And Then There Were Three... The Big 18/21 17 May 2019

[Dixiechic]

Index is here

Woke up at 5.45 today. Totally shattered but an early start needed as we’re rope dropping Slinky dog at Hollywood studios. Phoebe didn’t want to get up. No sign of Fred the roach this morning but I didn’t dare move anything on the side where he was last seen. I think he’ll appear again once dad has gone home so I’ll have to deal with it myself.

We were in the car just before 7.30 and parking on the front row just before 8. Sat Nav doesn’t like the roads around HS even though it’s recently been updated so we had to follow the purple signs and tune out Doris.

The hoarding that was up earlier in the week is now down and there’s a new walkway. Bag search is now facing a different direction and the Skyliners are all uncovered.

Straight through the tapstyles with no queue and straight up to the holding area. Dad popped into Starbucks for a coffee. Just before 8.40 we were herded towards Toy Story Land. There are a couple of bottle necks en route and things get a bit messy with strollers getting in the mix but we’re through and approaching the fence by the umbrellas. We keep walking through the queuing system and don’t come to a stop until just before the odd/even split. I congratulate myself on doing well but in reality it’s exactly the same as rope dropping Flight of Passage - you get there early and queue for ages at the park entrance instead of queuing for ages at the actual ride!

We are on and off by 9.01. Dad didn’t like it. He didn’t like the undulating bit but blamed it on the coffee sloshing.

We then quickly walked to Tower of terror. The only way we were going to ride this was to get in the standby queue but because only half the ride was operating, it was already at 65 minutes. We left dad with the bags in the shade.

We spent the whole time in the queue chatting to a senior couple from Seattle which passed the time quite nicely. I couldn’t remember the queuing system as we normally fastpass this bit it was only 45 minutes until we were entering the library and before we knew it we were on. I always scream a lot in this ride.

We were now in our fast pass window for rock n roller coaster and nanny and gdog had one for voyage of the little mermaid. We had to wait to ride at the front as Jas has only ever sat on the front row. She managed to maintain her straight face pose. I’m definitely getting to old for this one. My head hurt when I got off.

We headed over to meet mum and dad who were just coming out of the theatre. March of the first order had just finished and chewy walked past with Kyle Ren - she spotted a little girl in a stroller who was dressed the same as her and stopped to talk to her which was really nice.

We sat and had a quick snack and refilled the popcorn bucket as we’d finally remember to bring it out with us! I was tempted to get the Toy Story alien one too but will have to see what the luggage space is looking like later on on the week. Do I really need it when they’ll both just sit in a cupboard for 99.9% of the time?!

Next was our fastpass for Toy Story mania. This is Dad’s favourite ride. He always marvels at the technology of it. And the highest score went to... me! Phoe wasn’t happy. As we came out the green soldiers were just coming by and getting people to join them for some games. Nanny was loving it.

We had a fastpass for Star tours but not for another hour. We decided to ditch it and head home as we’ve not had any down time and to give nanny and gdog the opportunity to do something else if they desired. The plan was to stop at the toot (not sure how to spell this - rhymes with ‘put’, as in a loss of old toot) shop as Phoe wanted some souvenirs to take back to work. Sat Nav decide to put us on the i4 towards champions gate which it’s never done before do we had to do a bit of diverting to get back on the 192. Stopped at the first shop which phoebe declared rubbish - Er, yeah, it’s a load of old toot!

We then went to the next one which was the same stuff but she deemed the 99cent mugs acceptable - not so acceptable is that we now have 8 of them to fit in the luggage!

Over the road was a McDonald’s so we then went there to get jas a burger and an avengers toy but since Wednesday they will no longer sell just the toys. I then asked to see what toys she get had to decide whether or not to get a happy meal but we already had the ones that they’ve got.

We finally got home and had a couple of hours of just chilling and actually managed to read a magazine. Nanny and gdog took a trip to Walgreens and did some packing.

We were trying to decide whether to go out for dinner or go to one of the parks for fireworks as we haven’t done any evening shows yet. The girls are both shattered but it was decided we’d go to Epcot, secure a table at the Rose and Crown and get something to eat while we waited. We set off at 6.45 and arrived at 7.15. Phoe was first out of the car and walked off closely followed by jas. We followed knowing things didn’t look good.

Jas arrived first and waited and there was one table with 5 seats - fate. But then it all went wrong. Both girls wanted the battered sausage which was on the pub menu but the pub food had to be eaten in the pub - it couldn’t be taken outside. They didn’t want the fish and chips or just chips which were available outside.

Jas walked off saying she hadn’t wanted to come and didn’t like fireworks anyway. I went after her but she wouldn’t communicate with me so I let her go and returned.

A few minutes later Phoe was doing something with her Lyk card and then got up saying that she was going to get Jasmine and they’d get a Lyft.

I got upset. Dad said should we just go but I said no. Phoe started texting to say that the earliest Lyft would be 9.15 and then it wouldn’t accept her payment method.

We watched illuminations for the last time as it’s ending in September this year to be replaced by another show.

We made our way to the exit. The girls were ‘near the toilets by the exit’ - after the exit, before the exit, exit meaning tapstyles or exit meaning beyond bag search? I couldn’t get a definitive answer. We found them eventually and drove home in silence.

Got home and Phoe then had a cockroach in her bathroom. Because I didn’t go running to assist that was wrong too.

Went to bed feeling like the utter failure that I know I am. I’ve been inadequate my whole life and failed at marriage and raising children. I did what I thought was right but it’s obviously gone way off somewhere.

I haven’t added Phoebe’s notes as I think she probably needs to re read them before they get posted.

2 gdog lookalikes today

PHOEBE’S VERSION OF EVENTS BELOW (2nd edition):
Day 15 - Hollywood Studios

Another early start at 6:30am. Now is the point where we’re struggling to get up. I wanted to stay behind today, like Jasmine got the chance to on Wednesday when she was struggling and tired. I wasn’t allowed to because it was Nanny and Grandads last day, and of course, if I refused and stayed behind, I would be “spoiling things for others”. Only I could do that. If Jasmine stayed behind it would be covered with “you know she’s struggles”. Different rules for the fav child hey?

I reluctantly pulled myself together and got ready and we left the house at 7:25am. Parked on the front row again and we’re in the park by 8:10am. We sat down where we were held yesterday for about half an hour. Just before 8:40am I got back up, after sitting down for a while, and mum had to help me up as I couldn’t put any weight on my left knee. I have a dodgy left knee and sometimes it’s a bit weird for an hour or so, but very rarely, and then it’s fine for a few more months! Since we went to Holly’s party and danced the night away, those of you on mums fb, the video of her practically sitting down on the floor but claiming to “fall”, if you don’t go look at it and you’ll see what I mean! That’s the night it proper messed it up. I couldn’t walk properly for days.

Anyway, I had a dodgy knee and told them I would be able to do the quick walk/run/jogg thing. Clearly nobody heard me as I was still expected to move at the speed of light to beat the crowds. Well that made it worse. We then walked through Slinky Dog at 8:48am and on the ride by 8:59am. We rode the front 3 carriages. Grandad didn’t enjoy it and said Thunder was better.

We then walked over to Tower of Terror which was a 65 minute wait. They don’t have many FPS available as one of the sides is shut for referbs. Mum and Nanny got chatting to this couple behind us from the US. I gathered from the conversation that the lady’s husband died two years ago and her and the new man met online, her parents were from Germany but she was born over here. Her grandparents had 3 boys then waited 26 years and had another 3 boys and her dad was the eldest of the second set. He used to work in the marines maybe? Then he said he could find me a nice Italian boy. She then buckled her seat belt up the wrong way in the ride. Great story right!

After this mum Jas and I went over to Rockin Roller Coaster as our first fp. I’m still announcing I can’t walk quick. The others went over to their fp, Journey of The Little Mermaid. We then met there and sat for a while and had our rolls at 10:45am. Refilled the popcorn bucket too.

We then headed to Toy Story Mania as our second fp. Mum won again. She’s obvs cheating, there’s no way she can do it like that. It was then decided we weren’t going to stay for our final fp, Stat Tours as they didn’t want to and wanted to get back the villa. We then headed back to the car and set off home.

We stopped at the toot shops to buy some stuff on the way home. We then got home at 2ish. There was talks of a Walgreens/ Walmart/Florida Mall/ Shopping trip, which I was of course interested in all. But for some reason this then didn’t happen. I then laid in my bed for about an hour whilst mum read her magazine and the others napped. I then changed into my swim stuff and came outside just as Nanny and Grandad announced they were going to Walmart to see what last minute bits they could get.

I then sat out with mum for a bit and they returned an hour later. It was then decided we’d go to Epcot to watch the fireworks and dinner at about half 6. Mum then must of asked me at least 3 times what I thought and what time should we leave, after me saying the first time “I don’t know”. And she heard me, she just chose to ask more. I said I didn’t know and to just leave when they wanted. I then went back to my bed. It was then 5pm. Mum said we would be leaving at half 6 and I would have time to have a nap. I said to wake me up nearer the time so I’d have time to get ready. She obvs didn’t hear me as I woke up at 6pm. I then said what are we doing as no one still really knew.

It was then down to me what I wanted to do. It’s their last night, so surely it’s their choice. Jasmine said the same. It was then decided we’d go to Epcot and leave in 15 minutes and arrived at Epcot just before half 7.

We then walked over to Epcot. Jas in front. Those three in the middle and me behind. We sat on a table outside the pub in England. We then sat in silence for a while. Grandad then went to order his fish and chips for him and nanny. Mum went to order our battered sausage and chips. She then came back twice and said she couldn’t order food to take out here. How did everyone else have it then?

She then went inside and I joined her and they told her the same. She then realised she was supposed to be going to the one you can order at outside the pub. They only did fish and chips or a chicken and mushroom pie and said they couldn’t do just chips or sausage and chips. Jasmine was then annoyed by this and stormed off. Mum went after her and then came back without her saying she was gone and wasn’t coming back.

I then text her to ask where she was as I was prepared to leave too. I then downloaded the lyft app and transferred more money to my card to then get home. Went and found Jas and she was sat at the front of the park and the next lyft could only get us at 9:15pm. Then it didn’t accept my payment method. Chuffing brilliant. She then walked off again and I went after her and we ended up sitting in silence on opposite benches. It’s now 9pm and the fireworks have started, and I haven’t eaten since the roll almost 12 hours ago. So I was starving.

It then takes them forever to find us because they didn’t understand about where we were, we were near the exit and the toilets. They then find us and mum starts on saying we can’t get to the car this way. I said we’ll meet you there then and Jas and I walked back to the car. Everyone is trying to find their car and hitting the button on their key to make it beep so they can follow the sound. Jas and I are still starving at this point. They then arrived a few minutes later. It was obviously the right time to press our button and make our car beep just as were stood next to it and scared the life out of us. They find it hilarious.

Jas and I are so exhausted having full on days trying to spilt our time with everyone and not wanting to let anyone down or upset them by not spending enough time with them when they’ve travelled all this way. Everyone else is having relaxing mornings or afternoons, but we’re darting from park to park and person to person to keep everyone happy. And in actual fact we’re making ourselves miserable because we’re so exhausted.

We then got home at about 10:15pm. Jas went straight up to her room and I went to mine. There was a cockroach on my bathroom floor. I’m shouting mum and she clearly didn’t hear me because she then comes strolling in later and doesn’t want to stand on it and just watches it. She then kicks the cupboard and it crawls away. What was kicking the cupboard going to do!? So now I have a live cockroach roaming my room. Still no dinner because apparently 10:30pm is “possibly” too late to eat!

[Brave5]

Oh dear! Don't worry we all have those days - tomorrow is a new day and you will still be in sunny FLORIDA! Still love reading your reports - keep them coming!

[TINKERBELL44]

Please don’t be too hard on yourself, you are doing a wonderful job xxx

[Inky]

You’re not a failure, that’s kids for you! Keep smiling

[pinktraceb]

You're doing a fab job, especially being able to take them on amazing holidays! Xx

[Loopylooloo]

Time out needed! You all need a big chill by the pool. Its a long trip, lots of people, early starts, etc. Its bound to get tricky, we have regular holiday melts from our kids too (and me sometimes) all normal you are fantastic mum! And they know it.x

At least Freds not in your bathroom now!

[Jules32]

Aww your not a failure its bloody hard raising girls alone I have two myself, I think a chill day is needed for all of you just to do your own thing and have your own space. xx

[DISNEYNIC]

Glad you managed to rope drop Slinky. You definitely don't seem like a failure!

[MrsArcher2b]

You're doing an amazing job! Your girls are lucky to have you. A failure would never bring their family to Florida to celebrate their birthdays.

Heat and long days always bring about a moody moment. God knows we've had our rows xx

[collybird]

Holidays are stressful, especially with you much extended family along for the ride too. Please don't be too hard on yourself.