Day Two: When we realize we went just a BIT too hard.
Good morning all! Our second day of Park touring is where we are. My plan for today was only to do Magic Kingdom, and after a break we had reservations at Ft. Wilderness for Mickey’s Backyard BBQ. I was hoping to get that in on arrival day, but alas it doesn’t run on Sundays. Hob nob I say! We also had breakfast reservations at BOG.
I knew the morning was going to be a tough start when DD opted to just sleep for the first hour and meet us at the park in time for our FP to 7DMT, followed by DBF saying “If I don’t get up now, I won’t go to the park” just after rousing a somewhat reluctant DSS. Maleficent is certainly sitting on high, grasping her staff and petting her crow with that smirk. MK opened at 8 this particular morning, and we made it in just before the welcome show started. I offered to get coffee at the Main St. Starbucks (let’s all agree that we can stop referring to it as the Bakery, shall we?) but as it was already hovering around 80 degrees there was dissension in that offer.
Now, at home, such trivial things as “outside temperature” don’t really matter to coffee consumption. And coffee consumption is vital to not only myself functioning like a real human, but also for DBF. The swirling clouds are starting to form.
We caught the opening show, which DSS actually seemed to appreciate (he does like himself some Mickey Mouse, so it’s all good for him) and made our way to Haunted Mansion. The longest part of the wait was waiting for enough people to get to the queing area just outside to get it moving- we practically walked on. I love HM- no matter how many times I ride it I find some new nuance to the ride or one more detail that I’d missed previously. The boys took their own Doom Buggy and I had one to myself and I just enjoyed being on it. From there, we hit Peter Pan standby with only a fifteen minute wait (happily, the park had been open for about 20 minutes and I was afraid the line would already be long) and we had fun in the que heading towards the ride- I really like the revamped que! DSS was looking forward to seeing Tick Tock Crock as he calls him chasing Captain Hook, and he liked the ride fairly well. After that we had some time to pass before our FP, so we went on Prince Charming’s Carousel- just a cute way to kill a few minutes. By then we were waiting for DD to join us, and then hit 7DMT with our FP. I had only ridden in standby before at MNSSHP, so I wasn’t sure how much of the interactive stuff we would see going through FP- turns out not that much! The boys liked it but seeing as he’d already ridden ToT and RNR the day before, it wasn’t quite as exciting for him as those were.
After the FP, we made our way over to BOG. We had pre-ordered all of our food so after we found a seat in the main Ballroom everyone got their drinks. Finally DBF opted for coffee. I say finally because after two days of not having that morning jolt, he was starting to show signs of withdrawal- I wasn’t sure if we were going to need to stage an intervention soon! We drink coffee at home, as mentioned above. And evidently we are spoiled by it because Joffrey’s coffee is just not good to us. As DD put it: no amount of cream or sugar can make that taste good. We think it’s roasted with Chicory and that flavor is NOT common in MI- maybe that’s why we don’t like it. DD and I tried warning him ahead of time, but we were stubbornly asked “How bad can it be?” Well, he realized we were right. I know quite a few people love Joffreys, but we just can’t do it. He opted to go for Diet Coke instead after choking down half a cup. Overall, and now that I’ve eaten there a few times, I’m willing to give BOG a solid “B” (which DBF also gave it compared to our other breakfasts). But for me, the B is the boosted grade after the curve of the atmosphere. The food quality is kind of hanging on that atmosphere and the theming. DD loves it, but again I think mainly because of the theme. I had the quiche, DD had the kids scrambled eggs (I paid oop for it since she’s 17, though could have just used the credit as it turns out), DSS had the french toast, and DBF had the Feast a la Gaston.
By now it’s not quite 10 am, and we’ve sufficiently cooled off and are now happily fed. For a few mintues, the swirling clouds are starting to wane in the distance, and my mood is starting to relax a little. We had our next FP to use: Buzz Lightyear! With all the trips I’ve taken recently, this is another attraction that I hadn’t been on. I challenged DSS to try to get Galactic Hero, to which he responded why can’t we just get a million points instead? (Because there’s not enough space for a million on your score board, obviously. THAT’S the limiting factor here.) The boys are stoked about this ride for a few reasons. We are Toy Story fans, but more over, we are a Law Enforcement family. Target Shooting is a hobby for DBF, DSS and myself. DD has been on the range, but it isn’t her cup of tea. And we are all competitive. I mean, COMPETITIVE. They really liked it and the pictures at the end of the ride came out well. I enjoyed swirling our car so DD couldn’t shoot was she was aiming for. Tee hee! Nobody was a Galactic Hero this day, however. We had some time to kill before our next FP at Space, so we met Buzz Lightyear himself and then hopped on Carousel of Progress- DD enjoyed the time for a mini nap and for the rest of the trip DSS was singing the song- he actually asked to go on it again later on. It’s been over 20 years since I’d been on it, so it was almost like experiencing it for the first time.
After that we saw the photo op for the Incredibles Omnidroid, so we hopped over there and got the obligatory Family Picture. Then, time to swipe in for SM. The seating arrangement on Space was odd for them- DBF was used to sitting right next to DSS on all of the rides so single file was messing with them. I assured them it was okay, DSS had to be in his own slot, and we’ll all be in the same train. While waiting I popped into MDE and looked for a 4th FP- I was hoping for BTMRR but alas, DENIED. It was a hard denial, too. So I snagged Pirates initially for 1:30 (it was only 10:45 at the time, and when I tell you I KNEW that wasn’t going to work, I am NOT exaggerating. These boys looked like they were five steps away from being toast already and we’d been there less than three hours). Maleficent was starting to win. So I was able to modify it to 11:45 which was much more tolerable.
I’m a fan of SM. We make sure we hit that ride at least twice each trip as a general rule. But this time, I was in the VERY FRONT SEAT. Let me tell you something. I’ve heard the stories of how rickety the coaster is, but from the back of the train you don’t always get a true appreciation for it. From the front, even with all the lights off, you do. There is a coaster in a local theme park called the Wildcat that just whips you around a little with some light hills, it reminded me of that. I won’t ride the Wildcat because I don’t like the feeling that I’m going to completely fall off the track on a coaster. The only thing worse than being in the front seat on SM? Being in the front seat if the ride goes down and they have to turn the lights on I think. Fortunately that didn’t happen, but it changed me people. It changed me.
As we were getting off the ride, DBF asked “what’s next”? But in The Tone. You know The Tone. The Tone that says “Okay, I’m doing this but if you could just go ahead and say nothing, that would be fantastic”. I let him know we had about 45 minutes before our next FP, so we have time for snacks. This delighted DSS- so he got a Mickey Ice Cream Sandwich and waters all around. We cut through the front of the park over to Adventure Land so I could get my snack- I needed to test which is actually better: Citrus Swirl or Dole Whip. Yes, the debate of the Ages had to be resolved this trip. I’m a huge fan of Dole Whip but was willing to skip it to try the Citrus Swirl, and y’all on team Citrus Swirl are DEAD WRONG. Dole Whip is superior. There, I said it. We had some time so I took DSS through the Swiss Family Treehouse (nostalgia for me, however, the relevance of this attraction is minimal since they haven’t released or remade that movie in a while, could we please get on that Disney Studios? That’d be great. Otherwise y’all in Imagineering are going to redo that attraction and I’ll be somewhat sad. Thanks.) DBF at this point is having a hard time masking his annoyance at the world, and I realize that blood sugar and heat are taking their toll on him. Not to mention the day before he decided to wear his Chacos all day and his feet were killing him. Maleficent is starting to chuckle now, can you hear it?
We kill some time and at 11:40 we do the five minute grace to swipe in for Pirates. DSS enjoyed the que and the ride, and I’m not sure about DBF. He was past his point of no return. DD and I enjoy the ride whenever we ride it, so I’m not worried about her, but am about the other two. DSS is on about a 1/4 tank (he’s not used to all the walking, despite my encouraging him to do so for months before we left. Neither of them believed me and thought I was exaggerating when I told them how many miles we’d log each day. HA! I showed you!) so after the ride we opt to head back to POR for some rest. The cantankerous mood that had befallen the kingdom was exacerbated by the just missing of the bus, and having to wait for about 20 minutes for the next one. There was mumbling under the breath, folks. This is a bad sign. En route back, DBF said he thought he’d have to be done for the trip- his knee and his feet were hit.
There is a point in each relationship when you know that if you try to talk your partner into doing something, it’s going to go south. We were there. I was trying to sort out saying “tomorrow is our rest day, let’s just take it easy till dinner then evaluate tomorrow” but I know that it was going to sound like me trying to talk him into doing something he was convinced he wasn’t going to be able to do. And it also let me know how important a rest day is for a trip- typically I don’t take one. You know when you can’t win, so you just say “Okay” and hope for the best after a few hours of down time. I’m going to spare you all the drama that happened in between this point and dinner, but suffice it to say, it was tough.
We had to be at Ft. Wilderness at 5:30, so we took a Minnie Van to try to give as much quiet time as we could before heading out. The Mood was carrying with. There was uttering and mumbling, if I didn’t know better Maleficent herself had morphed into DBF and was making her presence known. The tension was present and even the Minnie Van driver could sense it- try as he might to make conversation that typically DBF would have jumped on it was a dead response. (Our driver was a former LEO- hello- common thread yo!)
The buffet at MBYBBQ was well put together- hot dogs, hamburgers, ribs, chicken (Fried not barbequed), beans, cornbread, mac n cheese, corn on the cob. All you can eat Mickey Bars, all you can drink bar. Yep, beer and wine are all you care to enjoy as well. The theme is what you may expect, Goofy, MIckey, Minnie, Chip and Dale are there and there’s a cute dance party (country music) that happens during dinner. There’s also a cowboy that comes out and does some cool rope/lasso tricks. Overall it takes about 90 minutes. DSS liked meeting Goofy and Chip and Dale, and I got him out to do the Cupid Shuffle with me. Overall, I’d give it about a solid B.
We took the boat back to MK, then bus back to the resort. DD wanted to hit Disney Springs so she headed that way, and I went to AK after snagging a FP for Everest- I wanted to ride it at night. The boys I let stay at the room and stew in DBF’s foul mood- after seven years I’ve found that when this happens, it’s best to let him ride this out by himself because I am NOT a glutton for punishment.
I’m typically not a huge fan of AK, though it is growing on me. It’s the park I most easily get turned around in, and at night that feeling intensifies. However, riding Everest at night is worth getting turned around in. I swear it rides faster after dark! I ended up riding it a second time, and realize that going to the park by myself was as much a break for me as it was for the boys.
We made it back to the room by about 10:30, I met DD at the bus stop as she was coming back from DS. When we got in I could sense things starting to thaw, but it was close enough to the edge that if I pushed it was going over. I was determined that Maleficent wasn’t winning this battle, so no sense in trying to push it.
The next day is July 4th: Will it be a good one? Will the Storm clouds clear by morning? Or will the rest of the Villains come and attempt to take over POR? All this and much more to follow!