It didn't take the kids any time at all to turn on the TV and find the cartoons. However, they discovered that, very wisely, Disney does not broadcast Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, or other competitors. It's all Disney, baby!
There was also a channel that broadcast this spunky girl going from park to park riding rides, having a rip roaring, good time at Disney World. It was on a continuous loop so it played over and over and over on the same channel.
I couldn't remember the name of it so I Googled it - Top Seven channel. Most of the comments were my sentiments exactly, like this one:
The Top Seven channel features a goofy woman named Stacy giving you a quickly moving tour of theme park highlights. I love love love Stacy. She is simultaneously fun, annoying, energetic, crazy, weird, wild, and completely compelling. I'm completely addicted and watch her at least a dozen times each trip.
Strangely enough, my boys were addicted, too! The Top Seven channel was their favorite. At first it was, "I'm going to ride that!" Then it became, "We rode that!" The older two would stand right in front of the television many a morning while getting ready and wait for their favorite parts. "Hey, Mom! Watch this! Remember that?" It was such fun to watch them and Stacy is annoyingly addictive.
I couldn't get the original video to work, but this is a 9 minute montage. Take a peek...
Triple Mountain Whammy. Wham! Wham! Wham!
Enough lounging, we soon decided to load everyone back in the car and go get MawMaw's Annual Pass. Friendly Cast Members told us MGM's Guest Relations would be the best choice since the parking lot is fairly close to the entrance.
Indeed. We parked only a few rows back. Didn't even need to take the tram.
By the time we got there it was dark. We could see spotlights casting beams into the sky. This was a sight we would see every night and look upon with delightful familiarity. I think because it meant something exciting was happening somewhere.
We got the Annual Pass and headed back to the car. The boys were so excited about the next day. Their anticipation was at a particularly elevated level since the next day we were scheduled for MGM! (A few months after we left, the name was changed to Disney's Hollywood Studios.)
Exiting the parking lot, we decided to hit the grocery store for a few necessities. The closest was Goodings just outside Disney property to the east. We drove past Downtown Disney, snaked through the non-Disney hotels on Hotel Plaza Boulevard, and exited Disney property crossing over Apopka-Vineland Road into the Crossroads shopping center.
Our grocery list consisted of milk, oj, soda, cheese, cereal, bread, eggs, and butter. You know, the basics. Due to their captive audience, the prices were steep, but you pay for convenience. We paid over $5 for a half gallon of orange juice and over $3 for store brand cereal. We were aghast at the prices, but CB didn't flinch.
Although fully stocked with food, we weren't particularly keen on cooking dinner back at OKW and since we were visibly road-weary, we weren't suitably dressed for a sit-down restaurant. After circling Crossroads' offerings we settled on Taco Bell. Our order totalled $17. I chuckled and announced in my airline pilot voice that this would be our cheapest meal the entire week!
The next day would be MGM! Since Rockin' Roller Coaster was closed during our visit, CB was focused on the Tower of Terror.
"I don't know if I'm going to ride that," said FM#1.
My sentiments exactly.
