GaDisneyDad
06-28-2002, 12:55 PM
Cast:
Norm (me) (39); husband, father, trip planner, scribe and photographer
Robin (39); wife and mother with veto power over trip plans, wants a more relaxed Disney trip this time (Ha!)
Kent (14); teenage son, not interested if it’s not fast, loud, or scary (preferably all three)
Whitney (13); teenage daughter, into thrill rides like her brother, but will do the others with less complaining (usually)
Setting:
7 days at Port Orleans Riverside, plus 1 offsite at Islands of Adventure (son’s favorite, of course). This is our second straight year at POR, and third WDW trip in four years. Due to finding a discounted resort rate back in January, we decide to stay longer than our usual 4 or 5 days to have more time to “stop and smell the roses”.
Scene 5 – Tuesday, June 18 – "the driest day yet"
Got the usual wake-up call (from Mickey) at 6:30. Checked TWC – supposed to rain all day. Way back when, our original plan was to have plenty of time with a 7-day stay to sleep in a few mornings, etc. and not have our usual exhausting whirlwind Disney trip. So far, things haven’t worked out that way. We’ve been hitting the parks pretty hard and early to get in and out before the rain moves in. By Tuesday, we decide the kids (and mom and dad) need a break, so we sleep in. About 9:00, Robin and I walk over for breakfast while we let the kids sleep some more. Kent, as a typical teenage boy, would sleep to noon everyday if we let him. After a quick breakfast for just the two of us, we went back to the room about 10:00, got the kids up, and headed back to the food court for breakfast for them. By now the food court was PACKED – we had to wait to find an open table! Yet another reason why getting an early start is so important.
Today, it’s back to Epcot to get some time for mom and dad (mostly dad) walking around the World Showcase. We have our first bit of bad luck with the buses (other than our run in with the bus driver on Sunday, which I don’t consider bad “luck” – see Day Two report). Whitney had to run back to the room for something (don’t remember what) and we missed the first Epcot bus and had to wait 30 min. for the next one to show up. Starting to rain. Late start, crowded breakfast, missed bus – what else could go wrong?
As it turns out, nothing else did. We got to Epcot about 12:00 and the rain started to clear out. Today would wind up being our driest day of the week. In hindsight, if I had known that was going to be the case, I would have gotten an earlier start, but I guess we needed the rest. One big advantage I will mention to all the rainy weather – the temperatures stayed bearable. It seems like most days we were barely out of the 70’s, maybe very low 80’s only. Not the heat we were expecting, so I guess we take the good with the bad.
We went for FP’s for Test Track, but they were already gone for the day. Not interested in another single rider wait, we passed on this one. Got FP for HISTA and rode the new Figment. Thought it was a nice ride, but nothing special. Years ago, on our first Disney trip with our kids (1993), Figment was my son’s favorite ride. We still have the stuffed Figment he got back then.
Used our FP’s for HISTA. I know I said I liked the Bug’s Life 3D show better now, and I guess I do, but this one is such a hoot too. I like to sit toward the back of the theater so I can hear the “wave” of screams from the audience as the rats make their way up the floor. I’m not sure what embarrassed my kids the most this trip – the hat I bought at AK, or the way I laughed hysterically through both the 3D movies.
Next, we started walking around the WS. I didn’t have anything planned, just wanted to walk around and see the sights. Of course our teenage kids were completely bored (“There are no rides here!”) and complained the whole way. We saw a few minutes of the juggler in Italy, and the last part of the British Invasion show in the UK – both were good. I had wanted to see the acrobats in China, but I guess they were cancelled due to the weather since we never saw them. We went out the back exit and walked over to the Boardwalk. If you’ve never been there before, it’s very convenient to Epcot WS - no more than a 5-8 minute walk, or there’s a boat if you like. I had only found out about it since I had been at a conference at the Dolphin just a week earlier, and had walked over several times at night. Robin really liked the Boardwalk, even during the more quiet daytime, and wanted to come back at night when things were busier. Ate lunch at the ESPN Sportszone, which the kids really liked.
After our late lunch, we took the boat from the Boardwalk over to MGM. FP’s were gone for RnRC, so we got ToT instead. While waiting, we got in to Star Tours pretty quick. I didn’t like this as much as last time. Maybe I’m just getting old, but the whole simulation thing left me feeling a little woozy. Kids of course loved it. Got in to the Muppet 3D without a wait. To me, this one’s getting a little old, but it’s almost worth going just to see the pre-show. When Gonzo, or whatever his name is, tricks Sam Eagle into sending the rat out as Mickey Mouse (ta da!) …once again, dad’s laughing uncontrollably. Next, we try to get into Millionaire as we missed this the last time we were here, but we were about 100 people too late to get into the last show. Maybe tomorrow. Did the Backlot Tour, even though this was on my skip list this time, just to pass time until our ToT FP. We waited several minutes for the trams to show up and all knew the whole program, so were pretty bored.
Robin didn’t want to do ToT, so Kent, Whitney, and I did and gave away our other FP. Robin went in to get seats for the 9:00 Fantasmic. I do not want to miss this show, and with the way the weather has been this week, this may be our only chance. ToT was great again and then we hurried over to find Robin for Fantasmic. Once again, the radios came in handy. We were fairly low, and to the side (Hades section, I believe) but still enjoyed the show. Along with the Lion King at AK, this is my favorite show at Disney. No problems with the bus going home and actually got the kids a few minutes swimming at the pool before we turned in. Another pina colada for Robin, and listened to the piano guy in the lounge for a few minutes. I remembered him from last year - very funny, and worth spending some time there. All in all, an excellent day.
Day five:
The best – the weather – finally, a somewhat dry day
The worst – the crowd at breakfast
Norm (me) (39); husband, father, trip planner, scribe and photographer
Robin (39); wife and mother with veto power over trip plans, wants a more relaxed Disney trip this time (Ha!)
Kent (14); teenage son, not interested if it’s not fast, loud, or scary (preferably all three)
Whitney (13); teenage daughter, into thrill rides like her brother, but will do the others with less complaining (usually)
Setting:
7 days at Port Orleans Riverside, plus 1 offsite at Islands of Adventure (son’s favorite, of course). This is our second straight year at POR, and third WDW trip in four years. Due to finding a discounted resort rate back in January, we decide to stay longer than our usual 4 or 5 days to have more time to “stop and smell the roses”.
Scene 5 – Tuesday, June 18 – "the driest day yet"
Got the usual wake-up call (from Mickey) at 6:30. Checked TWC – supposed to rain all day. Way back when, our original plan was to have plenty of time with a 7-day stay to sleep in a few mornings, etc. and not have our usual exhausting whirlwind Disney trip. So far, things haven’t worked out that way. We’ve been hitting the parks pretty hard and early to get in and out before the rain moves in. By Tuesday, we decide the kids (and mom and dad) need a break, so we sleep in. About 9:00, Robin and I walk over for breakfast while we let the kids sleep some more. Kent, as a typical teenage boy, would sleep to noon everyday if we let him. After a quick breakfast for just the two of us, we went back to the room about 10:00, got the kids up, and headed back to the food court for breakfast for them. By now the food court was PACKED – we had to wait to find an open table! Yet another reason why getting an early start is so important.
Today, it’s back to Epcot to get some time for mom and dad (mostly dad) walking around the World Showcase. We have our first bit of bad luck with the buses (other than our run in with the bus driver on Sunday, which I don’t consider bad “luck” – see Day Two report). Whitney had to run back to the room for something (don’t remember what) and we missed the first Epcot bus and had to wait 30 min. for the next one to show up. Starting to rain. Late start, crowded breakfast, missed bus – what else could go wrong?
As it turns out, nothing else did. We got to Epcot about 12:00 and the rain started to clear out. Today would wind up being our driest day of the week. In hindsight, if I had known that was going to be the case, I would have gotten an earlier start, but I guess we needed the rest. One big advantage I will mention to all the rainy weather – the temperatures stayed bearable. It seems like most days we were barely out of the 70’s, maybe very low 80’s only. Not the heat we were expecting, so I guess we take the good with the bad.
We went for FP’s for Test Track, but they were already gone for the day. Not interested in another single rider wait, we passed on this one. Got FP for HISTA and rode the new Figment. Thought it was a nice ride, but nothing special. Years ago, on our first Disney trip with our kids (1993), Figment was my son’s favorite ride. We still have the stuffed Figment he got back then.
Used our FP’s for HISTA. I know I said I liked the Bug’s Life 3D show better now, and I guess I do, but this one is such a hoot too. I like to sit toward the back of the theater so I can hear the “wave” of screams from the audience as the rats make their way up the floor. I’m not sure what embarrassed my kids the most this trip – the hat I bought at AK, or the way I laughed hysterically through both the 3D movies.
Next, we started walking around the WS. I didn’t have anything planned, just wanted to walk around and see the sights. Of course our teenage kids were completely bored (“There are no rides here!”) and complained the whole way. We saw a few minutes of the juggler in Italy, and the last part of the British Invasion show in the UK – both were good. I had wanted to see the acrobats in China, but I guess they were cancelled due to the weather since we never saw them. We went out the back exit and walked over to the Boardwalk. If you’ve never been there before, it’s very convenient to Epcot WS - no more than a 5-8 minute walk, or there’s a boat if you like. I had only found out about it since I had been at a conference at the Dolphin just a week earlier, and had walked over several times at night. Robin really liked the Boardwalk, even during the more quiet daytime, and wanted to come back at night when things were busier. Ate lunch at the ESPN Sportszone, which the kids really liked.
After our late lunch, we took the boat from the Boardwalk over to MGM. FP’s were gone for RnRC, so we got ToT instead. While waiting, we got in to Star Tours pretty quick. I didn’t like this as much as last time. Maybe I’m just getting old, but the whole simulation thing left me feeling a little woozy. Kids of course loved it. Got in to the Muppet 3D without a wait. To me, this one’s getting a little old, but it’s almost worth going just to see the pre-show. When Gonzo, or whatever his name is, tricks Sam Eagle into sending the rat out as Mickey Mouse (ta da!) …once again, dad’s laughing uncontrollably. Next, we try to get into Millionaire as we missed this the last time we were here, but we were about 100 people too late to get into the last show. Maybe tomorrow. Did the Backlot Tour, even though this was on my skip list this time, just to pass time until our ToT FP. We waited several minutes for the trams to show up and all knew the whole program, so were pretty bored.
Robin didn’t want to do ToT, so Kent, Whitney, and I did and gave away our other FP. Robin went in to get seats for the 9:00 Fantasmic. I do not want to miss this show, and with the way the weather has been this week, this may be our only chance. ToT was great again and then we hurried over to find Robin for Fantasmic. Once again, the radios came in handy. We were fairly low, and to the side (Hades section, I believe) but still enjoyed the show. Along with the Lion King at AK, this is my favorite show at Disney. No problems with the bus going home and actually got the kids a few minutes swimming at the pool before we turned in. Another pina colada for Robin, and listened to the piano guy in the lounge for a few minutes. I remembered him from last year - very funny, and worth spending some time there. All in all, an excellent day.
Day five:
The best – the weather – finally, a somewhat dry day
The worst – the crowd at breakfast