| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 393.1 | Just had to raz her! Second trip in less than 6 months! | MVDS02::BELFORTI | Come on SUMMER!!! I HATE SNOW!!!!!! | Mon Jan 10 1994 19:57 | 4 |
| Well, ROSE CHAPUT-NICHOLS!!!!????? Here it is your first full day at
the World and no trip report yet??? Sheesh!
M-L
|
| 393.2 | Phew! | WREATH::SCOPA | | Tue Jan 11 1994 12:35 | 3 |
| Brutal...
...Brutal!
|
| 393.3 | This one justified my AP (which expires in March) | MSBCS::STEINHARDT | | Thu Feb 10 1994 20:46 | 106 |
| OK, some quick notes from a quick trip. This would have been in here
sooner, but I didn't know that the conference had moved!
I had the opportunity to drop in for 1 1/2 days on 1/29 and 1/30
between business engagements.
The temperature was in the high 70's, with occasional drizzle and rain.
The rain kept the crowds to a reasonable level, and was not all
uncomfortable.
I hit the MK for Saturday morning and some of Saturday afternoon, EPCOT
for the remainder of Saturday, and MGM for Sunday morning and early
Sunday afternoon (before leaving for a meeting at the airport).
What's new/different:
- The new Dumbo is open, and it's now similar to the one in
Disneyland (much nicer aesthetics).
- The Hall of Presidents now has a significant speech by Bill Clinton
at the end.
- Tomorrowland is under major new construction. Wedway People Mover,
Mission to Mars, Starjets, and American Journeys are closed. Actually,
closed isn't the best choice of words, "dismantled" is more accurate.
There are billboards on the construction exterior advertising
"Alien Encounter" opening in "1995". There are huge, tall twisted black
metal structures and loops that have been built where WEDway/Starjets
used to be, and from the looks of things they've only just started.
The top of these black metal things is quite a bit taller than where
Starjets ended. It appears that Alien Encounter is going to be one big
major attraction.
- The Carousel Of Progress has reopened (it was closed when we were
last there in May '93), and it has dropped all references to GE,
instead using the pre-show to establish roots bask to the first version
from the '64 World's Fair. It has a new theme song, that actually
seems to be an old theme song, that has replaced the "best times" song.
They've added several things to the final scene, including virtual
reality, a laptop PC, and voice actuated appliances. During the
transition from one scene to another, the seats didn't rotate, and as
we watched the same scene over again, it looked as if the lead audio
animatronic had lost his memory...
- The Wilderness Lodge exterior appears nearly complete, and it sure
looks nice.
- Splashtacular at EPCOT was fun, and involved the largest
audio-animatronic that I've ever seen. It was sort of a cross between
The Terminator, Godzilla, a Velociraptor, and Alien. The colors were
great.
- There is a NEW road between the airport and WDW. All traffic used to
exit to the North, connecting to the Beeline (Rt. 528). There is now
another option, that for a mere extra $.75 will deliver you to WDW
about 5 minutes faster. Take the new SOUTH exit from the airport to
new Rt. 417, which after two $1.00 tolls, runs directly into Rt. 536 in
Lake Buena Vista. Rt. 417 is a 65 MPH road, does not appear on the
rental car maps, and is mostly empty!
- There is a new scene in Superstar Television, taken from the show
"Home Improvement".
- There is a new character at the Adventurer's Club at Pleasure Island
by the name of Samantha Sterling, who has replaced Mandora. The show
schedule is also new, and what used to be Mandora's Cabaret is now
called The Adventurer's Cabaret, but is 90% the same show. Samantha is
a "toned-down" Mandora, with a more "field" oriented costume...
Kangaloosh!
- There is a new New Year's Eve show at Pleasure Island, with a woman
who actually sings live, wearing a slick chrome outfit just a bit
wilder than the one that Whitney Houston wore in "The Bodyguard".
- The new Jazz Club at Pleasure Island was the busiest club on Saturday
night, and quite nice.
- Cage Lives! The old Cage techno/industrial music takes over
Mannequins every Thursday night. Cage had been physically displaced by
8-Traxx, the 70's Disco club, but is back at Mannequins (in the form of
the music style) every Thursday.
- Mannequins has added some major new computer controlled light/sound
gear.
Miscellaneous comments:
-The crowds at MK were MUCH larger than at either EPCOT or MGM.
Saturday afternoon I could walk right on to anything at EPCOT, after
having endured 15-20 minute waits for just about everything at MK.
- On Splash Mountain there were two young French women riding in the
seat in front of me who got SOAKED on the big drop. In an attempt to
clear their seats (the bench AND what was on it) of water, they both
stood up just after the drop, and at the next turn were promptly asked
by a voice coming from only the speaker right next to our log to
"please remain seated for the duration of the ride, ladies!"...
- Several people were taking zoomed-in videos of the photos that were
shot on the drop down Chickapin Hill that are displayed as you exit
Splash Mountain, rather than buying the photos...
- I had a great batch of Dole Whip (no line!), so I'm now convinced
that my first experience with an awful batch 2 1/2 years ago was just a
fluke, and this stuff really is good.
- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was closed due to the occasional rain.
- I caught an entire show by the Voices of Liberty prior to American
Adventure, and these people are frighteningly talented. I'd love to
see what they could do with some Kansas or Rush....
- As you walk down Holywood Blvd, past the stores on the right side is a
viewpoint for Sunset Blvd., through a screened window on a mock
elevator door for the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, complete with a
life size painting of Rod Serling. The TZTOT is not just huge, it is
clearly the largest "thing" Disney has ever built. It actually IS the
size of a major hotel, dilapidated or not. The main structures for
Sunset Blvd. appear complete.
Cheers,
Ken
|
| 393.4 | Abrams Trip Jan 94 | FPTWS1::ABRAMS | Curl up with a good CD-ROM | Tue Feb 15 1994 14:45 | 295 |
| This trip report's been ready for two weeks...now that I found the
conference again, here it is.
************************************************************************
* TRIP REPORT
* Who: Bill Abrams (Rochester, NY, Digital Consulting)
* with sister Alice, and nephew Jason, age 8.
* When: Jan. 16-21, 1994
* Where: Contemporary Resort
*
* Background: My wife and I have enjoyed trips to Disney nearly every
* year since we were married (10 years.) We decided to
* give my sister and nephew this trip as a big Christmas
* present. My wife couldn't go, but don't feel bad.
* as I write this, she's in Hawaii, as she won her
* company's big award for the past year but they don't
* pay for spouses to go with them.
*
* Details: We were in the north wing of the contemporary. The rooms
* there were perfect since they provided three beds. The
* hotel package (with Be our Guest passes) was $1171 for
* all three of us. An air/car package was just over $800
* for all three.
************************************************************************
SUMMARY
-------
This trip report will concentrate on what I noticed which was different,
along with a few tidbits of the experience of bringing two people to WDW
for the very first time.
**
** I've marked things which are especially interesting or useful with the
asterisks as show in this paragraph.
Two big things stuck out:
1. Major expansion projects that have been on hold are beginning. There's
a lot of new activity. A couple of big ones already in progress (Wilderness
Lodge and Tower of Terror) are well along.
2. COST CUTTING and DOWNSIZING EVERYWHERE. Never have I been so uneasy
at Disney. I'm sure it's because I'm used to the way it used to be, but
I was disappointed many times by what I experienced.
GETTING THERE
-------------
Brrrrr. It was below zero (F) in Rochester, but, hey, we're heading SOUTH.
Left the winter coats in the car with my wife and brought our spring
weight jackets. When we changed planes in Raleigh-Durham, hmm, the temperature
was now way up there -- to FOUR degrees. Still (F). Well, we still have
a long way SOUTH to go.
We arrived on time, and I waited in a ridiculously long line for a HERTZ
car. From now on I will probably spend a little more for AVIS Express
service. I lost a whole hour in that line.
Outside into the Florida sunshine -- and quick, get out that jacket! It's
COLD! Yikes. Off we drive. At least I got upgraded to a four door
compact free.
**
** There's a new FASTER way from/to the airport. It doesn't appear on most
maps yet. The rental car map should show it. It's the CENTRAL FLORIDA GREENWAY
and it runs from the Bee Line just EAST of the airport, around the airport
to its south, and out west straight to EPCOT Center Drive, intersecting with
International Drive South, Lake Buena Vista's State Rte. 535, and I-4 before
becoming Epcot Center Drive. It has a speed limit of 65 most of the way,
and it traffic free. It still has tolls of about $2 but cuts the trip to 20
minutes. Follow the signs for the SOUTH AIRPORT EXIT when you leave, head
WEST on the Greenway.
HOTELS
------
The Contemporary Resort always feels like a new hotel since it's remodelled
so often. I really enjoyed it again. We stayed at the Lake Buena Vista
Comfort Inn on our last night (so that our WDW package wouldn't be cut short)
and my sister felt she would never want to stay in a cheap hotel again after
the Contemporary. By the way, at this Comfort Inn request a parking lot view,
as the other choice is I-4 view and it's noisy.
WEATHER
-------
What do you say about the coldest weather Orlando has had in four years? It
didn't freeze there, but it did in Jacksonville. Outdoor WDW employees were
issued heavy wool coats. Our Spring Jackets required an additional sweatshirt
even in daytime to keep warm. Evenings required LOTS of hot chocolate and
dashes from building to building. We managed IllumiNations twice but we
FROZE.
LINES/CROWDS
------------
Our arrive was at the tail end of the Disney Marathon and Martin Luther King
Holiday. The crowds were moderate Sunday and Monday but tapered off to
nothing quickly. Some good planning and a little luck gave us good lines,
even a walk-on at Splash Mountain. When we came out the exit, the line was
over 30 minute wait already. Our worst line: The Contemporary Resort's
Front Desk and Guest Services. There was always someone with a MAJOR problem
and only one person on duty.
SHOPPING
--------
Alice has a friend who moved to Orlando recently and is now a waitress at
the Neon Armadillo. She took us shopping for her discount, so I bought her
lunch. Good deal. Say hi to Terri at the Neon.
FOOD
----
Speaking of Terri at the Neon Armadillo, we had dinner there one evening
even though I'm not much for Country Music. At her suggestion, the food
there is cheap and good. She was right! A good deal. The lunch I treated
her to was at the Porto Bello Yacht Club, and it was great (it's my second
favorite restaurant. Narcoosee's is my favorite, but we save that for
when my wife and I go.) Other meal highlights: Character breakfasts at
the Contemporary, and the Clambake at the Beach Club. At breakfast, Chip and
Dale kept trying to take Jason's things, especially if they had a Disney
character on them. Dale tried to put on his extra sweatshirt. I suggested
he needed a size 100, and he wasn't amused.
THEME PARKS -- GENERAL
----------------------
**
** Hours off-season are trimmed even further than before. Parks opened at
10am. The MK and MGM closed at 7pm as usual, and EPCOT at 9pm as usual,
but they close the Futureworld exhibits at 7pm to force everyone out to
World Showcase, creating crowded conditions. This was very upsetting to
off-seasons fans like myself.
**
** If you are WDW Resort guest, you can get into one park early each day.
A schedule is available to show which park is open early. As with the MK
before, only a portion of the park is open early, roughly:
MK: Fantasyland, some Tomorrowland
MGM: Great Movie, Star Tours, MuppetVision
EPCOT: Spaceship Earth, Universe of Energy, Wonders of Life
**
** Here's the biggie, sure to be controversial: If you buy a 4 or 5 day
all parks pass, you MUST PICK ONE PARK TO ATTEND ON A GIVEN DAY. The passes
are still good for life for unused days, but you can't PARK HOP on days you
use the pass. You CAN park hop if you have a WDW Resort Admission such as
the Be Our Guest Pass. Wow. A gate employee we talked to said a lot of
people (employees included) are upset. The reason given is to fight fraud
and counterfeit tickets (a problem in the millions of dollars, by the way.)
I can't help but notice it provided a really BIG reason to stay at one of
those WDW Resort Properties. And, there will be 5,000 new rooms at the
All-Star resort and over 600 at Wilderness Lodge...
Now for some park-specific notes.
Pleasure Island
---------------
We went to eat at the Neon early, at 7pm just as they were setting up for
gated admission. That gave us a chance to look around before the crowds
arrived, so we popped into the Adventurer's Club. Alice and Jason's first
experience there was seeing the maid, balanced precariously on furniture,
use a stick with loops of fishing line to floss the teeth on all the
artifacts. Pretty funny. We watched the Radio Show next, and were
surprised to be herded through an exit door to the outside following the
show.
Discovery Island
----------------
On my 11th trip to WDW, I saw Discovery Island for the first time. I really
enjoyed the place. It's a nice walk, lots of birds and wildlife, and a
good parrot show. Key note for those who took the time to read all my drivel:
Don't lean on the rails in the aviary. There are 10,000 birds larger than
pigeons in there. I think you know what I mean.
Magic Kingdom
-------------
**
** It's heee-eeere. Most of tomorrowland is CLOSED and FENCED off, with signs
heralding the arrival of the NEW TOMORROWLAND in '95 anchored by ALIEN
ENCOUNTER. Closed: The bridge from the circle in front of the castle, Mars,
Circlevision, star jets, WEDway. Open: Carousel of Progress, Dreamflight,
Space Mountain, Gran Prix, and Skyway. There will also be a brand new
circle vision "experience" and a replacement for Star Jets.
Quite a few other things were closed as well but none of the big ones.
Cinderella's Carousel was open one day, and closed the next in an instant
transformation to a painted plywood "tent". The skyway revealed roof repairs
were being done.
We sustained temporary deafness on Space Mountain due to three girls in the
train with us whose voices could have shattered steel if they were to find
the right harmonic. I showed off for Alice and Jason by shouting "Looks
like rain!" anytime we walked past Eeyore with a line of kids. Eeyore
always responds with worry and watches the skies. Those cast people
people really know their characters!
MGM Studios
-----------
Alice and Jason got suckered real good at Indiana Jones... those of you who
know can laugh with me, otherwise, well go see for yourself. Also, when
the audience volunteers told the casting directory where they were from,
we heard several different states, and Canada, and a modest portion of the
audience roared its approval each time. But when one said BRASIL, I would
swear a THIRD of the audience responded. Wow...
Construction on Sunset Blvd. is progressing nicely, and Starring Rolls is
open again for that Continental Breakfast stop on the way in. Still working
on the Lion King in animation, boy it sure looks good.
**
** The Twighlight Zone Tower of Terror has really taken shape, and I must
say I am surprised at how it DOMINATES the land around it. It is a double
tower, one side about 16 stories, the other about 12. That makes it as
tall as the Swan Hotel, and visible from miles around. It's just plain
huge. Personally, I wish the planners would give more attention to the
aesthetics of the views they are creating. Are high rises really
necessary when you have 43 square miles to work with?
We had some fun with the street characters too. A character named "Elmo"
from a Disney move (uh-oh, which one?) was "armed" with various household
weapons. I stood behind him so that he was surprised when he turned around
and I should "Don't Shoot!" looking nervously at the three plungers strapped
to his belt. He warned me they could go off at any time. He then looked
at Jason, who was wearing his Mickey Mouse belt pouch complete with ears,
and yelled "Who are you, and why do you have a mouse growing out of your
stomach!!!???"
EPCOT CENTER
------------
Lots of new things going on here. It seems they are trying to market it
to encourage you come back by calling it EPCOT '94 this year. No doubt
the beginning of a "new" EPCOT every year. So what was new? Well...
Splashtacular: This show is a derivative of Disneyland's Fantasmic and is
quite good. I won't bore you with another description of it but for a diff-
erent look at the show see it from the balcony of the new Espresso Bar
attached to the Pizza Pasta Restaurant (also good pastries there, I think
the same as in France.)
The fountain that plays a part in Splashtacular is also a new feature in
the standard photo opp for postcard pictures of Spaceship Earth.
Spaceship Earth will close this year for a makeover of the last scene inside.
Get there quick before it's gone.
The Land is now open under new sponsorship (Nestle?) and Kitchen Kabaret
is closed and gone forever. Listen to the Land has become Livin' with the
Land and it has a new soundtrack and minor changes to the exhibit. The
film "Symbiosis" will be re-edited a little later this year.
They built a new huge covered stage across the the American Experience,
where they are currently showing a "Barbie" stage show. We walked by the
show in progress a couple of times, and, like, gag me with a pitchfork.
But, I have to be fair, and say that productions like this offer great
career opportunities. I offer as evidence this text, taken from the
employment opportunities section of the ORLANDO SENTINEL:
PARADE & PERFORMANCE POSITIONS
(misc. intro text.)
REQUIREMENTS
Applicants for PERFORMING POSITIONS must be at
least 16 years old, have good movement skills,
... "Splashtacular" applicants must meet the following
requirements: Men must be 5'8" and taller and not
be afraid of heights; women must be 5'4" and taller.
"Barbie and Friends" applicants must be the following
requirements: Barbie, 5'7" or taller, Ken 5'11" or taller,
Skipper 5'1" to 5"3". Facial feature resemblance and good
speaking voice required for all three positions.
... Seasonal rate of pay is $5.70 per hour.
Is it worth it, do you think? and why must Skipper be shorter than Barbie?
If they could have gotten away with it, do you think they would specify a
6" waist or smaller? And must you be anatomically correct?
Now, about that stage. Does this phrase sound familiar: "Ladies and Gentlemen,
Boys and Girls. Excellent viewing locations are still available around the
World Showcase Lagoon. IllumiNations begins in just 15 minutes." DON'T YOU
BELIEVE IT. That new stage blocks all views on that side of the lagoon.
We watched from both sides, and in both cases our view of the three countries
beyond the American Experience were obscured. Choose a location near Mexico,
Canada, China, or the Gateway for best views now.
OTHER PLACES
------------
We went to Kennedy Space Center the last day before our flight home. On the
way I told Alice and Jason to watch the waterways for gators and dolphins.
Although I was driving, I spotted one gator and one dolphin breach, fin and
all. They both missed both sightings. I saw them, really I did.
IN SUMMARY
----------
I got a lot of the great info I mentioned at EPCOT OUTREACH. Ask for the
sheet on Expansion Projects. I also got the list of music used in my favorite
EPCOT move, Impressions de France.
Even though it was cold, even though Disney is cutting costs left and right,
it was still the best place to be that or any week.
|
| 393.5 | One day - 3 parks | DABEAN::NEARY | | Fri Mar 04 1994 17:03 | 120 |
|
Arrived at Epcot entrance around 9:00.
2 lanes of traffic lined up - I get waved through lane #3 !!
Why? I have no idea but I know when NOT to ask questions. I wave and quickly
go through the gate. I proceed to the parking lot and park RIGHT NEXT to the
entrance. When I got out of the car I noticed 9 other cars there. Do they let
10 cars through a day for free ? Anyhow: I've got one day and a lot to see
so I head to the bus stop to MGM. (I only park at Epcot so that after the
laser show, I don't have to go anywhere else to get my car.)
09:15 - I'm at the MGM entrance.
They have 'street performers' come down to entertain the people that are
queued up waiting for the 09:30 opening. The performers are an old gentleman
(looks like the guy who used to do the "Pepperidge Farm" commercials) and a
stocky , middle-aged woman, who goes by the name of Sarge (her blouse has a
military sergeant insignia on the sleeves). They put on a pretty good show
for 5-10 minutes,then the man does impressions which the audience must guess.
They were followed by a band that played for 10 minutes - until the gates
opened.
09:30 - Gate opens and I head to Muppetvision (my favorite show)
It's not open yet ! I head to Stars Tours - same. I'm told that all that's
open now is The Great Movie Ride. OK I give up : TGMR it is.
10:00 - Star Tours
No line and I AM going by it .
10:15 - Muppetvision 4-D
Sat on the left in middle row. Hardly got wet at all.
10:40 - Heading to Indiana Jones stunt show. (Last time I was here, it was
raining so they skipped a lot of it, so I haven't seen the 'full' show.)
Next show is at 11:45 so wander around for a while. BTW, the park isn't
crowded so getting/waiting in line isn't a concern. Good show - but shorter
than I thought it would be (shows are spaced 1.5 hours apart so I thought
show would be close to that in length).
12:30 - Backstage Tour/ Catastrophe Canyon
I've been on this before - once was enough - Animation here I come.
13:05 - The Magic of Animation
Last time I was here they had just finished Beauty and the Beast that morning
and they were having a final wrap-up meeting so I saw nothing except the
rough dailies running on a monitor so I'm looking forward to seeing something,
anything actually being drawn,etc.
The pre-show is still funny: even though I've seen this several times before.
Now - onto the animation .
Guess what - it's LUNCHTIME and I'm looking at an empty room !
Arrrrrgh !!
Milling around .... looking at work-in-progress on desks ...a few people
come back ... they sit down at desks that have "animation for sale" cels.
(The ones that you can buy in the Animation store ). I think 'Are these folks
trainees'? Is this where new animators start or is this the best of the
'Ink and Paint' bunch ?
I wait a while longer and no one seems to be drawing anything ( as opposed to
painting between the lines). There are a few awesome backgrounds on one
persons table but no one shows.
It's been 30-45 minutes and my day is going by while I look at an empty desk!
Splash mountain here I come.
I took the bus to the Magic Kingdom. (I had NEVER used a bus at all before
at WDW so I'm taking them today to see where they go/which route they take.)
14:25 - Arrive at Magic Kingdom (the bus first stopped at the Contemporary).
I need a haircut , so I head for the barber shop on Main Street. (It was cold
back home, but it's 85 degrees F here.) For those of you who are curious,
I got a haircut and beard trim. Cost $17 / $3 tip.
15:15 - Heading to Splash Mountain
No line . I sit in the front AND I didn't get wet ! Less than I expected.
15:30 - Onto Big Thunder Mountain
I'm up front again: that's OK - I like roller coasters. This ride sure does
let you feel some G forces . Great !
15:45 - getting hungry but I want to eat in Epcot so I'll just have a snack.
I get a coffee and a snickerdoodle cookie at the pastry shop and head to
the RR station to people-watch while I have coffee. BTW , the cookie is
peanut butter and cinnamon I think. Anyway, I overlook Main Street and talk
to an employee who is straightening the chairs and cleaning around where I'm
sitting. His name is Bob and he's a retired personnel manager who went to
Florida with the hope of getting a job at WDW. He did, so he moved there a
few years ago from Penn. We had a nice chat.
16:30 - It's getting late and I better get over to Epcot. I take the boat to
the TTC and the monorail to Epcot.
17:00 - Arrive at World Showcase. I thought I'd get a taco or burrito in
Mexico and walk around to the various countries. When I got to Mexico, I
found out that you can't buy a taco or burrito. They only sell "meals" for
~$8-$10. For $10-$15 I'll get a nice lunch elsewhere.
I watch the street shows at the various countries. The entertainer in
Japan seems to have some children petrified : no kids will volunteer to
help him in his act. If you've seen him before, you'll remember that he
doesn't talk and , at this point, he's wearing traditional masks, so the
younger kids don't know what to make of him. Once he gets one of the kids
to help him by pulling the ribbon from the mouth of the mask, the tension
seems less.... the kids are chuckling as ribbon just keeps on coming from his
mouth - there must be 20 feet of it by now. I can hear the band over in
Germany. I'm thinking that I can get dinner at the cafe in France but I
better get moving if I'm going to see the rest of the countries and some
of Future World before Illuminations starts. I notice while I'm watching the
oom-pa-pa band in Germany that there is a guitar player ! Have they always
had a guitar player when they play outside ? I can't recall. I do recognize
the accordian player. He's been here for a few years. He sure can play that
thing. How can he push all the proper buttons with his left hand while he's
playing piano with his right AND squeezing it in and out ??? I'm always
amazed .
17:30 - France. Au Petit Cafe has plenty of seats available. I get one on the
outside railing. I get the salad with chicken breast and a coffee. The salad
is very good. The coffee is very strong. Price: $15 including tip.
18:15 - onto Future World to see Body Wars.
The premise is really far-fetched but the ride is OK.
The Miracle of Me is starting with no line so I go in. It seems like an intro
to biology for children. I could see that it would start a dialog for a child
to ask his/her parents but not something that I'd think they'd get into
in the middle of WDW. What do you parents think ?
19:43 - Universe of Energy is starting in 2 min. I remember something about
a dinosaur 'ride', but that's all. I wait the 2 minutes and go in. I find
out that it's a 35 minute ride. 10 minutes of dinosaurs and 25 of Exxon
advertising oil/gas exploration.
20:30 - Head back to World Showcase for Illuminations.
It's getting late so I cut over via the Oddessy restaurant and come out
in Mexico. This will do nicely. I'm standing next to the railing and the
person next to me notices my UMASS basketball shirt. We start talking about
basketball and it turns out he's from Burlington, Mass. We talked about
prices of our trips and the perfect weather there vs lousy weather here,etc.
21:00 - Illuminations
A perfectly clear night and the show is great !
21:20 - Show over.
21:30 - In car (right up front - remember ?)
21:50 - At Days Inn. My day is over and now only 3 days left on passport.
I'll save them until next years' winter attack.
|
| 393.6 | Badger's feb-mar trip | MSE1::4400::BADGER | One Happy camper ;-) | Mon Mar 07 1994 00:52 | 150 |
| The trip:
If your planning on driving south, read the drive part of the trip...
My wife, 4 kids, mother in law and bird.
THE DRIVE
Left 3PM on the 18th of Feb destination WDW, via Edgewater,FLA to
drop off mother-in-law. Transportation via motorhome.
As most people know, most of my trips are met with problems.
To limit these problems, I worked over the motorhome carefully before
the trip. Functions that hadn't worked for years suddenly worked.
I worried. Things are not supposed to go smooth.
About one hour into the trip, at the entrance to the mass pike from rt 290,
my mother-in-laws suitcase comes flying out of the side compartment.
for those not familiar with this intersection, its a two lane entrance to a
three lane highways at rush hour traffic. the entrance ramp is to windy,
the front of the motorhome meets the back on the ramp. So one can not
get any speed. good. when the suitcase comes popping out, one car hits it
this would make a good samsonite commercial. since the speed on the ramp
can not possibly exceed 10mph, I pull over and run back and retrieve all
items lost. The other motorest were real great and understanding,
possibly being glad it had not happen to them. On the way again...
nothing to eventful until Richmond,VA. there are many warning to take
a detour off 95 before Richmond. I didn't, as I did not know which
way they were sending me. Believe me, take route 295 before Richmond.
The delays are BAD. I'd take 295 now even if there were no construction.
Its a clean,smooth, empty highway, can't be much longer than staying on 95.
They're doing a lot of construction in Georgia. Good thing they are making more
lanes to speed you through the state. Boy does that state really stink!
Paper mills. bad news.
we make it down on the 20th. Sunday. motorhome getting 8mph, never
run better in all its life.
Oh ya, Hartford, conn. not bad. they've straightened out the traffic mess
although below Hartford to 684 it was about 20-30 mph.
A road in FLA that isn't marked is route 417, the greenway. Its off
route 528 [Beeline] if your going west toward WDW, TAKE THIS ROAD!
It's new, its nice, its empty, its shorter than 528 to 4. It empties
into rt 536 which runs into WDW. reverse is true on leaving WDW if
going east.
coming back, a different story. we start start the motorhome up at WDW
to go to KSC. There are tornado warnings, winds are high.
I find out I've lost the ability to smoothly shift. I am being blown
about the road and seem to be the only large thing still on the road.
remember, I'm 34' long and 13' high. big sail.
only drive to KSC and stay the night in Edgewater to pick up mother-in-law.
next day still high winds, but head out to go home. slow driving.
we find out also lost heat and defrost. very cold day and its blowing
cold air. we bundle up in driver and passenger seats with winter jackets
and blankets. the passengers are warm heated by the regular furnace.
I get to SOB and find out that most probably the problem is caused by
loosing a source of vacuum, for both transmission and heating systems.
I manually suck the line and am able to get heat to the windshield and
stop the cold blowing air.
2nd night back on the road, I find a place to camp 10 miles above Baltimore,
off rt 95 take route 150 to route 40, go north for 4 miles, BAY Shore
campsites open year round. nice place, cheap.
Next and final day still windy facing the big three bridges with my
sails raised. Rough seas! On the Tapen Zee, lost a spring on my brake
pedal. made the bake switch send Morse code to the traffic behind.
back home safe.
WDW:
Discovery Island closed for six weeks. ;-(
at MK, we don't like the new song for COP.
lots closed in FL.
No lines through entire trip. each day the kids could ride splash mountain
as many times as they could walk back. most logs came down empty.
Our first visit to diamond horsehoe review. We had *planned * to eat lunch
there. Thats what we understood. They serve no lunch we had a 2pm
seating and were starved. no lunch. no lunch. good show, no lunch.
boy did I get hung.
At MGM, saw Little Mermaid. WARNING to anyone who cares expensive camera gear.
protect it. It will get wet. mine did before I hid it. very wet.
The commersarry was a good inexpensive[in Disney comparison] place to eat.
again no lines anywhere. saw Hulk Hogan on the tour, he was in editing room.
Back at the campsite, We saw Hogan again in back of our camper about 50 feet.
They were filming the new TV series at the campsite. They came around giving
warnings that there would be a lot of gunfire. there was. got a close shot
of him [with the camera]. we were in the 100 loop close to the beach.
at EPCOT, we were very disappointed with what they did to the land. We
loved listen to the Land. No more. the boat driver does very little now.
sits there and look dumb. the whole thing was dumb. not anymore for us,
we'd sooner see dreamfilght.
again no lines. In imagination, we could try any of the fun things upstairs.
lots of construction.
Other news. They are starting 'SUPERbusses'. They carry 100 people.
Its a tractor trailer CAB, with a trailer for caring people. Looks
like a cattle car. Starting on the Rivercountry route first. Two
of the units were parked in the TTC lot. driving them at night.
the campground bus routes are really screwed up. they run through the CG
to the stops before stopping at the regular stop for pickup to TTC.
they are completely full before they get there leaving people in 100/200
loops waiting for some time to get a buss where they can at least stand
up.. We were sitting around with a few other folks wondering what could
be done to improve CG transportation. Stinky busses are just what
campers want to get away from. they do not contribute to the character
of the CG. What we thought of was to give each camper an electric cart
for use in the CG. price wise, it should be cheaper than 4 CG busses and
drivers. they already rent out a couple hundred a day .
at the HDD, it was my daughter's birthday. they presented her with a purple
heart that glowed. She was also chosen to be the can-can dancer in the play.
Nancy K was staying at the Grand Floridian. Our daughters just happen to be
there shopping when they were encouraged to go over for a picture. Like
I said in another note, it looked like they had to pay Nancy to stand there.
No class.
We had a small run in with the front desk at the CG. We pay in cash at WDW
after the last mix up they had when we cashed out last time. So we tell
them we're paying in cash when we check in. In our to get the electric golf
cart and tickets to HDD, I had to present my guest ID. The person said that
it would be easier for them to charge the stuff to our resort ID than to
take my cash in had. So I let them. Next thing I know when I'm at EPCOT,
I have the front desk tracking me down as I am chargin to the resort ID
but did not give them a credit card. They said they'd take my credit card
number over the phone. I said no way. they said to come right over and
pay the bill. I said maybe, goodbye. On checkout I suggested to the
counter guy that if a person is paying cash, and they get so worried
about a cash person chargin to a resort ID, don't issue the card with
charge privs! simple! then I wouldn't get hasseled by the other folks
that want me to charge to it.
oh, lastly the wilderness lodge, they should tear down about 5 floors.
Its too big and out of place. Its ugly.
The whole visit at WDW was marked by no lines, no preshows, a monorail
in station waiting for us to ride up front, busses always in station,
except in the morning.
Oh, at the trading posts in the CG, they were dumping a lot of mercandise.
looked like traces of Lechmere Clearing house. up to 75% off. stock
refreshed continuously. great place to buy Disney stuff cheap.
you might want to check it out before you go to the Disney village to shop.
oh, weather was great each day, no rain. where were the crowds?
ed
|
| 393.7 | UK Visitor February | WOTVAX::BELLR | White Rose ex-pat | Tue Mar 08 1994 09:50 | 101 |
| Trip report Feb 4th-Feb 18th
I arrived in Orlando on Friday 4th Feb with my daughter Sally (13yrs).
Picked up my car from Avis (Toyota Tercel, I declined upgrade & pre-paid
gas), got lost on the way out of the airport (American road signs are
confusing for us Europeans sometimes) but eventually found my way to The
Radisson Inn on International Drive. Saturday was take it easy and get
acclimatised day, temperatures in the low 80s. We were both disappointed
that the hotel pool was not heated. As this was our most expensive
accomodation at $59/night I thought that was rather poor. In the evening
we went to Sleuths, a dinner show where you get to play detective and try
and figure out who dunnit. We quite enjoyed this but you have to wait a
long time to get your food.
Sunday we drove to Clearwater. Stayed at the Econolodge, right on the
beach, this did have a heated pool. On Monday we went to Busch Gardens,
we'd not visited there before so we enjoyed this day, it was very hot, 84
degrees so even after a soaking on the rapids we dried off quite quickly.
The new Kumba roller-coaster looks awesome but we didn't ride it as my
daughter is unhappy about the loops, this one has seven.
Tuesday was a relax around the pool day and then Wednesday was back to
Orlando to the Quality Inn Plaza. I'd made a reservation there earlier
using an offer of $29/night in a brochure I'd picked up at Denny's.
On Thursday we went to Universal Studios. They had advertised a deal
whereby you could have a second day free if you went back within seven
days. This was our first ever visit here as the park wasn't open the last
time we were in Florida. We really like this park. Kongfontation was not
operating when we first got there so we went over to the JAWS ride. This
is excellent. Even when I knew where the shark was going to attack it was
quite exciting. All in all we rode this about 4 times, including once in
the dark just before the park closed. The park was not too busy at any
time, our longest line was Kongfrontation , about 45 mins, Back To the
Future was about 30 mins, ET 5 mins etc. We did everything but
Nickleodean , the Rocky and Bullwinkle show and the stunt shows. Sally
was picked to be an Earthquake victim, a student Ghostbuster and also to
do some of the sounds for 'Murder She Wrote'.
On Saturday our friends from the UK arrived and we moved to the house in
Kissimmee which I had rented from Wanda Krywalski in DECpark, Reading.
We decided to start our Disney visits with the Disney/MGM studios on
Monday. I was last there on the third day after it opened, it was packed.
This day was very quiet. We had no long lines for any ride or show except
the Little Mermaid, we never did get into that but with teenage girls it
wasn't a high priority. There was quite a lot that was new since the
opening, Star Tours (which we'd experienced in DL & ED), the Muppets
3D/4D show, the Indiana Jones stunt show.
The new Twilight Zone Tower of Terror ride construction is well under
way, the posters describe this as a ride through an old hotel with a 13
floor elevator drop at the end, sounds good.
Tuesday had the best weather forecast for the week so we went to Wet
n'Wild. It was 71-74 with a lot of cloud but no rain. At about 4:00 there
was a power failure which in effect closed the park an hour early. We
were invited to call at guest services on the way out, I expected maybe a
small refund or some token gesture, but in fact after presenting my
credit card receipt for the entrance tickets was given a complete refund
of $76. That's what I call customer service.
On Wednesday we had our second day at Universal and finished off with
dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe, we all really enjoyed that.
Thursday was our last day so we had to go to Epcot. (We skipped TMK this
time as we did ED 18mnths ago, and DL in '91. Unfortunately the weather
had failed us by now and it rained for 50% of the day. However it kept
the park quiet and so we got round every pavilion in World Showcase
without seeing any of the films, saw the American Adventure, rode
Maelstrom and did every ride in Future World except Universe of Energy.
We deliberately avoided 'The Wonderful World of Barbie', our friends
caught the end and commented that this is a very good marketing exercise
for the Barbie merchandise. We were disappointed with 'Body Wars',
although the idea is good the visuals i.e. being in a vein or the lungs
etc was somewhat repetitive, 'Star Tours' and 'Back to the Future' are
much better rides.
Horizons has been refurbised somewhat though only at a detail level, the
main ride is fundementaly the same. Communicore East and West are being
remodelled as 'Innovations', they're due to open in Spring '94. Other
than that I didn't see very much else that was new.
We left the park to have dinner planning to return for Illuminations
afterwards. Unfortunately the rain became really heavy so we skipped it.
Overall I have to say that I think I'm a bit Disneyed out now, maybe 4
visits in 5 years('89-WDW, '91-DL, 92-ED, 94-WDW) is enough. In terms of
value for money Universal Studios has to beat WDW for a single park, the
term 'Ride the Movies' is very apt, I also feel that the actual
construction of set streets etc is better. Our friends (who had
previously only been to ED) visited TMK after we went home and felt that,
although there was more there, the rides at ED are better. TMR and
Pirates definately are, I don't think Space Mountain is open at ED yet.
I expect this to be my last contribution to this file, (the UKs latest
reorg is underway and I might not survive this one) but thanks for all
the help and info, it's been fun.
Richard Bell
|
| 393.8 | Single In Paradise | VFOVAX::CARNELL | We're gonna need another Timmy! | Tue Mar 08 1994 19:01 | 191 |
| Who: Paul Carnell
Where: WDW
When: 2/22/94-2/27/94
After a week in the Florida Keys visiting my mother I stopped by Walt Disney
World for a few days on my way back to the frozen wilderness of Maryland.
This is not really my WDW vacation for this year, that will be in September
with a full week on-property. This trip I mostly played golf and roamed the
parks at random with my annual pass. Because of this I'll skip the chronological
blow-by-blow description and just transcribe my notes such as they are.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wynfield Inn
This is a very nice place that has been mentioned before in this conference.
An older motel that has been recently renovated this place delivers good basic
accommodations at very reasonable rates. They have a heated outdoor pool with a
bar that stays open late. Try asking for a room that is on the other side of the
complex from the Go-Kart place next door. They are about three miles out Rt. 192
from the WDW exit and there are gift shops and restaurants galore within walking
distance. The Digital Corp. rate for five nights, including weekend, was $45 per
night.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Golf in the "Shades"
Since this was a golfing vacation I spent a lot of my time at the "Ninety Nine
Holes of Golf" at WDW (that's their new slogan, look for it in a golfing
magazine near you :-).
My first stop was the pro-shop at the Palm and Magnolia courses. As you may
know, this is the pro-shop under the Shades of Green resort that is leased to
the Armed Services Administration for the next 99 years (hey! I just figured it
out, one year for each hole ;-) The courses are still open to all guests and are
not affiliated with SoG at all. I played nine holes on each course and they are
still two of the best maintained courses I have ever played.
I asked the pro-shop staff what they thought of their new neighbors, thinking
that they wouldn't have much to say, and boy did I get an ear full! I found
out that SoG is not managed by the ASA but by a contractor affiliated with a
major hotel chain. Try as I might I could not get them to tell me what chain
it is and there is nothing up in the resort to indicated who it might be.
Before they opened, SoG had everything Disney and golf related striped from the
place. The staff was adamant that SoG did this and not WDW. This included all
the neat pictures of Mickey and Goofy on the course that were hanging just about
everywhere and the topiaries of the Seven Dwarves that were out by the entrance
(these have been moved over to MK and are now between Fantasyland and Mickey's
Starland). But worst of all, they removed the big topiary of Mickey swinging a
driver that was out in front of the pro-shop. The SoG folks insisted that this
area was part of the resort, not the pro-shop. One woman on the staff said that
the same tree had been growing in that spot since 1976! Amazingly the topiary
of Goofy holding a sand rake near the first tee is still there. I hope they find
a new place for Mickey.
There are no Disney employees at SoG. The new management brought in all new
help and did very little re-hiring after Disney laid off folks with the under-
standing that they would be re-hired by SoG. Employees of the resort can eat
at the restaurant for free but the pro-shop staff has to pay full price. They
complained a lot and now they can buy vouchers at 10% discount, but they must
do so ahead of time and for specific meals. If they don't use them they loose
them. Needless to say most of the staff just hop into a cart and go eat at the
Poly.
While I was there a survey crew was out on the Palm course's driving range and
practice green. They are going to use this area to expand the resort. The
pro-shop staff were upset by this and blamed the SoG management. But the pro
told me that Disney had been planning this for years but never could justify the
expense until SoG agreed to pay for most of it.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The new firehouse on Beuna Vista Dr. looks like it was built with huge Legos.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Animation Tour news
The expansion of the studio is complete. The autograph wall from the storyboard
room was moved intact to another part of the building. But the public can't see
it :-(
They are finishing up the Lion King. Lots of close up and background work being
redone. One guy looked like he had been painting blades of grass onto big cels
for the last couple of months (he was the only animator in the room that looked
stressed out and unhappy)
Next projects, in order:
- "Pocahantas" (they won't be doing much of it here)
- "Fantasia II" (they have one story board for this, dancing cellos)
- "Hunchback of Notra Dame" (a musical comedy no doubt :-)
- A full length feature they won't name. This will be the first
feature fully produced at the Studios.
All of the Xerography equipment has been replaced with computer scanning and
video transfer equipment. A large computer room has been added in the back.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Backstage Tour
The Studio Showcase has been moved from it's two level building across from
Muppetvision 3D into a small building at the end of the tram portion of the
backstage tour. Currently on display are miniature sets and puppets from
"Nightmare Before Christmas", Johnny Carson's set, and props from "Tool Time",
"Dinosaurs", and "Mighty Ducks". This building is not nearly as nice as the old
location which has been turned into an arcade.
The private plane that Walt used to survey the World is now on display as part
of the backstage tour along side the tail section of the "Casablanca" plane.
Terry "Hulk" Hogan is producing a new TV show called "Thunder In Paradise".
Sets for the show are on sound stages 2 & 3 (Normally used for Star Search) and
a new underwater filming pool was constructed in the backlot. This pool is
currently covered with a Quonset hut like green tent but may get a more
permanent building and possibly an attraction if the show becomes a hit (yea,
right ;-)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunset Blvd.
This extension of the Studios is nearing completion. There is a construction
wall with paintings of Rod Sterling and "Twilight Zone" at the end of the
street. Through a window in a painting of a falling elevator you can look down
the street. Looks pretty good! It is about twice as long as Hollywood Blvd. but
seems to have about the same number of shops. Most of the street is taken up by
the Beauty and the Beast theater on the right hand side and a large park like
area on the left.
At the end of the street is the Tower Hotel. Like everyone says "IT'S BIG!" It
is easily as big as a real hotel and looks to have much more room in it than
should be needed for the Tower of Terror ride. I wonder what else might be going
in there? From a vantage point outside the Studios entrance it looks about as
big as the Swan, but this time Disney did things right. You can't see the tower
at all from almost anywhere inside the park. Nice sight lines everywhere. The
Tower is being bricked right now with a nice pinkish color that sets off the
terra cotta tile roofs. Really a classy lookin' joint.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Epcot
Both Communicore East & West are closed for renovation. They are scheduled to
re-open in the summer as "Innovations". From the monorail it looks like mostly
a cosmetic renovation, lots of landscaping but most of the exhibits are still
in place. The shops and food are still open at the center and this is also the
only place where you can cross through to the other pavilions. Makes for some-
thing of a bottle neck most of the day.
The new Fountainview Expresso Bar is open in CC West. This is a nice place to
sit and relax with a capachino and a croissant for less than $5. Coffees come
with a stick of rock candy for stirring. This could be a nice place to watch
the hourly fountain show except when the wind is blowing the wrong way. Then
you'll get soaked.
The Wonders of Life pavilion now has Bambi's Mom Soup!!!! (Venison Vegetable)
The little place between China and Germany is 1/2 Australian bush gear and
1/2 African art. The place has a general safari theme.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Magic Kingdom
Lots of steel going up in Tomorrowland. The structure for the new Starjets is
huge and it's not even complete yet! You can easily see it from across the
Seven Seas Lagoon from either the monorail or the ferry. When I first saw it
on Wednesday there were about five welders crawling all over it but by Friday
morning it was fully painted.
The Wilderness Lodge is also much bigger than I expected.
Liberty Square Tavern is under renovation.
New Hall of Presidents show is very good. Lead in stuff has been tightened up
nicely and the new narration works well. New animatronics are very realistic.
Looks to me like six of the presidents are full new types and a lot more have
had "arm jobs". I love the way Lincoln keeps scratching his nose and peeking at
his notes. Only thing is, they have to work on the mouth movements, there's
something just not "right" about it. Yes, it really is Bill Clinton's voice but
the speech he gives is all Disney. Lincoln's voice is still too deep.
I have come to the conclusion that they can set the amount of water that gets
splashed on you at Splash Mountain on a log by log basis. One cool night on my
first ride I didn't get wet at all. Then I rode behind some cast members who
knew the loading crew. We got soaked! Looking back at the log behind us and the
people in the front seat were dry as a bone.
|
| 393.9 | Spring Break Trip Report... | NEMAIL::CARROLLJ | Gilligan! Drop those coconuts!! | Tue Mar 22 1994 10:30 | 49 |
|
A few notes from our trip ( 3/11 to 3/19 )
The new Little Mermaid show at Disney-MGM is terrific. We went to
the park on Saturday, and there were no crowds *all day* it was
terrific! I really expected crowds, seeing as how it was spring break
week and no *everyone* goes to Daytona :-). Unfortunately, I found the
crowds at Universal Studios and the Magic Kingdom...
At EPCOT, everything was pretty much a walk-on - we did the World
Showcase first, as most people hang out in Future World in the morning.
Ate lunch in Canada ( Chicken and Meatball stew - mmmm mmmm mmmm ). Le
Cellier is a buffeteria-type restaurant, but the food is quite good,
and the price is reasonable.
In Italy, we took in the Comedie di Bologna ( or rather, it took me
in ). For those who have never seen it, it's hilarious - make an
effort to go. For those that have, I was chose to be "Francesco, the
lowly chicken farmer". Trust me it was a riot :-).
The Tower of Terror can be seen quite clearly from EPCOT - it
really is a big building. The Wilderness Lodge is as ugly as
previously reported. The Grand Floridian is still my favorite hotel to
look at :-). The Swan and Dolphin hotels are still butt-ugly ( do the
'dolphine' statues look like catfish, or is it me? )
Alien Encounter looks like it's going to either incorporate the
Wedway peoplemover, or displace it altogether. Warning - the only way
to Tomorrowland is through Fantasyland or the skyride : when there's a
parade going, you will get pretty much *trapped* away from the central
hub ( and exit ), because of the parade route and crowd.
I rode Jungle Cruise at night, but I can't remember what it was
like during the day, so I can't really make comparisons. One of the
cool things about the ride, I thought, was the running banter and sly
jokes of the narrator/guide. - "Something tells me we're not out of the
woods yet, folks . . . could have something to do with all these
trees." :-)
Space Mountain is still my favorite roller coaster in the world,
but Kumba at Busch Gardens is the scariest - the thing ties itself in
Knots, defies gravity and accelerates at something like 4 g's. Loops
inside of loops into a corkscrew, upside down for a while and a few
seconds of actual weightlessness. NEVER AGAIN! :-)
Have fun, folks...
Jim ( not Ed ) Carroll :-)
|
| 393.10 | Gibson March Trip | MAYES::GIBSON | | Thu Mar 31 1994 19:02 | 150 |
| Who: Peter and Linda (2 adults)
When: March 19-26, 1994
Where: Port Orleans Resort
This is only a short report rather than the usual detailed narrative. We had
to deal with some stressful family issues for three days in Naples prior to
arrival at WDW, so our major goal was stress relief and relaxation. We spent
some time in a park (WDW or elsewhere) every day, but never a full day.
US Air
------
Our flight was oversold in both directions. Before we left Boston there was a
request for volunteers to bump to another flight in return for a free round-
trip ticket. We volunteered, but the seats weren't needed after all. I was
already planning my next trip!
In Orlando there was no request for volunteers until we were aboard the plane.
I was sick, so we didn't want to get off again. If they had asked while we
were still in the terminal we wuld have volunteered again. Five people received
free round-trip vouchers.
Port Orleans
------------
I still like this resort the best of the current moderate-three, but I think
it is being shoved aside and mistreated when combined with the twice-as-large
Dixie Landings. I complained about overcrowded transportation as a DL guest.
It was more evident and annoying as a PO guest. Boats through the canals to
Pleasure Island and Disney Village were filled with DL guests before they ever
reached PO, even during off-hours. Buses from the parks stopped to drop off
and pick up passengers at PO before dropping off at DL. New passengers could
hardly squeeze on because of so many returning DL passengers. I completed the
customer satisfaction questionnaire and made this point in very strong terms.
Our reservation had a problem when we checked in. It was resolved to our satis-
faction, but I learned the hard way not to count on any of the requests made
when reserving, regardless of the number of times the request is confirmed. We
requested a particular room (in a non-smoking building). We had a different room
in a smoking building. "You didn't specifically request non-smoking."
Our room was on a third floor corner of the narrow end of building 6, facing
the Sassagoula River. It was perpendicular to the similar end of building 5.
Initially we thought that it would be a long walk to the food court, pool, etc.
but we soon learned shortcuts using walk-through areas in other buildings.
There was little traffic by our door because the stairs were on the other side
of the building, and we could watch the boats going up and down the river.
It was very quiet and relaxing.
We never ate in the sit-down restaurant, and only breakfast and pizza in the
food court. The beignets and chicken wings were still as good as I remembered.
The food court has been redesigned since our previous visit in December 1991.
Instead of waiting in multiple lines for different foods, everything is now
ordered at one of three registers and paid in advance. The only separate "shop"
now is the bakery, and bakery items can still be ordered at the registers.
Another change was pool towels. In 12/91 at PO and 6/93 at DL towels for the
pool were distributed poolside. Guests had to show resort ID's to obtain them,
but room towels were to stay in the room. Now, at PO, towels from the room
must be brought to the pool. When I asked the reason, the cast member at the
former towel distribution site said that the situation just got out of hand
and Disney decided to make the change. We bought some inexpensive beach towels
to use instead. We HATE running short of clean towels in the room.
Magic Kingdom
-------------
We only went to the MK twice, once in the evening. We were two tired after our
4 hour drive to go to Spectromagic for the only performance during our stay.
I rode Splash Mountain once again, and, for the first time, Peter Pan's
Adventure and Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. We people-watched a lot.
Something new that we discovered accidentally: Harry Holt, one of Disney's
original animators, appears in the Disneyana shop on an irregular schedule. On
days he is there he sits at a desk inside the shop next to Tony's Town Square
Restaurant for hour-long periods throughout the day. Guests can wait in line,
and, from a selection on the wall, choose a particular famous scene from about
a dozen Disney animated movies. Harry takes out a partially completed scene,
adds to it, and dedicates, signs, and dates it. He is very friendly and willing
to chat, and he doesn't mind having his picture taken while he works (but no
flashes unless you want Dalmatians). This is FREE, folks! The Disneyana shop
will frame it for you for $5. Since one of our cockers could have been the model
for Lady, we chose the famous Italian restaurant scene from Lady and the Tramp
for an unusual souvenir. Limitations are one sketch per family (of course,
that can be manipulated).
We ate at Tony's Town Square for breakfast one day, but had nothing else to
eat in the park (not even Dole Whip, Mike).
Epcot Center
------------
Contrary to my prior resolution, we did spend a morning in World Showcase of
Epcot. We visited France, England, Canada, and Mexico, and had a light lunch
at the outdoor restaurant in Mexico. While we were eating lunch Barbie drove
by in her sparkle-pink stretch limo. We still have not seen Illuminations.
We only walked down the center of Future World, but there is a lot of
construction happening there. We did not see either of the new stage shows.
MGM Studios
-----------
We went to MGM three times, once only to take pictures of TZTOT and Street-
mosphere. There was a bigger variety of acts on Hollywood Boulevard than in
the past. My husband's favorite activity at MGM is to watch the shows on the
street. There were a few guests, however, who were hard to distinguish from
the cast members!
We rode The Great Movie Ride on the western side. Just as the bandit was
climbing onto the tram, a second bandit came out to tell us that all of the
money had burned up in the bank, and this stage wasn't going anyplace because
we didn't have any horses. The ride was broken down! The bandits led an
impromptu sing-along of Old MacDonald and Happy Birthday until more horses
came to the rescue. I saw the second bandit in costume on the street later
and resisted the impulse to sing Old MacDonald.
We also saw Muppets 3-D and rode Star Tours again. We found some good souvenirs
in the shops.
Typhoon Lagoon
--------------
We finally got to go to Typhoon Lagoon! By Wednesday my husband, a non-water
person, had run out of excuses, so he agreed to go. He would only go on
Castaway Creek, and only once around the park. While he read on the beach I
went on the three Storm Slides until the line became too long, then played
in the wave pool. It was great and I would definitely go back again, but I
expected it to be bigger. It's understandable why the park has to limit
attendance in the summer.
Pleasure Island
---------------
Monday night, March 21, was the night the Academy Awards were telecast.
Pleasure Island was closed due to a last-minute buy-out for a party. The
restaurants were still open to the public, so we had dinner at the Fireworks
Factory, one of my husband's favorite places to eat. During dinner a casually-
clad black man walked through the restaurant, and I thought he looked familiar.
Our waitress asked later if we had seen Ben Vereen!
We never got back to PI on a night that they were open.
Outside WDW
-----------
We spent one day at Universal Studios and one at Sea World. I will write
about those in the appropriate notes.
Summary
-------
We had a great trip and returned home rested and relaxed. This will probably
be our last time in WDW for several years, since the relatives that lived in
Florida (our excuse for going) are moving to Vermont. I'll just have to
cure my -itis reading other trip reports!
|
| 393.11 | Tokyo Disneyland | AKOCOA::HEACOCK | | Mon May 02 1994 16:01 | 182 |
| Tokyo Disneyland
23 April 1994
Trip Report
Getting to Tokyo Disneyland is not very hard if you are
comfortable with the Japanese Train and Subway system. I was
staying in the Shinjuku section of town. From my hotel it was a
short walk to one of the entrances to the subway and train
station. Shinjuku is said to be the busiest train stations in
the world; 12 tracks, 6 different train lines and a wonderful
opportunity to get lost or on the incorrect train. Luckily, I
decided to take the Marunochi Subway line. The subway has a
special symbol, a circle with a line through it. Only one subway
at this station. Follow the red circles for the subway. In the
early morning I visited Ueno park then caught a train to Tokyo
station. I caught not figure out the cost of the ticket at Ueno
station, so I purchased the least expensive ticket, 140 yen. At
Tokyo station you change trains to the Keiyo rail line (red in
colour). Only way I found my way. No less than two miles
underground to the Keiyo line from Tokyo station. Caught an
express to Mainhama Station, 15 minutes, and was at Tokyo
Disneyland train station. Wait in line to pay additional fare,
290 yen total. (The US dollars is very weak against the yen.
Almost one yen to 1 cent. First time I came to Japan you got 2.5
yen for every US cent.)
This station must have build since I was here in 1987. In 1987
you got off the train in what seemed like the middle of nowhere.
They had signs for busses but I could not read the signs so I
walked the mile or two. You walked through a line a tent shops
the entire distance. It was very crowded and very slow going.
This time, a station just for Disneyland. Wide walkway elevated
above the ground with the Dixie style of structures. Disney
music playing the entire way from speakers in the handrails.
Short walk to the ticket area.
Our Magic Kingdom Club card was worth almost a 10% reduction of
the ticket cost. 4,800 yen reduced to 4,400. No problem, Visa
card out the wallet, under glass. What, I do not understand, you
do NOT take Visa. This must the only place in the world that
does not take Visa. I used my visa card on an outer island of
Hong Kong last week. They hardly had cars, used carts to get
around and you will not take my card. Lets see, I have 10,000
yen left, 4,400 yen for admission, food is about 2,000 per meal,
2 meals, train home about 500. Help!! You have to take my Visa.
Any banks in Disney? Yes. Hey, no problem, What closed on
weekends. Pay admission in cash. Yes, the Guide Book in
English. (I think that is what he asked, can not speak English
and I can not speak Japanese) They do not take Visa! They don't
take Visa.! I was going to put everything on my card and worry
about paying for it when I got home.
Through the gates, into the Magic Kingdom. Right into the
Emporium for a post card for Mike Scopa and my Mom and Dad,
stamps, forgot a pen, ok, a Disney pen, 750 yen. Quick math. I
am in a world of trouble for money. Put cards into backpack. I
will write later when I am not thinking about cash.
The main street in Tokyo is covered with a large roof. This was
gone because the temperatures are lower that the US parks and it
tends to rain frequently. The area is smaller than Florida.
turn left after main street and right into Pirates of the
Caribbean. Very short line, The ride is like California,
restaurant inside overlooking ride, Long ride before you come to
the pirate speaking Japanese, saying, I have no idea, I assume,
Watch out mates, there are rough waters ahead. Down the water
cascades into the main part of the ride. The remainder of the
ride and songs were in English. Yo Ho, Yo Ho, a Pirates life for
me.
Want to write down some notes, no paper, back to the World
Bazaar, and purchase a note pad with Mickey on the cover. 100
yen. I am off again. Turn left past Pirates and into Adventure
Land. Western Railroad, maybe later, The Enchanted Tiki Room.
This has to be the worst attraction in the Walt Disney World, but
maybe it is better in Japanese. In I go. Show starts, BIG
MISTAKE, this attraction is BAD in any language. Where is the
door?? Stuck through what seemed like forever with birds
screeching, monkeys beating on logs, and totem poles talking.
Language was not a barrier, the Tiki room is NOT for me.
I start reading the Guide book. OK bank is in the World Bazaar,
they have bank machines open weekend. Take care of this money
problem. Find the bank, Kanji terminals. Cannot read a word, or
should I say symbol. Guy using machines speaks English and
helps. Put my card in, wait. I am sorry sir, this machine only
takes Japanese Credit cards. OK, no food, only one tee-shirt,
and take pictures. Leave bank and start toward splash mountain.
Tap on shoulder. It is the guy from inside the bank. He has
Guide Book and says there is a cash dispensing machine shown
outside the park. I thank him and back on my quest for cash.
Stop by Guest Relations, get extra Guide book, one in English and
one in Japanese for Scopa_san, directions to cash machine, and am
off. Leave gate, hand stamped, and find machines.
Enter card in cash machine, English or Japanese message on
screen. Looking for entry button when it defaults to Japanese.
(Touch screen terminal), First question, assume PIN number,
enter my code, SECOND screen, something 10,000 Y, assume number
of 10,000 yen I want. OK 2 and green symbol, wait. CASH comes
out!!!! I am on VACATION!! Tee-shirts, food, maybe a couple
overpriced items. Back to park. (Everything was overpriced)
In Tokyo, they still have ride tickets. You can purchase either
a full admission ticket or admission with a ticket book. I had
purchased the full admission. The tickets are the A through E
tickets that we remember from many years ago. Most rides, or at
least rides I tend to go on are E tickets. They have booths
about the park so you can purchase additional tickets. I
purchased the include all ticket. Everywhere you looked in the
park were students in their school uniforms. Maybe 1/3 of the
park was students.
Haunted House. Same as in the US. Some Japanese but mostly
English.
Over to Splash Mountain. 50 minute wait. I have never been on
Splash Mountain. Look interesting. The log shoots down the
mountain and disappears under the walk way sending up a spray of
water. I am ready. Splash Mountain was sponsored by Kirin.
Kirin is a beer I have been drinking all week. Seemed out of
place for a beer sponsor in Disney. Found answer. Kirin is in
the beverage business, including a complete line of juices and
beer. The cave you wait in is so realistic. The roots of the
trees and red dirt. Line takes a long time but can see the logs
being filled. The log ahead is completely filled with school
girls, maybe high school. One seat left. The attendant comes
down line looking for someone traveling alone. Me, 1, yes. Save
five minutes and climb into log. Off we go. Let we see if I
have this correct, the log hold 8 people. 7 girls, Black
jackets, black skirts, white blouses, white socks, white
sneakers, black hair and me. This is a roller coaster and girls
tend to .... I wonder if this was a mistake or not. First major
down hill. My god they can scream. By the end of the ride I can
hardly hear. Rest for a minute and write a note to Mike.
Off to Thunder Mountain. Short line, Coal cars ahead are filled
with a sea of Blue, navy blue uniforms, gray shirts, What! One
seat left, you do not understand, I can hardly hear from Splash.
Given a seat in the middle and off. Quick math. Nine seats, two
per seat. That 18 people per run. One blond and 17 black
haired, pre high school girls. This can not be happening again.
Well, these girls had lungs! I'm sorry, did you say something.
Hello, speak up, I can not hear you.
I decided to get my shopping done. I have cash!!! Tee-shirts,
CDs, something for the wailing wall, 12,000 yen. No problem, I
even have money for lunch. For lunch they have pizza. Sounds
good. Have not had any western food in over two weeks. Pizza
sounds good. Lets see, I have a choice of either the seafood
pizza or shrimp and pineapple pizza. It is amazing. Everything
has fish in it. The seafood pizza was very good.
Tokyo Disneyland has the Star Tours ride. Same as Epcot except
in Japanese. The video was all in English and all the
preliminary was in Japanese.
Starbase 2000 is a quick history of Japan done in the same style
as Carousel of Progress. English headphone for back row. Very
good presentation. Saw it twice, once in English and once in
Japanese.
Its a Small World had the same look outside and I believe was the
same for the entire ride. Instead of having the base song in
English, you know, the song that haunts you dreams for weeks
after the ride, it was in Japanese. One of the rooms may have
been different in that it was totally Japanese by the arch you
floated through. (Will have to check out Disney World next
month)
The day ended with the Tokyo Electric Light Parade. Had not seen
this since my honeymoon in 78 in California. The parade makes a
circle within the park, so if you are on the inside, you can
watch the entire parade and then walk toward the gate and catch
the parade a second time.
One train and a Subway and I am back at my hotel. Great way to
spend your last day in Japan.
|
| 393.12 | Brzozowski April 94 Trip to WDW | BRAT::JANEB | See it happen => Make it happen | Mon May 02 1994 20:21 | 254 |
| Trip Report - Walt Disney World
Brzozowski Family
April 23-30 1994
We had a great time! Thanks for all the valuable information!
My husband, Steve, and our two daughters have never been to WDW before. I
went to the MK in 1976. Kathleen is 6 and in First grade. Sally is 8 and
in Second grade.
Delta Dream Vacations
---------------------
We booked this trip through Delta Dream Vacations. The package included 7
nights at the CBR, airfare from Boston, shuttle to/from CBR, one character
breakfast, and unlimited access to all parks. All arrangements worked out
perfectly. I called twice to see if prices had gone down - they had - and
returned my tickets for new ones both times, at at savings of $170 total.
Delta/Mears Shuttle
-------------------
I requested kids meals on both flights, called a few days before departure
to confirm and they weren't there so requested them again. This worked
out great. They found us by seat to deliver a pack that contained
activities and kid-type food and snacks, on both flights. Our seats were
two sets of aisle+window, one behind the other for these non-stop flights
to and from Orlando. We had a bit of confusion about the location of the
Mears shuttle, but it is really right outside the baggage claim area. It
was a madhouse there - you have to check in with the desk first, then with
the men with clipboards, then wait for a shuttle to the right resort.
Return was much easier.
Caribbean Beach Resort
----------------------
We loved the CBR! I had requested Martinique three different times and
ways: Once through Delta Dream Vacations, again (since they didn't have it)
through the CRO and again (since they didn't have it) through CBR the
morning we left. Once we got there, there was no record of the request,
but at least by then I wasn't surprised! Instead we got Aruba, as close to
the bus stop as could be. We ended up very happy with it. We could (and
did) watch the fireworks of Illuminations from the balcony outside our
room. The food court was fine. We only ate dinner there twice. The
full-service resturant was ok. Walking in and sitting right down with no
wait and no reservations was a major treat by the last night - that was the
best part.
The buses were great. Almost every leg of our travels was limited to an
under-five-minute wait to get on a bus. For most of the week, Aruba was
the first stop. For early morning trips, people beyond Martinique often had
to stand.
Park-Hopping
------------
Every day, we went to the one park that was open early to Resort guests.
They advertised as opening one hour earlier than to the public, at 8:00 vs
9:00, but actually opened at 7:30.
This was our itinerary:
Sat PM: Old Port Royalle to eat, then MK: Haunted Mansion, Spectromagic,
Fireworks (and Tinkerbell), Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Sunday: MGM: Great Movie Ride, Star Tours, Muppet show, Monster Sound Show
(with Steve as the voices!), Aladdin's Caravan. Honey I Shrunk
the Kids playground, lunch at Prime Time Cafe
CBR: Swimming and relaxing
Monday: MK: Mr.Toad's Wild Ride, Snow White, Peter Pan, Teacups, Pirates,
It's A Small World, Sky Way, Dumbo, Mickey's Starland Show, Disney
World Railway, Carosel of Progress, Splash Mountain.
River Country (in the middle of all that)
Pleasure Island (me)
Tues.: Epcot: Spaceship Earth, Horizons, World of Motion, Body Wars,
Cranium Command, Mexico - El Rio Del Tiempo, Norway - Maelstrom
CBR: Swimming
Epcot: Journey into Imagination, Captain EO, Illumninations
Pleasure Island (Steve)
Wed.: MGM: Backstage Studio Tour, Indiana Jones, Lunch at Hollywood and
Vine
Swimming at Port Orleans
Typhoon Lagoon: River, Storm Slides, Family ride
MK: Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain Railroad.
Thur. MK: Pirates, Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, Main Street Shops
Grand Floridian via Monorail: Character Breakfast
MK: Tom Sawyer's Island, Splash Mountain (Kathleen and me)
CBR for swimmming and relaxing
Disney Village Marketplace
Fri. Epcot: Living Seas (Steve), The Land, Body Wars, Interactive Stuff
Swimming and relaxing
Epcot: World of Energy, Illuminations
Sat. MK: Space Mountain (Kathleen and Steve), shops and arcade on Main
Street
Epcot via Monorail: World Showcase, Splashtacular
CBR for one last jump in the pool
Home
General Impressions
-------------------
Our kids were perfect ages for this trip: old enough to happily walk all
day and to appreciate Epcot, young enough to be thrilled with everything,
including all of Fantasyland and character autographs.
Magic Kingdom
-------------
My personal favorite ride was (get this) Peter Pan! I thought it was
great, and the rest of the family put it at or near the top of their list
as well. We all loved Splash Mountain and all hated Snow White. (the ride,
not the person). I was surprised that the kids loved Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.
The kids also LOVED Carousel of Progress, and they flipped over the same
family being featured in Horizons. Kathleen thought all the Mountains were
great.
Epcot
-----
My absolute favorite thing about Epcot was the aspect of surprise - walk
around the corner and the fountain is dancing to the music! - the topiaries
that were green yesterday now have fresh flower details added for the
Garden and Flower Festival - huge inflated flowers/cacti appear below
Spaceship Earth. We had challenged our kids by telling them that most
people (and our reference books) think they're too young to appreciate the
Countries. They rose to the challenge, each choosing two countries to
study the two weeks before. This lead to an interesting dynamic and one
more thing for them to fight about: who gets to see "their" country first
(and second, etc). They really had a vested interest once we got there.
In Future World, Kathleen LOVED Horizons. The kids really liked
Splashtacular. Steve and I thought Cranium Command was very funny. Kathleen
said "I don't get it" through the whole thing.
MGM
---
We all liked the Muppet show. Steve doing the voices for the Monster Sound
Show added a dimension to that one. Sally loved the Honey I Shrunk The
Kids playground. Kathleen was busy getting Mickey's autograph at that time
and when she joined Sal the playground was so mobbed that she got
overwhelmed. If the girls had ever seen Star Wars or Indiana Jones movies
before the trip, they would've gotten more out of those shows. None of us
were too impressed with Indiana Jones. We all could have done without the
Backstage Tour as well. We all thought the Movie Ride was great. Prime
Time Cafe was fun, but I knew way too much about it and it did nothing for
the kids. The Aladdin parade was cool, but the temp outside was HOT for
sitting in the sun. We all liked just Being at MGM.
River Country
-------------
We all had fun here. There was something for everyone to do, although
Sally was sort of between activities, by swimming ability. The current was
too strong for her to do the slides. She was pretty happy at the kids
area. The tube ride was fun, but the line was long (to us) - Steve and I
each did it once. River Country was a great boat-ride-break in the middle
of the day.
Typhoon Lagoon
--------------
Everyone but Kathleen was happy here at first - she seemed to be between
activities until we discovered that she could do the Storm Slides in spite
of the "strong swimmer" requirement. We all loved those slides. I met too
many scraped-up (little) kids that week to even consider the wave pool. We
did the family raft ride and all laughed to see how incredibly SHORT the
ride was! Not worth the line. The river was great. With the exception of
the river, I'd rate Water Country in Portsmouth NH as 5 times as fun for
our family. But this was a nice change from automated attractions and we
enjoyed it.
Weather (April 23-30)
-------
We were greeted in Orlando by rain, and wore our ponchos to the MK at
first, but it cleared in time for Spectromagic and never really rained
again for more than a few minutes the whole trip. We stopped bringing our
ponchos with us and didn't need them. I don't know the temperature, but it
was warm or hot all week. We're from New Hampshire, and never felt cool
enough to wear more than shorts/tees all week, day or evening. We planned
to wear sunscreen every day, but ended up only using it for poolside and no
one was burned.
Crowds
------
Epcot was never crowded. MGM had a one-hour wait for the Little Mermaid
every time we looked, so we just skipped it. The Magic Kingdom had lines
for the Mountains and some of Fantasyland, not much otherwise. Splash
Mountain had a 45 minute wait once for us, the other two times we went just
before closing and it was run-up-ride-down for that and Thunder Mtn. Steve
and Kathleen braved a 45-minute wait for Space Mountain and we all stood in
a 45-minute line for Dumbo (ride duration = 1 min 15 secs), other than that
we really didn't stand in many lines longer than 10-15 minutes. Some
attractions has no lines at all. This was due in part to our
overmanagement (I had reference book/notesfile info on index cards), and due
in part to lower than usual attendance, I think.
Tips
----
Here's what I would pass on to future travelers:
- When watching Illuminations/MK Fireworks, check out the whole view of the
sky and get a seat or spot early. Particularly look out for trees that will
obstruct the view. Look for the wire that Tinkerbell uses from the Castle
and make sure you have a good view of that. The fireworks are mostly on
the left side of the castle. For Illuminations, you want to see the water,
not just the sky.
- Bring snacks your kids will eat. This was a tripsaver for us. They had
them in their waistpacks and could munch at will. Other things to bring
with kids: bandaids, sunglasses with a strap - you take them off and put
them on continuously as the sun goes out and in.
- Unless breakfast is very convenient and fast, plan on breakfast in your room
to make the most of those early openings. Bring stuff from home, buy from a
bakery the night before, or even use the minibar (cereal and milk = $2).
- Invest in good shoes and socks for everyone.
- Bring bathing suits and towels with you and store them in the lockers
(near the entrance in each park). Disney resort guests can swim in any
pool and leave the wet towels there - ask for more in your room. Typhoon
Lagoon and River Country rent towels for $1. All are great breaks and easy
to move between them and the parks during the day.
- If it's important to eat at a particular place, make the reservations EARLY!
Some can be made from home. If staying on-site, use the 3 day advance
reservation option.
- Do your story homework. See Star Wars and Indiana Jones and any other
movies before the attraction. Know the Brer Rabbit story before Splash
Mountain.
Highlights
----------
Best food: Assorted selections from the deli/gourmet shop at the Disney
Village Marketplace, eaten outside in the "summer" evening air
Worst wait for the ride: Dumbo at 45 minutes
Best wait for the ride: Splash Mountain, 0 wait at 20 minutes before closing
Best investment: Magic tricks from the Magic Shop, practiced while waiting
for Character Breakfast Seating
Shovel and Pail for CBR beach
Autograph Books
Best Tee Shirt: Custom orders airbrushed by robot at the Mickey Character
Shop, Disney Village Marketplace
Best line: "Please wait until your Dumbo has come to a complete stop"
Other highlights:
- Riding up front in the monorail
- Fountains at Epcot
- Leaving Frontierland at closing, music is "Happy Trails to You..."
- Seeing Tinkerbell fly (no one else in the family knew about it)
- Holding hands with our kids for a week
- According to Sally: Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain,
the weather
- According to Kathleen: Splash Mountain, Space Mountain,
"the tan" (?)
Return Plans
------------
We would probably return in 5-8 years. The place will have doubled by then
(Disney is opening 2 new onsite resorts a year through 1998) and as long as
the attractions stay ahead of the crowds, it would be worth it to see the new
stuff.
|
| 393.13 | Here's my attempt at a Trip Report | AIMHI::OBRIEN_J | Yabba Dabba DOO | Mon May 09 1994 16:40 | 310 |
| The O'Brien's Trip Report
April 24 - May 1, 1994
Can't wait to return - fun time had by all!
Transportation to the airport: Hired DC Limo of Nashua to drive us to Logan;
R/T from Merrimack, NH $129.00 plus tip. Other alternatives that we
looked into that included 1 nights stay and parking for 7 nights - stay at
Comfort Inn in Revere $82.00 20 minutes from airport (their shuttle to the
airport left every hour on the hour) or the Ramada Inn in E. Boston for
$120, they provided continuous shuttle service to the airport.
Who Went: Wally, Me, Craig (13), Lauren (9) and Kyle (3)
How: Air - Shaws Jet-a-Way on Capital Air $209/person R/T
Weather: Around 87 with lots of humidity and sunshine; nights were also
very warm. Rained on Tuesday afternoon for about 15 minutes.
Last Visit: January 1990
Hotel: Beach Club -- Glad we did. I LOVE this place. Only down side
was they were doing taping of Thunder in Paradise and Mickey
Mouse club shows -- didn't see anyone famous.
Walked into Yahct Club just to look around --too dark.
preferred the airiness of the Beach Club.
I booked through Walt Disney World resevations with MKC
discount. Knew we weren't going into the parks on our first or
last days, so we had a one-night and then a 6 night stay 5 day
Resort Magic Package. This included 7 night hotel, passes for
Monday through Saturday, admission into Pleasure Island, Typhoon
Lagoon, 1 character breakfast, portrait w/ Mickey, and pedal
boat/bike rentals -- $2,220 (2 adults, 1 Junior, 1 child, 1
under 3)
FYI: for those with small children. I bought a cheapo umbrella stroller
which worked out great (one less line to wait in at the parks). It fit
in the overhead of the plane. We took our own car seat ($5/day to rent
one). All children under the age of 4 must be in car seats. We checked
the car seat in baggage. All passengers driving in the front seat of
the car must use a seatbelt, regardless of age. Also, pick up your
autograph books at the hotel store as soon as you check in.
Sunday April 24th Stretch limo picked us up @ 9:50am, Leave Boston @ 12:30pm
(originally scheduled for 7:00am but were told on Friday of the change)
Arrived Orlando 2:35pm, Wally and the kids waited for the luggage while I
went to get the car. (Met my sister/BiL at airport, they were on their
way home--she had tid bits of info for me) The family and porter with
luggage came down before I was even up to the counter. Rented mid-size
car through National, booked back in November so received a promo rate of
$114.00 less the 10% discount from MKC. The car for the week including
taxes cost $124.95. Also, upgraded to full-size at no extra cost.
Easy ride out of the airport, have your change ready for tolls so you don't
have to wait in exact change lane, first toll is .75 second one is .50.
All checked in by 4:30pm. Our room was on the second floor 4 rooms down
from the main lobby. Our balcony overlooked Spaceship Earth, it was
wonderful. The mini-bar prices are ridiculous. (On one of our days there
was a guy from the hotel doing a survey on just the mini-bars. I guess
everyone before me had the same comments, too expensive.) Since we got in
later than originally planned swam in the pool and just walked around and
ate dinner at the Yaht Club Galley - $52. The waitpersons were so nice
and the kids got lots of attention. Food - OK. The Y&BC pool is
fabulous, better than expected. Open from 10:00am til 10:00pm. The kids
really enjoyed it. The lifeguards are very strict about wristbands. No
towels or use of the slide unless you were wearing one. Also, no one
under 10 is allowed at the pool without n adult. The "quiet" pools are
open from 7:00am til Midnight. Haven't a clue why they call them quiet,
went once @ 9:30pm -- noisy teens. Wouldn't want a room in that section.
In bed by 10:00pm.
Monday, April 25th -- I was up by 5:30am, I'm more excited than the kids.
Complimentary coffee set up @ 6:30am. Drank coffee on our deck enjoying
the view and the warm/humid weather. Got kids up by 6:45am, they ate a
couple breakfast snacks (we brought). This is the only day we took the
bus (yes, it did go directly to the park but coming back, you have to wait
awhile at the terminal and then it makes stops at the Dolphin/Swan/Yacht
and then Beach Club. Decided to only use the car. Resort guests can park
at Contemporary and walk up path to TMK--you'll see guest registration,
take next right (you'll see a cross-walk) then park in the lot on the
left. Path runs along the Monorail--easy walk. Must show your resort ID
to the guard.)
TMK by 8:00am early opening for resort guests--Fantasyland is the only
area that is open.
- Snow Whites Adventures (5 minute wait), I DO NOT recommend this for
anyone with small kids. Kyle was scared to death, and then didn't want
to go on anything else.
- Peter Pan's Flight about a 20 minute wait.
- Wally, Kyle and I waited to get on Dumbo while Lauren and Craig did
Small World and the Carousel. Dumbo was a 40 minute wait. Fun minute
ride though.
- Park opens at 9:00am, MOBS of people at both Splash and Thunder
Mountain, kids didn't want to wait in lines.
- Tom Sawyers Island - no wait.
- Pirates of the Caribbean (20 min wait)
- Ate late breakfast at the Crystal Palace. Prices were not bad here
(kids breakfast 2 pancakes and drink $1.99--bargain/total breakfast
$17), again about 20 minutes in lines.
- Head back over to Thunder and Splash mountains, lines were over 1/2
hour waits. Kids didn't want to wait.
- Enjoyed train over to Midkey's Starland and the show was just starting.
Good show, we all enjoyed it.
- Had Ice Cream Bars - $8
- Back over by train to Splash and Thunder Mountain, close to an hour
wait. Decided to call it a day and left around 3:00pm.
Take bus back to the pool to cool off, ate at Hurricane Hanna's
poolside. Had a GIANT sundae from Beaches & Cream -- yummy. Kids swam
a little more.
- Walked over to Epcot and right on to Captain E/O, Imagination and the
discovery section upstairs - kids played a long time in here, and the
Living Seas--loved this, a must for all ages.
- Wally, Kyle and I stayed for Illuminations, the kids ran back to swim
before the pool closed at 10:00pm. It's funny, I thought Craig and
Lauren would like Illuminations, they had no desire to watch it.
This was the only night we saw it. In bed by 10:30pm.
Tuesday, April 26th -- try our luck over at TMK - Opens @ 9:00am.
Drove over and parked at Contemporary and walked up the path to the gate.
Get there for 8:20am. Lines at the gates are a mile long. Start letting
people in at 8:30am.
- Ate breakfast @ Crystal Palace ($21). Watched the crowds piling up at
the rope gates. This is really something to see. We were still eating
our breakfast when the gates opened, hoards of people rushing by. We
better get going.
- Head over to Pirates -- no people -- were did they all go. No one is
around. Do Pirates twice since there's no wait.
- No wait for Haunted Mansion, Kyle hated this too scary for him.
- Thunder Mountain, just Lauren and I do this Fun ride -10 minute wait.
- Over to Splash Mountain, I'm not sure about this one - 10 minute wait.
Craig and Lauren are saying how they don't want to sit in front. Well,
I got stuck in the front seat by myself. The animation inside is
great, the big SPLASH wasn't that bad, by the time you turn your head
and scream you're at the bottom. The log ride at Canobie lake is worse
than this.
- Had some ice cream bars ($8), nobody wanted to do the Diamond Horseshoe
Jamboree, so skipped it
- Disneymania in front of the castle -- this is a don't miss show.
- Small World - no wait
- Mr. Toads Wild ride a couple times - 5 minute line. This is better
than what I remembered. Also was Kyle's favorite ride of all.
Drove back to the hotel for some swimming.
Drove to the Marketplace for our portrait with Mickey. Takes all of 15
minutes. 1 8x10, 2 5x7, 4 wallets. This was part of our package.
- Stopped at Pleasure Island to look around, Kyle was crapped out and we
didn't bring the stroller.
- Back to hotel and more swimming
- Kids ate at Beaches/Cream, Wally & I at the Yaht Galley-this time not a
positive experience.
Wednesday, April 27th -- Huge Danish/coffee at the hotel and then drive over
to MGM for early opening (8:00am).
- Get right on The Great Movie Ride
- Muppets 3D (this is the best), no wait
- Wally, Craig & Lauren do Star Tours 15 minute wait.
- Over to the Turtles and autographs, not much of a show, but then again
I don't know how anyone could stay in one of those outfits without
passing out from the heat.
- Beauty and Beast show was 1/2 hour wait, had Craig wait in line while
we were at the Turtles. No shade -- HOT. (Craig had no desire to see
this show and takes off to do backstage tour.)
Suggestion, do this show later in the day to avoid the sun.
- Aladdin Parade @ 1:00pm, enjoyed by all
Drive to Caribbean Beach for lunch ($27). Really like the food court
there.
- Lauren and I rented bikes and just toodled around for about 1/2 hour.
Wally, Craig and Kyle went over and looked at the parrots.
Wally drops me, Craig and Lauren off at MGM.
- Kids talk me into Star Tours, thanks but no thanks, I'm lucky I didn't
lose my lunch on this one.
- Lauren wanted to do the Honey I Shrunk the Kids play area. I thought
this was a big drag, and luckily we walked right in. I would never
wait in a line to get in here. The place was swarming with crying kids
and/or cranky-bored parents.
- Back stage tour, only like Castrophe Canyon - this is a do once.
Head back to hotel via the boat. Nice ride.
Drive to Fort Wilderness for 7:15pm reservation for Hoop-de-Doo -- this
was great. We sat upstairs so could see everything that was going on.
I'd do this one again. Wally and Craig had said they weren't
interested in going, but both admitted it was worth it. We had lots of
laughs.
- Craig went to the arcade where he met some friends. We were asleep
before he got home @ 11:00pm.
Thursday, April 28th -- up early, have Character Breakfast at Cape May
($51). With all that food the kids couldn't find anything they liked. I
wasn't really that impressed with the characters. I guess since you see
Chip n' Dale all the time. Goofy and Pluto did show up, but not for long.
- Typhoon Lagoon for 9:15am, get a front row parking spot--not bad.
They start letting everyone in around 9:30. Again, lots of people.
Perfect day, blue skies, white puffy clouds and warm.
- Tube slides
- Family ride - got to top, Kyle wouldn't go on this so I missed out.
- Lauren, Craig and I did the storm slide.
- Wally and Craig floated down the river while Lauren, Kyle and I did
the kiddie area.
- Craig ran into some friends from Merrimack so took off with them to
do wave pool.
- Ate hamburgers (1) and hotdogs (3) for lunch ($20).
- Lauren and I did the river. Then Wally and I took turns with Lauren
in the wave pool. NOTE: I wouldn't let anyone under the age of 12
in here without an adult. Those waves are really strong.
- Left around 3:00 (I like Water Country in Portsmouth better)
Back for more swimming for the kids @ hotel pool for awhile
- Off to Epcot for Early Bird Special - dinner reservations @ 5:00pm at
Alfredo's, Italy. ($85) This was fabulous. 2 Before dinners drinks,
3 Dinners, 1 child, 2 sodas. All included salad and dessert.
- American Adventure -- really great. Craig was bored.
- Took the boat across to Future World, lines at Imagination. Wally,
Craig & Kyle have had enough so go back to the hotel.
- Lauren and I did Universe of Energy (yawn) and World of Motion. No
wait at either one.
- Back to the hotel by 9:00pm so Lauren can get in an hour of swimming.
Had requested turn-down service all week, they finally did it. Chocolates
and a poem left on our pillow
- Bed by 11:00pm.
Friday, April 29th -- Aladdin Character Breakfast @ MGM for a 9:15am
reservation. This was the best buffet, service was great, and plenty for
everyone to choose from. Kids got Chef Mickey and Genie's autographs.
Jafar never came over to our section. I asked the waitress if we could
just go over and get it, she said that they didn't like the guests to get
up and walk around. We did anyways and got Jafar's autograph. He wasn't
too happy but hey, the kids weren't going to leave without it and we were
ready to go. After you're finished your breakfast the waitress brings you
pins which allows you entrance upstairs to see Aladdin and Jasmine (she
must have a 15" waist). No, Abu isn't there. Kyle asked and their cast
member outside said that is the most asked question. We waited about 20
minutes on the stairs.
- Back Stage Tour. Kyle was really frightened by Castrophe Canyon. We
should have warned him prior to going in what was going to happen.
- Little Mermaid had a short line. Waited 20 minutes for the next show.
What a great show.
Drive Over to TMK, really crowded.
- Pirates
- Small World
- Mr Toads Wild Ride
- Lauren wanted to do the Tea Cups, about a 20 minute wait. Kyle and
Craig did Mr Toads Wild ride again
- Ride the Main Street horse drawn bus
Drive back to hotel for more swimming
Drive to Grand Floridian for the Mickey and Minnie Character 6:00pm dinner
reservation ($92). Boy, is that main lobby noisy as well as the
restaurant. Not a relaxing dinner but well worth it. The buffet was
fabulous, and both Minnie and Mickey spend time at your table. Never
together, though. We walked around and then took the Monorail just to
ride it.
- Back to the hotel, the kids head for the pool and then over to the
arcade. Wally and I are bushed.
Saturday, April 30th -- last day to do whatever we didn't get done the past 5
days.
Danish @ Beaches & Cream ($18)
Drive to TMK
- Do Thunder Mountain - twice
- Lines too long for Splash Mountain
- Pirates
- Small World
- Mr Toads Wild Ride
- Kids did the Swiss Family Treehouse
- Finally tried the Dole Whip, good going down-but what an after taste
Drive to MGM, don't feel like parking way out in the back lot
Back to hotel
- walk to Epcot to see Splashtacular -- this is definitely a DON'T MISS.
What a great show. It was hot, we got there 10 minutes before showtime
and didn't have any problems finding a spot. People with small
children, music is loud and there is a bit of a scarey part to this.
It did not bother Kyle, though.
- Back to hotel--more swimming
Take boat to MGM, I wanted to do Indians Jones, took a vote Muppets 3D
won out.
- Craig did Start Tours
- Ate dinner at SciFi Diner, just OK in my opinion, very over-priced
and I noticed a few people who were not happy with their dinners (for
a dinner salad, a hamburg-no fries, a turkey club, 1 child's hotdog
and spaghetti $42).
- Take boat back to hotel, Craig wants to stay and swim with his
friends.
Drive to TMK-again
- Wally, Lauren, Kyle and I head back over for one more try on Splash
Mountain. Park open til 9:00pm
- Proms going on at Yacht Club, Contemporary and I'm sure a few others.
- Park is a zoo -- couldn't hardly get through main street. Decorating
for the After Prom Party which is held @ 11:00pm til 5:00am -- this
must be a real blast for kids.
- Even though it's 7:30pm, it's still hot, get to Splash Mountain --
argh -- 30 minute wait. Lauren's bushed -- we get on the train to
Main Street and head back to the hotel
- Pack
Sunday, May 1st
- Breakfast at Beaches & Cream
- Not watching time, leave for airport @ 9:15am for an 11:00am flight.
At airport by 9:45 -- no problems with traffic or dropping off car,
just make sure you know what terminal you are leaving from -- oh boy
- no line @ National.
- Flight leaves for Boston right on time, arrive Boston @ 2:15pm
- Stretch Limo waiting for us -- has us in Merrimack within 45 minutes.
Our vacation is over -- back to reality -- cooking, cleaning, making own
beds, kids fighting, going back to work/school -- ugh!
Start planning our next trip to THE WORLD. Is October too soon?
|
| 393.14 | | DECRAL::SUTTON | DEC RALLY does Windows! | Mon May 16 1994 20:53 | 582 |
| Walt Disney World - the Trip Report
22 April 1993 - 30 April 1993
An up-front thank you to all the conference participants. We found that
there were tidbits that enabled us to pack the most into our experience!
Cast of characters: John, Laurie, Deanna(8),and Timothy(5) Sutton.
Laurie and I first went to WDW in 1982 on our honeymoon. Since then we've
been back three times: 1984, 1988, and 1990. All these past trips were
too short for us as far as time spent on WDW property, so we decided way
back in September (I think it was) that we'd spend a MAJOR chunk of time
ON-SITE. We started doing the airfare checks, and after we regained
consciousness (we were looking at ~$2K for the four of us back then) we
decided to check and see whether the Delta vacation packages worked any
better for us. They did. We started doing some planning around school
schedules, etc. We planned to spend the 22nd through the 30th at WDW,
then head south to visit Laurie's mom down by West Palm Beach.
A few days later, we found out that Laurie's cousin Doris and her family
were looking into doing the same thing. They'd done similar shopping, and
were about to hook up with a relative who handles travel for AAA. She'd
been able to keep an eye peeled for prices dropping and had saved them a
few dollars a couple years back -- so we (both families) did our
arrangements through her.
In October, we found out that my brother and his wife were planning on
spending April vacation in WDW as well! They'd already booked through a
friend, and it just so happened that all three families would be staying
in the Caribbean Beach resort complex.
Near the end of the year we find out that Laurie's brother and family will
be in the area as well, staying off-site at a condo. Who knew we'd be
having a family reunion?!?
Shortly before our final payment was due, we found out that prices had in
fact dropped, so we were saving ~$90 per person from what we'd originally
expected. What a great surprise! And a super way to get psyched for the
upcoming trip.
The kids started doing a countdown of "how many days/weeks left" in
February, after the school vacation that month. Needless to say, they
were both ready when April 22 rolled around!
On to the trip stuff:
Day 1: Friday, 22 April - "Are we there yet?"
The alarm starts beeping - is it 4:45 _already_?? OK, up and at 'em! We
let the kids sleep a little longer while Laurie and I get ready, finish
packing up the last of the stuff we needed, then wait for Laurie's brother
to show up to drive us in to Boston for our 7:30AM flight. We get to the
gate just as they're starting to board, and our seats turn out to be the
LAST ROW on an L-1011! Oh joy. We'd special ordered meals for the kids
on both flights through our travel agent, and I tried to do the same for
myself a couple of weeks before. The kids' meals were all set, but Delta
had somehow lost my special order. Oh, well. It's just something I'd
always wanted to try. Maybe they'll get it right on the way home.
It's an uneventful flight, and we arrive in Orlando at about 10:30. Grab
all the luggage and head out to the curb to catch the Alamo bus (rental
car is part of the package deal we selected.) We actually wait longer for
the bus than I do in line at the Alamo facility. Our transport for the
week+ is a 2-door Chevy Beretta. The kids groan about having to climb in
and out, but they get used to it (besides, we wind up using the buses most
of the time.)
Traffic is light on the way to WDW, and we arrive at the Custom House to
check in. Our room is ready: Martinique 2107. Doris is not so fortunate;
they wind up waiting till after 4:00 (but they got into the 2600
building.) We spend some time settling in, exploring Old Port Royale, and
doing a grocery run to Goodings. We manage to get a cube refrigerator in
the room, which works out nicely. But, what's this? No "Fluff" at
Goodings?!??! We wind up finding a cast member (oops, not here, they're
employees) who is from up north. She sympathizes (her mother brings a
care package with Fluff when she visits) and finds an acceptable
substitute.
Oh, what the heck - we decide to head over to the MK at about 4:30. I
pick up a schedule of events at City Hall and notice that these are now
written up on a weekly basis. The last time we were here, I thought they
were done up daily, but I could be mistaken. It's off to Fantasyland, and
we walk onto Small World (gotta do it once, you know), wait one ride cycle
for Cinderella's Carousel, then I grit my teeth as the kids claim they
HAVE to ride Dumbo. It's only a 25 minute wait, and I guess everyone's
got to do it once (yes, in four previous trips I'd escaped this particular
trap.) We hook up with Doris and family in front of the castle by the
Mickey and Minnie topiaries, then head over to Adventureland for a bite
to eat at the Adventureland Verandah (I think that's the name.) After
eats, we climb through the Swiss Family Treehouse, then hop on the Pirates
of the Caribbean (5 minute wait) and sit through the Enchanted Tiki Birds
(another "we have to do this once" attraction.) It's just about time to
set up and grab a spot for Spectromagic. We park in front of the Country
Bear Jamboree -- the show's about to start, so Laurie volunteers to stay
at curbside while the kids and I catch the performance. We come out
moments before the announcer comes over the PA system introducing the
parade.
I'd never seen the Main Street Electrical Parade, as all our previous
trips were in "off season", so I can't make a comparison. I do agree with
Mike Scopa's comment about wanting to get the music on tape or CD (forgot
to mention earlier that I'd bought the "Official Walt Disney World and
Disneyland Music" CD, which was another way of piquing the kids' appetites
for Disney.) My brother commented later in the week that he thought the
parade dragged on too long, but I disagree with that assessment. The kids
thought it was pretty neat, and Timmy was spellbound by several of the
floats.
After the parade is over, we decide to head back to our room. It has been
a LONG day for all of us, and we need some rest. Of course, the timing is
just right for the area in front of Cinderella's Castle to be PACKED as
everyone waits for Tinkerbell's arrival ('scuse me, pardon me, oops,
sorry, 'scuse me...) but we're just too pooped to pop and want out. As we
hop the bus back to CBR, we can see some of the fireworks through the
trees.
Day 2: Saturday, 23 April - "Raindrops are falling on my head"
We laze in after the extravaganza on Friday, and head to OPR for
breakfast. Well, Laurie and I eat breakfast at OPR, the kids were too
impatient and ate cereal in the room. EPCOT is our destination for the
morning (from the Martinique side of OPR, near the 2600 building, we could
see Spaceship Earth on the horizon - more on that later.) In through the
gates, past the lines at Spaceship Earth, through the corridor between the
Communicore construction project(s), and make reservations for lunch in
the Teppanyaki dining room. Then over to Journey into Imagination. We
see Captain EO (first time for all), watch the jumping fountains (hey,
they don't jump over the walkways any more!) and go in to ride with
Figment and Dreamfinder, then upstairs to try Making Funny Faces and
fiddling around with the other "stuff".
I hadn't realized when making lunch reservations how late we'd gotten
started, and before we know it it's time to head to the Japan pavilion.
We board a launch and leave for Morocco (hmm, first time on one of the
lagoon boats!) and walk over to sit down for lunch cooked right before
our very eyes.
As we come out from lunch, it is starting to rain lightly. Out come the
ponchos and rain coats we'd packed; NOTHING is going to stop us from
doing Disney to the max. We walk around Morocco, then start counter-
clockwise through the countries. In Germany, there was someone painting
Hummels (interesting to watch, but Timmy starts getting fidgety.) We wait
about 20 minutes in line for Maelstrom in Norway, then blow through and
skip the movie afterward. Instead, we watch the 360-movie in China.
Next, it's over to Mexico for a couple of pictures in the souvenir area
and then we walk on to El Rio del Tiempo. By this time, the rain is
pretty steady, so the crowds are thinning. We walk over to Future World
and check out World of Motion and Wonders of Life (Body Wars only, a
little walking around; Laurie and the kids aren't interested in Cranium
Command and I can't convince them otherwise.) Over to Spaceship Earth and
walk on there.
Then it's time for a ride on the monorail to MK -- up front! Well, it's
OK, I'd like to do it when it's NOT raining. We hop off and run over to
catch the 'rail to the MK. Once there, the kids decide they'd had enough
for a while so we catch the next CBR bus. We rest for a while, then head
over to the Crossroads plaza to get a bite to eat, and it seems as though
everyone else in the area has the same idea. As we travel around we decide
that the traffic pattern is gawdawful, and we'll avoid that place as much
as possible. Finally we find something that isn't backed up with a 45
minute wait (OK, I'll confess: McD's.)
We drive back to the room, then wait for the next MK bus. This is the
last night for the MK fireworks, and we don't want to miss 'em! Of
course, by the time we get there, Spectromagic has started and we get
caught in the crush. With the Tomorrowland construction in full swing,
the ONLY way to Fantasyland is through the area in front of the castle
(couldn't you go through one of the restaurants or something before?) A
crew of college-age kids decide they are going to push through no matter
what; their efforts are futile. (-:
Eventually we work our way to Fantasyland, and ride the Mad Hatter's Tea
Party (another "first time" ride! Did I get the name right?) after about
a 10 minute wait. It's fast approaching time for Tink's grand entrance,
so we set up on the bridge to the right of the castle (Tink passed almost
directly overhead!) Would you believe - another first? We'd never seen
Tinkerbell's entrance or the fireworks in the MK (thanks to this file, now
we've got that memory.)
After the fireworks, we queue up for the Grand Prix Raceway, then I ride
on Space Mountain while Laurie and the kids go over to the Carousel of
Progress (the kids LOVED it.) The construction-in-progress walls are
still up around the Star Jets (or whatever they'll be called) but you can
see the "planets" above the ride proper (in fact, they're visible as you
approach the MK.) Finally, we hop onto Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (ugh, bad
pun) just as they are closing it down for the night. Finally, we do the
ssslllooowww walk down Main Street USA to the exit. Catch the CBR bus,
back to the room and crash.
Day 3: Sunday 24 April - "Tim makes a friend"
Another late morning (we do need our beauty rest,) with breakfast in the
room consisting of the cereal from Goodings and pastries from the OPR
bakery. Side note: we bought coffee in pre-made-up filter packs at
Goodings (less than $3 for 11) and used those rather than the ones in the
mini-bar at $2.50 each. Later we noticed folks in OPR using the CBR mugs
which you could purchase (they leave them on the mini-bar, $2.95 each) and
getting "refills" from the beverage bar there. It wasn't clear whether
this was abusing that facility or not...
We meet up with Doris and family and head over to the MK. Climb on the
railroad and ride to Frontierland. The line for Splash Mountain as
already getting big, so we walk over to BTMRR - which is CLOSED!?! But
two cast members are there communicating via walkie-talkie to others
inside. Apparently there had been some problems, but they are clearing
them up and we get into the line just as the ropes are dropped. Our kids
will have nothing to do with the ride, so we do a kid-swap. We then
wander over to the Haunted Mansion, which the kids love. As we wait in
the "stretch room", our guide, Bruno, stands next to Laurie and STARES at
her with unblinking eyes for at _least_ 2 minutes. As she tries to stare
him down, she breaks out laughing. He never flinches. The lights go out,
and when they come back on he has disappeared! He jumps out from behind
the doors as we leave that room to get into the line for the ride and
startles her - well done!
We can't decide what to do next, so we head toward Fantasyland. Peter
Pan's Flight has a 45 minute wait, we decide not to stand in that line.
The kids insist that they HAVE to ride the Skyway to Tomorrowland. Yeesh,
what a mistake. That wait has to be at LEAST 45 minutes. Well, it is a
one-shot anyway. And a big mistake, since we have lunch reservations at
the Liberty Square Tavern. We walk back over, have a reasonable meal,
then Laurie and I decide to brave the wait for Splash Mountain since it is
time for the afternoon parade and we figure the line will be shorter. The
kids again bail out, so we kid swap there as well. As we wait for Laurie
(from the vantage point where you can see the drop into the Briar Patch,)
we see bits and pieces of the parade. After climbing out of the Briar
Patch, we walk up to the Hall of Presidents. The kids are starting to
droop a bit, so we head on out. Passing through the area in front of
Cinderella's Castle (the DisneyMania show was on at this time, I think) we
run into Donald Duck and Pluto! Stop for a couple of pictures, then
continue on our way.
We ride the bus back to CBR, then settle by the OPR pool to unwind.
Timmy, ever the gregarious one, strikes up a conversation with a little
girl about his age. Soon after, he introduces her to his cousin: "This is
my new friend Katie - I just made her!"
After a leisurely time by the pool, we pick up some dinner from the food
court in OPR (pizzas and some Chinese food) and eat outside. I just
thought of something which had us curious all week -- why is there fishing
line strung overhead in much of the OPR area? Anybody??
After dinner, we head back toward our rooms, and stop by the beach near
Martinique's 2600 building to watch IllumiNations (that part which we
could see, anyway.) You miss a lot, as we found out later in the week,
but it was still a neat way to end the evening (we could see the
projection of the globe map onto Spaceship Earth!) We call it a night
after the fireworks and laser show.
Day 4: Monday, 25 April - "Whoomph! EEEEEEeeeee!"
We make this a fairly early day, but nothing outrageous. Eat breakfast in
the room, then off to Disney/MGM Studios. First we head out toward the
rear of the park and see MuppetVision 3D/4D (first time; this wasn't here
last time we visited if I recall correctly.) Then we walk on to Star
Tours (bummer, we miss the pre-ride area - the music on the CD we have
comes from here.) The kids love it - "better than Body Wars!"
Next we wander over to where the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are about to
make their appearance. Laurie holds a slot in the "autograph line" while
the kids and I set up so we can see the show they do. Little did we know
where they'll be coming from; they pass right by us (Tim has on his TMNT
shirt, gets a "thumbs up" from Raphael!) By the time Tim is about at the
head of the line for stamps (OK, not really autographs,) it's time for the
Turtles to get out of the hot sun -- so we don't get a clear picture. Tim
gets 2 "auto-stamps", though.
From there, we head over to check out the "Honey I Shrunk the Kids"
playground - it should be called "Honey I LOST the Kids". (Was it JaneB's
trip report that mentioned the frightened kids and frantic parents all
over the place here? Dead on the money with that assessment!) Heading
past Superstar TV, they're about to start the show so we stroll in and get
seats in the second row! Next up it's the Great Movie Ride (the
"gangster" side, first time) then we stop for a bite to eat. We'd packed
our ponchos and a couple of sandwiches, Laurie goes and gets some drinks.
A couple of birds descend on us and mooch for crumbs; one is so bold as to
eat right out of my hand! After our snack, we pick out a great spot for
Aladdin's Royal Caravan (OK, so it's in the sun. No obstructions, though!)
The crowds seem to be getting thicker, so we duck out (no, didn't see
Donald) and grab the bus back to CBR. Change into bathing suits and drive
over to Typhoon Lagoon. Side note: we found that arriving here in the
mid-afternoon and staying till closing worked out well. Even though the
park closed at 5, it gave us enough time to catch some waves and do some
slides. The crowds appeared to be thinning by then, as the parking lot
had plenty of spaces free. On our first trip there, some BOZO walked off
with three of our four towels (from the CBR, but a pain in the butt
nonetheless) - we shrugged it off and dried in the sun. (-:
The tube situation here is confusing (and possibly intentionally so, I
think) in that the large tubes for the wave pool are available for rent,
but the park information sheet indicates that there are tubes available
for general use. If they happen to run out, or if you feel you need to
assure yourself that one will be available, you can rent one. At least
that's our interpretation of the policy and practice...
Laurie stays in on the "beach" and watches Tim while Deanna and I venture
out into the wave pool. It was amazing to watch the "surf" waves come
toward us from the far end of the pool! Even if you weren't at the wave
pool, you knew when a wave was coming -- the distinctive "Whoomph!" as the
water was released, then "EEEEEEeeeee!" from the opposite end of the pool.
I run over and try out the Storm Slides and Humonga Cowabunga (the wedgie
wasn't so bad (-:) We head out at closing time, change at the room, and
drive out to 192 to find a Kentucky Fried Chicken, not _too_ far away.
After eating, we grab the bus for EPCOT and do the Universe of Energy
(agree with the yawns) and then get a decent spot to watch IllumiNations.
Tim insists, once the fireworks start, that we move back from our spot,
so I oblige. After the show, it's time to push through the construction
corridor (not too bad) and wait for the bus, then back to the room and
zonk out.
Day 5: Tuesday 26 April - "Rubbish!"
A fairly early morning, and it's off to EPCOT, to finish off those things
we didn't catch yet. Right to The Land (we miss the song now that it's
"Living With the Land" vs. "Listen to...") then a bite to eat from the
bakery. Next we head over to The Living Seas and spend a goodly amount of
time here. The kids really love watching the variety of life in the
observation tanks.
Off we head to the right side of World Showcase to see the sights we'd
missed on our earlier visit. First it's "O Canada", then as we stroll by
England we're invited to come see the Olde Globe Players put on a show
(audience participation mandatory.) They rope in a couple of folks to
play parts in their pun-filled story of King Arthur, Lancelot, and The
Holy Grail (Grail...Grail...Grail...Unnh!) As prompted in the warm-up,
when we're asked "So what do you think of it so far?" we all answer
"RUBBISH!"
Next it's off to wander a bit in France (we skip Impressions,) then we
swing by Japan for a snack of Kaki-Gori (shaved ice with fruit syrup, sort
of like a Sno-Cone only smoother) then Tim wants a ride on a double-decker
bus. We grab the next one to pass (heading back the way we came) then
bail out of EPCOT to hit the OPR pool. After unwinding a while there, we
ride the bus over to the Disney Village and grab a bite to eat at Minnie
Mia's.
After dinner, we decide to walk around the Village, and come across a
launch leaving for Port Orleans and Dixie Landings. We'd wanted to scope
these out, so we hop on board. Turns out it's only going as far as PO,
but that's OK. We go ashore at PO, stroll the grounds, then walk along
the canal (river? stream?) to DL for a look. Our overall assessment: if
we were to choose one, it would most likely be DL. The courtyards in PO
seem to echo with every noise - then again, once you get away from the
main street, it quiets down. DL seems more stately, elegant. When we
leave, we take a bus as opposed to waiting for the launch. The bus ride
seems roundabout, taking us through what seem like a zillion stops in DL
and then off to Fort Wilderness; the Disney folks must be ironing out the
kinks there.
We take the bus to Pleasure Island and drop into the Neon Armadillo and
the Adventurers' Club. With the kids with us, we're not in either place
long. Timmy would have liked to stay at NA longer, he was enjoying the
line dancers. We stroll down the main street, catch a show with some
dancers, then stop in D-Zerts for ice cream. I check out the Virtual
Reality game, but decide not to drop $10 for the experience. We're all
dragging, so we head back to the room.
Day 6: Wednesday 27 April - "Why, I oughta..."
Up early; today we're slated for breakfast with Aladdin in the Soundstage
Restaurant in MGM. We arrive a bit before our reservations, so we have
time to observe the Magic of Disney Animation. We check in at the
Soundstage and wait about 5 minutes for our table, then sit and get ready
for a major pig-out. As noted in here elsewhere (enough already with the
bad puns!) the spread for this breakfast was GREAT! Scrambled eggs,
omelet with cheese & mushrooms, bacon, sausage (link or patty,) cheese
blintzes, waffles, large choice of waffle toppings (syrup, fruits)...and
on the OTHER set of tables, fresh fruits, muffins, pastries, and more.
Mickey (in a fez,) the Genie, and Jafar are circulating through the tables
and we get autographs from all. As I hand the 'graph book to Jafar, I
notice the pen cap is on. Ever the considerate one, I go to remove the
cap so he can sign the book - and he SNATCHES the pen from my hands and
gives me a glare (how'd he do that with the character mask on?) If he
wasn't close to 7 feet tall, I would have smacked him! (sure, sure)
After finishing breakfast, we get our "I had breakfast with Aladdin"
buttons (!) and get in line on the stairs where we can rub the lamp and
make the genie appear, then into the room for Deanna and Timmy to get
autographs and a picture with Aladdin and Jasmine (what 18" waist? Must
have been a substitute (-: )
We head over to the Backstage Tour, which has a 10 minute wait. After the
tour, we head over to watch the Beauty & the Beast stage show. Where's
the shade??? I stand through the show with Timmy on my shoulders (we were
WAAAAAY in the back,) his legs go numb and my shoulders feel like they're
going to fall off. Next time, we'll get there in time for seats!
We're doing mop-up work, hitting attractions we've not seen yet, so we
drop in to the Monster Sound Show. As we come out, the parade's coming
through, so we fight the tide and head out.
We grab the bus back to the room, change up and head over to TL to catch
some waves! This time we go over to the left side of the park, find the
small slides in Blustery Bay and Timmy has a great time at Ketchakiddie
Creek. Deanna and I try out the tube slides, then we go get Laurie and
Tim and we all go on the BIG tube. What a disappointment, waiting in that
line for such a short ride.
At closing time, we head back to OPR and grab a couple of bikes, do the
loop around the lagoon twice, then grab some dinner and sit outside at
OPR. We just do some resting here, and wait for the long-distance version
of IllumiNations again, watching from the beach between OPR and Martinique.
Then it's back to the room to rest up.
Day 7: Thursday, 28 April - "Step off to the left, please"
Today is another early day; we're off to the MK so we can make lunchtime
reservations for the Diamond Horseshoe Revue (yeesh, what a "menu" - chips
& salsa, pretzels, potato chips...the info I'd seen up to this point
implied one could buy sandwiches, etc.) OK, it's early, so what's open?
Peter Pan's Flight, Snow White's Adventures (what, they're not "Scary" any
more?) Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (Timmy insisted we do this one again; I hadn't
realized the ride is slightly different on each side.) By now, 20,000
Leagues has opened up and we get in line here for a 15 minute wait. After
this, we're getting hungry, so we wander around and decide on the Crystal
Palace for breakfast. The kids get the children's breakfast (a good buy,
as someone else has mentioned,) Laurie and I get the "puffed" French toast
and coffee. A couple of birds come mooching for crumbs, but they're not
as bold as the ones in MGM.
Fueled up, we're ready to go, so it's off to Tomorrowland and the Carousel
of Progress. The last time I'd seen it, "Now is the Time" was still the
theme and it was still sponsored by GE. The kids had been sufficiently
impressed the other night to request a second visit. As we walk past, I
notice the construction walls are down by the Star Jets (or whatever) and
some workers are putting on the finishing touches. The ride's not quite
ready yet, though. Instead, we board Delta Dreamflight, and it looks as
though we're the only ones on the ride!
Next, it's off to Mickey's Starland, where we meet Tigger and get a
picture and autograph, then poke around in the shop (whose name I can't
remember) where you can see Mickey's Walk of Fame (step on a star and
you're rewarded with the voice of the character whose name is on that
star,) as well as the blue screen effect where you put yourself into some
cartoons. The kids get tired of this, so we head over to catch the next
show with the "Disney Afternoon" characters. This is a hit with the kids.
Next it's over to get Minnie's autograph, then Chip & Dale, and I'm sure a
couple others I can't remember. As we waited in line for Minnie, she had
to take a short break. When she came back, I'm sure she'd gotten taller
(-:
By now it's time to head over to see the Diamond Horseshoe Jamboree. We
meet up with Doris & family, get a table all together. The kids enjoy the
show, I think it was "OK". We decide after DHJ to revisit the Haunted
Mansion. Our guide this time is hardly as interesting as Bruno on our
first visit.
We'd decided we wanted to see the 3PM Surprise Parade, so Laurie and
Deanna stake out a spot in some shade while Tim and I haul over to the
Pirates of the Caribbean - we WALK on, then take in a little of J. P. and
the All-Stars' steel band on our way back to watch the parade. We've got
"front row" spots, so are able to view the whole parade without having to
look around heads (much); still there are people who lean out and manage
to get in the way.
After the parade, we head back to CBR to meet my brother and his crew to
do some bike riding; then dinner (all of us) in the Captain's Tavern (the
sit-down restaurant in OPR.) We drop by the pool after dinner, grab some
dessert, then head back to the room.
Day 8: Friday, April 29 - "Traveling waiters! Awwriiight!"
It's another leisurely morning, with breakfast at OPR then off to MGM to
finish off the last of the attractions we wanted to see. As we head down
toward TGMR, we get swept into a Streetmosphere scene - an older matronly
lady and a younger "sophisticate" are trying to teach a young tomboyish
girl a few ladylike ways - the girlie laugh, the walk, blowing a kiss...
she makes her transition (finally) and I get to be the target of her
charms. Her "instructors" get her back to her old self, and the "matron"
walks by me and confirms that "We're still on for tonight."
We head over to the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular; Laurie and the kids
are clueless as to the "plant" but Laurie catches on quickly. We head
over to the Voyage of the Little Mermaid, which had been packed the other
times we'd been by. We get into a short line and have a 15 minute wait.
The show was well worth it, contrary to some negatives I'd heard. We take
a stroll down Mickey Ave as Aladdin's Royal Caravan goes through the main
avenues. We decide we've seen all we care to, so head out - as we go past
TGMR, Ed McMahon (the "star of the day") is sitting in a chair with a TV
camera and some cue cards in front of him. Apparently he's appearing live
on some shows across the US! We stop for a picture or two, then continue
out.
Back to the hotel to change and off to TL once more. We run into Laurie's
brother and his family, do some more water sliding and wave riding, and
generally hang around until the park closes. Oops, we left our sunscreen
by a chair when we headed to the storm slides, I make a trip around the
back through the "Forgotten Grotto" to locate it. Still there! We day
our goodbyes to the park, and head back to the hotel.
Not pooled out yet, we make a short trip to the Martinique pool and get
some last laps in, then head back to the room to clean up and get ready
for dinner.
We'd decided that we'd like to try Le Cellier in EPCOT - no reservations
required, food seemed reasonably priced, and I thought I'd seen something
on the menu that Laurie was dying to try: pork pies! She's of French
Canadian ancestry and loves that particular dish. Unfortunately, 1) they
don't have it on the menu, and 2) the line is almost out the door! So
we decide to wing it and wander around World Showcase to locate some food.
Bad choice. Everything's either booked solid or we're looking at a LONG
wait. Eventually, it's getting close to time to set up for prime spots
for IllumiNations, so I leave Laurie and the kids at a decent spot and
head out to Future World to locate some eats.
I wind up at Odyssey, picking up a couple of burgers and a couple of kids'
meals (franks & fries); heading back to our spot I'm greeted by smiling
faces along the way: "Great! Just what I wanted" "How'd you know I was
hungry" etc... I get back to the wife & kids just in time for the 2-minute
warning, and we chow down to the opening strains of the show.
As the fireworks start to go off, I never realized that some shoot out
from the shore toward the center of the lagoon - neither did Tim, and soon
he and I are at a vantage point somewhat back from the edge where Laurie
had set up. (-: We manage to get through the show, then just kind of
hang out by the edge of the lagoon, waiting for the crowds to disperse.
When we decide it is probably safe, we head out, only to run into a crush
of humanity in the little alleyway between the Communicores under
construction. This was WORSE than the crowd after Spectromagic/before the
fireworks at MK!! We make it through in one piece, though.
We catch the bus, saying our last farewells to EPCOT, and straggle back to
the room, exhausted. It's been a hectic week+, but I think we've gotten a
lot out of it.
Days 9 - 12: I'll spare you! We spent time at SeaWorld (kids loved it),
then visited with Laurie's mom. The trip home was smooth; we took a
FlightLine limo from Logan airport in Boston to our house. Delta _did_
get both the kids' meals and my special order on the return trip. Our
seats were split (2 on either side of the aisle) but we weren't at the
tail on this L-1011. Back immediately to the hustle and bustle of real
life -- and to a cool New England May!
==========================================================================
Random thoughts, etc.
We didn't have any particular itinerary, with two small exceptions: we
wanted to see Spectromagic and the fireworks at MK with Tink. That
dictated our presence there on the first two nights, as the park closings
were moving to "off-season" times and those attractions wouldn't be
available after Saturday.
We kind of drifted around in the parks, not targeting any particular
attractions in any order, except when we happened to have a few in an area
which appealed to us. We let the flow of the crowds affect our travels to
some extent. Looking back, we did some bonehead maneuvers (like waiting
in line for the Skyway and then having to walk back for lunch in Liberty
Square!) but I think by NOT having a set schedule, we weren't stressed out
about missing any particular attraction. The fact that we had eight days
and "passes to everywhere" didn't hurt, either! (-:
It will probably be a couple years before we go back; we're hoping to get
to WDW for the 25th anniversary.
Some of the stuff Mike Scopa asked about:
- Magic Journeys was closed; some attraction based on The Lion King was in
progress. They were hanging a sign there one of the days we were in TMK.
(I think one of the notes posted here recently mentions this.)
- Voyage of the Little Mermaid was open; we avoided it until we saw a
shorter line (just before the parade in MGM.)
- In Tomorrowland, the Star Jets / Astro Orbiter (?) was just being opened
up on our last day at TMK (this was mentioned somewhere else as well.)
The "planets" over the ride looked pretty cool, but seeing them from
outside the park sort of diminishes the effect. I remember in '82 how
it was all build up until you saw the spires of Cinderella's Castle from
afar...
- Sunset Blvd. was still blocked off, but TZToT is visible from
way outside the park. Looks creepy; it's amazing how they can make
something so new look so old!
- Innoventions is (as mentioned elsewhere) taking the place of Communicore
(East or West or both, I can't say for sure.)
That about wraps it. This is a bittersweet trip report; we had a great
time, plan to go back in the not-too-distant future, but <sniff> this is
my last trip report as a Digital employee, as I'm leaving for greener
pastures at the end of this week. Good luck to you all, maybe I'll be
seeing some of you on the Internet.
|
| 393.15 | | STAR::FERLAN | DECamds as your cluster mgmt tool | Tue May 31 1994 16:05 | 337 |
|
Well before the trip police catch me, I figure I'd better enter how good of
a time we had... Most of this is from daily handwritten notes about what we
did...
First the particulars.... We had two families, mine (myself, my wife Gina,
and 2 children Anthony 3 1/2 and Christian (just under 2 yrs)... the other
family Matt and Denise and their two Kesley (5 yrs) and Matthew (3 yrs)..
To say the least an interesting crew... I tried to plan as much as possible
trying to take into account we had kids and their attention span becomes
non existent when they are tired... Denise has been to WDW 12 times and
for the rest of us, well it was basically a first time experience...
We went from Wed May 11 to Sat May 21... One other thing, we got real lucky.
Christian decided about 2 months before we left that he wanted to go potty
like his big brother, so we basically had a potty trained 22 month old on
our trip! No diapers, and only a few accidents... My regret, we should have
brought both our strollers rather than just one... The two older children
decided they wanted to ride as well, so both families had to shell out
$5/day to rent a stroller (actually $6, but you get $1 back when you return
the stroller receipt for the day...)
Next some highlights... For starters, the first 5 days were very unseasonably
HOT and HUMID (can't 'stress' that enough).. 90+ humidity, 4 adults, 4 kids,
spells disaster... Also the park was more crowded than usual (as we were
told) and most of the people seemed to be in FantasyLand (great, that's where
our kids wanted to be too). Anyways once we got over the heat we had an even
better time... After a couple days in the park, we had planned a character
bfast @ the 1900 Park Fare on Saturday - which was GREAT - the waiter says to
us, "If you don't eat enough that's your fault, if you don't have enough to
drink, that's my fault"... We ate a lot! And had Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Chip
and Dale come by the table, more than once... We were there for a while. The
bill came to $95, but we had 1 breakfast included with our trip, thank
goodness... That afternoon we visited Discovery Island which was a nice break
since it was virtually deserted, save for all the birds... Oh and for those
of you going Mid June who decide to visit Discovery Island, the cast warns
you to bring an umbrella and old shoes... They've had an unusually high
number of birds nesting this year, and they figure mid-June will be about
the time they babies are beginning to "explore"... That evening we went
back to TMK for SpectroMagic... People were camping out for spots beginning
at 6:30! for the 9P show! We camped at 7:30-8P and got front row on the
street between the Emporium and Camera shop right about where the Parade
turns up Main St towards the Castle... got some good video from that. The
only negative was the crush of idiots who followed the parade without any
regard for human life in front of them... Luckily we had strollers as weapons.
Other highlights, Mickey's Luau - I found the ribs to be excellent and the
Mai Tai's, well they just kept coming ;-) We also hit Germany and the Bier-
garten for a meal and show... The kid's loved it... so for those of you with
small children that don't mind paying a bit extra for dinner, it's a good
bet.. .Make sure you get seated about 10-15 minutes before the show...
The absolute highlight of the trip was Hoop-de-Doo, which we saved for the
Fri. nite before leaving... I even got picked to go on stage in the Davy
Crockett skit (I was the Indian) and Matt got picked to be the "Angel" after
Davy dies... FWIW, Matt is a big guy and looked absolutely hillarious in the
pink tutu!... The only downer to the night was that I missed out on my
strawberry shortcake...
Meals:
Other than the shows we took in, I didn't find meals to be outrageous..
We had brought breakfast type foods down, so there were a number of days
we spent eating bfast in the rooms (of course, I did unfortuneately for
my waistline) find the Cinnamin Bay rolls and muffins to be of high
quality ;-)... I'd say on the days we bought we'd average $10-$20 total.
Lunches usually were at some type of "buffeteria" and for the most part
ran $15-$30 total. Dinners at Old Port Royale were fairly cheap... You
could get an all you can fit on one plate at the Pasta place for $6, which
usually filled you up... Speaking of the Old Port... If you do go, avoid the
"deli place" if you like to have speedy service... I've never had such slow
and "forgetful" service.... We had dinner at Epcot 3 times (Le Cellier -
which ran about $40 total), Mexico (at the sit down place - $80 total), and
Germany (Biergarten - $60 total - oh and they have 1 Liter Mugs of Beck's on
tap.)... The two dinner shows were great since the one price got you all
you can eat (if you spoke up) and of course all you can drink... We also
did the Contemporary Cafe once for dinner ($18/Adult $9/Child 3-9)... This
was a buffet which you could go back over and over and over... Dessert was
good here too... I got my $18 worth of food..
Negatives:
The only real negatives I'd complain about were Thomas Cook's handling of our
reservations... The heat... I can't imagine being down there in the summer
with kids... Until I got over it, having to ride buses everywhere... WIthout
a car, you really are caught in a bind... If you've never been, you don't
have an appreciation for how large 46 square miles is (they've bought land
since Birnbaum tells you 43 sq. miles)... lastly of course, why is it that
some people leave their manners at the front gate... I'd swear some people
were raised by Neanderthals... I know I had a bit of tunnel vision in wanting
to see some things, but I was always aware of who was around me and wasn't
aggressive about lines....
Day by day blow:
5/11:
Early morning flight (10:15), which arrived early... The kids really liked
the flight (it was the part I feared the most 2-3+ hours in a plane)...
We got to Orlando a bit ahead of schedule and of course had to wait to
"Check in" at the CBR... This also turned out to be a nightmare, since
Thomas Cook decided it would be easier for them to book our rooms under
one name and in the wrong land (Aruba, we asked for Martinique)... ALso
we asked for connecting rooms and got adjoining... Well a quick call to
the desk fixed up our woes, we ended up in Barbados (not bad after all)
with connecting rooms... and of course, no fridges... until we called...
The folks at CBR were very accomodating and luckily it wasn't "high season".
Decided it would be best to hang out by the pool and eat at the Old Port
Royale.. Had to save energy for the next day you know....
5/12: TMK
Started the day with Bfast at the Crystal Palace and then heading into our
day in Adventure land... With small kids we made some mistakes and covered
up for others... One other problem we had was that Denise knew she wanted to
do certain rides, but didn't always take into account that they may have
been clear across the world.. ANyways, we started with the Tiki Birds, which
all of the kids really enjoyed (which goes against some of what Birnbaum says).
THen when on the Pirates (which the kids were very frightened - this was
Denise's hairbrained idea...) After this, we knew we had to take the kids
on something that was bright and fun, so we went to It's a Small World. That
was more their speed... Again, Denise in full sprint, we wnt to Mickey's
Starland... Didn't get much accomplished, since it was hot, but we did meet
Mickey in his dressing room (forgot the name)... Next it was off to do the
Grand Prix (which all the kids thoroughly enjoyed)... Lastly, Lunch at
Tony's (which was excellent - and as stated in here before - cheaper than
dinner!)... After, we went back home for pool and nap time.... It was
definately needed. Dinner that night was @ Goofy's burger place in the
Village Marketplace (no one listened to me about making reservations somewhere)
Oh well...
5/13: TMK
Today, Gina and I told Denise that what and wherefore and we all had a much
better day not hopping from spot to spot... We even got on a lot more rides!
Most of the time was split between Fantasy Land and Mickey's Starland (again).
We did the Peter Pan ride, Dumbo (dumbo us, we waited 45 minutes in 90+ degree
heat), the carasel, then over to Mickey's house for a peek at the house and
the Starland show. THe kids really enjoyed that... Then we hopped on the
Train around to the main gate and headed out.. It was really tough for
the Adults to only be able to do a couple of things per day, but the kids
were able to handle it better. We picked up lunch at Old Port Royale and
spent time at the Pool and on the Beach area. In the evening we headed
over the Le Cellier in EPCOT (Canada) for dinner. They had early bird
special for some Prime Rib and Salmon (separate dinners not all in one).
That night we walked around the World Showcase, stopping at the American
Adventure for the show... WHich by the way, is very moving... Any American
not coming out of there with some pride in their country should be shot ;-)
(and perhaps a few extra goose bumps).
5/14: 1900 Park Fare, Discovery Island, SpectroMagic
As stated above bfast was awesome... Discovery Island was very neat, the kids
really liked it, although after a while were a bit bored... How long can you
really get them to look at birds after all... One other good thing, the
strollers were free out there (how generous!)... We caught the Crocadile show
and part of the Macaw show at the end of stay... It's really amazing what
they get these birds to do... Since we knew we were going to be out late
that nite we went back to the rooms real early and tried to keep the kids
cool and rested. Then it was back to the MK, unfortunately on our journey
the buses were jammed full of tourists (;-)) so the families got split up,
but miraculously found each other later on... We had planned on trying
to get on a couple of rides before we camped out for a spot for the show,
but the lines were unbelievably long, even at 6-7:30P... Anyways, we headed
for a spot and unbelievably caught up with our friends, which made it easier
for an adult or two to run off and shop... Anyways, SpectroMagic was great,
too bad it was the only show in the 11 day period we were there... I think
1/2 of Orlando's residents showed up... It was quite crowded and people did
tend to forget their manners... ANyways, once the show was over we headed
home much to the howls of the children who wanted to stay for the fireworks.
5/15: MGM (not!)
Today we had grand plans to visit MGM, well we got there and to be kind, we
left there! We did get to eat at the Prime Time Cafe, which was really
neat... all decked out in 50's regalia w/ black and white TV's and Lucy
on all the time... From here the day went bad real quick... Christian needed
"to go", but all the bathrooms on the side of the park we were on, didn't seem
to work for some reason (you know, where's there a bathroom when you really
need one!)... ANyways, the closest bathroom happened to be on the "other side"
of the street, but there was a little problem... Alladin's parade was in
progress... Well my wife just decides to barge on through and so basically
we all got split up, I didn't know where she went, but the rest of us felt
that she know that were going to go to the BatB stage show afterwards... I
think she forgot! While sitting and sweltering waiting for the show to
start, Matt and I decided, this sucks we're out of here and we're going
home... After a bit of searching and splitting up again, I found my
wife sitting on bench (mostly upset)... we decided our day was done, and
went home... The kids were very overexposed, the adults were very overexposed,
and we just didn't have a good time... It didn't help that a good portion of
MGM was cut off, because the World Championship Wrestling folks had taken
over a few city blocks for some upcoming show... After getting home, we
found out that Matt and Denise took in Muppet 4D (to get out of the heat)
and then had headed home too). Dinner was spent quietly at Old Port Royale
5/16: Sea World
We had decided before we left that one day we'd spend at Sea World, and we
were very glad we did... Mear's shuttle got us there for $9/Adult (no charge
for kids 0-3)... We also did something smart and split up for the day once
we were there (finally!)... This definately was a nice diversion and the park
wasn't crowded at all... We got to see basically everything we wanted to (and
then some)... THe Dolphin/Whale show and SHamu's shows are a must... If you
have the time and interest, I was told the water skiing show is really funny).
We also got to touch/pet some "Skate's", which were fairly slimy... Feed
the Dolphins, see the Clydesdale's (just like Merrimack, N.H. without the
required plant tour).. There was also a 1-2 month old foal... Lunch was
a bit pricy here, but I got 3 free beers so I didn't mind ;-)... After getting
home, we decided we wanted to eat somewhere else other than the Old Port.
We ended up going to the Contemporary, but the excursion there was to say
the least an adventure... We took the first available bus (EPCOT) and then
the Monorail (or as my 2 year old says, "the Modorail")... 1/2 way there at
the TTC change station, Anthony has to go, we ask him to wait, which turns
out to be a big mistake... We made it to the Contemporary (just in time),
but since we took such a loonggg time getting there my wife's a bit miffed
and gets Denise all bent out of shape by stating it wasn't worth taking the
Monorail since it took so long and since Anthony was busting a gut... Denise
of course is escatic since her kids just enjoyed a ride in the front... Let's
just say we ate separately that night, and later had to "work out" the friction
caused... But it did teach us all a valuable lesson... If you go with
another couple, don't spend all your time together...
5/17: MGM (again)
Since now we decided to split up a bit more (finally), we decided to try
MGM again. We had a much better time and did it right this time. Since
the park was still partially taken by WCW, we took the backstage tour which
dumps you out by the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground... This worked out
real well, since the portion of the park that was closed off was that area
between the playground and the "virtual" center of the park. The backstage
tour was ok, and the special effect didn't frighten the kids... They loved
playing on all the larger than life stuff... We got to see the end of the
Turtles show (our kids aren't Turtle freaks thankfully). We then did
the Muppet 4D show... Anthony kept trying to "reach out" and touch stuff
which was very funny to watch... as he got closer it would get further away
from him... simple things for simple minds... I wanted to see the Magic
of the Animation, so we did that too... It's truly amazing to watch these
people work... I could never paint so quickly and stay within the lines as
well... too much coffee or too much time with kids, I don't know.
After an afternoon nap and pool visit, it was off to Mickey's Luau... This
was the first day it rained while we were here and it really helped cool
off things.. Of course, all the adults had way too many Mai Tai's, but
we sure as shinola enjoyed ourselves... ONce the character's came out
the kids of course enjoyed themselves too... One other thing here, after
the meal is over, the ducks come out and they're not shy about coming over
by your feet and eating that which you couldn't get from your plate to your
mouth! SO if your duck shy, don't sit up front... After this the menfolk
took the kids home, while the women ran to Splash Mtn (which must have been
a sight for sore eyes)...
5/18: Lazy day and Epcot.
This was actually going to be a day to the beach, but we didn't want to deal
with renting a car and driving all the way there... So today we spent most
of the time around the main resort pool... Anthony absolutely loved the big
slide, although he can't swim yet, so we had to catch him... We rented a
little motor boat and cruised around for a while and also did a paddle boat.
In the late afternoon we headed over to Epcot... We went into Spaceship
Earth and I went on Body Wars, while the kids played with the various stuff
around... We had dinner in Mexico, which was very good by the way. Our
waiter was very good with Anthony (who was into one of his I don't want
moods...)... After dinner we caught up with Matt and Denise again and did
things in the Sea pavillion and the Land Pavillion... It's quite amazing
what and how they grow food in there... Anthony and I stayed for Illuminations
while everyone else went home... Unfortuneately Anthony didn't get to see
all that much, but he did like the fireworks... WHich of course are visible
and audible every night from the CBR...
5/19: TMK
Today we went back to the MK and really planned on what we wanted to see
with Matt and Denise, so there wouldn't be any problems... We had a desire
to go on Big Thunder and took older kids (while Matt, who didn't have the
desire watched the younger ones)... Big Thunder was a big hit, both of the
older kids really enjoyed it (they were too short for Splash)....After that
we hit the COuntry Bear Jamboree and then Matt and I and the little guys
went into the Hall of Presidents... After this we went over to Fantasy
Land for rides on Peter Pan, Small World, and the Carasel. We all noticed
that the lines were way down from the previous week and of course the
temps much more bareable.... WHile at lunch we decided that we had to do
some show for dinner... so we tried the Luau - to no avail, but then settled
on reservations at the Biergarten... After lunch at Pinokes buffeteria, we did
the Grand Prix cars again and took in the Carasel of Progress... then headed
back to the room for rest... Dinner was at the Biergarten, after which
everyone except Anthony and I, did some shopping and went back to the room.
Anthony and I went to the Land Pavillion again, and caught the Food Rocks
show... then went home... Since he saw it on the Disney planner video that
was all he talked about, so we had to go...
5/20: TMK (the last full day)
Since we knew we were going to go to Hoop de Doo at night, we only wanted
to do a few things that the kids kept asking for today... SO we bit the bullet
and waited in line for Dumbo again (20 minutes this time) and rode on the
Carasel again... Then headed over to Big Thunder for another ride... Then
we took the raft across to Tom Sawyer's island and explored for a bit and
headed for lunch at the Crystal Palace and then while the ladies shopped,
the men folk carted the kids home.. Of course that evening was the Hoop
de Doo show and to say the least we had a blast... Definately worth the
price of admission... And the fact I got on stage (I was trying to volunteer
my kids...) made it even better. The ribs here weren't as good as at the
Luau (more fatty), but still were good... The corn on the cob and the
chicken...mmmm I want to go back... Good time had by all... ANthony
thought it was a bit too loud and Christian, well he had a major accident
while waiting for the boat... Let's just wsay we decided to throw his
skivvies away.... that night I took the boys down to Old Port for Ice Cream
and also to watch the Illuminations fireworks from there...
5/21: Homeword bound...
It's a say day when you have to leave WDW, but we all had fun and were very
ready to go home... After figuring out how much each of us owed (one bill
two families) we spent our morning on the beach... We gave away the pails
and shovels to some other kids who had just arrived... our shuttle
picked us up at 12:50 for our journey to the airport and on to home...
I think we left with more stuff physically than we arrived with, but it
weighed much less... On our way our the bus driver was telling us a bit
about the future (I didn't catch any dates for these things, just highlights):
1. A new park will open that will bring back the famous boardwalks and arcades
2. Disney is going to build a town styled after 30/40's which they will sell
the houses (not the land)... I suppose this is geared after the crowed that
will be or already are grandparents... got to get the kids down there...
3. The animal park to be opened will be something like 4x the size of EPCOT!
4. Disney's employee base will be expanding from todays ~30-40,000 to something
like 65-75,000...
|
| 393.16 | Skip Williams' Trip Report | WREATH::SCOPA | | Tue Jun 14 1994 20:26 | 1205 |
|
Hello all,
As promised, here is my trip report from the Williams family excursion to
WDW, May 21 - 28. Be warned. This is very long. I have a tendency to
ramble but just be thankful we didn't go away for *two* weeks... :-)
Mike Scopa had treated us back in '92 to the Mother of All Trip Reports and
now promises the Grandmother of All Trip Reports coming later this summer.
So without further adieu, let me present...
THE GREAT AUNT OF ALL TRIP REPORTS!!!!
First of all, the introductions.
The demographics of our little group were pretty varied. There was my
daughter, Katie, who's 2 years and 3 months old; my wife, Susan, 30 and 5
months pregnant; both my parents, Art and Jean Williams (alternatively
known as Mom and Dad and Grammy and Papa), mid-60s; and yours truly, 31,
going on about 12. :-)
And with the exception of Katie, we had all been down to the MK and EPCOT
before, though this would be my parents' first trip to Disney-MGM.
Saturday, May 21
We were all packed from the night before and were sleeping lightly as
morning approached. This was a good thing because the alarm didn't go
off!! Aaaiieee!! This is not the way trips are supposed to begin...
Sue's parents picked us up at the house and drove us to Logan for our 7:30
a.m. flight. We checked our luggage in at curbside and then met my folks
who were checking in at the Delta counter.
Our flight left Boston about 10 minutes late and was fairly uneventful even
though it was Katie's first time on an airplane. She did very well and was
mostly occupied with a new book and Colorforms we had bought for the trip.
We arrived in Orlando about 10 minutes early. They barely had enough time
to finish the inflight movie.
We picked up our bags and went to the National counter where we got a free
upgrade from a four-door full-size to a minivan (Chevy Astro). This was
great because we had reserved a minivan before the trip at first but then
downgraded because of cost.
We found our way out of the airport and followed National's directions to
the Vistana Resorts. Check-in time wasn't 'til 4 p.m. but our condo was
ready!!
Hmmm... our luck was pretty good so far on this trip. Maybe it was time
to buy a lottery ticket or check out the Tower of Terror...
When we were all settled, it was only a tad past noontime. So we headed on
over to Friday's in the Crossroads Plaza for some lunch. And then while
Katie napped, I took my folks over to the Disney Village Marketplace to buy
bathing suits which they had forgotten.
In addition to the construction of Planet Hollywood over near Pleasure
Island, the Marketplace is seeing a lot of rehab work. They appeared to be
adding more seating areas near the marina. These should be completed this
summer. Also, during our stay, they completed a new area for bus passenger
drop-off and pick-up. Hopefully, this will keep the buses from competing
with the cars on the narrow driveways. There is also some added
construction of new parking areas near the Marketplace and Planet
Hollywood. It should be noted that this haved wreaked havoc with parking
at PI and for the time being, there's additional parking across Buena Vista
Drive.
Later that evening, we went to mass at the Mary, Queen of the Universe
Shrine, which can be seen from I-4. A very beautiful church.
Then we had dinner at Pizzeria Uno's over in Crossroads and then it was off
to bed. After all, the next day was a Disney Day!!
Sunday, May 22
A Disney Day!!
I was kind of awake at 5:15 a.m. and Katie woke up at 6:30 a.m., which
meant it was time for the rest of us to get up. We had some breakfast and
were off to the MK at 8:30 a.m., parked at 8:50 a.m., took the monorail and
onto Main Street by 9:10 a.m.
From the monorail, we were able to see the new Wilderness Lodge. It's
quite big and looks like some sort of fortress from a distance. Also, as
we passed through the Contemporary, I noticed that half of the Grand Canyon
Concourse is under construction for some kind of rehab work. As we
approached the station, Katie's eyes lit up as she told Sue, "My castle,
Mommy!! My castle!!"
Once in the MK, Dumbo was our first destination. Sue and Katie waited only
15 minutes. Not bad for this popular attraction. Next, we walked right
onto the Carousel.
On our way to the Tea Cups, we passed Mr. Toad's Wild Ride and Sue asked
me, "Can she [Katie] go on that??" which I interpreted as "Is there
anything on this ride that would prevent a two-year-old from going on it,
like say, heavy lifting or wrestling alligators??" Sue, of course, meant,
"Is there anything that would scare the bejeebers out of her??" So I told
her, "Sure, she can go on it..." After the Tea Cups, we did. Big mistake.
Mr. Toad and friends did scare the bejeebers out of her, so naturally,
being good parents, we tried to settle her down with another ride. Another
dark ride. Peter Pan's Flight. And again, she didn't care for it.
So this pretty much explains why at about 11:30 a.m. we were in line for
another ride on Dumbo, an instant favorite. The wait time was posted as 30
minutes, but it only took 20 before we board the pesky pachyderm for the
90-second flight.
It was now time for lunch and we went over to the Plaza Pavilion, which due
to the Tomorrowland construction, was pratically deserted. We could hear
the show in the Castle Forecourt while we ate. The Kids of the Kingdom
were performing DisneyMania! which sounded like a standard collection of
tunes from the animated films.
I also took this opportunity to check out some of the Tomorrowland
construction. The canal in front of T-land was sandbagged and completely
drained and there were some lights set up for night work in the canal. The
old T-land facades are being replaced by combinations of stone and
futuristic steelwork. It looks like a city built on an alien landscape,
like something from "Total Recall" though not as dark and dreary.
The Astro Orbiter is up and running and looks pretty neat. The vehicles
are pretty much the same but now you circle and pass spinning worlds. It's
very much like what I've seen of EuroDisney's version.
Okay, lunch was over and we meandered through some of the shops on Main
Street on our way to the WDW Railroad. We boarded around 1:30 and our
destination was Mickey's Starland.
When we got to Starland, we were fast approaching the bewitching when all
the characters turn into pumpkins, er, I mean, when all the characters
disappear because the parade's going to start. After all, these guys can't
be in two places at once or can they??
Mickey's Starland now has designated queueing areas (with ropes and
everything) for meeting with some of the characters. This was not set up
during our last visit (way back in '90). Minnie holds court in the gazebo
near the WDW RR entrance; Tigger was available near the exit from the
Disney Afternoon/Mickey show; an informal area had 2 to 3 characters
hanging around the end of the row of houses nearest the railroad (no ropes
here though).
Starland now seems like loosely-organized chaos to me but this is the place
to go if you want to meet the characters in the Magic Kingdom. I only saw
a few during our visit that ventured beyond the confines of Starland. Get
here early, be patient, but be firm with those who could care less about
those already in line. And believe me, we met quite a few people like
this...
We only had time for Katie to get in some quality time with Winnie the Pooh
but Pooh's one of her favorites. And Pooh seemed to indicate that Katie
was one of his favorites. He spent a lot of time with her giving her hugs
and kisses and posing for pictures. It was like all the other people
waiting had disappeared for the moment. He was wonderful with her. Katie
enjoyed her time with Pooh and then we went into Mickey's house for the
2:00 show.
The show was cute and features the current stars of the Disney Afternoon.
But I still prefer the original birthday show that featured the classic
Disney gang. Oh well, maybe they'll bring it back for Mickey's 70th....
After the show, we got some Mouseketeer bars and scouted out a spot for the
"Surprise Celebration" Parade. We didn't need to go far, grabbing some
sidewalk between the Castle Forecourt and the walkway to Fantasyland. Some
nice folks let us wheel Katie in her stroller a little closer to the
action.
This was a great, but short, parade. I think this was an abbreviated
version because there were only four cold-air balloons (Roger Rabbit,
Donald Duck, Pluto, and Mickey Mouse). Aren't there two more?? A Sorcerer
Mickey and a Minnie Mouse?? In any case, we really enjoyed it and didn't
think we got shortchanged. I was glad we got an opportunity to see it
before MickeyMania takes its place on June 1st.
It was turning into a long day for all of us so we did some shopping on
Main Street. Grammy and Papa just had to get Katie a balloon and a Pooh
bear. And we were on the monorail by 4.
I got my first sighting of the Tower of Terror on the way from the MK. No
one has exaggerated about its size. It's as tall as the Swan and Dolphin
hotels. There was still some scaffolding up and a crane nearby so it
didn't look promising for a soft opening but who could say for sure??
Katie had fallen asleep almost as soon as she got into her car seat so we
did a little car tour of the EPCOT resorts. Love that Beach Club...
Later that night, we went to the Olive Garden for dinner. It wasn't quite
the same as years past. While still a good meal, it wasn't nearly as
memorable as before. But that's okay, we found a much better Italian
restaurant later in the week. Read on...
Monday, May 23
Another Disney Day!!
Today's destination was the Disney-MGM Studios and we were through the
gates by 9:10 a.m. A sign by the entrance stated that the Beauty and the
Beast stage show was not operating today. In fact, it's down for a couple
of weeks while it is moved to the new Theatre of the Stars on Sunset
Boulevard. But this wasn't a surprise because I had called the WDW Info
line for attraction closures before we left.
Anyways, we proceeded directly to see Ariel and friends at the Voyage of
the Little Mermaid. A sign said that the next show would be at 9:50.
Argh!! Well, it lied. We were in line to see the very next show, around
9:20.
This show was very well done. However, Katie really only enjoyed the parts
with the "fishies" like the "Under the Sea" number and Ariel's solo. But
the parts with Ursula and her demise were a little too intimidating for
Katie and oh, about half the kids in the audience. Many kids were
squirming during these parts and some were even crying. Katie just held
onto me a little tighter and got quiet.
When the show was over, we grabbed a seat over by the Studio Catering Co.
so I could put some sunblock on Katie. At this time, a strange woman
approached me and asked what we were going to do next. Huh?? Well, she
too had a little one and was very disappointed that the BatB show was not
running that day so she was somewhat in a quandry as to what to do after
the Little Mermaid. I suggested the Muppets to her as well as character
greetings and the parade but agreed that Disney-MGM has less to offer very
young children than the Magic Kingdom. But then, I knew that before we set
foot in the park.
As planned, we headed over to the Backlot to see the Muppets in three
dimensions. We saw some of the pre-show and as advertised, it was
hilarious. Especially a certain mouse's, er, rat's cameo. The show itself
was great and very reminiscent of the old Muppet Show. And I really
enjoyed seeing and hearing Jim Henson's last performance as Kermit the
Frog.
After the Muppets, we toured the Backlot some more. During our last visit,
the New York Street area was not available for you just to walk around so
all of this was new to us. Mickey was out signing autographs in front of
the hotel facade and the line to see him wound its way down the block. And
the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were just ending their show.
We checked out the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids play area and it looked pretty
neat. But it was very crowded so we decided to pass on it. Hmmm, maybe
Disney should try to compete with Discovery Zone and the like by opening
several of these around the country. It would probably do big business.
We made a brief pit stop at the Backlot Express to get something to drink
and recharge our juices. While there, we saw that the Beast, Lumiere and
Gaston were just around the corner greeting a friendly (not angry) mob.
Gaston was completely in character and we waved to the Beast and the
"candle".
But what's this?? A little further down Mickey Avenue was Tigger with
hardly anyone vying for attention so we wheeled on down there. And we
found even more characters. In the course of about 15 minutes with hardly
any crowd around, Katie spent time with Tigger, Eeyore, Goofy, Launchpad
McQuack, Donald Duck, and Dale the chipmunk. Wow!! Even my Mom got into
the act for a picture with Eeyore. We got some great pictures and video
here and didn't have to deal with a rude mob.
But our close encounters didn't end there. We ran into the Main Mouse
himself on our way to the animation tour. Another photo op.
There was no wait for the animation tour. We were (I think) the second
tour group of the day. In the lobby, maquettes, cels and preproduction
artwork were all on display as the soundtrack played in the background
(yes, even "Arabian Nights" with the original lyrics). Also on display was
some artwork from the upcoming release, "The Lion King". Into the first
auditorium for the Robin and Walter Show and a decent explanation of the
animation process.
"Pocahontas" is the first feature to be animated entirely in Orlando.
Disney added 20K of square footage to the studio to accommodate the
additional personnel and equipment.
Pocahontas herself looks somewhat than recent Disney heroines in that she
doesn't have the big, doe-like eyes of her predecessors (Ariel, Belle, and
Jasmine). But then, I only saw a couple of character sheets and one
drawing on an animator's desk.
Our hero is John Smith, whose voice is provided by Mel Gibson (as long as
it doesn't get swapped with Pee-wee Herman's as on the backstage walking
tour). He has the same basic qualities of other recent Disney heros though
he appears a bit taller and lankier than say Prince Eric or Aladdin.
Somewhat thinner face too.
Character sheets and drawing revealed a few other stars in the film:
Thomas -- a young, teenage boy
Flit -- a hummingbird
??? -- a pig wearing what looked to be a bandana
??? -- a Gaston-like (big chest, etc.) character, possibly
the villain
I saw a size comparison chart on a distant wall but couldn't make out many
details.
A background artist was at work on some forest settings. They were quite
beautiful. Deep hues. Very serene. They had a nighttime or twilight feel
to them.
And a monitor on a CGI workstation showed a fancy carriage, that will
presumably animated like the carriages in "Beauty and the Beast".
Over in the Ink and Paint department, they were busy painting the limited
edition cels and maquettes from "The Lion King" tht will soon be offered
for sale if you have the bucks. The first cel showed Rafiki (the mandrill)
holding baby Simba while his parents, Mufasa and Saribi, look on and smile.
The second cel features Simba as a cub with his uncle, the villainous Scar.
And the maquette is that of Simba, again as a cub.
We made our way into the theatre for the finale where they seemed to favor
the more recent films than the older films. I suppose that's to be
expected but I was surprised to see two scenes from "The Black Cauldron"
included. Hmmm... does that mena we may see a video release sometime
soon??
On the way out of the tour, I stopped in the gift shop to see if I could
find one of the promotional posters for "The Lion King". No luck.
Outside we encountered Mickey again but this time he had company. Aladdin,
Jasmine, Jafar, and the Genie were out and about in this area. We got some
pictures of Katie with the Genie. And then it was into the Studio Catering
Co. for some lunch.
It was about 12:30 when we finished up lunch and the crowds were already
forming for Aladdin's Royal Caravan at 1 p.m. I took my folks onto the
Great Move Ride while Sue and Katie stayed outside for the parade. I had
seen the gangster side before and wanted to do the cowboy side this time
around so I checked with a cast member as to which side we were on. Sure
enough, we were in the wrong olie but she let us switch over to the other
one with no problem at all. We wound up in the second row of the first
car. Great spot. I definitely prefer this "side" of the irde over the
other. For one thing, you're right there when the Wicked Witch makes her
appearance. Look real close at her eyes; she blinks!!
We got out of the Great Movie Ride just as the parade was ending. Bad
timing. People everywhere. We fought our way through the crowd and found
Sue and Katie. We then joined the throngs of people headed to the
Backstage Tram Tour. Not too long of a wait. After about 15 minutes, we
were on a tram.
Nothing much new on the tour. The costume shop was hard at work on
costumes for the upcoming MickeyMania! parade set to debut in the Magic
Kingdom on June 1st. And you do pass a soundstage of sorts that's used for
some underwater photography for Hulk Hogan's syndicated show, "Thunder in
Paradise".
We warned Katie about Catastrophe Canyon and she did "okay". Actually, I
think she did better than my Mom. :-) At least, Katie clapped at the
end...
The tram deposited us by the Studio Showcase where they're still displaying
some of the miniature sets used in "The Nightmare Before Christmas" (very
cool) and props/masks from "The Rocketeer", "Star Wars", "Dick Tracy" and
"Home Improvement".
We decided to call it a day and make our way back to the car. We wandered
down New York Street, past Star Tours and the Indiana Jones Stunt
Spectacular, and onto Hollywood Boulevard. I ran over to shoot some video
of Sunset Boulevard.
Sunset Boulevard wasn't open yet and there was still some sound of ongoing
construction but it looks like it's very close to being done. It's
currently boarded off but you can peek through a small window to check the
progress.
As you look straight down the street, the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
dominates your view. At the end of the street on the right is the new
Theatre of the Stars (or that's where I think it is) where Belle and the
Beast will soon take up residence. There are other shops and buildings
modelled after Hollywood. Some with theatre facades, marquees and such.
However, it's not clear that these buildings will contain anything more
than more shops and restaurants.
There was still some scaffolding up along the sides of the TZToT and a
large crane was bringing workers and some equipment up near the top.
However, by the end of the week, the crane seemd to be gone and there
appeared to be less scaffolding.
We were in the car by 2:30 and it was back to Vistana for a rest.
We didn't rest too long though because we were off to EPCOT by 6 and our
main objectives were food and IllumiNations. We took care of the former by
heading over to the food court in the Land. For a pavilion sponsored by a
major player in the food industry (Nestle), their offerings were only
so-so. However, I didn't try any toll house cookies...
The pavilion itself doesn't seem to have changed much since Nestle took
over from Kraft. A new paint job (blue is now the dominant color) and some
cosmetic changes to the "balloons". We rode Living with the Land and it
seems that only the narration has changed. The song, "Listen to the Land",
is gone and I'm ashamed to admit that I miss it. The ride is so much more
"dry" without it. The major change to the pavilion is that the Kitchen
Kabaret has been replaced with Food Rocks. However, we had just missed the
start of a show and decided not to wait. Instead, we went over to the
Living Seas (one of Sue's favorites; mine too).
Sure, the hydrolators are kind of silly but how many rides in WDW spark as
much debate?? How many times have you heard this conversation in Seabase
Alpha??
"How far did we go down anyways??"
"We didn't go down at all."
"Sure, we did."
"Sez you..."
"Your mother looks like a squid..."
"Manatee-face!!"
Well, maybe not that last part...
Anyways, Katie enjoyed seeing the "fishies", though I'm not sure if she
quite grasps that there's glass separating us from them. Those fish that
headed straight for her gave her something of a start... :-)
It was getting close to 8 o'clock so we headed towards the World Showcase
Lagoon for a spot to watch the fireworks. We found an empty bench near
Canada so we camped out there. It was a lousy view but the park wasn't
crowded so we figured we'd just move a little closer and stand for the
show. Sue, Katie and I shared a frozen yogurt while my folks wandered off
for a little window shopping.
Minor gripe. The lack of changing tables within many of the EPCOT
restrooms. Let me paint the picture. Le Cellier. Men's room. No
changing table. Katie's wearing a one-piece outfit and the floor's wet.
'Nuff said. :-)
It was a few minutes before showtime so we moved over in front of the
sidewalk carts set up in front of Canada. A spot opened up on a bench so
Sue (who's about 5 month pregnant, remember) sat down. At almost the same
time, three girls (late teens) all wearing the same style t-shirt decide
that this bench would be a good place to stand and watch the fireworks. In
the process, they and their cigarette smoke forced Sue off the bench. I
was very angry and had a few choice words for them. When I made my
objections known, one of them got down in a poor attempt to give Sue her
spot back but by that time, others in their merry little band were starting
to show up and Sue decided she was better off standing. Gee, do I have to
tell you what language they were speaking?? Suffice to say that they
cheered the loudest when the Mexico pavilion was featured. Don't know if
that was their native country or just a neighbor...
The show started and we stood for it. It was a beautiful night for it.
Full moon and a clear sky. At first, I thought Katie could watch from her
stroller but then decided she'd have a better perspective if I held her for
the 15-minute show while I bounced her and she bounced herself in time to
the music. If anyone happens to see my left arm lying on the ground
somewhere near the Canada pavilion in EPCOT, I'd appreciate its return.
Thanks.
Anyways, Katie really really REALLY enjoyed IllumiNations. It was the
first time she had experienced fireworks firsthand and every time the sky
lit up so did her face. At one point, she even exclaimed excitedly, "This
is a great show!!" So I didn't really mind holding her all that time.
When the fireworks ended, we made our way through the crowds and out
towards the parking lot. What really complicates this mass exodus though
is the construction currently ongoing in Communicore for Innoventions. As
a result of this construction, all these thousands of people are funnelled
through a corridor of sorts that's approximately 50 feet wide. There's no
way to get around it or cut through the Communicore buildings because
they're closed off. Had I known I probably would have tried parking at one
of the EPCOT resorts and leaving via the International Gateway. Just
something to keep in mind.
Well, we did make it out of there and back to Vistana where we all crashed
pretty quickly. It was a long day.
Tuesday, May 24
Another Disney Day!! Well, actually, this was a Typhoon Lagoon day which I
guess qualifies...
Today also turned into Skip's Dumb Day, as you'll notice as you read on.
My folks decided to pass on Typhoon Lagoon so Katie, Sue, and I were up,
loaded into the van and over to the TL parking lot by 8:45. This was great
because there was hardly a car in the parking lot, no line of people
queueing up to get into the park. i was psyched!! My mood quickly soured
when I noted that they opened at 10, not 9 as I expected. Dumb, Skip,
dumb.
So instead of hanging around for an hour plus, we took off and did a little
hotel tour. We drove down to check out the new All-Star Resorts which were
just opening up this month. The resort area is located down Buena Vista
Drive towards the West, away from the EPCOT resorts and the Disney-MGM
Studios. This extension to BV Drive isn't even on the map in the
Unofficial Guide I don't have a recent copy of Birnbaum's to check their
map).
On the way there, you pass Blizzard Beach on your left. It's pretty hard
to miss as it's not set way in from the road like TL. The "foundation" for
the mountain appears nearly complete. In fact, there was some (maybe
temporary) landscaping on the "backside". A large concrete bridge
dominates one quadrant of the mountain and I'd wager that it will provide
support for the slides and chairlift (remember it has a winter theme) as
well as a tunnel to pass through. The slides themselves were laid out in
pieces in BB's parking lot, ready to be assembled like a giant jigsaw
puzzle. At this stage, BB looks smaller than TL, but we couldn't see
whether or not it has a wave pool and the like or if there are any plans
for same.
Onto the All-Star Resorts. These look pretty much as advertised. Each
building has a particular sports theme and has a large (three-story) icon
representing that theme (like a football, for example). We didn't get out
of the car to thoroughly check them out but it appeared that only the Hoops
and Surf's Up buildings were open. These buildings are on the right as you
face the main entrance. The remaining buildings on the left were fenced
off. However, it was easy to see that the facades appeared complete. I
mean, how hard is it to miss a three-story football or cup of Coca-Cola??
This resort certainly seemed smaller than the others run by Disney and not
simply because the remaining buildings weren't open. The buildings seemed
closer together. Also, you're well off the beaten path. Granted, nothing
in Disney World could be considered within walking distance, but at the
other resorts, you at least feel somewhere close to the action. You don't
get that at the All-Star Resorts, unless you want to be real close to
Blizzard Beach.
Anyways, we were going to do something today, weren't we?? Oh yes, it's
back to Typhoon Lagoon where there are now more cars and more people
standing in line waiting to be admitted to the park. We got our geat
together and I went off to buy our tickets (with MKC discount, of course).
And then, after a wee bit of time in line, it started to move. Hey, all
right, it's only 9:30 and we're getting in!! Uhhh, not quite. We're in so
we can rent towels and lockers and get our gear stashed away. Okay, so I
get into another line for a locker. Non-essentials (and some cash) are
stowed and what's that other line over there?? Oh, everyone's now lined up
to get into the park itself... Sigh...
Well, they finally let us in at 10 and it's a human stampede as everyone
exercises their territorial rights to claim a squatting spot for the day.
This must be a people watcher's delight. But we're not here to people
watch, we're here to splash around and have fun so I take Katie and with
Sue in close pursuit, we head off towards Ketchakiddie Creek to establish
our base of operations. We grab some chairs and toss our kid into the
water to see if she'll float... just kidding.
But she did float. She was a little wary at first but once she got into
it, she loved it. I took some video of Katie and Sue playing in the water
and then set off to explore the park... with my camcorder in tow. Dumb,
Skip, dumb. I wandered past the Tube Rides, up and around Mount Mayday,
over by the Storm Slides and Shark Reef, along the Wave Pool, and back to
Ketchakiddie for more video of Katie. This park was pretty big but I
hadn't gone on anything yet because I had my camcorder with me all that
time. Really dumb, Skip, dumb.
Okay, so now I decided to get rid of the camcorder and put it in the locker
which of course, is nowhere near our current spot. We thought Katie might
like Castaway Creek so we wandered towards the lockers and then onto CC,
but Katie chickened out before we could get onto a tube. Instead, we waded
into the Wave Pool and played and splashed each other until it was almost
time for lunch.
We made our way to our chairs at Ketchakiddie and I took the $10 we had
hidden in our bag and went off in search of some grub. We were nearest to
Lowtide Lou's and they didn't have anything more substantial to eat than
pretzels. So, my trek brought me to Typhoon Tilly's but I didn't care for
their offerings and I ultimately wound up at Leaning Palms. Yes, almost a
full circle. And I only had $10 for the three of us and I left the locker
key (we had more money in the locker) back with Sue and Katie. Extremely
dumb, Skip, dumb. So I wound up getting lunch for the ladies, which took
most of my ten bucks, figuring I could get the key and some money and come
back for something later.
While Sue and Katie chowed down, I decided to actually try some of these
rides and slides everyone else seemed to be enjoying. And here it was,
only lunchtime. Actually, this turned out to be a reasonable idea because
the lunchtime lines seemed shorter for some of the rides. So in turn, I
rode down Mayday Falls and Keelhaul Falls, drifted through the Forgotten
Grotto on Castaway Creek, and then burned my stern on Stern Burner of the
storm slides (to be honest, it sounded better than jamming my jib or
busting my rudder).
The slides at TL seem pretty standard for any water park but it's the
theming that really impressed me. Somehow I didn't mind waiting in lushly
landscaped queues which provided some shade from the midday sun as opposed
to the acres of concrete offered by the likes of a Wet 'n' Wild. However,
the attractions are more spread out at TL, which means a lot of walking,
certainly more than I expected. Also, it costs $5 to rent your own tube
and while it's not necessary to have your own to ride the tube slides or
Castaway Creek but I can certainly see the appeal. You don't have to wait
with the throngs for an empty tube to float by on CC or for someone to
slide down KF or MF and give up their tube. The drawback is that it's
something else you have to "guard" so no one wanders off with it.
Well, by this time, it seemed most folks had finished their lunch and the
lines were getting longer so I went back to check on Sue and Katie. They
were happily playing in the water. I never knew my kid was such a water
baby!! But now, our greatest challenge lay ahead of us. How to get Katie
out of the water... It was getting close to 2 so we decided to pack it up
and head back. Katie wasn't too keen on this and vocally expressed her
displeasure all the way back to the lockers. A bribe of a beach ball
finally calmed her down. We were soon back in the Astro and headed back to
Vistana. Katie crashed almost as soon as she hit her car seat.
My parents had gone to the Marketplace for some more shopping. It cost
them $6 per person for a round trip via the World Transportation shuttle.
Not too bad, and they got the driver's whole life story as well as a
history lesson on Orlando as a bonus... :-)
As soon as they got back, we sent them back out for dinner. They were to
have babysitting duty that night as Sue and I had 7:45 dinner reservations.
We gave Katie a little dinner and when my parents returned (from the Olive
Garden again... their favorite), we were off for our own night out.
The first time Sue and I had been down to Orlando together was back in '88
and the Grand Floridian was brand new. We had explored it together back
then and stumbled into a character dinner buffet at the 1900 Park Fare.
Since then, I consider it a special place and reminder of that trip.
Anyways, we were back again for dinner at Narcoosee's.
We were seated promptly for dinner and were already drooling over the menu.
This was our kind of place. The bread was brought out with butter and the
alligator spread. And yes, I did try some. It didn't taste too unusual,
somewhat fishy. For our appetizers, Sue had a house salad and I had a
delicious bowl of seafood chowder. And for the main course, Sue had
ordered a petit filet mignon which just melted in your mouth. And I had
the swordfish which was excellent. For dessert, we split a piece of
chocolate mousse cake. In the end, it was an expensive dinner but well
worth it. I'd recommend this restaurant wholeheartedly as one of the best
in WDW.
After dinner, we wandered the grounds and shops of GF a bit before heading
home.
Wednesday, May 25
Yet Another Disney Day!! I'm beginning to detect a trend...
Again we saddled up and this time headed on over to EPCOT. Minivans ho!!
We passed through the gates just about 9, closest we got all week to the
exact opening time.
Before we reached Spaceship Earth, a cast member was providing information
on a special offering at the EPCOT restuarants called Early Evening Value
Meals. Basically, if you eat between 4:30 and 6, you can get certain
dinners at a discounted price. All dinners include soup or salad, a main
course, and dessert. The offer is available until September 30, 1994 at
the following EPCOT restaurants:
Garden Grill -- The Land
Le Cellier -- Canada
Rose & Crown -- United Kingdom
Le Chefs De France & Au Petite Cafe -- France
Restaurant Marrakesh -- Morocco
Mitsukoshi -- Japan
Alfredo The Original Of Rome -- Italy
Biergarten -- Germany
Nine Dragons -- China Restaurant
Akershus -- Norway
San Angel Inn -- Mexico
Another event at EPCOT during the month of May was the International Flower
and Garden Festival. As part of the festival there were several new
topiaries around the whole park. Including Sorcerer Mickey and dancing
hippos and ostriches by EPCOT's entrance and a Mickey and Minnie by the
World Showcase Lagoon where his pants and her dress were made of
carnations. Very nicely done.
I also noted a sign saying there would be no performance of Splashtacular
today. It was only being performed on Saturdays and Sundays at this time.
And apparently, it will soon be a thing of the past. Too bad, I was hoping
to see it although baking in the sun on the concrete of Future World is
exactly my idea of a good time either.
This morning, we were going around the World... World Showcase, that is,
and our first stop was Mexico. We walked right on El Rio Del Tiempo. A
cute ride though derivative of It's A Small World. Still, Katie enjoyed
it. And she thought the parrots were pretty cool too.
Next stop was Norway where Dad, Sue and myself walked right on the
Maelstrom while Mom and Katie waited outside. I enjoy this ride and I even
like the film at the end.
My folks and I then took in the CircleVision 360 film in China. Odd thing
was that it was introduced by Mike, a red-haired, heavy-set guy who didn't
look the least bit Chinese, but he spoke the language well.
Onwards through Germany and Italy where we did some window-shopping.
As we approached the American Adventure, the Sons of Liberty fife and drum
corps were starting their performance and I was surprised to see that there
were only 5 of them. They sounded like 50!!
It was nearing lunchtime so we grabbed some burgers at the Liberty Inn.
When we finished, we heard the announcement that the Magical World of
Barbie stage show was starting in 5 minutes!! So we did what any rational
human being would do when confronted with that news... we high-tailed it
out of there!!
Over in Japan, the Fantasy Dreammaker was entertaining a small crowd so we
joined them to watch the rest of his show. In addition to some magic
tricks, he was making small statuettes out of what appeared to be a form of
wax (is that what it is??) and he presented his rendering of "famous
Japanese movie star, Mickey Mouse" to Katie. She was pretty impressed.
We then breezed through Morocco on our way to France where we all stopped
to take in the 180-degree film, Impressions de France. A seat and the air
conditioning were welcome reliefs from the hot afternoon. We emerged from
the film somewhat refreshed but we were still losing our oomph. It was
almost time to call it a day.
As we approached the United Kingdom, we passed the International Gateway
and I was surprised at how close the Yacht and Beach Clubs seemed to the
park. A fleeting thought about an ice cream at Beaches and Cream quickly
entered my mind. It left just as quickly as I realized our car was far,
far away in the EPCOT lot.
Sue and Mom poked through some of the shops in the UK while Dad, Katie and
I watched the tail end of the street show featuring Lancelot's quest for
the Holy Grail (Grail Grail Grail...). These shows are a lot of fun and
they really play up to video cameras. At one point, all three of the
players closed in one videographer closer and closer to his camcorder.
Finally, one yelled, presumably to the home viewing audience, "Get off the
couch!!"
By the time we completed our circular tour of World Showcase, arriving in
Canada, the afternoon sun had wilted our enthusiasm for any further touring
so we started on back to the car. Naturally, we had to make a stop in the
Centorium for some more shopping where my folks picked up a Donald Duck
puppet for Katie and some other gifts for those left behind in New England.
More Lion King merchandise on display, including a great stuffed version of
Pumbaah, the warthog. Katie and I played with this for a while; if it
wasn't more than thirty bucks, I would have bought it for myself... I
mean, her.
We were back in the car by our usual time, 2 o'clock, and Katie was asleep
in minutes. The busy pace of the week took its toll and we opted not to
return to the parks that night. Instead, we went to Red Lobster for an
unspectacular meal and took Katie for some quality pooltime.
Thursday, May 26
A Pseudo-Disney Day!! No parks, but other Disney-like activities... :-)
This morning we were able to sleep in a bit. Well, sleep in as much as our
daughter who's usually up by 7 would let us...
We had reservations for a 10 o'clock breakfast with Minnie Mouse and
friends at the Polynesian Resort. First of all, why so late?? Well, I
called on Tuesday and all they had available were 7:30 and 10. The lesson
here is to be sure to call well in advance so that you don't miss out and
are disappointed. And yes, we were able to make advance reservations even
though we were not Disney resort guests.
I wasn't sure how they handle parking seeing as we didn't have resort IDs.
Well, that was easy. They just charge you the five bucks anyways and if
you do eat there, present the parking ticket to your server and they'll
take the $5 off the cost of the meal. Of course, this assumes you remember
to do this in the first place, which I did not. Duh. So I ate the five
bucks.
Anyways, onto the breakfast itself. This was a lot of fun and I think the
adults had as good a time as Katie did. The breakfast itself is a buffet
and there are plenty of choices even for the most finicky of eaters. They
have pretty much anything you want for breakfast from hot foods to cereals
and fruit.
The characters present are Minnie Mouse (of course), Goofy, Chip and Dale.
And they follow a certain pattern throughout the course of the dining room,
making sure to spend plenty of time at each table. Our late breakfast hour
turned out to be a good thing. The dining room had thinned out quite a bit
as the meal progressed. As a result, the characters made quicker rounds
and we saw each of them twice.
However, I'd recommend against going any later than 10. One family arrived
at a table near us around 10:30 and they didn't get to spend much time at
all with Minnie and friends. By the time, the staff was trying to clean up
breakfast and set up for lunch. Likewise, the characters were encouraged
to speed things up a bit so the two little girls at this table didn't get
as much quality time as Katie did earlier.
Katie really enjoyed her time with the characters and so did I. I
definitely recommend character breakfasts to those with kids (even those
without) because it's a great way to see the characters without the
customary pushing and shoving you get in the parks. I know I'm "preaching
to the choir" but character breakfasts are a lot of fun.
After breakfast, we wandered the grounds of the Polynesian a bit. There
was some construction being done to one of the buildings that faced the
Seven Seas Lagoon. It seemed as though they were extending it towards the
pool area. But if you're staying at the Polynesian anytime soon, you may
want to verify that your room won't be too close to the construction.
We then went over to the Grand Floridian to show my folks the grounds. We
had a chance encounter with Winnie the Pooh in the lobby. He was escaping
the character breakfast/lunch/brunch but then he was waiting for an
elevator (!?) so he didn't quite escape his #1 fan.
We left Pooh and the GF to do some shopping at the Disney Village
Marketplace where we picked up some gifts for the folks back home at
Mickey's Character Shop and the Christmas Chalet. The Chalet had some very
nice Santa Mickey ornaments which we had personalized for Sue's folks and
Katie's sitter.
At 2 o'clock, we were back in the car and doing another tour of the
resorts. We passed the Disney Institute on EPCOT Resorts Drive. The
Institute is currently housed in what looks like a set of trailer homes. I
believe it provides Disney-oriented training, similar to what you'd find at
a community college or even in the Wonders of the World program. I do not
know if the permanent home of the Institute will be on the same site
though.
Just across the way is the future home of Disney's Boardwalk, which has
long been in the planning stages. Green walls are up along the roadway to
hide the construction from prying eyes. However, a little persistence
revealed that not much has been going on here except that some excavation
and earth-moving has been done. Perhaps when Sunset Boulevard is finally
open, they'll concentrate their efforts over here.
We returned to Vistana for a little rest and to write out postcards for the
folks back home.
That night, my parents wanted to treat us to a nice dinner. Initially, I
thought about Ariel's over in the Beach Club but even though, it's had some
decent write-ups in the guidebooks, I hadn't heard many firsthand
testimonials. Instead, we opted for a restaurant we had heard many good
things about since it first opened. This was Portobello's Yacht Club on
Pleasure Island. We were not disappointed.
Before dinner, we quickly perused some of the shops on Pleasure Island. In
particular, I wanted to check out Suspended Animation and Avigator's
Supply. Suspended Animation had some great animation memorabilia. Cels,
of course. But they also had several movie posters from recent Disney
releases. The ones for "The Black Cauldron" and the Roger Rabbit short,
"Tummy Trouble" caught my eye. But still, no "Lion King" poster. [Though
I did find these at Suncoast Motion Picture Company back home.]
It was around 6:30 and there was no wait for a table at PYC. One thing
Disney generally excels at is service and tonight was no exception. Our
waitress was quite good and she paid special attention to Katie, getting
her crayons and such so she was entertained whle waiting for dinner. Sure,
these are small things but they make the difference between average service
and way above.
In short order, our bread was on the table with yes, the roasted garlic.
I'm not a big fan of garlic or rather, my stomach isn't but both my parents
enjoyed it quite a bit. Maybe too much. Let's just say we wouldn't have
trouble finding them in a crowd...
Our waitress told us the garlic is prepared with virgin olive oil, then
placed in a pan with water halfway up the garlic itself and cooked at 400
degrees for about an hour.
With one small problem, dinner was excellent and certainly one of the best
meals on the trip (and for that matter, in recent memory). Katie polished
off her spaghetti and meatballs while Sue enjoyed butterfly pasta in a
cream sauce. Mom had chicken roasted with (more) garlic and Dad had the
salmon which was the special that night. I feasted on Spaghettini Al
Portobello which had mussels, scallops, clams, shrimp, and Alaskan king
crab on a bed of pasta. It was very good and if you're a seafood lover
like me, I definitely recommend it.
Our one small problem was that Dad didn't care too much for his salmon. He
didn't feel it was as fresh as they had said. He made a comment as such to
the waitress when he asked for the check. Now, I thought he would have had
a better argument if he hadn't eaten over two-thirds of it... :-) But
again, Disney demonstrated that customer satisfaction was first and
foremost and soon the manager was over at our table taking my Dad's
complaint and taking the cost of his dinner off the check.
We were too full for dessert so we walked off some of our dinner in the
Marketplace. There was a nice breeze off the water and the Empress Lilly
looked very pretty as the sun set. A nice, relaxing end to our "rest"
day...
Friday, May 27
Our last Disney Day!! Boo hoo hoo hoo...
I had intended to get into the park well before the rope drop on this last
day and perhaps do some early shopping in the Emporium. Ah, but the best
laid plans of mice and er, mice often go astray. And due to a late start
and a poor choice of WDW transportation (ferry over monorail), we made it
onto Main Street at 9:20, losing precious minutes off our day. Oh, the
horror, the horror... :-)
I took notice of a sign offering a special deal on a "twilight" meal at
Tony's Town Square Cafe if you ate between 4:30 and 6. The discount
sounded much like similar offerings in EPCOT mentioned earlier.
Our first stops were Katie's Fantasyland favorites. In order, Dumbo (20
minute wait), the Carousel (walk-on) and the Tea Cups (virtual walk-on). I
got some great video from our ride on the Tea Cups. I brought the
camcorder onto the ride with us and filmed Katie's reactions in
Tea-Cup-O-Rama.
After the Tea Cups, I wanted to take Katie onto the Grand Prix Raceway so I
asked her if she wanted to "ride in the cars". Well, she got quite upset
until I explained to her that we weren't leaving, as she thought, but
instead going on another ride. And ride we did. It was only about a 10
minute wait. Katie "drove" while I controlled the gas and helped her
steer. She thought this was great.
When Sue was about to get behind the wheel, she was asked by a cast member
if she was was expecting which Sue confirmed. The cast member then had her
switch cars with me and Katie so that we would follow her. And we were
told not to bump her. Rats, that takes half the fun out of it... :-)
About this time I noticed that there were many groups of kids in the
Kingdom. Some groups were even wearing the same color t-shirts. And no,
they weren't Mike Scopa's favorite South Americans. They were school
groups no doubt in WDW as an end of year treat. Hmmm... they mustn't have
had as many snow days as we did this year, eh??
From the Raceway, we proceeded to the refurbished Star Jets in
Tomorrowland, now called the Astro Orbiter. Sue and I figured that Katie
would enjoy this ride as it goes "up in the sky" like her fave, Dumbo. And
she did. Sue and I however got a little dizzy on this one. It's a little
faster and makes tighter turns than Dumbo and I, Skip Williams, Super
Genius, was trying to videotape some of it. Yeah, right. But it did give
a great view of the ongoing construction in Tomorrowland.
So what did the T-land construction look like?? Ummm, construction.
Seriously though, most of the work we saw being done was to the facades and
they mimicked the alien landscape stylings visible from Main Street. The
WEDway People Mover was being transformed into something "new" but in many
ways, it looks like the same old thing. Alien Encounter is the big news
here and the only glimpse you get is some advertising on the wall blocking
off the walkway from Main Street.
Once Tomorrowland stopped spinning, we weaved our way over to Mickey's
Starland for photo opportunities with some of the Disney characters and in
front of the kid-size buildings. Katie thought the buildings were great
but she wanted to check out the insides too. They were plenty of
characters out and about but it was pretty much a zoo trying to get to see
any of them. It was getting close to lunchtime so we hopped aboard the WDW
Railroad to see if we could rustle up some grub over in Frontierland.
We were soon in Frontierland and checked out the Pecos Bill Cafe. It was
mobbed. Remember those school groups?? It also didn't help that the
Adventureland Veranda and the Columbia Harbour House were closed this day.
I ran ahead of the group to see what else I could find for eats. Liberty
Tree Tavern?? Too expensive and needed reservations. Sleepy Hollow??
Vegetarian sandwiches?? No thanks. Soon, we were out of Liberty Square
and into Fantasyland where Pinocchio's Village Haus seemed the best choice.
It too was mobbed but we grabbed a table and a round of cheeseburgers and
chowed down.
After lunch, we spotted Dopey over by the restrooms (?!). Katie and I
patiently waited our turn (unlike many others) and we got a picture of her
with her favorite Dwarf.
Okay, it was back to Frontierland because I wanted to check out that line
for Splash Mountain. Dad came with me as Sue and Mom went off to take
Katie to see the Country Bear Jamboree. Well, remember those school
groups?? Yeah, the line for Splash was about 45 minutes and the line for
Big Thunder didn't seem much shorter. So we headed back to find the
ladies. They were already in the "holding pen" to see the bears so we
"excuse me"d our way over them and soon we were seated in air conditioned
comfort enjoying the show. This is a fun show and Katie liked it too,
clapping along with some of the numbers.
There was some setup going on for the afternoon parade as we exited the
show. We continued on into Adventureland to ride the Jungle Cruise.
Hmmm... mid-afternoon and only a 5-minute wait. All right!! Mom got the
"best" seat, right up front with our guide. He surprised her a few times.
The best one was when we were travelling through the dark section of the
river and he told her to watch out for snakes. He then rested the cord to
his microphone on her arm and she jumped!!
Katie liked seeing the elephants and hippos but she was probably little
wary of the dark section. Actually, I'd go along with the guide books that
say this is a good test ride for the little ones. Of course, we did things
a little backwards and it turned out to be the last ride we went on. Oh
well...
Say, was that plane crash always there??
We left Adventureland and were on Main Street about 10 minutes before the
parade was about to start. Katie started chanting, "I want to see the
parade," and my parents had a little more shopping they wanted to do so we
agreed on a place to meet after the parade (the Disneyana building). Sue,
Katie and I made our way down Main Street and even though the long lines
for the thrill rides would indicate the place was crowded, you couldn't
tell from the crowds along Main Street. We did a little shopping of our
own (a Mickey watch for Sue) and were then able to wheel Katie's stroller
right up to the curb at a prime viewing spot.
The parade began and my folks found us along the curb. I took this
opportunity to run a very important errand. While Katie enjoyed the
Surprise Celebration parade for a second time this week, I hustled over to
the Chapeau for her very own pair of Mouse ears with her name sewn on the
back. And seeing as I was in the area, I checked out the offerings in the
Disneyana building. A great selection of cels but very little of interest
other than that. A line was still in place for Harry Holt and his drawings
even though Harry himself seemed to be on a break.
I hustled back to give Katie her new "ears" and took some more video as the
parade ended. The crowd dispersed pretty quickly. I don't know where they
went exactly but the Emporium wasn't overflowing so I was able to get some
last-minute shopping done for myself.
And then, sadly, our Disney vacation was coming to an end. We boarded the
monorail and were back in the Astro by 4. I took my time driving back to
Vistana and took the "scenic route". Hey, the crane is gone from the
Tower!! I wonder...
Katie napped and when she woke up, there was only one thing left on our
agenda that must be done. It was time for dinner and our destination was
Beaches and Cream!!
The (small) restaurant seemd pretty packed but we were told it'd be about a
15 minute wait so we took that time to check out the awesome pool area at
the Yacht and Beach Clubs. This looked like reason enough to stay here.
Sue was surprised to see that the Disney folks even went so far as to make
the pool bottom look like sand. Well, that is, 'til I pointed out it
actually *was* sand. :-)
We also checked out Ariel's and I was glad we passed over it in favor of
the Portobello Yacht Club the night before. The atmosphere didn't seem
quite suited for a family; it looked a little more upscale than that.
The wait was up and hey, there's a booth available. Perfect for our party
of five. Well, not exactly. This is how the conversation kind of went
between me and Jeremy, the host/math whiz:
Jeremy: Williams!!
Me: That's us.
Jeremy: [seating us at a small table barely big enough for four] Here you go.
Me: Can we sit in that (larger) booth over there??
Jeremy: Oh no, I'm holding that for a party of five.
Me: [dumb-founded, then sarcastically counting off our group] 1.. 2..
3.. 4.. 5..
Jeremy: [blank expression]
Well, he still didn't give us the booth though I didn't put up much of a
fight. Instead I thought he'd logically see his mistake and put us in the
booth. Nope, must be that new math. Or Jeremy's been spending too much
time in the freezer.
I was still steamed when our waiter, Sal, came over but he quickly won me
over because he was just one helluva nice guy and very attentive at Katie.
Mom, Dad and I ordered cheeseburgers and I had an excellent chocolate shake
to go with it. My wife, the lady who had been worried about overdoing it
and putting on too much weight during the trip, had a very healthy and
nutritious hot fudge sundae for her dinner. Oh yes, I should add that she
thought it was delicious.
Overall though, I was mildly disappointed with Beaches and Cream. It was
much smaller than I expected and the noise level was up there. And of
course, there was the evil Jeremy. The food was good though but the
experience wasn't up to my admittedly high expectations.
I so very much wanted to go into EPCOT for a repeat performance of
IllumiNations but it had been a long and busy week. And we had promised
Katie another dip in the pool. So our Disney vacation had truly come to
end and we returned to Vistana. Later, that night I confirmed our room
charges for express checkout and gassed up the minivan for its return.
Saturday, May 28
No more Disney Days, at least not for a while...
It was a pretty uneventful morning. We were up early and the minivan was
packed about an hour before plan. Then it was back to Orlando
International Airport for our flight home.
Again, an uneventful flight home though my Mom recognized one of the
stewardesses as a friend of my sister's. She offered us free drinks on the
house (or plane). I declined because we had already eaten but she didn't
have to ask my Dad twice. :-)
Katie did pretty well on the plane considering that we were getting past
her usual nap time (and we later discovered she was cutting the last of her
two-year molars).
And then we were home. Back to life. Back to reality. :-)
General Comments
WDW with small kids. As expected, Katie dictated our pace. Some days we
"pushed" it 'til 4 without a midday break or a problem; these were MK days
though and she was really into it. There's a saying that goes something
like, "The chain is only as strong as its weakest link." I kept this
saying in the back of my head during the trip because Katie was our
"weakest link" and if we kept up a busier pace, our "chain" surely would
have broken.
I didn't get onto a lot of my favorite thrill rides like Star Tours or
Splash Mountain. Part of this was due to the fact that my partner in crime
was 5 months pregnant but also I didn't have as big an interest in these
rides this time around. I was happy just to experience everything through
Katie so we stuck to rides and attractions that were more her pace. Though
I'd probably singing a different tune if the Tower had been open... :-)
We brought our own umbrella stroller, which was a necessity. Katie was
generally good about getting back into it after the attractions. And of
course, we made sure she got plenty of juice and liquids so she never got
dehydrated in the hot Florida sun.
I don't think there's any general rule as to how old a kid should be in
order to enjoy WDW. I knew there would be certain things Katie would like
and other things she wouldn't but I also knew that she'd have a good time
as we let her explore it at her own pace. I'd wager Katie had a better
time at WDW than many older kids who were at that mythical "good age".
The parks in general. The Magic Kingdom seemed somehow smaller to me this
time around. I don't exactly know why. Perhaps it's because we spent the
majority of our time in Fantasyland, Starland, and Main Street. But
nothing in the world beats the feeling when you first step onto Main Street
and look straight down towards Cinerella's Castle. It's a magical place.
EPCOT wasn't as big a thrill to me this time around. Been there. Done
that. Again, the most fun I had at EPCOT was seeing Katie's reaction to
IllumiNations. Geez, now I'm really beginning to sound like a parent...
Disney-MGM seemed eclectic with the Backlot area open, though not
originally designed for guests to explore. I was disappointed that the
Tower of Terror and Sunset Boulevard weren't open yet as I would have loved
to explore a brand new section of any Disney park. But I still enjoy the
Disney-MGM Studios in general. I could spend an entire day on the
animation tour itself. And remember, Mickey Avenue is great for meeting
characters!!!
Construction. There's a lot of it going on these days. The new
Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom; Innoventions at EPCOT; Sunset Boulevard
at Disney-MGM; Blizzard Beach; Planet Hollywood at Pleasure Island;
Disney's Boardwalk; the All-Star Resorts; rehab at the Contemporary and the
Polynesian. It was hard to avoid it and yes, at times, it's inconvenient
(Innoventions immediately springs to mind) but if you don't want to be
surprised, call the WDW Info line.
Off-season vs. on-season. This was May, a.k.a. "off-season" and as a
result, the parks had shorter hours and the only nighttime entertainment
was EPCOT's IllumiNations show. Initially, I was disappointed that we'd
miss SpectroMagic and the Fantasy in the Sky fireworks but what balanced
this out is that with the possible exception of Dumbo, we regularly
encountered minimal lines. The crowds were not overwhelming and this had a
definite appeal, especially because we were with a two-year-old. In fact,
I think the main reason we had good success with Katie in the parks is that
we didn't get worn out waiting in very long lines. I would definitely
return in the off-season if I was bringing small children.
Off-property vs. on-property. This is a bigger fish to fry. I can't
"site" any problem we encountered due to staying offsite. Vistana was
extremely convenient. It was was very easy to get to the parks every
morning. It's right on 535 so we just got onto 535 and then banged a right
onto 536 and we were there. We were only about 10 minutes from the EPCOT
parking lot and another 10 to the MK. Needless to say, we used our own car
every day and given my past experiences with WDW Transportation, this was
much easier.
We also avoided any particular park on its Early Entry Day when resort
guests get in an hour earlier than the great unwashed. This is probably
only necessary for the MK which tends to be more crowded on these days, but
this strategy worked out very well for us.
Vistana also turned out to be much cheaper for us than say, staying in the
CBR for the week. We likely would have needed two rooms but the
two-bedroom condo at Vistana accommodated us four adults and kid quite
well. And the cost (due to it being my in-laws' timeshare) worked out to
about $15 per adult per night. Extremely reasonable. Likewise, it was
nice having a full kitchen as well as a washer and dryer right there.
The Disney resorts aren't without their benefits but my very good
experience with Vistana this time around has me waffling. I really like
the Disney resorts. They're very nice and the service is exemplary.
However, that all comes with a big price tag. The CBR/PO/DL resorts are
probably the best value, with a nod towards the CBR due to its location.
I suppose what I'm trying to say if you can have a good time offsite. We
had a two-year-old so we took midday breaks and it really wasn't that
inconvenient to do so. And really the Disney resorts are only convenient
to whichever park is closest. If you're staying at Dixie Landings and
you're in the MK for the day, you could just as well be staying in a Best
Western on International Drive, regarding the convenience of getting to and
fro.
Next trip?? Well, with another bambino on the way, I figure it'll be at
least 3 years before our next big trip to WDW. Probably more like 4 or 5.
But I won't go any less than two weeks next time... :-) May or June.
Maybe a week onsite (Beach Club??) and a week at Vistana. Oh yes, and
seeing as I'm dreaming, annual passes too.
If you have comments or questions on my ramblings above, I'd love to hear
them. Please feel free to send me e-mail at skip@viewlogic.com. Or if you
like, post them to the conference and perhaps the kindly Mr. Scopa would
collect them and send them onto me (nice of me to volunteer you, eh,
Mike??).
Lastly, a note of thanks. The success of this trip was due in no small
part to a lot of the comments, hints, and suggestions I learned from you
folks in the Disney notesfile while I was still in DEC. So thank you and I
hope this trip report provides a similar kind of service.
TTFN,
- Skip Williams
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% Date: Tue, 14 Jun 94 15:41:56 EDT
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% Subject: Here it is...
|
| 393.17 | Finally! - Beals family trip report | MKOTS3::BEALS | | Mon Jul 11 1994 16:46 | 427 |
|
Beals trip report
WHO: Susan (me), Doug, Jeffrey (8), Evan (6)
When: 5/21/-5/26 1994
Where: CBR - Aruba, room 5525 (pool and lake view)
How: USAIR Boston to Orlando, Mears Shuttle to CBR
Cost: $2700 included everything but car rental
General Observations:
Favorites:
Evan Jeffrey Doug Susan
Epcot Figment Spaceship Earth Imaginations Illuminations
MGM MM on NY Indiana Jones Star Tours Muppets
Street
TMK Castle Splash Mt. Space Mt. Splash Mt.
Transportation: No problems anywhere. The wait for buses never seemed
too long. Most times buses were waiting.
Hotel: CBR is great for families. There is so much to do within
CBR could have spent a week just at the hotel. But....I still like
being on the monorail and next time will probably stay at Poly. We
had originally thought of staying there until reading all the notes
about the CBR.
Meals: Money-wise not as bad as expected. We mostly had our main meal
at lunchtime which may have lowered the costs. I also brought own
snacks, to avoid the "I'm hungry" comments.
OPR food was good. The selections was good and everything we had,
from breakfast to a large pizza was good.
Length: Five days is NOT enough! (Vacations are never long enough)
Pre-planning helped quite a bit. Thanks to the helpful trip reports we
spent no more than 20 minutes in line, and most times walked right on.
Negatives:
1. How do you get children to really "feel the magic"? Mine have
grown up with the TDC and Mickey Mouse and to them it seemed like just
another amusement park (albeit an expensive one!) Not sure what we
could have done before we left to prepare them better. It also might
have been they where overwhelmed by it all, but it seemed like they
weren't into it until the third day. It was disappointing for my
husband and me, especially my husband who idolizes Walt Disney,
because we expected them to be really excited. I began to have doubts
that this was a good age to take the boys. I'm beginning to think that
WDW is a park built for adults who want to be kids! and like most adult
toys, the kids get to go along too!
2. Leaving WDW for the Quality Inn. There is nothing like staying
in the park. I would never do this again. I would pay the extra and
find some other way to cut the cost.
3. Saturday night at TMK for the parade and fireworks. Too many
people, no crowd control. See details under Saturday night.
Saturday 5/21
Up at 4:30 AM,
Limo picked up @5:30.
Arrive @ Logan by 6:15, flight leaves at 7:30.
Requested two window seats, so each child would have a window.
Boys had children's meal (pancakes filed with applesauce - yeck!)
Landed 20 minutes ahead of schedule spent 15 minutes on runway waiting
for a gate. Five minute wait for Mears shuttle.
Checked into CBR 1 hour after landing in Orlando.
Check in took twenty minutes. Best part - room is ready NOW!
BUT.....Long wait (45 min.) for van to take us to room.
Unpack and explore around. Can't believe we are finally here!
By now we are all starving - airline food yeck!
Head to OPR to check out eating possibilities.
Back to room. Decide to see if can get reservations for HDD. Nice
person said they were booked, but we should come and go stand-by as
people make reservations but don't show. Get to HDD at 5:15 walk right
in, take last table! Castmembers came right over to table and talked to
boys. Kids loved it! Good service also. The chicken was better than I
remembered, not greasy.
It's now getting unseasonably cold!!! In the 50's and it's only 7 PM.
Head to TMK as it's the only night for parade and fireworks. Have to
buy boys sweatshirts (everyone else is buying them also!). People are
everywhere!
It's 7:30 and all curbside places along Main Street are taken with
people waiting for the 9 PM parade (Had a hard time justifying this!)
Decide to go to Pirates first (15 minute wait), Evan loved it, "can we
go on again?" Walk through frontierland to main street, by now this
place is getting packed with people. Tried to get a spot on bridge to
right of castle, but security wouldn't let people stop on bridge. Found
place to watch, but were six deep and boys could not see anything. Not
a good scene (boys tired, [remember 4:30 this morning!], can't see, too
many people ... are you starting to get the picture????) Parade's
over, nice what I saw of it, BUT.........
"Let's get out of here!"
BIG MISTAKE!!!!!!!
Main Street is now full of wall to wall people. Sometime during the
last ten minutes Disney crowd control , lost control, and there are
people everywhere and NOONE IS MOVING IN EITHER DIRECTION! Of course
people are TRYING to move, or should I say pushing. At one point I
thought my 8 year old was going to be suffocated between three people.
Oh good the fireworks just started, everyone turn around and watch for
the next ten minutes, "yeah right!" These people kept trying to push
their way through a non-moving crowd. At one point this lady was in my
face trying to get around me (to where is anyone's guess!) so I said to
her "Why don't you just turn around and watch the fireworks. They will
be over in 10 minutes and then we can all move put of here." Her reply
"I don't want to see the fireworks! Hmmmmmm!"
Needless to say this was not a good way to introduce the
boys to Disney World!
We finally got to the bus and back to the room. It's been 20 hours
since any of us slept last!!
Sunday, May 22 Epcot
We want to forget about last night's tragedy, so we eat Bfast in room
and go to Epcot. Arrived about 9:30. Here's the itinerary:
Communicore is all boarded up. Major construction going on behind
walls.
Captain EO - walked right in.
Love those fountains!
Illuminations - walked in.
Evan fell in love with Figment, doesn't everyone?
Land - 20 minute wait
Living Seas - walked in
2:00 PM Lunch at Coral Seas - delicious food, great service! Good
drinks too. Love those dolphins jumping out of the drinks!
(Waitress told us Character Bfast here starts in June. Mickey
will be in the pool swimming with the fish)
Head to gift shop (bought stuffed Figment of course!), then to
Spaceship Earth (Jeffrey really liked this!)
Head to World Showcase. Kids were only interested in American Adventure
and Norway. Had to almost drag them to any others. They were impressed
with American Adventure though.
Get through WS about 6:30, but still full from lunch and have a couple
of hours to kill before Illuminations.
Head to Monorail to go to TMK to look around Main Street, (in a
civilized fashion!).
"Can we sit up front?" Certainly!
"Mom, how did you know to ask them about this?"
(Thanks notes file!)
Driver Q&A's
Q: Any plans to put more resorts on monorail or expand it to MGM?
A: No, it's too expensive to build. Each car cost a cool million
then you have to build the track. Can buy an entire fleet
of buses for the same price.
Get ice cream and sit on curb to watch Street scene. Head back to Epcot
via monorail. Find a spot to the left of the viewing area for
Illuminations. Awesome! I'm very impressive. I want to see it again!
Back to the Bus and back to CBR for bedtime!
Monday, May 23 - MGM
Decide to try MGM, as it will be new to everyone. Want to do Aladdin
CB, can only get reservations for 10:30 (OK so we'll do brunch, worked
out GREAT! see below!)
Get to MGM about 8:45 after cereal in room.
Tower of Terror sure looks high!. There are still cranes on both sides
of the tower. Billboard outside of MGM say a JULY opening!
Head for Star Tours, 10 minute wait. Don't think I want to do this
again! Where's the Dramamine??? Jeffrey and Doug can't wait to get
in line again!
Doug wants to do Studio Tour, so we head off to that other side of the
park. Wait for next shuttle car (3 minutes) were off! Canyon was fun,
kids thought it was neat! Spent time walking around museum, Jeffrey's
favorite and all time best movie was "The Rocketeer". He has seen it 20
times at least, so he was just thrilled with all the memorabilia from
that movie.
Head over to see if Turtles are around, but supposed to come at 10:15
(we'll have to catch them later, it's 10 AM and everyone in the park is
already waiting Don;t want to have a repeat of Saturday night's
fiasco!)
Walk down NY Street, There's Mickey in front of Theatre. Wait for
autographs, have five minutes to get to Soundstage for CB. No Problem,
sit down, great food! We were about the last ones seated for CB, so we
got a lot of attention. Service was right there, clearing plates
between trips, and the characters all came over fairly quickly. We were
the last to go upstairs to see Aladdin and Jasmine. Even after all the
hundreds of kids and the three hours of signing and pictures , I was
impressed that Aladdin and Jasmine were just as polite and nice as if
we had been the first ones there. (down side was had to wait a good 20
minutes on the steps for this experience!)
Doug now wants to do the Animation tour so we get in line, first ones
in line for next showing (15 minute wait!) Well Evan (6 year old)
decides to sit on the bottom pole of the railing to rest (He seemed to
sit anywhere, often times he just sat on the ground.) Well when noone
was looking (of course!), he fell backwards and hit the back of his
head on the cement. Cut his head in one place and bumped in another. CM
was there immediately and offered to call the paramedics "No, No, he's
OK, I just need some ice". 1 minutes later a paramedic shows up
(without an ambulance thank God! and without ice) and wants to know
what happened. In my 'I'm losing my patience voice' said "he fell and
bumped his head and I really need some ice for the bump." She sent
someone to get a cup of ice, it appeared within 30 seconds, we got out
of line and sat down on the steps outside the attraction. After giving
name, etc to paramedics and making sure Evan didn't have a concussion,
we decide to call it a day and head back to the CBR. Enough excitement
for one day!
Well an hour later you never know this kid had a problem. The boys have
been swimming in the pool for over an hour when we pulled them out to
get dressed for dinner. Decide to head to the Village and eat at Chef's
Mickey's. No reservations, five minute wait. Ask to sit on the deck,
have some strawberry dacquris (sp?) and watch the sunset over the
lagoon. Very relaxing dinner. Good family meals here. Meatloaf was
good. Fried chicken was a bit greasy. Boys got souvenir mugs with the
drinks.
Did some shopping at the village and looked around Pleasure Island.
Pleasure Island looks fun, but not with an 8 and 6 year old.
Get ice creams and head back to CBR. Longest wait for bus was here.
Tuesday, May 24 - Magic Kingdom
Bfast in room and off to TMK. Much less crowded today, much more
enjoyable than on Saturday.
Jeffrey and Doug head to Space Mt. (10 minutes wait)
Evan and I take the Skyway to Fantasyland. Then to Small World (no wait
and front row!) and then to the Carousel where we also had great views
of Merlin's show. Doug and Jeffrey did Haunted Mansion and then somehow
we "bumped" into them in Pinocchio's Haus for snacks and drinks.
The Lion King attraction is getting set to open June 21 (date of
movie opening?) and is across from Carousel. Couldn't see what type it
was as billboards with TLK drawings were in front of attraction.
Jeffrey, Evan and Doug head towards 20,000 leagues (25 minute wait), I
go shopping for a new watch (did I mention my Mickey watch broke two
weeks before we left - what timing! - pun intended!) Met up with them @
castle 45 minutes later.
Head for Hall of Presidents, just missed show by 2 minutes. Decide to
cross over to Mickey Starland. We see Tigger, Minnie, Hook, and Mr.
Smee all signing.
Went into Mickey's House gift shop and took picture of family with the
castle superimposed behind us. Great picture for the memory book!
Take the train over to Main Street (1 PM lunch @ Tony's). From Train
Station see characters at front turnstiles (inside park). Head out
there to get Minnie, Friar Tuck! & Eeyore. Others were there also, but
ran out of time, characters had to go. Head to Town Square and here's
Chip and Dale signing @ Town Square.
Head into Tony's. No wait, restaurant is not very busy. Waitress told
us this is the time to come as everyone goes to Tony's for Bfast or
Dinner. Boy's split appetizer pizza (6 pieces, a BIG appetizer!)
(I'm getting tied or reading the kid's menu!); I had calzone
(delicious) and Doug had Italian Sausage sub. Desert was choc mouse
cake and boys had ice cream with Chocolate sauce. For me this was the
best meal. It was relaxing, unrushed, and we were sitting on the
Terrace so we people watched and took in the sights while we ate.
Head back to Hall of Pres for 2:30 show, walked in. Boys actually liked
it, although Jeffrey was under the impression that ALL the presidents
talked.
A lot of people are lined up for the parade (waiting in the HOT sun,
ouch!, no thank you).
Head to Haunted Mansion, again walked in, but have to wait five
minutes to get on as ride has come to a complete stop. Evan was OK, I
actually had him laughing at the Ghosts!
Parade is about to start. Found a nice shaddy spot under a tree. Put
boys on top of cement wall so they could see great! Waited five minutes
for start of parade, only lasted 10 minutes. (I still can't believe
people waiting over an hour in the HOT sun, did I say it was HOT!, for
a 10 minute parade. I must be missing something. NOT! )
Head back to Main Street and stop in jewelers to buy watch, My toughest
decision of the week, which one? Ended up with a nice one with a gold
Minnie (I still like it as I look at it now!)
Back to CBR @ 4. We went over to the main pool and had to drag both of
them out at 8:30 (prunes!) for a quick dinner. Had pizza (not bad) and
watch Illuminations fireworks while eating. For the boys this was
probably one of the best things we did all week! I guess we could of
gone on vacation anywhere as long as they had a pool!
Wednesday, May 25 - MGM/ TMK
Back to MGM, early admit day. Have Bfast in room get to MGM @ 8:50 AM.
Doug and Jeffrey head to Star Tours( walked on), Evan and I go through
shops.
We all met at Indiana Jones Stunt Show. Great show. Very impressive.
Doug waited in front of line for Turtles for half hour, as Boys and I
went to Muppets 3D. We really liked this show. It reminded me of the
old Muppet shows on TV, but where did those bubbles come from?
Head to Inside the Magic Tour (no accidents this time!). Outside
opposite this attraction Belle, Beauty and Chip are under a shade tree
signing. Only 5 people are in line. After getting autographs do Magic
Tour and Animation Tour. Phocahontas is on most of the boards, as was
some sketches for the Hunchback of Notre Dame (no release date yet).
The painting dept was doing Lion King cels.
Kids are bugging us to do HISK playground, so we do. I was not
impressed. Too many kids for size of playground. I lost my two 5
seconds after we entered. We stayed 15 minutes !
PRIME TIME CAFE:
Auntie yelled at me for elbows on the table (I knew she would so I
did it!). The boys thought that was pretty funny.
We explained to them this place was like being in a movie and they
were to be part of it. They started to get the hang of it, when we
had to make airplane noises for one of our cousins to eat a
bite of their vegetables. I was a member of the clean plate club,
until Jeffrey (who has now really caught on to the role playing)
told Auntie I gave him my chips and I didn't really clean my
plate! Evan was so into being in the clean plate club, that he even
ate his pickle! Doug didn't finish his chips and tried to "cover
up" his plate with a napkin. Auntie caught him and told us all to
point our finger at him and say "Shame, shame, shame!", By now the
boys have the giggles, but they still ate their ice cream.
(CAUTION for those with younger ones:
The little girl two tables over barely ate anything and
Auntie told her no desert if she didn't eat her lunch.
She broke into sobs, and then everytime Auntie came over
the little girl hid in her mother's lap and starting crying
all over again. Well she did actually get her ice cream,
but she never did smile at Auntie.!)
Headed back to CBR after lunch for cooling swim in pool
and back to TMK about 4:30 PM.
Take train direct to Adventure Land
Jeffrey and I can't wait to do Splash Mt (10 minute wait).
Awesome drop! Don't ask to see the picture!
Head to BTRR (10 minute wait) Evan thought it went too fast.
Evan wants to do Pirates again, no wait.
Then over to Fantasy Land. Full queue line, but continuously moving for
Peter Pan's Flight (great ride).
Jeffrey wanted to do Swiss Family House, so head back to Adventureland.
One more time on Splash Mt. (5 minute wait) still awesome the second
time around, although the middle part through the briar patch is
getting boring, if it wasn't for the drop at the END!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hop the last train back to Main Street and then bus to CBR. Got off at
OPR bus stop for cheeseburgers and grilled cheese and watch the
fireworks from Illuminations again.
Thursday, May 26
Bfast @ OPR, Mickey Waffles
Back to room to finish packing. Bags were picked up exactly @ 10 AM
(I'm impressed!) National Car Rental Bus from CBR, 5 minute wait. Car
Rental, no hassles, Blue 4 door skyhawk.
Head to Quality Inn in Orlando. Exactly one hour after checking out of
CBR, we are checking into the Quality Inn.
I would NEVER do this again! I thought that since we would be going
to Universal and Seaworld why pay for two nights at Disney if we were
not going to be there, and so I thought....! Next time, I would pay the
extra to stay @ Disney and find other ways to save money.
I will post the US experience in the US note.
After an early dinner we headed back to Epcot to stake out a great
place for Illuminations. I got a great spot in the viewing area, while
the boys did Spaceship Earth and Imaginations one more time. The long
wait was worthwhile. Got some great photos (of course having a
professional photographer in the family helps too!)
Walked slowly out of Epcot (noone is to eager to go back to the Quality
Inn!). Take a left through Communicore construction and do some
souvenir shopping in the big gift shop. Proved to be a good idea. No
traffic getting out of the parking lot.
The Disney experience has really come to an end.
|
| 393.18 | TTFN | CTOAVX::EAST | | Fri Aug 05 1994 18:07 | 17 |
| Hello fellow noters,
I have been waiting for the "Grandmother" of all Trip reports to arrive
but Great works of art take time and time is not what I have right now.
This is the last note that I will be making because I have been TSFO'd
this week. I just wanted to let you know how much I'll miss all my
Disney friends. Who knows, maybe the company will turn around and
they will be able to hire me again!...There is always hope, Right?
Thanks again everyone for all the great help. Maybe we will bump into
each other at the Best place on earth! (WDW!)
I'll miss you
TTFN
Rose East
|
| 393.19 | The Grandmother Of All Trip Reports | WREATH::SCOPA | | Fri Aug 19 1994 16:52 | 2789 |
| 393.20 | The Herrings' August Trip | USDEV::HERRING | | Mon Aug 29 1994 13:48 | 354 |
| WDW TRIP REPORT - "DISNEY FOR TWO"
WHO: Myself (Steve) and wife (Sylvia)
WHEN: August 7 - 11 (5 day/4 night plan)
WHERE: Dixie Landings Resort
HOW: American Airlines from Boston to Orlando
National rental car during stay
SUMMARY: This was our first time back since 1986, and our observations
focus on what has changed at TMK and EPCOT, and on MGM which
was entirely new to us. Generally, the changes, or the impact of
the changes, at the older parks was less than expected. Every-
thing seemed very much the same with some additions and minor
variations. MGM was much more and much better than expected,
based on the mixed reviews that we had been hearing since it
opened. This was our first visit staying at a Disney resort,
and that added a wonderful dimension to the experience that we
highly recommend. We also are glad we opted for the car over WDW
transport. The WDW experience leaves very little energy left
over to tolerate public transportation.
DAY 1 - Sunday, August 7 "GETTING THERE IS HALF THE FUN"
Reported at the Logan gate for the 8 am flight with pre-assigned
boarding passes. Attendant said she could give us better seats so
issued new passes, row 4... yes, First Class! Our first pleasant
surprise of the trip, especially for me who hates to fly.
At Orlando International our package plan strategy paid off. While
Delta Dream vacationers were being trucked off to some remote Alamo
car rental site, we were able to get our car right at the airport
with no wait. My dislike of the Alamo cattle call from previous
trips is almost as strong as my feelings about flying.
Got to Dixie Landings about noon, too early for a room, but were
pre-checked in with our all-important white plastic passes to
everything in the World. Lunch at the DL food court (Colonel's
Cotton Mill) was followed by a cruise down the Sassagoula River,
stopping at Port Orleans and passing Pleasure Island where we
we told a huge spherical superstructure was going to be the
Planet Hollywood restaurant. We reaching the WDW Village Marketplace
in less than half an hour, browsed the Marketplace, then
crossed Buena Vista Drive to check out the Grosvenor Hotel. We
had read that their restaurant, Baskervilles, had a Sherlock
Holmes theme, and as fans of mysteries and Holmes we were
interested in a possible meal there. It looked nice, we saw a
menu and planned to return.
Took the river cruise back to DL, passing many of the treehouse
villas of the Disney's Village Resort. Checked into our room on
the 3rd floor of Pareterre Place, the first of the plantation
manors on Sassagoula Drive. We were very impressed with the whole
DL setup. We had a beautiful view of the courtyard and river, and
it was a nice scenic walk to the "landing" where the food court,
restaurant, game room, store and marina were located. A slightly
longer walk via Ol'Man Island took us by the main pool with slide
and spa. Smaller pools were located closer to the units.
Dinner and the evening were to be at MGM. We were delighted with
the highly detailed art deco 1930s-40s Hollywood flavor of the
place, especially Hollywood Blvd. and Sunset Blvd. We had dinner
at the Hollywood and Vine cafeteria, eating on the terrace,
watching droves leaving the park. As a result, our evening at
MGM was our least crowded time there. Wait time for TZTOT was
45 minutes, only one side operating. The airplane ride was
enough terror for me for one day, so I passed for then. We were
able to take in TGMR, Muppetvision, and the Backstage tram tour
by night. We were in the last car, which stopped next to the
oil tank in Catastrophe Canyon, so we got toasted when it went
up... we had just been worried about getting wet.
We did a lot of walking around and exploring of MGM, and
developed a dislike of the NYC Street Scene-Mama Melrose section
with its blocked ways and deliberate dinginess. The street party
seemed like a half-hearted carnival having nothing to do with
movie making. Huge inflated games of some sort only obstructed
the details of the set.
Superstar TV was closed down. On a later visit a sign announced
that Ed McMahon's Star Search would be there as of Aug. 20.
DAY 2 - Monday, August 8 "FIRST FULL DISNEY DAY"
I fetched breakfast from the Cotton Mill to our room, then
explored Ol'Man Island. Planned the morning at EPCOT, but
wondered if it would take less time. We never cared for many
of the EPCOT attractions, and thought we could see the few we
liked in a couple of hours. There was the usual long morning
line at Spaceship Earth, so we headed for our first planned
destination: World of Motion, the only Future World exhibit
with a Disney sense of humor. But on the way we got a taste of
Innoventions, saw Jay Leno "interview" several guests, and
noted that the Electric Umbrella restaurant was especially
geared to health conscious diets. We also toured the Wonders
of Life pavilion (festive but small, no wait for Body Wars),
and paid our last respects at the tomb of Horizons (Ah, the
smell of those orange groves of the future!). Finally, the
World of Motion, untouched by imagineers of the 90's, thank
goodness.
On to World Showcase. Odyssey Restaurant is closed, a fact I
found oddly disturbing: you didn't want to go there, but it
was nice to know it was available. Short lines encouraged us to
do Mexico's River of Time, and Norway's Maelstrom. Lunch was at
the Liberty Inn followed by the American Adventure show. The new,
longer ending is very effective. Dessert was naughty pastries
in France, then the sky opened up.
The rain caused everyone to run to the nearest line, whether it was
under cover or not. We felt no loss passing by Journey Into
Imagination (one of the least imaginative Disney efforts), but did
note that the 3-D theatre was closed even though a "Honey, I Shrunk
the Audience" poster was mounted. It was also listed in the EPCOT'94
brochure, mentioning that the auditorium seats would have motion. We
peeked in on The Land, and it looked just as boring as ever. The only
interesting thing about The Living Seas is the sign out front where
powerful waves crash from nowhere. An aquarium is an aquarium. So,
where was the one place lines did not form in the rain?... Yes,
Spaceship Earth at 2pm. We walked right in. Tsk, tsk, Disney
imagineers... they managed to squeeze out every drop of humor, except
the sleeping monk. The computer/networking-heavy ending provided
nothing memorable. Only the well lighted, music filled descent was an
improvement over the journey into darkness of memory.
So EPCOT turned out to be a more substantial part of our visit
than planned. After an afternoon nap at DL we drove to Grosvenor
and had dinner at Baskervilles. Enjoyed the Sherlock Holmes features,
including a full replica of the 221B Baker Street sitting room.
If we had known, we would have waited until 6pm when the prime rib
buffet opens. But this gave us an early start back to MGM. It was
the start of a new week's schedule, and our Show Time folder told us
the star of the week was Pat Morita of Karate Kid fame. We did
TGMR again, and took in the B&TB show. That big new theater on
Sunset Blvd was packed. TZTOT was running with 30 minutes wait,
both sided operating. I looked up at that scorched, menacing
facade, listened to the screams of the victims, and decided that
I was not feeling so well, and that we had to leave early. My
wife suspiciously agreed.
After a rest at DL we took a nighttime Sassagoula River Cruise.
The Marketplace was closed, so the destination was the Empress
Lilly Riverboat. This gave us an opportunity to visit Pleasure
Island during party time, about 11pm. In spite of the intense
party atmosphere and music, it seemed a rather dreary place, too
successfully simulating an industrial waterfront complex.
DAY 3 - Tuesday, August 9 "MAGIC KINGDOM HOMECOMING"
Our package plan included one free character breakfast, and we
were pleased to see that the choice of breakfast places included
several character-free options. We always wanted to eat at the
Contemporary Resort, and since this was to be a Magic Kingdom day,
the CR would be on our way. The options at the CR were for a
character breakfast at the Contemporary Cafe, or character-free
breakfast at the Contemporary Grille, both at the concourse level.
We opted for the Grille, but signs said the it had been temporarily
relocated to the 15th floor... isn't that the top floor? Yes, our
breakfast was to be at The Top of the World restaurant, a delightful
experience, with a wonderful view. Our first look at TMK since 1986
was from the observation deck on top of the Contemporary. What are
those huge Christmas tree ornaments doing in Tomorrowland?... oh,
yes, the "new" Tomorrowland, and the new Star Jets: Astro-Orbiter.
At TMK we followed our usual clockwise course. Adventureland:
Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Caribbean. The Pirate coves
seemed darker and the water drop was in total darkness. Frontierland:
What is this huge growth standing where the railroad station used
to be? Ah, Splash Mountain. The wife waited while I went on line.
I put this in the same category as Space Mountain... once is enough.
I did it, I don't have to do it again, and I didn't get too wet.
Liberty Square: Haunted Mansion (our favorite... if Disney sold
a two minute video of those heads in the cemetery singing "Grim
Grinning Ghosts" my wife would pay any amount, a missed marketing
opportunity). Fantasyland: Small World (I managed to stay awake);
Peter Pan was too crowded, save for later; we passed on TLK show as
we had not seen the movie yet. On to the new Tomorrowland.
We were pleased to see that the old Tomorrowland was still there.
The sleek white "Danish modern" forms were intact (except for the
tall waterfall walls flanking the entrance from the hub), but they
were encumbered with all these silver fins, baubles, and riveted
struts from early science fiction literature. It was as if
Tomorrowland looked over at 20,000 Leagues and got Jules Verne
fever. Carousel of Progress was not as abused as we had feared
(each upgrade takes it a step away from the original inspiration,
and we missed the deep tones of Andrew Duggan). And, thank God,
the Wedway People Mover was still there no matter what they were
calling it! Never a long wait; a great opportunity to put your feet
up, relax, and glide around Tomorrowland. I assume the officious
announcements about inter-planetary travel are part of the Alien
Encounter build-up. Some of them are kind of funny ("Mr. Morrow,
your party from Saturn has arrived. Please give them a ring").
Dreamflight completed our first assault on TMK, and it was off to
DL for a nap leaving the Kingdom to the crowds and the sun.
We had 6pm reservations for Liberty Tree Tavern, and got there right
on time, although it appears the reservations were not necessary.
Followed up with Dole Whip for dessert (thanks to this conference),
and took a couple of spins around the park on the WDWRR. The recorded
narration is much better than the skwakings of live cast members.
Got off at Mickey's Starland, an entirely new land to us. Capt.
Hook was hanging around the station. Enjoyed Mickey's house, but
that was about all there was of interest. We were able to do
Peter Pan, Skyway, and Haunted Mansion again, and caught glimpses of
the 9pm and 11pm parades and the 10pm fireworks. We were on the bridge
to Tomorrowland at the start of the fireworks, so Tinkerbell flew
right over our heads. I do not envy that cast member's job.
DAY 4 - Wednesday, August 10 "TOWER SHOWDOWN"
This was an early morning day for WDW guests at MGM. We got there
at 8:30, but the place was already pretty full. We took the Animation
Tour, one of their best kept secrets. Followed up with the Backstage
tram tour by day, sitting in the first row of the first car. My
wife went for a third TGMR while I went to Star Tours. I got a front
row center seat, and had a wonderful ride, much to my relief. The
only physical effect was some neck strain. On the way out a family
was declaring "Much better than Body Wars." I tried to talk my wife
into giving it a try, but she declined. She thinks that Cinderella's
Golden Carousel is too violent.
Lunch was at the Commissary. Although the guide books put this in
the fast food category, we found it a more atmospheric experience
than the Hollywood and Vine Cafeteria. High ceilings and art deco
details were reminiscent of New York's Radio City Music Hall. I
enjoyed a "last meal" for I knew I could no longer put it off...
it was time to face THE TOWER.
There was a 45 minute wait for TZTOT, and my wife did not want to do
TGMR again, so I asked her to accompany me up to the ride itself
so she could get an idea of what it was all about. She agreed, but was
very nervous about passing "the point of no return." We wound through
the abandoned and overgrown grounds, past an ornamental pool that
look like the water had evaporated over many years. The majestic
lobby was filled with dusty 1930's artifacts and an elevator door
showed signs that something horrible had happened there. We were ushered
into the Library where a brief Twilight Zone episode set the background
for the rest of the adventure. By this time my wife was convinced that
the opportunity to exit had passed... the terror was palatable.
According to the TZ story, the guest elevators had been destroyed,
leaving us to use the freight elevator(s), accessed through a dim
corridor and the dark hotel basement where boilers, pipes, and
other menacing forms loomed up around us. To my wife there was
obviously no way out. The lines forked out to, I think, six freight
elevators. As we were assigned our "spots" I told the bellhop/CM
that the pale woman with me wanted to leave, and she was led away
towards... an elevator?? Oh, well, I had my own fate to worry about.
The benches in the elevators are on risers, so each elevator is like
a tiny auditorium. I was in the back row. The bellhop wished us a
very worried "good luck" and the doors closed on a chorus of groans.
We rise and stop at a long hotel corridor. The victims from the TZ
story, still in black-and-white TV form, appear. I have the impression
that they see the freight elevator and run forward to join us,
like the hitch-hiking ghosts at the end of the Haunted Mansion. My
interpretation is that these spirits are doomed to repeat their
tragedy, except we become part of it. The scene dissolves into star
filled blackness, and from here on the experience becomes very
individual. We go up to another floor where our car emerges from the
elevator shaft to move through another dimension... the twilight zone...
until it finds another shaft. There is a very quick ascent, and the
doors open onto a high view of Sunset Blvd. We have all seen this from
the street, so we all know what is about to happen. A downward jerk,
a flash, then full plummet as the doors close on our helpless
screams. I screamed my head off, and I'm not ashamed to admit it.
In two or three seconds you are at the bottom, actually a floor lower
than where you started. On a huge TV screen Red Serling closes the
"show" but I could not hear a word over the din of exhilarated
chatter among the passengers. The car rotates and finally its over.
In the exit corridor families are reuniting as if the riders had
been survivors of the Titanic. My wife explained that she rode
down one level in a gentle, well lit elevator. We browsed the
gift shop where a wonderfully cadaverous elderly man waited on
customers. The "Picture this, if you would..." photo operation
was not up.
We relaxed at a performance of the Little Mermaid, then went off
to a well deserved nap at DL.
We could not visit WDW without a meal at the Crystal Palace, so
back to TMK where a big thunderstorm broke just as we got off the
monorail. Under raincoats, we jumped puddles into Main Street, then
worked through the shops and cut through the Penny Arcade to the
Crystal Palace. We ate at our favorite spot overlooking the
Adventureland bridge. The rain stopped by the time we were done, so
we were able to get Dole Whip for dessert, then do Pirates, the
WDWRR, Country Bear Jamboree, Hall of Presidents, and finally a
riverboat ride as the rain resumed. We sat on the forward deck in
our hooded raincoats while everybody huddled under cover. The burning
cabin on Tom Sawyer Island burned in spite of the rain. Even though it
was 8pm and raining, the park was very crowded, so we said good-bye
to TMK for this trip.
DAY 5 - Thursday, August 11 "WRAP UP"
We had to check out by 11, so spent some time enjoying the resort
area. Breakfast at the Cotton Mill was followed by a walk down the
river to Port Orleans. We appreciated the Bourbon Street atmosphere
and detail of PO, and enjoyed the fractured French street names
such as Rue d'Bega, but we preferred the rural charms of DL. The
PO food court was dominated by a large fast food counter rather
than the small "shops" at DL's Cotton Mill.
After check-out we could still use our passes. I had planned to
take a look at Typhoon Lagoon, but we had been so delighted by MGM
that we chose to go back there for our final few hours. This time
no rides! Just shopping, lunch and a leisurely look around. Lunch
was at the 50's Prime Time Cafe... very enjoyable, just remember
to keep those elbows off the table! We were curious about the
Sci Fi Dine-In, and you couldn't see in from the entrance. I
knew that it shared rest rooms with the Commissary, so we entered
from the rest rooms and got a good look inside. We will definitely
try it next visit.
We were browsing the menu at the Brown Derby, and here comes Pat
Morita! He went into the Derby for lunch, politely declining to
give autographs, followed by an entourage of staff people. Our
MGM experience was complete!
The remainder of the day was spent driving south to Ft.Myers where
we would have a few days with relatives to relax and recover before
flying back to Boston. At Ft.Myers were were able to see The Lion
King and try out an Olive Garden restaurant... very good.
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS
I am convinced that driving within the World is not as efficient as
it could be. The signs are not consistent, and they seem to
direct you to the long way around to get anywhere. Towards the
end of the stay I was just beginning to learn the short-cuts.
They are pushing the Vacation Club timeshares very hard, to the
extent that the marketing efforts began to intrude on other things.
The cast members were all very professional. Only one, a
Sassagoula River Cruise guide, tended to be obnoxious.
Crowds varied, but TMK is still by far the most popular. That is
where the magic is!
AND IN CONCLUSION
Walt's frustrations with the confined boundaries of Disneyland has
been fully redeemed by the explosion of development at WDW. Not
only has the Disney imagination been given full reign here, there is
that feeling that new ideas will be allowed to blossom into reality
here for the indefinite future.
|
| 393.21 | Arnold family trip report | STUDIO::ARNOLD | Gail M. Arnold | Thu Sep 15 1994 13:41 | 987 |
| When: August 22nd to September 3rd
Who: The Arnold Family (Gail, John, Jennifer (almost 7 years old),
Kenneth (2 years old), Janet (John's mom), and Doris (Gail's mom)
Monday, August 22nd
-------------------
Arrived in Orlando around 3pm and got the rental car. It was cheaper
to rent a car, then to get a shuttle since we had six people. The
rental was $40.99 for a full size car and the Mears shuttle would have
cost $60. We brought our car seat and used it in the plane which worked
out well. It propped Kenneth up enough to be able to see out the window
(he had the window seat), and held him up when he fell asleep. We planned
to keep the car an extra day to see Universal, then return it at the Car
Care Center at Disney (no extra charge to do this).
We checked into Fort Wilderness using American Express which got us
the following: Free Mickey 'N You photo session (full-color photo of
you and/or your family with Mickey in front of a scenic backdrop of
Cinderella's Castle (one 8x10, two 4x5 and four wallet-size prints
which are processed in minutes); Free fanny pack; 10% off most Dinner
Shows (excludes 5pm and 7:15pm Hoop-Dee-Doo and is not valid with
other discounts); and preferred seating at selected restaurants. In
order to get the photo and fanny pack you need to stay at a Disney
owned and operated hotel for at least two nights. We never did get
over to the Village Marketplace to get the picture taken. Since
Kenneth really didn't like the characters, we figured it didn't
make sense to get this done. If anyone does do this I'd be interested
in what you thought of the pictures.
Settled into the trailer at Fort Wilderness then headed to McDonalds
on Sand Road (this has the largest McDonald's playground in the world,
so the kids wanted to see it). It was okay, but I expected to see more
playground type things, it had a lot of video games. At least it was
one of the cheaper meals (less than $13 for six people!).
We then went to Epcot and got our Annual Passports. We walked right
on the Figment Ride, both kids enjoyed this ride. We spent a little
time in Image Works, then headed over to Norway. We went on the ride
and watched the movie. Kenneth didn't like the end of the Norway
ride (the North Sea part) and the movie was too loud for him (although
he didn't really complain that much). We watched IllumiNations and
then headed back to the trailer. Kenneth fell asleep in the car
(luckily I had put him in his pajamas just before we left Epcot!) so
it was easy putting him down for the night.
Tuesday, August 23rd
--------------------
We went to Universal. They are running a special until October 2nd
where the second day is free (you need to use the free day by October
2nd also, so I guess if your first day is Oct 2nd you miss out). What
you need to do is sometime before you leave on the first day, you go
to Guest Services and turn in your ticket stub, they give you a new
stub on which you need to sign your name on the day one line, then when
you return for your second day, you need to sign your name on day two
line so they can compare the signatures. The sign said that you also
may need to show a photo ID.
Also, there is a 10% AAA discount at restaurants and gift shops (some
of the carts outside didn't give the discount though)
The lines were long at the attractions here so we didn't get to see
everything. Also, Universal isn't really that great for a two year old,
not much he could do. Jennifer liked it because she got to see
Nickelodeon Studios, and she is at the age where she likes the "thrill"
rides.
We stopped in the Lucy Tribute building because Jennifer wanted to see
it (she has seen the Lucy show on Nick-at-nite). We also saw Fred
Flintstone, Barney Rubble, George Jetson, and Scooby-Do and Jennifer
got their "autographs". Kenneth was only interested in looking from a
distance, he didn't like to get close.
We then went on E.T., it was only 10 minutes from entering the line
until the preshow. However, later in the day the lines were an hour
long. This was a neat ride, everyone liked it, however parts of it
(actually a lot of it) was loud, so at times Kenneth wasn't really sure
that he liked it (although later he said he did). Jennifer enjoyed
the part where E.T. said her name.
We then went to the Fievel Playground, and Jennifer and John went on
the water ride, Kenneth didn't want to go on (as it turned out it was
a good thing). They both got wet and Jennifer wanted to go on again,
so she and John did. Then of course Jennifer wanted me to see what the
ride was like, so I went on with her (and got wet). The ride is in a
small raft type thing through a tube slide that has water in it, I was
surprised how fast it was. It was fun, but not the sort of thing a two
year old would like, I was glad that Kenneth didn't want to go on. The
wait on this was less than 5 minutes. (I know you are probably thinking
why did I say the lines were long, but they got MUCH worse as the day
went on). I brought an extra outfit for both Jennifer and Kenneth, so
she was able to change into dry clothes while John and I had to stay
in our wet ones. Luckily, it only took about an hour for them to dry.
Kenneth was getting tired and hungry, so we took a lunch break for
him. I got him a hot dog because that was the closest thing around
that he liked. We ended up getting salads at Mels, they were pretty
good and not very expensive (I think they were $2.25 each). Kenneth
fell asleep and the Grandma's watched him while John, Jennifer, and I
went on Back to the Future. The wait here was an hour, but at least
the line kept moving so it seemed like you were making progress. This
ride was INTENSE, it was good but I don't think I would want to ride it
more than once in a day (but then I do get motion sickness). I was
surprised that Jennifer liked it (although she has since said that her
stomach felt "funny" after the going on the ride!).
By the time we met up with Kenneth and the Grandmas, he had woken up
from his nap. We then did Murder She Wrote, which was thoroughly
enjoyed by all. It was a behind the scenes look at how sound effects,
editing, etc. are done. The people working at this attraction were great.
Next it was the Hanna-Barbera ride. John and Jennifer sat in the moving
seats and thought the ride was very good. The rest of us sat in the
non-moving seats and did not like it. The seats were in the front and
were much too close to the screen, you had to strain your neck to see
the picture, and it was MUCH TOO LOUD. This was a very unpleasant
experience for Kenneth, he snuggled into me the entire time but didn't
actually cry until it was over. He kept saying that he didn't like it.
I would not recommend these seats to anyone. I didn't get a chance to
do the ride in the moving seats, but John and Jennifer assured me that
the ride was very good in those seats.
Next it was off to Nickelodeon Studios, we waited 45 minutes for the tour.
I thought this was the worst line of the day because we did a lot of just
standing there waiting (not continually moving like in the Back to the
Future line). I also was disappointed in the tour, I thought we would
get to see some of the sets of the programs that Jennifer watches, but
all we saw was an empty sound stage and a set of a new show that was
starting this fall. Jennifer liked the Game Lab at the end of the tour,
but Kenneth did not. He got very upset when he thought they were going
to "slime" someone. I had to take him outside because he got so upset.
Next we had supper at Louie's Italian Restaurant. We headed in that
direction because Jennifer wanted to go on the E.T. ride again. I
thought that Kenneth would like the tram tour so the rest of us were
going to head there, but then Jennifer wanted to go on that too so we
all went on the tram tour (it was getting late and we didn't think we
would have time to do E.T. before the tram tour). This was a good way
to see Universal without having to do a lot of walking. Everyone liked
the tour.
Then we headed for the Flintstone movie props and took some pictures of
us in the "vehicles". John and Jennifer headed back to E.T. while the
rest of us took a leisurely stroll over there (I also put Kenneth in his
pajamas for the ride home). By the time John and Jennifer got off of E.T.
(I think it was about an hour wait), the Stunt show was over (we saw the
few fireworks that they had, and felt the heat from the explosions. I
was surprised how HOT it was, I can't imagine what it would have been like
if we were actually at the lagoon, instead of near the E.T. ride). The
park was now closed and we headed out. Both Kenneth and Jennifer fell
asleep in the car on the way back.
Wednesday, August 24th
----------------------
We went to the Magic Kingdom today. Since we were out late the night
before, the kids actually slept late in the morning and it was close
to 11am by the time we got to the park. John and Kenneth went on the
Dumbo ride, Kenneth liked this (he had been looking forward to this
because he had been watching the "Disney 93" tape that we got when we
joined the Magic Kingdom Club - Gold Card).
Then it was off to Mickey's Starland where we walked through Grandma
Duck's Farm and the playground. Pooh & Tigger were in the gazebo for
autographs, so we got in line. Kenneth didn't like getting close to
the characters, so he is crying in the picture. Also, he didn't like
to have the characters sign his book, but he did like to look at the
autographs after they had. I noticed that Pooh didn't have the jar
of honey on head. Maybe the folks at Disney finally realized that it
looked silly and changed the costumes (I never did see the old style
costume on this trip, just the one without the jar of honey).
Next Kenneth had lunch at Lumiere's Kitchen (one of the few places you
can get a grilled cheese) while John and Jennifer went on the
Tomorrowland Transit Authority (so Jennifer could get a peek at Space
Mountain to see if she wanted to go on it later). Then we all had
lunch at Lumiere's Kitchen, they have pretty good Ham & Cheese and
Chicken sandwiches.
We headed over to Adventureland. Kenneth fell asleep and the grandmas
watched him (sat down at Pecos Bills Cafe) while John, Jennifer and I
went on Splash Mountain (30 minute wait). Jennifer and I sat in the
front and John sat behind us. We all liked the ride. They did a
nice job making a story and lots to look at (instead of just a flume
ride like at other places). In fact, I think Kenneth and the grandmas
would have enjoyed it if there wasn't the "drop". Instead they didn't
get to see it because Kenneth is too small to ride and the grandmas
weren't interested in going on because of the drop. We decided to buy
the picture that is taken on the drop ($9.95 plus tax). We didn't have
any money with us (gave wallets, etc. to the grandmas since we thought
we would get wet). I went to get the money while John and Jennifer went
on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. The line there was short so they got
back to Splash Mountain before I did! We had the picture sent to the
Fort Wilderness reception center so it wouldn't get ruined.
As we were heading out we saw that the Mickey Mania parade had started.
It starts from Adventureland and heads to Main Street. John and
Jennifer decided to go on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad again while
the rest of us finished watching the parade. We told them we would
meet them here at the bridge. The skies started to look nasty, so
Kenneth and the grandmas went back to Pecos Bills for cover. I took
rain ponchos (we bought them at Spags for .77 each before we left)
for Jennifer and John (as well as myself) and headed over to Big
Thunder Mountain Railroad. It started to POUR just as John and
Jennifer were getting off the ride. They got their ponchos on and
we made a run for the Pecos Bill Cafe. The ponchos worked well, just
our feet were wet.
We sat for about a half hour to wait for the rain to let up. Then
John suggested we all go to the Pirates of the Caribbean since the
line is inside. We figured it would be a long line, but we weren't
going anywhere anyway. There was NO line, we walked right on a
boat. Kenneth was the only one who didn't like this one.
Next we headed to It's a Small World. Everyone liked this, and it
was one of Kenneth's favorites. Then off to Tomorrowland Terrace
for supper. Jennifer wanted soup and this was one of the few places
that had it.
After supper we went on the Carousel of Progress. Everyone enjoyed
this, but it got stuck on the next to last scene. The music started
but the seats didn't rotate and we started watching the same scene
again, then about a halfway through we started moving. So we missed
half of the last scene.
John and Jennifer headed over to Space Mountain while the rest of us
went on Cinderella's Carousel. Kenneth liked it so much we went on
again (there weren't any lines). Then we went to Small World again
before meeting up with John and Jennifer.
It was getting late, so we went to look out a place for the parade,
Main Street was already very crowded. We walked by the Crystal Palace
and thought it would be a good place to see the fireworks so we sat
on the benches there. John went to the Ice Cream shop to get a snack
for us to share. We shared three ice creams between the six of us.
As it turned out, we also had a pretty good view of the parade as it
headed over the bridge into Liberty Square. We watched the parade
and fireworks, this was the first time any of us had seen Tinkerbell.
It was pretty neat. Then I changed Kenneth into his pajamas and we headed
back to Fort Wilderness. Kenneth fell asleep on the launch.
Thursday, August 25th
---------------------
Today's day was at Epcot, another late morning start. First we went
to Horizons, I was surprised to see that it was open since a couple of
people who had been earlier said that it was closed and they thought
something else was going here. Kenneth didn't like it, he didn't like
the parts where you had the illusion of moving fast. After we got off,
he kept saying "don't like it" over and over.
Next we went to World of Motion. Unfortunately I didn't remember that
this too had a part where you seemed to be moving fast. So again we
heard "don't like it" after this ride. We decided to eat Lunch at
the Pasta Piazza Ristorante in Innoventions.
Since it was so hot we headed back to Fort Wilderness after lunch to
do some swimming at the Fort Wilderness Meadows Pool. The water was
really warm so it was easy to get in. They had a wading pool that was
about a foot deep which Kenneth loved. We picked up a life vest for
him at the Bicycle Barn (free with Resort Id), but he didn't like it
so we had to hold him in the big pool. The swimming aid that he uses
at our neighborhood pool at home isn't as confining as the vest was
which is why I think he didn't want it on. He liked the wading pool
better anyway so he spent most of the time there. Jennifer had just
learned how to swim this summer so she was having fun in the big pool
and didn't need a life vest.
We headed back to Epcot and took the boat across the lagoon to Japan.
We ate supper at the Yakitori House, but we had to get a hot dog from
the Liberty Inn for Kenneth since he wasn't interested in anything we
had. Then we headed over to Norway again. Since Kenneth didn't like
this ride the last time, my mother and I went with him in the Norway
store while John, Jennifer, and John's mom went on the Maelstrom ride.
Kenneth liked playing at the Lego table while we waited for them to get
off the ride.
Next we did the ride in Mexico (El Rio del Tiempo). Kenneth didn't
like it at first (he was still thinking of the Norway ride), but once
he saw what it was like it became one of his favorites. Everyone else
liked it also. It is a very gentle ride that has films of places on
the walls, there is a section that is just like "It's a Small World"
(which was one of Kenneth's favorite parts), and there is also a
section where they have "fireworks" (lights on the ceiling that look
like fireworks). The fireworks section was a favorite of both
Jennifer and Kenneth. When we finished it was almost time for
IllumiNations, so we headed out to beat the crowd (since we had
already seen it we thought it best not to keep the kids out any later).
Friday, August 26th
-------------------
This was an MGM day and yet another late start (we got to MGM just
before noon). We went to the Soundstage Restaurant to get lunch for
Kenneth (we had to wait until noon for them to open because they were
cleaning up from the character breakfast). Kenneth got macaroni and
cheese (a pretty big serving), milk, and character cookies for $2.49.
We found MGM to have the best selection of kids meals.
Kenneth ate his lunch while we waited for the Aladdin parade to start.
We staked out spots early so we had front row "seats". Jennifer and
John headed over to Star Tours while we waited for the parade. When
they came back Jennifer had a fruit cup to hold her over (she didn't
want lunch just yet, she had a late breakfast). We all enjoyed the
parade.
We then had lunch at the Commissary. They had a huge Chef's salad,
Jennifer and I split one. Actually Jennifer just wanted a regular
salad, but all they had was the Chef's salad, so I ate most of the
meat and cheese (she just wanted to sample a piece of each thing) and
she eat the salad part. While everyone was eating, I pushed Kenneth
around in the stroller to get him to take a nap. When John finished
eating, we switched places and by the time everyone was done eating
Kenneth was asleep.
We then walked down NY Street (the party had begun). I was glad that
they didn't try to get you to play the games like a typical carnival
would. Jennifer and John's mom went to the Honey I shrunk the kids
playground, my mom watched Kenneth while he slept and John and I
headed over to the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. It was about a 10
minute wait before we were in the library preshow. The special
effects were great, both John and I liked it. I thought that Jennifer
might want to go on it (after all she did do Back to the Future and I
thought that ride was much more intense). John and I headed back to
the Honey I shrunk the kids playground (actually the restaurant next to
it) to see how everyone was doing. Kenneth was still sleeping and
Jennifer still playing. John went with Jennifer, and his mom, my mom
and I stayed with Kenneth. It started to rain and since we were on
the "edge" of the restaurant we got a little wet and it woke Kenneth
up. We waited for the rain to stop (20 minutes maybe) and then
headed over to the Muppets 3D movie. Kenneth was the only one who
didn't really like it, he like the glasses at first but I think the
effect was too much for him. He watched most of the movie with the
glasses off and that seemed to be okay.
John and Jennifer went to Star Tours again since we walked right by it
and there wasn't a line. Then we headed back to Twilight Zone Tower
of Terror since Jennifer decided she wanted to try it. She liked it.
Next we got Kenneth the mini hot dog meal at Rosie's Red Hot Dogs.
He knocked it over and one of the hot dogs fell on the ground (you get
two mini hot dogs in rolls), so they gave us another whole meal free.
So now Jennifer had a mini hot dog to snack on since Kenneth couldn't
eat three of them. We decided to wait to eat until after the Beauty
and the Beast show since we ate lunch later than Kenneth.
We then went to the Beauty and the Beast show. Everyone enjoyed this.
Then it was off to Soundstage Restaurant (Jennifer wanted to see how
they had made it look like a set from the Aladdin movie). This time
Jennifer got the macaroni and cheese and the rest of us got either
barbecue chicken or beef.
When we finished supper, the Voyage of the Little Mermaid was about to
start so we got into line. At first Kenneth wasn't so sure he was
going to like it, but he did. This show had everyone's approval.
There wasn't a long line at the Great Movie Ride, so everyone but
Kenneth and I went on. They all enjoyed it, and Kenneth a I took a
little stroll.
John and Jennifer headed over to Star Tours, there was no line so
they went on. The park was about to close so we headed back to Fort
Wilderness.
Saturday, August 27th
---------------------
Another Magic Kingdom day. John and Jennifer headed over to Big Thunder
Mountain Railroad while the rest of us took a ride on the Riverboat. It
was a nice slow ride and good for a change of pace.
We had lunch at the Columbia Harbour House.
John and Jennifer went on Space Mountain while the rest of us headed
to Mickey's Starland. Kenneth and I walked through Grandma Duck's Farm
while the Grandmas rested on one of the benches. Then it was off to
the playground. I had to follow Kenneth through all the tubes to make
sure he didn't get lost (or scared). He held my hand when we had to
walk on the ropeways. It got really HOT in the tubes, we finally came
out and joined the Grandmas. John and Jennifer met up with us and
Kenneth had to show Jennifer "Minnie Moo".
Next we went through Mickey's House on the way to the Mickey Starland
Show. The show was basically an advertisement for the Disney Channel, I
liked the Mickey's Birthday show that they used to have here much better.
Then it was off to meet Mickey in the theatre. Everyone but Kenneth
liked this.
It started to rain so we hopped on the Walt Disney World Railroad.
Kenneth fell asleep on the way to Frontierland, since it was still
raining we stayed on the train until we got to Main Street again.
John's mom stayed with Kenneth in the Main Street station while the
rest of us headed to the shops on Main Street to buy postcards.
I can't remember what we did after this (and no one else remembers
either!). I do remember that after we put the kids to bed, John and
I headed over to the Wilderness Lodge to check it out. We tried the
Wilderness Lodge beer (I can't remember what it was, but it had honey
in it). The beer was good and the lodge looked pretty neat. The
Whispering Canyon Cafe looked nice, but we never did get back to eat
there (maybe next trip!)
Sunday, August 28th
-------------------
Went swimming at the Fort Wilderness beach. This was nice for the kids
because the water wasn't very deep. Changed into our clothes and then
headed over to the Fort Wilderness Petting Farm while John brought the
swimsuits back to the trailer and took a shower.
Jennifer had a pony ride on "Prince" which she liked. The pony rides
are $2 and there is a path around the petting farm that you take. The
thing that surprised me was that the Cast Member gives you the pony and
you lead it around the path with your child, the Cast Member doesn't come.
Kenneth said that he wanted to ride the pony but when the time came, he
changed his mind. Since I had already paid, Jennifer took another ride
this time on "Pokey", but she didn't enjoy this as much. Pokey wanted
to stop and eat along the way and we couldn't get him to move and it
seemed like he was trying to bite my mother-in-law when she tried to
get him going, this upset Jennifer, she eventually got off him near the
end of the trail and we just walked him in.
We then went to Crockett's Tavern for lunch, John met us there. It
was an all-you-can-eat buffet, I think it was $6.50 for adults, $2.95
for children (3-11), and free for kids under 3. This was the best value
lunch we had. There was salad, soup, pizza, hamburgers, hot dogs, fried
chicken, buritos, pasta, a selection of desserts, and non-alcoholic drinks
were included (although there was some beers in the buffet line, it was
unclear if these were included).
After lunch we headed over to the Village Marketplace to meet my
brother and sister-in-law (they live in Florida). We walked around
Pleasure Island, then headed over to the Y&BC to have ice cream at
Beaches & Cream. The ice cream was excellent, Kenneth missed out
because he fell asleep on the way over there and didn't wake up until
after we left.
We checked out Stormalong Bay and asked how strictly they enforce the
rule that you have to be staying at Y&BC to use the pool. The Cast
Member said that when the hotel is nearly full it is strictly
enforced, but after Labor Day when it's not crowded they are more
lenient. She told us that if we wanted to we could swim there today.
We told her that we didn't have our swimsuits with us, but we could
go back and get them. She gave us the "wristbands" which meant we
could also get towels there. It was 5:30pm, but by the time we got
back there it was 8:00pm (good old Disney transportation). We had
to go back to the Village Marketplace, change buses to the Ticket
and Transportation Center, then change buses to Fort Wilderness (the
frustrating part was that we drove by Fort Wilderness on the way to
the Ticket and Transportation Center). To get back we took a bus
from the trailer to the Settlement Post, the launch to the MK, then
a bus to the Y&BC.
If I knew it was going to take so long, I would have had my brother
give most of us a ride back to the trailer to get changed and bring
the swimsuits back for the rest of us to change at the Y&BC. Oh well.
At first we thought that we would swim a little, then go over to Epcot
for a late supper. As it turned out we only had time to swim a little
(8pm to 9pm), then we had supper at Beaches & Cream. Once we realized
that it was taking longer than expected to get back to Stormalong Bay
we told Jennifer that it didn't look like we would get to Epcot, she
didn't mind because she really wanted to try out the pool.
It was tricky getting back to Fort Wilderness, since by the time we
were done at Beaches & Cream, it was now after 10pm and the MK was
closed. We were able to get an MK bus from Y&BC (we were the only ones
on it since everyone else was leaving the MK not going to it), and
we were able to catch the next to last launch back to Fort Wilderness.
We were all tired by the time we got back.
Monday, August 29th
-------------------
I thought that it would be another late morning, but everyone got up
earlier than I thought. Kenneth had breakfast in the trailer (like
usual), but the rest of us decided we would try to get to MGM for the
Aladdin Character breakfast. I didn't think we were going to make it
at first, but we just made the 10:30 seating. We used this as an
opportunity to have brunch so we wouldn't have to take a big lunch
break (the park closed at 6pm today). This was a very good buffet,
they had cereal, muffins, bagels, fresh fruit (cantaloupe, honeydew,
pineapple, and strawberries), scrambled eggs, cheese omelet, waffles,
bacon, sausage and home fries. The characters were Mickey, Genie and
Jafar. After you paid, you got a button that said "I had breakfast
with Aladdin" which allowed you to go up the stairs and get pictures
and autographs with Jasmine and Aladdin.
After brunch we took the Tram Tour. Everyone liked this. Kenneth
actually liked it when the tram shook, although he didn't really care
too much for the loud noises and the water.
John, Jennifer, Kenneth and I went to Honey I Shrunk the Kids
playground. John and Jennifer climbed the ropes while Kenneth and I
checked out the Kodak film slide. He loved the slide, but refused to
go down it when he knew John was at the bottom with the camera (he
didn't want to get his picture taken on this trip. Most shots of him
are with his hands over his eyes!) We even tried to fool him and told
him daddy didn't have the camera out, but he didn't believe us (smart
kid!).
Next, we went to the Making of the Lion King film. Kenneth liked this
but it was right around nap time so halfway through he snuggled in and
went to sleep. Everyone else enjoyed it (and it was good to sit down
in air conditioning on such a hot day!). We thought that this might
be what was shown on the Disney Channel a while back, but since we
don't get the Disney Channel we couldn't be sure.
While Kenneth was sleeping, John, Jennifer and I went on Star Tours.
This was my first time ever. I liked the ride, as did John and Jennifer
(otherwise they wouldn't have gone on it so much!). One of the things
that we did before our trip was to have Jennifer watch the Star Wars
movies so she would enjoy the ride better. It really made a difference
(Actually she also watched Back to the Future and the bicycle scene in E.T.)
Next John, Jennifer and I did the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror for
the last time. Kenneth woke up as we were leaving so we headed over
to catch the Indiana Jones Stunt Show. Kenneth didn't like this at
all, it was too loud. He and I left and went to look around in the
store (he liked playing with the toy snakes) while everyone else stayed
for the show. I think everyone liked the show, although we didn't
discuss it afterwards.
Next stop was the Monster Sound Show. Everyone but Kenneth liked
this. The problem was he didn't like watching the short film that the
sound effects were put on. So having to see it three times didn't
help. Everyone but Kenneth and I went into the sound booth (a great
demo of "3D sound") which was in the post show area. Kenneth liked
playing with the "horse hoofs" and some of the other gadgets. The
sound booth was enjoyed by all, so I gave it a try while John and
Jennifer did Star Tours one last time. They walked right on the ride,
then we headed over to Epcot.
We went to the fast food restaurant in China. We were going to see the
movie but it was an eighteen minute wait, so we went to Norway again.
John and Jennifer went on the ride while the rest of us looked around
the shop.
Next we did the Mexico ride and headed back to Fort Wilderness as
IllumiNations was about to start.
Tuesday, August 30th
---------------------
Another Magic Kingdom day. While John went to check to see if there
were any Diamond Horseshoe Jamboree tickets left, Jennifer, Kenneth
and I went to get Minnie's autograph. Again Kenneth didn't want to
get too close or give Minnie his book. Jennifer of course posed
nicely for the picture. We were able to get tickets for the 3:45
Diamond Horseshoe Jamboree.
It was off to Adventureland to see some of the rides we had missed.
We started with the Jungle Cruise which everyone enjoyed. Then it
was off to the Tropical Serenade (Tiki Birds). About a month before
our trip we had purchased a Disney CD that had the songs from a number
of the attractions at Disney World so that Jennifer and Kenneth would
recognize some of the songs when they went on the ride. So they
were both singing the Tiki Bird song as we went in. Jennifer
thought this attraction was boring while Kenneth seemed to like it
a lot.
Well now it was lunch time and we decided to go to Tony's. Kenneth
wasn't in a sit down mood, so I spent half the meal walking around
the Disneyana store with him (a little stressful at times as he ran
near the items which had price tags in the hundreds of dollars).
The lunch was really good. Jennifer and John's mom had soup, my mom
and John had spaghetti (which was shared with Kenneth), and I had the
garden vegetable sandwich (it was huge!).
After Lunch we took a train ride hoping to put Kenneth to sleep. John
and Jennifer got off at the Frontierland station to go on Big Thunder
Mountain Railroad. The rest of us stayed on the train, Kenneth was
asleep before we arrived at the Mickey's Starland station. We stayed
on until we were back at Frontierland.
We met up with Jennifer and John and the three of us went on Splash
Mountain while the grandmas watched Kenneth. After Splash Mountain
we headed over to the Diamond Horseshoe Jamboree. Everyone enjoyed
the show except Kenneth (there were parts he liked and parts he didn't).
The Diamond Horseshoe Jamboree was Jennifer's favorite thing at the
Magic Kingdom.
After the show, I was going to take Kenneth on the keelboats while
everyone else went on the Haunted Mansion. Then Kenneth decided he
wanted to go on the Haunted Mansion, we told him that it was in the
dark and parts of it were scary, but he wanted to go. So, we all
went to the Haunted House. Jennifer sat with the grandmas, while
John and I sat with Kenneth (figuring that he would need settling
down). What do you know, he liked it! I guess after going on
enough rides you get used to them.
After the Haunted House we all went on the keelboats, we sat on the
bottom because the top was already filled (we just walked on there
wasn't a line). Jennifer really enjoyed the ride, but she wanted to
sit on top so she asked if we could go on again. Again, we just
walked on, this time there wasn't anyone on top, so up we go!
Then it was over to Small World again, Kenneth wouldn't let us walk
by without going in! Then we ate supper but I don't remember where.
We went on Dreamflight which everyone liked. In fact Kenneth liked
this a lot more than we thought he would. There was one part that
gave the illusion of moving fast, but he just turned away and he was
fine.
While Jennifer and John went on Space Mountain, the rest of us went
on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority and Dreamflight again (two of
Kenneth's favorites). The park was closing so we all headed down Main
Street. We stopped and bought a piece of Chocolate Cake and sat on a
bench at Town Square and ate it. Then it was the launch back to Fort
Wilderness.
Wednesday, August 31st
----------------------
Another Epcot day, this time we arrive around 9:40am. John, Jennifer,
Kenneth and I ride up front in the monorail. My mom and John's mom
ride in the next car with the stroller.
First we go to the Wonders of Life Pavilion. John, Jennifer and I go
on Body Wars while Kenneth and the grandmas walk around the exhibits.
We walk right on the ride. Next we all go to see Cranium Command,
there was only a 5 minute wait, everyone but Kenneth likes it. After
that we spend a little time at the exhibits.
Next it is the Living Seas. Both Jennifer and Kenneth enjoyed watching
the fish (actually everyone did!). After Living Seas it was over to the
Land.
Kenneth was getting tired, so John and Jennifer went on the Living with
the Land ride while the rest of us got lunch. All Kenneth was interested
in eating was the Cheerios that we brought with us. I had a baked potato
with Stir-fry which was very good (nice price too, it was under $4), my
mom had yogurt, and John's mom had a baked potato. John and Jennifer
then joined us for lunch (actually we were on dessert!) then we all went
to Food Rocks. Kenneth didn't like this (too loud). In fact, I think
John and I were the only ones who really liked it. After that we all
went on the Living with the Land ride (another favorite of Kenneth's,
and it was high on Jennifer's list as well).
John's mom pushed Kenneth around in the stroller until he fell asleep
while the rest of us went to the Disney Imagineering Lab. This was
great. First, they explain what they do in the lab, then there is a
demonstration of a Virtual Reality attraction they are working on. They
had I think 5 people that they picked to actually "ride" the VR game.
There were televisions set up for the rest of us to watch what they were
seeing (although we didn't hear the sounds that they did). The graphics
were really good.
John and Jennifer went through one of the Innoventions buildings while
my mom and I looked for John's mom and Kenneth. We found them and
headed into Innoventions to look for John and Jennifer. There were on
AS-1, one of the VR rides that you had to pay $4 for. John said that it
wasn't worth it. Jennifer wasn't impressed either.
Next was the Barbie Show (Kenneth woke up just as the show started, or
should I say the show woke him up). Jennifer enjoyed the show, but
Kenneth did not. I had to take him to the back of the theatre (he kept
saying "too loud" and "don't like it").
After the Barbie show we were just in time for the American Adventure.
Everyone liked this. Then it was over to France to get Chocolate
Mouse for a snack. Jennifer had her portrait done here. It came out
very well. We ended up buying a frame for it as well since that was the
only way we could guarantee that it would make it home without getting
wrecked. We were going to get one of Kenneth too, but there was no way
he was going to sit still.
Next it was off to get Barbie's autograph. They have a limited number
of people that can get an autograph at a specified time. They set
up a line and when it gets to a certain point it is closed off. We
didn't see anyone turned away, however. This was something that
Jennifer wanted to do, but Kenneth seems excited in the line as well.
Of course it was another story once it was his turn to get his picture
taken. We had Jennifer do her picture separately so Kenneth wouldn't
spoil it.
Next was the Character autograph session. When we saw this last time
we were here the characters did a show at the same time, but I guess
they only do a show in the morning. So we didn't stay long. I took
Kenneth's book and got Chip and Dale to sign it since he always pointed
them out when we saw them.
We then took one of the double decker buses (sat on the top) over to
America. Kenneth, Jennifer, John's mom and my mom got their supper
here while John went over to the fast food Japan restaurant and brought
back something for him and me.
Next we walked over to the United Kingdom where Jennifer and Kenneth
played in the maze. This is a scaled down version of the hedge mazes
(adults can see over the bushes but small children couldn't. The
bushes were about 3 feet tall.). It's located in the back of the
United Kingdom, across from the Mary Poppins topiary. Last stop was
Canada where we watched the movie. Everyone enjoyed it, then it was off
to Fort Wilderness.
Thursday, September 1st
-----------------------
Jennifer and I stayed at the trailer and did some of the packing, then
we headed over to the Bicycle Barn to return the life vest. Everyone
else headed over to the Magic Kingdom. John and Kenneth went on the
Dumbo ride, Cinderella's Carousel, and Small world before Jennifer and
I met up with them. Then everyone went on Small World.
Next we stopped at Lumiere's Kitchen for lunch. Jennifer and I shared
a chicken sandwich, my mom and John's mom shared a ham sandwich and
Kenneth had a grilled cheese. It was very hot out so we took the food
to the Tomorrowland Terrace so we could eat in the air conditioning.
John had a barbeque sandwich from here.
Next was the Grand Prix Raceway, the line wasn't too bad (I think it
was about 15 minutes or so). Both Jennifer and Kenneth enjoyed this.
Jennifer and John were in one car and Kenneth and I were in another.
It's time for Kenneth to take a nap so John's mom, my mom, Kenneth and
I take the train while John and Jennifer to go on the Astro Orbiter.
We plan to meet them at the Dole Whip place. We get the train at Mickey's
Starland and it takes a full lap for Kenneth to fall asleep. We stay
on until Frontierland (actually we probably should have gotten off at
Main Street), and walk to the Dole Whip place.
I thought Dole Whip was just one flavor - pineapple. I was surprised
to see it came in Vanilla, Chocolate, Pineapple, Vanilla & Pineapple and
Chocolate & Pineapple. Has it always been this way? We all (except
Kenneth, he was still sleeping) got pineapple Dole Whip. We waited for
John and Jennifer but there was no sign of them and the Mickey Mania
parade was about to start.
We moved to the benches where we could see the parade and kept checking
for John and Jennifer. Kenneth woke up when the parade started, and John
and Jennifer found us too. They not only went on Astro Orbiter, but also
went on Dreamflight, the Tomorrowland Transit Authority (because Space
Mountain was closed, they wanted to see if the lights were on, and they
were so they got to see what the tracks look like), then Space Mountain
opened up (and there was no line) so they went on that, and finally on
Skyride. We all watched the parade.
Next stop was Peter Pan's Flight. Jennifer really liked this, Kenneth
wasn't so sure. Since It's a Small World was just across the way (and
was a favorite of Kenneth's) we did that next.
As we walked through Fantasyland, we noticed the line to the Lion King
Show wasn't long, so we saw that again. I couldn't believe how many
people used flash photography during the show, it was very distracting.
The Carousel of Progress was next, Jennifer wanted to see this again
since we missed part of it last time (ride malfunction). This time
everything was fine. Everyone enjoyed this.
We took the monorail over to the Contemporary for the buffet. It was
$14.50 for adults, $4.95 for children (under 3 is free). It was an
all-you-can-eat buffet. They had salad, vegetable soup, peel and eat
shrimp, chicken pot pie, baked salmon, pizza, mashed potatoes, prime
rib, lamb, fried catfish, rolls, and a selection of deserts (cupcakes,
lime jello, pound cake, strawberries, and whipped cream). Everything
was good. There wasn't much that Kenneth wanted to eat, he had some
soup, a roll, then they brought out some mini hot dogs so he had that,
and lime jello for dessert. Everyone else ate lots, and was stuffed
afterwards. Jennifer and Kenneth kept entertained watching the monorail
come through the hotel.
We took the monorail to the Ticket and Transportation Center, then
to Epcot. We rode in the front again, this time John stayed in the
next car with the stroller.
We headed fro Norway to go on Maelstrom, but the ride was closed for
unknown reasons. We then went to Mexico, looked around the shops and
went on the boat ride. Then we headed back to Fort Wilderness.
Friday, September 2nd
---------------------
John went to the Car Care Center to pick up the rental car so we would
have it for the trip to the airport tomorrow. Kenneth and the grandmas
headed over to Epcot (they were going to go on the Journey into Imagination
ride, then heading over to the countries starting with Canada). Jennifer
and I waited for John at the trailer. When John came with the car, we
headed over to Epcot (we took the car because we found it to be much faster
then the Disney transportation).
We headed straight to the countries. We did a quick look though all the
shops to see if we could find them, when we got to America and still
hadn't found them yet we thought that maybe we should have started with
Journey into Imagination in case they got held up in Image Works. John
doubled back and was going to check Journey into Imagination while Jennifer
and I continued on (we planned to meet at the arch going into World
Showcase).
Well Jennifer and I didn't have any luck finding them, when we finally
got to the arch, John and Kenneth were just getting there too. The
grandmas were just a little behind them. After going on the Journey into
Imagination ride, they saw Dreamfinder and Figment outside and got their
autographs. I guess Kenneth was better about getting a picture with
them, but then figment is just a puppet (not big like the rest of the
characters). Then they headed over to United Kingdom and the maze, that
is where John found them.
We headed to the Pasta Piazza Ristorante figuring that at least Kenneth
would eat pasta. He wasn't interested (Cheerios again for him) so I ate
his lunch. The grandmas had pizza and John and Jennifer shared a chicken
and pasta dish.
Then we walked through Innoventions and stopped at a few exhibits. Jennifer
did the Face Factory exhibit which was neat. It is an easy to use morphing
software demo. We also did a little shopping here.
Next we headed over to the Land and rode the Living with the Land ride
again (Kenneth fell asleep while we were on this). While Kenneth slept
we all took a drink break and relaxed a little. Then John, Jennifer,
and John's mom went to see Food Rocks again.
Next it was over to Journey into Imagination, Kenneth woke up when we got
there so we all went on the ride. We spent a little time in Image Works
again. I noticed that the orchestra exhibit had changed. It used to
be that the volume increased and decreased as you raised and lowered
your hand over the picture of the instrument. Now moving your hand
faster over the picture increases the volume. I seem to remember that
was what people were doing before and of course nothing happened, so
I guess that is why they changed it. Both Jennifer and Kenneth liked
this exhibit.
Next was World of Motion again (John and Jennifer didn't ride it the
first time). Since Kenneth seemed to be handling the rides better,
we decided to all go on. This time he liked it (although he did look
down when we got to the part where you had the sensation of moving fast).
Then it was off to France, since we had all seen Canada and the United
Kingdom. The movie was staring in two minutes so we watched that.
Everyone enjoyed the movie.
Next was supper, John and Jennifer went to the fast food Japan restaurant
and got something for everyone but Kenneth. The rest of us headed to
America to get a hot dog for Kenneth. The only kids meal here was chicken
nuggets, so I ended up spending $5.20 for a hot dog, fries, and milk (and
I didn't even want the fries). I asked if they had a kids meal hot dog and
they said no, I should have asked for the hot dog without fries (I didn't
realize that this is what John had done earlier). The person that I ordered
from didn't suggest that, however later John heard another server ask someone
if they wanted the fries. I'm going to complain about the food for kids in
Epcot when I fill out my survey. Since the selection is bad, you end up
buying an adult meal for a child which makes the price you have to pay too
high. Five dollars and twenty cents for a hot dog, fries and milk is
ridiculous for anyone, for a two year old it's outrageous.
Next stop was China, we had a few minutes before the movie so we looked at
the exhibit next door. Everyone liked the movie, but Kenneth wasn't paying
as much attention as he did in the Canada and France movie.
We then headed over to Norway (Maelstrom was open today) and Kenneth said
he wanted to go on the ride. So we all went, the line was long and I
wasn't sure we would get to the Mexico before it closed. The line moved
pretty fast. This was Jennifer's very favorite at Epcot, and Kenneth
didn't seem to mind it this time. We didn't stay to see the movie so we
could try to get to Mexico before it closed. We made it! Our last ride
was the El Rio del Tiempo, this is a favorite of Jennifer and Kenneth.
In fact, the whole family had this as one of their favorites. We headed
out of the park as IllumiNations was starting.
We stopped by the "lighted" sidewalks by Innoventions. There are three
sections of sidewalk that appear to have fiber optics embedded in them in
patterns. This is a great effect and worth a stop by. There are also a
couple other sections nearby that have random dots on fiber optics that
make it appear as if the sidewalk has pixie dust on it. These sections
are easy to see in both the daylight and at night. The first ones I
talked about are best seen at night. It was good that we had the car so
we didn't have to wait for Disney transportation.
Saturday, September 3rd
-----------------------
Off to the airport and headed for home.
Summary
-------
Since there were six of us, we needed to rent a full size car (which
can get expensive). We decided not to rent a car for the entire stay
to save some money (which ended up being around $300). This meant
that we had to rely on the Disney transportation which was slow
at times, and that we had to go to places that were on site. One
thing to mention here as well is that it was cheaper for us to rent
a car from the airport (turn it in at the Car Care Center) and rent
another car from the Car Care Center to get back to the airport then
it was to get the Mears Shuttle round trip. If fact we kept the car
for an extra day (to go to Universal) and it was still cheaper than
the shuttle.
One day was not enough to see Universal. There were many things that
we would have liked to see, but didn't have the time. Even though we
received a "free" day we didn't have a car to get there. We could
have rented a car for another day, but it didn't seem to be worth the
$40 when we could go to Disney for free (we all had annual passports
so an extra day didn't cost us anything). We thought about going back
on the day before we left since we were picking up the car then anyway,
but it seemed like it might be too rushed and more of a hassle then it
was worth.
We did however see everything at Disney that we wanted to (except for
a couple of the things that were closed). Also, Jennifer had wanted
to go on the Mad Tea Party (Tea Cups), but the lines were long when
we were there so we gave it a miss (actually Jennifer was the one who
said she didn't want to wait that long for it).
The following is a list of the things that were closed when we were there:
MK: Snow White's Scary Adventures
Adventureland Veranda restaurant (they were painting it)
Epcot: Spaceship Earth
3D movie at Journey into Imagination
(Honey I Shrunk the Audience is supposed to open in the fall)
MGM: SuperStar Television (Star Search was filming here)
Jennifer who is almost 7 years old liked just about everything (some more
than others of course!), here is her list in the order she liked them
for each park:
MK - Diamond Horseshoe Jamboree, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder
Mountain Railroad, Skyride, Space Mountain, Peter Pan's
Flight, Grand Prix Raceway, Legend of the Lion King,
Astro Orbiter, Haunted House, Jungle Cruise, Pirates of
the Caribbean, Dreamflight, Dumbo, It's a Small World,
Carousel of Progress, Hall of Presidents, Mike Fink Keelboats,
Tomorrowland Transit Authority, Mickey's House, Mickey's Starland
Show, Grandma Duck's Farm, Walt Disney World Railroad,
Mickey's Hollywood Theatre, Country Bear Jamboree, Tropical
Serenade (okay but thought it was boring)
Epcot - IllumiNations, The Wonderful World of Barbie, Maelstrom,
Disney Imagineering Labs, El Rio del Tiempo, Cranium Command,
Journey into Imagination, Image Works, Body Wars, World of Motion,
Living with the Land, Impressions de France, O Canada,
Wonders of China, Innoventions, Living Seas, American Adventure,
Horizons, Food Rocks
MGM - The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Indiana Jones Epic Stunt
Spectacular, Aladdin's Royal Caravan, Star Tours, Honey I
Shrunk The Kids Movie Set Adventure, Voyage of the Little Mermaid,
Beauty and the Beast, Backstage Studio Tour, Monster Sound Show,
Muppet Vision 3D, The Magic of Disney Animation, Making of the
Lion King, The Great Movie Ride
Univ - Fievel's Playland, Back to the Future, Murder She Wrote,
The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera, Nickelodeon Studios,
Lucy: A Tribute, E.T. Adventure, The Bone Yard (Flintstones
Props), Studio Tram Tour, Jurassic Park Behind the Scenes Exhibit
Kenneth who is 2 years old, did not like everything that he went on (and
of course there were many things that he was too small to even try). The
following is a list of the things that he liked at each park in the order
I think he liked them (he's too small to order them himself!)
MK - It's a Small World, Dreamflight, Grand Prix Raceway, Dumbo,
Cinderella's Golden Carousel, Grandma Duck's Farm, Legend
of the Lion King, Tomorrowland Transit Authority, Country
Bear Jamboree, Mike Fink Keelboats, Liberty Square Riverboat,
Tropical Serenade, Walt Disney World Railroad, Jungle Cruise,
Carousel of Progress, Mickey's House, Mickey's Starland Show,
Hall of Presidents, Peter Pan's Flight, Haunted House
Epcot - El Rio del Tiempo, Living with the Land, Living Seas,
Journey into Imagination, Impressions de France, O Canada,
American Adventure, IllumiNations, World of Motion,
Wonders of China, Innoventions, Disney Imagineering Labs,
Maelstrom
MGM - Aladdin's Royal Caravan, Beauty and the Beast, Voyage of
the Little Mermaid, Honey I Shrunk The Kids Movie Set
Adventure, Backstage Studio Tour, The Magic of Disney
Animation, Making of the Lion King
Univ - Murder She Wrote, Studio Tram Tour, Fievel's Playland
Jurassic Park Behind the Scenes Exhibit, The Bone Yard
(Flintstones Props), E.T. Adventure
Now here's the list of what Kenneth (2 year old) didn't like at each of
the parks (this list isn't in any particular order):
MK - Pirates of the Caribbean, Diamond Horseshoe Jamboree
Mickey's Hollywood Theatre
Epcot - Cranium Command, Food Rocks, Horizons, The Wonderful World
of Barbie
MGM - Muppet Vision 3D, Monster Sound Show, Indiana Jones Epic
Stunt Spectacular
Univ - The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera, Nickelodeon Studios,
Lucy: A Tribute (just wasn't interested)
One last thing, there was a sign at the Planet Hollywood construction
site that said it was opening in 1994. They still have a lot to do,
so my guess would be not before December if in fact it does open in
1994.
|
| 393.22 | September WDW trip report | STRATA::MAZE | | Sat Oct 22 1994 16:02 | 123 |
|
Disney Trip Sep 20 - Sep 30
This is the the second attempt at Disney in the last year and a half.
The last trip was a disaster due to the kids getting chicken pox during the
first trip. We decided to try again since the previous trip was less than
expected. (Disney note file 334.26)
We had a flight from Boston leaving 7:30 AM on a weekday, so we decided
to get a limo from Nashua to the airport. We went went with Belleys limo
service out of Tyngsboro MA. The limo was great! The driver was the owner
of the business and told us all about his chauffeuring of stars and VIP's.
The drive to the airport was over before we knew it. The flight was a
straight shot on Delta Airlines from Boston to Orlando. The flight was great
and we had plenty of room due to the size of the plane and the few
travelers. After arrival to the airport, we caught the Alimo shuttle to
the main center off property. I said I wouldn't use Alimo again in out last
trip report, but they offered such a great deal we would be foolish to go to
another company. Alimo was running a special, upgrade to a mid size car
and they will place you three levels up to a premium car for free. The
upgrade from a caviler to a Buick Lesabre cost me appx $7.00 a day. We
went for the deal because we were driving 8 hours west to Destin Florida in
the middle of out trip. The car was great and they didn't play the gas game
as last time. Now it is an option to return the car empty while paying
their price for the first full tank.
We arrived a Dixie Landings early, but the room was already available. The
room was small, but was exceptionally clean and had a lot of character to it.
We left immediately and took the Disney bus to Epcot. It was a good time but
we only had 5 hours to see the whole park. The parks all closed at 6 pm
during the off season. There was virtually no line for anything. All
attractions were walk on. Since we have never been to the lands, we decided
to do this side of the park. It was a good time and the whole family
enjoyed this side. We were a little worried with an 8 year old and a 5
year old, but they had just as much fun as we did. We ate once in the park
at the Living Seas. The food was good but the view was incredible. Again
the kids enjoyed the restaurant and was reluctant to get going.
The next day was Magic Kingdom. Nothing new to report here, but the
10,000 leagues was under renovation and shut down. The lines and crowds
were again minimal. The longest wait was 5 minutes for space mountain.
We did notice a large amount of Disney Characters running around. Last time
it seemed they were few and far between. This time they were around every
corner. This meant the characters were not mobbed as before and they were
spending more time with the kids. We got a great picture of Beauty and the
Beast with our two children.
The next day we went to MGM. Had the usual great time, and was able to
see most of the park in one day. The Tower of Terror was excellent. The
ride was OK but the art and workmanship of the building is incredible.
The building (Hotel) was brand new but appeared to be decades old even down to
the dust on all the furniture. The elevator drop was fun but tame. You
could tell it was going to be mild do to all of the characteristic health
warning signs missing. Took the animation tour and was impressed with the
seeing actual movies being made. We wanted to purchase a Lion King cell at
the end of the tour, but changed out mind when we saw the cost.
The next day we went to Universal Studios. They were having a special,
you buy one day and the next day is free before Oct 1. The place was very
crowded and mobbed. The average wait was 30 minutes with some longer. I
was getting tired of the spectacular explosions and fires on every ride.
By the end of the day I had a headache as big a Texas. We thought we would
watch a quiet western Show and relax a bit. Wrong again. We were seated on
the far right of the stadium right next to the building with the explosive
symbol on it. BOOOOM Fire, smoke, and a sonic boom that not only had all
the babies crying, but all of the adults next to the building now
smoldering was getting up one by one and leaving. We never had a chance to
come back and use the next day free. I understand we missed some good
stuff ( Hanna Barbara )
The next day we took a day off from the parks and took the boat from
Dixie Landings to Market Village. My sister came out from Crystal River
Florida to visit that day and wanted to eat at Chef Mickeys. There was
six in our party and figured the odds of getting a table at the last minute
was slim to none. It just happened a table for 6 was reserved and the
people never showed, so the waitress gave us the table. We celebrated my
wife's birthday a couple day early and had a great time. Mickey comes
around often and poses with the children regulary for photographs.
The next four days we went to Destin Florida to visit my parents. We
stayed right on the beach. The coast between Pensacola and Panama
City is called "The Emerald Coast" You have to see it to believe it. The
beach consist of a powder fine "white" sand that looks just like snow and
is actually very soft to walk in. Not a sea shell in sight to cut your
feet. The mid day sun reflects off the white sand under the water and
turns the water emerald green. I was in the Navy six years and have seen a
lot of incredible beaches all over the word, but nothing I have seen
compares to this.
We came back from Destin and stayed in the new Wilderness Lodge. This
place was incredible. The main lobby was spectacular along with the 100
foot geyser and artificial hot springs feeding the swimming pool. The rooms
were small as usual but extremely clean and nice. My kids elected for a
room with bunk beds for them and a Queen bed for us. The kids loved it.
The hotel was busy with a press event going on and a lumberjack contest
covered by ESPN.
Our flight was scheduled to leave Orlando at 7:00 at night so we spent
the day in the Wilderness Lodge swimming pool. Dropped our renal car off
and was waiting for our flight to board. They announced the flight was
overbooked and need people to give up seats. The flight was full of
business people so the seats were not being given up. Then they announced
they will lift all restrictions on the free tickets, so we went for the
deal. We traded in four tickets for the next flight out the next day in
return for four free round trip tickets good for anywhere in the
continental US with no restrictions. The airline put us up in the airport
Radison and flew us out the next morning. We now plan to use the tickets
the same time next year to go back to Disney.
Just some footnotes to trip report:
1. I was hesitant in staying in a Disney hotel because I thought it was a
gimmick and we could do better offsite. But since I have stayed in two
different Disney hotels, I will no longer consider staying anywhere else.
The maid at Dixie Landings took the kids Lion King stuffed animals and
had them arranged so they appeared to be doing things when we were out
visiting the parks. For example; one day we came back to the room and the
stuffed animals were watching TV with the remote control under their paws.
another time they were reading books and magazines with beach towels
wrapped around them.
2. September weather and crowds were great. We will now only go during this
time frame.
3. Pay for the hotel with American Express. The hotel gives you a free
voucher for a portrait with Mickey at the Market place. The portrait is well
done and gives you years of family memories.
4. If you have the time, I recommend visiting the Emerald Coast up in
Floridas panhandle.
|
| 393.23 | November Trip Report | MROA::BOGARDUS | | Tue Dec 06 1994 16:41 | 148 |
| Bruce Bogardus MRO2-4/D6 DTN 297-6820
This notesfile was very helpful to me as I planned my recent Disney
Trip and I wanted to respond with a trip report to possibly help
others.
BOGARDUS FAMILY TRIP REPORT 11/19-11/29/94
My family consists of myself, my wife, and a 16 year old daughter. We
have been to Disneyland many times and in fact used to live in Ocala
many years ago.
We flew from Boston to Orlando on Continental for $199 round trip.
We stayed at the Homewood Suites in Kissimmee for $59/night for the
room which had a separate bedroom, a LR with a pull out queen bed, a
kitchen with refrigerator, microwave, coffee-maker, dishwasher, etc.
The place had a pool, hot tub, laundry, game room, free breakfast
(cereal, muffins, juices, coffee, waffles, etc.), free beer at night.
It is right at the intersection of Interstate 4 and Rte 192 behind the
Hyatt and Ramada. I highly recommend the place if you want to stay off
park. It only took us 5 minutes to get to MGM and 8 to Magic Kingdom.
Ask for a room away from the highway and reference any discount card
you have such as The Magic Kingdom Card or the Orlando Magicard for a
nice discount.
We arrived Saturday PM and after checking into the hotel we went to
EPCOT and got our tickets and pictures taken to save us time in the AM.
We also asked for park guides for Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and MGM as well
as the weekly/monthly Times & Information sheets for each park.
Sunday we went to TMK and they opened the gates at 8:30 and we took the
monorail to TMK and went up mainstreet, made reservations for dinner in
Cinderellas Castle at King Stephans Banquet Hall and then waited for
the
rope drop at 9:00. We hit Splash Mountain and Big Thunder
Mountain Railway twice and were off to other attractions and it was
only 9:50! We took in the Haunted Mansion, the Skyway to Tommorowland
and Space Mountain. By this time the lines were starting to grow so we
switched into cruise mode. Alien Encounters looks all done, but I
couldnt get any information out of any of the staff on soft openings.
The longest line of the day for us was at Fantasyland Theater for the
Lion King Adventure which was pretty good. We did just about
everything, except Mickeys Starland and the Pirates of the Caribbean as
it broke during the day. We had a great dinner at King Stephans Banquet
Hall. The roast beef was wonderful $25 for a kings cut and $22 for a
queens cut. The deserts were also great. Only wish they served wine.
Monday we went to Universal Studios getting there at 8:30. They opened
the gates at 8:45, but we only got to go up the streets a little ways
for their version of the rope drop at 9:00. We went to Back To The
Future and rode it twice, and then to JAWS for a ride. Again, we had
finished the major attractions early; this is the best thing to do.
Later that day, the wait for Back To The Future was 75 minutes!
Earthquake was still closed since September, BUT it opened 11/26 (the
day I flew home). Back to the Future was really good, but if you ride
it too many times youll get motion sick. The E.T. Adventure ride had a
very clever waiting line/area, but the ride was only OK. The Wild,
Wild, Wild West Stunt Show was OK. We skipped the Ghostbusters
Spooktacular as we overheard some folks say it wasnt worth the wait.
We really like the Animal Actors Stage, Kongfrontation, and the Gory
Gruesome & Grotesque Horror Make-Up Show. We also did Beetlejuice
Graveyard Revue (do this at night), Alfred Hitchcock: The Art Of Making
Movies, The Funtastic World Of Hanna-Barbera, Lucy A Tribute, and the
Universal Studio Tours, but they were only OK.
We had lunch at the Cafe La Bamba and it was fantastic! We sat outside
next to the fountain in the 85 degree sun sipping on a margarita and
having a great chicken taco salad. In fact. from 3-5 daily this place
has a 2 for 1 happy hour on beer and frozen drinks.
The Dynamite Nights Stunt Spectacular was really crowded all around the
lagoon, so we left, but we heard that it was a great show.
Tuesday we went to Disney-MGM and got there at 8:45 for the 9:00
opening. We stopped at the Production Info Center for tickets to
Superstar TV, and then made dinner reservations for the Sci-Fi Dine-in
Theater. and then headed for the Twilight Zone Tower Of Terror for 2
quick rides. This was our favorite ride of the vacation. We then went
to Star Tours which was only OK as it is similar to the Back To The
Future Ride at Universal, just not as good. Next we hit Jim Hensons
Muppet Vision 4D and it was great. It was very clever and I had a
great time. The Great Movie Ride, The Monster Sound Show, Inside The
Magic: Special Effects And Production Tour, and The Travels Of The
Little Mermaid were OK to good. We liked the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt
Spectacular, Superstar TV (especially if you get to be chosen, DONT BE
SHY, VOLUNTEER!!), Backstage Studios Tour which includes Catastrophe
Canyon, and the Magic Of Disney Animation were very good. My daughter
was chosen to be part of the Magic Of Disney Animation.
Sid Cahuengas near the entrance is a shop that has a lot of autographs
and poster memorabilia, its an interesting place.
Dinner at the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater was a fun spot, but the food was
only OK.. Another ride on TWZTOT and we were done for the day.
Wednesday we went to Busch Gardens. It is 75 miles from WDW, but the
highway speed limit is 65 and everyone goes 75, so it only took 1 hour
to get there. We have always loved this place as it has so many things
to do.
We got there for the 9:00 opening and went straight to the Congo area
and a couple of rides on Kumba. This is the best roller coaster ride
in the area and makes all the others seem tame. We then hit the Congo
River Rapids and got VERY wet and decided to stay wet by then doing the
Tanganyika Tidal Wave and the Stanley Falls Log Flume. Trust me, you
will get VERY wet on these rides, just watch those people getting off
to see how wet.
We rode The Scorpion, The Phoenix, The Python, and Questor and they
were all good. We walked through the Bird Garden which is beautiful,
skipped the Brewery Tour this year (but did avail ourselves of a free
beer or 2), took the monorail ride over the Serenghetti Plain to look
at all of the animals. This is really great. We finished up with a
walk through the Myombe Reserve to see the apes and other animals up
close. We finished up by browsing through the Nairobi and Moroccan
area shops and catching the show at Das Festhaus.
We had lunch at the Stanleyville Smokehouse and the ribs were great.
Thursday (Thanksgiving Day) we hit EPCOT and boy had the crowds grown.
They only opened the front of the park at 9:00, and didnt open the
World Showcase (the countries) until 11:00 so this screwed up my
pre-arranged schedule for the day. We rushed to make dinner
reservations at the nearest
World Showcase Kiosk for Chefs De France.
We visited almost all of the countries and had a turkey luncheon at the
America Pavilion of course. We were unimpressed with the Living Seas,
but the rest of the place was really fun, especially Cranium Command in
the Wonders Of Life. We wish we had more time for this place and even
with a half day on Friday we didnt get enough.
We had dinner at Chefs De France and it was excellent. Entrees are
$17-25, mostly on the higher side. The Pate En Croute was exceptional
as an appetizer, and the 3 different entrees we had were wonderfully
prepared. Expensive, but worth it. We got a spot to catch the
Illuminations and it was very good.
Friday, we hit Disney-MGM again for the TWZTOT for a couple of rides
and another visit to Jim Hensons Muppet Vision 4D. As it turned out,
we all agreed that MGM was our favorite place, then Busch Gardens, then
Universal, then EPCOT and finally TMK (dont boo too loudly, remember we
used to live in the area and are merely adults). We park hopped to
EPCOT for the afternoon and later to TMK for the parade and fireworks.
What a zoo!!! Mainstreet was packed 10-20 people deep. When the
parade had finished no one could move and there were a lot of very
tired and complaining tourists. The grid lock was so bad that by the
time the fireworks started people were still jam packed and trying to
get out of the place. We hated the crowds for this part and were glad
to be heading home exhausted and well traveled.
I have a couple of park guides available on a first come basis, so if
you read all the way through this trip report you deserve it.
|
| 393.24 | Lund Trip report 9/28 - 10/9 | NOVA::NOVA::LUND | | Sat Dec 10 1994 01:37 | 256 |
|
This was going to be my last trip report as a Digital employee,
but now it's my first trip report as an ex-deccie, as I now work
for Oracle as does the rest of Rdb. So here goes...
9/29, 5am limo picks us up and we are off, with only carry on, we
got down to teh airport without problems and the flight was
on time, landed in Orlando at 10:30 am.
Picked up the car and also Universal tix, free day by 10/2,
so we planned to go to Universal 2 days early in our trip
rather than later.
Headed for WDW via the Greenway (417) paid $2.00 for tolls, and
it was nearly deserted. dumps you straight onto 536 into WDW.
I don;t remember the tolls the otherway thru orlando to I-4,
but the Greenway was a nice drive.
Checked right into CBR, Martinque #26, got a bite to eat at
Old Port Royale. Mugs are now $4.95 plus tax and tip for a total
of $6.03. Teas/coffees are about $1.00 and soda's were about $1.50
so one needs to be drinking about 4 soda's or 6 hot drinks to
make itr worthwhile. So if you're going to be there several days
they still do seem to be reasonable. Since we are only going to
be here a couple of days we only get one. The frig's now have
a sealed tie, so if you don;t want anythin you don;t break the
seal. Did look like it would be easy to open. Looks like they
are preventing people from using them for storing their own stuff
in them.
Headed for MGM, bus came right away (we seem to have good luck
with the buses). Boardwalk sign says summer 1996, lots of
construction going on here. MGM is not busy, wlaked over to
TZTOT, no maybe later int he week we will give it a try.
Superstar Tv is closed for redressing, it's cloudy and overcast,
got some "Tool Time Hats" for a couple of friends, and rode
several rides. Ate in the Brown Derby, MGM closed at 6pm so we
headed over to Epcot. Epoct gets busy each night since the other
two parks are closed at 6 or 7.
9/29 - A bad Hair day.... We went to Universal, got the second
day pass. Good thru 10/6. They were continueing this special
into Nov, and basically you'd get the second day, valid for
any of the next 7 days, which menat we didn't have to come back
to soon. We didn't care much for Universal. Earthquake closed
for a couple of months, Kongfrontation technical difficulties,
went over and did Jaws. Big difference here, is that all the
buildings are togehter and not as much streetmosphere. Plus you
can hear alotof the arrtactions while you are waiting for the
ride.Jaws was ok. Then went to Back to teh future, the ride is
good but very "jerky". we were in the front of the delorean and
banged are knees on the dashoard a lot of times.
Then onto ET. stood in line awhile, technical difficulties, Got on
ET later in the day and then on to Kongfrontation later also,
long waits (1 hr +), plus you could hear alot of kongfrontation
while waiting. They are used to the technical difficulties.. as
most rides are connected and you can ask one ride if another ias
operating. Plus they are used to LONG lines, they have people
selling food to the lines. NOw lines at MK wouldn't be bad if someon
came around and sold you Dole Whip while you waited :^).
Ghostbusters was not worth it, more like a pre-show through-out.
And the studio tour is not worth it as they show you the outside
of alot of close studio buildings and then take you out on the
street and drive on the roads you can walk on. Food and snacks
were also not that great. We stayed for their stunt-spactucular,
on the lagoon, and I don;t think there is any place that you can
really get a good place to see the whole thing. Oh well. Good
thing we have free second day passes. Had things been open
and not down for tech diff, we could have finsihed up in one day
Went and had dinner at the Yacht Galley, very good!
9/30 Up late, checked out and took bus to MK, where we had breakfast
at Tony's, excellent as always! Cinnamon rolls and waffle is
great! Did alot of picture talking as the sky is very clear
and sunny. The park is not crowded, so rode just about everything
we wanted to, including the tea-cups. Stayed till about the
time the park closed, then went over to Coral Isle for dinner.
then went and checked into Cypress Harbor.
This was a VERY nice place, 2 bedroom, whirlpool for 2 in the bedroom,
washer/dryer in the room (reason why we only took carry on), and
a very nice location, near Sea world. A great trade for the extra
week on our trade from Interval International.
10/01 Took a tour of Cypress Harbor for $50 disney dollars. the headed for
Epcot, it's a rainy day and we end up with ponchos, Had to do journey
into imagination and the "food rocks". this was a neat show with
"Peach Boys", "U-ten-sils", "Chubby Cheddar", "Piat Gabriel",
"Neil Mousaka", etc.
Honey I shrunk the Kids replacement for Micheal Jackson was supposed
to open in early November, so it's probably open now. Spaceship
Earth was closed and is supposed to reopen in early december.
Ate lunch in the 9-dragons, had never eaten here, and food was ok,
it was POURING out, so it was a good time to be eating lunch.
Went to Mgm to do some more things, it was really downpouring, and
no end in site, so we headed back to the timeshare.
10/2 Slept in, it was raining out, sort of a veg day. About 2 we
headed for Epcot, made reservations at the Bistro and then went
through the communicores. They were dissapointing. Innoventions
had displsys of rooms and neat gadget that you would see at a
home show down at Hynes auditorium(boston), and then one side
was filled with Sega games. We walked through here, this place
was mobbed, I guess, flying to Florida from NH and paying for
hotel,food, admission, etc to play sega games was not my thing,
I wouldn't be too happy if peopel I ws traveling with camped
out here. There's more to life then video games. Headed out
to listen to voices of liberty and Satn got a cd in the store
in the America's Pavillion. Had an absolutely fabulous dinner
at th Bistro. Everything is always soo good at this restaurant.
I had a salad and Stan had the Fr. Onion Soup, then it was
swordfish (what else Mike), and we splurged for dessert, Stan
had the chocolate souffle and I had the mousse cake. Strolled
around the lagoon after dinner and then headed back for the night.
10/3 - Went to MGM again and did a bunch of rides, there really isn't
much new at any of the parks since DEcember, so we are taking it
easy and doing what we want to do. Still not ready for TZTOT.
Ate at the Sci-fi. Food was ok, they had more choices then when
we were here last time.
Decided to go check out the other new stuff. The All star resorts
really are major tacky. When there were specials to stay at PO,DL,
and CBR at 69/night there was no reason to stay here. However, it
is the lower priced rooms, and is on property, so that counts. I
thought the Music resort would be opening sooner than then early '95,
as it looked well under way.
Looks like something else is being built across from the all star
resorts (more of them???) as there was construction entrances,
construction vehicles going in, but no signs up. There were
barriers so you couldn't see anything.
Blizzard Beach was well under way. The top (like TL has the
ship), is a Down hill ski slope, and you could see all the water
slide tubes circling around it. This is VERY close to All Star,
which would make All Star more appealing if you liked the waterparks.
Oh, in Innoventions (the area between the two communicores) check
out the fiberoptics in the walkways as it gets dark. These are
really neat. Kids were having alot of fun with them. And the
Fountainview is still a great place to get a snack and something to
drink. One of the fiberoptics areas looks like pixie dust.
Spaceship earth - the sign says "Coming in December, a new spaceship
earth presented by AT&T
An incredible journey from the dawn of human communications to the
promise of the information superhighway... and introducing the AT&T
global neighborhood where you can touch the future.."
10/4 - Our second Universal Day, finished up the things we missed like
Murder She wrote, Hitchcock, etc, didn't really repeat any rides,
there wasn't any driving desire to do anythign much a second time.
We ate at teh Hard Rock Cafe, the first time We've eaten in one,
Boy is it noisy! We were off in a corner, good thing.
10/5 - Back to MK, rides, pix, and also caught teh Lion King Show;
this was a very good show, Lunch ate Tony's :^), then headed
back to the timeshare. I vegged, Stan went back to take pictures.
This was the only drawback of being off property. I couldn't just
hop on a bus and go back to the hotel, Stan had to drive me back,
and then head back to Epcot.
10/6 - Construction betwen Poly and Grand Floridian is Disney's
Wedding Pavillion. Mostly moving dirt around at this point, but
it splits the beaches between the GF and Poly. You can't walk from
one to the other. We ate at 1900's Park Fare for Breakfast, and then
I don;t remeber what we did this day, as I didn't write anything
down.
10/7 - checked into teh Wilderness Lodge. Room 5026; there is a
Hidden Mickey on one of the logs out on the balcony of this room,
we got a picture, which means there are probably more Mickey's
carved in the logs. Again, I didn't write much down about this
day. We did head over to the Bistro for dinner again, bet you
can't guess what I had for dinner (especially Mike) :^).
We did have breakfast in the Roaring Whatever it's called restaurant;
For some reason teh name of this place always escapes me, Whispering
Pines, whatever. Anyhow the Breakfast is EXCELLENT, YUM, I would
definetely say my two favorite breakfast places in WDW are Tony's(MK)
and this place!!!!!
10/8 - Early opening at MK, dd space, tescups, carosel, wildtoad,
small world, BTMRR (twice), etc, then went to Tony's for another
breakfast. Excellent! We had the hardest time trying not to laugh
out loud at the people sitting next to us. It's 10:30am, they had
not made it past Tony's and they were going to do everything, now
are space mountain and thunder mountain different rides, yes, but
their right next to each other. And isn't thunder mountain the new
ride. Aren't all three over there right next to The Pirates of the
Caribbean. They had no clue. Oh well, it was really funny listening
to their conversation. They had some small kids with them, I wonder
if they ever found Mickeys Star land or Fantasy Land, they were
probably still trying to find Space Mountain over near Pirates.
Oh well. While in MK we decide to take the tour of the Vacation
Club. mostly because in our room in Wilderness Lodge was an
invitation for a $50 dining certificate, to be used on Disney Property.
They were very nice, and would be very tempting, if we didn't already
own two weeks. Anyhow it was nice to see what they were like. They
picked us up at MK and dropped us off at Wilderness Lodge. There was
a very serious accident on the road that comes through disney property
by fort wilderness over towards marketplace, so this road was
closed off, and the car returning us to Wilderness Lodge had to go
around and go thru the MK entrance gate, everything was backed up
and you coudl seeint eh distance down that road a number of fire
engines, tow trucks, ambulances, etc, never heard what happened.
Back to W.Lodge, and I rented a sprite, while Stan vegged. I had it
for an hr. and went all over the place. Then we used the certificate
to eat at Whispering Canyon(is that the name), we got all the meats,
since we wanted to use up this certificate, and I have to say, you
really need to be a meat lover to get this, we barely touched most
of the meat, except the chicken, and one other. We asked for extra
veggies, anyhow it was Excellent; We borrowed one of the water pistols,
and had some funn....
10/9 -Time to check out and head home, took the greenway back,
and tried to get bumped as we were out of free air tix, but not this
time. Had two more people shown up for the flight we would have as we
we the first on the bump list. Oh well. Uneventful flight home.
Overall, we had originnaly thought we would stay at the all Star
for the first two nights, but based on the comments about this resort
and the $69 special at CBR, we didn't, a visit was enough. We'd been
in DEc '93 so very few things were new (Lion King and TXTOT, and no
we never did TZTOT). We have had a very stressful year and decided
to comeback to WDW, because we wanted to use the very air tix (had to
by 10/24) and the timeshare. So we could have gone anywhere in the
continental us. but if we went somewhere we'd never been (both of
us love to take pix), we would have "had" to do alot fo exploring
and we'd have been out every day. Going back to WDW, with Annual
passports that we had already gotten 12 days out of, was an extra,
we went with our goal as taking our time, enjoying our selves without
having to do anything. Our have to do list consisted of going to
Universal, eating at Bistro and staying at Wilderness Lodge, so
it was a nice relaxing time. We really had lots of time to veg.
We had not planned to tour either Marriott or the Vacation Club,
but with Disney dollars as the incentive, why not. Neither was
high pressure, and since we already owned we were able to skip by
alot of their presentations.
Now I've got to think about renewing the annual passports, don;t
know when we will go back again. Since we have other plans for '95
it probably won;t be until '96. By then there will be plenty of things
for us to see and do. Now the question is to I get the Annual Passport
renewed or the Premium passport?
Till next time, whenever that will be...
|
| 393.25 | Gibson Family Trip Report | MAGEE::GIBSON | | Mon Dec 12 1994 19:10 | 405 |
| Who: Husband Peter and myself
When: November 12 to 19, 1994
Where: Beach Club two nights, Wilderness Lodge five nights
How: Delta airlines. Not the best fare, but it wasn't bad, either
We were at WDW off season, so the parks were closing early every night. We also
were there when Orlando received the fringe storms from tropical storm Gordon as
it travelled to the Gulf of Mexico and also when Gordon passed directly over
the area. Between the early closing and the weather we spent more time at the
hotel than we would during a normal vacation.
Saturday, November 12, 1994
---------------------------
Our plane left Boston's Logan airport on time and arrived in Orlando fifteen
minutes early. Baggage claim and rental car pickup were uneventful -- some-
thing had to go wrong! Sure enough, we tried to use the new Route 417 to
WDW and somehow got onto it headed in the wrong direction. The map provided by
Dollar Car Rental was very poor so, by the time we figured out that we
weren't getting closer to WDW, we were in Lake Mary in the vicinity of exit
50 on I4. Your humble navigator heard about the error from there to exit 26
and the Beach Club. We arrived there approximately 1:30PM instead of the
projected 11:30AM. We did see new parts of Orlando and had a point of
reference for the later flooding and damage of tropical storm Gordon.
Our room wasn't ready yet, so we surveyed the pool area and had a hot dog
at Hurricane Hanna's. One thing we noticed immediately: We were the only people
in jeans in the entire place. Not even little kids were wearing them. Peter has
to wear suits every day, so he wears either suits or jeans. There is very little
else in his wardrobe. If he can't feel appropriately dressed in his jeans he
doesn't have a good time. I started getting vibes right away.
We took the boat to MGM and had our pictures taken for our Annual Passports,
then checked out Sunset Boulevard. We watched the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
for a while. What would have been the doors from the elevator to the missing
wing open as the car goes up the shaft. The car is visible as it rapidly travels
past the closing doors during the big drop. Those cars really move!! Since I
had very recently had lunch I decided to wait to ride another time. We went
into the shops and walked around for a while, then took the boat back to the
hotel.
Our room, #3608, was ready, so we went upstairs and unpacked. The room was on
the third floor of the hotel facing the main entrance. We were in the corner
where one of the wings joins the main building. It was more spacious than the
usual room in CBR, DL, or PO, and had a good-sized closet with sliding louvered
doors. A small, almost lingerie-sized, chest fit into an alcove beside the
closet. The toilet/tub room was no larger than that at the less expensive
hotels, but the dressing/sink area was much larger and nicer. The sinks were in
a marble vanity top, there was a large oval mirror behind the sinks, and the
built-in make-up mirror was a nice touch. I also enjoyed the supplemental TV
speaker in the dressing area while getting ready to leave in the morning.
The king-sized bed had a night stand on either side of it and lamps mounted
above the stands. This was much nicer than the glaring lights over the bed
in DL. If one person wanted to read the other wasn't kept up by the light
shining into the eyes. The armoire was larger than that at the other hotels,
but a substantial part of it contained the mini-bar. A small round table had a
checker board on the top and two chairs along side. A single daybed completed
the room furnishings.
We took the car down to the Crossroads Shopping Center to pick up some fresh
fruit and snacks, things we like to keep in the room, then had dinner at
TGIFriday's. Our return was the second time we really felt uncomfortable at the
Beach Club. We parked our own car and walked up to the front door with each of
us carrying a plastic grocery bag by the handles. I stopped at the valet desk
to pick up a copy of the property map. The attendant looked at us like we had
three heads because we were carrying bags into the hotel. I can imagine what
the maid thought when she found my Pepsi's in ice in the sink!
We had not slept well the night before, so we went to bed early and watched
TV for the rest of the evening.
Sunday, November 13, 1994
-------------------------
We slept late, had some fruit and pastry in the room, then decided to go to
the Magic Kingdom for the day. Tropical storm Gordon was heading for Florida
and rain was predicted for most of the balance of the week. We wanted to do
the things that would not be as much fun in the rain. The sky was partly
cloudy and there were periodic showers during the day. Although the rain
was heavy when it happened, the showers didn't last very long. It was
possible to just crouch in a doorway and wait for the rain to stop.
We took the Beach Club bus to the Magic Kingdom and arrived approximately
10:30AM. There were still seats available for the 5:00 show of the Diamond
Horseshoe Jamboree so we made reservations. Then we were off, heading straight
for Frontierland and Splash Mountain. Peter waited on a bench reading while I
rode. A young couple behind me in line were obviously on their first trip to
WDW (where does the train go?) and were very concerned about the ride. I saw
them afterwards and they both seemed to have enjoy it. Then a quick trip on
Thunder Mountain Railroad. We had never spent much time in Tomorrowland so we
walked through Fantasyland to check the status of Alien Encounter.
This was the weekend and week before Thanksgiving so we did not expect very
many school-age children to be in the parks. Of course, I had forgotten that
it was a long weekend for Veterans Day for many people. Between home schooling
and parents taking kids out of school there were still a fair number of the
eight-to-twelve group. Most kids, though, were preschoolers and they all were
in Fantasyland that morning. If the Skyway had been open we would have taken
it rather than walk.
The outside of Alien Encounter looks complete but the attraction was not
open yet. Bummer! We rode the WEDway People Mover for the first time. Space
Mountain was closed for the day, so all the lights were on when the vehicle
went through that building. Seeing it made me even more certain that it was
not a ride for me! We rode Dream Flight for the first time and enjoyed
recognizing appliances from our youth in the early scenes. We walked back
to Town Square to wait for the Mickey Mania parade.
The parade was much different from anything else that I have seen at WDW. It
seems to be aimed at the MTV generation with rap-style music. By the time the
parade was over we were hungry and decided to have an early dinner at Wilderness
Lodge.
Disney has made some changes to the bus transportation. Our bus from the Beach
Club had stopped at the old terminal between the Contemporary Resort and
the entrance to the Magic Kingdom. When we had arrived we noticed that many of
the stops were no longer labelled. There was no bus there for Wilderness Lodge.
We asked a bus driver and found that the bus to that resort was only
accessible from the TTC. Later investigation showed that resorts with
alternative transportation (boat or monorail) to the Magic Kingdom had buses
which only stopped at TTC. Others stopped at the main gate. When guests were
told to go to the MK to change buses to other resorts the missing piece was
that they might have to take a trip over Seven Seas Lagoon to make the
connection.
My husband immediately fell in love with Wilderness Lodge! The warm, casual
atmosphere was more our style. We found that they had a room, although with
two beds instead of a king, available from the next day to the end of our trip.
We made arrangements to move the next afternoon. Then we had a delightful
dinner in the Whispering Canyon Cafe.
After dinner we did the cross-the-lagoon bit to get back to the Beach Club by
bus. We took care of the details of the move with the front desk, then went
upstairs to pack everything that had only been unpacked about 20 hours.
Monday, November 14, 1994
-------------------------
We were going to go to Cape Canaveral to watch the shuttle land, but the
landing was changed to California due to the weather. When we heard that on TV
we went back to sleep, slept late, then enjoyed the character breakfast at
the Cape May Cafe. Admiral Goofy and Chip and Dale visited every table,
children or not, and really interacted with the guests. We enjoyed light, airy
atmosphere of the restaurant and the excellent selection of fruit, pastry, and
hot and cold breakfast dishes which were offered buffet style.
After breakfast we walked to the International Gateway of Epcot to go
Innoventions. There are now two different opening times for the different
parts of Epcot. Future World opened at 9:00AM, while the World Showcase didn't
open until 11:00AM. One of the double-decker buses was parked at the gateway.
We were escorted firmly to the bus and driven to the entrance to Future World.
At this point it had not yet begum to rain, but the sky was totally overcast
and it was only a matter of time before the heavens opened up.
Innoventions could have been interesting, but it was very busy and very noisy.
We walked through the exhibits and stopped to watch the film by Bill Nye the
Science Guy. Then we watched the demonstration in the Imagineering Laboratory.
We were not chosen to ride the magic carpet. It seemed to be harder than
first imagined; only one of the four "pilots" found the other side of the coin.
After Innoventions we rode Imagination (Figment is one of my favorite
characters) and played with some of the other exhibits in Image Works. It was
about time to head over to Wilderness Lodge, so we walked back to the Beach
Club to get our car.
On the way to Wilderness Lodge we saw the signs for the All-Star Resorts and
decided to check them out. My opinions can be found in the All-Star note. We
went by the semi-completed Blizzard Beach. The mountain is starting to look like
a mountain, and many of the slides are assembled around it. A sign says that it
is scheduled to open next summer.
Contrary to advice in this file, we didn't escort our own luggage over to the
new hotel. MAJOR MISTAKE!!! The bellman at the Beach Club picked up the bags
at approximately 10:00AM. He told us they would probably be going right over
to Wilderness Lodge, but he didn't have to promise to have them there until
3:00PM. We arrived at Wilderness Lodge at 1:30PM. Our room was ready but the
luggage had not arrived. The bellman there said to call back after 3:00, so we
did some exploring. We were in the lobby at 3:15, so stopped by the bell desk
to check on the bags. The bellman was gone a long time, and, when he came back,
said that they had just left the Beach Club, were on the road, and would be
there in 30 minutes. He would call our room. We would probably not be in the
room, so he would leave a message on our voicemail. One hour later we were back
in the room -- no bags and no message. My husband called the bell desk and
inquired about the bags. The bellman said he would call us back. He didn't.
Thirty minutes later I marched on the bell desk. It seems the bags were still
at the Beach Club; they had never been on the road at all. After listening to
my displeasure the bell captain personally drove to the Beach Club and brought
the bags back; I waited with my book resting on the bell desk until he
returned. Moral to the story: ALWAYS TAKE YOUR OWN BAGS. DO NOT DEPEND UPON WDW
TO TRANSFER THEM FOR YOU. We have learned the hard way.
We unpacked, changed, and took the bus to Pleasure Island to have dinner at
the Fireworks Factory, one of my husband's favorite places to eat at WDW. He
was disappointed that they no longer have the barbecued beans as a side dish.
I had some sort of shishkebob, and Peter had a three-meat barbecue dinner. It
was different from the meats served at Wilderness Lodge and he enjoyed it very
much. I liked my meal as well. Although they were not to my taste, the
Horseradish Mashed Potatoes were a change of pace from the usual bland variety.
Both the Village Marketplace and Pleasure Island have new, improved bus stands
for WDW guest transportation. Instead of approaching the Village by going past
Pleasure Island and across the front of the Marketplace, the buses went around
the back of the Village Resorts and approached the Marketplace from the other
side. The new Marketplace bus stands are at the distant end of the parking lot.
The Pleasure Island ones are more toward the street, running parallel to it.
As at the theme parks, each resort has a permanent place for the bus to pick
up and drop off passengers, and there is shelter fron the elements.
By the time we finished dinner the sky was black (both dark and storm) and
there was a heavy drizzle. The temperature had also fallen; it was the only
time that we needed to wear a jacket for the entire trip. We got back to the
room, finished unpacking, and watched our favorite Monday night TV shows
interrupted by warnings of the impending storm.
Tuesday, November 15, 1994
--------------------------
The sky was totally overcast and the rain, although not continuous, was bad
enough to require wearing ponchos. The temperature had risen a bit from the
previous night.
I decided that this was it; this morning before breakfast I was riding the
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. I took some Dramamine as a preventive measure
and we headed off to MGM. Peter had some fruit and juice in the farmer's market
while I tentatively approached the spooky building. The line was short --
just outside the doors to the hotel. I was very nervous, and Rod Serling's intro
only made matters worse. There was space for one in one of the elevators, so I
was able to ride three groups earlier than anticipated. I was seated beside
the person in the seat belt; he had specifically asked for that seat. Mike's
description is very good. It was over so fast that I didn't have time to get
sick as feared. The undertaker-type clerks in the gift shop add to the mood.
We had breakfast at Starring Rolls, then walked around the park. We rode Star
Tours and saw the Muppets 4-D. We watched Streetmosphere for a while and I
toured most of the shops.
We went back to the hotel for a while until we decided what else to do. While
Peter took a nap I explored the hotel and took lots of pictures of the grounds
and interior of the hotel. The geiser must have known I was coming because it
erupted just as I reached the fence beside it. Luckily all of the spray blew
to the other side and the front.
We finally decided to follow Mike's advice and have dinner at Mama Melrose's in
MGM. I had one of the specialty pizza's and Peter had the sausage sandwich. We
shared a serving of the fried ravioli. The food was delicious! We even indulged
in dessert. I had the brownie sundae and Peter had the spumoni. Both were very
good, but I couldn't finish mine. If only ice cream didn't melt in a doggie bag!
After dinner we just went back to the hotel to relax, read, and watch TV.
Wednesday, November 16, 1994
----------------------------
We awoke to the fury of tropical storm Gordon. There was a driving rain and
it looked completely miserable outside. Even ponchos weren't going to do much
good in this downpour. We had breakfast at the Whispering Canyon Cafe. Peter had
the scrambled eggs and I had waffles. We had slept late due to the weather, so
the wait staff was not at full strength. Our waitress probably had too many
tables to handle, but the service was not up to par. It took a long time for
her to come to the table in the beginning and, later, she took an order for
additional bacon and totally forgot it. Probably the weather altered guests'
plans for the day.
We spent the day hanging around the lobby people watching and reading. By late
afternoon we had cabin fever and had to get out of there. We went to the
movies and saw "Pulp Fiction". With popcorn in the theatre we didn't need any
dinner, so went back to the hotel to finish our books from earlier in the day.
Thursday, November 17, 1994
---------------------------
The skies were still overcast with occasional showers but the weather was vastly
improved over the day before. The news showed areas of Orlando where we had been
lost totally flooded out and several sinkholes appeared in the streets. Disney
was oblivious to it all.
We had breakfast at Artist Point in Wilderness Lodge. This is a character
breakfast. There were Chip, Dale, Goofy, and Pluto making the rounds of the
tables. As the day before in Whipering Canyon, the wait staff was overwhelmed
by the number of tables to serve at that hour. It took three requests for a
glass of milk. We did receive our additional bacon this morning, but the wait
was excessive. I guess the moral to our story is get to breakfast early at
Wilderness Lodge if you want attentive service.
Peter wanted to finish his book and I wanted to gather some maps and schedules
to bring back, so he sat in the lobby reading while I went to MK and Epcot.
I stopped at Epcot only long enough to grab some maps, then took the monorail
to MK. I visited most of the shops on Main Street USA, then picked up some maps
and took the monorail to the Contemporary Resort. After looking around a bit
I went to the TTC to get the bus to Wilderness Lodge.
I had decided that today was to be my second ride on TZTOT. Peter still wouldn't
even do the pre-show. He said that he would feel pressure to ride if he got as
far as the elevator. I left him on a bench outside the Beauty and the Beast
theatre and walked up to the ride. This time the line was much longer. I
brought my camera and took pictures around the grounds and inside the lobby of
the Hollywood Tower Hotel. Despite the warning not to take any pictures my
camera just happened to go off at the top of the elevator behind the hotel
sign, and I have a picture of the view from the top. Surprisingly, the second
ride was worse than the first! I was terrified during the first ride and it
wasn't as bad as I had expected. The second time I wasn't afraid and the drop
was faster and longer than I had remembered.
After the ride, as usual, we watched the Streetmosphere. We were trying to
decide what to do for dinner. We hadn't been back to Port Orleans for beignets
yet, so that sounded like a good idea.
When we got to Port Orleans we couldn't decide on anything on the menu, so
we walked over to Dixie Landings. We ate in Boatwright's Dining Hall and had
two very attentive waiters. One was in training and would be on his own for the
first time for the Thanksgiving crowd. I think we both had prime rib and it was
delicious.
After dinner we walked back to Port Orleans, but I was too full to have any
beignets. They aren't the same if the aren't warm and fresh from the fryer!
We took the bus, through multiple transfers, back to Wilderness Lodge to watch
our favorite Thursday night TV shows.
Friday, November 18, 1994
--------------------------
Finally, sun predicted by afternoon! We went to MGM again and I rode TZTOT
before breakfast. Again we had pastry at Starring Rolls. Then we decided to
take advantage of the weather and sit around the pool for the afternoon.
By dinner we were hungry for Italian food again, so went back to Mama Melrose's.
Peter had the all-you-could-eat pasta while I enjoyed another specialty pizza.
I had an order of fried ravioli and he had prosciutto and melon. This time we
skipped desert.
On the way out of the studio we stopped at Sid Cahuenga's and found some movie
mementos for Christmas gifts. I was tempted by an autographed picture of Scott
Bakula but passed for the time being. Maybe I'll call Disney merchandise to see
if it is still there!
After dinner we took the bus to Disney Village Marketplace. If you pay for your
room with the American Express Card you receive a free fanny pack and a free
portrait with Mickey. We had our portrait taken and it came out surprisingly
good! You recieve one 8x10, two 4x6's, and four wallets. They are produced on
Macintosh systems and color laser printers. Peter was uncomfortable among the
family groups until another group of just adults arrived behind us for their
portrait. The woman looked like a Deccie I knew from MKO!
After our portrait we had to go back to the hotel to pack. We managed to pick
up a lot of stuff that had to be crammed into those suitcases! It was a good
thing that we had locks on the zippers of the soft-sided luggage -- it was
bulging!
Saturday, November 19, 1994
---------------------------
We got up and got dressed and finished packing the last minute items. We kept
a bag with swim suits to be able to use the pool later, then checked out and
checked our bags. The plan was to have breakfast at the Magic Kingdom. By the
time we arrived breakfast was over and lunch was underway. We looked in vain for
a simple hot dog stand, then passed the Liberty Tree Tavern. The smell of
roasting turkey was overpowering! Unable to resist, we had a turkey dinner for
breakfast and thoroughly enjoyed it!
After we at we walked through Fantasyland and took the train once around the
park. We walked through Tomorrowland to check on Alien Encounter again, but it
still wasn't open. We bought some pastry in the bakery on Main Street USA, then
headed back to the pool at Wilderness Lodge.
Our plane was leaving Orlando at 7:30 PM, but we left for the airport around
4:30. After our earlier experience getting lost we wanted to allow plenty of
time to find our way. We took the old Beeline route with no problems.
Again, car return, check-in, the flight, baggage claim, and the drive home were
uneventful. We were in our own house by 11:30PM.
Summary
-------
We had a good, restful trip, which was our goal. Peter said he didn't feel
like he was at Disney when he was at Wilderness Lodge. Just hanging around there
made him happy. The weather didn't bother us much. It was easier to justify
hanging around instead of going out and doing something. We might have gone to
Typhoon Lagoon if it had been better, but we can do Blizzard Beach the next
trip.
I was disappointed by what I perceived as pretentiousness at the Beach Club. A
friend just returned from a business trip to the Yacht Club and felt the same
way. We were disappointed that Alien Encounter didn't open while we were there.
If it had it would have been OK to skip WDW for a while. It will be harder once
we start hearing reports about the new ride.
Next scheduled trip: probably 1996, unless something unexpected comes along.
|
| 393.26 | Honeymoon, Take II | AIMHI::GIARROSSO | | Tue Dec 27 1994 17:07 | 110 |
| Giarrosso Trip Report
Who: Myself, and Husband Tom
When: November 26-December 3rd
Where:1 night at Wilderness Lodge, 6 nights (via Jolly Holidays
Package) at the Grand Floridian
This trip will be for our 1st anniversary. We went last year for our
honeymoon, and had a mostly miserable time due to me having pneumonia.
We were determined, now that I was healthy, to make up for that.
Day 1:
Arrived in Orlando around 11:30 am, and picked up our rental car
at Hertz (56.99/week) and received a free upgrade to the new Ford
Contour. Great Car;we're actually thinking of buying one now...
and head straight to Universal Studios. We always have to visit
Universal because my husband is in TV, and he knows the people that
built the Back to the Future Ride (he actually rode the prototype in
western MA when they were building it)
Universal was crowded and HOT, it was the last day of the
Thanksgiving busy week. We did get the buy-one-get-one day free which
worked out to our advantage. We didn't do much, but made a point of
doing JAWS (my favorite). It was a good thing.. they took the ride
down for repairs the next day for a week!
We then headed to the Wilderness Lodge, it was unbelievable! We
got in our room, and we noticed the bed looked funny, like the foot of
the bed was 8 inches higher than the head.. we called engineering, and
it turned out the bed slats were bowed, pretty badly at that...and
would take awhile to fix. So they arranged for us to have dinner for
free at anyone of the restaurants while they fixed the bed. We picked
the Whispering Canyons Cafe... Tom loved it, It was a bit too much meat
for me.
After dinner, we went back and the bed was fixed, and we watched TV
for about an hour, and got our second wind.. so we walked around the
grounds and the hotel, saw the geyser go off, and the Electric Water
Parade, and sat in every rocking chair in the hotel. By now it was 10
pm and decided to make our way to the GF to see if they assigned our
room. We took the bus to the TTC, and did the monorail to the GF.
We asked the man at the desk about our room, and they don't assign
until tomorrow morning, but he made some calls and got up a free
upgraded view and room. He said just come by tomorrow and sign in.
We were very happy, and very tired, and slept very well.
Sunday morning we had breakfase at Whispering Canyons, my favorite
meal while we were down there. We checked out and had bell services
move our luggage. Contrary to Linda Gibson, we had no problem with
this, and used them everytime we moved our luggage. When they assigned
us the new room at the GF, they didn't give us one in a non-smoking
building. We were in our room for about 1/2 hour when I couldn't
breath anymore. I called to the front desk, and asked if we could
move. They sent us to a non-smoking building, with a better view
still, and a better room, with cathedral ceilings, everything. From
our balcony, if you looked left, you could see the castle, and
tomorrowland...straight ahead was the WL, and to the right was the
Poly. We got some great panoramic shots from here. For the rest of
the afternoon, we wandered around the Magic Kingdom.
It was our official anniversary, and made reservations at Flagler's
This was our favorite meal of last year, and wanted to re-capture that
day....didn't happen. We got a rude waiter, the food wasn't good, and
was more expensive than last year. The low point of our trip.
The rest of the week, we park-hopped, and Wendesday, we did the
Jolly Holidays Dinner Show at the CR. This was penance for the great
rate we got for the package, I'm sure. We were a couple seated at a
table for 10 with 2 families with little children. No one was
comfortable. The show was good, the food wasn't. Tom got into it
from a technical standpoint. He was amazed of the sound systems, and
logistics of the production itself. I just wanted to go back to the
room.
Thursday we went back to Universal. We did all the rides we missed
Saturday due to the crowds, but JAWS was down, and I was really glad we
made a point of seeing it last time. On the way back from US, we
stopped at MGM and did the TZTOT 10 minutes before the park closed.
I agree with everyone who has ridden it.
The plan was to drive to Beaches and Cream for dinner, and then
catch the holiday Illuminations at EPCOT. Well, yours truly lost the
travelers checks somewhere in the Beach Club, and delayed us getting to
EPCOT until my nervous breakdown was over. (The head of Beach Club
security ended up delivering the missing items to the front desk at the
GF). Illuminations was better than usual, but had I missed it, I
wouldn't have been too upset.
Every night after dinner, we would go back to the GF and put on
our big fluffy robes, and go swimming until the wee hours of the
morning. It was GREAT. It gave Tom and I a chance to plan our day
ahead, and reflect the day behind us. We also got the pool to ourself!
The staff at Gasparilla's Grill got to know us pretty well. We would
usually find ourselves in there about 2 am after swimming for a snack,
and they would find great desserts for us from the other restaurants.
Our favorite was bread pudding with vanilla bean sauce.
It's hard for me to talk about our days in the park, because it
seems that everything has been said in the last few trip reports.
Alien Encounter was still not open. TZTOT was cool. Innoventions was
crowded and full of kids. Bur our trip was unique in that the theme
was "two steps forward, one step back". Someting usually happened
everyday that annoyed us, but people made up for it 10 fold.
The first night at the Wilderness Lodge, we were send a cheese and
wine basket for our anniversary. AT the GF, we received champagne and
a long stem rose. At almost every dinner we had, we received an
anniversary cake. We truly felt pampered.
This trip really made us feel we had left reality behind. And it
was exactly what we needed. I'm sure I left a lot out of this report,
but I remember more of feeling special, and pampered, and like we took
a vacation from being ourselves, than certain events of certain days.
And I think that's what it's all about.
Christine
(aughh I wanna go baaaack...Watching the Mickey's Very Merry Christmas
Parade was torture!)
|
| 393.27 | mini trip report | NODEX::MMCKENNA | | Tue Jan 03 1995 18:17 | 71 |
| WHO: McKenna family
when: Dec 17-21
where: CBR
how: American Trans Air (great trip on a L1011 (362 seats with only
162 people on the way down and 62 on the way back!)
Well, we were originally scheduled to go to WDW over Christmas. But
Plans changed and we went From Dec 17th - Dec 21st.
Our goal this trip was to watch our 2 year old and 2 month old granddaughters
enjoy Mickey and WDW for the first time AND for us to see anything new
from the last time we were there. I don't have the time to go into details,
but I will provide some of the highlights.
Alien Encounter was doing a "soft" opening only some days. My kids came
back to the hotel one night RAVING about it. The next day, we were in the
MK and asked at the Alien Encounter queuing area when it would be open
again. They said the next day. (they actually told us, and it was)
My kids had no information about the ride, and I think this helped. The
less you know about it, the better. I would definitely recommend it.
Tomorrow land is looking much better.
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. I was determined to try this at least once.
I did, exactly ONCE. I won't do it again. I'm not one of those people
that likes that falling feeling. I found it truly terrifying. Great special
affects though, I'm glad I gave it a try.
Honey I shrunk the Audience - I LOVED this! Again, to say more would spoil
the affect. This is a MUST see!
Lion King Adventure - Enjoyed this, but not as good as the little mermaid.
Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Parade (think this was the name) - This parade
was enjoyed by all. Colors, costumes, characters, all top notch.
Aladdin Character Breakfast - Food was good, service was NOT. The only thing
that saved this breakfast was seeing Aladdin and Jasmine. They were especially
attentive with the 2 month old. I have it on video and it was quite clear that
they enjoy babies. Caitlin was smiling the whole time they played with her.
Jolly Holiday Dinner Show - This was a VERY big production. (also very load)
This was the only thing that we had to take Caitlin (2 month old) out of.
It terrified her, too loud. She sat through haunted mansion, lion king,
etc, with no problems, but this show was way too loud. Allison (2 year
old) loved it. Show was really quite good and put you in the holiday mood.
The food though, was INCREDIBLY bad. Can you say boxed mashed potatoes?
One good thing. The manager noticed my daughter and son taking turns sitting
in the lobby with the baby, and asked why. They were then offered two more
tickets for another night if they could come back and enjoy the show without
the baby. I thought this was a nice offer. The manager said "It's too
expensive an evening, at $56.00 a ticket, not to be able to see the show."
( I agree!)
The decorations in the parks are BEAUTIFUL!
Bad points:
- service seemed to be lacking.(every time we went to a counter service
area it was at LEAST a 30 minute wait. (don't know if this is the norm
because we've always been on the gold key package and never used counter
service much. But I thought this to be excessive.)
- we had the cast-member from h**l check us in
- Hotel room looked like it needed some repair (Caribbean beach)
- we had a corner room and the stairs at the opposite end of the building
were roped off for some reason. So it seemed like everyone on the second
floor STOMPED by our room to get to the stairs.
- rude people (guests) who were definitely NOT in the Holiday spirit
|
| 393.28 | Abrams Trip 10/94 | FPTWS1::ABRAMS | Curl up with a good CD-ROM | Thu Jan 05 1995 13:30 | 469 |
| Trip Report for Bill & Diane Abrams, October 1994
Thought I should get this note in before I leave again a little over a week
from now!
Who: Bill & Diane Abrams
From: Rochester, NY
How: USAir Frequent Flier Tickets, Hertz Car ($120)
Where:
Thu 10/13 - Sun 10/16 at Ramada Maingate on the Parkway
($45/night, Entertainment Book price)
Sun 10/16 - Fri 10/21 at Disney's Vacation Club
($1800 Package includes Hotel, Admissions for
6 days, and Food 'n Fun which includes
Breakfast, Dinner up to $60, and watercraft.)
Fri 10/21 - Sun 10/23 at Tampa's Colonial Inn, near Busch Gardens
Previous Visits
6/78 (myself), 4/82 (myself), 9/84, 10/85, 4/86, 3/88, 9/90 (at CR), 2
/92 (myself), 9/92 (at BC), 9/93 (at BC), 1/94 (at CR with my sister & nephew)
Future Visits
in one week with my Brother
1996 ?
The 25th Anniversary in 1997
The Plan
--------
We put a couple days on the front outside of WDW so we could finally go see
Universal and maybe Sea World. The extra days at the end in Tampa were
because we could get frequent flier seats to go home from Tampa but not
Orlando. There is no drop off charge in Florida for the car, so we added
a day to include Busch Gardens, too.
Our trip down was uneventful, and the car was reserved with Hertz Express
so we were on our way quickly. We took the southern Airport exit to the
Greenway and were in the tourism area in minutes.
The Pre-WDW Show
----------------
After considering admissions and discounts, we decided SeaWorld was just too
expensive and since there were rumors that Universal was still doing 2nd day
free, we went there. We got $6 off each for showing our USair boarding passes
and frequent flier cards, and the second day free. Good deal!
We drank in Universal -- the scenery, facades, characters, and "streetmos-
phere" was superb. We ran into long waits for Kongfrontation and Back to the
Future, but low crowds kept all other waits short or walk-on. We didn't
wait on the Kong line, we went straight to the back of the park the next
morning and walked on.
Our Evaluations
Back to the Future: Big, Bad, Best. Amazing. I bought a mug with the
DeLorean cruising past a dinosaur. You have to
experience it to understand.
KongFrontation: Good effects, but too few of them and too short a ride
to wait longer than 20 minutes.
Murder She Wrote: Pretty good for an acted out multi-theatre attraction.
I actually learned a bit about TV production.
Hanna-Barbera: Clever, fun trip back in time for cartoon junkies, wait
was waaaaaay tooooooo loooong.
Jaws: We got in line behind a family with two children about 4 or 5 years
old. The girl was out of control the whole wait, and the parents
did nothing. She terrorized everyone around, bumping into us, shouting,
running around, and everyone except her parents wanted to grab her and
toss her in the lake. We endured, and finally were loaded on a boat.
The sharks effects are a little cheesey, but the story, storyteller,
music, and scenery more than make up for it -- this ride is full
of fear and suspense. And when Jaws appears, small girls who were
bad in line SCREAM BLOODY MURDER and have to be held down physically to
keep them from jumping in the lake anyway!!!!!!
ET: The Green Planet: A pleasant ride. A little too much like It's a Small
World meets ET. The waiting area is dark and a little bit scary for small
kids.
Animal Actors Show: The best show of its kind anywhere. Don't miss it
if you like animals!
Stunt Show: They tried to make us believe that good viewing was all around
the lake, and we picked an open area at the end closer to the entrance.
In fact, nearly ALL the action is at the "Jaws" end of the lake, and
we saw almost nothing. There was a LOT of grumbling from the people
at our end of the lake.
Food Service: An impressive selection of restaurants and food types. They
blend in with the themes and scenery well. I especially like the soda
fountain!
Overall: The park seems worth the admission price, even if you don't get
a second day free. Too few big attractions causes big lines. I
expect the expansion plans will begin to correct this.
We had dinner at the Crab House (off Palm Parkway in Lake Buena Vista). I
had the Crab Combo, Diane had Prime Rib and Shrimp. The bill was $63.
This is a really good seafood restaurant!
We also ate at the Boston Lobster Feast, located in the plaza at the corner
of US441 and Sand Lake Road outside of the Florida Mall. I know it's not
as good as a seaside Lobster shack on the road to Maine, but, for someone
from Upstate New York it was a good deal. As much lobster as I could stuff
down for the early bird price of around $20.
Saturday night we net our friends Lou and Sharon at Old Town on US192 about
3 miles East of I-4. THey hold a classic car rally and cruise each Saturday.
Went back to our hotel to get a drink, but were driven out by a pathetic
karaoke lounge singer who couldn't get much audience participation.
The Hotel: Ramada Maingate East at the Parkway
We've stayed here before. We like its convenient location, traffic light to get
onto US192, and the facilities and rooms are superior class for a low price.
We also got excellent services from the Hotel's General Manager, and Security
Director. More on that......later.
We spent Thursday and Friday at Universal. We spent Saturday shopping, and
driving all around to get updated on what's around all the tourist areas.
We took videotape of all the hotel strips since Diane is a part-time
travel agent. This will help us locate hotels and things nearby for clients.
We found that Bertucci's had moved into town across from Universal and on
International Drive just south of Sand Lake Road. (That's a wood-fired
brick-oven pizzeria found in the Boston area, and it's my favorite!) The
southern extension of International Drive isn't developed yet but there
are signs...
The Mane Event
--------------
(Yes, TLK is my favorite so far so this was the Lion King Visit to WDW for me.)
We got up early at the Ramada so we could go right over to WDW. In fact,
a bellman knocked at the door at oh-dark-hundred (okay, it was 6:00) to
pick up our luggage. THe only problem is that we didn't ask for anyone
to pick up our luggage.
We pre-checked into the Disney Vacation Club to pick up our tickets. Even
though off-season, our room did not end up being ready until exactly the 3pm
check-in time. Many of us were waiting at 3pm. It's as if mousekeeping
waits and suddenly releases all the rooms at once.
We spent our first morning at MGM, and had breakfast at Hollywood & Vine.
We handed the cashier our Food 'n Fun card, and she asked us for our room
number. She didn't believe us when we said we didn't have one yet. I had
to explain the entire pre-check-in process...
Disney's Vacation Club
We're not members, but probably will be in the future, especially when they
have units as part of Boardwalk Resort (no one admitted knowing about that!)
We wanted to stay at the Beach Club, but it had no availability. Since the
Vacation Club is listed in the Magic Kingdom Club brochure, I asked about it
and found out that they make excess capacity available to non-member guests.
The price was about the same, but we got a one-bedroom suite.
The one-bedroom is equipped with a spacious living/dining/Kitchen area
with plenty of space on each side of the room for all three functions.
French doors lead out to a porch or patio. A short hall leads past the
laundry (washer and dryer) to the bedroom and bathroom. A king bed, chair,
and another door to the porch are here, as well as an open shelf with
folding dividers to the jacuzzi tub big enough for two. The rest of the
bath is huge, with two sink areas and a large shower.
The resort is spread out over four main street areas, and the transportation
buses make five stops including the main house. Our bus stop was a short
walk but I noticed some units have a longer walk. Buses are frequent from
1/2 before parks open until about 11:00am. For the afternoon, they follow
a schedule which is posted at the bus stops which has buses in each direction
about every 1/2 hour.
Our pool was also a short walk, and other units had longer walks. Each area's
pool has rest rooms, a hot tub, coin laundry, and vending and ice. (this was
the closest ice other than our own freezer.)
Back to the room: The kitchen is supplied with dishes, silverware, cooking
dishes, full size fridge/freezer, dishwasher, toaster, microwave, and coffee
maker. You can ask the desk for many other things.
The living area has two couches and a chair. There is a large TV, and a VCR
and I was able to transfer my 8mm tapes to VHS at my leisure.
The main house has a small Restaurant that was crowded at breakfast unless
we got there early (and this was off season!) The menu was NOT very extensive.
The character breakfast (Winnie the Pooh characters) is on Wednesday and
Sunday and is often booked up a week in advance. We didn't get in.
Breakfast here was a disadvantage if on Food 'n Fun, as we had to go elsewhere
to get a big breakfast that made us feel we got our value out of the plan.
The main area has a store, and a snack bar, and a main pool area that is
quite pleasant. There is a small marina, and we rented a canopy boat (included
with Food 'n Fun) and cruised the canals around to Port Orleans and Dixie
Landings, then out into the Lagoon at Disney Village Marketplace. The
canal ways are beautiful! You cruise past the Treehouse Villas as well.
I highly recommend this activity -- bring your camera.
The Parks: Epcot
We took our time and visited out favorite attractions. I went on and taped
a number of them since there is so much change taking place. My favorite is
Horizons. The GE logo has been removed, and castmembers insist they know
nothing of its impending demise. I have always felt the Horizons had the
most representative theme for FutureWorld, and an upbeat Star Trek:The Next
Generation picture of the future. Diane's favorite is the World of Motion.
Notes on the internet warn us that she is in for disappointment, too.
The makeover of FutureWorld central ("Communicore") is complete, and
transformed into Innoventions. I like the decor, and especially the
performing fountain. I wish they'd bring back the show with Mickey and
the dragon head I saw last January. Spaceship Earth was closed, and I
look forward to seeing it next week. Innoventions is a mixed bag. I
found the House of Tomorrow exhibits boring -- all stuff commercially
available NOW, nothing new or innovative. A product showcase, and a shameful
one at that. The sega exhibit is interesting but WAY TOO LOUD. They need
to do something -- you can't talk to someone next to you. I liked the
technology exhibits by Oracle and IBM. Why isn't Digital there? What kind
of advanced technology research are we doing that we could show off to a
public audience? How could we justify the expense? I'm surprised that
IBM can justify it.
I am appalled at the schedule for off season: FutureWorld open 9am-7pm,
World Showcase open 11am-9pm. It creates logjams all day long that take
away the uncrowded charm of the off-season, and take away from some of the
advantage for guests at Epcot resorts (they must ride a bus around from
international gateway to FutureWorld when they come in.)
World showcase is business as usual. I enjoyed my favorite attraction,
Impressions de France, a few times, as well as some of the others except
for Norway: The Maelstrom has always packed with more than a 40 minute wait.
Diane saw Livin' with the Land for the first time. We both agree that Listen
to the Land was better. We both saw Food Rocks for the first time. It was
clever, but I think it will be outdated by the whims of the entertainment
world too soon. For everyone else who has seen both Kitchen Kabaret and
Food Rocks: Can you tell which character was the same in both shows?
We enjoyed using the boat transportation between MGM and EPCOT with a stop
at the BYC Dock (no direct boat service to discourage too many people.)
The boats operate frequently because the trams can't run from EPCOT to
the EPCOT resorts while Boardwalk is under construction.
The Parks: MGM
We visited most everything, and found little change except for the new Sunset
Boulevard. We rode Tower of Terror twice, and both times had no wait. I
can't believe I got Diane to go on it. My review: Awesome story and effects.
The drop isn't much different than the Splash Mountain drop if you close
your eyes.
One new addition was a film titled "The Making of the Lion King" hosted by
Robert Guilluame (spelling?). It was great! It doesn't, however, keep
little kids entertained all the time.
At Animation, work was underway on Pocahontas (Summer 95), Fantasia Continued
(Christmas 95), and THe Hunchback of Notre Dame (within 2 years.)
We ate breakfast at Hollywood & Vine on our Food & Fun plan. When you visit a
cafeteria with this plan you can pretty much load up on as much as you want and
it's all included! For example: Pancakes with sausage and bacon, fruit salad,
juice, coffee, danish.
The Parks: Magic Kingdom
20,000 Leagues was in final stages of refurbishment. Made the mistake of going
Monday morning and lines were huge -- but from Wednesday on lines were short or
walk-on. Went on our favorites, which are Pirates (I have Jimmy Buffet
"Parrots" of the Caribbean T-shirt now), Haunted Mansion, and Big Thunder.
We picked the wrong line at Pirates...both were open but the previous 200
people all went down the right side...and we watched as one or two people
climbed right on the left side.
The tomorrowland makeover was nearly done. You still
couldn't get through the main street back to in front of the castle, though.
There are new names for some of the vending: Geiger's Counter, and the
Merchant of Venus. Har, har. I had only a 10 minute wait for Space Mountain.
I do not like the original Carousel of Progress, but that's probably
because I don't remember it. The Tommorowland Transportation Authority
has a new Soundtrack. I don't think either the old or new soundtracks are
particularly interesting.
On Tom Sawyer's Island, it was amusing to see how many parents stand outside
the entrance to the caves expecting the kids to come back out. Funnier still
is noticing that many people didn't realize there are two different caves,
each with their own entrance and exit. (I'm not telling that I know of the
third cave...)
We also visited Pleasure Island a couple of evenings and Discovery Island one
afternoon. Over the six days, we actually took a very casual, slow pace.
Meals on Food 'n Fun
--------------------
Dinners on Food 'n Fun
Here's how it works: You can dine at a select list of hotel and Park
restaurants and included are: Nonalcoholic drink, appetizer or dessert,
salad, any entree, gratuity. You can dine at restaurants not on the
list with a starting $60 credit. You must pay the amount in excess of $60
plus the gratuity. Here's what we did:
1. Whispering Canyon in Wilderness Lodge (on the Plan): We met 3 others
for dinner here. The meal was plentiful and quite good. We stuck to the
3 meat dinner of ribs, bbq beef, and chicken. Our waiter, "Weedpatch,"
insisted that many of the greens on our salad were in fact weeds, and were
in fact grown in his own weed garden. He does not, however, grow any
vegetables. We were caught in crossfire (water guns) several times. The
lady at the table next to us stole Weedpatch's gun while he was attending
to our table. There are tables for 2 available also, but not very many.
We didnd't quite get our $60 worth here.
2. Narcoosee's at Grand Floridian (not on the plan): This is our favorite
restaurant in the whole world (in or out of WDW.) We are disheartened
to find that our favorite broiled lobster dishes have all been relaced with
stuffed lobster, but everything else is as good as always.
3. Cape May Clambake at the Beach Club (on the Plan): Although the bill
would have been only about $50, this is a favorite of ours so we went.
I scarfed down about 4 dozen clams, plus other seafood, chicken, ribs, and
oh yes, unlimited dessert, too. We didn't think we'd need reservations if
we got there early in the off season. Whoops, there's a party of 200
having an early dinner, so we wait 45 minutes. A family of four is seated
next to us. They have a well known dinner routine. Mom gets dinner for
herself and the 2 year old boy, while Dad gets the family situated and
orders drinks: Something fun and tropical for the two of them and kiddie
cocktails for the two kids. Mom returns, and Dad takes the 5 year old
daughter to get their dinners. The drinks arrive. Mom says, "I can
tell Daddy ordered the drinks. Mommy would have ordered Milk."
4. Porto Bello Yacht Club (not on the plan): Another of our favorites. We
spent about $15 over the $60 limit. I had trigger fish over linquini in
crab broth, Diane had Spaghettini alla Pescatori. I had a glass of
outstanding wine: Gundlach Bundschu, a red zinfandel with tastes of
blueberry, raspberry, and black cherry. We took a water shuttle from
the Vacation Club to the Marketplace to get there, then went to Pleasure
Island and took the bus back. There is space for only 10 on the water
shuttle so get there early. The water shuttles from Port Orleans and
Dixie Landings are much bigger and more frequent.
5. Polynesian Review (on the plan): We called in late afternoon and were #1
on the waitlist for the late (9:00) show. There was no problem finding a
seat after everyone else was seated. The food was basic was plentiful, and
it includes unlimited alcoholic mai-tais. Diane drove home (hic!). The
show was pleasant except for a tense moment when the dancers combed the
audience for people to embarass. I made my self real small. The cost would
have been about $60.
6. Ristorante Alfredo (Italy) (on the plan): The meal was good, and we got
our $60 worth. We think they made a mistake and served our salads after
the main course, even though he insisted this was an Italian tradition.
Nobody ELSE was served their salads after the main course... A child at
a table behind me was banging their silverware on the glasses, the table,
bang, bang, bang, why don't the parent's do something? Bang, bang, bang,
I can see the entire restaurant casting glances their way, bang, bang, bang,
now there is talk of ganging up and taking that fork away outselves, bang
bang, bang...
Breakfasts on Food 'n Fun
Most everyplace that services breakfast is on the approved list.
A less interesting list, but if you love breakfast as much as I do then
here's what we did:
1. Olivia's at the Vacation Club: Small menu, didn't get our plan's worth.
Of interest, however, was our waitress's name: Mickey! She says that
casting was very amused.
2. Hollywood & Vine, Cafeteria at MGM: Loaded up our trays! Great.
3,4. Crystal Palace, Cafeteria at Magic Kingdom: Did this twice. Loaded up.
5. Coral Isle Cafe at the Polynesian: Had the banana stuffed french toast
for the first time! Take the waitress's advice and try it without
any syrup at first. Next time, I'm trying some kind of yogurt covered
disaster that others were having -- it looked amazing.
6. Cape May Character Breakfast with Admiral Goofy: One of our favorites.
The New Hotels
We visited all the hotels to take videotape and get a map. At the Caribbean
Beach Resort, we were stopped at the security gate but let in when we showed
our resort ID and explained that we wanted to visit to shop and eat. We
went to Wilderness Lodge. I am quite impressed. I love the architecture
and atmosphere. Wood rails and staircases line the great hall, and the
courtyard is great. The geyser at the lake's edge is a neat touch.
I will be staying here on my visit next week. The All-Star resort, on the
other hand... I'm all in favor of lower priced hotels at Disney. Did they
have to decorate them with ugly shades of green and giant sports and music
sculpture? I used to think that the Dolphin was the ugliest property, but
there is a new #1 misfit. It has great public areas: A huge pool area,
and a huge food court. It's going to be a great addition...but it could use
a coat of cheerful paint.
Uh-Oh
-----
Our package included a photo session with Mickey. We decided to get mildly
dressed up. Diane asks me to get the jewelry from the safe. I said "what
jewelry?" I had unpacked all the luggage at the Vacation Club and never
saw a jewelry pouch. I didn't even realize she'd brought one. After a
rigorous and tense search, I decided it must have been left in the safe at
the first hotel -- the Ramada. I remembered vaguely placing things that
Diane handed me, not always knowing what they were. I also remembered a
small shelf in that safe that I might have left something on because you
had to get your eyes at floor level to see what's on it.
I called the Ramada, and was connected to the Security Manager. He took
a complete reports (as complete as a very upset Diane could relate) on what
we were missing. I called him 15 minutes later, and he said "I believe we
have your missing items." We drove right over (can you imaging how hard this
would be if we'd already come home????) Diane says "I'll wait here in the
car." I say, "Oh no you don't." We are greeted by the security manager,
and then ushered into the General Manager's office. We are greeted by a very
friendly but stiff and formal man. We are asked to write down on paper a
complete description and list of the jewelry. Luckily, she carries two
pouches exactly alike: Green, Red, and Purple velvet. One is large, for
clothes, and one is small, for jewelry. I even knew it had a gold sash cord
to cinch around it. Our list of contents was only a partial match, as Diane
didn't remember everything that she brought. Satisfied with the description,
the security manager produced an envelope. It was sealed and signed by the
security and night manages. Inside was a list taken when the jewelry was
found, and a safe deposit key. In my presence the box was opened and inven-
toried so show that everything found was in there. We were then asked to write
a release statement that everything that was missing was present and accounted
for. Lastly, a much more relaxed General Manager handed me his card and asked
me to call him personally for my next hotel accommodations at the
Ramada Maingate East at the parkway.
The pictures, by the way, turned out quite nice. We showed up and were
ushered in to a small photo studio. A door was opened and the attendant
says in an artificially loud voice "Mickey, could you step in for a moment?"
I couldn't help wondering what we were interrupting. Important mouse business?
Chinese food and a Cuban cigar? The picture is snapped and we go to a third
room where Macintosh computers and Kodak color wax-transfer printers are
busily working on the digital images captured in the previous room. Very
impressive! We got an 8x10 and a sheet of varied size smaller pictures.
Some people took the chance to ham it up. Families all wearing Mickey mouse
ears, for example.
Sadly, we say M-I-C you real soon, and leave Friday night to drive to Tampa.
The Post-Game Show: Tampa and Busch Gardens
-------------------------------------------
I'll be brief. The hotel was lousy. The electronic door wouldn't lock on
our first room. It's a big noisy motor hotel and is supposed to be the nicest
place near Busch Gardens. I recommend staying outside Tampa or pay to stay
near the Airport or Downtown at the Embassy Suites.
I love Busch Gardens. I like the mix of animals and thrill rides. The new
roller coaster, the Kumba, is the most amazing thing I have been on. We
went with another couple who had just moved to Tampa of whom one was a
co-worker of Diane's. The only drawback was that he had a terrible sense
of direction and mapreading and we kept circling back to the same area.
The place is a loooooooooong circle overall and we did more walking than
we should have. But it was an enjoyable day. Dinner was at their place,
from a pizzeria that boasts over 100 toppings. It was yummy.
Up early the next morning to the airport and an uneventful trip home.
What's Next
-----------
My brother was a store manager for the Burger King Franchise in our area.
They have a contest each year to see which store sells the most Halloween
French Fry gift certificates. He is very creative and usually wins easily
(among all the Burger Kings in Western New York!) This year's grand prize
was two air tickets to Florida. He couldn't afford to do much once he got
to Florida, so I said "you win the tickets, I'll get us something to do."
He did, so I booked 6 days at Wilderness Lodge and will probably add Food
'n Fun. An extra two nights at the Holiday Inn Sunspree (Lake Buena Vista,
mini-suites.)
We leave Sunday 1/15 and return Sunday 1/22. Last year I took my sister
and nephew in January, and they had record cold weather. Outdoor cast-
members were wearing parkas. For the next wek I'm chanting No cold snaps!
No cold snaps!
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| 393.29 | See Mike at WDW | HYLNDR::BADGER | Can DO! | Mon Jan 27 1997 16:27 | 10 |
| Mike Scopa's 1994 trip report is on line at:
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/7074/scopa94.html
In it are some photo's. You can get a sneak peek of Mike if you've
never seen him and wanted to place a face to the words.
the photos load fater than the report.
ed
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