A Grand Circle Tour [Day Trips 2011]

[MidwayManiac]

Trip 56: May 13
Time: 8:20am to 12:50 [DLP 8:20 to 12:50]
Cast/crew: Walt(12months), Nancy(5), Roy(7), Kim(34), and myself(36)

From the time we boarded the tram at Mickey and Friends until shortly after passing through the turnstiles, my kids were so rotten to one another that I questioned my faith in several things I take for granted: the magic of the resort, the happiness of the happiest place on earth, and the ability of it being “a place where parents and children can have fun together”. They even fought about the complimentary Mother’s Day carnations on the way into the park. It pushed me to the brink. I’ve never been closer to turning around and walking straight out the gate than at that moment. I had thoughts of “When our passes expire shortly, not only will we take a break for 6 months, we’ll take a break for forever.” Right then, the kids turned a 180 on their behavior and were able to make a day of it, but man, it was a rough start.

Kim’s parents joined us for the day. I made a solo FP run while everyone Jungle Cruised and absolutely fell love with the skipper’s jokes – apparently I really missed out. Breakfast at River Belle Terrace was good, as always. Kim and the baby split off from us and Winnie the Poohed, shopped, and Carrouseled while we hit up IJA, BTMRR, and the petting zoo. We trekked over to Space Mountain to redeem FPs. On the way over Roy caught the pin-trading bug which worked out fine ‘cuz Space was down anyway.

So back we headed to Frontierland and the pin traders. When what to our wondering eyes should appear, but …. The Billy Hills holding a covers concert (Creedence, Beatles, Clapton, etc.) on the porch of Frontierland Mercantile. Roy traded to his heart’s content and even secured the much-coveted baby Tigger pin he’s been obsessing over. Eureka, what a find! We adults were having our fun watching little Walt watch the Billy Hills (pictured below). We loitered there for a good while; never have I moved so little in the park yet had so much fun. The pin trading. The Billys. The Laughing Stock crew arrived and did their schtick just when we might’ve left. Then, oh the Columbia is in port so let’s board; this is a rare occurrence for us so we enjoyed a trip up Rivers of America. The goings on in and around Frontierland threw us completely off our normal/expected rhythm. But not in a bad way at all.

Grandma spoiled the heck outta the kids by buying them each something at either the Mercantile or Emporium. As we were about to part company from Kim’s parents we made a brief stop in front of the fire station for the Dans. They invited Nancy to join the show but she played hard to get. Next up was Roy. He (pictured below) was happy enough to oblige.

[candles71]

Ha! You read my mind. Haven't bought kielbasa since my college days when I'd make it w/ a marinara and angel hair. Boy, it's been a while but I gladly picked one up for the boy at the store just the other day.

And, did you have him make dinner? Kids love to cook.

[MidwayManiac]

Trip 57: May 15
Time: 7:40pm to 1:20am [DCA 7:40 to 8:10] [DLP 8:10 to 1:20]
Cast/crew: Nancy(5) and myself(36)

We arrived at the resort just 20 minutes before DCAs closing and chose to make the most of it by riding Soarin. Nancy had skinned her hand exiting the bathroom at M&F so a trip to the nurse in DLP was first up. He hooked us up with some band-aids and a few laughs and a good natured scolding about running at the resort.

Although we were in attendance for the Fantasmic! 20th anniversary event, in my opinion the highlight of the night was Toontown. Toontown is, for the most part, a daytime land. Nighttime recollections of Toontown include A) its gates closing well before the rest of the park and B) stopping there on a DLRailroad night trip to find it (gasp, sigh) closed. We tooled around in there tonight and when 9 oclock arrived, and it was apparent itd remain open another hour. Then well stay, thank you very much. Nancy beckoned me up to the deck of H.M.S. Harmony and I gazed out at the view. The lights give a unique glow to Toontown. I thought this is really cool; this is something you dont see every day. Rihannas and Kanyes All of the Lights echoed in my head, especially the extra bright part. There are lights in the resort that are spectacular (like on Mickeys Fun Wheel and in Bugs Land the ones up and down Main Street, etc.) but theyre all there, all the time. What made the lights in Toontown extra spectacular was the novelty. Usually were not allowed in there past 9:00. Woo-hoo. To boot, it was relatively empty in Toontown which adds the appeal and tranquility of any land. We rode Gadgets twice, Roger Rabbits, visited Minnies house a while, then Goofys play area and the big boat.

Speaking of novelty, we rode Autopia and watched Captain Eo just before DLP concluded its normal operating hours. Autopia was great fun for the girl and Id ride again and again for her amusement but it reminded me there are three spots in the resort I love/hate for their noxious head-ache inducing fumes: 1) the front tram car, 2)practically any car on Casey, Jr. Train, and 3) Autopia. As for Eo, its great IMO. That is, if you experienced the 80s its such a nostalgic piece (mullets, yay!). And I defy anyone to keep from smiling when Michael Jackson breaks into dance and song at the end with Another Part of Me pumping through the theater speakers.

Well this report is longwinded enough and Id intended to write more about F! 20th to give it its due but Ill keep it brief. Besides, the forum is rife with accounts how fun/cool/exciting it was, and I concur with them almost entirely. Its difficult to explain but the park takes on decidedly separate affect or demeanor (sorry, I cant find the proper word) after hours. For that alone, participating in F!20th was worthwhile.

Not gonna lie: We used the extra 3 hours to parkstorm rather than commemorate Fantasmic! Nancy got her Indiana Jones fix near the end of the night; in fact we rode each of the four open rides (BTMRR 3 times consecutively without disembarking). At about 12:58 we exited IJA and sprinted (sorrry, safety police and nurse from earlier in the night) to HM; well, it was about as much of a sprint as possible with a 5 year old on your back. Just in time too - we entered the HM gate just as the CM arrived to lock it til tomorrow. There were maybe a dozen people in our stretch room and they were all in on the joke except us. Joke was: soon as the room began its descent, everyone giggled, fell, and laid flat on their back looking straight up. What fun!, Nancy thought. Cmon Daddy! and with that we were on our backs too. She was still going strong as we strolled down Main Street at a quarter past 1. My mom and her mother and I are all night owls so Nancy comes by it honestly. Perhaps thats the answer to what Kim and Ive often wondered, and to the question a friendly CM asked on our way outta the park: Oh, little one. How are you still up?

[SigalTchelet]

I just love your trip reports with your little ones! Go Nancy for keeping up with Daddy and staying up that late! How fun!

[letshavefun]

I too love your reports and have to say this one sounded like so fun. Closing the parks is my and my DD favorite thing to do. The HM "joke"made me smile it is not usually a ride we do at closing so on our next trip if there are not many people I want to try it.

BTW no ice cream?

[MidwayManiac]

And, did you have him make dinner? Kids love to cook.

He helps with dinner, especially things where I can use a designated "stirrer". He likes the kielbasa if I simmer it a little bit in water, butterfly it and grill it a few minutes on each side. He's been around the grill enough he's probably not all that far from cooking on there.

[MidwayManiac]

I just love your trip reports with your little ones! Go Nancy for keeping up with Daddy and staying up that late! How fun!

Thanks. Will be interesting to see if she stays up all hours in another year. She begins kindergarten in August and it's all-day kinder to boot. When her older brother started school his sleep patterns changed to where he can't/won't nap and has little stamina for late trips to DL even on weekends and holidays.

[MidwayManiac]

I too love your reports and have to say this one sounded like so fun. Closing the parks is my and my DD favorite thing to do. The HM "joke"made me smile it is not usually a ride we do at closing so on our next trip if there are not many people I want to try it.

BTW no ice cream?

Well, how can I put this ... she never has to twist my arm to get ice cream but we only had 20 minutes in DCA. I told her to pick the one thing she wanted to do in DCA and she picked Soarin'. I was kinda hoping for ice cream. But we made up for it on our trip.

The HM thing was really cool. I realized how cool when I was in the stretch room a week later with my son. It occured to me it's a very rare occasion when there is room enough in there to lie down. You either have to be in there first thing in the morning or late at night.

[MidwayManiac]

Trip 58: May 23
Time: 4:10pm to 8:10am [DCA 4:10 to 6:10] [DLP 6:10 to 8:10]
Cast/crew: Roy(7) and myself(36)

We rarely show up unprepared but today was on the warm side and the shirt Roy had on under his flannel was an old white Hanes tee so short it nearly showed off his midriff. It was scraggly and disheveled looking (the shirt, that is). So Roy got to shop for a new shirt. We looked in these shops: Fly n Buy, Rushin Rivers Outfitters, that little shop between Aerials and Corn Dog Castle, and the kiosk near the Goofys Sky School entrance. Finally we found the selection we were looking for at Boardwalk Bazaar. He got this nice Pirates of the Carribean shirt I wasnt thrilled with at first but actually looked much better later in natural light so it turned out OK. Nice tye dye-ish pattern to it Well, Ill forget trying to decsribe it and post a pic below. ETA: As you can also see, he loves him some root beer on the rare occasion we let him have it.

We rode Goofys Sky School, King Tritons Carrousel, and California Screamin before moving on to the Animation Building. In the Sorcerers Workshop there was an aspiring artist sketching a comic strip. Roy watched intently as she worked. He complimented her. I wanna get a job here, she said shortly before placing her strip in a zoetrope. She spun it, watched for a sec, and moved on. Her comic strip was nice, very nice. We were all set to draw Agent P at the next Animation Academy. Just then, Roy ran back to Sorcerers to retrieve his hat hed removed to see the zoetrope and, like that, we missed the academy. Common theme for the night. A little while later we just missed chances to board DLRR and Mark Twain. Oh, and we did stop for a spin on Francis Ladybug Boogie before exiting DCA. On to DLP.

We took a spin on The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Haunted Mansion has a nearly irresistible allure after dark so we went in and on. And when we visit HM after dark more often than not we crack open a canister of glow sticks first, mainly as habit more than anything. After all, the darker the better on the dark rides IMO; the glow sticks actually reduce visibility and detract from the ride but what do I know? Kids love glowy stuff so by all means lets have em. I swear these things are instant entertainment. Who wouldve thunk it? So entertaining in fact that were in the throes of Indiana Jones Adventure (our next and final ride) and Roys foolin around with his glow stick connectors making bracelets into necklaces or vice versa. A little ridiculous if for no other reason than the couple next to him might like to enjoy the ride in the dark. So I snatched em up temporarily. Boarding and riding the tram he was back at, making Mickey ears and chain necklaces.

[candles71]

What? He didn't get the Mater pull my fender shirt? I love dollar bin glow brqacelets, don't you. Cute trip.

[MidwayManiac]

What? He didn't get the Mater pull my fender shirt?

The kids are fans of just about every recent (and many past) Disney franchise, but least of all probably Cars.

I love dollar bin glow brqacelets, don't you.

No doubt. They're right near the top of my park-going 'must inventory'.

[MidwayManiac]

Trip 59: May 24
Time: 4:30pm to 9:30am [DLP 4:30 to 5:00] [DCA 5:00 to 6:10] [DLP 6:10 to 8:10]
Cast/crew: Nancy(5) and myself(36)

If I have any regret, it’s that the full year has nearly passed and we’ve not attended Jedi Training to get Nancy in the show. This was my first thought of the night. A year ago it seemed we were right on the verge of doing it, but who knows what happened? Big bro has been a padawan at least a half-dozen times so for him the thrill is gone. But if she wants to, we want her to experience it. We have a week remaining on our APs, so anything is possible I guess.

I say all that to say this. Nancy and I stopped in Tomorrowland and caught the second half of the day’s last Jedi Training Academy. One of the greatest ever Jedi instructors is there. No telling when he returned, but I haven’t seen this guy do a JTA show in about 2 years:


We hopped aboard the monorail to DTD and entered DCA through GCH. DUCK RACES! omg. Of the many times we’ve visited Redwood Creek Challenge Trail this year, we’ve only happened upon the duck races one other time. Nancy’s duck was purple and it won, I think. Rock wall climbing, slides, general wilderness exploring, we did it all.



It’s not often we see something new, but we did exactly that when we found the Disney Street Play Crew (or some such name) in DCA at the foot of the pier. They carry handheld ball hoops, hula hoops, and word scrambles, like this:

each color group spells a Disney character. Not pictured in the upper right-hand corner is a white on black 'K'.

We got ice cream next but paid a high price for it, as in a twenty minute wait. See, there’s a single line that routes to the two windows. Evidently, people didn’t care or more likely didn’t know and formed a separate line while many –ourselves included - waited according to the custom and, well, it was just busy and a mess. No crowd control. No one directing traffic. But I’d rather wait than explain to a 5 year old that we’re getting outta line. Just one of those things. Breathe easy, make the best of it.

We finished out in DCA on Goofy’s Sky School and Silly Symphony Swings. Lately I opt for passing through security again instead of the DCA turnstiles, so we exited via that service exit into DTD. Yeah, the DCA temporary entrance between La Brea Bakery and Soarin’ …. I’m over it. Two more weeks ‘til it’s a thing of the past!

The resort was buzzing with excitement that was electric, perhaps from all the grads in attendance. This is in stark contrast to a week prior when the crowds on hand before and during the Fantasmic event were subdued almost to the point of being hushed. Tonight the petting zoo was closed, but Nancy had to be shown/not told. Are you from Missouri, child? We climbed Tarzan’s, rode IJA, BTMRR, and Pirates of the Caribbean to finish out the night.

A friendly CM on Roy’s and my previous visit shared with us that there’s a real human skull on the bedpost in Pirates and that if you look close enough you can tell because it’s noticeably different from the rest. Sure enough, it appears more real than the others. I shared this little tale with Nancy and pointed it out. In turn, she told her preschool teacher the next morning her daddy took her to Disneyland to see the real human skull on PotC. Dear wife was less than thrilled with this development. “Thanks. A. Lot.”

[rph13]

I love what preschoolers tell their teachers! I work in a pharmacy and my daughter as a preschooler told her teacher that "mommy, sells drugs and then she runs" (I was training for a race and would go run right after work) that was a fun phone call from the preschool director!

I can't believe you only have a week left on your passes! I hope you have a chance to renew, I love reading your trip reports.

[MadasaHatter]

ONLY A WEEK!

I hope you renew too. Your trip reports are fantastic!

[Marycontardi]

MidwayManiac,

Your trip reports are simply fantastic! Kudos to a great personality that certainly shines through your posts. Looking forward to your next visit/post.

[MidwayManiac]

I hope you have a chance to renew, I love reading your trip reports.

I hope you renew too. Your trip reports are fantastic!

Your trip reports are simply fantastic!

Thanks everyone. I appreciate it. More than you know.

Our next annual passes will be activated between 2012 Christmas & New Year's Eve. When you go as much as we go, a little beak in the action is welcomed. For me, at least; of course I can't speak for the kids who'd probably like to keep going. But that's also partly the point - we don't want them to take their DLand passes for granted. For now they don't know when or even if we'll return and so absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Sure I'll miss the parks but I'll not miss having to forego a really killer playoff game (like Celtics Heat game 5 tomorrow d'oh!) or Monday or Thursday Night Football to get away to DLR 'cuz it's the only night that week we can squeeze it in .... I'll not miss trying to juggle DLR trips with Roy's current 5 or 6 day-a-week baseball schedule. We're busy and getting no less busy what with Nancy beginning Kinder and soccer in the fall and continuing swim; Roy'll be in soccer and fall baseball concurrently along with piano going on over a year now. It's gonna kill me to be sans Disneyland at Halloweentime, though.

A couple other things are 1) I'm not eager to weather the Carsland swarm so this is as good a time as any to take hiatus and 2) following our pattern of 1 year on then 3-6 months off enables us to get by only purchasing annual passes 3 times every 4ish years; that controls cost.

[candles71]

Not to add to the expenses, but doesn't the party tickets come with admission? Just a thought to squeeze just a bit in.

[MidwayManiac]

Not to add to the expenses, but doesn't the party tickets come with admission? Just a thought to squeeze just a bit in.

I like your thinking on this. When the Halloween parties came around 2010 & 2011 I wasn't about to pay $50 more per person on top of the active AP I paid for.

But if ever there's a year we're gonna go, this year makes perfect sense. No active AP, the family will be Jonesin' for a DL fix, and Mickey's Not So Scary is something the kids have never experienced. Sounds fun.

[MadasaHatter]

WOW Midway Maniac!!! I couldn't agree with you more!

I have crunched my finances myself and even though I have an AP....it isn't in the cards to go this summer! What with the heat, the Cars Land craziness and the fact that I have indeed gotten my $$$$ worth out of my AP I have to strap in for my OCTOBER trip with lots of family and friends! A big group of us is going and I simply have to save up for that trip. My AP expires before said trip so I too have to decide whether to renew or just get a 3 day pass with the new increases and my strange busy schedule the next year. At least I have all summer to save and think and even procure other work. That is why I was counting on you to supply me with reports but that is rather selfish AND mad......have a great break and see you on the MP boards!

[MidwayManiac]

That is why I was counting on you to supply me with reports!

Apologies. I've appreciated your faithful readership.

me = mad!

hear! hear!

[MidwayManiac]

Trip 60: June 5
Time: 3:50pm to 10:55 [DLP 3:50 to 5:10 and- 8:10 to 10:55] [DCA 5:10 to 8:10]
Cast/crew: Nancy(5) and myself(36)

For the final showing of Jedi Training Academy we arrived in plenty of time. In fact we had time to kill and I needed a carb infusion so a Troubador baked potato did the trick. Nancy was eager to be a padawan and I have a seemingly failsafe way to get her picked (Im something like 8 for 8 on the last eight tries she and her brother have made). The Jedi instructor is a riot. Ive seen several of them and theres only one other whos his equal. Crowd was into it. Was a good show. Nancy did great.



Once in DCA, Nancy wanted to visit Animation Building, particularly Sorcerers Workshop. In Ursulas Grotto she twice acted out a karaoke style scene w/ Scar and Simba; she didnt need the prompting of the subtitles she knew the lines by heart (uh, someone has seen Lion King more than a few times). In the magic mirror realm she took the quiz a couple times to match her personality to a Disney character. After picking up a churro and strolling through Bugs Land and a trip around Paradise Bay, there werent rides to be found anywhere with less than a twenty minute wait, except Aeriels, so we hopped aboard. Next: the obligatory stop at Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. Nancy made friends and got a Wilderness Explorer badge sticker.



There was one ride with a short wait but only because the temperature outside was under 70 degrees. We werent experiencing Grizzly River Run weather, evidenced by the 10 minute wait time when every ride in the park (including Bugs Land rides) had waits of 20 to 75 minutes. I was partial to using the Soarin fastpasses a nice lady had handed us in the esplanade, but Nancy was havin none of it, and this became a common theme for the night . Every time I opted for the conservative choice, Nancy threw caution to the wind: I said Soarin, she said GRR; I said Winnie the Pooh, she said Splash Mountain, I said sit anywhere but the front seat on Space (I loathe the front seat on Space Mtn.), she asked the CM for a front seat; I asked Was Darth Vader or Maul a little scary? she said No, not to me.

As the last picture shows, we made it through GRR without much incident. Do they dial back the soakability on a cool day? Methinks. Back in DLP, for the stretch run we loaded up on hot chocolate and coffee at Market House. The evening rides went in this order: Indiana Jones Adventure, Splash Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Space Mountain. When we went to get fastpasses for Space at 4:00 the return time said 10:20. I assumed wed be long gone by 10:20 but grabbed the passes anyway on the very slight chance we stuck it out. Good thing. A giant princess balloon with flashing beacon ensconced (whatll they think of next?) and another cup-o-joe later we were on our way.

[MidwayManiac]

Trip 61: June 7
Time: 4:25 to 10:55 [DCA 4:25 to 6:15] [DLP 6:15 to 10:55]
Cast/crew: Walt(13months), Nancy(5), Roy(7), Kim(34), and myself(36)

Heres a photo stream of our last visit. Lots of activity. Lotta laughs. And rides. And food. And pictures, oh my. This trip contained a little of everything weve come to expect: Roy rushing out of the gate headlong for a night full, only crash well before the finish line; and Nancy pacing herself through the early going to finish easily, being dragged from the parks with her clawmarks still on em; and Walt, what a natural an infant/toddlers ability to have fun can be so easily underestimated (again and again) but he clearly has the best time of his young life when hes at the resort. Well return again for another year of fun if only to see 20 month old Walt discover the magic.

I actually separated from the group early on. They turnstiled into DCA and I took their APs to DLP to get a couple each of IJA and Space Mountain fastpasses. As its a Walt fave and- has the shortest wait time in the park, they rode Aeriels twice while I hunted down passes. We didnt wanna detract from the park fun by reminding the kids all night that Its the last chance to ride such and such but between the wife and me there was certainly a quiet urgency to get the kids on their favorite rides for a sendoff (hence my running all over early on). With that in mind, I was sure to take Roy on CA Screamin. Kim took the younger kids on Tritons. Nancy was eager for Goofys Sky School. We went, it was down. Bummer. Thats the way the cookie crumbles.

But, one door closes and another opens: Kim and Nancy got to hit up Soarin Over California while the boys and I got a jump on DLP. Good for them. Its Kims favorite ride. They were ten minutes late to dinner, but hey, was worth it. Oh, funny story Kim told me and funnier still cuz I had this exact same experience recently w/ Nancy: on the hang glider scene through Yosemite where you fly by Vernal or Bridal Veil Falls or whatever, Nancy tugs on your shirtsleeve and says You know what that calls??? It calls Paradise Falls. Of course, life is but a Disney movie.

While Roy and Walt and I killed time before dinner, Roy took the opportunity to pin trade a little. We meet some of the nicest people pin-trading. Roys pins are starter pins but good luck explaining that to him. I know theyre not worth a whole lot, the traders know theyre not worth a whole lot, and Im always careful to tell Roy OK time to move on looks like theyre not trading one for ones. But occasionally (like tonight) a trader will say Now hold on Dad maybe we can work something out and proceeds to allow the boy to make a reasonable, although not completely equitable, pick (i.e. sometimes Roy makes off with a more valuable pin but the trader does it for sake of him being a kid). And theyre methodical about the art of the deal, which is cool. They say, Now tell me what you want, and what youre willing to part with. Its a different process than cast member trading where you get and give what you want. Anyway Roy was able to make a couple trades, one of which netted him the Toy Story alien he immediately attached to my hat, which he wore to dinner, and for the rest of the night, which I had planned to wear. Child. He does this all the time. So, pin trading was a success and fun, as was dinner once the ladies were able to meet up. Big Thunder Ranch was atop nearly everyones list for our final nights dining. Ill include a mini dinner report and a wrap up of our evening in Disneyland Park in part 2 of this report

[MidwayManiac]

Trip 61 continued

When Roy and I ate at Big Thunder Ranch a month ago I gave it rave reviews, and it was equally good the second time around. True to form, I got my moneys worth which is a way of saying I treated the occasion like a holiday feast and ate more than should be allowed. Dear wife enjoyed the bbq. Walt has fast become a true dyed in the wool carnivore and ate the meats but particularly the kielbasa minus the casings; his older siblings were all over the kielbasa too. Roy and Nancy got to dance on stage. We regrouped, the boys changed clothes, the girls put on jackets, and we set out.

Our tour of Fantasyland included Pinocchio, Mr. Toads Wild Ride, and Dumbo. We tried for Thunder Mountain with the FPs Id retrieved in the middle of dinner, but it was down. So DW and DD set out on Indiana Jones Adventure, while the two boys and I rode Winnie the Pooh and Haunted Mansion. I had a brainstorm to trek over to Space Mountain but the wife called to say the hub appeared impassable what with all the people and ropes so we shrugged, turned, and found the welcoming arms of Jungle Cruise. The skippers there have been so good lately that when you get one whos just average he seems subpar; DW leaned over and made some comment or another about how comedy truly is all about timing. She couldnt have been more right.

Last call for BTMRR. Surprisingly, Nancy declined so just Kim and Roy made the wildernesss wildest ride. We all met back up at iasw where DW informed me our oldest son was done for the night. He was beyond tired. The rest of the group gave the appearance of liveliness. We pressed on. its a small world was next; we rode, eyes glossed over. There it was apparent just how tired the group was. The two boys had to be carried, passed out, from the ride to the stroller.

I had to face that this may be the end, however abrupt. This wasnt how we planned it . the park still had 45 minutes til close. Normally when we surrender late at night its to time, not circumstance. Its over. Lets go, dear wife announced and I nodded in agreement. As we limped up past Storybook Land Canal Boats and between Matterhorn and Alice in Wonderland Nancy asked but Daddy what about Space Mountain? We never got to ride it. I remarked that itll still be here when we get back, whenever that is. She pleaded. But cant we please ride it? Nancy kills for those princesses lollipops so I struck her a deal: if shed forget about Space Mountain, Id buy her a princesses lollipop at the Emporium. OK? Deal? Sound good? Good. Crisis averted. But then she said, No actually I wanna ride Space Mountain; Ill actually not get the lollipop. mmmk daddy? Nancy turns down a lollipop about as often as Pooh declines honey, so she had my attention. Fittingly then, our energizer bunny of a daughter and I finished out the night riding Space Mountain one last time, right up to the end.

[letshavefun]

Oh man I have to say I'm kinda sad we won't have reports from your awesome family trips for awhile. Your 5 year old daughter and my 16 year old daughter tour the parks the same way, we are there until the very last minute there always seems to be just one more thing. It has been fun reading and I am now going to explore bugs land more, we usally just use it as a pass though. Your such a good dad and your children will some day look back and realize how lucky they really are.