Gmax 1st Trip Report W/PICS and Pre-Trip Report for '06

[Glendamax]

Welcome to my first trip report! Please forgive me NOW for any mistakes - I've caught a terrible post-Disney cold. TIP! Take Vitamin C while you're there, wash your hands alot and take hand sanitizer.

Arrival Day
My friend and I stayed at Port Orleans Riverside from Fri. Sept. 9th to Thurs. Sept.15th. We flew in from Baltimore on AirTran, and arrived around 4pm.

While standing in the Magical Express line to board the buses, I noticed a couple with lime green strings tied to their backpacks. Did I say anything to them? NO, cuz I'm a chicken.

We got on the bus about 4:30p, the bus pulled off at 4:45, and we got to POR at 5:15p. The seats on the bus are red with gold stars. There are 3 mini screens on each side of the bus, that shows Disney info video. While on the bus, I noticed that the gas was 2.95.

Check in was easy. We were in Oak Manor room 9014. To me it was a bit far from the main bldg after walking all day.

After finding the room, and dropping off our carry-ons, we walked over to Boatwrights restaurant in the main bldg. The restaurant is really nice. We were on the Disney Dinning Plan (DDP) so we ordered: House salad, garlic cheese bites, pot roast, pork loin, 2 slices of pecan pie and 2 sprites. The total came to 60.31. But of course, we didnt have to pay. The entrees were just ok, but the pecan pie was TO DIE FOR! Our meals came with corn muffins. At the end of the meal, our waitress Patricia, boxed up the muffins and our pie, because we were really tired. This worked out great, because we at the muffins for the next few days as snacks in our room. THANKS PATRICIA!!!

Day 1
We got a 6am wake up call from Mickey and Stitch - cute. We got to the bus stop by 7:15am, and arrived at Animal Kingdom by 7:40. The rope drop at 8am was very cute. We headed straight for the safari - no wait. Rhinos blocked the road at one point - very cool.

Next we went to the Pangani Forest Trail and saw birds and fish - very relaxing. Then it was time to trek all the way over to Dino Land for our 9:10am reservation. The food was not as good as I remembered It costs 18.00 per person. Not worth it! Good thing we're on the plan.

The exit of the restaurant pointed us to DINOSAUR!!! YAY!!!!

We walked on. It was much more intense than I remembered, but still fun! We rode it twice.

I can't remember the order of what we did afterwards, but I can tell you that it was no wait for anything. We did the following:

Tough Being a Bug - still fun, and yes some kids still cry in it

Kali River Rapids - I wore a rain poncho and hat. Only the front bottom of my shorts got wet. And NO, the drop isnt bad at all - it's like the hill in Pirates of the Caribbean.

Maharajah Jungle trek -glad we did it! The surroundings are awesome, along with the animals you'll see.

Lion King Show- really fun. Loved the gymnists. TIP! Sit on the very top row so you can rest your back. The rows in the show are bleachers. The view from the top row was just fine! And I loved that I could lean back! OH! And be careful walking to your "seat" a man tripped over a bleacher, because it's really dim in there.

We were supposed to go to MGM next, but I was too tired, and too hot, so we went back to the room for a nap at 1:30p.

At 3:45 we headed out for MGM. It's HOT but not crowded! We got on the Great Movie Ride. So sad to report that this ride now seems corny to me. I never have to get on it again. Next we went into a shop and bought a few things. I asked to have it sent to the hotel. TIP! I found out that it takes them 2 days to send it, and they DON'T send it to your room. So if you're not close to your main bldg, it may be more trouble than it's worth.

We headed to Hollywood and Vine for our 5:10 reservation. WE LOVED THE FOOD! It's buffet style, and it costs 22.50 per person. Our waiter was Chris! He was VERY nice. (I'm looking at the receipt and do NOT see the tip! OH NO!) While finishing up our meal, I saw Bill, the man who waited on my mother and I, two years ago. We did not purchase the Fantasmic Dinner Package. All we did was ask for the priority seating pass at the end of our meal, and we got it.

After dinner, we walked over to Tower of Terror. There was a 40min wait, no Fast passes. The wait wasnt bad though. TIP! If you are not riding something, you can still be in line and then exit before your friend gets on.

Fantasmic was nice - not great because the water projector on our side stopped working 5mins into the show. Good thing we were sitting in the middle, so we could look to the left to see the images. I regret getting to the show early, because like the Lion King, you are sitting on bleachers, so my back started to hurt

We got back to the hotel at 9:38pm, and went to sleep. My feet were killing me!

This is the end of part one. I'll gather my notes and receipts for the next parts. Meanwhile, please feel free to ask questions . . .

Part one final TIPS!
1. Take a hot pot with you to heat up soup, warm bread, make tea. For sick stomach, drop about 3 Ginger Altoids into your cup of tea, or plain water.

2. Get the meal plan even if you have to pay for it.

3. Remember that you can stand in line with your friends on scary rides, right up untill they get on

4. Keep in mind that you'll be sitting on bleachers for Fantasmic, with NO BACKS. Don't sit too close, or you may get some spray from the water.

See you soon with Part 2! (cough, sniff, sneeze)

 

[Glendamax]

Day 2

Up at 7am. Ate snacks in room (warm corn muffins - thanx Patricia!), got to EPCOT by 8:50am for rope drop.

The one at Animal Kingdom was better. We grab our park maps and charge over to The Land to get on Soarin.

The wait was about 10mins. The pre-show was really funny, along with the cast member who led us onto the "ride". Soarin was so relaxing that I wanted to take off my shoes and close my eyes. I loved it. Of course we followed everyone's advice and got Fast Passes to get on again.

Next we went over to Mission Space.

Again I stood in line and opted out. We were going to get FP's so he could ride it again, but the Cast Member said that he didn't need one, and said "welcome to September". I didn't want to get on because the last time I rode it I got REALLY sick, and it took about 2hrs to recover.

Next was Test Track!

I was so excited about riding this again. There was a 10 min wait. Afterwards, we got FP's and looked at all the cars in the showroom. When we headed back to Soarin with our FP's, the regular line had a wait of 40mins. The FP wait was 15mins. Soarin the second time was as good as the first. But the part with the night city traffic made me and the lady next to me a liitle dizzy.

The beauty of Soarin being in The Land, is that you can come out and have lunch. Our food was really good, and we especially enjoyed the Butterfinger Cheesecake at the bakery. TIP! Remember that when you're on the Dinning Plan, that dessert is included in your counter service meal!

After lunch, it was HOT!!! As we're heading over to Spaceship Earth, I noticed how the greenery has not been trimmed. Part of the "coolness" of EPCOT are the square trees. Everywhere I looked, things were over grown, and untrimmed.

Since it was sooo hot, after SE, we went to Honey I Shrunk the Audience and Imagination, then headed back to the resort around 2:45.

At 5pm we came back for our 6pm reservation at Restaurant Marrakesh in Morroco.

I asked for a later reservation, but was told that the only time available was after 8pm. Needless to say, when we got there, the place was mostly empty, and was only half full at the end of our meal at 7:15. So we could have eaten later if we had just showed up.

Dinner was really good, although I found out that I do not like lamb - at least I tried it.

We ordered 2 alcoholic drinks each, that totalled 25.35, which bought our meal total to 99.00. WOW! Good thing we're on the plan! The belly dancer called out that day, so there was only live music. After my two drinks, I did volunteer though!!

After dinner we checked out some of the countries, and I finally got a chance to ride Malestrom in Norway. I loved it! No wonder they have Fast Passes for this!

Next, it's time to get ready for Illuminations. This was much better than I remembered! I was in total awe! As we were walking to the bus, I was SOOO tired and glad that I scheduled the next day as a SLEEP-IN!

Day 3

Slept in till 8:30! Ate breakfast at the dinning hall. The food was good, and it was not crowded. Afterwards, we headed over to the quiet pool. AHHH!!!!

Then it was onto Downtown Disney to catch the bus over to the Animal Kingdom Lodge's BOMA!

So here's the TIP! If you are taking Disney's buses from POR to AKL, LEAVE EARLY. We got to the bus stop in DTD at 3:15, and didn't get to AKL till 4:15. Our Boma reservation was for 5pm, so we went to the observation deck on the 2nd floor to see the animals. It was really nice! They have rocking chairs set up so you can relax and watch the animals.

I would love to stay at this resort! Afterwards, we checked out the main pool, and the displays in the lobby, before heading to BOMA.
The dinner buffet was awesome. Lots of choices! Our waitress name was Hind, she was very nice! My favorites were the prime rib, peanut rice, and mini pineapple cheesecake. Now let me tell you about the cheesecake - there's no crust, insted a white chocolate wafer! I ate 3! When we were full, we hated to leave, and I was trying to figure out if I could schedule in another dinner during our trip! The buffet is $25/pp + 15% gratuity.

After dinner, we headed for Magic Kingdom for Spectro Magic and Wishes. Both were GREAT.

I'm glad I scheduled to see this on a "free" day so my feet weren't hurting through the shows, and while walking to the buses. TIP! For Wishes, don't sit on the right side of the sidewalk facing the castle, sit on the left for a better view.

When we exited the park after Wishes, Mickey Mouse was standing on the train station waving and saying goodbye, and that he hoped everyone had a great time. I even waved back! I thought it was such a nice touch.

This was a great day! Now let's get some sleep!

Part 2 Final TIPS!
1. Schedule a Free Day

2. If visiting Disney when it's hot, take plenty of clothes. I showered and changed EVERYDAY in the afternoon when we went back to the room.

 

[Tracey1974]

Nice report! Can't wait to read the rest!

 

[Glendamax]

Day 4

Finally it's time to go to Magic Kingdom!

We got there just in time to see the end of the rope drop ceremony. We had 9:05am reservations for the breakfast buffet at Crystal Palace. The food was really good, and all the characters from Winnie the Pooh did make their way to our table.
My favorites on the buffet were the puffed french toast and (this will sound weird) chicken sausage - so so tastey! Our bill for two, came to 38.22. (Once again I see we dropped the ball - the tip was NOT included - AHHH!!!) This meal was worth the money, especially if you have kids.

While having breakfast, we discussed getting Fast Passes (FP's) for all the popular rides in Fantasy Land and head on over to Frontier Land. As we were on our way to Fantasy Land, we passed the attraction board which said that the waits were either 5mins or NONE. Surely this must be a mistake! So we bypass Tommorow Land since we rode the key rides there the night of the parade and fireworks. We slowly turn into Fantasy Land fully expecting the hoards of K I D S and see NOTHING!!!!! There were NO WAITS! I froze on the spot! I couldn't believe it!

First stop was the Tea Cups. I explained to my friend as we were walking toward them, DO NOT SPIN THE CUP OR I WILL DIE!

The ride was very nice, I did not get dizzy. But what disappointed me is that the top of the tea pot in the middle did not open so you could see the mouse/rat peep out at you.

We also rode Winnie the Pooh, Snow White, Peter Pan, and Small World. All with NO WAITS!!! We decided to save Mickey's PhilharMagic for the end of the day when we're tired and need a break.

Most of the park had no waits except Jungle Cruise and Splash Mountain - 20mins.

On the way out, we took time to look at Cinderella's castle inside and out, and the fountain. OH! We even took time to look at the carrousel and noticed that the art work on it was Cinderella's story. See how you can take time to notice things when the park is not crowded?!

At the bottom of Main Street before the exit, I saw the bench with Walt Disney and Minnie on it. A Cast Member was there taking photopasses. When the couple in front of me went, the lady sat down first, and the guy got on one knee, pulled out a red velvet box and PROPOSED!!! She looked as shocked as I was! She cried, said "yes" and then they headed into "Tony's". AHHHHH!

By this time - 2pm - it was very hot, and we were tired, so we headed back to the resort. We slept till 5pm, and got to MGM at 6:30pm because I thought it was extra magic hours night. Well, I was wrong! BOOO!!! So we did Star Tours and the Muppets with no wait. And I finally got to see the key under the mat at the Muppets ticket window! YAY! My friend got on Tower of Terror (20mins) and Rockin Rollar Coaster (no wait). I stayed in line on both rides and of course - opted out! I thought I would DIE when I saw the limo take off in Rockin Rollar Coaster!

At 8:15p we were hungry, and alot of places were closed, so we left, and had dinner at our resort, Port Orleans R. Dinner was very good. We ate in the dinning hall, and had chicken and ribs. Before going back to the room, I peeped in the arcade, and what did I see? MILLIPEDE!!!
I haven't seen this game since I was a kid!!! They also had Galaga, Ms.PacMan, Centipede, and Space Invaders. I felt like I had been crowned Miss America as I ran to the change machine and ran back to play the games of my youth

Day 5

Today was a scheduled free day. So we decided to go back to EPCOT to do some of our favorites again. Each time we rode Test Track during this trip, some part of the ride was messed up. So we were thankful that there were no waits, so we could have a "do over". But this day when we got on TT, the read out monitor in the car didn't work, nor did we have any audio. we noted the car number, told the cast member, and they let us ride again w/o getting back in line.

Before leaving EPCOT, I HAD to ride Malestrom again, and I loved it! On the way out, I paused to stare at Spaceship Earth, thanking God for allowing me to be here once again, and I waved goodbye

By 2pm we were back at the resort and in the pool! Nice! But I got soooo bit up! I have about 5 bites on one foot! BOOO!!!

That night was extra magic hours at Magic Kingdom. We got there at 6:50pm, and got our wristbands. We then headed for "Casey's Corner" counter service for some food. This was the only meal we paid for. It came to 15.00.

While SpectroMagic was going on, we got on Peter Pan and Haunted Mansion. We were disappointed that the headstone near the entrance with the lady on it, didn't work. It would've been cool to see her head and eyes move at night.

Next, Thunder Mountain! You MUST ride this at night. It's like a total THRILL ride, because you can't see where the track is taking you next! At one point when the train is going into the mountain, it looked like our heads were going to get chopped off!!! I laughed and giggled so much, that the lady in front of me said "I have thoroughly enjoyed riding this in front of you!" And of course she and her family, and my friend and I got back on again! It was totally AWESOME!

After we got off, it was time for Wishes. So we paused to watch it again. It was great! TIP! If you find yourself in Frontier Land when Wishes is about to start, stay there. Watch it in front of Splash Mountain - the part where you don't get splashed. Great view. Also, you can see SpectroMagic in Frontier Land easily. Since all the floats are lit up, you don't have to fight to be in the front of everyone.

We then headed over to TomorrowLand Transit Authority. This is SOOO much better at night. You can clearly see into Space Mountain. If you go to WDW during this time of year, I strongly suggest that you take advantage of the evening extra magic hours. The rides were either walk-ons or 10 to 20 mins waits. And the ride-experience is WAY different at night. I regret that I only did the EMH only at MK.

Our LAST day

I have to admit that I was sad waking up knowing that this was our last day. But again, I just had to thank God that I was able to be there at all, and ask that I'll get to return again one day.

This morning I was sooo glad that I scheduled this trip to end on a Thursday, thus giving me a few days at home to recover before going back to work. Thank God, I did not have to be RIGHT BACK to work! (Especially now that I'm sick )

We woke up late, and used all 3 of our left over counter service credits for breakfast at the resort. We boxed up our desserts to eat at the airport or on the plane. Yes, it was PECAN PIE!

We then headed for Downtown Disney. It was SOOO hot, that I hung out in one store, then announced that we HAD to go back to the hotel. That day, is was going to hit 97 in Orlando!

Before boarding the Magical Express Bus, we realized that we had snack credits left, so we got a few drinks to go with our desserts. We ended up with 4 unused snack credits. The Meal Plan worked out great for us. We only paid for one meal during our whole trip!

While in the airport and on the plane, we enjoyed our snacks from Port Orleans. I was glad not be STARVING when I arrived home to an empty refridgerator. But guess what? My Mom used her extra key, and left dinner food for me she cooked, which would last me the next few days! I LOVE her! Hopefully the next time I go, my MOM will be with me!

In closing, this was a wonderful trip. I hope that this was a good first attempt at a trip report, and that my tips were helpful. So please let know! Please Respond!

See Ya!

 

[sharonW]

Your trip report was wonderful.Sounds like you had an awesome time. I felt like I was right there with you. I am so addicted to Disneyworld, have been lucky enough to have been there many times and hope to be able to again one day. It is truly a magical place and takes you completely away from reality. It is such fun to read everyones reports and experience the joy of their fun at the most magical place on earth. Hope you feel better!!

 

[Glendamax]

Tracey and Sharon, thanx for reading my report! I'm glad that you enjoyed it!

 

[bdink921]

great trip report!! sounds like you had a magical vacation !!! hope you're feeling better .

 

[luvpooh]

sounds like you had a great trip! very cool that there weren't any waits!

 

[ktflisa]

Gmax, what a great report! DH and I will be at POR in mid October and are hoping the heat goes away - Blah!

I have a question about your room. I see where building 90 is, but where exactly in the building is room 9014?

And about those pineapple cheesecake thingees at BOMA-omigawd I think they are the best desserts I've ever eaten...

Thanks for the report!

 

[Glendamax]

I'm glad you guys have enjoyed my report! And yes, I'm starting to feel better - finally, thanx!

Ktflisa, my room faced a courtyard, but to my immediate left was the parking lot. When I walked to the parking lot, I had to follow a path, going left through the lot, to get to the shuttle bus stop. At night though, we did get a little confused finding the room.

From the main building, after crossing the bridge to the mansion section, I had to walk to the left, and I took the last path between Oak Manor, and the beginning of the next section. And since 9014 was towards the parking lot, I had to walk almost to the very back.

As I said before, the resort is gorgeous, and I wish I was able to stroll around and enjoy it more. But after walking all day, that wasn't going to happen. And I wish I was closer to the bus stop and main bldg than I was. Hope this helps! Feel free to ask anything else.

 

[mjkaferle5]

Nice report Glendamax!! We will be at POR, but not until June.

Can't wait though!!

 

[Credit Man]

Thanks for the great report!

 

[lynn71092]

Great report!
I marked down some of your "tips" for when I'm down there next week.

 

[kathymc]

thanks for posting

 

[wvMOUSE]

GREATTTTTTTTTTTTTTT Trip Report!!!
Brings me back to my trip in May 2005!!!

I want to go back.................................NOWWWWWWWWWWWWW

 

[Glendamax]

I'm so glad that you all enjoyed my report! I didn't realize how much work goes into these!

Lynn, I hope you have a great time next week. I forgot to include to make yourself stop and pose for the Cast Members to take your photopass pictures. I Just got finished looking at mine and they're really nice.
HINT: Remember that you'll have the option of buying these pictures, so if you would like a picture alone in front of some landmark, ask the CM to take one of you ALONE. That way you'll have a better choice of photos, and won't be mad when your photo in front of the castle has a person in it with their eyes closed.

 

[Glendamax]

How could I forget to include two REALLY exciting things that happened at the beginning and end of my trip? (I know it was the cold medicine)

At the airport in Baltimore (BWI) when going to Florida, I saw the actors Malik Yoba and (sexy so sexy) Blair Underwood! They were here to promote the movie that came out this weekend called "G". Blair was actually in line in front of me at the Roy Rogers in the airport. I wanted to die! I kept asking myself how could that red head on Sex and the City dump him for the bar tender? He's even FINER in person!

When I arrived back home, I saw Al Roker from The Today Show in the elevator. He was here for the home town wedding in Baltimore.

It was really cool having 2 celebrity citings on my trip!

 

[fancythemouse]

Nice report Glendamax!! We will be at POR, but not until June.

Can't wait though!!

US TOO! This is our first trip and we are very excited!

 

[Minniespal]

Enjoyed reading your reports ~ Thanx for posting.

 

[Glendamax]

Wow! thanks for reading! Feels like I was there just yesterday, but I can't wait to go again!