Clark Griswald's Westward HO!-Day 2/Part 3(the final chapter-i promise)
CHARACTERS:
Clark:mild-mannered, bubbling no-it-all, means well, has not grown up yet, not an English major(sorry for grammer)(just kidding)(enuf with the parenthesis), disney commano attitude
Ellen:stablizing force in house, supportive wife, keeps Clark from goofing up to badly does everything for 4 kids(3 children + 1 Clark)
Rusty1:just turned nine, Clark caused permenant damaged when convinced him and ellen to ride TOT when he was four, full of life
Audrey: 7 year old daddy's girl, got me by a string, too smart, knows daddy's tricks
Rusty2: 5 year old impetious little boy, if he was the first child he would've been the only child, gives best hugs and smiles, curly headed and hates it
Aunt Edna: did not join us this time around, we will strap her on the plane in effigy (heck, willl strap her on right on main st. usa)
after thoroughly being stripped searched at security, we headed into DCA...the golden gate bridge was a nice touch but it is not like cindy/sleeping beauty castle, spaceship earth, or tree of life as a grand entrance...it is about as exciting as walking into MGM.. got FP's for Soarin and Grizzley River Run and headed to the funstuff-namely Paradise Pier area. unfortunately, our kids wanted to do the Redwood Creek challenge area...i will have to admit that if i was a child, this would be great....but i didn't pay $50 bucks to play on a souped up playground...they loved climbing around(although my wife who has a lovely figure has the conditioning of our couch and struggled throughout) the rope bridges and absolutely loved the climbing/traverse wall...the best was the rapelling(sp?) tire swing-i've got to build one of those!
it was about 5pm at this time and the threat of rained loomed, but never came to fruition(my best john updike)...kids took a popcorn break...my oldest is always hungry...he would eat breakfast and then want a churro--THESE WERE A VERY BIG HIT WITH MY FAMILY!! It also cost me an arm and a leg....i bet we ate 30 churros during our trip--anyway, to get back to my previous thought before i rudely interrrupted myself, the boy just can't stop eating and i wished i was as thin as he. while they ate popcorn, i got FP's for screamin and mulholland madness...b/c i've never been to this park, i didn't realize how large that darn lake was when i was running around it-yes that's right, i ran b/c i didn't want the family to think i left them..it looked like a scene from the brady bunch show where they ran those plans in that tube through the park to get the plans to Mike(was that park Knottsberry farm?)....by the way, if anyone went to Opryland before they bulldozed it and made a mall out of it
, the paradise area seems suspiciously like the state fair area of opryland...so after running all the way around that lake to get to Fastpasses, i was obviously pooped...
the golden zephyr was closed due to high winds(it wasn't windy and it never opened our entire stay) so rode jumpin jellyfish...rusty2 loved this...rode the orange stinger which is basically swings inside an orange peel(wierd theming in this park)...mom and the two oldest rode the ferris wheel-fixed cars b/c they are chicken while rusty2 and i played carny games...i hate seeing disney do ripoff games...we used two way radios so i would talk about how ellen gets very sick on high rides very loudly so her fellow passengers would get a laugh..
the moment of truth in our vacation finally came...i am a rollercoaster freak...love cedarpoint and IOA for the coasters..i consider disney coasters tame but great beginner coasters...when rusty1 was 4yo, we accidently took him on Tower of Terror and frightened the bejeezers out of him....he has tolerated space mtn, does like BTR but couldn't get him on RnR. but Cali. screamin is definitely a step up-it's faster and goes upside down, which scares him....i could tell he was only riding this b/c of me(i promise, i didn't force or cajole him b/c my wife made a point before the trip to not make him feel bad if he didn't ride it)....i kept telling him how cool this was going to be and trying to pump him up...Fp's took 10min. and we were buckled in.....i about got a crick in my neck the whole ride b/c i turned and watched him the whole time......after the initial blast off and first descent, he yells, "i'm scared." i felt awful....he was proud that he rode it and said he would like to ride it again another day, but not today...i told him next time to keep his eyes open and it wouldn't be so bad, if there is a next time....i had two extra FPs and gave them away..
mulholland madness was just too cool, although it doesn't appear to be to scary, it kinda is...and ellen hates the drop(especially when it looks like your head will be chopped off).kids loved it(rusty2 favorite ride)..got more Fps for this ride for later....ready to eat. the pizza was just too ooutrageously priced to buy, so went to pacific wharf area for mexican...yuck, awful...but there was a great rockabily band playing...DCA does have some good entertainment if you have time for it....rode mulholland again and headed to soarin....we were probably more excited about this ride since we've heard great things about it..we were not disapppointed..AWESOME WITH A CAPITAL AWE!! why can't disney do this all the time...this was a disney ride, and destined to become a classic along with POTC, huanted man.,etc....we ending up riding this a few times during our trip and being on the first row, which goes the highest in the theatre, does make a difference...below the highest seats, you see peoples feet dangling and it lessens the effect..i can still smell the orange groves..
wrapped up the night by riding grizzley river run....not themed as well as its counterpart at AK but a much better and thrilling ride...we were wet and cold when we got off so headed back to DLH..had to pick up some beignets, chicory coffee, and bread pudding on the way back(pudding good-beignets bad)..Audrey and ellen went to get my daughter a hair wrap(?) while the boys and I watched the fireworks from the balcony(again, if you can call it that)...the fireworks were great except we could barely hear the music.. i wish the could at least play it in the DTD area or simulcast on a radio in the hotel..exciting to watch the hustle and bustle of DTD..
as i watched the news before falling asleep, i heard the word "Disneyland" on TV...."....today was the last day space mountain operated for the next year and half...." WHAT???!!!
I WAS TICKED OFFFFFF....a great day had ended badly.....no announcements or scheduled rehabs for space mtn. were announced before i booked this trip, nor before we left...this was sudden and someone was going to pay...i went to the nearest sporting goods store and purchased a BB gun.............................oooppppss, that was chevy chase on the real vacation movie when he found out wally world was closed..well, i felt that mad also...who would be idiotic to close space mtn. on spring break? of course, even if they planned this they wouldn't have the guts to announce it before hand b/c the cheap disney heads wouldn't dare hurt attendance...
needless to say, i didn't sleep soundly, but tomorrow was universal studios, and i had a suprise for the family....or would the surprise be on me??? stay tuned
CHARACTERS:
Clark:mild-mannered, bubbling no-it-all, means well, has not grown up yet, not an English major(sorry for grammer)(just kidding)(enuf with the parenthesis), disney commano attitude
Ellen:stablizing force in house, supportive wife, keeps Clark from goofing up to badly does everything for 4 kids(3 children + 1 Clark)
Rusty1:just turned nine, Clark caused permenant damaged when convinced him and ellen to ride TOT when he was four, full of life
Audrey: 7 year old daddy's girl, got me by a string, too smart, knows daddy's tricks
Rusty2: 5 year old impetious little boy, if he was the first child he would've been the only child, gives best hugs and smiles, curly headed and hates it
Aunt Edna: did not join us this time around, we will strap her on the plane in effigy (heck, willl strap her on right on main st. usa)
after thoroughly being stripped searched at security, we headed into DCA...the golden gate bridge was a nice touch but it is not like cindy/sleeping beauty castle, spaceship earth, or tree of life as a grand entrance...it is about as exciting as walking into MGM.. got FP's for Soarin and Grizzley River Run and headed to the funstuff-namely Paradise Pier area. unfortunately, our kids wanted to do the Redwood Creek challenge area...i will have to admit that if i was a child, this would be great....but i didn't pay $50 bucks to play on a souped up playground...they loved climbing around(although my wife who has a lovely figure has the conditioning of our couch and struggled throughout) the rope bridges and absolutely loved the climbing/traverse wall...the best was the rapelling(sp?) tire swing-i've got to build one of those!
it was about 5pm at this time and the threat of rained loomed, but never came to fruition(my best john updike)...kids took a popcorn break...my oldest is always hungry...he would eat breakfast and then want a churro--THESE WERE A VERY BIG HIT WITH MY FAMILY!! It also cost me an arm and a leg....i bet we ate 30 churros during our trip--anyway, to get back to my previous thought before i rudely interrrupted myself, the boy just can't stop eating and i wished i was as thin as he. while they ate popcorn, i got FP's for screamin and mulholland madness...b/c i've never been to this park, i didn't realize how large that darn lake was when i was running around it-yes that's right, i ran b/c i didn't want the family to think i left them..it looked like a scene from the brady bunch show where they ran those plans in that tube through the park to get the plans to Mike(was that park Knottsberry farm?)....by the way, if anyone went to Opryland before they bulldozed it and made a mall out of it
, the paradise area seems suspiciously like the state fair area of opryland...so after running all the way around that lake to get to Fastpasses, i was obviously pooped...the golden zephyr was closed due to high winds(it wasn't windy and it never opened our entire stay) so rode jumpin jellyfish...rusty2 loved this...rode the orange stinger which is basically swings inside an orange peel(wierd theming in this park)...mom and the two oldest rode the ferris wheel-fixed cars b/c they are chicken while rusty2 and i played carny games...i hate seeing disney do ripoff games...we used two way radios so i would talk about how ellen gets very sick on high rides very loudly so her fellow passengers would get a laugh..
the moment of truth in our vacation finally came...i am a rollercoaster freak...love cedarpoint and IOA for the coasters..i consider disney coasters tame but great beginner coasters...when rusty1 was 4yo, we accidently took him on Tower of Terror and frightened the bejeezers out of him....he has tolerated space mtn, does like BTR but couldn't get him on RnR. but Cali. screamin is definitely a step up-it's faster and goes upside down, which scares him....i could tell he was only riding this b/c of me(i promise, i didn't force or cajole him b/c my wife made a point before the trip to not make him feel bad if he didn't ride it)....i kept telling him how cool this was going to be and trying to pump him up...Fp's took 10min. and we were buckled in.....i about got a crick in my neck the whole ride b/c i turned and watched him the whole time......after the initial blast off and first descent, he yells, "i'm scared." i felt awful....he was proud that he rode it and said he would like to ride it again another day, but not today...i told him next time to keep his eyes open and it wouldn't be so bad, if there is a next time....i had two extra FPs and gave them away..
mulholland madness was just too cool, although it doesn't appear to be to scary, it kinda is...and ellen hates the drop(especially when it looks like your head will be chopped off).kids loved it(rusty2 favorite ride)..got more Fps for this ride for later....ready to eat. the pizza was just too ooutrageously priced to buy, so went to pacific wharf area for mexican...yuck, awful...but there was a great rockabily band playing...DCA does have some good entertainment if you have time for it....rode mulholland again and headed to soarin....we were probably more excited about this ride since we've heard great things about it..we were not disapppointed..AWESOME WITH A CAPITAL AWE!! why can't disney do this all the time...this was a disney ride, and destined to become a classic along with POTC, huanted man.,etc....we ending up riding this a few times during our trip and being on the first row, which goes the highest in the theatre, does make a difference...below the highest seats, you see peoples feet dangling and it lessens the effect..i can still smell the orange groves..
wrapped up the night by riding grizzley river run....not themed as well as its counterpart at AK but a much better and thrilling ride...we were wet and cold when we got off so headed back to DLH..had to pick up some beignets, chicory coffee, and bread pudding on the way back(pudding good-beignets bad)..Audrey and ellen went to get my daughter a hair wrap(?) while the boys and I watched the fireworks from the balcony(again, if you can call it that)...the fireworks were great except we could barely hear the music.. i wish the could at least play it in the DTD area or simulcast on a radio in the hotel..exciting to watch the hustle and bustle of DTD..
as i watched the news before falling asleep, i heard the word "Disneyland" on TV...."....today was the last day space mountain operated for the next year and half...." WHAT???!!!
I WAS TICKED OFFFFFF....a great day had ended badly.....no announcements or scheduled rehabs for space mtn. were announced before i booked this trip, nor before we left...this was sudden and someone was going to pay...i went to the nearest sporting goods store and purchased a BB gun.............................oooppppss, that was chevy chase on the real vacation movie when he found out wally world was closed..well, i felt that mad also...who would be idiotic to close space mtn. on spring break? of course, even if they planned this they wouldn't have the guts to announce it before hand b/c the cheap disney heads wouldn't dare hurt attendance...needless to say, i didn't sleep soundly, but tomorrow was universal studios, and i had a suprise for the family....or would the surprise be on me??? stay tuned
