Steve's Jan/Feb 2012 Trip - Day 3 of 6

[Steve Russo]

January 29 – February 3, 2012
Participants
• Steve –Your humble narrator.
• Barb – My bride of 39 years.

Beach Club Villas– Studio

Day Three - Tuesday, January 31, 2012 – Ice cream, destination Michigan
and a useless FastPass

I’m awake at 4:30 but up around 6:00. It should be 79 degrees today but
it’s only 54 now. I’m skipping today’s walk – the knee is barking just a
bit. With all the walking we do normally, this extra shot in the morning
may not be such a good thing.

Today is primary day in Florida. Good. I’m so sick of the non-stop ads
from Romney/Gingrich attacking each other. I learn that today is the
33rd straight day without rain in Melbourne. I wish for rain for the
local’s sake but secretly hope it arrives after we leave. Selfish? Me?

I head down to the Marketplace for a blueberry muffin and a banana and
bring this back to the room for my breakfast. Barb has the ½ muffin she
saved from yesterday.

We shower, dress and hit the bus stop at 8:04 just in time to see a
Magic Kingdom bus pulling away. We chatted for a bit with a family at
the bus stop. The child was a boy of about 8 or 9. He appeared to have
some type of special need and wasn’t handling the waiting too well. Mom
and dad were very patient but firm in handling him. I had the impression
they were used to it and very good at dealing with it.

We saw two Animal Kingdom buses, then our Magic Kingdom bus (followed
quickly by a third Animal Kingdom bus – all in 5 minutes). On the trip
to the Magic Kingdom, we chatted with another couple. The woman told a
story of a trip last year when they were heading to Disney’s Hollywood
Studios via bus. Their bus tried to pull around another at the bus stop
but wound up with a minor accident when the bumpers scraped. Naturally,
both buses stopped and someone had to be called. She described people on
the bus as “livid” due to the delay. One woman was screaming at the
driver that she wouldn’t get her Toy Story Mania FastPasses and demanded
they be provided. As crazy as that sounds, it’s not that difficult to
imagine, is it?

We made it through security at the Magic Kingdom (Guests without Bags)
and hung out waiting for the opening ceremony. We found and chatted
again with the family from the bus stop. I noticed a group on my left:
mom, dad, daughter of about 3, and the grandparents. Dad had the
daughter on his shoulders and mom was taking a photo. Then grandma
offered to take one with mom in it as well. I offered to take one of the
whole clan if they desired it – they did. The only problem here was dad
was about 6’ 10” and, with his daughter on his shoulders, he was pushing
8’. The rest of the clan topped out at about 5’ 8”. My only shot was
take a portrait shot so I asked them to squeeze in as best they could.
They did and I managed to get all of them in the photo.

We watched the opening ceremony and noticed there was no confetti at the
end. Have they stopped that? I’m betting it was too much trouble to
clean up.

There’s usually something special about walking under the train station
each trip. You emerge, see Main Street and catch that first glimpse of
Cinderella’s Castle. This time, not so much. There was a large crane by
the castle – I think removing the “ice lights” but I’m not certain.
There’s also construction by the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor so there’s a
false façade there. I’m normally OK with that but this one jutted out
further into Main Street in order to provide a covered walkway for
guests. The view up Main Street was now asymmetrical and part of the
castle was blocked from view - just not the same.

First up was Buzz Lightyear. . If you're keeping score (which I do, but
then I'm a guy and everything is a competition with us - hard wired in
the genes, it is.), for the first time ever, Barb beats me 124,000 to
114,000. I guess I buy lunch. She had nothing and all of a sudden jumped
to 100k. I’m betting she accidently hit a high-value target. Our car
listed to the left and I was driving. That’s my story and I’m sticking
to it.

The WedWay/PeopleMover was closed and we were told to try back later so
we walked up to Fantasyland .

Next we rode Snow White’s Scary Adventure. We haven’t ridden this in
many years and I know it will be closing soon. I never got a chance to
ride Mr. Toad before it closed so we gave this one more shot. Guess
what? We both liked it. It was a walk-on and cute. It does a nice job of
telling the story and presents an entertaining dark ride - in my
opinion, of course.

Next we Saw Mickey’s Philharmagic. It was not crowded at all – maybe ½ full.

We visited the Haunted Mansion next and spent a few minutes with the
exhibits in the new queue. I thought this was well done. As we walked
into the mansion, a butler and 2 maids stood in line near the door.
Their faces where expressionless and as I passed I smiled and said, “Why
so somber?” Not one of them moved.

In the stretching room, after the lights went out, the butler positioned
himself in front of a young girl (early 20s?) and her friend. Of course,
as they lights came up, she was greeted with his face about 12” from
hers. Man, she could scream.

We really enjoyed the new features at the end. Our hitchhiking ghost
popped off each of our heads and placed them back on the wrong body - a
very cool effect.

Back to Tomorrowland but the PeopleMover is still closed (they now
suggest 15 minutes). Cars were running but there were no people in them.

We took in Monster’s Inc. Laugh Floor. I like this show a little more
each time I see it.

We followed that with a spin on the Carousel of Progress. I don’t
particularly like or dislike this attraction but it’s part of the Walt
legacy so I feel it must be seen every 3 or 4 years. I do think an
upgrade is in order but doubt that’s on the books right now.

The PeopleMover is now up so off we go. Interesting that the couple in
front of us decides to sit facing rearward in their car so, as we ride,
we’re staring at each other. Hmmm. Space Mountain was down and the
lights were on so I frantically grabbed my camera and fired off a couple
of quick shots.

We decided on Columbia Harbour House for lunch. I had my usual Anchors
Aweigh and Barb gets the chicken nugget meal. As I bring the tray out,
Barb starts complaining it’s not what she ordered. I see nuggets and
fries and ask her what she’s talking about. She thinks it looks like a
kid’s meal. We finally figure it out that the menu states “broccoli,
apple slices OR fries” not “AND fries”. I don’t know what she’s
complaining about – she hasn’t finished a meal in 5 years so less food
is better. Her reasoning was that she really wanted the broccoli and
would have ordered it if she knew it was a choice, not all three.

We next visited the old/new Enchanted Tiki Room. I thought it was fine.
I was never married to the original. I thought the “Under New
Management” version was fine – shorter and more humorous. I know a lot
of folks get their dander up with these changes but this one just seems
a bit superficial to me.

We next walked up to Frontierland to ride the Railroad back to the front
of the park. It really doesn’t provide any view of the new Fanatasyland
construction but the billboards at the Toontown stop are nicely done.

We exit and make our way to the bus stop for Yacht Club / Beach Club. A
bus pulls in after just a few minutes. We wait to board, figuring
someone is usually getting off the bus through the front door. After a
few seconds, no one emerges and the driver motions us to get on. There’s
a family of three still on the bus and showing no interest in getting
off. As we walk past them, the driver asked “Where are you headed?”

The response came back, “Michigan.” THAT caught my attention.

The fellow had (hopefully) misheard the question as “Where are you
from?” He and the driver then had a conversation and it turns out they
were trying to get to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Now… they boarded a
bus at the Yacht or Beach Club where the bus stops are clearly marked
with the destinations. They boarded a bus with a sign front and side
that said “Magic Kingdom”. And they thought they were going to Disney’s
Hollywood Studios? I’ve seen this happen before - folks will board a
bus, apparently thinking each bus goes to every park. The driver gave
them suggestions for what to do to get to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and
they exited the bus. People… just a little research before the trip will
go a long way.

We exited at the first stop, the Yacht Club. We did a little window
shopping in the store (found a nice Yacht Club jacket for $70 but didn’t
pull the trigger) and Barb bought taffy. We examined the lobby’s globe
looking for the Hidden Mickey. Even though we’ve seen the Hidden Mickey
twice before, we couldn’t locate it. We asked the greeter for help. If
you ever need to find it, look for Madagascar and head due south. The
Mickey is blue.

Back to the Beach Club and out to the Villas building. Something I
failed to mention earlier is that the arrows over both elevator doors
were missing. These are the arrows that indicate which floor the
elevator car is on. They’re both back now so either someone stole them
and these are new or they were out for a few days to be re-furbed. I
wonder how much maintenance these arrows require.

At 4:30, we grabbed a bus to Downtown Disney. The Marketplace bus stops
are closed – there’s some construction there, so we exited at Pleasure
Island. PI is just sad. The Comedy Warehouse has no signage and looks
like a storage shed. The Adventurers Club also has no signage and a
bunch of planters in front blocking the doors and the view. Paradiso 37
and Raglan Road are there, as well as Sammy Duvall’s and some sort of
boutique.

We visited World of Disney where we purchased that Bobba Fett blaster
for William. We recently broke a ceramic spoon rest so we picked up a
Mickey version for us; then two more for Michelle and Steph. We’ll need
something else to go with it as a thank you for them giving up their
time this week. I know they both really like the caramel popcorn form
Karamel Kuche so… maybe.

Next up is that tried-and-true Russo rule, the one you all want to
emulate. During each trip, one meal may be replaced with ice cream.
Kids, don’t try this at home. I can do it because I’m a professional and
I have a decent medical plan.

We headed to Ghirardelli’s for a Very Berry Sundae for me and a Hot
Fudge Sundae for Barb. I’ve had the Very Berry before and this one was a
bit different – not better or worse, just different. In any case, they
were both very good. On the down side, we noticed they removed the tap
from the sink in the dining room. They used to keep cups there if anyone
wanted some water, now you’ve got to purchase a bottle.

We did a little more walking and shopping around the Marketplace. You
probably all know by now that I have a list of Park Peeves. One of them
is what I term the Wide Walkers (or Rotated Caravan) – that group of 3
or more that will walk abreast and not back off for anyone. If you’re
coming the other way, you need to fall into single file or pull to the
side until this royalty has passed. We found a beauty here at the
Marketplace – four people walking abreast, with arms interlocked! I came
very close to shouting “Red Rover!” and hurling myself between two of them.

The buses from Downtown Disney to Crescent Lake are shared by all five
resorts. We typically don’t wait for the complete circuit and simply
exit at the first stop, the Swan, and walk to our resort. That’s what we
did here. At the Beach Club, we stopped in the Marketplace for Barb to
get another coffee and picked up bagels for the morning.

We stowed our haul in the room, freshened up a bit, and then head out at
7:00 for Epcot. We wound our way down toward Test Track by way of the
Odyssey walkways. During this walk I head a revelation. There are no
straight lines at Disney. I’m not sure why this has taken 28 years to
sink in but it’s true. You can’t go anywhere in Disney by walking in a
straight line (I know there are exceptions but give me this one – it’s
mostly true).

While walking down a path, wide enough for four, we were blocked by two
people strolling slowly hand-in-hand. They had themselves centered on
the walkway leaving us no room to either side for the pass. It’s not
that big a deal because we’re not in any real hurry but they could have
pulled to the side just a bit.

I’ve seen folks like this before at Disney World and I’ve never known
what to make of them. He’s in a white shirt, jeans and a straw hat and
has a beard. She’s in a patterned dress to her ankles and wearing one of
those bonnets with a string tied under the chin. Amish? Don’t they
eschew electricity? If so, is there anything at Disney World that
doesn’t use electricity? I’m so confused. I’m still trying to figure out
why the Amish are so good at making electric fireplaces. Their Quality
Control operation must suck without electrical outlets to test with.

At Test Track, I was honest and showed the FastPasses from yesterday and
asked the cast member if they could still be used. I admit I thought,
just for a moment, about covering the date with my thumb when I entered.
Unfortunately, she told me they had to be from the same day. We joined a
Standby queue of 30 minutes and were on the ride in about 25.

Barb wanted another spin on Soarin’. The Standby queue was listed at 40
minutes and that proved accurate. For some reason, on this trip I’m
continually violating my personal rule of not entering a queue of more
than 20 minutes. This was another frustrating queue with people sitting
and not moving, trying to pass us in the line, etc.

If you’re at all familiar with the Soarin’ queue, you eventually reach a
cast member at a podium. He or she will alternately allow guests through
from the Standby and FastPass lines. You’re directed at that point to
Concourse A or B for the pre-show. At that point, as we were the 3rd
group in the Standby queue, a woman was being waved through on the
FastPass side. She reached over the divider and deposited an extra
FastPass ticket on our side. As it slid off the divider to the floor,
she muttered something like “One of you can use this…” and kept on
trucking. What did she expect us to do with that single FastPass ticket?
Let’s see… I’ve waited for twenty minutes and have now reached the point
where I’m entering the pre-show. This would be a good time to leave my
companions, walk back out of the Standby queue and re-enter the via the
FastPass queue. Huh? What was she thinking?

After Soarin’, we left the Land at 8:50 and we would try to get out of
Dodge before Illuminations started. We made it as far as the UK when the
opening salvo fired so we stood and watched the opening sequence. When
the globe began its trip out, we took that as our queue and left the park.

We were going to try to make it back to our room in time to see if we
had any view of the fireworks from our balcony. We should have sprinted
because we heard the final volley of fireworks while we were in the
stairwell heading to the second floor.

I updated the notes and used the internet for a while. We watched a bit
of news, determined Mitt Romney had won Florida and now the candidates
were already in Nevada. Good riddance.

Barb has suggested Animal Kingdom for tomorrow but it’s Extra Magic
Hours (Morning) and I’m holding out for Epcot tomorrow and Animal
Kingdom Thursday. We’ll see.

Miles Walked Today: 6.63.

Things I Think I Think: I think the knee held up OK today but I may not
try to push it with any “extra” walking this trip. I think that story of
the Disney’s Hollywood Studios bus breakdown illustrates how intense
some folks are when they visit. I think I need to figure out Larry
Wilmot’s system (Damn you, Wilmot!). I think some people should do just
a little research on the transportation system before boarding the plane
for Walt Disney World. I think ice cream sundaes are an excellent meal.
I think people shouldn’t walk more than three abreast on the walkways at
the World and should be sensitive to oncoming walkers – don’t expect the
world to move over for you.


--
Steve

[Alpha]

Steve Russo <sru...@nycap.rr.com> wrote in
news:jh3dgf$vku$4...@dont-email.me:

> Next up is that tried-and-true Russo rule, the one you all want to
> emulate. During each trip, one meal may be replaced with ice cream.

Yay!

> I’ve seen folks like this before at Disney World and I’ve never known
> what to make of them. He’s in a white shirt, jeans and a straw hat and
> has a beard. She’s in a patterned dress to her ankles and wearing one
> of those bonnets with a string tied under the chin. Amish? Don’t they
> eschew electricity?

Maybe they're on Rumspringa?

-- Alpha

[Patty Winter]

In article <Xns9FF6CFC7ECB94...@88.198.244.100>,

Alpha <not...@verizon.net> wrote:
>Steve Russo <sru...@nycap.rr.com> wrote in
>news:jh3dgf$vku$4...@dont-email.me:
>

>> I’ve seen folks like this before at Disney World and I’ve never known
>> what to make of them. He’s in a white shirt, jeans and a straw hat and
>> has a beard. She’s in a patterned dress to her ankles and wearing one
>> of those bonnets with a string tied under the chin. Amish? Don’t they
>> eschew electricity?
>
>Maybe they're on Rumspringa?

Mennonites, not Amish.


Patty

[Steve Russo]

Mennonites! Thanks, Patty. Now tell me why the Amish are so good with
electric fireplaces ;-)


--
Steve

[Paul]

Steve Russo <sru...@nycap.rr.com> wrote in

news:jh8nhf$nmc$2...@dont-email.me:

> Mennonites! Thanks, Patty. Now tell me why the Amish are so good
> with electric fireplaces ;-)

Or are they... The ads clearly say that the Amish make the
enclosures. The "micro-furnace" comes from China. The ads even show
a misleading photo of Amish with a horse and carriage delivering the
"fireplaces" to Sears!

--
Paul in NH

pssawyer at comcast dot net

[Rudeney]

On 2/10/2012 9:35 AM, Steve Russo wrote:
>
> We saw two Animal Kingdom buses, then our Magic Kingdom bus (followed
> quickly by a third Animal Kingdom bus – all in 5 minutes). On the trip
> to the Magic Kingdom, we chatted with another couple. The woman told a
> story of a trip last year when they were heading to Disney’s Hollywood
> Studios via bus. Their bus tried to pull around another at the bus stop
> but wound up with a minor accident when the bumpers scraped. Naturally,
> both buses stopped and someone had to be called. She described people on
> the bus as “livid” due to the delay. One woman was screaming at the
> driver that she wouldn’t get her Toy Story Mania FastPasses and demanded
> they be provided. As crazy as that sounds, it’s not that difficult to
> imagine, is it?

Unfortunately, no, it's not hard to imagine that scenario. And in
situations like that, I suspect either one of two extremes would happen.
In a non-Disney environment, she'd be arrested for harassing the
driver, but at Disney, she'd get her FP's plus some other rewards, all
in the name of "guest recovery".

> We made it through security at the Magic Kingdom (Guests without Bags)
> and hung out waiting for the opening ceremony. We found and chatted
> again with the family from the bus stop. I noticed a group on my left:
> mom, dad, daughter of about 3, and the grandparents. Dad had the
> daughter on his shoulders and mom was taking a photo. Then grandma
> offered to take one with mom in it as well. I offered to take one of the
> whole clan if they desired it – they did. The only problem here was dad
> was about 6’ 10” and, with his daughter on his shoulders, he was pushing
> 8’. The rest of the clan topped out at about 5’ 8”. My only shot was
> take a portrait shot so I asked them to squeeze in as best they could.
> They did and I managed to get all of them in the photo.

You should have taken two - on properly framed, then a funny one with
the tall guy's head cut off. I think they would have had a nice laugh
over that.

> We watched the opening ceremony and noticed there was no confetti at the
> end. Have they stopped that? I’m betting it was too much trouble to
> clean up.

Or maybe they are worried about the environmental impact where the birds
eat it and get sick. And although it should be, unfortunately that's
not the case with Pecos Bill.

> There’s usually something special about walking under the train station
> each trip. You emerge, see Main Street and catch that first glimpse of
> Cinderella’s Castle. This time, not so much. There was a large crane by
> the castle – I think removing the “ice lights” but I’m not certain.
> There’s also construction by the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor so there’s a
> false façade there. I’m normally OK with that but this one jutted out
> further into Main Street in order to provide a covered walkway for
> guests. The view up Main Street was now asymmetrical and part of the
> castle was blocked from view - just not the same.

Hey, at least this wasn't your "once in a lifetime big family trip to
WDW". Think of all those people! I think this is why a lot of
maintenance was done at night int he good old days.

> Next we Saw Mickey’s Philharmagic. It was not crowded at all – maybe ½
> full.

Optimist.

> We followed that with a spin on the Carousel of Progress. I don’t
> particularly like or dislike this attraction but it’s part of the Walt
> legacy so I feel it must be seen every 3 or 4 years. I do think an
> upgrade is in order but doubt that’s on the books right now.

Yeah, we're probably just lucky they keep it going. Still, an update to
the last scene might be nice to bring that cutting-edge technology into
the 21st century at least.

> The PeopleMover is now up so off we go. Interesting that the couple in
> front of us decides to sit facing rearward in their car so, as we ride,
> we’re staring at each other. Hmmm.

Kind of like people who face the rear of the elevator.

> Space Mountain was down and the
> lights were on so I frantically grabbed my camera and fired off a couple
> of quick shots.

It's funny how that has always been such a novelty, but now that I know
I can go see it on YouTube anytime day or night, it;s not that big a
deal anymore. Sigh. Just another thing technology has ruined for us.

> We decided on Columbia Harbour House for lunch. I had my usual Anchors
> Aweigh and Barb gets the chicken nugget meal. As I bring the tray out,
> Barb starts complaining it’s not what she ordered. I see nuggets and
> fries and ask her what she’s talking about. She thinks it looks like a
> kid’s meal. We finally figure it out that the menu states “broccoli,
> apple slices OR fries” not “AND fries”. I don’t know what she’s
> complaining about – she hasn’t finished a meal in 5 years so less food
> is better. Her reasoning was that she really wanted the broccoli and
> would have ordered it if she knew it was a choice, not all three.

You know, I'll bet if you went back and asked nicely, they'd have given
her the broccoli. I guess in a way I hate to do that sort of thing when
it;s my mistake, but with the amount of money you;ve spent over the
years at WDW, I think you might just be entitled.

> We next visited the old/new Enchanted Tiki Room. I thought it was fine.
> I was never married to the original. I thought the “Under New
> Management” version was fine – shorter and more humorous. I know a lot
> of folks get their dander up with these changes but this one just seems
> a bit superficial to me.

I can see both sides of this argument, but I actually liked both
versions. I'm not sure what I hate more: that Gilbert Gottfried had to
be so rude and ruin the new show, or that we can't forgive someone for
having a poor sense of humor in things like that.

> We exit and make our way to the bus stop for Yacht Club / Beach Club. A
> bus pulls in after just a few minutes. We wait to board, figuring
> someone is usually getting off the bus through the front door. After a
> few seconds, no one emerges and the driver motions us to get on. There’s
> a family of three still on the bus and showing no interest in getting
> off. As we walk past them, the driver asked “Where are you headed?”
>
> The response came back, “Michigan.” THAT caught my attention.

It could be worse - it could have been New Jersey!

> The fellow had (hopefully) misheard the question as “Where are you
> from?” He and the driver then had a conversation and it turns out they
> were trying to get to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Now… they boarded a
> bus at the Yacht or Beach Club where the bus stops are clearly marked
> with the destinations. They boarded a bus with a sign front and side
> that said “Magic Kingdom”. And they thought they were going to Disney’s
> Hollywood Studios? I’ve seen this happen before - folks will board a
> bus, apparently thinking each bus goes to every park. The driver gave
> them suggestions for what to do to get to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and
> they exited the bus. People… just a little research before the trip will
> go a long way.

You know, I'm surprised the driver didn't just take them to DHS,
especially since it was just you and them, and it isn't really that far
from the YC/BC.

> Back to the Beach Club and out to the Villas building. Something I
> failed to mention earlier is that the arrows over both elevator doors
> were missing. These are the arrows that indicate which floor the
> elevator car is on. They’re both back now so either someone stole them
> and these are new or they were out for a few days to be re-furbed. I
> wonder how much maintenance these arrows require.

I was wondering if that eBay auction was for real...

> Next up is that tried-and-true Russo rule, the one you all want to
> emulate. During each trip, one meal may be replaced with ice cream.
> Kids, don’t try this at home. I can do it because I’m a professional and
> I have a decent medical plan.

LOL! I don't know if it's better than my "replace one meal with a
protein bar" diet, but at least it sounds more fun.

> We headed to Ghirardelli’s for a Very Berry Sundae for me and a Hot
> Fudge Sundae for Barb. I’ve had the Very Berry before and this one was a
> bit different – not better or worse, just different. In any case, they
> were both very good. On the down side, we noticed they removed the tap
> from the sink in the dining room. They used to keep cups there if anyone
> wanted some water, now you’ve got to purchase a bottle.

Booo! Bad move, Disney!

> We did a little more walking and shopping around the Marketplace. You
> probably all know by now that I have a list of Park Peeves. One of them
> is what I term the Wide Walkers (or Rotated Caravan) – that group of 3
> or more that will walk abreast and not back off for anyone. If you’re
> coming the other way, you need to fall into single file or pull to the
> side until this royalty has passed. We found a beauty here at the
> Marketplace – four people walking abreast, with arms interlocked! I came
> very close to shouting “Red Rover!” and hurling myself between two of them.

Kids at the mall have started doing this. I just plow right through. I
had one girl actually start to mouth off at me about it until a mall cop
walked by. He gave me a nod(the "good" nod).

> We stowed our haul in the room, freshened up a bit, and then head out at
> 7:00 for Epcot. We wound our way down toward Test Track by way of the
> Odyssey walkways. During this walk I head a revelation. There are no
> straight lines at Disney. I’m not sure why this has taken 28 years to
> sink in but it’s true. You can’t go anywhere in Disney by walking in a
> straight line (I know there are exceptions but give me this one – it’s
> mostly true).

No, you are right. I think it serves two purposes - crowd control (in
terms of both making traffic more manageable and directing traffic to
certain attractions and shops) and theme ambiance.

> I’ve seen folks like this before at Disney World and I’ve never known
> what to make of them. He’s in a white shirt, jeans and a straw hat and
> has a beard. She’s in a patterned dress to her ankles and wearing one of
> those bonnets with a string tied under the chin. Amish? Don’t they
> eschew electricity?

Maybe they are reformed Amish? I know that they do allow their young
adults to go out in the world to explore things for themselves. Maybe
that's who you saw?

> If so, is there anything at Disney World that
> doesn’t use electricity? I’m so confused. I’m still trying to figure out
> why the Amish are so good at making electric fireplaces. Their Quality
> Control operation must suck without electrical outlets to test with.

BMW doesn't drive every car out of the factory at over 100mph, yet I've
not heard of anyone buying one that wouldn't go that fast.

> Barb wanted another spin on Soarin’. The Standby queue was listed at 40
> minutes and that proved accurate. For some reason, on this trip I’m
> continually violating my personal rule of not entering a queue of more
> than 20 minutes.

It's probably because you are now retired and see your time as less
valuable. Either that, or you are getting so old, that 40 minutes now
seems like 20. (Hey, you brought up the getting old stuff, remember?)

> If you’re at all familiar with the Soarin’ queue, you eventually reach a
> cast member at a podium. He or she will alternately allow guests through
> from the Standby and FastPass lines. You’re directed at that point to
> Concourse A or B for the pre-show. At that point, as we were the 3rd
> group in the Standby queue, a woman was being waved through on the
> FastPass side. She reached over the divider and deposited an extra
> FastPass ticket on our side. As it slid off the divider to the floor,
> she muttered something like “One of you can use this…” and kept on
> trucking. What did she expect us to do with that single FastPass ticket?
> Let’s see… I’ve waited for twenty minutes and have now reached the point
> where I’m entering the pre-show. This would be a good time to leave my
> companions, walk back out of the Standby queue and re-enter the via the
> FastPass queue. Huh? What was she thinking?

Maybe she was thinking you'd use it for another ride? I know just one
FP might not do a group any good, but I guess we could say it's

> After Soarin’, we left the Land at 8:50 and we would try to get out of
> Dodge before Illuminations started. We made it as far as the UK when the
> opening salvo fired so we stood and watched the opening sequence. When
> the globe began its trip out, we took that as our queue and left the park.

Why such a hurry to miss Illuminations? I thought you liked it?

> We were going to try to make it back to our room in time to see if we
> had any view of the fireworks from our balcony.

Oh, I see.

> I think I need to figure out Larry
> Wilmot’s system (Damn you, Wilmot!).

I think he's not telling the truth. At least not about the "unlimited"
part.




--

- RODNEY

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Who knows!

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[Jenny]

>
> I’ve seen folks like this before at Disney World and I’ve never known
> what to make of them. He’s in a white shirt, jeans and a straw hat and
> has a beard. She’s in a patterned dress to her ankles and wearing one of
> those bonnets with a string tied under the chin.

They are "plain" but not Amish. Most likely Mennonite. Some Mennonites
are "clip clop" (their term) and only use horse and buggy but DO have
electricity. Others drive automobiles but have dark cars without many
extras inside or out.

There are literally dozens of "plain" (their term) communities and
churches with different nuances. FYI Amish women do not wear patterned
dresses.

Jenny, with several Mennonite friends

[Steve Russo]

I think you're right. Patty Winter already suggested Mennonites so I
think we now have a quorum.

--
Steve

[Steve Russo]

On 2/14/2012 2:57 PM, Rudeney wrote:
> On 2/10/2012 9:35 AM, Steve Russo wrote:
>>
>> We saw two Animal Kingdom buses, then our Magic Kingdom bus (followed
>> quickly by a third Animal Kingdom bus – all in 5 minutes). On the trip
>> to the Magic Kingdom, we chatted with another couple. The woman told a
>> story of a trip last year when they were heading to Disney’s Hollywood
>> Studios via bus. Their bus tried to pull around another at the bus stop
>> but wound up with a minor accident when the bumpers scraped. Naturally,
>> both buses stopped and someone had to be called. She described people on
>> the bus as “livid” due to the delay. One woman was screaming at the
>> driver that she wouldn’t get her Toy Story Mania FastPasses and demanded
>> they be provided. As crazy as that sounds, it’s not that difficult to
>> imagine, is it?
>
> Unfortunately, no, it's not hard to imagine that scenario. And in
> situations like that, I suspect either one of two extremes would happen.
> In a non-Disney environment, she'd be arrested for harassing the driver,
> but at Disney, she'd get her FP's plus some other rewards, all in the
> name of "guest recovery".

Sigh. You're probably right.

>> We watched the opening ceremony and noticed there was no confetti at the
>> end. Have they stopped that? I’m betting it was too much trouble to
>> clean up.
>
> Or maybe they are worried about the environmental impact where the birds
> eat it and get sick. And although it should be, unfortunately that's not
> the case with Pecos Bill.

You know, in all my trips, I only recall going to Pecos Bill's once.

>> Next we Saw Mickey’s Philharmagic. It was not crowded at all – maybe ½
>> full.
>
> Optimist.

Oops. I meant 1/2 empty.

>
>> We followed that with a spin on the Carousel of Progress. I don’t
>> particularly like or dislike this attraction but it’s part of the Walt
>> legacy so I feel it must be seen every 3 or 4 years. I do think an
>> upgrade is in order but doubt that’s on the books right now.
>
> Yeah, we're probably just lucky they keep it going. Still, an update to
> the last scene might be nice to bring that cutting-edge technology into
> the 21st century at least.

Amen.

>> Space Mountain was down and the
>> lights were on so I frantically grabbed my camera and fired off a couple
>> of quick shots.
>
> It's funny how that has always been such a novelty, but now that I know
> I can go see it on YouTube anytime day or night, it;s not that big a
> deal anymore. Sigh. Just another thing technology has ruined for us.

No, it's still a treat for me.

>
>
>> We decided on Columbia Harbour House for lunch. I had my usual Anchors
>> Aweigh and Barb gets the chicken nugget meal. As I bring the tray out,
>> Barb starts complaining it’s not what she ordered. I see nuggets and
>> fries and ask her what she’s talking about. She thinks it looks like a
>> kid’s meal. We finally figure it out that the menu states “broccoli,
>> apple slices OR fries” not “AND fries”. I don’t know what she’s
>> complaining about – she hasn’t finished a meal in 5 years so less food
>> is better. Her reasoning was that she really wanted the broccoli and
>> would have ordered it if she knew it was a choice, not all three.
>
> You know, I'll bet if you went back and asked nicely, they'd have given
> her the broccoli. I guess in a way I hate to do that sort of thing when
> it;s my mistake, but with the amount of money you;ve spent over the
> years at WDW, I think you might just be entitled.

I thought about it but there was a line and I hate to reward Barb when
she makes a mistake - she's liable to start expecting it. And be very
careful saying I might be "entitled" - there's a lot to that word.

>
>> The fellow had (hopefully) misheard the question as “Where are you
>> from?” He and the driver then had a conversation and it turns out they
>> were trying to get to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Now… they boarded a
>> bus at the Yacht or Beach Club where the bus stops are clearly marked
>> with the destinations. They boarded a bus with a sign front and side
>> that said “Magic Kingdom”. And they thought they were going to Disney’s
>> Hollywood Studios? I’ve seen this happen before - folks will board a
>> bus, apparently thinking each bus goes to every park. The driver gave
>> them suggestions for what to do to get to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and
>> they exited the bus. People… just a little research before the trip will
>> go a long way.
>
> You know, I'm surprised the driver didn't just take them to DHS,
> especially since it was just you and them, and it isn't really that far
> from the YC/BC.

I hadn't thought of that but you're probably right.

>> We did a little more walking and shopping around the Marketplace. You
>> probably all know by now that I have a list of Park Peeves. One of them
>> is what I term the Wide Walkers (or Rotated Caravan) – that group of 3
>> or more that will walk abreast and not back off for anyone. If you’re
>> coming the other way, you need to fall into single file or pull to the
>> side until this royalty has passed. We found a beauty here at the
>> Marketplace – four people walking abreast, with arms interlocked! I came
>> very close to shouting “Red Rover!” and hurling myself between two of
>> them.
>
> Kids at the mall have started doing this. I just plow right through. I
> had one girl actually start to mouth off at me about it until a mall cop
> walked by. He gave me a nod(the "good" nod).
>

One of the (many) reasons I avoid the mall.

>> I’ve seen folks like this before at Disney World and I’ve never known
>> what to make of them. He’s in a white shirt, jeans and a straw hat and
>> has a beard. She’s in a patterned dress to her ankles and wearing one of
>> those bonnets with a string tied under the chin. Amish? Don’t they
>> eschew electricity?
>
> Maybe they are reformed Amish? I know that they do allow their young
> adults to go out in the world to explore things for themselves. Maybe
> that's who you saw?

See Patty or Jenny's post - Mennonites.

>
>> If so, is there anything at Disney World that
>> doesn’t use electricity? I’m so confused. I’m still trying to figure out
>> why the Amish are so good at making electric fireplaces. Their Quality
>> Control operation must suck without electrical outlets to test with.
>
> BMW doesn't drive every car out of the factory at over 100mph, yet I've
> not heard of anyone buying one that wouldn't go that fast.

Still... I'd expect an electric fireplace to at least be plugged in once
before shipping.

>
>> Barb wanted another spin on Soarin’. The Standby queue was listed at 40
>> minutes and that proved accurate. For some reason, on this trip I’m
>> continually violating my personal rule of not entering a queue of more
>> than 20 minutes.
>
> It's probably because you are now retired and see your time as less
> valuable. Either that, or you are getting so old, that 40 minutes now
> seems like 20. (Hey, you brought up the getting old stuff, remember?)

Remember what?

--
Steve

[Rudeney]

On 2/14/2012 2:51 PM, Steve Russo wrote:
> On 2/14/2012 2:57 PM, Rudeney wrote:
>> On 2/10/2012 9:35 AM, Steve Russo wrote:
>>>
>
>
>>> We watched the opening ceremony and noticed there was no confetti at the
>>> end. Have they stopped that? I’m betting it was too much trouble to
>>> clean up.
>>
>> Or maybe they are worried about the environmental impact where the birds
>> eat it and get sick. And although it should be, unfortunately that's not
>> the case with Pecos Bill.
>
> You know, in all my trips, I only recall going to Pecos Bill's once.

Sort of like that line from Johnny Dangerously, "My daddy took me eat at
Pecos Bill once... ONCE!"

>>> We decided on Columbia Harbour House for lunch. I had my usual Anchors
>>> Aweigh and Barb gets the chicken nugget meal. As I bring the tray out,
>>> Barb starts complaining it’s not what she ordered. I see nuggets and
>>> fries and ask her what she’s talking about. She thinks it looks like a
>>> kid’s meal. We finally figure it out that the menu states “broccoli,
>>> apple slices OR fries” not “AND fries”. I don’t know what she’s
>>> complaining about – she hasn’t finished a meal in 5 years so less food
>>> is better. Her reasoning was that she really wanted the broccoli and
>>> would have ordered it if she knew it was a choice, not all three.
>>
>> You know, I'll bet if you went back and asked nicely, they'd have given
>> her the broccoli. I guess in a way I hate to do that sort of thing when
>> it;s my mistake, but with the amount of money you;ve spent over the
>> years at WDW, I think you might just be entitled.
>
> I thought about it but there was a line and I hate to reward Barb when
> she makes a mistake - she's liable to start expecting it. And be very
> careful saying I might be "entitled" - there's a lot to that word.

Don't all retirees feel some sense of entitlement?

>>> We did a little more walking and shopping around the Marketplace. You
>>> probably all know by now that I have a list of Park Peeves. One of them
>>> is what I term the Wide Walkers (or Rotated Caravan) – that group of 3
>>> or more that will walk abreast and not back off for anyone. If you’re
>>> coming the other way, you need to fall into single file or pull to the
>>> side until this royalty has passed. We found a beauty here at the
>>> Marketplace – four people walking abreast, with arms interlocked! I came
>>> very close to shouting “Red Rover!” and hurling myself between two of
>>> them.
>>
>> Kids at the mall have started doing this. I just plow right through. I
>> had one girl actually start to mouth off at me about it until a mall cop
>> walked by. He gave me a nod(the "good" nod).
>>
>
> One of the (many) reasons I avoid the mall.

I try, and mostly succeed, but Sears is there, and every now and then, I
have to go to Spencer for crude birthday gifts.

>>> If so, is there anything at Disney World that
>>> doesn’t use electricity? I’m so confused. I’m still trying to figure out
>>> why the Amish are so good at making electric fireplaces. Their Quality
>>> Control operation must suck without electrical outlets to test with.
>>
>> BMW doesn't drive every car out of the factory at over 100mph, yet I've
>> not heard of anyone buying one that wouldn't go that fast.
>
> Still... I'd expect an electric fireplace to at least be plugged in once
> before shipping.

OK, think of it this way. Let's say they have a 1 in 1,000 failure
rate. So every 1,000 units, they lose, say, $100 in cost to replace a
failed unit. But to actually pay someone to test the unit would cost
about $0.25 each, or $250 per 1,000 units. So QA costs 2.5x the cost of
failures. It's a no-brainer (unless your building Pinto's).