crazyj4488
06-12-2005, 05:06 AM
All of the pics seen in this photo journal were taken by me as I travelled the parks. They follow the report as closely as possible; most of them were taken at the time in which the content refers to. Click on the links to view the pics as you read. Enjoy!
WDW SOLO trip report – May 23-27, 2005
Day 2 Part 2 – May 24th
Part 2 – Strangers in my Room - The Lights Come on in Space Mountain
Cast:
Me – Jeff - 29 yr old male – 10th time to WDW – 1st SOLO Trip
http://disney.txtechvantage.com/freak.jpg
Monday, May 24 – MK Day - Evening
I returned to my room after my pleasant morning at the Magic Kingdom. The weather had held up for most of the day. The overcast sky was preventing the Florida sun from making a serious assault but I could tell it was about to get real nasty out. At this point, I was better off in my Disney Dorm Room with a cold beer.
I showered and made use of the data port near the table in my room. Luckily, my sister company is an Internet Provider and I had a master list of phone numbers. I quickly found a Lake Buena Vista dial-up bank and got my laptop online. Of course, as soon as I opened my email, I was hit with a barrage of business that needed tended to. I sat there in my boxers, drank a beer in my new Mickey beer mug from Main Street, and started to get some work done. I had to make a handful of calls to Houston in order to schedule some things to get done while I was playing in Orlando. I dispatched an employee to a couple of sites and had some orders placed for upcoming sales that would have to be completed upon my return. It was great to be generating some cash while goofing off at Disney World but I would definitely be returning to a small mess of work. I vowed to enjoy my escape from the real world while I could.
After finishing most of my work, I started getting hungry. I decided to check out the Everything Pop food court. The walk from my building to the main lobby was a long one and the heat was getting insane. I did, however, get to see the grounds of the hotel and take some pictures.
Walking Through Pop Century 1 (disney.txtechvantage.com/pop01.jpg)
Walking Through Pop Century 2 (disney.txtechvantage.com/pop02.jpg)
Walking Through Pop Century 3 (disney.txtechvantage.com/pop03.jpg)
Walking Through Pop Century 4 (disney.txtechvantage.com/pop04.jpg)
Walking Through Pop Century 5 (disney.txtechvantage.com/pop05.jpg)
Walking Through Pop Century 6 (disney.txtechvantage.com/pop06.jpg)
The gift shop and food court was unimpressive. Again, it felt cold and impersonal like an airport terminal. All of the menu items at the food court looked just as dangerous as some of the counter service items I encountered at EPCOT the night before. I headed straight for the refrigerators and picked out a turkey sub. That would be a tough one to screw up and it had a freshness stamp on it which noted the date it was prepared on.
I toted my bag of chips and sub back to my room. It felt like a half mile trek across the desert and I started to miss the Port Orleans Riverside resort with its heavily shaded walkways through forested areas. That would be the last time I went to the POP lobby for anything. It just wasn’t worth it to me since a camel could possibly die making that journey. I could jump into my air conditioned car and grab higher quality and reasonably priced food somewhere else if needed. Again, I was alone on this trip and, regardless of the fact that staying in a moderate or deluxe resort is well within my means; I just saw no reason for it. Pop was just fine for a solo expedition to WDW and I would simply roll with the punches. It wasn’t like I was slumming it. After all, POP was a heck of a lot nicer than most side of the road hotels.
I ate my lunch and was enjoying sitting in bed in my boxers when the unthinkable happened. A family of three started opening my locked door and was trying to enter the room. This was absolutely ridiculous. Everyone involved was embarrassed by what was going on. I was standing in the doorway showing off my sexy boxer shorts while a Mother and her two kids stared at me like a freak. I think we all wanted to just drop dead.
I politely explained to the woman that I had reserved my room 3 weeks ago for 5 days and had no idea why the hotel would put them in the same room. I wasn’t aware of any “snuggle up to a stranger policy” at this hotel. She apologized and I told her that it wasn’t her fault as she lugged her bags and her kids back down towards the lobby.
Okay, I was pissed now. I grabbed the hotel phone that Stitch contaminated during my wake up call and dialed the front desk. I explained to them what happened and told them that they had an angry guest headed their way. They put me on hold to figure out what was going on. Once they got back on the line, they told me that they had a room change in their system for me. According to them, I was supposed to move to a room with a king sized bed that day. I told them that I had not once requested a king sized bed before my arrival or since. I hadn’t even been given any other room numbers or keys so it would have been impossible for me to change rooms even if I was, in fact, supposed to be doing that.
I then had to explain my utmost concern over the situation. I told the woman on the phone that I was glad I was actually in my room when the situation occurred or all of my belongings would have been compromised. I was using the wall safe for my $3000 laptop, excess money, and credit cards; but, that was all beside the point. I felt violated and completely uncomfortable in my room after the occurrence. The woman on the line apologized to me profusely and told me that they would have to send someone to my room to deliver a different keycard. The keycard I held was now useless.
I hung up the phone, sat back on the bed, and felt my heart racing. The whole thing really made me anxious and I was not a happy camper. I threw my jeans on knowing that someone was headed up to my room with a new key. Three people, other than myself, had already seen me in my boxers and I didn’t feel like showing my sexiness to anyone else that day. Besides that, this was Disney. It’s not exactly the place to be modeling men’s undergarments.
It wasn’t long before some big geek on a Segway with balloons tied onto it rode up to my door and gave me another key. I felt like I was in the freaking twilight zone as I jumped back into my bed in hopes of calming down a bit. I was in a foul mood and I was exhausted from my early wake-up call and tour of the Magic Kingdom. I desperately needed a nap.
As I was trying to get some sleep, I started hearing toilets flush and people chattering. Then I started hearing the same kids running up and down the path in front of the guest rooms. They kept doing it over and over for no good reason. This was creating a seriously loud racket and I was losing my patience rapidly. I got up, stuck my head out the door, and told the kids to leave the guest room area if they wanted to run back and forth. There was plenty of room all around the resort for that type of thing and I only wished their rude parents would have put a leash on their little animals. I’m all for kids having a good time and for parents being somewhat relieved of their responsibility while on vacation, but the respect of others needs to be kept in mind.
After about a half hour of shenanigans and a stiff drink, I was able to nap. I had 6:00 PM dinner reservations at the Concourse Steakhouse so I had to be out the door no later than 5:15 PM. The steakhouse would serve two purposes; a respectable dinner and a justification to park at the Contemporary Resort that evening. After dinner, I could simply go over to the Magic Kingdom and enjoy some more rides and the evening entertainment. After the fireworks show, I could avoid the mob of people trying to exit the park and walk over to the Contemporary on foot to grab my getaway car. However, I was so worn out by all that had happened that I needed some extra time to nap. Therefore, I decided to cancel my dinner plans and arrive at the park later in the evening than I had originally planned.
It was 6:30 PM when I returned to the Magic Kingdom. Before heading off into any of the lands, I decided to stop and smell the roses on Main Street. I took time to look at, and take pictures of, all the names painted on the windows of the Main Street buildings. It was quite an interesting experience and I was happiest of all to find the names, “Elias Disney – Contractor,” and “Roy E. Disney – Sailmaker.”
Elias Disney - Contractor (disney.txtechvantage.com/elias.jpg)
Roy Disney – Sailing Pro (disney.txtechvantage.com/roywin.jpg)
I was quickly realizing that taking a solo trip to WDW allows you to more readily enjoy those things in the park that are, typically, ignored. No one else’s agenda, bladder, or stomach was there to pull me in a particular direction. The sense of freedom was quite nice.
On my way into Adventureland, I stopped and gazed at the castle for awhile. A rather exotic looking bird walked up to me and admired the view as well. It was an odd little personal moment so I took a few pictures.
The Castle (disney.txtechvantage.com/castle1.jpg)
A Goofy Looking Bird Says Hello (disney.txtechvantage.com/bird.jpg)
Welcome to Adventureland (disney.txtechvantage.com/advent.jpg)
I had a “get into the Fastpass lane anytime you want ticket” for Splash Mountain since it had broke down on me in the morning. I headed to Frontierland where I first stopped to admire Chickapin Hill. I couldn’t help but to marvel at how this enormous attraction had been thought of while an Imagineer sat in traffic on a California freeway. Four years later, Critter Country at Disneyland had Splash Mountain welcoming guests.
Chickapin Hill (disney.txtechvantage.com/chikhill.jpg)
I entered the Fastpass lane at Splash but found an oddly backed up line. I turned right back around and walked away. I wasn’t about to stand around while sweat dripped down my back. I am familiar with each and every attraction and about how long I can expect to wait just by looking at where the end of the line is. This Fastpass lane wasn’t looking right at all and wasn’t worth my time. I did take a moment to admire some of the theming on my way out the door. It’s the little details that make WDW a spectacular place especially if you’ve been there more than 10 times like I have.
Queue Area Theming at Splash 1 (disney.txtechvantage.com/splashq1.jpg)
Queue Area Theming at Splash 2 – Bird Houses (disney.txtechvantage.com/splashq2.jpg)
I hadn’t taken a ride on Pirates yet and it was time. I headed back over to Adventureland, grabbed a Fastpass for The Jungle Cruise, and entered Caribbean Plaza for my plunderific adventure on the high seas. Before heading into the queue area, I stopped for just a bit and listened to what the parrot above the entryway had to say. I could have been hearing things but I swear my green feathered friend was saying, “Michael Eisner is God – Michael Eisner is God.” Again, I was taking some time to enjoy the small details a bit. It was a treat even if they had brain washed the poor robotic bird.
Pirate Parrot (disney.txtechvantage.com/parrot.jpg)
Pirates of the Caribbean – Torre del Cielo (disney.txtechvantage.com/pirate1.jpg)
Sail with the Tide! (disney.txtechvantage.com/piratesign.jpg)
Theming in the Pirates Queue Area (disney.txtechvantage.com/pirateq.jpg)
Pirates of the Caribbean has always complimented The Haunted Mansion since it is also one of Disney’s finest dark rides. I headed over to Liberty Square to ride in a doom buggy. On my way out of the attraction, I took the time to admire the exit area a bit. For the life of me, I still couldn’t find the impression of the brides “wedding ring” in the pavement and I looked every single time I left the Haunted Mansion. No bother because I would find it eventually and my Fastpass for The Jungle Cruise was ripe. Back Adventureland I went.
Jungle Cruise (disney.txtechvantage.com/junglec.jpg)
The Jungle Cruise was lame but I expected it to be. I skipped taking the cruise for years and years because riding down a fake river looking at fiberglass animals while the skipper told bad jokes wasn’t my cup of tea. Besides, they had the politically correct audacity to take away the skipper’s pistol.
I know The Jungle Cruise is considered one of the classic Disney rides, but I just can’t get into it. They ought to rip the thing out and put in an Indiana Jones ride like they have at Disneyland. However, I’m sure that would make Walt turn over in his grave for the millionth time since his departure, so I’d rather let the good man rest in peace and request that they tear down that awfully repetitive Indian Jones stunt show at the studios instead.
I decided to give Splash Mountain another chance but the situation had not improved. I think they were having problems with the ride that day and it wasn’t running at capacity. I had a Fastpass for Space Mountain so I went upstairs to catch the train over to Toontown. From there, I took the “secret red pathway” over to Space Mountain. I think I’ve seen a total of 7 people on that path since I discovered it.
The Path Least Traveled to Tomorrowland (disney.txtechvantage.com/redpath.jpg)
Space Mountain was a blast as usual but I wanted to head back over to Fantasyland to grab a Fastpass for Pooh. I was addicted to riding through the Hundred Acre Wood. I secured the pass and then headed over to Philharmagic for a viewing.
Philharmagic (disney.txtechvantage.com/phil.jpg)
After what was my favorite 3D show at WDW, I decided, yet again, to check on Splash Mountain. Finally, the line for Fastpass was looking non-existent and I was loaded into a log in about 5 minutes. I first noticed that they had cleaned the huge tree of chewed gum that disgusted me on my last trip. I also was glad to not see any trash lying around. There were still a lot of distracting problems with the attraction though. Many of the characters were not operating correctly and none of the jumping water fountains were working upon entering the laughing place. Last, the torn background fabric behind the finale scene was still evident so I took a picture of it and sent it over to the D-troops website. They did a report on it. Here is the link if you’d like to read it. I am quoted within the article and they have my picture posted:
http://d-troops.com/badshow.php?id=566
I enjoyed Splash as much as I could and appreciated the improved condition, but I was still distracted. I simply made the best of it and took some pictures along the way.
Inside Splash Mountain 1 (disney.txtechvantage.com/insplash1.jpg)
Inside Splash Mountain 2 (disney.txtechvantage.com/insplash2.jpg)
Inside Splash Mountain 3 (disney.txtechvantage.com/insplash3.jpg)
Inside Splash Mountain 4 (disney.txtechvantage.com/insplash4.jpg)
Slippin’ Falls (disney.txtechvantage.com/slip.jpg)
Inside Splash Mountain 5 (disney.txtechvantage.com/insplash5.jpg)
Brer Rabbit Escapes! (disney.txtechvantage.com/insplash6.jpg)
I needed to get back to Fantasyland for my Pooh Fastpass return so I, again, went upstairs after exiting Splash and caught the train over to Toontown. From there, it was a quick walk to my “hunny” pot. While in the loading area, I noticed another wonderful park detail. On the ground right where your ride vehicle pulls up are small inlaid tiles with honey bees on them. I thought it was great.
Honey Bees Under my Feet (disney.txtechvantage.com/poohfloor.jpg)
Eeyore! (disney.txtechvantage.com/donkey.jpg)
I then headed next door to take another ride on Snow White’s escape from the psychotic fiberglass witch. I don’t know what the hell it was about this old school ride that kept me coming back. The kitsch factor was in full swing at Snow White and I suppose I’m just a huge sucker; or, perhaps it was the unsuspecting children screaming their heads off on this ride that entertained me. Nah, that was definitely the highlight over at Stitch’s Great Escape.
Snow White Pre Psycho Witch – She won’t be singing to little birds for long! (disney.txtechvantage.com/sw1.jpg)
Upon exiting Snow White’s pain train, my head was spinning. I had crossed the Magic Kingdom more times than I could count in just one evening. I couldn’t believe how much more the SOLO factor was allowing me to experience. This was getting a bit twisted or I was finally getting tired.
It was now 9:30 PM and time for me to grab a spot for the Wishes fireworks show. Wishes and Illuminations were the only two nighttime shows I was interested in seeing again since I had just been to WDW a mere 3 weeks ago.
I headed over to my usual spot on the Tomorrowland bridge and waited for Jiminy to toss $100,000 dollars into the sky. There’s nothing quite like watching all those Churro and Turkey Leg profits go up in flames. Besides that, it’s a beautiful show.
Tinkerbell flew right over my head and I couldn’t help but think that it was probably just a petite sized man attached to a cable and pushed out a window.
Yeah, I was getting tired now.
I took an entire video of the show with my digicam and then called Sally afterwards so she could hear the music playing at the end of the show. She cried happy tears and I felt like a pimp (or stud if you are a bit slang challenged). It was so good to hear her voice at that moment; especially, while I thought of us watching the show together in April. Overall, Wishes really does hold some magic.
There was an hour left until the park closed so I decided to get in the standby line for Space Mountain. I knew most people were headed out of the park so it was a perfect time for a ride. I was out of the tunnel and standing in the loading area line within five minutes but then something REALLY WHACKED happened!! The freakin house lights came on!! All of my make-believe thoughts of rocketing into space came crashing down onto the ground. This was the quintessential example of BAD SHOW. I was shocked, hurt, and left sobbing to myself with no one’s shoulder to cry on. Horrid thoughts of baby ducklings leaving their Mommy duck and paddling over a waterfall entered my head. I even had visions of a family of three sitting in a mental institution after coming to Disney World for the most wholesome vacation available only to see a grown man in his boxer shorts upon their arrival. What in the heck was going on here?
I could only whip out my camera and start taking dirty pictures and videos of Space Mountain without its knickers on. The girl behind me even threatened me over possibly posting them on the internet and ruining it for millions of children. Well, she wasn’t that big of a girl and I’m not scared of her.
Here’s your fair warning! Don’t click on the links below if you fear Disney induced mental anguish or just don’t want to fess up to the ugly side of reality.
Space Mountain with the Lights On!!! (disney.txtechvantage.com/spacebad1.jpg)
Oh The Horror!!! (disney.txtechvantage.com/spacebad2.jpg)
What the Heck is Going On? (disney.txtechvantage.com/spacebad3.jpg)
Here are also two links you can click on in order to view the videos I took of the event. They are small downloadable files so the quality isn’t super. The second one is funny. People start cheering as a stuck ride vehicle finally starts travelling down the track.
Both play perfectly with Windows Media Player:
AVI Video of Space Mountain with Lights On (disney.txtechvantage.com/sm_lightson.avi)
AVI Video of SM ride vehicle finally moving down the track with the lights on – People cheer! (disney.txtechvantage.com/sm_lightson_cheering.avi)
Anyways, my ride on Space Mountain that night was a bittersweet one. I made my way towards the exit of the park and stopped at the Main Street Bakery to grab a cookie crunch ice cream cone. While I sat there eating my ice cream cone like a little kid, I admired the castle changing colors at night while Spectromagic floated past me.
Spectromagic Melting my Ice Cream (disney.txtechvantage.com/spect.jpg)
After the perfect end to my adventurous evening, I turned left, moved past the ugly bottleneck of people waiting for transport back to the TTC and their resorts, and walked the empty path back to my car which was waiting for me at the Contemporary Resort. I was in need of a stiff night cap and some deep sleep after one heck of a day.
WDW SOLO trip report – May 23-27, 2005
Day 2 Part 2 – May 24th
Part 2 – Strangers in my Room - The Lights Come on in Space Mountain
Cast:
Me – Jeff - 29 yr old male – 10th time to WDW – 1st SOLO Trip
http://disney.txtechvantage.com/freak.jpg
Monday, May 24 – MK Day - Evening
I returned to my room after my pleasant morning at the Magic Kingdom. The weather had held up for most of the day. The overcast sky was preventing the Florida sun from making a serious assault but I could tell it was about to get real nasty out. At this point, I was better off in my Disney Dorm Room with a cold beer.
I showered and made use of the data port near the table in my room. Luckily, my sister company is an Internet Provider and I had a master list of phone numbers. I quickly found a Lake Buena Vista dial-up bank and got my laptop online. Of course, as soon as I opened my email, I was hit with a barrage of business that needed tended to. I sat there in my boxers, drank a beer in my new Mickey beer mug from Main Street, and started to get some work done. I had to make a handful of calls to Houston in order to schedule some things to get done while I was playing in Orlando. I dispatched an employee to a couple of sites and had some orders placed for upcoming sales that would have to be completed upon my return. It was great to be generating some cash while goofing off at Disney World but I would definitely be returning to a small mess of work. I vowed to enjoy my escape from the real world while I could.
After finishing most of my work, I started getting hungry. I decided to check out the Everything Pop food court. The walk from my building to the main lobby was a long one and the heat was getting insane. I did, however, get to see the grounds of the hotel and take some pictures.
Walking Through Pop Century 1 (disney.txtechvantage.com/pop01.jpg)
Walking Through Pop Century 2 (disney.txtechvantage.com/pop02.jpg)
Walking Through Pop Century 3 (disney.txtechvantage.com/pop03.jpg)
Walking Through Pop Century 4 (disney.txtechvantage.com/pop04.jpg)
Walking Through Pop Century 5 (disney.txtechvantage.com/pop05.jpg)
Walking Through Pop Century 6 (disney.txtechvantage.com/pop06.jpg)
The gift shop and food court was unimpressive. Again, it felt cold and impersonal like an airport terminal. All of the menu items at the food court looked just as dangerous as some of the counter service items I encountered at EPCOT the night before. I headed straight for the refrigerators and picked out a turkey sub. That would be a tough one to screw up and it had a freshness stamp on it which noted the date it was prepared on.
I toted my bag of chips and sub back to my room. It felt like a half mile trek across the desert and I started to miss the Port Orleans Riverside resort with its heavily shaded walkways through forested areas. That would be the last time I went to the POP lobby for anything. It just wasn’t worth it to me since a camel could possibly die making that journey. I could jump into my air conditioned car and grab higher quality and reasonably priced food somewhere else if needed. Again, I was alone on this trip and, regardless of the fact that staying in a moderate or deluxe resort is well within my means; I just saw no reason for it. Pop was just fine for a solo expedition to WDW and I would simply roll with the punches. It wasn’t like I was slumming it. After all, POP was a heck of a lot nicer than most side of the road hotels.
I ate my lunch and was enjoying sitting in bed in my boxers when the unthinkable happened. A family of three started opening my locked door and was trying to enter the room. This was absolutely ridiculous. Everyone involved was embarrassed by what was going on. I was standing in the doorway showing off my sexy boxer shorts while a Mother and her two kids stared at me like a freak. I think we all wanted to just drop dead.
I politely explained to the woman that I had reserved my room 3 weeks ago for 5 days and had no idea why the hotel would put them in the same room. I wasn’t aware of any “snuggle up to a stranger policy” at this hotel. She apologized and I told her that it wasn’t her fault as she lugged her bags and her kids back down towards the lobby.
Okay, I was pissed now. I grabbed the hotel phone that Stitch contaminated during my wake up call and dialed the front desk. I explained to them what happened and told them that they had an angry guest headed their way. They put me on hold to figure out what was going on. Once they got back on the line, they told me that they had a room change in their system for me. According to them, I was supposed to move to a room with a king sized bed that day. I told them that I had not once requested a king sized bed before my arrival or since. I hadn’t even been given any other room numbers or keys so it would have been impossible for me to change rooms even if I was, in fact, supposed to be doing that.
I then had to explain my utmost concern over the situation. I told the woman on the phone that I was glad I was actually in my room when the situation occurred or all of my belongings would have been compromised. I was using the wall safe for my $3000 laptop, excess money, and credit cards; but, that was all beside the point. I felt violated and completely uncomfortable in my room after the occurrence. The woman on the line apologized to me profusely and told me that they would have to send someone to my room to deliver a different keycard. The keycard I held was now useless.
I hung up the phone, sat back on the bed, and felt my heart racing. The whole thing really made me anxious and I was not a happy camper. I threw my jeans on knowing that someone was headed up to my room with a new key. Three people, other than myself, had already seen me in my boxers and I didn’t feel like showing my sexiness to anyone else that day. Besides that, this was Disney. It’s not exactly the place to be modeling men’s undergarments.
It wasn’t long before some big geek on a Segway with balloons tied onto it rode up to my door and gave me another key. I felt like I was in the freaking twilight zone as I jumped back into my bed in hopes of calming down a bit. I was in a foul mood and I was exhausted from my early wake-up call and tour of the Magic Kingdom. I desperately needed a nap.
As I was trying to get some sleep, I started hearing toilets flush and people chattering. Then I started hearing the same kids running up and down the path in front of the guest rooms. They kept doing it over and over for no good reason. This was creating a seriously loud racket and I was losing my patience rapidly. I got up, stuck my head out the door, and told the kids to leave the guest room area if they wanted to run back and forth. There was plenty of room all around the resort for that type of thing and I only wished their rude parents would have put a leash on their little animals. I’m all for kids having a good time and for parents being somewhat relieved of their responsibility while on vacation, but the respect of others needs to be kept in mind.
After about a half hour of shenanigans and a stiff drink, I was able to nap. I had 6:00 PM dinner reservations at the Concourse Steakhouse so I had to be out the door no later than 5:15 PM. The steakhouse would serve two purposes; a respectable dinner and a justification to park at the Contemporary Resort that evening. After dinner, I could simply go over to the Magic Kingdom and enjoy some more rides and the evening entertainment. After the fireworks show, I could avoid the mob of people trying to exit the park and walk over to the Contemporary on foot to grab my getaway car. However, I was so worn out by all that had happened that I needed some extra time to nap. Therefore, I decided to cancel my dinner plans and arrive at the park later in the evening than I had originally planned.
It was 6:30 PM when I returned to the Magic Kingdom. Before heading off into any of the lands, I decided to stop and smell the roses on Main Street. I took time to look at, and take pictures of, all the names painted on the windows of the Main Street buildings. It was quite an interesting experience and I was happiest of all to find the names, “Elias Disney – Contractor,” and “Roy E. Disney – Sailmaker.”
Elias Disney - Contractor (disney.txtechvantage.com/elias.jpg)
Roy Disney – Sailing Pro (disney.txtechvantage.com/roywin.jpg)
I was quickly realizing that taking a solo trip to WDW allows you to more readily enjoy those things in the park that are, typically, ignored. No one else’s agenda, bladder, or stomach was there to pull me in a particular direction. The sense of freedom was quite nice.
On my way into Adventureland, I stopped and gazed at the castle for awhile. A rather exotic looking bird walked up to me and admired the view as well. It was an odd little personal moment so I took a few pictures.
The Castle (disney.txtechvantage.com/castle1.jpg)
A Goofy Looking Bird Says Hello (disney.txtechvantage.com/bird.jpg)
Welcome to Adventureland (disney.txtechvantage.com/advent.jpg)
I had a “get into the Fastpass lane anytime you want ticket” for Splash Mountain since it had broke down on me in the morning. I headed to Frontierland where I first stopped to admire Chickapin Hill. I couldn’t help but to marvel at how this enormous attraction had been thought of while an Imagineer sat in traffic on a California freeway. Four years later, Critter Country at Disneyland had Splash Mountain welcoming guests.
Chickapin Hill (disney.txtechvantage.com/chikhill.jpg)
I entered the Fastpass lane at Splash but found an oddly backed up line. I turned right back around and walked away. I wasn’t about to stand around while sweat dripped down my back. I am familiar with each and every attraction and about how long I can expect to wait just by looking at where the end of the line is. This Fastpass lane wasn’t looking right at all and wasn’t worth my time. I did take a moment to admire some of the theming on my way out the door. It’s the little details that make WDW a spectacular place especially if you’ve been there more than 10 times like I have.
Queue Area Theming at Splash 1 (disney.txtechvantage.com/splashq1.jpg)
Queue Area Theming at Splash 2 – Bird Houses (disney.txtechvantage.com/splashq2.jpg)
I hadn’t taken a ride on Pirates yet and it was time. I headed back over to Adventureland, grabbed a Fastpass for The Jungle Cruise, and entered Caribbean Plaza for my plunderific adventure on the high seas. Before heading into the queue area, I stopped for just a bit and listened to what the parrot above the entryway had to say. I could have been hearing things but I swear my green feathered friend was saying, “Michael Eisner is God – Michael Eisner is God.” Again, I was taking some time to enjoy the small details a bit. It was a treat even if they had brain washed the poor robotic bird.
Pirate Parrot (disney.txtechvantage.com/parrot.jpg)
Pirates of the Caribbean – Torre del Cielo (disney.txtechvantage.com/pirate1.jpg)
Sail with the Tide! (disney.txtechvantage.com/piratesign.jpg)
Theming in the Pirates Queue Area (disney.txtechvantage.com/pirateq.jpg)
Pirates of the Caribbean has always complimented The Haunted Mansion since it is also one of Disney’s finest dark rides. I headed over to Liberty Square to ride in a doom buggy. On my way out of the attraction, I took the time to admire the exit area a bit. For the life of me, I still couldn’t find the impression of the brides “wedding ring” in the pavement and I looked every single time I left the Haunted Mansion. No bother because I would find it eventually and my Fastpass for The Jungle Cruise was ripe. Back Adventureland I went.
Jungle Cruise (disney.txtechvantage.com/junglec.jpg)
The Jungle Cruise was lame but I expected it to be. I skipped taking the cruise for years and years because riding down a fake river looking at fiberglass animals while the skipper told bad jokes wasn’t my cup of tea. Besides, they had the politically correct audacity to take away the skipper’s pistol.
I know The Jungle Cruise is considered one of the classic Disney rides, but I just can’t get into it. They ought to rip the thing out and put in an Indiana Jones ride like they have at Disneyland. However, I’m sure that would make Walt turn over in his grave for the millionth time since his departure, so I’d rather let the good man rest in peace and request that they tear down that awfully repetitive Indian Jones stunt show at the studios instead.
I decided to give Splash Mountain another chance but the situation had not improved. I think they were having problems with the ride that day and it wasn’t running at capacity. I had a Fastpass for Space Mountain so I went upstairs to catch the train over to Toontown. From there, I took the “secret red pathway” over to Space Mountain. I think I’ve seen a total of 7 people on that path since I discovered it.
The Path Least Traveled to Tomorrowland (disney.txtechvantage.com/redpath.jpg)
Space Mountain was a blast as usual but I wanted to head back over to Fantasyland to grab a Fastpass for Pooh. I was addicted to riding through the Hundred Acre Wood. I secured the pass and then headed over to Philharmagic for a viewing.
Philharmagic (disney.txtechvantage.com/phil.jpg)
After what was my favorite 3D show at WDW, I decided, yet again, to check on Splash Mountain. Finally, the line for Fastpass was looking non-existent and I was loaded into a log in about 5 minutes. I first noticed that they had cleaned the huge tree of chewed gum that disgusted me on my last trip. I also was glad to not see any trash lying around. There were still a lot of distracting problems with the attraction though. Many of the characters were not operating correctly and none of the jumping water fountains were working upon entering the laughing place. Last, the torn background fabric behind the finale scene was still evident so I took a picture of it and sent it over to the D-troops website. They did a report on it. Here is the link if you’d like to read it. I am quoted within the article and they have my picture posted:
http://d-troops.com/badshow.php?id=566
I enjoyed Splash as much as I could and appreciated the improved condition, but I was still distracted. I simply made the best of it and took some pictures along the way.
Inside Splash Mountain 1 (disney.txtechvantage.com/insplash1.jpg)
Inside Splash Mountain 2 (disney.txtechvantage.com/insplash2.jpg)
Inside Splash Mountain 3 (disney.txtechvantage.com/insplash3.jpg)
Inside Splash Mountain 4 (disney.txtechvantage.com/insplash4.jpg)
Slippin’ Falls (disney.txtechvantage.com/slip.jpg)
Inside Splash Mountain 5 (disney.txtechvantage.com/insplash5.jpg)
Brer Rabbit Escapes! (disney.txtechvantage.com/insplash6.jpg)
I needed to get back to Fantasyland for my Pooh Fastpass return so I, again, went upstairs after exiting Splash and caught the train over to Toontown. From there, it was a quick walk to my “hunny” pot. While in the loading area, I noticed another wonderful park detail. On the ground right where your ride vehicle pulls up are small inlaid tiles with honey bees on them. I thought it was great.
Honey Bees Under my Feet (disney.txtechvantage.com/poohfloor.jpg)
Eeyore! (disney.txtechvantage.com/donkey.jpg)
I then headed next door to take another ride on Snow White’s escape from the psychotic fiberglass witch. I don’t know what the hell it was about this old school ride that kept me coming back. The kitsch factor was in full swing at Snow White and I suppose I’m just a huge sucker; or, perhaps it was the unsuspecting children screaming their heads off on this ride that entertained me. Nah, that was definitely the highlight over at Stitch’s Great Escape.
Snow White Pre Psycho Witch – She won’t be singing to little birds for long! (disney.txtechvantage.com/sw1.jpg)
Upon exiting Snow White’s pain train, my head was spinning. I had crossed the Magic Kingdom more times than I could count in just one evening. I couldn’t believe how much more the SOLO factor was allowing me to experience. This was getting a bit twisted or I was finally getting tired.
It was now 9:30 PM and time for me to grab a spot for the Wishes fireworks show. Wishes and Illuminations were the only two nighttime shows I was interested in seeing again since I had just been to WDW a mere 3 weeks ago.
I headed over to my usual spot on the Tomorrowland bridge and waited for Jiminy to toss $100,000 dollars into the sky. There’s nothing quite like watching all those Churro and Turkey Leg profits go up in flames. Besides that, it’s a beautiful show.
Tinkerbell flew right over my head and I couldn’t help but think that it was probably just a petite sized man attached to a cable and pushed out a window.
Yeah, I was getting tired now.
I took an entire video of the show with my digicam and then called Sally afterwards so she could hear the music playing at the end of the show. She cried happy tears and I felt like a pimp (or stud if you are a bit slang challenged). It was so good to hear her voice at that moment; especially, while I thought of us watching the show together in April. Overall, Wishes really does hold some magic.
There was an hour left until the park closed so I decided to get in the standby line for Space Mountain. I knew most people were headed out of the park so it was a perfect time for a ride. I was out of the tunnel and standing in the loading area line within five minutes but then something REALLY WHACKED happened!! The freakin house lights came on!! All of my make-believe thoughts of rocketing into space came crashing down onto the ground. This was the quintessential example of BAD SHOW. I was shocked, hurt, and left sobbing to myself with no one’s shoulder to cry on. Horrid thoughts of baby ducklings leaving their Mommy duck and paddling over a waterfall entered my head. I even had visions of a family of three sitting in a mental institution after coming to Disney World for the most wholesome vacation available only to see a grown man in his boxer shorts upon their arrival. What in the heck was going on here?
I could only whip out my camera and start taking dirty pictures and videos of Space Mountain without its knickers on. The girl behind me even threatened me over possibly posting them on the internet and ruining it for millions of children. Well, she wasn’t that big of a girl and I’m not scared of her.
Here’s your fair warning! Don’t click on the links below if you fear Disney induced mental anguish or just don’t want to fess up to the ugly side of reality.
Space Mountain with the Lights On!!! (disney.txtechvantage.com/spacebad1.jpg)
Oh The Horror!!! (disney.txtechvantage.com/spacebad2.jpg)
What the Heck is Going On? (disney.txtechvantage.com/spacebad3.jpg)
Here are also two links you can click on in order to view the videos I took of the event. They are small downloadable files so the quality isn’t super. The second one is funny. People start cheering as a stuck ride vehicle finally starts travelling down the track.
Both play perfectly with Windows Media Player:
AVI Video of Space Mountain with Lights On (disney.txtechvantage.com/sm_lightson.avi)
AVI Video of SM ride vehicle finally moving down the track with the lights on – People cheer! (disney.txtechvantage.com/sm_lightson_cheering.avi)
Anyways, my ride on Space Mountain that night was a bittersweet one. I made my way towards the exit of the park and stopped at the Main Street Bakery to grab a cookie crunch ice cream cone. While I sat there eating my ice cream cone like a little kid, I admired the castle changing colors at night while Spectromagic floated past me.
Spectromagic Melting my Ice Cream (disney.txtechvantage.com/spect.jpg)
After the perfect end to my adventurous evening, I turned left, moved past the ugly bottleneck of people waiting for transport back to the TTC and their resorts, and walked the empty path back to my car which was waiting for me at the Contemporary Resort. I was in need of a stiff night cap and some deep sleep after one heck of a day.