Entering Employment

I am an employee!

Why is this a big deal?

Well, this may come as a shock to some of you, but I've never been employed.

I have always worked for myself, and that was just fine for me. My dad is a small-business owner, and he instilled a love of entrepreneurship in me from a young age. At age nine, I started a pet siting business in my neighborhood with my best friend, Tali. It was first named "First Capital Pets" in honor of my dad's business (which was similarly named, minus the animal nuances). We were really into this business - for a long time. After some brainstorming, we cleverly renamed our company "Dog-gone Purrfect Pet Sitting," and used the slogan, "Your pet can stay in the comfort of its own home."

We made iron-on Ts with our name and slogan.

We had binders with all our customers' names and numbers.

We created reference lists and rode our bikes around the neighborhood attaching these flyers on the outside of mailboxes.

We called frequent customers if we hadn't heard from them in a while. Hullo? Did you know we're still in business?

We set up a booth at our park fair.

We billed our customers with company invoices - with our letterhead and everything!

This kept us busy all through the holidays and summer break. We even had weekly jobs that gave us a steady income. We were rolling in the dough for elementary-schoolers!

We kept all this up quite well throughout middle school. As high school rolled around, I began to tire of all the work. Keeping an organized, well-oiled business is not easy! Remember also, that we didn't have licenses or vehicles. During the day, we often rode bikes or walked to our jobs, but in the evenings we relied on parents or my older sister. (Thank you, Julia!) I'm fairly certain that the only reason my parents allowed me to get my license at sixteen is that they were weary of driving to pet sitting jobs. This is proven by the fact that I was only permitted to drive in the neighborhood for the first three months after obtaining my license. By the time college rolled around, I was trying to give away pet sitting jobs. I was entirely burnt out and swore I wouldn't get a dog for years and years (famous last words!).

Backtrack to high school, when my parents began receiving questions like, "Is that your daughter who plays piano? Does she teach, too?"

And thus began my second business. I taught a few students here and there during high school, but business truly took off my freshman year of college. Since I lived at home and spent a great deal of time practicing, I was my own advertisement! Win-win! This was the perfect job for my college years; I had such little time to give, but the payoff was more than enough to cover for my car and food expenses. I don't think I will ever outgrow this job - only grow into it more as I rediscover and uncover and invent new ways to be a better teacher and business owner. I do my own bookkeeping through Excel, send regular email updates to parents, update my website, and require registration forms. I also have an updated policy list, which I require parents and students to sign, indicating they have read and understood the terms.

I love teaching, and I love being responsible for myself and my students. For whatever reason, I have had difficulty growing my home studio this year. It could be tied to my relocation. In no way have I exhausted marketing techniques or even come close my to pet sitting business self-promotion efforts.

But then I heard of a job opening. I applied, interviewed, auditioned, and signed a contract.

I became an employee for the first time.

In the meantime, something else was brewing. Next thing I knew, I had signed my second W-9.

I became employee for the second time. In two weeks!

The best part of all of this is that I get to keep my home business. Woah! Three jobs at once! (I don't want to just skim over the fact that this is all the work of Jehovah Jireh! He has truly met all our needs and more! We are blessed and thankful.)

I am now on the faculty at a local music conservatory. I will teach private lessons at the conservatory at least two days a week. They handle all of the financial side of things, and I arrive for my scheduled lessons. I am excited about this, because there seem to be performance openings for me, as well! The faculty gives concerts for the students, and I will be able to play some of my graduate repertoire.

My second job is quite interesting. Quite simply, I will be a ballet studio accompanist. The dancers will dance to my music. Today I sat down with the studio director and learned all about the ballet order of things and what time signatures I need for each segment. I am responsible for choosing and preparing the music. While I think that this will be quite a bit of work in the beginning, I feel that the experience will be well worth the trade. I am excited to broaden my skills as a pianist; additionally, it will be wonderful performance practice, since I must be performance-ready for class two nights a week.

So I guess you can say change is in the air. I love this time of year: the school supplies in the aisles, the new schedules, the new beginnings. I have had a wonderful, busy-in-other-ways spring "semester," but I am anticipating the advent of the new school year with great delight! 

The Only Way to "Do" Disney - Part IV (Moviestars in Wonderland)

Disney day two began with a lot of coffee. That's always a sign of a good beginning. We checked out of Coranado Springs and drove on over to Hollywood Studios.

I made sure the camera was working. Apparently this is my go-to-Disney face.

This is Ty's. It's a very handsome face.

We decided to do without the tourist get-up today and go strictly as our good-lookin' movie star selves. It seemed appropriate, since we were headed to Hollywood.

We perfected our movie star faces while on the tram.

Ready for some fun!

Are you ready? That is, ready for the recap? Here goes...

HS Attraction no. 1 - Beauty and the Beast

This is a live musical show that I've been wanting to see for ages! It never worked out in the past, either because of show times or large groups. In keeping with our "Try new things" mantra, we decided to give it a go! We arrived fifteen minutes prior to show time. But first we swiped our fast passes for Rock 'n' Roller Coaster. They do have a single-rider line, but we chose to go fastpass.

Beauty and the Beast ended up being the highlight of day two for us! While it may come as no surprise to you that the Belle-related attractions were my favorite (after all, she is my favorite princess!), they were admittedly Ty's favorites, too! As a musician, I thrive on live performances. My main problem with musicians these days is that 9/10 of them rely on producers and sound engineers to make them sound good. Have you ever heard a band live only to realize they actually can't sing on key or listen to one another? Okay, soap box over.

I was thrilled by the performances of the dancers and singers at the Beauty and the Beast show. While there were definitely pre-recorded elements to the show, the lead characters were all singing live - and they were fantastic! Gaston was particularly excellent. We were also impressed by the supporting cast; there were only six men and six women (I think) who reappeared in different scenes wearing different attire throughout the show. They were all good dancers, too.

Just before the Prince was transformed in to the Beast (behind the blanket)

The charming castle characters!

Ending dance! Those are some PINK dresses!

Can you tell I liked this show? Okay, moving on to...

HS Attraction no. 2 - The Great Movie Ride

We've done it a zillion times, but it's always slightly different depending on your guide. As we entered the car, Ty leaned over and whispered in my ear, "I hope we get a good gangster." I won't give it all away, but there are some fun surprises in this ride. At the end, there is a short montage of famous movies. It goes by lickity-split, but I think I counted twenty-nine that I had seen.

HS Attraction no. 3 - Star Tours

There was also no wait for this ride, so we walked right on in! Also, like The Great Movie Ride, your experience varies each time. You even get to wear these awesome glasses. They fit in perfectly with our movie star costumes. My only warning: try not to make any gross faces while waiting for the ride to start. You never know when Disney is snapping your picture to show to your entire ride group. (The Rebel spy!) The girl sitting next to me may have been caught in an unfortunate moment. You have been warned.

Wow, that guy is totally creepin' in our picture.


HS Attraction no. 4 - The Legend of Jack Sparrow

Again, another first for us. I have to say it was just okay. We both kept expecting to be taken into a second room, but it turns out you just stand in a decorated warehouse for the entirety of the "show." The show features Johnny Depp (via some fancy technology) at the helm of the ship. It is all pre-recorded, but live explosions occur along with the recording. We hit the show time just right, so there was no wait. I think I would have like it less after a length wait time.

By this point it was time to use our fastpasses. I love roller coasters. And I dislike walking behind slow people. Naturally, the Determined Theme Park Walk turned on. One of the downsides to Hollywood Studios is that it's so crowded, especially in the corner with Rock 'n' Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror!

Clueless to the paparazzi.

(Ooo! More media coverage for my bag!) 

Finally catching on. I usually forge ahead and push through crowds only to find I've left a patient Tyler waiting behind strollers of screaming children or a mass tourist group in matching Ts. Guess this is my payback.

HS Attraction no. 5 - Rock 'n' Roller Coaster

This is one of my all-time favorites at any Disney park. The beginning lunge of the Limo is always more fun than I remembered. I love all the bright city lights and the highway theming. It is fantastic from beginning to end. Unfortunately we had large groups of shoving, screaming teenage groups in line with us. At least it was a short line!

We had planned to visit The Magic of Disney Animation as our final attraction at Hollywood Studios, but our bellies were growling and we knew it would take a while to park hop. Tyler used a Dining Plan snack credit for a pretzel at Hollywood, but we were saving our quick-service credits. (We don't prefer the restaurants at Hollywood.)

Tyler and I both suffer from GBS - Grumpy Butt Syndrome, which is nearly always hunger-induced. (Sometimes it's crowd-induced for me.) Instead of ruining the magic of the day, we decided to leave The Magic of Disney Animation for another time. (That's the beauty of annual passes!) I do, however, recommend this attraction. You will learn to draw a Disney character, and you get to take home your drawing as a souvenir! Free souvenir! They take you step-by-step, so even non-artists (like me!) can make a recognizable picture. I was pleasantly surprised by how my Tigger turned out last time.

On to Epcot! 

We wanted to eat at Japan (Disney bloggers informed me that you get top value for your dining plan there!), so we hiked all the way to the back of the park. It's quite a distance to Japan.

Bonjour! I miss Paris!

I had to stop in England and use the restroom. England has nice restrooms. At least in Epcot. I've never been to real England.

After checking out the restrooms, I found Ty listening to the British rock band. Of course. When I didn't seen him nearby, my ears led the way to a very happy husband.

Unfortunately, when we got to Japan, a supervisor informed me that there was nothing they could do to accommodate my gluten allergy. The sit-down Japanese restaurant had options, but everything at the quick-service restaurant was pre-prepared. Needless to say we were disappointed. I had been thinking about Japanese food all morning and even started recognizing some words on the menu. (High school Japanese was coming back!) It was about 3 o'clock at this point. I pulled out my phone and quickly consulted my Disney blog sites. The quick-service in Morocco was highly recommended. While this isn't our favorite type of food, we decided to give it a try. The fact that it neighbors Japan also meant we didn't have to travel far. We were definitely Grumpy Butt at this point.

I don't know if we had an off-day with food service, but our experience at Morocco was unprofessional and unsatisfactory. The cashiers and other workers were unhelpful and unclear. I'm not sure if this left a bad taste in our mouth (har, har) or what, but our food was just okay. I think my taste buds were still expecting Japanese food. Still, we left nourished and energized to continue on.

My food

Ty's food

Next we went to Mexico. The decor in Mexico is some of my favorite. The nice restaurant looks like this inside! Just gorgeous! It really stinks that this is where I dined the night before my half marathon, because I am certainly not anxious to eat there again and relive memories of that night. (Let's just say I was up all night and experienced my dinner again in a most unpleasant way.) Still, it's lovely inside the restaurant. The ride is inside the restaurant. It's very cute!

Epcot Attraction no. 1 - Grand Fiesta Tour

Us getting waiting for the ride to begin. We were joined by some most unpleasant guests, who were harassing the cast members and disregarding the rules. This is us trying not to laugh.

Afterward, we swung by a snack station and Ty used our final dining plan credit to purchase coffee. It was the smallest cup of coffee ever. We were definitely fading at this point. We wasted just enough time and walked back to England to meet Alice in Wonderland, who was greeting at this point.

This Alice was the best. She wished us a happy anniversary.

Epcot Attraction no. 2 - Character Greeting (Alice in Wonderland)

(Did I mention my friend Macy is friends with Alice?)

Ty's surprisingly successful attempt to take a photograph devoid of persons.

Epcot Attraction no. 3 - Captain EO

I can't believe I don't have a single photograph of our final attraction of the day.

Captain EO is a rad show! Think George Lucas meets Michael Jackson. Strange? Definitely.

Ty had never seen this 3-D show, so I dragged him over to The Imagination Pavillion We were both happy to sit and rest during the show. If you're wondering if there's a moonwalk scene, I can assure you there is. You won't be disappointed. There are also lots of pre-show scenes featuring the making of Captain EO. Be prepared for the 80s dance outfits.

It is interesting to note that this show was originally featured in 1986 and ran until 1994. It was reopened in 2010, following the death of star Michael Jackson.

After our space-dance show, we began the final walk of the day - to the car. Why is it that the arrival to the car seems like the longest wait of the day? We had a splendid time, but we were POOPED! How do families with small children do this - for a whole week?

Speaking of small children...

We picked up our dog-child (who is not so small and seen below terrorizing the small dog) and crashed on Big Mammoth for a while before making the final, final trip home. For those of you who don't know, Big Mammoth is an overstuffed leather couch/sectional at Ty's parents'. It is infamous for inducing sleep.

There you have it. We celebrated and wore the buttons to flaunt it. It was a Magical two days, and we are so thankful for the opportunity to take two days off.

Just arriving? Go check out Parts I, II, and III.

Have a magical day.

The end.

The Only Way to "Do" Disney - Part III (Jessie Turns Food Blogger & The Dining Plan)

Warning: Readers are not advised to read this on an empty stomach.

I mentioned we were gifted a dining plan for our anniversary. It was prepaid and connected to our room key (card). Whenever we wanted to use a meal from our plan, we just swiped the card and entered a pin. It's like a debit card that doesn't drain your checking account. Win, win! I can see why the dining plan is a top choice for families. It makes budgeting your trip much easier. Besides, there are tons of blog pages with tips on maximizing your dining plan, i.e. where to get the most food for each credit. I may or may not have spent the night prior to our trip scanning post after post.

So what was covered in our dining plan? We each received a one-credit table service (think sit-down), a quick-service meal (think stand-in-line-and-wait-for-food), and a snack (think concession). Some of the super fancy restaurants require TWO table service credits, and honestly I'm quite surprised O'Hana is only one.

Now is a good time to mention that you should not be scared away by dining plans if you have food allergies. Disney is simply THE BEST about accommodating your allergy, whatever it may be. This is true of Downtown Disney, as well. Did you know that BabyCakesNYC is tucked away inside Pollo Campero in Downtown Disney? It is a good thing it is so far, because I would otherwise be purchasing gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, refined-sugar-free cinnamon sugar doughnuts for breakfast five times a week.

But I digress.

We ate breakfast before we got to the parks on Saturday. I ate at home (eggs don't sound half as exciting now that I'm thinking of doughnuts), and Ty grabbed a bagel sammie from Dunkin'. He likes to eat breakfast out every now and then. I figured our anniversary was a good excuse. (Why didn't I think of that?)

But really. I digress.

I mentioned we ate Dole Whip at Magic Kingdom. This was off the dining plan, because we hadn't checked into our resort yet. Personally, I think they should attach the plan to your park ticket/annual pass and not the resort key.

Our dinner reservation wasn't until 9:25 PM. Looking back, I'm wondering what in the world we ate all day. I was packin'...snacks, that is. We ate homemade trail mix, Kind bars, and apples. No wonder I'm so sick of nuts this week. No wonder Ty left our resort early that evening to track down some appetizers. Our main goal was to "get to dinner." You don't want to go to O'Hana on an empty stomach. And you also need to make your reservations far in advance (at least six weeks).

O'Hana is located on the second floor of the Polynesian Resort. It is somewhat themed around Lilo and Stitch, but only the cute parts and none of the annoying Stitch parts. A lady walks around with a ukulele and teaches a couple songs to anyone who is interested. And there is a surplus of leis. Did you know "Aloha" means love?

  

Honestly, I was a little concerned about what I was going to eat. I knew I wouldn't go hungry, but there was no way to find out a menu beforehand. O'hana is a table-service buffet. It is a five-course meal that keeps coming, whether you're ready for the next course or not! It is impossible to keep up. 

While Ty was parking (note: leave with extra time to find parking so as to avoid the $15 valet fee!), I found our seats and notified the waitress of my food allergy. In a matter of minutes, the chef was at my table informing me of my personal gluten-free menu for the evening. The salad, steak, and shrimp that normally come with the meal are all gluten free. She told me she'd bring me separate bread (!), sauces, chicken wings, and pork and rice stir-fry. Oh, and she'd bring me something special for dessert. She said that last part with a glimmer in her eyes. I think she was not-so-secretly thrilled about cooking up a special dinner for me.

GF bread! Against my better judgement, I ate both rolls. Bread is something I do not buy, so this was a special treat! And a good excuse to eat that yummy butter.

This was only about half of our food - for two people! We barely dented our salad bowl, and I took a generous amount. Those chicken wings and sweet and sour sauce were the best I've ever had! See the steak on my plate? Servers walk around with huge skewers asking if you'd like more of the steak, pork, or shrimp. Each piece must be at least two ounces! And they just keep coming with it! My special sauces are in the black containers. Ty wasn't a fan of his peanut sauce (he never likes that), but he loved his wheat-containing (gasp!) sweet and sour sauce.

After the rolls, salad, wings, and steak, my main dish arrived...

Delicious veggies, pork, and rice. I think the rice was made with coconut milk - scrumptious!

Unfortunately, I didn't get to eat much this is. I went a little crazy with the chicken wings, and I didn't want to totally ruin my appetite for dessert. Yes, I have my priorities straight.

While we were being continuously force-fed, we watched the Magic Kingdom fireworks out our window! They start at 10PM, so that's the main reason we made our reservation so late. I recommend asking about the fireworks schedule whenever you make a dinner reservation. Supposedly you can see fireworks from California Grill, too, but it's closed for renovations right now.

Fireworks never look good in pictures. Sorry.

And then dessert came. Ty said his was delicious - some sort of cake with ice cream and sauce. I don't know; I was a bit distracted by mine...

Behold.

GF, CHOCOLATE, AND ICE CREAM? Did this chef call my mom to find out my favorite things??!

Perfectly gooey inside. You'd better believe I ate this whole thing.

Post-dinner with full-bellies!

Needless to say, whatever hunger we had lingering through the afternoon was chased away by a very full dinner. The meal total was $85. Since they just bring you food and you don't order each dish, there is a set price for each person dining. We paid with our dining plan and tipped her with our cash. (There is an option to add your credit/debit card to the dining plan for instances such as this, but we opted out.)  This is definitely a good use of a one-credit table service. Truly, I can't believe it's not two credits for as much food as you get. Ty and I joked about packing up all our leftovers and eating off them for a week at home.

The next morning, I made us breakfast in the resort. If you plan to do this, be sure to ask if you have a mini fridge in your room. I had V8 smoothie juice chilling all night. Oh, and these iced coffee drinks that I packed. 

Ty opted for hot coffee in the room.

Breakfast! V8 berry smoothie, a Kind bar, and a homemade chocolate chip grain-free muffin! Delicious and satisfying. Somehow I woke up with an appetite even after our evening feast.

I suppose now would be a good time to mention that we stayed at Coronado Springs Resort. It is a mid-level, moderately priced resort. This is where I picked up my race packet for the Princess Half. They have convention centers there, as well, so it's perfect for large events or business meetings. It's also a family-friendly resort, complete with three swimming pools. Unfortunately, the afternoon thunderstorm kept me away from the pools. :( Honestly, we didn't spend much time at our resort, as we were in the parks the majority of our days. We liked our room well enough, but it was set far back in the resort and made transporting luggage (in the rain) a challenging endeavor. It was fully functional and clean and comfortable, but it wasn't lavish. We stayed two nights at the Animal Kingdom Resort last year for our honeymoon, and I think that gave us a taste for the best. We have no big complaints with Coronado whatsoever, but it just wasn't Animal Kingdom. Spoiled Americans.

One of the perks of staying at Coronado is these reusable mugs! We were each given one and told we had free refills of coffee, tea, or fountain drinks during our stay at Coronado. So of course we grabbed more coffee on our way out. And took these cute cups home. Free souvenirs! Truly a rarity.

Here's a preview of our quick-service lunch at Epcot. Can you guess which country it's from? I'll review this meal in Part IV, which is all about day two! Stay tuned!

The Only Way to "Do" Disney - Part II (Enchantments of Magic Kingdom)

View Part I here; it gives an overview of our weekend costs and preparations.
Part II begins with Saturday, our day at Magic Kingdom.

Day One:

First we spent some time at home with this monkey. (Seven months old now!)

Then we dropped her off at Ty's parents' house. They graciously kept her and loved on her for two days!

Oh, but first Brooklyn tried to eat Ty's sandwich. Actually she just rested her head on his shoulder for a long while; I think she was trying to pull on the ol' heartstrings.

I love this one! Such handsome profiles! 

Ready to go! (Ty really dislikes any logos or stickers on his car, but he obliged me with this magnet...for the weekend only.)

We arrived about 10:45 and parked at The Contemporary...toured the bathrooms and then walked to Magic. It beats the monorail/bus option any day, but you didn't hear that from me.

See how happy I am? 

Happy not to be riding the monorail! It's sorta a game I play at Disney (and everywhere)...avoiding crowds.

People come from all over to stand here, just inside Magic Kingdom. I'm finally starting to appreciate that!

Take note: one of the few FREE things at Disney - buttons! They have all sorts for any kind of celebration, just to the left when you enter (next to City Hall).

We look the part! We could totally pass as tourists.

This show was happening on Mainstreet when we arrived. They were so animated. I just kept thinking, "They must be SO hot!"

Classic Castle picture! 

And here starts our day...

Attraction no. 1 - Enchanted Tales with Belle (New Fantasyland)

We went here first, because the lines can back up pretty badly toward the afternoon. Although we've toured New Fantasy land many times before, we'd never seen this attraction. It set the bar high for the day and was the highlight for both of us! Enchanted Tales is perfect for all ages; children would especially enjoy it, as cast members ask for kids to help Belle tell the story by holding props and taking part in the action. Crowds can be so overwhelming, but in Enchanted Tales, it felt like we were in a small group listening to our good friend, Belle. Not to mention the special effects, which were ridiculously amazing. I won't give away all the enchanted secrets, but do take note of the animated objects below

Inside line

Decor

She moves and talks!

Our storytellers

No detail left unnoticed

WOW!

She was stunning!

The children were having a ball!

Darling!

Attraction no. 2 - Carousel (Fantasyland)

An old favorite for me! I remember loving this ride as a kid! I jokingly suggested it, and then I wouldn't have it any other way.

Obliging husband :)

Attraction no. 3 - Philharmagic (Fantasyland)

This was a first-timer for both of us, and we loved it! Not sure why it's taken me this long to do a music-themed attraction, but I'll definitely be going back. It's a fantastic 3D show with music from Disney movies and classical pieces (a lot from Fantasia 2000). Can you find the hidden Mickey? Definitely put there for the enjoyment of music nerds.

Attraction no. 4 - Splash Mountain (Frontierland)

If I were to write a blog post about our last trip to Disney, it would be entitled "The Way NOT to "Do" Disney." Let's just say it had to do with a LOT of rain, broken-down rides, poor customer service, and unfulfilled dreams. We were determined to do Splash Mountain this trip, since we never made it onto the flume on our prior trip. This is me showing that it is indeed operating. Splash is a classic. I love the Brer Rabbit theme. It's a long ride and worth the wait. (But even better with fastpasses!) You may in fact get wet. My shorts were soaked most of the day.

Attraction no. 5 - Pirate Scavenger Hunt (Adventureland)

This is not the same thing as the ride. It is a do-at-your-own-pace game through Adventureland. You have to find landmarks throughout and there is a message waiting for you at each stop. We completed one map and plan on finishing the others this year. Again, something new for us, and we loved it!

Arrrg!

Ty was all about this hunt!

Quick shot of his shirt - subtle, but to the point! (The front says Chief Mechanic!)


Break for Dole Whip!

Pineapple and Orange soft-serve. A very good decision made during the hottest part of the day.

Attraction no. 6 - Winnie the Pooh (Fantasyland)

Ty made the mistake of mentioning he had never been on this ride. Since we had such a surplus of fastpasses (tough life), and the wait is usually quite long, we went for it! There are all sorts of fun games and gadgets for kids to play with while waiting in life. My nephew loves this ride.

Attraction no. 7 - Mad Tea Party (Fantastyland)

Again, Ty made the mistake of saying he'd never been on this! Again, I loved this ride as a child. On we went! Thankfully enough time had passed since our ice cream consumption!

Pre-spinning craziness!

Attraction no. 8 - Goofy's Barnstormer (New Fantasyland)

A fun first roller coaster. My brave nephew, Isaac, was big enough to ride last time. He held on for dear life from the front row! It's a bit short for the usual lengthy wait time, but it's fun! Thankfully, we had a very short wait time. You know you're spoiled with short waits and fastpasses when you opt of anything over 25 minutes! While we did a few major attractions that are old favorites, we tried to do a lot of the smaller attractions that are often overlooked and less crowded.

Can't imagine why I forgot to photograph this part of New Fantasyland. The decor is wild and fun! Shame on me.

Attraction no. 9 - Space Mountain (Tomorrowland)

Speaking of old favorites, Space Mountain is a must! We used our fastpasses, as there was a 70-minute wait for standby. I always forget just how fun this ride is until I do it again! The darkness always holds the element of surprise...even if you've ridden it a zillion times. I took off my Minnie ears and held on for dear life.

The man behind me was very, very excited

Attraction no. 10 - Buzz Lightyear (Tomorrowland)

Last December I rode Buzz Lightyear and haphazardly found a secret. I maxed out at 999,999 points in the first or second room. Please take a moment to appreciate that.

Okay. So I haven't been back to Buzz since my high score experience. Unfortunately, my accidental top score didn't happen this time around. I was very unhappy! I wanted to ride it again for one more shot at uncovering the secret, but Ty said no repeats. (He also said I was a sore loser. Which is probably why I took no photos.)

Attraction no. 11 - Stitch's Great Escape (Tomorrowland)

This ride was our ultimate low for the day. First of all, I can't stand Stitch. I haven't seen the movie since it was first released on video, but I remember disliking it then. I find the Stitch-creature highly annoying and the animal ugly. There. I said it. I was, however, willing to give the ride a try, as it was a day for firsts. It was just dumb. One of the "guns" in the main room wasn't working, and the automatic shoulder rest kept squishing me in my seat. So much for stopping when it touched my shoulders. We left quite unimpressed. Afterward, we regrouped over snack time. Everyone feels better after snack time.

Attraction no. 12 - Carousel of Progress (Tomorrowland)

I love the story/history aspects of this ride, and I am all for things that cause you to sit and focus. I did feel that the ride was a bit too long, though. It's an older ride, and there's definitely a contrast between the newer laser guns and high speeds and this slow storytelling and chair rocking. Still worth the time, for sure! It's especially nice if you need a cool spot to sit and relax a while. I'm really glad we did it. Ty said it made him sleepy. No pictures allowed on this ride.

Attraction no. 13 - Little Mermaid (New Fantasyland)

If you're wandering why we bounced back and forth between Tomorowland and New Fantasyland quite a bit, it's because the first time we tried to go through the fastpass line at Little Mermaid there was a group of about 75 students in matching Ts standing in that line. So much for fastpasses! We decided to come back, and we're glad we did.

This ride is just plain fun! The colors, the effects, the songs. You can't help but smile when you're "Under the sea!" We especially love how the car dips down and back as you are submerged in the sea. Gah! They think of everything.

There is this one awkward moment when Ariel turns human, and the graphic is a bit revealing. We always laugh, "And there's naked Ariel..." Thankfully still cartoon.

After Little Mermaid, we sped-walked back to the Contemporary where we were staying ahem to our car just before the storm hit. I'd like to say we timed it perfectly, but I think it's more accurate to say God answered our prayers for sunshine! 

Leaving Fantasyland and booking through Tomorrowland

Stayed tuned for Part III - what we ate! I'll be temporarily turning into a food blogger. Don't read that post when you're hungry.