MikeR & SuzyB's Courtship, Planning Journal, Wedding, and Disneymoon

[Mama of Indybride]

FAAABULOUS! Love the detail, we can't wait to see what happens next!



Hope it was great, and waiting for the next install!

 

[MikeR]

If you were to have an eight course meal paired with eight glasses of wine, what would be the event you want to do the next day? Why, take surfing lessons before the sun had rose of course! Mike and Suzy were going to follow this brilliant plan out of need, not desire. Because it just happened that the only day they could do the Chef’s table at V&A was followed by the only day they could take surfing lessons at Typhoon Lagoon. They hemmed and hawed but decided that they might as well seize every moment of their honeymoon, so this day found them dragging themselves very slowly out of bed and making their way to Typhoon Lagoon in the early morning;

They had been a little worried about the weather as it was cold for the first days of the new year, but luckily for the honeymooners it warmed up rather nicely. Their was a brief wait at TL, but eventually the instructors arrived and let Mike and Suzy, as well as the others in the group, into the park a few hours before opening. The group was going to have the world’s largest wave pool to themselves for a few hours to learn how to surf;

Now surfing is not an easy sport. You might think, “Oh, all it is, is paddling forward while pushing a heaving wooden board in time with a wave of water that has a random amount of force behind it, and then standing up on that board while keeping the correct balance necessary to stand on water, how hard can that be?” Very hard. Extremely hard. Putting a camel through the needle of a pin while the camel is doing the Macarena hard.

Mike had tried it while in Japan. He was in a perfect spot with a good board and he tried to catch wave after wave after wave. He did not succeed. He did, however, get exceptionally sun-burned. So that was a nice consolation.

The surfing lessons at TL make it somewhat easier in that the waves are regularly timed and have a regular amount of force behind them. This makes standing on a board on a body of water that is moving a slightly easier task.

The instructors gave us a number of good tips. They were just basic instructions, but you really can’t expect too detailed advice when you are with a group of people.

The last time Mike went surfing he never even waxed the board. He doesn’t know if that would have made any difference or not, but at least it was something to do while waiting in line for a wave.

Eventually it was go time, and go they did. Suzy did an excellent job of catching her first wave and trying to stand up;

When it was Mike’s turn he did better on his first try then he ever did out on the real ocean. He didn’t fully stand up, but he came close;

You have to paddle back after you first wave to catch your second wave, oh the horrors one puts up with on vacation;

Suzy stood up! She was literally surfing for a bit! Mike was so proud of her.

Of course, there is no glory without the risk of defeat, and both Mike and Suzy had many a wipeout that day;

But Mike got up to! He was fully riding the waves for a bit. Granted he later biffed it and crashed into the water, but for a moment he was standing tall. Woot!;

After a few waves the personal lesson was over and Mike and Suzy had to leave the park because it was time to go back into the park because they wanted to explore everything it had to offer;

Now Typhoon Lagoon is a great water park. Like all of the Disney parks, it has a theme to it, mainly that a big old typhoon splashed over a lagoon (see the clever naming scheme now?) and resulted in everything becoming topsy turvey.

And Mike and Suzy got Free Mickey Hats! Now Mickey Hats are of limited use when one is in a water park, getting wet, but it was the only thing they received from the Dream Teams that wonder around giving free stuff, so it was kind of cool;

Besides the largest wave pool in the world, the most attractive part of Typhoon Lagoon is probably the ridiculously steep water rides which feel as if you are falling at a 90 degree angle;

After doing all the exciting rides (which really didn’t take that long, Mike and Suzy decided to relax a while on the Lazy River and just soak up some sun for a while;

It was crowded at times which kind of detracted from its relaxing atmosphere, but still not a bad bit or relaxation;

 

[MikeR]

As the noon day sun beat down upon their backs, Mike and Suzy decided that it was time to get away from the cool refreshing water park and go tramp around under the baking sun in the largest park in DW, Animal Kingdom;

They had just enough time to take pictures of a few strange plants;

And animals;

and interesting fossils;

Wasn't Disney lucky that so many animals and creatures were fossilized where they decided to build their park?

They also had time for "It's Tough to be a Bug!"

Which was a pretty darn good 3-D experience. When Mike first saw it many years ago, he had no idea of the various surprises that the show springs on you. When the animatronics came on he was blown away. When the "acid" was sprayed he was blown again. And when the bugs crawled under his but, again he was blown.

Watching it again didn't have quite the same experience, but was still enjoyable. It still might be the best 3-D show at DW.

Mike and Suzy left earlier than they needed to because they didn't know the travel times to get from the Animal Kingdom to the Animal Kingdom Lodge;

They arrived a little early but that was OK as it gave them time to check out some of the attractions at the lodge;

If you've got to kill time waiting for a reservation, there are definitely worse places to do it than the AKL;

Heck, even the waiting tables were pretty spiffy;

Finally it was time for Boma;

The staff was helpful;

and very friendly;

and quickly showed the newlyweds to their seats;

The menu was very intriguing. Mike loves to explore when he is dining and does not have that much experience with African food so other than Victoria and Albert's, Boma was probably the place he was most excited about eating at;

A quick rundown of the menu;

African Breads
Mixed Field Greens:
Mango Vinaigrette, Paw Paw Vinaigrette,
Chili Cilantro Vinaigrette, Balsamic Vinaigrette
Potato Salad
Fresh Fruit

Pasta Salad
Watermelon Rind Salad
Kool Slaai
Chicken Salad with Chili Cilantro
Moroccan Seafood Salad - Couscous, mussels, scallops and shrimp

Avocado, Grapefruit, Papaya, Curry Cucumber Salad, Spinach and Beet Salad

Macaroni and Cheese
Saffron Rice
African Soups and Stews:
Chicken Corn Porridge
Smoked Tomato Soup

Sweet Potato Pancakes
Vegetable Lentil Kofta
Pap
Braised Greens
FuFu
Potatoes with Afritude

Durban Spiced Roasted Chicken
Malabu Pepper Steak
Grilled Seafood
Wood Roasted Meats

Vegetable Skewers
Chicken Pepper Pot
Coconut Curried Chicken Soup
Curried Coconut Seafood Stew
Couscous Marrakesh

Chicken Tenders
Spaghetti and Meatballs

Wonderful Dessert Buffet including:
Zebra Domes
Simba Paw Prints
shows that their was much food to explore;

and;

explore;

they;

did;

And of course they got their customary free honeymoon desert;

It has been over half a year since Mike last ate at Boma, so remember any specific likes and dislike is rather difficult for him. He remembers being very pleased with the overall experience and devouring a number of dishes, but he can not recommend any exact ones. So try them all!

 

[MikeR]

After a night at Boma the couple wasn't very hungry. They just got a standard breakfast at the standard All-Star cafeteria, and after standing in a standard line, the standard breakfast was standard;

Then off to Animal Kingdom, home of the big wooden fort;

Animal Kingdom is by far the most beautiful park. Everything is surrounded by such a lush greenness that one can forget that there are 20,000 other people walking around trying to soak up the lush greenness. There is really no park in Disney World that one can go to in order to relax, but Animal Kingdom probably comes the closest. Mike really enjoyed the various strange flora and fauna. He can't even get a blueberry bush to grow in his front yard without strange brown spots appearing on the leaves slightly before the bush explodes and shrivels into a raisin sized ball. Disney on the other hand;

They can transport trees that appear to be from the Planet Zaxon-Five and gets them to grow in a climate that could be described as Tropical – With Occasional Freeze Spells On Your Fricken Honeymoon, and not only grow but thrive;

One of the great things about AK is that much of it is more like a zoo than an amusement park. There are many different animals which you can just look at for a while without having to wait in line for. One of animals the Happy Honeymooners came across was a meerkat, which failed to dress in drag and do the hula;

Given that the couple had walked five minutes and hadn't eaten in almost an hour, it was time for a snack. You know, when you think about it, eating a Mickey shaped food is a little weird. Your symbolically eating an anthropomorphisized rodent. Perhaps it wouldn't have seemed so weird if Mike hadn't screamed, "I'm eating your head Mickey! Resistance is futile, I will consume you and you will provide nourishment for me! Mwa-ha-ha!"

AK is a pretty big place, with tons of places to explore and wander. Here are Mike and Suzy on a path to nowhere, or possibly adventure;

Kilimanjaro Safaris was probably the best part of AK. Reality is just plain cool, and while the animals are not in their natural environment, they are still read living breathing animals and to have them so close that your tour is held up for a wildebeest crossing is spiffy keen;

Let alone being held up for a rhino crossing, which is super-extra-spiffy-keen;

There were also plenty of colorful side acts to watch as you were walking from one ride to the next, like this jumping act. If the African nation this troop is from is ever invaded by an alien race of hoops that can only be defeated by jumping through them at increasing speeds, who-boy, those aliens are _doomed_;

When Mike and Suzy went to Expedition Everest they had the toughest decision of their honeymoon so far, weather to go in the singles line or not. The singles line was about 1/4th as long and moved twice as fast, so if the math is right then that means that they would arrive in San Diego at 11:35 PM on train B. But taking the singles line would mean that they would be separated for a whole two minutes, possibly even three, which in Honeymoon times roughly translated to three weeks of normal married couple time. In the end, they did split up and went in separate rides. Mike avoided shouting/singing "Near, Far, Wherever you are, I believe that the heart does go onnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!" by the slimmest of margins.

Overall the ride was pretty fun. It was a roller coaster ride. It went fast. There was nice stuff to look at it. If it had been ridden earlier in the vacation it might have wowed them more, but they were beginning to be a little ridded out by now;

Ridded out! How could it be! Perhaps they just hadn't gone on the right rides yet. Yea, that was the ticket. The couple knew that they really wouldn't get hurt on any of the rides so their was no element of danger. They needed some risk, or some thrill, or some chance that things wouldn't go as planned. Hmmm . . . they had an activity to do in about and hour and a half, and it would be really bad if they arrived to it soaking wet, so yea, they should go on the Kali River Rapids and put their faith in the gods that they would not get wet! That would be a smart move.

So that is what they did. The couple kept exchanging nervous glances at each other as they passed people who looked like they had just got out of a shower that they for some reason took with their clothes on, and when they passed a sign that said, "You will get wet, you may get soaked," they came close to turning around, but almost close only counts in horseshoes and thermonuclear weapons so they got on the ride.

They buckled in with two other couples. Round and round the tube went, spinning like a roulette wheel to determine who would get soaked and who would merely get splashed. Big drop 1 – couple to their left got soaked. Big drop 2 – couple to their right got soaked. And on and on it went. Every time Mike and Suzy thought they were about to get soaked they merely got sprayed and some other couple got the brunt of the water.

At the end of the ride they were wet, but nothing that couldn't get dried off in an hour and a half. Everyone else in their tube was absolutely drenched though. Sometimes the bread lands butter-side up.

In celebration of their victory over water, it was time for a ceremonial devouring of a turkey leg. Now, last time Mike was in Disney World (at the turn of the century) he was a little puzzled why all these people were just walking around with big slabs of meat on bones munching on it like they were Fred Flintstone. Yet by the end of the trip, he really wanted to get one, but time and chance proved too much for the lad and no turkey leg was had.

But this trip, oh this trip he was determined to taste turkey-flesh! And taste it he did. He savored it, and munched it, and gobbled (gobbled, get it? Get it?) it;

And once the Turkey was defeated he raised it and shouted "Victory!" like he was Johnny Drama;

 

[RachelNinja]

Haha, clicking on your report might not have been such a good thing today since I'm fasting for a medical procedure. Great pics! Even the pic of the tree reminded me of corndogs. Yum.

Loved what you wrote about the single rider line at EE. Can't wait for more

 

[MikeR]

Sometimes when you are on vacation you get so wrapped up in doing things and "having fun" that you stop having fun because you are trying so hard to "have fun." When you feel yourself in that situation sometimes it is best to just stop and relax for a while;

And that's what Mike and Suzy did. They had a nice nap in the shade on a sunny faux-beach.

After refreshing themselves with precious precious slumber, the happy honeymooners went to engage in an activity that is almost a sport, golf!

Suzy had been to a driving range and a putting course (one without windmills) before, but she had never played an actual game of golf before so it was up to this guy to teach her;

Doesn't that face just fill one with confidence? Isn't that the guy you'd want to be driving around what is an essentially oversized go-cart with walls at the highest speed it would go?

Especially given that he was partaking of some adult liquid refreshments at the local snack shack before starting;

Mike began his lesson by giving her a brief history of Golf. Golf is a game that is almost 40 years old! It was begun by a group of Japanese soldiers on a remote pacific island who never learned that WWII ended. These poor guys had nothing to do on their tropic island but hunt wild geckos for their dinner. While doing so, one spotted a group of albino geckos and swung at them with a stick. He brought back his prey and when his companions asked how many he got, he said, "Four" Thus the sport of golf was born.

It's come a long way since then, and who knows where it will go in the future? Perhaps someday men will even shoot golf balls into a sand trap shaped like Mickey Mouse. But that day is many years away;

Suzy whiffed a couple of times at her first shot, but she eventually made contact with the ball (woo-hoo!) and the couple slowly advanced down the course. At the second hole, a group of around fore players showed up and said they were trying to get in one last round. Mike told them to go ahead and play through, but they said that since there were four of them, they didn't feel right in doing so. Mike explained that he had chosen this time so that they would be the very last people to play because this was his wife's first time out. Before the final syllable had left Mike's mouth, the foursome sprinted up to the green to get ahead of the happy couple.

The game progressed slowly after that. Mike has played golf a couple of times, but isn't very skilled at it. But it was a fun exploratory game. One advice to any golf balls out there who happen to be reading this.

If this man comes up to hit you;

Fly straight and true or the next time he will hit you so hard that _this_ will happen to you;

And if you are a golfer, beware of this lake for it has a monstrous appetite for balls that can be satiated;

The happy couple played about five holes of golf and then were played out. It was getting dark, and they had had their fill. It wasn't that they didn't have fun doing it, but five holes was enough and the point of a vacation is to relax and have fun, not to feel like you have to do something.

After golf, Mike and Suzy ran to Epcot to grab dinner at Teppan Edo. They had time to spare so they got in a quick ride at the Spaceship Earth, which turned into a long ride as their speaker was broken so at the end of the ride they got put in a cart and did it all over again. Watching the scenery with no background music or explanations was a bit of a bizarre experience. It was like being shanghaied by a drunk time traveler who kept showing you slideshows of his vacation without any explanation of what they were or why you should care;

Afterwards there was a very cool interactive game where you push around circles of light to various cities to generate more and more power. Mike and Suzy watched another couple, and figured out that team work was the key. They did pretty good and it was a lot of fun, but even after two tries they couldn't get the top spot;

Watching the fountains at night was also a nice little treat;

As was the obligatory alcoholic slushy;

Finally it was dinner time. Mike and Suzy's chef was very helpful and friendly;

And performed all the usual tricks of a hibachi restaurant;

Mike and Suzy's meal was good overall. They had . . . . er . . . um . . . hibachi food! Well what do you expect? This trip report is being written almost a year after the trip. The author can't remember what they had really, but the food was pretty standard hibachi food. If you've ate at Benihana's you've eaten at Teppan Edo.

At least the couple got their, by now, obligatory free desert;

And now, your moment of Zen;

 

[MikeR]

Day 11: No Camera, Miniature Golf

Mike and Suzy had another nice lazy breakfast in bed with bacon, sausage and waffles of Mickey's face covered in strawberries;

The breakfast was so lazy and Mike and Suzy had gotten so many carbs over the vacation that it was not until they were on the bus that they realized the unspeakable had happened; Mike had forgotten his camera. There would exist a day of their honeymoon that was not documented in excruciating detail. So please accept these stole^^^^^ borrowed pictures from elsewhere on the net.

The first activity of the happy honeymooners was a round of miniature golf at the Fantasia mini-golf yard.

It was a lot of fun, and the courses were difficult yet still enjoyable. The surroundings were pretty whimsical.

It should be noted that Suzy beat Mike, and that this was her first time playing miniature golf in a number of years. It should be noted because Suzy noted this quite frequently throughout the rest of the day.

Mike and Suzy debated whether they should play a second round or not, but in the end decided to give the Fantasia Fairway a shot. This second course was extremely difficult. It was set up so that each round looked like that of a regular golf course, only miniaturized. For some reason this made it extremely challenging to play and both Mike and Suzy sweated to get under six strokes on most holes;.

After such a grueling ordeal the only thing that could relieve their suffering would be a trip to Epcot to finish their around the world of drinking. Unfortunately, no record exists of what exactly they drank during their final round of drunkitude, as Mike had forgotten their camera, so let us assume that it was something fruity and slushy like;

They also fast-passed Soaring;

Which was OK, and checked out Universe of Energy;

Which they found pretty lame. Feeling rided out, the two went and Saw Charlie Wilson's War, which was a pretty interesting movie. Afterwards they grabbed sushi and pizza at Wolfgang Puck's express;

and talked about the moral implications of arming the Taliban in a Cold War context. Woo-hoo! What a rockin honeymoon!

Then it was time for one final trip to Pleasure Island, to watch one final show at the Adventure's Club;

And as luck would have it, as they were walking down the streets, Mike and Suzy heard the song that they first danced to on their wedding night. They took hold of each other and danced in the street while it was playing. A lovely end to another wonderful day, even if it did remain undocumented.

 

[MikeR]

Does anyone know how I unlock a trip report that got put in the completed trip report section;

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?p=28411507#post28411507


?

Thanks,

 

[MikeR]

Day 12: Chef De France, Disney Quest, Leaving

Mike and Suzy woke up on their last day to great a wonderful sunny Florida morning. They took one last picture of Suzy on an "S" (S for Suzy, which Mike did not get until it was laboriously explained to him);

and went to the Boardwalk to have a quick stroll

taking in as much sun as they could before going back to rainy old Oregon. When they arrived at the entrance t Epcot, where Mike had reservations for Chefs de France, their pass was turned down because they had used up all of their days. Mike counted on his fingers, then took off his shoes and counted on his toes, and he had thought that he still had one day left, but it turned out that he had forgotten one day. They used the good old, "But it's our honeymoon!" and managed to get a quick one hour pass to go inside and have a short lunch.

As he was in a French restaurant, Mike felt compelled to order escargot, which he actually likes;

Suzy, however, thought it tasted like rubber bands soaked in butter, and went with the chicken filled crepes and Mike got the Quiche Lorraine;

The crepe sauce was a little too bland, and the quiche tasted dry. Both were adequate, but not really great.

After the meal the happy honeymooners left Epcot at a brisk walk and decided to check out Disney Quest, the most Uber-Arcade that ever Ubered, with their last few hours of their honeymoon;

The most fun their game was probably Astroblasters;

Mike and Suzy drove around in a little cart that sucked up these foam balls, which you then had to load and shoot at other players. When you get hit, you spin round round round, like a record baby right right round round;

Suzy was an excellent loader;

And the duo did a great job at shooting five year olds and making them cry.

There was also a cool pirate game where Mike and Suzy sunk some pirate ships;

A fun rafting game where Mike and Suzy tried to out paddle a pterodactyl, and game where they flew Aladdin's Magic Carpet by looking like a total dork;

Time passed as it is want to do, and after posing for one last picture together;

Mike and Suzy caught their last monorail;

and flew home. It was a long plane ride, but they arrived safe and sound with all their luggage and a lot of memories;

It was honestly time for the honeymoon to come to a close. They had enjoyed their time at Disney World, but by the end they were rided out and had done everything there they wanted to do. Every honeymoon has to end, and the two were ready to begin their new life together.

It was a great honeymoon, but it was time for the really fun time to begin where together, Mike and Suzy would get to live happily ever after.

The End.

 

[DisneyDenise513]

Thank you for finishing this report. I have read it from the beginning.
You have a great style of writing. It was wonderful!!!
Best wishes for your happily ever after.

Denise