20171105 – More Fun / Stress At The Parks

After our weeks Disney cruise we now have a week left of Disney park tickets. Oh joy more fun.

Up early and out to the Magic Kingdom. Big mistake choosing this park today. There was a 06:00 marathon and they’re filming their Disney advert. The place is rammed. 140 minutes is the record wait time. Just an indication of the greed, money for old rope. How can they fail to make money?

At least we have some Fast passes so get on the best rides apart from the Seven Dwarfs. Starbucks are just beyond hope, more customers than Muslims around the Kaba at Ramadan. Stuff them. Good day despite the crowds and managed to do some of the older rides and the train, still great rides for younger kids. Thankfully we missed It’s A Small World. At least we were not too late leaving – learning some common sense.

Decide last minute to go to the Florida Mall – Fiona’s treat and all time favourite theme park.

Take a guess as to which store in the whole of the Florida Mall is rammed full to the gunnels? Well it’s not Victorias secrets or Bose. Yes, it’s the nerds store, Apple. The Microsoft store is next door, probably hoping for some passing trade to rub off. No chance. It’s empty.

Then it’s Hollywood studios again today. Catch most of the good rides with Fast pass, including Toy story which is as good, if not better than, Buzz Light Year. Jasper goes on Tower Of Terror but does not enjoy it and is frightened.

We were thinking of staying for Fantasmic but chicken out. It’s just too late for the kids, never mind the adults. Have tea back at home, fortunately I have my Spicy Italian Subway, with an excess of jalapeños, so tomorrow no doubt my arse will be on fire.

Hal,Carol and Angela arrive to stay with us for a few days.

Jasper and Angela enjoy the pool with Kurt.

Lazy morning then we’re off to Epcot for the afternoon. My god it’s hotter than the hinges of hell and sweatier than a Water Hoggs backside.

I do yet another dive with Disney Quest in their giant Aquarium. Great dive, just 25 feet deep, warm with plenty of pretty fish and fake coral – can you believe it Disney use the fake stuff. My sort of dive these days and helps me keep my hand in at diving. As usual my ears feel like they’re going to implode and no doubt I’ll be deaf for a week. Some amazing sharks, complete with mangy teeth; colourful sting rays; giant turtles, two of which start kissing one another just in front of me – fortunately they remember it’s Disney and resist having it off. Get to do a high five with Jasper who cutely blows me kisses through the glass wall.

Then in the evening we have a makeshift meal, on the pavement, whilst waiting for the firework and light display. Very impressive, the display that is, as always.

A late night but fortunately traffic clears quickly. If this was in the UK it’d take at least a day to clear those crowd, people would die of old age in the process

Drop Kurt and Fiona off at Disney Springs, formerly Downtown Disney, no doubt some bright spark on the 94th floor of the Disney marketing building thought it would be a wonderful idea to change the name. It almost certainly cost a fortune, I doubt it has had a measured or measurable benefit, and I doubt whether the dickhead responsible has been given a brown envelope and escorted off the premises.

Wendy and I get to take Jasper to Epcot for the morning. As usual his behaviour is impeccable and we have a great morning together doing some of the less popular activities at Epcot. Including a light lab where he gets to mix colours and gets to learn that red, green and blue, the additive primary colours, makes white.

Amazing 3D animation from Disney and Pixar. Mind blowing. That good I even watched it twice.

Kurt and Fiona meet up with us for lunch.

So hot again. We start to have a wander around the Lands but give up as it’s just too hot.

Set off back home so Wendy and Fiona can go to Walmart – you’d have thought they’d have put their slippers and pyjamas on to fit in with the clientele and for such an auspicious outing. Kurt and I are left looking after the kids. Jasper and I have a whale of a time in the pool.

In the evening we have some wine and Dark and Stormy cocktails.

Fiona’s off to her theme park today with a trip to the Outlet Stores. No trip to America would be worthwhile without such a 3 hour retail therapy session. It’s Starbucks for me.

Then sadly we drop them off at the airport, complete with more luggage than a travelling circus act. Say our good byes. We’ve had an awesome time with our kids and grandkids, we’ll miss them and will be rattling around in our awesome 4 bedroomed Orlando home for the next 16 days.

Well it’s been an awesome holiday with kids and grand kids. Love them all but driving with a screaming grandkids can fray your nerves to shreds. Best holiday ever.

In the evening we have a lazy, booze free evening, and catch up on Blue Planet and the Gunpowder series.

Hal and co depart for Charlestone. So now it’s just the two of us, peace, quiet and tranquility. Time to catch up on three weeks worth of blogs, get some reading in, sort through thousands of photos and whittle them down to manageable numbers ready for a holiday album and hopefully get some reading in.

We’ve still got 3 days of Disney Park passes left so after a lazy day, we set off for the Magic Kingdom Fireworks. Arrive about 17:50, wow it’s really busy. Car park attendant asks us if we’re here for the party. “No, what party?” Park close at 18:00, no fireworks, it’s party night and yes you guessed it, it’s extra admission fee. Turn round and go home. Teach me a valuable lesson – knowledge is not just power but essential – in future check the calendar.

Never mind finish off watching Gunpowder, some TV all washed down with a very tasty Merlot.

Lazy morning and then in the afternoon we set off for the Magic Kingdom again. Too busy to get on any ride. Not queueing 60 minutes.

Have evening dinner at the Grand Floridian, all very elegant and civilised. Then back to the park for the laser, light and fireworks. It’s an hour before they’re due to start yet everywhere is already rammed.

We stand, sit and wait for 50 minutes. Can’t believe it. But have to admit it was spectacular, almost worth it. After this every firework display is going to seem insipid.

Happily Ever After media, laser and firework display:

Then this was followed by Once Upon A Time laser show at Magic Kingdom:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iz1UgPFLRJc