Trip Reports

Beth's Chunky Trip Report - Assorted ramblings about our trip July 11 - 22, 1997.

Background Stuff:

The Floro Family consists of:

one long-winded Mom (Beth),
one long-suffering Dad a/k/a The Mr. (A),
one long-legged 14.5 year old son (C),
one long-haired 9.5 year old daughter (E).
The Cat That Wasn't There
This is our fifth family trip since '92, our longest stay, and our first trip in the summer. [I had 6 days alone at WDW in March.] We've looked forward to this trip for many months, as a special get-away after a few years of personal tragedies. We purposefully chose the middle of the summer to go south (we have always gone in February) as The Mr.'s job occasionally provides the opportunity to move, and we wanted to check out FL at its "worst". We figured if we couldn't stand our *favorite* place in July... ;-)

I have arthritis, and can't walk or stand for a long time. We rented a scooter from a local Orlando company (Care Medical http://www.caremed.org/) for the length of our stay. We also rented a big ol' Caddy-ac (from National) with a trunk that could hold the scooter.

Rather than a day-by-day or ride-by-ride report, this one will be in "chunks" of topics. It also will be mostly thoughts and story telling rather than information, so if you're looking for just the facts, Ma'am, you'll do better elsewhere. I'll put a little index at the beginning of each post so you can scan and delete a little faster.

E-mail is welcome if you don't expect a *speedy* answer, and you may quote stuff on your websites (God only knows why you'd want to!) if you please let me know you are planning to do so. This lets me both stroke my ego *and* fix most of the typos.

Stuff I forgot to pack:

Everybody's *name and phone number*. Can you believe that? All the folks who were going to be down there when we were, my TZToT buddy Brian P., and even Gardenia her own self! <dope slap to forehead> So, no RADP meets occurred "officially". Well, I told y'all where *we'd* be, and nobody called us either, so no hard feelings?

Could have used more:

sunblock (so much cheaper at home)
band-aids
anti-histamines & decongestants
clothes pins (for hanging wet ponchos & clothes all over)
luggage tags for the extra take-home baggage we *did* bring
squished coin & Hidden Mickey lists
Not worth dragging down:

sports bottles with a freezable center (they didn't freeze for long, you couldn't easily fill them with ice, they were hard to stir, and once they were warm, nobody wanted the drink)
pre-measured juice mixes for the bottles (again, nobody wanted to drink the stuff if it wasn't ice cold)
small squirt-bottle fans (too much bother - easier to dunk yourself in a fountain)
a bandana-thingie w/freezable insert (once it warmed, you were stuck lugging it)
Stuff I'm glad we brought:

prescription sleeping pills
pkgs of "Shout" laundry pre-treatment
pre-measured laundry soap & fabric softener sheets
snacks "OK'd" for my diet
cereal, raisins, peanuts, & candy
refillable WDW mugs (also used for cereal bowls)
zip-lock bags in all sizes
Ohmigosh! It's the TOUR GROUPS!

We hit "town" on Friday July 11th, and immediately realized we were neck deep in Tour Groups. From Brazil, yes; but also Argentina and Israel and other places. The "troubles" we had were actually quite minor, and had nothing to do with nationality. It had everything to do with quantity and age - large groups of *anybody* is at least a logistical problem, and large groups of teenagers... <shudder!> ;-) (And I've *done* the Camp Counselor/Youth Group Leader/Field Trip Monitor routines.)

The teens were annoying with their chanting and clapping while waiting in lines - but I realized they were doing that to keep their spirits up and help to pass the time. Can't fault them for that. Once a group of teens did push ahead of us on a ride (the Haunted Mansion, where the queue narrows down from 4-wide to 1-wide) but even as I got steamed about it, I also realized they were trying to stay with the rest of their group, probably under orders.

Now, having said that, the Inconsiderate So-And-So Award goes to a bunch of Middle-Aged Women who were touring together. They wouldn't have been singled out for special mention except for the fact that we ran into this same group a number of times, and the little annoyances (oh, say, like kicking my CANE out from under me?) began to add up. <sigh> I hope the people who are trying to keep the teens in line expand the program...

Humorous To Me: While waiting in line for the Maelstrom at Norway, I noticed a sign written in Portuguese. My Spanish is awfully rusty (though I can still ask "Where's the rest room?" in Hungarian) but I think I got the gist of it. It said foreign language things like "no more than 25 in a group", "explain to your group what's going to happen in the ride", and "use the entrances and exits properly". I know Portuguese isn't Spanish and my Spanish isn't too good, but I got a chuckle out of the phrasing I was picking up - it seemed pretty *blunt*. Anybody know for sure?

Small Chuckle: The leaders of the tour groups carry little pennants on thin poles. One guy had his flag tied to a plastic *pitchfork*. :-)

It's a Small World Chuckle: One of the things the teens were chanting was that shining example of America's proud musical heritage; "Whoot! There It Is!" We heard this and just started to snort -n- giggle. Darn, what fine culture we're exporting...

Larry the Hat, Sparky the Scooter, and the Cockroach Family visit WDW...

The Mr. takes a prescription medication that makes him *extremely* sun-sensitive. We also have a history of cancer that simply gallops through both sides of the family. So, along with our head-to-toe #45 sunblock, we have special clothing from a company called Sun Precautions (2815 Wetmore Avenue, Everett WA 98201 (USA), phone 1-800-882-7860). Their stuff is registered as a medical device, and it provides an SPF of 30. The kids and I have long-sleeved shirts that we wore at Blizzard Beach and while using the water sprites. The Mr. wore his all the time. We all had big-brimmed hats or caps, as we are about as pale Yankees as you can imagine.

The Mr. had a cap from SP that has a flap around the back to cover his neck. It looks an awful lot like the "Foreign Legion" cap you see in the movies and on the janitor CMs in World Showcase. ;-) I said he looked a little like Lawrence of Arabia, but then the kids and I started giving him grief about looking more like a *Larry* of Arabia, pronounced with a Rochester "A". Say it like Bugs Bunny's "Ehhhhh... What's up, Doc?", mix it with plenty of "R" and you've got it:

Rochester = "REHHHHHH-chstrrr"
Larry = "LEHHHHHH-rrry"
So, we bought him a pin with the name "Larry" on it, and put it on the cap. From then on it was "Dad-and-Larry". After a few days the CM's at the entrance started saying "Good morning, Larry!" - bet they got a little confused when we got our red name tags with his real A name on it! ("The hat's name is Larry. The *shirt's* name is A...")

Even with everything covered and protected, the direct sunshine was uncomfortable-to-painful. We found ourselves dashing from shady spot to shady spot in the manner of, well, cockroaches. Our rallying cry was "Scurry! Quick, before they turn on the kitchen light again! Back under the refrigerator!"

One plus of Larry was that The Mr. could soak it in a water fountain, and it would help keep him cool for awhile. He did feel a little silly - the only other people you saw wearing similar fashion were very small children with over-protective mothers ;-) - but he needed it. I think it helped that about once a day some grown man would come over and very sheepishly ask where *he* could get a hat like it. I guess a heat index of 105+ breaks down the ego barriers in favor of that great rarity; common sense.

The Mr. needed Larry and his special shirts in the same way that I needed a wheelchair or cane or scooter to get around most places. We could let ourselves feel old and feeble, or at least totally geeky, or we could accept the fact that we needed these things the way we need our eyeglasses (desperately!) and try to find a little humor in it...

...And thus was born "Sparky" the Scooter. Larry and Sparky were family members on this trip. It was neat - the way the kids accepted them as "younger siblings", keeping track of where Larry was and how Sparky's charge was holding up.

Disabled Angles and Disjointed Thoughts...

I've already written about getting around WDW in a wheelchair or scooter, so I just have a few things to add from this trip. I don't use wheels most of the time at home - just for big outings like this.

Scooters (ECV) are too long to fit on one style of WDW bus wheelchair lift, but you will not be able to tell just by looking. On my last trip, a kind bus driver said "We'll make it fit", and did manage to get the scooter aboard. Unfortunately, it also got damaged in the attempt and I had to have it replaced. This trip, on our first night and our first attempt to take the bus, we got one of those small ones. The driver tried once and said "No way. Call for the special van." He was nice enough about it, but I felt lousy. I was embarrassed - all those people on the bus, and the inconvenience to my family - yech! If I had been alone, I could have just waited for a bus with a different style of lift, but travelling with a family doesn't always allow that. The boys took Sparky to the room, and when they returned we took the bus to the park and rented a wheelchair.

JII ride (Figment) - and probably all other rides - has a limit on the number of wheelchair users who can be on the ride at one time. The limit is 5, and there were about 8 on there (CMs were being trained and had let this slip by) so we had to wait quite a while to board. I could have walked on (physically and time-wise), but that still would have left too many "cars" in the "parking lot".

CMs at the AS*Sports food court were *very* helpful, offering to get me drink refills - I don't remember that happening at the AS*Music last trip. There is also a "table for the use of our friends in wheelchairs" right by the beverage island, but people usually just pull regular chairs over to it and use it - you wouldn't notice it unless you saw the sign on the wall.

Disney Institute bungalows do NOT have elevators. You know what happens when you ***/u/me... We did not mention the scooter when we made the ressies since we did not need a handicapped *room*. We just needed a wall outlet and enough room to park Sparky for a re-charge. Well, we got &frac12; moved in to our second floor bungalow and realized we hadn't seen an elevator. We started out for the main building to ask if *they* could plug Sparky in at night, when we ran into some CMs from housekeeping. They have those big heavy carts, right? There *must* be some way to get those things up and down stairs... right? Wrong. DI bungalows have separate housekeeping facilities and supplies on each floor! We were eventually moved into a first floor bungalow. Lesson Learned: mention the wheels, even if you don't need the handicapped room.

In case of your personal scooter running out of battery power - the rental stations in the parks will recharge it for you, free.

The Adventurer's Club is accessible, but it gets so crowded it is better to leave your wheels if you can. They let me park my scooter by the Zebra Bar and get around on my own increasingly wobbly two feet and cane <Kungaloosh!>. Another guest (in a cast and wheelchair) had to stay in her chair and be *very* patient to get anywhere. People are polite, but the place is designed to be cozy, not a thoroughfare.

Some of us have had a discussion of wheelchairs and the accessibility of boats and docks around the MK - DI - RC - WL route, and I think I learned where the confusion comes from: there are at least two different types of boats on that route! Depending on the time of day, time of season, type of boat and type of wheelchair or scooter that you have, you WILL or WILL NOT be able to board or disembark any boat at any port! In other words - who knows?! Some of us have been told we couldn't even board, some have been told they could board but not get off at certain stops, and some of us have *done* those stops! I would simply say - "don't count on it." Ask a CM at the time if you have lots of patience and options, but don't plan your day around it.

Lastly - I've been disabled for my last 3 trips to WDW, and I've noticed one gradual change: More and more attractions allow you to stay in your chair and go through the regular queue. On the one hand, this is a bummer if you have gotten spoiled about your line-cutting privileges (even if you'd gladly *trade* those privileges, you do get *used* to the treatment - and if you don't, your kids will!) On the other hand, there are some vocal members of the disabled community (did I say that PC enough?) who demand "equality". Well, folks, at WDW that means waiting in line. You want equality? You got it! And, on the *third* hand, this does help discourage people who only need a wheelchair when it gets them on a ride faster, if you know what I mean. I met a couple of them this trip, and they were bragging - to me, as I sat there in a wheelchair! - how they do this at other parks! They were upset to hear that it wouldn't gain them much at WDW anymore! <Grrrrrr!>

If you honestly cannot be outdoors or stand for a long time (chair or no), bring an official note from your doctor, stop off at Guest Relations, and get yourself one of those "Skip The Line for Medical Reasons" passes. I saw them being used many times.

It's July, we're in Florida, what do you *mean* you want hot chocolate?!

If you don't have children, I can't explain this to you. The kid *had* to have hot chocolate. In July. In Florida. I can guzzle coffee any time or place or temperature, so I *guess* I can relate. Good old WDW - she got her HC at every sit down meal and food court. But the request did draw some strange looks from the servers... there was that flash of "Are you CRAZY?" just before they'd smile and say "I'll go see what I can do." :-)

Vickie -n- Al's special *special* menu selections...

The Mr. likes to *dine*. His idea of a good time would be to have several sets of Victorias and Alberts greet him by name and get into a fist fight over who would get to serve his table because he's a regular customer and good tipper. Me, well - my tastes run toward places where they serve everything with a big slab of dill pickle and a handful of potato chips and where I don't have to put on *shoes*. Just another one of those little things that keeps a marriage interesting...

Having said that, we went together to Victoria and Albert's at the GF, our second time there. Other people have written wonderful things about the whole experience, and I can't add to that, except to offer a word of comfort for the Etiquette Impaired: Don't panic. They only give you the silverware you're supposed to have at the time, and nobody will rap your knuckles if you still end up using the wrong fork. Chill out and enjoy the company. I don't enjoy all the fuss and formality, but my Honey does, and I like to be with him. (But I still insist on calling the place "Vickie -n- Al's"...) And yes, I wore shoes. ;-)

V&A has a limited menu that changes frequently. The "basic" meal ($80 per person) includes 6 courses, and when you are seated you are given a menu listing a couple of options for each one. The "Royal Wine Pairing" (additional $30 per) includes 3 glasses of wine, specially picked by V&A to go with your selections. For the 25th Anniversary Celebration, there is also an "Elite Menu" ($100 per person), which is yet *more* fancy, and offers only one choice for each course. And, if you *still* feel the need to rid yourself of money, you can get the Elite Menu *with* a Royal Wine Pairing ($145 per person and I'm about to hyperventilate).

[So I need to publicly apologize to the people I've been correcting on RADP - right now there *are* two different menus. Two years ago there were not, and that's been my only experience. Sorry I was such a know-it-much.]

OK, you're all dying to know, so here are the menus (both "plain" and "peanut", and begging for spelling mercies). I had the regular menu with wine pairing, while The Mr. had the Elite Menu with a glass of his favorite wine ordered separately. The little * means that's what I had, the () is the wine pairing.

Regular Menu

****************************************

Pre-appetizer appetizer:

2 bites of something w/goat cheese and beets (not listed)
rolls and butter
Cold appetizer choices (wine pairing for both = Roerder Estate Brut*):

Seared Buffalo Carpaccio with a Garden Herb Salad
Quail Salad Waldorf with Walnut Dressing*
Hot appetizer choices:

Seared Scallops with a Summer Melon Relish* (Cuvaison Chardonnay 1993)*
Lamb Confit Ravioli in Herb Pasta with Tomato Broth (Domaine Sorin 1995)
Soup choices:

Pheasant Consomme with Julienne of Pheasant
Roasted Garlic-Gruyere Cheese Cream* [Wow! I want this recipe!]
Entree choices:

White King Salmon over Veggie Risotto, Chive Beurre Blanc (Muller-Scharzhof Riesling 1995)
Aged Angus Beef Tenderloin w/Roasted Garlic-Tomato Fondue (Chateau Calabre Merlot 1995)
Pork Tenderloin and Marinated Cabbage, Red Onion Marmalade (Joseph Phelps Pastiche 1995)
Seared Squab over Sweet Potato & Peach Hash, Bourbon Jus* (Codice Rioja 1994)*
Cheese course:

Royal Stilton with Burgundy Poached Pear* (Taylor First Estate Porto included)*
[He loves stilton & I don't, so we switched plates.]
Dessert course:

Chocolate Pave*
Mango Charlotte with a Chocolate Tuile
Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee
Strawberry Grand Marnier Souffle
Valrhona Chocolate Souffle
Coffee, Friandises*

Elite Pairing Menu

***************************************

[Pre-appetizers & Coffee were same as above]

Cold appetizer:

Chilled Maine Lobster Salad with Locally Grown Mesclun, Beluga Caviar Viniagrette (Pommery Brut Royal N.V., Reims)
Hot appetizer:

Ravioli of Foie Grax, Caramelized Scallop and Seared Foie Gras with Spinach Coulis (Joseph Drouhin Chassagne-Montrachet, Cote d'Or 1994)
Soup course:

Zellwood Corn and Crab Chowder
Entree:

Tournedos of Black Trumpet Crusted Buffalo, Morel Crusted Veal and Herb Crusted Lamb, Morel Ragout and Perigord Truffle Jus (Chateau Vieux Clos Saint Emilion Grand Cru 1989)
Cheese course:

A Trio of Cheese: Raclette, Mimolette and Cathedrale de Meaux Brie (Remoissenet Santenay-Gravieres 1989)
Dessert:

Iced Grand Marnier Souffle
I've already said I wish Vickie -n- Al's was a buffet so I could just have more of the stuff I liked and not have to deal with so much "foreign" food. The Mr. suggested it should be turned into an automat, where you put in your nickel (credit card) and get your food out of a little door... We agreed we'd like to actually stay at the GF some time; stretching out our evening, our dining, and our alcohol consumption. And we'd like to add a Wheelbarrow Pairing, where you tip your Victoria & Albert servers *really big* and they roll you home and help you get to bed.

I dode doe wad's bloobing dowd here, bud boy ab I allerjig do id...

On each of our last 3 trips to FL I have come down with a "Throat Thing". It creeps up after 5-6 days, and I end up running to an M.D. for a strep test and a handful of pills that don't help. So, when the Throat Thing crept up on me *this* trip, it was no surprise. What was different was that I still had a couple of neurons left firing, and an *idea* managed to form - allergy! I realized I felt like I do when the Northern Fuzzies get to me - at their *worst*.

I started taking my prescription anti-histamines, and when that helped I added some OTC decongestants. Still, by the time we got on the plane to go home (a few days later), my eyes & nose were running buckets, my ears itched & my throat was just about raw. And I began to feel better within 12 hours of getting home. I saw my M.D. a couple of days after we got back, and he's going to ask one of his specialist buddies what it might be. We've both been stumped by the Throat Thing for years.

So, I don't know what's down there - I've had this in Feb., March, and July - but it *hates* me and it has my number. :-( Next time, I come armed with some heavy artillery!

Bunnies & Ducks & Lizards, oh my!

Bunnies. Everywhere. In the parks, at the resorts, even at Blizzard Beach. Little, brown bunnies. It went from cute and novel to downright ridiculous in the space of a couple of days. It wasn't so bad, except that they were *watching* us... ;-)

The kids love finding the little gecko-lizard-critters. That became a game each day; find the gecko. I thought about keeping track of the Gecko Of the Day, but didn't want to get flamed for the initials...

But the *ducks*! Early on in the first panicky days of new motherhood, I came across a quote that has served me well. "Raising small children is like being pecked to death by ducks. All they want is just a *small* bite of your attention, just a *nibble* of your time and energy..." We've always called the kids "The Ducklings", and they oblige by following me around in public quacking "Mom!-Mom!-Mom!" They've got the intonation pretty good, too.

Seeing the many birds around WDW didn't bother me. Having ducks come up to our patio door at the DI and look in (rather demandingly!) didn't bother me.

When my kids started their "Mom!-Mom!-Mom!" routine in the park and the mallards (I am not making this up) came over and started to get in *line*, THAT bothered me!

Flaming Fantasia Fiasco

A, C, & E like to play mini-golf. I don't like it as much, but sometimes I go along & sometimes I play. We like each other, we like Disney, we like mini-golf, Disney has mini-golf; what could be *better*?

We played mini-golf in Hell.

Oh, it started innocently enough - they had planned to play at the Fantasia Gardens course one afternoon while I did something else, and they got rained out. So, they planned to try again on the next day and the next, and something kept coming up (or "down", in the case of the rain). Finally it got to be a *Mission* - we HAVE to play mini-golf...

The day we were able to get over there, the day it didn't rain us out, was a fine Central Florida July afternoon... temps in the high 90's, no appreciable shade. We were already tired and crabby from a morning of *fun*, but we *had* to play mini-golf.

The course was Disney-whimsical. Visually inviting. When somebody got a hole in one on the first or second hole, it started to look like we just might be having a Kodak Moment in the works. <humming "Remember the Magic">

And then one of us *didn't* do so well on a hole, and couldn't even get *close* with the 5-shot limit, so another one of us said "Just drop it in and let's move on!", and one of us said "There's people behind us who are rushing us!" and one of us said "Can I go ahead and play the next hole and you catch up with me?" and one of us said "Don't you dare, you stick with your family!"

Then one of us said "It's not FAIR!" and one of us said "I don't want to HEAR that again!" and one of us said "Well *I* didn't want to do this in the first place!" and one of us said "It's not gonna be MY fault!" and one of us said "We came here to play mini-golf and we're gonna PLAY mini-golf! All I've been hearing for days now is how much you want to play mini-golf! Now we're HERE and we're gonna PLAY mini-golf!"

And *then* it got ugly.

We finished out the course minus our sanity, our patience, much perspiration, and one purple golf ball. It wasn't fun. We didn't like each other much.

The best part of the experience was when the people behind us cracked up at me muttering under my breath (punctuating each futile swing at the ball) "I HATE mini-golf, I hate FLORIDA, and I want to take this DAY and throw it in the GARBAGE!"

Your mileage may vary.

Changing resorts - twice - and changing rooms therein...

We have stayed at the Poly, the Contemp, and the AS*Music in the past. The kids enjoyed the AS*M, but wanted to try the theming at AS*Sports. The Mr. prefers the pampering of a deluxe resort. I wanted to go to DxL or PO so I could get into that Dragon Pool. Our deciding factor was "places we can book where the kids can each have their own bed."

After much negotiation with both family and WDW, we ended up with 4 nights at the AS*S (two rooms), 3 nights at a DI bungalow, and 4 nights at the Beach Club. (Great AP rates at DI and BC.)

AS*Sports was packed with both families and tour groups. Hit the food court, pool, or bus stop at the wrong time of day and you didn't stand a chance. We were in Football 10, which is close to the main building but also close to the central "play area", a very inviting place to have a screaming game of touch football after the parks close...

The connecting rooms were great for us. The kids could have some privacy, and each had his/her own bed. Twice as many Mickey soaps and shampoos, too! ;-)

We had express check-out & called Bell Services, who sent somebody over to take our eight (8) bags and make them re-appear at the Institute. We kept charge of our carry-on bags & car junk.

Bungalow-schmungalow, whaddaya *mean* there's no elevator?

Drove to the Institute and checked in, got comfy in our 2nd floor bungalow - and realized there was no elevator and therefore no way to get Sparky the Scooter upstairs for his nightly re-charge. Drove to the main building to see what could be done. "If you'd have mentioned you had a *wheelchair*, we could have accommodated you." "If we had known you didn't have an *elevator*, we would have mentioned we had a *wheelchair*." etc.

Got a new (1st floor) room assignment & new keys and headed back. Realized we no longer had a *key* to the old room where our stuff was. Drove back to the main building. Got a CM to bring a key and come back with us. Drove back to the old bungalow. Got our stuff and drove to the new bungalow. <sigh...>

We had a 1-bedroom; 2 beds in the bedroom with a couch in the living area and a *door* in between. Both kids opted to sleep in the living room (one on the floor) so they could watch their own TV, and The Mr. and I had the bedroom.

The Institute is secluded and quiet. We did not do any of the day programs, though The Mr. and I were both rather tempted by the Spa offerings (including that 50 minute foot massage). There is a pool for each "clump" of buildings, but I was too tired at night to go with the gang - they had to drive to it. The room was nice enough, but there isn't much to "do" around the place and we don't plan to stay there again. No hard feelings.

You *saw* The Doorman?

Finally, we moved to the Beach Club. Called DI Bell Services to take our eleven (11) bags, drove to the BC & checked in about 11 AM. Our room wasn't ready but was promised by 3 PM, so we went to Epcot for lunch. When we got back at 2 PM it still wasn't ready, so A, C & E walked over to check out the Boardwalk and I parked myself in the BC lobby with a magazine. Promptly at 3 PM I presented myself at the desk and was handed our keys.

On my solo trip in March of this year, I had the pleasure of staying at the BC. I've been telling my family all about the place, raving about Storm-a-long Bay, etc. One of the things I mentioned was The Doorman. When I was there in March, there was a CM in a nautical costume, and he stood at the door and greeted everyone who came in or out. Always the same CM - a tall, elegantly mannered, black gentleman with a touch of an exotic accent. He went out of his way to speak to each person, and to compliment you on your taste if you had any Disney characters visible on our clothing. Since I usually carry a big old Mickey Head bag in the front basket of my scooter, he complimented me *every* time I went through the lobby.

And *each time* he made it sound like he had *just* discovered it! I told the gang how that started to get to me - just how many chubby, middle-aged, travelling alone, Mickey-bag toting, women using ECVs do they *get* at the BC at one time? I really thought he should have started to show some sign of recognition after a couple of days! That was when somebody suggested that there really wasn't anybody there at all - and, if you mentioned it ("You *saw* The Doorman?!"), you'd hear the story (in hushed, nervous whispers!) of the night (many years ago!) when the building had been struck by lightening (blue!) and The Doorman was never seen again...

The things I put up with! <sheesh>

So... when we got to the BC and there was *no doorman at all*...!

<DEE-dee-DEE-dooo, DEE-dee-DEE-dooo>

Throughout our stay there was (a) no doorman, or (b) a short, white gentleman. I was honestly starting to *wonder*... It wasn't until our last afternoon (did the planets align or what?) that I saw The Doorman again - and I took his *picture*! And yes, FYI, it *did* develop! <VBG>

No room service at the inn...

The BC was packed. The whole place was just mobbed, and the strain on the staff showed. All the CMs were wonderful, they were just stretched to the limit. And it seems that the BC had run out of printed material! There is usually a little hang tag (like the "Privacy Please" tag) that you can fill out and hang out at night, and you'll wake up to Room Service delivering your breakfast. This sounded like a wonderful option for us, and a perk we were willing to pay for. We used ours the first night and couldn't get another one!

We called Room Service, we called Housekeeping, we called the Front Desk - everybody said *they* were out, but promised to have somebody *else* bring one right up. Nobody ever did. Once we were brought a full room service menu - and told the BC was out of *them* too! - but that isn't what we wanted. We ended up *calling* RS at night and placing an order to be delivered in the morning. It was just coffee and milk for our brought-from-home cereal, but it was pretty vital to our functioning.

And when we had to check out at 11 AM but not catch a plane until 6 PM, we asked Bell Services to store our fourteen (14) bags until we were ready to go. Maybe The Doorman knows where the multiplying luggage came from?

Dad, Mom's stealing the Mickey soap again!

I love Mickey toiletries. Say what you will. It gives me such a grin to see the outline of a cartoon mouse on my soap that I will gladly pay for the privilege. So I "swipe" the soap. I always have. Most of the time I don't even *use* it at home, 'cause then it would be *gone*. I just keep it in the linen closet and smile.

This time we stayed so long that I came away with... um... a "sizeable" amount of Disney bath products. The Mr. had teased me mercilessly during our stay, but he also brought me some soap from the GF men's room to add to my stash! When it got to be time to pack up for the trip home, all my riches were discovered and the verbal abuse rose to a new level.

Well, in order to lessen the grief, I had to promise I'd share the wealth. I told them about Dotti the Soap Lady and tried to make it sound like I had planned all along to donate the stuff. <sigh> Scout's Honor - once I find the snail-mail address, I'll part with the bulk of my hoard and I know that will make me happy. But I'm keeping a couple, just to make me *smile*. ;-)

Doing *The Tower* "after" breakfast and "without" breakfast, and what happens when your 9 isn't as brave as she was at 7...

Before I was hurt, at a time when I needed to prove some things to myself (face my fears, etc.), I went on all the WDW mountains. Until that point in my life I'd only been on one baby roller coaster and one log flume, and I'd hated them both. But, the time had come, and a Mom's gotta do what a Mom's gotta do, so I did. I didn't "enjoy" Space Mountain, but I did enjoy the way I felt for doing it. I liked Splash Mountainexcept for the big drop. I *loved* Big Thunder Mountain, because it didn't *have* any big drops.

Then my back got messed up, and things like "bending over" and "sitting up" became *goals* and Mountain-riding became much less important. Years pass, physical therapy helps, and it's July '97 and I'm again ready for some "thrills". I skipped Space Mountain, did Splash Mountain once (and decided the ride isn't worth the drop more than once every couple of years), and I grinned like a fool on Big Thunder, twice.

And now, *The Tower* beckons...

My family had all done The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror a couple of times on our last trip. It took real courage for most of them. They all enjoyed the ride after they had done it, but there was a *lot* of nervousness beforehand. But my daughter (then just barely 8) has been uneasy in elevators ever since! The *drops* didn't bother her, but the *pre-show* scared the stuffing out of her! It's been almost 2 years, and she'll still take the stairs rather than get in an elevator! At first we tried to re-assure her, then we tried to joke her out of it, finally we just accept "I'll meet you downstairs."

I'm at my physical best in the morning (the mental part doesn't kick in much before 2 PM no matter what) and I didn't know what kind of "bumpage" to expect, but I figured I could do this first thing and spend the rest of the day in bed if necessary. So, one fine MGM-EE morning, my son and I took off to conquer The Tower together. We took the bus over and got in line to rent a wheelchair and I told the CM there that C wanted to get me on The Tower before I woke up. The CM asked me, "Did you have breakfast?" I said I had. She smiled a *wicked* smile and asked, "Did you *like* it?" (implying that I might just see it again!)

We did The Tower. What a *rush*!! :-)

The only thing I hurt was my throat - from *screaming*! The landings were all surprisingly gentle. I wouldn't recommend it for all back patients, but it wasn't half as bad (bump-wise) as I had feared. Nobody can tell anyone else what it feels like, but IMO if you can handle Splash Mountain, you'll be OK on The Tower.

I wanted to get right back on and do it again, but C thought I had turned into Psycho-Mom and dragged me off to the gift shop to distract me. I bought myself a necklace with a key to the "Hollywood Tower Hotel" on it, and I wore it *proudly* as a badge of honor all day long. (And I bought the picture, and I made all the quarter squishies... it would have been a lot *cheaper* just to ride again!)

E (now 9.5) has been debating another ride ever since our last trip. She passed on my first one, but still wanted to get over her fear of the pre-show and do the ride part. On our last morning of vacation, we all decided to go together. I told her that if she did it, she deserved an award for bravery.

It wasn't an EE morning, and though we got there at the crack of rope-drop, there was still a *long* line. She was nervous, but we talked about everything, trying to be honest and not put any pressure on her, and reminding her that she could change her mind up until the very last minute and that would be OK. She made it through the pre-show, but as we got closer and closer to our elevator she got more and more uneasy, and her little face got redder and redder...

We got seated in our row, pulled the bar down, and she began to wail, "I wanna get *OFF*!!!" Tears were *pouring* down her cheeks, sobs wracking her body - poor kid! The CM (bless him) was there in a *flash*, looked her directly in the face (giving *her* the option and not Mom & Dad) and asked "Do *you* want to do this?" She said no. We were all saying "You don't have to, Honey, it's OK", just so *we* wouldn't come across like monsters, but it was clear this discussion was between E and the CM, and the decision was *hers*. The situation was handled well, and I applaud that.

The CM had us push the bar up and E got out. I handed her my cane to hold "for safe keeping", and the CM said my wheelchair and my daughter would be waiting for us at the end of the ride.

I was feeling all maternal and protective, but I had to put that aside pretty quickly and concentrate on survival. I'm not one of those folks who can ride a coaster with their arms in the air, but I had challenged myself to see if I could take the drops w/o screaming like a banshee. I hadn't had anything for breakfast this time (coffee doesn't count; coffee is air) and was rather surprised that with my stomach empty, I was queasy! (And did you know that if you clamp your lips together, you can scream with your *eyebrows*?) I felt better when I had eaten and screamed - the air pressure must equalize the tendency to reverse peristalsis. ;-) I felt a little "whoopsy" for hours afterward.

E *was* waiting when the doors opened, and we were glad to get back together again. And you know what? That girl *did* deserve an award for bravery! It takes a *lot* more courage to do what you know *you* need to do, than just to be swept along with the crowd. I bought her a HTH key-necklace like mine. I hope she keeps herself as well-centered when the peer pressure really hits in her life.

And, she *is* 9, so of *course* she wanted to try it again as soon as the line had reached past "75 minutes from this point"! <exasperated Mom sigh> We just couldn't do it, but we agreed that on our next trip she'd make her first attempt very early in the vacation.

Mr. Toad's Wild Wise-Guy, or "We're all gonna RIDE!"

I told the family the "rule" about screaming "We're all gonna DIE!!" on MTWR. We did it. It was fun. We tried out some variations, like "We're all gonna RIDE!" and "We're all gonna FRY!" We did it a lot on our trip. It really spices things up at places like, oh... Horizons or the Carrousel.

So, when teen son C and I got seated in our elevator for my first drop on the TZToT, it was no big surprise when he leaned over and stage-whispered to me "We're all gonna die." It was a surprise, however, to the family riding in the back row of the car. The little girl (10-ish) asked her Daddy in a very loud voice, "ARE WE GONNA DIE??" and the Daddy and Mommy both made lots of comforting shushing noises. I slammed my elbow into C's ribs and tried to turn invisible. FLASH! - the photo, and AAAHHHH! - the drop...

The picture from that ride shows C doubled over, me with one of those "Be glad I can't get my hands on you right now" glares, the back row Mom & Dad huddled around a very frightened daughter, and that family's nervous teen-age son (who had been seated in the row in front of them) with his head whipped around and terror in his one visible eye. JT Toad would be proud...

Pamelia, the Yakoose, and a flashing KUNGALOOSH!

We dropped the kids off at the AMC Theaters one night to see "George of the Jungle" while we finished doing some boring old grown-up shopping at the Marketplace. (Bought them their tickets, walked them to their theater, made them repeat the meeting time and place.) Once we finished up at DVM, we shopped our way down Pleasure Island to the Adventurer's Club.

Even though my field of interest and study is music and theater, I don't like improvs (either to watch or to do). Still, this place just sounded like so much *fun* I had to go see. I'm so glad I did! I had a blast - not to mention a Kungaloosh or three. ("Kungaloosh" is both an all-purpose word and the club's signature 20 oz. adult beverage.)

I got in the spirit right away by ordering the Jr. Explorer's Kit. It includes a Kungaloosh (liquid), an AC Membership pin, another pin that says "KungalOOsh!" (and the O's are little eyes that *light up and flash* when you press the secret button!), a copy of the Adventurer's Creed, and a card good for one free specialty drink when you buy 12 <ONLY twelve?>. The drink comes in your choice of an AC canteen or a tacky mug. ("TIKI!") A *Tiki* mug. <AC inside joke> I have enough mugs to open a shop, so I chose the canteen. It turned out to be a good choice since I was dealing with a cane and a few shopping bags... I found that I could imbibe hands-free - place the strap around my neck & adjust it to "straw" height. I don't want it said that I can't hold my liquor! :-)

The Mr. ordered his Beverage of Choice, and we were pleased to find we were just in time to be sworn in as members of the club! (The ceremony is held several times during the evening.) We learned the Club greeting, recited the Club Creed, and sang the Club song. <Kungaloosh!> Then it was time to meet the kids after their movie. It was pouring rain, and after all, *I* was the one who really wanted to go here, so The Mr. went to meet C & E and bring them back to the club. (It had also been quite an "experience" trying to park my scooter and I didn't want to have to move it.) They ordered hot chocolate and also got right into the fun, having arrived just in time for the next induction ceremony.

I had been concerned about taking the kids - would the humor be too "adult", would we get nasty comments about bringing children, etc. I needn't have worried at all - of course, we did go early in the evening. I understand the humor gets a bit more adult as the evening wears on. I also have to brag that these kids know how to behave in public (and they know what will happen if they *don't*!). I would not suggest taking a *young* child.

As far as the comedy improvisation, I had been concerned that the CM characters would be too outrageous or confrontational for my tastes, but they were neither. I never had the fear that they didn't know what they were going to say next, yet it also didn't seem like the whole evening's script was canned. And they didn't get in your face if you didn't want to play. Very good instincts here.

The rooms are just *packed* with oddities the "adventurers" have brought back from their travels. There are photos all over the walls, and each one has an outrageous little caption that goes with it. ("Killed in a freak gardening accident...") I managed to aspirate my Kungaloosh more than once as I read them. At one point later in the vacation The Mr. was being a bit of a pain, and the kids and I warned him that he *could* be killed in a freak *scooter* accident... but I promised I'd go to the AC every night and lift a Kungaloosh in his honor. ;-)

We all had so much fun we made a return visit later in our trip. We also had to hear that stupid *song* again - we knew we'd be singing it for the rest of our *lives* (it's that kind of tune) and we had to get the words and melody right! I took a few photos, including one of "The Colonel" (an AA figure that "wakes up" from time to time) just as CM "Samantha Sterling" came by. She told me I should take another photo in about 10 minutes when The Colonel would be lit up... I told her *I* hoped to be "lit up" by then *myself*! She nearly lost it, but recovered quickly enough to warn E that she could grow up to be like her mother and end up "drinking with prosthetic men", and then told my husband and son that there was no hope for their women-folk, and they should just "cut the rope and let the iceberg drift away".

One of the more prominent trophies is the Yakoose - a possible cross between a Yak and a Moose. Its unusual appearance is due to an unfortunate mix-up the day they sent the couch to the upholsterer and the Yakoose to the taxidermist... It just gets weirder and weirder the more you look at it. Oh, the captions on some of the artifacts tie in with the overall theme of Pleasure Island's legacy. Many items were owned by the fictional Merriweather Adam Pleasure's many fictional children. It also was fun to discover historical markers on the bridges and buildings around PI that told more of the Pleasure Family story. Don't just walk by these little signs - stop and read them carefully! ;-)

My WDW dream job has always been to work as a skipper on the Jungle Cruise, but if I can't do that, I have a back-up plan. I'm gonna be "Pamelia Perkins", the AC President. "You've all been getting my newsletter, I'm sure..."

A couple of Tropical Lavas, and bring on the Dancing Boys!

We had reservations for Mickey's Tropical Luau, and it turned out to be the high point of a "terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day". Murphy's Law ruled that Tuesday - everything that *could* go wrong, *did* go wrong, and at the worst possible time. It came to a head when my scooter quit and left me sitting in the middle of Main Street U.S.A., in the middle of the exiting parade crowd, just about the time we were supposed to be checking in at the Luau. A CM helped A & C push the scooter (with E steering, 'cause she's the lightest of us) over to wheelchair rentals to be recharged. (We picked it up after the show.) Then we dashed for the monorail and dashed to the Luau Cove with our confirmation number in our hands and one minute to spare. Well, I don't exactly "dash". I arrived last of the four, red-faced, huffing and puffing, and leaning on my trusty old cane for all it was worth. I was hot. I was exhausted. I was upset and frustrated after a day of one mess-up after another, I was having "car trouble", and now I was arriving late for the thing I had looked forward to for 18 months. Yecch! My teen-age son actually turned to me and said, "Mom, I've had just about all I can take of your complaining!"

And *then* this guy walks over and tells us it's time to pose for our official Luau photo! <grrr!> We posed. It's amazing what good actors we all are. You hardly notice the gritted teeth. He said we'd like it after the show...

We were seated in the shade, and we got fed. The kids were too wiped out to even be hungry, but we forced some salad stuff on them, and once they started to nibble and got their drinks, things started to get better. The adult beverage choice was a "Tropical Lava", and at that point I didn't care what it tasted like, or what anybody thought or said - I just told the CM to keep 'em coming. It wasn't a strong drink - reminded me a lot of Hawaiian Punch with an attitude - but combined with the heat, exhaustion, and emotions, it was quite effective.

The show was a lot of fun - featured Koa Mickey and Minnie Lani, with a story teller, live band, and dancers.

OK now; it's July, it's Florida, and the parks are crawling with teen-agers - this middle-aged Mama had reached the saturation point with Scantily Clad Babes! There seemed to be no lack of beautiful female bodies in almost any state of undress. I'm thinking "Might as well bring on the Scantily Clad Hula Dancing Girls and let's get this over with!" And, they did...

...And *then* they brought on the Scantily Clad Hula Dancing *Boys*! :-) My day was getting better and better.

Well, I will *never* hear the end of it, but I can take the abuse. The Third Dancing Boy From the Left (the one with the short hair) gets my nod as the Hunk Of the Trip (H.O.T. - take that, Bartender Sam!) At the end of the show the kids in the audience are invited up to learn a dance, and I made *darn* sure that E both went on stage and chose the right CM! <g> And, well, we *had* to take lots of pictures of our Babe... errr... *baby*, didn't we?

Our family photo was ready when we left, and we *did* like it. Do you suppose the photographer works with the bartender? We all enjoyed Mickey's Tropical Luau and agreed we want to see the regular Polynesian Luau when we come back. I've heard good things about the Mai Tai's... Bring on the Dancing Boys!

"I want my MBTV!"

WDW has several TV stations dedicated to self-promotion.

One of them seemed to play the Michael Bolton music video of "Go the Distance" (from "Hercules") about every 10 minutes. Michael Bolton is a pop singer whose vocal quality can be described as "strained" or "tense". (His looks can be described as "afghan hound".)

We called it MBTV (like MTV) All Michael Bolton, All the Time. We liked "Hercules", and we don't *hate* Michael Bolton, but this video got to be a little too much. The video combines quick clips from the film with clips of Mr. Bolton singing in a museum, surrounded by statues. I watched it a lot just for the split-second scene of Hades banging his head on the table. (Love that!) Towards the end of the video, Michael hits a rather high note, and the effort shows - he throws his hair back, his eyes squint shut, the veins in his neck stand out, etc.

One day The Mr. went off to do something while the video was playing, and when he came back, it was playing again. The Mr. just shook his head and said "That man sounds like he's got his crotch in a vise."

A while later when the video was on *again*, C came in the room. He stood there, watching *me* watch for the Hades scene. I remembered The Mr.'s earlier comment and started to chuckle. C wanted to know what was so funny, so I told him - and just at that moment, Michael hit the high note. "AAAIIIEEEE can go the distance...!"

C & I both dissolved in gasping, snorty laughter. It's been two months, and I still can't listen to the soundtrack without starting to smile.

"I want my na--a--a--aame!"

I was in line at the MK, waiting to return my rental wheelchair at the same time *everybody* was in line to rent or return their stroller. It was raining, and still was hot and crowded, and to speed things up, a CM was writing names on ID cards so they'd be ready when you reached the counter. Ahead of me was a grandma and a little boy, and when the CM asked, she told him her last name. That's when the little boy lost his mind. He started slowly and softly, but got louder and more insistent with each repetition, "Grandma, *that's* not my name. That's *not* my name! I WANT MY NAME!! GRANDMA, I WANT MY NAME!!" He started sobbing and clinging on to the nearest leg - which, by the way, wasn't Grandma's - and wailing as if his heart would break. "GIVE ME MY NAA-AA-AAME! I WA-ANT MY NA-A-A- AAME!!" The cry of angst of a lost soul...

The Red Badge of Disney, and impersonating a CM.

The four of us each bought a red "Guest of Honor" badge with our name and hometown on it. A, C, and E all found their preferred name or nickname available, but I wanted my *real* name and had to wait while it was made for me. The CM at the cart said he understood not finding personalized things ready made - and he pointed to his own nametag, which said "Dexter".

I wore my nametag - which, by the way, looks very "official" - every day in the parks. (After all, who *at home* would appreciate it?) I dropped off my wheelchair (right after the lost name incident mentioned above) and started back under the RR tunnel to meet up with my family. The stroller return line wound back on itself about 4 times, and since it was still raining, everybody and his brother were trying to get in under the tunnel. In the midst of this mob, two "guests" (I'd like to use another term...) were playing choo-choo train with wheelchairs! One would push, one would sit in that chair and push the empty chair in front of them, and then the person in back would run around to the front and sit down in *that* chair. Never mind "did they really need a wheelchair"; I was annoyed because their antics didn't let anybody else get past them.

I *was* spoiling for a fight, but I tried to be my usual sweet self <vbg>. I walked over, dripping wet with rain, and leaning *heavily* on my cane, and tapped one of them on the shoulder. "ExCUSE me, but could you pull your chairs over to one side? Nobody is able to get AROUND you." Said it with my best Vice-Principal In Charge of Discipline voice, and a *big* old smile, kinda daring them to say *anything*... Well, they took one look at my face, a quick glance down at the Red Disney-type Official-Looking Badge on my shirt, and they *scooted*! Folks behind me murmured appreciation. Later on I *did* wonder if "that nasty CM in the big straw hat" had been reported...

Miscellaneous Quotes & Moments

I'm not good with plants. I try, but they don't have much of a chance. Getting ready to leave home, I was giving them one last drink of water and I said "I hate to think that these plants will all be dead when we get back." E said "Oh, don't worry, Mom - some of them are dead already!"

Dinner at the Garden Grill - We hadn't realized it was a character meal, so both kids were seated on the inside of the booth. When Mickey came to visit our table and reached over to shake hands, he knocked over my drink. I grabbed it up quickly and cleaned up the mess, but Mickey was mortified. We assured him that I was OK and dinner wasn't spoiled. Just then Minnie came by and we told her what Mickey had done. She put her hand on her hip and started shaking her finger at him. Chip came by and we told on Mickey again - Chip gave himself a Dope Slap (heel of hand to forehead) that *echoed*. Dale didn't seem to care, he just made off with A's credit card. Our CM server didn't "believe" us when we told him; after all - the guy who signs his paycheck couldn't screw up like that.

My daughter, concerned about appearances, when I was having a bad day and was slumped down in my wheelchair: "Sit up, Mom! Then you won't look *terribly* handicapped; just *really* handicapped."

One of my children, also concerned about appearances, when I was having too much fun for his/her taste: "Mother, you're acting like a child!" (That was probably one of my proudest moments!)

Small boy, coming out of Star Tours: "Daddy, I'm *not* going on that ride ever-ever again!"

My daughter, fighting with her big brother over who should open the car door: "It'll be a lot easier on *both* of us if you just do what I say..." (Wooo-haa, *where* does she get that?!)

From a plaque in the Disney Institute: "All is perspective - to a worm, digging a hole in the ground is more relaxing than fishing." Clyde Abel

On a previous visit, I overheard a UK guest refer to the Swan and Dolphin resorts as "the Swan and Codfish", and that's what I've called them ever since. Our first night at WDW, on the bus to the MK, we passed the Epcot area and I spotted the statuary high atop the buildings. I called out in my best high-pitched, Monty Python British accent "It's the CODFISH!" My family smiled... and then *disowned* me, as everybody else on the bus got *very* quiet and started looking out the windows or at the floor...

One quiet morning at the UK pavilion gardens, we were able to get a lot of attention from the characters.

Mary Poppins refused to let us take a picture until E had tied *both* of her shoelaces :-).
I hugged Eeyore and told him he was my hero - and he gave me a noisy "smacker" kiss. That's the first time I'd ever heard a non-speaking character "speak". (Don't you dare report him! It was so special I'm choked up just remembering!)
The Mad Hatter chattered away non-stop, making special mention of any little kid who was wearing the same outlandish shade of green that he was.
And Alice was there! (We figure Bartender Sam was watching from the bushes...) She posed and signed autographs, also chattering away with everyone. All at once, it seemed that all the other guests just disappeared, and we thought the characters' time was up. My daughter E went into one of the shops - and Alice followed her in! She said, "I've run out of rabbits, and have taken to following small children." Alice and E spent a precious few minutes in the shop, trying the scented bath soaps. Alice picked out one she liked, and E bought a small bar of it.
Do you ever take pictures of strangers? I have one that I love. Tigger was there, bouncing and posing all around with all the kids and all the cameras. And then, when the crowd suddenly thinned out, there he was, sitting quietly on a bench in the shade, next to a grandma. Grandma is wearing her sensible shoes, and sensible sun hat, and flip-up clip-on sunglasses... and the most *wonder-full* expression! I don't know this woman and will never see her again, but I took that picture and it is precious. She's not posing for me or anybody else, she's just smiling. (Someone suggested I should *give* this to Disney for promotional use. Would they even *look* at it if I sent them a copy?)
And the votes are in:

Castle-cake (Ugly Pink Thing, or UPT)

1 - like a lot

1 - like, except for the sprinkles

2 - yechh!

Illuminations 25 (March '97)

1 - huh?

Illuminations 25(b) (July '97)

4 - snore...

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

We have a very large, very old, very hairy, very cantankerous cat. He doesn't like travel or hot weather, so bringing him along is not an option. He doesn't like to be alone (he takes *revenge*) so having a cat sitter stop by isn't the best either. He *really* doesn't like going to the vet, but since they provide boarding and they can keep an eye on his geriatric cat problems, he goes to the kitty hotel while we go to WDW. I arranged for him to get his regular check-up and shots as well as get his fur de-matted while we were gone.

My heart stopped when we got to our room and had a message to call the vet's office. I'm thinking "He's dead. That's it. They're calling to tell me he's dead." I took a deep breath and returned the call. The assistant asked me to hold for the doctor herself and now I'm *sure* he's gone. Dr. H got on the phone and apologized for disturbing our vacation and I steeled myself for the bad news. Then she said "The reason I'm calling is... how short do you want his hair cut? Do you want a full body clip, or should be just comb out the mats?" And *now* I'm thinking "You mean that miserable so-and-so is alright, and I got so upset over nothing?!"

Well, the beast had a passable stay at the kitty hotel; got his nails trimmed and his teeth cleaned and everything. Come to think of it, it was more like a kitty *spa*! When I went to pick him up, they did it to me again; "Oh... the doctor wants to speak to you..." aaaargh. This time she just wanted to tell me that he had caught a "kitty day-care cold", and should be OK in a few days. Oh, and that I should brush his teeth with a Q-tip. I think I'd rather be in Disney World.

"Your mission, should you decide to accept it..."

One night we took a suggestion I'd read on RADP, and had an "All You Can Sleep" night. The kids *loved* the idea, and took full advantage of it. Unfortunately, that was the morning that Dad decided to go on a squishin' mission and get all the 25th Anniversary quarters. All You Can Sleep Until Daddy Can't Stand It Anymore turned out to be till 10:30 AM.

We got the quarters, in fact, *two* of each so we can leave them to the kids in our will. ;-) The one problem we encountered was finding exactly where the machines were at each resort. I hadn't brought along my list because I thought everybody else would think this was a silly waste of vacation time. We drove to each resort in our rental car. Some machines were easily spotted, and others were harder to find. Especially since Dads don't ask for directions...

Meeting others in the parks, again and again.

The Mr. and I arrived early for our dinner reservation at Vickie -n- Al's, so we decided to spend a little time looking around the GF and shopping. As we were coming out of one store, a man wearing a RADP button went in. I *had* to meet this person, so I hauled The Mr. back the other way and did one of these; "Oh *Sir*! Excuse me, Sir? Is that a RADP button you're wearing?" <duh> I introduced myself and The Mr., and we in turn met RADP's Own Dwight Klettke. <Hiya, Dwight!> He invited us to the meet on the 24th, but sadly, we had to leave on the 22nd, so we thought that was that.

A few days later, The Mr. and I stashed the kids at a movie while we went to the Marketplace. As we sat at Captain Jack's Oyster Bar, waiting for our meal (and waiting and waiting...) we were able to watch the boats arrive from DL/PO area. Who gets off but RADP's Own Dwight Klettke. He didn't see us, but we smiled.

Later, that same vacation - The scene: The Adventurer's Club, Trophy Room. CM "Gabby the Maid" is going into her routine and a quest starts videotaping. She comes over to him and starts to play right to the camera... you guessed it - RADP's Own Dwight Klettke, sitting almost knee-to-knee with us!

Hey, Dwight - "GET OFF THE COUCH AND GET A *JOB*!!" ;-)

How to grow a teen-ager.

C is now a teen, but a young teen. He's too old for the child care clubs and too young to be turned loose in WDW (our opinion). I'd asked RADP for suggestions on what to do with him, and The Mr. and I discussed it and agreed to leave him alone at the resort. He would have the use of the room & pool, plus money for the food court and arcade. Little sister went to the Cub's Den.

It worked pretty well... though A, E & I were all back in the room and asleep before C came stumbling in late that night. The arcade had been such a hit that he hadn't actually bothered to eat. It was a good night for him, and a "growing" one.

The day came when we planned to see the Remember The Magic parade. I parked my scooter in the shade in a handicapped area, and my family was allowed behind the ropes with me. We had over an hour to wait, and it was very hot, so C asked if he could go off on his own for awhile. He had a watch and he wasn't really enthused about the parade, so we said yes, but also agreed on a meeting time and place for after the parade, "just in case".

I noticed a CM handing out stickers along the route, and finagled one for E. She didn't know it, but I had just volunteered her to be in the parade! She was in the Beauty and the Beast "set the table" relay race - resplendent in her yellow shorts, blue shirt, and purple Figment hat with orange horns. We took several rolls of film, and she came back to us with her eyes shining, and saying "This is the best parade *ever*!"

And C had missed the whole thing. :-( He'd gone to the Tomorrowland arcade, and by the time he thought he ought to start heading back, he couldn't get close enough to even see the parade, let alone find us. It was a tough day for him, but a "growing" one.

Photo Ops & Photo Oops.

Daughter E, posing with Walk-Around Hercules. "Mommy, he's REAL! He's not padded! Even his *chin* has muscles!!"

Beautiful panorama shots from the skyway and the MK ferry boat.

Me, riding "Dumbo-Baby", arms flung wide and the biggest gleeful grin on my face.

All of us, at the China pavilion, holding up tee shirts with our birth year zodiac animal on them. I noticed a CM smiling at us as we took these shots, and I wondered if it was because we were "smart" enough to just take a picture and not spend $80 on shirts, or if it was because of the combination of animals we represent? (Monkey + Rooster, with Boar + Dragon kids?)

The view from a wheelchair. I took the last half roll of film at eye level as we left the MK. You see strollers, baby heads, and grown-ups' bottoms, usually *wide-angle*. Not a pretty sight.

Highly Opinionated & Abbreviated Restaurant Reviews.

Garden Grill, dinner: very good (except the "smoked steak")
Garden Grill, breakfast: awful
International Junk Food Day:
Canada - beaver tails - disappointing.

Norway - almond ring - good, very sweet

France - pastries - good as always

Japan - kake gori (snow-cone) - delicious!

Fireworks Factory: food = bleah, adult beverages = good, one-way mirror in Men's Room = no big thrill.
Rainforest Cafe: food = very good, prices = high, wait = no problem (I went to the check in at 3, and asked "If I want to eat at 5, what time should I put my name in?" and was told 4:15. I did so, and we were seated by 5:05 PM)
Mickey's Tropical Luau: OK. Salad course, carnivore course, pineapple cake.
Tony's Town Square: food = very good, service = terrific. We had gotten caught in the rain just as we came in, and I was shivering in the air conditioning. The hostess brought me a tablecloth to wrap up in, and the kids got hot chocolate.
Odds & Ends & Beginnings.

We all got to ride in the front of the monorail, though on separate trips.

Both kids got WDW bus driver "licenses".

There is an ice cold "hot tub" (spa) in the middle of Storm-a-long Bay. Nobody would use it, except little kids trying to trick other little kids into trying it.

The Mr. and I were talking about our dinner at Vickie -n- Al's, and we agreed that we didn't really have to do that every trip. Both kids immediately piped up with "Oh, yes you do! That's *our* night off!" C enjoyed being on his own, and E likes the kids' clubs. We took her to the Cub's Den at the WL this time. She had fun, but I wouldn't recommend it. It was a very small room, with a few computers, a puppet theater, and a TV for movies - that was about it. There was a wonderful sandbox area outside, but we were told they weren't allowed to go there because it hadn't been treated for bugs and there weren't enough CM's to supervise two groups. Next trip it's back to the Neverland Club for her.

But, when we dropped her off, we had some time to do a little exploring... almost as if someone had *planned* it that way. ;-) If you don't know already, The Mr. is *not* a camper. In fact, he has always refused to consider staying at the Wilderness Lodge just because of the name. I dragged him out to the pool and down to the geyser, and when we got back to the lobby I was *so* tired I just *had* to sit down and rest there for awhile.

He decided that maybe this place wasn't so barbaric after all, except for the goings-on in the Whispering Canyon restaurant. And, since we *do* have those APs and *need* to use them before next March, well, we might just stay a day or two at the WL on our next trip.

Beth Floro

floro@frontiernet.net

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