disneygurlz2s

Awesome!! I can't believe your time there is almost over, and feel bad that we didn't interrupt you to at least say hi the night we were in your shop, but you were soooo busy!! Disney is such a class act and I am sure it was an honor to be picked for this video. Congrats! Shari

Obviously that kid saw just how Handy Manny really is!!!

It had better not be Eric and Danielle...... I will be royally ticked. Not since Richard Hatch won Survivor will I be as mad!!! Shari

I have no problem with the seatbelts, especially on the over the shoulder harness rides (as a mom whose 8 year old has dubbed Vortex-blech- her favorite ride, I am all for them!). However, if you rode Adventure Express you may have noted that CF has done the SAME THING with height requirement on that as well! We got there last week and my friend's 4 year old (who is quite tall) had made it to the 44" mark she was just a hair too short for last October. After riding Avatar and Reptar, we headed for AE, only to be denied, because that has been bumped to 48" as well. I think it's interesting to note, however, in planning a trip to Cedar Point with this same family, we observed that the majority of CP's flat rides accomodate children 36-46" tall, when accompanied by an adult. There are a huge number of rides that kids that size can go on, because CP has a LOT more flat rides than KI. Also, the majority of CP's coasters (including MF, Magnum and Maverick) are only 48". To answer Robb's ???, what I have always heard is that it is the park's liability/insurance people who ultimately advise the park/corporation as to what to set their height requirements at. Apparently, CF is more (overly?) cautious than Paramount was. Perhaps because rides/amusement parks are their only business? Shari

She is the only person her age on this earth who can get away with wearing black leather (complete with headband). Shari

I JUST said to Sammi and Herb the other day.... "KidTums is just about the age Sammi was on her first PKI visit, there had better be some pictures soon...." The first of many fun time for The Alveys I am sure! Now, when is she going to see the Rodents?? That's what I am really waiting to see (and, when you do, don't let Jahan have the camera, OK?) Happy First Theme Park Trip Kristen! Shari Oh, and I love the pro-choice shirt too!!

I have to admit, I am really shocked that you don't love this park, just based on all the things you love (rides, food, shopping-you're my kind of girl!!). I do think that you "crowd" experiences may have a lot to do with it. I have only visited DW once, almost 8 years ago, but I came away with the feeling that it was the nicest park north of Disney (until I found Holiday World) and that was before they added much of what is there now. I have been dying to go back. I do recall when we went, the bigger the crowd got, the more anxious the family was to get out of there (it was also like 100 degrees that day), so I am inclined to think that you may have a better experience if you get a chance to visit at a less crowded time of year! Shari

If you take Disney out of the equation, I would have to say Holiday World. Next to Disney, as Robb mentioned, Holiday World has the most rides that accomodate riders between 36" and 48" and all three of their awesome wooden coasters have only a 48" height limit. PKI is family friendly too, as is Cedar Point. But when I factor in "family friendliness", I (as a mom of a nearly nine-year-old) have to look at $$. My daughter loves to play games, shop, etc, and that can get very unfriendly in a lot of the parks. Shari

That is hillarious... kind of makes Cedar Fair look pretty darn smart to not open KI until the 21st. Usually, this would be opening weekend here, as well. Shari

I've never stayed there, but the Grand Floridian, to me, is just simply amazing. We spent a couple of hours just enjoying the lobby area during our visit last summer, and I was just blown away with how "Grand" it really is. Of course, that is just my opinion.... Shari

Happy Easter everyone..... It is a very un-springlike day here in Ohio, but the Easter Bunny managed to make his way to our house to leave Samantha lots of chocolate, a few toys and even her very own cell phone! (Ok, well, that was really from her mom and dad, who normally wouldn't get a kid her age something like that, but we got the phone for free when we renewed our Verizon contract!). She is in her GLORY, I will tell you! Hope everyone has a great day and enjoys lots and lots of chocolate bunnies, marshmallow Peeps and other goodies! I'll try to post a few pictures tonight.... Shari

^^ Triple LOVED your Bud Lite parody (I love those commericials anyway!!). I am just fascinated with this story. I think partly because it happened in my community, but also because his wife of 25 (!!!) years says she didn't know he liked to cross dress? WTF? I am sorry, but I think if my husband had a bag of bikinis and go-go boots in his car (shuddering at that whole mental picture) I would catch a clue. Shari

I would totally KILL to do this, but my better half is a no go. I know this because last year, when Paula sent out the word that Discovery Health was looking for people who wanted to lose weight (with the premise of fitting better in the seats of The Voyage), I sent an email in. Sure enough, I got a call from the producer (calling from the UK no less) and did this lengthy phone interview at the crack of dawn one morning. I was sooo excited. Until I came home and told Herb. That was the end of that. Shari "I had to marry the guy who doesn't want to be on reality tv" Shoufler

Oh... that is great!! Absolutely freaking hillarious I just keep thinking about the guy's wife and kids... I feel sorry for them because you know they can't show their faces right now. Shari

^That would Samantha's favorite part, too. You are both evil

Ok, so...we don't get much excitement here in suburbia, so imagine all the hype when a local fireman was caught in a Mason park on Monday afternoon dressed in a bikini, flip-flops, belly button ring and a blond wig! Oh, and he was drunk...really drunk. Told the cops he was on his way to a gay bar to compete in a contest offering a $10,000 prize. By the looks of him, I don't think he would have won, do you? Turns out the guy has been married for 25 years and supposedly this is the first his wife has known of his cross dressing! Hmmm. To read the whole story, check out the Cincinnati Enquirer at www.cincinnati.com Shari Do you want this man saving your life??

^^LOL. Agreed. Seriously, though.... where did they get armor in her size??? And, btw Elissa, I thought you weren't watching anymore Ok, so I am picking Uchenna and Joyce, Charla and Mirna and the Beauty Queens (and of course, it bears repeating -only because I am shameless name-dropper- that I have personally met Kandice as she lived for a week with my husband's family when she was competing in the Miss America system) as my final 3. Rumor has it U & J make it 2 for 2, in which case, I think they just need to ring up Angelina and Brad and get themselves a baby and get on with their lives. Shari

Damn you, Kings Dominion and your flying eagles. Shari "still bitter here in Cincinnati" Shoufler

Too funny. I remember the last time we drove to FL...all those signs. Tons!!. Makes you think you're missing something. You, however, have cleared that up for me. Shari

I am soooo happy to see Cedar Fair bringing entertainment back into the park. I can tell you that as a former customer service employee at PKI, a pass holder and lifelong Kings Island fangirl, this has been one of the biggest complaints I have heard out of people in the past 5 or so years. I know it doesn't affect those of you who hit the park, ride the thrill rides and head home, but for those families with young kids, non riders and Grandma and Grandpa, this is great news. I wonder if any of the hotel/motel locations (Great Wolf, Kings Island Inn) will be granted the opportunity to have their guests get in the park gates early? Shari

I was just telling two coworkers today about Holiday World. I told them it is the nicest, cleanest park north of the Mouse. It was because of TPR that I gained renewed interest in visiting them two years ago (as a little girl I always wanted to go there... back in the days when it was "Santa Claus Land") and with one day's visit I knew that it would become an annual summer destination. We are already planning two trips there this summer. First for Samantha's birthday in June and again in August when the TPR gang is going. Shari "Congrats to the Koch Family" Shoufler

Sounds like you have already decided to do the meal plan, but I will give my two cents worth anyway..... We (my eight year old and I) were fortunate enough last summer to get this program for FREE on our August trip. As far as I am concerned, it was one of the greatest promotions Disney could do, as I will definitely buy the plan on all future trips and have advised many other to do the same. I personally do not eat a TON when I am there, and my little one is a very light and picky eater. We got plenty of mileage out of the plan, and often I found myself turning away food (like desserts) because I simply did not want to waste it. I definitely agree that you should read up as much as you can in advance (AllEars, DisBoards, Birnbaum's guide and Disney's website all give loads of details and advice) and, of course, make your priority seating reservations!! Shari

Happy Birthday!! Looking forward to the Vegas trip report! Shari

^^ Ha ha ...my friend Sandy and I joked today that despite all the "security measures" (more on that in a second) that the trailer would be on YouTube by tonight..... Ok, so today was the big event, and since this is the first time I have ever been to something like this, I had no idea what to expect and was pretty excited. We started our afternoon off with lunch at Dewey's Pizza, a great gourmet pizza chain here in Cincy that happens to have a location at Newport on the Levy, where the AMC theater is. Following lunch, Sammi, Sandy and I went up to the theater to check in. Although they were not checking people in yet, there was already several girls dressed as Captain Jack waiting in the "I dressed like a pirate" line. Sandy (who just ran out to a local craft and costume shop on Thursday and found an official PotC costume) and Sammi both dressed in pirate gear, so we got to go to that line, which entitled you to, among other things, "priority seating". We stood for over an hour and at one point the staff from the event came along checking our ID's against the guest list. At this point they gave us a comemorative pass on a lanyard, a piratesonline.com baseball cap, PotC bandana and a really nice looking folder with comemorative game art work and a sample version of the new Pirates computer game. Pretty cool. They also announced that no one was permitted any cameras or cell phones, and bags would be checked before admission to the theater. Those of us with phone had to surrender them until the end of the showing. When they finally began letting people in to the theater, just before 4 o'clock, it had gotten pretty crowded with the "pirate" line on one end of the lobby and the "I didn't dress like a Pirate" line on the other. Once everyone was seated, a local radio station's DJ hosted the costume contest. Sammi and Sandy both went up, and while they were not winners they did get sets of CD's of the "Pirates" theme music for participating. Finally... it was showtime. The film was preceeded by an on-screen introduction by Orlando Bloom, Geoffrey Rush and Jerry Bruckheimer. Following the credits they introduced the trailer and then they were on screen one last time to say that they would show it to us one more time. So... as far as the trailer...Well, I can't say that it tells us a WHOLE lot, except that it becomes an epic battle where the world's pirates must join forces to fight off their nemesis (ie Norrington, Davy Jones). I can tell you that if the preview is any indication, this movie will be even more action packed an special effects laden than the first two. We left the theater planning to hit the midnight showing on 5/25 (although with an 8 year old, that is probably not going to happen!!) For those of you who want to see the trailer, it will make it's TV debut (not in Russian) tomorrow night during "Dancing with the Stars"!! Shari

Awesome pics, Soren.... looks like a great time! Shari