parttimemomdigest: 09/20/21

Monday, September 20, 2021

Guest Visiting Disney World With Disabled Son Receives Shocking "Parking Violation" Note

by ThrillNetwork

Background Image Credit: ITM Kelly C.

Guests visiting the Magic Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida received a rather shocking note on their vehicle recently. After parking across two spots in order to cater for her son's disability, Tricia Proefrock was left with a "parking violation" from another Guest.

Credit: Disney

Disney Parks cater to all Guests. Whether it's in their transportation services, attraction access, or via their Disability Access Service (DAS), Disney aims for every Guest to have an easy and magical day at their world-renowned theme parks. Check out our guide here for everything you need to know about DAS.

In addition to making each Guests time while on their Disney vacation as comfortable as possible, Walt Disney World also offers Disability Parking Lots for Guests with mobility disabilities, including those traveling with their own mobility vehicles or devices. These lots can be found near the main entrances for Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park. Parking information can be found here.

Credit: ITM Kelly C.

In spite of these ways of ensuring each Guest visiting a theme park is well catered for, one Guest was recently left with a rather shocking "parking violation" from another Disney Park visitor.

Tricia Proefrock told FOX 35 Orlando of the incident at the Disney Resort involving her son, Mason:

Mason has Lennox Gastaut Syndrome. Proefrock says it's a type of epilepsy that can affect an individual's ability to walk, talk or even see correctly. Because of his physical disabilities, Mason uses a wheelchair and they typically park in Disney's handicapped section.

However, Proefrock goes on to say that due to the specific parking spots with ramp access being full, she had to utilize other spaces — something she says Disney World Cast Members have encouraged her to do in the past.

Credit: Disney

"When the side of the lot with ramp accesses are full, the only remaining spots have no ramp access," she explained. "Every single time out of dozens of trips, the cast members instruct me to take two spots, by parking directly on the white line. This gives me room to wheel my son out of the vehicle."

Proefrock says it's not something she likes doing, but it's what cast members have told her to do since there are no other options.

Credit: Disney

The Guest then highlights the "kind soul" which left her a mock parking violation notice on her vehicle. The note reads:

PARKING VIOLATION

This is not a ticket, but if it were within my power, you would receive two. Because of your bull-headed, inconsiderate, feeble attempt at parking, you have taken enough room for a 20 mule team, 2 elephants, 1 goat, and a safari of pygmies from the African interior. The reason for giving you this is so that in the future you may think of someone else other than yourself. Besides I don't like domineering, egotistical or simple-minded drivers and you probably fit into one of these categories.

I sign off wishing you an early transmission failure (on the expressway at around 4:30 p.m.). Also may the Fleas of a thousand camels infest your armpits.

WITH MY COMPLIMENTS

You can view the note via the FOX 35 Orlando link above.

Credit: Disney

FOX 35 Orlando goes on to report what Proefrock wants other Guests to consider before taking actions like this especially considering her vehicle is a wheelchair accessible van:

Proefrock hopes her story will help others be a little more tolerant and not jump to conclusions so quickly.

"So, if you see a car taking two spots, maybe instead of wishing us a broken transmission, you can try to think about WHY a wheelchair accessible van in a medical parking section might need 2 spots."

Credit: Disney

Proefrock was taking her son to the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World because "It's the highlight of both of [their] lives."

More on Disability Parking at Walt Disney World

The Walt Disney World Resort provides information for Guests with disabilities wishing to use the Disability Parking Lots while on their Disney World vacation.

Parking for Guests with disabilities is available throughout Walt Disney World Resort. A valid disability parking permit is required and standard parking rates apply.

Theme Park Parking
Guests with the ability to walk short distances and step onto courtesy trams should park in the main parking lots of Magic Kingdom park, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios and Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park. If necessary, Guests may ask for a space at the end of a row closest to the courtesy tram pick-up/drop-off location. Courtesy trams will then transport Guests to each theme park's Main Entrance.

Theme Park Disability Parking Lots
Guests with mobility disabilities—including those traveling with personal wheelchairs, electric scooters or other mobility devices—should park in our Disability Parking Lots, located a short distance from the main entrance to each of the 4 theme parks at Walt Disney World Resort. Courtesy trams do not stop at these locations.

Alongside Disney's Genie, Genie+, and Lightning Lane launch this fall, Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort in California will also be updating DAS for Guests needing to use the service.

Article source: insidethemagic.net

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ThrillNetwork | September 20, 2021 at 11:02 pm | Tags: Themepark Travel, Travel | Categories: Amusement Parks, News, Travel | URL: https://wp.me/p9ZWzn-bal

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[New post] Fall fun for the whole Family at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

Fall fun for the whole Family at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

by ThrillNetwork

This fall, there is something for everyone at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. From Sesame Street Kids' Weekends to the all-new Cirque X-Scream, weekends can be filled with fan-favorite Sesame Street friends, expanded trick-or-treating and a NEW high-energy acrobat show. NEW Cirque X-ScreamFriday-Sunday, multiple shows per dayKicking off Friday, September 17, hair-raising stunts will return to the Stanleyville Theater, this time with a steampunk spin. Cirque X-Scream features all-new acts, including a spectacular duo that spins across the stage, transformative trampoline tricks and an aerial performance complete with flips and twists. Guests will be on the edge of their seats during this electrifying performance with fresh for fall theatrical costumes and music. Sesame Street® Kids' Weekends Saturdays and Sundays, October 2-31Kids of all ages can enjoy this Halloween season with an expanded trick-or-treat trail and furry friends at Sesame Street Kids' Weekends at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. This family-friendly event takes place every weekend in October in the Sesame Street Safari of Fun area and is included in park admission. Sesame Street Kids' Weekends feature more trick-or-treat stations than ever, a limited-time Sesame Street Halloween Show, festive character meet-and-greets, Halloween Dance Parties and the return of Elmo's Treehouse Trek climbing area and pin trading. NEW LOCATIONS: Trick-Or-Treating Candy Trail Children can dress up in their Halloween costumes to enjoy traditional trick-or-treating with a friendly Candy Crew sharing sweet treats at 10 locations along the expanded Candy Trail, from the Sesame Street Safari of Fun area and along the Bird Gardens pathway. LIMITED TIME: The Not-Too-Spooky Howl-O-Ween Radio Show This fan-favorite Halloween show is back again! Count von Count serves as the master of scareemonies as he leads his pals through some of his favorite tunes. With help from Abby Cadabby, Cookie Monster, Zoe, Grover, Oscar and Elmo, The Count produces a not-too-spooky Halloween show that features song and dance numbers that get everyone involved! Interactive Character StrollsMeet Elmo, Abby Cadabby, Cookie Monster, Grover, Rosita and more who will be dressed in their best Halloween costumes throughout Sesame Street Safari of Fun for one-of-a-kind photo opportunities! Follow your Sesame Street friends to show off your costumes on your way to our exciting Halloween Dance Parties!Halloween Dance PartiesLet loose, groove to the beat and show off your best dance moves in the Sesame Street Pavilion at our Halloween Dance Parties hosted by your Sesame Street friends throughout the day!Pin TradingPin trading has returned to Busch Gardens and at select times during Sesame Street Kids' Weekends, guests will be able to visit 1-2-3 Smile with Me to trade exclusive pins, including collections featuring their favorite Sesame Street friends.More Fall Fun by Day, Frights by NightBrew fans can pair epic thrill rides with NEW hoppy culinary delights as Bier Fest continues this fall, every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through Oct. 31. Guests age 21+ can explore the all-new Beer Trail as they sip seasonal beverage offerings and savor new recipes featuring local and regional breweries. For fans of frights and terrifying haunted attractions after dark, Busch Gardens Howl-O-Scream has returned as Tampa's Premier Halloween event. Recently voted #1 in Florida as Best Theme Park Halloween Event by USA Today's "10Best Reader's Choice Awards," this year's Howl-O-Scream event has returned with iconic haunted houses, horrific scare zones, and killer entertainment. The separately ticked event is available during select nights from Sept. 10 through Oct. 31, starting at $41.99.THE BEST WAYS TO PLAY – Buy a 2022 Fun Card or Annual Pass! Limited-Time Offer: One of the best ways to experience all the seasonal events, world-class animal attractions and the wildest rides in Florida is with a 2022 Fun card. For a limited time, visit again and again with a 2022 Busch Gardens Fun Card and get the rest of 2021 for FREE! This incredible deal offers more than three bonus months when you buy now, for only $119.99 for a limited time*. Bigger Benefits: For even more value, get an Annual Pass for unlimited visits and unbeatable benefits ranging from no blockout dates, up to six free guest tickets, and access to NEW exclusive preview events for 2022. The Annual Pass is organized in easy-to-use tiers, and includes one-park, two-park Busch Gardens and Adventure Island Passes, and the popular Florida four-park options, allowing guests to choose the pass, benefits and the parks that are the best fit. Additional benefits include FREE preferred parking*, special savings on merchandise, food and beverage options, ride quick queue and behind-the-scenes animal tours among other perks. Passes for Florida Residents start at an affordable $12.50 a month, plus tax, with no down payment

NEW Cirque X-Scream

Friday-Sunday, multiple shows per day

Kicking off Friday, September 17, hair-raising stunts will return to the Stanleyville Theater, this time with a steampunk spin. Cirque X-Scream features all-new acts, including a spectacular duo that spins across the stage, transformative trampoline tricks and an aerial performance complete with flips and twists. Guests will be on the edge of their seats during this electrifying performance with fresh for fall theatrical costumes and music.

Sesame Street® Kids' Weekends

Saturdays and Sundays, October 2-31

Kids of all ages can enjoy this Halloween season with an expanded trick-or-treat trail and furry friends at Sesame Street Kids' Weekends at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. This family-friendly event takes place every weekend in October in the Sesame Street Safari of Fun area and is included in park admission. Sesame Street Kids' Weekends feature more trick-or-treat stations than ever, a limited-time Sesame Street Halloween Show, festive character meet-and-greets, Halloween Dance Parties and the return of Elmo's Treehouse Trek climbing area and pin trading.

NEW LOCATIONS: Trick-Or-Treating Candy Trail

Children can dress up in their Halloween costumes to enjoy traditional trick-or-treating with a friendly Candy Crew sharing sweet treats at 10 locations along the expanded Candy Trail, from the Sesame Street Safari of Fun area and along the Bird Gardens pathway.

LIMITED TIME: The Not-Too-Spooky Howl-O-Ween Radio Show

This fan-favorite Halloween show is back again! Count von Count serves as the master of scareemonies as he leads his pals through some of his favorite tunes. With help from Abby Cadabby, Cookie Monster, Zoe, Grover, Oscar and Elmo, The Count produces a not-too-spooky Halloween show that features song and dance numbers that get everyone involved!

Interactive Character Strolls

Meet Elmo, Abby Cadabby, Cookie Monster, Grover, Rosita and more who will be dressed in their best Halloween costumes throughout Sesame Street Safari of Fun for one-of-a-kind photo opportunities! Follow your Sesame Street friends to show off your costumes on your way to our exciting Halloween Dance Parties!

Halloween Dance Parties

Let loose, groove to the beat and show off your best dance moves in the Sesame Street Pavilion at our Halloween Dance Parties hosted by your Sesame Street friends throughout the day!

Pin Trading

Pin trading has returned to Busch Gardens and at select times during Sesame Street Kids' Weekends, guests will be able to visit 1-2-3 Smile with Me to trade exclusive pins, including collections featuring their favorite Sesame Street friends.

More Fall Fun by Day, Frights by Night

Brew fans can pair epic thrill rides with NEW hoppy culinary delights as Bier Fest continues this fall, every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through Oct. 31. Guests age 21+ can explore the all-new Beer Trail as they sip seasonal beverage offerings and savor new recipes featuring local and regional breweries. For fans of frights and terrifying haunted attractions after dark, Busch Gardens Howl-O-Scream has returned as Tampa's Premier Halloween event. Recently voted #1 in Florida as Best Theme Park Halloween Event by USA Today's "10Best Reader's Choice Awards," this year's Howl-O-Scream event has returned with iconic haunted houses, horrific scare zones, and killer entertainment. The separately ticked event is available during select nights from Sept. 10 through Oct. 31, starting at $41.99.

THE BEST WAYS TO PLAY – Buy a 2022 Fun Card or Annual Pass!

Limited-Time Offer: One of the best ways to experience all the seasonal events, world-class animal attractions and the wildest rides in Florida is with a 2022 Fun card. For a limited time, visit again and again with a 2022 Busch Gardens Fun Card and get the rest of 2021 for FREE! This incredible deal offers more than three bonus months when you buy now, for only $119.99 for a limited time*.

Bigger Benefits: For even more value, get an Annual Pass for unlimited visits and unbeatable benefits ranging from no blockout dates, up to six free guest tickets, and access to NEW exclusive preview events for 2022. The Annual Pass is organized in easy-to-use tiers, and includes one-park, two-park Busch Gardens and Adventure Island Passes, and the popular Florida four-park options, allowing guests to choose the pass, benefits and the parks that are the best fit. Additional benefits include FREE preferred parking*, special savings on merchandise, food and beverage options, ride quick queue and behind-the-scenes animal tours among other perks. Passes for Florida Residents start at an affordable $12.50 a month, plus tax, with no down payment

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ThrillNetwork | September 20, 2021 at 11:02 pm | Tags: Thrillrides | Categories: News, Rides, Roller coaster | URL: https://wp.me/p9ZWzn-bai

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[New post] I’d Be More Inspired If It Was Me In The Seat (Updated)

I'd Be More Inspired If It Was Me In The Seat (Updated)

by ThrillNetwork

Yeah, geez, I'm trying to get inspired here by Inspiration4, SpaceX's latest launch. Call me crazy, or jaded or just thick as a mud fence, but it's not coming. Maybe someone can help me peel the clouded scales from my eyes. Maybe it's those cheap looking Sci-Fi space suits or maybe I was expecting to swoon over the sheer audacity of it. But I got nothin'.

Having lanced that carbuncle, the thing I am most impressed with is that we won't have to argue about whether the four-person crew are astronauts, given that they'll spend three and half days orbiting almost 300 miles above the Karman line. The working press is calling them "amateur astronauts" but the term I like better is tournauts. And they really are tourists. The "science" they're doing sounds to me like growing second heads on flatworms or watching spiders weave webs in space, both of which have been done on the ISS. Frankly, if it was me, I'd just keep my nose pasted to the windows and to hell with explaining the justification.

By the way, the flight is also doing the rather admirable earthly task of raising money for St. Jude Hospital. Indeed, one of the crew members is a St. Jude cancer survivor, 29-year-old Hayley Arceneaux, and Christopher Sembroski, 42, won his seat in a St. Jude raffle.

There are other things to be impressed by, actually. In fact, the single biggest thing may be the billionaire financing this ride: Jared Isaacman. He's not in the mega billion class with Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos and even trails Richard Branson by a little, but he's every bit as precocious, according to this Forbes profile. He dropped out of high school to seize business opportunities he would have otherwise not had time for. His major wealth is rather recent, when he took Shift4, a payment processing service, public. You may know the name Draken International. It provides multimillion-dollar training contracts—including tactical aircraft—to the U.S. military. Isaacman launched Draken (at Lakeland-Linder Airport) and at one point, had the world's largest fleet of privately owned tactical military aircraft—about 100.

Isaacman has a taste for the high-end, expensive thrill ride and Inspiration4 may be the penultimate. (So far.) The exact cost of this trip is unknown, but it's believed to be under $200 million and possibly around $100 million. Even if the lower figure is accurate, it will not make orbital space travel accessible to the masses, unless you consider people who can write a check for say, $20 million—or even $5 million—your average first class airline passenger.

These flights are being compared to airline travel but no matter how much SpaceX pledges to shave launch costs, the comparison is flawed, if not ludicrous. If your memory has withstood the ravages of time, you'll recall the Space Shuttle was once touted as "shirt-sleeve technology." Cheap and readily available. Two vehicle losses in 135 launches put an end to that fallacy. Just as soon as you think you've got this rocket thing figured out, something blows up because you deluded yourself into thinking it couldn't. Not that this should deter anyone. Nor surprise anyone.

Whether by design or by fate, Isaacman's choice to fly the first SpaceX tourist mission may be shrewd. The guy's history shows he's fiercely genius at seeing business opportunities where others don't and who knows what kind of inspiration he'll come back with after 50-plus orbits of the blue marble.

And here the usual tip of the hat to Elon Musk. SpaceX is not quite 20 years in the business, but its launch cadence is killing its competitors, it's recovering boosters routinely and driving down launch costs. Trips to the ISS are now getting as routine as such things can get. SpaceX has absolutely punked Boeing, who nearly lost its Starliner capsule in a low orbit test and finally, ignominiously, had to send the spacecraft back to the factory. If SpaceX didn't exist, who would be doing this work?

While I'm down with the idea of space thrill rides in general, I'm naturally inclined to cast a little shade on them simply because I'm not wealthy enough to ever afford one even though I know I am richly deserving of such an experience. If this sounds like I am taking the low road and succumbing to that basest of vile human frailties, jealousy, I freely admit it.

That's why to set the world right, some billionaire should buy me a seat on one of these things. You could have no more honest set of eyeballs recording the passing scenery as ya'll fool around with those science projects. I'd resist doing the cartoons.

Sunday Update

It went it up, it came down on Saturday evening, splashing down in a mill-pond-calm Atlantic Ocean east of Florida. Fact I didn't know: That's the first Atlantic splashdown since 1969. SpaceX has heretofore used the Gulf of Mexico west of Florida and all but one of the Apollo flights were in the Pacific.

Evidently, the flight was flawless. There were some minor issues with a fan and the waste management system, but on balance, Inspiration4 proved SpaceX's autonomous flight hardware and software. Quite an accomplishment, really.

Press coverage has been mixed thus far. The Washington Post led with it prominently, but The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and a host of mainstream news websites put it well below the fold, to the extent you had to search for it to find it. No soft feature stories on the Sunday morning shows. I find this curious on a weekend of relatively slow news. I think it deserved more.

The Post did run this bit of fascinating video showing the parachute deployment. They got some kinda reefing system on those canopies. You see the drogues deploy, the mains release and then a full 20 seconds before the mains fully inflate. This is nothing new to returning spacecraft but it's cool to see it in detail.

What they were less good at was the broadcasts from the spacecraft in orbit. The footage I saw was underexposed and the view I really wanted to see—that picture-window cupola pointed at earth—was poorly framed and shot. Given how good SpaceX is at graphics, this was disappointing. Maybe they'll work on that for the next one, by which time no one will be interested, probably. I'm looking forward to an intelligent interview with Jared Isaacman. In the meantime, Space.com did this (sort of excruciating) report during the crew's training.

What's next? It's going to get interesting and busy. Another SpaceX flight is planned to send three tourists and a professional astronaut to the International Space Station for 10 days. The Russians are about to launch a two-person film crew to the ISS in early October and Tom Cruise is evidently in discussions about a movie shot aboard the ISS. The joint is going be hopping like a 7-11 on Friday night.

Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa is on one of those flights to the ISS and in 2023, he is scheduled to fly to the Moon and back in SpaceX's Starship vehicle, once the company gets done blowing it up for the test phase. No landing, of course, just a reprise of Apollo 8 with, ironically, eight total people aboard. As Isaacman did for Inspiration4, Maezawa bought all the seats for what Elon Musk said was "a lot of money." Any guess on what he's paying? The ISS tickets are advertised at $55 million, so I wouldn't be surprised if the lunar jaunt costs the full ton—a billion.

Almost as expensive as owning a Baron.

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ThrillNetwork | September 20, 2021 at 11:02 pm | Tags: Thrillrides | Categories: News, Rides, Roller coaster | URL: https://wp.me/p9ZWzn-baf

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Monday, September 20, 2021

[New post] I’m Falling For You!

I'm Falling For You!

Welcome to Day 2 of the I'm Falling For You Blog Hop hosted by the lovely Joan from Moosestash Quilting!

[New post] Divorce Your Debt with guest Katy Almstrom

Divorce Your Debt with guest Katy Almstrom

Read the transcript and show notes for this episode:

[New post] Guest Visiting Disney World With Disabled Son Receives Shocking “Parking Violation” Note

Guest Visiting Disney World With Disabled Son Receives Shocking "Parking Violation" Note

More on Disability Parking at Walt Disney World

[New post] Fall fun for the whole Family at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

Fall fun for the whole Family at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

[New post] I’d Be More Inspired If It Was Me In The Seat (Updated)

I'd Be More Inspired If It Was Me In The Seat (Updated)

To All The Moms Who Fill Their Own Stockings

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Monday, September 20, 2021

New post on Days Filled With Joy

Welcome to Day 2 of the I'm Falling For You Blog Hop hosted by the lovely Joan from Moosestash Quilting!

New post on The Brainy Moms Podcast

Read the transcript and show notes for this episode:

New post on Thrillnetwork

More on Disability Parking at Walt Disney World

New post on Thrillnetwork

New post on Thrillnetwork