Last year (or the year before) I wrote some thoughts about 9-11 and remembering the events of that day, for an e-mail group I belong to. I'm trying to find what I wrote so I can post it here.
In the mean time, I just want to say....I will never forget. We will never forget.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Monday, September 10, 2007
A quick update....
I hope to have the next installment of our trip report done in the next day or so. Last night I uploaded all of the pictures to an online developing service...even with regular shipping and regular processing the total cost was more than I had anticipated. That's what happens when you take hundreds of pictures! LOL I've already bought a lovely black leather album, paper, some embellishments, etc., so once I have the pictures in hand I really don't have any excuse to not get started on the scrapbook. Well, maybe one big excuse...my scrapbooking room is a complete disaster and I can't even get to my work tables, let alone actually have space on the tables to work! I guess I'll have to deal with that before I can get working on the album. My goal is to have the scrapbook finished by Christmas. We'll see how it goes....
A's team won their first softball game of the season last week. She played really well -- a double play, three runs scored, a fabulous bunt (according to those who know much more than I do, it was perfectly placed), and overall good play. The team really needed the morale boost they got from that win. We'll see how the rest of the season goes. She's learning some good lessons this season...lessons she really doesn't want to learn, but it's good for her and she's finding that she is able to play well at every position they put her in, although her heart is definitely on the pitcher's mound.
B is thoroughly enjoying soccer. She got her hair cut again on Saturday -- I thought it was adorable the way it was but she said it was too long and hot for soccer. LOL We also had an "almost" catastrophe...somewhere along the way Friday or overnight Friday she lost an earring. She noticed it Saturday morning. I had a hard time getting an earring back in that ear but we managed it without her getting woozy and passing out. She has a high pain tolerance...for everything but her ears. Not sure why that is.
Work is in full swing. Very busy. Crazy. I worked several hours on Saturday and the girls came with me. They actually did pretty well. I brought a portable DVD player, they brought snacks, books, and GameBoys, and played hide and seek while I worked. I was pleasantly surprised at how well they did.
A and I sewed a cute tote bag yesterday afternoon. We'll be making tote bags with the Beehives at church tomorrow night so we decided we should probably go ahead and make one so we knew exactly how to do it! It turned out really cute and it was SO easy. The girls won't have any trouble at all making these and I think it will be a lot of fun for them. I have to go tonight to buy the rest of the supplies and then I'll put together a kit for each girl so they don't have to cut anything....just fold, pin, and sew (with lots of adult assistance). The tote bags are so quick and easy...I have a feeling A and B will want to look at placemats whenever we go shopping and pick out new ones for new tote bags! Uh oh! Well, at least they're not expensive...total cost for the tote bag we made yesterday afternoon was about $3 for the placemat and ribbon. Not too bad!
And that's life in my little universe. Not very exciting, is it? LOL
A's team won their first softball game of the season last week. She played really well -- a double play, three runs scored, a fabulous bunt (according to those who know much more than I do, it was perfectly placed), and overall good play. The team really needed the morale boost they got from that win. We'll see how the rest of the season goes. She's learning some good lessons this season...lessons she really doesn't want to learn, but it's good for her and she's finding that she is able to play well at every position they put her in, although her heart is definitely on the pitcher's mound.
B is thoroughly enjoying soccer. She got her hair cut again on Saturday -- I thought it was adorable the way it was but she said it was too long and hot for soccer. LOL We also had an "almost" catastrophe...somewhere along the way Friday or overnight Friday she lost an earring. She noticed it Saturday morning. I had a hard time getting an earring back in that ear but we managed it without her getting woozy and passing out. She has a high pain tolerance...for everything but her ears. Not sure why that is.
Work is in full swing. Very busy. Crazy. I worked several hours on Saturday and the girls came with me. They actually did pretty well. I brought a portable DVD player, they brought snacks, books, and GameBoys, and played hide and seek while I worked. I was pleasantly surprised at how well they did.
A and I sewed a cute tote bag yesterday afternoon. We'll be making tote bags with the Beehives at church tomorrow night so we decided we should probably go ahead and make one so we knew exactly how to do it! It turned out really cute and it was SO easy. The girls won't have any trouble at all making these and I think it will be a lot of fun for them. I have to go tonight to buy the rest of the supplies and then I'll put together a kit for each girl so they don't have to cut anything....just fold, pin, and sew (with lots of adult assistance). The tote bags are so quick and easy...I have a feeling A and B will want to look at placemats whenever we go shopping and pick out new ones for new tote bags! Uh oh! Well, at least they're not expensive...total cost for the tote bag we made yesterday afternoon was about $3 for the placemat and ribbon. Not too bad!
And that's life in my little universe. Not very exciting, is it? LOL
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Vacation, Day 4
Sorry for the delay! There aren't a lot of pictures to go with this day's adventures...unfortunately I wasn't feeling well at all much of the day and that cut short our adventures in Disney's Animal Kingdom. The picture of A & B to the right is taken in front of a photo station where Expedition Everest (the newest Disney roller coaster/attraction) is in the background. Sorry you can't see it well...visually it reminds me of the Matterhorn at Disneyland, but much bigger. Since neither of the girls wanted to ride this ride, we were able to cut out a lot of walking and waiting.Originally we were going to follow the touring plan and TourGuide Mike this day and go to Magic Kingdom, but we decided that this was the park with the fewest "must see" activities for us and by Tuesday night the girls were really worn out...we were all worn out...and we decided we needed to change the schedule and have a lighter day on Wednesday. I'm glad we did, since I woke up feeling pretty sick Wednesday morning. We took our time getting ready and I enjoyed my (by now) traditional WDW breakfast of a chocolate filled croissant and the nectar of the Gods (Coke, for those of you who don't know). It was incredibly humid this day, probably due to the incredible thunderstorm from the night before...it was muggy from the moment we stepped out of the hotel room and that made it seem even hotter than it really was. It was going to be a scorcher! As you c
an see from this picture (one of the first we took that morning) -- as soon as we took the lens cap off the camera, the camera fogged up! That happened most of the day, so we had to let the lens unfog before we could take pictures.
an see from this picture (one of the first we took that morning) -- as soon as we took the lens cap off the camera, the camera fogged up! That happened most of the day, so we had to let the lens unfog before we could take pictures.Even though we veered off the touring plan by going to a different park than recommended, we still followed the touring plan in the park...except that we cut out a lot of things because (1) we didn't want to do them or (2) because we decided to only hit the high points because I was feeling so sick.
A little bit about this park...it is the newest park and I found its layout to be the most difficult 
to navigate. I never did really get a feel for the layout of the park. The walkways are much more narrow than the other parks, and there are trees everywhere. It really has a jungle feeling to it...but it also seemed to make it more humid. There were misting fans were all over the place and they really helped -- even at 9:30 in the morning -- we were already hot and sticky by then.
to navigate. I never did really get a feel for the layout of the park. The walkways are much more narrow than the other parks, and there are trees everywhere. It really has a jungle feeling to it...but it also seemed to make it more humid. There were misting fans were all over the place and they really helped -- even at 9:30 in the morning -- we were already hot and sticky by then. The girls liked this park o.k. and wanted to do a couple more things than we did, but for us this park never would have been a full day park, anyway. The girls wanted to go on the safari and Kali River Rapids, and I wanted to see the Lion King Show. B wanted to do the petting zoo but we didn't. Other than that, there weren't any "must sees" for us in this park. Next time we go we'll definitely do more, but I don't think it's a full-day park for us.
When we got to the park, we got our FastPasses for the safari, and then wandered around for a bit. We decided to go to the Festival of the Lion King show...we got there early and waited a while. The show was worth it -- we all really enjoyed it. It was fabulous! The animatronics, singers, dancers, gymnasts...everything was fabulous. This was one of our favorite shows (and is the reason I'm seriously thinking about getting tickets for all of us to see the Broadway production of The Lion King when it's in Atlanta next year). I highly recommend it!! After that we headed over to the Safari and waited no more than 10 minutes with our FastPasses. The regular line was about 90 minutes -- why on earth would you wait that long for a ride??
We enjoyed the Safari. There was a cute storyline built in and it was neat to see the animals. I was worried that we wouldn't see many because of the, heat but we really saw a lot. This was a fun ride -- we will definitely do it again. After the safari we got FastPasses for the Kali River Rapids and had lunch at Pizzafari. There is a real lack of places to eat in Animal Kingdom and not one table service restaurant (other than Raintree Cafe which isn't a Disney restaurant, just co-located on the property). One of the counter service restaurants is being converted to table service...I think it will open next year.
We enjoyed the Safari. There was a cute storyline built in and it was neat to see the animals. I was worried that we wouldn't see many because of the, heat but we really saw a lot. This was a fun ride -- we will definitely do it again. After the safari we got FastPasses for the Kali River Rapids and had lunch at Pizzafari. There is a real lack of places to eat in Animal Kingdom and not one table service restaurant (other than Raintree Cafe which isn't a Disney restaurant, just co-located on the property). One of the counter service restaurants is being converted to table service...I think it will open next year.
After lunch we went to Kali River Rapids and got right on in about 10 minutes with our FastPasses. I was the only person in the raft who put on a rain poncho....and guess who was the only person in the raft to get drenched? Yes -- me. How on earth did that happen??? A wave came up over the side of the boat and hit me just right...went in the hood and down the neck of the poncho. I was absolutely soaked! It was a fun ride, but very, very short and not really exciting (according to the girls). They liked it and said they would ride it again if we come back. They said the river ride at Lagoon (an amusement park in Utah) was much better. But the cool water felt good, although it didn't smell great.
After that ride we left and went back to the hotel to rest and swim. It was already about 2:00. It felt great to rest and swim and I felt much better by mid-afternoon. Dinner that night was at O'Hana at the Polynesian Resort. We took the bus to the Ticket and Transportation Center and then took the monorail to the Polynesian Resort. Dinner was amazing -- way more food than we could eat -- and I have already collected several of the recipes from our meal. In fact, we made the bread pudding with banana caramel sauce a few weeks ago and it was good! During the meal there was a lot of stuff for the girls to do...hula lessons, limbo contest, dancing, etc. It was a fun family atmosphere and we were seated by the window, with a great view of the Lagoon. We loved it and will definitely go back.
After that we made our way back to Disney MGM Studios to see Fantasmic, since it had been rained out the night before. We sait and waited and waited and waited for over an hour for the show to start...it was a good show but I don't think it really lived up to all of the hype. DH would have been just fine if we had skipped it (LOL) and the girls and I enjoyed it ok....but maybe we were just to hot, sticky, and tired to really appreciate it. I love the way they used sheets of water as a projection screen and the pyrotechnics are neat, but parts of the show seem kind of disjointed. We did enjoy it, though, and I'm glad we saw it.
After that we made our way back to the hotel...dreams of the Magic Kingdom in our heads...tomorrow we would finally make it there!
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Here We Go Again.....
I thought we weren't going to do this again. I really, really, really thought that last year was (to use a British phrase), a "one off." Just once, and that would be it. Never again. Really -- just once. Isn't that how it goes? Just once...only once...doesn't turn out to be just once?
A participated in her school pageant last year. She wanted to participate the year before but we managed to talk her out of it. Last year we weren't so lucky. Ccould it have been the "let's just see how it is run and what it requires the first year, and then think about it next year?" line of reasoning we used two years ago...which didn't work because A never forgets anything? Whatever it was, we were in pageant Hades last year. Honestly, it wasn't as bad as I expected -- A kept her head and was wonderful throughout. I can't say the same for other participants, some of whom were rude and obnoxious (one 12 year old girl yelled at her Mom in the dressing room!). A placed well in the pageant last year and I hoped that was the end of it.
The biggest struggle we had last year was finding a gown...floor length, age appropriate, and MODEST. That last one was the kicker. It's downright impossible to find a reasonably priced, MODEST gown for someone A's size and age. We finally found a dress but it wasn't ideal and it wasn't without pain, aggravation, and frustration....and expensive alterations.
Fast forward to this year. A wants to do the pageant again...and, like the sucker I am, I said yes. What was I thinking??? This weekend we started searching for a dress....because surely if we start looking this early we'll find something, right? My sister E and I searched online and found two dresses in the price range I was looking for and in A;s size. Unfortunately, she doesn't like those two dresses. We looked at two places in town and found one dress that can be modified slightly, without too much effort, that A likes but it wasn't quite as fancy as we all had in mind. The other place we looked at -- no options. Apparently they don't carry ANYTHING with sleeves. Well, a few bolero jackets and shrugs, but no dresses with sleeves. What do they have against sleeves? It's hard enough to find a dress when you're 5'2" and not enough pounds...but when said dress must have at least a cap sleeve, no plunging neckline, no plunging back, and no thigh-high split....well, it becomes nearly impossible.
I don't know many middle school aged girls who are built like Las Vegas showgirls...and I know even fewer who should actually be permitted to dress like Las Vegas showgirls. Sadly, there are many who do dress like that. Obviously, my definition of age appropriate varies dramatically from the way other people define "age appropriate." *Sigh*
Fortunately, we ended up with not only one but two gown options that will require only minor alterations. They're both the best possible price (free from an absolutely adorable newlywed girl at church who used to babysit my girls, both dresses worn only once). A loves both dresses -- they're really beautiful but very different styles -- so we're going to take them to a seamstress who specializes in pageant/prom/wedding gowns and see what we can do with them. One is a beautiful, pale pink and the other is black and white. A looks so grown up in them. We just need to get shoes and the evening gown competition outfit is done. We've already got jewelry. She's already working on picking music for the talent competition, and trying to plan out her casual/school spirit wear outfit.
*Sigh* Here we go again. My justification for letting her do this again this year? It was a great confidence builder for her last year, and she really had a ton of fun with it. She hasn't been bitten by the "pageant bug" and didn't get a swelled head from all of it last year. If we come out of this year's pageant the same way, it will have been a success (from my point of view). And hey -- we're already coming out cheaper than last year! LOL
A participated in her school pageant last year. She wanted to participate the year before but we managed to talk her out of it. Last year we weren't so lucky. Ccould it have been the "let's just see how it is run and what it requires the first year, and then think about it next year?" line of reasoning we used two years ago...which didn't work because A never forgets anything? Whatever it was, we were in pageant Hades last year. Honestly, it wasn't as bad as I expected -- A kept her head and was wonderful throughout. I can't say the same for other participants, some of whom were rude and obnoxious (one 12 year old girl yelled at her Mom in the dressing room!). A placed well in the pageant last year and I hoped that was the end of it.
The biggest struggle we had last year was finding a gown...floor length, age appropriate, and MODEST. That last one was the kicker. It's downright impossible to find a reasonably priced, MODEST gown for someone A's size and age. We finally found a dress but it wasn't ideal and it wasn't without pain, aggravation, and frustration....and expensive alterations.
Fast forward to this year. A wants to do the pageant again...and, like the sucker I am, I said yes. What was I thinking??? This weekend we started searching for a dress....because surely if we start looking this early we'll find something, right? My sister E and I searched online and found two dresses in the price range I was looking for and in A;s size. Unfortunately, she doesn't like those two dresses. We looked at two places in town and found one dress that can be modified slightly, without too much effort, that A likes but it wasn't quite as fancy as we all had in mind. The other place we looked at -- no options. Apparently they don't carry ANYTHING with sleeves. Well, a few bolero jackets and shrugs, but no dresses with sleeves. What do they have against sleeves? It's hard enough to find a dress when you're 5'2" and not enough pounds...but when said dress must have at least a cap sleeve, no plunging neckline, no plunging back, and no thigh-high split....well, it becomes nearly impossible.
I don't know many middle school aged girls who are built like Las Vegas showgirls...and I know even fewer who should actually be permitted to dress like Las Vegas showgirls. Sadly, there are many who do dress like that. Obviously, my definition of age appropriate varies dramatically from the way other people define "age appropriate." *Sigh*
Fortunately, we ended up with not only one but two gown options that will require only minor alterations. They're both the best possible price (free from an absolutely adorable newlywed girl at church who used to babysit my girls, both dresses worn only once). A loves both dresses -- they're really beautiful but very different styles -- so we're going to take them to a seamstress who specializes in pageant/prom/wedding gowns and see what we can do with them. One is a beautiful, pale pink and the other is black and white. A looks so grown up in them. We just need to get shoes and the evening gown competition outfit is done. We've already got jewelry. She's already working on picking music for the talent competition, and trying to plan out her casual/school spirit wear outfit.
*Sigh* Here we go again. My justification for letting her do this again this year? It was a great confidence builder for her last year, and she really had a ton of fun with it. She hasn't been bitten by the "pageant bug" and didn't get a swelled head from all of it last year. If we come out of this year's pageant the same way, it will have been a success (from my point of view). And hey -- we're already coming out cheaper than last year! LOL
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Random Thoughts
Goodness, it's been a while! I need to post the next installment of our Disney trip report...will do that soon.
In the meantime, I thought I would post a few random thoughts....
1. I am now the mother of an official teenager. I'm really not sure how this happened...A growing up so quickly. She's now just a few inches shorter than I am and wears almost the same size shoes. She wears makeup (a little) and adorable clothes and loves softball. She is like me in many respects...loves shoes (see Random Thought #2 below), loves makeup, loves to look cute and put together and nice, and is very particular about certain things. We both have problems with keeping our bedrooms clean, and we both love to be busy, busy, busy. Reading? Love it. But she is her own individual person, different from me. She loves her chosen sport and is much braver at trying new things than I ever was. I am so grateful for her, and am glad she is part of our family.
2. Shoes. Love, love, love shoes! I went shopping last night and bought a few new pairs...if you're a shoe fanatic, get thee to Dillard's season clearance sale, going on now. 75% off -- gotta love it! I paid $15 for some $90 shoes...that's my kind of deal! Black leather sling backs with pointed toes and a fabulous heel ("wicked witch of the west shoes", according to my Dad). A couple of other pairs at amazing prices....and some adorable Steve Madden black pumps for A (age appropriate, of course -- rounded toe and low heel). Somehow, buying a new pair of shoes (at a great price) really lifts my spirits, and I needed that last night. Work is absolutely kicking my tail right now. Of course, I went shopping for a specific color/style of shoe and of course I couldn't find it (haven't been able to find it for 2 years)...but the other ones I bought were a nice consolation prize.
3. The weather has cooled off a bit and we've had rain over the last few days. We really need rain. It makes it terribly humid, but I won't complain (at least not too much or too loudly).
4. My sister M and her husband have been approved for adoption through LDS Family Services. We are so excited for them. There is a link to her blog on the left side of my blog...if you know of anyone who is looking for an amazing, loving, fun, wonderful family for their baby, please put them in touch with my sister M. She and her husband will be incredible parents and have so much love to offer. We are hoping the wait will not be long...
5. B is reading the Harry Potter books and has one chapter left in Book 2. She'll be starting Book 3 today. We have had some good discussions about the books. Her comprehension skills are amazing! Since getting her reading glasses, reading has became one of her favorite activities. She also started fall soccer this week and loves it. My girls are so different from each other...B can't stand softball, and A can't stand soccer. LOL But why, oh why, do softball and soccer seasons have to be at the same time??? LOL
In the meantime, I thought I would post a few random thoughts....
1. I am now the mother of an official teenager. I'm really not sure how this happened...A growing up so quickly. She's now just a few inches shorter than I am and wears almost the same size shoes. She wears makeup (a little) and adorable clothes and loves softball. She is like me in many respects...loves shoes (see Random Thought #2 below), loves makeup, loves to look cute and put together and nice, and is very particular about certain things. We both have problems with keeping our bedrooms clean, and we both love to be busy, busy, busy. Reading? Love it. But she is her own individual person, different from me. She loves her chosen sport and is much braver at trying new things than I ever was. I am so grateful for her, and am glad she is part of our family.
2. Shoes. Love, love, love shoes! I went shopping last night and bought a few new pairs...if you're a shoe fanatic, get thee to Dillard's season clearance sale, going on now. 75% off -- gotta love it! I paid $15 for some $90 shoes...that's my kind of deal! Black leather sling backs with pointed toes and a fabulous heel ("wicked witch of the west shoes", according to my Dad). A couple of other pairs at amazing prices....and some adorable Steve Madden black pumps for A (age appropriate, of course -- rounded toe and low heel). Somehow, buying a new pair of shoes (at a great price) really lifts my spirits, and I needed that last night. Work is absolutely kicking my tail right now. Of course, I went shopping for a specific color/style of shoe and of course I couldn't find it (haven't been able to find it for 2 years)...but the other ones I bought were a nice consolation prize.
3. The weather has cooled off a bit and we've had rain over the last few days. We really need rain. It makes it terribly humid, but I won't complain (at least not too much or too loudly).
4. My sister M and her husband have been approved for adoption through LDS Family Services. We are so excited for them. There is a link to her blog on the left side of my blog...if you know of anyone who is looking for an amazing, loving, fun, wonderful family for their baby, please put them in touch with my sister M. She and her husband will be incredible parents and have so much love to offer. We are hoping the wait will not be long...
5. B is reading the Harry Potter books and has one chapter left in Book 2. She'll be starting Book 3 today. We have had some good discussions about the books. Her comprehension skills are amazing! Since getting her reading glasses, reading has became one of her favorite activities. She also started fall soccer this week and loves it. My girls are so different from each other...B can't stand softball, and A can't stand soccer. LOL But why, oh why, do softball and soccer seasons have to be at the same time??? LOL
Friday, August 17, 2007
Day 3 Pictures
Outside the Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show. This was such a great show!
The girls with Herbie -- such a cute car! And the rain...so much rain! This mermaid statue was featured in the movie "Splash". It was pouring rain!
The Mickey Hat is the main focal point of Disney MGM Studios. And there are a couple of neat cityscapes that you can take your picture in front of. This one is San Francisco.
Day 3 -- Disney MGM Studio
Post first...pictures forthcoming! Again on Day 3, the touring plans really saved the day -- we didn't wait in line longer than 10 minutes for anything by following the touring plan and using Fast Pass. Unfortunately, there were a couple of things we wanted to do but couldn't because of thunderstorms this day, so this park will be a "must visit again" on our next trip.
Per the touring plan and Tour Guide Mike, today was Disney MGM Studio. Up early, planning notebook in hand, and out the door! It was pretty hot this day…a little more hot and a lot more humid than the day before. We got the MGM just as it was opening and were inside for the “rope drop”. The theming through the entire park is great – for the rope drop they had a “director” and we were all supposed to be movie extras in a big scene. The cast members played their parts well and it was cute. I won’t give a play-by-play of most of the day, but will review the things we did.
We knew we weren’t going to be doing the headliner rides at MGM (Tower of Terror and Rock’n Roller Coaster) so that took some pressure off our touring plans. Thanks to the touring plan, we knew to head straight to the Voyage of the Little Mermaid show and we got right in. This was a really cute show – loved the water and bubbles…the mist felt really refreshing, even at 9 a.m.
Great Movie Ride -- I was quite disappointed. I did enjoy seeing the authentic movie costumes and props in the waiting area – the carousel horse Julie Andrews rode in “Mary Poppins” and some costumes from “Shakespeare in Love” were particular favorites. But the animatronics on this ride were really pathetic. Anyway, it was indoors and air conditioned, so I won’t complain too much!
After that, we consulted the handy-dandy show time listing and decided to go to Lights, Motors, Action (LMA) to get fast passes for the first show of the day (11:40)…but when we arrived we were told that they weren’t using FP that day…but a dream squad member was there…hmmm…I wonder if they’re looking for someone to give a dream to…... I asked when we should come back if we wanted to be sure to get in the first show and the dream squad member asked if we would like to be the “First Family” and open the show! Of course we would! This was dream experience number one on our trip. We got a commemorative certificate and were told to be back at a certain time for instructions. We wandered around a bit until it was time to go back and we had a snack (love Mickey rice krispie treats!) and took some pictures (including Herbie the Love Bug – I love Herbie!), found a really fun, shaded play area (Bug’s Life movie set) and then headed back. We were taken to reserved seating in director’s chairs in a front area and given our lines…we would be on camera (on a really huge screen), introduced to the audience, talk a little with the assistant director, and we would say “Lights, Motors, Action!” in really loud, excited voices and cheer a lot. By this time it was INCREDIBLY hot and humid and we were sitting directly in the sun. We were burning up – really burning up. We got to meet the director and a couple of crew members, and then it was time. They put us up on that huge screen…in all of our hot, sweaty glory. Not looking so good, but it was pretty neat! I wish we had a tape of it. After we intro’d the show they moved us to some reserved seats in the shade which was much more comfortable. The show was awesome – definitely one of our favorites of the whole week. It was loud and fast and really fun – we enjoyed seeing how they do a lot of the car stunts.
Indiana Jones Stunt Show – we used fast pass on this. The show was great, with lots of audience participation. Even in the shade it was really hot and humid, but it was still fun and we all enjoyed it.
One thing we noticed, at MGM especially, was the tour groups from Argentina and Brazil. I wonder if it’s a rite of passage for parents in Argentina and Brazil to send their teenage daughters to Disney World on a summer vacation…without adult supervision (or very little!). We saw at least eight separate tour groups, made up almost entirely of teenage girls. Only a couple of groups had any boys in them. The tour guides didn’t look much older than the kids! They were well-behaved but very loud…singing their national anthems at the top of their lungs, which I thought was nice except that it got really loud when they tried to out-sing the other groups, which happened anytime they were all together in a large area…like waiting for Lights, Motors, Action to start…and Indiana Jones…and Fantasmic….
Due to a thunderstorm we couldn’t do some other attractions we wanted to do so we headed to the hotel for a break. At the hotel we bought refillable mugs which came in really handy since you can refill them for free at the hotel during your trip. We had lots of Icees that week, which were really good in the hot weather. Definitely a good investment!
We headed back to MGM for our dinner reservations at Hollywood and Vine. It is a traditional buffet and the food was o.k., but really nothing special…other than the dessert buffet, which had these fabulous little dark chocolate cups filled with chocolate mousse. I ate a few…Yummy! And a few other yummy and beautiful desserts (pictures forthcoming). But for the price ($23 per person) it just wasn’t really that great, especially compared to Coral Reef the night before. It was loud, crowded, really no ambience or neat theming. It was ok but I don't think we'll go back.
Muppets 3-D – this was a really fun show. I remember watching The Muppet Show with my family when I was a kid and I loved it. My girls thought it was going to be dumb but they really enjoyed the show, too. There were lots of things going on in this show, and not just on the screen, so you really felt like you were in the middle of it!
Sounds Dangerous with Drew Carey. This was kind of different as it mostly took place in total darkness -- it was an audio show with some video. It was o.k. but not great. However, it was really hot and humid outside and so the airconditioning and little bit of mist during the show felt great! I've heard that a lot of people take the opportunity to catch a quick nap in this show. LOL I can understand why. It just wasn't our kind of thing, but it was a good break.
We wandered around a bit before it was time to head to the outdoor theatre for Fantasmic. I was really, really, really looking forward to this show and had heard great things about it. But wait – what’s that in the sky? Thunder clouds? I hear thunder…and here comes the rain. Never fear – we have rain ponchos. We are prepared! But wait – what’s that I see? Lightning? Uh-oh…that’s not good! They ended up cancelling the show and there was a mass exodus from the amphitheatre in pouring rain, thousands and thousands of people (seriously – that amphitheatre is HUGE) with water literally running through the sidewalks and pathways, so deep it most places that it was up to our ankles. The thunder was loud and the lightning was close by and the girls definitely didn’t like it! We found out later that lightning actually hit the Tower of Terror. We were absolutely soaked to the bone by the time we got back to the hotel – it took 2 days for our tennis shoes to dry out. Good thing we all had extra shoes with us (sometimes it pays to be a heavy packer).We decided that we wanted to add another day to our Disney stay instead of going to Sea World – there was just so much to see and do at Disney. And Sea World tickets were going to be $230 for four of us for one day…but adding on one more day at Disney was only $13.84! Duh – that’s a no brainer! So I went down to the concierge, added another day to our tickets, and we all crashed in bed and slept soundly, with visions of tomorrow’s upcoming adventures at Animal Kingdom dancing in our heads…
Per the touring plan and Tour Guide Mike, today was Disney MGM Studio. Up early, planning notebook in hand, and out the door! It was pretty hot this day…a little more hot and a lot more humid than the day before. We got the MGM just as it was opening and were inside for the “rope drop”. The theming through the entire park is great – for the rope drop they had a “director” and we were all supposed to be movie extras in a big scene. The cast members played their parts well and it was cute. I won’t give a play-by-play of most of the day, but will review the things we did.
We knew we weren’t going to be doing the headliner rides at MGM (Tower of Terror and Rock’n Roller Coaster) so that took some pressure off our touring plans. Thanks to the touring plan, we knew to head straight to the Voyage of the Little Mermaid show and we got right in. This was a really cute show – loved the water and bubbles…the mist felt really refreshing, even at 9 a.m.
Great Movie Ride -- I was quite disappointed. I did enjoy seeing the authentic movie costumes and props in the waiting area – the carousel horse Julie Andrews rode in “Mary Poppins” and some costumes from “Shakespeare in Love” were particular favorites. But the animatronics on this ride were really pathetic. Anyway, it was indoors and air conditioned, so I won’t complain too much!
After that, we consulted the handy-dandy show time listing and decided to go to Lights, Motors, Action (LMA) to get fast passes for the first show of the day (11:40)…but when we arrived we were told that they weren’t using FP that day…but a dream squad member was there…hmmm…I wonder if they’re looking for someone to give a dream to…... I asked when we should come back if we wanted to be sure to get in the first show and the dream squad member asked if we would like to be the “First Family” and open the show! Of course we would! This was dream experience number one on our trip. We got a commemorative certificate and were told to be back at a certain time for instructions. We wandered around a bit until it was time to go back and we had a snack (love Mickey rice krispie treats!) and took some pictures (including Herbie the Love Bug – I love Herbie!), found a really fun, shaded play area (Bug’s Life movie set) and then headed back. We were taken to reserved seating in director’s chairs in a front area and given our lines…we would be on camera (on a really huge screen), introduced to the audience, talk a little with the assistant director, and we would say “Lights, Motors, Action!” in really loud, excited voices and cheer a lot. By this time it was INCREDIBLY hot and humid and we were sitting directly in the sun. We were burning up – really burning up. We got to meet the director and a couple of crew members, and then it was time. They put us up on that huge screen…in all of our hot, sweaty glory. Not looking so good, but it was pretty neat! I wish we had a tape of it. After we intro’d the show they moved us to some reserved seats in the shade which was much more comfortable. The show was awesome – definitely one of our favorites of the whole week. It was loud and fast and really fun – we enjoyed seeing how they do a lot of the car stunts.
Indiana Jones Stunt Show – we used fast pass on this. The show was great, with lots of audience participation. Even in the shade it was really hot and humid, but it was still fun and we all enjoyed it.
One thing we noticed, at MGM especially, was the tour groups from Argentina and Brazil. I wonder if it’s a rite of passage for parents in Argentina and Brazil to send their teenage daughters to Disney World on a summer vacation…without adult supervision (or very little!). We saw at least eight separate tour groups, made up almost entirely of teenage girls. Only a couple of groups had any boys in them. The tour guides didn’t look much older than the kids! They were well-behaved but very loud…singing their national anthems at the top of their lungs, which I thought was nice except that it got really loud when they tried to out-sing the other groups, which happened anytime they were all together in a large area…like waiting for Lights, Motors, Action to start…and Indiana Jones…and Fantasmic….
Due to a thunderstorm we couldn’t do some other attractions we wanted to do so we headed to the hotel for a break. At the hotel we bought refillable mugs which came in really handy since you can refill them for free at the hotel during your trip. We had lots of Icees that week, which were really good in the hot weather. Definitely a good investment!
We headed back to MGM for our dinner reservations at Hollywood and Vine. It is a traditional buffet and the food was o.k., but really nothing special…other than the dessert buffet, which had these fabulous little dark chocolate cups filled with chocolate mousse. I ate a few…Yummy! And a few other yummy and beautiful desserts (pictures forthcoming). But for the price ($23 per person) it just wasn’t really that great, especially compared to Coral Reef the night before. It was loud, crowded, really no ambience or neat theming. It was ok but I don't think we'll go back.
Muppets 3-D – this was a really fun show. I remember watching The Muppet Show with my family when I was a kid and I loved it. My girls thought it was going to be dumb but they really enjoyed the show, too. There were lots of things going on in this show, and not just on the screen, so you really felt like you were in the middle of it!
Sounds Dangerous with Drew Carey. This was kind of different as it mostly took place in total darkness -- it was an audio show with some video. It was o.k. but not great. However, it was really hot and humid outside and so the airconditioning and little bit of mist during the show felt great! I've heard that a lot of people take the opportunity to catch a quick nap in this show. LOL I can understand why. It just wasn't our kind of thing, but it was a good break.
We wandered around a bit before it was time to head to the outdoor theatre for Fantasmic. I was really, really, really looking forward to this show and had heard great things about it. But wait – what’s that in the sky? Thunder clouds? I hear thunder…and here comes the rain. Never fear – we have rain ponchos. We are prepared! But wait – what’s that I see? Lightning? Uh-oh…that’s not good! They ended up cancelling the show and there was a mass exodus from the amphitheatre in pouring rain, thousands and thousands of people (seriously – that amphitheatre is HUGE) with water literally running through the sidewalks and pathways, so deep it most places that it was up to our ankles. The thunder was loud and the lightning was close by and the girls definitely didn’t like it! We found out later that lightning actually hit the Tower of Terror. We were absolutely soaked to the bone by the time we got back to the hotel – it took 2 days for our tennis shoes to dry out. Good thing we all had extra shoes with us (sometimes it pays to be a heavy packer).We decided that we wanted to add another day to our Disney stay instead of going to Sea World – there was just so much to see and do at Disney. And Sea World tickets were going to be $230 for four of us for one day…but adding on one more day at Disney was only $13.84! Duh – that’s a no brainer! So I went down to the concierge, added another day to our tickets, and we all crashed in bed and slept soundly, with visions of tomorrow’s upcoming adventures at Animal Kingdom dancing in our heads…
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)