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Survivor Longa-Walka-Hallway
Episode XI
As Seen on TV
The true evil
nature of the Emperor seemed to scare away all our online buddies. There were
lots of folks at the Millionaire meet but they all disappeared when I was
“straightening out” the lost scroll matter.
There was a real chance I was pushing a little too hard and
folks (wisely) abandoned me. Turns out however that that wasn’t the case,
strange as it may seem, the world doesn’t revolve around me.
I figured they had a very real expectation that I was going to
get thrown out. Dismissed in a very public and ceremonious way like having the pins
stripped off my lanyard one by one and ripping my annual pass in half. Just
like the beginning of that 1965 mid season classic
“Branded” staring Chuck
Connors as Jason McCord (a spin off of the Rifleman, come on admit it, you have
seen this on TV.)
Truth is, folks had picked up Rock 'n Roller coaster FastPasses
before going to the TV like Millionaire Show (what a coincidence so had we!)
They would rather ride with their FastPasses than let them expire. They were
being let by a certain Wolverine who knew his way around the park, almost like a
professional.
I wasn’t sure I felt any better about the mob ditching me for a
wealth of previously gathered Rn’R FastPasses, than bailing out for fear of
getting Branded and thrown out of the park, their annual passes shredded for
sticking with me.
Anyway we almost caught up with them; they were coming out of
Rock'n Roller Coaster as we went in. We waved.
Our Rn'R FastPasses had expired. However the word must have been
out from guest services to keep the cranky guy with the Imperial delusions away
from the complaint desk. They let us use our expired fast passes.
This was Delaney’s fist Rock n’ Rollercoaster ride.
There were long standing bribes in the offering, in an effort to
get her to ride. We kept offering more. She is tall enough. She kept choosing
not to ride.
As an experience Disney traveler we take a holistic approach to
WDW vacations. I know that sound a little granola-y. Fear not the Emperor isn’t
a health food nut. Unless you consider free range french fries, non-organic
burgers, Coke and fermented malt beverages health food, which I do.
OK Truth is we take granola bars but only ‘cause Connor likes’m.
I have read the fool nutrition label on them and am confident that they are not
more healthy than any other candy bar but they do come in a green wrapper.
Rn’R worked like this - while everyone else rode, I would take
Deleney to get something strange to eat. Just like Fear Factor on TV, usually at
the Staring Roll Bakery. I may have had a cappuccino. Typically what ever
insanely expensive snack looked good to her when it was behind the glass was,
actually, too scary to eat when it was in front of her. I would be FORCED to
slug it back with my distilled coffee product.
Anyway the holistic Disney approach is; we are there to have fun
for a whole trip. Forcing a kid to go on a ride they are scared of isn’t fun for
anyone, including the people around you. That isn’t to say we don’t offer
incentives and disincentives.
Having some distasteful grown up pastry, with your fat old dad,
who is drinking some hot brown liquid that came out of a small nuclear reactor,
is punishment enough for skipping the ride. The real incentives were the bribes
to ride; her choice of a T-shirt, hair thingies, etc. Like a pro poker player on
cable TV Delaney pushed the pot to the limit before cashing in and rode Rock n’
Roller Coaster.
She liked it.
Not saying she is going again anytime soon but it was OK. She
wanted a shirt that is over in MK. She had planned this out, keep holdin’ ‘m up
and make plans for more trips to Magic Kingdom.
The apple doesn’t fall too far from the trees.
Our lives are now fairly tightly scheduled by who eats how many
carbs when. Hence, why I read granola bar food labels.
It was feeding time and we left MGM with our heads held high,
shinny pins on our lanyards and annual passes in one piece. On the way out we
stopped and gave the disemboweled customer service guy, Chad and his manager
Pat, BadShoe.com ThankShoe pins for recovering our scroll
They seemed genuinely happy to have been able to help a fellow
Cast Member receive the recognition their twit manager had denied them. I could
be wrong but I also got the feeling that somewhere along the line somebody knew
one of the wife’s of one of the guys we were sticking up for and a belligerent
guest may have been just the right thing to help set things right.
The mission for the evening was Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas
Party. It had been about 191/4 hours since Zurgswife had any large scale events
planned. To keep out of withdrawal, she organized a meeting the assembled masses
for dinner. She had a worked out a group of 20 something for dinner at Liberty
Tree Tavern.
We had some extra glow necklaces and were distributing them to
the usual suspects. Gene was in his Eagles jersey. I noticed a lot of Eagles
stuff in the parks. I have been in Philly long enough to have been disappointed
more than a few times.
Even now that they are in the big game it is hard to get on the
band wagon. I remember Jaws throwing the ball to the Raiders a lot in 81. My son
still has the youthful optimism that his jaded father lacks. Blair is the king
of the band wagon; hat, shirts, coat , gloves. I still watch more than he does,
old habits die hard.
Dinner is a free for all. We spread out over four or five
tables. It was a blast watching the group chat, gab and move from table to
table. Minny, Goofy, Chuck and Dave stopped by but the real characters were
sitting at the tables:
Our table was the last station in the area and the Disney
characters were dashing out of the place without much attention given to us.
Running away from our friends screaming and yelling may be a better description.
A suit stopped by to ask if we were getting to see the characters. I didn’t
really care so I said every thing was fine and it was. Delaney got in a picture
or two but compared to the talking thrash can these guys were “B” players.
At some point the Diabetics and I decided to do some science
experiments. In addition to testing their blood we tested Coke and Sprite, both
were high enough to top the meter out. Delaney’s blood was scoring like that a
few days ago. Someplace we had tested beer and it was low and diet coke got an
error. From this I concluded that beer was the best beverage option. I was
considering testing gravy but it may have messed up the beer is better
hypothesis. It was funny in a twisted diabetic kind of way and that is how we
are planning on dealing with this, twisted and funny.
We rolled out of Liberty Tree and wandered around aimlessly
until we ended up at one of the picture taking stations. They wouldn’t take one
of all of us in one picture. They claimed we wouldn’t all fit. I think it was
more like they didn’t want evidence of that many freaks in the park at any one
time.
CarolA decided she wanted us to be in her picture so we said
Auntie Carol was part of the family. I think we could have sold it if it wasn’t
for my accent, or hers. There was defiantly some kind of syntax error. No
worries they let us take the shot with her anyway.
Meanwhile
there was some kind of disturbance at the photo station next door.
Divide and conquer! We were heading off to see some shows, Robin
and Co. were off to do rides. As we were heading out Robin suggested the Pins
for Cures idea. We were planning on giving her the pin profits to help fund more
trips, so there would be more trip reports. (Good logic right?) Nope, she said
giving the money to help find cures was a better idea.
Simple. Creative. Kind. She walked away to ride some ride and
away from enough money for a room at Pop for a week, maybe more.
So the pin money is going to help out MDA and JDRF for Tony and
our kids.
Ya Gotta Have Friends.
We’re mighty proud of ours.
She is first class.
Love Ya / Mean It and BadShoe.com Pins
Tony, Delaney, Connor -
Love Ya / Mean It
Robin & Del, Kimball & Bennet (aka Delswife & Scuba Steve, Zurgswife
& Zurg) are
proud to announce two unique limited edition trading pins to
benefit research to help find cures for Juvenile Diabetes and
Muscular Dystrophy.
We love going to Disney World and writing
funny trip reports, after all it is how we became friends.
We care just as much or more about helping these two great causes. All the
profits from pin sales will go to JDRF
and MDA because, well, Robin thought it would be a fun idea.
So if you enjoy the trip reports
please chip in and buy a pin or two. Pins are $10.00 each including shipping and
handling (North America.) Send an email to pins@badshoe.com
with how many pins you would like and we will get the pins rolling.
The BadShoe.com pins have sold out. Existing orders are being filled but
we can't take anymore BadShoe.com pin orders, sorry. There still Love Ya /
Mean it Pins (there were more to start.)
If you feel inspired click
either MDA or JDRF's logo or both and make additional contributions.
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