Day 2: "Here I am, stuck in the middle with Lou!"

The WDW Radio Show – Episode 9 - Originally aired April 8, 2007

The sliding radio dial intro ends on “The Dreamfinder” singing One Little Spark but then he begins to talk and sing about the WDW Radio Show and Lou. It’s obviously an impersonator. Probably that Dichter guy again, I assume. This is a much better impression, btw.

Lou announces its going to be a train themed show.

It’s funny to hear “from Scotch Plains, NJ” again since Lou relocated last year.

WDW has set attendance records again. Lou says nice to see tourism rebounding since 9/11. Little does he know the country is months from the worst financial meltdown since the Great Depression. I worked in the mortgage industry at this time. April ’07 was a dark month for us, and we were the first ones off the boats and on the beach, so to speak. The good news is there will be lots of free dining plans coming! Gotta find the silver lining!

Lou says Epcot will have themed character meet and greets, Chip & Dale in an energy themed area, Pluto in a Land themed area, Minnie in a Communication area. Really??? Did I miss these? The only character area I saw was that one big one that’s a jumble of background activity painted on a set. Admittedly I have only really glanced while running to Soarin’!

The Hoop De Doo Revue is closed two nights a week for a refurb of the floors. To which I say “whoop de do.” Just kidding. I’ve never even seen it.

Lou mentions changes at Pleasure Island. They removed the west end stage and are widening the walking areas to accommodate more foot traffic. Lou actually says “I’d expect to see a very different Pleasure Island from what you may remember.” He has no idea! Wish I could call 2007 Lou to let him know what was about to happen. R.I.P. Adventurer’s Club. : (

Not to mention R.I.P. to P.I. in 2011.

Plays a voicemail of a listener who got to ride a preview of Gran Fiesta (ironic that this would be my second cast of the week and it mentions Gran Fiesta again!) It’s a favorable one. He feels much the way I do. It’s cute. You wouldn’t wait more than 10 minutes, if that, for it, but it makes for a nice break. And kids love it. Heck, I’d take it over It’s a Small World any day!!! Yes, I heard your gasps!!!

Disney has announced a new Illuminations schedule, adding a second late show during evening EMH. Do they still do this? I don’t recall (as if I’m still in Epcot that late, it means I’m “drinkin’ round the World” and therefore the details are tad hazy! Ask me about the time a whole set of engraved drinking glasses arrived at my door a week after a night in Epcot!)

Disney has added same-sex unions at the wedding pavilion and on the ships. Disney exec said “we’re not in the business of making lifestyle judgments about our guests. We’re about hospitality.” Of course, there also about taking any one’s money that’s willing to give it. Either way it’s fine with me.

Just announced, the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 13 K nighttime marathon. I’m not a runner, unless chased, but the description sounds awesome. Begins and ends at the Tower, sending runners on a path around “Disney - MGM Studios.” I’d love to have even been a cheering spectator. Does this still happen? Haven’t heard of it since.

After news and rumors, Lou plays a portion of Walt’s dedication speech from Disneyland. Gives me a chill every time. Love that speech. Especially when it’s played at the start of the parade at DL set to the song Welcome from Brother Bear.

Lou’s special interview this week is with Michael Broggie, son of original Imagineer Roger Broggie and author of Walt Disney’s Railroad Story & chairman of Carolwood Pacific Historical Society. As a kid Michael got to spend a lot of time around Walt, working on model trains and at family functions. Michael tells a number of great stories about the man Walt Disney and how fun and down to Earth he was. Mentions Walt was quite a cusser and didn’t really hold his tongue even when kids were around. I love hearing little humanizing details like this. “Walt liked guys and gals who liked trains.” Michael and his brother were the short kids, Walt was the tall kid.

Never talked to kids like kids. As a children’s writer, I love this. It’s something I endeavor to do and sometimes struggle with. Walt talked to kids at “eye-level.”

Walt had a liquor bar and an ice cream bar. He’d make drinks for the adults and sundaes for the kids. Love it. Name a studio head or any corporate multi-millionaire CEO who does this today! They may be out there, but you sure wouldn’t know it.

Walt is known for not giving direct compliments, but when Michael was a little older; Walt was talking to him alone just before the opening of Disneyland and said “you know your dad is a genius. Disneyland would not have happened without him.” Imagine hearing that about your old man!

Michael refers to Disneyland as Walt’s gift to the world, and his train was the ribbon around the gift. I like that analogy.

He also tells of how before Walt died he told Roy he couldn’t retire. He had to finish Disney World. And how it was Roy who said after Walt died it was to be called Walt Disney World. Michael made the comment that he still will not ever refer to it as simply Disney World. It is Walt Disney World. It’s a tribute and legacy to Walt. And he makes a good point that I intend to make sure I follow going forward.

Anyway, it is a great interview and I could just keep pulling nuggets out but that could go on for pages. Look it up and listen to it. And Lou did say before hand that it was a truncated version and he was putting the entire, unedited interview on the site. I definitely want to check it out.

Next up: A DSI: Disney Scene Investigation with Jeff Pepper. This is a big deal to me for a couple reasons. The DSI segments are always a favorite of mine, and especially with Jeff because the first episode I ever listened to was a DSI on Peter Pan’s Flight with Jeff and Lou. This particular one was a little different. You really get a sense of how the segment has evolved. In this early version, it’s just Jeff more or less describing the ride and rattling off facts along with some sound effects from the ride. It’s on the Train Station on Main St., by the way. It’s ok, but lacks something that current DSI’s have when there’s actual discussion between the two of them. It’s more engaging now, but it’s still nice to hear this infant version.

Listener Emails: A writer named Bobby says if you plan on attending Food & Wine the Disney Dining plan is imperative so you can use your snack credits at the festival.

Another email says they prefer to spend less on a resort since they’re barely in the room and last time they stayed at All Star Music. It was fine, but where does Lou recommend staying when you don’t want to splurge on the room. In other words, what’s the best Value resort? I actually say the answer just before Lou does. Pop Century, hands down! I have to admit I haven’t stayed at any of the 3 All Stars and I’m not opposed to it someday if it turns out that way. But we stayed at Pop on our last trip and loved it. We’ve always stayed at Moderate resorts, but now I can’t even see ever paying the extra money for such miniscule benefit. That’s my opinion anyway.

One email asks if Walt’s daughter Sharon has a window on Main Street. It is on the right hand side above the watch shop. There’s an image of a white cat in a red square. But it doesn’t say Sharon Disney. It says William and Sharon Lund.

Lou from New Jersey writes in to Lou from New Jersey (seriously) and asks what ever became of the old parade at Epcot called “Tapestry of Nations?” Also know as the Tapestry of Dreams. My wife & I got to see this one twice on our first trip to WDW together. It really was one of the best parades Disney ever did, that I’ve seen. And I’m not a parade fan. It was just visually amazing. Giant, ornate costumes. Enchanting, hypnotic music (which plays in Epcot still after Illuminations.) It is sad to see it gone.

Lastly someone writes in to remind Lou he forgot about some 3D movie at Epcot that had Aladdin, blah, blah, blah . . . my eyes crossed. Apparently it was the predecessor to the 3D Aladdin virtual ride thing at Disney Quest.

Finally, Lou has a recommendation for a cheap collectible for kids. Instead of the more expensive pins, collect the pressed pennies around the park. I know in the future sometime in late 2008 or early ‘09 there is actually a show that dedicates a whole segment to pressed pennies with Chuck “Disney Daddy” Lionberger. I will look for the date because it’s actually full of great information I know I would’ve never known.

Best of the Best: Holy shnikeys this is a long episode. Lou introduces Mike Scopa (sp?) from Mouse Planet to discuss where the Best Place to Run in WDW is. He says stay at Port Orleans (doesn’t specify which one) and loves to run alongside the Sassagoula River. Later says doesn’t matter if you stay at French Quarter or Riverside because you need to run the entire resort, both sides, to get an effective run. I’ll make note of that while I’m eating my carrot cake cookie.

That does it for this episode. Again, it’s a little bit long, but full of great info. And that interview with Michael Broggie was just awesome. Even if some of the stories he told are now legendary at least among hard core fans like us, they’re still amazing when heard from someone who was there. Especially who was a kid in Walt’s court.

Tomorrow prepare for time travel as we blast ahead a year into 2008! What changes, news, and rumors await to make us now chuckle?!

The WDW Radio Show: Episode 2 (but really the first!)

For those wondering what all these weird posts are regarding this WDW Radio Show, followed by incoherent stream-of-consciousness drivel, it was a little project I did. I'm a big fan of the WDW Radio Show podcast; it's one of my little geeky obsessions. So I decided to take a week and listen to an old show from the archive every day for a week and blog about it. Lou, the host, has a ton of fans and I'm friends with many on Facebook so they were following along. If you're a stranger to our little world, come on along anyway. You might be intrigued. But there is one challenge of course . . . to find a way out!!!

The WDW Radio Show: Episode 2 – Originally aired Feb 19, 2007

Episode 1 was a 6 minute intro by Lou just setting up what was to come. A nice little introduction and "how do you do" but Episode 2 is really the first real podcast, as we know it.

Intro is similar except for bad Mexican parrot from the Tiki room impression explaining what it is.

Lou sounds quieter, more subdued – or sub-Lou’ed.

Disney news: The “Let’s Have a Ball” party is the first casualty of the Year of a Million Dreams – it was apparently a castle show – something to do with Princesses and a Lady Lucinda. They play Simon Says and do a freeze dance with guests, but didn’t last long (Feb. 24^th.) – sounds lame anyway. Must have been bad since it is the first I have ever heard of it. As Lou says, fortunately or unfortunately it’s over. Lou asks “are these interactive shows not as popular as Disney had hoped?” Wait til he learns about the Stitch show coming to Tomorrowland . . . briefly!

El Rio Del Tiempo is now closed for the “three caballeros” overlay. A few other restaurants are closed for refurbs through the spring, including Le Cellier. Lou wonders, “Is this part of a park wide overhaul for a secret celebration of Epcots 25^th?” NOPE!

Describes the new Mexico ride, continually referring to it as 3 Caballeros (Sounds like at this point we didn’t even have the new name, Gran Fiesta Tour) – Lou says love it or hate it more characters coming to Epcot. I now know I love it. Well, love it is probably a strong choice of words, but I really like it. My son who was 3 last time we were there and got to ride it loved it! I felt it was pleasant and relaxing without being aquatic valium like the original version. ZZZZZZZ!

Construction walls have also gone up for refurb of Innoventions character meet and greet, again love it or hate it. Lou reminds us how Epcot was supposed to be a “no character” park originally til Eisner demanded they be brought over. Personally I think that was a good decision, although I think they could incorporate the characters to the attractions/pavilions a little better. Show where some of them came from, for instance Pinocchio in Italy. Make that connection, especially for young guests.

Lou says “Nice segway Lou” . . . into the “Pixarization” of Walt Disney World. If only you knew, Lou . . .

New preshow to Turtle Talk w/ Crush is open. (Was this before The Seas with Nemo ride?) Lou hasn’t seen new Turtle Talk venue yet. I still haven’t.

Niche theme parks and urban hotels. Disney’s “blue sky” concept is to open smaller theme parks and hotels and water parks around the country, such as Chicago, New Orleans, and Niagara Falls. Would you be compelled to go to one of these places if there was a Disney presence, even if not an amusement park? How about an “indoor water park outside the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field in Green Bay, WI?” I lived in Wisconsin. I’ve been to Green Bay in the dead of winter. You could tell me Walt was alive and well in Green Bay and wanted to meet with me personally over dinner to discuss my ideas for the parks . . . and I’m still not sure I’d be compelled to go back to Green Bay, WI.

Also says there’s a rumor of a third Disney Cruise ship . . . hmmm . . . I don’t know. Dare to Dream!!!

According to Lou there are rumors of Disney buying land in Texas, Virginia and other places. People are swearing Disney is coming to Texas. Isn’t DCL going to be departing from Galveston now? Wonder if that was the genesis of those rumors. I guess in a way they weren’t wrong.

Lou says he’s training to run a Disney marathon in 2009, which I believe he actually did.

Plays segment by Jonathon Dichter (?) called Voices behind the Magic. Pays tribute to Paul Fries. Said this will be a weekly segment. It appears not so much, probably better that way too. Paul Fries is great and love to learn about his career, but the narration is . . . well, annoying. Still, the actual info was good and would make a nice semi-regular segment (didn’t know Fries was the voice of Boris Badenov.)

Listener Emails. One asks about where on property his dad can pick up pain killers. Lou did not direct him to the Universal City Walk parking structure after dark. Actually he did say there’s really no where on property but points out a nearby Walgreens. And some local pharmacy that delivers for a charge.

Best segment: Email asking about a Magic themed restaurant announced coming to WDW (this was buy an former cast member who worked on Countdown to Extinction – Dinosaur to you and me!) IT was indeed announced in ’96 between David Copperfield and Michael Eisner. It was called David Copperfield’s Magic Underground and was to open in Disney’s MGM Studios as well as Times Square New York. Never became more than a short lived magic shop for a time. Gone completely now. Would have cost $30 Mil!

Here’s what Wikipedia has to say: "David Copperfield's Magic Underground was planned to be a restaurant based on Copperfield's magic.^[33] There was a sign on Hollywood Boulevard during the late 90s indicating the restaurant was coming soon. Signs were also located around Pleasure Island and signs outside Disney-MGM Studios.^[34] A Magic Underground restaurant was also going to open in New York's Times Square.^[33] Plans also included eventual expansion into Disneyland in Anaheim, California, as well as Paris and Tokyo. The restaurants were to have magic props and other items on the walls of the restaurants while magicians would go around to tables doing sleight of hand tricks. There was also to be a larger stage for larger stunts. The restaurant in Times Square was 85 percent completed, but, amid disputes between the creative team and the financial team, and enormous cost overruns, finances dried up from the investors, so the project was cancelled, and Disney cancelled the lease. Copperfield was not an investor in the project; the investors reportedly lost $34 million on the project, and subcontractors placed $15 million in liens."

BUT . . . and this is my favorite story . . . in 1985 mustachioed magician Doug Henning was hired as a consultant for WDW. He even contributed to effects for the Adventurer’s Club concept. One of my personal favorites. That loss still stings. Henning also wanted his own theme park, which he hoped to partner with Disney to finance and build. VEDA LAND!!! Even the name screams “loss of millions of dollars!” Actually Veda means “Knowing”. It was to be A BILLION dollar park right near WDW. Disney wasn’t into it. Henning instead partnered with the Maharishi and the name became Maharishi Veda Land. Not much better.

38 attractions themed to knowledge, enlightenment, and entertainment. Rides sound both lame and insane. One was described as flying over a rainbow made completely out of mist and colors. Thrilling! The park would of course also have a monorail and would have world pavilions. Hmm. Wonder where he got that idea. Eventually the Veda Land idea moved from Orlando to Niagara Falls, but ultimately never happened at all. Hard to believe. A park meant to teach kids about TM . . .

As a kid, I loved Doug Henning . . . but I did not know he was NUTS!!!

Acc: to Wikipedia: "Maharishi Veda Land was conceived as a magical Himalayan setting where visitors would be wowed with theatrical presentations of ancient Vedic stories and “the deepest secrets of the universe", while ingesting organic vegetarian burgers and snacks. Attractions were to include a building suspended above water and a journey into the heart of a rose. At present the project's status is uncertain.^"

I’d say it is safe to assume the status isn’t that uncertain any more! ; )

Jessica writes in saying she and her sister are going alone for the first time. She is 21 and her sister 17. Lou make’s all the usual suspected suggestions. Prime Time, Bongo’s, House of Blues, and really suggests Biergarten in Germany for great entertainment, good food, and lots of fun. I’ve never been there but should try it. Occurs to me I’ve never gone to Bongo’s either.

At this point while I’m driving I begin to daydream about taking a solo trip to WDW and only doing things I’ve never done, like eating at Bongo’s and yes, Raglan Road. Going to the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor. Watching Marty Short’s film in Canada.

Lou stresses a few times no alcohol under 21 due, I assume to the underage sister. Probably wise, as Lou is a lawyer and suggesting a “Beer-garden” to a 17 year old could be misconstrued without the proper caveats! I just find it interesting to think that now as I’m listening, even the little sister is old enough to legally drink a beer in the Beirgarten! Wonder if they still listen. Wonder if they'll read this . . . hmm . . .

And Germany has the highest number of shops of any pavilion. And did you notice that every shop is designed to look like a different room in the same house?

Why, no, I actually didn’t. Because the only shop I ever go in is the wine cellar to get a glass of my favorite Gewürztraminer. Most would expect me to go for a ginormous stein of German beer, but nope. A little plastic “glass” of the delicious sweet and slightly tart white wine while sitting in the shadow of St. George and I’m a happy camper . . . err, Mousketeer! I’ll pay better attention to the architecture next time!

The final email asks about a perceived Chinese symbol on Walt’s tie on the Partners statue.

Lou congratulates the writer on being so observant. So do I . . . sheesh! Turns out it is not a Chinese character at all. It is the letters STR, which stand for Smoke Tree Ranch, a resort in Palm Springs where Walt and Lilly owned property and used as a favorite getaway. Funny, Lou says when Walt first wanted to buy there, the board or association or whatever they had then were opposed to him coming and bringing the “Hollywood lifestyle” to their quiet upscale community. I love Walt, he is indeed my hero and inspiration, but aside from the fact he made movies very little about him ever screamed “Hollywood lifestyle” to me. True that term probably meant something far more subdued then compared to now! After learning of Walt's affinity for the area, it’s no wonder I felt an immediate connection on my one and only trip to Palm Springs.

That about wraps up the first (technically second but whatever) episode of the WDW Radio Show! Aside from a Mousemeet in PA and Lou announcing a "Cruise with Margaret 'Tinkerbell' Kerry on the Disney Dream!" Lou must have had a bigger presence prior to the WDW Radio Show than I realized because the man had some juice, pulling in big names from the start!

All in all, the first full episode didn’t sound much different from a current show. Lou is professional, engaging, and there’s no trace of it being a first show at all. I realize he had a podcast presence before this, but this is his first solo mission as far as I know. It was really fun going back and experiencing this show, especially now knowing what became of some of those rumors, plans, etc. Can't wait for the next one!

Hope you enjoyed my rambling as well. Stay tuned!

Day 5: One Last Trip to the Laughin' Place

Day 5: One Last Trip to the Laughin' Place

We took our time getting up and ready for our last day, Friday. We had a 10:15 breakfast ADR for Chef Mickey’s at the Contemporary. We assembled the troops and hopped the bus for Magic Kingdom. We figured we’d just catch the monorail over to Contemporary.
Actually, on Monday when we’d gone to MK, there were only a handful of guests on the bus, and the driver actually stopped and dropped some folks off right in front of the resort first. We considered asking if we could do the same, but this bus was packed to the gills. So we got to MK and since it was actually a nice morning and we noticed quite a line waiting to board the monorails, we opted to simply hoof it.

The CM’s hovering around the bus stops were very friendly and one actually stopped a bus to let us “jay-walk” across the street to the right sidewalk. It is a pretty easy walk, even with two strollers and didn’t take but a few minutes. And I got a pretty good look at Bay Lake Tower. As we passed the crowds waiting to board shuttles at Contemporary, for some reason I felt a little self-conscious.
In my mind I created an air of higher-class and sophistication about them (i.e. money.) After all, we were a sweaty band of nomads who were staying at a value resort. These folks were in a deluxe monolith of a hotel. Stupid. I know. It continued as we entered the lobby, until the suited gentleman greeting us smiled and asked if he could assist us as he immediately offered Sean a sleeve of Mickey stickers. I explained we were there for breakfast and he enthusiastically said “Chef Mickey’s? Wonderful. Just take the elevator right on up to the 4th floor.”

I know, that’s his job, but still. He did it very well. It reminded me that Walt intended a place where rich or not, you were treated like a true guest.

Anyway, I really liked the Contemporary (I’d never actually been in it – only through it on the ‘rail.) And we all had a great breakfast at Chef Mickey’s. I actually thought the food in this buffet was even better than the Crystal Palace breakfast. A lot of the same stuff, but a couple surprises too.
My favorite thing, besides the breakfast pizza that’s supposed to be for the kids, was the corned beef hash. They also had hash at the CP which of course was good. In fact, Joe and I discussed how it was really a higher quality, with big hunks of meat and potatoes, etc, but good as it was what we really wanted was that good ol’ Hormel right outta the can style. The hash at Chef Mickey’s was much more akin to that. I think I had 3 helpings. I know; no accounting for taste I guess.

There’s nothing better before attacking one of the parks than loading up on a good breakfast. Really that’s a good strategy prior to a lot of activities, other than sitting in a cubicle staring at a computer all day!

And the character interaction was great. The kids were so used to seeing characters at this point there was no fear. They loved them all, especially the main Mouse, who came right up to our table and played around with the little ones!

In our planning stages, we’d thought we’d go back to the hotel after breakfast, but once you’re that close to the castle, it’s kind of hard to just leave again. So in we went. We got wise and as soon as we were through the gates, Ashley said they wanted to hit something in Fantasyland but we’d already discussed heading straight to Adventureland for Pirates. So, we split up.
Best decision of the trip! Just kidding!

But I will say it was nice just spending the day as the 3 of us, our little family. On our way to Pirates, Sean caught sight of the Flying Carpets so we stopped to take a quick flight. Sean even got to control the stick. I don’t know that I’d say I like the carpets more than Dumbo, but there is something about them that I just get a kick out of. Maybe I’m just such a fan of Aladdin. As well as of Adventureland in general. I don't know quite how to explain it, but Adventureland is Disney World to me. As opposed to many who say it is Fanatasyland that best represents WDW in their minds, or maybe Tomorrowland. When I sit and think about the Magic Kingdom, my mind immediately conjures images of the Jungle Cruise, Pirates, and that whole side of the park. I guess we all have our own vision of WDW and what we love most.

Afterward, we took a little cruise to the Caribbean. I hate to say this, but after riding Pirates in Disneyland, there’s something slightly disappointing about the WDW version. It really is missing so much. I wish when they did the refurb a few years ago they’d have added those extra scenes that our California brethren get to enjoy. But still, it’s Pirates and it’s the one I knew as a boy so it’s still special and fun.

When we came out of PoTC the mid-day sun was high and we decided to try Splash Mountain again. The stand-by said 20 minutes, but it seemed to take a lot longer. Due in no small part to the fact that Sean was not behaving. He wasn’t happy about having to wait to get on the “boat ride” and the heat wasn’t helping his demeanor.
Plus, no offense to my European WDW-fans as all are welcome, but when in line and you discover a group of rival soccer team . . . sorry, football club fans, do you really need to engage in a team chant competition?
There were two groups ahead of us in line, and I don’t know where exactly they were from or who they were each rooting for, but they began to shout out these sing-songy chants at each other, back and forth. It was cute the first five times, but . . .

I know, I sound like I should be wearing black socks with sandals shouting “get off my lawn!” I admit, I was grumpy at the moment. I suppose if it were 75 degrees with a light breeze and my son was behaving like the Cherub he usually is, I might have been more inclined to find it charming.

There’s never been a better feeling then stepping into that inner catacomb of the mountain near Brer Frog’s house. That’s when you get that first blast of sweet, sweet air conditioning after being in that Florida heat. Oh, and the ride was fun too!

After the Mountain, I got the sense Wendy might want to head back. I’ll be honest; I can’t even remember for the life of me what we did for lunch that day. I know we filled up Sean’s popcorn bucket at some point that day. And as we made our way through Liberty Square with the intention of leaving, I decided to try again.
“How about we check the wait for the Mansion?”

It was broad daylight after all. Less chance of emotionally scarring our child, I reasoned. Wendy acquiesced and on we went. Got to see Leota’s grave stone in action which was cool. Ok, so admittedly it’s about as high-tech as the Halloween decorations for sale at Walgreens right now, but still, it’s something new.
I admit, I was a bit worried about how Sean would react to the Mansion. We rode the one in DL, and during its Nightmare Before Christmas incarnation, and that opening in the parlor really freaked him out. However I’d say it’s safe to say it was the volume of Jack Skellington shrieking that got him. This time around, Sean didn’t flinch. Admittedly I was kind of whispering into his ear when I knew the loud noise was coming.

He was great throughout the whole ride. In fact he laughed and looked all around at everything. The new scenes are very much an improvement. Especially the bride’s scene. That was awesome. And the Escher-like staircases are much better than the giant spider web. Overall they did a good job of “plussing it” without completely changing or throwing something distracting into it. It all works. Overall, I’m just thankful that Haunted Mansion movie was a flop; otherwise we might see an animatronic Eddie Murphy in every third or fourth scene!

We decided to head back to Pop and relax for a bit. Wendy said she was exhausted and was going to lay down with Sean. I decided to head down to the pool one last time. I threw my book (Heaven & Hell: My Life with the Eagles by Don Felder – I recommend it), my iPod, and the remaining Bud Lights (thank you Aunt Renee) into my backpack.

Sidebar: I’m a big fan of backpacks still, even at 34 and not really being an outdoorsman. My wife got me the one I use now 10 years ago. It’s a yellow and green Timberland and holds all my personal stuff. I’ve always said that if it came down to it, every material thing in the world I need would fit in that pack. And since I’m not a fan of wearing a lanyard, the handful of Disney pins I’ve collected throughout the years are stuck on the outside of it. Gives it a little character (no pun intended) but also can draw attention and funny looks. Which, it seemed to do that day.

I took a dip in the pool (60’s pool) and then got out to catch some rays and read, but I was having a hard time concentrating. I tried to listen to my iPod but that wasn’t working either. Then I got a picture mail from my 2 managers that read “You’re missing the meeting!” Of course it was a picture of them sitting in the bar of a local Mexican restaurant sipping margaritas at 3:00 in the afternoon. I sent them a picture of the pool as I saw it, then turned my phone on myself hoisting a beer to the camera eye and sent them my rebuttal. “I still win.”

What I didn’t know is the lady a couple loungers down from me was watching my strange antics. After her third or fourth trip to the bar she stopped by my chair and asked how my book was. I told her I was having a hard time sticking with it and she confessed she been watching me open it and close it. Then inevitably she asked about my bag. Actually we had a nice conversation. She was a schoolteacher from Nebraska who came down with her entire family and extended family. Anyway, Kris from Nebraska, I’ll hoist one to you again next time. And for the record, the book is actually really good once you get past the first couple chapters.

Around 5:30 I headed back to the room and the wife and kid were still sleeping. I fought the urge to sneak back down to Petals bar and took a shower instead. We got back to MK around 7, figuring we’d grab dinner there. Instead we cut over to Fantasyland (oh, p.s. we somehow split up from Ashley and Joe again) because Sean had seen the Tomorrowland Speedway and flipped out earlier.
So we figured we better let him drive a car. Which he got to do. He and Wendy got into one with Sean at the wheel (scary thought) and I followed behind them. I actually hadn’t ridden on the Speedway since I was probably 9 years old. It’s one of those things I just kind of skip. It was fun. Nothing super exciting but Sean loved it. On a few of the turns I was able to see his face as the breeze whipped through his hair and he was grinning, tongue hanging out the corner of his mouth, having the time of his life. That’s what it’s all about.
Sidebar: I'm really jealous that DL/CA is going to have a Cars land. Since they're really going to do a major overhaul on Fantasyland anyway, why not turn the the Speedway into a mini-Radiator Springs? Or even half-Springs and half-Piston Cup? Just puttin' it out there for any Imagineers lurking on the threads!

I did find one negative about the Speedway though. The designated smoking area in Tomorrowland is just under the exit walkway from the Speedway. So as you’re heading across the walk to the steps, the smoke everyone below is exhaling is billowing up at you. At least it was at that particular moment as we were leaving. It was too much to take. Even for someone who still sneaks one now and then.

We decided afterwards to take another spin on Goofy’s Barnstormer, this time with mommy. The line was surprisingly longer than usual, given such a short (but still fun) ride.
Sean was beside himself when we said we didn’t want to wait in line for a third trip. Instead we headed off to Big Thunder Mountain for a real ride, which we got to do twice in a row.

By this point we figured we really should get him something to eat. Since it was close, and we only had 2 counter service meals left, we chose Pecos Bill’s. I ordered and waited while Wendy got Sean chicken tenders from the cart right outside. The one thing I remember about Pecos Bills even from when I was kid, and the reason I’ve passed right by it the last few times I’ve been, is that it took forever to get your food.
Sadly, not much has changed since the late 80’s I’m afraid. I ordered two burgers. I must have waited at least 15 minutes, as did those around me. I didn’t hear anyone order Surf & Turf but you’d have thought we were waiting for them to trap and boil a lobster.

As we waited, however, I was privy to something I've never seen in a Disney park. A CM was having a loud and very angry meltdown in the kitchen. A girl was hooting and hollering about something she didn’t like and cursing like a sailor. The supervisor was trying to calm her down, or at least shut her up till they were in private. The gist. as I understood it. was ironically that she was mad at another CM who was taking too long getting the orders up. Go figure.
Something tells me you wouldn't have seen that particular CM working there the next day.

By the time we ate, it was getting late. I felt that twinge of despair that our last night was drawing to its imminent close. We decided on one more trip down Splash Mountain for good measure. I can’t help but feel a surge of pride that my kid loves these “big boy” rides already!

It was about 9:30 when we walked out of Pecos Bill’s and the Spectromagic parade was just winding through Liberty Square.
This by the way might be a good tip for those of you in that area when it starts. If its 9:00 o’clock and you want a drink or need to pee, have someone save your spot and go. Take your time. The parade may start at 9:00 o’clock, but it won’t hit Frontierland before 9:30. We decided to grab a spot on the bridge and watch it once more. This time Chernabog even spread his wings in all his demonic glory (is that an oxymoron?)
Spectromagic is so great (since writing this report, they have since taken Spectro out and brought back the famed Mainstreet Electrical Parade, at least for the summer.)
As soon as the last float was rolling by, we dashed over to Splash Mountain for one last cruise. I like to ride this one at night when Wishes is going on because you get an amazing view of the castle as you come around the top of the mountain. If you time it right, you also get an amazing view of the castle with the fireworks going off all around it. It’s pretty spectacular.

But wasn’t to be this trip. We were too early. Oh well. It’s not like it spoiled the ride. It was still a great time. The only disappointment, if you can call it that, about our multiple rides on Splash Mountain (and really any of the rides that offer this) is that we never had a good picture turn out of the three of us. Sean is still such a little guy that in most of them he was completely blocked from view (oft times by his Sasquatch of a father!)

We exited Splash just as Wishes started up so we found a nice spot to watch. That didn’t last long as Sean was not a fan of the thunderous booms of the fireworks, which, being so close can be felt in your chest. He didn’t dig it at all and made it known by clapping his hands over his ears and looking up at me with tears welling up and lip quivering, like “What are you doing to me here?!?!”

So I kicked the stroller in gear and we made our way out, through the masses that were gathered around the castle, toward the exits. Right before we were about to duck out under the tracks, Wendy said she wanted to stop into the photo shop because we had a coupon for a FREE 5 X 10 Photopass picture. And she wanted to order a few others.

So Sean and I just sort of browsed. I debated buying myself the bright green 2009 shirt (anyone who has been this year knows it well, I’m sure.) In the end I just decided it was a little too bright for me, especially back in Chicago. It was just one of those impulses where it’s like “we’re about to leave and it’s going to be a while before we get back. Buy! Buy! Buy!”

Instead Sean and I crossed over to the bathrooms by the Firehouse for a pitstop before heading out. I then wheeled him into the Emporium but it became immediately apparent that was a really bad idea. 10:15 P.M. is about the worst time you could possibly pick to try a quick browsing excursion in the Emporium. Unless maybe its extra-magic hours and people are still out on the rides. Otherwise, everybody else exiting the park is inside the Emporium undergoing their own “Buy! Buy! Buy!” frenzy!

When we got the bus stop the line for Pop Century was insane! To be expected of course at the end of the night. We just hunkered down and waited with the rest of the herd. After a good 30 minute wait, we were finally on the bus.

Our plan for Friday was to simply lay low. Our flight out was a little before 4:00 and the DMX was picking us up at 1:15. So not a lot of time to do too much anyway. We figured we’d just check our stuff with the bellmen and hang out at the pool or something.
Until we got to the room that night and realized we still had yet another coupon for a FREE 5 X 10 Photopass picture. It pays to look in that little voucher booklet Disney sends you when you book your trip. I had kind of just breezed through the coupons as I had no plans to go to Planet Hollywood or play mini-golf. I did however use the 30 minutes of free game play one of the afternoons, even though I’m not a video game guy. I actually attempted to play Guitar Hero since there was nobody else in there. Of course just as I began to butcher Slow Ride, a huge crowd of kids came in and I know made fun of me without mercy.

At any rate, Wendy did not want that free pic going to waste, and it wasn’t valid for online orders so she decided she wanted to hit one of the Photopass shops the next day. I played it cool because I didn’t want to be too enthusiastic and pay for it on the plane because she was exhausted from hitting another park before rushing to the airport. This fear is not unfounded, by the way. It’s rooted firmly in reality from a previous trip!
The question was, would we just head back to Downtown Disney or go to a park? And if the latter, which park would it be . . . ???

Day 4; Part 2

Day 4, Pt. 2: Open the Door, Get on the Floor, Everybody Walk the Dinosaur!

As I mentioned, after Joe and I rode Kali River Rapids, we made a quick run by Everest to see if we could squeeze in one more ride. Middle of the afternoon? Yeah right!

Most of you know that when walking to Everest you must pass right by Yak & Yeti. I had made ADR’s there back in July but the best we could get was 4:15 and others in the group didn’t like that. Admittedly that’s a little early for dinner, especially since our systems are on Central time so that would be like eating dinner at 3:15. Anyway, when we walked by it smelled SO GOOD!!! My mouth started watering like Pavlov’s mutt, and Joe agreed. But, oh well . . .

We headed back to Pop and I collected Sean from the kiddy pool so Wendy could chill for a while as was her only desire this trip. He was not thrilled to be forced back to the room but after drying off and a little chocolate milk, he was soon tucked in bed and catching a little snooze time. I was laid in my bed and watched Stacey’s Must-Do list for the 18th time with a little Coke Zero in my mug. Kudos to WDW for having CZ in the food court fountains, by the way!

It wasn’t long before my eyelids started to droop as well. As I was just drifting off with visions of sugar plums, the adjoining door opened and there was Joe (not a vision you want to wake to, unless of course you’re Mrs. Joe!) He said they were going to hang out in their room a while and would leave the doors open if I wanted to go to the pool. I was just a little comfortable and a little lazy to get up, put my suit on, etc. so I politely declined. Wendy returned soon after anyway and we began to pull ourselves together for dinner.

Our dinner reservation was for 7:00 at T-REX. I’ve said it already, but I was so excited for this one, and for a couple reasons. The first is I’m a dinosaur nut. Have been since I was about 4 years old. I’m such a dino-nut I even like Jurassic Park 3! Heck, I even liked the Flinstones movies. Both of them! Although there is a theory that the Flintstones were not actually about the past but in fact a post-Apocalyptic future where mankind must rebuild with modern know-how but primitive resources, hence stone houses, etc, and thereby making those creatures radiation-created mutant aberrations and not actually dinosaurs at all, but of course that’s a discussion for another thread . . .!

The other reason is I am a big fan of Rainforest Café. I work only about 10 minutes from one, and on particularly aggravating days, I will escape on my lunch break and just sort of mill around the gift shop. The employees are even getting to know me. I recently explained to one that they are cheaper than therapy for me. She laughed, gestured to the aquarium archway and said “yes, you know fish are supposed to be very relaxing.” I just like it because it looks, feels, and smells like vacation to me. There’s a palpable Disney influence there. The creator, Steve Schussler even uses a lot of Walt quotes. Usually after a few minutes at RFC and quick stop upstairs in the Disney Store, I can more or less get through the rest of the day. For the record we do also eat there on occasion!

Finally, I also feel a (very) loose connection to the Schussler brand. Steve Schussler’s first foray into the restaurant-ish business was a brand of nightclubs here in the Chicago area called Jukebox Saturday Night. As you can infer, it was a 50’s/60’s inspired dance club for adults in the 80’s. When I was a kid and my then single-mother was dating, I recall many a Saturday night when we’d have a sitter so she and friends could go to JBSN. We didn’t live far from it and that cherry red ’57 Chevy front-end hanging out over the doorway was a familiar site. Schussler had wild design ideas, even then. Fast-forward about 20 years and there I was, nearly-30, singing on-stage in the very same club belting out the Eagles and Jimmy Buffett songs.

Of course it had long since been sold and at that point was called Zookeepers (lame) and the walls were plastered with tiger and zebra stripes and neon lights hung everywhere. The “V.I.P.” room was an oversized booth to the right of the stage separated by plastic “animal cage” bars. As David Byrne once sang “and you may ask yourself, well, how did I get here???”
Still, the nostalgia was there for me.

So anyway, enough sidebar, you get the idea. I was excited to go to T-REX Café!

I think we were on the DTD bus by 6:15ish. Joe and I had to stand towards the back of the shuttle, which was fine. But from our vantage point we both witnessed as a woman (who by the by was also the one that held up the bus because she was on an ECV, though stood unassisted and sat down walked to a seat without visible effort) glared, rolled her eyes, and whispered comments to her husband about Sean and Abby the whole ride. The kids were well-rested and were being let’s just say a bit boisterous. I am the first to admit, and get annoyed, when my kid is being obnoxious. In this case, he was not. And even those closest to them were laughing and encouraging him, asking “who did you see today?” etc.

I just wanted to say to the lady, “look, if excited children bother you, next time just go to Branson. I hear there’s nobody under the age of 100 there!” (Ok, cheap shot. My apologies to fans of Andy Williams and Yakov Smirnoff!)

After studying the map, Ashley had recommended we exit at the Pleasure Island stop, rather than the DTD stop. But Joe and I called an audible that we would exit at the first drop. We explained to the girls later that we wanted to get off before one of us throttled the old lady. Plus I got the impression they were getting off at the first stop as well, and we’d have all had to wait for her to get off before moving on to the P.I. stop. So we snaked our way around the shops and restaurants, and I with my enthusiastic gate was the first to reach T-REX. I would later have to admit that the Pleasure Island stops are so much closer, so if you’re planning on eating there, keep that in mind! You could spit your gum and hit T-REX from those stops. Please don’t try it; I’m just sayin’!

I was at the podium right at 7:00 and we were more or less seated immediately. They no sooner handed me a pager then it was going off. Now, as for theme restaurants, its no secret many are often heavy-handed on spectacle, often cheaply slapped together, to the point where it’s just too much. And all to often its meant to mask the lower food quality. You end up paying for flair.

As far as T-REX Café is concerned, this is not at all the case! I thought it was AWESOME! Yes, it is a lot of spectacle. But I loved it. I love the animatronics. I love the giant Rex and her pups that greet you right at the entrance. I love the themed rooms, although I still don’t entirely get the giant octopus over the bar. But it works! My eyes couldn’t stop darting all around.

They sat us in the Geo-Tech Room which is covered by a “night sky” where there’s a meteor shower every 20 minutes. From our table I had a great view of most of the restaurant. I was looking right at the Rex in the center of the place, and the Wooly Mammoth was to my right, as well as the Ice Age room. That is amazing by the way! When you walk into it, it’s really like walking into a glacier. The lighting is so weird though and it takes your eyes a few minutes to adjust. I don’t know how the servers deal with constantly coming in and out of it. It would be like eating in Superman’s Fortress of Solitude.

With any restaurant of course, the proof is in the pudding, right? The fear with a place like T-REX is that the food won’t be that good. Well, while I didn’t have any actual pudding, I can tell that everything I ate was DELICIOUS! We started with the nachos which ,while nothing really special about the ingredients were really tasty and would be a hit at any football party. Then I had the Boneyard Buffet which is bbq ribs and half a roasted chicken, along with waffle fries and cole slaw. My only complaint at all is that the chicken was a little bland. But it was cooked well and very juicy. The ribs were great. They were more saucy than the ones I’d had at Flame Tree (yes for those paying attention, I had ribs twice in one day!) The flavor was really nice and the meat tender. What else can you ask for? Joe had the Gigantosaurus burger, which looked bananas! Imagine a double-cheeseburger on steroids. I don’t even remember what the girls had because I was elbow deep in BBQ sauce and slaw!

But everyone agreed that the food was great. And the drinks were fantastic too! I have a “Category-5” which quite honestly I don’t remember what was in it (there’s a reason for that) but just know it involves a lot of rum and its red . . . I think. Even popped for the souvenir glasses for $13. So you know, if you do get the first one in the glass, you don’t have to pay $13 if you want another. It’s like $6 or $7 bucks. And they bring you a new glass in a box when you’re ready to leave. I know this may seem like standard operating procedure, but Joe was walking to the bathroom to rinse his and dry it off before our waitress stopped him. And I can’t laugh because I might’ve done the same! I try to act like I’ve been somewhere before but sometimes . . .

When we’d finished the girls took the kids outside while I waited for the bill. As most of you know T-REX is not part of the dining plan. And I will forewarn you that it’s not cheap. It’s not super expensive but it is pricey; expect to pay vacation prices if you know what I mean. But I will also tell you, from my perspective, it is money well spent. Everyone really enjoyed the entire experience. And I’ve seen some reviews of people saying “T-REX is not for little kids” etc, and I guess you just have to consider the kid. Our kids loved it.

The only time Sean got scared at all was when Wendy and I were taking pictures all around the restaurant by various displays. Wendy was holding him in front of a baby Brachiosaurus and out of nowhere it decided to wake up and swing its neck around behind them. They both jumped out of their skins. But it was funny, and Sean quickly recovered before any tears appeared. I think Wendy took longer to compose herself! I just regret not having the video camera!

While I was settling up, the manager stopped by our table to ask how everything was. We actually had a nice conversation. She told us that they went from being slammed to slow virtually over night the week before and she seemed genuinely appreciative to have us there. We talked about the opening and I asked about her career. She’s been with the company a long time, managing a couple RFC’s and then she opened the Yak & Yeti (which was also a Schussler brainchild.) She asked if we’d eaten there and I just growled. Just kidding, but I told her about only being able to get an early reservation, to which she told me we could have just walked up at any time we wanted and they’d have fit us in pretty quickly. She also confirmed that the smells weren’t deceiving and that the food really is good. So it is definitely a must on my next trip. Super nice lady.

She had funny stories about Steve Schussler and even dropped a rumor about what he and the Imagineers might be partnering up on for DTD / P.I. next. It actually seemed like a weird idea, and somewhat unlikely given they have one at Epcot already. I ain’t saying any more because I don’t wanna get sued or get her fired! I’ll just say anything’s possible at Disney!!!

Sean and I built a “castle” at the LEGO store for a while (castle means Sean stacked as many blocks on top of each other as he could get his hands on in a straight column) while the ladies shopped at the World of Disney. Joe had gone off in search of some sports themed store (Mickey’s Athletic Club?) Anyway, I made the mistake of taking a tired, cranky, 2 & ½ year old who was already annoyed with me for leaving the LEGO store into WoD. That was dumb. Everything at eye level was “I want!” or “Mine!” Bad daddy! Bad!!!

After a whirl on the carousel we stopped at Goofy’s Candy Company. I must admit my wife told me numerous times I should pack our cups from the last time we went when we made those slushies in there. Mine’s got a Goofy hat and shoes and hers in Minnie Mouse. She kept saying, they will refill them there and it’s cheaper and you know when you’re there you’ll want one. But me being a man said no, it’s just more junk to pack and then lug around. We’ll be fine. I won’t want one. Too much sugar anyway. Yadda yadda yadda! So we walked into Goofy’s Candy Company that night and guess what was the first thing my mouth started watering for . . . !

But as good as it sounded to cap off a good night with a slushie, it just wasn’t worth the “I told you so’s.”

Just putting it out there guys. If you’ve got ‘em, take your cups. It’s worth it.
Although I wouldn’t have minded making a Stitch cup too!!!

At any rate, we made our way back to the busses loaded with treats, and soon were back home at Pop. It really was a good night. One of those “fall asleep with a simple, satisfied smile on your face” nights.

The next day was Thursday, our last full day in Walt Disney World. I was already getting depressed. I must admit, this is the first trip to Disney that I found myself having a hard time just trying to live in the moment and enjoy it. Everyday I had this running counter in my brain, counting down to Friday when it all blew up. I don’t know why that was. Guess I’m just getting older. Yeesh!

Still, we had one more day and we were going to make the most of every minute we could spending our final day at the Magic Kingdom one more time.

Day 4: There's a Cowboy In the Jungle

I woke up Wednesday morning with a little more spring in my step. I love Animal Kingdom. In fact it's gotta be my favorite park, after MK.

Sidebar: When people ask me which of the WDW parks is my favorite, I usually take Magic Kingdom out of the equation altogether.

It's kind of like something I heard someone say about movies. From now on, everyone should agree to just take Citizen Kane out of the equation and rate every other movie because we all know film buffs think Kane is the greatest movie ever made. Personally, I find that movie tedious, and will watch Casablanca any day of the week. But still, the analogy makes sense. In the same way I look at it like, yes, Magic Kingdom is the best because its Walt's park and closest to Disneyland and the most "Disney"-like and features the characters, yadda yadda yadda . . .

So if I rate the other 3, Animal Kingdom is my favorite (or Epcot, I change my mind depending on which one I'm in.)

I was showered, dressed, and had been to the food court for coffee and chocolate milk before my roomies were even out of bed. In anticipation of a hot day, I put on the new sleeveless Mickey shirt my wife found for me at the outlet store the night before. That's right: sun's out, guns out.

They pulled themselves together and Joe and Ash were getting it together next door and we made it to the park right at 9:00.

I tend to just freestyle it in the parks, but this morning I had map in hand and immediately scouted out our path to Expedition: Everest. I was pushing Sean in the stroller, and as mentioned, I have an "enthusiastic gate" so soon enough I looked around and realized I was all alone. I spotted Wendy coming up around the bend into Asia not too far behind, but already Joe and Ashley had vanished.

I asked where they were and she said she didn't even know. I waited around another minute but saw a large wave of people working their way toward us and it was clear they were following the same plan I was. Their destination: the same forbidden mountain. We continued our trek toward Everest and I sent Joe a text asking if we'd lost them. A moment later I received the following message:

"Ashley slipped. Taking a break."

I asked if she was hurt and he said she'd just twisted her ankle slipping in a puddle and needed to sit for a bit.

Undaunted, I carried on. The mountain has claimed many a visitor in her time. It's the risk we accept when we take her challenge. Sadly in this case, it was shopping that claimed today's victim. Apparently she ducked into a gift shop to look at something and somehow managed to step in a wet spot on the ground as she was leaving and her foot slid and buckled under her. To her credit, as they sat on that bench and her ankle starting to throb, she told Joe to go on ahead and meet up with us and she'd head back to the resort. Joe to his credit said no, he was going with her. So they compromised and she sat for a little longer to see if the pain subsided and Joe texted me he was on his way.

At this point we'd already grabbed a child swap (the greatest scam Disney offers for those of us breeders) and I had just entered the que to go on first. I waited to the side of the line a minute or two because honestly there no was no wait time, but as more people started to pass me, I was too anxious to wait any longer. Joe would have to take his own chances with the mountain. I had to go it alone!

Once again the line moved so fast I had no time to actually look around at all the details the Imagineers so painstakingly put into the que areas. It was beautiful too and really tells a story so vividly. You really can let your imagination transport you to Nepal. Well, Nepal on a 90 degree day. I was assigned to row 10, just about the rear-center of the train and had no one around me. The train pulled out and off I set on what could be the last adventure of my life . . .

I have to admit, all jokes aside, that a funny feeling began to set in. I've been waiting to see this animatronic Yeti for almost 4 years now. I've seen it on t.v. and in pictures online many times. Even watched how it was made. But as I found myself locked in to that train seat, I actually began to get nervous. Especially when we stopped at that peak where the tracks had been ripped up and you hear the mysterious sounds and growls. In that moment, I found I had to remind myself I've seen the gears and wires and controls; the Yeti isn't real!

Then fortunately the train went flying backwards through a dark cavern, then and up into the mountain, and I gotta say it felt like we were almost going to go right over in a loop. It was exhilerating. We straightened out and came to a stop, saw the shadow of the beast, and raced on. With every twist, and turn, and dark tunnel I was certain we'd encounter the Yeti at any moment and I was bracing myself emotionally. I didn't want to miss it, even though I knew in that moment, real or not, it was going to be terrifying. We rocketed through one last dark cavern and then . . . sunlight.

The train slowed and we were back at the station. The ride was over? I looked around at my fellow passengers to see if they were as confused as I was. Where was the Yeti? I hadn't seen literally hyde nor hair of any Abominal Snowman. Was he on a Union 10? Did he start late on Wednesday or something? Maybe I just blinked at the wrong moment or something. I thought I saw something move in the darkness for a split second but could that have been it???

Don't get me wrong, the ride kicked all kinds of butt and when I got off I was woozy and my heart was racing. But I couldn't help but be a little let-down that I never saw the Yeti. Wendy and Joe took the child-swap ticket and rode. I waited with Sean near the exit and we watched for mommy. By they way, my 2 & 1/2 year old was beside himself that he couldn't go on the ride. He wanted to tell them what they could do with their 48 inch high rule!

They were on and off within 10 minutes tops and Wendy said "you and Joe go ride it again real quick." Don't have to tell me twice. In line I asked Joe what he thought of the ride and he just said "it's pretty good." We sat in car 11 this time, just behind where I'd been. Apparently he and Wendy were much closer to the front - a spot I find is usually less exciting on roller coasters due to the lag time.

Right before we took off I asked, "Did you see the Yeti?" and he also said no, they hadn't noticed, other than the shadowy appearance halfway through. Before I could ask the CM about it we were on our way again. This time my eyes were peeled. When we reached that final cave where I knew he had to be, I strained to see into the darkness. We were both on HYA (High-Yeti-Alert)! As we entered I pointed up and the following words left mouth exactly as I'll write them: "He should be right, he's right there OH GOD!!!"

Needless to say, he was there. Albeit very hard to see. There was only a faint strobe light behind him, so dim we really didn't get a good look . . . on top of flying by at break-neck speed of course. But I saw enough that it was terrifying for a split second, and I loved it. And Joe loved my reaction, as he reminded me all day of it.

Not that this is any big secret to roller coaster lovers, but Joe having sat closer to the front and then to the back, said further back was way better. He said he didn’t understand why I was so wobbly when I got off the first time, but after we rode again he totally felt it.

After Everest we found Ashley and Abby, who were ready to soldier on into the heart of dark . . . I mean continue on into the park. I led on toward Dinoland. I had mentioned to them that we should use a Counter Service meal to have lunch at Flame Tree BBQ. I’d never eaten there but heard good things. As we passed by, all of us were immediately drawn in by the delicious smell of smoke and barbeque. Everyone instantly agreed with my idea!

Since it was my intention to go right to Dinosaur, the ladies took the kids to ride the Triceratops Spin, which is essentially Dumbo but with dinosaurs.

There was no line for Joe and I at Dinosaur. We got right in to the Dinosaur Institute and just waited for the doors to be opened so we could go see Mrs. Huxtable. You'd have to have ridden it to get that, and be a dinosaur yourself, like me.

Joe asked if this ride was as scary as Jurassic Park over at Universal. Personally I think it blows JP away, and told him so. The dinosaurs alone are so much more realistic (the big ones anyway.) I remember last time I rode JP, I noticed that when the big dinosaurs outside (Brachi0saurus and Stegosaurus) opened their mouths, they were still connected by a seamless piece of black rubber. Plus they had no teeth which I don’t think is anatomically correct even for these plant eaters.

I’m a dino-nut so I found that lame but ok, it may be a picky detail.

Even so, Dinosaur itself is so much more kinetic and exciting, and Disney's dinosaurs definitely have teeth! Lots of sharp, jagged, flesh-tearing teeth.

I’ve seen a lot of people online criticize it and say they don’t like it. I don’t know how you can not like it, unless it’s just too intense for you. And just as on Everest, there are moments where for a brief second you forget those dinosaurs are mechanical and programmed to stop before they actually eat you. Oh and anyone who tells you Indiana Jones at Disneyland is better (they use the same vehicles) is out of their mind and needs to be hit in the head with a ball-peen hammer.

Afterwards we came off to find Goofy and Pluto taking pics just outside of Dinosaur and the girls were waiting in line. Then we jumped on Primeval Whirl. A fun, spinning, mini-coaster. Google it. It's hard to describe, but it's just wild and whimsical. I took Sean with thinking there’d be no problem with him riding it. I didn’t know this was another 48 incher. Once again, I had an unhappy child.

The girls and kids had probably indulged us long enough, so we decided to get them out of the sun so they could sit for a bit. We headed over to It’s Tough to Be a Bug. As we would our way down into the tree, I have to admit I considered warning them about some of the “4D” effects in the theater. But then I thought, hey, nobody ever warned me!

Besides, what’s a hornet sting in the back now and then? It’s good for you. Builds character. And as I expected, they loved it. Plus watching Joe (who by the way is like 6’ 3” and probably 325 - 350 lbs) nearly leap out of his seat when the smaller bugs exited the theater at the end was priceless. At least he couldn’t see my face when I saw the Yeti!

We had lunch at Flame Tree after. It was really good. I had the ribs though it was an internal debate for a while. The chicken sounded good too. Wendy just got a fruit plate (zzzzz!)

The ribs had a good flavor, but I would’ve liked a little more sauce. I'm kind of odd in that I like ‘em wet, but that’s just personal preference. I also sprung for a side of Onion Rings (which are not part of the meal plan, FYI) which were good too. And the deck area is nice and shady and peaceful, however it is teeming with ducks and a few other avian friends. Personally it doesn’t bother me, but I know a few people who are so skeeved by birds they won’t eat in a restaurant if they see a bird outside the window.

And please, DO NOT FEED THE BIRDS!!!
I shouldn’t share this but will. First off, a big table next to us had a kid that was constantly feeding bread to the ducks, which isn’t good for them. Plus it’s just disrespectful when you’re literally sitting under a sign that says not to do it and you do it anyway. But then, Ashley, who was sitting at the next table behind me, started feeding them too for Abby’s amusement. Well, she gave Abby a piece of bread to feed to a duck, but then looked away for a moment. Apparently while she is college educated and well-bred, she never learned or else forgot that ducks, like many winged birds have the uncanny ability to leave the ground when it suits them. The duck lept up into the air to snatch the bread being cruelly dangled overhead and out of reach. When it clamped its beak down, it caught a little bit of finger on both mother and child.

What upset me most was, I missed the whole thing!

Neither was really hurt, just startled.

After lunch we were going to catch the train to Rafiki’s Planet Watch, which is something we’ve never done before. I can’t remember why but halfway to the train Joe and Ashley decided to do something else. So Sean, Wendy, and I boarded without them. It was a nice, albeit not entirely exciting ride, though it was cool to see some of the animals night time enclosures. I have to say the final destination was a little disappointing. The petting zoo was a few goats and sheep, and a lot of empty pens. And the exhibits inside were just kind of . . . eh.

At least now we can say we did it. And it was yet another “choo-choo” ride for Sean. And that’s the most important thing. That kid loves him some trains!

The plan after this was to catch Festival of the Lion King. However along the way there were stops for snacks, drinks, and of course to go potty. Well by time we got to Camp Minnie Mickey the show was 10 minutes in. So scratch that plan. I knew this meant the girls would want to leave.

Admittedly we had done what I’d wanted to do at AK, but, I still wasn’t ready to leave. I was just enjoying being there. As I’ve said, it’s a park I could just be in and even if I didn’t ride anything, I’d still have a great time simply for being in it. And it’s a park that quite honestly, I could walk around in all alone and be perfectly content.

Which I tried to imply and was met with one of those classic wife responses where they tell you it’s fine if you stay behind for an extra hour or so of alone time, and then remind you how they’d really like an hour of alone time too at the pool, but they guess they won’t get it.

So I accepted that I’d be leaving with the rest. But somehow as I walked on ahead (again, long gate . . . though not as enthusiastic when leaving a park) it was worked out that Joe and I would stay because he wanted to ride Kali River Rapids and the girls would head on to Pop ahead of us.

Well, at least that was something, I thought. Score one for Bro-seph! Of course, I’m not stupid. As Joe and I walked away I told him “I don’t know about you, but I’ll be paying for this later, some way or another.” He smiled and said “Yeah, me too. So let’s just enjoy it for now.”

A task made not as easy by the 40 minute wait for Kali. Everybody was looking for a way to beat the heat. The ride was good and bad. Good because when we took that plunge after the big deforestation scene, Joe went down backwards and got SOAKED! The bad was that I came off the thing bone-dry, and also, I forgot how quickly that ride goes by. I have to say its one ride at WDW that I don’t feel is worth a 40 minute wait. To be honest, it’s not worth much more than a 4 minute wait. We have the same rapid ride at our local Six Flags and to be honest, it lasts longer and you get wetter.

When we got off I asked Joe, “How much trouble do you think we’d get in if we tried to jump on Everest one more time before we left?” We figured whatever the answer, it was worth it. But when we saw the standby wait was at 35 minutes, we knew better to bail.

I wrestled with skipping Kilimanaro Safari. I thought Sean would’ve loved it, if for nothing else riding in the big truck. But the wives were convinced the kids would be too restless, and again one of them used the adjective "boring." At which point I walked away.

While my day at Animal Kingdom was over already, a little sooner than I would have liked, there was still more to be excited about. We got back to Pop and I went to the pool to get Sean. I laid him down in the room for a little snooze and spent a little time with Stacey (creepy!!!)

We had dinner reservations for 7:00 at T-REX Café in Downtown Disney. I was almost as excited about this as I had been about riding Everest for the first time.

Day 3: A Prophetic Title (you'll get that one day.)

Day 3; Excerpt from my upcoming "Man's Guide to Doing Disney: Skip Day Three!"

We planned to just sleep in and take our time getting going on Day 3, Tuesday. As many of you know, when you have a little one, you can plan all you want, but don't plan on it working out the way you planned!

For whatever reason, Sean was up at the crack of dawn and wanted to watch tv. And he wasn't taking no for an answer.

And through the adjoining door we could hear activity in the other room. Turns out Abby woke up at 4:30 and would not go back to sleep either. In fact by 9:00, they (Joe, Ashley, and Abby) were already gone on their way to Hollywood Studios. We still took our time. I got coffee and ate a Pop Tart (breakfast of champions, I know) while the others got showered and dressed.

Sadly by time we got our lazy butts to the bus stop the DHS bus line was packed. Including 2 passengers waiting on ECV's (or scooters, as they are sometimes known.) We ended up having to stand the whole way, me with one hand on the folded-up stroller and one on my son who also had to stand due to the lack of seats.

Sidebar: I've been debating even bringing this up as a Disney trip report seems like it should be sunshine and rainbows, but I think I just have to. I was fine standing. I'm a big boy. But I must admit it irked me that none of the able-bodied men offered their seats to my wife and child. Chivalry is clearly lacking in our world.

Call me old school, but I still hold doors and I still give up my seat no matter how tired I am.

I also just wrote a whole paragraph about the legitimacy of some people's need for an ECV but figured that would be inconsiderate and unfair, I guess. So I deleted it.

Anyway, we got to DHS and made it inside very smoothly. I have to say while its not my favorite park by any stretch, I do love walking into Hollywood Studios. Almost as much as walking down Main Street USA. I just get a good feeling. In fact, this is one of those parks where I could almost not even ride a ride and still just love spending a day walking around. Just being there is almost enough. I got a similar feeling at California Adventure last year. And it's clear, at least to me, the latter was inspired in some parts by the former.

Once inside the first order of business was a little shopping while waiting for Joe and Ashley, who'd texted me that they were in The Voyage of the Little Mermaid.

Oh, and don't let me forget to mention a slightly embarrassing story:
As I may have said a few times, it was really hot this week. As soon as I walked out of our room, I'd start sweating. Well, as we were waiting for the bus at Pop, I caught a rancid smell. And it was clearly close. It didn't take long to realize this sour odor was coming from ME! It was my shirt. I had put on a prized Jimmy Buffett shirt from last summer's tour.

But apparently it had been left in the washing machine for a tad too long at some point. You know that smell.

Ugh.
I was not spending the whole day smelling like my dog had lifted its leg on my shirt. Plus, any excuse for another Disney souvenir . . . !

I browsed the shops on the immediate left on Hollywood Blvd (my apologies for not remembering the name.) It was Wendy who made the best score of the day. She found a vinyl Lightning McQueen plush hat on CLEARANCE for $10 bucks! Being a very creative person her wheels began to turn putting together a Halloween costume for Sean. So Sean will be trick or treating as everyone's favorite Piston Cup racer this year! (And he did - hit me up and I'll send you some pics.)

I found a great Mickey T-shirt. It doesn't say Walt Disney World, sadly, but it does look like one of those awesome 1960's concert posters for the Dead, or Jefferson Airplane, but with Mickey in the middle, and it says "The Path to Enlightment, . . . Peace, Love, Mickey Mouse."

I loved it, and surprisingly so did the wife. So shirt was purchased, and away I stole to the bathroom for a quick change.

In the meantime a CM asked my wife if Sean would like to send a message to a Disney character. This was something we'd never been offered in previous trips. It was one of those fun (and free) little extras Disney offers. Wendy filled out a cute little postcard to Sean's very favorite character of all, Lightning McQueen, letting him know he'd be dressing as him for Halloween and telling McQueen how awesome he was 'cuz he "goes fast!"

Kachow!

We got a little certificate stating Sean had sent a message to Lightning. It was pretty cool. Oh, and again, it was free!

By the way, anybody who is going anytime soon, if you spend $20 on merchandise, there's a great Mickey watch you can get for $12.95. I really wanted it, but I have a watch that's considerably more expensive that Wendy gave me a long time ago when we were just dating. Apparently I'm not allowed to buy and/or wear any other watch.

That said, anybody who wants to grab that watch for me, I'll wire you the $13 bucks!

Ok, so after our shopping excursion we walked toward "the Hat" and Sean got to meet Donald and Pluto.

I won't bore you with the details except to tell you that, when I was shirt shopping Sean also got a plastic Monorail car, and he made a point to show it to Pluto, and even let Pluto play with it along the ground.

It was one of those moments, and I'm a little bummed we didn't catch it on video. But again, maybe it's better we didn't. The memory is better.

Afterward we met up with Joe and Ashley.

Here's where things started to, maybe not go south, but definitely veer off and point in a southerly direction.

People in our party were not dealing with A.) the heat, and B.) certain children's cranky, tired behavior in the heat.

I understand that. But meantime, all I wanted to do was ride Tower of Terror, Rock & Roller Coaster, and Toy Story Midway Mania.

Unfortunately I couldn't get anyone else off a park bench! I knew Joe was up for rides, but also that judging by the moods of his party, he didn't dare try to walk away. I bit my lip and waited (and sweated) while they got the kids snacks and water, but couldn't help but, like Captain Hook, hear the ticking of an invisible clock. As though the Croc were creeping up behind me with his jaws wide, while we stood around on a beautfiul day inside an amusement park doing absolutely nothing.

Is it possible I'm the crazy person? Me being me, while I don't like to be confrontational, on the inside I was starting to steam and wanted to scream at these people for just sitting around.

We were at Walt Disney World!!!

That's when it occurred to me; it was day three.

Every time I've gone, it always seems that, by the third day, after two days of walking and adventures, every one is a little tired, and cranky. Little things can boil over into seemingly big things. I decided in that moment that going forward, I must be sure to book enough days that, on Day 3, we can just do nothing. Just sleep in, go to the pool, and simply recoup.

Maybe go mini-golfing in the afternoon. Just a do nothing day, but withenough days left that I don't feel like we wasted one.

Remind me of this the next time I announce we're going, will ya?

After a few minutes of standing around stewing, watching the rest of the guests in the park moving, having fun, I announced I would go check the wait time for Toy Story Midway Mania. Knowing it would likely be long, I offerred to get Fast Passes f or everyone, and along the way I'd check show times for Playhouse Disney Live, which was really our big goal for the day.

I simply wanted to walk. I didn't even care if I rode a ride or saw a attraction. Just needed to move!

I don't stand still very well. Especially in a Disney park. Perhaps I do have ADHD or something.

Fortunately this idea spurred some action within the group. Joe and Wendy decided to follow along with the squirts so Ashley could just chill. I know the early wake up and cranky behavior that followed from Abby was trying her patience. And the nearly 90 degree heat in the late morning hour wasn't helping.

Finally, we were moving again. Checked times for Playhouse Disney Live - pretty much every hour so we were good, as long as they didn’t decide to cancel altogether, as happened to us in California.

Hour wait for Midway Mania. No worries, FP's for every one. The day was getting back on track. I felt my chest loosen again. It was around 11:00 at this point I guess because when we got to Ashley, she told Joe he should go with us to ride Rock & Roller Coaster before they went to see Beauty & the Beast on stage (which I had a feeling I might have to see too.)

Don't get me wrong, I love the movie. I love the story. And the Beast is one of my favorite Disney characters. I see him as a kindred, at least in that form. But, again, the heat, outdoor theater . . . umm, no thanks. Not this year.

Ashley took Abby in search of Air Conditioning and we took the boys, Sean and Joe, and headed down Sunset. Wendy grabbed a child-swap ticket at Rock & Roller Coaster (another great tip some people still don't know about) and Joe and I went on first.

The "10 Min wait" was more like 5, as we practically walked right through and into the "alley." It's been 3 & 1/2 years since I've felt that take-off! What a blast. I giggled through the whole ride, and we caught the live version of Sweet Emotion which for me, being a huge Aerosmith fan, just added to the whole experience!

Joe and I got off and Joe being the excellent guy that he is offered to hang with Sean. I was able to go again with my wife. We got to go through the FP lane with our child-swap ticket but it really wasn't that necessary. The lines were still short. Two great rides on R&RC within a 20 minute period. Those are the moments where I really feel like I'm getting my money's worth!

Afterwards Joe went to join Ashley and Abby at the Baby Care Center where they were cooling off. We said we'd just hook up at the Hollywood & Vine buffet where we were eating lunch in about 45 minutes. Which I realize makes this next sentence sound like great parenting: We stopped and got Sean a bucket of popcorn.

He wanted to see the dinosaur so we took a leisurely stroll around Echo Lake and stopped by to see Gertie. "She" wasn't open yet so thankfully Sean didn't ask for ice cream too.

As we circled around, Wendy saw the American Idol Experience (which I'd hoped to distract her from) was about to begin.

I'd rather shove a meat thermometer in my ear, but we agreed that she could go check it out, as she's loves the t.v. show and I would take Sean on the Great Movie Ride, which I thought while somewhat boring would keep him occupied.

I was mistaken, because he started getting antsy very quickly. He liked the old west set. Sadly, the car that's supposed to drive out and begin the gun fight with Mugsy in the gangster set was apparently not working properly. I was in the front so I could see the car, behind the wall, headlights on and gangsters shooting, but it never came forward, so Mugsy and his boys were essentially fighting an invisible enemy to the last half of our tram.

I will say this is the third time I've ridden it and yet the first time I've ever seen the second alien appearance in the Alien sequence. I've always only seen the one looking down from above. I guess we were always past it by the time she came out of the side.

By time we reached the finale with all the film clips, Sean was ready to climb over the side of the car. And honestly, I was too. I think unless they do a major refurb on that ride, I will probably skip it from now on.

We came out to a text from Wendy saying the show was still going and she'd meet us at H&V. This was our first time eating here. I really wanted to have lunch at the Sci-Fi Dine-In and see what Sean would think of it. It's a restaurant but in typical Disney magic style, you walk in to what looks like an outdoor drive-in movie theater, sarrounded by old cars, that are actually booths. And the major focal point is a large screen that shows old sci-fi movie trailers on a loop. The menu is decent, but the atmosphere is awesome!

And we've eaten at the 50's Prime-Time Cafe and dug that too.

But with the meal plan not covering the kids, a buffet did seem like a logical choice. I was a little worried because I read some not so great reviews. Usually the highest compliment I saw was "fair" or "okay."

Well we all really enjoyed it! Everything I ate was good. I will say this, it's not your typical buffet selection. Here in the Midwest we have a big chain called Old Country Buffet (not sure how far across the country they reach) and its what I would call your standard buffet. Salad bar, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, pastas, some form of roast beast, and desert.

H&V really had an eclectic selection. Grilled flank steak, a chipotle lime chicken, seafood pasta alfredo. Nice selection of different salads and anitpasto, fresh mozzarella & tomato. Cheeses. Breads. I'm not saying it was "gourmet" but it was really good. The only thing I can remember not really enjoying was some kind of chicken that was in kind of a teriyaki meets BBQ sauce (to me anyway) that had a good flavor but they used very fatty thighs. (I don’t think it was the Baked chicken thighs with Pinot Noir and blackberry listed on their menu.)

We all left happy and stuffed to the gills, even the kids.

Plus unbeknown even to me its a character dining, een at lunch. Leo and June from Little Einsteins and JoJo and Goliath from JoJo's Circus were there while we ate.

Now here's a tip/warning: they also have two human performers with headset microphones who seem like they've just slammed 8 cups of espresso and they walk around, leading songs and recruiting dancers of the PA system. It gets loud in there. Every kid in there seemed to love it, but I noticed a nice older couple eating at a two-top who looked like they'd just found themselves launched to Mars! This was clearly not the luncheon experience they'd anticipated.

I walked out with a full tummy just in time for our FP return time on Midway Mania. No better way to let your stomach settle from a big lunch than to do a little spinning!!!

I must admit I wasn't as excited as I should have been for this one. I had the chance to ride it in California but figured Sean was too young and I just wasn't that into a Buzz Lightyear redux that made you look at video screens. Boy was I waaay off!!!

What a great ride! The Imagineers really did it again! The que is so original (sadly when you go through the FP line you don't get to see Mr. Potato Head so if the lines aren't bad I'd go Stand By next time.)

I loved entering into Andy's Room for the boarding area. Sean and I rode together. I just laughed through the whole thing. Sean had a blast pulling the string on his gun. I tried to show him how to aim a few times but realized its a lost cause and he was having the time of his life anyway so why bother?

When we all got off we couldn't wait to go back on. The Stand-By line was still like 40 minutes and honestly, no one really planned on still being here in 40 minutes. We did grab more Fast Passes but would never use them. As it happens, I still have ours sitting in my wallet, over 6 months later. We decided to just head on over to Playhouse Disney Live.

We were inside the theater within about 15 minutes and since we'd been the first ones in line were right up near the front center. Sean made a friend immediately. I won't even bother complaining about sitting on the floor. If you're over the age of 25, you know. That said, it was worth it.

That show was everything we've expected it to be since we first saw the Behind the Ears promos for it last summer! As expected, Sean lost his mind over it. He loved it. He couldn't believe how close he was to Mickey's Clubhouse! The only problem we had was keeping him from running right up the steps to get onstage, which he made it clear was his intention if I let go of his t-shirt. There were moments where he was literally leaning further forward than gravity should allow as I desperately gripped his shirt-tail. I'm sure our little scene was as entertaining for the parents around us as was the show. But he wasn't being bad by any stretch. I just laughed about it.

If you’ve got little ones do not skip Playhouse Disney Live! It’s great, and the puppets are a nice change from animatronics or costumed characters, and very well done. But of course, it is Disney. And I don’t care how cool you are, you can’t help but find yourself singing along, calling for Toodles with the kids, and just plain having a good time.

After PHDL, Joe and Ashley decided to head back to the hotel for a swim and a nap.

We said we’d see them there, debating ourselves if we should stay for the Block Party Parade or just head back as well. Once we got to Hollywood Blvd, Wendy saw everyone lined up and we happened to see a perfect spot to park the stroller so she decided to stay.

I decided that if they were going to watch the parade, I wanted to at least see if I could get a quick ride on Tower of Terror. I asked a nearby CM in a ToT bell hop costume if the tower was running again (as earlier that day it was out of service) and she told me it was up again. I think the combination of the Tower being down for a big part of the day, and the parade about to start worked in my favor.

I had no wait time. I don’t know if this is really a tip, or if I just hit it at the right time, but in the boiler room when the que splits off and you can either go right or keep on straight, I went straight as the group in front of me turned.
There were 4 people in front of me, and none behind. I got the front row of the left side (as your sitting in it) to myself. In fact, I had that whole side of the car to myself. Which almost made it feel even a little creepier.

The others were sitting at the back on the other side so my perspective made it seem like I was all alone. I don’t know if an engineer would agree or dispute, but I think the lack of weight in our elevator made a difference in the ride. I never really felt a major plummet, but what was amazing were the exhilarating lunges upward, that seemed faster and more powerful than I remember in the past (with full elevators.) It was simply amazing. A total rush most of us mortals won't ever feel any where else.
I considered trying to grab a quick second round but figured the parade was probably close to over and Wendy would want to get going. I did make a quick stop in the Villains shop of course, and had a quick debate with myself about buying a really cool Pirates sleeveless black tee. But it was one of those shirts that would look awesome at Walt Disney World, but I probably wouldn’t wear in public back in Chicago, aside from mowing the lawn, so I passed.

Man, growing up is a drag. You get these uncontrollable bouts of responsibility and rationale.

Anyway, I made it back just in time to catch the tail end of the parade, which Wendy said was pretty good, but still not quite as good as the Pixar Play Parade at California Adventure.

We got to our bus stop just as one pulled up and saw Joe and Ashley up ahead of us in line. They had stayed for the parade after all. We got back to the hotel and tried to lay Sean down but he was not into the idea, so to the pool we went. As we walked over to the kid’s pool I pointed out some dark clouds not too far off. We got about a good hour in before the sky turned gray and the rains came down. We all huddled under a table umbrella. It was nearly 5:00 and Wendy ordered pizza from a local place, not Peace Pizza, the resort’s own delivery source.

Wendy’s Stepfather has a sister in Orlando who wanted to see us and meet Sean so she was coming to the hotel that night. I admit I wasn't in the mood to entertain, but she was very sweet and brought us a pallet of water, a couple jugs of Gatorade, and a case of Bud Light (so I how could I not love her???)

The pizza was good. I will get the name from her and post it in here later in case any one ever wants to give it a spin. However we got wings too and they weren’t impressive. Very fatty and greasy and little flavor. Though in their defense, I’m sure my wife ordered Mild and I find you gotta go for Medium at the very least.

While we ate, Renee mentioned a Disney Outlet store not far from the resort. I told Wendy to go ahead and I’d hang out with Sean. I ended up just hanging out in the room, watched Hell’s Kitchen with good ol’ Gordon Ramsey (figured one less thing I’d have to catch up on the DVR at home!)

But after 3 hours in the room I was getting a little stir crazy. Fortunately Wendy got back as I was reaching zero-hour. I took a walk and stopped by Petals bar and called my boss/friend to see how things were going at work. I know, I’m sick like that. I’m the guy who logs on from home on his day off to make sure they don’t need me for anything. Imagine how I’d be if I actually liked my job.
It was a good day overall, with just a shaky start. After my walk, I stopped into the food court and br\ought Wendy a rice crispy flip-flop with chocolate icing, which she said was delicious. I didn’t try it. I had my desert at Petals.

Tomorrow was the day I was really looking forward to. Disney's Animal Kingdom, and my first ride on Expedition Everest. I made it clear, in no uncertain terms, I was walking into the park and straight to Everest. They could follow me or not. I wasn’t diverting from this plan, regardless of heat, crabby kids (or adults), hurricanes, or even animatronic dinosaurs coming to life and rampaging through the park.

I had a date with a Yeti.