Travels With Teens: Take Two “I Can Organize This Trip in My Sleep!”BC Dee in DC Roti & Fini p. 40

[afwdwfan]

I wish could catch some Zzzzzs in rides. A couple of our chaperones and perhaps some of the boys did nod off.

There is only 1 time I've ever fallen asleep on a ride or in an attraction at WDW... obviously it was this one.

 

[SarahDisney]

“I puked! 3 times!!!”

3 times? That's pretty impressive!
And he still went on Orange this trip ... that's pretty brave of him. Unless he was hoping to puke 3 times again...

They played the Telephone Game! You know, where one person whispers a phrase to the boy next to him, and so on until the message, often much different, gets back to the original speaker.

Man, I used to hate this game. I was terrible at it.
I didn't know that kids still play this. I guess some things are timeless...

One more attraction was on the agenda. We decided to check out Sum of All Thrills, the design your own thrill ride attraction in Innoventions. This was a must-do for this group of students as it involves design, engineering, physics and SPEED!

Another educational experience! You really can learn so much at Disney!

We had one more important stop before we “Hit the World”- a visit to Club Cool is definitely a necessity for teen boys. Bright lights! Sticky Floors! FREE Soda!

Teenage boys are so easy to please sometimes ... you know, as long as there's free soda.
Did anyone enjoy the Beverly?

 

[chunkymonkey]

All caught up now! Nice update. Next time I go on Spaceship Earth and it's just us, I'll remember to take pics too! How fun. I always opt for green.
I didn't know you could just go to the preshow at UofE. In all honestly I have not been on that ride for so long that I forgot the ride completely. I think it just takes so long that I never seem to have time to ride it.

Hmm, what's for dinner?

 

[glennbo123]

I'm all caught up here! The best thing I learned is the golf ball trick -- I can't believe I never thought of that! I'm not even that big of a fan of Soarin', but next time...

The YES program looks great. I wish James could do that.

 

[hill6]

I did Mission Space once right after it opened and there was only one choice. I almost lost it and had to sit for 20 minutes before I felt like I was not going to lose it.

 

[pas130]

My first ride on MS make me so sick, I didn't go back on for years. It was my DIS friends who convinced me to do Green. I was so glad.

Sum of all thrills, my DH and I were watching people go on there..holy cow, right?? Sorry I am so behind on my TRs my friend!

 

[natebenma]

We loved that pavilion. Our favorite ride was Cranium Command and really wish they hadn't closed it. That ride was a fun way to understand how food affects you and why junk food is bad for you. Body Wars was like Star Tours with the simulator and bumpy ride. It was based on the movie Innerspace and it was an interesting way to see the inner workings of the body. It was a great pavilion.

It is a shame that not much has been done with that space. It really was a very educational pavilion. I can't remember who the sponsor was. Do you? I think Body Wars made me a bit queasy.

The YES class on Marine Biology sounds so interesting. Marine Biologist was on my list of what I wanted to be when I grew up. (Still waiting to grow up so, still a possibility I guess!)
I couldn't keep pH and salinity level in a 50 gallon tank, I can't imagine being responsible for The Seas!!
Electric Umbrella is always Johnny's top pick. I'm so sick of it by now! It's one of the very few things we disagree on when we're at Disney. I want to eat at Sunshine Seasons and he wants to go there.
Too bad that boy didn't try Test Track. I bet he would have loved it!
Mission Space -- I won't do orange either or else I'd probably end up like Ben (though NOT smiling about it!!) Glad no one had to use the barf bags this time round!
I love Ellen's Energy Adventures. A nice relaxing time off your feet to cool down.

I do the chemical testing and adjustment on our pool, so although lives are not at stake, I know what you mean.

I see that you made it to Electric Umbrella during your current trip.

I think he would have done fine on Test Track, so it was a little frustrating.

I have never tried Orange- I'm in no rush!

World of Energy has always been a favorite and seriously, it is so much better now with the Jeopardy/Ellen/Bill Nye/Stupid Judy tie-in than when it was just about boring energy.

There is only 1 time I've ever fallen asleep on a ride or in an attraction at WDW... obviously it was this one.

A pretty common occurrence.

3 times? That's pretty impressive!
And he still went on Orange this trip ... that's pretty brave of him. Unless he was hoping to puke 3 times again...

He was pretty proud of himself- both from the prior performance and for not barfing this time.

Actually, now that I think about it, there was much less barfing on this trip compared to the one with Nate's class. Or for my senior high school graduation trip to Disney for that matter.

Man, I used to hate this game. I was terrible at it.
I didn't know that kids still play this. I guess some things are timeless...

All the parents were shocked to see the kids doing that. It wasn't something they learned at home.

Another educational experience! You really can learn so much at Disney!

And again, no one puked!

Teenage boys are so easy to please sometimes ... you know, as long as there's free soda.
Did anyone enjoy the Beverly?

They tricked one boy and then they all had to go macho and try it. But I can't say anyone enjoyed it.

All caught up now! Nice update. Next time I go on Spaceship Earth and it's just us, I'll remember to take pics too! How fun. I always opt for green.
I didn't know you could just go to the preshow at UofE. In all honestly I have not been on that ride for so long that I forgot the ride completely. I think it just takes so long that I never seem to have time to ride it.

Hmm, what's for dinner?

I really liked the pictures from M:S.

We just wanted to wait for the rest of our group. I guess they can't force you to go on the ride!

Dinner update coming up!

I'm all caught up here! The best thing I learned is the golf ball trick -- I can't believe I never thought of that! I'm not even that big of a fan of Soarin', but next time...

The YES program looks great. I wish James could do that.

I may have some bad news for you my friend... Soarin' goes down for rehab at the first of the year and I believe they are installing the new "Soarin' around the World" movie. I haven't heard if a golf ball scene will be incorporated in the new film.



This really is a fantastic school trip. I'll be helping out with the planning again this year. We have some parents who are doing a rogue alternate trip to Washington DC because they don't feel this trip is educational enough. I'll be interested in hearing how that works out logistically.

I did Mission Space once right after it opened and there was only one choice. I almost lost it and had to sit for 20 minutes before I felt like I was not going to lose it.

I heard it was pretty brutal when it first opened!

My first ride on MS make me so sick, I didn't go back on for years. It was my DIS friends who convinced me to do Green. I was so glad.

Sum of all thrills, my DH and I were watching people go on there..holy cow, right?? Sorry I am so behind on my TRs my friend!

I have never had any problems on Green, except I'm a little embarrassed to say: boredom

Sum of all thrills is fun!

No need to apologize. I'm way behind EVERYWHERE!!!!

 

[natebenma]

A visit from RCFD

After a rainy evening and a full morning in Future World at EPCOT, it was time to move on to see more of the “World”

Although the World Showcase is probably not the most interesting part of Walt Disney World to a group of teenage boys, I suggested that we make our way through on the way to the boats to Hollywood Studios. We could stop at the Liberty Inn in the American pavilion for dinner since they take our meal coupons there. I had also recently learned that steak was one of the counter service options there.

I am a trivia freak. My brother is, too. He owns a bar trivia company so I trust him when he gives me tidbits of information, especially when it involves our shared love of Disney.

Throughout the trip I had sprinkled some of these tidbits with the group.


“Which attraction at Disney has had the most deaths?”


Think about it as you read this update, and I’ll give the answer and the explanation at the end.


But it is a trick question, anyway. Nobody dies at Disney World. They ship ‘em out to nearby Reedy Creek.



It had started to sprinkle and our first stop was the river ride in Mexico with the 3 ducks.

The line was longer than I had ever seen it, stretching out into the courtyard. And it didn’t appear to be moving. All of a sudden, we saw a couple of firefighters rush past us. They were wearing coats that had the initials RCFD.

Reedy Creek Fire Department.

One of the boys turned to me and said “That can’t be good!”




We never did find out what happened, but soon enough, the line started moving again and we were boarding “It’s a Small Mexico”

***********************************************************

You have probably heard of the story “Around the World in 80 Days”

How about “Around the World in Like 80 Seconds?”

Norway? No Way!

What, the boys don’t want to visit a church filled with Frozen relics?

I was able to stop at China long enough for this picture. I asked if the group wanted to see the army of clay figurines. Go figure- they were not interested.

We did actually go into the caramel shop in Germany. The boys were interested in that, and even wanted to make some purchases, but the line was really long there, so we bailed.

We did not stop again until the good ole USA. Our meal vouchers were good for the Liberty Inn.

In addition to those American staples like hamburgers and chicken nuggets, there were some interesting selections like Steak, Louisiana-style Shrimp (my choice) and Crab Cakes (Ben’s)

Here’s the menu:

Southwest Chicken Salad - hand-tossed with grilled chicken, black bean salsa and chipotle ranch dressing $8.99

Red, White, and Blue Salad with Chicken - Field Greens, dried cranberries, Pecans, Apples, Blue Cheese and Sherry Vinaigrette $10.49

New York Strip Steak - with demi butter, French fries, and steamed broccoli $11.99

Fried Shrimp - with Old Bay coleslaw and french fries $10.99

Chicken Breast Nuggets - (8 pieces) served with served with grapes or fries $9.29

Sandwiches

1/3 Angus All American Burger - Vermont sharp cheddar, bacon, lettuce, tomato, pickle on a bun with grapes or fries $14.49

Grilled Chicken BLT Sandwich - Monterey Jack, bacon, lettuce, tomato, red pepper aioli with grapes or fries $9.49

Freshly Grilled Vegetarian "Chick'n" Breast - with guacamole, chipotle corn salsa, lettuce and tomato $9.99

Hot Dog - with baked beans, bacon, fried onions and grapes or french fries $9.99

Classic Cheeseburger - 7 oz. Angus burger with two slices of American on a Brioche bun with grapes or French

Hmmm… I don’t see the Louisiana Shrimp entrée that I ordered in the listing above. What a shame if it is gone- it was pretty tasty.

I wanted Ben to split with me, but he tried a little of the shrimp and declared it to be a little too spicy. I really liked it. I can’t remember if I tried his crab cakes.

After we finished eating, we continued to make our way to the International Gateway so we could take a Friendship Boat to Hollywood Studios.

The Sounds Like Summer band that week was a Journey tribute band.

We went by Morocco.

Then, the horror! We PASSED the Grey Goose slushie stand. Without stopping.



I had one of my friends take a picture so I could post it on Facebook for my Beach Club and other Disney friends.

We made it onto the Friendship boats and I rode outside so I could get some views and selfies of my Beach Club “home”

Yacht Club


As we were moving, one of the chaperones pulled up a weather forecast on her phone:

Next Up: Hollywood Studios



Oh, yeah- the answer to the trivia question “Which Disney attraction has resulted in the most deaths?”

According to my brother- it is Tom Sawyer’s Island (drownings)

 

[rteetz]

Great update!

My guess is someone set off the fire alarm or something causing RCFD to be there. If it was serious I would think the area would be evacuated.

Anyways I've never eaten at the American pavilion. I've also always found it strange that our own country doesn't have some sort of large signature sit down restaurant or something showcasing foods from around our great nation.

Interesting trivia answer I can't recall hearing about people drowning at Tom sawyers island.

 

[jenseib]

Well that's creepy about Tom Sawyer island. Who knew?

 

[mickeystoontown]

I am playing catch-up and wanted to comment on the Mission Space and Universe of Energy post before reading the latest. I never tire of hearing the "I barfed three times" story. That Ben is a hoot and a half!

It was nice of the CM to let y'all wait in the empty room (which I never knew existed) while waiting on the others to join you. I had totally forgotten about the telephone game. I may need to add this to our game night list. Your pictures of the dinosaurs came out really well. Good job!

 

[mickeystoontown]

Oh the horror of having to pass up all of those countries in World Showcase! It pains me every time someone says that they'll skip a country. I'm always fearful to order what is considered to be a Louisiana specialty from anywhere but Louisiana but your dish looked pretty dang Louisiana authentic. And those crab cakes look delish too.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Oh wait! I forgot about the trivia question. Tom Sawyer Island? Who would of thunk it? But it does make sense.

 

[annie170]

The Liberty Inn food looked pretty good. I haven't eaten there since the early '90's when our girls were young and in their hotdog/chicken nugget phase of life.

That's quite a cute little photobomber you have in your first Beach Club selfie. He looks like he planned to be in the photo.

I got thinking about the Tom Sawyer Island drownings and looked a little further. Wikipedia is not the most reliable source, but this site doesn't list any incidents for Tom Sawyer Island. It is an interesting read, though.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incidents_at_Walt_Disney_World

 

[Wood Nymph]

It is a shame that not much has been done with that space. It really was a very educational pavilion. I can't remember who the sponsor was. Do you? I think Body Wars made me a bit queasy.

It was sponsored by MetLife. The location of the pavilion is rather unfortunate - set back and with an annoying path to the door.

We made it onto the Friendship boats and I rode outside so I could get some views and selfies of my Beach Club “home”

We rode the Friendship boat from DHS to Epcot during our WL trip last January. It made me a little homesick to sail past the BC, too.

 

[afwdwfan]

I had also recently learned that steak was one of the counter service options there.

What?? I never even knew that. But in my defense, I haven't been there in probably 20 years.

“Which attraction at Disney has had the most deaths?”

Good question. And I honestly have no idea.

We never did find out what happened, but soon enough, the line started moving again and we were boarding “It’s a Small Mexico”

That's disappointing that you didn't find out what it was. I'd kind of want to know before getting on the ride at that point! It obviously must not have been too bad though. Maybe someone on a boat just needed some assistance getting out of there.

But I'm glad to see that you call the ride by its proper name.

I was able to stop at China long enough for this picture. I asked if the group wanted to see the army of clay figurines. Go figure- they were not interested.

You were leading them to food. What do you expect?

The Sounds Like Summer band that week was a Journey tribute band.

Thanks. Don't stop believing is in my head now.

As we were moving, one of the chaperones pulled up a weather forecast on her phone:

There's a little gap in there. And I'm sure it will blow over quickly.

Oh, yeah- the answer to the trivia question “Which Disney attraction has resulted in the most deaths?”

According to my brother- it is Tom Sawyer’s Island (drownings)

Hmmm... go figure. Must have been at least 1000 drownings if it can beat the 999 deaths at HM.

 

[natebenma]

Great update!

My guess is someone set off the fire alarm or something causing RCFD to be there. If it was serious I would think the area would be evacuated.

Anyways I've never eaten at the American pavilion. I've also always found it strange that our own country doesn't have some sort of large signature sit down restaurant or something showcasing foods from around our great nation.

Interesting trivia answer I can't recall hearing about people drowning at Tom sawyers island.

I thought it was a maybe a guest who needed assistance. It's funny because in all my trips to Disney, I had never seen firefighters from RCFD at the parks but after telling the boys about Reedy Creek, we ended up seeing them.

I think that was our second time eating there. In the previous trip, he declared the chicken nuggets the best ever. Although every where we ate during that trip, he declared the chicken nuggets the best ever. I was pretty impressed with what I had for a meal, although I still prefer Tangierine café or Sunshine Seasons for a QS at EPCOT.

I tried to do some additional research before posting this update, and I didn't find anything either. As I suspected, there were some incidents at Disneyland.

Well that's creepy about Tom Sawyer island. Who knew?

Creepy, but kind of interesting. If I could only find evidence that it is true...

:

I am playing catch-up and wanted to comment on the Mission Space and Universe of Energy post before reading the latest. I never tire of hearing the "I barfed three times" story. That Ben is a hoot and a half!

It was nice of the CM to let y'all wait in the empty room (which I never knew existed) while waiting on the others to join you. I had totally forgotten about the telephone game. I may need to add this to our game night list. Your pictures of the dinosaurs came out really well. Good job!

That's good, because apparently I never tire of telling it!!!

I know! Telephone!

Oh the horror of having to pass up all of those countries in World Showcase! It pains me every time someone says that they'll skip a country. I'm always fearful to order what is considered to be a Louisiana specialty from anywhere but Louisiana but your dish looked pretty dang Louisiana authentic. And those crab cakes look delish too.

It is sad, but I knew going in that we wouldn't be seeing much of the countries with the boys.

The Louisiana shrimp was great, although I haven't had the real deal, so I can't tell you how it compares.

Oh wait! I forgot about the trivia question. Tom Sawyer Island? Who would of thunk it? But it does make sense.

That's what I thought, too, when I heard it.

 

[natebenma]

The Liberty Inn food looked pretty good. I haven't eaten there since the early '90's when our girls were young and in their hotdog/chicken nugget phase of life.

That's quite a cute little photobomber you have in your first Beach Club selfie. He looks like he planned to be in the photo.

I got thinking about the Tom Sawyer Island drownings and looked a little further. Wikipedia is not the most reliable source, but this site doesn't list any incidents for Tom Sawyer Island. It is an interesting read, though.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incidents_at_Walt_Disney_World

The Liberty Inn certainly is a good place for those kiddie staples. But it is good to see they now have a few more exciting options.

I noticed the little boy in my picture. Really cute smile.

Thanks for doing some additional research. It was interesting reading. I'll have to ask my brother his source, because he always makes sure he quotes a source when he asks questions. When I read about deaths/incidences at Disneyland, there were a couple related to Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America. So I suspect the question relates to Disneyland, not Disney World.

It was sponsored by MetLife. The location of the pavilion is rather unfortunate - set back and with an annoying path to the door.

That's funny. I should have known that! I worked for MetLife (actually, the insurance company I worked for was purchased by MetLife a couple of years before I left my job).

We rode the Friendship boat from DHS to Epcot during our WL trip last January. It made me a little homesick to sail past the BC, too.

It is bittersweet seeing those beautiful buildings and knowing you are not staying there.

 

[natebenma]

What?? I never even knew that. But in my defense, I haven't been there in probably 20 years.

I think I first heard about the steak a couple of years ago.

Good question. And I honestly have no idea.

Hmmm... go figure. Must have been at least 1000 drownings if it can beat the 999 deaths at HM.

Hmmm... You make a good point. I should have my brother check his sources.

That's disappointing that you didn't find out what it was. I'd kind of want to know before getting on the ride at that point! It obviously must not have been too bad though. Maybe someone on a boat just needed some assistance getting out of there.

But I'm glad to see that you call the ride by its proper name.

I do think it was a health issue with a guest.

Yes, that is the "proper name" (proper name comes into play in my Orange Banded Monkey report) but I wish I could take credit for the clever name!

You were leading them to food. What do you expect?

Right. Teen boys.

Thanks. Don't stop believing is in my head now.

There's a little gap in there. And I'm sure it will blow over quickly.

Are you SURE?

 

[SarahDisney]

We could stop at the Liberty Inn in the American pavilion for dinner since they take our meal coupons there. I had also recently learned that steak was one of the counter service options there

Interesting. I didn't know that, and I eat at Liberty Inn almost every trip.
Then again, I usually go straight for the kosher menu and don't pay much attention to the regular menu...

“Which attraction at Disney has had the most deaths?”

Hmm ... I'd guess Haunted Mansion ... because there are 999 happy haunts.

It had started to sprinkle and our first stop was the river ride in Mexico with the 3 ducks.

The line was longer than I had ever seen it, stretching out into the courtyard. And it didn’t appear to be moving. All of a sudden, we saw a couple of firefighters rush past us. They were wearing coats that had the initials RCFD.

Reedy Creek Fire Department.

One of the boys turned to me and said “That can’t be good!”




We never did find out what happened, but soon enough, the line started moving again and we were boarding “It’s a Small Mexico”

I wonder what was going on ... but I guess it wasn't too big of a deal if you never found out what it was. I hope nobody was hurt or anything!

You have probably heard of the story “Around the World in 80 Days”

How about “Around the World in Like 80 Seconds?”

That's some pretty fast walking!

I was able to stop at China long enough for this picture. I asked if the group wanted to see the army of clay figurines. Go figure- they were not interested.

That's a little surprising ... the army stuff doesn't interest boys? Who knew...

Then, the horror! We PASSED the Grey Goose slushie stand. Without stopping.

Well that's just not fair. Chaperones need treats too!

Oh, yeah- the answer to the trivia question “Which Disney attraction has resulted in the most deaths?”

According to my brother- it is Tom Sawyer’s Island (drownings)

Interesting. I wouldn't have guessed that, but unfortunately, it makes sense. Drownings are a pretty big cause of death in many places, unfortunately.