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Hope you enjoy!
The More the Merrier (A McRoll in the REAL World Story by Sammy, Mari, and Ilna)
"Welcome to Chef Mickey's " the smiling hostess said as Elizabeth and Joseph approached the podium. "Do you have a reservation?"
"Yes. The name is Rollins." She indicated the large group coming up behind her. "There are 14 of us."
"Mickey will be very excited," the hostess bubbled. "He loves entertaining large groups."
She showed them to their table next to a large bank of windows with a stunning view of Bay Lake. A brightly colored 90 foot mural on the opposite wall gave the space an unquestionably cheerful vibe.
Two servers approached the table and began filling water glasses. "Hi, I'm Kim. And that's Sarah. We'll be your servers this morning. All our food is served family style so as soon as you're ready you can tell us what you'd like to try first and we'll bring it out."
Everyone looked at the menus on the table in front of them.
"I think we'd like to start with some coffee and orange juice," Steve said. "And maybe milk for the kids. Gracie?"
"I'll have a coffee please," she answered. "Cappucino if you have it."
"We have a delicious salted caramel cold brew," Kim offered.
Grace licked her lips. "That sounds perfect. I'll have that."
Steve and Danny shared a look and immediately each knew what the other was thinking. When did little juice box drinking Grace move on to coffee?
"I want Mickey waffles," Angie announced. "I'm hungry."
"I want those too," Joan clapped.
"Then waffles it is," Kim laughed. "Can I get anything else to start?"
"I'm dying to try the Harvest Sweet Rolls," Gabby said. "I think I'll do enough walking today to work them off."
"I want those too," Sue nodded. "They look scrunptious."
"I think we definitely want some scrambled eggs, sausage, and bacon," Catherine said.
"I think I'd like to try the potato cheese casserole," Joseph said.
Ramon raised his hand. "Make that two."
"I don't think I'll forgive myself if I don't try the banana bread French toast," Mary added.
DJ bit his lip. "I wanna try that too but I'm not sure if I'll like it."
"No worries," Sarah told him. "We'll bring a plate and you can try a little piece and if you don't like it you can have something else."
DJ looked at Catherine uncertainly.
"Go ahead and try it, sweetie." She smiled. "If you don't like it I'm sure daddy will eat it for you."
"I eat it for you too, DJ," Angie said, drawing chuckles from the rest of the table.
Kim returned a few minutes later with pitchers of milk and orange juice and several carafes of coffee.
Sarah followed behind with a tray overflowing with breakfast goodies.
"I'll be right back to do the table side preparation of your Harvest Rolls," she said. "Is there anything else I can get you in the meantime?"
"You got any sprinkles?" Angie asked.
Sarah chuckled. "You mean like ice cream sprinkles?"
"My sister likes them on her waffles and pancakes," DJ explained.
"I'll see what I can do," Sarah said.
Mary cut a small piece off her banana bread French toast and put it on DJ's plate. She put a little syrup on it and a dash of whipped cream.
DJ took a bite and his face lit up immediately. "That's really good."
Mary placed a whole slice on his plate and passed him the syrup and whipped cream. "Great minds think alike," she said. "Let's dig in."
Sarah returned to make the Harvest Sweet Rolls and produced a jar of red and black sprinkles from her pocket.
"Tank you," Angie beamed.
Just as Sarah finished pouring the cream cheese icing over the rolls Mickey Mouse appeared causing the children and adults alike to smile.
He pointed to the sprinkles on Joan and Angie's waffles and rubbed his stomach.
"Dey yummy," Angie giggled. "You should try it."
"This banana bread French toast is good too," DJ told him.
"I like it that you serve the food on big plates like this because then we can get a chance to try everything," Joan said.
After signing the children's books and posing for pictures with everyone Mickey waved and walked away.
"He's nice," Angie sighed.
While they were finishing their breakfast they got a chance to meet Pluto, Goofy and Minnie Mouse who all dropped in to say hello, sign autographs and pose for pictures.
Just as they were finishing up eating the moment Steve had been waiting for arrived. He shared a look with Grace as Donald Duck approached the table.
After a few moments of interacting with the younger kids he turned to Grace who smiled and told him, "You used to be my Auntie Cath's favorite sailor until she met my Uncle Steve."
Donald turned to look at Mary who said, "Not me" and pointed at Catherine.
He moved to her side then leaned over and kissed her cheek.
"I still love you." Catherine smiled as she turned and gave him a hug. "But you're my second favorite sailor now."
Steve smirked as Danny shook his head and grumbled, "Still the luckiest man on the face of the earth."
Only a few members of the group wanted to ride Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. As Steve, Joseph, Ramon, and Danny left the ride and walked back to the pre-agreed on meeting spot they heard a voice call out "Smooth Dog? Is that you?"
Steve looked towards the source of the shout and saw a man who it took him a minute to place. "Jack Trager," he said as the man approached and shook his hand. "It's been a long time."
Jack had gone through BUD/s training with Steve and while they had gone on a few missions together they weren't especially close. Jack was always into partying and chasing women which was something Steve had never had any interest in.
"How are you doin?" Jack asked. "I heard you were running some task force in Hawaii."
Steve nodded. "I am. Last I heard you were still active duty."
"What can I say? I'm a lifer. Came here for my little brother's wedding. It's been fun but the night life is a little lacking," he chuckled. "What brings you here?"
"I'm on vacation with my family," Steve answered.
"Hey, you know what I always wondered?" Jack said. "What ever happened to that girl you used to date? The little brunette. Man, she was gorgeous. What was her name? Roberts or something like that? She was smoking hot. I'd like to look her up."
Steve's jaw tightened. "Lieutenant Catherine Rollins."
"That's right." Jack slapped his palm on his thigh. "I sure wish I knew where she is now."
"Where are my manners?" Steve said. "This is my best friend Danny Williams, Ramon Reyes, and I don't believe you've ever met my father in law, Captain Joseph Rollins."
Trager swallowed hard. He could barely meet Joseph's eyes. "You have a lovely daughter, sir."
"Yes, I do," Joseph agreed. "She's also brilliant, kind, and compassionate."
"Of course, sir," Trager said before mumbling something about having to meet his family and walking away.
"What a putz," Danny said as they watched him go.
"Measure me again," Angie insisted, this time standing on her tiptoes with her back against the sign outside the Rock 'n Roller Coaster.
"I'm sorry, sweetie," Catherine told her. "You're just not tall enough."
As Angie's lip started to quiver, DJ told her, "I'm tall enough but I'm still not going."
"Me either," Joan said. 'It goes super fast and turns upside down."
"I like flips," Angie argued.
Steve knelt in front of his daughter. "You know how at the gym they have very strict rules that are there to keep everyone safe?"
Angie nodded.
"It's the same here. If you're not tall enough it isn't safe for you to go on the ride. Do you understand?"
She nodded. "Gotta follow de rules."
"That's right." Steve hugged her.
"Who's goin'?" she asked.
"Mommy, me, Uncle Aaron, Gabby, Grandpa, and Abuelo," Steve told her.
Angie turned her sad eyes on her grandmother. "Can we get ice cream?"
"Of course we can, sweetie," Elizabeth told her, causing Joan and DJ to cheer.
"Why don't you guys ride the Tower of Terror too while she's distracted?" Danny suggested.
"You don't want to ride that one either?" Gabby asked.
Danny looked at the structure that held the ride. "I'd rather eat pineapple on my pizza."
As they approached the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, DJ shaded his eyes, peering up at the massive Indiana Jones above the entrance. "He kinda looks like you, Daddy," he said.
Steve grinned. "Oh yeah?" He looked between DJ and Angie who was on his hip. "You think I should get a hat like that?"
Both kids nodded enthusiastically and Catherine chuckled. "Did we finally find a Halloween costume you might get excited about?"
"Ooh yes, Uncle Steve!" Grace said with a little clap.
"I wouldn't go that far," he replied, smiling wryly.
They found a block of seats together where everyone could fit and divided into two rows. The kids marveled at the set designed to look like a cave.
"I think this is going to be really cool," DJ said, and beside him Joan nodded eagerly.
After a few minutes, a woman in khaki shorts came out, introducing herself as Cammie, the Casting Director.
Angie gasped, sitting in Steve's lap, looking at DJ. "Cammie!"
He grinned back at her. Beside them, Catherine smiled. "How about that?"
Cammie told the audience she needed a few adult extras from the audience to participate in the show.
Danny leaned forward to speak to Steve. "Don't you volunteer, you don't actually get to shoot the Nazis."
"Danno!" Grace scolded and beside her Gabby chuckled.
Joan grabbed Aaron's hand. "You should volunteer, Daddy! Pleeeeease."
Shrugging, Aaron put his hand in the air along with a quarter of the audience. "Might be fun," he said.
Cammie selected two men and a woman and had them join her on stage.
Joan sighed, disappointed, but then smiled at her father. "That's okay, Daddy. You can't always get picked."
"That's true, peanut," Mary agreed.
On stage, Cammie had the volunteers introduce themselves and asked each to demonstrate a particular kind of laugh: a princess laugh, a Goofy laugh, or a sinister villain laugh.
Mary nudged Aaron. "At least you escaped having to do a Goofy laugh in front of hundreds of people."
Satisfied with their performances, Cammie sent the three up the stairs to "wardrobe," before turning back to the crowd. "Okay, I'm going to need a few more extras."
"Daddy!" Joan said, but Aaron's hand was already in the air.
"You there, ma'am, in the floral tank top," Cammie said, pointing to a woman several rows above them. "And you, sir, in the red tank top."
Aaron pointed to himself. "Me?"
"Yep, come on," Cammie said, waving him down.
"Daddy!" Joan squealed as the rest of the family grinned in anticipation.
DJ beamed. "Uncle Aaron, you're gonna be in the show!"
"Yay, Uncle Aaron!" Angie cheered.
Mary snorted, giving him a push toward the stairs. "Break a leg."
Cammie picked another woman and two more men, including one in a loud, tropical shirt, and all five joined her on stage. After asking for his name and hometown, she had the man in the tropical shirt lean over, standing on one leg as if falling over the cliff. As he tried to hold the pose with some difficulty, she had the two women introduce themselves and then instructed them to act as if they were trying to save him.
Next she stepped up beside Aaron. "Hi there, what's your name and where are you from?"
"Aaron, from Los Angeles, California," he said into the microphone.
"L.A.!" she exclaimed, and the audience cheered. "All right, Aaron from L.A., let's see your best macho muscle man pose."
Aaron dutifully raised both arms to display his bicep muscles to more cheers from the crowd, none louder than his family, causing him to grin and shake his head.
"I love it!" Cammie said. "Hold it right there." She moved on to the last man, asking his name and hometown and then having him do an enthusiastic catwalk across the stage.
"All right, you're hired!" Cammie said and pointed to the path the previous set of extras had taken. "Head to Wardrobe and we'll see you in a bit."
After the volunteers had disappeared, Cammie divided the audience into two sections and had them practice oohing and ahhing ahead of the spectacular stunts they were about to see. She then called out the "director," a child of about seven who had been selected by a cast member before the show.
Kneeling beside him, she asked him to say the three special words to get the show started, and helped him remember by mouthing along.
The little boy leaned into the microphone and said, "Lights," looking up when the lights on the stage went down, "Camera," he continued, "Action!"
The audience cheered wildly and Cammie led the boy back to his seat so the show could start.
Suspenseful music filled the stage. Angie looked around. "What's happening?" she asked.
"Let's watch and see," Catherine said.
Suddenly, rocks fell from the top of the stage and Indiana Jones dropped down on a rope.
Angie gasped and pointed. "Dere he is!"
"Whoa!" DJ and Joan said simultaneously.
"Is Daddy going to do that?" Joan asked Mary who had slid over into Aaron's vacated seat.
"I sure hope not, otherwise we'll be bringing him home in a full body cast." She smiled at Joan. "I doubt they'll have Daddy do anything dangerous, peanut."
They watched as Indy lit a torch and started to explore the cave. The kids all jumped when a long spike sprang up from the floor followed by another and another.
DJ grabbed Catherine's hand, but didn't take his eyes off the stage.
"I hope Daddy doesn't have to do that," Joan said, and Mary wrapped an arm around her.
"He won't, I promise."
The audience cheered as Indy escaped the spikes by running up the steps of the structure. He began to explore the statues carved into the rock. Pushing some vines aside he suddenly dropped out of sight.
"Where he go?" Angie asked, leaning forward on Steve's knees, utterly engaged by the scene.
Smoke and fire came up from the hole, causing murmurings throughout the audience, followed by cheers as Indy climbed up one the vines and swung to momentary safety. He dodged several more dangers, climbing another set of stairs to get to the top of the structure.
"When's Daddy going to be there?" Joan asked.
"I'm not sure," Mary replied. "We'll just have to keep watching."
Spotting the artifact he'd been searching for, Indy made the classic swap from the movie, triggering an impressive display of pyrotechnics on the stage that had DJ and Joan jumping back in their seats while Angie leaned so far forward Steve had to grab her around the waist.
Side doors opened and a giant boulder rolled down the ramp straight at Indy.
"Watch out!" Angie called.
Just as the boulder seemed to roll over Indy, the crew appeared on stage and the actor popped up unharmed.
After a short back and forth, the second unit director determined they'd gotten the shot they needed, and his assistant announced, "Five minutes to Cairo, everybody!"
"You okay, honey?" Catherine asked DJ who was still clutching her hand.
He nodded, smiling at her. "That was a little scary but it was cool, too."
Catherine smiled, nodding over at Angie. "I think your sister was pretty into it as well."
Angie was still clapping. "Are dey going to do dat big rock again?" she asked Steve.
"I think they're going to do a different scene now," he said.
"Did you like that, Angie?" Grace asked from behind them.
Angie nodded eagerly. "I liked it lots!"
Danny looked over at Steve. "Don't get any ideas, I'm not helping you build a stunt stage in your backyard."
After a little banter between the stunt actor playing Indiana Jones and the assistant director explaining how some of the action was done and the risks involved in stunt work, Cammie returned with the audience extras now dressed to fit in on the Cairo set.
"There's Daddy!" Joan cried, pointing him out and waving vigorously. He grinned and waved back.
As the cave scene was moved to reveal the Cairo set, the assistant director led the extras through some warm ups to prepare them for the scene, using humor to keep the whole audience engaged.
Cammie led the extras to their places in the scene as the director came onto the stage to talk to the audience. Shortly after, the next scene began with music and a group of dancers who earned cheers for their acrobatic tumbling.
"Dey flipping!" Angie cried. "I do that!"
Steve chuckled, bouncing her in his lap. "You sure do, baby girl. Ideally without a sword like them, though."
"I have a sword now, too," she reminded him. " 'Cause I'm a princess knight."
"No flipping with swords," Catherine said firmly, and quirked an eyebrow until Angie nodded.
"No flipping wif swords," she repeated and turned back to the show.
Indy appeared to watch the show along with his female lead, Marion. It wasn't long before a fight broke out with Indy and his iconic whip at the center.
"Where's Daddy?" Joan asked, craning her neck and standing to try and see the extras watching the fight. She gasped. "I see him." She pointed. "He's cheering for Indiana Jones!"
The scene continued with Indy and Marion scaling the buildings, swinging from rooftop to rooftop, fighting with their attackers at every turn.
Making their way back to the ground, Indy shot at a Jeep loaded with explosives causing it to explode in a fireball.
The director quickly yelled cut so the crew could extinguish the fire and show that everyone was now safe. He introduced the audience to the crew's demolitions expert, in charge of all the explosions.
Next he brought out one of the extras for a demonstration of how they do the fight scenes. Craig, the man in the tropical shirt, balked at the large, muscle-bound man brought out for the "fight," though the director assured him it wasn't a real fight. The director quickly changed his mind because of the size difference, and instead had the actress who played Marion come out to demonstrate with the extra.
As Craig joked around, Danny leaned forward and said to Steve, "Gotta be a plant."
Steve nodded his agreement, and they were quickly validated by the way Craig fell to the ground after being "punched," "slapped," and "kicked," the latter sending him into several backwards somersaults until he finally feigned unconsciousness. He popped up a moment later and did several flips, much to Angie's delight, when the director introduced him as part of their stunt team.
The other extras were led off the stage, waving, to huge cheers from the audience ahead of the final scene which recreated the sequence from Raiders of the Lost Ark in which Indy and Marion successfully stopped a German Luftwaffe from escaping with more impressive fights and the largest pyrotechnic explosions of the show. It was so exciting that the kids watched with wide eyes, too engaged to even comment.
"It's all done?" Angie asked when the director announced, "That's a wrap," and the audience clapped and cheered before standing to file out of their seats.
"That's it," Steve said. "What did you think, baby girl?"
"I like dose flipping guys," she said.
He chuckled, hoisting her into his arms. "Yeah, I bet you did."
"What about you, DJ?" Elizabeth asked. "That was pretty exciting, wasn't it?"
"Yeah," he agreed. "But I don't think I'd want that job."
His grandmother smiled. "Me, either."
"Where's Daddy?" Joan asked, holding Mary's hand as they followed the crowd back outside.
"I'll bet he's waiting for us outside after his big movie-debut."
They found Aaron back in his normal clothes just outside the studio.
"Daddy!" Joan cried, running to hug him. "We saw you!"
"What was it like, Uncle Aaron?" DJ asked. "Was it scary up there?"
"I gotta admit my heart was pounding," Aaron said, "even though I knew I wasn't in danger." He grinned. "That was a lot of fun. It was really cool to see the stunts up close." Hugging Joan, he said, "Thanks for encouraging me to volunteer, pumpkin."
She beamed.
"We took lots of pictures," Ramon assured him.
Aaron smiled back gratefully. "Can't wait to see them."
They spent the rest of the day on the kid friendly rides like the Slinky Dog Dash and the Alien Swirling Saucers. Grace, Angie, DJ, and Joan sat front and center and sang their hearts out at the Frozen singalong and they wound up their day watching the Pixar Pals Motorcade make its way down Hollywood Boulevard.
"We only have a couple more chances to watch fireworks so how about if we head back to the room, make some dinner, and watch from the living room?" Mary suggested.
"Can we have another sleepover party in our pajamas?" Joan asked.
"Seepover!" Angie cheered.
"That was super fun!" DJ agreed.
"We all have to wear our matching pajamas," Joan said.
"I was hoping we'd get to wear those again," Steve said sarcastically.
Unable to detect his tone Angie bubbled, "Me too."
"Tomorrow we'll go see more animals, right?" Joan asked.
"That's right," Aaron told her.
"We have to make sure we take plenty of pictures for Kaitlyn," DJ said. "She'll love that."
"Next time we come here da kids can come wif us," Angie said.
Catherine looked out over their large group, confident they would indeed be back, and said, "Maybe so. After all, the more the merrier."
Hope you enjoyed!
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