WHAT I'D DO DIFFERENTLY...POR Sept. 2006

[lexmelinda]

Back in the day...

Back before the dawn of time in the spring of 1972, two crazy moms took four rowdy kids to Disney World in a Volkswagen Beetle. I was one of those kids and I was 9 years old. We had Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass on the mini 8-track and I was wearing red/white/blue wide striped bell bottoms with my Mickey sweatshirt. I remember we slept in shifts with three kids in the back seat and one kid in the lap of the mom who wasn’t driving. I’m fairly certain that this trip would now be illegal in all 50 states due to seat belt laws. My memories of the actual visit to the Magic Kingdom are vague….tree house, small world, complicated ticket book, castle, submarine, flying over London, but no big rides. My mother is afraid of the rides and I’m sure she would never have let us ride the biggies without her.

Flash forward to May 1988…..I finally graduate from college and my boyfriend wins a raffle! Grand prize is a $2,000 vacation. The travel agent wants us to take a “package” not a pieced together flight/hotel trip and we choose a cruise/Disney World package. So we fly to Florida, spend the weekend in Cocoa Beach, get married on Merritt Island, hop on the cruise ship. Did you catch that? We eloped on our free trip to Disney....there will be a quiz later. We spend 4 food-filled and slightly queasy nights onboard the Premier cruise ship (the “official” cruise line of Walt Disney World), and then three nights WAY off site in Orlando. Again the trips to the parks are hazy in my memory…ride a few minor rides and walk around the world showcase. When we get home I drive to my mother’s house to tell her I’m married….but that’s another trip report entirely.

Flash forward again to the year 2000…it’s time to take the kids to Disney World. Our two daughters, Mimi and Emily, are now 10 and 6 years old. Everyone is tall enough to ride the rides and ambulatory so no stroller is required. I booked on-site at the All Stars and start my planning by buying the unofficial guide which I commit to memory. This time I’m buying ponchos and planning park tours. However two days before we depart, my sister-in-law announces she’s coming along. We love her and she’s going through a devastating divorce so we acquiesce. We have to rebook the hotel but it’s spring break and the All Stars are full. The only hotel we can book to get adjoining rooms without losing our deposit is the Hotel Royal Plaza near Downtown Disney. It’s about 50% more than our room at the All Stars but we take it. On check in, we find that our lovely adjoining rooms have an intimate sight/sound connection with the parking lot and I-4. The bus service to the parks is terrible and my sister in law is fun but not about touring plans and getting kids to bed in a timely manner. Overall a good trip but I am 5 months pregnant on this trip and I do not ride the headliner rides…again. The new millennium begins a new era for our family when our son is born in July and in October my husband buys the business where he has worked for 20 years.

Flash forward to late March 2006…..We are at my mother’s house and my 6 year old niece tells me about her trip to Disney World. The wheels start to turn…our son is almost 6 and he’s never been to Disney World….the girls would probably like to go again…it’s time for a vacation…we haven’t been on a family vacation since 2002 because my husband is so busy at work. I get on the internet and look at mousesavers.com. There’s some free dining thing that’s just been announced….begin booking in April for this fabulous package. Now I remember the cost of food at Disney World and this seems too good to be true. Would they really let us book a room for five people and feed us that expensive Disney food for free? I think about it, talk to my husband about it, pray about it, talk to a few friends about it, price it on the Disney site, and then…book it! I begin doing what I do best these days…research my questions on the internet. Within a couple of days I discover the DIS and begin lurking as the brave newbies who post questions get answers…I read; I learn; I book and rebook ADRs; I obsess. My now 16 year old daughter calls me a “forum addict”. I’m a little frightened and housekeeping goes downhill but still I continue to DIS and plan. I worry about the weather during hurricane season….I worry about pulling the kids out of school…I read and reread the district attendance policy. I buy new socks, ponchos, glow sticks, and mister fans. At long last, departure day arrives and watch out, people, because this time I’m riding the rides!

Thanks for bearing with me on the history bit. I am including my mostly obvious little do’s and don’ts possibly more for my benefit than for yours. Here are my next-trip notes……

DO….plan your trip early and watch out for discount codes and great package deals like free dining. Buy all the essentials you can carry with you unless it is a non-issue for you to pay premium Disney prices for stuff like band aids, glow necklaces, and ponchos. Make your ADRs as soon as you are inside the 180 day window or the 190 day window if you are staying on site and want to eat dinner anywhere in the range of 5:30—7:00pm. Always better to have the reservations and not want them than to want them and not have them. This seems especially true for popular events such as pirate cruises, character meals, dinner shows, and tours.

DON’T…be uninformed! Research every detail. Surprises at Disney World aren’t always full of pixie dust. But then that’s why you’re here on the DIS so never mind!

[lexmelinda]

Departure from Home & Arrival at the World

We are set to depart as soon as the last child gets out of school at 4:00 pm on Friday, September 22nd. I fill up the car that morning for $1.95/gallon. I include this for posterity but thank goodness gas prices are $1/gallon lower than this time last month. We are packed but I leave work early that day and go pick up a couple of things at the grocery store (water bottles, snacks for the car, etc.) and then I begin to check and recheck that we have everything ready. I pick up my son from kindergarten and go home to wait for the girls. “Mom, are we going somewhere?” Now we have not told the little man we are going to Disney World. He has a Spongebob calendar hanging over his bed and he checks it obsessively. We count down the number of days for the pool to open, for school to start, for birthday parties, for movie premiers, and I simply could not face the thought of counting down those 150+ days til we leave for Disney World. “Yes, honey, we are going to stay in a hotel tonight.” YAAAAAAAAAYYYYYY! He could not be more thrilled. The girls arrive home and we wait…..and wait....until DH finally arrives home at 6:30 pm. Now I am a planner and I have booked a hotel somewhere south of Atlanta for tonight…a six hour drive from our house. When we pull out of town at 7:20 pm it is raining and almost dark.

The rain lets up a few miles down the road and I-75 is relatively clear and as slow traffic-wise as I have seen it. The kids fall asleep early and we arrive in McDonough, GA at 1:45 am. DS is thrilled to be at a hotel! Whoo-hoo! I sleep horribly and that little rooster inside my head crows every morning at 6:00 am with absolutely no regard for the time I went to bed. The kids and I wake early and go down to the lobby for muffins, hot chocolate, and coffee. It is a sunny, gorgeous day and we can appreciate that. It’s been 50ish and raining all week at home so we wake DH and hit the road again at 9:30 am. “Are we going home?” says DS. So cute. “No, honey, we are going to stay in a different hotel tonight….a better hotel." YYYAAAAYYY!

So we motor on down I-75. The kids get out the snacks and ask me to open a problematic juice box. I have to use some force and then…presto…red juice box geyser. Can someone tell me why they bother to put food coloring in juice boxes? What mother or child has not been a victim to the juice box fountain at one time or another. Did I mention that I’m wearing white pants? Anyway, after a quick stop in Valdosta for lunch, we are back on 75 and soon we are almost at the Florida Turnpike in billboard alley. There are billboards for attractions, realtors, hotels, even a store in Michigan that has a web site but my favorite has to be…”WE BARE ALL”…..and underneath that “Great Food!” Now are people really going there for the food? Does anyone actually use that as an excuse? Discuss amongst yourselves.

We are now in the Turnpike Time Warp….so close, yet so far. If you’ve driven to Disney World, you know of what I speak. It seems to take hours to drive down the turnpike but then we finally see the end in sight…State Road 429 to Tampa? Yes, it is apparently a new road that leads to Disney World on the west side of the property. (Thank you, Praying Colonel, for this advice.) Signs do not identify this as being a road that leads to Disney. If you need to use the bathroom or get gas or food, this road is not for you. It is deserted….we see only 4 or 5 cars max at any given time during the 14 mile drive to the Disney arches. Do people not know where this road goes or are they afraid it’s still unfinished? We get off the deserted exit and there, just a few hundred feet away, are the Disney arches. Now my little guy can’t read but apparently every child in the free world can identify the words “Walt Disney World” when they are written in that magical Disney script and DS is no exception. As we get closer, he points and yells “HEY, THAT’S DISNEY WORLD!!!!” His mouth is hanging open and he is in total shock. He can barely sit still. Mission accomplished.

We enter the World via Western Way which is not on the map in the 2006 unofficial guide. It hits Buena Vista Dr between the Coronado Springs and the Animal Kingdom. Now signage at Disney World is VERY good and it has to be. It’s not like you can ask someone directions and they’ll say “Just take a right when you get to the Walgreens” because all Disney roads look the same….no WE BARE ALL billboards or strip malls….just road, trees, and purple signs. I know we should have arrived earlier but we finally get to Port Orleans Riverside at around 5:00 pm. The guard house cop confirms our identity, tells us “Welcome home” and waves us through. Nice.

We pull up to the front and I leave DH and the girls to deal with bell services while James and I go to registration. No line at registration. Fabulous! We are called right over by the nice registration CM. Let’s call her Sally Jessie Helpershoes due to her red rimmed glasses. She is lovely and delightful in every way. She gives DS some stickers and a coloring book. Then she gets down to business and says “I see you’ve requested a smoking room.” Ummmmm, no, we didn’t request a smoking room. Oh, she tells me that she sees it’s because I requested Building 18 in the Alligator Bayou section that we received this room. Well, no other rooms available in Building 18. She can put us somewhere else. Likely over in BFE, I think to myself. I tell her we’ll stick with the smoking room and she suggests that if we don’t like it, they can still move us tomorrow. Alrighty, then. She gives me 437 documents, I sign my life away, she hands me our keys to the world and we are outta there. I glance at bell services and wonder if Flo Summerteeth is working today and whether or not she’d like to tell me where to go.

We park where Sally Jessie suggested and go to find Building 18. I requested Building 18 because, as you know, I have done my research and I know that 18 is not in close proximity to the parking lot or a road of any kind and I like it like that. Now I have viewed the slide show of POR on allearsnet and I have poured over the map of the property but I suppose I was not prepared for the shear size of the buildings at the resort. Building 18 is actually larger than the entire hotel where we spent the previous night. It has something like 75 rooms and as we near the building I begin to look through my 437 documents for something with the room number on it. Nope. Nope. Not on the key to the world. Nowhere. Sally Jessie had not given us a room number. We just want to get to the room. We are tired, road worn, and frustrated. Aha, we find a number for the front desk and call them. After several questions to confirm our identity, they direct us to room 1849 and we begin to search the maze that is Building 18 for our new home. At last we locate the room and it is…..paradise. It’s a corner room (with two windows) overlooking the Sassagoula River. We had not paid for a water view, and it was an unexpected upgrade that Sally Jessie neglected to mention when I was arguing with her about the room. We are home for the week! We quickly unpack and we’re off to the world…

Here are the pictures of the view from room 1849 at POR. I stood outside with my back against both windows to take these pictures so I'd always remember and never forget.......
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/100_9210.jpg
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/100_9212.jpg

DO…take State Road 429 off the Florida Turnpike if you are driving to Disney World from the north. Trust me on this one. It’s shorter, simpler, and provides the added bonus of NOT having to drive by the Nick Hotel if you have any little Nickelodeon traitors in your midst. Research your resort and know the layout. Make sure you keep your room requests simple and specific. I requested Building 18 and near the food court. Leave your credit card number with the registration clerk when you check in. Don’t be afraid. You can charge all on-site purchases so you don’t have to carry so much cash. They will put a spending cap on it for you if you ask. All purchases will be charged to your room and an envelope with a receipt of your purchases will be left on the door the morning of your departure. With the credit card on file you never have to go back to registration to check out. Just be out of your room by 11:00 am and take your keys to the world with you for your scrapbook!

DON’T…leave the front desk without your room number when you check in!

[ampc3]

Looking forward to hearing more,, by the way you all stayed where we live now, I would have left the porch light on if I knew you where coming! lol :)

[GADisneyDVC]

Sounds like a great trip so far. I can't wait to hear more!! That is so cool that you surprised your son! I wish I could do that. I think my mouth is too big though!!

[OhMari]

[QUOTE=lexmelinda]Back in the day...

DO….plan your trip early and watch out for discount codes and great package deals like free dining. Buy all the essentials you can carry with you unless it is a non-issue for you to pay premium Disney prices for stuff like band aids, glow necklaces, and ponchos. Make your ADRs as soon as you are inside the 180 day window or the 190 day window if you are staying on site and want to eat dinner anywhere in the range of 5:30—7:00pm. Always better to have the reservations and not want them than to want them and not have them. This seems especially true for popular events such as pirate cruises, character meals, dinner shows, and tours.

QUOTE]

I thought you can't book any ADR's until the 180 window, what is open for the 190 window?

[teentoddlermom]

Great report and format! I'm looking forward to reading about the rest of the trip! Did you pull your kids out of school?

[goofyfan-12]

Great report so far... can't wait to hear more... popcorn::

Hope you get to ride the big rides this time...

[SamIAm21]

I'm hooked, line and sinker! I can't believe you were able to surprise your son like that. Although I totally understand why, I just can't believe you did it! I can't keep secrets real well... :rotfl:

Keep the report coming and congratulations on the great room location!!

[lexmelinda]

I thought you can't book any ADR's until the 180 window, what is open for the 190 window? If you have on-site hotel reservations you can make dinner reservations (ADRs) 180 days from the first day of your vacation to the last day for up to 10 days if you're lucky enough to stay for 10 days which would actually be 190 days in advance. Does that make sense? I believe some of the dinner shows ADRs can actually be made 365 days in advance but I'd have to check my UG to see which ones. Thanks for reading, everyone!

[novdisneydreams]

Great Report :) I can't believe your DS didn't find out until you got there! I also can't believe that your DDs didn't tell him! Waiting for more ... popcorn::

[lexmelinda]

Did you pull your kids out of school?Yes, we did! Before I booked the trip in April I pulled up the school calendar for 06-07 and found a week during free dining when the kids had a day off school so they really only missed four days. My husband works so much and my oldest daughter is a junior in high school. We figured that if we didn't go this year, we might not get another chance. We really needed the family time and that's what's important in the long run.

[Scutapipig]

There are billboards for attractions, realtors, hotels, even a store in Michigan that has a web site but my favorite has to be…”WE BARE ALL”…..and underneath that “Great Food!”

I had to laugh at this. First, we actually know and have visited that store in Michigan and it's quite a store! Second, we've noticed those "We Bare All" billboards ourselves and my husband's response was, "Just how bad do the girls in there look if they have to advertise food?!"

[Scot-n-Michelle]

Post More!!! I just came across your report and it was great. I loved how excited your son was. I wish I could keep the secret from my kids that we are going but I always tell them right away. :cheer2:

[BeautyNBeast]

Great Trip Report so far :thumbsup2 Cannot wait to hear more popcorn::

[ClaraBug]

like a good book, can't put it down. :thumbsup2

[dandee00]

Looks like a lovely resort. You had a great view. Never considered this resort...until now.

[SamIAm21]

waiting, waiting, very patiently, but if you are going to be such a good writer, you can't leave everyone hanging like this! :teeth:

I'll just dance around for a while, as I wait!!

:dance3:

[PrincessV]

Uh-oh... I think I'm hooked. And, just last night, I promised myself: "Self, NO NEW TRIP REPORTS until your own and the other 28 you've subscribed to are done." We DISers never listen, do we? ;)
Looking forward to more!

[lexmelinda]

THE MAGIC KINGDOM AT LAST…
We head to the Magic Kingdom via POR bus. We figure out that there are two bus platforms (shelters) and that you have to check the signage and be at the right one to get to the park of your choice. We used the south depot which is nearest to our room according to Sally Jessie.

The bus to the Magic Kingdom arrives soon and we are off to see Spectromagic. It’s about 6:30 when we arrive and the park is crowded! Ms. Helpershoes had mentioned that it was Florida Residents’ Weekend…so there you go. We see the castle at last! DS is fascinated and dying to go in but we are all starving and head to Pecos Bill’s. Disney has been kind enough to provide my favorite meal every night this week. It’s the favorite meal of moms everywhere…a free dinner that I did not prepare! Yummmm......

Pecos Bill’s is busy and we wait in line for some time but finally get our dinner. Now because I DIS I know that we can carry our trays down the way and over by the Magic Carpets/Tiki Room to eat. The tables there are empty, it’s relatively quiet and we sit down. Wow, the chicken wrap is delicious but alas DS is hit by a sudden and severe stomach pain. I say what any good mother would say, “Maybe you need to go to the bathroom.” I drag/carry him to the bathroom and he may be feeling a little better afterward, although not well enough to eat anything. Emily is finished eating and my sweet girl offers to take her brother over to ride the rugs. They don’t wait long; they ride; they get spit on by the camel; it’s all good.

It’s time to head back over to see the parade by the Country Bears. We stand behind the folks who are at the rope and a nice mom asks DS to pull up some curb by the rope next to her. Sweet. I get out the glow necklaces and everybody’s happy.

Now I have never seen Spectromagic but it is FABULOUS….the music, the floats, the characters. I must say however that the Spectro Men are a little creepy in a scary-clown-sort-of-way but they are part of the magic nevertheless. Mimi is a budding photographer and is snapping pictures left and right. She looks at me with pure joy and says, “This is, like, the best parade EVER!” I smile and agree. I have to say it’s difficult to capture the beauty of Spectro in 2-D but here are a couple of her fab photos…
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/100_9159.jpg
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/100_9155.jpg
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/100_9138.jpg
Parade is over…….bummer. But the stomach ache is BACK with a vengeance. The plan is to head out immediately after Spectro and not stay for Wishes on this night due to the crowds. So I pick up the little man and I use this term very loosely because he is heavy. Let’s see…he weighs 52 pounds and I’m 43 so by the time we get to Casey’s he actually weighs about 95! Thank goodness DH takes him and carries him the rest of the way almost to the bus stop where he is forced to walk.

AAAHHHH, the POR line is the longest visible line at the stop. The bus is there but we do not make it on. Wishes begins and although we cannot see the castle from the bus stop, we have an unobstructed view of the fireworks and they are beautiful! Finally the bus comes and we get a seat. I see the girls get up to offer their seats to parents carrying their babies. I even see them offering their glow necklaces to the small children nearby. My mothering skills are affirmed. Life is good.

Tomorrow…big rides at MGM!

DON’T…MISS SPECTROMAGIC on your first night if possible! It’s all that and a bag of chips.

DO…get to the bus stop before Wishes if it’s a Saturday. Stay for Wishes on a week night when the crowds are smaller.

[kaw1218]

Ok, you totally have me hooked....... and now I am late for work :lmao:

Great TR!

[lexmelinda]

ampc3, GADisneyDVC, OhMari, teentoddlermom, goofyfan-12, SamIAm21, novdisneydreams, Scutapipig, Scot-n-Michelle, BeautyNBeast, ClaraBug, dandee00, PrincessV, kaw1218--Thanks for the kind words. The trip reports board is my favorite but I sadly admit that to this point I have been mostly a lurker. Now I know how much it means to know that folks are reading and enjoying. From the bottom of my heart..........thank you! :)

[MomPlanner22]

Those are some of the best pictures of Spectro I have ever seen! They are fabulous!

I love the picture of you and DH on the cruise -- you didn't even need to tell me the year to figure out it was late 80's. Of course I was still sporting my spiral perm in those days!

Great TR and looking forward to more!

[jrasmom]

:wave2: hi, you're reading my trip report and said we'd followed you around mostly or vice versa so I came over to check it out!! :thumbsup2


Awesome job!!

and I find it so odd that you traveled down from almost the same place and we had completely different driving routes. :confused3

We never saw the turnpike or all those billboards. we drove down I-77, around Charleston on I-26 and then 1-95 (?) to Daytona Beach then West on I-4 and we kept thinking SURELY there are billboards and such around here somewhere? FINALLY we saw one or two but that was it!!

Anyways, great report, I'll be back!!

and your dd's pictures are awesome!!

[dandee00]

Hi Melinda,
I am looking forward to more of your trip report. Nudge, nudge. ;)
If you have any more pictures of POR, I'd love to see them. We are planning to try a moderate next trip, but I'm having a hard time to decide which one. :confused3 CSR or POR...hmmm

[T-i-double-g-err]

Great trip report! :thumbsup2 Keep 'em coming! :goodvibes

[Convert]

Great report! We had orginially wanted to surprise our DS with the trip too, but I couldn't contain myself. :) I love the tips at the end of your posts too.

[DisneyObsession]

Great TR so far!

I LOVED :love: the pic of you and DH on the ship! Very brave to elope on that trip. What was your Mom's response?!? Guess there would be a part of me sad :sad2: to have missed the wedding, but thrilled :banana: I didn't have to go through planning it! (Just had DD get married and it was ALOT of work!)

Can't wait to read more and see more great pics! :cool1:

[scottishtink]

Really enjoying your trip report, can't wait for more
Lorraine

[Cass]

Really enjoying your TR but I want to know what your Mom said when you told her you eloped!

[ZZUB]

We had a similar experience at PORiverside in 2005. Although the CM who checked us in told me our room number, he neglected to tell me where in Parterre Place the room was. The Mansions are gynormous and in my estimation, the room numbers make no sense. But we finally found the room.

That notwithstanding, I love PORiverside. It's a great place.

I'm impressed you were able to keep the secret from you son. I can't keep a Disney secret. I tried not telling my wife we were staying at Wilderness Lodge. That lasted all of 30 minutes.

Your TR is a good read. I'm looking forward to more. :moped:

[01Sweetpea]

Great report...can't wait for th next chapter.

We stayed at POR in 2004....AB27....LOVED IT!!!

[lexmelinda]

Thanks for posting everyone! Would gladly post faster but I have this "job" thing I have to attend to...hopefully lots more this weekend...
MomPlanner22--Mimi is flattered by your estimation of her photography skills! Thank you!
jrasmom--Loving your report as well...thanks for the compliment on Mimi's pics. She was the primary photographer on this trip. Can't wait to see how your week went...hope it's not your last trip!
dandee00--Glad you like the trip report...POR is beautiful but...click here (http://allearsnet.com/acc/porss.htm) ...these are better than we can do...
T-i-double-g-err, scottishtink, 01Sweetpea...Thanks for reading...glad you're still with me after the lengthy history details!
Convert...Surprise was more for my sanity than for his pleasure :)
DisneyObsession, Cass...will PM you asap re: my mother's reaction to the elopement... ;)
ZZUB...my favorite of all trip reporters...affirmative on the cheesesteak..thanks for posting....can't wait to hear more about THE LODGE...

[Cass]

Cass...will PM you asap re: my mother's reaction to the elopement... ;)


:cool1:

[pigletforever]

great report. :thumbsup2 Pictures are wonderful. :cool1: Looking forward to more. :banana:

[disneytraveler]

Yes dont stop now your trip report is really good. The pictures of the parade
are fantastic! I bet your kids must have been overjoyed.

[Donald is #1]

Great TR! popcorn::

[BlueBayou]

Great trip report. Thanks for sharing!

[lexmelinda]

Wow, those Disney beds are comfy but no Mickey/Stitch wake up call will be necessary today. The rooster crows at 6:00 a.m. like always and I get up to make coffee. Now I like my own strong, brewed coffee with whole milk…no Nescafe for me, thank you very much. I shower, dress, and head down to the food court for real milk to go with my real coffee. It’s quiet, dark, and peaceful outside in the mornings at POR. There are a handful of people out on the coffee walk…all carrying one or more refillable mugs. I grab a couple of mini Mickey priced milks and head back to the room.

The coffee is good and I enjoy it outside as the sun comes up over Ole Man Island. It’s going to be a gorgeous day today…not a cloud in the sky. I go back in to finish getting ready before I wake the gang. I hope whoever thought of that curtain between the sink area and the sleeping area got a bonus. Genius! At last I turn on the TV and let Stacy wake everyone with the top 7 must-sees.

The kids are moving because…well…we’re in Disney World but DH’s not moving so fast. At this point, there’s something you should know about the dynamic for our family vacation. I like see/do/go/experience vacations and DH likes sit/sip/relax/do nothin’ vacations. But he loves me and agrees that this long awaited vacation can actually be a Disney vacation. I respect the fact that he works hard so I will not push him to do anything he does not want to do this week….it’s his vacation, too. But….today is our first day and the kids and I want to get to park opening. We hurry him along a bit.

We’re running late for rope drop when we get to the car at 8:45 a.m. Now if you recall the bus service was terrible at the Hotel Royal Plaza on our last trip so we think taking the car to the parks will be faster. We walk/run to the car and everybody’s in and buckled. DH: “Hey, there are the nail clippers! I’ve been looking for those.” Takes off his shoes and begins to clip his toenails. (insert the sound of clock ticking…waiting silently….ticking….) Shoes back on. OK, we’re off.

Now the parking at MGM is a might farther away from the gates than I had remembered however the Disney bus stops are remarkably close to the entrance. Oh, well. We are in the park by 9:15 and head quickly to Rockin’ Rollercoaster. We’re through the gate and DS and Mimi are all about riding the coaster but Emily is having cold feet. I tell her she can come with us because there is a last-second exit on every ride in every park. She hesitantly comes along. We see the preshow…fast limo…alright! Emily leaves here to wait in the exit/store area.

At last, I get to ride a big rollercoaster! I’m excited but a little nervous. DH and DS are right behind Mimi and me. We’re off……fast and fabulous. We all love it! Emily is waiting and we hurry to see the photo. I encourage Mimi to take the redneck ride photo. She is shocked and declines. We hurry on to the Tower of Terror. As we head up the walkway to the door, Emily has a complete meltdown and is sobbing…….

DO….remember to bring 4-6 cup coffee filters and some of your favorite coffee with you if you'd like to make good coffee in the room. Do take the Disney buses to MGM. It’s much closer and faster than parking your car. Do, for crying out loud, clip your toenails the night before so you can get to the park at opening. ;)

DON’T…worry if you chicken out at the last minute or if you're pregnant. On every ride, you can stay with your party, see the preshow, and exit where the ride loads. Go ahead!

[ZZUB]

As much as we loved the Lodge, I actually missed my mornings at PORiverside. Not that mornings at the Lodge weren't equally great, they were just different. I grew fond of the morning stroll across the "river" to the food court for "coffee." My coffee walks at the Lodge just weren't the same.

RE: crappy Disney coffee. It occured to me that we could bring some good stuff, and here's where I'm completely ridiculous, but for me, the crappy coffee is part of the experience. Like paying $2.50 for a coke or $6 for a burger. Or $140 a night for a dressed up Comfort Inn. Or turbo flush toilets. It's just part of the experience. If I drank good coffee in Disney, then it wouldn't be Disney. Also, and here's the bottom line, I'm not making coffee on vacation. That's like work or something. Vacation means someone else makes the coffee. Even if I have to walk over the river and through the woods, so to speak.

:moped:

[PrincessV]

RE: crappy Disney coffee. It occured to me that we could bring some good stuff, and here's where I'm completely ridiculous, but for me, the crappy coffee is part of the experience. Like paying $2.50 for a coke or $6 for a burger. Or $140 a night for a dressed up Comfort Inn. Or turbo flush toilets. It's just part of the experience. If I drank good coffee in Disney, then it wouldn't be Disney. Also, and here's the bottom line, I'm not making coffee on vacation. That's like work or something. Vacation means someone else makes the coffee. Even if I have to walk over the river and through the woods, so to speak.

:moped:

Sorry to hijack lexmelinda!
ZZUB, it may well be ridiculous, but I know EXACTLY what you're saying! I brought all my usual coffee supplies - fresh ground organic French Roast, skim milk, ground cinnammin, raw sugar - and wound up plopping the pre-filled Nescacrud filter in each morning. Turns out, I don't want to make coffee on vacation!

[PrincessV]

As we head up the walkway to the door, Emily has a complete meltdown and is sobbing…….



Not a cliff-hanger! What happened?! popcorn::

[jordansmomma]

What was Emily's meltdown??? :confused3
My 6 yo had a mini melt down so to speak, he freaked out just before we were loading onto the elevator and then to get off we had to go down an elevator oh so much fun!! From the pre show he thought that we were going to disapear as they had done in the elevator :rotfl: :rotfl: i still laugh about that!! He was very nervous that his brother was not getting off the ride & when he did he hugged Jordan for like ever!!
I tried to keep it a secret from him also but he over heard me speaking to a friend and then for 2 months he was obsessed with measuring himself to see if had gotten any taller!! :rotfl2:

[lexmelinda]

pigletforever, disneytraveler, Donald is #1, BlueBayou...thanks for reading and posting! I am enjoying writing this report more than I imagined and hope everyone doesn't find the details excruciating. ;)
ZZUB & PrincessV....re: crappy coffee...Maybe I should have given it a try? I did enjoy the turbo flush toilets so who knows?
jordansmomma....meltdown report on the way......

[lexmelinda]

DOES THAT BUG HAVE TWO HEADS?
We’re at Tower of Terror and Emily won’t even go near the entrance to the building. And she’s certainly not going inside. Final answer. Now Emily is a sweet, smart, beautiful girl who turned 13 the week before our trip. She is a mixture of a teenager who wants to be a grown up but who also secretly wishes to be the little autograph-seeking princess-lover she was on our last trip. Stir that up with a few adolescent emotions and that’s roughly our girl. She’s afraid and I don’t blame her. The tower is imposing many ways. I hand her my cell phone and tell her to go shopping and we’ll call her when the ride is over.

We are now inside and it’s dark…and a little scary. We are ushered into the preshow room. The lights go out. I have my hands on DS’ shoulders but that whole Rod Serling show freaks him out. We proceed to the short queue where DS is reassured by the “big” boy behind us who used to be afraid of the Tower but has seen the light. We are up to the elevator and……….it’s a no-go. DH offers to take DS out to wait for Mimi and me. Love that man!

The Tower is a great ride and surprisingly not as much of a long, scary drop as I had anticipated! We meet up with DH and DS by the ride photos and then call Emily. She’s happy as a clam with half a drippy Mickey bar in her hand…meltdown forgotten.

We hurry on to Star Tours where, again, there’s no wait. I have a few issues with motion sickness and Emily is again a non-rider so we meander around Tatoine Traders where I see a shirt with one of my favorite Star Wars quotes: “Try not. Do or do not. There is no try.” Gotta love that Yoda. When the group exits Star Tours, we head to Muppets 3-D.

We check to find that the key is indeed under the mat and the preshow is only maybe half full. Emily is still concerned about the movie being scary. (Long story short, I ruined our trip last time by taking the girls to Honey, I Shrunk the Audience on the first day where they exited….screaming, “GET ME OUTTA HERE!” They did not trust us for the rest of the week when we said something was not scary. Well, that was six years ago and she apparently has not forgotten.) “It’s the Muppets, sweetie. It’ll be fine “ and of course it is.

Quick stop at the Streets of America to see Lightning McQueen and Tow Mater. DS thinks it’s cool but is not awed by seeing the character in “real life” as the girls would have been when they were little….

It’s almost 11:00 a.m. and our beautiful, cloudless morning is quickly becoming a very hot, buggy day. We head to the arena of FI-YAH for the Lights, Motor, Action stunt show. That is to say although the seating area is covered, it seems much hotter once we’re sitting still. The show is great… DH and DS seem particularly impressed with the stunt driving.

We proceed with no hesitation to the Flatbread Grill which seems to be the destination of half the people who just exited LMA. Emily chooses from the menu and takes DS to the “Honey, I Lost the Kids” playground nearby. We get the food, find the kid, and proceed to dine.

Well I had heard tell of the love bugs at Disney World and may I say, what an adorable name for such icky, abundant creature/s. Let me explain to those of you who have not experienced this mating ritual, that these bugs fly round in pairs…connected. If they were dogs, my grandmother would turn the hose on them. So, Emily looks down at one of the bug-pairs and says, “Does that bug have two heads?” I glance at Mimi. She rolls her eyes and shakes her head. I leave that one alone.

Mimi takes DS back to the playground while DH, Em, and I finish lunch. It is REALLY hot by now so DH is ready to head back to the hotel via Disney bus. Mimi and DS want to go too. That’s fine, but Emily and I want to see Beauty & the Beast, Indiana Jones and the parade before our 5:20 ADR at Mama Melrose’s.

We all walk down Animation Blvd. together. Look, DS! Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable! OK. He walks on. There are the Little Einsteins! Yep. He walks on. My boy is not interested in the characters! Well, a part of me is a little disappointed but a bigger part of me is overjoyed. Somewhere around 65% of our last Disney vacation was spent in line for character photos and autographs. Frankly, I’m a little relieved that we won’t be doing that this time.

We leave DH, DS, and Mimi at the Narnia attraction and head quickly to Beauty & the Beast. Emily and I squeeze into about the fourth row, center. I love this show! OK, so it’s the Reader’s Digest version of the story but it is indeed a sight to behold…the costumes, the singing, the dancing. the spectacle of it all. I am awed by the talent and enthusiasm of the young folks who perform this show with delight several times a day. Emily catches me with a tear in my eye. I’m always touched by the sound of beautiful songs sung by gifted singers. Truth be told, I wish I had been blessed with the gift of a beautiful voice. ZZUB wants to eat Tonga Toast in heaven but I just want to sing with a voice like Whitney Houston. Too much information……..maybe.

Anyway, Emily and I proceeded to see Narnia (good winter scene), Voyage of the Little Mermaid (ah, that rain felt good), The Great Movie Ride (also air conditioned), the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacluar (love those mister fans in the queue), and the parade …all worth seeing especially the parade if you love the characters and it’s not 135 degrees like it was on this particular day. I have to say one of my favorite things was the streetmosphere show. The characters were doing their “99 Joke” contest. It’s all improv and very funny! I will definitely make time next trip to catch more of the streemosphere performances….outstanding!

Now intermittently, Emily has been looking for a costume during the day. She is dying to go to the Not So Scary Halloween Party as Tinkerbell but at 13 my girl is now a plus size princess so we’re not having any luck. We inquire about an XL costume but the nice CM takes one look at Emily and says nothing will fit her. There are apparently no adult costumes for sale in all the World and she says for us to go to the Walmart on 536. She bought her daughter’s costume at that store in the Disney department (who knew) and her daughter is the exact same size/shape/age as Emily. Wow! Thank you!

We get the call from the rest of our gang and we meet at Mama Melrose around 5:00 p.m. They are rested and refreshed. We are hot, sticky, and covered with sweat and love bugs. The restaurant is well air conditioned and we are seated shortly. Our server, Holly, was excellent and knew the dining plan. By the time we finish our appetizers, we are getting full but I manage to eat the delicious salmon and a couple of bites of dessert.

Now who can pass the Pizza Planet without going inside to have a peek. DH and I distribute quarters and wait. They have a few whirls at Pirates of the Caribbean pinball, some flings at ski ball, a few tries at the claw (who had decided that everyone would stay and no one would go) and we are on our way to Fantasmic.

DH and Mimi go to burn up the Rockin’ Rollercoaster fastpasses we got earlier while DS, Emily, and I go to find some seats. We argue a bit about where to sit…the kids want to be in the front and I want to be in the back, on the end of the row for a clean get-away.

OK, have I mentioned that it is really hot…..and humid? In addition, the air is stagnate and we are all getting grumpy. I break out the glow necklaces and Emily wants cotton candy. I give her some money and she comes back with some cotton candy….and one of those chaser-light necklaces….for herself. Suddenly my Dollar Tree glow necklaces aren’t looking so hot to DS and an argument breaks out. Emily lets him wear the necklace, we do the wave and everybody’s happy again.

DH and Mimi join us and we try not to sit close enough so that our bodies touch in any way. Fantasmic is well….Fantasmic. Now, I love the Disney shows, really! But Fantasmic is at the bottom of my hit list. It is a good production but just not as good as the other nighttime/fireworks shows…to me…. if you can compare them at all. We are here because DS hasn’t seen the show and HE LOVES IT! Sorcerer Mickey gets up to do his thing and I nudge DH and the kids toward the exit. We lumber toward the exit, take the LOONNNNGGG walk back to the car, then the hotel, for a LOOONNNNNGGGG shower after a LOOONNNNGGG day at MGM. But I’m excited because I have a surprise for DS in the morning…….

DO…make more time to see the streemosphere performers. They were fantastic! I know there are several groups and they are on the times guide. Do try to sit near the fans at LMA. I will make this a priority next time. Do save your indoor, shady, and sitting attractions/shows for the afternoon if you’re there on a hot day at MGM. Do make a reservation at 50’s Prime Time if eating at MGM next trip I hear it is a unique experience.

DON’T… worry if your party wants to split up. Be flexible when it comes to your days in Disney World. Believe me…I learned this last trip. Even if you plan the day down to the minute, not everyone is up to the challenge of a full day in the parks. Split up if necessary so everyone enjoys their vacation whether it’s in the parks or at the pool.

[PrincessV]

Fantasmic is well….Fantasmic. Now, I love the Disney shows, really! But Fantasmic is at the bottom of my hit list. It is a good production but just not as good as the other nighttime/fireworks shows…to me….


You are not alone! I was so disappointed in Fantasmic after all the hype when it first debuted and I haven't been back to it since. It's not awful by any means, but I agree that there are other nighttime spectcles that are better.
Another great installment! :thumbsup2

[LAS]

Great report! Keep it coming.

[DisneyObsession]

DON’T[/B]… worry if your party wants to split up. Be flexible when it comes to your days in Disney World. Believe me…I learned this last trip. Even if you plan the day down to the minute, not everyone is up to the challenge of a full day in the parks. Split up if necessary so everyone enjoys their vacation whether it’s in the parks or at the pool.

I will need to remember this on my next trip. I am vacationing with 3 friends I have never vacationed with, let alone gone away for a week with! I need to remember we can go do our own thing if necessary. :thumbsup2

Thanks for this great report! Can't wait to hear more! :listen:

(Can you include a family pic? Your son is adorable and I'd love to see the rest of you as well!)

Happy Reporting! :banana:

[Nurse_Mommy4]

subbing, I like your writing style. :thumbsup2

[mickaholic4077]

What a great report!! It's funny,though,because I love Fantasmic!!

[lexmelinda]

PrincessV...we are in total agreement on Fantasmic. I could live a happy fulfilling life without ever seeing Fantasmic again. No offense to Fantasmic lovers...of which my son is now one.
LAS, Nurse_Mommy4....thanks for joining in on all the tedious details of our trip.
DisneyObsession...sorry but since Mimi was really the photographer on this trip, we got a lot of scenery but not many pictures of people...except DS...Mimi's favorite subject. I will post what I can find. I like to think we all still look the same as the pictures in post #1.... ;)
mickaholic4077..thanks for your kind remarks...sorry about my anti-Fantasmic sentiments..... :)

[lexmelinda]

Well, another beautiful morning at POR but I’m moving a might slower today due to the long day at MGM yesterday. Make coffee, shower again, and wake the kids because there is a definite plan for the morning. I have booked the Pirate Adventure Cruise at the Grand Floridian (GF) for DS. He is excited and hops up like there are springs on his bottom. He puts on his pirate t-shirt. I also have booked brunch ADRs at 1900 Park Fare for the girls and me and this is DH’s day to sleep in, God love him.

I considered driving to the GF for about 5 minutes but with the look-alike Disney roads…the purple signs…I just feel safer with the Disney transportation. I have asked my questions on the DIS and am assured that the quickest way to the GF from the Magic Kingdom is the boat over and the monorail back. The bus service is right on for us this morning and we arrive at the Magic Kingdom to see the opening celebration in progress at the train station. Very cute. Hope we get to see the whole show tomorrow. Keep moving …hurry on to the boat dock, people.

The boat arrives in a couple of minutes and we are seated for a short (3-4) ride to the fabulous GF. We ride over with a nice CM who offers to walk us to the marina where DS’ pirate vessel will depart. We arrive, sign in, and procure DS’ pirate ears and life vest. I am given a pager and told not to worry unless it goes off and then to proceed quickly back to the marina. Both the pager and the receipt must be presented in order to get your pirate back. Simple. Got it!

DS has already struck up a conversation with a Canadian boy who is about his age. The family is very nice and had arrived on the same day we did but will be staying two weeks at the campground. There is a short pirate briefing so the rules are clear to pirates and parents alike. The kids are asked to choose a partner. I see DS and his Canadian friend clasp hands with no words exchanged…cute. The ship sails at 9:30 a.m. for a two hour tour.

The girls and I set out for 1900 Park Fare. We have some time because the only ADR I could get was 10:20 a.m. so we walk slowly and admire the lovely resort. We take the long way around to the front door because frankly, we are lost. As we enter the lobby we are stunned by the beauty of the place. We stand gawking like the hillbillies we obviously are. The place is opulent…spectacular…just beyond-belief-gorgeous. The décor is sort of grand Victorian and done on a very large scale…incredible really…huge chandeliers, wide Gone With the Wind staircase, glass elevator.

We locate 1900 Park Fare and Mary Poppins is our hostess this morning but we are assured that Alice and the Mad Hatter will be there, too. If there’s one Disney movie that the girls have absolutely worn to a frazzle, it is “Alice in Wonderland” so I thought this might be fun for them. We check in at 10:00 a.m. and are seated almost immediately, but the place is half empty so I’m wondering why I couldn’t book an ADR before 10:00 a.m.

The offerings are plentiful and the food is pretty good. I get a few fuzzy pictures of Emily with the characters but Mimi is too cool. The Mad Hatter was hilarious and obviously born for this job. Mary Poppins was a little stiff. “Thank you for the picture,” we say. “Of course,“ says Mary with no smile in a curt English sort of way. Alrighty.

We make our way to the second floor and board the monorail with a hope that we can get to Epcot and pick up some fastpasses for Soarin’ before 11:30. By the time we get to the TTC, we realize that there won’t be time so we decide to just jump back on the resort loop and head to the Polynesian to check it out.

The Polynesian, too, is fabulous in a South Pacific sort of way. We walk around, find the ladies’ room….buzzzzzzz. My emergency pirate pager goes off and my heart skips a beat. I have a look and notice that it says “alarm” but we take no chances and head back to the GF immediately…a little worried. “Oh, so sorry”, the pirate wrangler says, “Some parent must have set the alarm so they’d know when to head back.”

Now we have 20 minutes to kill so we go back inside to enjoy the beauty and air conditioning in the GF lobby. As we approach the staircase, we see a bride having her portrait taken as the wedding party looks on. I comment to the lady standing next to me what a beautiful place for a wedding and she says, “Bet that wedding costs about 20 arms and 48 legs.” Maybe more, I think. I’m also a little curious about how jam-packed the wedding schedule must be if people are booking their weddings on Monday morning…not that there’s anything wrong with that.

Back at the marina we hear the pirate ship coming before we see it. A loud chorus of “YO, HO, YO, HO A PIRATES LIFE FOR ME….AARRRRRRGGGG!” echoes around the marina. Our pirates have apparently located the necessary clues and the treasure chest is opened. Pirate booty is conveniently packaged in green gift bags so distribution is fast and easy. I was surprised at the number of parents who brought their pager but not their receipt….do they really want their pirate back?

Anyway, just so you know the pirate booty is of the dollar store ilk…eye patch, earring, and sticky eyeball with the consistency of a gigantic booger. DS takes out the booger and hands the bag to me along with a bag full of trash that looks like it might have at some point contained his lunch. True fact: Children will walk past 3 garbage cans to hand their trash to their mothers.

We’re outta there via the monorail to the Magic Kingdom and bus to POR because we are pool-bound. May I just say that Ole Man Island pool is wonderful! I met the kids there and searched to find a chair that was only maybe half covered by copulating bugs. Eewww. Get a room!

DH joins us. We all swim, hot tub, and go down the water slide where DS gets the whistle on practically every go. He comes down on his stomach, head first, runs back to the stairs…if there is a rule, he breaks it. We head back to the room and since it’s mid afternoon “the plan” is to head to the World Showcase and the dinner I’ve been looking forward to……..Le Cellier.

DO…book a pirate cruise if your kids are in the 4-8 age range. (I didn’t see many kids that looked much older than DS.) Book as early as possible since the cruises are not offered every day and seating is limited. Do check out the GF (and the deluxe resorts) if you get a chance. Book a dinner, a pirate cruise, a character breakfast, whatever…just get thee to the Grand Floridian. I will make more time to visit the deluxe resorts next trip.

DON’T…forget/throw away/let your spouse leave to go shopping with your receipt if you send your child on the pirate cruise. Don’t book breakfast at 1900 Park Fare again. Try the GF Café next time. (That one is just for me.) If your kids love the characters, especially Pooh and Alice characters then move 1900 Park Fare breakfast back up to the DO list.

[disneydebbi]

Loving the TR! :thumbsup2

[DisneyObsession]

Glad to see James enjoyed the Pirate Adventure Cruise! It looks like LOTS of fun!

The breakfast may not have been great, but you had some great quality time with your girls! That is more the memory than the breakfast anyway! (Do any of you remember what you ate, or the fun the 3 of you had?) I miss those times with my girls. Enjoy them!

[PrincessV]

I'm so happy to see a report of the pirate cruise! My DS4 is very into pirates these days, but I wasn't sure what to think about the cruise. He's still a bit young (read: won't want to leave Mommy behind!) for it now, but I think he'd love it in another year!
Sounds like everyone had a good day :thumbsup2

[monymony3471]

Just wanted to say hi and I am reading on! :wave:

[novdisneydreams]

I met the kids there and searched to find a chair that was only maybe half covered by copulating bugs. Eewww. Get a room! :rotfl2: :rotfl2: :rotfl2: :rotfl2: :rotfl2:

[lexmelinda]

disneydebbi, monymony3471, novdisneydreams...thanks for reading. I have not written anything except a personal check since college and I am a might wordier than I'd hoped. Thanks for sticking with me..
DisneyObsession...You know how time flies with kids. That's part of the reason I booked this trip...as sort of a last chance family vacation. The girls are growing so quickly and will be gone before we know it. Nice to spend some "girl time" with them and we actually got another chance on this vacation...if I ever get that far in this report........ :)
PrincessV...Definitely book the pirate cruise for Leo...as soon as he's ready to let you stay on the dock....with your pager and receipt. I think the kids had a great time and $30 (including lunch and booty) is a pretty cheap cruise by Disney standards. It'll give you some adult time, too. If anyone has not checked out PrincessV's fabulous, courageous, mom/son trip report, please do so at your earliest convenience...Where's the Lime??? (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1196545) It also contains a link to her holiday pre-trippie.

[SamIAm21]

Excellent report and good for James making a new friend and being a really cool little rule breaker! :rotfl:

I can't wait to read on!!

Thanks for writing it!

[ZZUB]

sticky eyeball with the consistency of a gigantic boogerWell that answers the question of "what's for lunch?"

As the reigning Gold Medalist in Men's Waterslide Olympics, I have a bit of advice for James: it is imperative that you rotate back to the politically correct position before the final turn. Otherwise, you're just some dork who keeps breaking the rules.

:moped:

[lexmelinda]

SamIAm21....Thanks for reading...I know it's long....can we get an editor in here?

Otherwise, you're just some dork who keeps breaking the rules. I think this only applies if you are a Disney adult (over age 9) and an officer of the court. I'll have to check the Olympic rule book on this. :moped:

[Cass]

awww that was cute, and brought back memories when my DD6 sailed...

Thanks for another great installment.... what's next? :)

[nicolemarie]

True fact: Children will walk past 3 garbage cans to hand their trash to their mothers.

That is a true fact!!! Just yesterday, I reminded each of my children SEVERAL times that I was not a trash can. And that if anyone was going to hold on to their trash it would be them. Geesh!!

Melinda, I believe we exchanged some PM's back during your planning stages. I live in Macon and you were trying to decide where to spend a quick overnight. Looks like that all worked out!!

I am enjoying your trip report. Looking forward to the next installment! :sunny:

NM

[Glendamax]

Hey I JUST found this! Still reading . . . :surfweb:

[lexmelinda]

Cass...Thanks for reading. I love your web site! Your pictures are fantastic and makes me sorry I didn't take more pictures on this trip.
Nicolemarie..Thanks for all your great advice about our overnight in GA! I hope you'll be taking another trip soon so we can enjoy another great trip report.
Glendamax.....I'm so glad your reading along even if it is late. ;)

[Disneyland_Mama]

Looks like Glenda's not the only one who's "Fashionably Late" :goodvibes

I just found this wonderful little trippie! I'm subbing! :thumbsup2

Looking foward to reading more! :surfweb:

[lexmelinda]

It is at this point that I must confess the level of Disney dorkdom to which I have risen for this trip. Now I have already admitted to months of DIS surfing and tip gathering but I also purchased a couple of online subscriptions and a very large book.…….it’s a hobby, OK? Anyway, I have compiled my information including all mapquest directions, confirmation numbers, touring plans, tips, undiscovered places, how to win at Buzz Lightyear, yada, yada, yada….into convenient MS Publisher booklet format that fits neatly in the back pocket of my new bag. The only people who could possibly understand this level of obsessive planning are my DIS friends. (You do understand, right?) But if you meet me in person and ask me if I created this document, I will deny it.

There….confession over.

Now the booklet contains "the plan." If there is knowledge of "the plan" there will be anarchy, rebellion, or at least heavy sighs in my family. DH detests plans….especially on vacation. So today I will ever so casually lead my group to the World Showcase because we are arriving in the mid/late afternoon and Future World lines will be prohibitive. Right?

We enter Future World at around 3:00 p.m. and I know it will be tough to get the kids past the rides. “What’s inside the big ball.” Well, it’s a ride. “Can we go?” I inquire about the wait. No wait? Really? No problem! Let’s go…….but Emily is nervous….again…..about Spaceship Earth. Darn that “Honey, I Shrunk the Audience”! Okie, dokie…I will sit next to her while we take the sssllloowww trip through time but I must admit I do love the last big planetarium room at the end. Gorgeous. More rides, please. But, “the plan!” I think to myself.

OK, let’s check out Soarin’. Well, the wait is 40 minutes so we grab fastpasses and DH and DS want to head to Test Track….on our way to the World Showcase. What…10 minute wait? (It really turned out to be more like 5 minutes.) As they send us up to the loading slot, Emily’s really upset because she’s afraid there’s no way out but she is directed to the exit in the nick of time. DS and I are the front seat crash dummies and DH and Mimi in the back. I finally get to ride Test Track and may I say I loved the whole break-through-the-wall part…laughin’, screamin’, hands in the air fun….good times.

We exit Test Track and pass the happy, wet kids and droopy-diaper babies cooling off in the fountain. I love those fountains that squirt right up out of the pavement. It looks like fun and it’s pretty hot so of course DS wants to join in. Sorry, bud, not today. I’m not a mean momma. It’s just that DS likes to get wet…he just doesn’t like to STAY wet which could present a problem as we haven’t brought dry clothes. “Hey, look over there, DS!” Distraction is the name of the game.

Wonder what the wait is at Mission Space? It’s just right over there. Again….no wait and the nice CM begins to explain the difference between the orange and green versions. I quickly grab tickets for the vomit-free version and we’re in…I mean right into the preshow…like they’re waiting for us. Emily and I go into the non rider section (motion sickness+dinner at Le Cellier= I’m not riding) and get the low down from Gary Sinise.

Em and I are excused to the chicken hallway and wow, how about that space training area at the exit. Emily and I along with a cute honeymoon couple fix our space ship on the BIG screens and win the race. I suspect the win was due mostly to the honeymooners who seemed a little more video game savvy than us.

We are on our way back to Soarin’ with our fastpasses and I realize that “the plan” is scrapped. We will not make a meaningful journey around the World Showcase today BUT if we can ride all the headliners in Future World today with little/no wait that just means everyone can sleep in on Wednesday (except me…remember the rooster) and that’s a very good thing.

I was a little concerned about Soarin’ being a motion simulator but I was determined to fly. Forget about the Mushroom Filet. I’m in. We love the little preflight briefing with the guy who the kids immediately identified as the voice of Kronk but who I will always think of as Elaine’s boyfriend, Puddy, with the Jesus fish. And aaahhhh, Soarin’…….are there enough adjectives to describe how great this ride is. The beautiful scenery, the wonderful smells, the wind in your hair. I see DS raise his feet as we fly over the ocean. Absolutely fabulous.

Well, while we’re in the neighborhood, we head over to the Living Seas. We would like to converse with Crush but the line is way full so we go over to see the other sea creatures instead. I turn to see that the line to see Turtle Talk has suddenly and completely disappeared! So I drag my fish lovin’ crew into the queue for the next show.

Once in the theater, DS plops down on the front row. When Crush asks if anyone has questions….nothing. DS apparently knows everything about sea turtles and has no questions. But hey, you can’t blame him. Having a cool, animated sea turtle up close and talking to kids in real time is surely quite intimidating. The show is very cute and funny and the DIS hype was well deserved. I found DS cracking up at odd moments for the rest of the week. He would just look at me and say, “Sea kelp gives ya the bubbles.” Potty humor goes a long way with little boys, ya know.

Next: What to do with one hour in the World Showcase…

DO…be prepared to scrap “the plan”. Even the best laid plan cannot take all circumstances into consideration. We were blessed with a beautiful afternoon and no waits in Future World. Who can argue with that?

DON’T….forget to bring a change of clothes if you have little ones who may want to cool off in the fun fountains at Epcot. Don’t miss the fun virtual space training area at the end of Mission Space even if you don’t ride the ride.

[Cass]

DON’T….forget to bring a change of clothes if you have little ones who may want to cool off in the fun fountains at Epcot.


Shhhhsh! don't you know Disney puts those fountains there so you have to buy new outfits for your kids? and big fluffy Pluto towels? :rotfl:

[ZZUB]

Puddy, with the Jesus fish Now I'm in the mood for fishsticks.

We love Soarin'. We rode it first at Six Flags' California Adventure. It may in fact be my favorite Disney ride.
Potty humor goes a long way with little boys, ya know.Grown men, too.

[remfam5]

Scrappin' the "PLAN" HUH???
The 2005 "mom-nazi" in me--- would have said absolutely NOT!! :sad2:
But, having BEEN-THERE-DONE-THAT, the new 2007 "It WILL be ok to scrap the plan, not quite SO nazi-mom" will know better! :thumbsup2

It was hard for me to go to WDW with such a meticulously "planned" vacation-- then get there and realize that some days it works and other days, it won't! :)

Lovin' you report!
And your daughter, Emily, with her fears from your scarring-her-for-life at Honey, I shrunk the kids is SOOOOO familiar to our first day, first park, first ride at Animal Kingdom on It's a Bugs Life!! Both my kids DD 9 & DS 6 left in tears and although my brave little man got over it----- my little princess was TOTALLY not into anything remotely dark and/or scarey looking! :confused3

Lookin' forward to the next day!

[PrincessV]

It is at this point that I must confess the level of Disney dorkdom to which I have risen for this trip. Now I have already admitted to months of DIS surfing and tip gathering but I also purchased a couple of online subscriptions and a very large book.…….it’s a hobby, OK? Anyway, I have compiled my information including all mapquest directions, confirmation numbers, touring plans, tips, undiscovered places, how to win at Buzz Lightyear, yada, yada, yada….into convenient MS Publisher booklet format that fits neatly in the back pocket of my new bag. The only people who could possibly understand this level of obsessive planning are my DIS friends. (You do understand, right?) But if you meet me in person and ask me if I created this document, I will deny it.



Brilliant, BRILLIANT I say! If there were a standing-ovation smilie, it would be right here: standing-ovation smilie

[lexmelinda]

Disneyland_Mama....Thanks for jumping on board for what appears to be a trip report that could last til my next vacation... ;)
Cass....Is that why all the stores carry head to toe children's apparel and big fluffy towels when there's no pool in sight? Souvenirs...I always thought. Silly me!?
ZZUB....Six Flags beat Disney to the Soarin' punch? What? I have never heard this before....are there other Soarin' wanna-bes around?
remfam5...Before we took the girls to Disney World in 2000, I read the UG cover to cover and laughed at the description of children who were terrified by the rides. What kind of crazy kids are those people raising that are afraid of the rides? Apparently the same kind of crazy kids I was raising. That crow sure is stringy.
PrincessV...I just read your latest pre-trip installment and now I don't feel so bad. ;)

[lexmelinda]

Now we only have about an hour before dinner but aaaahhhhh, the World Showcase. I loooovvvveee the World Showcase. It’s a beautiful, well manicured, utopian world in miniature. I'm anxious to see it again. We stop only to take a picture at Canada…love ya…be back later. I did want to stop and listen to “Men in Skirts” but no takers.

Question: Can someone tell me why the Millennium Village closed? Was it the name? Could they not call it the Millennium+1 (and so on) Village and keep it open? We spent a lot of time there on our 2000 vacation and loved it. The girls enjoyed getting lots of stamps and autographs in their little passports from all the cute, friendly CMs from around the world. The building is still there? I guess it went the way of that awesome parade that we saw here on that same trip. Disney logic, I suppose.

England was loverly as usual. We browse the toy store and play with the swords, of course. Pooh is in the back doing a meet and great. Look, DS, it’s Pooh! Nothing…couldn’t care less. We wander out back and DS runs the hedge maze….twice.

France is fabulous as well. Having walked all the way to Europe, DS is decidedly pooped, sits down and refuses to go on. Have I mentioned that the little man is stubborn? A few hugs and some kind words…we’re back in business. Mimi was impressed to find that the guy working in the shop was actually from France. Tres bien! I tell her all the people who work in the World Showcase countries are actually FROM the country. “Oh, right, I knew that,” she says in her I’m-cool-teenage-way. We proceed to wear the hats and buy some candy.

We wander back to Canada and take a whirl around the back before we go into the restaurant. The waterfall behind the main building is spectacular. Am I the only one who didn’t know it was there? We arrive at Le Cellier at 7:45 and the outside hostess is in the process of turning away the uninformed, non-DISing masses who had not thought to make ADRs. We are invited inside and after a short wait, we are seated in the Newfoundland section and greeted by our waitress from Alberta? I guess no servers from Newfoundland were available.

The restaurant is lovely and not nearly as dark as it seemed in most of the pictures on the DIS. I’ve been drooling over the pictures of the food here for months. Anybody else making frequent visits to the “Post Your Pictures of Disney Food Here” thread in anticipation of their trip?? So DH and I both order the mushroom filet, medium rare. We enjoy the PEI mussels (these are great!) and cheese soup. Then the moment I’ve been waiting for….the filets finally arrive and they are…….dramatic pause….overcooked. Well, we are starving and dinner is free so we eat up.

I hear a BOOM….the fireworks are beginning. I love Illuminations! I have to say that to this point, it is my favorite fireworks show at Disney World. Our server kindly offers to let us go out to watch Illuminations and then come back to finish our desserts. Go ahead…all reservations are in and no one is waiting for the table. Wow! Yes! Great! No…Nope…no one else wants to go. I’m not sure I’d even enjoy it alone. BOOM. BOOM. The fireworks continue. So we finish dessert and make it out for the last 3 BOOMs and then…………..we wait……….

I’m pretty sure most of those 87,000 people who are leaving the World Showcase are headed for the POR bus stop. We pull up some bench and watch the ducks, and watch the people, and watch the ducks. The crowds thin and we finally wander around to the stores at the Future World side of the lagoon.

Now I have to say that I am a lover of all things wonderful in the Disney parks but I am not a great lover of Disney merchandise. Does Mickey really need me to advertise for him? When the girls were little, I spent huge sums on princess dresses, crowns, movies, wands, clothing, pajamas, etc but not lately. I do, however, have an appreciation for all things beautiful and useful although I rarely treat myself to those little extras. I know, I know.

So that’s when I spot IT….the perfect souvenir….for me. It’s the “four parks, one world” coffee mug. Do you know this mug? It’s quite large and features Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy on the monorail, Pluto and Donald in a Test Track car at Epcot, Daisy on Rockin’ Rollercoaster, Huey/Dewey/Louis on Kali. It’s pink inside and even says “MOM” on the handle. How wonderful would it be filled with my favorite beverage? Mimi sees me admiring it. I state my love and decide to buy the mug by the end of the week if I don’t find anything I love more. I’m pretty sure I won’t. Heavy sigh.

We go to the bus stop and the 87,000 have already caught the POR bus. We head “home” to rest up for Magic Kingdom day tomorrow…

DO….take your World Showcase server up on an offer to see Illuminations and return to the restaurant. Go back the restaurant and relax while those poor, unfortunate souls wait in line for the bus. Our decision on this evening sentences us to another night that we will do the “wait out the crowds” thing at Epcot if we want to see Illuminations. I don’t know how many people will ever actually run into this dilemma but I have to mark this down as the biggest mistake of the week.

DON’T….make a late reservation if you don’t want to fight the crowds after Illuminations. I wish I had had a 6:00 p.m. ADR on this particular evening since we have an early morning tomorrow. But as you may know there aren’t that many choices available if you are booking at Le Cellier….especially with a party of 5. Don’t miss out on all the great features of the World Showcase pavilions. Go around back, down the hallways, alleys, etc. You’ll find lots of hidden places that are meant to be explored.

[PrincessV]

Firstly, those pics of James in France are just about the cutest thing ever :goodvibes What a ham!

And B., I must second your call to hang around the WS close to and after the park closes. I used to have an After 4pm Epcot pass and spent many evenings doing just that. Very neat!

[connorsmom911]

Just chiming in to say hi, enjoying your trip report immensely! You sound a lot like me in the planning dept. Welcome to the OCDPD anonymous (obsessive-compulsive Disney planning disorder)! :lmao:

Keep writing! :thumbsup2

[dandee00]

Just chiming in to say hi, enjoying your trip report immensely! You sound a lot like me in the planning dept. Welcome to the OCDPD anonymous (obsessive-compulsive Disney planning disorder)! :lmao:

Keep writing! :thumbsup2


OCDPD. :lmao: :rotfl2:
Finally some place where I belong. :disrocks:

[rich_84]

Hi there, I also just wanted to say hi and congratulate you on a great Trip Report so far! I hardly ever take time out to read people's trip reports, but got hooked on this accidently and have enjoyed every word of it. Great writing style, and great insight.

Very much looking forward to the next chapter!! :thumbsup2

Rich

[averill94]

Loving your report- especially the do's and don'ts! After your review I think POR will be the resort for us next time.

As for the coffee- (we stayed at POP this time) I almost brought my own but couldnt find a cheap pot. At the beginning of the trip the coffee was blech- By the end of the trip I was actually looking forward to it each a.m.!
About midway I would give mine a shot of hot chocolate and I think that helped.

popcorn::

[MickeyT]

Kronk but who I will always think of as Elaine’s boyfriend, Puddy.
I always think the same thing! Puddy!
Am thoroughly enjoying TR. We will be staying at POR in Dec and you have me feeling like we're already there! Thanks!

[HaleyB]

I just saw your note on the Silly TR and decided to take a look at yours, it seemed very familiar - then I realized i was already reading it. :rotfl2:

Love your format!

[MainStMandy]

OMG, just loving this report! Sad to hear that your Le Cellier experience wasn't great. I am so psyched to go back, even with all the semi-wonderful reviews.

You guys are definitely keeping me entertained at work today!! :cool1:

[lexmelinda]

PrincessV...Although the "stubborn face" picture is decidely unflattering to me, I had to post it because it was so darn cute and of course the hat pictures were hilarious in the making and every time I look at them. Thanks!
connorsmom911 & dandee00...So nice to know it has a name....OCDPD...welcome to my world.
rich_84...Thanks for joining us. Warning! The Trip Reports Board is addictive. Some people watch soap operas, some people watch Grey's Anatomy....I read trip reports. It suits my schedule and there are no commercial breaks. There are some really great TRs out there, too.
averill94...re: crappy Disney coffee. Everyone says it's not so bad but I just like to drink coffee first thing in the morning and the thought of having to shower and get dressed before my coffee is just not right. ;)
MickeyT...I'm jealous. I miss POR! Hope you enjoy your stay. I highly recommend building 18!
HaleyB...The only DISer I have ever met in person. So happy I made the connection. Everyone grab a dictionary and head over to check out HaleyB and Mr. Silly's "Journey into the Heart of Dorkness" now playing on a DIS trip report thread near you.
MainStMandy...Happy to be of service! I spent last Friday afternoon at the reception desk at work and got caught up on several trip reports! We will definitely go to Le Cellier again...the food was fabulous even if the steaks were overcooked. Mimi proclaimed her chicken and mashed potatoes the best of the entire trip which is really saying something.

PS to everyone who's still reading this verbose and pointless report...I am working on a new installment for later today but must do a few other things before my day-off is completely in the rear view.........

[lexmelinda]

Is there any way to shut off that rooster? He crows early this morning and I’m not ready. We did get to bed before 11:00 pm last night but that is still much later than I usually go to bed….don’t ask….it’s early, OK? Not to mention my job is quite sedentary so the bones and muscles are aching. A long shower does a world of good, and I drink lots of coffee from my styrofoam Mickey cup. Should’ve bought that mug.

The kids are moving slowly as well but then I say those two wonderful words….Magic Kingdom and everyone is up….except DH. Now DH is a stayer-upper. When the kids and I go to bed, he goes outside and catches up on his cell phone calls and what not. I believe he may have made some life long friends at the River Roost. So this morning he is decidedly worse for the wear. He is not moving.

The rest of us are ready and headed directly to Space Mountain with no time for stragglers. We tell DH to call us when he gets to the Magic Kingdom. With a "See ya, wouldn’t wanta be ya," we head to the bus stop.

It’s a short ride but still we miss the opening ceremony. We head directly to Space Mountain because “the plan” is in motion. We fastpass and then head in. The queue area is ssssooooooo long. I cannot imagine actually waiting in that line. As we walk the 10 mile queue Emily is trying desperately to get her courage up. There’s no wait and she goes as far as the loading area. The CM directs Em and me to the rocket right behind Mimi and DS. I get in and look up to I see the sad face…it’s a no-go. I hand Emily my phone, and change rockets to ride with Mimi and DS. Space Mountain is indeed exciting but is exactly as described on the DIS…”wild mouse in the dark.” The three cups of coffee in my tummy are now frappéd.

We exit and head directly to the ride that I know is sure to be a hit with DS….Buzz Lightyear. But my buddy doesn’t want to go see Buzz? We push, pull, drag, cajole, and even offer bribery to get him to cooperate in this first of many “Trust-us-you’re-gonna-love-it” episodes during the week. The precious early morning time is quickly evaporating and we finally get him in the door. The line is short and continuously moving. We get in our space ships and prepare to battle the evil Emperor Zurg.

Have I mentioned that Mimi and DS are ride buddies….for the week. He won’t ride with anybody but Mimi. She is and always has been his “other mother.” So cute. Now it takes approximately 2 seconds for DS to realize he is inside a video game and he is suddenly in his element. Emily is “driving” our ship and every time I get my laser on a target, we move. HEY! Then we get to the puking tunnel….you know the one….where you zoom through space and everything is hurtling past at light speed. I swallow hard and cover my eyes to secure my frapped coffee. Emily turns our ship round and round. Not funny!

Well, everyone loves Buzz (including the little stubborn man) but our scores stink so we ride again, and then again with no wait. On the third trip our ship is stopped just as we are exiting the first room. I turn the ship to the backward position and repeatedly shoot the target on the robot’s elbow….100,000 points, FYI. Momma wins this round.

Well, it’s only around 9:45 so we head to Fantasyland. I should mention that I had prepared DS to walk past the Tomrrowland Raceway but I’m still worried he may want to wait in line for this one. We have a go-cart at home that actually needs some sort of whatchacallit on the accelerator to control the speed because it flies! We walk past and laugh at the slo-carts…ha, ha…keep walking. We make a might-as-well visit to Pooh to kill time while we are waiting for Toontown to open. It’s cute but frankly, not very exciting after our first mountain and Buzz.

We rush over to Toontown and see Goofy at the gate. We follow him to the Barnstormer and ride two cars behind him on the first spin of the morning. Now this is a cool little coaster for coaster newbies. We throw our hands in the air, burst through the barn, and as we head back to the station DS says with excitement, “WOW!!!…….that was short.” The nice CM tells us to stay in the car if we want to ride again. Yes, please. The girls decide to see if they can hold their breath through the ride once it passes the initial climb. Yes, they can, thank you very much…..if that tells you anything about the length of the ride.

As we exit, DH calls and I tell him to take the train to Frontierland and meet us there. The kids and I head to the train station and wait. Since I DIS I know that if you ride in the back seat, the conductor will let you give the “ALL ABOARD” and you get a little conductors certificate.

Our conductor on this trip is Barbara and she has more enthusiasm for her job than any other CM I’ve seen this week. She smiles and waves at everyone in sight…even offers to let DS be conductor before we ask. She talks to the kids and says, “They all ask me, ‘Barbara, how come you still got the pixie dust’ and I say ‘The good Lord, the good Lord’” Amen, Barbara.

DS chickens out at the crucial moment and the microphone goes to Emily who gives a commanding “ALL ABOARD” and then SHE gets the certificate. Hhhmmmmm, the little man’s sorry he missed his chance. There is DH waiting for us at the Frontierland station.

We prepare to fastpass Splash, but again…..no wait. We walk the miles of queue and hop in our log. Unlike the Barnstormer, this ride is very long and very enjoyable. I try to take in all the fantastic details…little clothes hanging on the line, birdhouses, squirting things in the laughing place….just awesome. There is, however, a little too much Brer Bear butt in there for my taste. How humiliating…poor Brer Bear. Then we plunge head long into the briar patch…awesome!

We decide to conquer the last mountain on our list and again…..no wait. Gotta love these September crowds! Emily is wary but she’s in. Don’t worry, honey…no loop-de-loops and no darkness. (OK, there’s some darkness but what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.) We all love this ride and now Emily is…..converted! She has faced her fears and lived to tell the tale. Hallelujah!

We hurry to Pirates of the Caribbean because I heard on the DIS that the line can be quite long, quite early since the refurbishment. We get there and look, DS, it’s Peter Pan and Wendy outside! Uh, huh….keeps walking. Truth be told there are some characters even I would like to see but no, DS wants to check out the pirate ride. Now there’s NOBODY in here so we sing the “Yo, ho, yo, ho” song as we walk in and it has that eerie little echo just like at the beginning of the POC movie. Go ahead…..try it.

It’s dark and wet inside but again we walk on. I’m excited because even though I could have actually ridden this ride on one of my other trips to Disney World, it has always been down or closed for refurbishment so this is my first time. The ride is very cool and Jack Sparrow does look identical to his movie counterpart. We linger at the exit/pirate store. DS is fascinated with the fill-up-a-skull-with-5-cent-oriental-trading-company-junk-for-only-$18. Nope….nope. We already have the sticky eyeball back in the room, remember? Again we try on the hats and then I hurry everyone along.

We are hungry and decide to break for lunch, but I look over and see a dirty little pirate with a cart hurrying by. We follow him and set up camp by the rope for the pirate tutorial. And there he is in living color….Captain Jack Sparrow. The kids are awed. Mimi is sending picture texts to all her friends at home. DS doesn’t get picked to participate but the show is cute and Jack teaches us that distraction is the name of the game. I already knew that, but thanks anyway. If you have any pirate lovers in your group, I highly recommend this show. I believe this is the only place you can see Cap’n Jack up close and personal except maybe in the Halloween parade.
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/jack.jpg
We head in the general direction of the Columbia Harbor House for lunch and Mimi stops by the “river” to take a couple of pictures of this very cooperative and confident Disney bird. At the end of this trip we find we have very few pictures of people, or I should say, people we know, and lots of pictures of birds, animals and scenery. Although they are beautiful, we have little proof that we actually were at Disney World. Here's the bird.
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/100_9267.jpg
We arrive at CHH around 11:30 and there’s no line. We decide what we want and DS and I go upstairs to get a table. It’s fairly deserted upstairs and we find a table for 5 by the window, the condiments, and the bathroom. Score! Picky kid warning: DH had to order for DS off the adult menu because the kid options here are what DS would consider “disgusting.” The fries and chicken however were good and as we depart we look over the railing to see a very long line for lunch.

Refreshed, I run over to get fastpasses for Peter Pan and we stop at the nearby Haunted Mansion. DS is nervous. Remember he likes “fast” but doesn’t like “dark and scarey” ie Tower of Terror and Haunted Mansion. There’s no wait so we rush him in and stand in front of the fireplace and then we make it past the round room and jump in the doom buggie. I am on one side of him and Mimi on the other. He hangs on for dear life. The ride stops right near the grave digger and then again by the lady in the crystal ball. Not good. We finally get to hitch hiking ghost part and DS is a little undone. He asked me periodically throughout the week, “How did that ghost get in our cart?” We are all ready to do it again….except DS. Seen it, done it, been there, not going back says DS. OK, then.

Our Peter Pan fastpasses have not matured so we decide to try Philharmagic. I have heard from my DIS friends how great this is but I am not prepared. It is absolutely spectacular. How they make the screen go from the size of the stage to the entire room is amazing! The sights and smells are beyond wonderful. I am awed by what Disney has accomplished with Philharmagic and Soarin’ (and to some degree, Turtle Talk.) Through technology these attractions fully immerse you in unbelievably magical experiences. Bravo, Disney! Well done.

Back to Peter Pan with our fastpasses…The standby line is long and I am amazed at the people who are willing to wait. They are surely part of the uninformed, non-DISing masses and they have my pity. We jog right past them and get looks that indicate they think we are cheaters. We board our pirate ship and take off over London. May I say this ride is exactly the same as it is in my memory from the 1972-six-people-in-a-Beetle trip….a fluorescent paint and black light trip through London and Neverland…still magical. Love it!

Now the sky is darkening and we want to use the fastpasses for Space Mountain since DH didn’t get to ride this morning. As we near our mountain, we are stopped by the nice CM who tells us the ride is down and won’t be back up for a while. We are bummed but Emily is uber bummed because she now has her ride-on. We grab more fastpasses and just as it begins to rain, we get on the train to Main Street. We’ll be back because tonight we dine at the castle…

DO….go to Disney in September. This will be our secret. OK? Our family is now completely spoiled by the no-wait situation and could not be dragged back kicking and screaming during spring break. Do have some sort of touring plan in mind, even if it is September and know the lay of the land. It saves you a lot of time and backtracking. (My plan was executed to perfection on this particular day. We rode everything we wanted, ate lunch, and were back at the hotel by 2:00.) Do use the train for transportation…that’s why it’s there. Saves time and blisters. Do eat lunch before noon unless you want to wait in line and who does? Do eat upstairs if you go to Columbia Harbor House. It’s cool, quiet, scenic and the bathroom upstairs is hidden and practically unused.

DON’T… miss the pirate tutorial if you have any pirate or Cap’n Jack lovers in your group…very cool to see him up close. I’m not sure it’s on the times guide. Ask a POC CM what time it starts.

[1000thhappyhaunt]

Ah Ha!

I MET that pirate guy too.

Enjoyed it muchly.

More than your frapped ride on SM.

Your description turned the lunch in my stomach to puke.

But... I didn't. Just threw up in my mouth. A little bit.

That's only because I HATE SM.

Not because of your excellent reporting of your ride.

Now then... I laffed about the length of the Barnstormer. Perfect.


Thanks for posting this. I'm in.

Cheers, Mel.

[THpoohbear]

Melinda - I love your trip report! I'm visiting WDW for the first time this Nov. Staying at POR!

In answer to ZUBB's reference about Six Flags'... I think that was a misprint! It should have read "Disney's California Adventure." Soarin' is only at Disney, first appeared at California Adventure, and then Epcot. It's my hubby's favorite ride (we have APs to DL). He too is the type to sleep in that relax... yet somehow he loves me enough to accompany me to WDW! We don't have any kids to keep me company while he's resting, so I may be doing a lot of exploring by myself! I consider vacations to be the time to fit in as many things to do/see/experience, myself. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of your trip!


Now I'm in the mood for fishsticks.

We love Soarin'. We rode it first at Six Flags' California Adventure. It may in fact be my favorite Disney ride.
Grown men, too.

[lexmelinda]

1000thhappyhaunt.......Sorry I made you throw up....in your mouth....I was really hoping to keep this report vomit free. Enjoying your report as well. Gotta try that ninja hide-n-seek. Sounds like fun.
THpoohbear....ZZUB was wrong? :scared1: Thanks for the info on Soarin'/California Adventure. I must agree wholeheartedly with the go/see/do vacation. I could sit on the sofa and watch Jerry Springer any day of the week....if I were so inclined. Have a great time at Disney World!

[Disneyland_Mama]

Back to Peter Pan with our fastpasses…The standby line is long and I am amazed at the people who are willing to wait. They are surely part of the uninformed, non-DISing masses and they have my pity. We jog right past them and get looks that indicate they think we are cheaters.

I love "that" look. The look that says "Huhhhhh???" in that Tim the Toolman Taylor voice! :rotfl:

I pity the fool that don't DIS! :sad2:

Muahahaha!!!

BTW, lovin' your trippie!!

[sleepydog25]

This is one reason it takes me so long to finish a trippie. I get sidetracked. Reading others. So sue me. I started but haven't finished, thus the subscribing. If you didn't write so well, maybe I wouldn't be distracted from my own. Any complaints arise about my tardiness of writing falls squarely (if only partially) on thy shoulders. . .;)

[cjhinch]

I am loving your report!! I love how relaxed your family seems to be!! I also love how you let your dh sleep while you take the kids on to the park......I don't think I would have thought to do that........might save on some grumpiness!!

Oh, and the coffee mug you described was my ONE purchase for myself when we were there last week. I still love looking at it, and each time I use it, it takes me back! I hope you ended up buying it for yourself!

[fenfur]

Melinda - I love your trip report! I'm visiting WDW for the first time this Nov. Staying at POR!

In answer to ZUBB's reference about Six Flags'... I think that was a misprint! It should have read "Disney's California Adventure." Soarin' is only at Disney, first appeared at California Adventure, and then Epcot. It's my hubby's favorite ride (we have APs to DL). He too is the type to sleep in that relax... yet somehow he loves me enough to accompany me to WDW! We don't have any kids to keep me company while he's resting, so I may be doing a lot of exploring by myself! I consider vacations to be the time to fit in as many things to do/see/experience, myself. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of your trip!

It may be possible that zzub did know it was at DCA and he was being sarcastic. DCA has few original rides, most of them there are "rack rides" or "catalog rides" i.e. rides that you can find in any general regular amusement park, so in fact even though DCA is a Disney themepark, it really isn't any different from a Six Flags (of course with a very FEW exemptions Soarin, Turtle Talk w/crush).


Loving your TR. DH and I are ones to relax and sleep in on vacation, so we are going to go for extra long in order to sleep in AND get some theme park time too.

[Nasus]

Enjoying your TR. I think I recognize your screen name on TGM too? We went this Sept. too and the low crowds were unbelievable, but the heat was pretty unbearable!
Susan

[OhMari]

Dou you have a family picture. You guys looked like teenagers when you got married.

[lexmelinda]

Disneyland_Mama....I second your call for pity on the non-DISers. And it's not like Stacey's not telling people about fastpass 864 times a day even if they don't DIS...no big secret!? I love your evil laugh, BTW.........Muahahaha!!! Thanks for reading.
sleepydog25....Now don't blame me because you're not keeping up with your installments. And the fan mail you're getting over there is brutal.....the DIS peeps love ya! BTW, your trip report is brilliant as was the last one. Thanks for the reading the loquacious details of my trip as well.
cjhinch.....This was actually not the only day of the trip that we had stragglers but actually letting DH sleep in works out better for all concerned. He gets to take his time and shower at his leisure instead of fighting the girls and me for the bathroom, etc. since we were 5 people in one room. RE: the coffee mug.....stay tuned. ;)
fenfur....We need to get a ruling on ZZUB's Soarin' comment. As for the extra long, sleep in vacation......brilliant. That's what I'll do next time if time/money allow.
Nasus.....Thanks for reading....yep, that's me on TGM as well. I found his info invaluable. The week we were there in September, it was only unbearably hot our first day....at MGM. The other days were quite nice and in fact Thursday evening was down-right cool. Which week did you go?
OhMari....Can you believe we did not get a family picture on this trip? I wish we had stopped at a photopass guy or something. BTW...we were in our mid/late 20's when we married. DH still looks much the same, except that he wears glasses and has a shorter haircut. I do have a photopass pic of the me and kids I'll include later in the trip report.

TO EVERYONE: I am trying to write more but I have a part-time seasonal job that I started this week so please bear with me. Thanks for reading!

[Kat in GA]

[QUOTE=The week we were there in September, it was only unbearably hot our first day....at MGM. The other days were quite nice and in fact Thursday evening was down-right cool. [/QUOTE]

What?! Maybe I am just overly heat sensitive but I thought it was miserable hot that week! I look so gross in all my pictures because I am in the process of melting :) . Wednesday morning was overcast and not too bad -- and yes, Thursday was lovely -- but Friday it was right back to sweltering!

I am really enjoying your report -- it's fun to read about someone who was there at the same time.

[Nasus]

We were there Sept 21-26th. We live in Ga, northeast suburb of Atlanta, so you would think the heat wouldn't bother us that much, but it did. :sunny:
Susan

[lexmelinda]

Kat in GA & Nasus....RE: the heat in da world @ end of Sept....I think I was prepared for heat of apocalyptic proportions after reading trip reports from last September. I was prepared for high 90's and 100% humidity but found that the heat was quite bearable. There were only a couple of days that the temperature was above 90...one of which we were at the pool for most of the afternoon. I do remember, however, that the humidity at MNSSHP on Fri, 29th was oppresive. To make sure I was not remembering wrong or just completely crazy I checked temps that week (http://www.weather.com/outlook/homeandgarden/schoolday/monthly/USFL0372?month=-1) on weather.com. I guess my expections re: the heat were a little worse than the actual. ;)

[mmmcq]

Excellent trip report. Love your do's and don'ts - that should be "must do" for everyone now.

I only recently got hooked on TR's.....similar to hooked on Phonics when you're 5 and learning how to read only in reverse....because as we all know it's impossible to stop reading a good TR even if it's 1am and you know you have to get up in 5 hours.

Looking forward to your next installment.

[sheridac]

Hey there!

I just read the WHOLE thing.

Now. I do have a short attention span.

But.

I love the sweet pictures of pouty James. And. I made a little sad face of my own when I read about Emily's Space Mountain sad face.

She'll get there one day soon, I'm sure!!!

[lexmelinda]

mmmcq....So sorry you are now hooked on the trip reports board....it is habit forming and time consuming but no less entertaining than any network television show I've seen so no harm done. Thanks for reading and for your encouraging words.
sheridac...I can't believe you read the whole thing. In fact, I can't believe I wrote the whole thing...and I'm not half finished. I chalk up my wordiness to the fact that I don't get enough "adult time" here in Kentucky. Thanks for your sweet comments about my babies. I'm trying to get over and read your trip report, too and all the other dork/viking reports. Looks like you guys had a great time. :)

[lexmelinda]

The rain is still coming down when we got back to POR after our morning at the Magic Kingdom. After a late night at Epcot last night and an early morning this morning, it seemed a perfect time to nap. I pull the drapes on our river view, turn off the lights, and get under the covers. The kids get in bed but continue to watch The Stacy Show in English and in Spanish. There is a unanimous decision that the Spanish Stacy is better and has a cuter swim suit. Although they can’t understand a word she says, the kids watch the show...twice.

After a while DH decides he doesn’t care to rest but will do the laundry instead. DH? Laundry!? I’m not sure I’ve ever used those two words ever been used in the same sentence before. I figure this is probably just a poorly disguised excuse for him to smoke and catch up on some phone calls. OK, honey….go for it. Don’t forget we have a 5:30 reservation at the castle.

Can I tell you a little story about tonight’s reservation? Back in April when I began planning this trip, I realized almost immediately that there was some urgency to making our ADRs. I poured over restaurant reviews and read the menus on allearsnet.com. The girls were taking some interest so I asked them both to look at the menus and choose one restaurant each.

Emily sits down at the computer to look over the menus but for Mimi there is no need. “The castle,” she said with out hesitation. “I’ve always wanted to eat at Cinderella’s Castle.” I was shocked. Since our trip in 2000, Mimi has morphed from a character-loving, Dumbo-riding fanny-pack wearer into a car-driving, boyfriend-loving taxpayer. There has never been any typical teenage drama with Mimi. She eats the right foods, does her homework conscientiously, never questions our decisions, wakes early without prompting, and never asks for anything……….really. Any unkind words/actions she harbors are reserved exclusively for her faithful minion and only sister, Emily. It’s such a cliché to say that they grow up so fast but alas……they do. Mimi’s wish to eat at the castle warmed my heart and come hell or high water…we are doing it….tonight.

Now it’s nearing 4:30 and I’m trying to get everyone moving. DH’s not back yet. We call him and it turns out the clothes weren’t dry after the first cycle so he’s put them back in for another round. Pull the clothes out and come back or we’ll be late, OK? I dress DS in a collared shirt…uuggghhh….and he runs around barefoot while the girls put on the finishing touches. The little dude just happens to be standing facing the door when DH throws it open wide to enter with the laundry basket…..and the door stops short….on the top of DS’ foot.

There is blood and screaming….lots of screaming….momentary chaos. We dress the wound but DS is having a hard time walking. It’s now a few minutes after 5:00 and I call the front desk and they connect me directly to CRT……voice mail. Can I have a human, please?? I leave a message and we limp/walk to the bus stop in a steady drizzle. When we get to the bus stop, the heavens open up. And we wait….and wait….powerless as every bus except the bus to the Magic Kingdom comes and goes.

At last the bus arrives and on the way, I make another attempt to contact the castle via 407-WDW-DINE. I do get a human but after I explain the situation we are somehow disconnected. I am discouraged but not defeated. When we arrive at the MK, Emily and I hand our bags to DH and Mimi and we run for it. Not a great idea to wear my sandals tonight, BTW. We bolt down Main Street with Emily in the lead. We arrive at CRT, breathless, at around 6:00 and I am prepared with my blood/rain/no bus excuses but none are required. “Oh, you’re still in the system. Don’t worry….everything’s fine.” Huge sigh of relief….Mimi gets her wish. Thank you, God.

We have our picture taken with Cinderella. Considering the circumstances, it’s not a very flattering picture of anyone….except Cinderella of course. We are called to the dining room and it is splendid. Our server greets us and addresses us as royalty. “What for the princess…and what for the young prince….m’lord?” The kids all order chocolate milk and we enjoy the little Fairy Godmother show. Dinner is nothing special really but Mimi enjoyed “her” evening and takes several pictures of the beautiful mosaics downstairs. DS admits with a smile that the castle had not been what he expected. I think he was hoping for something a little less fairytale and a little more Hogwarts.
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/mk13.jpg
The rain has stopped and we head directly for Space Mountain so DH and the kids can use the fastpasses from earlier. I do not feel the need to frappé my prime rib dinner so I prop up the fastpass machines and wait. Emily is grinning from ear to ear when they exit and they decide to go again. When they come out this time it is nearing 8:00 pm and time for Wishes. I had not wanted to fight the fireworks crowd tonight since we would be seeing Hallowishes on Friday….but there will be no escape.

We head over the Tomorrowland Bridge and stop at the entrance to the rose garden….full. But just inside the gate, we walk past the photopass guy as he picks up his camera and leaves. We dash down to the end of the photo spot and are quickly joined by two couples from Texas who have several young children. One of the moms, no doubt a DISer, breaks out the glow necklaces. I had forgotten ours in the chaos but she kindly offers one to DS. Tinkerbell flys directly over our heads and the fireworks begin. WOW….now I understand all the fuss about Wishes. It was absolutely breathtaking from this vantage point.
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/mk3.jpg
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/mk7.jpg
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/mk5.jpg
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/mk9.jpg
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/mk6.jpg
So we wander back down Main Street and DS has a fit for one of those $20 mylar Mickey balloons…OK maybe it wasn’t that much….but DH buys it for him. Sucka! (That's DH with his back to the camera.)
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/mk10.jpg
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/mk11.jpg
We stop at the big Disney store on Main Street to wait out the crowds. We browse the same costumes (sorry…no plus sizes for Emily) and weaponry that are in every store on the property. Then we head over to the confectionary to blow a few snack credits on cotton candy before we head back to the hotel….exhausted…for tomorrow we divide and conquer.

DO….bring laundry stuff if you’re driving. We were sweaty and wanted to change clothes before dinner each night and with 4 adult-size people that's a lot of laundry. Since we are hillbillies, I packed some of our belongings of the non-clothing variety in a laundry basket along with a “small & mighty” bottle of detergent and a big bag of quarters. Do put the dryer on “hot” if your clothes can take it or they will most certainly not dry after the first cycle. ($2 per cycle, FYI) Do bring band aids and antibiotic cream. We used these several times throughout the week. Do plan to leave your hotel room at least one hour before your dinner reservation. This gives you plenty of time to deal with the unexpected.

DON’T….book dinner at the castle again…unless it’s someone’s special wish. The setting was fabulous but the dinner was quite ordinary and certainly would not have been worth it if we had paid the $200 tab out of pocket. Definitely not worth 2 dinner credits. Don’t miss Wishes...now my favorite fireworks show. Don’t buy a balloon if you can possibly avoid it. It was cute for the first 30 minutes or so but it was in the room and in the way all week. We actually took it all the way home since DH didn’t REALLY need to see out of the rear view on 1-75. Trust me….make a very wide circle around the balloon vendors.

[mmmcq]

LOVE the two pictures in the store. Did Mimi take those too?

Isn't there always an injury, blood and screaming exactly when you are trying so hard to corral the troops for a special event that involves leaving your residence at a certain time? Never fails. I can remember splinters from the porch railing, a bead in an ear - or was it a nose (yeah that was gross), a finger in a car door (how many of us have lived thru that one?) and bloody everything. And I don't even have boys.

Great installment. I've seen you lurking/posting on several other TR's. Good thing you paid the price to lurk some more........ Just back from soccer. Got to finish putting up Halloween decorations and start dinner. Can't DIS till bedtime. Can't DIS till bedtime. Can't DIS till bedtime. It's not working. :badpc:

[mousecatcher]

Subscribing (yes, late, but better late than never!) We're headed to POR in less than 2 weeks. I just love your style of writing and especially the DOs, DON'Ts at the end. :thumbsup2 I've started on my pre-trip report to post next week and hope to do my first trip report when we get back.

P.S. It makes me feel better to know that there are others with 'the plan' who don't share it. My family thinks that it's only ADRs!! The rest will be presented as a random, spur of the moment suggestions.... ;)

Great job! Anxiously awaiting more of the story.... popcorn::

[makinorlando]

Your trip report is "fantabulous", a very good read! I love reading the adventures of other folks who VISIT Disney since we most likely never experience it in quite the same way... nor do I have a whole family to please -just me and DD!

I know THE coffee mug, I drank coffee for a couple months out of THE coffee mug, but sadly THE coffee mug is no more, it met an untimely end when it met with the tile floor one morning! (Note to self buy another one... it was BY FAR my favorite - over my Mickey and Donald "Retro" coffee can mugs and my Stitch mug!)

I think it's great that you realize that not everyone has to do everything together and that you give Jamie his time....you are a good wife. I'm with him - I like my vacations sitting/sippin/relaxing.... that's why I live near Disney - so my vacations can be somewhere else.....

I love that you were able to keep the secret from James all the way to the arches. You are a far better woman than I. I can keep no secrets from my DD.

Mimi takes fantastic pictures. Give her my compliments!!! (Not that mine compliments mean anymore than anyone elses, buy I am passionate about my photography as well!)

I look forward to the rest of your trip!

[DisneyObsession]

I am finally back with you after 8 days with no power here in Buffalo! :wave2:

Glad I could catch-up and thanks for all the great pics! Your kids are adorable, and the view of DH ...well...you know! :blush:

Can't wait for more!!!

[jrasmom]

Still here and reading along with everyone else!!

We just did NOT have the kind of walk on's that you did, seemed like we were always in the wrong parks at the wrong time.

Oh well, we STILL had a blast and got to see everything/do everything we wanted to.

I know the feeling on SM, ugh never again. AND this was the ONLY ride that scared my dd all week and she was the daredevil of the week!!

Oh, and Philharmagic................................I LOVED that!! Actually we all did. I could sit and watch it several times in a row if they'd let me ;)

[angipoo]

subscribing

[PartyFromSaturn]

I'm really enjoying your trip report. You have a great writing style. Hopefully we will get another installment from you soon!

[edwardsmt]

Subscribing--I am fairly new to the board and did not realize what great tips come from these trip reports. My two children DS(8) and DD(4) are booked on the Pirate Adventure for January and although I assumed so, I was glad to see the picture of your son in a life jacket. I had visions of my extremely enthusiastic DD falling overboard, so this was reassuring. :) Thanks for taking the time to write and to post the pics. :thumbsup2

[callisa]

Okay, if I get a second job I can save enough money to take my girls to the World in....2010...

[buttons]

I am really enjoying your trip report. I have read it and laughed as I find similarities in myself. I'm the Disney nut who plans like crazy, but everyone always seems so glad I did when the trip is underway.

[All Morganic]

(Sigh) I said I wasn't going to do it. I made a promise to myself, my DH and my poor negelected DD's - NO MORE TRIP REPORTS! But alas, here I am. Hooked! I guess there's no going back now. "Girls, make your own dinner tonight!"

Thanks for the great trip report! :thumbsup2

[lexmelinda]

Just wanted to let everyone know I have NOT forgotten about this trip report. Although I am able to do my little part-time/seasonal job at home, I am nevertheless on a deadline. I'll try to post something substantial by Monday. Thanks for reading!

mmmcq...Yes! Mimi took the pictures in the store and really most of the pictures for that matter. Most of our pictures of Disney World look like this....no real people....just stuff.
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/aparkpic.jpg http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/aparkpic2.jpg
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/aparkpic3.jpg http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/aparkpic4.jpg
mousecatcher....RE: presenting the plan as "random, spur of the moment suggestions" ..Genius! I hope you love POR as much as we did. I highly recommend Bldg. 18 where we stayed....close to quiet pool, laundry, food court, and right on the river but not near the parking lot. We just wish we had spent more time there. Have you seen this slide show? (http://www.allearsnet.com/acc/porss.htm)
makinorlando...Thank you for the kind words for Mimi and me. RE: splitting up at Disney...I knew we would have to do this at some point. The kids and I want to do things that DH doesn't want to do and the girls and I want to do things that the boys don't want to do, etc.....There are many dynamics with a family of 5 especially with the kids being at such different ages. I think if we didn't embrace that we would've been in for some arguing and that's not what vacation is about.
DisneyObsession.....Glad you're back....8 days without power?! Brutal! Been there, done that. Not fun. Glad I have a gas stove and hot water heater. That's the only thing that saved us. Hope you went off to a hotel with a generator.
jrasmom....RE: wrong park + wrong day=long lines. Here's my answer....TGM. Well worth the $.
angipoo....Glad you're here!
PartyFromSaturn...Glad you're here. Thanks for the kind words....glad you're enjoying the report.
edwardsmt...Welcome to the trip reports board. Here is my standard warning! Trip reports are addictive. Some come with great tips and others are just hilarious but there is something to learn from them all. A great funny and tip filled report is Nicolemarie's "What I learned from the DIS". Enjoy!
callisa....Keep saving. Our entire trip cost about $2000 which included a moderate hotel (only option with 5 people), park tickets, and free dining. We could not have eaten like we did without the free dining. Our girls are, for all practical purposes, adults when it comes to eating out and our tab was around $200 every night. Go to mousesavers.com for codes and specials. It may be cheaper than you think.
buttons....Welcome! Glad to meet another crazy DIS planner. Everybody in my family benefits from my insanity so no harm done. ;)
All Morganic....I feel your pain on the TR addiction. I'm trying to do my little part time job but it's here at home....on my computer. Mimi actually caught me doing a 5-second DIS check the other day. "I saw that!" she said. Busted....I can't help myself.

[sheridac]

Hey there!

Loved the Wishes shots!! And. That couple from Texas, that had the glow neckaces?? Sounds like my friend HaleyB. To me. Sharing like that is JUST the sort of thing she would do!

[lexmelinda]

Loved the Wishes shots!! And. That couple from Texas, that had the glow neckaces?? Sounds like my friend HaleyB. To me. Sharing like that is JUST the sort of thing she would do!I'll tell Mimi you loved her photos however I think the best shots were actually taken on her camera phone......to text to the boyfriend, ya know. The couple from Texas as not Haley and Mr. Silly and the only reason I know that is because I actually ran into the Sillies at the AK. They will be making a cameo in an upcoming installment. ;)

[T-i-double-g-err]

Just wanted to let everyone know I have NOT forgotten about this trip report. Although I am able to do my little part-time/seasonal job at home, I am nevertheless on a deadline. I'll try to post something substantial by Monday. Thanks for reading!
No problems here. Too busy at work to do much keeping up during the week.
makinorlando...Thank you for the kind words for Mimi and me. RE: splitting up at Disney...I knew we would have to do this at some point. The kids and I want to do things that Jamie doesn't want to do and the girls and I want to do things that the boys don't want to do, etc.....There are many dynamics with a family of 5 especially with the kids being at such different ages. I think if we didn't embrace that we would've been in for some arguing and that's not what vacation is about.
We did this quite a bit on our trip in January. DM was with us, so we had a couple of days where each adult went off with one child in a different direction. Best thing we could do. Each child was able to do what was best for him or her with a parent or grandparent in tow. :rolleyes: One day DS4 went with DW to AK, DM to MK with DS6.5 and me to Epcot with DS9. We would meet back at the hotel in the afternoon or before. We'd also have days where we would head back to the hotel for a break at different times based upon how particular children were holding up.
edwardsmt...Welcome to the trip reports board. Here is my standard warning! Trip reports are addictive. Some come with great tips and others are just hilarious but there is something to learn from them all. A great funny and tip filled report is Nicolemarie's "What I learned from the DIS". Enjoy!
I agree with the addiction issue. I've taken to only subscribing to a single trip report until its complete. I may miss some tips or some good fun, but I will not fall too far behind at work or at home... :blush:
callisa....Keep saving. Our entire trip cost about $2000 which included a moderate hotel (only option with 5 people), park tickets, and free dining. We could not have eaten like we did without the free dining. Our girls are, for all practical purposes, adults when it comes to eating out and our tab was around $200 every night. Go to mousesavers.com for codes and specials. It may be cheaper than you think.
:woohoo: Only 37 days until what's likely to be my least expensive WDW trip. :banana: 5 nights at the Swan on Starwood points. Airline tickets on Delta miles. Spending money on Disney VISA rewards cards. My AP from our last family trip is still valid until January. We picked up a 10-day park hopper for DW, so that's pretty much our first expense. DM is visiting to watch the kids as this will be our 11th anniversary trip (and the first trip without the kids since we adopted DS4 2.5 years ago).

In any case, I'm looking forward to the next installment when you catch your breadth.

[lexmelinda]

T-i-double-g-err....thanks for the kind words of encouragement. You only subscribe to one trip report at a time? That's self discipline! ...And you chose mine? :blush: I'm flattered. Thank you!

[lexmelinda]

So now we’ve been waiting out the fireworks crowds two nights in a row and everybody’s sleeping great today……..except me. I get up to make the coffee and look over to see the laundry basket full of the half-dry clothes that I made DH hurry back to the room with last night. So I fill my styrofoam Mickey cup with coffee and head down to the laundry room. I sip and reminisce as I quickly make two pages of sloppy notes about our trip while the clothes dry.

Since everyone is still sleeping, I make myself minimally presentable and head down to the concierge for directions. If you recall the nice CM at MGM suggested we go to Walmart to look for a Disney costume for Emily…like Macy’s sending you to Gimbel’s….disconcerting but benevolent. So the concierge whips out a highlighter and in 30 seconds I have a map. I am assured it’s only 3 or 4 miles. Sweet!

I get sidetracked/sucked in by the hotel gift shop. It’s really the Everything-You-Forgot-and-Left-at-Home-for-a-Premium & Gift Shop. DH had to buy a swimsuit on Monday since he left his at home. It was a Speedo but not the kind that frightens people (Sheridac!). Fortunately he had the kids throw in a pirate medallion and a couple of other things so he could get me the Tink Christmas watch....only $10 with your $50 purchase. Bonus! Today, I purchase a quart of milk and Entemann’s doughnuts for the room. I notice they also have “the mug.” I make a mental note for my last day purchase.

Back in the room, the fam is stirring. Once everyone is showered, changed, caffeinated, and ready….we formulate a plan. Emily, bless her heart, is still worried about her costume for MNSSHP on Friday so I give DH the map and he and Em head to the Walmart on 536. I, on the other hand, want to surprise DS with a trip to the cool pool at POFQ. So Mimi, DS, and I head down to the DTD boat dock.

When we get there we see a line of people. The boat only comes every 20 minutes so I figure with this number of people waiting, it must be coming soon. We get in the line but DS is a little irritated…doesn’t want to wait. I take him to sit down on the bench. The boat arrives and the line of people board without incident and then he blows…DS is NOT getting on the boat. NOT….no, no, no way, no how, not, Notty McNotNot getting on board.

I can’t remember exactly what was said. I think mother love blocked out that memory for me but I do remember wondering where Supernanny was when I really needed her and maybe whether or not the concierge could provide the number for a good exorcist. And then as quickly as it began, the defiant demeanor is gone. “It’s OK. We can get on now,” he says. We board and I remember feeling somewhat embarrassed since the entire boat got to witness this little tantrum.

The boat ride is beautiful and slow…calming, actually…and we arrive at POFQ in about 5 minutes. The boat docks right next to the spectacular pool. We see the serpent slide before we get off the boat and DS runs to it. Mimi and I grab some chairs and towels and sit back to relax as we watch DS go down the serpent slide something like 87 times in the few minutes we are there. Here's our observation point.
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/100_9342.jpg
We are hungry and head into the POFQ food court for something to eat. Now this resort is very well themed. There are cute little alligators playing jazz instruments and jesters everywhere. The food court is in Mardi Gras mode 24/7. The food choices are excellent and we have hot beignets for dessert. Not the Café du Monde but not bad either. DS is adorable in head to toe powdered sugar, BTW.

We decide to take the bus back to the hotel since every bus stops first at POFQ before going to POR and because we might have a substantial wait and another tantrum before the DTD boat arrives. So we go to the bus stop and wait……and wait. A family walks up to join us and we see them swat and hear them comment “What kind of bugs are these? Wow, there sure are a lot of them.” Newbies…heh, heh.

We meet DH and Emily back in the room and they proudly display their “man shopping.” Can anyone relate to this? When moms go to the store, we get fruit, milk, bagels, and such. When you send men and kids to the store together you only get popsicles, twinkies, cheetos and cherry coke and the like. Well, DH and Em got Yoo Hoo, various and assorted snacks including but not limited to Spongebob Cheez-Its, green tea, 2 Sobes, more doughnuts, beer, and 40 juice boxes. Thank goodness they have purchased enough stuff for our month long stay at POR. Oh, wait, that’s right….we are only staying 3 more days! Man shopping….no offense, guys.

Here’s the kicker. DH got carded for the beer. The cashier asked to see his ID and Emily’s ID. She had to call a manager to get approval….for my 44 year old husband to buy beer in the company of his 13 year old daughter. But guess what they didn’t buy? That’s right….a costume for Emily.

DO…ask the concierge for directions to any place you need to go in Orlando. They seem prepared and happy to provide said directions. Do remember you can buy milk, snacks, OTC medicines, and forgotten essentials in the gift shop. Do use the boat if you are going to POFQ. It is a lovely ride and from POR the boat stops at POFQ on the way to DTD and on the way back. If you’ve just missed the boat, do walk. It’s a relatively short walk by Disney standards.

DON’T…miss the pool at POFQ if you are staying at POR. This particular pool hopping is the only “legal” pool hopping at Disney since the two resorts share pool privileges. Anyway the pool is visually stunning although the slide is actually shorter than the POR slide but the little ones will love it. Don’t bring beach towels from home. I was unaware that there are pool towels available for guest use at POR and POFQ.

[stinkerbelle's mom]

subbing

[sheridac]

Aahhh. Man Shopping. That phenomenon which includes purchasing EVERYTHING but that which you were SENT to purchase in the first place!!

And. The speedo. What's frightening is that someone actually looked in the mirror and said to themselves, "Dang!! I look GOOD!!"

[wasabi girl]

Love the TR. Thanks for taking the time to write.

[PrincessV]

Oh boy, was I comisserating with you through James' tantrum. :sad2: Mine had his at the top of the serpent slide. I think Disney would make a killing if they offered Supernanny services to their guests!

Love the "Man Shopping"! FYI - that seems to go for "Gramma Shopping" too.

[DisneyMomof_03]

Thank you so much for this thorough trip report. My DH and I, plus our 3 kids (8,6,3) took our first Disney vacation back in July. Reading your report makes me so excited and brings back great memories from our trip. We are headed back in April and your report is making me more and more excited to return.

[T-i-double-g-err]

T-i-double-g-err....thanks for the kind words of encouragement. You only subscribe to one trip report at a time? That's self discipline! ...And you chose mine? :blush: I'm flattered. Thank you!

You've got a good one going, although I have to take exception to the man-shopping thing having just returned home with fruit, milk and cheese (and 5lb of sugar on this week's 1 cent coupon). At this point, I know that I can't keep track of more than one TR thread without cutting too much into family or work time. If time were not at such a premium at the moment, I'd be much more willing to give into the addiction... :rolleyes1

DW and DD9 are off at a girl scout meeting. DS is watching some Noggin, and DD7 is watching Harry Potter 1. So, I had a few minutes to check and read your latest installment and drop this comment before I start on dinner for me and the two kids here with me. :thumbsup2

We're getting pretty much down to the last month before our 11th anniversary trip. :goodvibes So, I'm looking forward to all the last minute planning and fine tuning to come over the next 30-days. DW is getting into it almost as much as I am. :cool1: We'll be coming home from this trip to see the results of 5 days of "Gramma Shopping". (PrincessV).

[Kat in GA]

I have a name for it now. My disease is called "manshopping syndrome." It causes one to got to Target for a $2 jar opener and come out $175 lighter in the pocket. Will there be a telethon? :lmao: (This is why my DH does all the shopping in our house!! :teeth: )

[DisneyObsession]

And I thought "man-shopping" referred to "shopping for a man"! LOL (How silly of me!) :blush:

Your definition works in our house too! :joker: Even with a list, DH buys more than we need!

Can't wait for another installment...I'm hooked!!! :rolleyes1

[MomPlanner22]

Again, fabulous Mimi pictures! She has an incredible eye!

In our house, man shopping goes like this, "Well, you wanted a 15 oz. can of (insert whatever here) and they only had 14 1/2 oz. so I didn't buy it."

[Westwingkath]

Gee, I thought it was going to get racy in there...

Great TR, though!

[stinkerbelle's mom]

WOW, I'm totally loving this TR! :rotfl: that the store had to give special permission for Jamie to buy beer! I bet he loved that & the whole carding thing in general. Can't wait for more! popcorn::

[amy2girls]

Great report, we will be staying at the POR in April. Great tips about the pool hopping. :cool1:

[angipoo]

We see the serpent slide before we get off the boat and James runs to it. Mimi and I grab some chairs and towels and sit back to relax as we watch James go down the serpent slide something like 87 times in the few minutes we are there. Here's our observation point.
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/100_9342.jpg


Are we only going to get to see y'all's toes???? :sunny:

[teentoddlermom]

Finally caught up with the rest of your TR today! It has been a great read and I'm glad that you have more days to report. I've never stayed at POR and really want to...the grounds and theming are amazing. I think it would be a great couples only resort to enjoy too.

[lexmelinda]

Happy Halloween, everyone!

Sheridac....I maintain my position....JUST SAY NO TO SPEEDOS!
wasabi girl...Thanks for reading! :)
PrincessV....Over-tired kids do not make for happy memories...no matter what time of day it is. Gramma shopping? OK, that too! I like it!
DisneyMomof_03...two trips in one year...I'm jealous! Thanks for reading.
T-i-double-g-err...I was afraid I would hurt your feelings with the man shopping and this obviously doesn't apply to you. However in my experience you seem to be more of the exception than the rule. In fact when I think about it, it seems that men who DIS are not likely to be the type who man shop....more organized, thoughtful, etc. ;)
Kat in GA...perhaps I have MSS also. I said goodbye to my $235 at Target yesterday....however mostly due to an unfortunate ink pen/dyer incident. Maybe we should call Jerry Lewis?
DisneyObsession.....I guess I didn't consider the ways that man shopping could be interpreted. Glad I am not alone in this dilemma.
MomPlanner22....Thanks again from Mimi. She's an artiste in the makin!
Westwingkath...Sorry, Kath....nothing too racy over on this TR. Thanks for reading!
stinkerbelle's mom....RE: getting carded....We could only assume that the cashier thought DH was buying the beer FOR Emily. The cashier told DH she had to card everyone that looked under 28. So DH looked 27 and Emily looked 17? DH said the manager who approved made the crazy/spinning finger move behind the cashier's back when she turned around. Who knows? DH loved it but is not new to being carded. He was carded for cigarettes not all that long ago....you have to be 18 to purchase. :confused3
amy2girls....Thanks for reading. Hope you love POR as much as we did.
angipoo...Those are actually Mimi's toes. But since she was the only one with a camera on this trip, we actually didn't get many people pictures....well, we got lots of DS pictures but really not many pictures of the rest of us. I will share the ones I have in upcoming episodes. Thanks for asking. ;)
teentoddlermom...Thanks for catching up with me...I know it's long. I'm really trying to do some judicious editing. Judging from your screen name, I think you are probably able to commiserate with my little kid/big kid episodes. BTW, POR is awesome for kids or couples. I keep thinking about where we might stay on our next trip and my mind keeps coming back to POR.

HOPE EVERYONE HAS A BEAUTIFUL, WARM, DRY NIGHT TO TRICK OR TREAT! THANKS AGAIN FOR READING!!

[All Morganic]

I have a name for it now. My disease is called "manshopping syndrome." It causes one to got to Target for a $2 jar opener and come out $175 lighter in the pocket. Will there be a telethon? :lmao: (This is why my DH does all the shopping in our house!! :teeth: )

I am sooooo bad about shopping in Target (why is it just this store?) that my DH wants to see and sign off on a purchase order before I go. :rotfl2:

Keep up the great TR :thumbsup2

[Adi12982]

Great TR!! I cannot wait to read what happens next . . . all that man shopping and no costume. . .

Happy Halloween to you too!

[missj1975]

Great trip report so far. Can't wait to read about the Halloween party.

[serendipity]

oh no! don't tell me I've reached the end! I just stumbled across this TR and read it from start to finish. I'm utterly hooked and can't wait to hear more...now, back to the trick or treaters!

[Montana Disney Fan]

oops mispost. sorry :confused3

[lexmelinda]

Hello, again. I'm sorry this report is taking so long. I did not image that it would be so time consuming to write the installments but I appreciate your patience. Thanks again for reading.

All Morganic....Target is my weakness, too. My solution is to try not to walk through the doors or to send Mimi to pick up the one thing I "need" so I don't find so many other things I "need."
Adi12982...stay tuned on the MNSSHP costume. Emily does not forget about this all week long. Glad you are in. :)
missj1975...MNSSHP coming up! Thanks for reading.
serendipity...Thanks for reading! Wow, start to finish? That's like 6 hours of your life? Sorry so long but glad you're enjoying it!
Montana Disney Fan...Did you mean to post on UtahMama's report? Just came by to check out the man shopping? I've been lurking over on the man report and promise to leave a comment next time. At any rate, thanks for taking me to page 10. ;)

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYBODY!

[lexmelinda]

After the man shopping is surveyed and sampled by all, it is time to head over to the World Showcase again. I’m excited because eating, shopping, and entertainment there are unparalleled as is the walking, unfortunately…..which is of course everything DH detests on his sit/sip/relax/do nothin’ vacation. He states that he has absolutely no interest in going to the World Showcase and that he and DS will kick back at the hotel and meet us at the Coral Reef for dinner. Well, you know, if that’s really what you want to do. Are you sure? Yes. ALRIGHT!!!! Girls Day….woo-hoo!!

Now it’s not that we really want to ditch the guys but the lexmelinda girls don’t get many “girls only” opportunities. Up until 6 years ago, the girls and I could do/go pretty much anywhere…stores, restaurants, movies, the mall. But after DS came along our girl moments became fewer and farther between. If there is an opportunity, it usually means that one of us stays home with DS while the other two go out to do whatever thing is needing or wanting to be done. Let me tell ya, DS is no fun at the mall. So it is indeed a rare occasion if all three of us go somewhere together. But today the opportunity has presented itself and we practically sprint to the bus stop.

DISCLAIMER: We were so anxious to be on our way this afternoon that we forgot the camera…the horror. So to make this more fun I have included some links to photos and videos (from file sharing sites) of the more interesting items for you. Beware: Spoiler alert! Don't click on the link if you don't want to ruin it the magic.

Upon arrival, we head straight to Test Track (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42Q9jVwKkxY) for fastpasses since Emily has her groove back and now wants to ride all the rides she missed on her chicken days. From there we go to the dock to take the Friendship Boat to Morocco.

Wow…there it is docking like they’re expecting us! We sort of run/walk to get on board….and then we wait….and wait….for probably 15 minutes. There seems to be a shift change going on. A new captain and first mate board and do a little check-in and we cast off for AFRICA…..Morocco (home of Casablanca) is in Northern Africa for the geographically challenged... you know who you are.

Now I love Morocco (http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=epcot%20morocco&w=all&s=int) with the little shops and market place feel. We see Aladdin and Jasmine meeting their peeps. I also love the Tangerine Café and I’m a little bummed that I’m not having a Shawarma platter (http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=shawarma%20platter&w=all&s=int) since I feel obligated to save room for our dinner at the Coral Reef tonight. Darn the free food!

We head over to Japan (http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=epcot+japan&s=int) just as the drummers (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WefsHqpkfAA) are starting. I love this show and we watched for a while before heading into the mega-gift shop (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJOF4V2bvZk) . Emily is fascinated with the pick-a-pearl counter (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Athd7MvqME) counter but we decide to wander on back and this store is endless! In the very back room of the store, we find candy (http://www.flickr.com/photos/laurat/5125844/) of literally all shapes and sizes. Problem: We can’t read Japanese. We wonder what flavor the candies are so we ask the cute Japanese CM. Ah….dey are shu-ga fla-va. OK? Thank you?

The girls finally settle on some flower candy bouquets and other assorted goodies. We take a quick spin around the garden and koi pond….gorgeous. We stop at the kaki gori (http://www.flickr.com/photos/atayah/205303306/) stand for the girls where the tattooed man in front of us as just ordered about 14 different half/half kaki goris. Don’t you know the Voices of Liberty are about to start singing, man! When it’s our turn we quickly get our order. Do you take the dining card? Yes….great!

Now on to the America pavilion where kaki goris are not allowed, BTW. The Voices of Liberty are finishing up so the girls wait at the door while I step inside to watch the final song. They are like a finely tuned instrument singing a cappella with each of the eight or so singers on a different note and in perfect harmony. As we leave I asked the girls if they heard any of it. “Just enough to hear that they were AWESOME!” says Mimi. So we decide to go to Italy and come back for the next show.

We enjoy the fountain and store at Italy (http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=epcot%20italy&w=all&s=int) . We are just in time for the World Showcase Players’ rendition of Romeo & Edna (http://www.flickr.com/search/?s=int&w=all&q=epcot+romeo&m=text) . I love these little shows and the players always choose their victims from the audience so I try not to make eye contact. They choose a man and woman who are 60ish for the lead parts, and the man has found his motivation and is really into his part in an embarrassing sort of way. FYI: The fact that you are chosen from the audience does not indicate that you have talent so do not use this as an opportunity to be discovered.

We head back to the good ole USA for the Voices of Liberty (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZPh9ahvetA) . They are truly spectacular. Now can I just explain that I cry every time I hear the Star Spangled Banner ….every time. I already told you I shed a tear at the Beauty & the Beast Show. Beautiful songs and voices do that to me. Emily catches me wiping a tear away during “My Old Kentucky Home” and it’s all over with. The flood gates are open. I can’t help it. Sue me.

Back past Italy to Germany but on the way we pass the gelato stand. The girls have to have one so I inquire….do you take the dining plan? No! Cash only. She gets my last $5 cash….oy.

In Germany (http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=epcot%20germany&w=all) we stop at the miniature train display, walk through the shops, buy some gummy bears and chocolate, and see the Biergarten (http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=epcot+biergarten&s=int) . DH & I ate here on our honeymoon back when you could teleconference with a CM in Future World to get your reservation for that evening. Same day reservations….those were the days…..Michael Jackson was still Captain EO (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFThn8SK47M) in 3-D at the Imagination pavilion…and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (http://www.orlando-florida.net/disney/resources/defunctdisneyworldattractions.htm) was still at the MK…..aaahhhh……..OK, we’re back.

We’ve tried to time it so we can catch the acrobats’ show in China (http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=epcot%20china&w=all) which is a must-see for us. The show is incredible and most amazing are a set of twins (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wGzTGT1WQo) , around 11 years old, who balance on top of a pedestal on one hand while contorting themselves in all sorts of positions….in a perfect mirror image of one another. Hard for a 43 year old woman to imagine…actually, it was hard for me to sit there crossed legged on the pavement to watch the show….and hard to get up when it was over. Ooww!

Over to Norway (http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=all&q=epcot+norway&m=text) and Maelstrom is……..NOT a fastpass. The fastpass machines are covered so we walk on in. Now I’d like to say that I am a little wary. Last time we were here, the line looked short…from the outside...just a couple of dozen people outside the doorway. But once we got inside we realized there seemed to be thousands of people….so we were around an hour in Maelstrom purgatory. Now Maelstrom (http://www.orlando-florida.net/disney/epcot/worldshowcase/attractions/maelstrom.htm) is cute and all but not worth an hour wait by any stretch of the imagination.

The girls and I only wait a couple of minutes to ride and then ditch the post ride movie….as did almost everyone. I kind of feel sorry for the cute Norwegian CMs in the theater since nobody wants to see their movie….but not that bad. We keep walking right on into the bakery for some school bread (http://www.flickr.com/photos/56692490@N00/102157797/in/photostream/) .

I’m a great lover of all things coconut and have been anxiously awaiting some school bread. I get it “to go” and head outside. It’s here that Mimi decides she hasn’t found what she wanted for the friends on her list so she heads back to the mega-store in Japan to get some things she saw there. Emily and I head over to Mexico and there it is…..the “snack shack” I’ve been waiting for…the margarita booth. I grab my fiesta margarita (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hadaway/146194669/) (delicious and refreshing, BTW) and Emily and I head into the pyramid since she cannot remember what’s inside from our last trip.

We walk in the pyramid (http://www.flickr.com/search/?w=all&q=epcot+mexican+mexico&m=text) and “oh, yeh” we sort of do a Griswolds-at-the-Grand-Canyon and head back out to wait for Mimi at the cantina. Emily gets into the school bread while we wait and when she reaches the half way point, I give her the key to the world and send her back to Norway for more….it’s that good. Mimi meets us back at the cantina and we head over to Future World to see fish and eat fish……….

DO…grab a times guide at guest services when you get to Epcot so you know what time the shows start in the World Showcase. Do plan to spend more time in the World Showcase next time so you can catch all the shows. (That’s for me.) We would have loved to see Miyuki the Candy Lady, British Invasion, Morockin, and Bjorn Again if they had been there that week. Do bring some cash….not every vendor takes the dining plan. Do remember you can go to YouTube.com or Google Video and find almost any act, attraction (http://www.orlando-florida.net/sitemap/disneyvideolibrary.htm) , or really anything you want to see (and some you don’t!) so you can preview or relive the magic.

DON’T….make reservations for the dinner on the day you visit the World Showcase next time….that one’s for me also. I plan to sample the food all around the World Showcase. Don’t leave the pavilion shops without getting the items you love. These shops are unique in that they carry foods and goods from the countries and you will not likely find these items elsewhere in Disney World. Don’t forget your camera...the place is gorgeous!

[rdjm]

What a wonderful trip report. and I love your do's and don'ts sections. It has been a great way to spend a saturday morning or should I say morning/noon as once I started reading I had to go til the end. Can't hardly wait for the rest.

[mmmcq]

Great installment Melinda.

When we first began going to WDW as a family we typically spent all our time at MK. We added a day at MGM later and 1/2 day at Epcot. But slowly over the past 6-8 years, Epcot has become our favorite park. While we spend intense hours over 2+ days in the MK, we tend to spend 2+ very relaxing days at Epcot. We love the pavillions and the restaurants.

We actually love the Mexican pavillion. We get a table for lunch, order and then the big girls take turns taking my youngest DD on the ride past our table until the food arrives. It's the best entertainment. We have typically bought most of our trinkets for friends there as well. I bought a set of margherita glasses for a close friend and had them shipped home. Probably could have found them for 1/2 the price at Target........but it was the thought that counted and it was fun to surprise her.

Looking forward for the next chapter..... popcorn::

[JamesMom]

Wonderful trip report. Can't wait to hear about the rest of the trip!

How did the 5 of you fare in POR? was there enough space? I'm thinking of changing my resort. Hope to have as wonderful a time as ya'll (from Texas, don't ya know!)

[averill94]

I am with you guys next time it will be a full 2 days at Epcot! We just did a day and a dinner. We missed so much!

[PrincessV]

Mmmm, you've got me thinking about the gummy bears from Germany... yummy! ;)
Another awesome installment :thumbsup2

[T-i-double-g-err]

Great next installment. Keep them coming. We're T-minus 28 days :woohoo: and counting for DW and my anniversary trip in December, and Epcot's got the most billing on the itinerary this trip. Now, all I have to do is survive November at the office...

[lexmelinda]

Greetings, everyone! Happy Election Day...don't forget to vote!

rdjm...I'm flattered that you took the time to read the whole thing! Thanks for your kind words and your Saturday morning. :)
mmmcq....I agree about Epcot. The World Showcase is great adult and older kid fun but even on our last trip when the girls were little, we saw more characters there than anywhere else. The girls also enjoyed the passports and kidcot stations. You almost have to treat Epcot like two parks....Future World and World Showcase which both deserve a whole day.
JamesMom.....That could be my user name, too! Welcome! The 5 of us did fine at POR. The room was a good size and the trundle was plenty big for DS. With there being 3 adult size females in our group, it would have been nice to have an extra bathroom but we did OK...mainly because I get up and shower before anyone else wakes up. The pool and grounds were incredible there. We would not hesitate to stay there again...even with 5 in the room. We did not have the kind of transportation or mousekeeping probelms I hear people complaining about on the resort board. PS...room cost this trip $139/day....free food around $300/day. :) It's all good!
averill94....Ditto what I said to mmmcq above: You almost have to treat Epcot like two parks....Future World and World Showcase which both deserve a whole day. We did both in a day on our trip in 2000 and it was a LOOONNNNNGGGG grumpy day and we didn't see half as much. Epcot definitely=2days.
PrincessV....We saw those gummy bears at KROGER when we got home. I was shocked! But I know you can run over to Epcot and get some anytime you want even if you can't find them at your grocery. How are those ADRs coming, BTW. Any changes yet? ;)
T-i-double-g-err...Epcot is good adult fun. I'm so jealous of an adults only trip. What about the ADRs? Got em covered? T-25 days! Hang in there!

Special shout out to the lurkers who are reading the do's and don'ts. Hope you're having fun, too! :wave:

[PrincessV]

Greetings, everyone! Happy Election Day...don't forget to vote!

PrincessV....We saw those gummy bears at KROGER when we got home. I was shocked! But I know you can run over to Epcot and get some anytime you want even if you can't find them at your grocery. How are those ADRs coming, BTW. Any changes yet? ;)


DS and I voted this morning - ever try to explain the concept of representative democracy to a 4 year old?? :confused3 I wound up just saying "We're going to push buttons," and he was good with that!

LOL, Walgreen's carries those gummy bears, too, but I swear they taste better from Germany! Me??? Changes???!! Maybe...... ;)

[monymony3471]

I finally caught up with my reading. It really sounds like you and your family had a great vacation. I loved reading about the girls day in Epcot.

[mmmcq]

You're right about the two Epcot parks thing. We actually do separate our time there, because it would be impossible to jump back and forth. We tend to get to Epcot Future Worls via International Gateway and do rides and attractions one morning and then hop the monorail to the MK. On the way back we check to see if something we've missed has less of a line. We'll head back to our hotel for R & R and then back in to the World Showcase for dinner.

We typically eat 50% or more of our meals during a 7-10 trip in the World Showcase - both table service and counter service. We find that it's a less stressful park than the MK at night. And during the day there are quite a few characters in certain areas who are more accessible than at the MK - probably because there is more space.

Ironically, when my father was still alive - he was drawn to WDW because of Epcot. And of course as a young girl I had absolutely no interest in Epcot. I know he's up there smiling now and looking at the plan for the trip that's around the corner. I owe my love for Disney to my dad.

Only 10 days ladies and gentleman till we're on our way. I'm giving my teens their letters to school administrators/teachers tomorrow but it's the end of the term so it shouldn't be too bad. I've decided not to tell our 6 yr old (turning 7 at WDW) until we pick her up to go to the airport. I'm not sure we (I) can keep the secret that long.....but I'm trying. :banana: :banana: :banana:

[lexmelinda]

Back in Future World, we have a few minutes to kill so we walk through Innoventions. We’ve never spent any time in here but it’s basically an awesome interactive science museum and the girls are lovin’ it. We finally get to the Segway demo and they are about to close……aaacckkkk! Wish we had more time to spend here but we have to head over to the Coral Reef for our 7:00 p.m. ADR.

We find the Coral Reef hidden around on the right side of the Living Seas and we stand in line again….behind the uninformed non-DISing masses who do not have ADRs and are being turned away. Now I have made note of the fact that several DISers said to ask for Blanca or Riley as a server and to request to be seated near the aquarium but there are LOTS of people waiting so I figure it’s best not to be picky since we’re all starving. We check in and DH and DS show up shortly.

Now I’d like to mention that tonight’s dinner is Emily’s pick so she’s excited. When I made the ADRs back in the spring, I told DH about the Coral Reef and explained the concept and how the tables overlooked the aquarium. “Well, what do they serve there?” he asked. Uuummmm, fish. “Really??” Yep, kinda weird when you think about it, I guess.

We are finally called to our table and it is in the very, very back right next to the kitchen. Yay. Now my little guy is undone because he can’t see the aquarium. We spy a table down next to the tank that is not currently seated so DH takes him down to have a look and it’s all good. The restaurant is set up like a Vegas theater with all tables facing the tank. I expect to see Crush come out any minute and sing “It’s not Unusual.”

A hostess stops by the table with a “fish guide” that shows us the names of all the fishes in the “sea” and she makes note of the fact that they do not serve any of the varieties that they have in the tank. Well, that’s good!

I’ll make a long story short by telling you that our server was lacking in enthusiasm and skills and the food was pretty good but not worth the $225 or so that the tab totaled. DH’s steak was just OK but Mimi’s chicken/pasta dish was full of soy and almost untouched. I was the only one who really loved my dinner—ahi tuna (http://www.flickr.com/photos/14482873@N00/218568158/) medium rare with wasabi mashed potatoes. But let’s face it…Coral Reef is really about the atmosphere, not the food.

Well, the moment I have been waiting for all week has finally arrived. I spot some DISers at the table next to us. How do I know they are DISers? They are photographing their food! I politely ask if they are doing dining reviews on the DIS and they tell me they are….sorry I can’t remember their names. I told them I might be writing a trip report but was a little intimidated since Glendamax, Utahmama, and ZZUB all had one going. There seemed to be no spark of recognition. You mean not everyone hangs out on the trip reports board???? Who knew?

DH and I sent the girls and DS ahead to Test Track with the fastpasses since Emily is determined to ride. We call when we get there and they have been given a second go since there’s no one waiting. Woo-hoo! DH and I wait in the dump shop but I’m getting a little antsy since it’s almost 9:00 p.m. and time for Illuminations. DH says for the girls and me to go on over to the lagoon and they’ll catch up.

We barely get to the lagoon and stand behind the masses as we attempt to watch the fireworks. DH and DS never caught up and we did not see them until after Illuminations….which was beautiful but shorter and less spectacular than I remembered unfortunately. It was probably just the viewing spot.

Anyway, we meet back up with the guys and then go to the massive Disney store, Mousegear, to wait out the crowds. The kids try on the hats; we look at the costumes; and then we head out to wait on a bench and watch the fountain and the people.

When the crowds die down we move slowly out of the park. The twinkling sidewalks near Spaceship Earth are absolutely magical so be sure to look for those.

We make the first bus that gets to the stop and we collapse into bed near 11:00 p.m. Can we possibly make rope drop at AK in the morning after three nights in a row of waiting out the fireworks crowds?

DO…spend more time at Innoventions next time. These exhibits are elaborate and interesting. If your kids are 8 or more, they will enjoy spending some time here. Do request a table near the aquarium if you go to the Coral Reef. (This photo (http://www.flickr.com/photos/drjason/241216580/) was on flickr.com but actually appears to be taken from the table where we sat except the DISers were sitting at that empty table in the photo.) It was disappointing to be on the back row. Do ride Test Track (and Soarin’) near closing time if you're not going to watch Illuminations. You may get to go twice! Do look for the twinkling sidewalks at Epcot.

DON’T…eat at the Coral Reef again (That’s for me.) Like the castle, it’s an “atmosphere” restaurant more than a dining experience. Been there, done that. Don’t wait until the last minute to get a spot for Illuminations. Don’t watch Illuminations on the Future World side of the lagoon. It was a mob scene.

[debbieb04]

Thanks for the shout-out to us lurkers. We are the silent masses.

Your trip report is great! :cool1:

[T-i-double-g-err]

T-i-double-g-err...Epcot is good adult fun. I'm so jealous of an adults only trip. What about the ADRs? Got em covered? T-25 days! Hang in there!


Hangin'. DW and I caught up on your latest installment (yes, we were co- :surfweb: and co-DISing). Keep them coming. We're square on ADRs: HDDR - 12/4, Brown Derby + Fantasmic - 12/5, Le Cellier - 12/6, Flying Fish 12/7, & CP (Breakfast) - 12/8. The rest will pretty much be CS or snacks of various sorts (or a splurge on room service for breakfast). We'll be sharing an Illuminations cruise on 12/6 with another family on Breathless and shooting for the Jelly Rolls DIS Meet on 12/8 assuming we have enough energy left. :goodvibes

[averill94]

Hmmm rope drop after three nights out? Thats a tough one! I bet you can do it-
Looking forward to it!

[PrincessV]

When I made the ADRs back in the spring, I told Jamie about the Coral Reef and explained the concept and how the tables overlooked the aquarium. “Well, what do they serve there?” he asked. Uuummmm, fish. “Really??” Yep, kinda weird when you think about it, I guess.

:rotfl: I think that's what's kept me from dining there yet - the only items on the menu whetting my appetite are fish and I just don't think I could eat one while watching his cousin swim by. ((shudder))

The restaurant is set up like a Vegas theater with all tables facing the tank. I expect to see Crush come out any minute and sing “It’s not Unusual.”

OK, I's pay big money to see that, though! :rotfl2:

A hostess stops by the table with a “fish guide” that shows us the names of all the fishes in the “sea” and she makes note of the fact that they do not serve any of the varieties that they have in the tank. Well, that’s good!

Phew!

Jamie and James never caught up and we did not see them until after Illuminations….which was beautiful but shorter and less spectacular than I remembered unfortunately. It was probably just the viewing spot.

No, I think it really is shorter and less firey. I saw it for the first time in a few years recently and I was less than impressed, too.

Thanks for another great installment! :yay:

[DisneyObsession]

Excellent Installment!!! :cool1:

I love your Do's & Don't's. Some of them may be just for you, but I'll use them too! :thumbsup2

I'm still trying to decide on restaurants for my trip, so every review I read helps! Thanks! :wave:

[Disneyland_Mama]

Hi Melinda :wave:

Another great installment! Well, actually the last 2 were great, I had some catching up to do!

Can't wait for more... bring it on, baby! popcorn::

[monymony3471]

Back in Future World, we have a few minutes to kill so we walk through Innoventions. We’ve never spent any time in here but it’s basically an awesome interactive science museum and the girls are lovin’ it. We finally get to the Segway demo and they are about to close……aaacckkkk! Wish we had more time to spend here but we have to head over to the Coral Reef for our 7:00 p.m. ADR.



My kids can spend hours in Innoventions. They just love it!!! I like how they have interactive, very physical video games.

[lexmelinda]

Good morning, everybody!!!

debbieb04.....Wow...2 1/2 years on the DIS and only 12 posts! You must have a wealth of knowledge from all the listening and no talking. I feel honored that you posted on my report! Thanks so much for reading AND posting!
T-i-double-g-err...Sounds like you and DW are ready to go...the ADRs sound great. Let me know how the Flying Fish is. Just repeat after me....3 more weeks...3 more weeks....
averill94....Three nights out and it's hard for me to GET up even if I WAKE up at the same time every day....but guess what....I get a surprise on Thursday morning!
PrincessV....Do ya really think Illuminations is worse? I figured it was just me since I couldn't see the globe for all the heads and we were separated from the boys. You know last time we saw Illuminations was in 2000. It came on the heels of that fabulous parade that went around the World Showcase and honestly I thought it was the best fireworks show I had ever seen. I was disappointed.
DisneyObsession.....RE: the Coral Reef. It's worth a trip....once....if you've got $200 you need to part with. It was beautiful and memorable but just not over the top enough to make it worth it for me to return. I actually enjoyed almost every meal we ate but only a few were worth a second trip. I'll try to do a recap with my opinions at the end of the TR. How's the weather in Buffalo this weekend?? ;) Did I mention I've been there several times? Dated a guy in college who was from Williamsville.
Disneyland_Mama.....Now I am posting on my trip report about YOUR trip report....Fabulous! I love your family and I think your dad is adorable even if he does wander off and your kids are absolutely precious! The look on your husband's face when he tries Beverly...priceless. Worth every penny you paid for that vacation. I should've pm'd you to say all this since it's not possible to post on completed reports...which I found out after I had read most of it. Anyway....love, love, loved it. Everybody click on the link in DLMamas siggie and check out her completed trip report.
monymony3471....Monica...you are so right about Innoventions! We will spend lots more time there next trip. I had no idea how awesome it is. By the way, everybody, turns out Monica is a secret agent of the highest proportions. Click on the new-improved-larger link in her siggie to get to her pre-trip report. You will be amazed at her skills! From all your bifocal wearing friends, thanks for the larger link. ;)
LURKERS....Thanks for reading. I know you're out there cause I know I haven't clicked on my own trip report 11,000 times.....or have I? Thanks for reading.

Note to all: I'm gonna try to hurry it up and finish the report soon as I feel myself losing steam and memories from the trip. Thanks to everyone for reading!!!

[LegoMom3]

DUH!!!!!!!

Ok, I know I can be slow but this is embarrassing....You are apparently the one lone faithful fan of MY lowly TR, and I have just now, today, found yours!

Three more words:

YOU ARE ME!!!!

OMG, this is like reading my own experience (except you write better...I think that way but it never really materializes in the written word).

Also I am eating up your pictures, esp. the ones of POR since I was there at the same time!!! (well, some of it, but definitely your first day!.... :cloud9: ). That first morning when you went over for "real" milk??...I'm sure I was one of those people filling my mug! LOVE that resort pre-dawn. Can't beat the sunrise coming over Ol' Man... Your Spectro pics are fantastic. One of these days I'll have to get some "flash-off" non-blurry photos of that visual delight.

So that’s when I spot IT….the perfect souvenir….for me. It’s the “four parks, one world” coffee mug. Do you know this mug? It’s quite large and features Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy on the monorail, Pluto and Donald in a Test Track car at Epcot, Daisy on Rockin’ Rollercoaster, Huey/Dewey/Louis on Kali. It’s pink inside and even says “MOM” on the handle. How wonderful would it be filled with my favorite beverage? Mimi sees me admiring it. I state my love and decide to buy the mug by the end of the week if I don’t find anything I love more. I’m pretty sure I won’t. Heavy sigh.

I HAVE THAT MUG!!!!!!!!!!! I first saw it over at the shameless Disney merchandising snare known as World of Disney at the Marketplace. I loved it, but like you I wasn't quite ready to buy. Gotta see what else is out there! DH ended up buying it for me later in the trip and surprised me with it just before we left. :goodvibes

Great report!

[lexmelinda]

Legomom....You are too kind. I would never solicit readers although I do have that shameless link in my siggie. I really enjoy reading trip reports although I do think mine is a lot wordier and not nearly as clever as most that I read. Glad you like the pictures...most all of which were taken by DD-soon-to-be-17, Mimi. She was the only one with a camera and now refers to said $300 (new last year) camera as crappy. She is in the market for a new SLR and is saving her paychecks. Have you seen cherokeemomma's fab pix on her trip report? She has a Nikon D50 so we're looking at that. RE: Disney mug....news next installment. Thanks for reading!

[Frickles]

:wave: Hi Melinda!!!

I finally looked at your siggie long enough to realize you are writing a trip report too! I am up to chapter 3 but I have to run! I look forward to reading the rest and I love what I have read so far! I am impressed that you eloped! Wow!!! :smooth:
Just wanted to let you know that I am here! :)

Frick

[nicolemarie]

WOW!

I just opted out of my usual Sunday nap to catch up on your entire report. It was great!!

I think we may be Disney soul mates. I, too, was the proud bearer of a notebook with all the pertinent info for our Spring Break trip. And your early riser habits are similar to mine as well. I don't think I've slept in since college.

But the one thing that I have learned above everything in this report - and it's a little thing - is to go see the Voices of Liberty!!!! I've heard them talked about so much, but I clicked on the YouTube link and WOW!

I was a voice major in college (until my Jr. year when I realized I couldn't make any money that way :confused3 ) and I remember how hard it was to sing a piece acapella. They make it look like a breeze. That is an incredibly talented ensemble and I will most definitely make seeing them a priority on our Thanksgiving trip.

Thanks so much for your report! I had a great afternoon reading it!

NM :sunny:

[lexmelinda]

Frick....Hey! Thanks for stopping by! Waiting for your next installment....don't be too long....cause I know you're busy. This is for you...
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/000_0014-1.jpg
Nicolemarie.....girl...if you had said, "Guess what, Melinda? I'm gonna spend all Sunday afternoon reading your trip report!" I would've stopped ya.....NOOOOOO! I know that probably took a couple of hours. I'm flattered....really. :blush: Glad you came away with something new. But let me tell you....the youtube video does not do justice to the VoL. They are beyond-belief wonderful....gives me goosebumps every time. And it makes sense that you are a singer...what a gift. Hope the NMs have a most wonderful Thanksgiving in Disney World!

[makinorlando]

Two more great installments! EPCOT is so wonderful. I actually got to spend a few hours of grown up time there on Friday with another DIS - sk8belle. It was fun looking at things from an adults point of view.

Yeah for your DD saving for the DSLR! That's a great investment and a wonderful hobby!

I look forward to the next installment!

[Crazy Kanga]

I leave on Friday so please post a few more installments before then! We are going to Coral Reef per my son's request. I'll report back. Any suggestions?

[DisneyObsession]

Melinda...I think I have decided we won't be going to Coral Reef In Nov 2007. Since we could not get the dining plan, :sad2: (it's not offered with the land/sea package) and we're not willing to pay that kind of money, we'll go somewhere else.

Glad to hear you've been to Buffalo. I am in West Seneca, Williamsville is about 15-20 min away. It's beautiful here if you like snow. :goodvibes We came from NJ and I am sincerely thinking of moving somewhere else, especially after the freak storm we had here in Oct. (Knocked out electric for 8 days for us, flooded the basement with 2 ft of water and we are still recovering!) But, then again, :confused3 where else would we go?!?

Can't wait to hear more about your trip! Hope the next installment comes soon! :Pinkbounc

[Disneyfan18951]

subscribing, great report so far. It is 1:20 am don't think I will make it to the end

[Glendamax]

DON’T…eat at the Coral Reef again (That’s for me.) Like the castle, it’s an “atmosphere” restaurant more than a dining experience. Been there, done that. Don’t wait until the last minute to get a spot for Illuminations. Don’t watch Illuminations on the Future World side of the lagoon. It was a mob scene.
I TOTALLY agree with all the points in this "DON'T". I was SOOOO glad that we were on the meal plan and did NOT pay for this meal. I thought they had a small selection, and it was too noisey for me.

This is from my trip report . . .

The highlights of the meal were, the pineapple upside down cake, and the conversation with the couple next to us.
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l301/glendamax/WDW%202006/EPCOT%202006/IMG_0524.jpg This cake was a bit warm on the inside - it was GREAT!

[Minniespal]

Excellent :thumbsup2

[lexmelinda]

Good morning, everybody!!! Trying to get a new installment up but lots of pics with the AK installments so it's taking a little more time than I hoped.

makinorlando....Grown up time at Epcot sounds fabulous! And yes, Mimi, is a good girl for saving her money for a new camera. My contribution will probably be purchasing the "old" camera from her at retail...since I don't have a camera.
Crazy Kanga....LEAVING TOMORROW....Have a fab time!!! Hope you got my PM...have a blast.
DisneyObsession...Yep, Coral Reef is OK...but not $200 OK. Where should you move??? SOUTH would be my suggestion. ;) And I don't mean Binghamton.
Disneyfan18951.....Thanks for reading and subbing! Are you new to the TR board? Lots of great reports here. Have fun!
Glendamax.....Love ya...get some sleep! ;)
Minniespal.....Hey, thanks! And thanks for posting!

GENERAL SHOUT OUT....If you have questions, need opinions, or if my descriptions don't give you enough info...feel free to PM me. I'm no expert but I'll help if I can.

HAVE A GREAT DAY, EVERYONE...LURKERS INCLUDED! :wave:

[lexmelinda]

Somebody shoot that rooster! OK, well, I’m reeeaallly tired today but as usual I get up, pull the divider curtain closed, and turn on the light to make the coffee. And there it is. The mug. THE MUG! There’s a Mickey coaster on the top with a note….Good morning, Mom…We LOVE you…Mimi & Emily. Did I hear an “aaaaawwwww”? I thought so. Aren’t they sweet? Love my girls. But can’t hug them yet…gotta let them sleep a little longer.
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/100_9212.jpg
I’m inserting this photo again to show you something because this is the morning I start a new habit. See that bench on the left just at the lower left hand side of the photo? That’s my bench. My bench. Today (and for the next two days) I sit on my bench and drink coffee from my mug while I watch the sun come up over Ole Man Island. I watch people on the coffee walk and wave at tiny princesses on their way to the castle. Some folks stop by my bench to take pictures of dawn at the Riverside Mill. It’s absolutely breathtaking. And my coffee tastes better, too, out of the mug. TFI.

So I go inside to shower and wake the dead. I touch/shake everyone and only get one response….Mimi. Wanna go to Animal Kingdom for rope drop? Sssssuurrreee. (Mimi saw my TR on the screen and added this revision: MOM I was way more excited than that! Mom and MiMi get to do something on their own?! AWESOME!!) Great! We shower, dress, get the bag ready, leave the keys of the folks we’re leaving behind, and head out. Today we decide to take our car and hope that the purple signage is good because A—I haven’t seen many Animal Kingdom busses at POR this week, and B—it’s a long way to AK from POR and I don’t want to be late for rope drop.

We’re at AK in about 10-15 minutes and we head in via our top secret TGM route. We end up at the rope right behind another family…mom, dad, two cute kids. Now I have mom pegged for a TGMer due to her Bagallinni bag and her prowess at passing up the other dweebs who are now behind us. So I ask her…if she’s a TGMer (she is) and we talk briefly. There’s another man right up at the rope who appears to be alone and is talking to all the CMs who obviously know him. Goofy and Minnie come out to do the cute little opening show and I snapped this photo.
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/101_9410.jpg
Ladies and gentlemen….meet the Sillies and the Yeti Man. Mr. Silly has his fingers in his ears due to noise issues (not removing a love bug…I asked) and his wife is the lovely Haley B. I refer you to their trip report from which I recognized them….Journey into the Heart of Dorkness…here on the TR board.

Also, please meet….from Disneyland Momma’s trip report….the Yeti Man. He’s the guy in the sunglasses just in front of Mr. Silly. He has several Disney tattoos and has ridden EE something like 700 times which accounts for the fact that the CMs all know him.

The rope is dropped…sort of. Two CMs actually carry the rope and walk us slowly over to Asia in search of the Yeti. I stay close to the rope and when we see Everest, I quickly follow Mr. Silly to the fastpass machines.

I am the first at my fastpass machine and the return time is about 10:30 (I think) and I see the time go up 10 minutes as I walk away. And then we enter and hurry past the cool queue Yeti stuff. This is a ride where it wouldn’t be so bad to stand in line. And then we board…the train. We are in the last car. Suffice it to say that the ride is very, very cool. Although I loved it….sadly, I was a little queasy afterward.

Now Mimi and I are on a mission. We head directly to Dinosaur which none of us rode on the last trip. It’s showing a 20 minute wait but we walk right on. My only comment about this ride is it’s a lot rougher than I imagined and I think it may be very scary for some little ones. The coffee is frapped…again….and now I am officially nauseous. Getting older stinks!

We pass on Primeval Hurl and check out why it’s so tough to be a bug….or the Tree of Perpetual Crying Children as Sheridac so aptly put it. (Miss you, Sher) Just so you know, some kids are very afraid of this movie! Mimi was 10 on our last trip and sat outside the exit door to wait for us….not seeing it…nope. But the movie is cute if you’re not afraid of bugs and the queue is nothing short of fabulous.

We walk to Africa via Asia and take every path that appears to lead down to the water. This is a beautiful day and the views along the water are spectacular. Mimi takes lots of pictures at every opportunity.
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/101_9427.jpg
It’s around 10:00 and who should we meet on the path but….Devine!! Wow…this is a spectacle unlike any other. The “vine” is at least 7-8’ high and moves beautifully sometimes stopping to perch along the way and “become” part of the backdrop which scares the poor suckers who aren’t paying attention.
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/101_9429.jpghttp://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/101_9435.jpg
We head on over to the safari which I haven’t done before due to my delicate condition on the last trip. No wait…bonus. The safari is very cute and we see lots of animals on the trip.
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/101_9448.jpghttp://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/101_9461.jpg
Little Red is saved…phew….that was close. So we head back to Asia to get another set of fastpasses for EE since the rest of the group will want to ride and Mimi and I only have 2 tickets with which to fastpass.

Now we’re holding four fastpasses and we head back to Africa for lunch with some time to spare. There she is again….Devine. Mimi is fascinated! Snapped pics left and right.
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/101_9472.jpg http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/101_9470.jpg
We head on over the bridge at Harambe. Here's the view off both sides of the bridge.
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/101_9476.jpghttp://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/101_9477.jpg
Just on the other side of the bridge, we head down the trail that goes along the other side of the “river” and right up to the Tree of Perpetual Crying Children. There are animal exhibits on this trail and it leads right up to the waterfall….gorgeous.
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/101_9530.jpg
Back to the Tusker House and we finally get a call from the rest of the gang. They are at the POR bus stop with no AK bus in sight…..

DO…. get to AK at rope drop. The little opening show is cute and there’s NO waiting for the biggies. Do look for Devine! She generally appears on the hour until mid afternoon on the trail that runs between Africa and Asia. Do walk down all the little trails along the water and around the Tree of Life if you have time. The views are stunning. The Animal Kingdom is the most beautiful of the four parks in my humble opinion.

DON’T….split up the group without making sure everyone has their key to the world. I have read so many trip reports where one person leaves for a park with all the keys and then has to trek back to the gates to connect with the rest of the group….very time consuming. Don’t forget that you can use your fastpasses all day once your initial return time has passed. Disney won’t tell you that but it is commonly known on the DIS.

[Glendamax]

Wow! You got alot done this morning!

Love the pictures! Especially the one of the waterfall in the AK tree. September was the first time I'd seen it! We took pictures there too.

As for the Rope Drop, I thought it would be cute to video tape it. It was just my luck, that an Asian interpreter was right beside me yelling the whole "show" in another language. :sad2:

[PrincessV]

What are the odds of winding up with not only Yeti man, but the Silly's too, in your pic?! Talk about a great souvenir :cool1:
And your POR bench loks like the perfect spot to start the day. I love that settle-into-your-resort feeling, when you've found your spot or spots for the rest of your vacation.

[Disneyfan18951]

Love the AK photos. That is my favorite park. Yes I am a newbie on the board and picking up all kinds of disboard lingo. I have been to WDW quite a few times and have just read posts but not joined in before. I do a lot of solo trips but am finding that as people get to know that I love Disney someone will ask for info or tips and now I am planning a trip with a friend and her DD for 10/2007 I figured I should brush up on my skills as I am not just leading myself around lost. Thanks for the Dos and Don'ts I read a few other TR you reccommended thanks for sharing

[southernbelle_amy]

subscribing, I am from Ky too.

[KatInHat]

Great Trip report. I am really enjoying Mimi's pictures and your narration of your trip. It sounds like you have been blessed with wonderful thoughtful daughters.

[DisneyObsession]

We came across Divine on our last trip to Disney in 1999.She scared the cr@p out of me! :scared1: But once I was aware she was there, I found her fascinating!

[Frickles]

Melinda!!! As I was enjoying your latest installment, I thought "That is Mr. Silly!!!" How neat is that!! You couldn't have bumped into a nicer family.

I am so impressed that your sweet girls grabbed the mug for you!! :goodvibes Little things like that just make life so sweet.

I have never seen DeVine so thank you muchly for posting all the cool pictures of her! I will certainly keep an eye out for her next time!

Great installment and wonderful pictures! Keep on rocking it girl!!! :cheer2:

[Glendamax]

When I got on Expedition Everest in Sept., the guy riding behind us with the sunglasses on had been on over 500 times. I don't know if he is the same Yeti-Man you mentioned though.

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l301/glendamax/WDW%202006/Animal%20Kingdom%202006/IMG_1065.jpg

I've never seen Devine - she looks SCARY!

[lexmelinda]

Good morning, everyone! Hope the start to your day is better than the start to mine.... I was the target of an unfortunate projectile vomiting incident at 4am. Poor DS. It's bound to get better.... :sunny:

Glenda!....Don't you love the Discovery Trails on the back side of the Tree of Life! So gorgeous....and I don't think we would have taken the time if we had had the entire entourage. Mimi and I had a fun morning at AK. RE: Yeti Man....yes, I think that's him in your (hilarious) EE picture! Here's the link to Disneland_Mama's picture (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=14642456&postcount=13) . He's near the bottom of the post. I see the same gold necklace, sunglasses, etc. Hey, his pits look shaved in your photo?! I guess if you raise your arms for the ride photo every day it's a necessity. ;)
V!....You're right about the settle-into-your-resort feeling. I wish I had been on that bench every morning we were there. What a wonderful way to start the day. I wish I had taken a picture from the bench so I could remember exactly how beautiful it was there.
Disneyfan18951...Thanks for reading. You know I, too, starting reading trip reports looking to benefit from others who were willing to share their mistakes and opinions. When I was making notes in "the booklet" on this trip, I started writing do's and don'ts in the margin so just thought I'd include some of those at the bottom of each installment. Glad you are enjoying the report and hope it's not too dry and informational. If you want some funny head over to LaLa's "Overdue & Overpacked" report or DISUNC's "Pop My Jibbitz!". Hilarious!
southernbelle_amy....Big Bluegrass welcome to another KY DISER! Go, Cats!
KatInHat....My DISappearing peep! Thanks for reading and posting! Aren't my girls sweet?? I don't want many things and I don't get many surprises so finding that mug really made my week. Hey, BTW, I've been to Hattiesburg. Here's what I remember....THE HEAT! ;) Hope it's warm there today....cause it's sure not warm here!
DisneyObsession...You're right. DiVine is creepy/cool! Here is some video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdYX9ZkGbXM) of her for anyone who's interested and here's the DiVine web site (http://thelivinggarden.com/devine.htm). Mimi saw her twice on our morning at AK and asked to go back looking for her again in the afternoon. She was fascinated!
Frick.....You're right....little things like the mug do make life sweet....just those little kind gestures. And isn't it funny I met the Sillies? I was reading through Mr. Silly's report (with one window open to dictionary.com) and when I saw Haley's post with the family pic, I yelled for Mimi. Isn't that that family that was at rope drop at AK??? So I did post that picture on Mr. Silly's report, too and they remembered us. Isn't that cool?! Hey Frick...BTW, I'm missing my supper club on Sat. night cause I volunteered to cook dinner for 75 teenagers at church. I knew you could appreciate that!

HAPPY WEEKEND, EVERYBODY! :yay:

[averill94]

Another great installment! I am in love with AK. Mr. Yeti is too much!

[mousecatcher]

I'm reading along and enjoying this great report, so I thought I'd send a hello to everyone! I hope James is feeling better soon (and you're both all cleaned up by now) Maybe a goodvibes pixie dust sandwich will help...here ya go!!

:goodvibes pixiedust: :goodvibes

[Disneyland_Mama]

.
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/101_9410.jpg
Ladies and gentlemen….meet the Sillies and the Yeti Man. Mr. Silly has his fingers in his ears due to noise issues (not removing a love bug…I asked) and his wife is the lovely Haley B. I refer you to their trip report from which I recognized them….Journey into the Heart of Dorkness…here on the TR board.

Also, please meet….from Disneyland Momma’s trip report….the Yeti Man. He’s the guy in the sunglasses just in front of Mr. Silly. He has several Disney tattoos and has ridden EE something like 700 times which accounts for the fact that the CMs all know him.



OMG!!! That is sooooo funny!! Melinda, you have captured the Yeti-man on film!! He really is bizarre! And I do mean that in the nicest way, 'cause he was the nicest guy, but still he was a little bizarre. :teeth:
I love that my TR made a little cameo in your TR!!
What a great post!! Your pics of DeVine are incredible! Can't wait for more!!

When I got on Expedition Everest in Sept., the guy riding behind us with the sunglasses on had been on over 500 times. I don't know if he is the same Yeti-Man you mentioned though.

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l301/glendamax/WDW%202006/Animal%20Kingdom%202006/IMG_1065.jpg

I've never seen Devine - she looks SCARY!

Glenda, that IS the Yeti-man!! You also rode with the strange, bizarre and very nice, Yeti-man! :lmao: How cool is that??? :smooth:

[MiMi1337]

Woo! I read ALL of this one. I'm glad you kept my revision in there.

:teeth:

[Lan]

I love your pictures. I will be on the lookout for the Yeti man when I go back in Jan.

[Backstage_Gal]

Hi Melinda, fabulous report!!

I started reading it a few weeks ago, but I got soooo behind with everything else going on, so today I started again from the beginning and read all the way through.

I love, love POR, I worked there for a while. And how cool that you met the Sillies, small world!

Keep up the great work!

[Ferrillo]

Subscribing, great so far.

[Glendamax]

Yeti Man....yes, I think that's him in your (hilarious) EE picture! Here's the link to Disneland_Mama's picture (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=14642456&postcount=13) . He's near the bottom of the post. I see the same gold necklace, sunglasses, etc. Hey, his pits look shaved in your photo?! I guess if you raise your arms for the ride photo every day it's a necessity. ;)

Yes that IS him! I didn't even notice his BALD underarms! HA!
Thanks Disneyland_Mama for verifying it too!

[KangaFan]

Thanks so much for sharing--great tips!!! Looking forward to the rest, although catching up on some housework might not be a bad idea, either. :rotfl:

[lexmelinda]

:sunny: :sunny: :sunny: HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE!!! :sunny: :sunny: :sunny:

Sorry not to have another installment up at this point. The stomach virus that started with DS last Friday has burned like wild fire through our entire family...ending with poor Mimi....on her 17th birthday. Although it was a particularly vicious strain of said virus, we are all much better now but have decided last minute not to travel or be with elderly family members due to the fact that some of us are contagious, weak, and just plain NOT hungry. We all feel better and are having a low stress day here at home with just our family....and for that I am thankful. Hopefully new installment very soon.

averill94.....Isn't the Yeti Man hilarious? I kept wondering to myself....does he work?....has he won the lottery?......does he have a family????.....how can he come here EVERY day to ride EE???? BTW...Where's your new installment, girl?? Get busy! ;)
mousecatcher....I'm so glad you posted. Thanks for reading. Poor DS has had a really hard time shaking this thing....missed 3 days of school. The stomach cramps lingered on for 4 or 5 days after the other symptoms stopped. I LOVED the yummy good vibes/pixie dust sandwich!! It made my day. Thank you! May I use that?
Disneyland_Mama......I'm glad that you're glad that your trip report made a cameo in my trip report. Has everybody read Disneyland Mama completed report (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1229563)? She's a brave woman....went with her family AND her parents....and stayed at the Poly. :love:
MiMi1337.....Thanks for reading, sweetie! LOOK, EVERYBODY! Mimi registered and posted here. She was scrolling through the posts and was amazed by all kind complimentary posts re: her pictures. Thank you so much for all your kind words for my girl. She saw the pictures I posted of DiVine and told me I left out her favorite one. So here it is:
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/101_9468.jpg
Lan.....Do look for the Yeti Man if you are at rope drop at AK! And furthermore, get right behind him because he knows exactly where to stand to be the first person on the first train that leaves the station. Again, thanks for the kind works re: Mimi's photography. :)
Backstage_Gal.......Marita! I am so happy you read and posted. I should apologize for taking up so much of your time actually. ;) I lurk and occasionally post over on the strommer thread so see you there a lot. Hope your ankle is better!
Ferrillo....Thanks for reading! Welcome to the DIS! :)
Glendamax.....Happy Thanksgiving to you and Gmaxmom!!!
KangaFan....Housework? We don't need no stinkin housework! ;) See, this is why I'm up before dawn everyday so I can DIS guilt free and uninterrupted.....with my mug and my computer.

Heads up....if you haven't read UtahMama's hilarious Thanksgiving "article"....head over there (http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=15663476&postcount=1496) and take a look.

Have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving, everyone!

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever." -Psalm 107:1

[LegoMom3]

...I’m inserting this photo again to show you something because this is the morning I start a new habit. See that bench on the left just at the lower left hand side of the photo? That’s my bench. My bench. Today (and for the next two days) I sit on my bench and drink coffee from my mug while I watch the sun come up over Ole Man Island. I watch people on the coffee walk and wave at tiny princesses on their way to the castle. Some folks stop by my bench to take pictures of dawn at the Riverside Mill. It’s absolutely breathtaking. And my coffee tastes better, too, out of the mug. TFI. ...



I know - am sure - I passed you at least once!

Coffee is MUCH better in a Disney mug.... :love:

I'm also very disappointed that I didn't see more of AK. It was the one park that I'd never, ever been to prior to this trip, and it still feels that way! Hmm, might have to sign up for TGM for our next trip.

[DisneyObsession]

:http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/101_9468.jpg

What an AWESOME picture Mimi took of Devine! :sunny: This has got to be the best one I have ever seen of her!

Mimi...Have you thought of going into photography as a career? If not, give it some serious thought...you've got an eye for it! :thumbsup2

I am waiting, rather impatiently, :Pinkbounc for the next installment! Can't wait!!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING !!

[MiMi1337]

Thanks so much!!
That was the one I was proud of.
I have thought about it. I think it is something I'd really enjoy.
Saving up to buy a new camera and lenses as we speak.

:teeth:

[lexmelinda]

LegoMom3.....I use my Disney mug almost every morning. I love, love, love it! Yes...do see more of AK. It is so beautiful. And, yes, TGM was worth every penny....more on that later. I love your nativity scene. May I lift it?
DisneyObsession...Don't know if you saw Mimi's reply to you. She does love photography. In fact, Saturday, we determined she had enough saved and we went out and purchased a Canon XTi digital SLR. She loves it...the pictures are very sharp. I'm sure we'll post a couple in the eppie.

THANKS AGAIN TO EVERYONE FOR READING ALONG AND FOR YOUR PATIENCE IN OUR LONG, STOMACH-VIRUS-INDUCED ABSENCE. :wave2:

[lexmelinda]

So where was I? Oh. Mimi and I are finishing up a delicious lunch at the Tusker House and the rest of the crew calls again. They are on a standing-room-only bus that they waited 40 minutes for and now they find out it’s stopping at Blizzard Beach on the way to AK. OY!

Mimi and I decide to hit the Pangani Trail while we wait for them to arrive, debus (spell check likes it so I guess it’s a word?), and trek all the way to the back of the park to meet up with us which could take a while.

Now I just love these jungle trails….beautiful little places where all the wild animals are held in captivity for our pleasure. They are lovely habitats, however, if I do say so myself. Here’s the photographic evidence…..
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/panganibird.jpg
Look at the cute little pygmy duck....
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/waterfallducks.jpg
When you look down in the water you see these....
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/fishblue.jpg
And it all seems so natural you wouldn't even notice the net if you didn't look up...
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/birdnet.jpg
OK, about mid-trail, we get the call that DH, Emily, and DS have arrived at the Tusker House so they are going to grab some lunch and we’ll meet them there. More trail pix....hhhmmmm, more fish....not so interesting....
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/fish.jpg
Aloof gorilla....
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/gorilla.jpg
Why isn't he hangin out here in the beautiful gorilla habitat...
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/waterfall.jpg
Lovely flower Mimi stopped to photograph...it was broken off later in the day.
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/flower.jpg
We didn't get any pictures of the nekkid mole rats but I fear that image may be burned in my brain for many years to come. And may I just say....EEEEWWWWWW! We were sure some of the ones on the bottom of the pile must have suffered a slow death by asphyxiation but we were assured of their safety and breathability.

When we get back to the Tusker House we have to search and then finally place a call to locate them….this place is HUGE! (And rumor has it that Disney is turning it into a TS restaurant!? We’ll see.) I finally locate my husband and freshly tattooed children. DS is sporting a king cobra tattoo that stretches roughly from his elbow to his shoulder and Emily has a discreet little Eeyore. We toss the trash and head over at light speed to catch the 1:00 Festival of the Lion King at Camp Minnie-Mickey.

Now DS is feeling a little persnickety and uncooperative today (three late nights in a row) so he stops to look at….the rocks. Hurry up, man! The show is about to start! DH hangs back with DS and the girls and I head in to save some seats.

It’s about 2 or 3 minutes til 1:00 and we walk right in and get some great seats about 8 rows back in the warthog section. I look across and pity the fools that got there early and are sitting on the last row in the lion section. Guess it doesn’t pay to be prompt. DH and DS make it in just in time.

I LOVE this show. We saw it for the first time on the last trip and I was flabbergasted. The stage goes from absolutely nothing to colors, songs, lights, floats, costumes, and pageantry in less than 5 minutes. This is another show that makes me tear up….although I’m sure you’re not surprised to know that.

Anyway, when the show’s over, we decide to go burn up the EE fastpasses by way of the Discovery Island Trails on the front side of the Tree of Perpetual Crying Children. We spot some animals and fish so DS is feeling a little for amiable now since he is an animal lover. Here's a peacock...hope I have it matched with the right trail...
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/peacock.jpg
We swing around toward Asia and there’s a CM there yelling “It’s Tough to be a Bug!…unless you’re a love bug.” Yuck…how true! So déjà vu, we head in and watch the movie again. In fact most of the rest of the afternoon is actually déjà vu for Mimi and me but we head back over to EE.

DH and the kids ride (we only have 4 fastpasses) while I watch/wait in the bu-lazing sun. I get a frozen fruit bar while I wait. Here they come….everybody loved EE! Great! We decide to get more fastpasses. WHAT? ALL GONE! It’s only about 2:30. Drag.

OK, the (shady) Maharaja Trail is looking good. Apparently it’s too hot for the tigers. Now this is a real bummer since we got to see them up close last time and I know DS would LOVE to see them. Here are some more photos in the bat house where there was a creepy CM who knew way more about bats than the law allows….
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/bat2.jpg
Flying rats....
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/bat.jpg
We got into a conversation with a nice older couple who was telling us how much they enjoyed Flights of Wonder. We tell them we’re looking forward to it since DS is, above all, a bird lover. (How many times have I looked at the Reader’s Digest Book of North American Birds with him?) Well, you’d better hurry, they say, the last show is at 3:00…and that’s in less than 5 minutes. WHAT?! How could I have miscalculated the last showing of Flights of Wonder?

We grab DS and head out of the trail toward Flights of Wonder. We run/walk back out into Asia before we notice that we’ve lost one member of the group….DH. OK, DS we would search for but not DH. Flights of Wonder is about to start and it’s every man for himself. We head straight up to the front and grab a seat on the row behind the handicapped row. Sweet.

DH calls. They’ve closed the gates to the theater….oops. Sorry. We watch the bird show sans Dad. It’s very cute and we did get to see lots of spectacular and talented birds up close….including a bald eagle, which I’ve never seen before. Here he is...sorry...I took this one.
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/eagle.jpg
When the show is over, we head out and folks are already lining up for the parade. We walk to Harambe since that is the source of the Jammin’ Jungle parade. We figure there may be just enough time to save Little Red again before the parade starts since there’s no wait….and we do…a-gain.

The parade is about to start and everybody wants a frozen lemonade. Here comes the parade….LOOK! They absolutely couldn’t care less….nope….don’t even want to stand on the parade route. OK, then….the Pangani Trail ONE MORE TIME for the late comers. Turns out that boring fish tank actually contained HIPPOS....in heat.....
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/hippo.jpg
They went on like this for about 10 minutes...
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/hippos.jpg
and then back to the hotel to rest…because I’ve been waiting for tonight….

DO….eat at Tusker House. IMHO, it was one of the best CS meals all week. Do eat before noon….the line at Tusker House was horrible when we went back in to find the fam at 12:45. Do visit the safari and the trails before lunch if possible. We saw more animals on our earlier trips. Do pay attention to the show schedule. Since AK closes so early, the shows also stop much earlier than you might expect. Do get your EE fastpasses EARLY in the day. If they are out by 2:00pm in September they must be out a LOT earlier when AK is busy.

DON’T….count on a quick bus trip from POR to AK. We did not see many AK buses all week…and don’t forget it makes a stop at BB on the way. Take your car to AK if you have one. Don’t sweat it if you show up last minute at the shows if you’re at AK during a not-so-busy season. You’ll get a seat…even the 1:00 FotLK show had plenty of seats available.

IMPORTANT DON'T-BE-A-SUCKER EDIT....I forgot to include in this AK afternoon episode, that Mimi ran out of room for more pictures on her SD card. We spot the Kodak camera booth in Harambe and inquire about the cost of a new 512 MB SD card.....$69.95!!! The CM didn't even smile when he said it although Mimi and I did laugh a little. NO thanks! (A quick google search turned up the exact same Kodak SD card for $21 on amazon. Geez...you can get a 2GB Sandisk card for $49!) DO NOT go to AK or to Disney World at large without plenty of digital media for your camera...purchased at a reasonable price at any store near you!

[Disneyland_Mama]

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/birdnet.jpg

Aloof gorilla....
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/gorilla.jpg
Why isn't he hangin out here in the beautiful gorilla habitat...
Lovely flower Mimi stopped to photograph...it was broken off later in the day.
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/flower.jpg

Here are some more photos in the bat house where there was a creepy CM who knew way more about bats than the law allows….
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/bat2.jpg
Flying rats....
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/bat.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/eagle.jpg


Boooyahhh!!! I'm first!!

Excellent photos, Melinda! :thumbsup2 Or does Mimi get the credit? Either way, they are super!
Ok, the birds photos are a beautfiful, but I am deathly afraid of all birds, big and small. And the bats just give me the willies! ::shudder::
That's as close to those bats I would like to be! Kudos to James who seems to love the winged creatures. DMama, unfortunately, does not! :sad2:

[PrincessV]

(And rumor has it that Disney is turning it into a TS restaurant!? We’ll see.)
NO!!! Please, not the only CS with decent food in AK!!

We tell them we’re looking forward to it since James is, above all, a bird lover. (How many times have I looked at the Reader’s Digest Book of North American Birds with him?)
Thank you - now I know I'm not alone! With my DS, it's the North American Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians, but it's the same idea ;) I swear, I can now identify every type of skink from FL to CA.

Two thoughts to share:
1. Mimi, you are one gifted young lady! Anyone can learn to operate a camera, but only a few have an eye for good composition. You've got it, girl :thumbsup2

2. Melinda, my hat is off to you for braving the AK in Sept! To quote Matthew Broderick in Bioloxi Blues , "This is like Africa-hot!"

[LegoMom3]

LegoMom3.....I use my Disney mug almost every morning. I love, love, love it! Yes...do see more of AK. It is so beautiful. And, yes, TGM was worth every penny....more on that later. I love your nativity scene. May I lift it?....

Lift away! :thumbsup2 I actually got it here (http://www.johnswdwpage.com/avatars.htm) .

Love the latest photos! Funny, the gorillas were in the same corner when we saw them. You'd think they'd spread out a bit!

This installment just furthers my cause of needing to go back to AK. Soon!!!

Oh, and regarding the Disney mug!!...we were out for breakfast yesterday at a local cafe and I saw "our" mug on a counter near the kitchen (only this one said "Grandpa" on the handle). I about made a fool out of myself, as excited as I got over it (at least it wasn't crowded... :blush: ).

[mmmcq]

Melinda, Love the installment. Mimi - you should definitely investigate summer jobs and/or internship possibilities in high school with your photography skills. You have an amazing eye for shots...... really.

Back later. Working on writing descriptions for a holiday house tour this weekend nad the darn program was supposed to go the printer yesterday. Only we were at Disney for 8 days and I didn't do any work. So I'm paying for it now...big time.

[Adi12982]

NO!!! Please, not the only CS with decent food in AK!!



We actually prefer Flame Tree! It is the best CS at any of the parks in our opinion!


:) Thanks for the newest installment :)

[lexmelinda]

GOOD MORNING!!!! :sunny:

I PLACED AN IMPORTANT EDIT AT THE VERY END OF THE LAST INSTALLMENT RE: PURCHASING DIGITAL MEDIA AT THE PARKS...

Disneyland_Mama....Don't be afraid of the birdies! They mean you no harm! Actually Mimi does have some minor bird issues due to a traumatic aviary incident at KY Down Under many years ago. She's warming up to them now...as you can see. All the photos are hers except the blurry one of the eagle...which is mine of course. ;)
PrincessV....Boys like critters. We like reptiles, too. Everytime I take DS to the library...does he want a nice story book? NO! Give him a book about Arctic Wolves or head lice and he's happy. Thanks for the nice comments about Mimi. Mimi's pix are getting a lot better....now that we've purchased the SLR. We'll post some samples. RE: Tusker House....there's some speculation as to whether Tusker will be the new TS or whether there will be a new pan-Asian spot in Asia. Who knows?
LegoMom3.....Lifting the nativity! Thanks for the link to the graphic site. Everytime I search for avatars...I just get the nasty ones. :sad2: However, I did find this cute one...but too big for the DIS....
http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/princessglobeavatar.gif
mmmcq......YAY!!! You're back!!! How was your trip? Will there be a trip report or will you just pm me the details? RE: Mimi...thanks for your kind words. Good luck with the house tour! I hate to be on deadline...yet I am each and every week at work!
Adi12982....Thanks for the heads up on Flame Tree. We'll have to try it next time.
BB&T....I know you're out there. Prayers for tomorrow!!!

THANKS FOR READING EVERYBODY!!! WAVE TO THE LURKERS!! :wave2:

[averill94]

Persnickity hmm........Haven't heard that word in a few years! I was saying it all the time a few years ago- I think it is a great word and it has now made its way back into my vocab! Thanks, I am sure my DH thanks you too!

Another great installment- I was just thinking if we took a "short" trip, which park can we cut out? I thought it was AK but akter your review and pics I dont think I could skip it.

Thanks again!

[mmmcq]

Melinda, Yes we're back.....but it's been a hard transition back to reality. In addition the big event this weekend, my sister is likely being induced tomorrow in NYC and the baby has complications. So say a few prayers. I may go down for a couple of days, come home for my event and then go back next week. Still awaiting the decision from her doctor.

Given the chaos....I could only manage a mini-trip report - not the monster version you and Lauralee and PrincessV manage. We didn't have too much drama this time - so not much to write home about.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1285162&page=1&pp=15

Got to go write some more for my program and get it to the printers......

[T-i-double-g-err]

Great installment! Down to 5 days and counting! :woohoo: As DDs exit not so quietly stage left despite DW and my attempts to shush them so they do not wake DS who is already in dreamland...

[LaLa]

Lexmelinda, that was a great installment.

Okay, who's taking all those gorgeous pictures? Your daughter? Man, those are AWESOME. The one of Devine is beautiful.

We also love the Tusker House at AK. And I love the Festival of the Lion King as well. Unfortunately, DH isn't into the shows so we didn't get to see it this past trip but after reading about it here, I'm singing the music to it in my head.

So thanks for that.

Keep bringin' it Woman.

:moped: :moped:

[DisneyObsession]

I'm glad you were able to reunite with your family. :rolleyes1 ("Reunited and it feels so good!...) Sorry, I tend to get songs in my head at inappropriate times! :teeth:

I really don't know where we will eat on our trip...without the Dining Plan we don't want to spend alot on food. (Yes, I'm cheap!) ;) I am getting so many suggestions and ideas from all the TR's I read, that we'll have alot to choose from.

[KangaFan]

Thanks for another great installment and more great tips! :thumbsup2

[lexmelinda]

GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE! :sunny:

averill94....AK and MGM could both be 1/2 day parks for me so that might be a possibility for a short trip. To me, AK's beautiful animals and scenery really trump the rides...but I'd do AK in the morning if at all possible.
mmmcq......Thanks for the link to your TR. I left you a little message over there. Hope the Holiday House Tour doesn't do you in. ;)
LaLa.....Thanks for the nice comments. My DD17 took all the pictures except a couple so we didn't really get many pictures of people....just critters, scenery, castle, etc. She's an artiste, ya know. DH and I have precious little proof we were actually on this vacation. As for the Lion King Show....it's a must for me. Sorry you didn't get to go last time. If anyone is reading this that has NOT started LaLa's fabulous TR Overdue and Overpacked II (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1263598&page=1) please proceed directly there and don't look back. :moped:
DisneyObsession...We did not do any TS restaurants on our last trip with the kids....just CS. Gotta love that free dining. I hope they offer it next year cause I've already got my trip planned. ;) Just want to say again how much I love your little baby Jesus...so cute!
KangaFan....You're welcome! :)
Mr. & Mrs. T-i-double-g-err....Thanks for reading. HAVE A BLAST ON YOUR GROWN UP TRIP! Let's all chant.....2 more days, 2 more days, 2 more days.....

Hope to have a new installment up today or tomorrow. Thanks again for reading!

[lexmelinda]

When we returned to POR from the AK, we had a couple of hours to rest before the night I had been looking forward to…our dinner at Kona. Since I don’t actually remember what we did when we got back to the room, let’s assume…rest, watch Stacy, shower, have one of the many thousands of drinks in the cooler, and change into non-sweaty clothing. I do actually remember what I wore that night (black capris & a sleeveless wrap blouse) for reasons that will become apparent later.

I also know that we were running a little later than we had hoped and Melinda don’t like to be late. We drive to the Poly from POR. DH drops the kids and me off at the curb in front of the Neverland Club and goes to park the car….himself….thank goodness. I think this was one of Manny the cash-only-key-stealing valet’s last nights at the Poly. (See Frickles’ report for the unfortunate back story.)

Now the little man is psyched about the Neverland Club and I think Emily secretly wishes she was not too old to go. The whole concept of entering the Darling bedroom and flying through the window into Neverland is just too thrilling for words.

So we enter the lobby/bedroom and a CM that is seemingly devoid of any personality checks us in across “the bed”. She gets contact info, yadda-yadda, and finally asks us if DS has eaten dinner. Uuumm….no. She looks at her watch….7:55. Heavy sigh….picks up the phone. “There’s a loser Mom here who showed up at the last minute and hasn’t fed her kid.” OK. That’s not exactly what she said but that’s what she meant.

DS looks up at me with the have-I-done-sumpn-wrong look. The CM tells him to head off to Neverland but he’s a little reluctant. Then a cute young CM invites DS to come into Neverland with her. He smiles and heads off through the window.

So the girls and I meet up with DH and we’re off for our “adult” dinner at Kona. I just love the Poly…beautiful, lush, and ideally located but not as formal the GF. We will definitely be staying here on our next trip pending our winning Powerball ticket.

Now, the girls and I spotted Kona (http://www.flickr.com/photos/levelbest/53116953/) when we were here on Monday during our whirlwind five minute tour before our pirate pager went off. It’s a nice restaurant although very open to the second floor lobby area of the Great Ceremonial House. Could they build a wall? A half wall? Anything more than just a fence around Kona?

We are called to the hostess stand almost immediately and given a tour of the desserts on our way in. This is good. I like to know how much room to save cause I’m a planner. We are seated next to the fence. Our server stops by. I ask for his recommendation on the drinks…thinking he’s gonna say Lapu Lapu and I’m ready. But what? He recommends a Mai Tai (http://www.flickr.com/photos/78401124@N00/256600789/)…alrighty. It came with a little fruit flag and an umbrella….and Mai Tai say….it as delicious.

I won’t bore you with the details of our dinner but suffice it to say it was the best of the week….best crab cakes (http://www.flickr.com/photos/redcrab/243334745/) I’ve ever had, macadamia crusted mahi (http://www.flickr.com/photos/redcrab/243334746/in/photostream/) , and Kilauea Torte (http://www.flickr.com/photos/redcrab/243334734/in/photostream/) . And I didn’t once have to ask anyone to come out from under the table, sit down, or eat their dinner. And I’m sure he feels the same kind of relief not to have to behave at a restaurant tonight. (I do kind of miss the little guy, though.)

During dinner I begin to notice that the air conditioning is really cranked at the Poly. I mean it was shivering/teeth chattering cold…this is why I remembered I was sleeveless. I see a few people pulling on their parkas. How can Disney afford to keep an enormous space like the Great Ceremonial House so incredibly cold? I predict a price increase at the Poly next year. Anyway, as we are finishing up, we hear the fireworks. Our server offers us an opportunity to head over and have a look.

We walk over to the lounge and get a few glimpses of Wishes but there are trees in the way and people already seated by the window. DH actually heads into O’hana to get a better look. Come out of there! We’re not eating there! Geezz.

Well, we finish up, settle up and frankly, I can’t wait to get back outside where it’s warm. So we head for the door…phew, outside at last. And it’s………COLD!!! Aaaahhh!!! At the Neverland Club a younger/nicer CM pages DS…once….twice….they’ve lost my boy….three times. He finally comes running with a smile on his face. We are given little goody bag gifts and we’re on our way.

We take a quick stroll around the resort so the kids can see the volcano pool and just as hypothermia is about to set in, we find the car and the kids all yell “TURN ON THE HEAT!!!!” We head back to POR because the plan is to sleep in tomorrow morning because tomorrow night is Halloween at the Magic Kingdom….

DO….eat at Kona…WOW! I will be booking this one again for our next trip. Food and service were fabulous as reported on the DIS. If you don’t eat at the Poly (http://www.flickr.com/photos/elissacorsini/149133034/) …at least stop by for a look. It’s splendid…really. Take a parka. Do take your kids to the Neverland Club for a fun night out for them (and you.) Dinner is included and is served between 6-8pm (or 7:55 as the case may be.) DS said he ate pizza and fries? Oh, well, he seemed perfectly OK with that. Cost is $10/hour....booked through Disney Dining.

DON’T…book your reservations too close to Wishes if you’d like to go out to the beach to watch the fireworks. It’s tough to get a good view from inside the Poly unless you’re at O’hana I suppose. Next time I will make reservations at least 1.5-2 hours before Wishes so I can be out on the beach (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dawholagn/263156714/in/photostream/) (with my Mai Tai) for the show. Our reservation was at 8:10pm which was all I could get when I booked last minute.

[mom2aandj]

I just love the Poly…beautiful, lush, and ideally located but not as formal the GF. We will definitely be staying here on our next trip pending our winning Powerball ticket.



:rotfl:
what a wonderful TR!!

[Disneyland_Mama]

Mmmmmmm!!! Poly Mai Tai's are thee BEST! Your trippie just took me back.... :goodvibes
Didn't try the Kona Cafe when we were there, but me thinks it's going on my ADR list! :thumbsup2

Thanks for sharing!

[averill94]

Oh Kona- that was one of my favorite meals! My DM kept looking at me after every bite as if to say- Is this really WDW food?!

Cant believe I never knew what the Neverland club was! It sounds like a lot of fun. I will check it out "next" time.

Thanks

[Indy's Girl]

Just found your trippie and now I am hooked. Hope you post more soon! Add my compliments about Mimi's photography to the growing pile, she really has some talent. :goodvibes

[KangaFan]

Okay, if I wasn't so hopelessly addicted, I would stop reading. Everytime I read a trip report, I find one more "do not miss" restaurant. My husband is very unreasonable and refuses to eat 4 times a day just so I can try them all out. LOL! Oh well, guess I'll have to wait until next trip to try Kona . . . (insert sigh smiley, I'm sure there's one, but I can't seem to find it.)

[lexmelinda]

GOOD EVENING!!! Thanks for reading...

mom2aandj.....I guess I should actually play the Powerball if I want to win. But my dad plays every week so I'm counting on him! Thanks for reading.
Disneyland_Mama...I loved the Mai Tai but did you have a Lapu Lapu? Shoulda, coulda, woulda....sitting here wishing I'd have had one of those too. Kona is the bomb...you MUST try it next time. Are you going back to the Poly this year?
averill94...Honestly, DS loved the Neverland Club and it makes me wonder if the kids' clubs at the other deluxes are good too. With the videos, movies, games, crafts....I think he had a great time and it's nice to have a grown up night out. Love that Kona...I will make this a regular stop when in the World.
Indy's Girl.....Thanks for reading and for the nice comments about our trip photographer. I"m so proud of her. :)
KangaFan.....Your DH won't eat 4 times a day? What's wrong with him? ;) Kona is definitely a must. We had ADRs that night at Whispering Canyon until about a week or two before we left for our trip. The reviews on the DIS were so overwhelming that I had to bag WCC and book Kona...and I'm not sorry I did. It was really the best food of the week....with CRT being the worst and our only 2 credit dinner. Thanks for reading!

HAVE A GREAT NIGHT!

[nicolemarie]

That settles it. We're hitting Kona next time. I keep hearing how wonderful it is. And I'll take your advice about Wishes.

So we enter the lobby/bedroom and a CM that is seemingly devoid of any personality checks us in across “the bed”. She gets contact info, yadda-yadda, and finally asks us if James has eaten dinner. Uuumm….no. She looks at her watch….7:55. Heavy sigh….picks up the phone. “There’s a loser Mom here who showed up at the last minute and hasn’t fed her kid.” OK. That’s not exactly what she said but that’s what she meant.

Well, I guess there are always kinks in the Disney Magic. Glad she was the exception for the night and not the rule.

Another great installment, Melinda!

NM :sunny:

[DisneyObsession]

YAY!!! I LOVE :love: a new installment!!!! Thanks!

I am not much of a drinker, usually wine, but the MaiTai sounds good. I am not sure where we should eat...every TR has me wanting to eat somewhere else! :confused3 I don't know what to do!

I had no idea the Neverland Club existed until I read it here on these boards. Oh well, not something I will be utilizing anymore. Maybe with my grandson! :banana:

[Disneyland_Mama]

Disneyland_Mama[/B]...I loved the Mai Tai but did you have a Lapu Lapu? Shoulda, coulda, woulda....sitting here wishing I'd have had one of those too. Kona is the bomb...you MUST try it next time. Are you going back to the Poly this year?

Nope, didn't have the Lapu Lapu... but DH may have. He was in the lounge trying all kinds of drink concoctions. :rolleyes:

So sad, but we decided not to stay at the Poly this year. As beautiful as it was, we did not think it was worth the cheddar. SO, we're staying twice as long at the POFQ for less cheddar. With special guest, WALDO! :banana:

By all means, I did love the Poly and the monorail convenience and would definantly recommend staying there to anyone who doesn't mind dropping some serious duckets.

Ok, I'm ready for the next installment... type away, sister! :surfweb:

[monymony3471]

Lexy:

I only had to read the last 3 installments, but I went back to the beginning and skimmed everything you wrote again. Yes, it is that good.

Through my whole vacation in the back of my head were your do's and don'ts. I listened and followed your directions when they applied. Things worked out great, so thanks!!!!!

[RockNGirl26]

i'm hooked! i just subscribed, late i know! cant wait to read more

& the price of digital memory cards shocked me! i too ran out of space and had to rely on getting copies of my friends photos when we came home :sad2: never again!

[PrincessV]

MAI TAI say, this was a great installment! :rotfl:
We skipped Kona this trip (though it's STILL one of my faves), but I did get a chance to sample the Poly adult beverages last week... I'm with you in recommending that everyone take the time to visit the Poly once in their life!

[Angelrose]

Do you need ADR's for the Kona cafe? We are planning on meeting our niece there and thought you could just walk in. But now I'm not so sure.

[lexmelinda]

HAPPY SATURDAY!!! :sunny:

NM.....Kona is all that and a bag of chips. Honestly, the food was fabulous...start to finish. It's already in the Word table for 2007. ;) Everybody head over to NM's new report...Are we turkeys? (http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1288783&page=1) :moped:
DisneyObsession....The Mai Tai WAS good...the blue drink in the picture looked really good, too. Might have to give that a whirl next time. The Neverland Club is actually a real treat for kids...not like "babysitting" at all. DS had a ball.
Disneyland_Mama...So the Poly is not worth the chedder, eh? Well, more time at Disney World is the ultimate goal isn't it? Have you stayed at POFQ before? (Your siggie says 2006?) I liked it on our little visit to the pool and the food court was very good. And you're taking Waldo again? I think he's adorable. Is he having any surgical procedures before August? Can you get a GPS tracking chip implanted so you can keep up with him? Get him one of those Disney phones maybe? ;)
monymony3471....Glad my opinions were of some help to you! As NM says in her TR....opinions on the DIS are as helpful as they are useless....or something like that. :)
RockNGirl26.....Thanks for reading. Look how cute you are at the RnR in your siggie pic! You know, we had two 512 MB cards and thought that would be plenty...no sir. We will be taking lots more cards next time.
PrincessV.....Sweet girl...so glad you're back to tell us of your antics at the World. Have you ever seen the fireworks from the Poly? I'm wondering about fireworks views from Cali Grill, O'hana, Narcoossee's, and Poly beach. Have you done any of these? "Mai Tai say" is a Sherism. Miss that Sher!
Angelrose.....If I were you I would call ahead for an ADR at Kona. When I called about 2 weeks in advance of our trip, all I could get was 8:10...obviously because any later would cause you to miss the 9pm fireworks. After we got there, it pretty much cleared out until after the fireworks and then there were some walk ins. Wouldn't hurt to have an ADR.
Lurkers.....wave to you, too.... :wave2:

THANKS FOR READING, EVERYONE! HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

[PrincessV]

HAPPY SATURDAY!!! :sunny:


PrincessV.....Sweet girl...so glad you're back to tell us of your antics at the World. Have you ever seen the fireworks from the Poly? I'm wondering about fireworks views from Cali Grill, O'hana, Narcoossee's, and Poly beach. Have you done any of these? "Mai Tai say" is a Sherism. Miss that Sher!


I've not seen the fireworks from the Poly, but I did get to see the view from the beach last week. I could see the castle clear as day, so I have to assume it would be a great spot to see the fireworks, too!
BUT, I have done the fireworks from Cali Grill, and it was awesome :thumbsup2 Just before, they dimmed the lights and piped the music in - very cool.

Where is that Sher, anyway? Can't get into her TR anymore. :sad2:

[monymony3471]

Less reading and more typing on Saturday nights....I'm just saying.

[lexmelinda]

V....Thanks for the fireworks info. The pix I always see from the Cali Grill make the fireworks look far away although I know they're not. I'm already thinking about which restaurant I want to see Hallowishes from next year....isn't that pitiful. :blush:

Monica.....touche! Working on it! :) My birthday is March 3, BTW. ;)

[Disneyland_Mama]

HAPPY SATURDAY!!! :sunny:

Disneyland_Mama...So the Poly is not worth the chedder, eh? Well, more time at Disney World is the ultimate goal isn't it? Have you stayed at POFQ before? (Your siggie says 2006?) I liked it on our little visit to the pool and the food court was very good. And you're taking Waldo again? I think he's adorable. Is he having any surgical procedures before August? Can you get a GPS tracking chip implanted so you can keep up with him? Get him one of those Disney phones maybe? ;)


Oops... thanks for pointing out the typo in my siggie! Actually, we are doing POFQ next Aug. As in 2007... as in... a long time from now. :confused3
Yup... I'm taking Waldo again... AND Waldo's son, my older brother, Waldo Jr. And I'm doing better than GPS... I'm renting him a scooter with a kill switch. This way he can't wander too far. He'd lose a phone, but good for plan B. :teeth:
I hope I don't offend any Poly lovers, but no, I don't think it's worth the cheddar. Again, I loved it... but I prefer the real deal. If you want the island feel go to Maui or Tahiti. I'd like to do the GF in a few years, sans kiddies and Waldo!
I love your trippie.... now get typing! :goodvibes

[scrap4u]

Just finished reading your report. It's excellent! :thumbsup2 Can't wait for more! Hint!Hint! popcorn::

[lexmelinda]

DL Mama....Scooter with a kill switch sounds doable. Is Waldo Jr. any help? You're a good girl to vacation with all that family. I think you'll like POFQ...the longer stay is what it's all about, ya know.
scrap4u.....Hey! I just subscribed to your TR yesterday but hate to post when I'm so far behind. Promise to post next time. I'm all about cheap and free, ya know. Thanks for the nice comments!

[lexmelinda]

Well, now it’s Friday (9/29) and we have no plans for today….except Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party tonight. I get up early as usual and head outside on my bench to drink coffee from my mug and make notes in “the booklet”.

Repeat of yesterday….birds chirping, ducks swimming, people walking for coffee, etc. but today I have some leisure time so I decide to hang out for a while since everyone is sleeping. But my peace and joy is interrupted when the BLINDING sun comes up over Ole Man Island on this cloudless day. There is apparently an expiration time on my bench enjoyment.

I arrive in the room to find Mimi and DS awake. “Let’s go swimming!” is met with “Yay!!!” so the three of us put on our suits and depart for the Ole Man Island pool. It’s around 9:30am and the pool isn’t “officially” open (which means the slide is closed and there are no lifeguards but you can still swim at your own risk) but DS and I get in anyway. Aaaaaggghhhh! Did I happen to mention how cold it was last night? Well the water temperature in the pool is around 65, I’d guess. I’m out! I sit on the side with Mimi, who’s studying….on vacation. (Did I give birth to her?)

Anyway around 10ish the lifeguards start to mill around and one of them brings a little girl wearing one of those straw Huck Finn hats over to the slide. There is apparently an opening celebration….for the slide? Geez….is there an opening celebration for everything here? OK. We have to yell loudly many times “Wake up, Ole Man” and finally, mercifully the water gushes from the bottom of the slide. DS is one of the first kids down the slide, impervious to the arctic water temperature and glaciers floating nearby.

When DS’ lips turn blue, we head back to the room to find two grumpy people with two different issues. DH mentioned yesterday that he felt like he was coming down with something. Well, he’s down with sumpn alright...a cold of some sort. And Emily is in a snit because she knows what tonight is and she’s a squeaky wheel without a costume. So we divide and conquer. Emily and I head to Downtown Disney via riverboat, DH takes DS cane pole fishing, and Mimi…studies.

The boat ride to DTD is lovely and when we get off the boat, the first thing we see is Goofy’s Candy Company. Now all the little Disney candies you see elsewhere in the World are in this store. I begin to shop and notice that a lot of things are under $4….making them “snacks” on the DDP, which equals “free” for me. The wheels start turning….gifts for teachers, coworkers, friends….aawww, yeah! I load up a basket with boxes of cookies, snack mix, candy, etc. and head to the check out to “purchase” my gifts. Nine snack credits down, six to go.

Now if you think this is going to be a tour of DTD, you’re wrong because Emily and I are on a mission to find the perfect costume….and this is no easy task. With pre-teens you walk a fine line. (She’s only been a teenager for a week so the term pre-teen still legally applies.) They still like little girl things but they want to be big girls all at the same time. So we head to the Mecca of all Disney stores…the World of Disney. If you can’t find it here, Disney don’t make it, savvy?

This store is as elaborately themed as any Disney park or ride. We walk in through the door to the “pirate room” with the huge skeleton pirate displays on either side and a life-size talking pirate in the middle of the room. We proceed through all the other departments to the “princess” room on the other side of the World of Disney.

Now my girl loves all things princess but she is easily as big as me and nearly as tall and the princess dresses don’t come in queen sizes. She did find a sparkly clip on ponytail she liked…fine. She sees and wonders about the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique….but you need an appointment…especially on MNSSHP days.

We go to the “junior” department and there it is….her dream costume….the pirate princess. (Cue angel chorus) It confidently walks the fine line between little girl and big girl. There are several different versions…some with tulle and marabou lined pirate hats, others with sassy stockings and boas….all very cute! So we start looking for this sassy pirate princess gear but no luck.

We stop a CM who tells us that the pirate princess costumes are for display only…they don’t sell all that stuff here…but aren’t they FABULOUS, he says with way too much enthusiasm. Oh, but we do sell the POC t-shirts. Hhuuuhhhh? We don’t have time to go to no stinkin’ Walmart to fill in the gaps now! Way to tease us, Mickey!

Long story short…after MUCH debate we buy the sparkly hair extension, a few pirate earrings, a POC t-shirt, a Jack Sparrow hat with snap-on hair for DS and we’re out with our 10% discount. (Thank you Disney Rewards Visa!)

By now we are starving so we head back to Wolfgang Puck Express because it smells garlicky and wonderful. We get our food to-go so we can get back to the room for a bit before we have to get ready for MNSSHP. Thinking we don’t want to wait (possibly) 20 minutes for the boat back to POR, we head for the bus stop.

We find the bus stop (which is right behind WPE….duh!) and the sign says Port Orleans & Old Key West at Depot #1. Great! The bus comes shortly but the sign says “Old Key West”. Now, I have a decent sense of direction and I know the resorts are close in proximity so I figure they go to both resorts but to be safe, I ask the driver. Is this bus for POR? “Port Orleans, jess.” OK, I’ll take that as a “yes” and we board the bus.

Once the ride begins, we stop at every bus stop known to man….3 in DTD, Typhoon Lagoon, Old Key West main stop and then 27 other OKW stops. When I see the same stop for the third time, I become a little concerned. Is the driver lost? Why are we circling the same parking lots again and again? Has this bus been taken over by terrorists?

Emily notices too and says we should ask what’s going on. No, I say…the driver told us we’re going to POR. When we stop at the OKW main stop for the second time, Emily rises to action. She walks right up to the bus driver and asks if we’re going to POR. No….we’re not! I march right up to the driver and ask him why the heck he told me this bus was going to POR??? Is he some kind of idiot???

OK…I didn’t say that....being the non confrontational type…but I thought about it. Emily and I get off the bus and call DH. He’s sleeping and DS is watching cartoons. He’ll be over directly to pick us up.

Now have I mentioned that my man does not have an acute sense of direction? I am the navigator so I know we may be in for a wait. But I’m also starving. We pull out the WPE and proceed to dine at the OKW bus stop. The other bus stop people are watching us…the crazy bus refuges…eat our pasta like pigs while we wait for our ride. If you were there, I apologize.

I let out a big sigh of relief when the lexmelinda mobile is finally in sight. We need to rest up before we’re not-so-scared tonight…

DO….spend your snack credits on those nice $4 boxes of cookies and snacks at Goofy’s. When I got back I gifted about pretty much everybody with some little Disney treat. “Thank you SO much, Melinda!” You’re welcome!

DON’T….wait til you get to WDW to buy an adult Halloween costume…there are none to be had….forgetaboutit! Honestly, why has Disney not noticed this little void and attempted to sell some adult costumes? Don’t take the bus from DTD to POR. It makes lots of stops (not just if you get on the wrong one!) and the boat ride is so much more enjoyable.

[monymony3471]

We are actually looking in to staying at this resort next year. So, I may have to re read your report for a third time to get all the details again.

Like I said, it's that good.

Getting sick at WDW stinks. Hope it wasnt' anything major for your DH.

Costumes with a little bit of everything are the best. Gives it more personality.

WTG. More!

[kisobel]

ok, my eyes are blurry. i found this thread about three hours ago and have now finished it. awesome reports. cant wait for more. too tired now to think of better compliments.

kate

[KangaFan]

Great tips as always--especially the snack credits! I can hear me now, "No, you cannot have an icecream, we won't have a souvenir for cousin Chloe." :rotfl:

I also appreciate the boat tip as we will be staying at POFQ and I may have been tempted by the bus.

Looking forward to the rest as I have absolutely nothing left to plan and 39 days to go :rolleyes1

[Tjaleks]

I just found your TR tonight, great by the way, but I should have been in bed hours ago and tomorrow I may blame you ;) I will be patiently waiting for the next chapter.

[averill94]

I was so excited for your daughter when reading about the pirate/princess costume and also thinking I didnt see ANYONE wearing those! Thats awful- it would be a huge seller!

We kind of swore off DTD just b/c of the transportation there and back- it is almost always a nightmare for us!

[PrincessV]

Good grief - why on Earth are they displaying costumes they don't even SELL??? What a bummer that must have been.

I've never set foot in Goofy's Candy Store - waaaay too dangerous. And I've never doen the dining plan. Now, you've got me reconsidering both... :rotfl2:

[Mumbler]

It seems to be hit or miss with the bus drivers... we've had some who are regular encyclopedias of Disney knowlegde, for instance, did you know that you could pick up Disneyland and it would fit in the parking lot of the Magic Kingdom?

And then there are others like your guy that you really have to wonder how long they've been in the US let alone how long they've been at WDW!

That reallly is a shame about the costumes, hopefully you'll have pics of how the put together costume turned out...can't wait for more!

[nicolemarie]

Melinda!

I read this this morning, but just got a chance to post...

Another fun installment! We love to shop at DTD. We just never make the time. I've always got the itinerary packed too tight with park and resort stuff! :confused3

The pic of Emily in front of the toy store is so cute. Sorry she didn't get the costume she wanted, but I'll bet the night is a fun one anyway!

Looking forward to hearing about it!

NM :sunny:

[LaLa]

Is this bus for POR? “Port Orleans, jess.”

You just put me there with you with that one.

Anyway around 10ish the lifeguards start to mill around and one of them brings a little girl wearing one of those straw Huck Finn hats over to the slide. There is apparently an opening celebration….for the slide? Geez….is there an opening celebration for everything here? OK. We have to yell loudly many times “Wake up, Ole Man” and finally, mercifully the water gushes from the bottom of the slide.

Okay, this is just too funny. And not just because Disney has opening ceremonies for their waterslides, but because you're yelling really loudly to wake up an Ole Man. And then water comes gushing down from out of nowhere. Did the Depends logo flash across the slide afterwards as they piped "The Promise aka We'll Go On" through the speakers?

Great installment, Lexmelinda. Like NM, we love World of Disney too but don't get around to making it there as much as I would like. Big surprise.

Keep it comin LM.

:moped:

[MickeyT]

Don’t take the bus from DTD to POR. It makes lots of stops (not just if you get on the wrong one!) and the boat ride is so much more enjoyable.

Thanks for this one. Was a wunderin which one, boat>bus or bus>boat.

We leave tomorrow for a week at POR and already have our first mini crisis (other than DW's Christmas tree falling in the floor). The school nurse calls and reports that our DGS is sick. Stomach virus. What is it about a Disney trip that automatically invites any and all nasty bugs to attack. We will make it though.....That's the thing about us Dis'rs. We are a tough lot!!! Thanks again for the TR!

[lexmelinda]

THANKS FOR READING, EVERYONE!

Monica....you know...don't read again, girl....pm with the questions. ;)
kisobel.....Kate! I'm so sorry to keep you up late! If there's anything I love to do it's sleep. 8 posts, huh? Welcome to the DIS. It took me a couple of months but once I discovered the trip reports board, I was hooked. So beware...trip reports can be addictive. But get some sleep...they'll be there in the morning. ;)
KangaFan.....If you are on the DDP, there's no way you can eat all of the food anyway! Honestly. By Thursday, I was stuffed to the brim! Who needs snacks? Have a few Mickey bars...there'll be left over credits. I promise. 39 days left? Have you put together "the booklet" yet? That oughta keep you busy. ;) Hope the boat works for you...individual results may vary.
Tjaleks....Thanks for reading! I'll take the blame but get some sleep. ;)
averill94...Emily was happy with her "costume" so that was really all that was important but for the love of all things Halloween....sell the grown ups some costumes ON SITE! Can't believe Disney would miss the opportunity to make that buck. :confused3
V.....There were no less than 10 pirate princess manequins in the junior department the day we were there! All with cute costumes, hats, bandanas, stockings, skirts, etc.....none of which were sold in the store! YES...to the DDP and YES...to the candy store! Leo would love it!
Mumbler....my DISappearing biologist peep! You are so right about the bus drivers. Not only did I ask that guy if he was going to POR...and he was standing outside the door to the bus. He repeated "PO, jess" and watched us get ON the bus and wait 5 minutes for it to take off because there was no one on the bus but us and he still didn't tell us we were on the wrong bus! Hello? RE: the costume...the only photopass pic I bought was at MNSSHP so I will post that with the next installment.
NM....I guess I underestimated Emily's desire for a costume. I figured she was a big girl and wouldn't want to wear a costume and trick-or-treat like the little kids. WRONG! We did have fun but....I'll try to post again soon.
LaLa...I did not wish to wake up the Ole Man...I faked it...lip synched. And although I did not hear "The Promise" I think I did see the Depends logo...just briefly...subliminally.
MickeyT...Have a great time at POR!!! I love that place. Some people like to try new resorts but I guess I'm a creature of habit. When I know something and like it...I stick with it. Prayers and pixie dust for the sick little one. Hold your breath and sanitize! ;)

THANKS AGAIN, EVERYONE!

[Quacktatty]

Hi Melinda - I thought I'd come out of my lurker's hole and say that I am loving the trip report, I check twice a day for updates!!! You might just have me convinced to write my own when I get back from my January trip. I doubt mine would be as popular as yours though!! Kudos to your great report and kudos to Mimi on the awesome pictures. I need talent like that!! :banana:

[DisneyObsession]

I'm off from work on Wed and don't seem to get the time at home to check my subscribed links. :cool1: Boy am I glad to have checked it today!

I was happy to hear DD got something for a costume. How frustrating that there is nothing around Disney for adults! They are definitely missing out on sales! I like the idea of a "Pirate Princess". pirate: I'd dress up as that, as opposed to a pirate wench! pirate:

DH & I walked around DTD last time we were there (2/05). I like to check everything out. Have you been to Pleasure Island? I have not gone there as of yet. Maybe this next trip with my GF's. :wizard:

:Pinkbounc Looking forward to the next installment! :Pinkbounc

[nut4disney]

Long time lurker, first time poster.

I really like your trip report. :)

[Ellester]

I'm finally caught up! What a wonderful report. We are telling our kids on Christmas that we are going next month. My girls will be doing the pirate cruise, so thanks for the info on that. Your tips are great! I need to start writing some down so I'm not frantically trying to track them all back down right before we leave.

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m260/lexmelinda/101_9398.jpg

I have my own little Stitch, she was 5 in August. From your description, James could be her twin! The picture is from Sept. 2005 when she was four.

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r168/jepillar/P9080095.jpg

Looking forward to the rest of your report!

[fivefordisney]

Wow! Your trip report is turning me into a bad mother. My kids are downstairs eating dinner while I read this report!!

Can't wait for the next installment! Glad Emily found something to wear!

[jaycns]

We also drove from KY to WDW in September and had a great time as well! Reading your trip report has me in stitches and smiles! Thanks for sharing your trip with us! It looks like you all had a blast. We were down from 9/16-10/4 (but we spent 9/23-9/30 on the Disney Magic).

I cannot wait to read about your time at MNSSHP. The night we went was one of our favorite nights of the trip.

Love your writing style! I cannot belive I read an entire trip report in one sitting!

Keep it coming!! :)

[lexmelinda]

GOOD MORNING!!! :sunny:

Only 10 more days til Christmas, everybody! Get shopping! Here's something fun that DS and I did yesterday...... Elf Yourself (http://www.elfyourself.com) I elfed myself and it was hilarious...sent it to DH. :) Enjoy!

Quacktatty....I love it! I'm drawing out the lurkers. Thanks for posting! If I can write a trip report, anyone can! Really! I'll be looking for it. :)
DisneyObsession....No adult costumes....I know! We need to get Marita to run an analysis on that. I'm sure it would mean big money for Disney. No...I have not been to Pleasure Island but am very intrigued by the whole Adventurer's Club concept...not to mention 8Trax...that's MY kinda music. I want a GF trip, too!
nut4disney....Aaawww....thanks for posting and for your nice comments. Don't be afraid to post....we won't bite....hard. ;)
Ellester....What a fabulous Christmas gift for the kids! You know I wrote down a lot of tips before we left and of course there was "the booklet" but I found for the most part, I had downloaded those tips to my brain. And they are referenced when the situations arise. Don't worry! Your kids are adorable, BTW! Lovin your little Stitch pic...too cute! :)
fivefordisney....You are so sweet. I'm glad you're enjoying the report and your kids need some "quality time" together every now and then... ;)
jaycns....Wow...I can't believe you read the whole thing, either! Thanks! I just clicked on your link and the trip of dreams looks awesome...and you stayed at the Poly? :love: Your boys are adorable. I'm glad you enjoyed MNSSHP...but us, well not so much. I'll put in the next installment soon.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND, EVERYONE! GO ELF YOUSELF! :sunny:

[DisneyJo]

What a great TR I've been reading for an hour and still only on page 8! This is the first TR I've really read and can see how addictive it can be.

Subscribing so I can read the rest!

[DisneyJo]

Finally finished what a great TR. The house is in a mess and the DD's have watched way too much TV but it was there last day at school so they needed to chill anyway! Although I have been a Disney fan for many years I have only recently discovered the DIS (also just switched to broadband so now it's free and quick) what a friendly place this is, everyone seems to be lovely and so informative. Keep up the good work.

[monymony3471]

I did make a complete elf of myself and that was elfalarious! Thanks for sharing.