darthmacho
10-05-2010, 10:06 AM
Date: August 23, 2010
Location: Magic Kingdom
The Cast:
DM: Me, Darth Macho, Celebrating Our 12th Anniversary. (Belatedly)
DW: Dear Wife, The Queen, Celebrating Our 12th Anniversary. (Belatedly)
DD1: Princess, 9yo, Celebrating 1st Visit (That she'll remember. She was just 2yo on her actual first visit.)
DD2: Princess, 6yo, Celebrating 1st Visit (She was born mysteriously 9 months after our last visit…)
DW's Choice: Big Thunder Mountain, DM's Choice: POtC
When we were finished with Pecos Bill Café, DW had picked one of her favorites, Big Thunder Mountain, for her choice for last ride. We all thought it was a good choice, and since it was still raining, we lucked out that it had whittled down to a 10 minute wait. I guess everyone was hiding out in Pecos Bill's. BTM was an interesting take in the rain. It was the first time we'd experienced that, so I guess that's a good thing, though the rain wasn't heavy any more which helped.
Since DD1 had already picked Splash Mountain, which would have been my first choice, I had to decide what my pick for last ride would be. Would it be another go on Splash, or would it be one of my next two favorites, Haunted Mansion or Pirates of the Caribbean? I simply cannot decide which of these wonderful dark rides is better, they are both so very good, and I flip-flop back and forth on which one ranks second after Splash on my MK ride list. I knew I had to choose, so I went with Pirates, because I generally prefer water borne rides. It wasn't easy, but I had made that decision. It only had a 10 minute wait, so it turned out a good choice.
The Quest for Chip and Dale Continues
It was our last day in the parks, and we still hadn't gotten a picture or autograph from Chip and Dale for the kids, and attempts to locate them earlier in the day had failed. Going on our tip that they were located at the firehouse, we crossed the Adventureland bridge and hooked a right back down Main Street, determined to find them there. Of course, they weren't, but we spotted Daisy Duck, and knowing what a rare find she was, DW got the kids in line while I went to the information booth to get the low down on the Chipmunks. They told me that CnD were in Tomorrowland today, by the stage, and that the next, and last chance to catch them would be 2:30, which was less than 1/2 hour away. I later found out that this wasn't true, they were there for a while longer, but at this point we were taking nothing for granted, so after meeting Daisy, we hoofed it over to Tomorrowland, which was actually quite handy because that's where we were heading anyway. On the way back up Main Street, we were lucky enough to catch a little of the Dapper Dans, which was a treat. I hadn't realized how colorful their outfits are! We didn't watch for too long, since we just had to get to our destination.
Tomorrowland: Mission Accomplished!
Finally, we found them! The line was a little long, and I was worried that they were done for the day when they took a break, but the CM assured us they would be back, and they were, very quickly I might add. They were dressed in space suits, to fit the Tomorrowland theme, but that did not detract much from the experience, and the autographs were the same. Best of all, they were up to their silly antics, fighting over the pens, stepping on each others' feet, and the kids loved it. DD1 talked about their "ruckus" all day. Playful characters like Donald Duck, Lilo and Stitch, and the Chipmunks are always the most memorable, especially to the kids. You have to love that.
Meanwhile, with our mission accomplished, we set out to visit DD2's Choice, which was Stitch's Great Escape. I was a little surprised, but she really seemed to like this attraction, and to be honest, I do too. I confess that I like Stitch, and though the Lilo character is a little whiney, she wasn't a part of the show. I also love Gantu, who as the foil, made the show. My kids loved when Stitch arrived at Cinderella's Castle and said "Cinderella! You're Prince is here!" (Forgive me if I mentioned this earlier in my report, lol.)
We decided on one more attraction in Tomorrowland, sort of a Family Choice, Monster's Inc. Laugh Floor, which we thought would be fun to take in again, despite the potential for repeat jokes. I told the kids that we should sit on the aisle because those people got picked more often, but they must have felt shy because they said they didn't want to. I guess I can't blame them. We did, however, successfully submit a joke and they picked it! Of course we gave our DD's names, and they loved hearing their joke and getting credit for it.
The joke was: "Why did the cookie go to the doctor?"
Answer: "Because he was feeling crummy."
I think they were also proud that it got a decent laugh from the crowd. I'll have to come armed with a couple of new jokes for next time!
On our way to our next stop, we were lucky enough to run into PUSH! I had feared we weren't going to meet the little guy because we hadn't had a peep of him in 9 days, but there he was. He entertained the kids, and as usual there were a few obnoxious ones trying to kick him, but mostly well behaved ones like mine. The man with the mic was standing right next to DW.
Another accomplishment at this time was getting our Mickey Bars. We had been eating so much on the dining plan all week, the opportunity hadn't presented itself yet. We decided it was now or never, so we used up the last of our snack credits to get them for the whole family. It's a must do, now done.
Toontown
Our next stop was Toontown, which personally, I could have skipped, but the family wanted to ride Barnstormer, a new experience for all of us, and the kids wanted to meet and get a picture with Mickey in his original outfit. After steering them throughout the first eight and a half days, I couldn't refuse, so off to Toontown we went.
The Barnstormer ride was decent, but seriously, it has to hold the record for the shortest ride ever. We waited 15 minutes to get on, and if the ride lasted 30 seconds, I'll be a monkey's uncle! Would it kill them to go around twice? I imagine the line would be even longer then. Anyway, cute ride, but WAY overrated.
Next, we got in line for Mickey, and it was posted as a 30 minute wait. Ouch. I love meeting the Mouse, but I wasn't in the mood to stand for a half hour in a crowded building, but it's what the kids wanted. We got the picture with Mickey, and Minnie was there too, but the bad news was the pro picture never made it onto our photopass for some reason. That was a bummer, but at least we got some extra shots with our own camera, and we didn't have to waste time with the autograph books, because they got that at Chef Mickey's.
After exploring their houses, we decided to hop on the train and take a ride to Frontierland. I forget what our motive was, but we poked in some shops there, played in the shooting gallery, and headed over to Liberty Square, where we would take our last ride of the trip as it turns out, on the Haunted Mansion. DW, at my suggestion, opted to shop at the Yankee Trader shop while I went on with the kids. I was glad to fit this in one more time, because I would have missed it if we hadn't. I really believe the Splash/Pirates/HM trio are a must on any visit to the MK. They are more than just a ride, they are an experience, like a living story, and a cut above any "thrill ride" I can think of. There's simply no comparison anywhere.
Our Last Meal and Exit
Okay, that was melodramatic, but we decided to have our dinner at Casey's, something that I had been lobbying for all week, but for which I was meeting resistance. Not sure why, because everyone likes hot dogs, right?, but anyway, I finally got my wish. They were working on the façade outside, so it was all boarded up, but still open, and that might have lessened the crowd a bit. We all got our dogs and we ate outside by the piano player. The food was great, but the service was even better. The CM's here were the friendliest, kindest, and most helpful of any all week. This is the way WDW service ought to be all the time. I can't explain exactly what they did right, but they were enthusiastic, kind, talked to the kids, and helped them with something I can't even recall at the moment. I was very pleased.
After Casey's we could have headed for the exit, but there was a sense of reluctance on the part of all of us. I suggested one last sojourn over to the shops in Adventureland that we always seem to miss, and we enjoyed it. I liked just soaking in the atmosphere of this wonderfully themed land.
We weren't entirely finished, because we spent a considerable amount of time poking around main Street, soaking in a lot of atmosphere that we are often too busy for on other occasions. We got some parting photos of the castle, and it was time to go.
Of course, it's a sad moment when you're exiting a park for the last time of a trip, especially MK, not knowing for sure when you might be back again.
Sigh. :(
We were heading back to Riverside for our last night of the trip, and the kids wanted to go to the pool for one last time, and I wanted to go to the pool bar to drown my sorrows…
Stay tuned for Days 9 + 10: Ending Our Trip, which I hope to get into one entry...
Location: Magic Kingdom
The Cast:
DM: Me, Darth Macho, Celebrating Our 12th Anniversary. (Belatedly)
DW: Dear Wife, The Queen, Celebrating Our 12th Anniversary. (Belatedly)
DD1: Princess, 9yo, Celebrating 1st Visit (That she'll remember. She was just 2yo on her actual first visit.)
DD2: Princess, 6yo, Celebrating 1st Visit (She was born mysteriously 9 months after our last visit…)
DW's Choice: Big Thunder Mountain, DM's Choice: POtC
When we were finished with Pecos Bill Café, DW had picked one of her favorites, Big Thunder Mountain, for her choice for last ride. We all thought it was a good choice, and since it was still raining, we lucked out that it had whittled down to a 10 minute wait. I guess everyone was hiding out in Pecos Bill's. BTM was an interesting take in the rain. It was the first time we'd experienced that, so I guess that's a good thing, though the rain wasn't heavy any more which helped.
Since DD1 had already picked Splash Mountain, which would have been my first choice, I had to decide what my pick for last ride would be. Would it be another go on Splash, or would it be one of my next two favorites, Haunted Mansion or Pirates of the Caribbean? I simply cannot decide which of these wonderful dark rides is better, they are both so very good, and I flip-flop back and forth on which one ranks second after Splash on my MK ride list. I knew I had to choose, so I went with Pirates, because I generally prefer water borne rides. It wasn't easy, but I had made that decision. It only had a 10 minute wait, so it turned out a good choice.
The Quest for Chip and Dale Continues
It was our last day in the parks, and we still hadn't gotten a picture or autograph from Chip and Dale for the kids, and attempts to locate them earlier in the day had failed. Going on our tip that they were located at the firehouse, we crossed the Adventureland bridge and hooked a right back down Main Street, determined to find them there. Of course, they weren't, but we spotted Daisy Duck, and knowing what a rare find she was, DW got the kids in line while I went to the information booth to get the low down on the Chipmunks. They told me that CnD were in Tomorrowland today, by the stage, and that the next, and last chance to catch them would be 2:30, which was less than 1/2 hour away. I later found out that this wasn't true, they were there for a while longer, but at this point we were taking nothing for granted, so after meeting Daisy, we hoofed it over to Tomorrowland, which was actually quite handy because that's where we were heading anyway. On the way back up Main Street, we were lucky enough to catch a little of the Dapper Dans, which was a treat. I hadn't realized how colorful their outfits are! We didn't watch for too long, since we just had to get to our destination.
Tomorrowland: Mission Accomplished!
Finally, we found them! The line was a little long, and I was worried that they were done for the day when they took a break, but the CM assured us they would be back, and they were, very quickly I might add. They were dressed in space suits, to fit the Tomorrowland theme, but that did not detract much from the experience, and the autographs were the same. Best of all, they were up to their silly antics, fighting over the pens, stepping on each others' feet, and the kids loved it. DD1 talked about their "ruckus" all day. Playful characters like Donald Duck, Lilo and Stitch, and the Chipmunks are always the most memorable, especially to the kids. You have to love that.
Meanwhile, with our mission accomplished, we set out to visit DD2's Choice, which was Stitch's Great Escape. I was a little surprised, but she really seemed to like this attraction, and to be honest, I do too. I confess that I like Stitch, and though the Lilo character is a little whiney, she wasn't a part of the show. I also love Gantu, who as the foil, made the show. My kids loved when Stitch arrived at Cinderella's Castle and said "Cinderella! You're Prince is here!" (Forgive me if I mentioned this earlier in my report, lol.)
We decided on one more attraction in Tomorrowland, sort of a Family Choice, Monster's Inc. Laugh Floor, which we thought would be fun to take in again, despite the potential for repeat jokes. I told the kids that we should sit on the aisle because those people got picked more often, but they must have felt shy because they said they didn't want to. I guess I can't blame them. We did, however, successfully submit a joke and they picked it! Of course we gave our DD's names, and they loved hearing their joke and getting credit for it.
The joke was: "Why did the cookie go to the doctor?"
Answer: "Because he was feeling crummy."
I think they were also proud that it got a decent laugh from the crowd. I'll have to come armed with a couple of new jokes for next time!
On our way to our next stop, we were lucky enough to run into PUSH! I had feared we weren't going to meet the little guy because we hadn't had a peep of him in 9 days, but there he was. He entertained the kids, and as usual there were a few obnoxious ones trying to kick him, but mostly well behaved ones like mine. The man with the mic was standing right next to DW.
Another accomplishment at this time was getting our Mickey Bars. We had been eating so much on the dining plan all week, the opportunity hadn't presented itself yet. We decided it was now or never, so we used up the last of our snack credits to get them for the whole family. It's a must do, now done.
Toontown
Our next stop was Toontown, which personally, I could have skipped, but the family wanted to ride Barnstormer, a new experience for all of us, and the kids wanted to meet and get a picture with Mickey in his original outfit. After steering them throughout the first eight and a half days, I couldn't refuse, so off to Toontown we went.
The Barnstormer ride was decent, but seriously, it has to hold the record for the shortest ride ever. We waited 15 minutes to get on, and if the ride lasted 30 seconds, I'll be a monkey's uncle! Would it kill them to go around twice? I imagine the line would be even longer then. Anyway, cute ride, but WAY overrated.
Next, we got in line for Mickey, and it was posted as a 30 minute wait. Ouch. I love meeting the Mouse, but I wasn't in the mood to stand for a half hour in a crowded building, but it's what the kids wanted. We got the picture with Mickey, and Minnie was there too, but the bad news was the pro picture never made it onto our photopass for some reason. That was a bummer, but at least we got some extra shots with our own camera, and we didn't have to waste time with the autograph books, because they got that at Chef Mickey's.
After exploring their houses, we decided to hop on the train and take a ride to Frontierland. I forget what our motive was, but we poked in some shops there, played in the shooting gallery, and headed over to Liberty Square, where we would take our last ride of the trip as it turns out, on the Haunted Mansion. DW, at my suggestion, opted to shop at the Yankee Trader shop while I went on with the kids. I was glad to fit this in one more time, because I would have missed it if we hadn't. I really believe the Splash/Pirates/HM trio are a must on any visit to the MK. They are more than just a ride, they are an experience, like a living story, and a cut above any "thrill ride" I can think of. There's simply no comparison anywhere.
Our Last Meal and Exit
Okay, that was melodramatic, but we decided to have our dinner at Casey's, something that I had been lobbying for all week, but for which I was meeting resistance. Not sure why, because everyone likes hot dogs, right?, but anyway, I finally got my wish. They were working on the façade outside, so it was all boarded up, but still open, and that might have lessened the crowd a bit. We all got our dogs and we ate outside by the piano player. The food was great, but the service was even better. The CM's here were the friendliest, kindest, and most helpful of any all week. This is the way WDW service ought to be all the time. I can't explain exactly what they did right, but they were enthusiastic, kind, talked to the kids, and helped them with something I can't even recall at the moment. I was very pleased.
After Casey's we could have headed for the exit, but there was a sense of reluctance on the part of all of us. I suggested one last sojourn over to the shops in Adventureland that we always seem to miss, and we enjoyed it. I liked just soaking in the atmosphere of this wonderfully themed land.
We weren't entirely finished, because we spent a considerable amount of time poking around main Street, soaking in a lot of atmosphere that we are often too busy for on other occasions. We got some parting photos of the castle, and it was time to go.
Of course, it's a sad moment when you're exiting a park for the last time of a trip, especially MK, not knowing for sure when you might be back again.
Sigh. :(
We were heading back to Riverside for our last night of the trip, and the kids wanted to go to the pool for one last time, and I wanted to go to the pool bar to drown my sorrows…
Stay tuned for Days 9 + 10: Ending Our Trip, which I hope to get into one entry...