1/2 days.  I wish I could remember where this couple was from, but the lady offered us her 2 adult passes for the shuttle.  They had bought or received a 3 week pass with their hotel package and still had several days left on their passes, so they gave them to us to use.  We thanked them graciously and offered to take them to dinner in the future, should our paths ever cross again.
> 
> *Right,, uh huh,,,that'll happen,,, s******>*
> 
> Our last bit of pixie dust for the evening was being let off the shuttle way before our stop.
> 
> *And getting let off before your stop is a good thing. Um,, if you wanted to walk,,, well then,,,,*
> 
> Out of a shuttle of about 40 people, there were only 4 people getting off at our stop.  The driver offered to drop us off before driving down the road to let everyone else off.
> 
> *Oooh*
> 
> The only downside was we would have to play dodge the cars to cross the street.  After he said he  would drop us off right before the light so we can use the crosswalk, taking all the fun out of trying to cross the street.  That didn't bother us one bit.  We needed to cross the street anyways.
> 
> *IS it as bad as trying get across 192 in Kissimmee alive? I practically got a whole chapter out of that.  yeah yeah,, I know,, I got a whole chapter once out of just going down the hall go get ice!*
> 
> We stopped at the liquor store across the street one more time.  We had only bought a few park bottles for the day.  We were going to see how we were doing on finances before buying more, plus we still had plenty of beer back at the resort to drink.  Since the lady saved us money on shuttle passes for the rest of the week, we used the money we would've spent on shuttle passes and bought more park bottles.  Plus by eating at Denny's earlier in the day, we actually saved a little money that way as well.
> 
> *Even after factoring in the toilet paper cost?
> sorry
> I'm still thinking about Moons over My Hammy.*
> 
> Soon we were back in our resort room and doing our nightly routine.  Sitting out on the balcony, jotting down our notes while enjoying a nice cold beer to cap off the night and to finally cap off this day.
> 
> Y'all come back now, ya hear.  Lady H is going to tell you a story about Sea World.



*Yeah baby, go for it!*


----------



## nebo

pkondz said:


> That's okay. When was the last time you believed *him* about anything???
> 
> *Boy, when your back is turned....*
> 
> Wow! Can I try? < ow! stop hitting me, Ruby! >
> 
> *You know,,, I was going to use the exact same line,,,*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I looked, last night from my front porch, but didn't see them. Then again, maybe they didn't have any last night. I'll try again, and let you know.
> 
> *I see now the solution was obvious.
> They were there,, you just need to sit on the BACK porch,,, try it tonight, trust me*
> 
> 
> Even after the daytime crowds are gone, huh? Wow.
> 
> That'll be the day I stand in line for 2 hours to go on a ride.
> 
> *I agree, scared the heck out of me too,, my longest in line is still 55 minutes,, for Splash Mount when it first opened and The DRAGSTER at Cedar Point when my rotten kid led me unsuspectingly into the first seat line,,, and no,,, can't picture ever waiting even that long again.   But wow,,, first seat on the Dragster?  It was , like Awesome man,,, what a RUSH!  122 miles per hour in 2.8 seconds,,, then straight up 430 feet,,,
> 
> No, the video doesn't really work,,, but it is what your eyes will see pretty much.
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJwWdqgpY3A
> 
> Ok,  hope it works now,,, I forgot how to do this stuff.
> 
> 
> ad infinitum ad nauseum
> 
> My mom used to say that phrase,,,ad infinitum, ad nauseum,,, and no,,, I'm not repeating you right now.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Yeah, where's the fun in that? Of course, visiting Disney is harder when you're dead.
> 
> sounds like a challenge!
> 
> Not impossible... just, harder.
> 
> Ah, you were thinking of me.
> 
> Looking forward to it. Thanks for the update! *


*



Thumper_Man said:



			Lady H and I thank you for the recipe.  Lady H made it yesterday and it was delicious.  Although I don't think it was lowfat anymore after adding the oreo cookies.  





Click to expand...


Oh man,,, that DOES look good!  But Oreos need to be dunked,,how big a glass of milk would I need to dunk that cake? 



orangecats2 said:



			Just not from Winnipeg!
		
Click to expand...


probably not from Oahu either,,,,I mean Ohio. 



Thumper_Man said:



			Gotta say I wouldn't know.  One thing I've yet to see in this lifetime.
		
Click to expand...



No,, suppose not from Santa Fe.  They aren't know for their seaside resorts either,,, or , as George Carlin would say,,, " I have a friend who's a Pearl Diver in Santa Fe,,,,been out of work for some time now."

  Thanks for the laughs you guys,,, looking forward to picking on Heather next time around. *


----------



## orangecats2

probably not from Oahu either,,,,I mean Ohio. 


I wish I were in Oahu or Santa Fe or even LA. This weather blows!


----------



## MAGICFOR2

orangecats2 said:


> Just not from Winnipeg!



Maybe with these? :



bankr63 said:


> Well of course not.  With all that aurora borealis around him, how can Pkondzi expect to see the fireworks?



Nature's fireworks!



Thumper_Man said:


> It was a nice goodnight and thank you.  I hope we get the chance to do it again in the near future.
> 
> 
> 
> If you time it just right, it could happen every night.  We're just not a DL every night.
> 
> 
> 
> Apparently Ponzi can't see them from Winnipeg.
> 
> I guess I should've said "you can see the DL fireworks from anywhere at DLR.  Whether it be the hotels, Downtown Disney or DCA."



I would rather think if the winds are right and the stars are right, you can see them fron anywhere 



Thumper_Man said:


> Apparently not.  I think he may need glasses.



That's what I said -


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> Maybe you need a more powerful telescope.  Or hijack the Google satellite.



Hijack the Google satellite? Again? Isn't it enough that I already put a bullseye on Nebo's house?
Go ahead, look up Carpentersville in Google maps, you'll see.













ok, I gotta know. How many of you actually Googled it expecting to see a bullseye?
Natch, Google removed it after a while.



Thumper_Man said:


> Or you can do like we did and be there first thing in the morning.  Of course by the time you go, something new may come along by then and you won't have to wait.



Oh, I'm a big believer in rope drop.



Thumper_Man said:


> Who said we got up early to go home?



I was merely extrapolating extemporaneously.



Thumper_Man said:


> Even then it's risky.  Anybody else read the story on here about the CM who got hit by an undercover cop at DL?  She was in the crosswalk when she got hit.



No! Hadn't heard that. She going to be ok?



Thumper_Man said:


> Apparently not.  I think he may need glasses.



Hah! Jokes on you! I already _have_ glasses. So there.



nebo said:


> *I see now the solution was obvious.
> They were there,, you just need to sit on the BACK porch,,, try it tonight, trust me*



I'll try, but since my back porch faces North, it's gonna be even tougher to see 'em.


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> Hijack the Google satellite? Again? Isn't it enough that I already put a bullseye on Nebo's house?
> Go ahead, look up Carpentersville in Google maps, you'll see.



I would, but I wouldn't even know what part of Carpentersville I should be looking at.





pkondz said:


> ok, I gotta know. How many of you actually Googled it expecting to see a bullseye?
> Natch, Google removed it after a while.



I've learned to read the whole thread before replying. Don't want to get fined by the Dis Police.  Even in my own TR.  They can brutal.   





pkondz said:


> Oh, I'm a big believer in rope drop.



So am I.  Now I can't speak for Lady H and D'Sis, but they're big believers in sleeping in.  Only time we've actually made it to the parks before rope drop (at WDW) is when we had ADR's for CP, TH and most recently CRT.  Other than that, we've never made rope drop.  





pkondz said:


> I was merely extrapolating extemporaneously.



I earnestly expected an exquisite explanation given the evolving nature of  this tale. 



pkondz said:


> No! Hadn't heard that. She going to be ok?



Yes, she suffered minor injuries. I couldn't find the thread, but did fine the article.
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/officer-383467-investigation-dunn.html



pkondz said:


> Hah! Jokes on you! I already _have_ glasses. So there.



I wasn't referring to sunglasses.    Unless you're getting to that point in your life where you will sit by the curb with sunglasses on and a tin cup.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

I couldnt begin to describe how great it was to get back to the room a little earlier than expected after our long day at DCA. We tend to pack so much into our trips that those few times we get to spend relaxing with nowhere to go is a welcome site. We dont get them very often. T-Mans sister tends to say that we are brutal when it comes to vacationswellher brother is brutalI just go with the flow. But you definitely have to be in shape to keep up with his pace. 

The thing is, we never know when we will be back, so we pack a lot in to make sure the trip is worth every second, This includes not only seeing all we can of DL and DCA, DTD and of course Garden Walk, but also Universal Hollywood, and 

SeaWorld San Diego! 

So its WednesdayI wake to T-Mans phone playing an interlude from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. You know, the one where they are at the ball, and have to actually dance and mingle with the other schools. Its been T-Mans alarm ring tone for ages now, and Im so used to it being the wake up call that when I actually have to set my own alarm for some reason, it takes me a minute to register that I have to wake up, since I dont have that spiffy song. 

AnywhoThat was way off topic.

Waking up, coffee is being brewed, and I am trying to stretch the kinks out of my back. I was so exhausted the night before that I literally hit the bed and I was out cold. I dont think I moved much, and now my back and neck are a little stiff. I stretch and turn, letting my back do all the talking as it snaps, crackles and pops. 

T-man brings me my coffee and I smile and greedily take the cup from his hands. MmmmmCoffffffeeeeee.The aroma gives me great pleasure. The heat from the cup is welcoming, even though its probably already 60 something degrees outside at the crack of dawn. I take my first sip and sigh happily, this is heaven. 

Once my eyes finally open fully and I can bask in the post caffeinated glow, I kiss T-Man and say, Morning. 

He shakes his head at me, This is me pretty much every morning, so hes used to it by now, but I still think it makes him laugh to see me like that. What can I say, he married me, knowing full well what he was getting into. 

I get up and start the routine, shower, dress, do something with this mop of hair on my headyou know, the usual. However, there was something different this day. Since getting up I have had something irritating my eye. Since I went to bed last night before taking off my make-up I figured I probably just had mascara or eye liner or even foundation run into it somehow. I made sure to sort of wash it out a little in the shower in hopes that would clear the achebut as I stand at the bathroom mirror getting ready to put on my make up I can still feel something in my eye. I rub it a little, careful not to rub too hard, and I get right up to the mirror in hopes of being able to see something. I open my eye as wide as I can, and slowly and gently move the pad of my finger across my bottom lidNothing. I look up, I look down, still nothing. Now my eye is tearing up because I am messing with it. 

I take a good hard look at myself in the mirror with my good eye and decide, its just not worth it. We will be at SeaWorld all day, which more than likely means, being in the splash zone of most shows. Is it really worth it to look good when the make up will be gone shortly after we get there? I contemplate a paper bag over my head, 

 but dont think I will be able to get through security that way. So I take a deep breath and throw caution to the wind and go sans make up. 

T-man is very sweet, and always goes on and on about how I do not need the stuff. I say he is love blind and doesnt see the scary person looking back at me through the mirror. We agree to disagree. 

We fill our backpacks once again with water, a soda for the road, as it is already getting pretty hot, our tickets and money, and after checking to make sure we have everything, off we go. 

San Diego will be about an hour and a half drive. The hope is that we can beat some traffic and get through relatively unscathed by California drivers. This will be a drive up the coast, and it was definitely a beautiful drive. 









We arrive in San Diego in record time. The traffic here is light enough now,





since its about 9:30 in the morning. SeaWorld opens at 10 and we are cruising along perfectly. The views are spectacular. 














We were in San Diego a couple of years back. My first time seeing the Pacific Ocean, and I couldnt get enough of how beautiful it was. The trees, and grass, the houses on the hills, everything is breathtaking. Maybe its because we dont live here, we dont see these views everyday, but I could easily spend hours just sight seeing and be happy. 

 As we start the ever-winding road to the entrance, T-man has a light bulb go off in his head.
	

	
	
		
		

		
			
		
		
	


	




Before we came on vacation, T-Man purchased our parking for SW over the internet. This way we didnt have to worry about it when we got here. The parking receipt was kept in a manilla envelope that T-Man had all our park passes and reservations in. The manilla envelope is in our hotel room. Back in Anaheim. With the parking pass still inside it. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




As I pay the nice lady the $15 for parking, I glow inside knowing I am not the only one who forgets things and I my inner goddess stands triumphant on a cloud, holding her head high, and smiling brightly. Why? Because she can.  

We find a decent parking, grab all our stuff from the trunk of the vehicle, and head to the front gates. After security makes me take off the paper bag, and rummages through our backpacks, we are escorted through the turnstiles and into the park. 

Our first stop of course is the lockers. Which are located just to the right of the entrance area. This is great, however, to get the key, you must go over yonder, around the building, to the east, take three steps north and 2 steps back before getting lost and turning right back around to find the kiosk for the locker rental. 

Once we finally found it, we pay for a large locker and head back towards the entrance to the park. Finding our locker fairly quickly, we discard all our stuff except for the essentials. A bottle of water, and our waist packs that hold our money. Then getting out our handy dandy waterproof lanyards, we place our cameras and tickets in there and head out. 

The next stop was at a small kiosk nearby for the Quick Que tickets and as we waited for the person in front of us to finish up, we noticed they were also selling the all day dining plans here. Its not a bad price. I believe it was $36 a piece, but that was all day long. With the plan you got an entrée, salad or dessert and a drink every time you walked up to the counter. There were only certain places you could use the plan at, but they were pretty decently spaced through the park, and you had unlimited number of visits. You could even go in just for a soda or water or a dessert and water, you didnt have to get all three items, but you had the choice. For the price we said, to heck with it, and got it. 

Since we have it, we might as well use it right? So we walk over to the Marketplace and stand in line for breakfast. After ordering our entrees, and letting the guy at the counter see our wrist bands, we gather utensils and condiments and head outside  to feast. 





I believe I had the basic breakfast. Potatoes, scrambled eggs, baconI want to say T-Man had the same thing, but with sausage. I dont quite remember. 

As we sit out on this fine day, we notice some birds hanging around, just waiting for one of us to drop a crumb on the floor. Eager to be the first to take any morsel we would give them. 

Sorry birdieThis food is all MINE! MINE! MINE! 
AhemSorry

Once we finish eating, we stop and take a few pictures and then make our way to the other side of the park. Our first stop will be Manta. T-man wants to see if it will live up to the one in Florida. I want to see if I can survive it after just eating breakfast. 





As we approach the roller coaster, I breathe a sigh of relief. There are no loops and you are upright the whole time. I can deal with this. Upon closer inspection, I notice that it is only a waist enclosure. Which means that there is no over the head harness. It isnt a lap belt per se, more like a lap restraint, but its better than being tied in as if I was in the space station with a harness and leg shackles like the other Manta. I can already see T-Mans eyes light up as he looks at it from our vantage point and I remember that I dont HAVE to gohe would be happy to go on his own. But I also know that deep down, this dumb wife is welldumband she cant leave well enough alone. 

We cruise to the entrance and notice its only a 15 minute wait. We stow our lanyards under our shirts, and after showing our quick que wrist bands to the body guard, who barely registers we are walking by, he gives us a half wave and off we go. 

Of course the wait time is pretty much the amount of time it takes you to get through the que. Wandering down into the depths of the cave before returning to the bright sunlight. Im trying desperately to take my sweet time, but am having to sort of catch up to T-Man as he is practically skipping. 

Finally we get to the front. The line is very minimal, unless of course you want the front seat, thats where everyone is waiting. We choose the shortest line and are on in no time. Securing myself safely, I now have time to reflect on what I am doing. Prac! 

This is why I like the moving walkways on some coasters. We recently did the Rip Ride Rocket at Universal in Florida, and you have absolutely no time to freak out. By the time you are secured and ready to think about it you are already climbing to the first drop. 

Not with this one. They took a few moments to make sure all were secure. Finally giving the thumbs up to the teenager in the booth. I sure hope they know what they are doing. 

Finally, someone comes over the speaker to say something along the lines of enjoy your flight, and we cruise into a tunnel. 

Once in the tunnel, you start to feel the car move back a little. You automatically expect to be launched right away, but no, they toy with you. Easing you back and forth, back and forth, all the while you are watching sting rays projected onto the tunnel walls float over and around you. 

Finally on the third thrust back, the doors open and off you go. DUMB WIFE, DUMB WIFE, DUMB WIFE!!!!!

I slowly open my eyes and through my eyelashes I can see the track ahead of me. We go under and over and sideways Im starting to enjoy myself a little. I open my eyes a little further, just enough to see what may come next. All of a sudden the car slows to almost a stop, then lurches forward to make it around a side slope, the car does this 2 more times, skidding almost to a stop and then lurching full speed to the next incline of downhill slope. Finally it slows to the end. 

Ive made it. Im alive and Ive made it through. Unscathed! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




We clamber off and I breathe a sigh of relief that I am back on terra firma. We take the long walk back, only to be brought through the obligatory shop, where you can find your picture and purchase one, or buy a souvenir. We walk right out and come to the feeding area for the stingrays. 

T-man is jumping up and down like a little kid, wanting to go again. Unless he wants to give me a jump from the AED, which Im pretty sure he doesnt want to do, I think I may pass. I walk with him back to the entrance, where the bodyguard has now decided that paying attention to people coming in is a good thing. He tells us that we need to take off our waist packs in order to get on. We try to explain to him that we just got off the ride and had them on the whole time, but he refuses to acknowledge that, and is adamant that we take them off. 

This is my out. I tell T-man to give me his pack and his lanyard, and Ill hold onto them while he goes on it. He tries to tell me that we can use a locker, but I tell him, Im fine. I can watch. 

He doesnt hesitate. He gives up his pack and lanyard and kisses me and off he goes. The bodyguard looks at him as he shows his wristband and tries to get T-Man to try the sample seat next to him, to make sure he will fit. Again, T-Man explains to him that he just got off the ride, and there were no problems. The bodyguard gives him a glare and shrugs, and T-Man takes off.  

I take a few pictures of the stingrays as I wait. 


















And as I wait some more, I take a few pictures of the ride. Maybe Ill catch T-Man on it. 


















Nope. No T-Man. Will I find him? Will he be able to find me? Will he be lost forever on the roller coaster? Will he be fed to the Stingrays? I guess you will have to tune in next time for the continuing adventures of

T-Man and Lady H take over SeaWorld(echo, echo, echo).


----------



## mmeb144

Did you feed the stingrays?  That would be fun!


----------



## Mom&RN

What are we going to do today Lady H?
The same thing we do every day T Man, try to take over the world!!!
The T Man, the T Man and the Lady H, H, H, H....

Enjoying your update so far Lady H!


----------



## dwheatl

Maybe the guard had his coffee while you were on the ride, and that's why he was actually paying attention the second go round. The waist packs were a great excuse for you, Lady H.
We are going to San Diego next month. We haven't decided if we're doing SW. I'll be interested to see what more you have to say.


----------



## smidgy

ok,, did no one else notice?  that yummy looking breakfast plate, had......various packets of Ketchup on it!!!!  there was not one thing on that plate that a normal person would use kethcup on!!!


----------



## Thumper_Man

smidgy said:
			
		

> ok,, did no one else notice?  that yummy looking breakfast plate, had......various packets of Ketchup on it!!!!  there was not one thing on that plate that a normal person would use kethcup on!!!



Yeah there is. Hard to tell, but there are potatoes under the bacon. I like ketchup on my potatoes. :thumbsup:


----------



## Thumper_Man

dwheatl said:
			
		

> Maybe the guard had his coffee while you were on the ride, and that's why he was actually paying attention the second go round. The waist packs were a great excuse for you, Lady H.
> We are going to San Diego next month. We haven't decided if we're doing SW. I'll be interested to see what more you have to say.



Lady H will try to get through it as quickly as possible. If you're still interested after, send me a pm and I'll send you the parking pass I forgot to take with us. It's still good until August of this year. Hoping someone can get some use out of it since we didn't and I really don't anticipate us going back before August. Got to replenish the funds.


----------



## jedijill

Wow, Manta is really differenent in CA...the one in Orlando you are actually laying down...It's amazing but pretty freaky the first time.

Doh! on leaving the parking passes in the hotel room.  I did that with my AP at SW in Orlando so I had to pay for parking. 

Jill in CO


----------



## jcc0621

smidgy said:


> ok,, did no one else notice?  that yummy looking breakfast plate, had......various packets of Ketchup on it!!!!  there was not one thing on that plate that a normal person would use kethcup on!!!



Yes there is....scrambled eggs! 

Wait are  you saying I'm not normal?



Thumper_Man said:


> Yeah there is. Hard to tell, but there are potatoes under the bacon. I like ketchup on my potatoes. :thumbsup:


----------



## orangecats2

smidgy said:


> ok,, did no one else notice?  that yummy looking breakfast plate, had......various packets of Ketchup on it!!!!  there was not one thing on that plate that a normal person would use kethcup on!!!



I think some of those packets were hot sauce!!!


----------



## Mom&RN

Mmmm ketchup on the potatoes, hot sauce on the eggs - those will do if there is no salsa available.  If there is salsa then salsa goes on everything! Didn't used to eat that way until I moved to Texas, now I'm a salsa addict.


----------



## smidgy

my midwestern brain is trying to get around this !  lol

I know, I know, some people put ketchup on eggs!!!   my mom had a friend who put ketchup on mashed potatos!!!!   double.

Jackson dips his grilled cheese in ketchup, but he's a kid, so it doesn't count.

In chicago, ketchup on a hot dog is nearly a punishable offense!!!

now, some folks put ketchup on french fries, but french fries are not breakfast potatos!!   I am always amazed in other states, when we go for breakfast and they want to know if we need ketchup or tobasco!!

a few years back, there were a couple guys that used to come in to the restaurant and ask for sour cream for their french fries.   I thought it strange.    their reply: " well, you put sour cream on your baked potato? why not your fried potatos?"    hhmmmmm


----------



## dwheatl

Thumper_Man said:


> Lady H will try to get through it as quickly as possible. If you're still interested after, send me a pm and I'll send you the parking pass I forgot to take with us. It's still good until August of this year. Hoping someone can get some use out of it since we didn't and I really don't anticipate us going back before August. Got to replenish the funds.


Well, aren't you sweet. I will let you know. 



Mom&RN said:


> Mmmm ketchup on the potatoes, hot sauce on the eggs - those will do if there is no salsa available.  If there is salsa then salsa goes on everything! Didn't used to eat that way until I moved to Texas, now I'm a salsa addict.


Right there with you, but then, I also live in a state that was once part of Mexico.



smidgy said:


> my midwestern brain is trying to get around this !  lol
> 
> I know, I know, some people put ketchup on eggs!!!   my mom had a friend who put ketchup on mashed potatos!!!!   double.
> 
> Jackson dips his grilled cheese in ketchup, but he's a kid, so it doesn't count.
> 
> In chicago, ketchup on a hot dog is nearly a punishable offense!!!
> 
> now, some folks put ketchup on french fries, but french fries are not breakfast potatos!!   I am always amazed in other states, when we go for breakfast and they want to know if we need ketchup or tobasco!!
> 
> a few years back, there were a couple guys that used to come in to the restaurant and ask for sour cream for their french fries.   I thought it strange.    their reply: " well, you put sour cream on your baked potato? why not your fried potatos?"    hhmmmmm



My DD puts ranch dressing on her fries, like they need more fat. She's a size 2 and an adult, so I don't say too much about it. I love ketchup on any fried potatoes, and have eaten it on scrambled eggs a few times if they were too eggy. I do draw the line at ketchup and cottage cheese - was that Nixon?


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

mmeb144 said:


> Did you feed the stingrays?  That would be fun!



No, not this time around. To be honest, I don't think I've ever fed them during any of our trips to SW. They freak me out a little. 



Mom&RN said:


> What are we going to do today Lady H?
> The same thing we do every day T Man, try to take over the world!!!
> The T Man, the T Man and the Lady H, H, H, H....
> 
> Enjoying your update so far Lady H!



 I was wondering if anyone would get that connection! NARF! 



dwheatl said:


> Maybe the guard had his coffee while you were on the ride, and that's why he was actually paying attention the second go round. The waist packs were a great excuse for you, Lady H.
> We are going to San Diego next month. We haven't decided if we're doing SW. I'll be interested to see what more you have to say.



He may have. I don't know. But whatever it was that finally kicked in for him, he was definitely all over us the second time through. And yes, it was a very good excuse for me. I take them where I can get them. Otherwise, my excuse is just, Dumb Wife! 

I always enjoy SW. But I absolutely adore sea animals. For the longest time I had my mind set on becoming a marine biologist/zoologist just because I love animals. Unfortunately my love for animals was thrown overboard by my lack of enthusiasm for the classes i had to take. I'm not a science person at all, and while I'm sure I could have done it if I put my mind to it, I was too scared to try and went to Communications/Theater instead. 



smidgy said:


> ok,, did no one else notice?  that yummy looking breakfast plate, had......various packets of Ketchup on it!!!!  there was not one thing on that plate that a normal person would use kethcup on!!!



Are you saying that you thought I was normal before this? You've met me...When have I ever given the impression that normality was part of my life? 

I think T-Man beat me to it, but yes, there were potatoes on there. I love potatoes with Ketchup. In a restaurant, if i order a breakfast plate that comes with potatoes or hash browns, I tend to leave those for last so I can eat them with Ketchup. That way the ketchup doesn't get into my eggs or anything else. 





jedijill said:


> Wow, Manta is really differenent in CA...the one in Orlando you are actually laying down...It's amazing but pretty freaky the first time.
> 
> Doh! on leaving the parking passes in the hotel room.  I did that with my AP at SW in Orlando so I had to pay for parking.
> 
> Jill in CO



The Manta in CA is completely different from Manta in FL. The Manta in FL I have been on once. This past trip, T-Man and his sister had a bet going that if she rode The Incredible Hulk coaster at Islands of Adventure 15 times in one day, that he would then ride Manta 10 times (Because of the difference in extremes, it would be unwise to do it more than that I guess). His sister rode Hulk 15 times, and so when we went to SW, he was bound and determined to keep his side of the bargain. His sister is as crazy as he is when it comes to coasters, I stand off to the side and wave and take pictures most of the time. 
but for some reason, this particular coaster makes her become Dumb Sister (saving me the trouble of coming along as Dumb Wife). She can't handle it. However, she went along for 4 of the rides, each time freaking out and channeling her inner sister in law (i.e., screaming and closing her eyes for the ride). Needless to say, by the end of the 4th ride, she threw in her towel. T-Man only made it 7 times. He would have made it the whole 10 but by the time we went to see the final Shamu show, the park was getting ready to close and he didn't get a chance to test his boundaries. He did however have a few nice bruises from the ride. His sister called it even after that I think. 



orangecats2 said:


> I think some of those packets were hot sauce!!!



You are correct my dear! Gotta have hot sauce for the eggs! 



Mom&RN said:


> Mmmm ketchup on the potatoes, hot sauce on the eggs - those will do if there is no salsa available.  If there is salsa then salsa goes on everything! Didn't used to eat that way until I moved to Texas, now I'm a salsa addict.



I live in New Mexico, where the official state question is Red or Green, meaning do you want red or green chili with your food. We eat chili with just about everything here. We usually take some along on our trips because we can't go extended periods of time without it. We start to get the shakes and it's not pretty. So yes, when no chili is available, I will substitute hot sauce or salsa. 



smidgy said:


> my midwestern brain is trying to get around this !  lol
> 
> I know, I know, some people put ketchup on eggs!!!   my mom had a friend who put ketchup on mashed potatos!!!!   double.
> 
> Jackson dips his grilled cheese in ketchup, but he's a kid, so it doesn't count.
> 
> In chicago, ketchup on a hot dog is nearly a punishable offense!!!
> 
> now, some folks put ketchup on french fries, but french fries are not breakfast potatos!!   I am always amazed in other states, when we go for breakfast and they want to know if we need ketchup or tobasco!!
> 
> a few years back, there were a couple guys that used to come in to the restaurant and ask for sour cream for their french fries.   I thought it strange.    their reply: " well, you put sour cream on your baked potato? why not your fried potatos?"    hhmmmmm



As I grew older, my tastes changed. i used to only eat hot dogs with ketchup, now, I am not that fond of it. I will eat them with mustard, and occasionally, because of T-Man, will eat them with Mayo when having a chili dog. 

I love to eat my fries with Ranch. Of course I eat Ranch on almost anything too, Pizza is a favorite for that. Again...normality? 



dwheatl said:


> Right there with you, but then, I also live in a state that was once part of Mexico.
> 
> 
> 
> My DD puts ranch dressing on her fries, like they need more fat. She's a size 2 and an adult, so I don't say too much about it. I love ketchup on any fried potatoes, and have eaten it on scrambled eggs a few times if they were too eggy. I do draw the line at ketchup and cottage cheese - was that Nixon?



We live in a state that everyone thinks is part of Mexico. Anywhere we go, when asked where we live, we get, "Oh, you live in Mexico", or "Did you need a passport to get here?" Just because there is a New in front of it does not mean that it is part of the old...

Ranch on fries is wonderful! If i can't have ranch though, I will eat them with ketchup. I know a lot of people who like mayo with their fries. Never tried it. I have done Aoli, which of course is a garlic mayo, but I think the spices and the garlic change the dynamics.


----------



## Thumper_Man

dwheatl said:


> Well, aren't you sweet. I will let you know.



Yes, please do. The sooner the better.  Given it would be sent by snail mail, I would need time to get it to you.



dwheatl said:


> Right there with you, but then, I also live in a state that was once part of Mexico.



What a coincidence, we live in a state that people think is still part of Mexico.  One time in FL, I literally had someone ask me where New Mexico was.  :confused it took all I had in me not to die laughing.  3  I'm guessing she was absent from school the day they taught her about the 50 states.


----------



## JagQT

Here is my post on your thread. I'm still trying to figure out how this works...a little confused.


----------



## mmeb144

JagQT said:


> Here is my post on your thread. I'm still trying to figure out how this works...a little confused.



You're doing great!  Don't let the Thumpers scare you off.  

Next up, work on the snarky comments.  My comments are not good examples.  All I wanted to know was if they fed the rays.....  

You can check out Pkondz and Nebo for the experts on commenting on threads.


----------



## JagQT

mmeb144 said:
			
		

> You're doing great!  Don't let the Thumpers scare you off.
> 
> Next up, work on the snarky comments.  My comments are not good examples.  All I wanted to know was if they fed the rays.....
> 
> You can check out Pkondz and Nebo for the experts on commenting on threads.



Him, scare me? Pssh. Haha Jk. He's my brother, so he better not scare me off.


----------



## Thumper_Man

JagQT said:


> Here is my post on your thread. I'm still trying to figure out how this works...a little confused.
> 
> 
> mmeb144 said:
> 
> 
> 
> You're doing great!  Don't let the Thumpers scare you off.
> 
> Next up, work on the snarky comments.  My comments are not good examples.  All I wanted to know was if they fed the rays.....
> 
> You can check out Pkondz and Nebo for the experts on commenting on threads.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> JagQT said:
> 
> 
> 
> Him, scare me? Pssh. Haha Jk. He's my brother, so he better not scare me off.
> 
> Click to expand...
Click to expand...


Me scare off my D'Sis?  You know how long it took me to get her to join?  

I doubt Lady H would scare off her D'SIL. If she were to do that, then she would have to play dumb wife.  Lady H likes that her D'SIL is my coaster buddy.  She can usually send me off with her and keep her feet planted firmly on the ground playing smart wife. By that I mean sip stealer.   

She's already got to meet Nebo, so I doubt he can scare her off.  She already knows what he's like.  I think she already learned to ignore him because he don't think she really talks that much.
Her and Smidgy left us to watch the parade, so I know they're buds.

Now Ponzi on the other hand.  This is my younger sister, I got my eye on you.
	

	
	
		
		

		
			
		
		
	


	




Seriously though, it usually the other posters on these threads she has to watch out for.  Some of them look to pounce on you like a kitty on a unraveling ball of yarn.


----------



## JagQT

Thumper_Man said:
			
		

> Me scare off my D'Sis?  You know how long it took me to get her to join?
> 
> I doubt Lady H would scare off her D'SIL. If she were to do that, then she would have to play dumb wife.  Lady H likes that her D'SIL is my coaster buddy.  She can usually send me off with her and keep her feet planted firmly on the ground playing smart wife. By that I mean sip stealer.
> 
> She's already got to meet Nebo, so I doubt he can scare her off.  She already knows what he's like.  I think she already learned to ignore him because he don't think she really talks that much.
> Her and Smidgy left us to watch the parade, so I know they're buds.
> 
> Now Ponzi on the other hand.  This is my younger sister, I got my eye on you.
> 
> Seriously though, it usually the other posters on these threads she has to watch out for.  Some of them look to pounce on you like a kitty on a unraveling ball of yarn.
> 
> LMAO at sip stealer. At least now we know who not to leave the drinks with next time.


----------



## Mom&RN

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I was wondering if anyone would get that connection! NARF!
> 
> Um, you did notice I made you the brain and T-Man pinky... it was intentional but don't tell T-Man that
> 
> I live in New Mexico, where the official state question is Red or Green, meaning do you want red or green chili with your food. We eat chili with just about everything here. We usually take some along on our trips because we can't go extended periods of time without it. We start to get the shakes and it's not pretty. So yes, when no chili is available, I will substitute hot sauce or salsa.
> 
> The yummy, spicy flavors of Texas and the Southwest - I don't know how I lived without them.  No decent restaurant here in Texas will serve less than two different kinds of salsa (most have three or four) and I don't just mean mexican restaurants   Interestingly in the San Antonio area everyone calls salsa "hot sauce", if you ask for salsa they give you the "not from here" look.  Not sure how that happened as it is definately salsa in the rest of Texas.
> 
> I love to eat my fries with Ranch. Of course I eat Ranch on almost anything too, Pizza is a favorite for that. Again...normality?
> 
> Totally with you - ranch on both fries and especially pizza!


----------



## smidgy

now when you say "chili" with everything, what do you mean? do you mean chili peppers? or hot sauce made with chili peppers.   casue when I think of chili, I think of ground beef, kidney beans, tomato sauce or crushed tomatos, with various spices (cumin, red pepper etc. )  with onions and cheese on top.. some people have recently taken to putting fritos on top. 
 I guess in texas "true" chili has no beans. and it's made with chuck steak, not ground beef.  (we have an awesome sub shop near us that makes chili that way)

a true Chicago hot dog:  mustard(can be yellow, but brown in better), onions, relish, tomatos, sport peppers.  on a poppy seed bun. buns are steamed.  oh! celery salt!  NO kethup!(although I admit, I like kethcup on mine, but nebo freaks.. but he hates tomatos)

preferrably bought from a free standing cart on the side of the road. there was on about a block from Foster Ave, Beach (Lake Michigan) one the way to the bus stop.  as! good old high school summers at the beach!


----------



## orangecats2

smidgy said:


> now when you say "chili" with everything, what do you mean? do you mean chili peppers? or hot sauce made with chili peppers.   casue when I think of chili, I think of ground beef, kidney beans, tomato sauce or crushed tomatos, with various spices (cumin, red pepper etc. )  with onions and cheese on top.. some people have recently taken to putting fritos on top.
> I guess in texas "true" chili has no beans. and it's made with chuck steak, not ground beef.  (we have an awesome sub shop with us that makes chili that way)
> 
> a true Chicago hot dog:  mustard(can be yellow, but brown in better), onions, relish, tomatos, sport peppers.  on a poppy seed bun. buns are steamed.  or! celery salt!  NO kethup!(although I admit, I like kethcup on mine, but nebo freaks.. but he hates tomatos)
> 
> preferrably bought from a free standing cart on the side of the road. there was on about a block from Foster Ave, Beach (Lake Michigan) on the way to the bus stop.  as! good old high school summers at the beach!




I know I might be banned forever but I have a confession...I only put ketchup on hot dogs. My DH thinks its weird too. I even put ketchup on steak! I know, I know but I don't like anything even a tad spicy. My stomach is very sensitive and getting worse with age.


----------



## smidgy

orangecats2 said:


> I know I might be banned forever but I have a confession...I only put ketchup on hot dogs. My DH thinks its weird too. *I even put ketchup on steak! *I know, I know but I don't like anything even a tad spicy. My stomach is very sensitive and getting worse with age.



  I work at a steakhouse.  we serve only certified angus beef.  I cringe when someone asks for steak sauce (and when nebo uses it lol)  . Kethcup on a steak is sacrilege!!!  just order a burger!  lol


----------



## dwheatl

Thumper_Man said:


> Yes, please do. The sooner the better.  Given it would be sent by snail mail, I would need time to get it to you.
> 
> 
> 
> What a coincidence, we live in a state that people think is still part of Mexico.  One time in FL, I literally had someone ask me where New Mexico was.  :confused it took all I had in me not to die laughing.  3  I'm guessing she was absent from school the day they taught her about the 50 states.



I talked with DH, and we decided we'll skip SW this time. It's museum week, so we're going to try to fit in some of the ones in Balboa Park, which we've never done before. Thanks for offering the SW parking. I know how it feels when you plan ahead to save money, and then something changes (or you forget something) and end up losing money.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

Mom&RN said:


> Um, you did notice I made you the brain and T-Man pinky... it was intentional but don't tell T-Man that



 Yes I did notice, but when am I ever going to get to use the word NARF again? It's the little things that amuse me, i take it where I can get it. 

But thank you for making me out to be the brain. I knew i liked you for a reason! Other than following our TR, and being awesome. 





Mom&RN said:


> The yummy, spicy flavors of Texas and the Southwest - I don't know how I lived without them.  No decent restaurant here in Texas will serve less than two different kinds of salsa (most have three or four) and I don't just mean mexican restaurants   Interestingly in the San Antonio area everyone calls salsa "hot sauce", if you ask for salsa they give you the "not from here" look.  Not sure how that happened as it is definately salsa in the rest of Texas.



I lived in Portales, NM during my college years, and it's amazing the difference in culinary tastes from city to city here in NM. Since Portales was so close to Texas, their "chili" was salsa. The first time I went to a restaurant and ordered a breakfast plate with a side of chili, I of course expected a side of green chili sauce, because most places serve that on the side. Nope...I got a side of salsa.  Needless to say, that would have been a very long 4 1/2 years if I didn't get to go home occasionally and bring some back with me. 




Mom&RN said:


> Totally with you - ranch on both fries and especially pizza!



 I don't remember how long ago it was, I've been eating ranch with Pizza for ages, but I do remember that I was sitting in a Pizza hut with my mom the first time I tried it. One of the waitresses brought a side of ranch over to me, and told me I had to give it a try. I have been hooked ever since. 



smidgy said:


> now when you say "chili" with everything, what do you mean? do you mean chili peppers? or hot sauce made with chili peppers.   casue when I think of chili, I think of ground beef, kidney beans, tomato sauce or crushed tomatos, with various spices (cumin, red pepper etc. )  with onions and cheese on top.. some people have recently taken to putting fritos on top.
> I guess in texas "true" chili has no beans. and it's made with chuck steak, not ground beef.  (we have an awesome sub shop with us that makes chili that way)
> 
> a true Chicago hot dog:  mustard(can be yellow, but brown in better), onions, relish, tomatos, sport peppers.  on a poppy seed bun. buns are steamed.  or! celery salt!  NO kethup!(although I admit, I like kethcup on mine, but nebo freaks.. but he hates tomatos)
> 
> preferrably bought from a free standing cart on the side of the road. there was on about a block from Foster Ave, Beach (Lake Michigan) on the way to the bus stop.  as! good old high school summers at the beach!



Chili...how do I explain that...Here in New Mexico we are known for our chili. Hatch (A town in the southern part of the state) is where most of the chili is grown here. Depending on when it's picked, will determine the intensity of the chili. The green chili, which is one of the more popular, is probably closest to the anaheim chili. So yes, technically it is a pepper. However, here in NM, we don't eat it say like a Jalapeno, Once picked, the chili's are usually roasted over an open flame, charred on the skin, and then once packaged, you can do one of two things. Either freeze the chili as is, into individual packages, for later consumption, or peel it, and seed it and then freeze it. We tend to buy in bulk, since they are only cultivated once per year. When using the chili, we defrost, and then chop it, add a little garlic powder and salt to taste, and then use it over almost everything. In some cases, such as a good green chili cheeseburger, you can use the strips of chili instead of chopping it. 

Now, on the other side of the coin, if the chili's are left longer on the vine, they will eventually turn red, making them hotter and in turn, this is what is called, Chili Colorado. We tend to grind this chili down into a powder and make red chili to put on almost everything, from enchiladas, to eggs, to even hot chocolate if you want it spicy. 

Usually, the way we do it, is make a pot of red chili for beans and enchiladas. we make it with pork, which is the more traditional way, but others like it plain or with ground beef. Either way is fine. But you start by making a rue, flour and butter or oil, then add the chili powder, and meat of your choice that has already been browned. From there you add water to thin out the mixture to your liking. Add garlic and salt and voila, you have red chili. 

There is a HUGE difference in NM chili as opposed to Texas chili, where in Texas, chili is pretty much a meal in itself. It has veggies, meats, beans, etc all mixed in with other sauces and spices. Here in NM, we take the chili as simple as we can and use it on everything. 

I hope that wasn't too confusing...



dwheatl said:


> I talked with DH, and we decided we'll skip SW this time. It's museum week, so we're going to try to fit in some of the ones in Balboa Park, which we've never done before. Thanks for offering the SW parking. I know how it feels when you plan ahead to save money, and then something changes (or you forget something) and end up losing money.



I hope you enjoy the museums. That sounds like it would be fun. Of course I love going to places like that. Sorry you won't be able to hit SW, but if you so decide later on, the voucher doesn't expire until August I think.


----------



## Thumper_Man

dwheatl said:


> I talked with DH, and we decided we'll skip SW this time. It's museum week, so we're going to try to fit in some of the ones in Balboa Park, which we've never done before. Thanks for offering the SW parking. I know how it feels when you plan ahead to save money, and then something changes (or you forget something) and end up losing money.



That's quite alright.  Have fun at the museums.  Lady H and I have yet to go to Balboa.  One of these years we'll make it down there.


----------



## nowellsl

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Chili...how do I explain that...Here in New Mexico we are known for our chili. Hatch (A town in the southern part of the state) is where most of the chili is grown here. Depending on when it's picked, will determine the intensity of the chili. The green chili, which is one of the more popular, is probably closest to the anaheim chili. So yes, technically it is a pepper. However, here in NM, we don't eat it say like a Jalapeno, Once picked, the chili's are usually roasted over an open flame, charred on the skin, and then once packaged, you can do one of two things. Either freeze the chili as is, into individual packages, for later consumption, or peel it, and seed it and then freeze it. We tend to buy in bulk, since they are only cultivated once per year. When using the chili, we defrost, and then chop it, add a little garlic powder and salt to taste, and then use it over almost everything. In some cases, such as a good green chili cheeseburger, you can use the strips of chili instead of chopping it.
> 
> Now, on the other side of the coin, if the chili's are left longer on the vine, they will eventually turn red, making them hotter and in turn, this is what is called, Chili Colorado. We tend to grind this chili down into a powder and make red chili to put on almost everything, from enchiladas, to eggs, to even hot chocolate if you want it spicy.
> 
> Usually, the way we do it, is make a pot of red chili for beans and enchiladas. we make it with pork, which is the more traditional way, but others like it plain or with ground beef. Either way is fine. But you start by making a rue, flour and butter or oil, then add the chili powder, and meat of your choice that has already been browned. From there you add water to thin out the mixture to your liking. Add garlic and salt and voila, you have red chili.
> 
> There is a HUGE difference in NM chili as opposed to Texas chili, where in Texas, chili is pretty much a meal in itself. It has veggies, meats, beans, etc all mixed in with other sauces and spices. Here in NM, we take the chili as simple as we can and use it on everything.
> 
> I hope that wasn't too confusing...




That was not confusing at all   I've never heard of making chili with a rue, or with pork.  I might have to try it sometime!  Thanks for the idea!


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

nowellsl said:


> That was not confusing at all   I've never heard of making chili with a rue, or with pork.  I might have to try it sometime!  Thanks for the idea!



Anytime I can pass down a recipe, I'm happy to do so  You will have to let me know what you think if you do try it.


----------



## JagQT

Thumper_Man's Wife said:
			
		

> Anytime I can pass down a recipe, I'm happy to do so  You will have to let me know what you think if you do try it.



I once had a conversation with a woman in OH about chili. After explaining to her that we do not make chili out of tomato sauce or any kind of tomato anything, I went on to mention green chili. She then asked me if we use green tomatoes for that. Explaining chili to ppl outside of NM can be tricky.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

JagQT said:


> I once had a conversation with a woman in OH about chili. After explaining to her that we do not make chili out of tomato sauce or any kind of tomato anything, I went on to mention green chili. She then asked me if we use green tomatoes for that. Explaining chili to ppl outside of NM can be tricky.



Yeah. It took me a while to figure out how to explain it in writing. Every state has their own way of doing it. To be honest, every city has it's own way. It's just like everything else we make. Some people do enchilada's sort of like flautas, where they roll the enchiladas up and them smother them, as opposed to like a casserole or lasagna style like we do.  That's the wonderful world of food!!!!


----------



## smidgy

see, to me, (and anyone else in the midwest) chili is a meal.  a dish in and of itself.. as in, Hormel Chili.

usually, it mean ground beef and spices.   so,thank you for educating me in the way of the chili.!!!!


----------



## dwheatl

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Yeah. It took me a while to figure out how to explain it in writing. Every state has their own way of doing it. To be honest, every city has it's own way. It's just like everything else we make. Some people do enchilada's sort of like flautas, where they roll the enchiladas up and them smother them, as opposed to like a casserole or lasagna style like we do.  That's the wonderful world of food!!!!




Mmmmm.....enchiladas (casserole-type or flautas, they're all fabulous).


----------



## Markie Mouse

great TR so far.  I haven't been to Universal Studios or Seaworld and I'm super excited to get back in June.  It seems a lot has changed since then.  Can't wait for the update.


----------



## Thumper_Man

smidgy said:


> so,thank you for educating me in the way of the chili.!!!!



Well the way most New Mexican's do chili here.  And because of the way we use chili here, it makes it hard for us to eat at any spanish type cuisines outside of New Mexico.  So we usually take some along with us to use on vacation.  Like our recent trip to WDW.  We took both red and green chili along.  Since we were staying at our timeshare the first portion of our trip, and had a kitchen, I made casserole style enchiladas with the red.  So we can get our "chili fix" so to speak.

And someone mentioned that people have recently started putting fritos in their chili.  We've been doing that for years.  Around here, we call it a frito pie.  Why they call it a pie is beyond me, but that's been the term used for years.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Markie Mouse said:


> great TR so far.  I haven't been to Universal Studios or Seaworld and I'm super excited to get back in June.  It seems a lot has changed since then.  Can't wait for the update.



Hey, a new reader.  Thanks for reading along.  

We loved Universal and Sea World.  I hope you have as much fun as we did.


----------



## pkondz

Life's been getting in the way of my DISsing, but I'm caught up here now. I'll post some comments on the last chapter and a few other posts but first...



Thumper_Man said:


> I wasn't referring to sunglasses.    Unless you're getting to that point in your life where you will sit by the curb with sunglasses on and a tin cup.



I would never do that!!

I of course have pencils in the tin cup.


----------



## MAGICFOR2

Thumper_Man said:


> Well the way most New Mexican's do chili here.  And because of the way we use chili here, it makes it hard for us to eat at any spanish type cuisines outside of New Mexico.  So we usually take some along with us to use on vacation.  Like our recent trip to WDW.  We took both red and green chili along.  Since we were staying at our timeshare the first portion of our trip, and had a kitchen, I made casserole style enchiladas with the red.  So we can get our "chili fix" so to speak.
> 
> And someone mentioned that people have recently started putting fritos in their chili.  We've been doing that for years.  Around here, we call it a frito pie.  Why they call it a pie is beyond me, but that's been the term used for years.



You're making me hungry!!  Sounds like the delicious food in the legit restaurants back home.  I just didn't know how it was done - but thanks to you, I might try it.  I am sure there are lots of those here, too - have tried a couple of "hole in the wall" places.  The recipes back home in Oregon, which in our town was about 25% Latino, seemed to be ALOT like the recipes in Puerto Vallarta.  I am not so engrained that I need to bring my own chilis though!


----------



## nebo

Sorry for being absent Heather, you sure are doing a great job though. 




Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I think T-Man beat me to it, but yes, there were potatoes on there. I love potatoes with Ketchup. In a restaurant, if i order a breakfast plate that comes with potatoes or hash browns, I tend to leave those for last so I can eat them with Ketchup. That way the ketchup doesn't get into my eggs or anything else.
> 
> *So,,, there is a LITTLE bit of normalacy?*
> 
> 
> 
> The Manta in CA is completely different from Manta in FL. The Manta in FL I have been on once. This past trip, T-Man and his sister had a bet going that if she rode The Incredible Hulk coaster at Islands of Adventure 15 times in one day, that he would then ride Manta 10 times (Because of the difference in extremes, it would be unwise to do it more than that I guess). His sister rode Hulk 15 times, and so when we went to SW, he was bound and determined to keep his side of the bargain. His sister is as crazy as he is when it comes to coasters, I stand off to the side and wave and take pictures most of the time.
> but for some reason, this particular coaster makes her become Dumb Sister (saving me the trouble of coming along as Dumb Wife). She can't handle it. However, she went along for 4 of the rides, each time freaking out and channeling her inner sister in law (i.e., screaming and closing her eyes for the ride). Needless to say, by the end of the 4th ride, she threw in her towel. T-Man only made it 7 times. He would have made it the whole 10 but by the time we went to see the final Shamu show, the park was getting ready to close and he didn't get a chance to test his boundaries. He did however have a few nice bruises from the ride. His sister called it even after that I think.
> 
> *Ok,,,  it appears that tthis is a ride I need to try!  I've ridden the Montu,,, the Mantis,, but not the Manta,,, excuse me,,, can we get somebody else in charge of naming these coaster?*
> 
> You are correct my dear! Gotta have hot sauce for the eggs!
> 
> *WHat ever happened to salt and pepper?*
> 
> I live in New Mexico, where the official state question is Red or Green, meaning do you want red or green chili with your food. We eat chili with just about everything here. We usually take some along on our trips because we can't go extended periods of time without it. We start to get the shakes and it's not pretty. So yes, when no chili is available, I will substitute hot sauce or salsa.
> 
> *Heck,,,I thought you were weird when you went to Rainforest to get PIZZA!  You go to MacDonalds for the salads, too, don't you?*
> 
> As I grew older, my tastes changed. i used to only eat hot dogs with ketchup, now, I am not that fond of it. I will eat them with mustard, and occasionally, because of T-Man, will eat them with Mayo when having a chili dog.
> 
> *I concur there,,, mayo and sour cream can be great on a hot dog. *
> 
> I love to eat my fries with Ranch. Of course I eat Ranch on almost anything too, Pizza is a favorite for that. Again...normality?
> 
> *And I will dip m y fries in just about anything as well,,,mustard, ketchup,,, BBQ sauce,, mayo,,,,French dressing,, yes,, you read that right. *
> 
> 
> 
> Ranch on fries is wonderful! If i can't have ranch though, I will eat them with ketchup. I know a lot of people who like mayo with their fries. Never tried it. I have done Aoli, which of course is a garlic mayo, but I think the spices and the garlic change the dynamics.


----------



## justliketink

Hi there!
I love your trip report T-Man and Lady H.  You two have so much fun together - thanks for sharing 

I have a feeling I will be copying your idea of spiked simply lemonades the next time I get down to the parks.  Yummmmmm!!

I'm up in NorCal so I'm able to get to DL once or twice a year.  It's fun to see it from a WDW point of view.  Glad you've been having a good time and can't wait to read more.

Pam


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I couldnt begin to describe how great it was to get back to the room a little earlier than expected after our long day at DCA.



OMG! We had to go to DCA. I was so glad when that was over and we could finally get to do what we always wanted. Go to our room. They've got TVs ya know.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> We tend to pack so much into our trips that those few times we get to spend relaxing with nowhere to go is a welcome site.



Okay, I was kidding... but ask Ruby some day about how happy she was when I took the kids to MK while she stayed at the resort and did laundry and sat by the pool all day.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> The thing is, we never know when we will be back, so we pack a lot in to make sure the trip is worth every second,



That's how I feel. I've had to change though. Ruby is not happy when we get back from vacation and she needs a vacation to recover.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> So its WednesdayI wake to T-Mans phone playing an interlude from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.



Funny aside. When I read that I thought, "Holy cow! How will we get up while we're in Europe? Our phones don't work there!"

Duh. Buy a cheap wind up alarm clock.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Waking up, coffee is being brewed, and I am trying to stretch the kinks out of my back. I was so exhausted the night before that I literally hit the bed and I was out cold.



So when you're tired you get cranky and hit things? Beds, lamps, chairs, whatever is within range of your wrath?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I dont think I moved much, and now my back and neck are a little stiff. I stretch and turn, letting my back do all the talking as it snaps, crackles and pops.



Isn't that one of the best ever tags for a product? Who doesn't know snap, crackle, pop? Didn't you want to try it for the first time as a kid, just to hear it?

Mom:"Here's the Rice Krispies you wanted."
Me:"Gee! Thanks!" <pours milk>
Bowl:"Snap! Crackle! Pop!"
Me:<Greedily and excitedly stuffs heaping spoon into pie hole all the while thinking of hundreds of microscopic Snaps, Crackles and Pops being crushed by teeth>
Mom:"So? How is it?"
Me:"Umm.... Pass the sugar, please?"



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> T-man brings me my coffee and I smile and greedily take the cup from his hands. MmmmmCoffffffeeeeee.The aroma gives me great pleasure.



Sorry Mike. Sounds like you've been replaced.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> What can I say, he married me, knowing full well what he was getting into.



Myth #732. A man marries a woman and knows exactly what she's like.



Sorry.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Since getting up I have had something irritating my eye. Since I went to bed last night before taking off my make-up I figured I probably just had mascara or eye liner or even foundation run into it somehow.



I've been reading to many of Nebo's TRs. I was so sure you were going to go on to tell us all about this horrible eye infection (complete with horrible, stomach churning pictures).



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> T-man is very sweet, and always goes on and on about how I do not need the stuff. I say he is love blind and doesnt see the scary person looking back at me through the mirror. We agree to disagree.



Perhaps. But Bunnyboy is right on this one. To quote R.A. Heinlein, "All women are beautiful, some are more beautiful then others."



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> and after checking to make sure we have everything, off we go.



uh, huh.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> My first time seeing the Pacific Ocean, and I couldnt get enough of how beautiful it was. The trees, and grass, the houses on the hills, everything is breathtaking. Maybe its because we dont live here, we dont see these views everyday, but I could easily spend hours just sight seeing and be happy.



I hear ya. People who live near amazing views get used to it and forget just how amazing it really is.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Before we came on vacation, T-Man purchased our parking for SW over the internet. This way we didnt have to worry about it when we got here. The parking receipt was kept in a manilla envelope that T-Man had all our park passes and reservations in. The manilla envelope is in our hotel room. Back in Anaheim. With the parking pass still inside it.



Like I said before... uh, huh.

Guess it coulda been worse. Honey, I forgot the park tickets. or Honey, I forgot to get gas (as they sit on the side of the road with the nearest station nowhere in sight).



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> As I pay the nice lady the $15 for parking, I glow inside knowing I am not the only one who forgets things and I my inner goddess stands triumphant on a cloud, holding her head high, and smiling brightly. Why? Because she can.



Inner goddess?

I'll buy that.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> After security makes me take off the paper bag,



And since you didn't mention it, I'm going to assume he didn't flinch or scream.

See? Beautiful.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> we are escorted through the turnstiles and into the park.



They had to escort you into the park? oooh. Lookit you, little miss VIP.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> to get the key, you must go over yonder, around the building, to the east, take three steps north and 2 steps back before getting lost and turning right back around to find the kiosk for the locker rental.



And that's what it's all about.
You do the hokey pokey!



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Finding our locker fairly quickly, we discard all our stuff except for the essentials. A bottle of water, and our waist packs that hold our money.



I had no idea that SW was okay with nudism. Just a bottle of water and a waist pack, huh?

Pictures?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> The next stop was at a small kiosk nearby for the Quick Que tickets



What are those?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I believe it was $36 a piece, but that was all day long. With the plan you got an entrée, salad or dessert and a drink every time you walked up to the counter.



That sounds like a pretty good deal to me.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Since we have it, we might as well use it right?



Right!

Oh, sorry. Was that a rhetorical question?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


>



I too noticed the ketchup right away. But coming from up north. We're amazed when we go to a McDonalds (or wherever) and they don't have vinegar for the fries.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Sorry birdieThis food is all MINE! MINE! MINE!
> AhemSorry



That's okay, Nemo.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I want to see if I can survive it after just eating breakfast.



Or if your breakfast will survive intact in your stomach.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I can already see T-Mans eyes light up as he looks at it from our vantage point and I remember that I dont HAVE to gohe would be happy to go on his own. But I also know that deep down, this dumb wife is welldumband she cant leave well enough alone.







Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Not with this one. They took a few moments to make sure all were secure. Finally giving the thumbs up to the teenager in the booth. I sure hope they know what they are doing.



Oh, sure. They get several minutes of briefings and training before they can operate it on their own.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Finally on the third thrust back, the doors open and off you go. DUMB WIFE, DUMB WIFE, DUMB WIFE!!!!!



 But thanks for the description.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> We take the long walk back, only to be brought through the obligatory shop, where you can find your picture and purchase one, or buy a souvenir.



A gift shop? At the end of a ride? What a novel idea! Perhaps this will be used at other places some day.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> T-man is jumping up and down like a little kid, wanting to go again. Unless he wants to give me a jump from the AED, which Im pretty sure he doesnt want to do, I think I may pass.



 Then again, if you do it again and he doesn't give you a jump from the AED, you _will_ pass.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I walk with him back to the entrance, where the bodyguard has now decided that paying attention to people coming in is a good thing. He tells us that we need to take off our waist packs in order to get on. We try to explain to him that we just got off the ride and had them on the whole time, but he refuses to acknowledge that, and is adamant that we take them off.



Probably some supervisor saw him let you on before (from the omnipresent vid cameras) and came down hard on him.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> This is my out. I tell T-man to give me his pack and his lanyard, and Ill hold onto them while he goes on it. He tries to tell me that we can use a locker, but I tell him, Im fine. I can watch.



"No. No. I insist. You go on without me. Perhaps some day you can make it up to me for this amazing sacrifice."





Thumper_Man's Wife said:


>



That is such a cool shot. Was that ray really that black? Or is it just the way the picture came out?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Nope. No T-Man. Will I find him? Will he be able to find me? Will he be lost forever on the roller coaster? Will he be fed to the Stingrays? I guess you will have to tune in next time for the continuing adventures of
> 
> T-Man and Lady H take over SeaWorld(echo, echo, echo).



Sorry, I don't watch that show so I can't relate... but great chapter Lady H!


----------



## pkondz

smidgy said:


> ok,, did no one else notice?  that yummy looking breakfast plate, had......various packets of Ketchup on it!!!!  there was not one thing on that plate that a normal person would use kethcup on!!!



I used to put ketchup on eggs. But then I came to my senses.  Hi jcc0621



Thumper_Man said:


> Yeah there is. Hard to tell, but there are potatoes under the bacon. I like ketchup on my potatoes. :thumbsup:



ketchup + fries = good
ketchup + potatoes = not so good

You teach them and you teach them but they just don't listen.



jcc0621 said:


> Yes there is....scrambled eggs!
> 
> Wait are  you saying I'm not normal?



Okay. You're not normal.

JK!

But I haven't put ketchup on eggs in years... 

Hold it! Yes I do! I like egg sandwiches and Denver sandwiches with ketchup.

Okay. You're normal.
Unless of course I'm not normal.

oh, boy. If you're like me, you're in big, big trouble.



smidgy said:


> In chicago, ketchup on a hot dog is nearly a punishable offense!!!



I don't care! I like ketchup on hotdogs. There's very little that I _won't_ put on a hotdog.



smidgy said:


> a few years back, there were a couple guys that used to come in to the restaurant and ask for sour cream for their french fries.   I thought it strange.    their reply: " well, you put sour cream on your baked potato? why not your fried potatos?"    hhmmmmm



Actually, that kinda makes sense.


But you still can't put ketchup on potatoes.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I love to eat my fries with Ranch. Of course I eat Ranch on almost anything too, Pizza is a favorite for that. Again...normality?



No comment.



JagQT said:


> Here is my post on your thread. I'm still trying to figure out how this works...a little confused.



a little confused, but full of advice?

I'm pretty sure I already welcomed you over on Nebo's thread... but I don't remember for sure and I'm not going back in time to see if I did or not, so...





mmeb144 said:


> You're doing great!  Don't let the Thumpers scare you off.



Yeah, they can be really mean.  



mmeb144 said:


> You can check out Pkondz and Nebo for the experts on commenting on threads.



Expert? Yeah. Me say dumb thing. Now me expert. Yeah.



Thumper_Man said:


> Now Ponzi on the other hand.  This is my younger sister, I got my eye on you.http://www.sherv.net/cm/emoticons/hand-gestures/watching-you-smiley-emoticon.gif[/IMG[/QUOTE]
> 
> Moi???
> 
> I have [I]no[/I] idea to what you might be referring. :snooty:
> 
> [quote="smidgy, post: 47362251"]a true Chicago hot dog:  mustard(can be yellow, but brown in better), onions, relish, tomatos, sport peppers.  on a poppy seed bun. buns are steamed.  oh! celery salt!  NO kethup!(although I admit, I like kethcup on mine, but nebo freaks.. but he hates tomatos) [/QUOTE]
> 
> mmm that sounds good. Add on some ketchup, and beef chilli and now were talking. Oh, and Ill take my onions fried or raw.
> 
> [quote="smidgy, post: 47362962"] Kethcup on a steak is sacrilege!!!  just order a burger!  lol[/QUOTE]
> 
> Thats just not right. :sad2:
> 
> [quote="Thumper_Man's Wife, post: 47365314"] Chili...how do I explain that...Here in New Mexico we are known for our chili. Hatch (A town in the southern part of the state) is where most of the chili is grown here. Depending on when it's picked, will determine the intensity of the chili. The green chili, which is one of the more popular, is probably closest to the anaheim chili. So yes, technically it is a pepper. However, here in NM, we don't eat it say like a Jalapeno, Once picked, the chili's are usually roasted over an open flame, charred on the skin, and then once packaged, you can do one of two things. Either freeze the chili as is, into individual packages, for later consumption, or peel it, and seed it and then freeze it. We tend to buy in bulk, since they are only cultivated once per year. When using the chili, we defrost, and then chop it, add a little garlic powder and salt to taste, and then use it over almost everything. In some cases, such as a good green chili cheeseburger, you can use the strips of chili instead of chopping it.
> 
> Now, on the other side of the coin, if the chili's are left longer on the vine, they will eventually turn red, making them hotter and in turn, this is what is called, Chili Colorado. We tend to grind this chili down into a powder and make red chili to put on almost everything, from enchiladas, to eggs, to even hot chocolate if you want it spicy.
> 
> Usually, the way we do it, is make a pot of red chili for beans and enchiladas. we make it with pork, which is the more traditional way, but others like it plain or with ground beef. Either way is fine. But you start by making a rue, flour and butter or oil, then add the chili powder, and meat of your choice that has already been browned. From there you add water to thin out the mixture to your liking. Add garlic and salt and voila, you have red chili.
> 
> There is a HUGE difference in NM chili as opposed to Texas chili, where in Texas, chili is pretty much a meal in itself. It has veggies, meats, beans, etc all mixed in with other sauces and spices. Here in NM, we take the chili as simple as we can and use it on everything.
> 
> I hope that wasn't too confusing...:blush: [/QUOTE]
> 
> Nope. That was excellent. Thanks Heather.
> 
> Can I come over for supper?
> 
> [quote="JagQT, post: 47368179"]I once had a conversation with a woman in OH about chili. After explaining to her that we do not make chili out of tomato sauce or any kind of tomato anything, I went on to mention green chili. She then asked me if we use green tomatoes for that. Explaining chili to ppl outside of NM can be tricky.[/QUOTE]
> 
> :lmao:
> 
> [quote="smidgy, post: 47372203"]see, to me, (and anyone else in the midwest) chili is a meal.  a dish in and of itself.. as in, Hormel Chili.
> 
> usually, it mean ground beef and spices [/QUOTE]
> 
> ::yes::
> 
> [quote="nebo, post: 47388539"]WHat ever happened to salt and pepper? [/QUOTE]
> 
> Didnt they lose their Grammy for lip syncing?
> 
> [quote="nebo, post: 47388539"]And I will dip m y fries in just about anything as well,,,mustard, ketchup,,, BBQ sauce,, mayo,,,,French dressing,, yes,, you read that right. [/QUOTE]
> 
> French fries are designed to be dipped in stuff. I doubt anyone could shock me. Without lying that is.


----------



## nebo

pkondz said:


> OMG! We had to go to DCA. I was so glad when that was over and we could finally get to do what we always wanted. Go to our room. They've got TVs ya know.
> 
> *Ok,,,not bad. At least you didn't say that since you're from Canada that they have indoor plumbing. *
> 
> Okay, I was kidding... but ask Ruby some day about how happy she was when I took the kids to MK while she stayed at the resort and did laundry and sat by the pool all day.
> 
> *yeah,,, I've recently been there,,, grr.*
> 
> That's how I feel. I've had to change though. Ruby is not happy when we get back from vacation and she needs a vacation to recover.
> 
> *nah,,, I like our way better,,, you can always catch up on sleep later,,, GO FOR IT!  REACH FOR ALL THE GUSTO YOU CAN,,, FROM THE LAND OF SKY BLUE WATERS,,,,*
> 
> Isn't that one of the best ever tags for a product? Who doesn't know snap, crackle, pop? Didn't you want to try it for the first time as a kid, just to hear it?
> 
> Mom:"Here's the Rice Krispies you wanted."
> Me:"Gee! Thanks!" <pours milk>
> Bowl:"Snap! Crackle! Pop!"
> Me:<Greedily and excitedly stuffs heaping spoon into pie hole all the while thinking of hundreds of microscopic Snaps, Crackles and Pops being crushed by teeth>
> Mom:"So? How is it?"
> Me:"Umm.... Pass the sugar, please?"
> 
> *This is gonna hurt me,,, but well done.*
> 
> 
> 
> Sorry Mike. Sounds like you've been replaced.
> 
> *Did yiou catch the key word in her sentance?  Somtthing about "aroma"?*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I've been reading to many of Nebo's TRs. I was so sure you were going to go on to tell us all about this horrible eye infection (complete with horrible, stomach churning pictures).
> 
> *Does anybod;y else take that as a "double dog dare?"*
> 
> Perhaps. But Bunnyboy is right on this one. To quote R.A. Heinlein, "All women are beautiful, some are more beautiful then others."
> 
> 
> 
> *You might need to talk to your publicist Ponzi,,, while the quote may be correct,,, the timing may need some work. *
> 
> 
> 
> I hear ya. People who live near amazing views get used to it and forget just how amazing it really is.
> 
> *Yes,,, that would be us here in the midwest,,,,, the sweeping corn fields,,, the grain,,, the burnt grass,,, ah,,, splendor,,,the speed bump now on rt. 57 they call nebo's blow out point,,,,yeah,,, that's all special,,, and we don't take it for granted.
> 
> Although, in all fairness,,, I have sttod in my slider window the last three days watching these three deer walk past our door, lookinig for food.  Something about a deer 10 feet away that still get's your attention.
> 
> *
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Inner goddess?
> 
> *uh oh*
> 
> I'll buy that.
> 
> *Whew!  Man, you scare me sometimes. *
> 
> And since you didn't mention it, I'm going to assume he didn't flinch or scream.
> 
> *You couldn't leave it alone?*
> 
> See? Beautiful.
> 
> *Yep, gonna give me a heart attack.*
> 
> I too noticed the ketchup right away. But coming from up north. We're amazed when we go to a McDonalds (or wherever) and they don't have vinegar for the fries.
> 
> *Excuse me, what?
> Vinegar?
> VINEGAR?
> FOR FRENCH FRIES?
> 
> WHAT,, DID THE FORMALDEHYDE GO BAD?
> 
> Oh brother.
> 
> No wonder nobody goes to the Expos games anymore. *
> 
> 
> A gift shop? At the end of a ride? What a novel idea! Perhaps this will be used at other places some day.
> 
> *Yes,,, they are putting one in at my bank now.*
> 
> Then again, if you do it again and he doesn't give you a jump from the AED, you _will_ pass.
> 
> *Ok,, nudder clever line,,,*
> 
> 
> That is such a cool shot. Was that ray really that black? Or is it just the way the picture came out?
> 
> *I wondered that too,,, did you see the initials ... S... I... carved in it's side?
> I know,,, bad taste, sorry.*
> 
> Sorry, I don't watch that show so I can't relate... but great chapter Lady H!



*Yeah,, it was a great chpater,,,, you did a great job too breaking it down,,, that's why I went here to get all of you.  THanks Heather. *


----------



## pkondz

nebo said:


> *Ok,,,not bad. At least you didn't say that since you're from Canada that they have indoor plumbing. *



Indoor what? Ya'll have yer outhouses on the _inside_???



nebo said:


> *Did yiou catch the key word in her sentance? Somtthing about "aroma"?*



I choose not to.



nebo said:


> pkondz said:
> 
> 
> 
> Perhaps. But Bunnyboy is right on this one. To quote R.A. Heinlein, "All women are beautiful, some are more beautiful then others."
> 
> 
> 
> *
> 
> You might need to talk to your publicist Ponzi,,, while the quote may be correct,,, the timing may need some work. *
Click to expand...


Nope. I stand by what I said. There's no such thing as a woman who isn't beautiful. Yes there are some women who are more beautiful in some ways then others. But in my eyes...



nebo said:


> *Although, in all fairness,,, I have sttod in my slider window the last three days watching these three deer walk past our door, lookinig for food. Something about a deer 10 feet away that still get's your attention. *



About a year or two ago, I was driving home from work and there's a section where I frequently see deer. As I approached this section, I saw a statue of a magnificient 10 (? I'm guessing... but it was a lot) point buck. But it was posed in such a cliche/corny way that I was disapointed. I mean, "Standing tall, head held regally high. Hind quarters solidly on the ground while the forelegs were beginning to climb the embankment."

I thought to myself, "If you're going to put up a deer statue. Make it more realistic. Not this stylized, ridiculously fairytale pose."


Then the nickel dropped.

There *isn't* any deer statue there.



nebo said:


> *Excuse me, what?
> Vinegar?
> VINEGAR?
> FOR FRENCH FRIES?
> 
> WHAT,, DID THE FORMALDEHYDE GO BAD?*



Better watch out or I'll let Ruby read this. Her idea of FF dining is to get a bowl and fill it half full of vinegar then add a few fries to it.


And she's not alone up here.



nebo said:


> *No wonder nobody goes to the Expos games anymore.*



Who? Never heard of 'em.



nebo said:


> pkondz said:
> 
> 
> 
> That is such a cool shot. Was that ray really that black? Or is it just the way the picture came out?
> 
> 
> 
> *
> 
> I wondered that too,,, did you see the initials ... S... I... carved in it's side?
> I know,,, bad taste, sorry.
> *
Click to expand...



ooooh. Too soon? I always figured some critter would get him eventually, but a ray? Nope.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

dwheatl said:


> Mmmmm.....enchiladas (casserole-type or flautas, they're all fabulous).



 I agree. My dad used to only eat them rolled, so that's the way we would eat them at home when i was younger. As i got older, the casserole way was just easier, plus that's the way T-Man makes them, and anytime I can get him to cook, I'm happy  



Markie Mouse said:


> great TR so far.  I haven't been to Universal Studios or Seaworld and I'm super excited to get back in June.  It seems a lot has changed since then.  Can't wait for the update.



Welcome! And Thank you! I am working on a new chapter. Real life keeps getting in the way of me playing  Hopefully I will have one up in the near future. 



Thumper_Man said:


> Well the way most New Mexican's do chili here.  And because of the way we use chili here, it makes it hard for us to eat at any spanish type cuisines outside of New Mexico.  So we usually take some along with us to use on vacation.  Like our recent trip to WDW.  We took both red and green chili along.  Since we were staying at our timeshare the first portion of our trip, and had a kitchen, I made casserole style enchiladas with the red.  So we can get our "chili fix" so to speak.
> 
> And someone mentioned that people have recently started putting fritos in their chili.  We've been doing that for years.  Around here, we call it a frito pie.  Why they call it a pie is beyond me, but that's been the term used for years.



Funny, but true story. A few years back, T-Man, DSIL and I were in Las Vegas, which is usually an annual trip since we have family there. One night, we decided to hit up The Cheesecake Factory for a late dinner. After ordering drinks and trying to decide on our entree's, the waiter comes back around. T-Man had been going back and forth on the green chili cheeseburger, and asked the waiter if he knew what kind of chili they used. Right away, the waiter looks at T-Man and tells him, "I'm not too sure, and I know how you folks from New Mexico are about your chili, so let me go check on that and I'll be right back." 

We sort of looked at each other trying to figure out how in the world he knew we were from New Mexico, until we remembered that DSIL had been carded when she ordered her drink. Duh. 

The waiter comes back and with a sincere, almost sad look, he tells T-Man that the chili is from El Paso, or something like that, and right away T-man shakes his head. The waiter nods in agreement, pretty much already knowing T-Man's response and checks with the rest of us to order to let T-Man choose another entree. 

It's times like those that remind us how picky we New Mexican's are about our chili. 



pkondz said:


> Life's been getting in the way of my DISsing, but I'm caught up here now. I'll post some comments on the last chapter and a few other posts but first...
> 
> 
> I would never do that!!
> 
> I of course have pencils in the tin cup.



Darn life! 

And what are the pencil's for? I O U's? 




MAGICFOR2 said:


> You're making me hungry!!  Sounds like the delicious food in the legit restaurants back home.  I just didn't know how it was done - but thanks to you, I might try it.  I am sure there are lots of those here, too - have tried a couple of "hole in the wall" places.  The recipes back home in Oregon, which in our town was about 25% Latino, seemed to be ALOT like the recipes in Puerto Vallarta.  I am not so engrained that I need to bring my own chilis though!



 Yeah, depending on the length of travel, we will add chili to our check list of things to pack. Usually it's only when we are going for really long periods of time, or to somewhere we know just won't have what we want. This last time, I laughed. Since we changed hotels midway through our trip, we packed our green chili into small baggies, and during our lunch at T-Rex, T-Man pulls out a baggie of green chili from his shorts pocket and adds it to his burger. We kept glancing around to make sure no one saw us. 



nebo said:


> Sorry for being absent Heather, you sure are doing a great job though.



Yeah yeah yeah...I'll let it slide this time since I know all the issues you've been dealing with (By the way, I hope you are feeling better!). But don't let it happen again Mr. Getting your teeth pulled just to have an excuse not to come over here and read will get you no where...and you only have so many teeth before you have to come up with another excuse. 





nebo said:


> So,,, there is a LITTLE bit of normalacy?



Sure...
	

	
	
		
		

		
			
		
		
	


	







nebo said:


> Ok,,, it appears that tthis is a ride I need to try! I've ridden the Montu,,, the Mantis,, but not the Manta,,, excuse me,,, can we get somebody else in charge of naming these coaster?



 I guess I never realized all the similar names before. Of course most of the time I'm too busy praying and repeating my mantra to notice anything else. But yes...both Manta coasters are good. The one in FL is much more intense, being on your stomach most of the ride, with loops and what not. The one in CA, is my kind of coaster. Just a lap bar, but it has some speed to it. 





nebo said:


> WHat ever happened to salt and pepper?



Good ol' S & P...It was there too. I think it was hiding under the hot sauce. Of course I use salt on my watermelon...Oh...I think i just went down a notch on the normalcy meter didn't I? 




nebo said:


> Heck,,,I thought you were weird when you went to Rainforest to get PIZZA! You go to MacDonalds for the salads, too, don't you?



 Surprisingly no. I tried the salads there once, and wasn't impressed. And this is coming from someone who could have salad all day, every day, and be happy. But the pizza at Rainforest is GOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!! 




nebo said:


> I concur there,,, mayo and sour cream can be great on a hot dog.



I never knew what i was missing with the mayo until we were at DCA and T-Man used it on his chili dog. I figured what the heck and gave it a try and really liked it. I have not tried sour cream. 




nebo said:


> And I will dip m y fries in just about anything as well,,,mustard, ketchup,,, BBQ sauce,, mayo,,,,French dressing,, yes,, you read that right.



I have not tried french dressing, but I have tried BBQ sauce. Usually if i have chicken nuggets or chicken tenders from some place, and they come with fries, I will use BBQ sauce instead of ketchup. Back in the day when Hardee's was around, I used to love their hash rounds with the Hardee's sauce or BBQ sauce.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

pkondz said:


> OMG! We had to go to DCA. I was so glad when that was over and we could finally get to do what we always wanted. Go to our room. They've got TVs ya know.



 ok...I guess that did sound a little off. But seriously, a vacation is supposed to be a relaxing time, away from work, yet it takes more work to get through your vacation and at the end of it all, you have to go back to work to relax. That's just not right!!!! 





pkondz said:


> Okay, I was kidding... but ask Ruby some day about how happy she was when I took the kids to MK while she stayed at the resort and did laundry and sat by the pool all day.



This time around I begged T-Man to slow down a bit and give us some time to chill. His thoughts were, we will have to do some laundry at some point, so that day can be a relaxation day. 





pkondz said:


> That's how I feel. I've had to change though. Ruby is not happy when we get back from vacation and she needs a vacation to recover.



See above. I don't want to have to go to work to recoup from a vacation. 





pkondz said:


> Funny aside. When I read that I thought, "Holy cow! How will we get up while we're in Europe? Our phones don't work there!"
> 
> Duh. Buy a cheap wind up alarm clock.



Or just get a phone plan that has an international option. 





pkondz said:


> So when you're tired you get cranky and hit things? Beds, lamps, chairs, whatever is within range of your wrath?



Exactly. 





pkondz said:


> Isn't that one of the best ever tags for a product? Who doesn't know snap, crackle, pop? Didn't you want to try it for the first time as a kid, just to hear it?
> 
> Mom:"Here's the Rice Krispies you wanted."
> Me:"Gee! Thanks!" <pours milk>
> Bowl:"Snap! Crackle! Pop!"
> Me:<Greedily and excitedly stuffs heaping spoon into pie hole all the while thinking of hundreds of microscopic Snaps, Crackles and Pops being crushed by teeth>
> Mom:"So? How is it?"
> Me:"Umm.... Pass the sugar, please?"



 I think that pretty much sums up the experience of anyone trying Rice Krispies for the first time. I think because they advertise it so well, you don't realize until you've tried it that it's not a sweetened cereal like some of the other popular ones, i.e., Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Honeycomb, Golden Grahams, etc. 





pkondz said:


> Sorry Mike. Sounds like you've been replaced.



My poor honey, he knows I love him...but i love him more after I've had my coffee. 





pkondz said:


> Myth #732. A man marries a woman and knows exactly what she's like.
> 
> 
> 
> Sorry.



 I have nothing to say to that...





pkondz said:


> I've been reading to many of Nebo's TRs. I was so sure you were going to go on to tell us all about this horrible eye infection (complete with horrible, stomach churning pictures).



Well the day isn't over...





pkondz said:


> Perhaps. But Bunnyboy is right on this one. To quote R.A. Heinlein, "All women are beautiful, some are more beautiful then others."



I think you've used that quote before...Although I have to say I appreciate it just as much now as i did before. But there is a big difference between me without any make-up at all, as opposed to me with my make-up sort of melted off after a day in the sun. Even then I still have some sort of cover. 





pkondz said:


> I hear ya. People who live near amazing views get used to it and forget just how amazing it really is.



I take for granted the views we have of the mountains until we are in a place that has none. I am very lucky to live where I do. 




pkondz said:


> Guess it coulda been worse. Honey, I forgot the park tickets. or Honey, I forgot to get gas (as they sit on the side of the road with the nearest station nowhere in sight).



 True...I was afraid he was about to say park tickets, not parking pass...That would have thrown everything off. 





pkondz said:


> Inner goddess?
> 
> I'll buy that.



It's better than saying, the voices in my head...





pkondz said:


> And since you didn't mention it, I'm going to assume he didn't flinch or scream.
> 
> See? Beautiful.



I figured it was only because he was paying more attention to making sure I wasn't carrying any explosives, than actually looking at my face. Plus security/cops, they are used to seeing crazy things. It's the other people in the park I was worried about. 





pkondz said:


> They had to escort you into the park? oooh. Lookit you, little miss VIP.



Well, I do consider myself a princess...





pkondz said:


> And that's what it's all about.
> You do the hokey pokey!









pkondz said:


> I had no idea that SW was okay with nudism. Just a bottle of water and a waist pack, huh?
> 
> Pictures?



Sorry...Camera broke. 





pkondz said:


> What are those?



The Quick Que tickets are SW's version of fast passes or Uni's version of Front of the line passes. You get to go through a special line just for QQ, and get on the ride a little faster. 







pkondz said:


> Right!
> 
> Oh, sorry. Was that a rhetorical question?



I know better than to consider anything I write rhetorical with you and Nebo around. 





pkondz said:


> I too noticed the ketchup right away. But coming from up north. We're amazed when we go to a McDonalds (or wherever) and they don't have vinegar for the fries.



I've heard of people eating vinegar with fries. I have never tried it, but I guess it can't be much different than eating salt and vinegar chips. 





pkondz said:


> That's okay, Nemo.











pkondz said:


>



You really enjoy my mantra don't you? 





pkondz said:


> Oh, sure. They get several minutes of briefings and training before they can operate it on their own.



Oh well...in that case...I was in great hands the whole time 





pkondz said:


> But thanks for the description.



Anytime! 





pkondz said:


> A gift shop? At the end of a ride? What a novel idea! Perhaps this will be used at other places some day.



Right? I thought it was quite interesting myself. The idea seems to have caught hold in other parks I'm told. 





pkondz said:


> Then again, if you do it again and he doesn't give you a jump from the AED, you _will_ pass.



I'm the only one in the house trained to use an AED...so I may have _passed_ if it came to that. 





pkondz said:


> Probably some supervisor saw him let you on before (from the omnipresent vid cameras) and came down hard on him.



Never thought about that. Of course, at the same time, the people who were ushering us into the ride cars, didn't say anything about our packs either when we got on the first time. 





pkondz said:


> "No. No. I insist. You go on without me. Perhaps some day you can make it up to me for this amazing sacrifice."



It's a tough job being the wife of a roller coaster junky...but someone's gotta do it. 





pkondz said:


> That is such a cool shot. Was that ray really that black? Or is it just the way the picture came out?



He was a little more in the shade so that might have a little to do with how dark he is, but from what i remember, he wasn't much lighter in the sun, so What you see is what you get. 





pkondz said:


> Sorry, I don't watch that show so I can't relate... but great chapter Lady H!



Thanks Ponzi. Great breakdown as usual. 



pkondz said:


> ketchup + fries = good
> ketchup + potatoes = not so good
> 
> You teach them and you teach them but they just don't listen.



I don't see how that can't be any clearer. 





pkondz said:


> Okay. You're not normal.
> 
> JK!
> 
> But I haven't put ketchup on eggs in years...
> 
> Hold it! Yes I do! I like egg sandwiches and Denver sandwiches with ketchup.
> 
> Okay. You're normal.
> Unless of course I'm not normal.
> 
> oh, boy. If you're like me, you're in big, big trouble.



What if, we really aren't like you, so much as you are like us? *Cue Twilight Zone Music* 





pkondz said:


> I don't care! I like ketchup on hotdogs. There's very little that I _won't_ put on a hotdog.



I'm picky about what goes on a hotdog, and more often than not, I don't eat them as much as I used to because of that. 






pkondz said:


> Yeah, they can be really mean.



Who me? I'm an angel! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	








pkondz said:


> Expert? Yeah. Me say dumb thing. Now me expert. Yeah.



We didn't say it took much to be an expert here...just saying you are one. 





pkondz said:


> mmm that sounds good. Add on some ketchup, and beef chilli and now were talking. Oh, and Ill take my onions fried or raw.



I don't do onions unless they are deep fried in batter. 






pkondz said:


> Nope. That was excellent. Thanks Heather.
> 
> Can I come over for supper?



Sure, come on over. If you give us a heads up, I can make sure T-Man has the Victoria Secret show on too.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Darn life!
> 
> And what are the pencil's for? I O U's?












Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> This time around I begged T-Man to slow down a bit and give us some time to chill. His thoughts were, we will have to do some laundry at some point, so that day can be a relaxation day.



And did T-Man graciously offer to do all the laundry while you relaxed by the pool?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Or just get a phone plan that has an international option.



The phone rates in Canada are some of the highest in the world. I shudder to think what the charges would be to add on an international option.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Well, I do consider myself a princess...



As do we.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> The Quick Que tickets are SW's version of fast passes or Uni's version of Front of the line passes. You get to go through a special line just for QQ, and get on the ride a little faster.



Ah. Thanks.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I know better than to consider anything I write rhetorical with you and Nebo around.



Sorry. I have no idea what you might be referring to.

:



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I've heard of people eating vinegar with fries. I have never tried it, but I guess it can't be much different than eating salt and vinegar chips.



Exactly. 

And I don't like S+V chips either.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> You really enjoy my mantra don't you?







Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> What if, we really aren't like you, so much as you are like us? *Cue Twilight Zone Music*



ooooh.... You're starting to creep me out.


cool.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Who me? I'm an angel!



Stipulated. I shall refraise. T-Man is mean.

Better?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I don't do onions unless they are deep fried in batter.



My DDs will do you one better. They will order onion rings and pick off the fried batter and toss the onions.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Sure, come on over. If you give us a heads up, I can make sure T-Man has the Victoria Secret show on too.



Man, you sure know how to make a guy feel welcome!


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

pkondz said:


>



 





pkondz said:


> And did T-Man graciously offer to do all the laundry while you relaxed by the pool?



Actually, he did. But we'll go more into that later. 





pkondz said:


> The phone rates in Canada are some of the highest in the world. I shudder to think what the charges would be to add on an international option.



Yeah, I don't know what it's like here either. I just know that T-Man has to deal with it often for work, since he has to set up the phones for those traveling out of the country. 





pkondz said:


> As do we.









pkondz said:


> Ah. Thanks.



You're welcome. 





pkondz said:


> Sorry. I have no idea what you might be referring to.
> 
> :



Uh huh...





pkondz said:


> Exactly.
> 
> And I don't like S+V chips either.



I've never acquired a taste for them either. My mom likes them, and depending on my mood, i can have maybe one or two, but that's about it.  








pkondz said:


> ooooh.... You're starting to creep me out.
> 
> 
> cool.



That's a first. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? 





pkondz said:


> Stipulated. I shall refraise. T-Man is mean.
> 
> Better?














pkondz said:


> My DDs will do you one better. They will order onion rings and pick off the fried batter and toss the onions.



 Sounds a lot like me when I was younger. It took me a long time to get a taste for them battered and fried. I think people at places like sonic or any restaurant that I order a burger and rings at, probably laugh at me, because I order my burger without onions, then a side of onion rings. 





pkondz said:


> Man, you sure know how to make a guy feel welcome!



We aim to please...

wait...that didn't sound right...

um...


----------



## Thumper_Man

Ok.  Work is getting in the way again, but I have to post about the Quick Queue real quick.  Think Lady H might have the QQ's mixed up.  We got QQ in SW-Orlando, but we didn't get them at SW-SD.  We tried but they weren't selling them for the day.  

As we first got into the park, we saw a little kiosk where they sell the QQ and ADDP.  These are the only 2 things sold here.  We walked up to the kiosk and asked if we could purchase both.  The cashier said she wasn't able to bring up the QQ tickets for some reason.  Her computer wasn't letting her and she referred us to the Guest Services building.  We paid her for the ADDP, got our bracelets for that and then went over to the GS.  When we walked into GS, it was empty.  No one behind the counter.  For a minute I was beginning to wonder if someone gave some bad customer service and became Shamu's (or possibly the sharks) next meal.  Eventually someone came out from the office in the back, wiping her hands.  Yup, someone definitely became breakfast.  

Anyways, we asked her if we could purchase some of the QQ tix for the day.  She told us they weren't being offered during the week at this time.  Only weekends. Better for us, saves us $60 and they lose out on $60.  We hit Manta right after breakfast and the wait time was only 5 minutes.  So to us, it was money well saved.


----------



## nebo

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> :
> 
> 
> 
> Funny, but true story. A few years back, T-Man, DSIL and I were in Las Vegas, which is usually an annual trip since we have family there. One night, we decided to hit up The Cheesecake Factory for a late dinner. After ordering drinks and trying to decide on our entree's, the waiter comes back around. T-Man had been going back and forth on the green chili cheeseburger, and asked the waiter if he knew what kind of chili they used. Right away, the waiter looks at T-Man and tells him, "I'm not too sure, and I know how you folks from New Mexico are about your chili, so let me go check on that and I'll be right back."
> 
> 
> *Me thinks thou are beginning to protest too much concerning chili.*
> 
> We sort of looked at each other trying to figure out how in the world he knew we were from New Mexico, until we remembered that DSIL had been carded when she ordered her drink. Duh.
> 
> 
> 
> It's times like those that remind us how picky we New Mexican's are about our chili.
> 
> *But Old Mexicans dont care?*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Yeah, depending on the length of travel, we will add chili to our check list of things to pack.
> 
> *I knew we'd be back on the chili in a sentance or two.*
> 
> Usually it's only when we are going for really long periods of time,
> 
> *Well,,, yeah,,, see above,,,,LEAVE THE CHILI AT HOME!
> geesh*
> 
> 
> or to somewhere we know just won't have what we want.
> 
> *You mean,, like cheeeelllll,,,, chiiiiilll,,,nope ,,I can't say it.*
> This last time, I laughed. Since we changed hotels midway through our trip, we packed our green chili into small baggies,
> 
> *Sigh,,,, ok,,, green chili,,,, baggies,,,in luggage,,,, and you wonder why you have to keep going.....*
> 
> and during our lunch at T-Rex, T-Man pulls out a baggie of green chili from his shorts pocket and adds it to his burger. We kept glancing around to make sure no one saw us.
> 
> *Ach mein Gott!  How many bad/good lines are sitting there?  How can you do this to me? *
> 
> Yeah yeah yeah...I'll let it slide this time since I know all the issues you've been dealing with (By the way, I hope you are feeling better!). But don't let it happen again Mr. Getting your teeth pulled just to have an excuse not to come over here and read will get you no where...and you only have so many teeth before you have to come up with another excuse.
> 
> 
> *geez,,, thanks for the reminder.*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I guess I never realized all the similar names before. Of course most of the time I'm too busy praying and repeating my mantra to notice anything else. But yes...both Manta coasters are good. The one in FL is much more intense, being on your stomach most of the ride, with loops and what not. The one in CA, is my kind of coaster. Just a lap bar, but it has some speed to it.
> 
> *Yeah,,, dats what I vant.*
> 
> 
> 
> Good ol' S & P...It was there too. I think it was hiding under the hot sauce. Of course I use salt on my watermelon...Oh...I think i just went down a notch on the normalcy meter didn't I?
> 
> *Salt? on watermelon?
> Oh no,,, you underestimated yourself;
> You went down 2 notches,,,,,,,,geesh.*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I never knew what i was missing with the mayo until we were at DCA and T-Man used it on his chili dog. I figured what the heck and gave it a try and really liked it. I have not tried sour cream.
> 
> *I'm not sure why,,, but sour cream is like Mayo times ten on the hit paraded,,,, even though Mayo has more taste,  no,  doesn't make sense,,,,but there you have it,,,
> hot dog,,, relish,, mustard,,,, sour cream,,, a bit of raw onions,,,pooppy seed bun.... that's livin'.
> poppy.
> not poopy.
> 
> and NO< NOT> NADA>  Chili. *
> 
> 
> I have not tried french dressing, but I have tried BBQ sauce. Usually if i have chicken nuggets or chicken tenders from some place, and they come with fries, I will use BBQ sauce instead of ketchup. Back in the day when Hardee's was around, I used to love their hash rounds with the Hardee's sauce or BBQ sauce.



*We lived around the corner from a Hardee's. 
  Then it closed six months later. 
   We were morose.

 Ok,,, ok,,, I was morose,, I think Smidgy was maroon.
(queue the bugs vid)*


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

nebo said:


> Me thinks thou are beginning to protest too much concerning chili.



Too much...Chili?   There is no such thing!




nebo said:


> But Old Mexicans dont care?



Nah...They are too busy scheduling in their siestas to care. 




nebo said:


> I knew we'd be back on the chili in a sentance or two.



Look at it this way, At least I don't disappoint. 





nebo said:


> Well,,, yeah,,, see above,,,,LEAVE THE CHILI AT HOME!
> geesh



I would, but then how in the world would we make Enchiladas on vacation? Duh...





nebo said:


> Sigh,,,, ok,,, green chili,,,, baggies,,,in luggage,,,, and you wonder why you have to keep going.....



On a trip to Reno a few years ago for an FOE grand convention, we had the honor of making Green Chili Dip for the 4 corners hospitality room. So naturally we took some chili in our luggage, frozen rock solid, figuring it would thaw out by the time we got there and were ready to use it. When we opened our luggage, we found a note from the airline, saying they had inspected that area of our suitcase.  Funny thing is, we knew we would be inspected, so we left it on the outer pocket. i'm just glad they didn't confiscate it. 

Yeah yeah yeah...back on the chili boat...I know...



nebo said:


> Ach mein Gott! How many bad/good lines are sitting there? How can you do this to me?



Me? Little innocent me? 





nebo said:


> geez,,, thanks for the reminder.



Anytime. It's what I'm here for. 






nebo said:


> Salt? on watermelon?
> Oh no,,, you underestimated yourself;
> You went down 2 notches,,,,,,,,geesh.



2? Really? But...but...but....OK...fine...I'm weird...I'll admit it. It's still good! 





nebo said:


> I'm not sure why,,, but sour cream is like Mayo times ten on the hit paraded,,,, even though Mayo has more taste, no, doesn't make sense,,,,but there you have it,,,
> hot dog,,, relish,, mustard,,,, sour cream,,, a bit of raw onions,,,pooppy seed bun.... that's livin'.
> poppy.
> not poopy.
> 
> and NO< NOT> NADA> Chili.



I was going to say something about you eating out of a pooppy seed bun...and you telling me I went down 2 notches for eating my watermelon with salt...But I think i'll just stay quiet...





nebo said:


> We lived around the corner from a Hardee's.
> Then it closed six months later.
> We were morose.
> 
> Ok,,, ok,,, I was morose,, I think Smidgy was maroon.
> (queue the bugs vid)



I loved Hardee's. We had one just about a block away from my junior high school. Depending on how the week had gone, our first period teacher would often take us for breakfast on Fridays as a treat. Usually without letting anyone know he was taking us on a field trip, which would infuriate the principal but he would still do it. It also used to be our escape from High School when i was a freshman. If we didn't feel like going to class, we would go to Hardee's instead. a couple years later it shut down, and was turned into a Carl's Jr. Not the same...




Thumper_Man said:


> Ok.  Work is getting in the way again, but I have to post about the Quick Queue real quick.  Think Lady H might have the QQ's mixed up.  We got QQ in SW-Orlando, but we didn't get them at SW-SD.  We tried but they weren't selling them for the day.
> 
> As we first got into the park, we saw a little kiosk where they sell the QQ and ADDP.  These are the only 2 things sold here.  We walked up to the kiosk and asked if we could purchase both.  The cashier said she wasn't able to bring up the QQ tickets for some reason.  Her computer wasn't letting her and she referred us to the Guest Services building.  We paid her for the ADDP, got our bracelets for that and then went over to the GS.  When we walked into GS, it was empty.  No one behind the counter.  For a minute I was beginning to wonder if someone gave some bad customer service and became Shamu's (or possibly the sharks) next meal.  Eventually someone came out from the office in the back, wiping her hands.  Yup, someone definitely became breakfast.
> 
> Anyways, we asked her if we could purchase some of the QQ tix for the day.  She told us they weren't being offered during the week at this time.  Only weekends. Better for us, saves us $60 and they lose out on $60.  We hit Manta right after breakfast and the wait time was only 5 minutes.  So to us, it was money well saved.



Um...Hmmm...I know i've been battling a migraine for the past couple of days, and i'm still not completely over it...plus i do not want to argue in front of the kids...but I remember it differently, so I'll agree to disagree for now until my head feels better and I can think straight. More than likely you are right...and even if your wrong, you will be right...but for my own sanity's sake I'll hold onto my righteousness until the very last minute.


----------



## dwheatl

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I was going to say something about you eating out of a pooppy seed bun...and you telling me I went down 2 notches for eating my watermelon with salt...But I think i'll just stay quiet...



After the Super Bowl, the SF bay area was treated to an ad offering free chocolate pudding cups as a consolation prize for 49er fans. As I said to DH, nothing says number 2 like a cup of chocolate pudding.
OK. Now scoot over and leave some room for me in the dungeon of public opinion.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Ok.  I've been invading Nebo's TR to post pictures of our recent WDW/Uni/SW trip; when I have a perfectly capable TR here that I can use to post pics on.  I know Nebo don't mind, but I don't want it to seem like I'm taking over his TR either.  Especially with Mony posting her live updates and me posting pics about WWoHP.  He's the expert after all and I don't feel its right to write about our experiences on his TR.  I could very easily start another TR at our trip at WDW if I wanted to.  More like if I had the time.  We haven't even finished this one, and this vacation was only a week.  Can you imagine us telling you about a 2 week vacation.  It would take about 2 years for us to get through it.

Of course, when we talked at WDW, he said he's hoping to pass the torch.  This might be his sneaky way of getting us to take over.  Only problem is, we don't travel there as often as him and Smidgy do.  Nice try Nebo. 

As I mentioned on Nebo's TR, here's a link to all of the *WWoHP* pics Lady H and I took.  

I'll post more links later as I get them uploaded onto Flickr.


----------



## mmeb144

Mike, I like how Nebo's trippie has more than one story going.  It makes it funner.


----------



## Thumper_Man

mmeb144 said:


> Mike, I like how Nebo's trippie has more than one story going.  It makes it funner.



True, it does make it fun.  It still doesn't make it right though.  A person starts a TR to tell about their trip.  Not for others to tell about their trips and completely take over.  Then the person who's originally trying to tell about their trip may never get the chance to finish.  It's mostly out of respect for the person trying to tell their story that you should try to keep things short and sweet.  Knowing Nebo the way all of us do, we know he don't mind; but it's still his TR and we shouldn't take over knowing we could very easily start our own thread to tell our stories.  Plus if we keep posting on his TR, he may never finish telling us about his most recent trip. He'll let us ramble on.


----------



## mmeb144

Thumper_Man said:


> Plus if we keep posting on his TR, he may never finish telling us about his most recent trip. He'll let us ramble on.



I hadn't thought of that.  Maybe we should get his mailing address and send him some chocolates and booze.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> Knowing Nebo the way all of us do, we know he don't mind; but it's still his TR and we shouldn't take over knowing we could very easily start our own thread to tell our stories.



Yeah there's nothing worse then somebody who posts more than the person who actually is writing the TR....


uuuhhhh....





mmeb144 said:


> I hadn't thought of that.  Maybe we should get his mailing address and send him some chocolates and booze.



Yeah that should work. He'll be sitting on the couch in a chocolate fueled stupor while nursing a raging hangover...


Wait. 

Send me some to, 'kay?


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> Yeah there's nothing worse then somebody who posts more than the person who actually is writing the TR....
> 
> 
> uuuhhhh....



Says the man with more posts than Nebo.




pkondz said:


> Yeah that should work. He'll be sitting on the couch in a chocolate fueled stupor while nursing a raging hangover...
> 
> 
> Wait.
> 
> Send me some to, 'kay?



Hey wait a minute.  I want chocolates and booze to.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

OkSo after battling a 3 day migraine, I am finally able to stare at my computer long enough to discern what pictures are what. Gah, I loathe not feeling well. Its been years since Ive had a migraine that has lasted this long. I can usually control it once I feel the onset, but not this time. It hit me like a ton of bricks. At least thats what it felt like the next day when I could barely see while driving to my chiropractor. (By the way, when you have sensitivity to light and sound, the best option is not to go out in the bright sunlight and drive through rush hour traffic to get to a chiropractor, who then proceeds to use what feels like a jack hammer to relieve the tension in your neck!...just a word of advice). 

Anyway, so on with the show. 

We last left our fair maiden wondering if she would ever be reunited with her Knight in Shining Armor. 

As luck would have it, he came bounding around the mountain on his trusty steed only to sweep our dazzling princess off her feet and carry her off into the sunset, only to live happily ever after. 

ok, finehe walked around the entrance from Manta and caught me taking pictures of the ride. 

We take out our trusty map and try to figure out what to do next. 

Shipwreck Rapids is just around the corner from Manta, so we saunter that way to check it out. 

Seems like this is the only picture we took of it. 





Now right away, the thought was, this ride was going to be just like Kali River Rapids in AK. It didnt seem to have any major drops or rapids from what we could see, of course we were wrongreally wrong. 

The ride turned out to be sort of a mix between Kali and Universals Blutos Barge. At the end of the ride, we were soaked. You could literally ring out our clothes and be left with a puddle under our feet. I was tempted to pay the $5 for the walk in dryer, but decided against it. This is after all the reason you go on a water rideto get wet right? 

Of course now, my eye is really irritating me, and getting hit in the face with water from the ride hasnt helped at all. Im trying really hard not to rub it or mess with it, but its begging to be messed with. So naturally I do just that, only to make the problem worse.  I feel like I have something in my eye. Mike takes a look to see if he can see anything, but he sees nothing either. He tells me whatever it is, is probably gone by now, but Ive rubbed it and messed with it so much Ive probably scratched my eye in the process and thats what Im feeling. 

I put my sunglasses back on to hide the now red hideous eye. 

Right across the way from the ride is a cafe. 





We walk towards the entrance to see what they have to offer. We must make the most of our ADDP today. Nothing appeals to us at the moment, of course it wasnt too long ago that we had breakfast, so we decide to just check out the area we are in and see what else we can find. 

As we make our way through the park, we come across these guys









This one in particular was doing everything in its power to get onto the sand, but just couldnt quite shimmy far enough.  Eventually all his hard work getting to where he was, got washed away as he slowly slide back into the water. 





Cant you almost hear him saying, HELP! 

Poor dear. We said goodbye to our new friends and headed to the Bayside Skyride. 





I dont know what expression I was trying to convey hereMore than likely, it was the "Im freezing, and Im going up in this gondola with no seatbelt or harness, what am I thinking," lookdont know if it came across that way though.  

Of course T-Man looks naturally at ease





This ride takes you on an aerial tour, just on the outskirts of the park. It was a nice ride, but since we were soaking wet from the previous ride, I was freezing and my teeth were chattering just a bit. Plus being that high up and nothing to really secure me I was a little spooked. Its times like this that my fear of heights comes into play, unfortunately it doesnt happen until Im up in the ride and looking down and realize, hmmmaybe I shouldnt have done this. 

Anyway, here are a few shots from the air. 

My view of the ride, from the ride




A view of the city from our vantage point 




A couple of guys paddle surfing. 




More of the city and the boats around the water. 




I loved this shot




And of course T-Man, taking pics, completely at ease with the fact that we are high up in the air. If you notice, my hand has not moved from the middle bar, you can just make out my ring off to the right of the picture. Im holding on for dear life. 





After getting back on solid ground, we figure now would be a good time to get something to drink. We can use our ADDP for that tooSo making our way to a place that accepts the ADDP, we come across these guys





If I remember correctly, this was a fresh water tank viewing area. It was pretty interesting to watch them swim around.  

Just keep swimming




I get the heebeejeebies every time I see these guys. They remind me of the movie Tremors back in the day. 





Once we got our drinks we began our quest to get to the other side of the park to ride Journey to Atlantisonce again we were side tracked (Squirrel!). As we walked by, we noticed that the Clyde and Seamore show was going to start shortly. They just dropped the rope to let people in and we decided what the heck. We loved the show the last time we saw it. This time we figured we could enjoy the show since we had so many photos from last time. 

Once again we sat in the splash zone area. It was hot, so the soda we got hit the spot, even though the ice was already starting to melt. Technically a beer would have gone down better, but it probably would have gotten hot before I could drink it all and a hot beer is not good. So Ill stick with my watered down sprite for now. 

 As people started filing in for the show, the pre-pre show began. A mime came out from backstage and came down to the walk way in front of the stage. As people walked past him, he would make faces at them, make fun of the way they walked, or pretend to be an usher and usher them to a seat in the audience, only to make them get up again, and move a couple times before they got tired of him and he would stick his tongue out at them and go on to the next victim. 

It was quite entertaining to watch him. He did a great job and made everyone laugh. I tend to be thankful at times like these that we get in just as the rope drops so we can sit down and enjoy this part of the show without being part of it. 

As the last of the stragglers made their way to a seat, the pre-show began. 





This is BiffHe is part of the stage crew, coming to make sure the stage is spit spot for the show. 

Biff seems to realize that he is in front of an audience and decides to ham it up a little.  As he cleans the stage, he narrowly misses falling into the water that separates the main stage area from the audience. Everyone claps hoping he will fall in. He starts going back and forth, pointing to the stage, then to the water, to see the reaction from the audience. Of course, anytime he points to the water, the crowd erupts in applause, and every time he points to the stage, we all boo. Still, he stays dry. 

Taking a look at the collection of CDs, he inserts one into the player and starts to dance, sort of acting out the sequence of whatever the song is. Most of the songs are from well known moviesYoure the one that I want from Grease, he dons a half man, half woman costume and tries to be both Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta from the movie. Maniac from Flashdance, where he does the infamous water scene. He holds an umbrella for the Singing in the Rain number. 

and of course he does the famous Pee-Wee Herman move via the song Tequila. 





Unfortunately, this is all the pictures we have of this show. For 2 reasons. One, being that we wanted to actually enjoy the show this time, since we got so many photos from the last time we were here. The second reasonSeamore didnt want to play. 

The idea behind the show, is that Clyde and Seamore, the Sealions, and an otter, whom I forget the name of at the moment, are to interact with the main hosts, and act out scenes from famous tv shows, i.e., Dancing with the Stars, CSI, etc. With different hand signals, the sealions will assist in acting out the scene and adding humor, usually making the human host look bad or like an idiot. 

The show really is quite hilarious, however, this time around, Clyde was ready and willing to show off his acting skills, while Seamore was willing and ready...to swim. 

At one point, one of the scenes, they are acting out something along the lines of The Amazing Race or Survivor I cant remember which, and Clyde is supposed to get into the water and balance a ball on his nose all the way down, and just towards the end, bounce the ball over a bar and catch it on the other side. Then Seamore is supposed to do the same, only do it with a spin, either going around the bar, or going completely under the bar with the ball, or sort of lazily going up and over the bar himselfThe minute both of them came out on stage, Seamore hit the water, and started swimming back and forth, and instead of reacting to the commands, he ignored them until he saw them giving Clyde a snack for doing what he was supposed to. Then he would yell at them until he got a fish too. But he refused to participate, and of course Clyde got upset with him. Started yelling and getting into a very heated argument it seemed like, until they pulled Clyde off to the side and apologized to the audience. There wasnt anything they could do to get Seamore to cooperate, so they had to cancel the show for the day. 

This happened once before, during the big Shamu show a few years before, where Shamu didnt wanna, and no one tells Shamu what to doOf course the thing is, if Momma doesnt wanna, then the babies wont wanna, so none of them wanted to partipate in the show that night. It was sad, but its understandable. Even animals have days when they just dont feel well or just dont wanna. 

So off we went. As we looked at the time, we figured it would probably be a good idea to grab something to snack on before going too far from the eateries they had nearby. We each had a small individual pizza and salad with a soda, all courtesy of our ADDP. 

Once we had eaten, we headed towards the sharks area. This area was dark. Very dark. The upper deck held a couple of small pools where the smaller sharks swam around. 






Looks like some tropical island, but looks are very deceiving, as there are some dangerous creatures in them there waters. 

As we head down below, you are suddenly surrounded by sharks. There is a conveyor belt, ushering you from one side to the other at a menacingly slow pace, while sharks are swimming on every side of you, including above you as they move from one side of the tank to the other. 

 this is what we see: 













ShhhhTheyre sleeping! 








So, do we make it out? Can we just pass right by these man eaters, without them trying to find a way to bust through the glass and take us prisoners? Only one way to find out. Tune in next time for the next installmentAnd yes, I will do my best to get the next chapter out before the end of time...


----------



## mmeb144

Isn't the sequel, "And we had shark sandwiches for supper"?


----------



## Thumper_Man

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> This one in particular was doing everything in its power to get onto the sand, but just couldnt quite shimmy far enough.  Eventually all his hard work getting to where he was, got washed away as he slowly slide back into the water.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Cant you almost hear him saying, HELP!
> 
> Poor dear. We said goodbye to our new friends and headed to the Bayside Skyride.



If we could've jumped the wall to help this guy out, we would've.  We stayed watching him for a good 5 minutes or so, waiting to see if he'd make it up all the way.  



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> As people started filing in for the show, the pre-pre show began. A mime came out from backstage and came down to the walk way in front of the stage. As people walked past him, he would make faces at them, make fun of the way they walked, or pretend to be an usher and usher them to a seat in the audience, only to make them get up again, and move a couple times before they got tired of him and he would stick his tongue out at them and go on to the next victim.



Getting our Sea Worlds a little mixed up honey?  The mime is at the Sea World in Orlando and he is the pre-show over there.  Lack of sleep maybe?  We were up early every day that trip.  Unless I'm the one who was lacking sleep and missed the mime.  In which case would make for interesting drive back.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> this is what we see:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Shhhh&Theyre sleeping!



If you've never been to SW (either in San Diego or Orlando), the shark exhibit is alike in both places.  To view the sharks, you go through the exhibit and make your way down to the underwater viewing area.  Once you reach it, there's a slowing moving walk way you get on and it takes you through the exhibit.  Well Lady H and I are the only one's in the exhibit at the time.  You can't help but think "I wonder what would happen if that glass were to break?"  Anyways, since we were the only one's in the exhibit at the time, we kept walking in the opposite direction on the walkway so we could take pictures.  Think we stayed in there about a good 5 minutes before more people finally started coming in.  Time to go before that glass breaks.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

mmeb144 said:


> Isn't the sequel, "And we had shark sandwiches for supper"?



 That could be an interesting storyline. But I'm not that adventurous. 



Thumper_Man said:


> If we could've jumped the wall to help this guy out, we would've.  We stayed watching him for a good 5 minutes or so, waiting to see if he'd make it up all the way.



I wonder if we go back, if he would still be there...Waiting for anyone to come around and help him. I guess it was better than to be caught up in the mating ritual that was happening on the other side of the pool. 





Thumper_Man said:


> Getting our Sea Worlds a little mixed up honey?  The mime is at the Sea World in Orlando and he is the pre-show over there.  Lack of sleep maybe?  We were up early every day that trip.  Unless I'm the one who was lacking sleep and missed the mime.  In which case would make for interesting drive back.



I'm trying here!!! Honestly I didn't so much get them mixed up as I could have sworn the mime was at both places. So...My bad! But it made for a good story and now people know what to expect both in San Diego and in Orlando...





Thumper_Man said:


> If you've never been to SW (either in San Diego or Orlando), the shark exhibit is alike in both places.  To view the sharks, you go through the exhibit and make your way down to the underwater viewing area.  Once you reach it, there's a slowing moving walk way you get on and it takes you through the exhibit.  Well Lady H and I are the only one's in the exhibit at the time.  You can't help but think "I wonder what would happen if that glass were to break?"  Anyways, since we were the only one's in the exhibit at the time, we kept walking in the opposite direction on the walkway so we could take pictures.  Think we stayed in there about a good 5 minutes before more people finally started coming in.  Time to go before that glass breaks.



It's not as easy as it looks walking backwards or against the grain so to speak on one of those moving walk ways. Especially when you are paying more attention to the sharks swimming around you than you are the moving walkway underneath you. Talk about a sense of vertigo when you finally get your feet on solid ground.


----------



## dwheatl

Fun pictures. I can hardly wait for Monday, and our San Diego trip. No SW for us, but we'll be staying right next to it.
The sharks give me the creeps. Have you seen Jaws 3 in 3D? Stupid movie, but it does include a giant shark bursting through the glass at an amusement park. I always think of that at SW.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> OkSo after battling a 3 day migraine, I am finally able to stare at my computer long enough to discern what pictures are what.



That sucks. Sorry to hear about that Heather, but glad youre feeling better now.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Gah, I loathe not feeling well.



And yet so many, many people truly enjoy it!



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> It hit me like a ton of bricks.



Okay, I can see that being hit by a ton of bricks might cause some discomfort. Heck, Ill bet that being hit in the head by _one_ brick would sting at least a little.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> We last left our fair maiden wondering if she would ever be reunited with her Knight in Shining Armor.



Why are the maidens always fair in stories? No unfair maidens? Not even a bit of a cheating maiden?

Wait a sec! Thats a two headed coin! Thats not fair!
Oh, yes it is. Im a fair maiden.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> As luck would have it, he came bounding around the mountain on his trusty steed only to sweep our dazzling princess off her feet and carry her off into the sunset, only to live happily ever after.



The end. Thanks for the TR!



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> ok, finehe walked around the entrance from Manta and caught me taking pictures of the ride.



Same thing.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> We take out our trusty map and try to figure out what to do next.



We just went from a trusty steed to a trusty map. A downgrade if Ive ever heard one.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Shipwreck Rapids is just around the corner from Manta, so we saunter that way to check it out.



I reiterate I wouldve sashayed. But to each his or her own.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> At the end of the ride, we were soaked. You could literally ring out our clothes and be left with a puddle under our feet.



What could you do figuratively?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I was tempted to pay the $5 for the walk in dryer, but decided against it. This is after all the reason you go on a water rideto get wet right?



Well some people do. Others get upset when they get wet no matter how many signs that bluntly say, You *WILL* get wet.

But

Walk in dryer? I think Id pay the $5 just to try it.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Of course now, my eye is really irritating me, and getting hit in the face with water from the ride hasnt helped at all.



Uh, oh.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Ive probably scratched my eye in the process and thats what Im feeling.



Thats what I was thinking too.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I put my sunglasses back on to hide the now red hideous eye.



Why seek medical attention when you can just hide it?
Makes sense to me.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> This one in particular was doing everything in its power to get onto the sand, but just couldnt quite shimmy far enough.



Im telling ya If that turtle had sashayed instead of shimmied, hedve made it.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Eventually all his hard work getting to where he was, got washed away as he slowly slide back into the water.



Fail!

Poor lil guy.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Cant you almost hear him saying, HELP!



He needs somebody.
Not just anybody
You know he needs someone



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I dont know what expression I was trying to convey hereMore than likely, it was the "Im freezing, and Im going up in this gondola with no seatbelt or harness, what am I thinking," lookdont know if it came across that way though.







Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> This ride takes you on an aerial tour, just on the outskirts of the park.



Ah!

I was thinking, How come SW can keep theirs but MK cant?

Because its on the outskirts fewer opportunities to dump stuff on people.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> And of course T-Man, taking pics, completely at ease with the fact that we are high up in the air. If you notice, my hand has not moved from the middle bar, you can just make out my ring off to the right of the picture. Im holding on for dear life.



Nice rock. But if its from T-Man you might want to check and see if its real. A man who will shave or grow a beard with no warning cant be entirely trusted, ya know.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


>



Hmmmm cant say for sure, but. Piranhas?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I get the heebeejeebies every time I see these guys. They remind me of the movie Tremors back in the day.



Never did see that movie
So I guess I have neither the heebees nor the jeebies.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> As people started filing in for the show, the pre-pre show began.



Ever wonder what that says about our society where not only do we need to be entertained with a show, but we have to be entertained while we wait for the show _and_ we also have to be entertained while were waiting to be entertained prior to the entertainment!

I wonder if thats the longest sentence Ive ever written.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> A mime came out from backstage and came down to the walk way in front of the stage. As people walked past him, he would make faces at them, make fun of the way they walked, or pretend to be an usher and usher them to a seat in the audience, only to make them get up again, and move a couple times before they got tired of him and he would stick his tongue out at them and go on to the next victim.



While this sounds amusing I dont believe you. Oh sure, it might have happened somewhere else, somewhen but nah. Im not buying it.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Biff seems to realize that he is in front of an audience and decides to ham it up a little.  As he cleans the stage, he narrowly misses falling into the  Of course, anytime he points to the water, the crowd erupts in applause, and every time he points to the stage, we all boo. Still, he stays dry.



What a great job! If he screws up and accidentally falls in the water, the audience is going to think it was great and part of the act. I wonder if he ever actually has fallen in?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> The idea behind the show, is that Clyde and Seamore, the Sealions, and an otter, whom I forget the name of at the moment, are to interact with the main hosts,



Typical otter prejudice. *Everybody* remembers sea lion names, but nobody ever remembers the otter. Well otters have feelings too young lady! They have feelings and personalities and _names_ gosh darnit!

His name is Bob.

You may not remember but you otter.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> There wasnt anything they could do to get Seamore to cooperate, so they had to cancel the show for the day.



Actually, I kinda like that. Oh, sure Id want to see the show, but it really illustrates that these are animals after all. And sometimes an animal is not necessarily going to behave like a cartoon character.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Even animals have days when they just dont feel well or just dont wanna.



Exactly. And trying to force them is just cruel.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Looks like some tropical island, but looks are very deceiving, as there are some dangerous creatures in them there waters.
> 
> As we head down below, you are suddenly surrounded by sharks. There is a conveyor belt, ushering you from one side to the other at a menacingly slow pace, while sharks are swimming on every side of you, including above you as they move from one side of the tank to the other.



The first three pics are sand tiger sharks. Theyre pretty docile. They look mean with those teeth sticking out, but thereve been very few reports of sand tigers attacking people. The sleeping sharks are nurse sharks. Really, docile. The last couple of pics are what look like Blacktip Reef sharks, also quite timid.

Ive watched a lot of shark shows in my day.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> So, do we make it out? Can we just pass right by these man eaters, without them trying to find a way to bust through the glass and take us prisoners?



I know you were just kidding (I hope!) but this actually happened fairly recently in China. Several people were injured, not by the sharks but by flying glass. Heres a link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/27/shark-tank-breaks-china-video_n_2369967.html



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Tune in next time for the next installmentAnd yes, I will do my best to get the next chapter out before the end of time...



Okay and Ill try to get my comments in before the time after the end of time! Thanks for the chapter Heather! :


----------



## pkondz

dwheatl said:


> Have you seen Jaws 3 in 3D? Stupid movie, but it does include a giant shark bursting through the glass at an amusement park. I always think of that at SW.



I saw that in the theater. What a waste of money that was. Really, really sucked.


----------



## Thumper_Man




----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

pkondz said:


> That sucks. Sorry to hear about that Heather, but glad youre feeling better now.



Thanks! Glad the migraine is gone...however, Now i've run into another issue. Insomnia. I don't know how I did this back in college, but running on about 6 hours of sleep total for the last few days is turning me into a zombie now at my age. 

But instead of complaining...I'll just go by Cardinal Richard Cushing's words...

*I'm Fine*
"There's nothing whatever the matter with me, 
I'm just as healthy as I can be. 
I have arthritis in both my knees, 
And when I talk, I talk with a wheeze. 
My pulse is weak, and my blood is thin, 
But I'm awfully well, for the shape I'm in 
I think my liver is out of whack, 
And a terrible pain is in my back. 
My hearing is poor, my sight is dim, 
Most everything seems to be out of trim - 
But - I'm awfully well for the shape I'm in. 
I have arch supports for both my feet, 
Or I wouldn't be able to go on the street. 
Sleeplessness I have, night after night, 
And in the morning I'm just a sight! 
My memory is failing, my head's in a spin - 
I'm peacefully living on aspirin..... 
But - I'm awfully well for the shape I'm in. 
The moral is, as this tale we unfold, 
That for you and me who are growing old 
It's better to say, "I'm fine", with a grin 
Then to let them know the shape we're in."



pkondz said:


> And yet so many, many people truly enjoy it!



I've said it before, there are some truly strange people in this world...





pkondz said:


> Okay, I can see that being hit by a ton of bricks might cause some discomfort. Heck, Ill bet that being hit in the head by _one_ brick would sting at least a little.



It will only hurt for a moment...Take it like a man! 




pkondz said:


> Why are the maidens always fair in stories? No unfair maidens? Not even a bit of a cheating maiden?
> 
> Wait a sec! Thats a two headed coin! Thats not fair!
> Oh, yes it is. Im a fair maiden.



I don't think the stories would go over as well if they started out with, 

"Once upon a time, an unfair maiden lived in a beautiful kingdom, taking advantage of all the noblemen in the land by carrying around a two headed coin and daring anyone to second guess her when she won." 





pkondz said:


> The end. Thanks for the TR!



You're welcome. Now you may return to your regularly scheduled lives and forget this TR ever happened. 






pkondz said:


> We just went from a trusty steed to a trusty map. A downgrade if Ive ever heard one.



It goes along with the unfair maiden story...What can I say. 





pkondz said:


> I reiterate I wouldve sashayed. But to each his or her own.



No one can sashay like you Ponzi. So we just don't bother trying. 





pkondz said:


> What could you do figuratively?




 Yeah...I got nothin...




pkondz said:


> Well some people do. Others get upset when they get wet no matter how many signs that bluntly say, You *WILL* get wet.
> 
> But
> 
> Walk in dryer? I think Id pay the $5 just to try it.



The first time I saw the walk in dryer, I think it was at Universal in Orlando. We had gone on Bluto's Barge and as you climb your soaking self to the exit, there are about 2 or 3 dryers waiting your arrival. The kids seem to love them. When i saw the ones near this ride I figured there was no way I wasn't going to get wet...I guess it's a good warning system. 





pkondz said:


> Why seek medical attention when you can just hide it?
> Makes sense to me.



That's what i figured. I mean what is the doctor going to do? See that my eye is possible scratched and then give me something to cover it up with anyway...I don't even have a medical degree and I'm all over it! 





pkondz said:


> Im telling ya If that turtle had sashayed instead of shimmied, hedve made it.










pkondz said:


> He needs somebody.
> Not just anybody
> You know he needs someone



In my lack of sleep haze that took me a moment before I went...AHA! Beatles, I tell ya, Their songs speak to everyone and everything. 





pkondz said:


> Ah!
> 
> I was thinking, How come SW can keep theirs but MK cant?
> 
> Because its on the outskirts fewer opportunities to dump stuff on people.



Yeah, the only people you can dumb stuff on on this ride are the paddle surfers. While it may be fun, it would be too much work to really try to hit them. 





pkondz said:


> Nice rock. But if its from T-Man you might want to check and see if its real. A man who will shave or grow a beard with no warning cant be entirely trusted, ya know.



 Fortunately, his sense when it comes to buying a ring is better than to shave or not to shave. There is a whole story that goes along with these rings...





pkondz said:


> Hmmmm cant say for sure, but. Piranhas?



I believe you are correct sir. 





pkondz said:


> Never did see that movie
> So I guess I have neither the heebees nor the jeebies.



I have only watched the first one. I know they made a sequel, but I just couldn't watch it. The funny thing is, every time I watch that darn movie, I end up with my feet up on the bed or couch and worried that one of those darn things is going to come up and attack me. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	








pkondz said:


> Ever wonder what that says about our society where not only do we need to be entertained with a show, but we have to be entertained while we wait for the show _and_ we also have to be entertained while were waiting to be entertained prior to the entertainment!



 You can't have entertainment without entertainment...I mean even commercials at times are entertaining. Isn't that the reason we watch the superbowl? 



pkondz said:


> I wonder if thats the longest sentence Ive ever written.



I'm gonna go with yes...Only because I don't want to have to go back to all your posts to figure it out. 





pkondz said:


> While this sounds amusing I dont believe you. Oh sure, it might have happened somewhere else, somewhen but nah. Im not buying it.



Can't fool you...





pkondz said:


> What a great job! If he screws up and accidentally falls in the water, the audience is going to think it was great and part of the act. I wonder if he ever actually has fallen in?



Both T-Man and I wondered this ourselves. The two times we have seen this show, it has been a different guy playing Biff, but they each do the same sort of routine, just with their own style of flare. It would definitely be a riot if he did though. 





pkondz said:


> Typical otter prejudice. *Everybody* remembers sea lion names, but nobody ever remembers the otter. Well otters have feelings too young lady! They have feelings and personalities and _names_ gosh darnit!



Hello, my name is Lady H and I'm an otter snob...



pkondz said:


> His name is Bob.
> 
> You may not remember but you otter.



Barum bum! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	








pkondz said:


> Actually, I kinda like that. Oh, sure Id want to see the show, but it really illustrates that these are animals after all. And sometimes an animal is not necessarily going to behave like a cartoon character.



Yeah. Just like we as humans have our off days, (Not me, you know I'm always on my game ), animals have their days too. It's refreshing to know that they are given the time and treated well even though. 

I know that for Seamore, they tried to coax him into doing his part, but they realized early on that he wasn't going to. Unfortunately Clyde wasn't happy about him not participating so that sort of threw his part off. But the rest of the cast was very professional about it. Did not berate the animals for not doing anything and let them be. 





pkondz said:


> The first three pics are sand tiger sharks. Theyre pretty docile. They look mean with those teeth sticking out, but thereve been very few reports of sand tigers attacking people. The sleeping sharks are nurse sharks. Really, docile. The last couple of pics are what look like Blacktip Reef sharks, also quite timid.
> 
> Ive watched a lot of shark shows in my day.



To me, it's big, it has sharp teeth and it's not an herbivore...so i'm not going to take the time to introduce myself to find out more. 





pkondz said:


> I know you were just kidding (I hope!) but this actually happened fairly recently in China. Several people were injured, not by the sharks but by flying glass. Heres a link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/27/shark-tank-breaks-china-video_n_2369967.html



I watched that on the news after it happened. That was crazy. I can only imagine what was going through some of the people's minds who were there. I would have been scared out of my mind. 





pkondz said:


> Okay and Ill try to get my comments in before the time after the end of time! Thanks for the chapter Heather! :



Thanks for the breakdown...and Thanks for coming back


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

dwheatl said:


> Fun pictures. I can hardly wait for Monday, and our San Diego trip. No SW for us, but we'll be staying right next to it.
> The sharks give me the creeps. Have you seen Jaws 3 in 3D? Stupid movie, but it does include a giant shark bursting through the glass at an amusement park. I always think of that at SW.



I hope you have a ton of fun while you are there! Send some pixie dust our way would you? 

I have not watched Jaws 3...I stopped watching after the first one and to be quite honest, i don't think i have watched the entire movie from start to finish. I just couldn't get into it.  but the idea of a shark bursting out of the glass at a park, for that matter, any animal busting out of an enclosure at a park is a big fear of mine, especially around snakes and other creepy crawlies...of course I'm arachnophobic and tend to project that fear into other animals. I know...I'm a strange one.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I don't know how I did this back in college, but running on about 6 hours of sleep total for the last few days is turning me into a zombie now at my age.



 Welcome to my world!



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> But instead of complaining...I'll just go by Cardinal Richard Cushing's words...
> 
> *I'm Fine*
> "There's nothing whatever the matter with me,
> I'm just as healthy as I can be.
> I have arthritis in both my knees,
> And when I talk, I talk with a wheeze.
> My pulse is weak, and my blood is thin,
> But I'm awfully well, for the shape I'm in
> I think my liver is out of whack,
> And a terrible pain is in my back.
> My hearing is poor, my sight is dim,
> Most everything seems to be out of trim -
> But - I'm awfully well for the shape I'm in.
> I have arch supports for both my feet,
> Or I wouldn't be able to go on the street.
> Sleeplessness I have, night after night,
> And in the morning I'm just a sight!
> My memory is failing, my head's in a spin -
> I'm peacefully living on aspirin.....
> But - I'm awfully well for the shape I'm in.
> The moral is, as this tale we unfold,
> That for you and me who are growing old
> It's better to say, "I'm fine", with a grin
> Then to let them know the shape we're in."



Thanks for that. Loved it.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> It will only hurt for a moment...Take it like a man!



Well... okay. But getting hit in the head has made me the way I am. You sure you want me to get hit again?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Yeah, the only people you can *dumb *stuff on on this ride are the paddle surfers. While it may be fun, it would be too much work to really try to hit them.



Was that a typo? If not, it's very apropos, no?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Fortunately, his sense when it comes to buying a ring is better than to shave or not to shave. There is a whole story that goes along with these rings...



Yeah? Give, lady.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Barum bum!



That reminded me of a joke I once heard a comedian do. Don't know why but I always found it funny.

Picture the scene in Rocky where Rocky (Stallone, of course) is being berated by Mickey (Burgess Meredith)...

Mickey: "You're a bum, Rocky!"
Rock y: "I ain't no bum."
Mickey: "You're a bum, I tells ya!"
Rocky: "I ain't no bum."
Mickey: "You're a bum!"
Rocky: "I ain't no bum."
Mickey: "Yes you are! You're a bum!"
Rocky: "I ain't no bum."
Mickey: "Awright, but you're a lousy elocutionist!"

<long pause>

Rocky: "I ain't no bum."


----------



## nebo

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> OkSo after battling a 3 day migraine, I am finally able to stare at my computer long enough to discern what pictures are what. Gah, I loathe not feeling well. Its been years since Ive had a migraine that has lasted this long. I can usually control it once I feel the onset, but not this time. It hit me like a ton of bricks. At least thats what it felt like the next day when I could barely see while driving to my chiropractor. (By the way, when you have sensitivity to light and sound, the best option is not to go out in the bright sunlight and drive through rush hour traffic to get to a chiropractor, who then proceeds to use what feels like a jack hammer to relieve the tension in your neck!...just a word of advice).
> 
> Anyway, so on with the show.
> 
> *I've bveen lucky lately with migraines,,, been awhile,,,my very first one came when staying at Pop Cent.,,, with a beautiful aura and everything. Not know iing what it was i thought i was dying. Or Scotty was trying to beam up the Hippy Dippy Pool.*
> 
> .
> 
> The ride turned out to be sort of a mix between Kali and Universals Blutos Barge. At the end of the ride, we were soaked. You could literally ring out our clothes and be left with a puddle under our feet. I was tempted to pay the $5 for the walk in dryer, but decided against it. This is after all the reason you go on a water rideto get wet right?
> 
> *the amazing thing is they learned how to  make money on getting you wet.*
> 
> Of course now, my eye is really irritating me, and getting hit in the face with water from the ride hasnt helped at all. Im trying really hard not to rub it or mess with it, but its begging to be messed with. So naturally I do just that, only to make the problem worse.  I feel like I have something in my eye. Mike takes a look to see if he can see anything, but he sees nothing either. He tells me whatever it is, is probably gone by now, but Ive rubbed it and messed with it so much Ive probably scratched my eye in the process and thats what Im feeling.
> 
> I put my sunglasses back on to hide the now red hideous eye.
> 
> *I cringe everytime I hear about somebody having eye problems,,,, it probably is just scratched a bit though.*
> 
> This one in particular was doing everything in its power to get onto the sand, but just couldnt quite shimmy far enough.  Eventually all his hard work getting to where he was, got washed away as he slowly slide back into the water.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Cant you almost hear him saying, HELP!
> 
> Poor dear.
> 
> *Reminds me of ME trying to get up the sand dunes at Vero Beach.
> *
> I dont know what expression I was trying to convey hereMore than likely, it was the "Im freezing, and Im going up in this gondola with no seatbelt or harness, what am I thinking," lookdont know if it came across that way though.
> 
> Of course T-Man looks naturally at ease
> 
> *Yes, almost lifelike.*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And of course T-Man, taking pics, completely at ease with the fact that we are high up in the air. If you notice, my hand has not moved from the middle bar, you can just make out my ring off to the right of the picture. Im holding on for dear life.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *I dunno,, holding on sounds like a good idea to me.*
> 
> After getting back on solid ground,
> 
> *Yes,,, that's so much better than getting back in quicksand,,,*
> If I remember correctly, this was a fresh water tank viewing area. It was pretty interesting to watch them swim around.
> 
> Just keep swimming
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I get the heebeejeebies every time I see these guys. They remind me of the movie Tremors back in the day.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Didn't Tremors take place in New Mexico? HMMM?*
> 
> 
> .
> 
> As people started filing in for the show, the pre-pre show began. A mime came out from backstage and came down to the walk way in front of the stage. As people walked past him, he would make faces at them, make fun of the way they walked, or pretend to be an usher and usher them to a seat in the audience, only to make them get up again, and move a couple times before they got tired of him and he would stick his tongue out at them and go on to the next victim.
> 
> *We have only been to Sea World in Orlando,, once,, back in '06,,, but without a doubt,, fro me the highlight of the day was watching the guy seat the tourists coming into theh bleacher area to sit,,,,he was a riot! Better than the actual show.*
> 
> 
> The idea behind the show, is that Clyde and Seamore, the Sealions, and an otter, whom I forget the name of at the moment, are to interact with the main hosts, and act out scenes from famous tv shows, i.e., Dancing with the Stars, CSI, etc. With different hand signals, the sealions will assist in acting out the scene and adding humor, usually making the human host look bad or like an idiot.
> 
> The show really is quite hilarious, however, this time around, Clyde was ready and willing to show off his acting skills, while Seamore was willing and ready...to swim.
> 
> *i love watching the handlers when the animals aren't playing nice. *
> 
> 
> This happened once before, during the big Shamu show a few years before, where Shamu didnt wanna, and no one tells Shamu what to doOf course the thing is, if Momma doesnt wanna, then the babies wont wanna, so none of them wanted to partipate in the show that night. It was sad, but its understandable. Even animals have days when they just dont feel well or just dont wanna.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Looks like some tropical island, but looks are very deceiving, as there are some dangerous creatures in them there waters.
> 
> 
> 
> this is what we see:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ShhhhTheyre sleeping!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *Great shark pictures.*
> 
> So, do we make it out? Can we just pass right by these man eaters, without them trying to find a way to bust through the glass and take us prisoners? Only one way to find out. Tune in next time for the next installmentAnd yes, I will do my best to get the next chapter out before the end of time...



thanks Lady H,,, great reporting


----------



## Mom&RN

Lady H in the picture of you on the gondola your smile says "sure honey I'm having fun" but the death grip you have on the pole says "someone help me!"


----------



## nebo

Ponzi's quote:

Typical otter prejudice. Everybody remembers sea lion names, but nobody ever remembers the otter. Well otters have feelings too young lady! They have feelings and personalities and names gosh darnit!

His name is Bob.

You may not remember but you otter.


*Nice Ponzi:*
*Thank you, I just had him  stuffed!*


----------



## pkondz

nebo said:


> Ponzi's quote:
> 
> Typical otter prejudice. Everybody remembers sea lion names, but nobody ever remembers the otter. Well otters have feelings too young lady! They have feelings and personalities and names gosh darnit!
> 
> His name is Bob.
> 
> You may not remember but you otter.
> 
> 
> *Nice Ponzi:*
> *Thank you, I just had him  stuffed!*



You did *not* just have me stuffed!!! Although I made an awesome stew for dinner tonight and I do still feel a little stuffed.


----------



## MAGICFOR2

Yikes!  I don't remember visiting those sharks.   Heather, it looks like you were more afraid of riding the gondola than the Manata.    You got some great pics from up there, though.

Hey, we will be heading across your state in a couple of weeks - going to Texas.  We've decided that AZ isn't right for us so we're going where the kids are and starting over.  I'll wave as we drive through!


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

pkondz said:


> Welcome to my world!



Beam me up scotty! 





pkondz said:


> Thanks for that. Loved it.



You're welcome. I have it printed out and hanging by my computer. 





pkondz said:


> Well... okay. But getting hit in the head has made me the way I am. You sure you want me to get hit again?



Couldn't get worse...could it? 





pkondz said:


> Was that a typo? If not, it's very apropos, no?



Actually it was a typo. In my lack of sleep induced haze I didn't re-read before posting. but it was a very apt typo. 





pkondz said:


> Yeah? Give, lady



<sigh> are you sure you really wanna know? 

Picture this...January 2007 give or take a couple of months, T-Man and Lady H find a great jewelry store in downtown Santa Fe, not far from their workplace. After a few trips to look around, we find what we want. The jeweler tried to get me to go bigger with the stone. I was already freaking out on how big this one was, and unless the bigger one came with body guards, there was no way...

we set up a payment plan, and paid once a month. Since the wedding was in August, we figured that would give us plenty of time. And it did. We were able to pay them off a couple of months ahead of time and had made plans to go by a few weeks before the wedding to get sized and pick them up. 

About 2 weeks before the wedding, we took our lunch hour to walk down to the store and get sized. As we approached the store, we noticed the lights were off and there was a sign on the door, stating the store was closed. The owner had up and left. I stood there shocked...I wasn't sure what to think. 

Next door, the landlord owned another jewelry store, and he saw us standing out front looking beguiled. He told us that the guy just up and left. Took everything with him, and left to Jordan. He even let us into the store to see for ourselves. We found our portfolio, empty, sans our names on the front, and the pocket envelope that should have contained our rings, was empty as well. 

With two weeks to go before the wedding, I was at a loss. These were our rings. We had made a point of finding something unique and ours and now they were gone. 

So naturally I lost it. I almost fainted and thankfully T-Man just held me and let me cry. 

We filed a complaint with our consumer division, and filed with the local police as well. and set out to find new rings. 

Other stores in the area had heard about our dilema. We had been in the paper the next day (http://www.abqjournal.com/north/584168north_news08-06-07.htm) and most stores were very accomodating. They were willing to give us discounts to try to make up for our loss, and help us find the rings we wanted. But nothing was the same. It was so hard to find something, when you have your heart set on what was. 

Later that week we finally went to Zales, and found a matching set that we agreed on. It was nice, and simple. Just not our rings. 

That Friday, now a week and a day before the wedding, I was driving home in the middle of the day. I think i decided to go home early as I wasn't feeling well, and I got a call on my way home. Another jeweler in Santa Fe, was calling to ask me when me and my fiance could go in to get sized. 

It was a good thing there weren't many people on the road at that point. I am sure I swerved like a maniac. Here was this guy, acting like nothing had happened, who had our rings and didn't bother to call or anything until now. I was livid. 

Turns out, the guy we bought our rings from had given this new guy our rings, along with some other merchandise that others were expecting, for fittings and finishing, while he went on vacation. Never bothering to tell anyone. 

I told the guy on the phone everything that had transpired over the last few days, and needless to say he was pissed off at me for filing with the police. I got his phone number and told him to wait for a call from T-Man. I then called T-man to tell him the news. 

I believe T-Man called him and got the info from him, he was also able to give the guy our ring sizes and told him he would pick them up next week. In the meantime, the other jeweler had contacted our original jeweler in Jordan and gave him my phone number. 

That Saturday, he called from Jordan to explain the mess. Seems he was having issues already with his landlord, and was expecting something,  though not as drastic as shutting his store down, while he was away. So he gave the merchandise to his friend to finish up and get to the customers. Only neither of them thought to call anyone to tell them that. So he was having to make a lot of calls from home to stem the situation. 

The landlord figured that while he was gone, it would be a great time to shut him down. Told anyone who would listen that the guy was a thief. Took everything with him along with the money and hadn't paid rent in months...blah blah blah...

In the end, we got our rings, sized and ready for us before the wedding...along with a wonderful jeweled globe as a wedding present from our original jeweler. 

At the same time, we had to take back the rings we purchased from Zales, and were out our deposit money on that, because they had already been sized. 

Not the best start to our lives together, but it worked out in the end. Our rings are very dear to us, needless to say. 





pkondz said:


> That reminded me of a joke I once heard a comedian do. Don't know why but I always found it funny.
> 
> Picture the scene in Rocky where Rocky (Stallone, of course) is being berated by Mickey (Burgess Meredith)...
> 
> Mickey: "You're a bum, Rocky!"
> Rock y: "I ain't no bum."
> Mickey: "You're a bum, I tells ya!"
> Rocky: "I ain't no bum."
> Mickey: "You're a bum!"
> Rocky: "I ain't no bum."
> Mickey: "Yes you are! You're a bum!"
> Rocky: "I ain't no bum."
> Mickey: "Awright, but you're a lousy elocutionist!"
> 
> <long pause>
> 
> Rocky: "I ain't no bum."



 



nebo said:


> I've bveen lucky lately with migraines,,, been awhile,,,my very first one came when staying at Pop Cent.,,, with a beautiful aura and everything. Not know iing what it was i thought i was dying. Or Scotty was trying to beam up the Hippy Dippy Pool.



Well I thought I had been too. I hadn't had one in years, since I started going to the chiropractor. But this one came out of left field and knocked me on my butt. 





nebo said:


> the amazing thing is they learned how to make money on getting you wet.



 




nebo said:


> I cringe everytime I hear about somebody having eye problems,,,, it probably is just scratched a bit though.



The funny thing is, I have always had an issue with my eyes...nothing major fortunately, but because I wear make up and eyeliner in particular, a lot of that crud gets into my eye, so I'm constantly picking and prodding...Until something like this happens...

This one in particular was doing everything in its power to get onto the sand, but just couldnt quite shimmy far enough. Eventually all his hard work getting to where he was, got washed away as he slowly slide back into the water. 




nebo said:


> Reminds me of ME trying to get up the sand dunes at Vero Beach.








nebo said:


> Yes, almost lifelike.



I know right? It's amazing what they can do now a days. 





nebo said:


> I dunno,, holding on sounds like a good idea to me.



At least someone is with me on this. 





nebo said:


> Yes,,, that's so much better than getting back in quicksand,,,



"...Two, the lightning sand, which you were clever enough to discover what that looks like, so in the future we can avoid that too..."




nebo said:


> Didn't Tremors take place in New Mexico? HMMM?



Actually, it took place in Perfection, Nevada...and was filmed in California. So i'm safe for now...although I would beg to differ with that after i've watched the movie...






nebo said:


> We have only been to Sea World in Orlando,, once,, back in '06,,, but without a doubt,, fro me the highlight of the day was watching the guy seat the tourists coming into theh bleacher area to sit,,,,he was a riot! Better than the actual show.



I agree. The pre-show entertainment is always great. The mime is one of my favorites. Of course I haven't been a part of his entertainment series, so that may be why. 





nebo said:


> i love watching the handlers when the animals aren't playing nice.



It is quite entertaining to watch them. They are trying so hard to put on a show for the audience and the poor animal is having none of it. They are really great with the animals but you can see their unease as they try to coax the animal to play nice. 





nebo said:


> Great shark pictures.



Thanks...I think those are a mixture of pics both of us took. It was difficult to catch them just right. They weren't in the mood to stop and pose. 




nebo said:


> thanks Lady H,,, great reporting



Thanks Nebo...Hopefully I will get the next chapter up soon. Work is making me work this week so we'll see what happens. 




Mom&RN said:


> Lady H in the picture of you on the gondola your smile says "sure honey I'm having fun" but the death grip you have on the pole says "someone help me!"



 I think you nailed it! 



MAGICFOR2 said:


> Yikes!  I don't remember visiting those sharks.   Heather, it looks like you were more afraid of riding the gondola than the Manata.    You got some great pics from up there, though.
> 
> Hey, we will be heading across your state in a couple of weeks - going to Texas.  We've decided that AZ isn't right for us so we're going where the kids are and starting over.  I'll wave as we drive through!



 I think your right. At least with Manta, there was a seatbelt that I could hold onto and knew I wouldn't fall to my death. The gondola on the other hand was a little spooky as it creaked and swung a little as we headed out over the water. 

I'm sorry that AZ didn't work out for you. But I'm glad you are at least going to be closer to your kids. That is a plus. We will be happy to wave back to you!


----------



## nebo

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Beam me up scotty!
> 
> 
> *Sure, as soon as you can tell me what I am doing up at this time Catpain,,, giggle,, I mean Pactain,, giggle,,, oh,, I don't know how much linger the equines can take it!*
> 
> 
> You're welcome. I have it printed out and hanging by my computer.
> 
> 
> *Wait,, who we hangin' in effigy by the confusers?*
> 
> 
> Couldn't get worse...could it?
> 
> 
> *Absolutely not,, I'm sure of it.
> Wish you came with subtitles. *
> 
> 
> Actually it was a typo. In my lack of sleep induced haze I didn't re-read before posting. but it was a very apt typo.
> 
> 
> *Thatwas the original name of the Jimi Hendrix song,, but after the market analysis showed it didn't quite work out right,,, well,,,OF COURSE the word PURPLE would work much better. !!
> 
> No wonder we all did drugs back then!
> They.
> 
> No wonder THEY all did drugs back then!
> 
> geesh
> 
> *
> 
> 
> <sigh> are you sure you really wanna know?
> 
> *Um,,, I did'nt say a thing,,,
> but now that you mention it..
> 
> 
> YES*
> 
> Picture this...January 2007 give or take a couple of months, T-Man and Lady H find a great jewelry store in downtown Santa Fe, not far from their workplace. After a few trips to look around, we find what we want. The jeweler tried to get me to go bigger with the stone. I was already freaking out on how big this one was, and unless the bigger one came with body guards, there was no way...
> 
> we set up a payment plan, and paid once a month. Since the wedding was in August, we figured that would give us plenty of time. And it did. We were able to pay them off a couple of months ahead of time and had made plans to go by a few weeks before the wedding to get sized and pick them up.
> 
> *Ive never really liked it when people try to size me up right away.*
> 
> About 2 weeks before the wedding, we took our lunch hour to walk down to the store and get sized. As we approached the store, we noticed the lights were off and there was a sign on the door, stating the store was closed. The owner had up and left. I stood there shocked...I wasn't sure what to think.
> 
> Next door, the landlord owned another jewelry store, and he saw us standing out front looking beguiled. He told us that the guy just up and left. Took everything with him, and left to Jordan. He even let us into the store to see for ourselves. We found our portfolio, empty, sans our names on the front, and the pocket envelope that should have contained our rings, was empty as well.
> 
> With two weeks to go before the wedding, I was at a loss. These were our rings. We had made a point of finding something unique and ours and now they were gone.
> 
> 
> *Ok, Pause,, I know how this ends,, but htis is just brutal to read,,, my fists are clenching,,, I want to call you up and tell you in all my macho voice that, " Ill get those rings back for you guys,...",,,*
> So naturally I lost it. I almost fainted and thankfully T-Man just held me and let me cry.
> 
> *And T-Man,  when you are done with her,, can you hold me too?*
> 
> We filed a complaint with our consumer division, and filed with the local police as well. and set out to find new rings.
> 
> *Is that when you made them an offer they can't refuse?*
> 
> Just not our rings.
> 
> That Friday, now a week and a day before the wedding, I was driving home in the middle of the day. I think i decided to go home early as I wasn't feeling well, and I got a call on my way home. Another jeweler in Santa Fe, was calling to ask me when me and my fiance could go in to get sized.
> 
> It was a good thing there weren't many people on the road at that point. I am sure I swerved like a maniac. Here was this guy, acting like nothing had happened, who had our rings and didn't bother to call or anything until now. I was livid.
> 
> *Wow, I'll bet!  I might have even been a bit angry too. *
> 
> Turns out, the guy we bought our rings from had given this new guy our rings, along with some other merchandise that others were expecting, for fittings and finishing, while he went on vacation. Never bothering to tell anyone.
> 
> I told the guy on the phone everything that had transpired over the last few days, and needless to say he was pissed off at me for filing with the police. I got his phone number and told him to wait for a call from T-Man. I then called T-man to tell him the news.
> 
> 
> That Saturday, he called from Jordan to explain the mess.
> 
> *"And even the Jordan River has, bodies floatin' but you tell,,, MEE,, Over and over again my friends, you don't believe, we're on the Eve of Destruction. "*
> 
> 
> 
> The landlord figured that while he was gone, it would be a great time to shut him down. Told anyone who would listen that the guy was a thief. Took everything with him along with the money and hadn't paid rent in months...blah blah blah...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Not the best start to our lives together, but it worked out in the end. Our rings are very dear to us, needless to say.
> 
> *Lady H,, trust me,, our "beginning" wasn't ranked in the top ten either. *
> 
> *Yes,, that I can understand, great storytelling again my dear Lady H. *
> 
> 
> Well I thought I had been too. I hadn't had one in years, since I started going to the chiropractor. But this one came out of left field and knocked me on my butt.
> 
> 
> *The ones out of right field are even worse!*
> 
> The funny thing is, I have always had an issue with my eyes...nothing major fortunately, but because I wear make up and eyeliner in particular, a lot of that crud gets into my eye, so I'm constantly picking and prodding...Until something like this happens...
> 
> This one in particular was doing everything in its power to get onto the sand, but just couldn’t quite shimmy far enough. Eventually all his hard work getting to where he was, got washed away as he slowly slide back into the water.
> 
> 
> *Oh, ok,, um,, are we still talking about your eyes?  And how one of them can't quite shimmy good enough to get in the sand,,, and,, uh,,,oh,,, it slides back into the water,,, and,,, uh,,, thanks,, it was nice meeting you a few months ago,,, and maybe we should leave it at that,, ok?
> 
> (geesh,, and they say I"M  weird!)*
> 
> I know right? It's amazing what they can do now a days.
> 
> 
> *With  what? Eyes? Bunnies? Turtles?
> I'll be over hear if you need me.*
> 
> 
> At least someone is with me on this.
> 
> 
> *Can I go back and give myself a second opinion on this?  Sometimes I'm better the second time around. *
> 
> 
> "...Two, the lightning sand, which you were clever enough to discover what that looks like, so in the future we can avoid that too..."
> 
> *Uh huh,,, "Lightning sand".. Hokay.
> And I was CLEVER enough to discover this?   uh huh
> Is this by the THunder Water?   hokay,,, (she doesn't know where I live, does she?)*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Actually, it took place in Perfection, Nevada...and was filmed in California. So i'm safe for now...although I would beg to differ with that after i've watched the movie...
> 
> *Perfection,, yes,, of course it did,, where else could a Fred Ward/Kevin Bacon,, and the guy from Family Ties have their movie take place?*
> 
> I agree. The pre-show entertainment is always great. The mime is one of my favorites. Of course I haven't been a part of his entertainment series, so that may be why.
> 
> 
> *Yo know,, I never realized he was trying to be a mime,, but now that you mention it,, yeah,,, that says a lot of how good he was,, when I didn't even realize he was just acting it all out,,,, dang he was good!
> Oh wait,,, BACK<  BACK<<< see what happened,, you are just trying to distract me right now,,, and then go for the juggler when I'm not looking.
> Oh, and don't you just love the juggler in Italy?  Sergio I think his name is,, and,,,,,oh,,, come on,, you're doing it again,,,I'm gonna,,,,*
> 
> 
> It is quite entertaining to watch them. They are trying so hard to put on a show for the audience and the poor animal is having none of it. They are really great with the animals but you can see their unease as they try to coax the animal to play nice.
> 
> 
> 
> *i remember at the end of Flight's of Wonder once,, watching all the cast members trying to chase down what I think was a bald eagle that decided it didn't want to see the next show, and wanted to see what all the hoopla was about Expediton Everest,,, which he kept hearing was,,,
> "So High!"*
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks Nebo...Hopefully I will get the next chapter up soon. Work is making me work this week so we'll see what happens.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I think you nailed it!
> 
> 
> 
> I think your right. At least with Manta, there was a seatbelt that I could hold onto and knew I wouldn't fall to my death. The gondola on the other hand was a little spooky as it creaked and swung a little as we headed out over the water.
> 
> *Just for the record,, when you can't see well at all,,, you have no idea how many times I have "read/seen"  Marita , for Manta.. That 's probably not a good thing, is it?   But c'mon,, you slide that "i" into the "r",, you got yourself an "n"!,,, and ok,, I'll shut up now.
> \*
> 
> I'm sorry that AZ didn't work out for you. But I'm glad you are at least going to be closer to your kids. That is a plus. We will be happy to wave back to you!



*Met too? Me too? Can I wave too?  

  uh,, who am I waving at?*


----------



## Sandy Mouse

I'm back and trying to catch up.  You didn't do anything fun while I was drowning in a sea of work and stuff, did you?


----------



## Sandy Mouse

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I'm so glad you liked it! We had so much fun picking out the postcards and then deciding who would get what. They actually had a nice selection to choose from. And how else would you display a DL postcard but with a Mickey magnet?! Sounds like a perfect match to me



Thank you for the postcards!  Each granddaughter got one, and they loved them.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Sandy Mouse said:


> I'm back and trying to catch up.  You didn't do anything fun while I was drowning in a sea of work and stuff, did you?



Welcome back.  Nope.  Been busy working to.  Or are you referring to the TR?  In which case, we're having fun at Sea World currently.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Sandy Mouse said:


> Thank you for the postcards!  Each granddaughter got one, and they loved them.



I think you already thanked us for them, but we'll take the extra Thank You.    Glad your grand-daughters loved them.  We'd be happy to go it again, anytime.


----------



## Jaina

Oh my goodness! I've just popped in here and there, but your wedding ring story about did ME in! So amazing that you didn't lose them forever!


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

The fateful music from Jaws was creeping in as we started to hear the tell tale signs of cracking coming from all around us. NoThis couldnt be happening. These tanks were supposed to be solid. Even with these crazy animals inside, there was no way that it could break right? Just then, water sprang from a corner, spraying out like a fountain, then another, and another. This was really happening. 

Turning to Mike, who had the same expression I am sure I had on my face, we grabbed each others hands, holding each other close as the slow moving walkway inched us closer to the exitOr death as it seemed. This was no way to die. No way to embark on our 5th year as man and wife. Slowly the walkway lurched forward and then stopped all together! What? There was no were to go. We were doomed. As JAWS 8.5 came towards us with what looked to me, an eager smile, and the cracks started working their way across the entire length of the tank, we knew this was it. Water started to come from everywhere, the cracks just barely holding together. We knew it was only a matter of seconds maybe before the whole thing gave way. 

Just then, my knight in shinning armor realized that just because the moving walkway wasnt moving, didnt mean we couldnt. Grabbing my hand he took off at a run, just in time as the dam burst, water flew over our heads, glass coming at us, the sharks would not be too far behind, up ahead we could see the light at the end of the tunnel, just a few more feet and we would be home free

Something hits my foot, almost making me tumble forward. I have to put my hands out to balance myself before smacking head first into the pavement. The walkway has ended. I look up to see the glass tank in perfect condition. The sharks swimming along like they have been since we came in. Other people are slowly making their way in from the other end of the tunnel. Mike is already walking ahead of me, making his way to the exit. WowTalk about your crazy daydreams.  I shake my head and hurry up to catch up with Mike. 

Our next stop on our SW tour brought us to the sea turtles. Now I know we already saw some earlier on, however, those were on landor at least trying to get on land. I wonder if he ever made it up? Poor little fella. 

But these turtles were swimming around; just enjoying life as they munched on lettuce leafs and lazily made their way to the next area of the tank. 













At this point, we decided to make our way to the other side of the park so we could hit up Journey to Atlantis. As we strolled along, we noticed that the line to ride the Skytower was no longer a mile long, so since we were here, we figured, might as well. 

We walked up the long winding ramp that lead to the entrance. You could see the tower making its way down from the last ride, so it shouldnt be too much longer until we got on. I was excited. 

We hadnt had a chance to do this the last time we were here. It was cloudy and windy that day and they had shut down the ride due to the weather. This was our chance to do something new. 

The ride itself is nothing spectacular. Its a big round glass enclosure, with a circular bench seat. You sit facing the outside, and once in, you slowly rotate all the way up this big pole, and then rotate all the way down. Its a very slow, leisurly ride, giving you complete access to the fantastic views of the park. This is one of those moments where you can look around and see what you have missed or what you may want to do next. 

Here is a sky view of Manta. 









The dolphins being fed during a break in their show




Journey to Atlantis




A view of the water




From here, we decided to stop again for something to drink. It was hot and we were parched. After stopping for our drink we once again made our way towards Journey to Atlantis. 

Of course, we got distracted once again by another show. This time it was Blue Horizons. This show is really great. Of course Im a little bias. I absolutely love dolphins and any show that features them is great in my book. 

The show is a mix of stunts and acrobatics blended with dolpins and whales and birds. There is so much to see when watching this. 

For this show, the animals were better behaved and were having a great time with the audience. 

Say hi to the nice people on land! 




Hello people! 




This guy was trying to be Superman




Wanting to interact with the crowd. 




Hello Whale




Riding the whale




Showoffs




Once the show finished you have a choice of exiting stage left or stage rightwe chose stage left and ended up at the dolphin play area. 

And boy were they playful! 













This guy kept creeping in for a peek. I think he was looking for food, as the trainers were on the other side working with a group of people who paid to hang out with the dolphins. 




Pretty soon the dolphins got board with the humans and wandered off to the trainers. 

We continued our way towards Journey to Atlantis, and saw this guy sniffing around. 





We stopped in the market place area once more for a drink and T-Man took a picture of the flags right in front. 





Now this is where things get fuzzy. According to T-Man, he says we went on Journey to Atlantis. I remember walking down that way, and my memory says that they were sending down empty cars, which to us made it seem like they were testing the ride. T-Man however, has a more vivid imagination and insists we went on the ride. He even says he was trying to calm down a kid that was scared. I dont remember thisI blame it on my eye problems. Gotta blame something. I mean it cant be my fault right? 

I do remember towards the end of the day, heading to the Shamu show, One Ocean. This was the first time we caught this show after the name had changed. The idea behind the change was to focus more on what we as humans can do to protect the waters for these animals, and why it is so important to take care of our lakes, and oceans. 

As we made our way to the theater, we passed the dining with Shamu area. One of these days I would like to do this. It just seems like it would be a fun experience to watch the whales play and roam while youre eating lunch or dinner. 






T-Man finds some seats near the front, in the splash zone of course, and we sit and wait for the show to begin. 





As you sit and wait, you have the usual employees trying to sell everything from towels and blankets, to hats and bubble guns. Of course all the kids are begging parents to get them one or the other. Bubbles are popping up everywhere around us. 

On the jumbo tron you have ways to ask questions or befriend one of the cartoon buddies via text. You can even send shout outs to your human friends that will show up on the screen randomly. 

They let a couple of the killer whales out to keep the guests entertained. Sort of like letting a runner take a few laps around the track before the big race. 





And then the show began! 


Ill leave it here for now, and start working on my next chapter so I can close this day out. I hope I can get it up this weekend! Im working today, so well see what I can manage to write out while Im here at the office alone. I meanIm so busy with work that I dont know if I will be able to do any more on this todayyeahthats it


----------



## Thumper_Man

Jaina said:


> Oh my goodness! I've just popped in here and there, but your wedding ring story about did ME in! So amazing that you didn't lose them forever!



Hey, new person.  Howdy and welcome to our TR.  We always like people to pop in more often than just here and there.  Don't be shy, we don't bite.  Well at least not me and Lady H.  Watch out for Nebo and Pkondz though.    J/K.  They're great people.  

The ring story was an interesting time in our lives.  What kind of wedding what it be without a little drama.  Every wedding needs a little drama, right?  There was even a little more story to the rings than this.  Once we found out this new guy had the rings, I went to where his store was at, so I can verify that those were the rings.  Yup, sure enough, those were them.  

The new guy wanted to start making deals with me.  He wanted us to make sure we were going to drop the charges against his friend, and call the paper back to right a follow up story.  I told him, sure thing.  Once the rings are in my possession.  He said he would only turn them over if we dropped the charges and wanted a signed agreement; plus the story to the press.  I told him, "technically I don't have to give you a signed agreement.  The rings are paid in full and if you don't want to release them to me, I'll just call the police detective back and tell him you are holding my property. I can have you charged with conspiracy.  But just to keep the piece, I'll sign one.  Also, we'll call the press, but since I don't control them and don't work for them, I can't guarantee they'll print a follow up story."   Needless to say, it worked out in the end.



 
_(Photo courtesy of: Mark Woods of Woody Photography)_


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

nebo said:


> Sure, as soon as you can tell me what I am doing up at this time Catpain,,, giggle,, I mean Pactain,, giggle,,, oh,, I don't know how much linger the equines can take it!









nebo said:


> Wait,, who we hangin' in effigy by the confusers?



You are...





nebo said:


> Absolutely not,, I'm sure of it.
> Wish you came with subtitles.



That would be too simple. I can't make this easy on you now...




nebo said:


> No wonder THEY all did drugs back then!
> 
> geesh



Sure...uh huh..."they"......




nebo said:


> Um,,, I did'nt say a thing,,,
> but now that you mention it..
> 
> 
> YES



You asked for it. 





nebo said:


> Ive never really liked it when people try to size me up right away.



It's very rude I think. 





nebo said:


> Ok, Pause,, I know how this ends,, but htis is just brutal to read,,, my fists are clenching,,, I want to call you up and tell you in all my macho voice that, " Ill get those rings back for you guys,...",,,



Awww...so sweet. Thanks.  





nebo said:


> And T-Man, when you are done with her,, can you hold me too?



I'm not sure either of you would be comfortable doing that...



nebo said:


> Is that when you made them an offer they can't refuse?



If only. Even after all the crap we had been through and me looking a mess, they still charged us an arm and a leg for them. 




nebo said:


> Wow, I'll bet! I might have even been a bit angry too.



Anger had flown out the window long before that point. 




nebo said:


> "And even the Jordan River has, bodies floatin' but you tell,,, MEE,, Over and over again my friends, you don't believe, we're on the Eve of Destruction. "



Very appropriate actually. 




nebo said:


> Lady H,, trust me,, our "beginning" wasn't ranked in the top ten either.
> 
> Yes,, that I can understand, great storytelling again my dear Lady H.



Thanks. I tried. We laugh about that NOW...but back then, it was anything but a laughing matter. 





nebo said:


> Perfection,, yes,, of course it did,, where else could a Fred Ward/Kevin Bacon,, and the guy from Family Ties have their movie take place?



Can't forget Reba McEntire...




nebo said:


> Yo know,, I never realized he was trying to be a mime,, but now that you mention it,, yeah,,, that says a lot of how good he was,, when I didn't even realize he was just acting it all out,,,, dang he was good!
> Oh wait,,, BACK< BACK<<< see what happened,, you are just trying to distract me right now,,, and then go for the juggler when I'm not looking.
> Oh, and don't you just love the juggler in Italy? Sergio I think his name is,, and,,,,,oh,,, come on,, you're doing it again,,,I'm gonna,,,,



Who me? Would I ever distract you and then take you out when you weren't looking? 

Oh hey...look at that...











nebo said:


> Just for the record,, when you can't see well at all,,, you have no idea how many times I have "read/seen" Marita , for Manta.. That 's probably not a good thing, is it? But c'mon,, you slide that "i" into the "r",, you got yourself an "n"!,,, and ok,, I'll shut up now.



 I'll remember to keep my r's and i's seperated from now on if possible. 





Sandy Mouse said:


> I'm back and trying to catch up.  You didn't do anything fun while I was drowning in a sea of work and stuff, did you?



As T-Man mentioned we've been drowning ourselves. So no worries. I'm knee deep in planning a summit for our office and that has dipped into my Dis time   I'm hoping it won't be for too much longer. 



Jaina said:


> Oh my goodness! I've just popped in here and there, but your wedding ring story about did ME in! So amazing that you didn't lose them forever!
> 
> 
> 
> Thumper_Man said:
> 
> 
> 
> Hey, new person.  Howdy and welcome to our TR.  We always like people to pop in more often than just here and there.  Don't be shy, we don't bite.  Well at least not me and Lady H.  Watch out for Nebo and Pkondz though.    J/K.  They're great people.
> 
> The ring story was an interesting time in our lives.  What kind of wedding what it be without a little drama.  Every wedding needs a little drama, right?  There was even a little more story to the rings than this.  Once we found out this new guy had the rings, I went to where his store was at, so I can verify that those were the rings.  Yup, sure enough, those were them.
> 
> The new guy wanted to start making deals with me.  He wanted us to make sure we were going to drop the charges against his friend, and call the paper back to right a follow up story.  I told him, sure thing.  Once the rings are in my possession.  He said he would only turn them over if we dropped the charges and wanted a signed agreement; plus the story to the press.  I told him, "technically I don't have to give you a signed agreement.  The rings are paid in full and if you don't want to release them to me, I'll just call the police detective back and tell him you are holding my property. I can have you charged with conspiracy.  But just to keep the piece, I'll sign one.  Also, we'll call the press, but since I don't control them and don't work for them, I can't guarantee they'll print a follow up story."   Needless to say, it worked out in the end.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _(Photo courtesy of: Mark Woods of Woody Photography)_
Click to expand...


Those rings mean the world to us now. After all we did to get them back and all we went through...We have a few repairs we need to make to them 5 years later, but we are so scared to place them in the hands of another jeweler we have let them be.


----------



## pkondz

First off. Wow. Just. Wow. Can't believe the whole drama with the rings. Not that a wedding is stressful, so you can always add some in.... 





Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> The fateful music from Jaws was creeping in as we started to hear the tell tale signs of cracking coming from all around us.



bum ba bum ba bum ba bum ba Bum Ba Bum Ba BUM BA BUM BA Deedle eeee Deedle eeee



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> NoThis couldnt be happening. These tanks were supposed to be solid.



Class? What's the key word here?

That's right! "supposed"!



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Even with these crazy animals inside,



Oh, man. A shark's bad enough... but an insane shark? How bad would that be?

Pretty Bad.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> there was no way that it could break right?



Of course not. Don't worry.

DID YOU NOT SEE THAT VIDEO FROM THE CHINESE AQUARIUM?????



sorry.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Just then, water sprang from a corner, spraying out like a fountain, then another, and another. This was really happening.



No biggie. All you need is a little dutch boy to plug the leaks. It's Sea World for Pete's sakes. There's got to be one around somewhere.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Turning to Mike, who had the same expression I am sure I had on my face,



Wonder? Delight? Am I close?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> we grabbed each others hands, holding each other close as the slow moving walkway inched us closer to the exitOr death as it seemed.



Ya know.... I'm okay with that. If death is approaching I would prefer it to inch forward. That way I can compliment him on his flashy black robe and snazzy scythe.

Never hurts to be polite.

(It was the salmon mousse)



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> This was no way to die.



You're right. I want to die in bed. Shot by a jealous husband.

What? Would you prefer to go like my Uncle? Quietly in his sleep? Not yelling and screaming like the passengers on his plane?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Slowly the walkway lurched forward and then stopped all together! What? There was no were to go.



Reminds me of the time I almost passed out from dehydration. I was stuck on a stalled escalator for hours!



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> We were doomed. As JAWS 8.5 came towards us



8.5? 8 point 5? What. Ya got a half a shark there? Front half bad, back half, not so bad.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Just then, my knight in shinning armor



Shinning armor is good for shinning up and down trees and fences but not that great against sharks.

Trust me. I know.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Something hits my foot, almost making me tumble forward. I have to put my hands out to balance myself before smacking head first into the pavement.



Whoops! Howd I get back onto Nebos thread?

Odd.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> The walkway has ended. I look up to see the glass tank in perfect condition. The sharks swimming along like they have been since we came in. Other people are slowly making their way in from the other end of the tunnel. Mike is already walking ahead of me, making his way to the exit. WowTalk about your crazy daydreams.  I shake my head and hurry up to catch up with Mike.



I liked the first version better. I wanted to see if Mike would sacrifice himself to save you.

One of the few times you can say, Bite me. And not be considered rude.

Also works with vampires, zombies and small children.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Our next stop on our SW tour



Geez. Ive been DISneyfied. I see SW and think Snow White? No its a ride, Space Wountain? 



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> brought us to the sea turtles. Now I know we already saw some earlier on, however, those were on landor at least trying to get on land. I wonder if he ever made it up? Poor little fella.



He did. But then he looked around and saw all the people on land and realized that only the dumb animals were up there so he hopped back into the water.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> At this point, we decided to make our way to the other side of the park



The other side? Oh! SW is Star Wars! Of course.

Stupid of me.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> As we strolled along, we noticed that the line to ride the Skytower was no longer a mile long, so since we were here, we figured, might as well.



Might as well what? Oh, yeah. Go to the Other Side.

<sound of mechanized, heavy breathing>

Mike, I am your Father.
Mike screams back, No! Not Nebo! Noooooooo.

(Well who else among us will probably injure himself enough to need a machine to do his breathing for him?)



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I was excited.



Mike, you lucky dog, you.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> You sit facing the outside, and once in, you slowly rotate all the way up this big pole, and then rotate all the way down.



I am so not touching that line with a ten foot, er umm Just forget I said anything.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> The dolphins being fed during a break in their show



Those arent dolphins.

Oh, you mean the dolphins were being fed to the Killer Whales? Wow, so thats the price for poor performance, huh?

Pretty harsh.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> The dolphins being fed during a break in their show



Oh! There are the dolphins you were talking about. Disregard my previous comment.

Or are those the replacement dolphins? 

Wheres Keanu Reeves when you need him?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> The show is a mix of stunts and acrobatics blended with dolpins and whales and birds. There is so much to see when watching this.



Sounds pretty good. Ive never seen a marine show where birds are added to the mix.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> For this show, the animals were better behaved and were having a great time with the audience.



Well, yeah. They didnt want to wind up as killer whale food.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Now this is where things get fuzzy.



Musta been a really good drink!



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> According to T-Man, he says we went on Journey to Atlantis. I remember walking down that way, and my memory says that they were sending down empty cars, which to us made it seem like they were testing the ride. T-Man however, has a more vivid imagination and insists we went on the ride. He even says he was trying to calm down a kid that was scared. I dont remember thisI blame it on my eye problems. Gotta blame something. I mean it cant be my fault right?



Right. If theres anything Ive learned after more than 20 years of marriage its this:

The husband is never, ever right.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> As we made our way to the theater, we passed the dining with Shamu area. One of these days I would like to do this. It just seems like it would be a fun experience to watch the whales play and roam while youre eating lunch or dinner.



We did that a few years ago at the Vancouver Aquarium. We were waiting for a show and decided to have lunch while we waited. The whales were swimming around the whole time. It was nice just to sit and watch them while we ate and chatted.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> As you sit and wait, you have the usual employees trying to sell everything from towels and blankets, to hats and bubble guns.



A theme park trying to sell stuff? What will they think of next?!?!



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> They let a couple of the killer whales out to keep the guests entertained.



All done eating the dolphins.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Sort of like letting a runner take a few laps around the track before the big race.



A runner with a great big mouth filled with huge sharp teeth.

Yup. Same thing.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Ill leave it here for now, and start working on my next chapter so I can close this day out. I hope I can get it up this weekend! Im working today, so well see what I can manage to write out while Im here at the office alone. I meanIm so busy with work that I dont know if I will be able to do any more on this todayyeahthats it



Sounds good. Thanks for the chapter Heather! :





Thumper_Man said:


> Don't be shy, we don't bite.  Well at least not me and Lady H.  Watch out for Nebo and Pkondz though.    J/K.  They're great people.



No, no. Youre right to beware. Mikes right, we do bite.

 Im just kidding too! We dont bite! Ha Ha!


Only Nebo bites.



Thumper_Man said:


> The new guy wanted to start making deals with me.  He wanted us to make sure we were going to drop the charges against his friend, and call the paper back to right a follow up story.  I told him, sure thing.  Once the rings are in my possession.  He said he would only turn them over if we dropped the charges and wanted a signed agreement; plus the story to the press



I cant believe that guys nerve! I know you were wanting your rings back, but I think I would have (as I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket) said something like, No problem. Ill just call the cops and let them know that you are in possession of stolen property. This is 123 Anystreet, right?  

Grrrr..



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> nebo said:
> 
> 
> 
> And T-Man, when you are done with her,, can you hold me too?
> 
> 
> 
> I'm not sure either of you would be comfortable doing that...
Click to expand...


Be sure to take a picture and post it here, kay?


----------



## Thumper_Man

Ok.  I never did comment much on Lady H's latest chapter.  I went in search of the missing pieces and I think I found some of them.  So let me see if I can clear up some of information.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> At this point, we decided to make our way to the other side of the park so we could hit up Journey to Atlantis. As we strolled along, we noticed that the line to ride the Skytower was no longer a mile long, so since we were here, we figured, might as well.
> 
> We walked up the long winding ramp that lead to the entrance. You could see the tower making its way down from the last ride, so it shouldn’t be too much longer until we got on. I was excited.
> 
> We hadn’t had a chance to do this the last time we were here. It was cloudy and windy that day and they had shut down the ride due to the weather. This was our chance to do something new.
> 
> The ride itself is nothing spectacular. It’s a big round glass enclosure, with a circular bench seat. You sit facing the outside, and once in, you slowly rotate all the way up this big pole, and then rotate all the way down. It’s a very slow, leisurly ride, giving you complete access to the fantastic views of the park. This is one of those moments where you can look around and see what you have missed or what you may want to do next.



Ok. The first missing piece of the puzzle comes in here.    

It was either before the Skytower ride, or after the ride that the alleged "Dumb Wife"  conveniently left a part out.  My best guess is before the Skytower ride.  

So with that statement, your first clue here should've been "Dumb Wife."  

As Lady H has self proclaimed, any time she gets on a roller coaster, she likes to chant "dumb wife, dumb wife."  You all want to guess what this alleged dumb wife did?

If anyone said, she went on Manta again, you would be right.  

But hold on there's more.  

Lady H has never been a fan of riding in the front row on roller coasters.  Not even on BTMRR.  She prefers to sit more towards the middle or back.  Guess who sat in the front row?

If you said Lady H (and shame on you for those of you who said dumb wife), you would be correct again.  

But wait, there's more.  

After getting off Manta, we see there is still only a 5-minute wait for the ride.  Guess who went on the ride again?  Yup, dumb wife.  

Oops, I meant Lady H.  My bad.

So now, not only has she done the front row in Manta; she has also done Manta back to back.  

But wait, there's still even more.  

Ok, there's really not more.  I was just seeing who's still paying attention.  She did contemplate going a 3rd time in a row though but if we were going to see everything this day, then we figured we better move on.  There are still 2 shows we haven't seen that we want to see, and still the other side of the park to see.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> From here, we decided to stop again for something to drink. It was hot and we were parched. After stopping for our drink we once again made our way towards Journey to Atlantis.



If I remember correctly, she was screaming and having fun on Manta.  Not the "oh prac" scream, but the "this is fun" scream.  She needed a drink to help get her voice back.  



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Of course, we got distracted once again by another show. This time it was Blue Horizons. This show is really great. Of course I’m a little bias. I absolutely love dolphins and any show that features them is great in my book.
> 
> The show is a mix of stunts and acrobatics blended with dolpins and whales and birds. There is so much to see when watching this.
> 
> For this show, the animals were better behaved and were having a great time with the audience.



Once she is completely done with this chapter, I'll post a link with more pics from our day at Sea World.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Once the show finished you have a choice of exiting stage left or stage right…we chose stage left and ended up at the dolphin play area.



Ok, missing piece #2.  This was actually my fault, so I'll take the blame here.  When I uploaded the pics to Flickr, I uploaded these pictures in the wrong order.  We actually did the dolphin play area before Blue Horizons.  We've been looking at the pictures trying to remember the order of events for this day.  

Ok, I'll go back to the corner now. 





Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> We stopped in the market place area once more for a drink and T-Man took a picture of the flags right in front.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Now this is where things get fuzzy. According to T-Man, he says we went on Journey to Atlantis. I remember walking down that way, and my memory says that they were sending down empty cars, which to us made it seem like they were testing the ride. T-Man however, has a more vivid imagination and insists we went on the ride. He even says he was trying to calm down a kid that was scared. I don’t remember this…I blame it on my eye problems. Gotta blame something. I mean it can’t be my fault right?



Final piece of the puzzle that I could find.  Lady H is correct that they were sending down empty cars.  They were; back on April 17, 2011.  This was the day we took our first trip to Sea World.  Back on this day, Manta was still being built.  JtA was one of the only rides at the time.  When we got to the park this day, we went straight to JtA.  The ride wasn't open yet.  They were sending down empty cars to test the ride.  The worker assigned to guarding the entrance took out her triton, pointed it at us and said "You shall not pass!"  

We asked her if she knew when the ride would be open, she said in a couple of hours or so.  So we left to explore the park and would return later.  So Lady H is correct that they were sending down empty cars, just not on the day this TR is taking place.

Fast forward to August 29, 2012 (the day Lady H is currently writing about).    Now I'm not a master of Photoshop like our friend Ponzi.  I was able to zoom in close enough on the picture she posted of JtA (taken from the Skytower).  It shows people standing around, watching the cars as they come down the big drop.  You see people entering the ride.  

Now on the ride itself, I do remember the little boy who I say was about 6-7 years old.  The reason he sticks out in my mind is because he did not want to ride the ride.  We've all read on the Dis many times about parents forcing their kids to ride big rides.  This was one of those situations.  From the time we were in line, to the time we got off the ride; his mother was persistent he was going to ride and enjoy it.  Once on the ride he was crying, scared and wanted off.  His mother kept telling him it would be ok.  So to help, Lady H and I started talking to him as well.  Otherwise we wouldn't have enjoyed the ride ourselves.  This helped for a little while, until it was time for the big drop.  Thank God of the lap bar.  This kid was ready to jump out right before we started ascending up to the big drop.  

After the big drop, he was crying but was happy it was over.  We all applauded him for his courage and that he did it.  He was all smiles for a while, but little did he know that the ride wasn't quite over.  At this JtA, there is this type of lift that lifts the car pretty quick up to the top to start the coaster part of the ride.  This little boy about lost it again.  His mother was laughing and holding on to him, trying to comfort him as he was screaming and crying.  At the end, we gave him a high five and reassured him he was a big boy now.  Once the ride was over, I've never seen anyone get off a ride so fast in all my life.  

After we got off the ride, we headed over to get a snack and a final drink before attending Shamu.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> Ok.  I never did comment much on Lady H's latest chapter.  I went in search of the missing pieces and I think I found some of them.  So let me see if I can clear up some of information.



You realise of course that if you'd just kept quiet none of us would've been the wiser?

This reflects poorly on Mrs. T.

hmmmm... does that make you like one of those funhouse mirrors?



Thumper_Man said:


> You all want to guess what this alleged dumb wife did?



A belly flop in the killer whale pool?
Tested out the diamond on her ring by trying to carve a hole in the shark tank?
Tried to recreate a Steve Irwin moment in the stingray pool? (still too soon??)



Thumper_Man said:


> If anyone said, she went on Manta again, you would be right.



Oh... missed it by that much. (just watched Get Smart again)



Thumper_Man said:


> Lady H has never been a fan of riding in the front row on roller coasters.  Not even on BTMRR.  She prefers to sit more towards the middle or back.  Guess who sat in the front row?



Steve Buscemi?
Richard Kiel?
I got it! Kevin Bacon! He's in _everything_!



Thumper_Man said:


> If you said Lady H (and shame on you for those of you who said dumb wife), you would be correct again.



Sorry about that chief.



Thumper_Man said:


> But wait, there's more.



A free prize in every box? Oh boy oh boyoboyboy!!!



Thumper_Man said:


> After getting off Manta, we see there is still only a 5-minute wait for the ride.  Guess who went on the ride again?  Yup, dumb wife.
> 
> Oops, I meant Lady H.  My bad.



Just out of curiosity, how _was_ sleeping on the couch the night you posted this?



Thumper_Man said:


> But wait, there's still even more.
> 
> Ok, there's really not more.  I was just seeing who's still paying attention.



The old 'bait and switch' huh?



Thumper_Man said:


> Now I'm not a master of Photoshop like our friend Ponzi.



thank you



Thumper_Man said:


> Now on the ride itself, I do remember the little boy who I say was about 6-7 years old.  The reason he sticks out in my mind is because he did not want to ride the ride.  We've all read on the Dis many times about parents forcing their kids to ride big rides.



I would love to see some statistics on this. How many kids "get over it" and really do enjoy the ride either during or afterwards versus the number of kids who develop phobias or even a simple dislike for rides because they were forced on.

When I took my DDs to WDW the first time, they were 4 and 8.

No HM, no coasters of any kind, no POC. We did ride Alladdin's Carpets 7 times in a row... and they had a blast. I guess I"m a bad parent 'cause I didn't make them cry and force them on a ride they didn't want to do on the chance that they might like it anyway. I'm surprised they weren't taken away from me for being a bad parent 'cause they were smiling and laughing pretty much the whole week we were there.

Ah well, to each his or her own.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

Hmmm...Copy and paste option is not working for me lately. I guess I will have to do this Nebo's way...

First off. Wow. Just. Wow. Can't believe the whole drama with the rings. Not that a wedding is stressful, so you can always add some in....  

Yeah...we didn't have enough going on with the planning and all...not to mention the issue I had with one of my bridesmaids dresses the day before the wedding. Throwing this in between it all seemed like a good idea at the time. What spells wedded bliss like catastrophe?! 


Class? What's the key word here?

That's right! "supposed"!

Yeah, it's kind of like assuming right? 



oh, man. A shark's bad enough... but an insane shark? How bad would that be?

Pretty Bad.

what's life without a little drama? 



Of course not. Don't worry.

DID YOU NOT SEE THAT VIDEO FROM THE CHINESE AQUARIUM?????



sorry.

 I think I watched that over and over again when it was on the news here, then had to watch it a few more times when you posted it. I just couldn't get over something like that actually happening. I can only imagine what was going through some of the people's heads near by 



No biggie. All you need is a little dutch boy to plug the leaks. It's Sea World for Pete's sakes. There's got to be one around somewhere.

A little dutch boy...Why didn't i think of that! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	





Ya know.... I'm okay with that. If death is approaching I would prefer it to inch forward. That way I can compliment him on his flashy black robe and snazzy scythe.

Never hurts to be polite.

(It was the salmon mousse)

 I prefer for it to approach extremely slow, being a million miles away and only going an inch per year or something like that...but hey that's me.  

Not to say I wouldn't be polite when he came around. By that time I would be too old to be grumpy. 



You're right. I want to die in bed. Shot by a jealous husband.

Or there's that option too. 



What? Would you prefer to go like my Uncle? Quietly in his sleep? Not yelling and screaming like the passengers on his plane?

Heard that one before. Although, yes, I would much prefer going the way of your uncle instead of the passengers if given the choice. 




8.5? 8 point 5? What. Ya got a half a shark there? Front half bad, back half, not so bad.

Well they've done so many Jaws movies, I wasn't sure what number we were on anymore. Figured I would play it safe with a .5. Technically even if there has been a 9, I'm in the clear. 


Shinning armor is good for shinning up and down trees and fences but not that great against sharks.

Trust me. I know.

 You know...Normally I would catch that when reading for errors...But with being sick and the stress of planning a summit for work, it went right past me. But made for interesting reading didn't it? 



Whoops! Howd I get back onto Nebos thread?

Odd.

I think he rubs off on all of us a little after so many TR's. 


I liked the first version better. I wanted to see if Mike would sacrifice himself to save you.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it would be every man/woman for himself in a situation like that. 


One of the few times you can say, Bite me. And not be considered rude.

Also works with vampires, zombies and small children.




Geez. Ive been DISneyfied. I see SW and think Snow White? No its a ride, Space Wountain? 

Space Wountain? Sort of like "Mawage...mawage is what bwings us togeva, today...an wove...twoo wove..." 


And don't feel bad, I tend to catch myself looking at certain abbreviations and substituting Disney stuff for whatever they are. Makes an interesting read on FaceBook. 



He did. But then he looked around and saw all the people on land and realized that only the dumb animals were up there so he hopped back into the water.

That would explain it all. Thanks for getting that info. It was bugging me a little. At least now I know. 


The other side? Oh! SW is Star Wars! Of course.

Stupid of me.



Might as well what? Oh, yeah. Go to the Other Side.

<sound of mechanized, heavy breathing>

Mike, I am your Father.
Mike screams back, No! Not Nebo! Noooooooo.

(Well who else among us will probably injure himself enough to need a machine to do his breathing for him?)




Mike, you lucky dog, you.

not touching that one...



I am so not touching that line with a ten foot, er umm Just forget I said anything.

Yeah...uh huh...sure...


Those arent dolphins.

Oh, you mean the dolphins were being fed to the Killer Whales? Wow, so thats the price for poor performance, huh?

Pretty harsh.

You do what you have to, to survive. If the killer whales are hungry, and it's you or them...what would you do? 


Oh! There are the dolphins you were talking about. Disregard my previous comment.

Or are those the replacement dolphins? 

Wheres Keanu Reeves when you need him?




Sounds pretty good. Ive never seen a marine show where birds are added to the mix.

The birds were cool. With all the acrobatic stuff going on, you almost didn't realize that the birds were part of the show, especially since there are birds almost everywhere around SW. 



Musta been a really good drink!

I guess so. I'm pretty sure T-Man was slipping something into my soda when i wasn't looking. 


Right. If theres anything Ive learned after more than 20 years of marriage its this:

The husband is never, ever right.

You wanna come teach my husband that? Because he has a complete opposite impression. 


We did that a few years ago at the Vancouver Aquarium. We were waiting for a show and decided to have lunch while we waited. The whales were swimming around the whole time. It was nice just to sit and watch them while we ate and chatted.

One of these days we will get a chance to do that. The only problem is it is so expensive to do some of the interaction stuff that we keep putting it off till next time. 


A theme park trying to sell stuff? What will they think of next?!?!

I know. Next they will start putting people dryers around the parks so people who go on a ride, specifically to get wet, can then dry off for only $5. 



A runner with a great big mouth filled with huge sharp teeth.

Yup. Same thing.

Can you come up with a better comparison? On second thought...don't answer that. 


Sounds good. Thanks for the chapter Heather! :[/QUOTE]


Thanks for the breakdown Ponzi! Always appreciated!


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I think I watched that over and over again when it was on the news here, then had to watch it a few more times when you posted it. I just couldn't get over something like that actually happening. *I can only imagine what was going through some of the people's heads near by*



Glass fragments, perhaps the odd fish.

Okay, maybe that was a little crass.... but I couldn't resist.




Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> You do what you have to, to survive. If the killer whales are hungry, and it's you or them...what would you do?



Oh, that's easy. I'd just be in the water with Nebo. I'd just bet I could swim faster then him.

Either that or bore them to death with my stellar 'wit'.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> pkondz said:
> 
> 
> 
> Right. If theres anything Ive learned after more than 20 years of marriage its this:
> 
> The husband is never, ever right.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> You wanna come teach my husband that? Because he has a complete opposite impression.
Click to expand...


Don't worry. I thought I was right, too... for the first few years. Then I got properly trained.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

pkondz said:


> Don't worry. I thought I was right, too... for the first few years. Then I got properly trained.



 I don't think there is enough training in the world to make T-Man believe anything different at the moment. 10 years together, 5 of those married, and i'm still wrong, (see his breakdown of my chapter ). 

However, we have found something that will at least allow us to understand each other better, so when I am wrong, as often as I am, I can at least know how T-Man's brain operates and know that secretly I'm right, he just doesn't know it. 

Since I am slacking in regards to my next chapter, I'll at least leave you something to ponder and laugh at in regards to this: 

A pastor, by the name of Mark Gungor goes around the U.S. giving seminars for married couples. He doesn't use religion so much as he uses humor to interpret the average couple. This guy is absolutely hilarious. I would love to see him in person. He takes a very laid back approach to men and women. He starts off with his "Tale of two brains" and explains the differences between them. I believe this could save a marriage or two...
A Tale of Two Brains

The video is long, this is the first full hour of his seminar, so if you want to go straight into the brains of the story so to speak, you can go to the 16 minute mark and that should get you there, however, if you have the time, check it out. It will definitely have you laughing.


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> You realise of course that if you'd just kept quiet none of us would've been the wiser?
> 
> This reflects poorly on Mrs. T.



My intentions weren't to make Lady H look poorly.  Heck, she usually has more money than I do.  

Ok, but seriously now; that wasn't my intent.  We've been trying to remember all the details from this trip.  Especially since we now have a recent trip to WDW under our belt.  We have our notes and the pictures, so we're doing the best we can to recall what we did and in what order.  I've been asking her for help on my chapters and vice-versa.  

The only thing we can remember for certain, is we were there and having fun.  




pkondz said:


> Tested out the diamond on her ring by trying to carve a hole in the shark tank?



She actually does this quite well (inadvertently) on my hand when I try to hold her hand.  So far I've been lucky to avoid stitches and only need a bandaid.  



pkondz said:


> Just out of curiosity, how _was_ sleeping on the couch the night you posted this?



Do you really want to know?  You do know that curiosity gets kills the cat right?  I wonder if the same applies to humans?  Lets test it out.

To answer your question.  I wouldn't know.  I can tell you the bed we have in the spare bedroom is comfortable though. 



pkondz said:


> When I took my DDs to WDW the first time, they were 4 and 8.
> 
> No HM, no coasters of any kind, no POC. We did ride Alladdin's Carpets 7 times in a row... and they had a blast. I guess I"m a bad parent 'cause I didn't make them cry and force them on a ride they didn't want to do on the chance that they might like it anyway. I'm surprised they weren't taken away from me for being a bad parent 'cause they were smiling and laughing pretty much the whole week we were there.



Well I guess you more than made up for it when you took them diving with sharks.  I guess you're a wonderful father after all.


----------



## orangecats2

Lovely updates.

Is there an Atlantis ride in Orlando? Never been to that SW. Only ever been to the one we used to have here in Ohio. And at the time there were no rides.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

orangecats2 said:
			
		

> Lovely updates.
> 
> Is there an Atlantis ride in Orlando? Never been to that SW. Only ever been to the one we used to have here in Ohio. And at the time there were no rides.



Thank you. And yes there is a Journey to Atlantis ride in Orlando. Along with Manta and Kraken, the latter of which we found out this last trip had I think 7 inversions. DSIL will have to confrim that one for me.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

(Let's see if anyone gets the chapter title!)

So we left off with us waiting with bated breath as the final show of One Ocean began. 

Now, Its almost inevitable during the Shamu shows that we sit somewhere near the front, and in a splash zone. This is the closest we could get this time around. Usually we strive for somewhere in the middle, me going for the top row, while T-Man continues on till he finds the closest row we can that will get us absolutely soaked. I as the dutiful dumb wife, follow his lead and let him pick the seats. WhyI think the title of said dutiful wife says it all. 

So, as we do our best to stow any non water proof gear under our clothes and in pockets, T-Man keeps the trusty camera out, and takes some candid shots as the show begins. 





Say Hello to Shamu! 




Doing a little turn on the cat walk





Look at those teeth! Eeek! 





Now would be a good time to stow the camera away, 




The minute that tail goes up, we know no good can come of it. 

Feed me Seymore




The whales started to multiply, 





They looked all sweet and innocent herebut shortly thereafter, they started making their way around the pool, very close to the edge

You can see as the tail pulls back and then pushes an insane amount of water up and over the pools edge. 




PeopleMostly kids, are just itching to get wet. They will gather at the bottom waiting for it when they see it coming. 






Me on the other hand, am usually cowering behind T-Man as the wave approaches. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 All the while he is laughing like a crazy person. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Im not quite sure if hes laughing at me or just the thought of being soaked by gallons of salt water. Either way, its entertaining. 

Then comes the big one. I thought the other whales were hugebut not even close. 





Everyone is chanting SHAMU SHAMUThe trainers are getting everyone on their feet and asking them to do a rain dance. As the noise gets louder and louder, you can see a big black mass in the water, coming straight for the center. A huge tail barely skims the surface as it draws itself as far as possible and then picks up what can only be described as half the pool of water. In slow motion, the water cascadesnopours down on everyone in the first 10 rows. 

You see kids laughing and jumping up and down, wanting to show their parents how awesome they are that they just got dumped on by a ton of salt, and probably whale pee filled water. 

The whales are drawn back into their hiding places, and the show comes to a close. Slowly everyone trickles out of the auditorium. Shoes squeak and slosh, clothes are wrung dry, neighbors are dripping all over their other neighbors. 

And this is what we callHaving a good time!!!! 

As we make our way out and head towards the lockers to grab our dry clothes and change, we encounter the strangest sight. 

Now please, do not get me wrong. I am a woman of understanding and I know that just because people are different does not make them any less attracted to theme parks and the like. I know that every race, color, creed, religion and so on, makes an appearance at theme parks and they are just regular people like we are, however, I honestly could not, for some reason, picture this, if it wasnt right in front of my very eyes. 





Bless their hearts, I can only imagine how hot they were in those clothes. And I understand that this is what they wear and its all part of their culture. But as you can see from the picture, everyone around them are in shorts, flip flops, t-shirts or tank topsand the Amish family are covered from top to bottom. 

I know I knowIm a horrible person. I just found the sight so strange, I couldnt help but laugh. Its sort of the old Sesame Street song, One of these things is not like the otherOne of these things just doesnt belongCan you tell which thing is not like the otherby the time I finish this song? 

Anywayback on trackWe found our locker again. Pulled out all our worldy possessions and headed off in search of a bathroom so we could dry off and change. 

After changing and making myself as presentable as possible without my paper bag mask, we make our way out of the park and back to the car. We are headed to Dave & Busters tonight for dinner. Since we dont have one back home, we figured we might as well take advantage of the one that is here. 

Now I know that it is inevitable, that while on vacation, we are going to walk a lot. I start preparing myself in advance, taking walks for lunch, working out at the gym, etc. To make sure that I have the stamina for it, as well as to make sure that my body is up for the challenge. After years of dancing when I was younger, I sort of just stopped all of a sudden and my body has been having a really bad time trying to get back into shape. Everything hurts, I have back issues, that can hinder my walking, standing, sitting, at times. I also have issues with my feet and legs. The constant jumping and pounding that I gave them when I was dancing has come back to haunt me like a ghost with a mission. But because I have dealt with these issues regularly, I know what to expect, and can usually take care of the problems right away. 

One of the major issues is that after so much walking during our trips, on our return trip back, my feet swell to the size of softballs on the airplane. Usually rendering me barefoot, because even flip-flops wont slide on my feet. I end up having to walk barefoot through the terminal to baggage claim. But I know to expect this on the trip back.  

What I did not expect was this to happen today!!! 




This posed an interesting problemWalking around Dave and Busters while barely able to keep the flip flops on my feet because of how swollen they were. 

T-Man had asked if I wanted to skip it. We had a long drive back to the resort and we could just find something on the way home for dinner. But I had been looking forward to this place, so I said I would power through.  

After getting directions from T-Mans trusty navigation system on his phone, we were on our way. 

Now although the maps will tell you that Dave & Busters is only about 10-15 minutes away from SeaWorld, what they wont tell you is that trying to navigate around the highway, through residential areas and then having to backtrack because you missed the exit, because there is no specification for the turn, will end up taking you a good 30 mins to an hour. 

The main problem wasnt so much having to navigate through the highway, that was the easy part. What was interesting was to try to get to the parking lot of the restaurant. The place is literally sitting underneath the highway exchange. So its pretty well hidden from view from the main road. Once you get onto the road you need, there arent any arrows leading you to the parking area. So we missed it the first time around, and had to go up the road a bit so we could flip a U. Once we figure out the intricate works of the parking lot, we find that its pretty full. 

To some this would be a worry. I mean, there is no telling how long the wait will be once we get in there if we are having to park in Timbuktu. But we know a secret. 

Dave and Busters is the adult version of Chuck E Cheese in a sense. While they have a more adult catered menu, and they serve adult beverages as well as sodas and tea, they also have a ginormous play room, where you can kick back and play while you wait for your table. 

Before I go any furtherI should probably clarify on the play room stuff. I know how some of your minds can work

The play room is basically a big arcade for adults and kids alike. You have your basics like skee-ball and Mrs. Pac-man, to a life size virtual version of Connect 4 and a supersized trivia game. Instead of actual cash or tokens, you use a power play card, sort of like a pre-paid credit card, which you swipe at the game you want to play, and it takes whatever amount the game costs, leaving you with whatever balance you have on your card for your next game. 

I had already resigned myself to trying to figure out how to  power up our players cards so we can go play while we wait, but when we got inside, it wasnt as packed as I thought it would be. 

We put our names down, and they said it would be just a few minutes. So while we waited, we took a look at the menus, trying to decide what we would like to eat for dinner. 

In no time, they had us seated at a booth. We each ordered a beer, and I believe we ordered an appetizer as well. Looking at the online menu, I believe it was the pretzel dogs. Basically a vamped up version of pigs in a blanket, but this time, the blanket was made out of a pretzel bread that was very good. 

It is very easy to be distracted by the game room while you are here. And I was very happy that they sat us in the bottom area where, while I could hear some of the gaming going on, I wasnt acting like a child and wanting to stuff food in my mouth as I ran off to play. 

I cant remember off hand if we had another appetizer or not. T-Man may be able to shed some light on that. However I do know that I had the fire grilled salmon, which was pretty tasty. I want to say T-Man had the trifecta, which was steak, shrimp and chicken, but since I cant seem to find pictures of any of itI am not 100% sure. 

Once we ate, we decided it would be a good idea to add some money to our players cards, so we handed over our cards to the waiter, and he added the balance to our check. The cool thing here is that with your meal, the power play for the cards is just a tad bit cheaper than getting it without the meal. The meal deals we got, included a $25 play card, which we just added to existing cards, plus since we ate, we got an additional $5. So we each had $30 to play with. 

Once the bill was sorted, we finished our drinks and headed out to the game room. 

The trivia game was booked at the moment. There are only 4 or 5 seats for that one, so we played a few arcade games, and then ended up finding Deal or No Deal. Its pretty much like the original. You pick your favorite briefcase, then you have a series of cases you have to open to see what the dealer will offer you. If you dont like the offer, you continue until your down to only 2 cases. Each time we played, we would get a certain amount of tickets based on what we ended up with at the last briefcase. We never made it to the mega bucks on it, but we cleaned up pretty good there. The bad thing is you can easily waste all your credits on this one game, because it's pretty addicting, wanting to get the big bank. 

We moved on to our trivia game eventually and I could easily stay there all night playing.  I can usually clean up pretty good on the music trivia and movie trivia, however, sports and history aren't my strong suits, so I'm usually done pretty quickly if those topics come up. 

At some point, we finally ran low on funds, and decided to finish off the rest at some random games. We took the two buckets of tickets we had and found a kiosk where you could feed the tickets in and then collect the points on your card for future purchases. 

The ticket points can be used in the shop for prizes, just like at the old school arcades. Here they have everything from stuffed animals, to ipods. Of course you need a ton of points for most of the stuff in there. So we tend to just hold onto them for future use. One of these days we will have enough to purchase something entertaining. 

By now, its getting pretty late. And I know we have to be up at the crack of dawn tomorrow for the parks. We also have a long drive ahead of us, so we decided to pack it up and head out. 

Driving back, I wasnt able to get any other photos, its hard to get ocean pictures when there is no light and the water looks like the black lagoon. 

So naturally, as any good wife would do, I feel asleep, leaving T-Man to man the vehicle and hopefully keep himself awake on the trip back. 

I think as we got closer to the resort I finally woke myself up somehow. Probably fighting with the bears to see who was the loudest. As we unpacked the vehicle and made our way to the room, we decided we couldnt leave our tradition to pass, so we changed into our PJs and headed out to the balcony for our nightcap. 

All in all it was a great day. My eye is still twitchy, my feet are swollen and Im hoping I can manage to stuff them into a pair of tennis shoes tomorrowI guess we will see if that happens. 

Finally, I can put this chapter to rest and let T-Man entertain you for a whileSorry it took so long all, but thanks for sticking around. We do appreciate it!


----------



## mmeb144

Your poor tootsies!    A quick soak in the hot tub or bath tub would feel real good...


----------



## smidgy

wow! quite a full, fun packed day!  sounds exhausting.  I hope you feet fared better the next day.. I can only imagine getting up and walking on them the whole day..they look like they need a rest!

never been to a dave and buster's  I'm thinking there is one in the chicago area, not sure.  I like the old arcade type games, the 70s and 80s stuff. there a room at disney quest with all these games.  I could stay there forever.  Mr. doo, pac man, quebert,space incaders, donkey kong, dig dug, etc. reminds me of our old coleco vision.. I was the ladybug champ!


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

mmeb144 said:


> Your poor tootsies!    A quick soak in the hot tub or bath tub would feel real good...



A soak would have been ideal at that point, but getting back to the resort at the time we did...I want to say somewhere between 11pm-12am, the pool area was closed off. I didn't even think about soaking them in the tub. Of course by that time my brain was pretty much fried. 



smidgy said:


> wow! quite a full, fun packed day!  sounds exhausting.  I hope you feet fared better the next day.. I can only imagine getting up and walking on them the whole day..they look like they need a rest!
> 
> never been to a dave and buster's  I'm thinking there is one in the chicago area, not sure.  I like the old arcade type games, the 70s and 80s stuff. there a room at disney quest with all these games.  I could stay there forever.  Mr. doo, pac man, quebert,space incaders, donkey kong, dig dug, etc. reminds me of our old coleco vision.. I was the ladybug champ!



Yeah, I put my feet through hell on vacations. I was just glad I had flip flops with me. I don't think i would have been able to squish them into tennis shoes after all that. They were getting to the point where they felt almost numb because of all the pressure. That's interesting to walk on. Especially when you have to walk up stairs to get to our room. 

According to their website, there is a Dave & Busters on Clark Street in Chicago. Where that is or how close to you, I couldn't tell ya...but it is a fun place to go. The first time we went, we ordered appetizers and drinks and watched T-Man and his best friend play pool for a while, before hitting the arcade area. I think we spent a good 3 hours there without even realizing it. 

The funny part...later that same night, after spending 3 hours in D&B, we walked across the street and grabbed a pizza from California Pizza Kitchen to take back to the hotel with us for a late night dinner.  That's just the way we roll...


----------



## nowellsl

My feet used to get pretty sore after the second or third day, but I found some really comfortable skechers sandals that help a lot! We do short trips, so I don't know if they would make it for a long trip!   We do have the same tan line


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

nowellsl said:


> My feet used to get pretty sore after the second or third day, but I found some really comfortable skechers sandals that help a lot! We do short trips, so I don't know if they would make it for a long trip!   We do have the same tan line



T-Man and I laughed at the tan line, both of us had one like that on our feet when we got back from our trip. Now that it's faded, we keep saying we have to go back and get our feet dirty again.  

The sandals I have are extremely comfortable, They are the Nike sandals that have the memory foam. It was just the amount of walking we did. The salt I add to my beer every night probably didn't help much either.


----------



## nebo

Terrrific chapter and pictures Heather, isn't it amazing how excited people get about getting soaked by rides,,,or animals that cause the soaking. But if it starts raining out,,,they can't get inside or the ponchos on fast enough.

  Telll me,, when you were watching the Shamu show,, did you think about the poor trainer that got pulled under and drowned during the Orlando show a couple years ago?  I would have. Just like now I'm going to think of the kid that just drowned at the bowling pin pool over at Pop. How can something like that happen when on vacation to Disney? 

  And we've never been to a Dave and Buster's, we used to have one about 20 miles away,, not sure if it's still there though. But your days sound totallly exhausting,, no wonder your feet look the way they do. Why don't you just save time and as soon as you get to the motel, beat them with a sledgehammer to get the job done right away?

And that poicture of the two whales almost looks like a double exposure,,, even the markings are identical.

  As far as the Amish family/group goes;

  We once stood in line behind an Indian family on a  95 degree day at a Six Flaggs for the log flume ride, and I don'[t mean a Navajo family. 
  Flags,, no, not thinking of Randall Flagg. 

  Anyway,,, they were covered mostly in robes,, but what was visible was glistening in oil and incense, locking in the perspiration and creating just a lovely smell.  When they got soaked in the car in front of us,,, the water just rolled off them like Turtle Wax off a Chevy, we couldn't get away fast enough. 

Again, thanks for writing Lady H, well done!


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

nebo said:


> Terrrific chapter and pictures Heather, isn't it amazing how excited people get about getting soaked by rides,,,or animals that cause the soaking. But if it starts raining out,,,they can't get inside or the ponchos on fast enough.



 Good point! That is so true. Unless of course your me and T-Man. Anytime we have been at WDW when it has rained, we are always the idiots walking in the rain. Unless of course it's coming down in buckets, then we are huddling with the masses, but usually we are one of the few that keep walking through it. Probably because we don't get to experience the water from the sky phenomena much around these parts. 



nebo said:


> Telll me,, when you were watching the Shamu show,, did you think about the poor trainer that got pulled under and drowned during the Orlando show a couple years ago?  I would have. Just like now I'm going to think of the kid that just drowned at the bowling pin pool over at Pop. How can something like that happen when on vacation to Disney?



Since hearing the story about the trainer at SW, anytime we go and watch Shamu I think about her. I always wonder how things like this happen. I was reading the story about the kid that drowned at the Pop and was so saddened by it. Disney is this wonderful, cheerful, happy place, and where you go to escape the troubles in life, and something so drastic and horrible happens. My thoughts and prayers go out to that family. 



nebo said:


> And we've never been to a Dave and Buster's, we used to have one about 20 miles away,, not sure if it's still there though. But your days sound totallly exhausting,, no wonder your feet look the way they do. Why don't you just save time and as soon as you get to the motel, beat them with a sledgehammer to get the job done right away?



I think I replied to Smidgy a few posts up regarding the D&B there in Chicago. 

Yes, our days are pretty much non-stop when we are on vacation. We usually need a vacation to re-coup from our vacations. But my feet usually don't blow up like that until the end. 

While that sounds like it would definitely eliminate the middle man 

, I'm thinking it may hurt more than the original issue. Although, probably not by much. 



nebo said:


> And that poicture of the two whales almost looks like a double exposure,,, even the markings are identical.



I didn't even notice that...but your right, it does look eerily similar. But you can tell by the slight difference in angle of their heads and the fact that one of them is just slightly more out of the water that they are not. That would however, be quite an interesting shot if it was. 



nebo said:


> As far as the Amish family/group goes;
> 
> We once stood in line behind an Indian family on a  95 degree day at a Six Flaggs for the log flume ride, and I don'[t mean a Navajo family.
> Flags,, no, not thinking of Randall Flagg.
> 
> Anyway,,, they were covered mostly in robes,, but what was visible was glistening in oil and incense, locking in the perspiration and creating just a lovely smell.  When they got soaked in the car in front of us,,, the water just rolled off them like Turtle Wax off a Chevy, we couldn't get away fast enough.



It took me a minute to figure out who Randall Flagg was...I recognized the name, but couldn't remember from where. And here I thought I was such a King fan.  

Regarding the indians  I wasn't close enough to the Amish to have any information regarding all that, but for some reason we just found it so strange and misplaced, and then I internally beat myself up for thinking that. 



nebo said:


> Again, thanks for writing Lady H, well done!



Thanks Nebo, for reading and for responding!


----------



## bankr63

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Good point! That is so true. Unless of course your me and T-Man. Anytime we have been at WDW when it has rained, we are always the idiots walking in the rain. Unless of course it's coming down in buckets, then we are huddling with the masses, but usually we are one of the few that keep walking through it. Probably because we don't get to experience the water from the sky phenomena much around these parts.



That was us last Tuesday.  Just got back from Orlando on Sunday night.  Tuesday was a fairly rainy day, so what did we do?  Head straight to IOA.  Figured it's a pretty wet park anyway, what difference would it make (although it was a bit cool too, so it wasn't as pleasant as a mid-summer rain).  The lines were short all day, so we managed to head over to USO too in the afternoon.  All four of us were pretty much "pruned up" by noon however.  

One thing we did find out - the touch pads on the locker rentals don't work with wet fingers, but there is no way to dry them off once you are fully soaked!  Worst/best part - our log got stuck for about 10 minutes at the very top of Ripsaw falls.  To make up for it, the attendant called ahead to The Hulk and got us into the Express Pass lane.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I think as we got closer to the resort I finally woke myself up somehow.



Are you sure it wasn't when we stopped to put gas in our pint sized SUV and to get me the 20 energy drinks to stay awake?  

Oh as we go closer to the resort.  Never the mind.




Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Finally, I can put this chapter to rest and let T-Man entertain you for a whileSorry it took so long all, but thanks for sticking around. We do appreciate it!



Did you say "let T-Man entertain you for a while?"  Don't you know I don't have any talent.  We've been together over 10 years now (5 1/2 of those married), you should know this by now.  I can't sing (don't let the re-worded songs fool you) or dance.  Can't play any instruments.  So I have no clue how to entertain our readers.  










Oh I get it now.  You expect me to write and tell them about the next day.  I can't do that either as I don't know how to write.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Now that Lady H has finished up our day at Sea World, I provided a link to all the pictures we took there on that day.  

SEA WORLD


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

bankr63 said:


> That was us last Tuesday.  Just got back from Orlando on Sunday night.  Tuesday was a fairly rainy day, so what did we do?  Head straight to IOA.  Figured it's a pretty wet park anyway, what difference would it make (although it was a bit cool too, so it wasn't as pleasant as a mid-summer rain).  The lines were short all day, so we managed to head over to USO too in the afternoon.  All four of us were pretty much "pruned up" by noon however.
> 
> One thing we did find out - the touch pads on the locker rentals don't work with wet fingers, but there is no way to dry them off once you are fully soaked!  Worst/best part - our log got stuck for about 10 minutes at the very top of Ripsaw falls.  To make up for it, the attendant called ahead to The Hulk and got us into the Express Pass lane.



I agree...IoA is pretty much a get wet park, so might as well stay wet. When we went this last time, we managed to do all the water rides in the beginning of the day, so we could then change into dry clothes for the duration. It was kind of nice not sloshing around the rest of the afternoon. But being prunes the rest of the afternoon is never fun. 

I never noticed that issue with the lockers, but it would make sense since it's all touch screen. It would be easier if they had the old fashioned ones with the key. 

Now that has to be awesome though, to get express pass access to Hulk just for something that was out of your control anyway. That was a great TM. T-Man and my SIL would be jealous.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

Thumper_Man said:


> Did you say "let T-Man entertain you for a while?"  Don't you know I don't have any talent.  We've been together over 10 years now (5 1/2 of those married), you should know this by now.  I can't sing (don't let the re-worded songs fool you) or dance.  Can't play any instruments.  So I have no clue how to entertain our readers.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Oh I get it now.  You expect me to write and tell them about the next day.  I can't do that either as I don't know how to write.



I'm expecting you to juggle, do flips, rub your tummy and pat your head, all the while singing Johnny B. Goode. 






I'm waiting...


----------



## smidgy

love the sea world pictures!  and that's a LOT of pictures!!!

dave and busters:  Clark street is on the east side of chicago.   I used to go there often in my early adult years, when we?I lived in Chicago.. a little blues bar called The Bulls (it looked like a cave in the basement on a big apt. buiding.)  one of the BEST restaurants around Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder CO.  (an oven grinder is a sub sandwich, never had one.) . go for the pizza  sells by the pound, and is like a huge pot pit the server turns upside down on your plate  YUM!!! ooh I miss that from mycollege days. Chicago Claim Company, another great chicago restaurant.

Chicago has the BEST restaurants!!!!  sigh.   but, alas, we are now about 40 miles NW of chgo.  and that's the edge.


rain in the parks:  I'm with Nebo,  just get wet.   sometimes we bring little umbrellas. but you have to be careful with them... dont' bump anyone.  and using them for a parade for fireworks is a no no.   which sucks if you wear glasses.  cause a poncho doesn't keep the rain off your glasses, and they don't have wipers!

but what we really hate is those days that it rains off and on.. so people just keep their ponchos on.  the whole time.  and you are dry cause you used your umbrells, and now all these people rub up against you with thier ponchos that they refuse to take off and get you all wet!!!


----------



## pkondz

Just dropping in real quick. I haven't read the last chapter yet, but I'm hoping tomorrow... whoops, it's just after midnite so... later today.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> (Let's see if anyone gets the chapter title!)



Right around the 3:30 mark...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jf81dE4DS20



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> So we left off with us waiting with bated breath as the final show of One Ocean began.



Just think how much trouble you would've been in if you were sitting that close with _baited _breath!







Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Usually we strive for somewhere in the middle, me going for the top row, while T-Man continues on till he finds the closest row we can that will get us absolutely soaked.



That's what marriage is all about; compromise. Which in this case seems to mean that you compromise while he rubs his hands with glee. (The emotion, not the television show)



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> WhyI think the title of said dutiful wife says it all.



Your title? Oh, you mean 'Lady H', as in, "Oh, H... I'm going to get soaked again, aren't I?"



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Say Hello to Shamu!



Hello Shamu!



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> The whales started to multiply,



They did? That's quite the show they put on. Not very family friendly, but educational.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> They looked all sweet and innocent herebut shortly thereafter, they started making their way around the pool, very close to the edge



I'm with Nebo here. I can't stop thinking about that poor girl. Wouldn't stop me from seeing (and enjoying) a show, though.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> PeopleMostly kids, are just itching to get wet. They will gather at the bottom waiting for it when they see it coming.



So you're saying T-Man is just a big kid at heart, right?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Im not quite sure if hes laughing at me or just the thought of being soaked by gallons of salt water. Either way, its entertaining.







Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Everyone is chanting SHAMU SHAMU



There's only one Shamu (yes I know there's also a "Baby Shamu")... but it seems no matter which water park you go to, people think of the whales as "Shamu".

Plus Shamu died back in 1971 (thanks Wiki).



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> You see kids laughing and jumping up and down, wanting to show their parents how awesome they are that they just got dumped on by a ton of salt, and probably whale pee filled water.



Check. T-Man was laughing and jumping up and down for his princess.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> The whales are drawn back into their hiding places,



What? They're drawn? I thought you would have to go to Disney for animation.

Huh.

Learn something new everyday.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> and the show comes to a close.



How close? Somewhere in the first 10 rows, right?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Slowly everyone trickles out of the auditorium.



Heh.

"trickles out" huh? Is that a reference to the water or the pee?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


>



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xo74Dn7W_pA



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> everyone around them are in shorts, flip flops, t-shirts or tank topsand the Amish family are covered from top to bottom.



Didn't you have just a little desire to run up and flash them?

Go on, admit it. You'll feel better.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> headed off in search of a bathroom so we could dry off and change.



Nothing worse when you need a bathroom and you don't have enough change.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> After changing and making myself as presentable as possible without my paper bag mask,



Oh stop it. You're beautiful. Just ask Mike.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> We are headed to Dave & Busters tonight for dinner.



Never heard of it. And I see by their website that they don't have any in Canada.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I start preparing myself in advance, taking walks for lunch, working out at the gym, etc. To make sure that I have the stamina for it, as well as to make sure that my body is up for the challenge.



Usually people go on vacations to relax. We go on vacations to punish our bodies and test our stamina! 



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> my feet swell to the size of softballs on the airplane.



How big do softballs get on an airplane?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I end up having to walk barefoot through the terminal to baggage claim.



Saves time when TSA asks you to remove your shoes. You're just being pro-active.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> What I did not expect was this to happen today!!!



Oh, dear. That does not look comfortable.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> This posed an interesting problemWalking around Dave and Busters while barely able to keep the flip flops on my feet because of how swollen they were.
> 
> T-Man had asked if I wanted to skip it.



I'm not a podiatrist but I'm pretty sure that when your feet are that swollen, skipping is not a good idea.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Now although the maps will tell you that Dave & Busters is only about 10-15 minutes away from SeaWorld, what they wont tell you is that trying to navigate around the highway, through residential areas and then having to backtrack because you missed the exit, because there is no specification for the turn, will end up taking you a good 30 mins to an hour.



Re-calculating...



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> The place is literally sitting underneath the highway exchange. So its pretty well hidden from view from the main road.



Whatever happened to "location, location, location"?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> So we missed it the first time around, and had to go up the road a bit so we could flip a U.



Whatsa matta for you? You a gonna flip a me? Well then I's a gonna flip a you, too!!! 


I've honestly never heard it called that. Up here we would say "pull a u-turn", "make a u-turn" or maybe "pull a u-ee" or "make a u-ee".



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> While they have a more adult catered menu, and they serve adult beverages as well as sodas and tea, they also have a ginormous play room, where you can kick back and play while you wait for your table.



Sounds like fun! 



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Before I go any furtherI should probably clarify on the play room stuff. I know how some of your minds can work



awww.... You're taking all the fun out of it. 



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> It is very easy to be distracted by the game room while you are here.



Squirrel!!



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> And I was very happy that they sat us in the bottom area where, while I could hear some of the gaming going on, I wasnt acting like a child and wanting to stuff food in my mouth as I ran off to play.



 Love that mental image.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I cant remember off hand if we had another appetizer or not.



Maybe you didn't use your off hand. Maybe you used the other hand... or possibly a fork... or a spoon...



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> The ticket points can be used in the shop for prizes, just like at the old school arcades.



So is it your typical "spend $40 to win a $3 prize" kind of thing? Or is the ratio a bit better... or even good?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Driving back, I wasnt able to get any other photos, its hard to get ocean pictures when there is no light and the water looks like the black lagoon.



Cool! A creature feature! Hang on a sec, lemme get some popcorn.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> So naturally, as any good wife would do, I feel asleep, leaving T-Man to man the vehicle and hopefully keep himself awake on the trip back.



 I see you and Ruby both went to the same good wife school!



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> All in all it was a great day. My eye is still twitchy, my feet are swollen and Im hoping I can manage to stuff them into a pair of tennis shoes tomorrow



I can't wait to see if you can stuff your eye in your tennis shoes. Thanks for the chapter Lady H!


----------



## MAGICFOR2

Fun SeaWorld update!    I love your ring story, and your rings are stunning indeed!

Just went to SeaWorld here in Texas today - the Blue Horizons show is Azul here - alot of strangely dressed acrobats, but I enjoyed it.  We did see One Ocean here.  Those whales are amazing!

On the rides, our Journey to Atlantis here was just a high ramp, the platform turned  you around backwards, you went down a little dip, turned you around frontwards and then a screaming water fall ala Splash on steroids! it looks way better in your arial shot.  We tried the Steel Eel, which I think is the same - I thought I was really going to die, I pulled a muscle in my shoulder blades from tensing up so much - haven't been on that crazy of a coaster since I was a kid!


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

pkondz said:


> Right around the 3:30 mark...
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jf81dE4DS20



You my dear are the only one that got that! I would say, you win the prize, but being from NM I don't have much to offer...We are famous for Chili (Red or green) or Pinon Coffee. Can always send a chili flavored candy or chocolate? your choice. 




pkondz said:


> Just think how much trouble you would've been in if you were sitting that close with _baited _breath!



You have no idea how hard it was to not write baited when i was typing that out.   





pkondz said:


> That's what marriage is all about; compromise. Which in this case seems to mean that you compromise while he rubs his hands with glee. (The emotion, not the television show)



 If compromise means I follow dutifully wherever he may take me, then yes. That is what marriage is all about. 





pkondz said:


> Your title? Oh, you mean 'Lady H', as in, "Oh, H... I'm going to get soaked again, aren't I?"



Ding ding ding! That's pretty much what runs through my mind in these instances. 





pkondz said:


> They did? That's quite the show they put on. Not very family friendly, but educational.



That's why they have others doing flips and trying to catch your attention. So you don't see what happens back stage. 





pkondz said:


> I'm with Nebo here. I can't stop thinking about that poor girl. Wouldn't stop me from seeing (and enjoying) a show, though.



It's always difficult to keep those images out of your mind, but the show must go on, and as tragic as the events were, there is nothing we can do to change the circumstances. So yes, while I thought about it, I also smiled and clapped and got soaked, enjoying the show. 





pkondz said:


> So you're saying T-Man is just a big kid at heart, right?



I don't think the heart has anything to do with it. I'm saying he's just a big kid period. 




pkondz said:


> There's only one Shamu (yes I know there's also a "Baby Shamu")... but it seems no matter which water park you go to, people think of the whales as "Shamu".
> 
> Plus Shamu died back in 1971 (thanks Wiki).



Amazingly I knew all that. I always laugh when they call out Shamu or reference the show as the Shamu show, and they do it at every park, because how can one whale be in every SeaWorld park, everyday! But it's the legacy that lives on! 





pkondz said:


> Check. T-Man was laughing and jumping up and down for his princess.









pkondz said:


> What? They're drawn? I thought you would have to go to Disney for animation.
> 
> Huh.
> 
> Learn something new everyday.



I'm sure there's a storyboard somewhere in the vaults of SeaWorld regarding the show and how it is supposed to go. So yes...I'm sure at one point they were drawn. It's a good thing it wasn't by me. Since I can't even draw a stick figure correctly, it would have been an interesting show to say the least. 





pkondz said:


> Heh.
> 
> "trickles out" huh? Is that a reference to the water or the pee?



I was wondering if anyone else would have caught onto that. And technically, if you have to go pee...water will just instigate the need. And if you don't...and there is water around, you will have to go eventually just because of it. 





pkondz said:


> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xo74Dn7W_pA



You have no idea how hard I laughed when I saw that clip. I haven't heard that in ages. However, afterwards, that song was in my head for hours. 





pkondz said:


> Didn't you have just a little desire to run up and flash them?
> 
> Go on, admit it. You'll feel better.



Now that would have been interesting...but no...Unless you are referring to taking the paper bag off my head, as flashing...





pkondz said:


> Nothing worse when you need a bathroom and you don't have enough change.



Yeah, that leaves you in quite the predicament. 





pkondz said:


> Oh stop it. You're beautiful. Just ask Mike.



I can't...He's bias. He only says it because he's married to me. 





pkondz said:


> Never heard of it. And I see by their website that they don't have any in Canada.



That just means you will have to take a trip to one of the places they do have one...preferably a disney-fied area, and while you are there...might as well enjoy Disney too. Right? 





pkondz said:


> Usually people go on vacations to relax. We go on vacations to punish our bodies and test our stamina!



That is the truth. One of these days I'm going to go on vacation and relax and my body will have no idea what is going on. 





pkondz said:


> How big do softballs get on an airplane?



Big...it's not pretty. 





pkondz said:


> Saves time when TSA asks you to remove your shoes. You're just being pro-active.



It would if this was something that would happen before the trip, when I would have to go through security. However, at the end of the trip, we don't have to go through the scanners to get to baggage claim, so it does me no good. 





pkondz said:


> Oh, dear. That does not look comfortable.



Looks can be deceiving...if it is uncomfortable, I wouldn't know, they get numb after a while. 





pkondz said:


> I'm not a podiatrist but I'm pretty sure that when your feet are that swollen, skipping is not a good idea.



Good point. I'll try to steer clear of skipping when my ankles are the size of softballs. 





pkondz said:


> Re-calculating...








pkondz said:


> Whatever happened to "location, location, location"?



I'm pretty sure they figured the location was perfect. Out of the way, no one to see them. Only those who really were kids at heart, and were loyal customers could find the place. 





pkondz said:


> I've honestly never heard it called that. Up here we would say "pull a u-turn", "make a u-turn" or maybe "pull a u-ee" or "make a u-ee".



make a u-ee is a common term here as well. However, it is more commonly referred to as Flip a B (think female dog in correspondence with the B). Don't ask me where the reference comes from...I just know the lingo. 





pkondz said:


> Sounds like fun!



It is. It's like an adults version of Chuck E. Cheese. 





pkondz said:


> awww.... You're taking all the fun out of it.



I left it open for you. If I had taken the fun out of it, I would have left it out all together. 





pkondz said:


> Love that mental image.












pkondz said:


> Maybe you didn't use your off hand. Maybe you used the other hand... or possibly a fork... or a spoon...



It's possible. but i've always followed the general rule of thumb...if you can't eat it with your hands, it's not worth eating. 





pkondz said:


> So is it your typical "spend $40 to win a $3 prize" kind of thing? Or is the ratio a bit better... or even good?



You have to have a lot of tickets to get the good prizes. So it's the typical. But it's not hard to earn or get tons of tickets there. It's also not hard to spend a ton of money trying to earn those tickets...






pkondz said:


> I see you and Ruby both went to the same good wife school!



Hey now...The school of falling asleep in the car is a tough school. You have to be able to pass the tests and everything with flying colors. 





pkondz said:


> I can't wait to see if you can stuff your eye in your tennis shoes. Thanks for the chapter Lady H!



 I may surprise you...

Thanks for taking the time Ponz! Enjoyable as ever! 



MAGICFOR2 said:


> Fun SeaWorld update!    I love your ring story, and your rings are stunning indeed!




Thanks! The ring debacle was definitely something we will remember for a very very long time. I just could't imagine not having these rings. 



MAGICFOR2 said:


> Just went to SeaWorld here in Texas today - the Blue Horizons show is Azul here - alot of strangely dressed acrobats, but I enjoyed it.  We did see One Ocean here.  Those whales are amazing!
> 
> On the rides, our Journey to Atlantis here was just a high ramp, the platform turned  you around backwards, you went down a little dip, turned you around frontwards and then a screaming water fall ala Splash on steroids! it looks way better in your arial shot.  We tried the Steel Eel, which I think is the same - I thought I was really going to die, I pulled a muscle in my shoulder blades from tensing up so much - haven't been on that crazy of a coaster since I was a kid!



I want you to know that as soon as T-Man saw your response the very first thing he did was google SeaWorld San Antonio.  He was oohing and ahhhing at each ride and attraction, and as we speak is probably trying to figure out how to squeeze in a trip there sometime in the near future. 

JoA in Florida, as well as in San Diego are both pretty much the same. It takes you on a small ride, a few dips and turns, and then you get the big drop/splash. Then it speeds up and takes you through the dark tunnels like it's transporting you through time almost before ending the ride. The one in Texas sounds and looks pretty interesting. 

I told T-Man while looking at the rides online that while he and his sister go on the other rides, I'll stay with the Shamu Express. That seems like my kind of coaster.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> You my dear are the only one that got that! I would say, you win the prize, but being from NM I don't have much to offer...We are famous for Chili (Red or green) or Pinon Coffee. Can always send a chili flavored candy or chocolate? your choice.



Aw, you don't have to send me anything. Although chili flavored chocolate sounds intriguing.

BTW, you guys get your Wunderbars yet? (And, no. I have no idea how long it was supposed to take...)



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> You have no idea how hard it was to not write baited when i was typing that out.



Well they do say that great minds think alike. So if you're the great mind, how do you explain that my warped mind thought like yours?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> It's always difficult to keep those images out of your mind, but the show must go on, and as tragic as the events were, there is nothing we can do to change the circumstances. So yes, while I thought about it, I also smiled and clapped and got soaked, enjoying the show.



"Show must go on." I read that the trainers no longer get in the water with the whales, though. True?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> how can one whale be in every SeaWorld park, everyday!



Well, d'uh! He's got his own private jet. The whale's rich ya know. He's been doing shows since like forever! 



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I'm sure there's a storyboard somewhere in the vaults of SeaWorld regarding the show and how it is supposed to go. So yes...I'm sure at one point they were drawn. It's a good thing it wasn't by me. Since I can't even draw a stick figure correctly, it would have been an interesting show to say the least.



I wonder what kind of show we'd have if the storyboard was entirely made up of animated smileys?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I was wondering if anyone else would have caught onto that. And technically, if you have to go pee...water will just instigate the need. And if you don't...and there is water around, you will have to go eventually just because of it.



True story. I have never, ever had to leave in the middle of a movie to go to the washroom.

Except once.


Hunt for Red October.

(all that water...)



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I can't...He's bias. He only says it because he's married to me.



Yeah? Well I said it and I'm not biased or married to you. (This ain't Utah!)



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> That just means you will have to take a trip to one of the places they do have one...preferably a disney-fied area, and while you are there...might as well enjoy Disney too. Right?



Right! 

Europe first 'tho.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> That is the truth. One of these days I'm going to go on vacation and relax and my body will have no idea what is going on.



You'll be so stressed.

"I gotta go! I don't know where or why, but I gotta go!"



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> However, it is more commonly referred to as Flip a B (think female dog in correspondence with the B). Don't ask me where the reference comes from...I just know the lingo.



 That's hillarious! I'm telling that to as many people as I can.
I've already told Ruby, Kay, Elle and her friend.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> It's possible. but i've always followed the general rule of thumb...if you can't eat it with your hands, it's not worth eating.



Never had soup, huh?


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

pkondz said:


> Aw, you don't have to send me anything. Although chili flavored chocolate sounds intriguing.



I know i don't have to. But I would like to. I'll see what I can come up with in regards to chocolate.  



pkondz said:


> BTW, you guys get your Wunderbars yet? (And, no. I have no idea how long it was supposed to take...)



Not yet. We will check the mail when we get home to see if they have come. 





pkondz said:


> Well they do say that great minds think alike. So if you're the great mind, how do you explain that my warped mind thought like yours?



Um..That a warped mind is a great mind in disguise? 





pkondz said:


> "Show must go on." I read that the trainers no longer get in the water with the whales, though. True?



True. They used to do a lot of stunts like they do in Blue Horizons, where they get pushed by the whales through the water and stuff, but not anymore. The closest they get is when the whales are perched on the stages on twirling around or something and they will pet the whales, and feed them. 





pkondz said:


> Well, d'uh! He's got his own private jet. The whale's rich ya know. He's been doing shows since like forever!



Right...That is definitely something i should have known. I'm sure that info's out on Wiki by now. 





pkondz said:


> I wonder what kind of show we'd have if the storyboard was entirely made up of animated smileys?































Or something like that...It's just the first rough draft. 



pkondz said:


> True story. I have never, ever had to leave in the middle of a movie to go to the washroom.
> 
> Except once.
> 
> 
> Hunt for Red October.
> 
> (all that water...)









pkondz said:


> Yeah? Well I said it and I'm not biased or married to you. (This ain't Utah!)











pkondz said:


> Right!
> 
> Europe first 'tho.



OK. But only because I'm living vicariously through you and your trip to Europe. 





pkondz said:


> You'll be so stressed.
> 
> "I gotta go! I don't know where or why, but I gotta go!"



 Funny enough. That's probably 95% true. There will be a small percentage that says, nah...relaxing will be good for you. Which in return the bigger percentage will wack the small percentage out with a bat and run off to find something to do. 





pkondz said:


> That's hillarious! I'm telling that to as many people as I can.
> I've already told Ruby, Kay, Elle and her friend.



I'm glad you liked it so much...





pkondz said:


> Never had soup, huh?


 Sure I had. But I also consider that when eating soup, you just pour it into a bowl or cup, and slurp it out of said container. Hence you are still eating with your hands because your hands are holding the container in which you are slurping from.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> But I also consider that when eating soup, you just pour it into a bowl or cup, and slurp it out of said container. Hence you are still eating with your hands because your hands are holding the container in which you are slurping from.



touché


----------



## MAGICFOR2

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I want you to know that as soon as T-Man saw your response the very first thing he did was google SeaWorld San Antonio.  He was oohing and ahhhing at each ride and attraction, and as we speak is probably trying to figure out how to squeeze in a trip there sometime in the near future.
> 
> JoA in Florida, as well as in San Diego are both pretty much the same. It takes you on a small ride, a few dips and turns, and then you get the big drop/splash. Then it speeds up and takes you through the dark tunnels like it's transporting you through time almost before ending the ride. The one in Texas sounds and looks pretty interesting.
> 
> I told T-Man while looking at the rides online that while he and his sister go on the other rides, I'll stay with the Shamu Express. That seems like my kind of coaster.



You'll have to let me know if you do visit!  We would love to meet up with you!  I think that this SW park is a little smaller than San Diego's - maybe even a little underwhelming, but still a good time!

No I think JoA in San Diego sounds more interesting. At least you get to "go somewhere" in the tunnels.  Here it's just a ramp to a dip to a drop! 

Now, I did enjoy the Shamu Express with the grandkids!  And there is a Kiddie Ride that I really loved! It's in the Sesame Street area and it's a big fish that holds about 30 people and whips you around and up and down.  That's my speed!  

I guess in the Summer, they have a great water stunt show on the lake at the park, and the water park connected, Aquatica is supposed to be really good, according to DS - we haven't had time to go yet.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

smidgy said:


> love the sea world pictures!  and that's a LOT of pictures!!!
> 
> dave and busters:  Clark street is on the east side of chicago.   I used to go there often in my early adult years, when we?I lived in Chicago.. a little blues bar called The Bulls (it looked like a cave in the basement on a big apt. buiding.)  one of the BEST restaurants around Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder CO.  (an oven grinder is a sub sandwich, never had one.) . go for the pizza  sells by the pound, and is like a huge pot pit the server turns upside down on your plate  YUM!!! ooh I miss that from mycollege days. Chicago Claim Company, another great chicago restaurant.
> 
> Chicago has the BEST restaurants!!!!  sigh.   but, alas, we are now about 40 miles NW of chgo.  and that's the edge.
> 
> 
> rain in the parks:  I'm with Nebo,  just get wet.   sometimes we bring little umbrellas. but you have to be careful with them... dont' bump anyone.  and using them for a parade for fireworks is a no no.   which sucks if you wear glasses.  cause a poncho doesn't keep the rain off your glasses, and they don't have wipers!
> 
> but what we really hate is those days that it rains off and on.. so people just keep their ponchos on.  the whole time.  and you are dry cause you used your umbrells, and now all these people rub up against you with thier ponchos that they refuse to take off and get you all wet!!!



Hmm...I could have sworn I had replied to this, and yet...I don't see it. However, with all that is going on at work, it is very possible I had a reply in my head and never wrote it down. 

Yeah, we tend to take a ton of pictures, and since we both have a camera, we often get a ton of duplicates, but this way we can come back home and compare and contrast between the two to see who got what. I know there have been times where I am paying attention to one thing and he's gotten a whole set of pictures on something I didn't even notice. 

I've been to Chicago once, when i was in high school, so I only got to enjoy some of the sights for a couple of days, and it was in the middle of November, and flipping cold. So the best I was able to enjoy any of it was through a gap in my hood that allowed me to just barely see where I was going. I have to admit that what I saw and what I ate, I enjoyed. But I will have to go back someday to actually enjoy it fully. 

My dad used to say he was made of sugar and couldn't get wet or he would melt. Me...I'm not that sweet.  I won't melt like the wicked witch of the west. I enjoy playing in the rain, and unless it's coming down in buckets, I will probably be one of those standing or walking around enjoying it.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I enjoy playing in the rain



Do you like Pina Coladas?


----------



## nebo

pkondz said:


> Do you like Pina Coladas?



Oh be quiet Rupert.


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> BTW, you guys get your Wunderbars yet? (And, no. I have no idea how long it was supposed to take...)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thumper_Man's Wife said:
> 
> 
> 
> Not yet. We will check the mail when we get home to see if they have come.
Click to expand...


We checked last night when we got home, and still no Wunderbars yet.  I see Buzz got hers, so shouldn't be too much longer now.


----------



## Thumper_Man

MAGICFOR2 said:


> We tried the Steel Eel, which I think is the same - I thought I was really going to die, I pulled a muscle in my shoulder blades from tensing up so much - haven't been on that crazy of a coaster since I was a kid!



The Steel Eel looks ok; but now the Great White, that's my kind of coaster.  Reminds me of Dragon Challenge at Uni.  Can't wait to try it.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I want you to know that as soon as T-Man saw your response the very first thing he did was google SeaWorld San Antonio.







Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> He was oohing and ahhhing at each ride and attraction, and as we speak is probably trying to figure out how to squeeze in a trip there sometime in the near future.



Right again.  



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I told T-Man while looking at the rides online that while he and his sister go on the other rides, I'll stay with the Shamu Express. That seems like my kind of coaster.



So I'm guessing D'Sis needs to come along so you don't have to play dumb wife?  I don't know if she would come along.  Shamu ruined her phone recently in Orlando.  Don't know if she would want to go.  I wonder if she's still following along with us.  Haven't seen her post since we got her to sign up.


----------



## Thumper_Man

MAGICFOR2 said:


> You'll have to let me know if you do visit!  We would love to meet up with you!  I think that this SW park is a little smaller than San Diego's - maybe even a little underwhelming, but still a good time!



We will definitely arrange a meet and greet.  It would be an honor for you to meet the famous Thumpers.

Wait, that don't sound right.  

It would be our honor to grace you with our presence.

Hmm.  Still don't sound quite right.  

It would be an honor for us to me up with you.  There, that sounds better.  



MAGICFOR2 said:


> I guess in the Summer, they have a great water stunt show on the lake at the park, and the water park connected, Aquatica is supposed to be really good, according to DS - we haven't had time to go yet.



Guess I'll have to see what I can do about a quick summer trip.  We plan on going to Hawaii next year.  If funds allow, maybe we can swing an extended weekend trip.  This sounds like it could be fun.


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> Do you like Pina Coladas?



Like Garth Brooks says:

Give me 2 Pina Coladas
I want one for each hand
Lets set sail with Captain Morgan
and never leave dry land.


----------



## orangecats2

Hey, you should come to Cleveland instead. We have a Dave & Busters AND Cedar Point!!!


----------



## Thumper_Man

Deleted. Double post.


----------



## Thumper_Man

orangecats2 said:
			
		

> Hey, you should come to Cleveland instead. We have a Dave & Busters AND Cedar Point!!!



I know about Cedar Point. Top Thrill Dragster is on my coaster bucket list. And I didn't even have to Google that.


----------



## orangecats2

Thumper_Man said:


> I know about Cedar Point. Top Thrill Dragster is on my coaster bucket list. And I didn't even have to Google that.



Not to mention Maverick, Millennium Force and new for this year The Gatekeeper.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

orangecats2 said:


> Hey, you should come to Cleveland instead. We have a Dave & Busters AND Cedar Point!!!
> 
> 
> 
> orangecats2 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Not to mention Maverick, Millennium Force and new for this year The Gatekeeper.
Click to expand...


Eee Gads Woman! Do you have any clue what you are doing? Now not only is he trying to plan a trip to San Antonio...but Cleveland too!!! Whoever said the way to a man's heart is through his stomach never met T-Man...the way to his heart is through RollerCoasters! And yes. he does have a coaster bucket list. 
You just want to get him out there so he can help with your honey do's.


----------



## orangecats2

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Eee Gads Woman! Do you have any clue what you are doing? Now not only is he trying to plan a trip to San Antonio...but Cleveland too!!! Whoever said the way to a man's heart is through his stomach never met T-Man...the way to his heart is through RollerCoasters! And yes. he does have a coaster bucket list.
> You just want to get him out there so he can help with your honey do's.



I admit nothing!!! 

But I will say that Cedar Point is definitely worth the trip! 

I have a amusement park bucket list so I don't see anything wrong with a roller coaster list...


----------



## MAGICFOR2

Thumper_Man said:


> We will definitely arrange a meet and greet.  It would be an honor for you to meet the famous Thumpers.
> 
> Wait, that don't sound right.
> 
> It would be our honor to grace you with our presence.
> 
> Hmm.  Still don't sound quite right.
> 
> It would be an honor for us to me up with you.  There, that sounds better.
> 
> 
> 
> Guess I'll have to see what I can do about a quick summer trip.  We plan on going to Hawaii next year.  If funds allow, maybe we can swing an extended weekend trip.  This sounds like it could be fun.




 Yes, it would be an honor to meet the famous Thumpers - or maybe the infamous?


----------



## smidgy

we've been to cedar oit 3 times (I think) we love it.  once with pre teens, once with teens, and once with our youngest and his fiancee.

nebo loves coasters.  but I love that they actually have some coasters I enjoy.  we love the water park.. and staying onsite, of course.   the Breakers Hotel has 2 outdoor pools and indoor pool a couple restaurants. and you walk right to everything!!!!  we aren't fond of driving back and forth (esp after a long day) and love beig able to take midday breaks,  you also have the beach!


----------



## orangecats2

smidgy said:


> we've been to cedar oit 3 times (I think) we love it.  once with pre teens, once with teens, and once with our youngest and his fiancee.
> 
> nebo loves coasters.  but I love that they actually have some coasters I enjoy.  we love the water park.. and staying onsite, of course.   the Breakers Hotel has 2 outdoor pools and indoor pool a couple restaurants. and you walk right to everything!!!!  we aren't fond of driving back and forth (esp after a long day) and love beig able to take midday breaks,  you also have the beach!



Dis meet this summer at CP anyone???


----------



## pkondz

smidgy said:


> we've been to cedar oit 3 times (I think) we love it.  once with pre teens, once with teens, and once with our youngest and his fiancee.
> 
> nebo loves coasters.  but I love that they actually have some coasters I enjoy.  we love the water park.. and staying onsite, of course.   the Breakers Hotel has 2 outdoor pools and indoor pool a couple restaurants. and you walk right to everything!!!!  we aren't fond of driving back and forth (esp after a long day) and love beig able to take midday breaks,  you also have the beach!





orangecats2 said:


> Dis meet this summer at CP anyone???



I had no idea where Cedar Point was so I googled it. I was quite surprised (and pleased) to see that it's very close to the route I take when I drive to Toronto (which happens every few years, it seems. My DSis lives there). We usually go Winnipeg, Minneapolis, Chicago, north of Detroit (Sarnia), Toronto.

A stop at Cedar Point would only add 2 1/2 hours to the total driving time. Actually it makes the drive easier since we'd now stop at Cedar Point instead of the middle of nowhere or instead of plowing through to Toronto.


----------



## smidgy

well, this summer would be out for us.  we are going to DL in october.  (as well as WDW in a couple weeks)  if I take any more time off, I'll lose my jobs!


----------



## pkondz

smidgy said:


> well, this summer would be out for us.  we are going to DL in october.  (as well as WDW in a couple weeks)  if I take any more time off, I'll lose my jobs!



And we're going to Europe in August, so.... next year!


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:
			
		

> And we're going to Europe in August, so.... next year!



We can't next year. We're going to Hawaii.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> We can't next year. We're going to Hawaii.



Do I hear 2015? 2015? 2015? Now 2015. 2016? 2016? 2015, asking 2016. Yes I have a 2016 in the back. 2017? 2016 asking 2017. 2017? Thank you sir, 2018?...


----------



## MAGICFOR2

I had to google it - looks like a great place!  I would love the kiddie rides  
Not sure if we would ever make it up there - we will have to spend some time visiting family that we moved away from and get a Disney trip in once in awhile.


----------



## orangecats2

Thumper_Man said:


> We can't next year. We're going to Hawaii.



You can still come this year, I'm not ponzu or nebo but you'll get to see me.  heck, I live here all year around so everyone can come whenever.


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> BTW, you guys get your Wunderbars yet? (And, no. I have no idea how long it was supposed to take...)



Got our Wunderbars while we were in Vegas.  They were good.  A little bet better than Zebra Domes IMO.


----------



## Thumper_Man

orangecats2 said:


> You can still come this year, I'm not ponzu or nebo but you'll get to see me.  heck, I live here all year around so everyone can come whenever.



Don't know if we can make it this year.  We're going to Hawaii next year so we're saving for that trip.


----------



## Thumper_Man

What are we doin today?
We got no place to go.
Gotta get out of this bed
Hey sleepy head, come along with me.

Mighty fine out today.
Lets makes this one lazy day
We can take it nice and easy
You know it wont be long  till well, well be

Down by the pool being lazy, come as you please
Down by the pool being lazy, with our Disboards family.
If youre all alone, you wont be long
Just sit right down and sing this song
Down by the pool being lazy, everybody follow me.


Lady H ended saying I would entertain you.  Ill do my best and give it another try because I have no talent. Zip, nada, zilch.  So here goes. 

Oh my neck.  Oh my back.  Oh my neck and my back.  Im gonna sue Disney for $500,000, but we can settle out of court right now for some free passes.  

4 days of go, go, go can take its toll on a body.  As you all saw, it really took its toll on Lady Hs poor feet.  Today would be a slo ride, take it easy type of day.  I should be able to get this whole day into one chapter.  

Today is the one day we really had no place to be except for the Rainforest Cafe at 7pm, and even thats not a requirement.  I promised Lady H we would take a break while on vacation and thought today would be one of the best days for it.  We took a pool break Tuesday afternoon because the heat is on.  We only have one more park day and we plan to make the most of it.  Need to rest up so we can hit the Disney parks hard tomorrow.  Major plan for the day is to sit by the pool, in the pool, staying cool and trying not to act like fools.  A visit to the hot tub is a must today to.  Muscles are little sore today and just what the dr. prescribed.  Sit in the hot tub for 2 hours and call him in the morning.  Today is also one of those days you wish Nebo was around with his wonder drugs.  I guess I'll have to settle for some ibuprofen and tequila.  

Lady H and I  started off the day as real rebels.  We slept until about 9 this morning.  Which when you stop and think about it, is sleeping late for us; since weve been up every morning at around 6.  This morning the routine is slightly different.  We'll get up and make coffee.  Did I ever mention my name is We'll?  When ever I hear "We'll need to clean the yard this weekend" translate to, "T_Man, you need to clean the yard this weekend." Anyways, we'll get up and make coffee again means T_Man will make coffee when he gets up.  As late as we got in this morning, figured we could just do it then  Yes, it was this morning that we got back from Sea World.  I dont think sleeping beauty was fully aware of what time we got back.   

While the coffee is a brewing, I go to the bedroom and look at the pile of laundry we need to do today as well.  Sleeping beauty is still talking to the bears.  Must be an interesting conversation shes having with them since it started back in San Diego and still going about 8 hours later.  I take our laundry into the living room and sort out our laundry. Red shirt goes washed with Lady Hs white blouse.  

Yes, I know.  Who does laundry on vacation?  We normally will if were on a week long vacation.  Helps cut down on the amount of clothes we need to pack and we usually do it during our down time.  

Soon Im done sorting the laundry and Lady H decides she doesnt want to talk to the bears anymore.  Shed rather go see whats happening at the pool.  I on the other hand head down to the laundry room and get laundry started.  Oops, forgot the bleach for the darks.  Good thing is our unit isnt too far away from the laundry room, so I dont have far to travel.  Up the stairs, 50 paces straight ahead, turn left and walk 10 more paces; turn and shoot.  

Laundry is in the washer and now its time to change into my swim trunks.  Ill do like most people do when they go to WDW, Ill do laundry as I relax by the pool.  Our unit is close enough that I can easily do this.  

Soon Lady H and I make our way down to the pool.  Were the only people here at the moment. Well as far as guests go.  Tricky Larry is walking by.  We quickly turn our backs to him.  We still dont want to do the presentation.  Were still doing good on our funds, so I dont think well have any need for the $100 gift card after all.  Besides, as I mentioned we only have one day left to hit the theme parks and I dont want to waste any of that precious time with them trying to sell us more time for the timeshare we already bought in to.

We find two lungers (as Nebo would call them) between the pool and hot tub.    We put our towels down, our mini cooler filled with beer (we still have a case of beer left to drink and only 2 days to do it) and follow drs orders.  

Most of our morning was spent alternating between the hot tub, pool and lungers.  Oh yeah, and the laundry.  I would also go back and forth to tend to the laundry.  One thing that stands out here is an issue I had doing the laundry.  No, I didnt turn Lady Hs white shirt pink.  Its now a nice dark red.  

Someone had taken our laundry out of the washing machine and had just put them on top of the washing machine so he/she could use it.  GRRRR!!!!  They couldve at least put it in the dryer for me.  Which is kind of a good thing they didnt though.  We have some moisture wicking clothes that shouldnt be dried in the dryer.  

Now Im on a stalking mission to find out who the perpetrator is.  Payback is a, well you know the saying to that.  I contemplated doing the same thing to this person, but Im above that.  Ill just wait around to see who it is and secretly plot my revenge.  BWAHHAHAHAHA.

After putting the clothes that can be dried in the dryer, I took the rest back to our unit to air dry..  

Now let me put the brakes on here just for a minute.  Hope you all have your seatbelts on.  The clothes that needed to be air dried, I hung on the back of the chairs, over the sofa, the bed, balcony chairs and table.  How many else do this on vacation?  Oh good, Im not the only then.  

Now getting back to our story; after I scatter clothes all over the place, I went back and told Lady H what happened.  She was wondering why I was taking so long.  Told her I stayed stalking the machine, but no one came to claim their clothes yet.  She said I shouldve just put them on top of the washer like this person did, but I have different plans.  After 30 minutes or so, I returned to the scene of the crime.  Clothes are still in the washer and then she came in.  Yes, she.  The one who took our clothes out of the washer and left them to rot.  She took them out of the washer and put them into the only available dryer.  Thankfully I was there or she may have tried to steal the dryer next.  

After she left, I folded what was dry of our laundry and whoops, I accidentally hit the dial on her dryer.  My bad.  Her clothes looked like they needed to be fluffed dry anyway.  Heat wouldve just damaged them.   I was just finishing up folding the last of our clothes when she returned. She came back (with either boyfriend or husband following behind) to find out that her clothes still werent dry.  He wasnt happy that someone had tampered with the dryer settings, and she was equally unhappy, but he just grabbed them and they left.  Think they were in a hurry to get some place.  

This was one my one big event for the day.  The rest of the day was pretty smooth sailing.  Back at the hot tub, I grabbed a beer and got back in.  Soon we would finally have company.  Everybody remember Curly?  Curly came down by the hot tub and came to party.  And party we did.  Curly was telling us about him and his partner.  How they come up from San Diego about every 6 months or so.  I wanted to ask him about the fight he and his partner had last time, but then he would know that Tricky Larry told us the story.  Didnt want to get TL in trouble, so I avoided the question.  Turns out Curly wasnt so bad of a guy.  We hooked him up with a couple of beers.  He finished the ones he brought and Lady H promised him one.  Our cooler kept going empty pretty quick.  Lady H and I would take turns going back to the room to fill it up. 

Finally about 3 or 4 in the afternoon, Lady H and I are feeling pretty good.  A little too good.  It was another hot day and the beers were going down fast.  One of us is going to land up on the baggage cart if we dont stop and get something to eat soon.  We gather our stuff and head back to our unit to shower and get ready to head back to DTD and Rainforest Cafe.  

We thought about driving down, but it was clear neither one of us should be driving.  Besides, we no longer had to pay to ride the bus thanks to the wonderful people we met Tuesday night.  

We make our way to bus stop and have a short wait today.  Nothing eventful to report on the bus.  It was a quiet ride.  Think it was only one other couple and us on the bus.  Everybody must already at be DLR.

The bus driver lets us off at our usual drop off location.  Now here is one thing I really dislike about DL.  I think I mentioned it earlier, but I'll mention it again.  To get to DTD from the bus/shuttle stops, you still need to go through security.  If you drive and park at the DTD parking lot, then you dont.  I didn't see anyway around it, except to walk on the outskirts of DCA. That is one heck of a walk to get to DTD though.  Better have a GPS, plenty of water and fully charged cell phone in case you don't make it.  Someone may need to come and find you.  IF the buzzards don't find you first.  

We didnt have any bags with us this time, so getting through security was quick, but its still a hassle waiting for them to check the people in front of you.  I still say they need a no bag, no shoes, no problem line.

Once past security, we still have a little time before our ADR at RFC to we decide to stop at the WoD 'cause Lady H told me, boy you better shop around.  We still havent bought all the souvenirs we wanted to get.  We were waiting until we got paid which just so happened to be today as a matter of fact.  Well not today, today; but it was today back then.  

We decided to shop after we eat.  We didn't want to be lugging bags around.  So we may our way to RFC.




Lets see whats for dinner tonight.

For starters, a Margarilla for me.  Yes, I got to keep the glass.  Heck I better, they charged me enough for it.




Lady H passed on a cocktail.  Dont know why.  

For our appetizer, spinach and artichoke dip.




Lady H is having her usual pepperoni pizza.  Nebo finds it hard to believe they sell pizza.  Here's the proof.  




For me it  was the Ribs, Steak and Shrimp Trio.  We were going to split the pizza, but since we only had a bowl of cereal this morning at breakfast, I was hungry.  Im sure all the alcohol didnt help either.




Now early on in the report, we had people trying to steer us away from RFC.  I said weve always enjoyed it and its never let us down.  Drum roll please.





No disappointment for us this time again.  It was just as good as the one in Orlando.  

After were done at RFC, we walk around taking some more night photos of DTD.  Ill share with you with some we took the night we dined with Walt and some from this night.

We never did stop here.  Hopefully next time.




Not as many crowds as the first night we went.




World of Disney




Build a Bear




After our brief walk, we went back to World of Disney to finish our shopping, so we can go leave before the theme park crowds let out.  Wanted to get back to the resort so we can start packing.  Figured would be a good chance to get a head start on it.  We wont have much time tomorrow and we have to be up a little early on Saturday to catch our flight home.  

We keep with our usual tradition and have our nightly drink out on the patio.  Seems we made quite a dent in the case of beer we had left.  Theres only a 6 pack left.  We each have one so we can have a couple before our departure home.  

Ill depart here for the night.  Ill take you through the start of our final DLR day and Lady H will finish it up, before handing it back to me for final wrap up.  Thanks again everyone for sticking with us.  Were almost done.


----------



## cjlvsccm

Hi Thumpers!!  I just got caught up with the last 10 pages.  What?  I've been busy!

Enjoying the chapters, lots of fun was had.  And revenge, apparently.  

Going way back here... Hey Heather, no one else got the Lightning Sand line??  Princess Bride was the first movie I ever paid to see more than once.  Right up my alley.


----------



## Mom&RN

Lady H and T Man, I've been MIA off the DIS for almost two months (had a few big life events happen that kept me hopping) but am back and looking forward to catching up on your TR.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> What are we doin today?
> We got no place to go.
> Gotta get out of this bed
> Hey sleepy head, come along with me.
> 
> Mighty fine out today.
> Lets makes this one lazy day
> We can take it nice and easy
> You know it wont be long  till well, well be
> 
> Down by the pool being lazy, come as you please
> Down by the pool being lazy, with our Disboards family.
> If youre all alone, you wont be long
> Just sit right down and sing this song
> Down by the pool being lazy, everybody follow me.



I know I'm going to feel stupid when you tell me, but.... nope. Don't recognize the song. 



Thumper_Man said:


> Lady H ended saying I would entertain you.  Ill do my best and give it another try because I have no talent. Zip, nada, zilch.



It's always nice when one recognizes ones shortcomings.


(jk. you done good.)



Thumper_Man said:


> Oh my neck.  Oh my back.  Oh my neck and my back.  Im gonna sue Disney for $500,000, but we can settle out of court right now for some free passes.



That seems like a pretty good settlement. As long as you sign non-disclosure agreements, I can't see how Disney could pass up that offer.



Thumper_Man said:


> Today would be a slo ride, take it easy type of day.



That song, I know.



Thumper_Man said:


> I promised Lady H we would take a break while on vacation



ah. You're a wiser man than I, oh Man-'o-bunnies. I didn't schedule in a break and I broke Ruby.



Thumper_Man said:


> Major plan for the day is to sit by the pool, in the pool, staying cool and trying not to act like fools.



Well three out of four ain't bad.



Thumper_Man said:


> We slept until about 9 this morning.  Which when you stop and think about it, is sleeping late for us; since weve been up every morning at around 6.



Have kids and you'll never *ever* sleep til 9 ever again.



Thumper_Man said:


> Did I ever mention my name is We'll?



<everybody> "Hi, We'll." 



Thumper_Man said:


> When ever I hear "We'll need to clean the yard this weekend" translate to, "T_Man, you need to clean the yard this weekend."







Thumper_Man said:


> Sleeping beauty is still talking to the bears.



Pardon? Did you just say that she's sleeping in the bare?



Thumper_Man said:


> I take our laundry into the living room and sort out our laundry. Red shirt goes washed with Lady Hs white blouse.



I actually did that once. A white shirt got mixed in somehow with the colors and...

oh, the horror.



Thumper_Man said:


> Yes, I know.  Who does laundry on vacation?



Ruby... when she needs a break from commando style touring and me.



Thumper_Man said:


> Oops, forgot the bleach for the darks.



I've also lost a couple of black socks that way too...



Thumper_Man said:


> Up the stairs, 50 paces straight ahead, turn left and walk 10 more paces; turn and shoot.



very nice segue.

And why isn't that spelled segway?



Thumper_Man said:


> We find two lungers (as Nebo would call them) between the pool and hot tub.



















Thumper_Man said:


> No, I didnt turn Lady Hs white shirt pink.  Its now a nice dark red.







Thumper_Man said:


> Someone had taken our laundry out of the washing machine and had just put them on top of the washing machine so he/she could use it.  GRRRR!!!!  They couldve at least put it in the dryer for me.  Which is kind of a good thing they didnt though.  We have some moisture wicking clothes that shouldnt be dried in the dryer.



So just to be clear. You're mad because they didn't put your clothes in a dryer, but you would've been mad if they'd put your clothes in a dryer?



Thumper_Man said:


> Payback is a, well you know the saying to that.



I know! I know! "Payback is a dish best served with a side of coleslaw."

Right?



Thumper_Man said:


> The clothes that needed to be air dried, I hung on the back of the chairs, over the sofa, the bed, balcony chairs and table.  How many else do this on vacation?



<cricket> <cricket> <cricket>

Actually I have a pop up drying rack that folds down into a compact size no larger then a fanny pack.


Okay, I don't have that, but wouldn't that be a great idea? Go ahead and patent it if you wish, but I want shared credit.



Thumper_Man said:


> She took them out of the washer and put them into the only available dryer.  Thankfully I was there or she may have tried to steal the dryer next.



I must've read that 1/2 dozen times.

There's only one dryer and she's using it. So why does he say she'll try and steal it? Does he mean she'll walk out with a machine? She's so evil that she'll physically haul a dryer up to her room?

Finally, the nickel dropped.



Thumper_Man said:


> whoops, I accidentally hit the dial on her dryer.  My bad.  Her clothes looked like they needed to be fluffed dry anyway.



So you're actually doing her a service. That's nice. Glad to see you took the high road.

:



Thumper_Man said:


> One of us is going to land up on the baggage cart if we dont stop and get something to eat soon.



Not if Curly beats you to it.



Thumper_Man said:


> We were waiting until we got paid which just so happened to be today as a matter of fact.  Well not today, today; but it was today back then.



So today is today yesterday and tomorrow it'll be today except when you're referring to yesterday's today tomorrow?



Thumper_Man said:


> Nebo finds it hard to believe they sell pizza.  Here's the proof.



That's not proof! You could've ordered that pizza anywhere and thrown an animal print tablecloth under it.

Nope. Not buying it.



Thumper_Man said:


> We keep with our usual tradition and have our nightly drink out on the patio.  Seems we made quite a dent in the case of beer we had left.  Theres only a 6 pack left.  We each have one so we can have a couple before our departure home.



That's better then loaves and fishes! You have only a six pack left. Then you each have one six pack and there's still a couple of six packs left!



Thumper_Man said:


> Thanks again everyone for sticking with us.  Were almost done.



Thanks for the chapter!


----------



## Thumper_Man

cjlvsccm said:


> Hi Thumpers!!  I just got caught up with the last 10 pages.  What?  I've been busy!



Understandable.  We've been busy too.  To think we almost took this trip a year ago and we're still not done talking about it.  



cjlvsccm said:


> Enjoying the chapters, lots of fun was had.  And revenge, apparently.



Revenge?!  Its not my fault that the button accidentally got turned to air dry.  I plead the 5th.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Mom&RN said:


> Lady H and T Man, I've been MIA off the DIS for almost two months (had a few big life events happen that kept me hopping) but am back and looking forward to catching up on your TR.



I would think graduating and getting a job would be a big life event.  Takes away from Dis time.  Glad to see you're back here and on Nebo's TR.  Hopefully it won't be too much longer that it's back to just being Nebo's TR's.  Thanks for sticking it out with us.


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> I know I'm going to feel stupid when you tell me, but.... nope. Don't recognize the song.



You mean I actually have you stumped?  You didn't Gurgle it?  I'll wait a little bit longer before I provide a link to the answer.  In true T_Man fashion, I did change a few words but not many.  




pkondz said:


> That seems like a pretty good settlement. As long as you sign non-disclosure agreements, I can't see how Disney could pass up that offer.



You're batting 0 for 2 here my friend.  I used a movie reference here.  



pkondz said:


> That song, I know.



Finally in the ball game.  1 for 3



pkondz said:


> ah. You're a wiser man than I, oh Man-'o-bunnies. I didn't schedule in a break and I broke Ruby.



Yeah, well I had to.  As you can see by Lady H's pic of her feet, I almost broke her to.  If not, then she might have turned around and broken me.  



pkondz said:


> Well three out of four ain't bad.



Yeah.  It was hot outside again so it was hard to stay cool.  



pkondz said:


> Have kids and you'll never *ever* sleep til 9 ever again.



Its like that now.  D'MIL lives with us.  Need I say more?



pkondz said:


> Pardon? Did you just say that she's sleeping in the bare?



I will neither confirm or deny that.  Family board.  



pkondz said:


> I actually did that once. A white shirt got mixed in somehow with the colors and...
> 
> oh, the horror.



You mean this isn't normal? 



pkondz said:


> Ruby... when she needs a break from commando style touring and me.



And you ask me about Lady H about sleeping bare?  I don't really need to know about Ruby touring commando style.  TMI.  



pkondz said:


> So just to be clear. You're mad because they didn't put your clothes in a dryer, but you would've been mad if they'd put your clothes in a dryer?



Exactly.  



pkondz said:


> I know! I know! "Payback is a dish best served with a side of coleslaw."
> 
> Right?



Well if you're like me that doesn't like coleslaw, then right.  



pkondz said:


> Actually I have a pop up drying rack that folds down into a compact size no larger then a fanny pack.
> 
> Okay, I don't have that, but wouldn't that be a great idea? Go ahead and patent it if you wish, but I want shared credit.



Actually something like this has been done already.  We have a portable clothes hanger we use.  Hangs in the shower.  I may have a way to improve on this item though.  



pkondz said:


> I must've read that 1/2 dozen times.
> 
> There's only one dryer and she's using it. So why does he say she'll try and steal it? Does he mean she'll walk out with a machine? She's so evil that she'll physically haul a dryer up to her room?
> 
> Finally, the nickel dropped.



Yeah, I read this a couple of times as well.  I meant to correct it, but was just in a hurry to get a chapter up.

There are 6 washers and 6 dryers.  5 of the 6 dryers were being used. I was using 2.  I was afraid if I left, she would take our clothes out of one of the dryers I was using.  Thankfully there was one not being used, so our clothes didn't get tossed out of the dryer.  



pkondz said:


> So you're actually doing her a service. That's nice. Glad to see you took the high road.
> 
> :



Thank you.  Anything to help out a fellow timeshare owner.  



pkondz said:


> Not if Curly beats you to it.



Good thing it didn't come to that.  



pkondz said:


> So today is today yesterday and tomorrow it'll be today except when you're referring to yesterday's today tomorrow?



No, today is Thursday which was today 8 months ago which I was writing about today, which was actually yesterday; and next week, I'll write about Friday which I'll refer to as today, but at the current moment will be tomorrow since we're still talking about today.  



pkondz said:


> That's not proof! You could've ordered that pizza anywhere and thrown an animal print tablecloth under it.
> 
> Nope. Not buying it.



You don't have to buy it, but it sure was good.  



pkondz said:


> That's better then loaves and fishes! You have only a six pack left. Then you each have one six pack and there's still a couple of six packs left!



Well if this was true, then there would only be one 6 pack left and 4 beers since we each had one.  Unfortunately there were only 6 beers left and after each having one, there were only 4 beers left.  Plus the Simply Lemonade bottles.  



pkondz said:


> Thanks for the chapter!



Thanks as always.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> Revenge?!  Its not my fault that the button accidentally got turned to air dry.  I plead the 5th.



Ya know, I started to wonder if anyone's ever posted a TR where they've said, "And such and such happened but I got even by doing blank."
And then somebody else posts, "That was me!!!"



Thumper_Man said:


> Thanks for sticking it out with us.



Hey! What about me?!?!

Oh, wait... you said, "sticking it out with us."
Sorry, I thought you said "sticking it to us."

Oh, almost forgot...



Thumper_Man said:


> Got our Wunderbars while we were in Vegas. They were good. A little bet better than Zebra Domes IMO.



WHAT????????????????? Better than... better than....

I can't say it. I just. Can't.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> You mean I actually have you stumped?  You didn't Gurgle it?  I'll wait a little bit longer before I provide a link to the answer.  In true T_Man fashion, I did change a few words but not many.



Nope. Did Google it but didn't see it, too.



Thumper_Man said:


> You're batting 0 for 2 here my friend.  I used a movie reference here.



Oh, fine. I try and write something amusing instead and this is what I get.
Fine.
The answer you're looking for is:
"Man, get your punk @&& up. It ain't even wet over here. Damn."

Happy now?

Sheesh.



Thumper_Man said:


> Its like that now.  D'MIL lives with us.  Need I say more?



No. You poor, poor man. My condolences on the loss of your man cave.



Thumper_Man said:


> And you ask me about Lady H about sleeping bare?  I don't really need to know about Ruby touring commando style.  TMI.



TMI? Well then I guess I won't post the pictures.



Thumper_Man said:


> Actually something like this has been done already.  We have a portable clothes hanger we use.  Hangs in the shower.



Dang. There goes my royalties.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Thumper_Man said:


> What are we doin today?
> We got no place to go.
> Gotta get out of this bed
> Hey sleepy head, come along with me.
> 
> Mighty fine out today.
> Lets makes this one lazy day
> We can take it nice and easy
> You know it wont be long  till well, well be
> 
> Down by the pool being lazy, come as you please
> Down by the pool being lazy, with our Disboards family.
> If youre all alone, you wont be long
> Just sit right down and sing this song
> Down by the pool being lazy, everybody follow me.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> pkondz said:
> 
> 
> 
> I know I'm going to feel stupid when you tell me, but.... nope. Don't recognize the song.
> 
> 
> Thumper_Man said:
> 
> 
> 
> You mean I actually have you stumped?  You didn't Gurgle it?  I'll wait a little bit longer before I provide a link to the answer.  In true T_Man fashion, I did change a few words but not many.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> pkondz said:
> 
> 
> 
> Nope. Did Google it but didn't see it, too.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> 
> Click to expand...
Click to expand...



Ok.  I waited to see if anyone else had any guesses.  

I changed the lyrics to "Down By The Pool Being Lazy."  Click on my song title to listen to the original version.


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> Oh, fine. I try and write something amusing instead and this is what I get.
> Fine.
> The answer you're looking for is:
> "Man, get your punk @&& up. It ain't even wet over here. Damn."
> 
> Happy now?
> 
> Sheesh.









pkondz said:


> No. You poor, poor man. My condolences on the loss of your man cave.



Thank you for your sympathy.  If anyone, I knew you would understand.  



pkondz said:


> TMI? Well then I guess I won't post the pictures.



Considering she didn't let you post pictures of her from your Hawaiian trip, I really doubt she would let you post those type of pictures.  You would not only lose your man cave, but everything that goes with it.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> Ok.  I waited to see if anyone else had any guesses.
> 
> I changed the lyrics to "Down By The Pool Being Lazy."  Click on my song title to listen to the original version.



'Course I'm at work now, so it'll hafta wait 'til I get home.



Thumper_Man said:


> Considering she didn't let you post pictures of her from your Hawaiian trip, I really doubt she would let you post those type of pictures.  You would not only lose your man cave, but everything that goes with it.



That's one thing I don't have to worry about.

It's already all gone. I'm surrounded by potpourri and throw pillows.


----------



## Mom&RN

Thumper_Man said:


> I would think graduating and getting a job would be a big life event.  Takes away from Dis time.  Glad to see you're back here and on Nebo's TR.  Hopefully it won't be too much longer that it's back to just being Nebo's TR's.  Thanks for sticking it out with us.



I couldn't leave you and Lady H!  The new job definately kept me busy but, unfortunately, what has really kept me busy is that my son was just diagnosed with Diabetes and ended up in the hospital in ICU for three days because his blood sugar was so high when he was first diagnosed.  Thankfully I recognized the symptoms before it was too horrible (ICU was horrible enough).  Big life change for our family, especially my son.  We all love food (A LOT, more than we should) so we're working on loving healthy food... My son is doing awesome, I'm super proud of him.


----------



## pkondz

Mom&RN said:


> I couldn't leave you and Lady H!  The new job definately kept me busy but, unfortunately, what has really kept me busy is that my son was just diagnosed with Diabetes and ended up in the hospital in ICU for three days because his blood sugar was so high when he was first diagnosed.  Thankfully I recognized the symptoms before it was too horrible (ICU was horrible enough).  Big life change for our family, especially my son.  We all love food (A LOT, more than we should) so we're working on loving healthy food... My son is doing awesome, I'm super proud of him.



Sorry to hear you had such a rough time, but glad you're son's doing better now.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> I changed the lyrics to "Down By The Pool Being Lazy."  Click on my song title to listen to the original version.



I've never heard that song before. Which kinda shocked me. You'd think with it being such a catchy tune that it would've gotten enough air time that I'd remember it? 

Had to laugh though... I wonder how many people, back in those more trusting days, figured out that they weren't actually playing the instruments or singing live?


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> I've never heard that song before. Which kinda shocked me. You'd think with it being such a catchy tune that it would've gotten enough air time that I'd remember it?
> 
> Had to laugh though... I wonder how many people, back in those more trusting days, figured out that they weren't actually playing the instruments or singing live?



You mean they weren't?   

I don't even remember how I stumbled upon that song.  I think I did a search for lazy songs and that one came up on a list.  New I had to find a way to use it.  That wasn't even the first video I saw.  After watching the first video I had seen, I saw the related searches and that's when I found this video.  

Hopefully I'll have another chapter up this week.  See if we can get this done once and for all.  Nebo and Smidgy will probably go and come on another WDW trip, and we still won't be done reporting this one.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Mom&RN said:


> I couldn't leave you and Lady H!  The new job definately kept me busy but, unfortunately, what has really kept me busy is that my son was just diagnosed with Diabetes and ended up in the hospital in ICU for three days because his blood sugar was so high when he was first diagnosed.  Thankfully I recognized the symptoms before it was too horrible (ICU was horrible enough).  Big life change for our family, especially my son.  We all love food (A LOT, more than we should) so we're working on loving healthy food... My son is doing awesome, I'm super proud of him.



I knew you wouldn't abandon us.  I would expect it from Nebo, but not you.  

Glad to hear your son is doing better.  Guess all those years of school paid off huh?


----------



## Mom&RN

Thanks for the kind words Ponzi and T Man.  Nothing like having my education come in handy in a very real way!  Thankfully my son is willing to take my advice and not ignore his Momma


----------



## bankr63

Thumper_Man said:


> And you ask me about Lady H about sleeping bare?  I don't really need to know about Ruby touring commando style.  TMI.



I just figured that's why it was time to do laundry - no clean gitch.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

I just wanted to interrupt you regularly scheduled Sunday programming for a very important announcement...

Today is Thumper_Man's Birthday! A whole year older, a whole year wi...well...A whole year older anyway.  

Happy Birthday hun! 

 Here's a song just for you from the Disney gang! 

Happy Birthday Song

I now return you to your regularly scheduled programming. Have a great Sunday!


----------



## Thumper_Man

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I just wanted to interrupt you regularly scheduled Sunday programming for a very important announcement...
> 
> Today is Thumper_Man's Birthday! A whole year older, a whole year wi...well...A whole year older anyway.
> 
> Happy Birthday hun!
> 
> Here's a song just for you from the Disney gang!
> 
> Happy Birthday Song
> 
> I now return you to your regularly scheduled programming. Have a great Sunday!



A whole year wi... what?    Well at least she got the whole year older right.



 &


----------



## pkondz

A whole year wider?
A whole year wickeder?
A whole year wittling?
A whole year wittier?
A whole year wigglier?
A whole year wilder?
A whole year wilier?
A whole year wilting?
A whole year winier?
A whole year wired?
A whole year withering?
A whole year wizened?


I give up...

Anyway...





What? Too subtle?


----------



## dwheatl

T-Man.Here's a b-day poem to make you feel good-
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
You're getting old,
But I'm older than you!
Have a great day with your Honey Bunny!


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> A whole year wider?
> A whole year wickeder?
> A whole year wittling?
> A whole year wittier?
> A whole year wigglier?
> *A whole year wilder?*
> A whole year wilier?
> A whole year wilting?
> A whole year winier?
> A whole year wired?
> A whole year withering?
> A whole year wizened?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I give up...



Ooh.  Wilder sounds good.  We'll with that one.



pkondz said:


> Anyway...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> What? Too subtle?



So what are you trying to say.  I didn't get?  

I guess thanks in order anyways.  Thanks Ponzi.


----------



## Thumper_Man

dwheatl said:


> T-Man.Here's a b-day poem to make you feel good-
> Roses are red,
> Violets are blue,
> You're getting old,
> But I'm older than you!
> Have a great day with your Honey Bunny!







Nice poem, but I still feel older today.   I'm sure I'll have a great day.


----------



## Mom&RN

Happy Birthday T-Man!!    Hope you have a fantastic birthday.


----------



## nowellsl

HAPPY BIRTHDAY T-Man!!  Hope you're having a FANTASTIC day!


----------



## orangecats2

Happy Birthday to you
You live in a zoo
You look like a monkey
and you smell like one too!! 

Some grade school humor for your old day.
How young are you anyway?


----------



## Thumper_Man

Mom&RN said:


> Happy Birthday T-Man!!    Hope you have a fantastic birthday.





nowellsl said:


> HAPPY BIRTHDAY T-Man!!  Hope you're having a FANTASTIC day!


----------



## Thumper_Man

orangecats2 said:


> Happy Birthday to you
> You live in a zoo
> You look like a monkey
> and you smell like one too!!
> 
> Some grade school humor for your old day.
> How young are you anyway?



Just because we evolved from apes, doesn't mean I have to look and smell like one.  Now excuse me while I go finish my banana split.

Thanks for the Birthday wishes.




I'm a 21 year old kid/adult trapped in a 41 year old body.


----------



## Thumper_Man

We think well go for a walk outside now
Disneyland is calling our names
(We hear ya now)
We just cant stay inside all day
We gotta get out and enjoy our last Disney Day

Mickey Mouse is smiling
A Disney Day
Goofys really laughing
A Disney Day
Lady Thumper seems so happy today
Its a Disney Day

We think well go for a walk outside now
Walt Disney knows us by name
(Hes calling us)
We gotta get up, gotta get out, gotta get away
We gotta get away, get away, get away, get away 
Start this Disney Day.

Theres plenty of sunshine 
For our last park day
Cant you hear Disney calling our names? 

Oh, we think well go for a walk all day now
Disneyland has this magical way
(make us happy now)
We just cant stay inside all day
We gotta get out and enjoy our last Disney Day

Mickey Mouse is smiling
A Disney Day
Goofys really laughin
A Disney Day
Lady Thumper seems so happy today
Its a Disney Day

Theres plenty of sunshine 
For our last park day
Cant you hear Disney calling our names? 

We think well go for a walk outside now
Disneyland is calling our names
(We hear ya now)
We just cant stay inside all day
We gotta get out and enjoy our last Disney Day

Mickey Mouse is smiling
A Disney Day
Goofys really laughing
A Disney Day
Lady Thumper seems so happy today
Its a Disney Day



Just as I stated in the song, this is our last Disney day.  Our Disney plan for today is to start at Disneyland, then hop (because thats what us bunnies do) on over to DCA; and if time permits, finish the night off back at Disneyland.  Hope Lady H is good and rested, and her feet are up to the task.  We have never been to rope drop at any of the WDW parks, but gee Wally, we want to make it to rope drop here.  Unless you count the times weve made it to the parks before rope drop to attend character breakfasts, then weve made it 3 times.  Weve heard and read a lot about the morning pre-show at MK.  Were not sure if they do the same thing here.  Were about to find out. 

 Its the usual morning routine for us.  Up early, showered, dressed, hyped up on coffee and were out the door to the bus.  This mornings bus wait was a little bit longer than normal.  As long as we can get to the shuttle stop, past the vice squad, and through the cattle prod before 9, well have made it to our first ever rope drop. 

The time is now 8:45 am and success.  Were in.  Now we wait to see if there is a pre-show like at MK.  Not a lot of people waiting around this area, but it gave us a good opportunity to take  some pictures.  Good way to begin the ending of our vacation.





















9:00 am and we hear music, but not from the source we were hoping for.  No Mickey, Minnie and all their friends riding in on the train.  Its coming from closer to the castle.  We rush through the tunnel and stare down Main Street.  We can see the crowd of people already gathered by the castle.  This is where the CMs rope off the rest of the park to the non-early entry people.  Like us.  No sign of Mickey or any of his pals so I guess there is no pre-show per say.  With the crowd already ahead of us, we remember a trick Nebo and Smidgy have used several times to get to the other side of the park before most people.

Choo Choo.  All Aboard!

Yup we hop on the Disneyland Railroad and hope the train picks us up on the way to Frontierland.  The crowd is headed towards Fantasyland and Tomorrowland.  Were some of the first people to make it to Frontierland.  When we got there, one of the first things we noticed is that Haunted Mansion is down just as expected.  We got a tip that this would be closing to change over for the holidays.  If youre still following along, thanks Kar.

The sign said to please visit other spirited attractions in New Orleans Square.  




Theres spirits at DL?  I mustve missed them because I didnt see any place to buy spirits.  Ive seen plenty at DCA, but none here.  Thats why we bring our own.  

Hmm.  I wonder if we could extend our vacation another 2 weeks.




We were close to Splash Mountain.  They were sending down empty logs so we were wondering if the ride was open yet.




Oh wait, theres a couple of people in that log so it must be open. 




Lady H and I make our way through the mile long queue.   Over the house and through the woods to the log ride we go. Literally.   Once we make it to the front of the queue we wait all of 30 seconds to get on this ride.  After Splash, we head on over to BTMRR.  We havent done this attraction yet, but you can see it there in the background.




Whats that?  You couldnt see it?  Nebo you know you cant see very well in the light.  We took a closer picture just for you. 



Wait time at BTMRR.




They have one of the same hidden Mickeys here that they do at WDW.




 An almost empty queue at BTMRR.




Lady H anxiously waiting for our turn. 




Now does this look like a dumb wife to you?  Shes actually enjoying this coaster. 




Ok.  I know Nebo will want to know.  BTMRR-WDW vs. BTMRR-DL.  The winner is:  There is no winner because personally I cant really pick one over the other.  DLs isnt next to Splash Mountain and the queue may be just a little different.  As far as the ride itself, it pretty much seemed like the same ride to me and is as equally as fun at both places. 

Next we head over to Dumbo.  No we didnt ride Dumbo.  We only posed for pictures.  




Ok, so Lady H posed for pictures.

We thought we would make this our must do picture every trip.  Nebo has his rocking chair, we have our elephant.










Ok, now this is turning into the cookie cutter TR.  Next we went here and next we went there.  With as low as the crowds were in the morning, we were just breezing through DL again.  As I mentioned at the beginning, we want some time to head back to DCA.  I can hear California Screamin calling my name.  Lady H on the other hand is ignoring the call and stalling for time.  She also has a title to defend at TSM.  Hopefully both of these rides will be open today. 

We head on over to the Sleeping Beautys Castle but not before we try to pull the sword from the stone.  If I were King of Disney.  Not queen, not duke, not prince.  KING. 

Tried as I might, I could not get the sword to budge.




 I told Lady H to give it try.  Maybe shell have more luck than I did.  If she does, I hope she at least lets me sleep in the castle and not with the Abominable Snowman inside the Matterhorn.

Come on Lady H, put your back into it. 




Tried as she might, she didnt have any luck either. With our heads hung in shame, we slowly walk towards the castle.  Maybe we can climb up to the top and throw ourselves in the moat just on the other side.




 Goodbye cruel world, Im off to join circus.  Well actually I need to post an additional chapter.  Ive almost reached my picture limit on this one.  Just jump to the next chapter when youre done here.  Or you can do it the easy way like I did and just use your mouse to scroll down.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Are you done with the first part?  You must be if youre still reading this.   If not, dont worry.  This chapter will still be around for you to read. 

One word of advice before touring Disneyland: Do lots of walking before going and make sure to include lots of stairs.  Ok, so that was more than word.  Let me show you what I mean.

This is the entrance to Sleeping Beautys Castle.  




Inside the castle, you can read the fairy tale about Sleeping Beauty.




Ok.  Quick side story here now that I posted this picture.  Lady H and I recently took a trip (back in December) to WDW as well.   DSis came along with us for part of the trip.  One thing she wanted to do was the character breakfast at CRT and dine with the princesses.  Anyone that has done a character dining knows how this works.  The characters make their way around the room and to the tables.  If youve never dined at CRT, before each princess comes into the room, they are announced right before they make their appearance.  Well DSis needs to learn her characters.  When they announced Princess Aurora, DSis said Whos Princess Aurora?  

It was mean, but Lady H and I started laughing at her.  Had I been drinking any type of liquid, I know for sure it wouldve come out of my nose.  Lady H askes her you dont know who Princess Aurora is?  Shes Sleeping Beauty.  DSis responds She has a name?  Needless to say this one of the many things we will not ever let her forget.  Seeing the name in the picture reminded of this day.  

Anyways, were here to talk about DL, not WDW.  So far today weve climbed stairs to get onto the train.  We climbed up and down stairs to get on Splash Mountain.  Now we have to climb more stairs to get into the castle.




Once inside, there are various scenes (with a verse describing the scene) throughout the castle telling you about Aurora, aka Sleeping Beauty.














 























 

Really?  More stairs?  I guess what goes up, must come down.  Now we head back down the stairs to finish the story.





















After touring the castle, what Disney vacation would be complete without a picture in front of the castle?


 

And pictures with Walt and Mickey.






 

Right before we posed for pictures with the dynamic duo, we found a mailbox so we could mail out the last of the postcard requests. 




 At first we were wondering if this was going to be like the mailbox in Toontown.  If this was just a prop and wed have to go back to one of the hotels to mail the last batch. Of if this was the real deal made of steel mailbox.  We asked a CM and sure enough, this was the real deal.

Its starting to get hot again.  Not as hot as Tuesday or Wednesday.  Its a tad bit cooler, but hot enough to melt your Dole Whip.






 

One hour and 25 minutes since we first entered the park, we were almost done with everything we wanted to do at DL today.  Now what?  Since were done here, figured we would head over to DCA.   On the way there, Lady H stops to pose with one of her all time favorite characters.  Mary Poppins just so happened to be there as well.  





 As we were walking on Main Street, we come across a glass shop that engraves glasses, mugs and will sell you a $5k replica of the castle.  $10k if you want the bigger one.  We settle for some shot glasses instead.  Weve made it a tradition to bring Lady Hs brother a shot glass from our vacations.  This is when I discovered I needed to go back to the resort.  We picked out a Mickey shot glass for her brother, and a Minnie shot glass for his girlfriend.  We want their names engraved on them so we tell the CM the names and she gives us the total cost.  I pull out my cc from my lanyard pouch and go to take out my ID as well.  

MY ID!  Its missing. I take everything out of my lanyard pouch now and nope, no ID.  

Now Im sure weve all been through this at some point.  Panic sets in.  Did I lose it?  Or did I not put it in my lanyard and only thought I did?  I tell Lady H and its a good thing she has a cc in her name.  Plus she has her ID.  Now plans have slightly changed.  She asked if I really need it.  I told her if they card me at DCA, then yeah. They havent asked for it yet, but this will be the one time they do. 

The shot glasses will take about an hour to have the names engraved on them.  Theres already a couple of orders ahead of ours.  We tell the CM thats ok, well just pick them up later.  We now head for the exit so we can go back to the resort to see if I was a space case.  On our way out, we got a little side tracked again.  Something really caught our attention and was really quite interesting. 

Come back and Ill show you.


----------



## mmeb144

I lost my id once on the way to the airport for a disney trip.  Totally panicked.  Turned out it was in my other coat pocket the whole time. Stupid id.


----------



## cjlvsccm

Oh no, DRAMA!!  Hate that feeling of missing something important.

Can't wait to see what tridesacked you!  


And Belated  !!!!


----------



## Thumper_Man

mmeb144 said:


> I lost my id once on the way to the airport for a disney trip.  Totally panicked.  Turned out it was in my other coat pocket the whole time. Stupid id.



That was another one of my worries.  I know I'll need it to get home.  Considering I thought I had put in my pouch lanyard, I was hoping it didn't fall out when I got my ticket out.


----------



## Thumper_Man

cjlvsccm said:


> Can't wait to see what tridesacked you!


We found it very interesting.  I hope you do to.  




cjlvsccm said:


> And Belated  !!!!


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> We think well go for a walk outside now
> Disneyland is calling our names



Marcia! Marcia! Marcia! 



Thumper_Man said:


> Just as I stated in the song, this is our last Disney day.



The second most worst day of a vacation.

You know it's coming to an end, but you're trying not to think about it.... but you have to get to bed early 'cause you have to catch an early flight and you still haven't packed and maybe you can squeeze in one more ride on Dumbo and.... but you're still not thinking about it.



Thumper_Man said:


> Our Disney plan for today is to start at Disneyland, then hop (because thats what us bunnies do) on over to DCA;



That makes sense.

The hopping part, I have no idea if the rest makes sense.



Thumper_Man said:


> Hope Lady H is good and rested, and her feet are up to the task.



They look better from the photos.



Thumper_Man said:


> We have never been to rope drop at any of the WDW parks, but gee Wally, we want to make it to rope drop here.



Okay, Beaver.



Thumper_Man said:


> Unless you count the times weve made it to the parks before rope drop to attend character breakfasts, then weve made it 3 times.



Nope. Doesn't count. Keep trying!



Thumper_Man said:


> Its the usual morning routine for us.



Oh, I know this one! It's where "we" make the coffee, right?



Thumper_Man said:


> Up early, showered, dressed, hyped up on coffee and were out the door to the bus.



Gus.
Don't forget your ID, Lee.

oops, getting ahead of myself here...



Thumper_Man said:


> As long as we can get to the shuttle stop, past the vice squad, and through the cattle prod before 9, well have made it to our first ever rope drop.



They use cattle prods on bunnies?


Actually, I'm okay with that.



Thumper_Man said:


> Good way to begin the ending of our vacation.



Didn't you also end the beginning of your vacation this way?



Thumper_Man said:


>



Half a *Billion* visitors? Couldn't they swing some free tix for loyal Disboards members? Really, it'd be just a drop in the bucket, right?

Right?



Thumper_Man said:


> 9:00 am and we hear music, but not from the source we were hoping for.



As long as it's not accompanied by your life flashing in front of your eyes, it's okay.



Thumper_Man said:


> Yup we hop on the Disneyland Railroad and hope the train picks us up on the way to Frontierland.



a hop and a hope?

But if you're already _on_ the train, why are you hoping to be picked up?



Thumper_Man said:


> Were some of the first people to make it to Frontierland.



Score! This shows that you should always listen to Nebo for Disney advice.... except for the pain & injury parts of course.



Thumper_Man said:


> The sign said to please visit other spirited attractions in New Orleans Square.
> 
> Theres spirits at DL?  I mustve missed them because I didnt see any place to buy spirits.  Ive seen plenty at DCA, but none here.  Thats why we bring our own.



Maybe they thought Nebo was visiting and would have a spare Sunny D? 



Thumper_Man said:


> Over the house and through the woods to the log ride we go.



Different wolf... but I'll let it go.



Thumper_Man said:


> Literally.



Really? You scaled a house in flip flops?

Color me impressed.



Thumper_Man said:


> Once we make it to the front of the queue we wait all of 30 seconds to get on this ride.



What? Oh, the ignominy!

After scaling houses in flip flops I would be incensed to be made to wait any time at all. I trust your ride photo showed you both with your noses pointed firmly up in the air! 



Thumper_Man said:


> After Splash, we head on over to BTMRR.  We havent done this attraction yet, but you can see it there in the background.



Oh!

Ha, ha! I just assumed it was your pointy head! My bad.



Thumper_Man said:


> Now does this look like a dumb wife to you?  Shes actually enjoying this coaster.



I think BTMRR is Disney at it's absolute best. They made a coaster that practically everyone can enjoy. From rabid coaster fan to nervous Nellie's and everyone in between.



Thumper_Man said:


> We thought we would make this our must do picture every trip.  Nebo has his rocking chair, we have our elephant.



I like it! 

But.... I just can't leave it alone. Here ya go.








Thumper_Man said:


> Ok, now this is turning into the cookie cutter TR.



Notice of copyright infringement. Please cease and desist immediately or risk getting photoshopped in a particularly unpleasant way.


jk



Thumper_Man said:


> Next we went here and next we went there.



Where?!? Where??????

OMG I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU WENT NEXT!!!!!



sorry.



Thumper_Man said:


> With as low as the crowds were in the morning, we were just breezing through DL again.



See in Florida you'd have a hurricane instead of a breeze, so consider yourselves lucky.



Thumper_Man said:


> I can hear California Screamin calling my name.



So _that's_ what that was! I could faintly hear: "Mike... Mike... come here Mike..."



Thumper_Man said:


> Lady H on the other hand is ignoring the call and stalling for time.



Not so dumb-wife, huh?



Thumper_Man said:


> If I were King of Disney.  Not queen, not duke, not prince.  KING.



I'll take Emperor then... or perhaps "Supreme Ruler and Overlord".


Too much?


Nah.



Thumper_Man said:


> Tried as I might, I could not get the sword to budge.



Try Viagra.



Thumper_Man said:


> I told Lady H to give it try.  Maybe shell have more luck than I did.  If she does, I hope she at least lets me sleep in the castle and not with the Abominable Snowman inside the Matterhorn.



If she's interested enough to try and get the sword to budge and has more luck with it, then she probably won't make you sleep with the Abominable Snowman.


I could be wrong.



Thumper_Man said:


> Come on Lady H, put your back into it.



Whoo, boy. We're really starting to skirt the edges here....



Thumper_Man said:


>



Oh!

That's what you meant!

 :



Thumper_Man said:


> Goodbye cruel world, Im off to join circus.



Wait! You have to finish the TR first!



Thumper_Man said:


> Well actually I need to post an additional chapter.



<phew!>



Thumper_Man said:


> Ive almost reached my picture limit on this one.  Just jump to the next chapter when youre done here.  Or you can do it the easy way like I did and just use your mouse to scroll down.



Nah, I like a challenge. I jumped.

Hurt myself a little, though.



Thumper_Man said:


> If youve never dined at CRT, before each princess comes into the room, they are announced right before they make their appearance.



We _have_ done CRT (about 8 (8!!) years ago). I don't remember them announcing them though. They might have, but I don't remember and it feels like they didn't.



Thumper_Man said:


> Well DSis needs to learn her characters.  When they announced Princess Aurora, DSis said Whos Princess Aurora?



Thank goodness, she was DD8's (at the time) favorite princess. I remember when she told me her favorite was Aurora... I didn't know who that was either.



Thumper_Man said:


> It was mean, but Lady H and I started laughing at her.



Note to self. No dinners with the Bunnies unless humiliation is on the menu.



Thumper_Man said:


> Lady H askes her you dont know who Princess Aurora is?  Shes Sleeping Beauty.  DSis responds She has a name?  Needless to say this one of the many things we will not ever let her forget.



Needless to say, I'm on your D'Sis's side! 



Thumper_Man said:


> Now we have to climb more stairs to get into the castle.



Hmmm.... pretty sure at WDW there's an elevator. Could be wrong.



Thumper_Man said:


> After touring the castle, what Disney vacation would be complete without a picture in front of the castle?



Apparently a pkondz family vacation. I'm pretty sure I never took one!



Thumper_Man said:


> Its starting to get hot again.  Not as hot as Tuesday or Wednesday.  Its a tad bit cooler, but hot enough to melt your Dole Whip.



mmmm.... boy I could go for one of those right now... at Disney of course.



Thumper_Man said:


> On the way there, Lady H stops to pose with one of her all time favorite characters.  Mary Poppins just so happened to be there as well.



I don't know what it is... but everytime I see a Mary Poppins and Bert... I always buy the Mary Poppins... but not the Bert character. Maybe D van D is just too iconic for me. 



Thumper_Man said:


> As we were walking on Main Street, we come across a glass shop that engraves glasses, mugs and will sell you a $5k replica of the castle.



At first I read that as a "five dollar" replica... I thought, "Hey, that's a pretty good deal!" 

Whoops!



Thumper_Man said:


> $10k if you want the bigger one.



And really... if you've got the money, wouldn't you want the bigger one?
Bigger is better right?

Now how'd we get back on this topic again???



Thumper_Man said:


> MY ID!  Its missing. I take everything out of my lanyard pouch now and nope, no ID.



R'uh r'oh!



Thumper_Man said:


> Now Im sure weve all been through this at some point.  Panic sets in.







Thumper_Man said:


> She asked if I really need it.



Ya know. It wouldn't matter to me if I _needed_ it right then or not. I'd just be in a panic to *find it*!



Thumper_Man said:


> On our way out, we got a little side tracked again.  Something really caught our attention and was really quite interesting.
> 
> Come back and Ill show you.



Oh. Like the missing ID wasn't enough of a cliff hanger for ya?


Thanks for the chapter, Mike!


----------



## nowellsl

pkondz said:


>



BEST PHOTOSHOP EVER!!!  I would have that framed (if it was me of course)  and I would call it "Soarin' over California"


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

Whew! I've been a little MIA recently. I've been working on a major project at work. A Prescription Drug Abuse/Awareness Summit. And unfortunately, it requires me to work, at work. Most days I barely have time for lunch, let alone anything else.  I finally have a moment of peace. I may have spoke too soon. 



So before I get interrupted again. 

Great job honey! I think you did this chapter justice. I know you are working on the next one so I will try to make this quick. 

Did anyone notice I was wearing my "Thumper" T-shirt in the pictures?  

My feet were still a little swollen at this point. but nothing like they were before. The hot tub and pool and rest the day before really helped. 

We found it absolutely amazing how fast we were able to get on certain rides that morning. Even with the throngs of people that were coming in at the same time we were, ride lines weren't that bad. 

We only really did one side of the park. By the time we got to the Castle, we could see the masses starting to head towards tomorrowland and figured we would skip it this morning. If we had a chance later in the evening then we would do anything we missed then. 

The parks are always so peaceful first thing in the morning. Everyone rushes to go to certain areas, so those are the best times for pictures. We definitely learned something from Nebo and Smidgy. 

Speaking of...I hope they are doing well. We were seeing on the news last night that parts of Chicago are under water at the moment. Maybe it's a good thing they are in Orlando.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Did anyone notice I was wearing my "Thumper" T-shirt in the pictures?  [/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]



D'oh!! *No!* And there it is plain as day. 



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Speaking of...I hope they are doing well. We were seeing on the news last night that parts of Chicago are under water at the moment. Maybe it's a good thing they are in Orlando.



Just saw that on another thread. Hopefully they've got someone watching the house for them. Preferably someone with a pump!


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

pkondz said:


> Marcia! Marcia! Marcia!



Ding Ding Ding! You want to know what's even funnier? When T-Man sent me the link to video, to let me know what he was thinking for the intro for this chapter. I saw the title and automatically started singing it in my head. I KNEW THE SONG! OMG! I don't think i should have said that out loud...




pkondz said:


> The second most worst day of a vacation.
> 
> You know it's coming to an end, but you're trying not to think about it.... but you have to get to bed early 'cause you have to catch an early flight and you still haven't packed and maybe you can squeeze in one more ride on Dumbo and.... but you're still not thinking about it.



I couldn't agree more! 





pkondz said:


> That makes sense.
> 
> The hopping part, I have no idea if the rest makes sense.



It doesn't matter. As long as part of it makes sense, the rest just comes in to fill the void. 





pkondz said:


> They look better from the photos.









pkondz said:


> Okay, Beaver.



I'm so glad someone caught that! 




pkondz said:


> Nope. Doesn't count. Keep trying!





  Shoot! Oh...OK...





pkondz said:


> Oh, I know this one! It's where "we" make the coffee, right?



Very good Ponzi. You get a gold star! 








pkondz said:


> They use cattle prods on bunnies?



Only when we don't behave. 





pkondz said:


> Didn't you also end the beginning of your vacation this way?



Yeah, but since its the beginning of the end, we figured what better way to end it then on a beginners note. 





pkondz said:


> Half a *Billion* visitors? Couldn't they swing some free tix for loyal Disboards members? Really, it'd be just a drop in the bucket, right?
> 
> Right?



I'm with you...I don't think it would be that big of a deal. 

Of course it may be now, seeing as they have a lawsuit on their hands regarding some of the major attractions and the safety of them for workers.  





pkondz said:


> As long as it's not accompanied by your life flashing in front of your eyes, it's okay.



Um...no. At least not at this exact moment. The trip's not over yet, so who knows what can happen. 




pkondz said:


> Score! This shows that you should always listen to Nebo for Disney advice.... except for the pain & injury parts of course.



Of course. I am so glad we listened to their advice too. It was great to get there ahead of the crowd. Felt a little odd though. Almost like the park was empty. 




pkondz said:


> Really? You scaled a house in flip flops?
> 
> Color me impressed.



Well I wasn't about to go back to the hotel just to get my hiking boots. It's too far and too hot! 

What color would that be exactly? 





pkondz said:


> What? Oh, the ignominy!
> 
> After scaling houses in flip flops I would be incensed to be made to wait any time at all. I trust your ride photo showed you both with your noses pointed firmly up in the air!



Nope...Mine looked more like this: 



T-Man's probably looked something like this: 







pkondz said:


> I think BTMRR is Disney at it's absolute best. They made a coaster that practically everyone can enjoy. From rabid coaster fan to nervous Nellie's and everyone in between.



Even dumb wives! 





pkondz said:


> I like it!
> 
> But.... I just can't leave it alone. Here ya go.





 


And that was a smiley re-inactment of my reaction to the photoshop. 

WE'VE BEEN PONZIED! 

I love it! And actually, the first thing i thought of when I saw that was the carousel scene in Mary Poppins, right before her big win at the horse races. For some reason that just made me think of that. 




pkondz said:


> Notice of copyright infringement. Please cease and desist immediately or risk getting photoshopped in a particularly unpleasant way.
> 
> 
> jk



That's why we love you! 





pkondz said:


> Where?!? Where??????
> 
> OMG I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU WENT NEXT!!!!!
> 
> 
> 
> sorry.



Calm down. Everything is going to be OK...We'll find them. I promise. 

Completely off topic and I have no idea why I'm thinking about this now...but true and funny story: 

When I was a little girl, my mom would play a game with me called "go find Heather." and I would search everywhere to find her and eventually find her in the mirror or mom would find me, and we would laugh. I think this was her way of keeping me occupied while she actually did some house cleaning or resting. Well one day, I couldn't find Heather. I looked everywhere and finally stopped in the middle of the room and cried. When mom came to ask what was wrong, my reply was..."I'm lost!" 

Ok. back to your regularly scheduled TR. 






pkondz said:


> So _that's_ what that was! I could faintly hear: "Mike... Mike... come here Mike..."



I've noticed those whispers come a-callin' quite frequently when we are at the theme parks. They usually consist of some crazy ride or beverage. 





pkondz said:


> Not so dumb-wife, huh?



Yeah...give it time...





pkondz said:


> I'll take Emperor then... or perhaps "Supreme Ruler and Overlord".
> 
> 
> Too much?
> 
> 
> Nah.



Do we have to call you that in public? 





pkondz said:


> Try Viagra.



Family board. family board!!!!! 





pkondz said:


> If she's interested enough to try and get the sword to budge and has more luck with it, then she probably won't make you sleep with the Abominable Snowman.
> 
> 
> I could be wrong.



Depends on what dumb wife stunts he tries to get me to do throughout the rest of the day. 





pkondz said:


> Whoo, boy. We're really starting to skirt the edges here....
> 
> 
> 
> Oh!
> 
> That's what you meant!
> 
> :



FAMILY BOARD!!!!!! 





pkondz said:


> Nah, I like a challenge. I jumped.
> 
> Hurt myself a little, though.



Poor Ponzi...But all you had to do was scroll...just sayin' 





pkondz said:


> We _have_ done CRT (about 8 (8!!) years ago). I don't remember them announcing them though. They might have, but I don't remember and it feels like they didn't.



During every announcement of the princesses, the lights get dimmed and start to twinkle and all the "princesses" in the room are asked to wave their wands (you get them when you sit down at your table). And then you have to say the magic word "Bibbity Bobbity Boo" and they announce the new princess. It was kind of fun to watch the kids. DSIL did not want to do it even though she was supposed to be the princess that day. I was "Queen" and T-Man was "King"...I found it sad that they thought we were old enough to have a daughter her age.  





pkondz said:


> Thank goodness, she was DD8's (at the time) favorite princess. I remember when she told me her favorite was Aurora... I didn't know who that was either.



I was surprised that T-Man knew to be honest. 





pkondz said:


> Note to self. No dinners with the Bunnies unless humiliation is on the menu.



It doesn't have to be on the menu...We make exceptions. 





pkondz said:


> Hmmm.... pretty sure at WDW there's an elevator. Could be wrong.



But then you wouldn't see all the cool pictures! 





pkondz said:


> Apparently a pkondz family vacation. I'm pretty sure I never took one!



You will have to correct that young man! 





pkondz said:


> mmmm.... boy I could go for one of those right now... at Disney of course.



Mmmm...Those were good. But your right. They would have to be at Disney. Where it's warm enough to practically melt it from one second to the next. I was having such a hard time keeping mine from melting all over me or the bench. 





pkondz said:


> I don't know what it is... but everytime I see a Mary Poppins and Bert... I always buy the Mary Poppins... but not the Bert character. Maybe D van D is just too iconic for me.



No one could have done Bert like DvD. For once I would love to see them in the chimney scene costumes instead, just to change it up. Maybe then I would believe it a little more. Especially with Mary Poppins touching up her face with her soot filled compact. 





pkondz said:


> At first I read that as a "five dollar" replica... I thought, "Hey, that's a pretty good deal!"
> 
> Whoops!



If only. 





pkondz said:


> Ya know. It wouldn't matter to me if I _needed_ it right then or not. I'd just be in a panic to *find it*!



We usually double check that we have ID's before heading out the door. It's usually number 1 on our check list, especially if we are planning on having a couple of adult beverages later on. For some reason, we didn't even think about it this day, and just left the room. This is what we get. 



Alright...I've done my TR duty, gotta get a little work done today. I'll see if I can sneak back later.


----------



## Thumper_Man

I could get used to this.  I do the chapter, Ponzi breaksdown and Lady H does the callback.  Of course the TR is getting close to the end now.  Better late than never?


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

Thumper_Man said:


> I could get used to this.  I do the chapter, Ponzi breaksdown and Lady H does the callback.  Of course the TR is getting close to the end now.  Better late than never?


----------



## Thumper_Man

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


>



Oh Yeah?  Well how about I just another chapter then?


----------



## Thumper_Man

"I am interested in entertaining people, in bringing pleasure, particularly laughter, to others, rather than being concerned with 'expressing' myself with obscure creative impressions." (Walt Disney)









These are just a couple of the hidden treasures we stumbled upon.  To find these hidden treasures, we must go back to the start.  Waaaaayyyy back.  

The date was Sunday August 26, 2012.  It was the 2nd day of our DLR vacation, and our first park day at DL.  If you recall in our “Taking Advantage of EMH” chapter; Lady H and I had a one time perk of an Early Magic Hour and we chose to use it on this day.  

From this day, I showed you a picture.  Ok I showed you several pictures.  I’m going to post one of them again in this chapter.  This particular picture is of the Disneyland Opera House.  The DOH is located towards the entrance of the park.  It’s to your right as you’re walking in, your left as you’re walking out; or you can pick if it’s to your left or right if you’re dyslexic.  The DOH was not yet open during our EMH hour.  We only had 2 lands we could visit during this time: Tomorrowland & Fantasyland.  DOH would open with the rest of the park at the official park opening time.

Here it is again: The Disneyland Opera House.




After I discovered that I didn’t have my ID with me, Lady H and I head back towards the entrance.  I want to go back to the resort first to see if I left it there.  If not, then we’ll come back to DL and see if any has by some chance turned it into Lost & Found.  If it's not at either place, then I'll guess I'll have to head back to the resort and head out. I won't be able to board the plane without it.  Good thing I still have the rental car.  At least I have a way to get home.  Lady H on the other hand can still board the plane and fly home if she wanted to.

Now that I think about it, may not be such a bad thing.  I can make a pit stop in Vegas.  I'll have a hefty fee though, for returning the car to a different location.  

As we get to the front of the park, we notice the DOH is now open.  Not a lot of people going in.  We haven’t been in here yet, and since it wasn’t that busy, we decided to go in.  I’ve been without my ID this long, surely I can wait a little bit longer.  

We walk in with the intent of seeing/hearing the Voices of Liberty and to see what Great Moments Mr. Lincoln was going to talk about. 

As you walk in, this is one of the first things you see.







The inscription on the plaque reads _*”The actual park bench from the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round in Los Angeles where Walt Disney first dreamed of Disneyland.”*_

We make our way to the right and come upon some more Disneyland history.  I think we stumbled upon a mini Disneyland museum here.  There are models, drawings, paintings and pictures of how Disneyland came to be.













One of the pictures from this collage look familiar?




_“*INSPIRATION:* Walt Disney loved trains - a passion he shared with Disney animator Ward Kimball.  He even built a scale model locomotive in his backyard and dubbed it the Lilly Belle, after his wife Lillian.  To Walt, trains meant adventure, excitement, and the optimism of America.  And although his for a new kind of “family park” would change many times, one thing was always certain - it would be surrounded by a train.”_

Lady H and I found all these to be fascinating.  It’s as if you’re right there with Walt as he’s dreaming of this magical place.  












How would you have liked to go to DL back when it first opened for only 10 cents?  If you look at the ticket in the front right hand corner, it says "EXCHANGE FOR ONE 10 CENTS ADMISSION."  (I had to spell out cents, because there is no sense symbol on the keyboard,  You would think it would make cents to add it.)




Some of the tickets in this picture are up to 35 cents.




Of course it would’ve been a little more than that.  Back then you had to trade your ticket for a choice of the following:

Main Street
Tomorrowland
Fantasyland

You didn’t pay one price like you do today, to see the whole park.  Then again, the little ticket stub (at the top of the most recent pic) says 60 cents.  I wonder if this was the beginning of the multipark ticket?  And of course, back in those days, 10 cents was a lot of money.  I don’t even think you can buy a thought for 10 cents now a days.  Instead of a penny for your thoughts, inflation has raised them to at least a quarter.

Ok.  Out of curiosity, is there anyone on these boards that visited DL when it first opened?
Anyone visit within the first year it opened?
Anyone remember when it first opened (not necessarily visiting)?  
It would be interesting to hear your thought about DL at the time. 

As we looked around, we came across more artifacts stating some of the facts for some of the attractions that are still around today.  And that’s a bonafide fact. 

Does this one look familiar?












How about this one?




This one I found the most fascinating?






For a brief moment, I had forgotten that Walt lived at DL.  How cool would it have been to live in the happiest place on earth?  I wonder what I have to do for a chance to stay in the Dream Suite the Imagineers have created.  I can only dream of staying in that suite.  If I wish upon a star, I hope my dreams come true.

Another thing we found interesting (that was not related to DL but more to Mr. Lincoln), was a replica of the State Capitol Building.





Does anybody remember why we came in here the first place?  Oh yeah.  We wanted to watch the Voices of Liberty and Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.  We got so enthralled with the history of DL, that we never did see either one of those.   

I hope you find this just as interesting as we did.  If you’re ever at DL, take some time to take a ride through history with Walt and Mickey.






We spent about a half hour in here and could’ve very easily have stayed longer, there was still so much more to see.  There is a matter of a possible lost ID I needed to tend to.  

Lady H and I make our way back to the bus and eventually back to our resort.  We climb MORE stairs and get back inside our resort.  Man it’s hot in here.  The darn maintenance people must have come in and turned off the a/c.  I turn it back on and look at the last place I left my ID.  My heart dropped and I could’ve cried.  I was so happy and relieved to find out that I left it here.  Now I don't have to drive home.  There's goes my plan for stopping in Vegas.  While we’re here, Lady H and I take some time to make a Simply Lemonade for the ride back to DL.  Which is a good thing we did.  We had a little bit of a wait at the bus stop.  By the time the bus came I had finished my Simply Lemonade.  By the time we had to go through security again, Lady H finished hers.  Talk about timing.  

We’re done with DL for the moment.  We’ll have to eventually go back for the shot glasses, but I can still hear the call of California Screamin’, which Lady H will take you through.  

I think.  

She’s been really busy at work lately and I hog the computer at night.  J/K.  I give her about 30 minutes to do what she has to do before I scooch her over.  Hey, she has a Kindle that gets internet and one of the latest and greatest smartphones.  All I have is a “take me out and shoot me now” smartphone.  

Ok ladies, no need to get hostile.  I don’t really scooch her off the computer.  I try to be fair with the computer time.  Since we both work on a computer all day, sometimes neither one of us wants to turn it on when we get home.  

Ramble On, And now's the time, the time is now, to sing my song.  

I don’t really have a song this time, but its time I stop rambling on.  I need to talk to Lady H to see if she’ll have time to live up to her end of the TR.  Now that we’re getting close to the end, one of us will get another chapter up soon.  Hopefully it will be her as this the last time she'll get to talk about our DLR trip.  After that, you're stuck with me.  

Have a great weekend all.


----------



## mmeb144

Your walk through the Opera House was cool!  Nothing like a little Walt Disney to get your Disney geek on.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Very good Ponzi. You get a gold star!



Oh boy! I haven't gotten one of those since the 4th grade.



so... it's been a while.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Emperor pkondz said:
> 
> 
> 
> They use cattle prods on bunnies?
> 
> 
> 
> Only when we don't behave.
Click to expand...


So.... often then.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Supreme Ruler and Overlord pkondz said:
> 
> 
> 
> Color me impressed.
> 
> 
> 
> What color would that be exactly?
Click to expand...


Puce. With a hint of ochre.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I love it! And actually, the first thing i thought of when I saw that was the carousel scene in Mary Poppins, right before her big win at the horse races. For some reason that just made me think of that.



Good. 'Cause I thought the same thing.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> When I was a little girl, my mom would play a game with me called "go find Heather." and I would search everywhere to find her and eventually find her in the mirror or mom would find me, and we would laugh. I think this was her way of keeping me occupied while she actually did some house cleaning or resting. Well one day, I couldn't find Heather. I looked everywhere and finally stopped in the middle of the room and cried. When mom came to ask what was wrong, my reply was..."I'm lost!"



 Love it! 



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Emperor and Supreme Ruler and Overlord pkondz said:
> 
> 
> 
> I'll take Emperor then... or perhaps "Supreme Ruler and Overlord".
> 
> 
> 
> Do we have to call you that in public?
Click to expand...


Yes. Of course. 

In private too.




Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Emperor and Supreme Ruler and Overlord over all pkondz said:
> 
> 
> 
> Nah, I like a challenge. I jumped.
> 
> Hurt myself a little, though.
> 
> 
> 
> Poor Ponzi...But all you had to do was scroll...just sayin'
Click to expand...


I've told you... I don't scroll, I sashay.


stroll



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> During every announcement of the princesses, the lights get dimmed and start to twinkle and all the "princesses" in the room are asked to wave their wands (you get them when you sit down at your table). And then you have to say the magic word "Bibbity Bobbity Boo" and they announce the new princess.



They definitely did _not_ do that. I just remember having breakfast and every now and then a Princess (or Mary Poppins) would show up at your table and bother us while we were trying to eat.  Well the DDs didn't seem to mind, so I guess it's okay.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> From this day, I showed you a picture.  Ok I showed you several pictures.  Im going to post one of them again in this chapter.  This particular picture is of the Disneyland Opera House.



Yup. I remember that one.



Thumper_Man said:


> Its to your right as youre walking in, your left as youre walking out; or you can pick if its to your left or right if youre dyslexic.



If you turn around to see where you came in as you entered, it's to your left and if you turn around for one last look at the castle before you leave it's to your right. If you're Nebo and you've had a few too many Sunny Ds, it's somewhere over your head as you lay prone on the pavement. After you leave Disney and fly back to your homes, it's below you.



Thumper_Man said:


> Now that I think about it, may not be such a bad thing.  I can make a pit stop in Vegas.  I'll have a hefty fee though, for returning the car to a different location.



Who cares about the fee? Your winnings will take care of that.



Thumper_Man said:


> We havent been in here yet, and since it wasnt that busy, we decided to go in.  Ive been without my ID this long, surely I can wait a little bit longer.



Man, I just could not do that. If Ruby suggested a pit stop on the way out, I'd be, "Okay, See ya! Bye!"



Thumper_Man said:


> As you walk in, this is one of the first things you see.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The inscription on the plaque reads _*The actual park bench from the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round in Los Angeles where Walt Disney first dreamed of Disneyland.*_



That is just about the coolest thing ever. Man that is History right there! Imagine him sitting there, watching his girls on the Merry-Go-Round and idly dreaming about how he could do something like that himself. It just boggles the mind, doesn't it? 

I presume it's roped off, but even if it wasn't, I don't know if I could sit on it. It would seem almost... I dunno sacrilegious?



Thumper_Man said:


> Lady H and I found all these to be fascinating.  Its as if youre right there with Walt as hes dreaming of this magical place.



It's all pretty cool.  And I can't wait to show the DDs Neuschwanstein castle and now I have an extra bit of trivia for them.



Thumper_Man said:


> How would you have liked to go to DL back when it first opened for only 10 cents?



Nope. Looked up in Wiki. Apparently they referred to that day as Black Sunday. Not an all round great day apparently.



Thumper_Man said:


> If you look at the ticket in the front right hand corner, it says "EXCHANGE FOR ONE 10 CENTS ADMISSION."  (I had to spell out cents, because there is no sense symbol on the keyboard,  You would think it would make cents to add it.)



¢ signor.



Thumper_Man said:


> Of course it wouldve been a little more than that.  Back then you had to trade your ticket for a choice of the following:
> 
> Main Street
> Tomorrowland
> Fantasyland
> 
> You didnt pay one price like you do today, to see the whole park.



So they must've had ticket booths or ticket takers at the entrance to the lands. Can you say 'bottleneck'?



Thumper_Man said:


> I dont even think you can buy a thought for 10 cents now a days.  Instead of a penny for your thoughts, inflation has raised them to at least a quarter.



Nah. My thoughts are still worth only a penny. Actually, they're pretty much worthless, really.



Thumper_Man said:


> Ok.  Out of curiosity, is there anyone on these boards that visited DL when it first opened?
> Anyone visit within the first year it opened?
> Anyone remember when it first opened (not necessarily visiting)?
> It would be interesting to hear your thought about DL at the time.



Nope. Before my time. 

But....

I do remember watching "The Wonderful World of Disney" (on a black and white TV with rabbit ears antenna) and watching an episode where they were showing what Disneyworld was going to be like. It was either just before it opened or just after. That got me (and my DSis) all excited about going to see it. We finally did about 6 years later, not too long before EPCOT opened up, so there was just the one park.

Back then you could refer to MK as Disneyworld.... and you'd be right!



Thumper_Man said:


> Does this one look familiar?



Space Mountain?
No, wait! EE?

jk. I know it's POC.



:



Thumper_Man said:


> For a brief moment, I had forgotten that Walt lived at DL.  How cool would it have been to live in the happiest place on earth?  I wonder what I have to do for a chance to stay in the Dream Suite the Imagineers have created.  I can only dream of staying in that suite.  If I wish upon a star, I hope my dreams come true.



I've wondered if it would be a good thing or not. How great to be the last person in the park... and the first person too! But.... I don't really want to see Main Street with workers all over it replacing bulbs, etc. Takes away some of the magic for me.



Thumper_Man said:


> Does anybody remember why we came in here the first place?  Oh yeah.  We wanted to watch the Voices of Liberty and Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.  We got so enthralled with the history of DL, that we never did see either one of those.



 But I don't blame you. That was all really interesting.



Thumper_Man said:


> I hope you find this just as interesting as we did.







Thumper_Man said:


> The darn maintenance people must have come in and turned off the a/c.  I turn it back on and look at the last place I left my ID.  My heart dropped and I couldve cried.



Usually when people describe "heart dropped" it means a bad thing has happened. Then you add in you could've cried. Plus you mention someone was in your room.....

But glad to hear (minus the disappointment of Vegas) that you found it.



Thumper_Man said:


> Were done with DL for the moment.  Well have to eventually go back for the shot glasses, but I can still hear the call of California Screamin, which Lady H will take you through.
> 
> I think.



I foresee hearing the lament of the "dumb wife". 



Thumper_Man said:


> I give her about 30 minutes to do what she has to do before I scooch her over.



Seems fair to me.



Thumper_Man said:


> All I have is a take me out and shoot me now smartphone.







Thumper_Man said:


> Ok ladies, no need to get hostile.  I dont really scooch her off the computer.



Noticed how you only apologized to the "ladies" there. 

You knew that all the guys are going, "Yeah! All right, man. You show her! You the _MAN_!!" All while puffing out our chests and strutting self-importantly to and fro.... until our DWs tell us to settle down, get the dishes done and get off the computer 'cause they want to use it....


yes dear.



Thumper_Man said:


> Have a great weekend all.



Thanks Mike, thanks for the chapter!


----------



## MAGICFOR2

Will Thumper Man jump in the car and head out?

Will Lady H ride California Screamin by herself?

Maybe they are staying at Hotel California, and they can never leave! 

Stay tuned!


----------



## Mom&RN

Lady H,
Totally off topic here but my son came home from an anime convention the other night and this one of the pins he bought and was proudly wearing:





I immediately thought of you!  Had to share.  I'm slowly getting caught up on all my subscribed threads after my DIS absence but every time I think I've caught up I find everyone has posted again.  Still loving your TR!


----------



## cjlvsccm

Terrific pix, T-man!  My hubby would be all over that exhibit.  The one time we made it out to DLR we had very limited time (one afternoon/evening in MK), so we didn't see many things like this.  He has a big collections of books on Walt, the parks, etc, so I'm sure he's seen pix of all these... but to see the actual items and models, he would love it!!

Oh, and Alt key + 155 will give you a ¢ symbol.    I also use Alt + 0176 to get ° symbol for "degrees" as in temps.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

Mom&RN said:


> Lady H,
> Totally off topic here but my son came home from an anime convention the other night and this one of the pins he bought and was proudly wearing:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I immediately thought of you!  Had to share.  I'm slowly getting caught up on all my subscribed threads after my DIS absence but every time I think I've caught up I find everyone has posted again.  Still loving your TR!



NARF!!!! That is too funny. I absolutely love it! And I love it more that you thought of me. To go along with the theme of Disney...I saw this and thought it was perfect. 





I'm glad you are still enjoying it. I will hopefully get a chance to start on the next chapter soon. Work has been burying me lately and I barely have a chance to catch up on the chapters T-Man posts, let alone post my own.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

WhooHoo! I threw T-Man off the computer for a few minutes. Don't know how long I have, so I'll try to make this quick...



pkondz said:


> Oh boy! I haven't gotten one of those since the 4th grade.
> 
> 
> 
> so... it's been a while.



Couldn't have been that long. That silhouette of yours didn't look older than 35...





pkondz said:


> So.... often then.



We just went to a nightclub over the weekend to celebrate T-Man's birthday and we got branded there... 





pkondz said:


> Puce. With a hint of ochre.



Got it...So basically the color of a fading bruise...





pkondz said:


> Good. 'Cause I thought the same thing.



Oh good, I was afraid I was thinking a little too outside the box. 





pkondz said:


> Love it!



Yeah I think I'm still scarred. 





pkondz said:


> Yes. Of course.
> 
> In private too.



I'm sure T-Man or Ruby for that matter wouldn't be too keen for me calling you anything, especially, Supreme Ruler and Overlord in private...But i'll call you anything in public. 






pkondz said:


> I've told you... I don't scroll, I sashay.
> 
> 
> stroll



Oh that's right...I forget...








pkondz said:


> They definitely did _not_ do that. I just remember having breakfast and every now and then a Princess (or Mary Poppins) would show up at your table and bother us while we were trying to eat.  Well the DDs didn't seem to mind, so I guess it's okay.



Then it has definitely changed. It's very cute. And the food is delicious. Expensive, but delicious. And since it's AYCE, and you have a selective menu, we all had a different dish, took a bite of each others to see what we liked and then re-ordered. Got to say, the lobster Benedict was delicious


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

pkondz said:


> If you turn around to see where you came in as you entered, it's to your left and if you turn around for one last look at the castle before you leave it's to your right. If you're Nebo and you've had a few too many Sunny Ds, it's somewhere over your head as you lay prone on the pavement. After you leave Disney and fly back to your homes, it's below you.



 





pkondz said:


> Who cares about the fee? Your winnings will take care of that.



Good point...Hey T-Man...Next time we are hitting Vegas too. 





pkondz said:


> Man, I just could not do that. If Ruby suggested a pit stop on the way out, I'd be, "Okay, See ya! Bye!"



I was thinking in the same lines as you...it was T-Man that suggested the pit stop. Not me...I'm an angel. 







pkondz said:


> That is just about the coolest thing ever. Man that is History right there! Imagine him sitting there, watching his girls on the Merry-Go-Round and idly dreaming about how he could do something like that himself. It just boggles the mind, doesn't it?



I have to admit, it was awesome to see everything and you do sort of get sucked into the nostalgia of it all. 



pkondz said:


> I presume it's roped off, but even if it wasn't, I don't know if I could sit on it. It would seem almost... I dunno sacrilegious



I don't think I could/would be able to sit on it. I don't remember it being roped off to be honest. 




pkondz said:


> It's all pretty cool.  And I can't wait to show the DDs Neuschwanstein castle and now I have an extra bit of trivia for them.



There you go...nothing is better than educating your children on all things disney 





pkondz said:


> Nope. Looked up in Wiki. Apparently they referred to that day as Black Sunday. Not an all round great day apparently.



Well, you can't have it all...





pkondz said:


> ¢ signor.



Show off...





pkondz said:


> So they must've had ticket booths or ticket takers at the entrance to the lands. Can you say 'bottleneck'?



Right? I can only imagine what the lines were like there. Of course, I don't think back then it was like it is now either. The rides, the crowds, a lot has changed over the decades. 





pkondz said:


> Nah. My thoughts are still worth only a penny. Actually, they're pretty much worthless, really.



At least mine are worth 2 cents...At least that's what I tell everyone when I burst in with my theories. 







pkondz said:


> Nope. Before my time.
> 
> But....
> 
> I do remember watching "The Wonderful World of Disney" (on a black and white TV with rabbit ears antenna) and watching an episode where they were showing what Disneyworld was going to be like. It was either just before it opened or just after. That got me (and my DSis) all excited about going to see it. We finally did about 6 years later, not too long before EPCOT opened up, so there was just the one park.
> 
> Back then you could refer to MK as Disneyworld.... and you'd be right!



See, your not that old...





pkondz said:


> Space Mountain?
> No, wait! EE?
> 
> jk. I know it's POC.
> 
> 
> 
> :



Darn...So close...Missed it by that much! 





pkondz said:


> I've wondered if it would be a good thing or not. How great to be the last person in the park... and the first person too! But.... I don't really want to see Main Street with workers all over it replacing bulbs, etc. Takes away some of the magic for me.



I don't know. I would think by the time the park empties and the cleaning crews come in, I would probably be passed out. I mean, even we know that Tinkerbell doesn't swing in and wave her wand to clean up the park or put up decorations. But it is a nice thought instead of the sweepers. Unless of course you have a dancing clean up crew. that could be entertaining and magical. 

Sorry...lack of sleep and brain overload at work...don't mind me. 





pkondz said:


> Usually when people describe "heart dropped" it means a bad thing has happened. Then you add in you could've cried. Plus you mention someone was in your room.....
> 
> But glad to hear (minus the disappointment of Vegas) that you found it.



Usually is your key word there hun...T-Man doesn't do usually. He walks to the beat of his own drum. 





pkondz said:


> I foresee hearing the lament of the "dumb wife".



I see your fortune telling skills are improving. 




pkondz said:


> Noticed how you only apologized to the "ladies" there.
> 
> You knew that all the guys are going, "Yeah! All right, man. You show her! You the _MAN_!!" All while puffing out our chests and strutting self-importantly to and fro.... until our DWs tell us to settle down, get the dishes done and get off the computer 'cause they want to use it....
> 
> 
> yes dear.



Speaking of. Better start typing a little faster. I am pretty sure I've been on here longer than my allotted time.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

MAGICFOR2 said:


> Will Thumper Man jump in the car and head out?
> 
> Will Lady H ride California Screamin by herself?
> 
> Maybe they are staying at Hotel California, and they can never leave!
> 
> Stay tuned!



You did that perfectly. I could hear the announcer voice and everything. Like I was listening to an old radio show. Hopefully I won't have to make you wait too long to find out. But then again...


----------



## Thumper_Man

MAGICFOR2 said:


> Will Thumper Man jump in the car and head out?



Nope, I think I answered that when I said I finished my Simply Lemonade before the bus came.  



MAGICFOR2 said:


> Will Lady H ride California Screamin by herself?



I think the question to ask here is, did Lady H ride California Screamin', period?  



MAGICFOR2 said:


> Maybe they are staying at Hotel California, and they can never leave!
> 
> Stay tuned!



Yup, stay tuned.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Apparently Mr. Pkondz is questioning over on another TR that there is apparently this castle worth $5,000.  Apparently I need to set the record straight here.  It is actually worth $6,800.  I was apparently a tad bit off, so now we know the exact price.

How do we know you ask?  Good question.  You can buy this castle from the online Disney Store.

Here is the picture I took:




Here's the link to buy it: Small Castle  You can see for yourself that I'm apparently telling the truth now.  

Since I am making clarifications on the prices of the castles, I need to clarify that I was WAY OFF on the price for the larger castle displayed in the window.  I stated earlier I thought it was about $10,000.  It is actually $37,500.  You can also buy this from the online Disney Store.  

Once again, here's the pictures I took:








Here is the link for the Disney Store: Large Castle 

There's only 50 of these available, so you better buy yours now while you can.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Couldn't have been that long. That silhouette of yours didn't look older than 35...



Only the shadow knows... 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	






Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I'm sure T-Man or Ruby for that matter wouldn't be too keen for me calling you anything, especially, Supreme Ruler and Overlord in private...But i'll call you anything in public.







Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Right? I can only imagine what the lines were like there. Of course, I don't think back then it was like it is now either. The rides, the crowds, a lot has changed over the decades.



Apparently, Black Sunday's attendance was about 28,000. Compared to today's capacity of 85,000 or so, I wonder how bad the lines were.

No fastpasses of course. No crowd dynamics studies, blah, blah, blah.





Thumper_Man said:


> Apparently Mr. Pkondz is questioning over on another TR that there is apparently this castle worth $5,000.



Nope. Not so much a question as a lack of trust with the memory banks.



Thumper_Man said:


> Apparently I need to set the record straight here.  It is actually worth $6,800.  I was apparently a tad bit off, so now we know the exact price.



So....


you lied.


check.



Thumper_Man said:


> Here's the link to buy it:



I don't need the link. It's apparently being bought *for* me.


what? no?



Thumper_Man said:


> You can see for yourself that I'm apparently telling the truth now.



I dunno dude... how can we ever trust you again?

I mean, if I was you and you were me would you trust you?



Thumper_Man said:


> Since I am making clarifications on the prices of the castles, I need to clarify that I was WAY OFF on the price for the larger castle displayed in the window.  I stated earlier I thought it was about $10,000.  It is actually $37,500.



See? More lies. And bigger lies, too.


plus you haven't phoned yet.

I'm beginning to wonder if I should call off the wedding.



Thumper_Man said:


> There's only 50 of these available, so you better buy yours now while you can.



Got it covered. Supposedly being mailed on Monday.


----------



## pkondz

It's quiet.... too quiet.....


----------



## orangecats2

pkondz said:


> It's quiet.... too quiet.....



Yeah, no kidding.

They have time to go to a casino this weekend but not to update!!!


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

orangecats2 said:
			
		

> Yeah, no kidding.
> 
> They have time to go to a casino this weekend but not to update!!!



Damn skippy! Just kidding. I'm working on the chapter. Just decided to get my butt kicked by a bunch of horses this weekend instead. I should have stuck with working on the chapter :-(.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I should have stuck with working on the chapter :-(.



That'll learn ya!


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> It's quiet.... too quiet.....





orangecats2 said:


> Yeah, no kidding.
> 
> They have time to go to a casino this weekend but not to update!!!



Yeah.  What's up with that?  Don't they know we're waiting to hear the end about their last day at Disneyland.  

We'll get to it eventually.  Another part of the reason that it's quiet around here is because a majority of the people that follow us here, also follow a more popular TR writer.  So everybody converses over there instead of here.  Even if he hasn't posted a chapter for months now, I think it's natural that everybody naturally flocks to that thread.  

That's ok though.  It's lonely in the desert.  We're used to it by now.  The burden of trying to keep this almost dead in the dry desert heat thread is almost over.  Soon the buzzards will feast on our carcasses and this thread will be nothing more but dust in the wind.


----------



## mmeb144

Thumper_Man said:


> Yeah.  What's up with that?  Don't they know we're waiting to hear the end about their last day at Disneyland.
> 
> That's ok though.  It's lonely in the desert.  We're used to it by now.  The burden of trying to keep this almost dead in the dry desert heat thread is almost over.  Soon the buzzards will feast on our carcasses and this thread will be nothing more but dust in the wind.



No buzzards will be feasting. Just write the next chapter already.  Please.


----------



## MAGICFOR2

Thumper_Man said:


> Apparently Mr. Pkondz is questioning over on another TR that there is apparently this castle worth $5,000.  Apparently I need to set the record straight here.  It is actually worth $6,800.  I was apparently a tad bit off, so now we know the exact price.
> 
> How do we know you ask?  Good question.  You can buy this castle from the online Disney Store.
> 
> Here is the picture I took:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Here's the link to buy it: Small Castle  You can see for yourself that I'm apparently telling the truth now.
> 
> Since I am making clarifications on the prices of the castles, I need to clarify that I was WAY OFF on the price for the larger castle displayed in the window.  I stated earlier I thought it was about $10,000.  It is actually $37,500.  You can also buy this from the online Disney Store.
> 
> Once again, here's the pictures I took:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Here is the link for the Disney Store: Large Castle
> 
> There's only 50 of these available, so you better buy yours now while you can.



Inflation.


----------



## MAGICFOR2

You asked about memories of the park when it opened - I don't but DH grew up spending his Summers down there, and his uncle was born the year Disney opened so they remember the "early days" with the ticket books.  He said it was a big deal if Grandpa would give them a dollar so they could get extra rides!   I guess the old fashioned FP uber users!


----------



## bankr63

Thumper_Man said:


> We'll get to it eventually.  Another part of the reason that it's quiet around here is because a majority of the people that follow us here, also follow a more popular TR writer.  So everybody converses over there instead of here.  Even if he hasn't posted a chapter for months now, I think it's natural that everybody naturally flocks to that thread.



Yeah, but not ALL of us. So git crackin!!

As much as I love those trip reports, they move too fast now. I was always falling behind, but after our 9 days in the World in March, I came back to find I was 20 pages behind.  By the time I caught up on all the my other favorite threads (sorry Neebs, you're not the only one!) I was 25 pages behind, I've read a bit, but now I'm still falling back a bit, currently 30 pages back.  

And you just know that his thread is like a Nascar race, despite all the noise and excitement, everyone really just goes to watch their hero crash...


----------



## Thumper_Man

bankr63 said:


> Yeah, but not ALL of us. So git crackin!!



Did you hear that Lady H?  



bankr63 said:


> As much as I love those trip reports, they move too fast now. I was always falling behind, but after our 9 days in the World in March, I came back to find I was 20 pages behind.  By the time I caught up on all the my other favorite threads (sorry Neebs, you're not the only one!) I was 25 pages behind, I've read a bit, but now I'm still falling back a bit, currently 30 pages back.



I think part of the reason why people try to do them so fast is because they still remember all the details.  Even the little details that made the trip extra special or a little less enjoyable.  As time drags on, you start to forget them and then it becomes a cookie cutter TR.  Lady H and I have both experienced this.  We are often referring to our notes, the pictures we took and asking each other what we did, where did we go from there, etc.  I think we're finding it exceptionally difficult as well because after our trip to DL, we took a trip to WDW 3 months later.  We often find ourselves getting the 2 trips a little mixed up. 

I believe Nebo said it best, you try not to go to fast so everyone can keep up; but at the same time, you don't want to go to slow and lose everybody.  Lady H has been busier at work than I have been, but my busy time is coming up as well.  Hopefully she'll get to the next chapter soon.  She's going to take you through our time at DCA and I'll finish up the TR from there.   



bankr63 said:


> And you just know that his thread is like a Nascar race, despite all the noise and excitement, everyone really just goes to watch their hero crash...


----------



## Thumper_Man

MAGICFOR2 said:


> You asked about memories of the park when it opened - I don't but DH grew up spending his Summers down there, and his uncle was born the year Disney opened so they remember the "early days" with the ticket books.  He said it was a big deal if Grandpa would give them a dollar so they could get extra rides!   I guess the old fashioned FP uber users!



Thanks for the story.  It's funny to hear how things happened in the old days.  All us Disneyholics can't seem to get enough of the rides in.  Well most of Disneyholics anyways.  I know there are plenty people who can do without.


----------



## cjlvsccm

Thumper_Man said:


> Soon the buzzards will feast on our carcasses and this thread will be nothing more but *dust in the wind*.



I have the album that comes from... good cover art!


----------



## Thumper_Man

*HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL THE DISBOARD'S MOMS!*


----------



## smidgy

thank you!


----------



## pkondz

♫ Stayin' alive, stayin alive
Keep, keep, keep, keep the thread aliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiive!!!! ♫


what?


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> ♫ Stayin' alive, stayin alive
> Keep, keep, keep, keep the thread aliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiive!!!! ♫


----------



## pkondz




----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

Obviously Disco isn't dead...and neither is this thread.  

I'm working on the next chapter I promise. I ran into a snag at work and have been desperately trying to keep myself afloat on this project I'm running. After approximately 4 mini breakdowns and have probably been considered for a nice pretty white jacket from my co-workers 

 and possibly from my poor husband who has had to endure the wrath of my frustrations over everything. I'm hoping that I will have some time to complete the chapter soon. Thank you all for sticking around and waiting I really appreciate it. We both do.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Obviously Disco isn't dead...and neither is this thread.
> 
> I'm working on the next chapter I promise. I ran into a snag at work and have been desperately trying to keep myself afloat on this project I'm running. After approximately 4 mini breakdowns and have probably been considered for a nice pretty white jacket from my co-workers
> 
> and possibly from my poor husband who has had to endure the wrath of my frustrations over everything. I'm hoping that I will have some time to complete the chapter soon. Thank you all for sticking around and waiting I really appreciate it. We both do.



Don't let her fool you, she had access to the computer all weekend to work on it.  She chose to go get her hair and nails done instead.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

Thumper_Man said:


> Don't let her fool you, she had access to the computer all weekend to work on it.  She chose to go get her hair and nails done instead.



Really? You're gonna go there? I had to get my hair and nails done for my date that night.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Really? You're gonna go there? I had to get my hair and nails done for my date that night.



Who with? :


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

pkondz said:


> Who with? :



Just some guy I met about 10 years ago. He asked me to go to the movies with him to watch Iron Man 3.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Really? You're gonna go there? I had to get my hair and nails done for my date that night.



There was still time to write for your fans.


----------



## mmeb144

Thumper_Man said:


> There was still time to write for your fans.



Well, I don't know about still having time to write, but I appreciate that you are at least thinking of us.


----------



## Mom&RN

Thumper_Man said:


> Don't let her fool you, she had access to the computer all weekend to work on it.  She chose to go get her hair and nails done instead.



Really T-Man you're gonna go there? Shopping, hair appts and manicures are all accepted forms of therapy after a long crappy week at work (so are dates with your sweetie but you might not get one of those anytime soon after you threw her under the bus) 

Don't worry Lady H I got your back


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

mmeb144 said:


> Well, I don't know about still having time to write, but I appreciate that you are at least thinking of us.



Of course we are still thinking about you. I haven't forgotten my favorite people in the world! I promise I'm working on it!!!! 



Mom&RN said:


> Really T-Man you're gonna go there? Shopping, hair appts and manicures are all accepted forms of therapy after a long crappy week at work (so are dates with your sweetie but you might not get one of those anytime soon after you threw her under the bus)
> 
> Don't worry Lady H I got your back



At least someone has my back! Although, this was the conversation yesterday on the way home from the train station...

TMW - (After reading your post) Aww...at least someone's with me on this. You better listen. If you keep this up, there won't be any more date nights buddy. 

T-Man - That's OK, I have my fishing license this year.


----------



## orangecats2

There's fish in New Mexico?


----------



## Thumper_Man

orangecats2 said:


> There's fish in New Mexico?



For now.  Until the lakes and rivers dry up.


----------



## bankr63

Tonight on the DISfunctional Learning Channel - an all new episode of hit surreeality show New Mexi Shores.


----------



## orangecats2

Thumper_Man said:


> For now.  Until the lakes and rivers dry up.



I thought they already had...


----------



## Thumper_Man

orangecats2 said:


> I thought they already had...



Some of them have.  There are still plenty around, but they're getting really low.  I'll be able to walk into them soon and just use a net to catch fish.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> Some of them have.  There are still plenty around, but they're getting really low.  I'll be able to walk into them soon and just use a net to catch fish.



A net? (full of jello) I just use dynamite.


We can do that up here in the lawless north.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

On this episode of New Mexi Shores...

Tman and Lady H go to a local hang out for dinner after work. After enjoying a wonderful meal that almost killed their taste buds from the spices, the waiter brings out the check.. 

T-Man - "Oh, are you treating me to dinner tonight?"

Lady H - "me? Why am I treating? "

T-Man - "well he put the bill next to you."

I finally gave him the look which in turn made him grab the check...

T-Man - "You're a cheap date!"

Stay tuned for the next episode where Lady H shows him what cheap really looks like..


----------



## mmeb144

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> On this episode of New Mexi Shores...
> 
> Tman and Lady H go to a local hang out for dinner after work. After enjoying a wonderful meal that almost killed their taste buds from the spices, the waiter brings out the check..
> 
> T-Man - "Oh, are you treating me to dinner tonight?"
> 
> Lady H - "me? Why am I treating? "
> 
> T-Man - "well he put the bill next to you."
> 
> I finally gave him the look which in turn made him grab the check...
> 
> T-Man - "You're a cheap date!"
> 
> Stay tuned for the next episode where Lady H shows him what cheap really looks like..



And she pulls a mirror out of her handbag and flashes it in his face.....


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Stay tuned for the next episode where Lady H shows him what cheap really looks like..



ummm.... you may have just put yourself down, there.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

pkondz said:
			
		

> ummm.... you may have just put yourself down, there.



Ummm...did you assume I was referencing myself? Are you saying I'm cheap? *insert pouting smiley here*


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Ummm...did you assume I was referencing myself? Are you saying I'm cheap? *insert pouting smiley here*



Moi??? Never! Please go back to focusing your anger on the one who truly deserves it.



Sorry T-Man. It's every man for himself!


----------



## Thumper_Man

mmeb144 said:


> Well, I don't know about still having time to write, but I appreciate that you are at least thinking of us.





Mom&RN said:


> Really T-Man you're gonna go there? Shopping, hair appts and manicures are all accepted forms of therapy after a long crappy week at work (so are dates with your sweetie but you might not get one of those anytime soon after you threw her under the bus)
> 
> Don't worry Lady H I got your back





mmeb144 said:


> And she pulls a mirror out of her handbag and flashes it in his face.....





pkondz said:


> ummm.... you may have just put yourself down, there.





pkondz said:


> Moi??? Never! Please go back to focusing your anger on the one who truly deserves it.
> 
> 
> 
> Sorry T-Man. It's every man for himself!



Ok.  I was trying to help you all out by trying to get you another chapter.  Since you all seem to have Lady H's back, I'm taking my fishing license, and appropriate fishing gear, and I'm going fishing.  I will leave you all with Lady H and you can wait on her to finish up; not only her chapter, but the rest of the TR as well.  Let me know when it's done so I can notify the mod to shut 'er down.  

T_Man has gone fishing.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> Ok.  I was trying to help you all out by trying to get you another chapter.  Since you all seem to have Lady H's back, I'm taking my fishing license, and appropriate fishing gear, and I'm going fishing.  I will leave you all with Lady H and you can wait on her to finish up; not only her chapter, but the rest of the TR as well.  Let me know when it's done so I can notify the mod to shut 'er down.
> 
> T_Man has gone fishing.



Lady H? I think someone needs to borrow your pouting smiley.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

pkondz said:


> Lady H? I think someone needs to borrow your pouting smiley.



 

Would this one work?


----------



## orangecats2

There's Perch up here in Lake Erie T-Man.


----------



## mmeb144

T-man out. Peace!  

I guess the fish are calling his name.


----------



## queenbetsey

smidgy said:


> holy cow!  $200!  one way?   that is so disheartening.  I know nebo and I would never be able to rent a car a drive a car from the airport to DLR, and then to Universal, etc etc.
> 
> we would either cause a major traffic backup, a major accident, or, both end up with major panic attacks or heart attacks, or  (least case scenario) kill each other)



ooorrrrr you could call up a dis board friend who lives in so cal and hitch aride with them/  just saying


----------



## Thumper_Man

Listen,
Do you want to know a secret?,
Do you promise not to tell?, whoa oh, oh.

Closer,
Let me whisper in your ear,
Say the words you long to hear,
Another chapter coming soon. oooo


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> Listen,
> Do you want to know a secret?,
> Do you promise not to tell?, whoa oh, oh.
> 
> Closer,
> Let me whisper in your ear,
> Say the words you long to hear,
> Another chapter coming soon. oooo



Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
There will be a chapter, let it be
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be
Type those words of Disney, let it be


----------



## Mom&RN

We're T-Man and Lady H's big thread fans

We sure have enjoyed their posts

T-Man and Lady H's big thread fans

Sit back and let the chapter flow

(so maybe it was a stretch but think Sgt Peppers)


----------



## queenbetsey

where have all the chapters gone
long time waiting
where have all the chapters gone
long time ago they were on


----------



## mmeb144

Hey, where's our Paperback Writer?


----------



## Thumper_Man

mmeb144 said:


> Hey, where's our Paperback Writer?



Here, there and everywhere; but last I knew she was on the long and winding road trying to see if she can work it out and get a chapter posted. Let's just make sure to come together and read it once she's done.


----------



## cjlvsccm

mmeb144 said:


> Hey, where's our Paperback Writer?





Thumper_Man said:


> Here, there and everywhere; but last I knew she was on the long and winding road trying to see if she can work it out and get a chapter posted. Let's just make sure to come together and read it once she's done.



If I had my druthers, I'd _Drive My Car_ to WDW _Eight Days a Week_.  But until my next trip, I just need to read fun TRs!  So we will definitely be here to read it whenever posted.


----------



## nowellsl

Come on people now, let it be!


----------



## jedijill

Maybe _Anna_ went _Across the Universe_ _Back to the USSR_ because she is a _Day Tripper_.  Any how I will _Wait_ here in the _Octopus's Garden_ _Watching Rainbows_ for the trip report to start again _When I'm 64_.

Jill in CO


----------



## Pesky

Love your TR so far!  I now have some definite stops in DCA -- namely a certain bar area....


----------



## Thumper_Man

Pesky said:


> Love your TR so far!  I now have some definite stops in DCA -- namely a certain bar area....



Hey.  A new person.  Welcome to our TR and thanks for reading.  

DW and I are going back in October.  A few followers here I believe are going as well.  We'll definitely have to hit that bar again.  Best bar to hit in my opinion.  Lines never seemed that long.  

Eventually Lady H will be along with another chapter.  I know she was asking me the other day who/what/where/when/why we did the things we did. I remember who I did, just don't quite the remember the when and where. 




Oh, wait.  I meant to say I remember WHAT we did.  Just don't quite the remember the when and where.  My bad.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

Thumper_Man said:


> Hey.  A new person.  Welcome to our TR and thanks for reading.



Yes! Welcome Pesky! We are happy to have you on board. 





Thumper_Man said:


> Eventually Lady H will be along with another chapter.  I know she was asking me the other day who/what/where/when/why we did the things we did. I remember who I did, just don't quite the remember the when and where.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Oh, wait.  I meant to say I remember WHAT we did.  Just don't quite the remember the when and where.  My bad.



Remind me not to ask you anymore questions...I'm now afraid of what you may tell me.  

Ok Ok...I never knew we had so many Beatles fans here! I loved reading all those...and I promise i am working on the next chapter. It should be up either tonight or tomorrow. I just have to add in the pictures and figure out where exactly to stop it.  Don't you hate when you get on a roll and don't know how to conclude...This is why I don't write books, they would end up being 6,000 pages long with no plot and a main character that gets easily distracted and...Oh, sorry...Squirrel! 

Right...chapter...going...


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

We have posted this picture before. But I want you to get a clear image of it and keep it in the back of your mind for later. This will become a major hang up for me as this day progresses and comes to a close. 

With that in mind, I am here to finally bring you a new chapter. I know you have all been anxiously awaiting it, and I apologize for keeping you hanging for so long 

. I have been bombarded at work, tasked with organizing a Prescription Drug Abuse/Awareness Summit for up to 300 people. For the last couple of months I have barely had time to breathe, let alone write a chapter. But while the boss is awayor should I say, Now that the boss has retired

In the last chapter, T-Man had everyone on pins and needles, waiting to see if he would find his ID back at the room or if he would have to jump ship and find a new way back home. (Although how he would drive back home without an ID is beyond me, silly boy).  As he mentioned, luckily he found it on the nightstand and we didnt have to worry about trying to smuggle him into my luggage. The last thing I need is to be arrested for human trafficking or something.  

We hop back on the shuttle and head back to the park. I can hear this little voice in the back of my mind and Im struggling to figure out what it is.

 As we get closer to the park, I can feel the voice getting more determined. Once we pull into the space for our shuttle and the door opens, I am hit with a whammy as I realize what this voice is. I struggle internally to push it back. I will not succumb to this so called death threat. I am the master of my own mind. I will not be a dumb wife. I will not.

*sigh*

We made our way through the carousel of entry and went straight to the lockers. Adding all our baggage to the locker, only taking the essentials (i.e., IDs and moo la moo), we began our walk to the other side of the park, where I will soon meet my maker. 

We wanted to hit up Toy Story Mania since it was closed the last time we were here, but as we made our way towards the ride, we decided to pick up some fast passes for California Screamin. Upon getting said passes, T-Man notices that the wait time is only 10 minutes. This will not go my way. I already know what he is thinking. I can see it in those eyes. The excitement of a 10 year old boy inside a grown mans body. Hes all but jumping up and down. This is the ride he has been waiting for. This is why we came back to DCA in the first place. 

As Im walking through the que, I begin to ponder what it is about being a dumb wife that is so riveting to me that I can not say no to this man I call my husband . I did not have time to contemplate that for too long, because before I knew it, we were being pushed into the car. The harness is pulled over my head and Im struggling to make sure Im strapped in tight. The supreme ruler of the ride, or CM as they are called, comes around and tugs on the handle of my harness to make sure it wont come up on me mid loop, and we are off. 

This ride is totally deceptive. It starts you out all nice and slow, its like a walk in the park. You go under the bridge and all of a sudden you hear this voice out of no where say; 

Get ready screamers. Head back, face forward and hang on. 

Im now trying to figure out where this invisible person is and Im pretty sure with those instructions, he knows what he is talking about, even if he sounds like a pimply 13 year old. So I do as instructed. The car moves a few feet and we stop. The kids voice is back; 

Launch in 5, 4, 3,

Wait, Im not readyI dont think I can do this

2, 1! 

Before I know it, Im launched into an aluminum tube straight up and then pushed straight down. This is where Im to dieThis is how it will endI just know it. 

OhwaitI guess notThe coaster launches us into a never ending turn just in time for the next uphill battle with the aluminum tube. 

As we near the top of the hill, the coaster starts to slow down. Im thinking, Oh great, just what I need, for the coaster to stop working while Im at the very top of this thing. But the coaster has other things in mind, like freaking me out as it all of a sudden speeds and plummets straight down. 

Im beginning to think, OKIve gone through the worst of it. This has got to be the worst of the coaster, and its not too bad 

I thought too soon. 

Just as that thought is processing in my brain, the coaster roars into the 360 degree loop. 

The rest of the coaster is a blur, bounding over small hills and curving to the left and to the right at crazy speeds. Just when I thought this thing would never end, we finally start to crawl to a stop. I cant get out of the seat fast enough. Of course, it almost feels like you are being pushed out of your seat as the new victims, erI meanfanaticsare trying to make their way into the car. 

T-Man grabs my arm as I stumble out of the car and onto the platform. I wearily make my way to the stairs to get down to solid ground. I all but get down on my knees and kiss the asphalt below me as we get to the bottom.  

 

At this time Im in need of a beer. But the beer stand is no-where near us at the moment.  As we make our way towards our elusive beer stand, we come across Toy Story Mania. Now this I can do. 

The posted wait time is 45 minutes. There are no fast passes for this ride. They do not fast pass TSM here. We contemplate whether it will be worth standing in line for 45 minutes or if the lines would possibly go down later. However, this was our thought process last time and we never got to ride it. So we opt for waiting and get in line.  

T-man decides to pass the time by taking some pictures. 













The time stamp of 45 minutes is pretty right on the money. The only problem with this que is that the majority of it is all outside. You go through the outside chain link fenced off maze, just to go into a room that is full of fun paintings and sayings on the walls. You circle through that, before coming back outside for your glasses. Once you get the glasses, the ride is almost within reach. Just a few more moments and we are there! 








Mike was happy he finally got the number 1 spot and was telling me he was number 1. 

We get into our car, and test out our trusty guns. They seem to be good. Let the games begin! 

I honestly do not remember who won. We might have a picture of it. Ill have to see. But the ride is pretty much the same once you get inside, as it is in WDW.  




I knew we had a pictureAsk me who was who and I couldnt give you a straight answer. I honestly do not remember. 

Once we finished with Woody, Buzz and the rest of the crew, we took a little walk through the pier.  They did a great job on this part of the park. If it wasnt for the fact that there is no ocean off to the side or in front of you, you really would think you were on a pier.  With the roller coaster off to one side, and the arcade games and shops along side it, it really is nice to just walk along and people watch. 

Before leaving this side of the park, I really wanted to ride Mickeys Fun Wheel.

NOTE: From this point forth, this ride will be known as Mickeys NOT so fun wheel! Ill explain, but first, remember that picture I posted at the start of this chapter? 






Now, looking at it, it looks like an innocent Ferris Wheel type ride right? Innocent my rear! 

As you approach the line, you have a choice; you can either take the road less traveled (the stationary car), or follow the throngs of people going to the car that moves.  Now come onit cant be that bad right? Even if the car moves, its just a Ferris Wheel. Where can the car go? 

With that saidI want to pre-empt this story to remind you of who I am. Do not let the fact that my hair has been dyed red fool youI am still a blond at heart. And do not let T-Man fool you with his talk about how I graduated from college with a degree...that degree means nothing here at Disney. I occasionally can be duped by the ever present, lovable mouse we all know and love.  

Back to the story now

We come to the fork in the road and decide to follow the leader, and hit up the moving car line. Its got a picture of Mickey Mouse on the front of the ride, so it cant be bad. There are even little kids in line in front of us. If they can do this, I sure as heck can! 

As we approached the front of the line, we told them how many were in our party and waited until they stopped the ride, let the other people off, and ushered us on. The car is a cageA wired in, metal cage.  

This was the point where my Bachelor of Science degree failed me! I knew there was a reason I called it a BS degree in the first place!  We began the slow assent up. Our car was swaying slightly, but nothing I couldnt handle. I figured this is cool. We should be able to see everything from the topand then

 I lied. I lied good. I cant do thisI really cant. 



Go back and look at that picture. Do you see the way some of the areas have this sort of curved rail where the car is sittingas you approach anyplace that is not the very bottom of this ride; you are pretty much flung about on this curved railing. Its sort of like those zig zag toys that we had when we were kids, where you would place a ball at the top and watch as it went down, then dropped and when down the other way, etc

The very first time the cage dropped, I felt my heart drop too. I almost lost it. I was literally having the start of a panic attack. The poor couple across from us where looking at me like I was crazy, especially after T-Man had just mentioned to them after seeing the Tower of Terror ride as we rose up, how we just went on the Tower of Terror the other day and It was my absolute favorite ride. All I could think of was I was going to die! 

You see, in my panic stricken mind, it was only a matter of time before the cage I was sitting in would gain momentum and take off with us in it. T-Man kept trying to calm me down, taking my hand and telling me to focus on something in the distance. Unfortunately every time I would do that the car would lurch into a new position and I would have to control myself from screaming at the top of my lungs. 

Needless to say I was extremely happy when we got off the ride, and very anxious for that promised beer! I would have taken two rides on California Screamin over that panicked feeling any day. 

Here are a few shots T-Man was able to get from the ride, while I was clinging to the cage for dear life. 




This is a shot of the intricate detail work of what goes into World of Color. 




An aerial shot of Grizzly Peak, the star of Grizzly River Rapids. 




An aerial shot of The Matterhorn. 




A shot of California Screamin 




These are the aluminum tubes I was talking about earlier. 




Better shot ofeverythingYou see Matterhorn in the background, Off to the right you see Space Mountain, and near the front, Soarin. 

Now dont get me wrong, the ride was cool, and if I knew ahead of time what that feeling would be like, I probably wouldnt have freaked out the way I did. Ive done this once before with T-Man. One of the mountain ranges we have here in Albuquerque, the Sandia Mountains, and at the top of this mountain, is called Sandia Peak, its a very popular place in the winter when it snows, for all those who love to snow board or ski, and pretty popular in the summer for hiking and stuff. There is a great restaurant at the top of the peak, and to get there, you take the tram. This tram has the 3rd longest single span in the world.  

Anyway, weve been on the tram before, and I had no problems. But I had always ridden it during the day. This one time, we rode it up during the day, stopped and ate at the restaurant and by the time we left it was dark. As we boarded the tram to go down, I didnt think anything of it. Until the initial take off from the platform. There was an every so slight, but sudden drop off, and I freaked. I think my initial fear was because I could not see what was below me.  I had my head buried into T-Mans arm or chest the rest of the way, fighting back tears and trying desperately to breathe.  

I havent been back on the tram since.

So I think if I would have known what the moving car would have felt like on the Fun wheel, in the beginning I wouldnt have freaked as much as I did. It took me a little while to get my bearings back and was able to walk normally again. 

To get my equilibrium back, We took a small walk to the nearby store to look around. 






Once I could walk without drawing attention to myself, we went in search of that ever so needed beer.

We decided to take a page from Ponzi's book and took a self portrait of us with our beer...






I'll leave you all with that for the night. I put off some of my work today to get this done so I have a little catching up to do tomorrow, but hopefully we won't take as long with the next chapter. Hope this chapter was worth the wait! Did I mention how wonderful you all are for sticking around?!


----------



## Mom&RN

Welcome back Lady H!  Loved the chapter.  I know exactly the feeling you are talking about on Mickey's not so Fun Wheel.  I love thrill rides, never met a roller coaster I didn't like but that swaying, sliding, out of control feeling - NO THANKS!  The shadow pic of you and T Man was great!  

By the way just found out I'm squeezing a short Disney trip in in Sept.  Have a conference to go to for work and one of the places it was offered was WDW, um, sign me up please!  I'm going two days early to have fun then three days at the conference with my nights free so my best friend is coming along with me to keep me company.  I'm so excited!!


----------



## nowellsl

Great chapter   It was worth the wait 

I can't ride coasters, or anything with drops  and I really admire anyone else with the courage I lack!  You have my utmost respect 

Hopefully things will calm down for you at work - we've missed you around here


----------



## VandVsmama

I SO MUCH APPRECIATE your chapter about Mickey's Wheel of Terror!  My DH almost dragged us onto one of the swinging cars last week and I told him flat out NO WAY!


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

Mom&RN said:


> Welcome back Lady H!  Loved the chapter.  I know exactly the feeling you are talking about on Mickey's not so Fun Wheel.  I love thrill rides, never met a roller coaster I didn't like but that swaying, sliding, out of control feeling - NO THANKS!  The shadow pic of you and T Man was great!



Thank You! It's good to be back. This work thing is killing me.  I never thought I would feel like that again after the Tram ride story I told, and when I got on that ride, I was crawling out of my skin, I was so scared. I just didn't expect that feeling at all. 

I love that shadow pic. I'm tempted to put it up as my Facebook pic. 



Mom&RN said:


> By the way just found out I'm squeezing a short Disney trip in in Sept.  Have a conference to go to for work and one of the places it was offered was WDW, um, sign me up please!  I'm going two days early to have fun then three days at the conference with my nights free so my best friend is coming along with me to keep me company.  I'm so excited!!



 Yay for you! Even if you have to deal with the conference during the day, just being near there and having the opportunity to hit up a park at some point in the day (especially now that the days are longer) is exciting! I will live vicariously through you for the moment. 



nowellsl said:


> Great chapter   It was worth the wait
> 
> I can't ride coasters, or anything with drops  and I really admire anyone else with the courage I lack!  You have my utmost respect
> 
> Hopefully things will calm down for you at work - we've missed you around here



Aww...Thank you! I've missed being around to be honest. This darn project didn't get me any leeway at all. I'm just glad the major part of it's over. Now it's just organizing all the information we gathered from it.  

I'm not a huge coaster fan, but I have accepted that T-Man is a thrill seeker. He knows that if I don't want to do it, I won't and he won't try to make me. He's gotten really good at accepting it when I say "Aw heck no!"  But I never want to leave the parks thinking...I should have at least tried it. Now I know what Mickey's NOT so fun Wheel is like, and i don't have to try it again. 



VandVsmama said:


> I SO MUCH APPRECIATE your chapter about Mickey's Wheel of Terror!  My DH almost dragged us onto one of the swinging cars last week and I told him flat out NO WAY!



Welcome!  and Thank you! I like Mickey's Wheel of Terror. That is a pretty accurate description. I think you were very wise in your decision to say NO WAY...I was not so smart.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> We have posted this picture before. But I want you to get a clear image of it and keep it in the back of your mind for later. This will become a major hang up for me as this day progresses and comes to a close.



Okay. It's a Ferris Wheel.
What could possibly go wrong? 



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> With that in mind, I am here to finally bring you a new chapter.










Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I have been bombarded at work, tasked with organizing a Prescription Drug Abuse/Awareness Summit for up to 300 people.



What kind of job involves getting 300 people to abuse prescription drugs? 

Very strange.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> In the last chapter, T-Man had everyone on pins and needles, waiting to see if he would find his ID back at the room or if he would have to jump ship and find a new way back home. (Although how he would drive back home without an ID is beyond me, silly boy).



Don't speed, weave or tailgate.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> As he mentioned, luckily he found it on the nightstand and we didnt have to worry about trying to smuggle him into my luggage. The last thing I need is to be arrested for human trafficking or something.



How much are slightly used T-men going for nowadays?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I struggle internally to push it back. I will not succumb to this so called death threat. I am the master of my own mind. I will not be a dumb wife. I will not.
> 
> *sigh*



Nice try, though.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> we began our walk to the other side of the park, where I will soon meet my maker.



Disney's got _Him_ on the payroll too???

Not surprised.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> As Im walking through the que, I begin to ponder what it is about being a dumb wife that is so riveting to me that I can not say no to this man I call my husband



<sigh> I wish Ruby would have that affliction.

She has no problems with saying no.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Before I know it, Im launched into an aluminum tube straight up and then pushed straight down. This is where Im to dieThis is how it will endI just know it.



Farewell, fair maiden. We hardly knew ya.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I all but get down on my knees and kiss the asphalt below me as we get to the bottom.



I like that. The next time T-man tries to get you to ride it, you can say, "Kiss my asphalt! Right on the bottom!"



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> They do not fast pass TSM here.



hmmm... wonder why not?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Mike was happy he finally got the number 1 spot and was telling me he was number 1.



So childish. Men can be such children sometimes.


And yes, I would do the exact same thing!



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I honestly do not remember who won.



Let me put your mind at ease. I know who won.
T-man won.

If you'd won you absolutely would have remembered.
Remembered the gloating, of course.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> we took a little walk through the pier.



It appears that you have become insubstantial if you can walk _through_ a pier.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Innocent my rear!



Asphalt!



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> As you approach the line, you have a choice; you can either take the road less traveled (the stationary car), or follow the throngs of people going to the car that moves.  Now come onit cant be that bad right? Even if the car moves, its just a Ferris Wheel. Where can the car go?



uh, oh...



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> With that saidI want to pre-empt this story to remind you of who I am.



I know! I know! You're Mrs. Bunny!

See? And you thought I had a short attention sp.....



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I occasionally can be duped by the ever present, lovable mouse we all know and love.










Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> We come to the fork in the road










Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Its got a picture of Mickey Mouse on the front of the ride, so it cant be bad.



Did it look like this?







Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> There are even little kids in line in front of us. If they can do this, I sure as heck can!



You do remember that kids think they're invincible, right?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> As we approached the front of the line, we told them how many were in our party



Party? I thought you didn't have the beers yet?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Its sort of like those zig zag toys that we had when we were kids, where you would place a ball at the top and watch as it went down, then dropped and when down the other way, etc



Sounds like a ride called 'The Zipper'. I saw it the first time at the fair when I was a kid. I resolved then and there to never, _ever_ ride it.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I almost lost it. I was literally having the start of a panic attack.



Aw, poor Heather. 



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I would have taken two rides on California Screamin over that panicked feeling any day.



You know it's bad when Mrs. H will take not one, but _two_ wild coaster rides in lieu of.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> An aerial shot of Grizzly Peak, the star of Grizzly River Rapids.



That's pretty cool. I didn't notice the bear at first.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> We decided to take a page from Ponzi's book and took a self portrait of us with our beer...



Nope. That's not me. 



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Hope this chapter was worth the wait!



It was! 



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Did I mention how wonderful you all are for sticking around?!



Nope. Go ahead.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> how wonderful you all are for sticking around



ahhhh.....

Thanks for the great chapter!


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

pkondz said:


> Okay. It's a Ferris Wheel.
> What could possibly go wrong?



Famous last words!!! 





pkondz said:


>



Aww...That made me smile! Thank you. 





pkondz said:


> What kind of job involves getting 300 people to abuse prescription drugs?
> 
> Very strange.



Technically it was a Prescription Drug Abuse/Awareness Summit. So we wanted them aware of the fact that they were abusing them...

And to clarify, it was for Law Enforcement, Medical Personnel, Community Coalitions and Municipalities, to forge together and come up with ideas and solutions to combat the abuse...

It sounded better the way you put it didn't it?! 





pkondz said:


> Don't speed, weave or tailgate.



"I can never do nothing!"





pkondz said:


> How much are slightly used T-men going for nowadays?



You'd be surprised...They are an expensive species. 





pkondz said:


> Nice try, though.











pkondz said:


> Disney's got _Him_ on the payroll too???
> 
> Not surprised.



I think Disney has everyone on the payroll except us! 







pkondz said:


> <sigh> I wish Ruby would have that affliction.
> 
> She has no problems with saying no.



I gave up saying no a long time ago. Because even if I say it, T-Man does it anyway. 





pkondz said:


> Farewell, fair maiden. We hardly knew ya.



"Bye Bye"





pkondz said:


> I like that. The next time T-man tries to get you to ride it, you can say, "Kiss my asphalt! Right on the bottom!"



 Love it. Eventually we are going to have to start our own Dis-tionary...We already have Prac and now Asphalt. 





pkondz said:


> hmmm... wonder why not?



Good question...I really have no answer for that. The first day we went to check it out, the CM there told us there was no fast pass line. Maybe it's not as popular here as it is in WDW?  or Maybe they are just crazy! 





pkondz said:


> So childish. Men can be such children sometimes.



People ask why we haven't had children yet...I tell them, i'm waiting for the one I already have to grow up first.  




pkondz said:


> And yes, I would do the exact same thing!



 Figures. 




pkondz said:


> Let me put your mind at ease. I know who won.
> T-man won.
> 
> If you'd won you absolutely would have remembered.
> Remembered the gloating, of course.



Don't you think I would have remembered *him* gloating? 

and I don't gloat...I just state the facts! 





pkondz said:


> It appears that you have become insubstantial if you can walk _through_ a pier.



 I stand corrected! Although, seeing as this is Disney, and there is so much magic there already...who knows...maybe it is possible. 





pkondz said:


> Asphalt!










pkondz said:


> I know! I know! You're Mrs. Bunny!
> 
> See? And you thought I had a short attention sp.....



Squirrel! 





pkondz said:


>



Not the mouse I was thinking...but close enough. 





pkondz said:


>



I knew you wouldn't let me down Ponzi! That was good! 





pkondz said:


> Did it look like this?



 No...but it probably should have! 





pkondz said:


> You do remember that kids think they're invincible, right?



Alas...at the time, I did not think of this. And you know full well that T-Man is not going to give me a reason to go anywhere else. Especially if I'm the one steering us in this direction already. 





pkondz said:


> Party? I thought you didn't have the beers yet?



We hadn't...But we had a Simply Lemonade at the room when we went back for the ID...Does that count as starting the party? 





pkondz said:


> Sounds like a ride called 'The Zipper'. I saw it the first time at the fair when I was a kid. I resolved then and there to never, _ever_ ride it.



That is pretty much exactly it...the only difference between this and The Zipper, is the car on The Zipper completely rotates, while the car on the Not so fun wheel, just slides as the wheel moves. Just thinking about it gives me shivers...







pkondz said:


> Aw, poor Heather.



Poor Heather, is right! 





pkondz said:


> You know it's bad when Mrs. H will take not one, but _two_ wild coaster rides in lieu of.



What's really sad is that a ferris wheel took me out. I went on everything else...and didn't freak out this bad. 





pkondz said:


> That's pretty cool. I didn't notice the bear at first.



The imagineers did a great job on that, I thought. 





pkondz said:


> Nope. That's not me.



Darn! I thought maybe we had finally captured the elusive Pkondz. Sort of like Bigfoot, His legend lives another day...





pkondz said:


> It was!











pkondz said:


> Thanks for the great chapter!



Thanks for the breakdown Ponzi! As always, you out did yourself!


----------



## smidgy

great chapter Heather.  except I got the heebie geebies myself just reading about the rides.. BOTH of them!  yikes.  neither one is my cup of tea.  I am not so brave as you!

 I am imagining the diabolical minds who think of these crazy rides.  As George Carlin said "Some grown man was at work one day....." (in this scenario, the next line was "I got one! near the refrigerator!" referring to suggestions on the package as to where to place the fake vomit)
I really think all who design thrill rides are closet sadists!

I, too love the shadow picture.  !!!!!!!!!!


----------



## orangecats2

Now me, I can't wait to ride the fun wheel and the screamin!!!


----------



## cjlvsccm

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> As you approach the line, you have a choice; you can either take the road less traveled (the stationary car), or follow the throngs of people going to the car that moves.  Now come onit cant be that bad right? Even if the car moves, its just a Ferris Wheel. Where can the car go?
> ...
> 
> The very first time the cage dropped, I felt my heart drop too. I almost lost it. I was literally having the start of a panic attack. The poor couple across from us where looking at me like I was crazy, especially after T-Man had just mentioned to them after seeing the Tower of Terror ride as we rose up, how we just went on the Tower of Terror the other day and It was my absolute favorite ride. All I could think of was I was going to die!




*DH felt the same as we were swinging in our gondola on that ride... through clenched teeth in a very fake smile as I took his picture, he was saying "We're gonna DIE!"  After that, he called it the "Spinning Mickey Head Wheel of Death".  *



orangecats2 said:


> Now me, I can't wait to ride the fun wheel and the screamin!!!



*I had a blast on the Fun Wheel.  Except that DH (DBF at the time) was panicked and green.   No way I was going to get him on California Screamin'. *


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

smidgy said:


> great chapter Heather.  except I got the heebie geebies myself just reading about the rides.. BOTH of them!  yikes.  neither one is my cup of tea.  I am not so brave as you!
> 
> I am imagining the diabolical minds who think of these crazy rides.  As George Carlin said "Some grown man was at work one day....." (in this scenario, the next line was "I got one! near the refrigerator!" referring to suggestions on the package as to where to place the fake vomit)
> I really think all who design thrill rides are closet sadists!
> 
> I, too love the shadow picture.  !!!!!!!!!!



Smidgy...This next time around, I'm sticking to the stationary car. At least that way all I can worry about is the height, and not swinging to my ultimate doom!  

 I agree with the George Carlin quote..T-Man and I have stayed up at night a few times talking about how some things came to fruition. Like the Rodeo, or Horse Racing, etc...The minds some people have, and yet we follow those minds to these parks on a regular basis. 




orangecats2 said:


> Now me, I can't wait to ride the fun wheel and the screamin!!!




Screamin' really wasn't that bad once I was off it and firmly on the ground  




cjlvsccm said:


> *DH felt the same as we were swinging in our gondola on that ride... through clenched teeth in a very fake smile as I took his picture, he was saying "We're gonna DIE!"  After that, he called it the "Spinning Mickey Head Wheel of Death".  *



 Pretty soon we will have a list of all the possibilities of what the Fun Wheel should have been called instead...

Mickey's Not So Fun Wheel
Mickey's Wheel of Terror
Spinning Mickey Head Wheel of Death

May have to send these titles to Disney so they can change it.


----------



## Thumper_Man

While my favorite fishing spot is currently closed due to a forest fire, I guess I can come back for a little while and make a few comments on Lady H's recent chapter.

As you recall, we never got to ride Cal Screamin' the first time we went to DCA.  I for one was happy it was open this time.  I was hoping I wasn't going to have to leave DLR without riding it at least once.  Now IF I had to make a comparison to WDW (because I know Nebo wanted these, even though he hasn't been around here it quite a long time now), I really don't know which coaster I would compare it to.  Lady H (self proclaimed "Dumb Wife") I don't think keeps her eyes open.  At least it looks like they're closed each time we see the picture at the end.  Although, I will admit, she is getting better.  She can be seen peeping out a little through one eye.  Anyways, she did a really good job describing it to you.  

Cal Screamin' is like a combination of Expedition Everest and Rock 'n' Roller Coaster.  You have the hydraulic take off of RnRC, with the drops and speed of EE.  There is only one loop and you don't go backwards. As Lady H said, there's quite a few drops and turns.  Speed remains pretty consistent throughout the ride.  Definitely worth giving a try.  

Out of the coasters I've ridden so far, this is how I would rank them.

1. Manta - Sea World Orlando
2. Hulk - Islands of Adventure
3. RnRC - WDW-DHS
4. Dragon Challenge (Formerly known as Dueling Dragons) - Islands of Adventure
5. Kraken - Sea World Orlando
6. California Screamin' - DLR-DCA
7. Manta - Sea World San Diego
8. Expedition Everest - WDW-AK
9. Rip Ride Rockit - Universal Studios Orlando
10. Let's just put the Space Mountains, BTMRR's and Mummy's from each location (both California and Orlando) here shall we.

One of these days, I'll get to Magic Mountain, Cedar Point or to Great Adventure and Safari to ride some more intense coasters.  

Ok, moving on.  

Lady H was a gracious winner.  I on the other hand was not so gracious a loser.  I cried, fussed, whined, pouted and did what any other sore loser would do; I made excuses as to why I lost.  Yes, Lady H won at TSM.  I was expecting her to gloat because for the likes of me, I can't beat her for anything.  If my life depended on it, she would be a widow.  

Now we get to Mickey's NOT So Fun Wheel.  Mickey's Wheel of Terror.  I was really surprised at her reaction.  I never thought a ferris wheel would do her in.  I was expecting it to be Cal Screamin'.  Needless to say, I am shocked when I read she would take 2 CS's to one ride on MFW.  Careful what you say honey.  Remember, we are going back to DCA in October.  I just may hold you to that.    I'm almost willing to bet for next time, if we DO go back on MFW, it will be in a stationary car.  

Glad people enjoyed the silhouette picture.  I thought it would be a fun picture, and as it turns out, we had fun taking it.  

I guess I'll stick around a little longer.  After all, with the forest fires burning around us, can't get to the lakes or rivers at the moment.  I'll have to put fishing on hold.  

As Lady H said, thanks everyone for sticking around.  We'll try to finish this within a year of when we first started.  Never knew the work it takes writing a TR.  I give credit to Nebo and everyone that can get them out so quickly.


----------



## queenbetsey

Great update you guys and yes Heather I agree with you about that stupid not so fun wheel.  rode it once when DCA first opened and it scared the bejezzus out of me.  once was more than enough.  We have been there many many times and just last week Lance asked me if I wanted to go on it.  No thanks.  I love screamin and think they did a great job putting that much coaster in such a small space.  Wish they would put in a Rocking Roller coaster back in the old Millionare building.
You guys should hit up Magic Mtn when you get out here in October they have some great coasters.


----------



## Thumper_Man

queenbetsey said:


> Great update you guys and yes Heather I agree with you about that stupid not so fun wheel.  rode it once when DCA first opened and it scared the bejezzus out of me.  once was more than enough.  We have been there many many times and just last week Lance asked me if I wanted to go on it.  No thanks.  I love screamin and think they did a great job putting that much coaster in such a small space.  Wish they would put in a Rocking Roller coaster back in the old Millionare building.
> You guys should hit up Magic Mtn when you get out here in October they have some great coasters.



Magic Mountain is on my bucket list.  I would probably have to bring D'Sis along.  Lady H has seen the website and some of the coasters there.  I personally think she would prefer to send me with D'Sis and keep her feet planted firmly on the ground.


----------



## orangecats2

Thumper_Man said:


> Magic Mountain is on my bucket list.  I would probably have to bring D'Sis along.  Lady H has seen the website and some of the coasters there.  I personally think she would prefer to send me with D'Sis and keep her feet planted firmly on the ground.



Just go with Nebo this fall. He'll go on all the coasters.


----------



## pkondz

orangecats2 said:


> Just go with Nebo this fall. He'll go on all the coasters.



Odd how using "Nebo" and "fall" in the same sentence seems so natural.


----------



## MAGICFOR2

Hello!  It's nice to see you back, and I don't mind the gaps so much, because I just can't keep up with all the TRs - and I keep signing up for yet another one - it's an addiction I tell you! 
I was thinking the other day, if I went to a job interview and they asked what was the last book I read it would be, "Ummmm, well it's not really a book..." 
Heather, your experience on CS was the same as my first time on that ride.  I thought I would die, and then when it went upside down, I had my eyes open, and I thought, "Huh, interesting - I'm upside down and I'm still alive!"   The second time I didn't pay attention and I was leaning forward looking at something off to the side when they took off and my head got stuck bent forward for the entire ride!  I could not put it up no matter how hard I tried.  That was NOT fun.  So when they tell you to sit back, they are not kidding.  
I LOVE the moving cars on Fun Wheel!  DH hates them like you did.  When we took DDIL, everyone had fun making the car rock and shake (not me of course  ) and watching her freak out. I think you either love this one or hate it.  I'm glad you got your beer reward!


----------



## Thumper_Man

MAGICFOR2 said:


> Hello!  It's nice to see you back, and I don't mind the gaps so much, because I just can't keep up with all the TRs - and I keep signing up for yet another one - it's an addiction I tell you!
> I was thinking the other day, if I went to a job interview and they asked what was the last book I read it would be, "Ummmm, well it's not really a book..."
> Heather, your experience on CS was the same as my first time on that ride.  I thought I would die, and then when it went upside down, I had my eyes open, and I thought, "Huh, interesting - I'm upside down and I'm still alive!"   The second time I didn't pay attention and I was leaning forward looking at something off to the side when they took off and my head got stuck bent forward for the entire ride!  I could not put it up no matter how hard I tried.  That was NOT fun.  So when they tell you to sit back, they are not kidding.
> I LOVE the moving cars on Fun Wheel!  DH hates them like you did.  When we took DDIL, everyone had fun making the car rock and shake (not me of course  ) and watching her freak out. I think you either love this one or hate it.  I'm glad you got your beer reward!



We're still around.  It's my busiest time of the year at work.  

Bankr also mentioned he liked the pace our TR was going at.  As I mentioned earlier, the only problem with going at this pace is trying to remember everything we did.  We have our notes and thankfully the pictures.  If it weren't for those, we'd be lost in outer space with no hope of being rescued.  

We should be done here soon.  Once Lady H is done with her portion, my portion should come along fairly quick.  I've been writing them while she's been sleeping at the computer.   

Next time we go, she'll be going on CS twice.  I have proof in this TR that she said she'll take 2 CS's to one MFW.  I know all she needs is a beer or two once she's done with them.


----------



## Thumper_Man

HERE is a music video to help pass the time that I think is appropriate at this point in time.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

Thumper_Man said:


> HERE is a music video to help pass the time that I think is appropriate at this point in time.


----------



## smidgy

aw!!! sniff sniff.. love me some andy griffith. 
  (except, I'm always waitin' on Nebo....)


----------



## bankr63




----------



## dwheatl

At our house, the waiting shifts back and forth. Example - DH says, "When will you be ready?" I say, "Ten minutes." Ten minutes later, I say, "OK, I'm ready, let's go." In the mean time, DH has started some chore or project that will take him another ten minutes. So I start something to kill the time while I wait for him, then it drags on longer than his project, and before you know it, we're an hour late. One of us should just learn to use those ten minutes to relax, but it never works out that way.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Have a safe and happy one.


----------



## Thumper_Man

What happened to this TR?   

Well I hope you're all still in for the long haul.  By the time we finish this DL TR, we may be on our next trip to DL.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Here's a couple more music videos to keep you occupied while we wait on the next chapter.

Foreigner

Richard Marx


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> Here's a couple more music videos to keep you occupied while we wait on the next chapter.
> 
> Foreigner
> 
> Richard Marx



I'm at work so I can't see the vids.... but I'm still here!


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> I'm at work so I can't see the vids.... but I'm still here!



I'm at work as well and I can see them just fine.  Aren't you the computer guru there?  Can't you adjust the internet filters?  Just a thought.


----------



## orangecats2

I'm still here too.

When is the next DL trip?


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> I'm at work as well and I can see them just fine.  Aren't you the computer guru there?  Can't you adjust the internet filters?  Just a thought.



Nope. To both questions. Not the computer guru here and trying to adjust the filters would probably just get me fired.


----------



## Thumper_Man

orangecats2 said:


> I'm still here too.
> 
> When is the next DL trip?



Second week of October this year.  We'll be in Anaheim from the 6th-12th.  We'll switch to San Diego on the 12th-14th.  

We're flying in and out of San Diego.  It was about the same price as LAX, but the rental car was much cheaper.  We didn't mind the drive last time we went, so we figured we could easily do it again.


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> trying to adjust the filters would probably just get me fired.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

Sorry everyone! Thanks so much for sticking around for me. I've been trying to write this chapter forever it seems. But work gets in the way. Between 2 new summits we are working on for the beginning of August and late October, along with the report I am still working on from last summit, not to mention a Human Trafficking booklet that was given to another division, yet they still continue to bring it to me for edits and alterations...I can't seem to get more than a paragraph on the page before I'm being pulled into different directions. I promise I will get it up and I am doing my darndest to get it up soon!


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


>



Hey! If I get fired then I couldn't afford the time to be here and....


Now wait just a second!!!




Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Sorry everyone! Thanks so much for sticking around for me. I've been trying to write this chapter forever it seems. But work gets in the way. Between 2 new summits we are working on for the beginning of August and late October, along with the report I am still working on from last summit,



And on top of doing all that work, you have to do it from mountain tops!

Impressive.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I promise I will get it up and I am doing my darndest to get it up soon!








Oh! You meant the _chapter_.

Never mind.

(and sorry, Mike)


----------



## Thumper_Man

Today is a special day.  Please join me in wishing my co-writer, bestest friend and lovely wife; a very Happy Birthday.

_Happy Birthday Princess_


----------



## pkondz

Happy Birthday Lady H!


----------



## nowellsl

Happy Birthday Thumper Man's Wife


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

pkondz said:


> Hey! If I get fired then I couldn't afford the time to be here and....
> 
> 
> Now wait just a second!!!



Yeah...let's not give Ponzi any reason not to come around...He's one of the few we have left here! 






pkondz said:


> And on top of doing all that work, you have to do it from mountain tops!
> 
> Impressive.



I told you I was talented! 





pkondz said:


> Oh! You meant the _chapter_.
> 
> Never mind.
> 
> (and sorry, Mike)



Um...I... 



Thumper_Man said:


> Today is a special day.  Please join me in wishing my co-writer, bestest friend and lovely wife; a very Happy Birthday.
> 
> _Happy Birthday Princess_




 I'm speechless! 





pkondz said:


> Happy Birthday Lady H!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> nowellsl said:
> 
> 
> 
> Happy Birthday Thumper Man's Wife
Click to expand...



Aww. Thanks Ponzi and nowellsl!


----------



## bankr63

Oh man, you check every day and nothing happens.  Miss a few days and there's a whole extra page to read.  Just keep truckin' along Lady H ; with time off to enjoy a happy Birthday of course!!!  My belated best wishes!


----------



## dwheatl

Sorry I missed your birthday, Lady H. Hope you had time to do something fun!


----------



## smidgy

pkondz said:


> Oh! You meant the _chapter_.
> 
> Never mind.
> 
> (and sorry, Mike)



OMG!!!! hilarious!!



and I missed wishing heather a happy birthday on your OWN thread!!! I was a day or so late on facebook, then even later on nebo's thread.. sheesh!!!!

happy birthday from "momma smidgy"!!!!  love you!


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

bankr63 said:


> Oh man, you check every day and nothing happens.  Miss a few days and there's a whole extra page to read.  Just keep truckin' along Lady H ; with time off to enjoy a happy Birthday of course!!!  My belated best wishes!



Isn't that the way it always is? You don't think there will be anything new happening for a while, so you decided to take just a short break to do other humanly things like, oh I don't know...Live life...and here we go throwing everything out of wack by posting during that time.  

I promise I will get something up soon. And thank you for the birthday wishes. They are greatly appreciated 



dwheatl said:


> Sorry I missed your birthday, Lady H. Hope you had time to do something fun!



No need to be sorry, but thank you for the wishes. They are truly appreciated.  It was a very good day. 



smidgy said:


> and I missed wishing heather a happy birthday on your OWN thread!!! I was a day or so late on facebook, then even later on nebo's thread.. sheesh!!!!
> 
> happy birthday from "momma smidgy"!!!!  love you!



Thank you Momma Smidgy !!! Love you too!


----------



## Thumper_Man

Can you believe next week will be a year since we started this report.  And we're still not done.  This is the report that does not end, yes it goes on and on my friends.  Some people started reading this not knowing how it goes, and they'll continue reading this forever because this is the report that never ends.

Ok.  Eventually it will end.  I still say not until after our 2nd trip to DL.    By then, I hope we're not mixing up our trips.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

Thumper_Man said:


> Can you believe next week will be a year since we started this report.  And we're still not done.  This is the report that does not end, yes it goes on and on my friends.  Some people started reading this not knowing how it goes, and they'll continue reading this forever because this is the report that never ends.
> 
> Ok.  Eventually it will end.  I still say not until after our 2nd trip to DL.    By then, I hope we're not mixing up our trips.



I just finished the next installment. Just need to add a few touches and will post.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

I swear I would have gotten this up sooner, however, in the past 2 months, I have had, not 1 but 2 summits to prepare for and execute. Just finished the second one today. Just in time to start preparing for the 3rd. Needless to say, I've been going a little crazy. 

Anyway, I have prepared a special chapter for you, to make up for lost time. Because of all the pictures, this chapter will be split into two. I will get them up one right after the other, so there is tons to read! Hopefully this will keep the village from coming after us with the torches...at least for a while. 

On with the chapter! 

_________________________________________________________________


After our self portrait and the well deserved adult beverage, we headed into Radiator springs just to see what the crowd looked like today.  The crowds were just as bad. Im hoping by the next time we go (and there will be a next time) the crowds will thin out a little. Its hard walking through those streets. When you have kids running you over, you think nothing of it. True Disney fans get used to this after so many trips. However, when you have actual cars characters trying to run you over, thats another story. 





 We walked into Sarges Surplus to take a look at the merchandise. There was some really cool stuff in here, but for the time being we were saving our money for dinner. After that we will see what we can afford. 

After going in and out of some of the shops and trying to navigate through the crowds, we gave up and took a short cut through Its a Bugs Land, stopping only to grab another beer for the journey. What? Its hot out. And I just went on the death defying Ferris Wheel. I think another beer was in order

We headed towards the other end of the park, passing the Hollywood Tower of Terror, and noticed it was only a 10-minute wait. I stopped to seriously consider it. However, I still had a pretty full beer in my hand and I was not going to chug it just to get on the ride. So we continued to walk. 

As we turned the corner, we noticed a huge line forming off to our right. We stood off to the left to get some shade, and noticed the line was forming for the next showing of Disneys Aladdin  A Musical Spectacular. They had 3 more showings for today. 3:20pm, 4:45pm and 6:20pm. We both knew that we wanted to hit up The Cheesecake Factory for dinner a little early if possible, and we want to make sure to make it back early enough to pick up the souvenirs from DL and still go back to DCA for World of Color. We still had a few minutes before the doors opened, so we finished our beers in the shade before heading for the line. 

We didnt have to wait long. Soon the doors opened to allow us into the cool theater. We got some great seats towards the front of the stage, and off to the side. This was our view. 





Of course since our last trip to WDW, T-Man has been on a kick to find hidden Mickeys everywhere. 




The pictures a little blurry I know, but you can still make out the hidden Mickey. This was over one of the doors. 

Pretty soon the show started. Now, Im a huge fan of musicals. I always have been. My favorite Disney show, has been Beauty and the Beast. I can watch that over and over again, and never get tired of it. Until nowThis has got to be one of my top favorites. The actors were great, the comedy the actor playing the genie brought to the show was awesome. I am so excited to see it again! 

Ohyou want to actually get details about the showWhats that? And pictures? GeezYou all want everything dont you? 

OKYou twisted my arm. 

Most of these pictures were taken by T-man because my camera died on me pretty much as soon as the show started. 

As the show opened up, we are transported to a deserted land, where camels roamed on the hot sand and no one dared venture for fear of never returning. 





I dont remember if this guy had a name at allBut he set the mood for the story




We begin with the sultan, thinking he has the one true person who will do his bidding for him, makes some poor schmuck go down the mouth of the Cave of Wonders (please insert the echo into your mind as you read that) to retrieve the golden lamp. 





Unfortunately for the schmuck, he didnt make it. 

We return to the city where a street rat is trying to get his daily dose of protein by stealing from the local street vendors. 















This does not bode well for the street rat when the authorities catch him and almost cut off his hands for stealing. 





Lucky for him, a beautiful woman, wondering through the towns market happens to come to his rescue. 





It is only after they do not heed her orders, that they find out this beautiful woman is in disguise and she really is the Princess. 





Doh! 





The sultan thinks this guy has BaIermeangutsand thinks he could be his saving grace when it comes to the Cave of Wonders (echo echo echo). 

Here he is chatting him up, making it look like a great deal. 





Of course like the Schmuck that he isor waithes the street ratSorry. Like the street rat that he ishe takes the bait. 





Now hes starting to second guess himself





Once down in the cave, he sees all the neat stuff





Look at this trove, treasures untold, how many wonders can one cavern hold, looking around here youd think, sure, shes got everything 

Oh waitWrong story. 

RightAladdinI remember now. 

So once in the cave, Aladdin finds the treasure he is seeking, but also finds a million other treasures and of course being the street rat that he is, cant keep his grubby little hands off it, and the cave collapses. 

All he has now is the lamp and a new friend, the magic carpet. Because everyone needs a friend that can fly

He rubs the lamp after his new friend shows him what to do, and Viola! erVoila! 

Instant smurf!  





I meanGenie. Its easy to get them confused. I mean, hes blue

Random spontaneous musical number ensues, while the Genie tells Aladdin how he has never had a friend like him. 













Eventually the Genie gets them all out of the Cave of Wonders, and Aladdin makes his first wish to get the girl of his dreams. 

Meanwhile back at the rancherI meanCastle

Jasmines father is trying to marry her off to Jafar, because there have been no other suitable princes for her. 





Then Prince Ali makes his grand entrance









When Jasmine denies Aladdins proposal, and he asks if it will ever be possible to get her to agree, Genie tries to cheer him up, Anything is possible if Snookie is a mother!


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

Jarfar and Llago look like they are up to no good here




Aladdin takes Jasmine on a magic carpet ride (I would post pics, but we really didnt catch any good ones here.)  Once Jasmine falls in love with Aladdinthe Genie tries to remind him that he promised to release him from captivity as his last wish. But Aladdin tells him he cant. Genie is now mad at Aladdin and refuses to talk to him saying, Talk to the left hand because youre not right! 

YesI got a kick out of Genies one liners this day. 

At some point there were some people who started leaving in the middle of the show and Genie spouts off, I havent seen this many people leave in the middle of a show since the Justin Beiber concert. 

Jafar gets a hold of the lamp and asks Genie to make him the most powerful wizard around. 





Aladdin makes Jafar use his last wish to become a Genie, and then gets trapped in the lamp. 

Aladdin uses his last wish to give Genie his freedom, he and Jasmine live happily ever afterThe End! 





After making our way through the crowd, we finally get outside, only to be bombarded with the heat again. It was so nice and cool in the theater. 

Now, here is where both T-Man and I get a little fuzzy, and it could honestly be from the alcoholic beverages, or just from it being so long ago, but we cannot remember for the likes of us, when we got Fast passes for Grizzly River Rapids. 

What we do remember is this: After watching Aladdin, we made our way towards GRR, whether this was to get FPs for World of Color and GRR, or because we already had them, is unknown at this time, but either way we walked over there. 

We decided to take the time to get on the ride since we were in the vicinity. We got into the raft with another couple who were pretty outgoing. We talked on our way up the ramp. 

Now with this ride, I think its hard to really say whether I really liked it or not. I would categorize it with Animal Kingdoms Kali River Rapids. I think its pretty much the same in regards to the getting wet factor and how tame the ride is. As opposed to say, Blutos Barge over at Islands of Adventure, where you are bound to get soaked no matter what. 

Given that information, I will take you through it. We unfortunately dont have any pictures of this ride, since we werent sure what we were up against, we didnt want to take the chance of the camera getting wet. But you can definitely go to Youtube and get a great POV video, like this one here http://youtu.be/4kB4kPXcct4 and see it for yourself. 

As you climb up the hill, you almost expect to be immediately dropped. I think after all the years of going on rides and playing dumb wife I have gotten accustomed to just assuming the worst right away. I was pleasantly surprised that once over the hill, you are slowly lowered into the rapids. 

Once in the rapids, you are sort of pushed from one side to the other. Luckily for most of the ride we were facing straight ahead, going along with the ride. Its so much better than being the one facing where you just came from and having to gauge the faces of the others in the car to find out what is in store for you.  Like the other couple was probably doing. 

So far the ride has been pretty tame. A few splashes from the side have made their way into the raft but nothing major and, we are all still dry for the most partuntilthe drop. Now this drop wasnt a huge drop, but as you come around a bend, you see it. You almost know what is going to happen. There is a big boulder stopping you from going straight ahead, so you have to go down in order to continue on. Its not until you are going over that you can tell how far down it really is. Luckily it is not too steep, no matter though, even that slight drop has made what seems like the entire river come into the boat and onto us! 

It never fails. No matter where we sit on any water ride, we are going to get soaked. When we went to Animal Kingdom a couple of years ago, The first and only time we did KRR, My sister in law, who loathes water rides, got minimally wet, while T-Man and I were soaked. Its just written in the stars I guess. 

After this, the raft started steering us around, and of course, now we are looking at where we just came from and the other couple is looking at us like, HAHAnow we got you! 

We stayed this way for a majority of the rest of the ride. Nothing major happening again until just before the end, The rapids slowly die down, till you think its over and it will just be a coast to the exit, and then BOOM! Down you go and of course, we are now sitting in another perfect position to get soaked! 

Needless to say, we walked off that ride not soaked to the bone, thankfully, but wet enough! Thank goodness we are wearing clothes that dry easily. I hope the heat from the day will speed that process along. 

From here, we head back to the lockers to grab one of our Simply Lemonades for the ride to dinner. T-Man mixes them up while I dispose of anything we dont need in the locker and off we go to the shuttle.  

Now is the fun part. In the past week that we have been here, we have taken shuttle number 1 each time we have left from Disney in order to get back to our resort. This time however, taking that shuttle will get us no-where close to our final destination. We have to take shuttle #8. Shuttle #8 is on the other platform. Its like trying to get onto platform 9 ¾Luckily we dont have to take a running start into a pillar. We get on the shuttle pretty quickly and begin our journey to Anaheim Garden Walk. 

We came here the first day, to eat at Johnny Rockets, tonight; we are dining at The Cheesecake Factory. We dont have one in NM, so any chance we get to eat here, we take it. 

While the shuttle ride isnt a long one, it gives us a chance to drink our drinks. Our stop is still a ways away from the restaurant, leaving us to walk the rest of the way, and to cross the street. Trying to do this while chugging my drink is not recommended, Im amazed I did not have Simply Lemonade all over my shirt by the time we got there. 

Finally we arrive and are seated immediately in the bar area. We already know what we want for appetizers.  Buffalo Blasts. 






These are little wonton packets of goodness. Sort of like a buffalo chicken tender, shredded and placed into a wonton wrapper and deep fried. YUM!!! 

T-Man also ordered a Spiked Milkshake called the Flying Gorilla. According to the website, its a kicked up chocolate and banana milkshake, made with Godiva Chocolate liqueur and Banana liqueur.  I took a sipit was good. 

I on the other hand did not order a drink, outside of an Iced Tea. I just downed that Simply Lemonade and needed a reprieve before drinking again. I needed sustenance. 

We ordered dinner. I had the Herb crusted salmon and shrimp scampi, while T-Man had the Shrimp Scampi and Steak Diane. 

We only have a picture of T-Mans dish, because at the time, I didnt think to have T-Man take a pic of my dish and I have no clue why I didnt take one myself. 






For dessert, The options were endless. T-Man always goes for the White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle cheesecake. He never differs from this option. Me on the other hand, I have to try a new one each time. This time, I went for the Dulce de Leche Cheesecake. Both were very yummy. 

Once we were done with dinner and dessert, we started out for the shuttle stopHowever, this time, we started looking at the map of all the shuttle stops, and believed there was one closer, that would take us back sooner. So off we went in search.  After a little wandering, we finally found what we hoped was the stop since there was no sign or marker stating so, but there were a few people in Disney gear standing around. As we waited, more people started coming out of the hotel near-by and waiting with us, so we hoped we were in the right area. 

A little while later, the shuttle appeared. Now granted, we probably could have walked back to the park, in the time it took this shuttle. But, I dont think T-Man was too keen on the idea. So once in the shuttle, it was a hop, skip and a jump to the park entrance. 

Once again, we had to go through the security check; luckily we didnt have all our bags like before, so it was pretty easy to get through. We headed over to DL first, to pick up the glasses we had engraved. 

What we didnt take into consideration was the Parades. We got there just as the parade was going through, and the sidewalks were packed. It was like dodging objects in the Despicable Me game on my phone. Eeek.  

Eventually something triggered in our brains and we remembered that most of the stores are connected to one another on Main Street. We ducked into one of the stores and made our way through. 

In no time, we were trying to make our way through to the exit. I stopped in another shop as we walked through, to get my boss a little something. I think this was the fastest we were ever in and out of DL

We walked across the way and entered DCA, going straight to the lockers to pick up our stuff. As T-Man made a pit stop, I sauntered over to the little market store next door. I had been eyeing the pickles there and decided to grab one along with a bottle of water. As I waited in line to make my purchase, T-Man came to join me and just shook his head. He knew I had wanted one for a while. Every time we passed that place I would eye them. Now he looked at me with that curious look he gets when hes thinking and said Only one? I sagged my shoulders in defeat and went and grabbed another one. He knows me too well. 

Pickles and water in hand, we headed towards our favorite watering hole. We grabbed a beer and headed to the line for entry into the World of Color viewing area. Our show starting time isnt until 9:00, but people start lining up at 7 to make sure they get a good spot. We are among those people. 

I usually dont like to stay still too long with all this Disney wonder around me, but you do what you have to do in order to get the spot you want. So we sat, and waited. 

Around 7:30, they let the rope drop, and allowed everyone to race to their positions. This is the fun part. Staking out your spot, and then not moving for the next 2 hours. 

I gave T-Man the all clear to run ahead and find the spot he wanted.  I wasnt picky. I caught up with T-Man and we moved in. Putting down our jackets so we could sit on the floor, I leaned back against the railing and began to read the DIS while we waited. I decided this would also be a good time to snack on my pickle. 

Time passed quickly. T-Man mixed us some drinks and took a few pics while we waited. 

Here is the Wheel of Death! 






The Wheel of Death with the Roller Coaster of madness. 





A colorful Wheel of Death




I noticed a theme with these pictures.  There are a series of about 10 or so from that last night on Flickr, all of the Wheel of Death. Do you think T-Man was trying to tell me something? Just because its colorful doesnt make it less scary! 

This time, we made a pact that during this show, we would just enjoy it. No pictures, no video, you all got that the last time anyway, but we wanted to take in the full effect. I absolutely adore this show. So it was nice to be able to watch it without worrying about capturing certain pieces. 

Once the show was over, we stayed back, hoping the crowd would die down so we wouldnt get lost or trampled. In hopes of the crowd lightening up even more, we took some night shots of Carsland. You may have seen some of these previously, but it doesnt hurt to see them again right? 





This is the Taste In, The hippie market place of Fillmore the VW Microbus. 




Flos V8 Café, and the street light. 


















This was one ride that always had a crazy line. We just werent willing to spend over an hour waiting to ride a tire on air. Hopefully we will get a chance to do it next time we go. 




Slowly we made our way to the exit. We said goodbye to Mickeys Wheel of Death, Goodbye to Tower of Terror, Goodbye to Grizzly River Rapids, and Goodbye to Radiator Springs. We had a wonderful final day here, and I wouldnt change a thing. Except for the fact that we were leaving of course. 

But our day is still not completely over. Ill let T-Man finish it off. I hope you can stay with us for the final installment of this TR, as Mike takes us homeLiterally 


----------



## mmeb144

I loved your description of the Aladdin show.  That was one of my favorites when I went on a solo trip to DL about 5 years ago.  

I didn't ride the Grizzly River Rapids.  Didn't want to be too soaked.


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## Thumper_Man

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I noticed a theme with these pictures.  There are a series of about 10 or so from that last night on Flickr, all of the Wheel of Death. Do you think T-Man was trying to tell me something? Just because its colorful doesnt make it less scary!



There was no theme to my madness.  bwahhahahaha.  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




If you recall, the first time I took pictures of this alleged wheel of death.  It's alleged because you're still alive to tell the tale.  Dead men (and women) tell no tales.  Anyways I took the pictures because there was a section that wasn't lit up the first time I took them.  Now the whole wheel is lit up so I needed to take a whole new set of pictures.  



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Slowly we made our way to the exit. We said goodbye to Mickeys Wheel of Death, Goodbye to Tower of Terror, Goodbye to Grizzly River Rapids, and Goodbye to Radiator Springs. We had a wonderful final day here, and I wouldnt change a thing. Except for the fact that we were leaving of course.



Leaving any Disney park is always tough.  Getting back to reality is rough.  I wish I could win the lottery already.  Then I can spend all my time at Disney.  



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> But our day is still not completely over. Ill let T-Man finish it off. I hope you can stay with us for the final installment of this TR, as Mike takes us homeLiterally 



Lady H did a wonderful job summarizing our final hours at DCA.  Good thing we're getting close to the end, because as she stated, we're having a hard not so much remembering what we did, but the order we did them in.  I agree, must have been the heat and alcohol.   

This TR won't last much longer now.  While Lady H was busy working on her summits for work, I was able to write the next (possibly the last) chapter.  Stick around just a little longer.  I promise this will be ending soon.  Really soon.


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## Thumper_Man

mmeb144 said:


> I loved your description of the Aladdin show.  That was one of my favorites when I went on a solo trip to DL about 5 years ago.
> 
> I didn't ride the Grizzly River Rapids.  Didn't want to be too soaked.



Aladdin has become one of my new favorites as well.  I'm glad we finally got the timing down to see it.  We'll definitely be seeing it again next trip.

As Lady H stated, we seem to have the luck on KRR, GRR, Splash Mountain (both of them), that we will land up the ones soaked.  As hot as the days were, it felt really good.  We've learned to dress for this.


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## Thumper_Man

Now that we are officially done with DCA, I can now provide you with a link to all the pictures we took.  Some you may have seen, others you may have not.  Some similar because obviously Lady H and myself were thinking alike. Next time we'll try to take more pictures.  We'll at least try and take some of the things we missed on this trip.  Whether or not you see those remains to be seen.    

Disney California Adventure Pics

Here's the links to a few more photos that we took around DLR.  
Downtown Disney
Disneyland Resort Hotels


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## smidgy

what great chapters!!! I am so excited!  I am SO hoping nebo gets a good report on his wrist and we can go in october!!!!


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## Thumper_Man

smidgy said:


> what great chapters!!! I am so excited!  I am SO hoping nebo gets a good report on his wrist and we can go in october!!!!



I hope Nebo gets a good report on his wrist also.  Not so much for the sake so you can both go in October, but more the sake of his well being.  Lady H and I (well more I than her) have changed itinerary's 3 times already for our flights.  We're looking to stay an extra day in Anaheim, and a couple of extra days near San Diego.  

We'll continue praying for him.  Hope he feels better soon.


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## Thumper_Man

*The End is Near!*




*Final chapters coming soon to this TR.* 



Last chances to get your pie and cake recipes in for Lady H.


----------



## Thumper_Man

On this date last year, Lady H and I started this TR. We never imagined we would drag it out this long.  With work and life often getting in the way, this TR has survived a long drawn out process. It’s barely alive and has been on life support long enough.  I think it’s time to pull the plug and send this TR to its final resting place.  

Now without further adieu, I bring you the final chapter/chapters (I may have to break it up into 2 separate posts) of Thumping Our Way Through Disneyland.

_“Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else.”  (Margaret Mead)_

Lady H and I once again prepare to head back to DL.  We bought park hopper passes and by golly we were going to get our use out of them today. One thing we wanted to do, but didn’t do and are now headed back to do, shoo be doo be doo, was to take night photos of DL.  We had some from DCA, maybe not all of DCA, but we did have some.  With the exception of the few we took of Fantasmic, we have zero of the rest of DL.  We make our way out of DCA and head on over back to DL.   I gotta say this is still my favorite part about DLR.  Both parks being within walking distance of each other.  Only about 2 minutes to walk from one gate to the other.  Unlike WDW where the closest walk to the next park is 15 minutes; and those parks being Epcot to DHS, or vice versa.  

Anyways, quite a few people were thinking like us.  People were rushing over to DL.  I think most are hoping to catch the 2nd showing of Fantasmic.  We make our way down Main Street.  It seems there was just as many coming in as there was coming.  At least this will help balance out the crowd level.





We make our way towards the castle.  We’re hoping to take a few more pictures with Walt and Mickey.  Unfortunately so were several Japanese people.  We waited, (queue Jeopardy music)...................................and waited.........................................................and waited.........................................................until finally we gave up waiting and just took some pictures of W & M.  








These people would not leave or move.  We were lucky to even take some pictures.  While taking pictures, we hear a voice.  “Our final showing of The Magic, The Memories and You will be starting in 15 minutes.”  I start thinking, “Walt is that you?  Are you back from the grave?  And why do you sound like a woman?”  We had totally forgot about this night time show.  It’s probably already packed.  We rush over to Small World in the hopes of at least getting a decent viewing spot.  Upon our grand entrance we see it isn’t packed yet.  In fact, there’s hardly anyone at all.  We waited around for the show to start and grabbed a spot as close to the rail as we could get.  5 minutes til show time and not many people have come.  Lady H and I had the railing all to ourselves.  As it if we reserved this area and no one else was allowed to stand by it.  The only thing we can think of is that everyone already saw the first show, then moved on to watch the fireworks and Fantasmic.  Either way, we enjoyed having this space all to ourselves.

The Magic,The Memories and You was (yes WAS, as in it no longer exists) a night time show that took place at IASW.  It seems Lady H and I got lucky to see one of the last few days for this show as the last official showing was on Labor Day of 2012; 3 days after we had seen it.  Disney used several projectors to create this show.  It was a show based on photos taken by the Photopass photographers and some of Disney’s animations.  If you happened to have your photos taken by a Photopass photographer the day you visit, then there was a slight chance that your picture could land up in this show.  This show also used to take place at WDW, although we never got the chance to see it at WDW.  The show at WDW has since been replaced with a similar night time show called “Celebrate the Magic.”  

Now that we got the brief history lesson out of the way, I bet you want to see some pictures.  
This is Small World right before the beginning of the show.




And this is Small World after the show.  Pretty isn’t it. (Note the lady that has her stroller parked where they ask people not to Park Strollers).  





What do you mean you want pictures from the show?  We were too busy watching the show that we didn’t take any.  

Ok, ok.  No need to send the lynch mob after us.  I’ll post a few then, because even though we took several pictures; many came out blurry.  We both forgot to change the settings ahead of time on our cameras.  This is some of the better ones we have.





















After the Small World show, Lady H and I made our towards Splash Mountain to take some pics over there.  On our way, we stopped to take a few pics around Fantasyland.













On our way to Splash Mountain, we soon came to find out why there was no crowd at Small World; because mostly everyone was by Tom Sawyer’s Island watching Fantasmic.  The CM’s did a pretty decent job keeping a path clear so we could just walk by.  As we walked by, we notice other people have discovered our viewing spot.  I’ll let them stand there for now, but when we come back in the future, they best be moving.  Right now our objective is to get to Splash; not to ride it but to just take a night time picture of it.  If we really wanted to, we could’ve ridden it.  If I recall, the wait time was only like 10 minutes.  Neither one of us wanted to get wet this late in the night.  We finally managed to dry off from our soaking on GRR.  This is one ride we’ve never done in the dark. There is a first time for everything, so we may have to ride it in the dark next trip.  Doesn’t it look like it would be fun to ride in the dark?





Might as well take one of HM while we’re here.




And the train station.  Which we would soon board.









While we were taking pictures, we could tell Fantasmic would soon be ending from previously having seen the show.  We want to beat the crowd back to the front of the park, so we hop on the train.  We don’t go all the way to the front of the park.  We decide to take one last stroll through Tomorrowland.  Now you would think since the primary reason we went back to DL was take night photos, we would’ve taken better pictures.  These are some of the best we took.








Now just like MK, DL is a dry land.  Lady H and I stop by the Matterhorn




and mix up our last Simply Lemonade.  It may be a dry land, but we came prepared.  

Lady H and I decide that its time to call it a night.  What exactly we’re calling it remains to be determined, but we know we still have to finish packing and get ready to leave back home tomorrow.  Plus we’re still at the mercy of the ART shuttle.  If we miss the last one, we’ll have to walk back to the resort.  It’s not too far of a walk, but after a long day, its like walking the Green Mile and we all know that dead men and women tell no tales (where have I heard that before).  

On our way out we stop to take one last picture of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle





Fantasmic has finally ended and the crowd makes their way towards the exit. 


One thing that is consistent at both WDW and DL is the running of the bulls at the end of the day.  If you can’t beat them, and at this point I don’t even want to try, might as well join them.  We take our final stroll down Main Street and prepare to exit.  

Good-Bye Disneyland.  




Until we meet again.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Lady H and I didn’t have to wait long for one last shuttle ride.  There were 2 shuttles for our route this time.  Why is it, this last ride is always the longest?  Nothing major to report on this shuttle ride, but we did have to carry on a tradition that was started on this bus.  Well not so much of a tradition but a nice gesture.  The passing of the shuttle passes.  The passes that were passed on to us, were still good for a few more days.  We found a couple on vacation with their children.  Since childs passes are much cheaper than adults, we struck up a conversation with them.  We asked them if they just started vacation, which they had and then offered them the passes.  We told them there were probably only a couple of days left, but this would help them out a little.  They accepted them and thanked us whole heartedly just as we did with the lady who gave them to us.  

Soon we arrive at our shuttle stop one last time.  It was a quiet walk back to the resort.  Not because we were tired, but because we knew this was it.  The dreaded time when you know vacation is officially coming to an end.  Lady H and I got back to the resort and continued packing.  We had packed a little on our non-park day, but now we really needed to pack. Our flight leaves at 1:55 pm.  Which means we have to be at the airport by at least 11:55 am.  Which means we have to leave our resort no later than 10:55 am.   If traffic is still as bad going to the airport as it was coming from the airport, then we may want to leave sooner than 10:55 am.  Which means we have to be up early once again.   We leave out only the stuff we need for the morning.  Everything else is now packed and ready to go.  

Now to honor the tradition we did start when we got here, sit out on the balcony and have some beers.  Being there are only 4 beers left (3 for me and 1 for her), we made quick disposal of those beers.  No more beer, no more park bottles, I guess we’ll take a nap now.    

Well it seemed like only a nap anyways. The alarm goes off at 7.  Morning seem to come around pretty quick.  It must have been hiding around the corner.

We go through our usual morning routine.  Please don’t make me repeat it.  Lady H and I finish packing our remaining stuff.  I start taking everything down and loading the car, making several more trips up and down the stairs.  Once the car is loaded, we drive towards the front desk and proceed to check-out.  Tricky Larry is already busy working on his next victims.  It sounds like he has them hooked.  We don’t stick around to see the outcome.  

I program the rental car company’s address into Dru and we’re on the road again.  As we drive along, Dru takes us a different route this time.  One that doesn’t have tons of construction going on.  Good thing I didn’t throw Dru out the window after all.  We’re making it back to LAX in no time here.  I tell Lady H “How come she didn’t take us this route the first time?”  Lady H just shrugged her shoulders and laughed.  Along the way we also passed Knott’s Berry Farm.  Looks interesting.  One of these days we may have to give it try.  

We make it to Los Angeles in about 40 minutes.  I’ll have to try and remember this route for next time.  Dru is getting us close to Thrifty now.  

Remember when we didn’t have any help finding a car? We felt like ex-prisoners being thrown back into society.  We were given walking papers and forced to fend for ourselves.  Not having help with this process is about to leave us in not such a good mood.  

Anyone that has rented a car knows they have 2 options when it comes to gas for the car.  You can prepay for a tank of gas, meaning you don’t worry about finding a gas station when you return the car.  Or you can fill it up before you return it.  I have always chosen to fill it up when I return it.  Mainly for the reason being I found it saves you a few bucks.  They charge you a certain price per gallon (which they claim is usually the average price), per the size of the gas tank in the car.  If you only use half the tank, you still pay for a full tank.  Most of the gas stations close by usually charge about 10¢ more per gallon than those not close to the rental car companies.   

Anyways when we picked up the car, I opted to fill up the tank before returning it.  We found a station about 2 blocks away from the company.  I filled up the tank and proceeded to return the car.  The person that checked us in comes over, zaps the tag on the car and asks for a gas receipt.  I tell him “I’m sorry but I don’t have a gas receipt.  I wasn’t told I needed one.”  He sounds surprised by comment, "You don't have a receipt?"  What part of "I wasn't told I needed one" didn't he understand.  I tell him once more "NO.  Again, I wasn't told I needed one.  Would you like me to bring the transaction up on my phone?" He just shakes his head no, prints out my receipt and we proceed to the shuttle that will take us back to the airport.  At first I didn’t think anything of it, but as we were on our way to the airport, I decided to look at the rental car receipt.  

That 

.  He charged me for the gas anyways.  Not much I can do about it now.  I’ll write a complaint to the main office when I get home. The reason this really ticked us off was because on the day we picked up the car, there were at least 2 employees we came in contact with that could've informed us about this.  Neither one did.  And even more, when I offered to bring up the transaction on my phone and show it to the person checking us in and he said no.  

Back on the shuttle to the airport, we soon we get to checkpoint Charlie at LAX.  I mean we literally get to a checkpoint. 




“¿Que Paso Vato?”

Ok, I didn’t really say that.  I’m sure I would’ve been dragged off the shuttle and detained against my own free will.  Even if I willed it, I would still be detained.  Being on the shuttle we were allowed a free get out jail card.  Our driver was just waived on through.  Anyone in a car wasn’t so lucky.  They had to stop, be strip searched, tires taken off the cars, trunks inspected and then submitted to a full body scan.  

We’re dropped off at the same place we got picked up.  Lightning McQueen is still in the same spot.  We proceed to check in our bags and prepare to go through yet another check-point.  We both passed through with flying colors.  Since we made it back faster than what we thought we would, we have some time to eat.  We spot California Pizza Kitchen.  This is one of our favorite places to eat.  We had planned on eating at the one close to where we were staying.  We just never got a chance to make it.  This must be density.  

We proceed towards CPK.  One word of advice here if you happen to be in this part of the airport. When going towards CPK there are escalators to the left, right before you get to CPK.  DO NOT go down the escalator for any reason.  If you do, you’ll have to do the security check-point all over again.  No, I didn’t find out the hard way.  There’s a TSA agent standing by the escalator making sure no one is trying to run up the escalator.  You know what all of us tried to do as kids.  Come on everyone, you know you tried this at least once as a kid. I bet some adults have even tried it. 

Now, back at CPK we each place our orders.  We get our drink cups, fill them up at the drink station, go find a place to sit and wait for our number to be called.  Said it would be about 5-10 minutes.  They were pretty accurate with the time.  Our number is called and I go to the counter to get our order.  I take it back to the table and both pizzas are the same.  I added some extra toppings to mine and I didn’t get them.  I take mine back to the counter so they can fix it.  I show them my receipt, show them the pizza and they proceed to fix it.  Said give them 5-10 minutes to make me a new one.  10 minutes passes, no pizza.  Another 5-10 minutes passes by and still no pizza.  I go back up to the counter and try to get someone’s attention.  I finally get noticed and I get the usual apology, we’re having a problem blah blah blah problem and it will be a few more minutes.  Another 5-10 minutes passes by and I finally get my pizza.  

Regardless of these 2 instances, the rest of the day would be smooth sailing.  Or smooth flying I should say.  When we took off, I didn’t think we were going home.  When flights take-off from LAX, they head out towards the ocean.  When this happened, I thought “Cool, we’re headed to Hawaii.  I don’t have any money left, a room or clothes; but I can pretend I’m a castaway and sleep on the beach.  Who cares I’ll be in Hawaii.”  

I tell Lady H we’re flying over the ocean.  




Now’s a good time to pay attention to the safety procedures the flight attendants point out to you.  Put your oxygen mask on first. Forget about the kids until you have yours on, then pick to save the one with the most potential.  Don’t worry if granny is struggling she’s already lived a full life, and on and on.  I think the most important one to pay attention to here is about the flotation device under the seat.  

Soon we’re really far out over the ocean.  









Maybe we really are going to Hawaii.  Or not.  The pilots make a left turn and we’re now flying up the coastline.




Downtown Los Angeles








“They’re making another left turn.”  We now start heading back towards the mainland.  Shoot.  I guess we’re not going to Hawaii after all.    At least not this year.  We will be sometime in 2014.

I continue to take pictures and soon I realize where we are at.  I had to go back and find this specific post, but our good friend Ponzi couldn’t be further from the truth when he posted this.  I wanted to comment earlier on this, but waited for this moment.



pkondz said:


> If you turn around to see where you came in as you entered, it's to your left and if you turn around for one last look at the castle before you leave it's to your right. If you're Nebo and you've had a few too many Sunny Ds, it's somewhere over your head as you lay prone on the pavement.* After you leave Disney and fly back to your homes, it's below you*.



Ponzi really hit the nail with his head on this one.  If you recall one more time, I was talking about the DL Opera House.  What I described as a mini Disneyland museum. Yup, it is now right below us in case you haven’t figured out what I’m looking.  I'm sure you all did though.








I cropped the photo to bring it in a little closer and pointed out a few things that really stand out.




This would be my final glimpse of DLR for this vacation, but hopefully it won’t be the last time we ever see it.  I wave one last goodbye, turn on my ipod and take a nap.  Soon we would arrive back in Albuquerque, as would all our luggage.  We call our Chauffeur (aka D’MIL).  She picks us up and Miss Daisy moves to the back seat.  Some how I’m stuck driving again. We stop to eat some New Mexican style cuisine at one of our favorite restaurants and head on home; where Lady H and I would anxiously wait for our return trip to WDW within the next 3 months.  What can I say, one can never get enough Disney.

*“Well, here at last, dear friends, on the shores of the Sea comes the end of our fellowship in Middle-earth. Go in peace! I will not say: do not weep; for not all tears are an evil.” 
― J.R.R. Tolkien*

Well my friends and fellow Dis’ers, this concludes our adventure of Thumping Our Way Through Disneyland.  We are happy to say we will be returning to DLR this year and can’t wait.  We have a few Dis meets in the works, but always welcome more.  We hope you have all enjoyed this TR as much as we have enjoyed telling it.  We’ll post one final chapter for some final thoughts and words.  Post the remaining links to our pictures and comment on any comments.  Please stick around with us just a while longer before we pull the plug.


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## mmeb144

Thanks for identifying the objects in Disneyland.  All I could tell was that it must be DLR.


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## Thumper_Man

mmeb144 said:


> Thanks for identifying the objects in Disneyland.  All I could tell was that it must be DLR.



There where 4 things that really jumped out at me that made me realize it was DLR: Matterhorn, Space Mountain, BTMRR and the DL Hotel.  If it wasn't for those, I'm not sure I would've recognized it.  It wasn't until I cropped the picture that I was able to identify a little more.  I was definitely looking for it though.  Had we been sitting on the other side of the plane, I doubt I would've seen it.


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## Thumper_Man

Here are the rest of our photo links.  If you ever want to go back and look at them again, I provided the links to all our photos on Post #2 of this TR.

Disneyland

Miscellaneous Vacation Photos


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## smidgy

Nows a good time to pay attention to the safety procedures the flight attendants point out to you. Put your oxygen mask on first. Forget about the kids until you have yours on, then pick to save the one with the most potential. Dont worry if granny is struggling shes already lived a full life, and on and on. I think the most important one to pay attention to here is about the flotation device under the seat. 

****************************

that is just hilarious!!!

great report guys!!! you make DLR look like a lot of fun.. or maybe it's just you guys!!!


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## orangecats2

WHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaT??? Its over?
I thought it would go on forever. 

So what did you not go on or see at DL?


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## MAGICFOR2

Hi Thumpers!  I am still working on catching up after our trip. It's hard to believe that your trip was a year ago.  Where did the time go? :  

On another note, we are having a big deal at the local HEB grocery store this weekend for the "Hatch Chili Fest"  I can't help but first think of chili as the beef and beans, and then I remembered your chili lesson here on this thread.   Anyway I've been informed that you can only get the Hatch chili from Hatch, NM and we only get them here once a year.  I bought some things but I missed the roasted peppers. Might have to pick some up tomorrow - don't know how to roast them myself. Are you familiar with these? Are they hot?  I couldn't tell because the sauce and sausage I tasted today had Jalapenos in them.

I started a TR of our big adventure with the grandkids - link is in my siggie.  Come on over!


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## jedijill

MAGICFOR2 said:


> Hi Thumpers!  I am still working on catching up after our trip. It's hard to believe that your trip was a year ago.  Where did the time go? :
> 
> On another note, we are having a big deal at the local HEB grocery store this weekend for the "Hatch Chili Fest"  I can't help but first think of chili as the beef and beans, and then I remembered your chili lesson here on this thread.   Anyway I've been informed that you can only get the Hatch chili from Hatch, NM and we only get them here once a year.  I bought some things but I missed the roasted peppers. Might have to pick some up tomorrow - don't know how to roast them myself. Are you familiar with these? Are they hot?  I couldn't tell because the sauce and sausage I tasted today had Jalapenos in them.
> 
> I started a TR of our big adventure with the grandkids - link is in my siggie.  Come on over!



Your link is going to an old joke thread. 

Jill in CO


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## nowellsl

Sad to see a great trip report come to an end 

Great job, really makes me want to go to Disneyland!!


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## MAGICFOR2

jedijill said:


> Your link is going to an old joke thread.
> 
> Jill in CO



Thanks Jill, I discovered that and thought I had fixed it.  I don't know why that happened.

ETA:  Okay, It's all better now


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## jedijill

MAGICFOR2 said:


> Thanks Jill, I discovered that and thought I had fixed it.  I don't know why that happened.
> 
> ETA:  Okay, It's all better now



Cool, I'm headed over now. 

Jill in CO


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## Thumper_Man

smidgy said:


> that is just hilarious!!!



You know what is even more hilarious, I didn't make that up.  I remember on one of our flights, we did have a flight attendant that went through the safety instructions this way.  He sure had everyone's attention.



smidgy said:


> great report guys!!! you make DLR look like a lot of fun.. or maybe it's just you guys!!!



Thank you Smidgy.   I'm glad you enjoyed it.  

It could be us, but we did have a lot of fun at DLR.  Can't wait for October to get here.


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## Thumper_Man

orangecats2 said:


> WHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaT??? Its over?
> I thought it would go on forever.



I guess this is the TR that ends after all.  We could always keep it going into our next trip?    Who knows how long it would take us to write that report though.   



orangecats2 said:


> So what did you not go on or see at DL?



Quite a bit actually.  Off the top of my head, this is what I can think of.

DCA:
Goofy's Sky School
The Little Mermaid. 
The Jelly Fish
The Swings (both of them.)
(For these rides; if you recall, on the day we dedicated to stay all day at DCA, it was extremely hot.  TSM was down and so was California Screamin.  This increased the wait times on these rides to 40+ minutes.)

Luigi's Tires
Mater's Junkyard Jamboree.
(Wait times were always 45+ minutes)

Nothing in Bugs Land.  I know we probably could've gone, but figured these rides are geared more towards the young kids and toddlers.  Didn't do ITTBAB either.

Muppets.  (We wanted to go, but they didn't let us in with our sodas from lunch.)  

DL: 
Small World
Snow White (If I remember correctly, this ride was closed for refurb.)
Dumbo (Yes we took pictures there, but no we never went on the ride.)
River Boat or the other ship.  (We tried to do this early, but it wasn't running yet.  Never got back to it.)
Astro Orbiter
Captain EO
The race cars (Forgot the name.  I want to say Tomorrowland Speedway, but don't think that's right. I think I may be confusing that with MK.  I don't think it has the same name at DL.)
Finding Nemo Subs
Tea Cups (T_Man can handle coasters, but not the tea cups.  I may have to next trip for Lady H.)
Jungle Cruise.

These are some of the one's I can think of at the moment.  I'm sure there was still a lot we need to see and do.  Again, with the weather been unusually hot, a lot of times we did stuff that was inside so we could stay cool.  On our upcoming trip, we'll see if we can get to some of these we didn't do.


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## Thumper_Man

MAGICFOR2 said:


> Hi Thumpers!  I am still working on catching up after our trip. It's hard to believe that your trip was a year ago.  Where did the time go? :



We started the TR over a year ago.  Not quite a year yet for the trip, but I guess it's close enough.  



MAGICFOR2 said:


> On another note, we are having a big deal at the local HEB grocery store this weekend for the "Hatch Chili Fest"  I can't help but first think of chili as the beef and beans, and then I remembered your chili lesson here on this thread.   Anyway I've been informed that you can only get the Hatch chili from Hatch, NM and we only get them here once a year.  I bought some things but I missed the roasted peppers. Might have to pick some up tomorrow - don't know how to roast them myself. Are you familiar with these? Are they hot?  I couldn't tell because the sauce and sausage I tasted today had Jalapenos in them.



Yes, we are familiar with them.  We stock our freezer with it each year.  Can't get enough of the stuff.  We even take some with us on vacations as we need our "Chili Fix."  

As to whether they are hot, yes and no.  Some can get pretty hot, but they offer some that isn't.  I think it's a luck of the draw actually.  It also depends on what you consider hot.  What you consider hot may not be hot for me, or vice-versa.  

When hatch chili is sold, it's usually sold in 4 levels of hotness.  Mild, Medium, Hot and Atomic Bomb (aka: Very Hot).  There have been times we bought hot and it's A-Bomb Hot.  Then there are other times we've bought hot and it's medium heat.  Enough to get your tongue tingling, but not so hot that you can't enjoy it.  If you like the taste but don't want the heat, mild is a safe way to go.

For us, medium is usually the way we go.  



MAGICFOR2 said:


> I started a TR of our big adventure with the grandkids - link is in my siggie.  Come on over!



Count me in.


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## Thumper_Man

nowellsl said:


> Sad to see a great trip report come to an end
> 
> Great job, really makes me want to go to Disneyland!!



I'm glad you enjoyed it.  I highly recommend at least one trip to DL if you ever get the chance.


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## Thumper_Man's Wife

Thumper_Man said:


> On this date last year, Lady H and I started this TR. We never imagined we would drag it out this long.  With work and life often getting in the way, this TR has survived a long drawn out process. Its barely alive and has been on life support long enough.  I think its time to pull the plug and send this TR to its final resting place.



I don't remember having a DnR on this TR.  I can't believe it's been a year already. That sure went fast. 



Thumper_Man said:


> _Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else.  (Margaret Mead)_



Love this quote! 



Thumper_Man said:


> Lady H and I once again prepare to head back to DL.  We bought park hopper passes and by golly we were going to get our use out of them today.



There is a reason we are the Thumpers! We hopped till we dropped! 



Thumper_Man said:


> One thing we wanted to do, but didnt do and are now headed back to do, shoo be doo be doo,



I was expecting one of T-Man's songs here...



Thumper_Man said:


> was to take night photos of DL.  We had some from DCA, maybe not all of DCA, but we did have some.  With the exception of the few we took of Fantasmic, we have zero of the rest of DL.  We make our way out of DCA and head on over back to DL.





Thumper_Man said:


> That is probably because the majority of the time we spent at DCA, and when we were at DL, we seemed to make it a marathon to see how much we could do in as little time as possible. What was it Gene Wilder said in Willy Wonka...
> 
> "So much time and so little to do. Wait a minute. Strike that. Reverse it."
> 
> 
> 
> Thumper_Man said:
> 
> 
> 
> Anyways, quite a few people were thinking like us.  People were rushing over to DL.  I think most are hoping to catch the 2nd showing of Fantasmic.  We make our way down Main Street.  It seems there was just as many coming in as there was coming.  At least this will help balance out the crowd level.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> We all need a little balance in life right?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thumper_Man said:
> 
> 
> 
> We make our way towards the castle.  Were hoping to take a few more pictures with Walt and Mickey.  Unfortunately so were several Japanese people.  We waited, (queue Jeopardy music)...................................and waited.........................................................and waited.........................................................until finally we gave up waiting and just took some pictures of W & M.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> These were some of my favorite pictures.
> 
> 
> 
> Thumper_Man said:
> 
> 
> 
> These people would not leave or move.  We were lucky to even take some pictures.  While taking pictures, we hear a voice.  Our final showing of The Magic, The Memories and You will be starting in 15 minutes.  I start thinking, Walt is that you?  Are you back from the grave?  And why do you sound like a woman?
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> It was Tinkerbell!!!
> 
> 
> 
> Thumper_Man said:
> 
> 
> 
> We had totally forgot about this night time show.  Its probably already packed.  We rush over to Small World in the hopes of at least getting a decent viewing spot.  Upon our grand entrance we see it isnt packed yet.  In fact, theres hardly anyone at all.  We waited around for the show to start and grabbed a spot as close to the rail as we could get.  5 minutes til show time and not many people have come.  Lady H and I had the railing all to ourselves.  As it if we reserved this area and no one else was allowed to stand by it.  The only thing we can think of is that everyone already saw the first show, then moved on to watch the fireworks and Fantasmic.  Either way, we enjoyed having this space all to ourselves.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> I remember watching people walking up and thinking, Prac! They are going to try to scoot into our spot, and then they would all head down the ramp to the ride. This happened like 3 or 4 times before I stopped being paranoid that we were going to get flooded with people on either side of us and wouldn't be able to enjoy the show from our prime spot.
> 
> 
> 
> Thumper_Man said:
> 
> 
> 
> The Magic,The Memories and You was (yes WAS, as in it no longer exists) a night time show that took place at IASW.  It seems Lady H and I got lucky to see one of the last few days for this show as the last official showing was on Labor Day of 2012; 3 days after we had seen it.  Disney used several projectors to create this show.  It was a show based on photos taken by the Photopass photographers and some of Disneys animations.  If you happened to have your photos taken by a Photopass photographer the day you visit, then there was a slight chance that your picture could land up in this show.  This show also used to take place at WDW, although we never got the chance to see it at WDW.  The show at WDW has since been replaced with a similar night time show called Celebrate the Magic.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> For being a show we or at least I didn't know existed, it was awesome!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thumper_Man said:
> 
> 
> 
> On our way to Splash Mountain, we soon came to find out why there was no crowd at Small World; because mostly everyone was by Tom Sawyers Island watching Fantasmic.  The CMs did a pretty decent job keeping a path clear so we could just walk by.  As we walked by, we notice other people have discovered our viewing spot.  Ill let them stand there for now, but when we come back in the future, they best be moving.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> We will have to find a sign that says, "Reserved for Mr & Mrs. Thumper."
> 
> 
> 
> Thumper_Man said:
> 
> 
> 
> Right now our objective is to get to Splash; not to ride it but to just take a night time picture of it.  If we really wanted to, we couldve ridden it.  If I recall, the wait time was only like 10 minutes.  Neither one of us wanted to get wet this late in the night.  We finally managed to dry off from our soaking on GRR.  This is one ride weve never done in the dark. There is a first time for everything, so we may have to ride it in the dark next trip.  Doesnt it look like it would be fun to ride in the dark?
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> If i remember correctly, I think you did want to ride it, but I didn't want to walk around at night before getting in a shuttle, soaking wet. Of course by that time I was a little cranky because we had been out all day and it was pretty late.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thumper_Man said:
> 
> 
> 
> Now you would think since the primary reason we went back to DL was take night photos, we wouldve taken better pictures.  These are some of the best we took.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> I blame it on the adult beverages!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thumper_Man said:
> 
> 
> 
> On our way out we stop to take one last picture of Sleeping Beautys Castle
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> *Sniff sniff* Although I know we will be going back in October, and it has been a year since we saw that...it's still sad when you take that final pic of the park before leaving.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thumper_Man said:
> 
> 
> 
> Why is it, this last ride is always the longest?
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Because you don't want to deal with what is ahead of you, and don't want to leave what's behind you.
> 
> 
> 
> Thumper_Man said:
> 
> 
> 
> Nothing major to report on this shuttle ride, but we did have to carry on a tradition that was started on this bus.  Well not so much of a tradition but a nice gesture.  The passing of the shuttle passes.  The passes that were passed on to us, were still good for a few more days.  We found a couple on vacation with their children.  Since childs passes are much cheaper than adults, we struck up a conversation with them.  We asked them if they just started vacation, which they had and then offered them the passes.  We told them there were probably only a couple of days left, but this would help them out a little.  They accepted them and thanked us whole heartedly just as we did with the lady who gave them to us.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> It was a great feeling to do something kind for them, even though we had never met them before. Keep the circle going. Reminds me of this video I saw.
> 
> Pay it Forward
> 
> 
> 
> Thumper_Man said:
> 
> 
> 
> Soon we arrive at our shuttle stop one last time.  It was a quiet walk back to the resort.  Not because we were tired, but because we knew this was it.  The dreaded time when you know vacation is officially coming to an end.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> I was tempted to make T-Man push me in the luggage cart once we got to the resort, but decided it may not be that great of an idea. Especially since we were on the 2nd floor and there were no elevators.
> 
> 
> 
> Thumper_Man said:
> 
> 
> 
> Lady H and I got back to the resort and continued packing.  We had packed a little on our non-park day, but now we really needed to pack. Our flight leaves at 1:55 pm.  Which means we have to be at the airport by at least 11:55 am.  Which means we have to leave our resort no later than 10:55 am.   If traffic is still as bad going to the airport as it was coming from the airport, then we may want to leave sooner than 10:55 am.  Which means we have to be up early once again.   We leave out only the stuff we need for the morning.  Everything else is now packed and ready to go.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> This all happened in sort of a blur. What i do remember most is going through every drawer of the place probably 15 times, making sure I didn't miss anything. My worst fear is leaving something important behind and never getting it back.
> 
> 
> 
> Thumper_Man said:
> 
> 
> 
> Now to honor the tradition we did start when we got here, sit out on the balcony and have some beers.  Being there are only 4 beers left (3 for me and 1 for her), we made quick disposal of those beers.  No more beer, no more park bottles, I guess well take a nap now.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> That's so sad. No more DL/DCA, No more beer, No more Simply Lemonades...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thumper_Man said:
> 
> 
> 
> We go through our usual morning routine.  Please dont make me repeat it.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> You mean you don't want to repeat how cranky and hideous I am in the morning until I have my cup of coffee? Then how magically I am transformed into a nice, caring human being?
> 
> 
> 
> Thumper_Man said:
> 
> 
> 
> I program the rental car companys address into Dru and were on the road again.  As we drive along, Dru takes us a different route this time.  One that doesnt have tons of construction going on.  Good thing I didnt throw Dru out the window after all.  Were making it back to LAX in no time here.  I tell Lady H How come she didnt take us this route the first time?  Lady H just shrugged her shoulders and laughed.  Along the way we also passed Knotts Berry Farm.  Looks interesting.  One of these days we may have to give it try.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> I tried desperately to take pictures on our way, but trees and power lines kept getting in my way. Not to mention we were going way too fast for any picture to come out better than a blur.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thumper_Man said:
> 
> 
> 
> Anyways when we picked up the car, I opted to fill up the tank before returning it.  We found a station about 2 blocks away from the company.  I filled up the tank and proceeded to return the car.  The person that checked us in comes over, zaps the tag on the car and asks for a gas receipt.  I tell him Im sorry but I dont have a gas receipt.  I wasnt told I needed one.  He sounds surprised by comment, "You don't have a receipt?"  What part of "I wasn't told I needed one" didn't he understand.  I tell him once more "NO.  Again, I wasn't told I needed one.  Would you like me to bring the transaction up on my phone?" He just shakes his head no, prints out my receipt and we proceed to the shuttle that will take us back to the airport.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> To me...the tank is full. What do they need a receipt for? Do they think we stole the gas? Didn't drive it at all? The milage on the car will tell you differently. I did not understand this at all. And honestly the guy was downright rude. I understand having days where you really don't want to deal with it, but the guy was as practically giving us dirty looks. Made me feel like I was sitting in class being served a test and not prepared for it because the teacher never said anything, but then the teacher looks at me and says "Just because I didn't tell you about the test, doesn't mean you shouldn't study for one!"
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thumper_Man said:
> 
> 
> 
> That
> 
> .  He charged me for the gas anyways.  Not much I can do about it now.  Ill write a complaint to the main office when I get home. The reason this really ticked us off was because on the day we picked up the car, there were at least 2 employees we came in contact with that could've informed us about this.  Neither one did.  And even more, when I offered to bring up the transaction on my phone and show it to the person checking us in and he said no.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Needless to say, we were not happy. I was close to having the shuttle guy stop and turn right around. This is not the way you want to leave vacation. But I figured, no point. We would end up just arguing and getting more upset. I wanted to leave on a good note.
> 
> 
> 
> Thumper_Man said:
> 
> 
> 
> Back on the shuttle to the airport, we soon we get to checkpoint Charlie at LAX.  I mean we literally get to a checkpoint.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ¿Que Paso Vato?
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> I forgot about this. Anytime we are close to a checkpoint, I laugh, because they don't really do anything at all to make sure your legal or not. Since we live in a state that borders Mexico, anytime we have to go down to Las Cruces, we end up having to go through one on the way home, and they just look at us and guide us through. I'm tempted one day to look up at them and say, "Que Tal...Queres un cerveza?" Just to see what they would say. I'd never have the guts, but it would be fun!
> 
> 
> 
> Thumper_Man said:
> 
> 
> 
> Ok, I didnt really say that.  Im sure I wouldve been dragged off the shuttle and detained against my own free will.  Even if I willed it, I would still be detained.  Being on the shuttle we were allowed a free get out jail card.  Our driver was just waived on through.  Anyone in a car wasnt so lucky.  They had to stop, be strip searched, tires taken off the cars, trunks inspected and then submitted to a full body scan.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> After going through all that would they still have to go through it all again at the airport? or would they get a fastpass through security I wonder?
> 
> 
> 
> Thumper_Man said:
> 
> 
> 
> Were dropped off at the same place we got picked up.  Lightning McQueen is still in the same spot.  We proceed to check in our bags and prepare to go through yet another check-point.  We both passed through with flying colors.  Since we made it back faster than what we thought we would, we have some time to eat.  We spot California Pizza Kitchen.  This is one of our favorite places to eat.  We had planned on eating at the one close to where we were staying.  We just never got a chance to make it.  This must be density.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> I don't know if CPK is "density" but it sure made my body mass more dense after eating it!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thumper_Man said:
> 
> 
> 
> I tell Lady H were flying over the ocean.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> I'm not a good flyer. As you all know, I'm afraid of heights, hence the "dumb wife" banter when i get on any major rides. I never sit by the window on a plane. I try to take the aisle seat if I can, because it's farther away from the window, and I'm not tempted to look over and see that we are floating in the air with nothing visible under us except for clouds. Which will not break our fall if we so happen to go down! T-Man knows this about me. He always takes the window seat and most of the time will oblige me and give him his hand to hold during takeoff and landing. At least he did, until I almost crushed his hand once.  Anyway...knowing all of this about me. After 10 years of being together and coming up on 6 years of being married, he tells me to "look" out the window!
> 
> 
> 
> Thumper_Man said:
> 
> 
> 
> Nows a good time to pay attention to the safety procedures the flight attendants point out to you.  Put your oxygen mask on first. Forget about the kids until you have yours on, then pick to save the one with the most potential.  Dont worry if granny is struggling shes already lived a full life, and on and on.  I think the most important one to pay attention to here is about the flotation device under the seat.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> I don't know how well that floatation device will work after being stranded in the middle of nowhere with nothing but the sharks, whales, and other sea creatures to "help" you. For that matter...we saw how well those floatation devices worked for the people on Titanic...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thumper_Man said:
> 
> 
> 
> Theyre making another left turn.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> One of my favorite lines from Bubba J!
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thumper_Man said:
> 
> 
> 
> I cropped the photo to bring it in a little closer and pointed out a few things that really stand out.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> I honestly didn't see it until T-Man pointed it all out to me.
> 
> 
> 
> Thumper_Man said:
> 
> 
> 
> This would be my final glimpse of DLR for this vacation, but hopefully it wont be the last time we ever see it.  I wave one last goodbye, turn on my ipod and take a nap.  Soon we would arrive back in Albuquerque, as would all our luggage.  We call our Chauffeur (aka DMIL).  She picks us up and Miss Daisy moves to the back seat.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> My mother, bless her, has become spoiled by T-Man driving whenever we are in her car. So we have begun to call her Ms. Daisy. Seeing as she prefers to be chauffeured everywhere. Our favorite line in the house now is:
> 
> "Yes'm Miss Daisy!"
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thumper_Man said:
> 
> 
> 
> Some how Im stuck driving again. We stop to eat some New Mexican style cuisine at one of our favorite restaurants and head on home;
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Had to have our chili fix.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thumper_Man said:
> 
> 
> 
> Well my friends and fellow Disers, this concludes our adventure of Thumping Our Way Through Disneyland.  We are happy to say we will be returning to DLR this year and cant wait.  We have a few Dis meets in the works, but always welcome more.  We hope you have all enjoyed this TR as much as we have enjoyed telling it.  Well post one final chapter for some final thoughts and words.  Post the remaining links to our pictures and comment on any comments.  Please stick around with us just a while longer before we pull the plug.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> Great job Honey! It's sad to see it over. It was nice to relive it all, and to do so with our friends here. I'm sure we will have some last minute messages before putting this to bed.
Click to expand...


----------



## orangecats2

It was the best of TR's, it was the longest of TR's...

It was great reading about DL. I've wanted to go there since kindergarten when I first went to WDW. I was intrigued by the HM stretching room. They said one of them the ceiling went up and the other was an elevator and I've always wanted to feel the difference for myself.  Now, of course I want to go to DL for, well, everything.  Plus its the original Disney Park so I have to see it, its classic. I just hope I get there one day soon.

That was quite a list of things you didn't get to see. It's good you're going back soon.


----------



## cjlvsccm

Really enjoyed tagging along, Thumpers!  We really hope to get back out there one day.  Some day...  

Cindy


----------



## pkondz

Hi Mr & Mrs T! :wave1:

Little tired, so I'll catch up on your TR a little later. Just wanted to pop in and let ya know I didn't forgetcha.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

orangecats2 said:


> It was the best of TR's, it was the longest of TR's...









orangecats2 said:


> It was great reading about DL. I've wanted to go there since kindergarten when I first went to WDW. I was intrigued by the HM stretching room. They said one of them the ceiling went up and the other was an elevator and I've always wanted to feel the difference for myself.  Now, of course I want to go to DL for, well, everything.  Plus its the original Disney Park so I have to see it, its classic. I just hope I get there one day soon.
> 
> That was quite a list of things you didn't get to see. It's good you're going back soon.



I recommend it to anyone! It never fails to surprise me how just the sight of the gates can turn a 33 year old adult into a 6 year old child.  But since I hadn't been here since I was 19, everything was almost brand new to me. I can't wait to go back! 



cjlvsccm said:


> Really enjoyed tagging along, Thumpers!  We really hope to get back out there one day.  Some day...
> 
> Cindy



I hope you do too. It's worth the wait 



pkondz said:


> Hi Mr & Mrs T! :wave1:



Well Howdy stranger!!! 



pkondz said:


> Little tired, so I'll catch up on your TR a little later. Just wanted to pop in and let ya know I didn't forgetcha.



I hope you had an amazing trip. We missed you, but we are glad you still thought of us little people 



MAGICFOR2 said:


> Hi Thumpers!  I am still working on catching up after our trip. It's hard to believe that your trip was a year ago.  Where did the time go? :



I ask myself that everyday.  I didn't realize it had been a year, until T-Man told me. 



MAGICFOR2 said:


> On another note, we are having a big deal at the local HEB grocery store this weekend for the "Hatch Chili Fest"  I can't help but first think of chili as the beef and beans, and then I remembered your chili lesson here on this thread.   Anyway I've been informed that you can only get the Hatch chili from Hatch, NM and we only get them here once a year.  I bought some things but I missed the roasted peppers. Might have to pick some up tomorrow - don't know how to roast them myself. Are you familiar with these? Are they hot?  I couldn't tell because the sauce and sausage I tasted today had Jalapenos in them.



Chili season is in full effect here in NM. Everytime i get off the train, I smell it roasting at the nearby grocery stores. It's the tell tale sign that fall is coming. 

 I'm glad you paid attention in Chili class that day. It's become such a big deal around here that Chili harvesters, roasters and sellers have specific papers showing that the chili they have is authentic Hatch chili. And a bill was signed, that states that restaurants also have to specify that where the chili they have is coming from, to preserve the authenticity of Hatch chili. 

Depending on how late in the season you buy it, can really define how hot it really is. As T-Man said, we have bought some that was specified as mild and ended up being pretty spicy. We just recently had some Green Chili Stew that was given to us for my birthday, and it was hotter than the dickens. (For what it's worth, I have no idea how hot the dickens really are...). We tend to purchase both mild and hot, or medium and hot, depending. But most vendors, if you ask, will let you try it to see how hot it really is. Once it's roasted, we seperate it into baggies and freeze it for the year, that way we can grab a bag of each from the freezer when needed and mix the two together for what we hope is a perfect in-between. 

Speaking of...Our local grocery stores are throwing in free roasting with each bag you buy this weekend. Guess what we are doing on our Anniversary. 



MAGICFOR2 said:


> I started a TR of our big adventure with the grandkids - link is in my siggie.  Come on over!



I'm already there! Can't wait to read more!


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> Hi Mr & Mrs T! :wave1:
> 
> Little tired, so I'll catch up on your TR a little later. Just wanted to pop in and let ya know I didn't forgetcha.



Well look who's back?  Quick.  Contact the mods to close this thread before Ponzi gets a hold of it. We're done with this TR anyways.  

J/K.  Welcome back. Hope you had a wonderful vacation.  Can't wait to read all about it.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I don't remember having a DnR on this TR.



You really should learn to read the contracts before signing them.  



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I can't believe it's been a year already. That sure went fast.



It sure has.  We ended just in time before going on the next trip.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> There is a reason we are the Thumpers! We hopped till we dropped!



And plopped where we stopped.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I was expecting one of T-Man's songs here...



Not a T_Man song but will *THIS* do?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> It was Tinkerbell!!!



That explains it then.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> For being a show we or at least I didn't know existed, it was awesome!



  Too bad it no longer exists.  



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> If i remember correctly, I think you did want to ride it, but I didn't want to walk around at night before getting in a shuttle, soaking wet. Of course by that time I was a little cranky because we had been out all day and it was pretty late.



Well Mrs. Cranky Pants, you'll just have to S--- it up for the next trip.  



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I blame it on the adult beverages!



Yeah, that's it.  I like that excuse.  Can I use it to? 



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> *Sniff sniff* Although I know we will be going back in October, and it has been a year since we saw that...it's still sad when you take that final pic of the park before leaving.



October will be here before you know it.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I was tempted to make T-Man push me in the luggage cart once we got to the resort, but decided it may not be that great of an idea. Especially since we were on the 2nd floor and there were no elevators.



I would've pushed you in the luggage cart.  I don't think I was in any better condition to carry you up to the 2nd floor though.    



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> That's so sad. No more DL/DCA, No more beer, No more Simply Lemonades...



That's when you know a vacation is truly over. "Why is it, the rum's always gone?" 



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> To me...the tank is full. What do they need a receipt for? Do they think we stole the gas? Didn't drive it at all? The milage on the car will tell you differently. I did not understand this at all. And honestly the guy was downright rude. I understand having days where you really don't want to deal with it, but the guy was as practically giving us dirty looks. Made me feel like I was sitting in class being served a test and not prepared for it because the teacher never said anything, but then the teacher looks at me and says "Just because I didn't tell you about the test, doesn't mean you shouldn't study for one!"
> 
> Needless to say, we were not happy. I was close to having the shuttle guy stop and turn right around. This is not the way you want to leave vacation. But I figured, no point. We would end up just arguing and getting more upset. I wanted to leave on a good note.



In case anyone is wondering.  Yes, I did write and complain to Thrifty about the service we received in Los Angeles.  From the shuttle driver not paying attention the day we first arrived, no one informing us about the gas receipt, to the rude attendant checking us in.  Being a Blue Chip member, I found the service at this place to be the worst we ever encountered considering we have rented in Las Vegas, Orlando and San Diego.  I wasn't really expecting anything but they did provide us with a voucher for $25 off on our next car rental.  Next trip Lady H and I will be renting from San Diego again.  It was much easier and more pleasant.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> "Que Tal...Queres un cerveza?"



Yeah and they'll probably tell you.

"Muy bien gracias.  ¿Par donde vas senora?  ¿Puede salir del caro para mí por favor? Gracias."




Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> he tells me to "look" out the window!



Well I know how much you like to look at the ocean.  I thought you would want to see it from a different point of view this time.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I don't know how well that floatation device will work after being stranded in the middle of nowhere with nothing but the sharks, whales, and other sea creatures to "help" you. For that matter...we saw how well those floatation devices worked for the people on Titanic...



They worked really well.  It's the freezing cold water that did most of them in.  



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I honestly didn't see it until T-Man pointed it all out to me.



Well you would've seen it sooner if you would've looked out the window.  




Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Had to have our chili fix.



It was a very long week without it.  We'll have to remember to take some along with us next trip.  




Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Great job Honey!



You too honey.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> It's sad to see it over. It was nice to relive it all, and to do so with our friends here. I'm sure we will have some last minute messages before putting this to bed.



Yes, it won't be long now before I notify the mods to close it.  Giving people a chance to post any final questions, thoughts or comments.


----------



## Thumper_Man

orangecats2 said:


> It was the best of TR's, it was the *longest* of TR's...



Are you trying to get at something here?   



orangecats2 said:


> It was great reading about DL.



We're really glad you enjoyed it.



orangecats2 said:


> Plus its the original Disney Park so I have to see it, its classic. I just hope I get there one day soon.



I'm sure one day you will.  Everything is possible for one who has faith.



orangecats2 said:


> That was quite a list of things you didn't get to see. It's good you're going back soon.



It is a good thing.  When we started to look at the DL website and everything we missed, we discovered it was quite a bit.  I think the unusually hot weather had a lot to do with that.  We wanted to mostly do things that would keep us cool and out of the heat.  Being so many of DL's queue's are outdoors; if the wait was more than 20 minutes, we decided to just skip them.  Hopefully October weather is much better.


----------



## Thumper_Man

cjlvsccm said:


> Really enjoyed tagging along, Thumpers!  We really hope to get back out there one day.  Some day...
> 
> Cindy



We're glad you tagged along.  I hope you get back one day as well.


----------



## pkondz

I was going to read through all the rest of the TR... but it'd be too big a chunk to swallow all at once, so I'm gonna tackle it a chapter at a time. K?

This is where I left off... sorry if stuff's been covered already.





Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I swear I would have gotten this up sooner,



Yeah! What's with that!?!?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> however, in the past 2 months, I have had, not 1 but 2 summits to prepare for and execute.



We don't have capital punishment up here... :



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Needless to say, I've been going a little crazy.



"going"??



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Hopefully this will keep the village from coming after us with the torches...at least for a while.



Ah. Execute then revive with lightning.

check.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> However, when you have actual cars characters trying to run you over, thats another story.



Or when you have actual _cars_ running you over.... but let's hear your story first!



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I think another beer was in order



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BofddwtPBPw

On second thought.... yeah, it's fine. Go ahead.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Of course since our last trip to WDW, T-Man has been on a kick to find hidden Mickeys everywhere.
> The pictures a little blurry I know, but you can still make out the hidden Mickey. This was over one of the doors.



Sometimes I wonder how many hidden Mickeys are actually meant as such or are just architectural designs. Like at some point does someone say, "Hey Bob! I like the hidden Mickey you put above the door."

"What? I have no idea what you're talk.... ummm... Yeah, I did that on purpose. Yeah."



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> My favorite Disney show, has been Beauty and the Beast. I can watch that over and over again, and never get tired of it. Until now



Why don't you like it anymore? 



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Ohyou want to actually get details about the showWhats that? And pictures? GeezYou all want everything dont you?



In a word?

Yes.

Problem?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> OKYou twisted my arm.



Sorry about that. Got all excited. Hope it's feeling better now.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Most of these pictures were taken by T-man because my camera died on me pretty much as soon as the show started.



RIP Mrs T's camera.

We hardly knew ya.


Sorry, I'll try to stay focused.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> As the show opened up, we are transported to a deserted land, where camels roamed on the hot sand and no one dared venture for fear of never returning.



If there're camels roaming, it's not deserted is it?

I'd like to visit a desserted land, though. As long as you don't get sand in my chocolate sauce.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I dont remember if this guy had a name at allBut he set the mood for the story



Biff. His name is Biff.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> We begin with the sultan, thinking he has the one true person who will do his bidding for him, makes some poor schmuck go down the mouth of the Cave of Wonders (please insert the echo into your mind as you read that) to retrieve the golden lamp.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nL21u2fCZk

(love that scene)



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Lucky for him, a beautiful woman, wondering through the towns market happens to come to his rescue.



I wander who that could be?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> It is only after they do not heed her orders, that they find out this beautiful woman is in disguise and she really is the Princess.



Get outta town!! 


Never would have guessed that.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> The sultan thinks this guy has BaIermeanguts



Bats?
Bananas?
Bashfulness?
Sleepiness?
Dopeyness?

uhhh....

where were you again?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> and thinks he could be his saving grace when it comes to the Cave of Wonders (echo echo echo).



hello? hello? hello?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Look at this trove, treasures untold, how many wonders can one cavern hold, looking around here youd think, sure, shes got everything
> 
> Oh waitWrong story.



and yet... it does fit.

well done



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> All he has now is the lamp and a new friend, the magic carpet. Because everyone needs a friend that can fly



When I first met Ruby, she was (briefly) interested in trying to be a flight attendant. 
Primarily so she could say, "Marry me, fly free."



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> He rubs the lamp after his new friend shows him what to do, and Viola! erVoila!



 I use that expression all the time.

Almost nobody gets it. 



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Instant smurf!







Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I meanGenie. Its easy to get them confused. I mean, hes blue



Why Genie so sad?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Random spontaneous musical number ensues, while the Genie tells Aladdin how he has never had a friend like him.



Ah. That's why. Forever alone Genie.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Meanwhile back at the rancherI meanCastle



Another old expression that's fallen out of use.

Of course I usually use, "Meanwhile, back at the outhouse... things are piling up."



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Jasmines father is trying to marry her off to Jafar, because there have been no other suitable princes for her.



I never quite got that. Jafar is a royal vizier. Not a prince. Odd that the king would settle for that.

Sorta like: "I can't decide between the red Ferrari or the black one... so I'll take this '72 Pinto instead.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Anything is possible if Snookie is a mother!







Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> At some point there were some people who started leaving in the middle of the show and Genie spouts off, I havent seen this many people leave in the middle of a show since the Justin Beiber concert.



Is there anyone who actually _likes_ Justin Bieber?

Or will admit to it?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Aladdin uses his last wish to give Genie his freedom, he and Jasmine live happily ever afterThe End!



Thanks for the TR!!


what? There's more? But you said... oh never mind.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> We decided to take the time to get on the ride since we were in the vicinity. We got into the raft with another couple who were pretty outgoing.



How pretty were they?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Now with this ride, I think its hard to really say whether I really liked it or not. I would categorize it with Animal Kingdoms Kali River Rapids.



Which is how I'd categorize KRR... Can't really say whether or not I like it.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I was pleasantly surprised that once over the hill, you are slowly lowered into the rapids.



They dump you in fast if you're young. But for those of us who are over the hill, they take it easy. Of course I'm not categorizing _you_ as over the hill, Heather.

Mike, however...



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Luckily for most of the ride we were facing straight ahead, going along with the ride. Its so much better than being the one facing where you just came from and having to gauge the faces of the others in the car to find out what is in store for you.



Never thought of that. But it's true!



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> We have to take shuttle #8. Shuttle #8 is on the other platform. Its like trying to get onto platform 9 ¾Luckily we dont have to take a running start into a pillar.



Why was it so difficult to get to #8? Packed with people? Had to cross traffic? 



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> We came here the first day, to eat at Johnny Rockets, tonight; we are dining at The Cheesecake Factory. We dont have one in NM, so any chance we get to eat here, we take it.



Yup. Us too. We ate at the one in Honolulu. I'll never forget the first time I saw one. I think my eyes popped out of their sockets.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> For dessert, The options were endless. T-Man always goes for the White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle cheesecake.



 Good choice.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Me on the other hand, I have to try a new one each time.



I do that too. Sometimes I'm disappointed, other times I find a new favorite.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> After a little wandering, we finally found what we hoped was the stop since there was no sign or marker stating so, but there were a few people in Disney gear standing around. As we waited, more people started coming out of the hotel near-by and waiting with us, so we hoped we were in the right area.



This way to the egress!



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> So once in the shuttle, it was a hop, skip and a jump to the park entrance.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuQ_Wcxjb_c

You coulda walked that far!



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> As T-Man made a pit stop, I sauntered over to the little market store next



I would normally say I prefer to sashay, but I'll refrain this time.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I had been eyeing the pickles there and decided to grab one along with a bottle of water. As I waited in line to make my purchase, T-Man came to join me and just shook his head. He knew I had wanted one for a while. Every time we passed that place I would eye them. Now he looked at me with that curious look he gets when hes thinking and said Only one? I sagged my shoulders in defeat and went and grabbed another one. He knows me too well.



 I love pickles too!



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Around 7:30, they let the rope drop, and allowed everyone to race to their positions. This is the fun part. Staking out your spot, and then not moving for the next 2 hours.



Disney occupational hazard.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I gave T-Man the all clear to run ahead and find the spot he wanted.  I wasnt picky.



You were pickley, though.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I leaned back against the railing and began to read the DIS while we waited.



Smart phone? Or was there Wi-Fi?



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I decided this would also be a good time to snack on my pickle.



See? Toldja.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Just because its colorful doesnt make it less scary!



I disagree. I think making it colorful *does* make it less scary.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> This time, we made a pact that during this show, we would just enjoy it. No pictures, no video, you all got that the last time anyway, but we wanted to take in the full effect. I absolutely adore this show. So it was nice to be able to watch it without worrying about capturing certain pieces.



Sometimes ya gotta just take the time to smell (or watch in this case) the roses.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Flos V8 Café, and the street light.



That street light almost looks like a pair of menacing red eyes.



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> But our day is still not completely over. Ill let T-Man finish it off. I hope you can stay with us for the final installment of this TR, as Mike takes us homeLiterally 



Well... I dunno.... Oh, all right. I'll stick around. As long as I don't have to wait too long.

Thanks for the chapter Heather!


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> *The End is Near!*



Run for the hills!


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> On this date last year, Lady H and I started this TR. We never imagined we would drag it out this long.



uhhhh... congratulations?



Thumper_Man said:


> With work and life often getting in the way, this TR has survived a long drawn out process.



So now you know the secret.

Next time you start a TR... make sure you quit your jobs first.


What?



Thumper_Man said:


> Its barely alive and has been on life support long enough.



Oh, stop it. It's been doing just fine.



Thumper_Man said:


> _Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else.  (Margaret Mead)_



Except for that guy over there. I'm just like him.


When did we get a floor length mirror?



Thumper_Man said:


> Lady H and I once again prepare to head back to DL.



Heh. Sounds like you're prepping for an assault on enemy territory.



Thumper_Man said:


> One thing we wanted to do, but didnt do and are now headed back to do, shoo be doo be doo, was to take night photos of DL.



do lang do lang do lang



Thumper_Man said:


> I gotta say this is still my favorite part about DLR.  Both parks being within walking distance of each other.  Only about 2 minutes to walk from one gate to the other.  Unlike WDW where the closest walk to the next park is 15 minutes; and those parks being Epcot to DHS, or vice versa.



Although, I do like the Monorail between MK & Epcot. I sure wish they could (or would) connect all the parks with the monorail.



Thumper_Man said:


> Anyways, quite a few people were thinking like us.



Which is all right... It's not a good thing if they think like me....

"Hasenpfeffer? Hasenpfeffer... Hasenpfeffer? Hasenpfeffer!" Repeat at least 26 times a day.

At least.



Thumper_Man said:


> Were hoping to take a few more pictures with Walt and Mickey.  Unfortunately so were several Japanese people.  We waited, (queue Jeopardy music)



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Wi8Fv0AJA4



Thumper_Man said:


> ...................................and waited.........................................................and waited.........................................................until finally we gave up waiting and just took some pictures of W & M.



Oh, good. Did you have to wait?



Thumper_Man said:


> I start thinking, Walt is that you?  Are you back from the grave?



Ever wish those old rumours of him being frozen were true? I wonder how those started anyway.



Thumper_Man said:


> And why do you sound like a woman?



Ummm.... Parts fell off during the thawing process??



Thumper_Man said:


> We rush over to Small World in the hopes of at least getting a decent viewing spot.  Upon our grand entrance we see it isnt packed yet.  In fact, theres hardly anyone at all.



No surprise, really. I avoid IASW like the plague, too.



Thumper_Man said:


> The Magic,The Memories and You was (yes WAS, as in it no longer exists) a night time show that took place at IASW.



It wasn't displayed on the castle in DL?



Thumper_Man said:


> Now that we got the brief history lesson out of the way, I bet you want to see some pictures.







Thumper_Man said:


> And this is Small World after the show.  Pretty isnt it. (Note the lady that has her stroller parked where they ask people not to Park Strollers).



Good catch.



Thumper_Man said:


> What do you mean you want pictures from the show?  We were too busy watching the show that we didnt take any.



What? How dare you enjoy yourselves at our expense?



Thumper_Man said:


> Ok, ok.  No need to send the lynch mob after us.










Thumper_Man said:


> As we walked by, we notice other people have discovered our viewing spot.  Ill let them stand there for now, but when we come back in the future, they best be moving.



Yeah! Who do they think they are, anyway?

sheesh.



Thumper_Man said:


> Doesnt it look like it would be fun to ride in the dark?



Actually... yes it does! 



Thumper_Man said:


> Now just like MK, DL is a dry land.



This land's a dry land
That land's a dry land
With Sunny D's
or Simply Lemonades



Thumper_Man said:


> It may be a dry land, but we came prepared.



This land's a ....

oh forget it.



Thumper_Man said:


> Lady H and I decide that its time to call it a night.  What exactly were calling it remains to be determined,



Bob. Call it Bob. Bob's a good solid name.



Thumper_Man said:


> Its not too far of a walk, but after a long day, its like walking the Green Mile and we all know that dead men and women tell no tales (where have I heard that before).



I could suggest a few places... but I don't wanna be morbid.



Thumper_Man said:


> Good-Bye Disneyland.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Until we meet again.



And that's where I'm calling it a day. Thanks for the chapter, Mike! And all the pics!


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> Run for the hills!



I would've replied to this over the weekend, but Lady H and I were busy celebrating our 6 year wedding anniversary.  Did a little weekend get away at a local hotel/casino resort.  

Now I've often pondered this choice.  If everyone was running to the hills, would you be able to get there?  And would you be any safer there than anywhere else?  I mean if its truly the end, you're doomed no matter where you are.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> I would've replied to this over the weekend, but Lady H and I were busy celebrating our 6 year wedding anniversary.  Did a little weekend get away at a local hotel/casino resort.
> 
> Now I've often pondered this choice.  If everyone was running to the hills, would you be able to get there?  And would you be any safer there than anywhere else?  I mean if its truly the end, you're doomed no matter where you are.



1. Happy Anniversary! 
2. Depends on the end... Tidal wave? Rivers of molten lava? Yeah, high ground is usually a good thing. And would I be able to get there? Oh, sure. I'd just climb over anyone in my way.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

pkondz said:


> I was going to read through all the rest of the TR... but it'd be too big a chunk to swallow all at once, so I'm gonna tackle it a chapter at a time. K?



K



pkondz said:


> This is where I left off... sorry if stuff's been covered already.



I like re-runs...It's cool. 




pkondz said:


> Yeah! What's with that!?!?



Well, you know. Life happens. Im not proud of itbut what can you do?




pkondz said:


> We don't have capital punishment up here... :



I thought our Governor abolished the death penalty before he left office last term, but I still have to come to work every day in order to get my paycheck. 







pkondz said:


> "going"??



I was hoping not everyone caught on to that





pkondz said:


> Or when you have actual _cars_ running you over.... but let's hear your story first!



Not much different, except for these cars talk




pkondz said:


> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BofddwtPBPw
> 
> On second thought.... yeah, it's fine. Go ahead.



Classic! 





pkondz said:


> Sometimes I wonder how many hidden Mickeys are actually meant as such or are just architectural designs. Like at some point does someone say, "Hey Bob! I like the hidden Mickey you put above the door."
> 
> "What? I have no idea what you're talk.... ummm... Yeah, I did that on purpose. Yeah."



I never thought about that. Interesting thought thoughBecause there are some that we pointed out a couple of years ago that were not in the official hidden Mickey handbook! 





pkondz said:


> Why don't you like it anymore?



Okbad choice of words. Still love Beauty and the Beastjust found a new fav. 





pkondz said:


> In a word?
> 
> Yes.
> 
> Problem?



Nope, No problem here. http://youtu.be/n0nRy8G0bNY?t=13s




pkondz said:


> Sorry about that. Got all excited. Hope it's feeling better now.



Now that you mentioned itits still a little sore




pkondz said:


> RIP Mrs T's camera.
> 
> We hardly knew ya.



This isnt far from the truth. When we went back to Florida in December, I somehow managed to drop this camera on the hard concrete, not once, but twice! Cracking the viewfinder and messing up a good majority of the settings in the process, which now do not function at all. T-man bought me a new one for my birthday this year. So I am kind of excited to use it on our next trip in October. 




pkondz said:


> Sorry, I'll try to stay focused.



http://youtu.be/oQm_8vX3sYU?t=50s




pkondz said:


> If there're camels roaming, it's not deserted is it?
> 
> I'd like to visit a desserted land, though. As long as you don't get sand in my chocolate sauce.



Would it really be sand? Or just ground up nuts or sprinkles? I mean it is desserted right? 



pkondz said:


> Biff. His name is Biff.



No, Biff was at SeaWorld. He plays the Janitor during the Clyde and Seamore Show there. 




pkondz said:


> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nL21u2fCZk
> 
> (love that scene)



This was exactly what I pictured in my head when I wrote the whole echo thing. So glad you caught that! 





pkondz said:


> I wander who that could be?



Wait and Ill tell you. Patience my dear. 





pkondz said:


> Get outta town!!



We are not at that part of the TR yetAgain. Patience! 



pkondz said:


> Bats?
> Bananas?
> Bashfulness?
> Sleepiness?
> Dopeyness?
> 
> uhhh....
> 
> where were you again?



UhSurelets go with one of those

FOCUS! See youtube video above. 




pkondz said:


> and yet... it does fit.
> 
> well done










pkondz said:


> When I first met Ruby, she was (briefly) interested in trying to be a flight attendant.
> Primarily so she could say, "Marry me, fly free."



 Nice! 





pkondz said:


> I use that expression all the time.
> 
> Almost nobody gets it.



Im glad to know Im not the only one. 




pkondz said:


> Another old expression that's fallen out of use.
> 
> Of course I usually use, "Meanwhile, back at the outhouse... things are piling up."



I love it. Never heard that one. I may have to borrow it. 





pkondz said:


> I never quite got that. Jafar is a royal vizier. Not a prince. Odd that the king would settle for that.
> 
> Sorta like: "I can't decide between the red Ferrari or the black one... so I'll take this '72 Pinto instead.



I never understood it either. I think Jafar had the King under a spell, I believe that is the only way that he would allow someone like Jafar to be acceptable for his daughter. 




pkondz said:


> Is there anyone who actually _likes_ Justin Bieber?



Unfortunatelythere are many teenyboppers who do, Otherwise he wouldnt be as popular as he is. 



pkondz said:


> Or will admit to it?



Thats a different story all together. Ive heard probably 2 songs from him, and both songs I had no clue it was him singing until long after. Sort of ruined the songs for me. 





pkondz said:


> Which is how I'd categorize KRR... Can't really say whether or not I like it. ]



I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that we rode Blutos Barge at IoA first. And now, very little can compare to how soaked you get on that ride. Plus, KRR just seems to be a leisurely boat ride, the rapids arent even that major to me. 





pkondz said:


> They dump you in fast if you're young. But for those of us who are over the hill, they take it easy. Of course I'm not categorizing _you_ as over the hill, Heather.
> 
> Mike, however...



Its all good. I just got called old by my best friend who happens to be only 4 months younger than me, because I have a cane at home that I used last vacay. I had a good excuse! 




pkondz said:


> Why was it so difficult to get to #8? Packed with people? Had to cross traffic?



Wasnt so much that it was difficult. We were used to being one of the first shuttles until now. We knew where our shuttle would be, all the time. Even if it wasnt there, we knew where to stand, etc. With this new shuttle, we had no clue where to go, all we knew was there was a number system. 1-6 down the first section, then 7-11 on the other side, or something like that. What we didnt know was if the other side was going from the top to bottom or bottom to top, since we had never been on this side before. It was too much thinking for me. We didnt realize how much on autopilot you can get when doing the same repetitive thing for a week. 





pkondz said:


> Yup. Us too. We ate at the one in Honolulu. I'll never forget the first time I saw one. I think my eyes popped out of their sockets.



I think the first time we ever tried it was in Vegas, at Caesers Palace. We had seen it on numerous trips before, but never dared venture over, because there was always a wait. We decided to give it a whirl once and now its a go to on vacation. 





pkondz said:


> I do that too. Sometimes I'm disappointed, other times I find a new favorite.



Exactly. You never know if there is something better if you dont try them all. Not that Im even close to doing that. Some of them are so rich, its hard to eat even half of a piece by yourself. 





pkondz said:


> You coulda walked that far!



OkMaybe a little more than a hop, skip and a jumpbut not by much. And technically we could have walked. It really wasnt that far. Considering how much we actually walk on a regular basis at Disney, it would have been easy aswalking.  




pkondz said:


> I would normally say I prefer to sashay, but I'll refrain this time.



My sashay doesnt have the right amount of umph behind itso sauntering, or the occasional traipsing will do the trick. 





pkondz said:


> I love pickles too!



I dont know where I got my love of pickles from. Its hilarious at our house sometimes. Recently I started making my own pickles. Ill find out next week how they came out. 




pkondz said:


> Disney occupational hazard.



Yeah, there is nothing in the Disney vacation books or maps that tell you, for shows, be prepared to wait at least 2 hours to get a prime viewing spot! 





pkondz said:


> You were pickley, though.











pkondz said:


> Smart phone? Or was there Wi-Fi?



Smart phone. 





pkondz said:


> See? Toldja.



Now thats just spooky. Were you stalking me? 





pkondz said:


> I disagree. I think making it colorful *does* make it less scary.



Nope. I know the truth. Those colors dont fool me! 




pkondz said:


> That street light almost looks like a pair of menacing red eyes.



I didnt even notice that until now. Spooky!


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

pkondz said:


> 1. Happy Anniversary!



Thank you! I can't believe we have been married for 6 years already. Together for 10 1/2. Time flies.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Now thats just spooky. Were you stalking me?



Nah. When I constantly kept seeing Mike with you, even when you were sleeping, I backed off.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> Why is it, this last ride is always the longest?



That's always true isn't it?
I think it's like a Band-Aid... You just want the pain to be over with quickly.



Thumper_Man said:


> We found a couple on vacation with their children.  Since childs passes are much cheaper than adults, we struck up a conversation with them.  We asked them if they just started vacation, which they had and then offered them the passes.







Thumper_Man said:


> The dreaded time when you know vacation is officially coming to an end.



I hate that. Everybody does, I think.



Thumper_Man said:


> If traffic is still as bad going to the airport as it was coming from the airport, then we may want to leave sooner than 10:55 am.



You're like me. I'd rather leave too early then stress about traffic. I may be at the airport for a while longer... but at least I can relax.



Thumper_Man said:


> No more beer, no more park bottles, I guess well take a nap now.



 That struck me as funny. "Well, dear. There's a beautiful view, a gorgeous sunset, wonderful company, a fantastic vista of... what? No beer?.... I'm going to bed."



Thumper_Man said:


> We go through our usual morning routine.



What's the morning routine? Could you describe it for us?



Thumper_Man said:


> Please dont make me repeat it.



Oh. Okay.

Nevermind.



Thumper_Man said:


> Remember when we didnt have any help finding a car? We felt like ex-prisoners being thrown back into society.  We were given walking papers and forced to fend for ourselves.  Not having help with this process is about to leave us in not such a good mood.



uh, oh.



Thumper_Man said:


> Anyone that has rented a car knows they have 2 options when it comes to gas for the car.  You can prepay for a tank of gas, meaning you dont worry about finding a gas station when you return the car.  Or you can fill it up before you return it.







Thumper_Man said:


> I have always chosen to fill it up when I return it.  Mainly for the reason being I found it saves you a few bucks.



That's pretty much always true.

And until now, I'd have said it's a maxim.



Thumper_Man said:


> The person that checked us in comes over, zaps the tag on the car and asks for a gas receipt.  I tell him Im sorry but I dont have a gas receipt.  I wasnt told I needed one.
> 
> ...
> 
> He charged me for the gas anyways.



I've only encountered this at one place... and I've rented from several different companies. That one time was... odd. I needed to "rent" the Home Depot van to move some lumber from their store. I was told to fill it up and as long as I had a gas receipt, even a couple of bucks, I'd be good. So I did. And it was.
A few years later, I needed to bring home a bunch of patio furniture from Costco. A light bulb goes off. I had to get a bit of lumber, so... I bought the lumber, zoomed home, unloaded the van, screamed over to Costco (about 20 minutes away), quickly bought and loaded the furniture, roared back home, dumped the furniture in the garage, squealed tires over to the gas station.... and put one... *one* dollar of gas in.

Yup. Home Depot was happy with the gas receipt. 
Not a big deal, I probably only used $5-6 worth of gas anyway. Still...


Usually, though, either the company doesn't even check the gas gauge, or they have someone pop their head in to see if the gauge is showing full or not... and that's it.



Thumper_Man said:


> Ill write a complaint to the main office when I get home.



Let us know how that goes.



Thumper_Man said:


> The reason this really ticked us off was because on the day we picked up the car, there were at least 2 employees we came in contact with that could've informed us about this.  Neither one did.  And even more, when I offered to bring up the transaction on my phone and show it to the person checking us in and he said no.



Yeah, that's not right. Someone should've told you... and at the very least, since you had a "receipt", that should've been enough.



Thumper_Man said:


> ¿Que Paso Vato?



Google translated that to "Happened dude?".



Thumper_Man said:


> Ok, I didnt really say that.  Im sure I wouldve been dragged off the shuttle and detained against my own free will.  Even if I willed it, I would still be detained.



Why? Is it a slur? Or would they assume you were an illegal immigrant? 



Thumper_Man said:


> Anyone in a car wasnt so lucky.  They had to stop, be strip searched, tires taken off the cars, trunks inspected and then submitted to a full body scan.



Ouch!



Thumper_Man said:


> This must be density.



heh. Learning from the school of Nebo, are we? 



Thumper_Man said:


> Theres a TSA agent standing by the escalator making sure no one is trying to run up the escalator.  You know what all of us tried to do as kids.  Come on everyone, you know you tried this at least once as a kid. I bet some adults have even tried it.



guilty.



Thumper_Man said:


> Said give them 5-10 minutes to make me a new one.  10 minutes passes, no pizza.  Another 5-10 minutes passes by and still no pizza.  I go back up to the counter and try to get someones attention.  I finally get noticed and I get the usual apology, were having a problem blah blah blah problem and it will be a few more minutes.  Another 5-10 minutes passes by and I finally get my pizza.



 Why can't they just admit that they forgot? Always gotta have some lame excuse. "Oh, sorry, our oven just broke. But we got it fixed now, just for you! _You_ should be thanking _me_!"

"Uh, huh. What about the thirty other people who've gotten their food while I was waiting?"

"Ummm.... next!"



Thumper_Man said:


> Cool, were headed to Hawaii.  I dont have any money left, a room or clothes; but I can pretend Im a castaway and sleep on the beach.  Who cares Ill be in Hawaii.







Thumper_Man said:


> Nows a good time to pay attention to the safety procedures the flight attendants point out to you.  Put your oxygen mask on first. Forget about the kids until you have yours on, then pick to save the one with the most potential.  Dont worry if granny is struggling shes already lived a full life, and on and on.  I think the most important one to pay attention to here is about the flotation device under the seat.



 That's pretty much it, in a nutshell.



Thumper_Man said:


> Maybe we really are going to Hawaii.  Or not.  The pilots make a left turn and were now flying up the coastline.



So were you disappointed... or relieved?



Thumper_Man said:


> I continue to take pictures and soon I realize where we are at.  I had to go back and find this specific post, but our good friend Ponzi couldnt be further from the truth when he posted this.
> 
> Ponzi really hit the nail with his head on this one.



So.... It doesn't matter, but... First you say I couldn't be further from the truth, then you say I "really hit the nail with [my] head". So which is it?

But like I said... it doesn't matter.

*Gotcha!!!*

and I quote, "but our *good friend Ponzi*...

They like me! They really, really like me!



Thumper_Man said:


> I cropped the photo to bring it in a little closer and pointed out a few things that really stand out.



How'd you feel about seeing it again?



Thumper_Man said:


> We call our Chauffeur (aka DMIL).  She picks us up and Miss Daisy moves to the back seat.  Some how Im stuck driving again.



Yup. I hear ya.



Thumper_Man said:


> What can I say, one can never get enough Disney.







Thumper_Man said:


> Well my friends and fellow Disers, this concludes our adventure of Thumping Our Way Through Disneyland.  We are happy to say we will be returning to DLR this year and cant wait.  We have a few Dis meets in the works, but always welcome more.  We hope you have all enjoyed this TR as much as we have enjoyed telling it.  Well post one final chapter for some final thoughts and words.  Post the remaining links to our pictures and comment on any comments.  Please stick around with us just a while longer before we pull the plug.



Excellent TR, Bunnies!


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> uhhhh... congratulations?



Why Thank You!  I think. 



pkondz said:


> So now you know the secret.
> 
> Next time you start a TR... make sure you quit your jobs first.
> 
> 
> What?



Actually that is a good idea.  What's an even better idea, we can do it from your house.  Seeing as we'll be without jobs, a house and all.  

What?  It was your suggestion to quit our jobs.  



pkondz said:


> Oh, stop it. It's been doing just fine.











pkondz said:


> Heh. Sounds like you're prepping for an assault on enemy territory.



We knew what we were in for from our recon mission earlier.  



pkondz said:


> do lang do lang do lang



Lady H started singing "He's so fine.  Wish he were mine."  

Hey wait a minute!  Was she referring to me or you seeing as you're the one that posted this?  She said she had a meeting today, but didn't say where.  



pkondz said:


> Although, I do like the Monorail between MK & Epcot. I sure wish they could (or would) connect all the parks with the monorail.



I wish they would just fix the current monorails so they run properly.  You know, replace the hamsters.  The ones in there are getting old and worn out.  From all the reports I've read about them breaking down lately, seems they could use new ones.  Back in 2010, I experienced this first hand.  I was stuck on the monorail for about 30 minutes.  



pkondz said:


> "Hasenpfeffer? Hasenpfeffer... Hasenpfeffer? Hasenpfeffer!" Repeat at least 26 times a day.
> 
> At least.



Not sure what you're trying to say here.  

Rabbit Stew?
Bugs Bunny?
Laverne and Shirley?



pkondz said:


> Oh, good. Did you have to wait?



Nah.  We did what any normal rude tourist would do.  Elbowed our way in. 




pkondz said:


> Ummm.... Parts fell off during the thawing process??









pkondz said:


> No surprise, really. I avoid IASW like the plague, too.



We'll do it every other, other trip.  Maybe see if we give it a whirl this next trip.  



pkondz said:


> It wasn't displayed on the castle in DL?



Nope.  And we wondered why as well.  I wonder if because the castle is pink and IASW is white has anything to do with it?  They do the show on the castle at MK which is almost mostly white.  Graphics come out better maybe?  



pkondz said:


> What? How dare you enjoy yourselves at our expense?



At your expense?  Funny.  I haven't received the check in the mail yet.  



pkondz said:


>









pkondz said:


> Yeah! Who do they think they are, anyway?
> 
> sheesh.



I know right?  Although next trip, we might stake out some real estate a little closer.  This way I don't get the "kids on the shoulder" pic again.



pkondz said:


> Actually... yes it does!



I WILL BE RIDING THIS IN THE DARK NEXT TRIP.  IF IT'S THE LAST THING I DO.  

Which it might be if Lady H gets her way.



pkondz said:


> Bob. Call it Bob. Bob's a good solid name.



Bob it is.



pkondz said:


> I could suggest a few places... but I don't wanna be morbid.



We've driven through Death Valley during summer.  Glad our rental car didn't die.  



pkondz said:


> And that's where I'm calling it a day.



You mean you're calling it a Bob.



pkondz said:


> Thanks for the chapter, Mike! And all the pics!



Thanks Pkondz.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> Actually that is a good idea.  What's an even better idea, we can do it from your house.  Seeing as we'll be without jobs, a house and all.



Sure, c'mon up. As long as you don't mind sleeping on the floor. We only have 1 spare couch, and I'm betting Mrs. T ain't gonna give it up for you.



Thumper_Man said:


> What?  It was your suggestion to quit our jobs.



What, "what"? I said c'mon up.



Thumper_Man said:


> Hey wait a minute!  Was she referring to me or you seeing as you're the one that posted this?  She said she had a meeting today, but didn't say where.



I wouldn't know. But I can't talk right now, I've got a meeting I need to get to.



Thumper_Man said:


> Not sure what you're trying to say here.
> 
> Rabbit Stew?
> Bugs Bunny?
> Laverne and Shirley?



Bugs Bunny... although I couldn't find the exact scene I was looking for.



Thumper_Man said:


> At your expense?  Funny.  I haven't received the check in the mail yet.



While we were in Europe, a group of Czech tourists had a terrible tragedy befall them. While they were visiting the zoo, a youngster fell into the bear cage where he was promptly eaten by one of the bears. A zoo worker immediately took a tranq gun and, ignoring the female with the cubs, shot the male in order to retrieve the body. When asked how he knew which bear it was, he shrugged and replied, "The Czech's always in the male."


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> Bugs Bunny... although I couldn't find the exact scene I was looking for.



I just changed the video for Rabbit Stew, but I think I know what Bugs Bunny one you meant.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> I just changed the video for Rabbit Stew, but I think I know what Bugs Bunny one you meant.



This one
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/82297211/


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> This one
> http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/82297211/



Yup.  That be the one.  Found it on Youtube last night.


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> That's always true isn't it?
> I think it's like a Band-Aid... You just want the pain to be over with quickly.



Yeah, until you rip the band-off along with the stitches and..............

Right, family board.  



pkondz said:


> I hate that. Everybody does, I think.



For once I'll agree with you.  Don't let it happen again.



pkondz said:


> You're like me. I'd rather leave too early then stress about traffic. I may be at the airport for a while longer... but at least I can relax.



This is our thinking.  Gives us time to get through security.  Grab a snack and drink for the plane ride.  Especially on flights that only take a little over an hour.  You know all you're going to get is one drink and that's it.  And just as they bring it to you, they tell you.  Hurry up and finish, we're descending now.  And I'm not making this up.  Coming back from Vegas this past April.  Lady H and I ordered a beer.  Getting into a rough patch of weather.  Flights attendants just brought us our beer when they said "I know we just brought them to you, but you need to finish those quickly as we've been ordered to take our seats."  Good thing we had lots of practice in Vegas.




pkondz said:


> That struck me as funny. "Well, dear. There's a beautiful view, a gorgeous sunset, wonderful company, a fantastic vista of... what? No beer?.... I'm going to bed."



That's pretty much what happened. I took the beautiful view and good company with me to bed though.  And by that time, there was no sunset.  Obviously you weren't paying attention.



pkondz said:


> I've only encountered this at one place... and I've rented from several different companies. That one time was... odd. I needed to "rent" the Home Depot van to move some lumber from their store. I was told to fill it up and as long as I had a gas receipt, even a couple of bucks, I'd be good. So I did. And it was.



I wonder if our Home Depot does that here?  I know they rent the truck, but I don't know their policy about filling up the tank.  Not that I really need it seeing I own a truck.  Yes, own.  As in its paid for.  It's all mine and no longer tied, chained or even cemented to the bank.



pkondz said:


> A few years later, I needed to bring home a bunch of patio furniture from Costco. A light bulb goes off. I had to get a bit of lumber, so... I bought the lumber, zoomed home, unloaded the van, screamed over to Costco (about 20 minutes away), quickly bought and loaded the furniture, roared back home, dumped the furniture in the garage, squealed tires over to the gas station.... and put one... *one* dollar of gas in.



I can picture Ponzi running like a mad man: 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			
		
		
	


	







pkondz said:


> Usually, though, either the company doesn't even check the gas gauge, or they have someone pop their head in to see if the gauge is showing full or not... and that's it.



Well that's one of the things that made us so mad as well.  He looked at the gas gauge and saw it was full.  It may have been full of water, but it was still full.



pkondz said:


> Let us know how that goes.



I already did.  Keep reading.  I posted it somewhere on the Dis.  Heck, maybe even in this TR.



pkondz said:


> Yeah, that's not right. Someone should've told you... and at the very least, since you had a "receipt", that should've been enough.



Needless to say, *IF* I ever rent from them again, I'll make sure and get a receipt.  Lesson learned.



pkondz said:


> Google translated that to "Happened dude?".



That's pretty close.  



pkondz said:


> Why? Is it a slur?



When people say it here in New Mexico, it means "What's happening dude?"  So it's kind of a slur, but not really.  If that makes any sense.  

If you were to travel to Mexico and use this same phrase there, they would probably look at you funny.  



pkondz said:


> Or would they assume you were an illegal immigrant?



Ok.  First off, let me say I'm not being disrespectful to the spanish minorities here.  After all, I fall into that category.  

Now that we have gotten the legal information out of the way and pleased the lawyers, I'll do my best to explain.  

That is not the phrase citizens from Mexico commonly use.  As you know, citizens from Mexico are the most common immigrants in the Southwestern part of the USA.  I cannot post the phrase (here on the Dis) they commonly use.  If you were to Google and translate the phrase, then it's not the friendliest of phrases; but to the Mexican citizens, it has a different meaning.  I don't know if other countries like Colombia, Cuba and those types of places use this phrase, but there are plenty of Mexican immigrants here in New Mexico that you hear it quite often.  

To answer your question, in the Southwestern part of the US, they probably wouldn't think I was an illegal immigrant.  Just some idiotic US Citizen that needs to learn to speak spanish.  In other parts of the US, they might.  



pkondz said:


> heh. Learning from the school of Nebo, are we?



Actually no.  There was a movie reference here.  

Density



pkondz said:


> guilty.



Lock him up and throw away the key. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	






pkondz said:


> Why can't they just admit that they forgot? Always gotta have some lame excuse. "Oh, sorry, our oven just broke. But we got it fixed now, just for you! _You_ should be thanking _me_!"
> 
> "Uh, huh. What about the thirty other people who've gotten their food while I was waiting?"
> 
> "Ummm.... next!"



Now that I think about it, this is actually what happened.  You are stalking us, aren't you?



pkondz said:


> So were you disappointed... or relieved?



I was disappointed. Turns out I would've at least had clothes to change into.  



pkondz said:


> So.... It doesn't matter, but... First you say I couldn't be further from the truth, then you say I "really hit the nail with [my] head". So which is it?



Umm, both?  Oh wait.  It was supposed to be "Ponzi really hit the nail on the head with his hammer on this one."  Better?    Geez.



pkondz said:


> and I quote, "but our *good friend Ponzi*...
> 
> They like me! They really, really like me!



And the oscar goes to, PONZI.



pkondz said:


> How'd you feel about seeing it again?



Seeing it again?  It's not October yet?  How could we have seen it again?   Unless you're referring to the time we saw DL waaaaayyyyyyyyy back in the days.  In which case, it was truly wonderful.

Oh you mean the picture. Memory



pkondz said:


> Excellent TR, Bunnies!



Thanks again Ponzi.  Think we can get ready to officially end this once and for all now.  I'll wait until tomorrow for any more final comments before we bid you all one final farewell.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> For once I'll agree with you.  Don't let it happen again.



It was a one shot deal.



Thumper_Man said:


> Especially on flights that only take a little over an hour.  You know all you're going to get is one drink and that's it.  And just as they bring it to you, they tell you.  Hurry up and finish, we're descending now.



Yup. Been there, chugged that.



Thumper_Man said:


> That's pretty much what happened. I took the beautiful view and good company with me to bed though.  And by that time, there was no sunset.  Obviously you weren't paying attention.



Didn't notice that shadow in the corner, huh?



Thumper_Man said:


> I can picture Ponzi running like a mad man:



That's pretty much it.



Thumper_Man said:


> I already did.  Keep reading.  I posted it somewhere on the Dis.  Heck, maybe even in this TR.



Whoops!  Yup. Just missed it somehow.



Thumper_Man said:


> Actually no.  There was a movie reference here.
> 
> Density



I didn`t even have to click the link to know exactly which movie you were referring to.



Thumper_Man said:


> Now that I think about it, this is actually what happened.  You are stalking us, aren't you?



Yep. But you scared me off. Now we just have clandestine meetings.



Thumper_Man said:


> And the oscar goes to, PONZI.



Ya know, I actually watched the Oscars when Sally Field said her famous acceptance speech. Third best Oscar speech I`ve ever heard.



Thumper_Man said:


> Thanks again Ponzi.  Think we can get ready to officially end this once and for all now.  I'll wait until tomorrow for any more final comments before we bid you all one final farewell.



And thanks again for the TR Thumpies!


----------



## Thumper_Man

Well this is it.  It's been a long time coming, but I can't believe its finally over myself.  I know we say it often, but Lady H and I want to say one last big THANK YOU for sticking around with us. 

 
We may sound like broken records, but we know it was a long drawn out process and we finally made it all the way through.  As Lady H stated earlier, it was fun living out the adventure again through this TR and sharing it with you all.  You have helped us recall and relive so many wonderful memories on our first trip together to DLR and our first ever TR.   

Even though a certain individual categorized us as WDW fans (I won't mention Nebo's name) I would have to say the opposite is true. We are fans of Disney that just so happen to have visited WDW more times than we have DLR.    Now that we have discovered that DLR is cheaper for us to go to, we may visit more often.  Vegas used to be our yearly trip, but since DLR costs more or less the same, we may be alternating every year now.  

We truly love both WDW and DLR though, and will continue to visit each as much as possible.  Our next visit being to DLR, as you all know by now, is only a little more than a month away.  Hopefully accompanied by 2 members of this TR.  Since it took us so long to do this TR, I doubt we'll do one for the next trip; but you never know, we may surprise you.

We probably wont make it back to Orlando until 2015.  We actually enjoy all the theme parks in the Orlando area and are waiting for the WWoHP expansion to be opened.  We've learned never to compare any theme park to each other.  You will not enjoy them and not have a good time, but here's hoping we can get back to Orlando soon.  

If anyone has ever pondered a trip to DLR, I would say you have to try it at least once.  I often read from those that frequent WDW, DLR doesnt even begin to compare to WDW.  Then you have the DLR folks defending their parks.  Its almost as much as a constant battle and comparison these days as it is to compare WDW to Universal Orlando.  Sure DLR is not WDW, but DLR is unique in its own way.  When we started this TR, I said I would not try to compare WDW to DLR.  Obviously I did eventually compare them a little.  We even found ourselves comparing DLR to WDW when we went back to WDW 3-months later.  Overall there are things we like and dislike about both places, many which we've discussed.  My favorite thing about DLR is still how close everything is to each other.  

I hope you're not tired of hearing it but Thank You to Smidgy, mmeb144, orangecats2, Queenbetsy, DWheatl, MAGICFOR2, Mom&RN, Nowellsl, Backstage_Gal (I know I'm missing several people here).  Thanks for the helping keep this TR alive.  At times it seems like this TR would be dead in the water.  You gave us that extra push we needed to keep going and get back on track. Also Thanks to Pkondz for all his humorous breakdowns.  I hope the mental hospital sees it fit to send him home one of these days.  Although with 2 teenage daughters at home, he'd probably wind up going more crazy at home.

For anyone that I may have missed and for the new followers that joined us; Thank You once again for also helping keep this TR alive and for the wonderful contributions you have made to this TR as well.  As Nebo once stated, its the wonderful group effort that makes or breaks a TR.  This TR has over 1,000 posts (of course almost 1/3 of those are from me alone) and over 100K views.  I would say that makes for a pretty successful TR.  Could also be because we worked on it for a little over year now.  

And of course, how can we forget Nebo.  A special Thank You goes out to him. He was the one that pushed us into doing a TR in the first place.  We may never be as good as he is, but we gave it our best shot.  We hope he's proud of our TR; and if he's not, oh well it's too late now. It will forever be in Disboards history.  Just can't help but wonder if he enjoyed it, or if he got bored with it and we lost him half way through.  Somewhere down the yellow brick road, he stopped posting.  

Come to think about it, we lost DSis down the yellow brick road to.  She either got tired of waiting for us, she got bored or both.  I'll give her a hard time later.

There is one more special shout out and personal Thank You I would personally like to give.  

To my wonderful co-writer, bestest friend in the whole wide world, my traveling buddy and the one person whom I truly TRULY love: my lovely wife Heather.  She could've very easily have let me tackle this on my own.  After all, I'm the one that committed to writing it.  She was gracious enough to tackle this challenge along with me.  I owe her a debt of gratitude.  Hopefully as payment shell settle for some beers from our new favorite DCA bar; and a lifetime of hugs and kisses.  Thank you Lady H for all your contributions and the work you put into this TR.  I truly appreciate it.  



Well I guess this is it my wonderful friends.  In true T_Man fashion, I would leave you with a song T_Man style.  There will be a song, but not in T_Man style.  Instead its a song that Lady H and I want to leave you with.  This song says exactly what we want to say and I don't want to change the words.  We have made such wonderful friends here on the Dis and we want each of you to know, 

A Lifetime Is Not Too Long, To Live As Friends.

Take Care and God Bless!




FRIENDS ARE FRIENDS FOREVER!
(A song by: Michael W. Smith)


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> Even though a certain individual categorized us as WDW fans (I wont mention Nebos name)



That's good of you.



Thumper_Man said:


> My favorite thing about DLR is still how close everything is to each other.



That struck a chord. Was just saying how it'd be nice if WDW could connect all the parks via monorail. Here they don't have to.



Thumper_Man said:


> Also Thanks to Pkondz for all his humorous breakdowns.



It was my pleasure.



Thumper_Man said:


> I hope the mental hospital sees it fit to send him home one of these days.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8KdtJOCzOU



Thumper_Man said:


> Although with 2 teenage daughters at home, hed probably wind up going more crazy at home.



Oh GAWD! You have _no_ idea.... 

Thanks again for the TR guys!


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

Thumper_Man said:


> Well this is it.  Its been a long time coming, but I cant believe its finally over myself.  I know we say it often, but Lady H and I want to say one last big THANK YOU for sticking around with us.  We may sound like broken records, but we know it was a long drawn out process and we finally made it all the way through.  As Lady H stated earlier, it was fun living out the adventure again through this TR and sharing it with you all.  You have helped us recall and relive so many wonderful memories on our first ever TR.
> 
> Even though a certain individual categorized us as WDW fans (I wont mention Nebos name) I would have to say the opposite is true. We are fans of Disney that just so happen to have visited WDW more times than we have DLR.    Now that we have discovered that DLR is cheaper for us to go to, we may visit more often.  Vegas used to be our yearly trip, but since DLR costs more or less the same, we may be alternating every year now.
> 
> We truly love both WDW and DLR though, and will continue to visit each as much as possible.  Our next visit being to DLR, as you all know by now, is only a little more than a month away.  Hopefully accompanied by 2 members of this TR.  Since it took us so long to do this TR, I doubt we'll do one for the next trip.
> 
> We probably wont make it back to Orlando until 2015.  We actually enjoy all the theme parks in the Orlando area and are waiting for the WWoHP expansion to be opened.  Weve learned never to compare any theme park to each other.  You will not enjoy them and not have a good time, but heres hoping we can get back to Orlando soon.
> 
> If anyone has ever pondered a trip to DLR, I would say you have to try it at least once.  I often read from those that frequent WDW, DLR doesnt even begin to compare to WDW.  Then you have the DLR folks defending their parks.  Its almost as much as a constant battle and comparison these days as it is to compare WDW to Universal Orlando.  Sure DLR is not WDW, but DLR is unique in its own way.  When we started this TR, I said I would not try to compare WDW to DLR.  Obviously I did eventually compare them a little.  We even found ourselves comparing DLR to WDW when we went back to WDW 3-months later.  Overall there are things we like and dislike about both places, many which weve discussed.  My favorite thing about DLR is still how close everything is to each other.
> 
> I hope youre not tired of hearing it but Thank You to Smidgy, mmeb144, orangecats2, Queenbetsy, DWheatl, MAGICFOR2, Mom&RN, Nowellsl, Backstage_Gal (I know Im missing several people here).  Thanks for the helping keep this TR alive.  At times it seems like this TR would be dead in the water.  You gave us that extra push we needed to keep going and get back on track. Also Thanks to Pkondz for all his humorous breakdowns.  I hope the mental hospital sees it fit to send him home one of these days.  Although with 2 teenage daughters at home, hed probably wind up going more crazy at home.
> 
> For anyone that I may have missed and for the new followers that joined us; Thank You once again for also helping keep this TR alive and for the wonderful contributions you have made to this TR as well.  As Nebo once stated, its the wonderful group effort that makes or breaks a TR.  This TR has over 1,000 posts (of course almost S of those are from me alone) and over 100K views.  I would say that makes for a pretty successful TR.  Could also be because we worked on it for a little over year now.
> 
> And of course, how can we forget Nebo.  A special Thank You goes out to him. He was the one that pushed us into doing a TR in the first place.  We may never be as good as he is, but we gave it our best shot.  We hope hes proud of our TR; and if hes not, oh well its too late now. It will forever be in Disboards history.  Just cant help but wonder if he enjoyed it, or if he got bored with it and we lost him half way through.  Somewhere down the yellow brick road, he stopped posting.
> 
> Come to think about it, we lost DSis down the yellow brick road to.  She either got tired of waiting for us, she got bored or both.  Ill give her a hard time later.
> 
> There is one more special shout out and personal Thank You I would personally like to give.
> 
> To my wonderful co-writer, bestest friend in the whole wide world, my traveling buddy and the one person whom I truly TRULY love: my lovely wife Heather.  She couldve very easily have let me tackle this on my own.  After all, Im the one that committed to writing it.  She was gracious enough to tackle this challenge along with me.  I owe her a debt of gratitude.  Hopefully as payment shell settle for some beers from our new favorite DCA bar; and a lifetime of hugs and kisses.  Thank you Lady H for all your contributions and the work you put into this TR.  I truly appreciate it.
> 
> Well I guess this is it my wonderful friends.  In true T_Man fashion, I would leave you with a song T_Man style.  There will be a song, but not in T_Man style.  Instead its a song that Lady H and I want to leave you with.  This song says exactly what we want to say and I dont want to change the words.  We have made such wonderful friends here on the Dis and we want each of you to know,
> 
> A Lifetime Is Not Too Long, To Live As Friends.
> 
> Take Care and God Bless!
> 
> FRIENDS ARE FRIENDS FOREVER!
> (A song by: Michael W. Smith)



Wow...we are a sentimental bunch aren't we? That song almost made me cry...I'm at work! I can't cry at work!  Oh what the heck...

 

On a lighter note, great job wrapping it up honey. I agree completely. This TR wouldn't have been what it was without the support from everyone involved. We loved having you along for the adventure, and maybe...just maybe...if our arms are twisted in just the right way, and a little chocolate and wine are involved, we may decided to do another one after this next trip. 

*knock knock knock* Hello? Anyone? Prac! I think I chased them all away after that... Oh well...It was great fun everyone. Now we can catch up on everyone else's TR and see what grand adventures we are whisked away to as we await our own. 

So from us, to you...


----------



## jedijill

I'm another one that loved this report and is so sad it is over!  Thanks for the memories guys!

Jill in CO


----------



## mmeb144

What?! It's over?  No way!  Really enjoyed your adventures.  Assuming that you have an interesting trip at DLR next month, you should do another trip report.  I love your writing style and all the pics.  Sorta felt like I was with you, without the heat and drinks.  Maybe I should go get a little something something now...


----------



## smidgy

I loved the report, learned so much, and had a lot of fun.  sorry nebo has been vacant from the computer.  his multiple problems have made it dificult and also made  for a not very happy nebo. 
  you 2 are the best!!! thaks for shairing with us!!


----------



## nowellsl

Great team reporting   I forgot you guys are going back soon .... you are going to write another report, right???  Please let us all know when you start!  We'll be waiting


----------



## orangecats2

Yay!!! I got a mention!!! 

You should definitely do another TR for DLR. It looks like Nebo won't be up to it. Plus you two would tell the real story.


----------



## nebo

pkondz said:


> , "The Czech's always in the male."



*What?????????
'  After allmost a month's hiatus from the confuser,,, or should that be hiatal,,,,hmm,,, no, that's a hernia, right?
Can I have both?  huh, huh, can I can I?  Crap, I had everything elsse go bad lately, might as will throw in a 
\hiatal hernia as well.  
   So,,, it's clever lines like this that I've been missing out on, oy vey. 

Mike, I didn[t abandon you,  I abandoned the computer,,, I just couldn't even hold a mouse properly wiith this b race on, much less type, and it got really frustrating. Right now I can temporarily take it off for a while to tkype they said,,, but yowza,,   it hurts!
   No, I havent' caught up with your report,, though I did just read your final chapter,,,, and well done my friend,,, well done!

   I shall be talkinggt to you soon, in the meantime,,, let's go terrorize Ponzi. 

neb*


----------



## pkondz

nebo said:


> *
> Can I have both?  huh, huh, can I can I?  Crap, I had everything elsse go bad lately, might as will throw in a
> \hiatal hernia as well. *



Well since you ask so nicely.... yes, you can have a hernia.



nebo said:


> *Mike, I didn[t abandon you,  I abandoned the computer,,, I just couldn't even hold a mouse properly wiith this b race on,*



Is that a b racist comment?


----------



## Thumper_Man

jedijill said:


> I'm another one that loved this report and is so sad it is over!  Thanks for the memories guys!
> 
> Jill in CO



And thanks again for reading along.  MAYBE (and that's a big MAYBE), we'll do it again sometime.


----------



## Thumper_Man

mmeb144 said:


> What?! It's over?  No way!



Hard to believe it myself. 



mmeb144 said:


> Really enjoyed your adventures.



So did we.  

Oh, I guess a thank you is in order here.

Thanks for reading along.



mmeb144 said:


> Assuming that you have an interesting trip at DLR next month, you should do another trip report.



See previous post about MAYBE answer.



mmeb144 said:


> I love your writing style and all the pics.



Ok, you can't give Lady H all the credit.  Well what about me?  I helped to you know.



mmeb144 said:


> Sorta felt like I was with you, without the heat and drinks.



Hopefully we'll be without the heat this next trip.  The drinks on the other hand, will also be in the other hand.  



mmeb144 said:


> Maybe I should go get a little something something now...



Mind grabbing me one to and bringing it to me?


----------



## Thumper_Man

smidgy said:


> I loved the report, learned so much, and had a lot of fun.  sorry nebo has been vacant from the computer.  his multiple problems have made it dificult and also made  for a not very happy nebo.
> you 2 are the best!!! thaks for shairing with us!!



Thanks again for reading along.  No need to apologize for Nebo.  We know what he'd going through at the moment.  

We look forward to making more magical memories with you and Nebo next month.


----------



## Thumper_Man

nowellsl said:


> Great team reporting   I forgot you guys are going back soon .... you are going to write another report, right???  Please let us all know when you start!  We'll be waiting



Thank you.  Although one half of the team is way better than the other half you know.  She has a degree for that type of stuff you know.  IF we ever do another TR, she may get assigned more writing duties.


----------



## Thumper_Man

orangecats2 said:


> Yay!!! I got a mention!!!
> 
> You should definitely do another TR for DLR. It looks like Nebo won't be up to it. Plus you two would tell the real story.



You know how hard it was to right this one?  And obviously you saw how long it took.    One thing we did learn from this TR, we need to take WAY BETTER notes.  

Plus Nebo tells the real story.  At least the way he remembers it.  To him that's real.  I don't have the heart to tell him that's not exactly what happened. 

Yeah, right, who am I kidding.  I can't wait to pounce and embarrass, I mean, praise Nebo.


----------



## Thumper_Man

nebo said:


> *What?????????*



What, What????? 



nebo said:


> *After allmost a month's hiatus from the confuser,,, *





nebo said:


> *Mike, I didn[t abandon you,  I abandoned the computer,,*



A month.  Try more like 5 months.  Last post we saw from you was back towards the end of March.  You abandoned us llllllooooooonnnnnnggggg before you abandoned the confuser.  

Sure you had a trip to WDW in April.  Since you never posted when you got back, I was beginning to think Smidgy left you there.  Until you revived your TR.  That's when I knew for sure you didn't love us anymore. 

 

Hey someone has to give you a hard time.  If I don't who will?  Besides Lady H, Ponzi, Smidgy and everyone else.  You know we do it because we really like you and missed you.



nebo said:


> *I just couldn't even hold a mouse properly wiith this b race on, much less type, and it got really frustrating.*



So what's your excuse before the accident?  



nebo said:


> *Right now I can temporarily take it off for a while to tkype they said,,, but yowza,,   it hurts!*



I can only imagine.



nebo said:


> *No, I havent' caught up with your report,, though I did just read your final chapter,,,, and well done my friend,,, well done!*



You know, a lot of people really enjoyed the middle as well.  Just saying.  Thanks though, wait until the next one with our trip.



nebo said:


> *I shall be talkinggt to you soon, in the meantime,,,*



Good to see you back on the computer.  Looking forward to your call.



nebo said:


> *let's go terrorize Ponzi.
> 
> neb*



You go ahead and terrorize Ponzi.  He scares me now.  He was ready to sentence me to death penalty over on his TR.

 

And he says he's afraid of me. Now that's the funniest thing I've ever heard.


----------



## bankr63

Thanks for the good times TM and TMW.  I think DLR will have to be in the cards somewhere in our future.  See if I can get an exchange into your resort.

Sorry I missed the tail end here.  Have been away for a couple of weeks as we communed with nature in Ontario and Upper NYS.  Back to work for me and school for the kids today.  

I'm sure hoping you'll be returning the chapter breakdown favor to Ponzi over on his TR; heading over now to catch up there!


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> You go ahead and terrorize Ponzi.  He scares me now.  He was ready to sentence me to death penalty over on his TR.
> 
> 
> 
> And he says he's afraid of me. Now that's the funniest thing I've ever heard.



Of course I'm afraid. You said you'd quit reading!!!

To a writer (of a TR) that's a fate worse then death.


Your TR's winding down, so I can't even make the same threat!



bankr63 said:


> I'm sure hoping you'll be returning the chapter breakdown favor to Ponzi over on his TR; heading over now to catch up there!



Mrs. T did an amazing job... go check for yourself, you'll see!


----------



## buzz1121

Woo-hoo! I got to post before the TR closed. 

Now, I have a little Thumper reading to do! I know it will be great!

I'll do better next TR!


----------



## Thumper_Man

buzz1121 said:


> Woo-hoo! I got to post before the TR closed.
> 
> Now, I have a little Thumper reading to do! I know it will be great!
> 
> I'll do better next TR!



Yes.  You got in just in time as I just now contacted the moderators to close this thread.  No telling how much longer it will remain open now.

I certainly hope you do better the next TR.  

Thanks again everyone.  It's been fun.  Maybe we'll do it again sometime soon.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Upon conversing back and forth through PM's with the moderators, it's been brought to my attention by the mods that unlike the WDW Trip Reports, there's a little more leeway over here and it's not required to close a TR once it has been completed.  This thread does not have to close until it gets to page 250.  You all need to get busy as we're only on page 74.  We have a long way to go.   

Now the next questions are , do I want to start a new TR thread for our upcoming trip? or just continue here?  Such decisions are hard to make.  

That's IF we decide to do a TR of course.  We're still deciding on whether we want to or not.  We'll make the final decision after we get back.  If we don't do a full TR, maybe we'll post a few chapters here and focus on the highlights of our upcoming trip.


----------



## Worfiedoodles

Thumper_Man said:


> Upon conversing back and forth through PM's with the moderators, it's been brought to my attention by the mods that unlike the WDW Trip Reports, there's a little more leeway over here and it's not required to close a TR once it has been completed.  This thread does not have to close until it gets to page 250.  You all need to get busy as we're only on page 74.  We have a long way to go.
> 
> Now the next questions are , do I want to start a new TR thread for our upcoming trip? or just continue here?  Such decisions are hard to make.
> 
> That's IF we decide to do a TR of course.  We're still deciding on whether we want to or not.  We'll make the final decision after we get back.  If we don't do a full TR, maybe we'll post a few chapters here and focus on the highlights of our upcoming trip.



I really enjoyed this TR, and I hope you will do another one, or at least highlghts! I know it is a lot of work -- please know it is greatly appreciated and enjoyed by plenty of people like me, who generally just avidly lurk! 

Maria


----------



## jedijill

Of course you should do a new TR!    If you do start a new thread, please post a link here. 

Jill in CO


----------



## smidgy

you SHOULD do a TR!   I'm guessing Nebo probably won't. so hopefully neob and add in some things here and there , or I could too, but everyone can hear all about our aventures together!


----------



## Thumper_Man

Worfiedoodles said:


> I really enjoyed this TR, and I hope you will do another one, or at least highlghts! I know it is a lot of work -- please know it is greatly appreciated and enjoyed by plenty of people like me, who generally just avidly lurk!
> 
> Maria



Glad you enjoyed it and you're right, it is a lot of work.  I wish I could retire, then I would have plenty of time to write TR's.  

Keep on the look out.  You never know when and if it will pop up.


----------



## Thumper_Man

jedijill said:


> Of course you should do a new TR!    If you do start a new thread, please post a link here.
> 
> Jill in CO



We'll see what happens.  No promises though.


----------



## pkondz

You gotta do what's right for you. 
But if you do decide on writing a TR, I'll be there reading along.


----------



## Thumper_Man

smidgy said:


> you SHOULD do a TR!   I'm guessing Nebo probably won't. so hopefully neob and add in some things here and there , or I could too, but everyone can hear all about our aventures together!



Nebo would be so much better at it though.  Especially since this will probably be the one and only time you ever do DLR.  We understand why he can't and if he don't want to, but still.   

I'll let you know our decision in 12 days when we see you at HOJO.  

We will share our adventures though.  Just don't know how much detail we'll get in to.

Nebo fell.  Nebo fell again.  Nebo ran into a wall and fell again.  Nebo missed the step getting into the boat on POTC and fell in the water.   Just kidding.  I don't want to jinx it for him.  He actually did pretty good at WDW while we were hanging out there.


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> You gotta do what's right for you.
> But if you do decide on writing a TR, I'll be there reading along.



Just reading?!  

Forget it then, it would be no fun with you just reading along.  You just blew it for everyone.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> Just reading?!
> 
> Forget it then, it would be no fun with you just reading along.  You just blew it for everyone.



Oh fine. Blame me for your inability to commit. 
(Heather? How'd you get him to do it... Wait. I can't use that method)

Well too bad Bunny boy. You're just gonna have to type and see what happens!

Although.... I just had a thought... 
Of course you won't like it, which of course is just the encouragement I need....


----------



## mmeb144

pkondz said:


> Although.... I just had a thought...
> Of course you won't like it, which of course is just the encouragement I need....



Another photoshop?  Can't wait!


----------



## pkondz

mmeb144 said:


> Another photoshop?  Can't wait!



Hey! What a good idea!

Ladies and germs... The *real* Thumper_Man... (isn't he cute?)


----------



## smidgy

pkondz said:


> Hey! What a good idea!
> 
> Ladies and germs... The *real* Thumper_Man... (isn't he cute?)



it's BUNNY BOY!!!!!


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

pkondz said:


> Hey! What a good idea!
> 
> Ladies and germs... The *real* Thumper_Man... (isn't he cute?)





 

Oh wow! That's good. Too good! I don't even know what picture that was from. Honestly, I don't care. 

Honey...You've been Ponzeriezed! 

Although, Now...I don't think I will be able to look at Thumper the same way again.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

pkondz said:


> Oh fine. Blame me for your inability to commit.
> (Heather? How'd you get him to do it... Wait. I can't use that method)
> 
> Well too bad Bunny boy. You're just gonna have to type and see what happens!



 You think I got him to commit? I think it was the other way around honestly. Although, if he hadn't proposed when he did, I was ready to do it myself. I waited long enough!


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> Although, Now...I don't think I will be able to look at Thumper the same way again.



Why should Smidgy be the only one traumatized? 



Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> You think I got him to commit? I think it was the other way around honestly. Although, if he hadn't proposed when he did, I was ready to do it myself. I waited long enough!



How long was long enough? I might have him beat!


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

pkondz said:


> Why should Smidgy be the only one traumatized?



At least i have someone to share in the trauma with! I guess this was a lot better than Swiss Miss Nebo! 





pkondz said:


> How long was long enough? I might have him beat!



He proposed on our 4 year anniversary.


----------



## Thumper_Man

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> He proposed on our 4 year anniversary.



I may be sleeping in the spare bedroom tonight, but I would like to make a slight correction to this.

I proposed on our 3 year anniversary.

We got together in January 2003. 
I proposed in January 2006.
Engaged for about a year and a half before we got married in August 2007.  

Now aren't all you ladies impressed I remembered all that. 

From the time we got together and got married, it was 4 1/2 years.  We probably could've been married in 2006, but we already had our first WDW trip planned for this year already.  We pushed the wedding back to 2007 so we could save and not be in debt from it.  

Instead we're in debt from our Disney vacations.


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> Hey! What a good idea!
> 
> Ladies and germs... The *real* Thumper_Man... (isn't he cute?)



Going to be like that huh?  

Could've at least used the picture with the shades on.

I may not be as good at photoshop as you, but I do know how to use if fairly well.  Be careful what you post in your TR.  I just might find a picture I can use.  I currently have one at my disposal.  

Hmm.  Now what to do with it?


----------



## smidgy

poor heather.  now ponzi has ruined her sex life, too.

although I have to say bunny boy is a lot better than the coppertone baby nebo!   that one gave me the yuddies!


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> Going to be like that huh?
> 
> Could've at least used the picture with the shades on.
> 
> I may not be as good at photoshop as you, but I do know how to use if fairly well.  Be careful what you post in your TR.  I just might find a picture I can use.  I currently have one at my disposal.



I have no idea what you are talking about. I just found a picture of you and posted it.

What is this 'photoshop' that you refer to?


----------



## Thumper_Man

Well everyone.  Nebo and Smidgy should be on their way to DLR.  Lady H and I don't leave until tomorrow.  Instead of invading Ponzi's TR, I thought we could use this thread to possibly post some live updates.  If we find time from having too much fun that is.  

Talk to you all soon.


----------



## pkondz

I posted over on Nebo's thread, so now I'm coming over here to wish you both a great trip!
I'm sure Heather and Diane will have lots of fun riding Mickey's Not so Fun Wheel of Death together.


Pictures! We want pictures!


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

pkondz said:


> I posted over on Nebo's thread, so now I'm coming over here to wish you both a great trip!
> I'm sure Heather and Diane will have lots of fun riding Mickey's Not so Fun Wheel of Death together.
> 
> 
> Pictures! We want pictures!



I saw your post regarding MNSFWD and hadn't had a chance to reply...but since you posted here too, I'll just say...

 

 



Add in a few DW's in there and that about sums that ride up for me...


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I saw your post regarding MNSFWD and hadn't had a chance to reply...but since you posted here too, I'll just say...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Add in a few DW's in there and that about sums that ride up for me...



 Nebo mentioned that you would be holding his hand to help him on the rides that Smidgy won't go on. 
I replied, "Hey! You'll get to hear her say, "Dumb wife! Dumb wife!""


----------



## Thumper_Man

Well. Nebo is alive and... Well he's alive. Left him and Smidgy about an hour and a half ago. Both are well. We'll be back with them bright and early tomorrow morning.


----------



## mmeb144

Thumper_Man said:


> Well. Nebo is alive and... Well he's alive. Left him and Smidgy about an hour and a half ago. Both are well. We'll be back with them bright and early tomorrow morning.



Details, man!  We need details.  Was he in a wheelchair?  Did he need paper and pencil to scritch out his messages?  All kidding aside, I hope you are all having lots of fun.


----------



## Thumper_Man

mmeb144 said:
			
		

> Details, man!  We need details.  Was he in a wheelchair?  Did he need paper and pencil to scritch out his messages?  All kidding aside, I hope you are all having lots of fun.



No wheel chair. No cast or brace, but still not back to 100%. 

Lady H and I are just relaxing today, but enjoying ourselves. Getting rested for a day in the parks tomorrow. Nebo and Smidgy were headed back to DL tonight.


----------



## MAGICFOR2

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> I saw your post regarding MNSFWD and hadn't had a chance to reply...but since you posted here too, I'll just say...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Add in a few DW's in there and that about sums that ride up for me...



Don't be a DUMB WIFE!  Remember you DO like Roller Coasters!!



pkondz said:


> Nebo mentioned that you would be holding his hand to help him on the rides that Smidgy won't go on.
> I replied, "Hey! You'll get to hear her say, "Dumb wife! Dumb wife!""



Great minds....



Thumper_Man said:


> Well. Nebo is alive and... Well he's alive. Left him and Smidgy about an hour and a half ago. Both are well. We'll be back with them bright and early tomorrow morning.



Glad you are all there safe and sound - well, safe at least!  Have a great time!


----------



## Thumper_Man

You've all seen this photo before, posting it again to see if I learned how to post them here off my phone.





Looks like I got it down.


----------



## queenbetsey

well on October 8th I finally got to meet the thumpers and nebo and smidgy.  It was amazing to finally meet these folks in person.  
I was pretty star struck tho and most of what I said sounded like hamma nummaa yeah but hey these are celebrities right?


----------



## pkondz

queenbetsey said:


> well on October 8th I finally got to meet the thumpers and nebo and smidgy.  It was amazing to finally meet these folks in person.
> I was pretty star struck tho and most of what I said sounded like hamma nummaa yeah but hey these are celebrities right?



Welcome back! Glad to hear the meet happened.

And yup. They are.


Speaking of which....

Welcome back Thumpies!


----------



## Thumper_Man

queenbetsey said:


> well on October 8th I finally got to meet the thumpers and nebo and smidgy.  It was amazing to finally meet these folks in person.
> I was pretty star struck tho and most of what I said sounded like hamma nummaa yeah but hey these are celebrities right?



Yeah, I was pretty star struck myself.  Even though we've met Nebo and Smidgy in the past, it was fun to hang around with them for the week.  

It was great meeting you and Lance as well.  We'll have to do it again some time.


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> Welcome back Thumpies!



I would be lying if I said it's good to be back.  Although in a small way, it's good to be home, I still wish we had more time.  I got the post vacation blues and sitting back at work isn't helping.  

Oh well.  Looking forward to the next trip.  HAWAII.  We hope.


----------



## pkondz

Guess what I got in the mail yesterday?

Well, yeah. 

But I got your postcard/magnet too!
Thanks guys!


----------



## nowellsl

Seems to me between T-man, T-man's wife, Nebo and Smidgy, someone would have started a new trip report by now......  Your fans are waiting


----------



## Thumper_Man

nowellsl said:


> Seems to me between T-man, T-man's wife, Nebo and Smidgy, someone would have started a new trip report by now......  Your fans are waiting



Well Nebo is still struggling a little from his wrist.
Smidgy I don't think will write the whole TR.
T Man's Wife is probably waiting for T Man
and I don't know what T Man's excuse is.  

Might be that him and TMW haven't really been home even after they got back from vacation.  Only after work.  Busy editing and uploading the photos.  Plus T Man will be gone this coming weekend and most of next week.  So that's a good question when someone will get a TR started.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

pkondz said:


> Guess what I got in the mail yesterday?
> 
> Well, yeah.
> 
> But I got your postcard/magnet too!
> Thanks guys!



I'm glad you got it. Better late than never. For some reason this time around, mail was extremely slow for anyone we sent cards to, and there were only a very select few we sent.  But no matter, at least you got it.


----------



## Thumper_Man's Wife

nowellsl said:


> Seems to me between T-man, T-man's wife, Nebo and Smidgy, someone would have started a new trip report by now......  Your fans are waiting





Thumper_Man said:


> Well Nebo is still struggling a little from his wrist.
> Smidgy I don't think will write the whole TR.
> T Man's Wife is probably waiting for T Man
> and I don't know what T Man's excuse is.
> 
> Might be that him and TMW haven't really been home even after they got back from vacation.  Only after work.  Busy editing and uploading the photos.  Plus T Man will be gone this coming weekend and most of next week.  So that's a good question when someone will get a TR started.



I have been pretty MIA lately, due to the demands at work and my exhaustion . We do plan on doing something, but wanted to make sure of a few things before we did: 

1) That people still actually wanted to listen to us ramble on and on about our glorious trip to the Land and how much fun we had  

B) We were still trying to go through all the photos and upload them onto Flickr so we could share the fun. 

and last) Since we got back from vacation, time hasn't really been our best friend. And for some reason, unknown to us, work has been making us work... 

With all that said, we are still planning to get this thing started and hopefully it will be in the very near future. Please stand by...

(insert static noise until it annoys you fully and then switch to different channel.)


----------



## nowellsl

Thumper_Man's Wife said:


> 1) That people still actually wanted to listen to us ramble on and on about our glorious trip to the Land and how much fun we had
> 
> Most definately
> B) We were still trying to go through all the photos and upload them onto Flickr so we could share the fun.
> 
> and last) Since we got back from vacation, time hasn't really been our best friend. And for some reason, unknown to us, work has been making us work...
> 
> I just hate when I have to work at work
> 
> With all that said, we are still planning to get this thing started and hopefully it will be in the very near future. Please stand by...
> 
> Standing by for sure



I would love to hear about the trip, looking forward to it!!


----------



## mmeb144

More please!


----------



## Thumper_Man

Happy Thanksgiving!


----------



## dwheatl

Happy Thanksgiving to you, too!  < Mayflower, get it?


----------



## smidgy

and happy thanksgiving to you !! and happy hannukah to our Jewish pals.


----------



## Thumper_Man

I think most everyone here has found our new TR.  The link has been in our signature for a while now.  

In case you haven't found us yet.  


New TR From The Thumpers.
See Link Below





We Hopped All The Way To Disneyland Just For Some Dis Meets


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> I think most everyone here has found our new TR.  The link has been in our signature for a while now.
> 
> In case you haven't found us yet.
> 
> 
> New TR From The Thumpers.
> See Link Below
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> We Hopped All The Way To Disneyland Just For Some Dis Meets



Nope. Too subtle. I still have no idea where it might be.


----------



## Thumper_Man

pkondz said:


> Nope. Too subtle. I still have no idea where it might be.



I bet if you check under your "User CP" tab, you'll find it there.


----------



## pkondz

Thumper_Man said:


> I bet if you check under your "User CP" tab, you'll find it there.



Well I'll be darned! How did you do that?
Like Magic.


----------



## mikamah

Wow, 34 chapters and recipes!!  Whoo hoo!! I've hit the jackpot!!  Better make the kids bed so I can relax and get lost in Disneyland dreaming!!


----------



## JagQT

When you describe a roller coaster step by step, it sounds death defying. If I had been there...the scariest part of that day would have been the 45 minute wait for Toy Story.


----------



## Thumper_Man

JagQT said:


> When you describe a roller coaster step by step, it sounds death defying. If I had been there...the scariest part of that day would have been the 45 minute wait for Toy Story.



Well hey there little sister.  Welcome back.  Well not so much little sister as younger sister I guess.  

You would love Cal Screaming.  It's not Hulk, but it's a fun coaster.  We'll have to plan a trip one of these days.  Take you to see the other side of Disney.  

Once you're done with this TR, come on over to the other TR.   We Hopped All The Way To Disneyland Just For Some Dis Meets.  We're way behind on this report so you should be able to catch up fairly quick.  This is the trip where we met Smidgy and Nebo at DL.


----------

