pkondz
Brace yourself for immediate disintegration
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2007
Pulley for you, Mom.
Who wants bonus points?!?!?
You do?
Here's a mini contest then:
I bought my new bike last fall
and it's bada... uhh... it's cool.
Black on black.
Very little chrome.
And....
I want a cool licence plate to go with it.
Originally I wanted
"CRISIS"
because this bike represents
my mid-life crisis.
(Do NOT take that away from me!
It's my crisis! Mine!)
But you're only allowed
five characters.
I can't think of a decent way
to reduce the characters.
"CRISS" looks like a name.
"CRYSS" same.
"CRSIS" looks like "curses".
"CRYZS" looks weird.
etc.
So...
toss out some ideas!
And it doesn't have to be
"crisis" based.
Anything cool that you think fits.
It can be Disney based.
Marvin the Martian based.
Harley based.
Whatever!
But keep it cool, people.
Corny or silly ain't gonna
get you the points.
Have at 'er.
Bonus points to anyone
who posts ideas.
More points for best plate.
Everyone can chime in on that one.
-----------------------------------------------
Where was I... Ah, yes.
Boarding a bus in AK
for destinations unknown.
I'm a bit surprised.
But considering how well
I do in contests.... not very.
And yet... almost all of you knew
that there was going to be a DISmeet
on this trip.
And many of you knew it would be in Epcot,
and it hasn't happened yet.
And, well...
What you may not know is.
This is my last Disney day.
War!
Famine!
Dole Whip shortage!
Plague!
Chaos!
Slow buses!
Last day!
It's the seven signs
of the Apocalypse!!!!
Well.... my Apocalypse anyway.
Leaving Disney????
<shudder>
So, since it's my last day
<shudder>
and I haven't had the DISmeet yet.
Ergo, ipso facto carpe diem flagrante delicto...
um.....
It means I'm going to Epcot.
But not yet.
The bus dropped me off
in front of ASMu at 11:59.
Which means I was probably
in my room by noon.
(And also means that @orangecats2
is kicking herself for changing
her answer right about now.)
Can't go to a DISmeet all hot
and sweaty and gross, now, can I?
Well, okay, I can.
But do I want to?
Would you want me to?
I didn't think so.
("Hey! Look everyone! It's pkon...... ew.")
Hmmm... actually, I get that a lot.
Shower or no shower.
Huh.
I had tons of time,
so I took my time getting ready
and just relaxed in my
cool, air conditioned room.
Air conditioning.
Civilisation's gift to civilization.
(This is awesome.
No matter where you live,
you're going to assume I
spelled one of those wrong.)
Eventually, it was time to go.
I always allow at least an hour
for travel from resort to park.
That way I'm pretty sure
I won't run late.
Consequently, I'm always
early. Usually too early.
Frequently ridiculously early.
But that's okay.
I'm in Disney.
I left the room and took one step...
Two steps....
Three steps....
And.... I'm sweating already!
Come on Walt! Turn down the
heat and humidity, will ya?
For the amount of money we pay,
I really don't think climate control
is asking for too much.
Seriously.
I arrived at the Epcot bus stop at 1:52pm.
No bus in sight.
No... wait. There it is.
The bus arrived at, well, still 1:52pm.
Arriving at Epcot, my main goal was threefold.
1. Stay cool.
2. No, seriously... stay cool.
3. Did you not hear me??? Stay. Cool!
I walked fairly sedately towards
the bag check line, seeking as
much shade as I could find.
It didn't help. But I did it anyway.
Hmmm... I might've been better
served sprinting to the nearest
air conditioned building.
As I approached the bag check,
my hopes of a quick release
from the heat evaporated.
Loooong line at bag check.
What were all these people doing here?
Shouldn't they be in the park already?
Haven't you people heard of rope drop?!?!?
Wait.... these are those people you read about.
The ones that don't know about rope drop.
The ones that enable us to go on rides
with minimal to no waits.
It's okay people! No rush!
Take your time! It's allllll good!
No. Please. I insist. Go ahead of me.
I eventually got through bag check.
Took a bit of time, but....
Finally! I can get to some A/C!!
"Sir? Could you step over here please?"
Dang it!!
I need to start wearing Disney shirts.
At least the extra security is relatively quick.
And if you get the accompanying cavity search,
it can be fun, too!
I still had time to kill so I popped into
Innoventions East and parked my
keester in a chair at the Electric Umbrella.
Ahhhh..... uhhhhh....
Dang it.
I was sitting at a table I'd found...
But.... there were people wandering
around looking for a place to
sit down and eat.
Not fair for me to be taking up a table
when I wasn't eating there.
<sigh>
Back out into the heat.
Oh, well. It's not that far off the DISmeet time.
I sashayed off in the direction of World Showcase
and realized I had time to knock an item
off my Disney 'to do' list.
I continued past our proposed DISmeet location
and headed up and over to Norway.
Yes! Of course!
Time for some Gronnsaksgrateng.
I mean, everyone raves about it.
What's not to love about a
vegetable terrine with braised lentils??
Am I right???
I said... Am I right???
Hello?
Fine. Be that way.
Since you're all being so recalcitrant,
I'll go to the Kringla Bakeri Og Kafé instead.
Or the Kringla Bakery
as it's more commonly known.
Or the Kringla Ka Bakery as I,
for reasons unknown, call it.
Or "That Yummy Place in Norway" as
it's even more commonly known.
I knew exactly what I wanted,
but I dawdled a bit,
just trying to decide if I could have
maybe two things?
Nope.
With the heat I just wasn't super hungry.
So I ordered a Coke.
And a Rice Cream.
(Rice Pudding topped with Strawberry Sauce)
I'm almost positive that this was
@Steppesister 's suggestion.
But I could be wrong.
I almost always am.
I would never have ordered this
without a strong recommendation.
pkondz is most definitely not
a fan of rice pudding.
Nope.
But... in the interests of
"I'll try anything once"
(Now isn't that a ringing endorsement!)
I decided to give it a shot.
And well... it wasn't bad!
It was far, far better
than any rice pudding I'd ever had.
Heck... I even ate it all.
But I don't know if I'd order it again.
Then again... I may have eaten it wrong.
I'm pretty sure I ate it top down...
but maybe you're supposed to mix
the strawberry sauce into it? Like yogurt?
Well, whoever it was that suggested it,
let me know.
If I screwed it up, I'll give it another fair shot.
Soon it was 3:20 and time to move on.
I headed out and took a quick turn and...
Wow.
This is the Fast Pass line for Frozen?
Why is it extending outside the door?
I only stood outside for a few seconds
before the tail end of the line moved indoors.
(Yayy!! Air conditioning!)
So this is where everyone in Florida
is hanging out.
Apologies in advance for the horrific line photos.
I was holding the camera up above my head
and didn't notice I had the wrong settings on.
Again, apologies for the lousy photos.
Since it's new, and not everyone has seen it,
I decided to post them anyway.
While almost everyone had a good couple of hours to wait,
I was on the ride in just a few minutes.
And... I just couldn't look at anyone
in the standby queue.
Not when they're waiting that long.
I wasn't quite sure what to expect
from this ride.
I hadn't heard much about it.
Deliberately.
And... I liked it!
High on life.
Little sucker gets around.
The animatronics were first rate.
Notice how Kristoff and Anna turn
and look at each other?
The animatronics are the first
all-electric Audio-Animatronics.
All others used either pneumatics
or hydraulics. (thanks wiki!)
For the most part I just enjoyed the ride.
I took a few snaps here and there,
but didn't worry too much about it.
Maybe the fifth or sixth time I ride it
I'll worry about it more.
But for now... good enough.
The story did take an interesting
turn when (I presume)
they portray Elsa's descent
from beloved Queen...
...to evil demon from the Abyss.
Gahhh!!!
(Seriously.
While the new projected animatronics
are great... they do cause...
problems when you photograph them.)
Anyway, back to our story.
Elsa farts out a whole bunch
of little snow dudes,
someone gives her some Gas-X,
she feels better and they celebrate
with snow fireworks.
Which frankly, I'm thinking are less
colourful than the regular ones.
But, hey, at least she's not evil anymore...
Or.... is she????
And did she corrupt her sister as well?
And that's Frozen!
A tale of how two evil witches
came to be. The end.
After riding Frozen
(I swear I passed the same people
who were still in line on the way out.)
I made a bee line for Mexico.
I wasn't late
(pkondz does not do late.
Sometimes stuff happens.
But not if he can help it.)
but it was time to get going.
DISmeet time coming up!
When I got to Mexico,
I headed inside.
I needed to secure a table for up to
10 people at the Ditch.
(La Cava.)
Okay. I admit it.
I shamelessly stole this idea
from @Steppesister
She's already posted about it
so if you're reading her TR
(and if you're not... why aren't you?
it's far better than this!!)
you already know about it.
But when I walked into the pavilion...
There were people lined up
all the way up the stairs.
And there was a queue
also waiting outside La Cava.
Oh... no....
I walked up to the hostess
and asked her how long
it might be for a table.
"For how many?"
"I don't know." I said.
"It could be just me...
Or it could be as many as 10."
I really didn't know.
Like I said. Stuff happens.
"About an hour." The hostess said.
ouch.
I parked myself outside the entrance
and looked around as best I could.
It was like trying to find Waldo...
Except I didn't really know what
Waldo necessarily looked like.
I knew I'd recognize @TheLittleKatie
and Jamie.
And thought I'd have a good shot
at recognizing @BibbitybobityLu .
But I had no clue what the others
might look like.
I checked my iPod to see if I had any mail.
(Remember. No cell in foreign countries.)
And I did.
Awwww.... crap.
It looked like a chunk of my DISmeet
was able to meet earlier...
and couldn't meet now.
They were leaving.
Shoot.
Kris, if you're still reading this,
sorry I missed you.
I spent a few minutes wondering
what I should do when...
A woman with husband in tow
walks up to me and says.
"Are you pkondz?"
"Are you @MHSweb79 ?"
I had deliberately worn
my Marvin Harley shirt
as a way to be recognized.
Don't know if it made a difference.
But... it's a thing now.
I only wear it to DISmeets.
So that's how I met Laura and Bill.
A really nice couple....
and I was an awful host.
The worst.
And I really feel badly for that.
Our table still wasn't ready
(it did wind up taking
a full hour for one.)
And the entire time we were
together, I could hardly
concentrate on what
was being said.
I was constantly scanning
the crowd. Looking for
Lu and her mom
and Katie and Jamie.
We were tucked into a corner
and not wholly visible
to the casual observer.
A few times I'd leave to make
a circuit of the pavilion.
And never saw anyone
that I recognized.
Once we were seated,
I was able to relax.
Anyone looking, would look inside.
And then we were able to have
a nice visit.
We ordered some drinks and settled in.
Sorry for the quality.
Note to self. Never use the iPod
for low light photography.
After a while, Lu showed up!
We said hello and she said
that Katie and Jamie were on their way
and she was going to wait outside.
I asked our waitress if we could grab another table
or some chairs.
And was told they couldn't.
That there were other people waiting.
I wasn't sure what to do.
I'm pretty sure it was Laura
who suggested we take our drinks
outside and wait until another table
was ready.
Capital idea!
So we did.
Lu returned with Katie and Jamie.
And we chit chatted for a bit.
Unfortunately, Laura and Bill
had to leave and they abandoned
me to these young kids.
And... another major fail.
I didn't get a photo of all of us together.
Note to self. Don't host another DISmeet.
You suck at it.
At least I got the rest of us on "film".
Note to self. Never ever use the iPod
for low light photography.
About an hour after giving up our table,
we were told another was now available.
Sweet!
We sat down and ordered more drinks.
I'd like to say things went well, but....
No. Not between myself
and the others due to age gap.
No... it was the women.
They simply did not get along.
Lu said she wanted to sit across from me,
then Katie said she should get that spot.
Lu said she knew me best.
Katie said she knew me longest.
And... well...
They started fighting.
I of course immediately intervened...
Well... maybe not right away....
Note to self. Never ever EVER use the iPod
for low light photography.
Afterwards though, they settled down.
Sure there were black eyes and bruises, but...
Katie had a big grin on her face.
"I got you something." She said.
And passed over a small bag.
Inside was.... a Disney Springs
Harley Davidson poker chip!
She didn't even know this
(and she still doesn't... miss her)
but she had just saved me
from going home without one
(or trying desperately to replace
the one I'd lost.)
"It's pink." She said. "So whenever
you look at it you'll think of me."
I was very touched by her thoughtfulness.
And it's my favourite poker chip.
You know...
I must admit.... I was a bit nervous
about meeting these three.
There's a bit of an.... age gap.
But... speaking only for myself,
I had a really wonderful time.
(Which sounds painfully like:
"Well, me 'n the young-uns
got on famously, Martha!"
Meanwhile: "Mom! Do we have
to see Grandpa again? Boooooring!
He keeps talking about bowel movements!")
I believe Katie and Jamie were leaving
the following day and still had tons
of snack credits left.
They wanted to go out
and grab some Kalua Pork Sliders.
We all agreed that sounded like a good idea,
so we headed out in search of sustenance.
Jamie and Katie got in line at the Hawaii booth,
followed by Lu and myself bringing up the rear.
(Oh, if only Lu was still around.
How she'd have fun that.)
Katie and Jamie ordered eight sliders.
I remember thinking:
"Ah to be young and able to eat so much."
Gimme a break. I'd been burning the candle
at both ends.
Of course they were buying for all of us.
It was very generous of them
and I appreciated the gesture.
We found a table and settled in to devour
our delectables.
I noticed that Katie had only eaten part of one
and was asking Jamie if she wanted it.
"Is there something wrong?" I asked.
"I'm pulley." She replied.
Pulley?
Okay... I know there are language differences
between North American and British, but....
You know.
Apartment = Flat
Trunk = Boot
Truck = Lorry
But I don't claim to know 'em all.
Like.
Pacifier = Dummy
Checkers = Draughts
or even
Zucchini = Courgette
So while I had no idea what "pulley"
meant, I wasn't totally surprised
to hear a word I didn't recognize.
I thought. "Perhaps she's already
eaten so much on the dining plan
that she's feeling full and needs
a pulley to lift herself into bed."
She noticed my blank look
and whispered to Lu.
"What?" I said.
"Oh." She replied. "Just asking Lu
if they use that term."
"We do." Lu continued.
"I'm surprised you don't."
"What does it mean?" I asked.
"It means." Katie replied.
"That I'm not feeling well..."
okay.... OH!!
"You're feeling poorly!" I exclaimed.
"Yes." She replied, looking puzzled.
"Don't you say that?"
"Well." I said. "We might say
'I'm not feeling well' but we could say
'I'm feeling poorly'."
They just cut out the middle man,
so to speak, and cut to the chase.
I'm pulley.
Gonna use that one from now on.
After we finished our sliders
(of which Jamie had three....
Didn't think to give it to me.
Totally rude and inconsiderate.
Who cares if he paid for them?)
After we finished our sliders,
the young'uns were talking
about maybe heading over to MK.
I was very (very!) tempted
to tag along....
But... I didn't want to cramp
their style by having to have
some old fart bumbling along
after them.
I made my excuses and we
parted company.
I was sad to see them go, though.
I was having fun!
I will say that I didn't have
nearly enough time
with everyone I met that day.
But! The night was still young.
So let's cheer up and explore a bit!
I sashayed over to Australia
and tried the Grilled Lamb Chop
(with Mint Pesto and Potato Crunchies)
as well as the Grilled Sweet and Spicy Bush Berry Shrimp
(with Pineapple, Pepper, Onion and Snap Peas.)
Both were delicious.
Looks good doesn't it?
Let's zoom out a bit.
My table for "ce soir".
Does it still look as appetizing?
Next up, Mexico, just across the way.
I tried the Taco de Camarón
(Battered Shrimp served over a Flour Tortilla
with Crispy Purple Cabbage and Chipotle Mayonnaise.)
It was okay. I preferred Australia's Shrimp.
Sorry about the blur.
What are ya gonna do.
I was still feeling a bit peckish...
Sorry.
I was peckish.
(New rule. Omit the middle words.)
I decided to sashay to the
other side of the park
and nosh on some food
from Scotland.
I tried the Traditional Scottish Lamb Stew
(with Neeps and Tatties.)
What are Neeps and Tatties?
I'll start with the easy one.
Tatties are potatoes.
Taters... tatties... see?
Now neeps...
From what I can best figure out,
Neeps are NEw TurniPS.
And for dessert, The Tipsy Laird
(Whiskey-soaked Cake with Lemon Cream and Toasted Oats.)
The stew was really good!
Quite enjoyed that one.
The Tipsy Laird was pretty good too.
Not quite as good as I'd hoped...
But not bad at all.
I'd have both again.
Especially the stew.
Around now, I only had a couple of things
left on my "must eat" list.
And.... well... I had an itch.
I wanted one last look...
At Wishes.
So I started to head out of Epcot
via The Chocolate Studio.
I wanted to try the Liquid Nitro
(Chocolate-Almond Truffle with Warm Whiskey Caramel),
but the line was insanely long.
I don't need chocolate that badly!
Well.... I do... but I had places to be.
Hello! Wishes!
I did stop at The Chew Collective
to try the Peanut Butter and White Chocolate Mousse
(with a Caramel Drizzle.)
Was really looking forward to this!
And.... boring.
Definitely won't order that one again.
I left Epcot after that with visions
of Wishes exploding in my head.
I made my way up to the monorail
along with approximately
seven million other people.
I arrived at the monorail station
at 8:24pm... which is when the
monorail arrived.
Wait time, zero minutes.
Except.
All the people in front of me
obviously weren't aware
of my VIP package.
Rude.
You'd think they'd make way
for me, wouldn't you?
I had to wait... Me! Wait!
until the next one.
It arrived at 8:35.
Made me wait eleven minutes...
I'm sure Disney made each
and every one of those people
in front of me pay dearly
for their transgression.
Dearly.
Free fast passes to IASW.
When we got to the TTC,
I walked off one monorail
and onto another.
Wait time there was a more
respectable zero minutes.
The monorail barfed us out
at the Magic Kingdom
where I was sent through
the metal detector again.
I'm getting good at that.
As I sashayed towards
the park entrance,
I asked a CM what time
Wishes was tonight.
"Oh, I'm sorry sir. They were at eight."
. . .
I may have just stood there
for a moment or two
with my mouth hanging open.
(It's a good look. Really.)
Whelp. I'm here.
May as well make the best of it.
And really... there's no other
place I'd rather be on my last night.
I entered the park and... met a wall of people.
MSEP was going on and the place
was packed!
I wanted to make a FP for...
well, anything.
I found a little nook
and tried to get MDE up and running.
"Excuse me sir!" A voice said in my ear.
I looked up. It was a CM.
"We have to keep this area clear." She continued.
"You have to be behind the line."
I looked down. There was tape on the ground
delimiting where parade viewers
and pedestrians could be.
Half of my left foot was over the line.
I turned my foot a bit and she was satisfied
and moved on to tell a woman
pushing a stroller that her child's pacifier
was an eighth of an inch too large.
There was an immediate FP available
for Buzz, but I couldn't get the app
to make it. I gave up.
I'm going to just go to Jungle Cruise.
I'd heard it was different at night.
You should know.
Well, maybe not you... but you.
I know someone here told me that.
Probably several somebodies.
I made my way up Main St.
taking advantage to cut through
the shops as much as possible.
At the corner of Main and the hub,
I needed to cross the street.
There was a gap with a CM
guarding the way.
I waited patiently.
Too patiently.
Eventually the CM said.
"If you're wanting to cross,
you can't."
"How do I get to the Jungle Cruise?" I asked.
"Go around the castle." She replied.
Uh, huh.
If you know the parade route,
you know that isn't going to work.
I think that was another example
of a CM just not wanting (or allowed)
to say "No."
Whatever. I changed tactics and headed
up and over towards Fantasyland.
A quick left into Liberty Square and...
15-20 minute wait for HM?
I can do that.
One last ride on HM before going home?
Heck yes!
The line started about twenty feet
past the entrance gates.
And it did take about 15-20 minutes.
And it was merely awesometastic,
as usual.
When I exited, the line had grown
and now stretched past
Columbia Harbour House.
(Isn't it nice that even Disney knows
"Harbour" is spelled with a 'u'?)
I paused for a minute and... ah!
Snagged a FP for Jungle Cruise.
Yessss......
I had some time to kill before
it became due however.
What ever shall I do??
I walked a short(ish)
distance towards Adventureland, and...
Oh, hello, Dole Whip.
Well, hello Dole Whip!
It's so nice to have you in my
stomach where you belong.
I took my prize to...
um.... guess it's getting late.
All the tables were dirty.
I found one that was
reasonably clean
and better yet...
Had a pile of napkins on it.
I used that to tidy up.
As I sat with my elixir,
I saw an amusing scene.
Well... maybe you have to be
a husband to find it amusing.
A woman, with child in tow,
walked very purposefully past me.
She had a very stoic expression on her face.
Trailing behind her
was her panic stricken husband.
"But I said okay! Honey! I said okay!"
And they marched out of sight.
I saluted him with a slurp of Dole Whip
and hoped his room at least had a couch.
I had a feeling he might need one.
I finished my nectar of the Gods
and set out in search of adventure.
Which I found on a small boat
not far away.
The Jungle Cruise was definitely different!
We boarded and our skipper
told us that at night,
you go through a portal to Africa.
He turned out the lights for a bit
and it was pitch black.
He told some new (to me) jokes too.
Like...
"Look! To your left! An elephant!
Did you know they can leap
great distances?"
The light shone on an elephant on shore.
He turned the lights out and
"There he goes! Look!"
And he turned the lights on
a little further downstream and...
there on the right was the elephant!
As we approached the hippos,
he said "I'm going to turn out the lights,
and if you listen carefully,
you can hear a baby hippo,
calling for it's mother.
Shhhhh.... listen...."
He turned out the lights.
We all strained to hear...
What would a baby hippo sound like?
Do you know?
No one on board knew, I'm sure.
And from the front of the ship,
in what sounded strangely like
a higher pitched version of the
skippers voice, we heard:
"Mom! Mom! Mommmmm!"
Everyone cracked up.
I very much exited the ship
with a smile on my face.
I glanced at my watch and...
it was already past 10:30.
Hmmm... what to do.
And I couldn't think of a better way
to end my day than with a smile.
I briefly considered walking
all the way back to HM...
but I'd ridden it several times
and wasn't feeling the pull too much.
I decided that... I was pretty tired.
And pretty happy.
And yet... a little sad.
My trip to Disney was over.
I knew it.
My body sure knew it.
I set out for the bus stop.
and arrived there at 10:48.
Naturally, Disney knew I was leaving
and ensured that my VIP bus
package was being enforced.
The bus was there waiting for me.
(Okay, they were loading a wheelchair.)
I climbed aboard and moments later
we were on our way.
We were disgorged at ASMu
not long afterwards.
I entered my room for the last time.
And was too tired to worry about
the inevitable DUD trip tomorrow.
Contest
My Big Fat Canadian Bonus:
I ride Disney transportation
nineteen times this trip.
What is my total time spent waiting
for Disney Transportation?
Guesses:
(Total wait time to date: 103 minutes)
Gracefulskinny - 60
Thumper_Man - 72
queenbetsey - 78
Mrs T 2009 - 86
MAGICFOR2 - 94
jandlinz - 96
DaisyDuck001 - 103
franandaj - 111
Terra Nova guy - 116
afwdwfan - 123
juniorbugman - 124
Mac Brew - 127
Heluvsme - 128
Thumper_Man's Wife - 130
chookie94 - 132
Steppesister - 135
kaileighbug - 137
SnowWhiteOz - 138
irene_dsc - 139
tashers - 144
rndmr2 - 146
fallonkendra - 150
Captain_Oblivious - 153
Chrystmasangel - 158
bankr63 - 165
DonnaBeeGood - 167
cinderkelly - 175
Curiouser&curiouser! - 177
orangecats2 - 180
vrajewski10513 - 182
DISNEYMOON10121991 - 184
chillitsanne - 196
GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes - 234
Answers to previous questions:
Did you see them?
Marvin likes to hang out with his Hakuna Matata pals.
Bottom row, fifth flag from the right.
1. Where am I heading next?
a. Another Park
b. Another Resort
c. My resort
d. Disney Springs
e. Other. Because... other.
Answer: c. My resort - 8 points
2. Which park do I go to next?
Answer: Epcot - 4 points
3. Next park. Extra security. Yes? No?
Answer: Yes - 4 points
4. How many parks do I do today?
(Hint: between 1 and 4!)
Answer: Three - 6 points
5. Fast pass. I got one. To what?
(Hint: Get the park right and this is easy.)
a. Frozen
b. EE
c. 7DMT
d. TOT
Answer: a. Frozen - 2 points.
6. What did I try for the first time?
(Hint: Get the park right and this is easy.
Whoa... deja vu.)
a. Rice pudding
b. Giraffe marshmallow pop
c. Nutella waffle
d. Butterfinger cupcake
Answer: a. Rice pudding - 2 points.
7. What time do I leave the park for the night?
Answer: 10:48pm
+/- 5 minutes 10 points, +/- 20 minutes 8 points, +/- 60 minutes 2 points
8. Last bus of the day. How long do I wait?
Answer: 0 minutes
0 - 10 points, 1-5 - 6 points, 6-10 - 2 points
Bonus: How many boyfriends? 4 points.
Guesses
DaisyDuck001 - park, DHS, yes, 2, TOT, cupcake, 7:00, 25, saw none, 3 BFs - 8 points.
Mac Brew - ASMu, Epcot, no, 2, Frozen, cupcake, 9:00, 18, saw one, 3BFs - 22 points.
MAGICFOR2 - Another park, Epcot, no, 2, frozen, rice pudding, 10:15, 4, saw none, 2 BFs - 20 points
Steppesister - Another park, DHS, yes, 3, frozen, rice pudding, 10:45, 5, saw one, 1 BF - 38 points.
Terra Nova guy - DS, DHS, yes, 2, TOT, cupcake, 9:00, 7, saw one, BF - 14 points.
Gracefulskinny - Other park, DHS, yes, 3, TOT, cupcake, 12:45, 1, saw both, 1 BF - 28 points.
DonnaBeeGood - ASMu, Epcot, yes, 3, frozen, rice pudding, 10:00, 4, saw one, 1 BF - 42 points.
orangecats2 - Another resort, Epcot, yes, 2, frozen, rice pudding, 11:00, 10, saw both, 2 BFs - 34 points.
franandaj - Another park, Epcot, yes, 3, frozen, rice pudding, 10:00, 7, saw one, 3 BFs - 30 points.
Mrs T 2009 - DS, DHS, no, 3, TOT, cupcake, 9:00, 8, saw both - 16 points.
Heluvsme - Another park, DHS, no, 2, TOT, cupcake, 11:15, 13, saw one - 6 points.
Captain_Oblivious - DHS, DHS, YES, 2, TOT, cupcake, 11:00, 7, saw both, 1 BF - 26 points.
irene_dsc - Another park, DHS, yes, 2, TOT, cupcake, 10:30, 4, saw one, 3 BFs - 26 points.
rndmr2 - Another park, DHS, yes, 2, TOT, cupcake, 11:00, 6, saw one - 18 points.
cinderkelly - Another resort, DHS, yes, 2, TOT, cupcake, 10:00, 9, saw one - 12 points.
jandlinz - Another resort, DHS, no, 3, TOT, cupcake, 9:00, 8, saw one, 4 BFs - 16 points.
Chrystmasangel - Another park, Epcot, yes, 2, frozen, rice pudding, 9:30, 9, saw both, 4 BFs - 26 points.
Thumper_Man - Another resort, Epcot, yes, 2, frozen, rice pudding, 10:00, 10, saw both - 24 points.
Thumper_Man's Wife - Other, Epcot, yes, 2, frozen, rice pudding, 10:00, 20, saw both - 22 points.
afwdwfan - Another park, Epcot, yes, 2, frozen, rice pudding, 9:30, 12, saw one, 0 BFs? - 20 points.
juniorbugman - Another resort, Epcot, yes, 2, frozen, rice pudding, 10:35, 15, saw one, 3 BFs - 28 points.
Curiouser&curiouser! - Another resort, DHS, yes, 2, TOT, cupcake, 10:30, 3, saw none, 7 BFs - 22 points.
Princess Leia - Another park, Epcot, yes, 2, frozen, rice pudding, 10:20, 12, saw one, 7 BFs - 22 points.
queenbetsey - Another resort, DHS, no, 3, frozen, cupcake, 9:00, 6.5, saw one - 12 points.
mustinjourney - Other, Epcot, yes, 2, frozen, rice pudding, 9:00, 12, saw both, 2 BFs - 24 points.
DISNEYMOON10121991 - Another park, DHS, yes, 3, frozen, rice pudding, 10:45, 19, saw one, 4 BFs - 32 points.
fallonkendra - Another park, DHS, yes, 2, TOT, cupcake, 8:30, 7, saw one, 7 BFs - 14 points.
As usual, if I've made any mistakes,
either above or below, let me know.
Bonus points
DaisyDuck001 - Knows good work. 2 points.
MHSweb79 - The lion doesn't sleep tonight. - 4 points. Leaf her alone. 4 points.
Terra Nova guy - Laughs like a hyena - 4 points.
Captain_Oblivious - Joisey - 2 points.
Heluvsme - Thanks for the thanks. It's appreciated - 4 points.
franandaj - For being an amazing friend - 6 points.
Gracefulskinny - When you're right you follow a map - 2 points.
cinderkelly - still loves me - 4 points.
jandlinz - Child juggling extraordinaire - 2 points.
DonnaBeeGood - Thanks for the concern. It's appreciated - 3 points.
Chrystmasangel - For rhyme and scansion - 4 points.
afwdwfan - I suck at being a brat, or something like that - 2 points.
juniorbugman - aliens among us - 2 points.
KathyM2 - Likes to "shake" it - 3 points.
Thumper_Man - Points for asking for points - 2 points.
Thumper_Man's Wife - Points for asking for points - 2 points.
queenbetsey - Words of wisdom - 3 points.
Curiouser&curiouser! - Saw none, but got lucky - 4 points.
MarieLightning - Runs like the wind.... well, a breeze - 2 points.
Princess Leia - For joining in - 2 points.
mustinjourney - Can't bear to not give out pun points - 2 points.
DISNEYMOON10121991 - Points for asking for points - 2 points. Says nice things - 4 points.
MAGICFOR2 - - 8 points. Surprise! - 2 points.
fallonkendra - Engagement gift - 4 points.
Score
Steppesister - 236 points
orangecats2 - 227 points
franandaj - 219 points
DISNEYMOON10121991 -206 points
Captain_Oblivious - 183 points
Thumper_Man - 179 points
Thumper_Man's Wife - 177 points
DonnaBeeGood - 173 points
irene_dsc - 169 points
juniorbugman - 161 points
Mac Brew - 151 points
Terra Nova guy - 150 points
Gracefulskinny - 148 points
GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes - 143 points
jandlinz - 140 points
Chrystmasangel - 138 points
MAGICFOR2 - 135 points
queenbetsey - 135 points
rndmr2 - 135 points
Mrs T 2009 - 132 points
fallonkendra - 130 points
chookie94 - 122 points
Curiouser&curiouser! - 116 points
cinderkelly - 111 points
mustinjourney - 110 points
afwdwfan - 95 points
DaisyDuck001 - 95 points
Heluvsme - 90 points
bankr63 - 87 points
tashers - 84 points
chillitsanne - 57 points
natebenma - 39 points
Princess Leia - 36 points
SnowWhiteOz - 30 points
SoccerDogWithEars - 30 points
vrajewski10513 - 30 points
kaileighbug - 28 points
krnelson65 - 22 points
lisaviolet - 18 points
MHSweb79 - 11 points
QueenJen - 10 points
cindianne320 - 4 points
Ladyfish77 - 4 points
KathyM2 - 3 points
MarieLightning - 2 points
Self_resqing_princz - 2 points
Questions, next round:
1. What time does the infernal alarm go off?
2. How long do I wait for DUD (Disney's Un-magical Depress)?
3. I watch a Disney animated movie on the flight. Which?
Hint: Hadn't seen it before. Hint 2:Released this decade.
4. Connecting flight. Do I make it?
5. How do you take your coffee?
Bonus: Did you see it?
You saw it? Yes?
Coming up: An extremely short and boring
chapter about flying in airplanes.
Who wants bonus points?!?!?
You do?
Here's a mini contest then:
I bought my new bike last fall
and it's bada... uhh... it's cool.
Black on black.
Very little chrome.
And....
I want a cool licence plate to go with it.
Originally I wanted
"CRISIS"
because this bike represents
my mid-life crisis.
(Do NOT take that away from me!
It's my crisis! Mine!)
But you're only allowed
five characters.
I can't think of a decent way
to reduce the characters.
"CRISS" looks like a name.
"CRYSS" same.
"CRSIS" looks like "curses".
"CRYZS" looks weird.
etc.
So...
toss out some ideas!
And it doesn't have to be
"crisis" based.
Anything cool that you think fits.
It can be Disney based.
Marvin the Martian based.
Harley based.
Whatever!
But keep it cool, people.
Corny or silly ain't gonna
get you the points.
Have at 'er.
Bonus points to anyone
who posts ideas.
More points for best plate.
Everyone can chime in on that one.
-----------------------------------------------
Where was I... Ah, yes.
Boarding a bus in AK
for destinations unknown.
I'm a bit surprised.
But considering how well
I do in contests.... not very.
And yet... almost all of you knew
that there was going to be a DISmeet
on this trip.
And many of you knew it would be in Epcot,
and it hasn't happened yet.
And, well...
What you may not know is.
This is my last Disney day.
War!
Famine!
Dole Whip shortage!
Plague!
Chaos!
Slow buses!
Last day!
It's the seven signs
of the Apocalypse!!!!
Well.... my Apocalypse anyway.
Leaving Disney????
<shudder>
So, since it's my last day
<shudder>
and I haven't had the DISmeet yet.
Ergo, ipso facto carpe diem flagrante delicto...
um.....
It means I'm going to Epcot.
But not yet.
The bus dropped me off
in front of ASMu at 11:59.
Which means I was probably
in my room by noon.
(And also means that @orangecats2
is kicking herself for changing
her answer right about now.)
Can't go to a DISmeet all hot
and sweaty and gross, now, can I?
Well, okay, I can.
But do I want to?
Would you want me to?
I didn't think so.
("Hey! Look everyone! It's pkon...... ew.")
Hmmm... actually, I get that a lot.
Shower or no shower.
Huh.
I had tons of time,
so I took my time getting ready
and just relaxed in my
cool, air conditioned room.
Air conditioning.
Civilisation's gift to civilization.
(This is awesome.
No matter where you live,
you're going to assume I
spelled one of those wrong.)
Eventually, it was time to go.
I always allow at least an hour
for travel from resort to park.
That way I'm pretty sure
I won't run late.
Consequently, I'm always
early. Usually too early.
Frequently ridiculously early.
But that's okay.
I'm in Disney.
I left the room and took one step...
Two steps....
Three steps....
And.... I'm sweating already!
Come on Walt! Turn down the
heat and humidity, will ya?
For the amount of money we pay,
I really don't think climate control
is asking for too much.
Seriously.
I arrived at the Epcot bus stop at 1:52pm.
No bus in sight.
No... wait. There it is.
The bus arrived at, well, still 1:52pm.
Arriving at Epcot, my main goal was threefold.
1. Stay cool.
2. No, seriously... stay cool.
3. Did you not hear me??? Stay. Cool!
I walked fairly sedately towards
the bag check line, seeking as
much shade as I could find.
It didn't help. But I did it anyway.
Hmmm... I might've been better
served sprinting to the nearest
air conditioned building.
As I approached the bag check,
my hopes of a quick release
from the heat evaporated.
Loooong line at bag check.
What were all these people doing here?
Shouldn't they be in the park already?
Haven't you people heard of rope drop?!?!?
Wait.... these are those people you read about.
The ones that don't know about rope drop.
The ones that enable us to go on rides
with minimal to no waits.
It's okay people! No rush!
Take your time! It's allllll good!
No. Please. I insist. Go ahead of me.
I eventually got through bag check.
Took a bit of time, but....
Finally! I can get to some A/C!!
"Sir? Could you step over here please?"
Dang it!!
I need to start wearing Disney shirts.
At least the extra security is relatively quick.
And if you get the accompanying cavity search,
it can be fun, too!
I still had time to kill so I popped into
Innoventions East and parked my
keester in a chair at the Electric Umbrella.
Ahhhh..... uhhhhh....
Dang it.
I was sitting at a table I'd found...
But.... there were people wandering
around looking for a place to
sit down and eat.
Not fair for me to be taking up a table
when I wasn't eating there.
<sigh>
Back out into the heat.
Oh, well. It's not that far off the DISmeet time.
I sashayed off in the direction of World Showcase
and realized I had time to knock an item
off my Disney 'to do' list.
I continued past our proposed DISmeet location
and headed up and over to Norway.
Yes! Of course!
Time for some Gronnsaksgrateng.
I mean, everyone raves about it.
What's not to love about a
vegetable terrine with braised lentils??
Am I right???
I said... Am I right???
Hello?
Fine. Be that way.
Since you're all being so recalcitrant,
I'll go to the Kringla Bakeri Og Kafé instead.
Or the Kringla Bakery
as it's more commonly known.
Or the Kringla Ka Bakery as I,
for reasons unknown, call it.
Or "That Yummy Place in Norway" as
it's even more commonly known.
I knew exactly what I wanted,
but I dawdled a bit,
just trying to decide if I could have
maybe two things?
Nope.
With the heat I just wasn't super hungry.
So I ordered a Coke.
And a Rice Cream.
(Rice Pudding topped with Strawberry Sauce)
I'm almost positive that this was
@Steppesister 's suggestion.
But I could be wrong.
I almost always am.
I would never have ordered this
without a strong recommendation.
pkondz is most definitely not
a fan of rice pudding.
Nope.
But... in the interests of
"I'll try anything once"
(Now isn't that a ringing endorsement!)
I decided to give it a shot.
And well... it wasn't bad!
It was far, far better
than any rice pudding I'd ever had.
Heck... I even ate it all.
But I don't know if I'd order it again.
Then again... I may have eaten it wrong.
I'm pretty sure I ate it top down...
but maybe you're supposed to mix
the strawberry sauce into it? Like yogurt?
Well, whoever it was that suggested it,
let me know.
If I screwed it up, I'll give it another fair shot.
Soon it was 3:20 and time to move on.
I headed out and took a quick turn and...
Wow.
This is the Fast Pass line for Frozen?
Why is it extending outside the door?
I only stood outside for a few seconds
before the tail end of the line moved indoors.
(Yayy!! Air conditioning!)
So this is where everyone in Florida
is hanging out.
Apologies in advance for the horrific line photos.
I was holding the camera up above my head
and didn't notice I had the wrong settings on.
Again, apologies for the lousy photos.
Since it's new, and not everyone has seen it,
I decided to post them anyway.
While almost everyone had a good couple of hours to wait,
I was on the ride in just a few minutes.
And... I just couldn't look at anyone
in the standby queue.
Not when they're waiting that long.
I wasn't quite sure what to expect
from this ride.
I hadn't heard much about it.
Deliberately.
And... I liked it!
High on life.
Little sucker gets around.
The animatronics were first rate.
Notice how Kristoff and Anna turn
and look at each other?
The animatronics are the first
all-electric Audio-Animatronics.
All others used either pneumatics
or hydraulics. (thanks wiki!)
For the most part I just enjoyed the ride.
I took a few snaps here and there,
but didn't worry too much about it.
Maybe the fifth or sixth time I ride it
I'll worry about it more.
But for now... good enough.
The story did take an interesting
turn when (I presume)
they portray Elsa's descent
from beloved Queen...
...to evil demon from the Abyss.
Gahhh!!!
(Seriously.
While the new projected animatronics
are great... they do cause...
problems when you photograph them.)
Anyway, back to our story.
Elsa farts out a whole bunch
of little snow dudes,
someone gives her some Gas-X,
she feels better and they celebrate
with snow fireworks.
Which frankly, I'm thinking are less
colourful than the regular ones.
But, hey, at least she's not evil anymore...
Or.... is she????
And did she corrupt her sister as well?
And that's Frozen!
A tale of how two evil witches
came to be. The end.
After riding Frozen
(I swear I passed the same people
who were still in line on the way out.)
I made a bee line for Mexico.
I wasn't late
(pkondz does not do late.
Sometimes stuff happens.
But not if he can help it.)
but it was time to get going.
DISmeet time coming up!
When I got to Mexico,
I headed inside.
I needed to secure a table for up to
10 people at the Ditch.
(La Cava.)
Okay. I admit it.
I shamelessly stole this idea
from @Steppesister
She's already posted about it
so if you're reading her TR
(and if you're not... why aren't you?
it's far better than this!!)
you already know about it.
But when I walked into the pavilion...
There were people lined up
all the way up the stairs.
And there was a queue
also waiting outside La Cava.
Oh... no....
I walked up to the hostess
and asked her how long
it might be for a table.
"For how many?"
"I don't know." I said.
"It could be just me...
Or it could be as many as 10."
I really didn't know.
Like I said. Stuff happens.
"About an hour." The hostess said.
ouch.
I parked myself outside the entrance
and looked around as best I could.
It was like trying to find Waldo...
Except I didn't really know what
Waldo necessarily looked like.
I knew I'd recognize @TheLittleKatie
and Jamie.
And thought I'd have a good shot
at recognizing @BibbitybobityLu .
But I had no clue what the others
might look like.
I checked my iPod to see if I had any mail.
(Remember. No cell in foreign countries.)
And I did.
Awwww.... crap.
It looked like a chunk of my DISmeet
was able to meet earlier...
and couldn't meet now.
They were leaving.
Shoot.
Kris, if you're still reading this,
sorry I missed you.
I spent a few minutes wondering
what I should do when...
A woman with husband in tow
walks up to me and says.
"Are you pkondz?"
"Are you @MHSweb79 ?"
I had deliberately worn
my Marvin Harley shirt
as a way to be recognized.
Don't know if it made a difference.
But... it's a thing now.
I only wear it to DISmeets.
So that's how I met Laura and Bill.
A really nice couple....
and I was an awful host.
The worst.
And I really feel badly for that.
Our table still wasn't ready
(it did wind up taking
a full hour for one.)
And the entire time we were
together, I could hardly
concentrate on what
was being said.
I was constantly scanning
the crowd. Looking for
Lu and her mom
and Katie and Jamie.
We were tucked into a corner
and not wholly visible
to the casual observer.
A few times I'd leave to make
a circuit of the pavilion.
And never saw anyone
that I recognized.
Once we were seated,
I was able to relax.
Anyone looking, would look inside.
And then we were able to have
a nice visit.
We ordered some drinks and settled in.
Sorry for the quality.
Note to self. Never use the iPod
for low light photography.
After a while, Lu showed up!
We said hello and she said
that Katie and Jamie were on their way
and she was going to wait outside.
I asked our waitress if we could grab another table
or some chairs.
And was told they couldn't.
That there were other people waiting.
I wasn't sure what to do.
I'm pretty sure it was Laura
who suggested we take our drinks
outside and wait until another table
was ready.
Capital idea!
So we did.
Lu returned with Katie and Jamie.
And we chit chatted for a bit.
Unfortunately, Laura and Bill
had to leave and they abandoned
me to these young kids.
And... another major fail.
I didn't get a photo of all of us together.
Note to self. Don't host another DISmeet.
You suck at it.
At least I got the rest of us on "film".
Note to self. Never ever use the iPod
for low light photography.
About an hour after giving up our table,
we were told another was now available.
Sweet!
We sat down and ordered more drinks.
I'd like to say things went well, but....
No. Not between myself
and the others due to age gap.
No... it was the women.
They simply did not get along.
Lu said she wanted to sit across from me,
then Katie said she should get that spot.
Lu said she knew me best.
Katie said she knew me longest.
And... well...
They started fighting.
I of course immediately intervened...
Well... maybe not right away....
Note to self. Never ever EVER use the iPod
for low light photography.
Afterwards though, they settled down.
Sure there were black eyes and bruises, but...
Katie had a big grin on her face.
"I got you something." She said.
And passed over a small bag.
Inside was.... a Disney Springs
Harley Davidson poker chip!
She didn't even know this
(and she still doesn't... miss her)
but she had just saved me
from going home without one
(or trying desperately to replace
the one I'd lost.)
"It's pink." She said. "So whenever
you look at it you'll think of me."
I was very touched by her thoughtfulness.
And it's my favourite poker chip.
You know...
I must admit.... I was a bit nervous
about meeting these three.
There's a bit of an.... age gap.
But... speaking only for myself,
I had a really wonderful time.
(Which sounds painfully like:
"Well, me 'n the young-uns
got on famously, Martha!"
Meanwhile: "Mom! Do we have
to see Grandpa again? Boooooring!
He keeps talking about bowel movements!")
I believe Katie and Jamie were leaving
the following day and still had tons
of snack credits left.
They wanted to go out
and grab some Kalua Pork Sliders.
We all agreed that sounded like a good idea,
so we headed out in search of sustenance.
Jamie and Katie got in line at the Hawaii booth,
followed by Lu and myself bringing up the rear.
(Oh, if only Lu was still around.
How she'd have fun that.)
Katie and Jamie ordered eight sliders.
I remember thinking:
"Ah to be young and able to eat so much."
Gimme a break. I'd been burning the candle
at both ends.
Of course they were buying for all of us.
It was very generous of them
and I appreciated the gesture.
We found a table and settled in to devour
our delectables.
I noticed that Katie had only eaten part of one
and was asking Jamie if she wanted it.
"Is there something wrong?" I asked.
"I'm pulley." She replied.
Pulley?
Okay... I know there are language differences
between North American and British, but....
You know.
Apartment = Flat
Trunk = Boot
Truck = Lorry
But I don't claim to know 'em all.
Like.
Pacifier = Dummy
Checkers = Draughts
or even
Zucchini = Courgette
So while I had no idea what "pulley"
meant, I wasn't totally surprised
to hear a word I didn't recognize.
I thought. "Perhaps she's already
eaten so much on the dining plan
that she's feeling full and needs
a pulley to lift herself into bed."
She noticed my blank look
and whispered to Lu.
"What?" I said.
"Oh." She replied. "Just asking Lu
if they use that term."
"We do." Lu continued.
"I'm surprised you don't."
"What does it mean?" I asked.
"It means." Katie replied.
"That I'm not feeling well..."
okay.... OH!!
"You're feeling poorly!" I exclaimed.
"Yes." She replied, looking puzzled.
"Don't you say that?"
"Well." I said. "We might say
'I'm not feeling well' but we could say
'I'm feeling poorly'."
They just cut out the middle man,
so to speak, and cut to the chase.
I'm pulley.
Gonna use that one from now on.
After we finished our sliders
(of which Jamie had three....
Didn't think to give it to me.
Totally rude and inconsiderate.
Who cares if he paid for them?)
After we finished our sliders,
the young'uns were talking
about maybe heading over to MK.
I was very (very!) tempted
to tag along....
But... I didn't want to cramp
their style by having to have
some old fart bumbling along
after them.
I made my excuses and we
parted company.
I was sad to see them go, though.
I was having fun!
I will say that I didn't have
nearly enough time
with everyone I met that day.
But! The night was still young.
So let's cheer up and explore a bit!
I sashayed over to Australia
and tried the Grilled Lamb Chop
(with Mint Pesto and Potato Crunchies)
as well as the Grilled Sweet and Spicy Bush Berry Shrimp
(with Pineapple, Pepper, Onion and Snap Peas.)
Both were delicious.
Looks good doesn't it?
Let's zoom out a bit.
My table for "ce soir".
Does it still look as appetizing?
Next up, Mexico, just across the way.
I tried the Taco de Camarón
(Battered Shrimp served over a Flour Tortilla
with Crispy Purple Cabbage and Chipotle Mayonnaise.)
It was okay. I preferred Australia's Shrimp.
Sorry about the blur.
What are ya gonna do.
I was still feeling a bit peckish...
Sorry.
I was peckish.
(New rule. Omit the middle words.)
I decided to sashay to the
other side of the park
and nosh on some food
from Scotland.
I tried the Traditional Scottish Lamb Stew
(with Neeps and Tatties.)
What are Neeps and Tatties?
I'll start with the easy one.
Tatties are potatoes.
Taters... tatties... see?
Now neeps...
From what I can best figure out,
Neeps are NEw TurniPS.
And for dessert, The Tipsy Laird
(Whiskey-soaked Cake with Lemon Cream and Toasted Oats.)
The stew was really good!
Quite enjoyed that one.
The Tipsy Laird was pretty good too.
Not quite as good as I'd hoped...
But not bad at all.
I'd have both again.
Especially the stew.
Around now, I only had a couple of things
left on my "must eat" list.
And.... well... I had an itch.
I wanted one last look...
At Wishes.
So I started to head out of Epcot
via The Chocolate Studio.
I wanted to try the Liquid Nitro
(Chocolate-Almond Truffle with Warm Whiskey Caramel),
but the line was insanely long.
I don't need chocolate that badly!
Well.... I do... but I had places to be.
Hello! Wishes!
I did stop at The Chew Collective
to try the Peanut Butter and White Chocolate Mousse
(with a Caramel Drizzle.)
Was really looking forward to this!
And.... boring.
Definitely won't order that one again.
I left Epcot after that with visions
of Wishes exploding in my head.
I made my way up to the monorail
along with approximately
seven million other people.
I arrived at the monorail station
at 8:24pm... which is when the
monorail arrived.
Wait time, zero minutes.
Except.
All the people in front of me
obviously weren't aware
of my VIP package.
Rude.
You'd think they'd make way
for me, wouldn't you?
I had to wait... Me! Wait!
until the next one.
It arrived at 8:35.
Made me wait eleven minutes...
I'm sure Disney made each
and every one of those people
in front of me pay dearly
for their transgression.
Dearly.
Free fast passes to IASW.
When we got to the TTC,
I walked off one monorail
and onto another.
Wait time there was a more
respectable zero minutes.
The monorail barfed us out
at the Magic Kingdom
where I was sent through
the metal detector again.
I'm getting good at that.
As I sashayed towards
the park entrance,
I asked a CM what time
Wishes was tonight.
"Oh, I'm sorry sir. They were at eight."
. . .
I may have just stood there
for a moment or two
with my mouth hanging open.
(It's a good look. Really.)
Whelp. I'm here.
May as well make the best of it.
And really... there's no other
place I'd rather be on my last night.
I entered the park and... met a wall of people.
MSEP was going on and the place
was packed!
I wanted to make a FP for...
well, anything.
I found a little nook
and tried to get MDE up and running.
"Excuse me sir!" A voice said in my ear.
I looked up. It was a CM.
"We have to keep this area clear." She continued.
"You have to be behind the line."
I looked down. There was tape on the ground
delimiting where parade viewers
and pedestrians could be.
Half of my left foot was over the line.
I turned my foot a bit and she was satisfied
and moved on to tell a woman
pushing a stroller that her child's pacifier
was an eighth of an inch too large.
There was an immediate FP available
for Buzz, but I couldn't get the app
to make it. I gave up.
I'm going to just go to Jungle Cruise.
I'd heard it was different at night.
You should know.
Well, maybe not you... but you.
I know someone here told me that.
Probably several somebodies.
I made my way up Main St.
taking advantage to cut through
the shops as much as possible.
At the corner of Main and the hub,
I needed to cross the street.
There was a gap with a CM
guarding the way.
I waited patiently.
Too patiently.
Eventually the CM said.
"If you're wanting to cross,
you can't."
"How do I get to the Jungle Cruise?" I asked.
"Go around the castle." She replied.
Uh, huh.
If you know the parade route,
you know that isn't going to work.
I think that was another example
of a CM just not wanting (or allowed)
to say "No."
Whatever. I changed tactics and headed
up and over towards Fantasyland.
A quick left into Liberty Square and...
15-20 minute wait for HM?
I can do that.
One last ride on HM before going home?
Heck yes!
The line started about twenty feet
past the entrance gates.
And it did take about 15-20 minutes.
And it was merely awesometastic,
as usual.
When I exited, the line had grown
and now stretched past
Columbia Harbour House.
(Isn't it nice that even Disney knows
"Harbour" is spelled with a 'u'?)
I paused for a minute and... ah!
Snagged a FP for Jungle Cruise.
Yessss......
I had some time to kill before
it became due however.
What ever shall I do??
I walked a short(ish)
distance towards Adventureland, and...
Oh, hello, Dole Whip.
Well, hello Dole Whip!
It's so nice to have you in my
stomach where you belong.
I took my prize to...
um.... guess it's getting late.
All the tables were dirty.
I found one that was
reasonably clean
and better yet...
Had a pile of napkins on it.
I used that to tidy up.
As I sat with my elixir,
I saw an amusing scene.
Well... maybe you have to be
a husband to find it amusing.
A woman, with child in tow,
walked very purposefully past me.
She had a very stoic expression on her face.
Trailing behind her
was her panic stricken husband.
"But I said okay! Honey! I said okay!"
And they marched out of sight.
I saluted him with a slurp of Dole Whip
and hoped his room at least had a couch.
I had a feeling he might need one.
I finished my nectar of the Gods
and set out in search of adventure.
Which I found on a small boat
not far away.
The Jungle Cruise was definitely different!
We boarded and our skipper
told us that at night,
you go through a portal to Africa.
He turned out the lights for a bit
and it was pitch black.
He told some new (to me) jokes too.
Like...
"Look! To your left! An elephant!
Did you know they can leap
great distances?"
The light shone on an elephant on shore.
He turned the lights out and
"There he goes! Look!"
And he turned the lights on
a little further downstream and...
there on the right was the elephant!
As we approached the hippos,
he said "I'm going to turn out the lights,
and if you listen carefully,
you can hear a baby hippo,
calling for it's mother.
Shhhhh.... listen...."
He turned out the lights.
We all strained to hear...
What would a baby hippo sound like?
Do you know?
No one on board knew, I'm sure.
And from the front of the ship,
in what sounded strangely like
a higher pitched version of the
skippers voice, we heard:
"Mom! Mom! Mommmmm!"
Everyone cracked up.
I very much exited the ship
with a smile on my face.
I glanced at my watch and...
it was already past 10:30.
Hmmm... what to do.
And I couldn't think of a better way
to end my day than with a smile.
I briefly considered walking
all the way back to HM...
but I'd ridden it several times
and wasn't feeling the pull too much.
I decided that... I was pretty tired.
And pretty happy.
And yet... a little sad.
My trip to Disney was over.
I knew it.
My body sure knew it.
I set out for the bus stop.
and arrived there at 10:48.
Naturally, Disney knew I was leaving
and ensured that my VIP bus
package was being enforced.
The bus was there waiting for me.
(Okay, they were loading a wheelchair.)
I climbed aboard and moments later
we were on our way.
We were disgorged at ASMu
not long afterwards.
I entered my room for the last time.
And was too tired to worry about
the inevitable DUD trip tomorrow.
Contest
My Big Fat Canadian Bonus:
I ride Disney transportation
nineteen times this trip.
What is my total time spent waiting
for Disney Transportation?
Guesses:
(Total wait time to date: 103 minutes)
Gracefulskinny - 60
Thumper_Man - 72
queenbetsey - 78
Mrs T 2009 - 86
MAGICFOR2 - 94
jandlinz - 96
DaisyDuck001 - 103
franandaj - 111
Terra Nova guy - 116
afwdwfan - 123
juniorbugman - 124
Mac Brew - 127
Heluvsme - 128
Thumper_Man's Wife - 130
chookie94 - 132
Steppesister - 135
kaileighbug - 137
SnowWhiteOz - 138
irene_dsc - 139
tashers - 144
rndmr2 - 146
fallonkendra - 150
Captain_Oblivious - 153
Chrystmasangel - 158
bankr63 - 165
DonnaBeeGood - 167
cinderkelly - 175
Curiouser&curiouser! - 177
orangecats2 - 180
vrajewski10513 - 182
DISNEYMOON10121991 - 184
chillitsanne - 196
GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes - 234
Answers to previous questions:
Did you see them?
Marvin likes to hang out with his Hakuna Matata pals.
Bottom row, fifth flag from the right.
1. Where am I heading next?
a. Another Park
b. Another Resort
c. My resort
d. Disney Springs
e. Other. Because... other.
Answer: c. My resort - 8 points
2. Which park do I go to next?
Answer: Epcot - 4 points
3. Next park. Extra security. Yes? No?
Answer: Yes - 4 points
4. How many parks do I do today?
(Hint: between 1 and 4!)
Answer: Three - 6 points
5. Fast pass. I got one. To what?
(Hint: Get the park right and this is easy.)
a. Frozen
b. EE
c. 7DMT
d. TOT
Answer: a. Frozen - 2 points.
6. What did I try for the first time?
(Hint: Get the park right and this is easy.
Whoa... deja vu.)
a. Rice pudding
b. Giraffe marshmallow pop
c. Nutella waffle
d. Butterfinger cupcake
Answer: a. Rice pudding - 2 points.
7. What time do I leave the park for the night?
Answer: 10:48pm
+/- 5 minutes 10 points, +/- 20 minutes 8 points, +/- 60 minutes 2 points
8. Last bus of the day. How long do I wait?
Answer: 0 minutes
0 - 10 points, 1-5 - 6 points, 6-10 - 2 points
Bonus: How many boyfriends? 4 points.
Guesses
DaisyDuck001 - park, DHS, yes, 2, TOT, cupcake, 7:00, 25, saw none, 3 BFs - 8 points.
Mac Brew - ASMu, Epcot, no, 2, Frozen, cupcake, 9:00, 18, saw one, 3BFs - 22 points.
MAGICFOR2 - Another park, Epcot, no, 2, frozen, rice pudding, 10:15, 4, saw none, 2 BFs - 20 points
Steppesister - Another park, DHS, yes, 3, frozen, rice pudding, 10:45, 5, saw one, 1 BF - 38 points.
Terra Nova guy - DS, DHS, yes, 2, TOT, cupcake, 9:00, 7, saw one, BF - 14 points.
Gracefulskinny - Other park, DHS, yes, 3, TOT, cupcake, 12:45, 1, saw both, 1 BF - 28 points.
DonnaBeeGood - ASMu, Epcot, yes, 3, frozen, rice pudding, 10:00, 4, saw one, 1 BF - 42 points.
orangecats2 - Another resort, Epcot, yes, 2, frozen, rice pudding, 11:00, 10, saw both, 2 BFs - 34 points.
franandaj - Another park, Epcot, yes, 3, frozen, rice pudding, 10:00, 7, saw one, 3 BFs - 30 points.
Mrs T 2009 - DS, DHS, no, 3, TOT, cupcake, 9:00, 8, saw both - 16 points.
Heluvsme - Another park, DHS, no, 2, TOT, cupcake, 11:15, 13, saw one - 6 points.
Captain_Oblivious - DHS, DHS, YES, 2, TOT, cupcake, 11:00, 7, saw both, 1 BF - 26 points.
irene_dsc - Another park, DHS, yes, 2, TOT, cupcake, 10:30, 4, saw one, 3 BFs - 26 points.
rndmr2 - Another park, DHS, yes, 2, TOT, cupcake, 11:00, 6, saw one - 18 points.
cinderkelly - Another resort, DHS, yes, 2, TOT, cupcake, 10:00, 9, saw one - 12 points.
jandlinz - Another resort, DHS, no, 3, TOT, cupcake, 9:00, 8, saw one, 4 BFs - 16 points.
Chrystmasangel - Another park, Epcot, yes, 2, frozen, rice pudding, 9:30, 9, saw both, 4 BFs - 26 points.
Thumper_Man - Another resort, Epcot, yes, 2, frozen, rice pudding, 10:00, 10, saw both - 24 points.
Thumper_Man's Wife - Other, Epcot, yes, 2, frozen, rice pudding, 10:00, 20, saw both - 22 points.
afwdwfan - Another park, Epcot, yes, 2, frozen, rice pudding, 9:30, 12, saw one, 0 BFs? - 20 points.
juniorbugman - Another resort, Epcot, yes, 2, frozen, rice pudding, 10:35, 15, saw one, 3 BFs - 28 points.
Curiouser&curiouser! - Another resort, DHS, yes, 2, TOT, cupcake, 10:30, 3, saw none, 7 BFs - 22 points.
Princess Leia - Another park, Epcot, yes, 2, frozen, rice pudding, 10:20, 12, saw one, 7 BFs - 22 points.
queenbetsey - Another resort, DHS, no, 3, frozen, cupcake, 9:00, 6.5, saw one - 12 points.
mustinjourney - Other, Epcot, yes, 2, frozen, rice pudding, 9:00, 12, saw both, 2 BFs - 24 points.
DISNEYMOON10121991 - Another park, DHS, yes, 3, frozen, rice pudding, 10:45, 19, saw one, 4 BFs - 32 points.
fallonkendra - Another park, DHS, yes, 2, TOT, cupcake, 8:30, 7, saw one, 7 BFs - 14 points.
As usual, if I've made any mistakes,
either above or below, let me know.
Bonus points
DaisyDuck001 - Knows good work. 2 points.
MHSweb79 - The lion doesn't sleep tonight. - 4 points. Leaf her alone. 4 points.
Terra Nova guy - Laughs like a hyena - 4 points.
Captain_Oblivious - Joisey - 2 points.
Heluvsme - Thanks for the thanks. It's appreciated - 4 points.
franandaj - For being an amazing friend - 6 points.
Gracefulskinny - When you're right you follow a map - 2 points.
cinderkelly - still loves me - 4 points.
jandlinz - Child juggling extraordinaire - 2 points.
DonnaBeeGood - Thanks for the concern. It's appreciated - 3 points.
Chrystmasangel - For rhyme and scansion - 4 points.
afwdwfan - I suck at being a brat, or something like that - 2 points.
juniorbugman - aliens among us - 2 points.
KathyM2 - Likes to "shake" it - 3 points.
Thumper_Man - Points for asking for points - 2 points.
Thumper_Man's Wife - Points for asking for points - 2 points.
queenbetsey - Words of wisdom - 3 points.
Curiouser&curiouser! - Saw none, but got lucky - 4 points.
MarieLightning - Runs like the wind.... well, a breeze - 2 points.
Princess Leia - For joining in - 2 points.
mustinjourney - Can't bear to not give out pun points - 2 points.
DISNEYMOON10121991 - Points for asking for points - 2 points. Says nice things - 4 points.
MAGICFOR2 - - 8 points. Surprise! - 2 points.
fallonkendra - Engagement gift - 4 points.
Score
Steppesister - 236 points
orangecats2 - 227 points
franandaj - 219 points
DISNEYMOON10121991 -206 points
Captain_Oblivious - 183 points
Thumper_Man - 179 points
Thumper_Man's Wife - 177 points
DonnaBeeGood - 173 points
irene_dsc - 169 points
juniorbugman - 161 points
Mac Brew - 151 points
Terra Nova guy - 150 points
Gracefulskinny - 148 points
GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes - 143 points
jandlinz - 140 points
Chrystmasangel - 138 points
MAGICFOR2 - 135 points
queenbetsey - 135 points
rndmr2 - 135 points
Mrs T 2009 - 132 points
fallonkendra - 130 points
chookie94 - 122 points
Curiouser&curiouser! - 116 points
cinderkelly - 111 points
mustinjourney - 110 points
afwdwfan - 95 points
DaisyDuck001 - 95 points
Heluvsme - 90 points
bankr63 - 87 points
tashers - 84 points
chillitsanne - 57 points
natebenma - 39 points
Princess Leia - 36 points
SnowWhiteOz - 30 points
SoccerDogWithEars - 30 points
vrajewski10513 - 30 points
kaileighbug - 28 points
krnelson65 - 22 points
lisaviolet - 18 points
MHSweb79 - 11 points
QueenJen - 10 points
cindianne320 - 4 points
Ladyfish77 - 4 points
KathyM2 - 3 points
MarieLightning - 2 points
Self_resqing_princz - 2 points
Questions, next round:
1. What time does the infernal alarm go off?
2. How long do I wait for DUD (Disney's Un-magical Depress)?
3. I watch a Disney animated movie on the flight. Which?
Hint: Hadn't seen it before. Hint 2:Released this decade.
4. Connecting flight. Do I make it?
5. How do you take your coffee?
Bonus: Did you see it?
You saw it? Yes?
Coming up: An extremely short and boring
chapter about flying in airplanes.
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