The ABCs of An EPIC Girls' Trip! May, 2019-Q is for: Quietly Sending this Trip Report off Into an Internet Sunset (8/25)

[amazingact21]

That is pretty awesome that you were to (sort of) spot Grace two days after she was born. It's shame the rest of the day guests at DAK had the same idea...

 

[disneyAndi14]

Ahh the life of a Princess and her Royal Court living up at the GF!

You did better than I did! I never saw baby Grace at all, I like your pictures she is so sweet and mama taking such good care of her!!

 

[pkondz]

my neck isn’t what it used to be. The camera is heavy and is a pain in that neck.

oy

Little did I know that I would pull a colossal boo boo and take my phone for a swim losing the photos altogether from those 2 days.

And that would change one camera from being a pain in the neck to the loss of the other being a pain in the a**?

Sorry, Folks, I’m doing the best I can with the little material I have.

You're doing great!

I was lucky enough to make 3 journeys into AK in May

Ah yes. You have mentioned a time or two how AK is your favourite park.

When I arrived, I had no idea that there had been a brand new baby gorilla born in the troop only 2 days old!!

I hadn't heard about it. If I had, I might have asked Elle if she wanted to see. But considering the crowd descriptions... I'm almost relieved that I didn't know and therefore didn't have to make that decision.

Baby Grace, named after the conservation effort group called "Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education Center"

Oh! Clever.

What made it doubly so were the insane crowds who also wanted to steal a minute or two with the duo.

Ugh.
Pass, thank you.

tempers were edgy at times. The increasingly common entitled, rude behavior prevailed.

Of course. Let's all fight to see the glorious event.

waiting for almost 20 minutes to even get up to the glass.

Toooo long. I hardly wait that long for a good ride!
Then again... it's all about priorities. I have stood in (much) longer lines for things.

NOT my photo, but one taken from another EPIC DISser.

Which one isn't yours? The one with the baby peeping out? Or the reclining one? Or both?

one of the very first things that baby learns/mother teaches is to hang on for dear life.

I read that and started thinking. Is it a taught behaviour or an instinct?

At first, mama will walk holding on to the baby using her other 3 limbs, but eventually as the mother needs to increase calorie intake and forage more, baby will need to do the work of holding on.

Huh! Interesting. Makes sense.

Nice shot!

I went up on the 2nd tier of the viewing area and watched some kids interacting with a CM getting a badge for their Wilderness Explorer Handbook. The big kid in me couldn’t resist! I asked for a handbook and did the first activity to work my way to earning my Senior Wilderness Explorer status.

Good for you! You're just a kid at heart anyways.

I am almost a senior citizen. At least that’s what the cashier at Ace Hardware thought when she asked if wanted the Senior Discount.

Next time, immediately say yes and take the discount!

I’m thinking of getting in line for a pretzel with some slutty shorts on and ask if there’s a Childless Traveler’s Badge yet.

Please, for your safety, do not try to stand in front of me in the spot I've stood in for an hour to see the fireworks.

Whups! Yes, ma'am!

Yes, I’m taking my book back to get some more badges in a few weeks.

Ah! Didn't know if you could do that or if it had to be done the day of, or something. Know little about it.

Yes, my kids will have to put up with me.

Yes, I’m a dingus.

 

[Steppesister]

Yes, it was very hot in may. I sweated bullets too. Thank goodness for air conditioning.

That's only for the Slinky Dog, Safari or FoP stand by queues.

Hey! Hey! Hey!
This is a family board, lady. What you and grumpy do should be kept behind closed doors!

Party pooper.

You mean like...

Never read any Tolstoy, but I did see a play by him (The Cherry Orchard?) in Crapistan. Excellent.... but sad as I recall.

Jane Austen...

Probably my all time fave author.

F. Scott Fitzgerald...

Never cared much for American Lit of that era.

SpongeBob SquarePants...

Okay, fine. I admit it. I do watch it with my kiddos at work.

Charles Dickens...

Like that?

Yes, like that. Dickens... hmmm, love him too! Especially Great Expectations.

wait...

Shouldn't the motorcoach wait for you??

Nah, had to go back to incognito so as not to be mobbed.

So it did arrive. Were you able to use it though? There was a plug near your table?

Yes, it did, and I'd stashed a battery pack in my purse. But I'm an imbicile sometimes and didn't add a cord.

Probably hoping you wouldn't tell anyone about his poor performance earlier.
Joke's on you Alejandro!

LOL!

Next time we meet up, you need to show me these glass shoes. I wanna see how you can walk in them with out shattering them.

They are a very special kind of glass. Don't tell anyone!

Curiouser and curiouser!
Whoops! wrong character.

Ironically/coincidentally, I just watched that last night! The new(ish) one with Depp/Carter/Hathaway.

You can takt the (at heart) part out. You're young.

And???? How did she react???

She couldn't even believe it! She would have been happy at the CSR, as would have I, but this was a happy surprise for sure.

Hardly fitting treatment of a guest, let alone a royal one.

Yes.

Uh, huh. Why didn't you "just load" them about an hour ago?

That is the million dollar question.

Gotta rein in those golf carts, you know.

Vroom vroom.

Oh! He drove you guys over to the Poly? Nice!!

I thoguht that really was the extra special touch that makes Disney, Disney.

That... Disney has a file on you.
Not anyone else... just you.


You're very important, you know.

If they do, I doubt it's just me. I did find it over-the-top weird and still has me puzzled.

<sigh> Some day...

Ah, who am I kidding. I doubt I'll ever get there. I just don't see that as a place to go by myself.

I would agree, I don't think I'd ever go there alone, but you can order the same food at the Tambu, have a great view, and a nice Lapu! ;

Yes, I remember.
How's your mom now?

Fine and dandy!

Yep. Definitely a file on you.

Or stalker.

Amounts to the same thing.

I really don't know what to say. Creepy, but uummm, if it gets me fun conversations like that.... I'm okay with that.

No way!
I know zero about horses, horse racing, or jockeys... but I know that name!

I think most people do... Well, maybe most people say 50 and older.

 

[Steppesister]

I didn't realize it, but I sure felt like royalty that day!

Well, for very good reason, Princess Buzzrelly!! May I adjust your tiara and buy you a drink?

 

[Steppesister]

The GF sounds like a beautiful, elegant resort, but perhaps not one someone should stay if they are on a time crunch. Seems like every time you turned around you were waiting on somebody to do something!
Glad you were able to (eventually) get your bags in time to gather your gifts for the dinner.

I don't think it's one meant for the rushed or hurried sort. It's very elegant but with that comes a sense of slow down, it's not all about racing to the parks. Just a feeling I got.

 

[Steppesister]

I would totally take 4 nights at the Grand ANY day!!!

I did love it, but tbh, I'd almost rather be at the Poly or any of the other resorts I haven't tried yet. It was a treat and I was totally grateful, but I have a feeling I will love the others I get to try very soon!

 

[Steppesister]

That is pretty awesome that you were to (sort of) spot Grace two days after she was born. It's shame the rest of the day guests at DAK had the same idea...

She is so tiny. Teensy weensy and so cute!! I loved watching her mama take such good care of her. I'm sure the crowds have died down now so I'll take the kids in a few weeks and try again then.

 

[Steppesister]

Ahh the life of a Princess and her Royal Court living up at the GF!

Well, you're even more princess-y than me! You stay there all the time, Chica.

You did better than I did! I never saw baby Grace at all, I like your pictures she is so sweet and mama taking such good care of her!!

It was an unexpected treat to see her, even if I did have to fight the crowds.

 

[Steppesister]

And that would change one camera from being a pain in the neck to the loss of the other being a pain in the a**?

Yes, although it wasn't too bad. I spent an hour and a half or so in an AT&T store and away I went with a new phone to keep me in debt for years!! YAY me.

You're doing great!

Thanks! Starting to wind down now. I'll post about the Food Kiosks for Flower and Garden and maybe one or two other things, but after that, kinda wanna start my next TR.

Ah yes. You have mentioned a time or two how AK is your favourite park.

It really is.

I hadn't heard about it. If I had, I might have asked Elle if she wanted to see. But considering the crowd descriptions... I'm almost relieved that I didn't know and therefore didn't have to make that decision.

All total I spent maybe 30-40 minutes on my longest visit. Really not bad for waiting for a decent shot. Had I known I wouldn't get one...

Of course. Let's all fight to see the glorious event.

Makes me wonder who the proverbial monkeys are.

Toooo long. I hardly wait that long for a good ride!
Then again... it's all about priorities. I have stood in (much) longer lines for things.

Yes, you have.... I seem to recall a certain (wet!) wait for Jack. And you're right. When I was 12, I'd stand in line for Space Mountain for an hour. Now, no way. For a place in Trader Sam's, yeah. Done that in the last few years.

Which one isn't yours? The one with the baby peeping out? Or the reclining one? Or both?

The one of baby sprawled out on Kashata. I'll go back and edit to make it more clear.

I read that and started thinking. Is it a taught behaviour or an instinct?

I think some of both. She definitely used the verb "teach", and then went on to talk about the length of time that takes etc... So who knows..

Good for you! You're just a kid at heart anyways.

I... kinda am.

Next time, immediately say yes and take the discount!

I hear you can pick up a coffee for $.66 at McDonalds with a discount. Tastes like crap, but...

 

[Terra Nova guy]

Little did I know that I would pull a colossal boo boo and take my phone for a swim losing the photos altogether from those 2 days. So, instead of a normally mediocre TR, you will have to suffice with a less-than-mediocre one with fewer photos.

Oh dear...not good luck with taking your phone for a swim.
But for the record, your writing is perfectly delightful.

The big kid in me couldn’t resist! I asked for a handbook and did the first activity to work my way to earning my Senior Wilderness Explorer status.

Nothing wrong with that at all! If I had a little more time, I may be inclined to get my own Wilderness Explorer badges.

In fact, I’m thinking of getting in line for a pretzel with some slutty shorts on and ask if there’s a Childless Traveler’s Badge yet. I'm not a Millennial, but I do travel childless most of the time

Wasn't that article ridiculous?

 

[Steppesister]

A REAL LIFE UPDATE

Once in a while, it's good to keep things real here. It's what makes us friends and not just readers. Feel free to just skip.

I tried my hand at Airbnb'ing the spare room in my apartment and it was going REALLY GREAT!!! I loved it and was meeting some really nice people. And truth be told, the money was quite good. But, I got busted. My apt. management found out and I had to pull my ad down, cancel all of the reservations I had lined up, and Airbnb issued refunds to everyone. I needed that money to make ends meet until life settles down a bit for me. So, with that source no longer possible, I had to come up with something different. On a whim, I applied to a job at a nearby hospital to fill in the one day a (work) week I normally have off. (Normally, I work 4 days a week at my current job, but the hours are only averaging 32 or so hours right now. Not enough.) I called up the manager, and on the spot offered me an interview for last Wednesday. I went and sat through a 30-minute panel interview and before I got home, I was sent the background check link. Good sign, yes? And within minutes of getting home (a 30-minute drive) I had a "Welcome Letter" in my inbox. Best part? An $8/hour increase over my current pay. I am commited to 1 day/week there and start August 27th. It's working as an RN in the "Short Stay" Dept. where minor procedures are done. I'll admit patients, see them through their short recoveries, do infusions of antibiotics, work in the Cath Lab, learn how to do IV sedation (super excited about that!), and maybe learn to place PICC lines. I dont' know for how long I'll need to do this extra job, but it will sure take the stress off living with such a tight budget. Truth be told, I'll need a new car in probably less than 2 years and need to think seriously about retirement savings.

The kids and I are headed to Disney in just a few very short weeks, and although this new job won't help much BEFORE, it will certainly help replenish my savings account that will be devoid of anything at all after it.

So, having said all of that, my DISTime will shrink even more, but I still love to write, I still love to share my photos and stories, and still love all of you.

 

[Steppesister]

Oh dear...not good luck with taking your phone for a swim.
But for the record, your writing is perfectly delightful.

It was 100% toast. Thank God for the Cloud. Most of my photos were salvaged.
But thank you very much Jeff. I try and it's still fun.

Nothing wrong with that at all! If I had a little more time, I may be inclined to get my own Wilderness Explorer badges.

It was/is fun!! I am learning a lot just talking to the CMs as I do it.

Wasn't that article ridiculous?

It was hilarious! It perfectly showed what a complete imbicile she is. I have to wonder how on earth she gets through life.

 

[Cloe Colton]

Still think its so awesome that you got to stay at the Grand on an upgrade! What a dream!! Was your Mom completely flabbergasted when you told her the news?

Baby Grace is so cute!! Glad you got to try out the Wilderness Explorers stuff. As a childless millenial I plan on continuing my quest of enjoying Disney sans kids until that day comes! (I am also not going to give up my spot in front of me. And yes someone has tried to guilt me into this before. MNSSHP 2017, my family found a great spot in the hub facing the castle about 30 minutes prior and a Mother and son tried to get me to move to let them in. Sorry! (but not actually sorry lol))

What a bummer about the Air BnB! I don't really understand why landlords don't like them? As long as you aren't disturbing others I don't see why it should be an issue but it certainly seems to be for a lot of them! Glad the additional hours should work out though!

 

[KathyM2]

Loved the gorilla pics despite the camera mishap!! So sorry about the air b n b thing. Just as I was considering trying that, I live in a condo/townhouse, not sure if it's allowed, probably not...ugh. Glad you were able to find something else instead, although that's a bit more actual work lol but sounds exciting! I'm not sure if I missed something, but did you ever find out how they knew that you had worked at Disneyland?

 

[thumper*]

YAY for the new Short stay gig, maybe you'll be offered more hours later and you can make even more $,not sure how that would work.

 

[MAGICFOR2]

How special for Your Royal Highness and your Court! A little Pixie Dust is always around the corner, or a lot!
I hope your friend's daughter is doing better.
Love the Alice art! Doesn't rival some of your photos though.

 

[MAGICFOR2]

A REAL LIFE UPDATE

Once in a while, it's good to keep things real here. It's what makes us friends and not just readers. Feel free to just skip.

I tried my hand at Airbnb'ing the spare room in my apartment and it was going REALLY GREAT!!! I loved it and was meeting some really nice people. And truth be told, the money was quite good. But, I got busted. My apt. management found out and I had to pull my ad down, cancel all of the reservations I had lined up, and Airbnb issued refunds to everyone. I needed that money to make ends meet until life settles down a bit for me. So, with that source no longer possible, I had to come up with something different. On a whim, I applied to a job at a nearby hospital to fill in the one day a (work) week I normally have off. (Normally, I work 4 days a week at my current job, but the hours are only averaging 32 or so hours right now. Not enough.) I called up the manager, and on the spot offered me an interview for last Wednesday. I went and sat through a 30-minute panel interview and before I got home, I was sent the background check link. Good sign, yes? And within minutes of getting home (a 30-minute drive) I had a "Welcome Letter" in my inbox. Best part? An $8/hour increase over my current pay. I am commited to 1 day/week there and start August 27th. It's working as an RN in the "Short Stay" Dept. where minor procedures are done. I'll admit patients, see them through their short recoveries, do infusions of antibiotics, work in the Cath Lab, learn how to do IV sedation (super excited about that!), and maybe learn to place PICC lines. I dont' know for how long I'll need to do this extra job, but it will sure take the stress off living with such a tight budget. Truth be told, I'll need a new car in probably less than 2 years and need to think seriously about retirement savings.

The kids and I are headed to Disney in just a few very short weeks, and although this new job won't help much BEFORE, it will certainly help replenish my savings account that will be devoid of anything at all after it.

So, having said all of that, my DISTime will shrink even more, but I still love to write, I still love to share my photos and stories, and still love all of you.

I Apologize, I missed that you are single now . PM me if you wish. God provides. We have learned this over and over lately. Almost don't skip a beat when things happen anymore. And He is faithful. Praying for you, and happy you have the new job.

 

[irene_dsc]

Baby Grace is adorable! I can see why people were waiting so long to see her!

And, congrats on the new gig! Sorry to hear the airbnb thing didn't work out...

 

[Steppesister]

M is for: Making the Most of My Birthday Mania!!​

Not only was this an EPIC trip with EPICer pixie dust sprinkled throughout, it was one of the EPICest because it was also my birthday week. WOOT, WOOT! Birthdays, until a few years ago, were never much of a cause for celebration, but things changed dramatically on my 50th when I was treated like royalty at Victoria and Albert’s. I realized that they ARE a reason to celebrate muchly and this year was no exception. My mama got to be part of that week and throughout, I was sung to in 4…. Count them… 4 languages, and was treated to a few extras along the way.

• While on a monorail ride one morning, a young family noticed my birthday button and asked if I’d like their daughter, perhaps 7 or 8 years old, to sing me Happy Birthday. Of COURSE I would! “Okay, which language?” “Uhhh, well I certainly wasn’t expecting that! I hemmed and hawed a bit, and they offered, “Irish, Spanish or <something else I don’t remember>?” I chose Irish, and right there in front of a carful of folks, I got my first Happy Birthday song in Irish from the most precious of sources.

• At O’hana the Ukulele Guy lead a restaurant-wide Happy Birthday for Jackie and me in Hawaiian. That, Folks, was pretty super cool!

• If you know me at all, you would have guessed I’d boogie it up with my faves, Tam Tam Congo at AKL. It’s my jam and, as ridiculous as I look, I make it a point to shake my goods with them at least once a trip. Birthday buttons are a magical thing, especially if you are game to play along and joyfully, willingly, and gratefully receive the attention or pixie dust they garner. Tam Tam was no exception and I LOVED having Happy Birthday sung to me by the gathered crowd in Swahili. Woot!
  
  (***Side note: Photos went down into the watery abyss with the phone- the really tragic part of that story is that I had literally let my Cloud payment slip for those 2 days. I got a notice just before my trip saying my payment information was outdated (I’d gotten a new debit card with a new exp date) and I needed to update it. But you know how it goes with trying to work full time right up to leaving on a trip. I either forgot or didn’t have time to do it. So, while I WAS warned that I was going to lose Cloud backup, those 2 days where they cut me off were permanently lost. Lesson learned. And you can be sure, one of the first things I did when I set my new phone up was update my Cloud info. Traveler, be warned.)

• Lastly, it goes without saying, I had it sung to me in English along the way here and there, but that wasn’t nearly as wonderful as the international-flavored renditions.

Now, onto more birthday celebrations! On one of my late evenings, I found myself at DTD (yeah, yeah, DTD, The Springs, whatever….) wanting to try out the Edison again and watch some of the after-hours entertainment geared toward the adults-only crowd. You know, one of those places you won’t find the kids having meltdowns because the Childless have unjustly taken up space or precious pretzel commodities. I didn’t order a pretzel.

When I arrived, and was pleased that, just like last year, they are luring folks in with some teaser entertainment outside. Previously, it was Steampunk Dude on stilts inviting guests to give the place a try. This year, it was a bit more ramped up, perhaps because it was already 9:00, and I enjoyed this juggler’s set quite a bit. A young lady of many talents… (#nonotthatset)

​

I headed on in, and requested to be seated stage-side, but that proved harder to accommodate than I’d thought! I hung out in the reception area long enough to watch this mixologist who’d set up a mini bar with cool concoctions right there!

​

The lounge closes to under 21 at 10:00, but as I loitered on the stairs, you know to aid the hostesses in their job, eh hmmm, I noticed several tables with tweens at them lingering over candied bacon and baskets of chips. Ummm, you do know this place is closing to y’all soon, right? Finally, around 9:30, a table in the corner opened up and just as I turned to trot my hiney upstairs to make sure everyone knew my table was empty, the hostess met me to let me know my table was ready. Good thing we were on the same wavelength!! I’ve had tables dreams dashed before in the not too distant past from this. Not looking at you at all, @cinderkelly .

I wasn’t particularly hungry, but it’s a rude proposition to park one’s carcass at a table with zero intention of leaving for up to an hour without ordering something. So, I did. And I wasn’t disappointed:



They were the perfect salty, savory accompaniment with my drink… which I have no idea what was now. Does it really matter? I took my time and soon enough the live band and singer took the stage. If soft jazz with a sultry voice is something you’d enjoy, this is your place. I didn’t get much video, but what I do have will give you a pretty good idea of what to expect.

I thoroughly enjoyed their set too, nursing my drink slowly (money doesn’t grow on trees) and nibbling at the deviled eggs just taking the scene in. After some time had passed… maybe 15 more minutes, this Stilt Lady ambled through, presumably to walk around outside for a bit to draw in more business.

​

Again, some minutes later, a trio of dancers, dressed in flapper costumes took over the dance floor and did a number that filled some time before the next act was up.

​

Meantime, I hadn’t officially had any birthday cake and thought it more than high time! So that’s what I did. And what’s better than one birthday cake? 10 of them. Duh. How about this little beauty?

​

I mean what better way to stall at a coveted lounge-level table than to order far more than you can possibly eat? Let’s face it, at this point, I wasn’t paying for the food itself; I was paying for the show, the table, the evening. And my birthday cake. It paid off. Juggler Lady made a re-appearance but had transformed into Hula Hoop Lady. And she wasn’t messing around. I’m pretty sure if I tried anything close to this, I’d and up in a body cast and traction. Enjoy the tiny bit of video I got of her.

​

Sometime after Hula Hoop Lady and the next set of the band, this arrived!! Holy crap! I have no idea what my server was thinking, but I appreciated the gesture a LOT and after a photo, I asked her to box it up.

​

By this time my pancreas was screaming for mercy. It was after 11:00, and while the Edison is open until 2:00AM Thursday-Saturday, this wasn’t a night I was up for that. Was it what I expected? Pretty much, but I was hoping to see the aerialist that I’d seen on other YouTube vids of the entertainment. Perhaps someday I’ll head back and see if the entertainment changes out from what I got to see. The food is solid and seems consistent, the drinks are fun and what Abracadabar (RIP) used to be, and if you want something a bit on the edgier side of Hakuna Matata then, by all means, plan for a late night back in the 20’s at this modern speakeasy.