tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post4095568430610840200..comments2024-02-04T05:13:04.501-05:00Comments on Nik at Nite: The Unhappiest Man on EarthNikki Staffordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04463618183850438914noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-19964403911859028982013-02-12T13:18:16.548-05:002013-02-12T13:18:16.548-05:00P.S.
Had on my Dharma Swan Station logo t-shirt o...P.S.<br /><br />Had on my Dharma Swan Station logo t-shirt one day and the Space Mountain operator offered me a "Namaste." Figured I'd tie Lost in somehow!Jim Woodsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-28149902684740292002013-02-12T13:16:42.386-05:002013-02-12T13:16:42.386-05:00Just got back from WDW, first trip for our 5 and 7...Just got back from WDW, first trip for our 5 and 7 year olds. Had a great time. Wish we were there at the same time as you!<br /><br />Not a terribly busy time of year, according to the guidebooks, but it still felt crowded to me. FastPass was a blessing every time we used it.<br /><br />Had several character meals and our kids just loved it. The Bippity Boppity Boutique experience put our daughter over the moon.<br /><br />We spent three days exclusively in the Magic Kingdom and it was incredible, all the way around!Jim Woodsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-72861501238802677772013-01-17T23:52:53.230-05:002013-01-17T23:52:53.230-05:00fWe just got back from Disney (Jan 6-12) and had a...fWe just got back from Disney (Jan 6-12) and had an amazing time, hardly any waits on the rides. Average was 0-15 minutes. Longest one we waited on was Winnie the Pooh, 25-30 min tops. My wife, mother-in-law and I took our 4 and a half year old Katie, her first Disney experience. One of the best vacations ever. A joy to watch her take it all in and a lot of fun for us too. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-9311679687863321262013-01-17T23:48:29.378-05:002013-01-17T23:48:29.378-05:00We just got back from Disney (Jan 6-12) and had an...We just got back from Disney (Jan 6-12) and had an amazing time, hardly any waits on the rides. Average was 0-15 minutes. Longest one we waited on was Winnie the Pooh, 25-30 min tops. My wife, mother-in-law and I took our 4 and a half year old Katie, her first Disney experience. One of the best vacations ever. A joy to watch her take it all in and a lot of fun for us too.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-82485843350141947892013-01-15T12:44:59.993-05:002013-01-15T12:44:59.993-05:00For what it's worth:
1. A little dreaming ne...For what it's worth: <br /><br />1. A little dreaming never hurt anyone, young or old. <br />2. I'll give him this one - not a fan of Fast Pass, never have been. <br />3. He ain't seen nothing til he's been to the MN State Fair. Has he seen <i>Wall-E</i>? Those people in rascals are pretty much the genesis of the people on that ship. <br />4. To be fair, everything at 80% of the restaurants around the world come with a side fries. That's not really a Disney-exclusive thing. <br />5. It's possible to enjoy the creations without agreeing with the creator's politics. No one is forgetting Disney was a McCarthyite or reported Nazi sympathizer; we're just looking past it. <br />6. But did his son enjoy the ride? At the end of the day, that's what's supposed to matter. Also, sometimes, especially at Disney, the anticipation of something is better than the something itself. <br />7. The fact that it hasn't been updated in 40 years is what makes it enjoyable. It's like a window into an embarrassingly un-PC past. And there's something comforting about knowing it's the exact same ride ridden by past generations. <br />8. Yes, they do. I suspect they don't mind dropping the $16 for a park-only piece of clothing, especially if they'll be at the parks for multiple days and can wear them then. <br />9. Also, many women spend a lot of money on a dress they only wear once, and every time I'm in a wedding I have to drop considerably more than $16 for clothes I not only wear for just a few hours, but that I don't even get to keep. :) Austin Gortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-50512157799815914492013-01-14T20:46:13.185-05:002013-01-14T20:46:13.185-05:00Counter him with:
1) He doesn't watch OUAT d...Counter him with: <br /><br />1) He doesn't watch OUAT does he?<br />2) That's why I like getting the disablity pass.<br />3) Ask John Pinette about rides.<br />4) Dieting at Disney would make me the Unhappiest Man on earth.<br />6) See 2)<br />7) I call that vintage<br />8/9) Save money on a Halloween costume.<br /><br />:DDusknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-49871838334831112652013-01-14T18:54:31.037-05:002013-01-14T18:54:31.037-05:00FYI: Just in case the Unhappiest Man on Earth (esp...<br>FYI: Just in case the Unhappiest Man on Earth (esp. w/ his lovely bride) might be traveling to cover something about the US Open this year before or during the event I thought I'd mention that it's taking place a couple of miles away from my house. I don't follow golf but I found this out last night when my cousin told me that her house, a stone's throw away, is up as a potential rental or hospitality area.<br /><br>Blamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07342343767763035991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-40613444744859651572013-01-14T14:49:59.770-05:002013-01-14T14:49:59.770-05:00Graeme mentioned above that my husband should have...Graeme mentioned above that my husband should have the right of reply. I keep meaning to post this, but here, in all its magnificent grumpiness, is the Facebook post he made after going to Disney (he was typing this the same time I was working on this blog): <br /><br />Observations on Disney World after having spent a day at the "happiest place in the world."<br />1) Most dreams don't come true. They get crushed. But kids won't realize that for a few years. If you learned about dreams from Disney's dancers/singers/characters you'd think every woman needs a prince to add value to her life and save her from some horrible servitude. Maybe that's true in Florida, but I can't say for certain.<br />2) Fast Pass sounds like a good idea, until you grab one for Space Mountain at 11 am and it tells you to come back 10 hours later.<br />3) There are a lot of people in motorized carts where the only thing wrong with them appears to be that they are fat. Really fat. Really really fat. Maybe a walk would do them some good?<br />4) In conjunction with No. 3, everything at Disney seems to come with a side of fries.<br />5) There's all these really positive quotes from Walt Disney throughout the park. Of course, people forget he was a McCarthyite who crushed his cartoonists union moves by claiming they were all Communists. "You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality." As long as those people are not unionists apparently. <br />6) Line ups for rides today were all over an hour, sometimes up to three. Went on a Winnie the Pooh "ride" with my son. Spent 85 minutes in the line. The "ride," if you could call it that, lasted 3 minutes. It had all the inspiration of a bad midway ride at a fall fair in rural southern Ontario. <br />7) The "Its a small world after all," "ride" was the inspiration for the Simpsons episode where Lisa drinks the water and goes on a "trip." I found this ride fascinating for this reason alone. Oh, and the fact it hasn't been updated in 40 years.<br />8) What's with fully grown women wearing Mickey ears? Do they realize they paid $16 for something they can't wear anywhere else without being laughed at?<br />9) See point 8, just substitute Minnie Mouse shirts.<br />10) Elvis Costello's "This is hell" went through my head for much of the day.Nikki Staffordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04463618183850438914noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-83717416488026077922013-01-10T23:12:36.073-05:002013-01-10T23:12:36.073-05:00Nikki, I love this post as it is near and dear to ...Nikki, I love this post as it is near and dear to my heart. I too am married to man who hates "crowds". <br /><br />My husband also hates "traffic" - which he defines as more than 2 cars in front of him at a stoplight. <br /><br />Seriously. <br /><br />He is a miserable traveling companion: <br /><br /><b>Wonderful One</b>: I love the color red, can I wear red, I wonder? I know I can't wear yellow - but that's common...<br /><b>Husband</b>: Go! PUSH DOWN ON THE GAS TO GET YOUR VEHICLE TO PROCEED.<br /><b>WO</b>: But maybe just red earrings? A touch of red should be okay. Ooh! Look at that house! We need a garden like that!<br /><b>H</b>: MOVE! YES! GOOD! DRIVING MAKES SENSE WHEN YOU AREN'T AN IDIOT!<br /><b>WO</b>: *opens magazine*<br /><br />We get to Ikea<br /><br /><b>WO</b>: Yay!<br /><b>H</b>: What do we need?<br /><b>WO</b>: Stuff, a colander, maybe a new TV table, stuff!<br /><b>H</b>: Okay, good, two things. Let's find the map and see how quickly we can get to them.<br /><b>WO</b>: I want to look around! That's why I come here. You know this and yet you volunteered to join me!<br /><b>H</b>: Yes. Okay. *muttering*<br /><br /><i>*20 minutes of shopping*</i><br /><br /><b>H</b>: Are you done? What else do we need? Do you know where you're going? Can't we do this online? There are too many people here; we're in a special hell, you and I. I hate this store.<br /><br />Hats off to you for taking him to Disney World. I admire you even more now!Joan Crawfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04513335615114222374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-33006456151756842492013-01-09T22:43:58.241-05:002013-01-09T22:43:58.241-05:00Take me! Take me! I have never been to Disney and ...Take me! Take me! I have never been to Disney and I will totally act like a 4 year old on a sugar high, but take me!Rebecca T.https://www.blogger.com/profile/11994380364321336824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-14012982723570467342013-01-09T10:41:29.479-05:002013-01-09T10:41:29.479-05:00Aw, I love DisneyWorld. I've been there a hand...Aw, I love DisneyWorld. I've been there a handful of times now. Went there (and Universal, and a Disney Cruise) on my honeymoon, had a blast. Yes, everything is overpriced, but I imagine to your husband everything is overpriced everywhere. And it's a vacation; it isn't like you're doing this every weekend. <br /><br />As for the lines, I was actually bummed the last time I was there because the crowds were small so I barely had to wait in line for anything. As a result, I missed out on a lot of the cool mood-setting and Easter Egg stuff they put into the line-waiting area for each ride. <br /><br />Your husband is certainly entitled to be a Grumpy Grumperson, but I hope he's not rubbing off on the kids; I'd hate for their Disney experience to be brought down by a negative dad. <br /><br />@Beachgirl5835: <i>They don't serve booze at DisneyWorld, right?</i><br /><br />They do at Epcot, and in most of the restaurants (at least the sit down, non-counter service ones) at the other parks. The only park that is entirely dry is Magic Kingdom. Austin Gortonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14281239771248780430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-47309023122485238622013-01-07T10:32:57.784-05:002013-01-07T10:32:57.784-05:00They don't serve booze at DisneyWorld, right?They don't serve booze at DisneyWorld, right?Beachgirl5835https://www.blogger.com/profile/15407081463579587256noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-48054515757118427242013-01-06T19:27:00.113-05:002013-01-06T19:27:00.113-05:00Hey Nikki, I sent you a message asking your opinio...Hey Nikki, I sent you a message asking your opinion on something but you never responded! How come? LadyKathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03241226030870742430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-60651987888172583702013-01-06T07:25:55.668-05:002013-01-06T07:25:55.668-05:00Me: [sigh] Those are CHRISTMAS LIGHTS. They are ne...<br><i>Me: [sigh] Those are CHRISTMAS LIGHTS. They are nets of Christmas lights.<br />Him: Oh.</i><br /><br />Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahaha!!!<br /><br />I loved Disney World as a kid. We used to go rather often during visits to my grandparents' in Florida. Some of my earliest and fondest memories are of those trips — one of the mostest early and fond is getting a pencil case for school at a kiosk made from thick, singularly aromatic plastic that surely was outlawed by the time the '70s were over. <br /><br />I haven't been since high school, though, a few years after EPCOT Center opened and there were still signs like "Norway: Under Construction". So I can't promise that I would love the experience now, but I love the <i>thought</i> of it (absent the walking and standing that I literally couldn't physically deal with anymore). My sister and her husband just took their kids last year at the perfect ages, with the kind of seriously scheduled plan of attack that I would screw up half and hour into Day One. <br /><br />I still hold out hopes of going again. EPCOT would be fun, and I would love to see it all through a child's eyes (ideally my own children's), but honestly I just want to experience the Magic Kingdom again <i>myself</i>. According to the family the crowds and long waits are now made easier by video entertainment and other stuff built into the lines themselves.<br /><br>Blamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07342343767763035991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-76560490914953300062013-01-04T12:07:10.677-05:002013-01-04T12:07:10.677-05:00You are stronger then me, I would have snapped a w...You are stronger then me, I would have snapped a while ago and probably pushed him out of the boat in It's A Small World or just pretended the kids took off a chased after them and conviently "lose track" of where I wasuntil I got into the parking lot to go back to the hotel. <br /><br />Having a leg disablity has drawbacks, but being able to skip lines with the pass is a big silver lining! Although it was almost completly dark, we could still feel the dirty looks we got as we walked past the line in the Harry Potter ride at Universal!Dusknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-13098623671826464942013-01-04T09:51:33.165-05:002013-01-04T09:51:33.165-05:00As a big fan and repeat visitor to D-World, I can ...As a big fan and repeat visitor to D-World, I can offer these words of comfort: At least you’re not there in the steamy, muggy, heat-stroke time of year, when the pedestrian gridlock and unbelievable lines can take up to half the fun from your day. We have found that the BEST time to visit D-World is late January to early February, roughly a 2-3 week window. Pleasant, cool temps, and hardly any crowds at all! Imagine waltzing right in to Spaceship Earth, no waiting, not even a minute. We’ve done it, and heartily recommend it. I hope your remaining time there will get better.Marebabenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-44553017230869624452013-01-04T08:23:28.484-05:002013-01-04T08:23:28.484-05:00"Sir Grumpy McCrank". LOLZ!
Now, must s..."Sir Grumpy McCrank". LOLZ!<br /><br />Now, must spend several minutes cleaning my monitor. Seems to have picked up several minute drops of coffee and bagel shards during the time it took me to read this post.humanebeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15717844158635399246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-12651593839691646702013-01-04T08:16:26.375-05:002013-01-04T08:16:26.375-05:00Hahaha - a claustrophobic with Tourettes - amazing...Hahaha - a claustrophobic with Tourettes - amazing. Can't you just slip him some happy pills or something and tell him to enjoy himself?Ashlie Hawkinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04819825642101427700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-4147313248367346982013-01-04T06:56:15.463-05:002013-01-04T06:56:15.463-05:00Graeme: I'll see if he's OK with me cuttin...Graeme: I'll see if he's OK with me cutting and pasting the lengthy FB post he wrote at the same time I was writing this, and you'll see the grumpiness first-hand. ;) <br /><br />Ali: My dad was like a toned-down (and saner) version of Clark Griswold, so he was the one going, "It's 6am, let's get up now kids and get to that park, YEAH!" My mom, on the other hand, would roll over and say, "Go without me." She hated things like this. I inherited my dad's exuberance, and married the other person. <br /><br />Fred: Going on the Small World ride this time, I loved it, too. And it's amazing to see that a ride that old is still so clean, well painted, and doesn't show its age other than the animatronic dolls just looking very 1950s. My kids loved it, so that's all that mattered. <br /><br />Efthymia: The only thing that kept me going in the second half of the day was realizing I could turn this into a blog post. ;) Nikki Staffordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04463618183850438914noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-37646817064583414092013-01-04T06:01:35.630-05:002013-01-04T06:01:35.630-05:00Think of it this way: would you have had such grea...Think of it this way: would you have had such great writing material were he not this way? :)<br /><br />OK, everything is indeed seriously overpriced (at least judging by my experience at Eurodisney) and waiting in queue for 85 minutes does sound hellish to me -however, I have stood longer for concerts, and I could wait all day were I to ever visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.<br />You know, despite the attitude, he IS doing it; whining is probably his only way of coping (although I'm sure any excuse he may have doesn't make it better for you).Efthymianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-42406222786889708912013-01-04T03:25:12.205-05:002013-01-04T03:25:12.205-05:00The next time your husband gets grumpy, just quote...The next time your husband gets grumpy, just quote the extended line from Sartre: "Hell is other people in line at a Disney ride."<br /><br />I love "It's a Small World" ride. I made my friends go on it with me, time and again. Now I have to find new friends. But I still love it, and I drink the water every time.Fredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01474623954925835867noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-61727860106111857252013-01-04T02:43:38.725-05:002013-01-04T02:43:38.725-05:00I was brought up by two people like that - my moth...I was brought up by two people like that - my mother AND father. I have always said my mother's autobiography should be called 'I couldn't be bothered to stand in the queue'. She always refused to take us to see Father Christmas at the department store because as she said, 'Why do you want to go and see some old bloke dressed up in a stupid costume?' She didn't believe in lying to children!Ali Bagshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04826228234954697951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30892649.post-10708245625404528842013-01-04T00:33:11.688-05:002013-01-04T00:33:11.688-05:00Um... Julie and I are planning on going in mid-Feb...Um... Julie and I are planning on going in mid-February when we're in Florida. You'd be welcome to come but you have to promise to leave him at home!<br /><br />I found this highly amusing. As someone who loves such things, naturally I want to take your side. But loyalty to my gender dictates that I suggest you allow Rob right of reply...<br />Graemehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14874622261770189776noreply@blogger.com