Payback’s a …. Trip to Disney World! (Jun 6 - 16) Updated 8/7
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Belle0824 · 07-14-2009, 12:12 PM

Soooo sweet! Gotta love that face and... those eyes!!! Congrats on the newest addition to the family!

Starla4436 · 07-14-2009, 12:38 PM

cute puppy!

POOH · 07-14-2009, 02:18 PM

OMG!! your puppy is just too cute.

Huntermom · 07-14-2009, 02:25 PM

That puppy is too cute for words. I have a book on mixed breed puppies and they rave about beagle/basset mixes. I guess the laid back basset calms the frisky beagle and the beagle brings life to the basset.

My older son is a law student who has been living away from home for several years now but his heart still melts for our dogs when he comes home and are so thrilled to see him. It looks like Barnaby Jones is really tapping in to your son's softer side and they look so sweet together.

Diane

goofysdtr · 07-14-2009, 02:31 PM

Oh my! If he isn't the cutest puppy ever! Aren't they so much fun?! . . . well, except for the whole potty-training thing.

Thanks for the update, Karen. Can't wait to hear more!

vfair · 07-14-2009, 02:36 PM

Barnaby Jones is absolutely adorable. I LOVE the pictures. Looks like BJ could melt any heart.

Jillybean · 07-14-2009, 03:28 PM

Okay, as if the puppy (aka Barnaby Jones) isn't cute enough that look on Zack's face just blows me away. What an absolutely precious addition to your family!

We were on the beach at HHI when the picture came through and everything came to a halt when we saw that sweet face!

I am so happy for my buddies!

Jill

**Luvsun** · 07-14-2009, 11:17 PM

I do not blame you or Zach for falling head over heals in

with that adorable puppy! OMG.........Barnaby is just too cute for words!

Congratulations on the new adorable addition to the family!

zacksmom_1993 · 07-15-2009, 02:43 AM

And now back to our previously scheduled programming...

Having joined back up with Sharon, we headed down the back elevators by Roaring Forks so that I could fill up my Camelback on the way out to the buses. I have to admit there's nothing quite as white-trash as Klampett Karen trying to open up her hasn't-been-used-in-a-year bladder with one hand while pushing the water nozzle on the soda machine with the other. (I know, Eileen, it's played out, but I still think it's funny.

) Zack let me know (as he slowly backed away from the crazy lady) that there was a kid looking at me funny. I slapped down my gold card on the counter as a sort of get out of etiquette jail free card, while I continued my bladder manipulations. I may be white trash, but in the Disney context I was White Trash with Money (thank you Toby Keith.)

My bladder full, the sunscreen on, the caffeine coursing through my veins, I was finally ready for my Disney day. We had just a bit of a wait at the buses, but there was a CM manning the station and he let us know that a bus would be there shortly. We got on a fairly empty bus, which surprised me given that it was Star Wars Weekends at the Studios, but I happily grabbed one of three seats in the middle of the bus across from the rear doors. Now I go into so much detail about our position on the bus for a specific reason. On almost every single bus, these seats (which we tended to gravitate to for comedic effect) had the prime view of the Downtown Disney advertisement for an evening out. It pictured a young couple who I guess were supposed to be enjoying themselves. The woman looked happy enough, but the man, oh the man. Let's just say that the photo was not flattering. How can I describe the look on his face? The truth is, I can't. So, my darling son has re-created his expression in the following photo...

Do y'all know which ad I'm talking about now? Anyway, we amused ourselves (at least Zack and I were amused, Sha may have been faking) by imagining this guy bringing his family down to see the grand un-veiling of the ad. "Kids, it's going to be so great. I was looking goo-ooo-ood, the photographer loved me. Look there it .... awww man. I know I took better pictures than that."

And then, to add insult to injury, this ad is on EVERY STINKIN' BUS in the Disney fleet. We laughed every time. Again, EASILY AMUSED, folks.

After a stop at the Grand Floridian (P.S. one useful tip for the day, the Studios bus stops at the Wilderness Lodge and then the Grand Floridian in the morning, WL and then Fort Wilderness in the evening,) we were quickly at the Studios, arriving just after the celebrity Fastpasses had been distributed for the Star Wars actors. I chatted with one of the cast members and they let me know that if I wanted to get David Prowse's autograph (the actor who portrayed Darth Vader) the next day, I should get there about 4AM. Or, if I wanted to, I could camp out with the other fans who were bound to set-up their "beds" about seven that evening. Ummm, no thanks.

We got there in time to see the start of the Stormtrooper skit above the gates.

I was particularly amused by this one kid standing off to the side trying to intimidate one trooper with his light saber. The stormtrooper was giving the universal, I've got my eyes on you signal. You know, two fingers pointed towards your eyes, one finger pointed towards your object of attention. The kid was pretty much not intimidated, waving his light saber around, shaking his fist at the trooper. The kid was hilarious. So, of course, you know what that means, I have to go stand next to the kid, hoping to get some residual call-out attention from the stormtrooper. So, so sad folks.

Because they'd changed the procedure for getting the celebrity Fastpasses for Star Wars Weekends, the turnstiles were a total cluster-you-know-what They were crushed with all the Star Wars geeks trying to get into the merchandise shop first, the Toy Story Mania freaks who were bound and determined to get a Fastpass and a first ride in during the first 7.34 minutes the park was open regardless of who had to get crushed on the way, and the innocent clueless ones who thought that the Studios would be a nice way to spend a Saturday morning oblivious to the fact that they were about to become freaks and geeks cross-fire carnage. We stepped to the side and let the madness die down a little bit, and then followed the first wave into the park a little before nine. The scene replicated itself again at rope drop at the end of Hollywood Boulevard, and we once again followed the first wave assault, laughing at the slow and infirmed that had been shoved to the side of the road as the first casualties of the day. No, we didn't laugh, we stopped and offered to help. No, we didn't do that either, we wanted to ride freakin' Toy Story!

We got back to Pixar Place, actually didn't need to get that far, and saw that the Fastpass line for Toy Story extended all the way back to the Fastpass entrance for Voyage of the Little Mermaid. It's crazy folks. We got into a fairly chaotic line of our own to get in the Standby line. It was pretty free-form outside of the building and looked huge, but Sharon and I knew there was no way there could be that many people in front of us. Luckily, we were correct (what's the moral of the story, Zack? Mom's always right?), and once we got inside in about five minutes it was a short ten minute wait. The lack of line inside meant I finally had a chance to take some pictures.

Don't you just love the look on the pig-tail-pulling boy's face? That kid is EEE-Vil, mwah-ha-ha. It was actually my first time through the Standby line as I'd used the Single Rider Line or Fastpass on all my previous visits. Oh how I miss you single rider line! We all did OK on the ride, I have down in my notes that it was beavers all around. We debated getting Fastpasses for the ride after we got off, as the line had gone down. But, I have to admit that for Zack and I, all of the chaos to get on that ride takes away all of the magic of the ride. We enjoy it so much better at California Adventure. It's not that the ride is any different, but they have a single-rider line and no Fastpass there which means you can get on in about 30 - 45 minutes or less every time.

While we were debating, we had a chance to check out several of the Star Wars characters that were lurking about in the Empire section of the park. It became clear that although I may think I know a bit about Star Wars, I know nothing about Star Wars. The conversation with Zack went a little something like this:

Me: Oohh, what's that pig looking thing called?
Zack: A Gamorean pig.
Me: Oooo, is that a bantha?
Zack: Mom, that's a Tuscan Raider, they ride banthas.
Me: Ooooo, oooo, oooo, there's Boba Fett (and on this one, as God is my witness, I got a derisive look of scorn from a passing guest)
Zack: Mom (head in hands) that's Jengo Fett, he's wearing blue.

Oh well, at least I've SEEN Star Wars which is more than one member of our party could say.

Since we were close by, we all agreed to go on the Great Movie Ride. We had an awesome guide, who was the perfect cheese level. Usually, I get guides that are either flat (they're no cheese at all, they're freakin' milk) or they are so far on the cheese continuum they're freakin' Velveeta. This guy was perfect, not gourmet, but like a nice mild cheddar from the big block at Costco. Where he really won my heart though was when the ride stopped unexpectedly at the Wizard of Oz scene with Dorothy. He stalled for a bit, but then when it was clear that there were technical difficulties that couldn't be explained away as part of the script he just broke into a whistled version of the theme from Close Encounters of the Third Kind. I

those moments of Disney improv!

We had a bit of time before I thought we'd need to stake out a spot for the Star Wars parade, so we headed towards Muppet Vision. Now, on any given day, I love me some Muppet Vision. But, on this day, I was lucky enough to sit next to a little guy who absolutely MADE the show for me. He was totally enthralled with all of the effects which was charming. But he KILLED me when Fozzie came out with his banana cream pie. When Kermit asked, "Fozzie what is that?" My little neighbor friend answered dryly, "Ummm, it's a flying pie." Like, obviously Kermit! Hee! Thanks little Muppet Vision neighbor buddy!

We got out of Muppet Vision with plenty of time to get a good spot for the parade. We stopped to grab Fastpasses for Star Tours, and then after being moved out of a restricted area found a great space to stand under some shade near the end of the route. The problem was that we were standing next to a spot where you weren't allowed to stand for the parade, but it looked like a perfectly good spot. So, people would stand there for a minute, a Cast Member would come up to them and tell them it wasn't allowed, and then they'd try to push in front of us in our teeny tiny triangle of allowed space. Sharon, Zack, and I and this one other mother / daughter team were doing a pretty good job of guarding our turf. But, there was one mom who just wouldn't be put off. She kept standing directly in front of us IN the parade route, and when a Cast Member told her she'd have to leave, she'd cheerily reply, "Oh, I'll move when the parade starts."

Then she'd grin at all of us losers who'd been there for thirty minutes holding a spot and say, "My son just has to see this parade, he's such a big Star Wars fan." Well, although I didn't like it, I didn't really have a problem with her kid as at 4'2" I think I could see over him. But, just look at the parade pictures Zack took (and he was in front of me to do so) and take a wild guess what color hair little miss "I'll Move When The Parade Starts" has?

I didn't crop her out so that you can spot the evil back of her head. She's like the kid from Chutes & Ladders. Although, I was positive I had an unflattering picture of her ubber arm flab I was going to post. Must have been wishful thinking because I think I've had meals that weighed more than her. The best (she says with tongue in cheek) part was that when the parade ended, she had to push back through us because she'd gotten separated from her kid. He was so interested in the parade that he'd gone back to the tables to take a seat until it was over.

I guess it's a good thing she got pictures.

Even with our parade space invaders, we had a great time viewing the parade. I loved some of the pictures Zack got of the celebrities.

Given the necessary 4AM wake-up time, the closest I'd get to David Prowse!

For those into pop culture, but not Star Wars, apparently Matt Lanter (the voice of Anakin in the Clone Wars series) is currently playing a bad boy on 90210.

And, I recognized Ashley Eckstein from a recurring role she had as a mean girl in That's So Raven. I love how it looks like she's flirting with Zack's camera in this pic.

After the parade ended, the sky started to look seriously threatening. So, we dashed over to Sci Fi Dine-In to check-in a bit early for our ADR just before the rain started pouring down. Zack was starting to hit the wall and was seriously frustrated with the crowd waiting at the Sci-Fi. And, I have to admit, when it's raining outside, it's ridiculous inside there. But, we were waiting on the Koenigs to join us for lunch and I felt like this lunch was the official kick-off of our vacation. No way was I changing these plans! As soon as the rain had started, it stopped. And, as I went outside, the clouds parted, a ray of sunlight splashed down on a beautiful blond family, and I was running towards them, wind rushing through my hair as the Chariots of Fire theme played. Vacation had begun!

Up Next... How badly do you have to bumble a surprise before a seven-year-old is on to you? Pretty darn badly it turns out!

**chezp** · 07-15-2009, 05:48 AM

Oooh... don't you hate it when people do that to you when you're waiting for a parade? Still, you managed to get some great shots, although yes, I see the hair colour!

PearlySwan · 07-15-2009, 06:28 AM

Wonderful pictures.

**Caldercup** · 07-15-2009, 07:47 AM

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful

-- thanks for keeping your promise, Karen. (Although I went to bed last night thinking you'd totally bailed on me.)

Filling the Camelback "bladder," Downtown Disney guy with the TEETH, and Evil Parade Lady's son going back to the table... they all solicited great guffaws from me (that I had o stifle because the rest of the fam damily is sleeping away in their hot, crowded beach house accommodations.)

Fun stuff.

When do we get more?

Eileen