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| Tragedy & Triumph: Beth’s Trip Report – Day 7: I Want To Be A Millionaire!
Monday, September 10th
A week gone by already? Where does the time go? And as much as we seem to do, I always want to be doing more. And we NEVER do everything that I want! Guess I really need a couple of months in WDW to get it all done (over and over again).
Another day to “sleep in”. We didn’t get up until 7:30. My Passporter notes say the following about the weather: “Sunny, but we’ll get rain yet.” This was definitely the soggy trip. Maybe this was a sign that we should try October again next year!
I had PS for Hollywood & Vine at 9 AM and we got there just in time. We had done this restaurant last year, but not given it a fair shake. Last year we were on the Fall Fantasy Plan (which we didn’t do this year, don’t know why) so I made sure we had breakfast every day. Unfortunately the morning we were supposed to have breakfast at H&V last year I had been very sick that night/early morning. I mean really sick! So my stomach was a complete mess and Steve figured we wouldn’t make our PS at Hollywood & Vine and grabbed some breakfast at Capt. Cook’s (yes, last year we were at the Poly). When I finally managed to get myself out of bed, I INSISTED that we go to breakfast, but all I managed there was a coke and Steve just had half a bagel. So how could we really judge the restaurant? Other than the fact that the photos of us and Chip (or was that Dale) came out really good, how could I judge?
We were seated right away (last time we did have to wait, but last time we also ate around 10:30/11. Maybe it’s not the best time to try and get seated during the “change over” from breakfast to lunch). Our waitress was Dawn (occasionally I do use the Passporter pouches to hold important information like receipts which helps me remember names) and she was great. She had the chef come out and talk to me. Again I was going for toast and bacon, when the chef said he would make egg less pancakes for me. Well I thought about it for a minute and decided, what the heck! So far the chefs had all been very attentive and I figured I would go for it. I was glad I did, they were delicious (Dawn even brought out the box with the mix in it so that I could see the ingredients. I really appreciate that). Since I’ve never had pancakes, I can’t really judge. From what Steve tells me, mine were more like tortillas than pancakes. Not fluffy at all, but very good (they had a hint of cinnamon in them). I liked them so much that when Dawn came back and asked if I wanted more, I said YES! (again this is a first for me). Steve was very happy with the buffet as well. My meal was so good that I didn’t even get up to the buffet to get fruit or cereal (which is the norm). Both of us were really happy with the food at Hollywood & Vine and would definitely go back again (and Steve’s not one on character meals, but he liked the food so much that he wants to go back – not just for the breakfast, but he wants to try the non-character dinner). Goofy, Chip & Dale all came around to visit (I missed a Pluto photo op because Pluto came by when Steve was up at the buffet – the nerve of some people! [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] ). We stayed for quite a while because I know Minnie went through 2 “dance routines” (For those of you who haven’t been there, Minnie stands by the door and I guess every 20-30 minutes music starts up and all the characters dance around – Goofy kind of jitterbugs with Minnie). I made sure we had our photo taken with Minnie (although they were individual photos – having the two of us together in a photo is so rare).
The first thing I wanted to do after breakfast was hit Millionaire. We must have missed the first show. The CM at the front told us to come back in about 20 minutes. So we wandered around, checked out some shops, etc. Then we headed back. Now there was a line (thankfully inside, unlike last time in May when you had to wait outside). Wait wasn’t too bad. Pretty soon we were seated inside. Now, even though I haven’t really watched the show (I don’t think I’ve ever seen it all the way through, although I had watched most of it one evening in the room when they were doing a celebrity match), I really wanted to get in the hot seat. Yes, it was my goal to get there and when asked what my favorite attraction at WDW was to let them know how much I missed some of my favorites. I was a woman with a mission.
Well, I know the best way to win the fastest finger is to decide on a letter order and just go with it, but I just couldn’t do it. I had to think about it and try and get it right. Didn’t do me a lick of good. Some guy got into the hot seat, not me. He was doing pretty well until he hit the question about the name of the magazine Andy Warhol had started (I think this might have been 16,000 points or something). Well I knew the name, but he didn’t. He had used up 2 of his life lines, but he just guessed and he guessed wrong (the correct answer is Interview). Oh well…he walks out with pins and a hat.
Now, who is ranked #1 at this point! Oh MY GOD! It is ME!!! Woo Hoo!!!!! I’m in the hot seat. Only problem is I go out the wrong way (we were half way across the row). I went to the right, which got me to the stairs, but then I had to go back left to get down to the show floor. It felt like hours were going by! UGH! I just wanted to get down there!
Finally (days, weeks, months have gone by!), I get to the floor and am helped into the hot seat (well, I am short!). The woman who was “Regis” was very nice and funny (can’t remember her name for the life of me). I tried not to be too nervous. Kept telling myself to concentrate and really think. Ok, that and I kept checking myself out on the big screen! Wow, I have a big face! I was wearing my company t-shirt that day. As marketing manager for Weltman Plumbing * Heating * Air, you never know who might be in the audience. Maybe someone from Essex or Union County, NJ would be there, see me and call my company the next time they needed a service. (And yes, I planned to be wearing this shirt specifically hoping that I would get into the hot seat). I made sure I was sitting up so you could see the logo on the back! (Even on vacation I am working! Hey if I didn’t work for such a great company, I wouldn’t be able to go on so many great Disney trips).
The first five questions were a breeze. I had been told that usually the first five had something to do with Disney, but none of mine did. I can’t remember them, but I do know that the 5th question (1000 points – and the host had a great way of saying that. She’d dramatically say, “For 1000….POINTS” and then raise and eyebrow. She was quite a character) was “What TV show revolved around Mike and Carol and their kids.” (or something like that). How easy can you get? Definitely not I Love Lucy (which was one of the answers).
Now when they break to see how the audience is doing and ask the guest a question, I am still all prepared to say what ride is my favorite. But she asks what my favorite Disney movie is! Oh no! I am not prepared for this one at all. My mind is a complete blank! Ugh! I finally manage to say, “The Lion King” and when asked why I say because the opening scene always makes me cry (well it does!). What I should have said was “The Parent Trap” because my husband and I saw it on our 2nd anniversary” (and also in honor of my favorite stuffed bunny Cuppy). But I didn’t. So much for being prepared.
After the first five, they got a little harder and I had to use Ask The Audience on a golf question (I know NOTHING about golf). I had no idea what a duffer was, but I figured there were probably a lot of golfers out there. There were enough to give me the right answer. I had to think and go with my gut on the question as to who started the Christian Science Monitor (I knew Mary Baker Eddy was the mother of Christian Science, but I wasn’t too sure if she started the magazine.) Still I couldn’t recognize any of the other names up there, so I went with Mary Baker Eddy and was right. Another question where I had to go to the 50/50 was on what the main ingredient of some sort of Greek food was. Now, I know I can’t eat a lot of things, but I do have a pretty good knowledge of most food, but this one I had never heard of. So I went to the 50/50 which left me with the answers of Squid or Cheese. I went with cheese and got it right. Finally, the 125,000 question was What is the traditional gift for the 1st anniversary. Again, I thought I had the answer, but wasn’t completely sure. But I didn’t think I had any life lines left (ok, I had phone a complete stranger, but I didn’t think that would help). I was torn between paper and wood. I knew that both came in the beginning of anniversaries. So finally I said, “Well, didn’t get any of those for my first anniversary, but I’m going to go with paper.” The hostess made a face and I really thought I had gotten it wrong, but I was right!! Woo hoo!
But we’d run out of time. Did I want to come back? I sure did!
I was taken off stage with a CM who pulled me aside so that I could wait for Steve. On the way out, lots of people wished me luck. Which I really appreciated. Total strangers could be so nice.
The next show wasn’t going to start for another 20 minutes or so. I had time to use the bathroom and Steve and I had to sit on this bench and wait. I was trying not to be nervous, but I was really getting psyched. I wasn’t that far from 1,000,000 POINTS. So what if it was only a limo ride in NYC instead of a plane ride. I was going for it.
If cooler heads had prevailed, I probably should have just walked away at this point. Between the first game, the waiting and the following game, a lot of time was being spent here.
Finally, we were led in to seats on the side. A CM told me that during the pre-show I would be gotten and led out.
I’m getting nervous and trying to work out a signal with Steve so that he can help me with the answers (not that you can really see anything).
The show starts and I am led on. Now I’m at 250,000 point question. And the question is what does Z I P stand for in Zip Code? Now I have no clue. I’m looking over at Steve and the hostess is telling me to stop looking. And this is where I made el-biggo mistako. I guessed. And I guessed wrong! ( Now my game is over and I’m pushed back to 32,000 points! [img]images/icons/frown.gif[/img] What I should have done was walk away (I think you can do that, can’t you?). But as I said, I’ve only watched the show a couple of times (the hostess even asked me if I’d seen the TV show and I said, “Yes, once or twice.” Which is the truth. I really haven’t seen the show all that much). Maybe if I had thought it out and watched the show some more I would have had the presence of mind to just walk away. But I didn’t. So one question into the new game and I’m outta there.
I am taken back stage where I have to sign a form. (and I can’t play again until mid-October! [img]images/icons/frown.gif[/img] The CM who took me backstage told me the shirts run small, so I got an XL shirt along with my cap and pins (note: Shirts don't run that small. Steve now has a fabulous new WWtbaM shirt!). The CM tells me that most people don’t get as far as I do and once the 1,000,000 question was so hard that no one knew the answer except the guy who wrote it! Doesn’t make me feel better though.
I am taken back to me seat. I’ve got to admit I’m a sore loser, I didn’t really want to sit there, but I didn’t feel right just getting up and walking out either! So we watched 3 more people go through the paces (2 kids who were out of the running before question 5. The last one proved me right about the ask a complete stranger. The stranger couldn’t hear her and she repeated the question 3 times before the stranger got cut off. What kind of help is that?). A woman had just gotten to 1000 when the game ended. As we walked out, I gave her the sage advice of not to be afraid to just walk away. I truly wish I had!
Even though I’m not a big winner, I’m still pretty excited about being on WwtbaM, so I try to call my mom (who’s not home) and end up leaving a message on my brother’s answering machine.
Steve and I wander over to the Little Mermaid show, which I love. We were one of the last to get in. We sat right up front. I adore the puppets in this show. Especially in the “Under The Sea” scene. Being a theatre head, I can really appreciate all those stage hands working in the dark with the puppets and they do a great job! I purposely try to see them and it’s really hard to do. They blend in so well and do everything so perfectly. The funniest thing about the show though, was at the end. Ariel didn’t become human! Something must have gone wrong because she didn’t “get out” of her tail. The prince had to come to her and kind of hug her on the rock that she was sitting on. They both turned their faces away from the audience as they embraced, but I was pretty sure that they were trying to hold back the laughter. To the credit of all the cast though, I really think that 80% or more of the audience, didn’t notice the error. It was handled very well.
Steve really wanted to see the Beauty and The Beast show (we hadn’t seen it since 1997). But we still had some time till the next show. So we went over to Sounds Dangerous. I know this show is no great shakes, but I like it. It’s cute. Low tech, yes. But cute. And I don’t even like Drew Carey! But I do like this show. Afterwards, we tried our hand at some of the sound games outside the theatre. We headed over to see Beauty & The Beast. Again we sat right down front. I really think Steve wanted to see the pre-show act more than he wanted to see the show. He had purchased their cd earlier in the day (wouldn’t be a complete day if a cd wasn’t purchased!). I have to say 4 for a Dollar were really good. Great harmonies! Ok, to be honest, I liked them better than the show. (and I think Steve did too). I think the show was better than when we had last seen it. But I still liked 4 for a Dollar better!
When we got out of the show, it has started to rain (no surprise there). Actually it had been pouring during the show. Now it was just raining a little. SO we wandered into the shops to wait for it to let up. Well we shopped and we shopped. And the rain didn’t let up. We shopped some more. We even talked to some people who wanted to know how I did in Millionaire (I think I was approached by about 4 different people that day. Kind of neat). Talked and shopped. And tried to kill time because the rain had to let up, didn’t it?
Finally, we gave up. I donned the poncho. Steve had the umbrella. We decide to duck into Indiana Jones Stunt show, which again, we haven’t seen for year. They did do the show, but due to the weather they weren’t able to do the whole thing. They had the stage manager come out at the beginning and announce that due to the weather, for the safety of the performers they would only be able to perform the one scene. I had no problem with that. Safety should always come first.
Because of the cut back, the show was only about 15 minutes long. There was still plenty of time before our 4:30 dinner at the 50s Prime Time. What to do? Why Muppets of course. You can never see the Muppets too many times!
After the Muppets we went over to the 50s Prime Time. I know people have a variety of feelings about the place. I really enjoyed it. We were not treated to any outrageous behavior, though I did see some at other tables. For example, at the table across from us, the waiter had dubbed the little girl, “Sugar Booger.” Every time he passed by he’d say, “How ya doin’ Sugar Booger” or something like that. And these two guys kept walking around with a tub for dirty dishes. They just kept walking and walking.
Again, here I talked to the chef and had no problem. I ordered the pot roast and green beans (no potatoes). Steve had the chicken soup (which he loved) and the meatloaf (which he thought was ok). We hadn’t eaten since breakfast so we were both pretty hungry. I have to say that the pot roast was the BEST I had ever had. It was yummy! I mean I could have eaten there every night and had the pot roast and been a happy camper. Steve did not have any room for dessert, so you know that he must have enjoyed his dinner too.
The funny thing was as we were finishing up, a family of 5 was seated next to us. And they just didn’t get it. The whole experience was above their heads. I overheard one of them say, “It must be a slow day here. They’re all excited about the delivery of a couch.” Sigh. Like I said, some people just don’t get it.
By the time we were finished with dinner it was around 5:45. Since we had missed Fantasmic last week, I wanted to stay and see it. Steve didn’t. He didn’t want to wait around for 45 minutes and then go stand on a line and wait another 90 minutes. I might have changed his mind, as it was now sunny and warm out, but some nasty looking clouds were on the horizon. So we decided to head back to the hotel.
Once we got back to the room, which pretty much just crashed and hung out (since this is where my notes end, I can’t imagine that much else happened). I did rain again, so I was glad that we weren’t stuck out waiting for Fantasmic. But the rain didn’t last long (this time! Figures!). I was just hoping that it wouldn’t rain tomorrow night as we had e-night tickets. And I wanted to have a sunny day for our flag raising.
Which reminds me, when we returned to our room, there was a letter under our door reminding us that we needed to be at guest relations at 8:15 the next morning. And to be sure to bring a camera.
And one more thing. We watched WwtbaM on TV that night. It was sports celebrity week. I don’t remember who it was (but it was a guy – I’m terrible at sports) who did the same thing I did. He got to 250,000 and blew it! Walked away with only $32,000 for his charity. Boy did I know how he felt!
I’m pretty sure we turned in early, knowing that we’d have to get up early for the Flag Raising Ceremony. My plans were to get up early and do this, then do Magic Kingdom for a little while, then come back to the room and take a nap before heading back to the Magic Kingdom by 4:30 for the Flag Retreat and a 6 pm dinner at Tony’s Town Square and e-ride night. Who knew what Tuesday, September 11th had in store for us, our country, our world?
(Not to end this installment on a down note, but…While I continued to use my Passporter for the remainder of our trip, I really didn’t take many notes. As much as I wanted to write it just seemed so trivial. I wanted to have a good time. But I felt guilty. I also felt strange writing a report about what a great time we were having, while the US was in turmoil. I’ll do my best to give fun and full reports in the upcoming days, but to be honest, the fun, detailed reports probably stop here.)
[ 10-03-2001: Message edited by: Beth13 ] |
About This Page: This is a discussion on Tragedy & Triumph: Beth’s Trip Report – Day 7: I Want To Be A Millionaire! within the Sharing the Adventure: Disney World Trip Reports, part of the PassPorter Community - Boards & Forums on Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and General Travel; Monday, September 10th
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