So, we went yesterday (Sat., Oct. 9), ans wow, it was busy! But of course, it was a Sat. in October, and the weather was beautiful, so we weren't surprised. The crowds were manageable for us, but for someone who had never been, it may have been frustrating.
We broke one of our rules and arrived well after rope drop. We were making it a day trip, so we drove for about an hour and a half to get there. I was just too tired to get up early enough. School has been wearing me out
. We got to the parking lot at about 12:15. We were routed right to Stop 5. There was a line to board the tram, but trams and buses were arriving one after another. The only problem we had was that we were in line waiting to board. The line was wrapping down into the parking lot. As our turn approached, we were happy to see a tram coming for us. The tram is faster than a bus for anyone, but we had our one-year old and a stroller, so we would much rather deal with a tram. Well, it was certain that we would be able to board the tram as it approached. The tram was followed by a bus. When the bus pulled up behind the tram, the tram attendant opened a place in the fence. He probably meant to help load the bus, but everyone behind us went for the tram seating. Those people poured in and filled the back of the tram before we our line moved and we could board the tram. We thought we weren't going to get one, but we were able to split up and get on the tram.
We did get into the park quickly, though. There were people everywhere. And I'm sorry to those people who were bumped by my stroller. I know people complain about that, but people stopping suddenly all over the place. But again, that's part of being in the crowd. We knew we needed to feed the youngest soon, and we had our 12-year old with us, too. We decided on the Lumbercamp for kid-friendly food, but when we got there, it was closed. I have no idea why it was closed on a Saturday at lunch time. We went to one of our favorites instead, Riverfront Rib House. There was a line, but it wasn't too long and it moved surprisingly fast. Both indoor lines were open, and that line on the far left was also open, so things were pretty efficient. It was good, as usual.
By the time we had finished eating, it was time for Headin' West. We got in line at about 1:30 for the 1:45 show. We were on the far left side, but there was plenty of seating on that side of the theatre. Being on the side wasn't all bad. We were able to get an aisle seat in case we needed a quick exit with a crying baby. She did cry out once when she was startled, but she was easily soothed with a pacifier.
After the show we went to Geyser Gulch and let our youngest run around in the toddler area with the slide and the rocking playground stuff. She ran all over the place. No one else was up there when we arrived, but soon the place was packed with toddlers! We took her to the ball part, and I have never seen that place so full of kids. They were everywhere! I followed the toddler around for awhile to make sure she wouldn't be trampled, but she had a great time. I see tantrums in our future when we leave...
We hit my older daughter's favorite ride--Flooded Mine. The ride actually had a line to the outdoor section of the que. Usually you only see that when a train has just unloaded. The line moved quickly. They also had the "face" working in the que. Fun!
After the ride and some frozen lemonades, we headed over to the Expo. Our youngest fell asleep, so she didn't ride any insects this trip. We had met our parents for this trip, so they took the kids while we rode coasters and bought pork rinds. We walked onto Wildfire, but PowderKeg had a pretty long wait. We did wait for it. After our ride, we walked around the booths a little. The crowds how thinned out, and it was easier to see things. We decided to leave at about 10 til 6. There was a line going stretching into the marketplace to exit, but it wasn't too long or scary. Once you could get through the exit turnstiles, you could get where you needed to go. Stop 5 had its own que, so we were able to board the next available tram. It was no wait at all. It went straight to our stop, of course, and we had no problems leaving the parking lot.
We ended the day with dinner at Cracker Barrel with my parents. That place was packed, too. We did wait about 20 minutes to be seated. At least at Cracker Barrel, there is plenty to look at while you wait!
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