*Wish*Upon*A*Star*
Mommy of an Angel
- Joined
- Feb 11, 2001
Pre-Trip Planning and Information
Cast of Characters:
Marsha ~ *ME!* ~ 23 years old, trip planner, 4th trip to Disney World
Alex ~ *DH* ~ Turned 24 years old on trip, 3rd trip to Disney World
JR ~ *My Brother-in-law, Alex's brother* ~ 18 years old, 1st (real) trip to Disney World
Special Appearances by:
Carol ~ *my Mom* ~ age withheld, 3rd trip to Disney World
Bob ~ *my Dad* ~ age also withheld, 3rd trip to Disney World
*Day One- Airport, Magic Kingdom,and Chef Mickeys*
Planned Itinerary:
Breakfast- home or at airport
Lunch- Intermission Food Court
Dinner- CHEF MICKEYS
Park: Magic Kingdom
So, the adventure begins. Very early on Thursday morning (or maybe I should say very late night Wednesday
), October 25th, we are up and at em (of course- we didn't get any sleep at all on Wednesday night!!), all packed and ready to go. Our plane leaves the Rochester (NY) airport at 6am sharp, so Alex's parents come promptly at 4:30am to pick us up. I am not a morning person, and this is the only reason I would leave my house at 4:30am for anything! With the heightened security at the airports, we wanted to be there early enough! (Who chose the 6am flight, anyway?!? Oh, yeah! Me! We wanted to be in the World early so we can start having fun!) My mother and father-in-law were kind enough to drive us to the airport at this ungodly hour (and they wanted to see their boys off
) Well, off we go, my mother and father-in-law rubbing their eyes as they pile into the car after us, whisking us away to the airport. As we wait in the long line (can you believe it- a long line!?!?!?!) to check in at our USAirways counter, our excitement begins to grow
We are going to Disney World!
After checking in at the counter, we walk over to the security area, where we give my in-laws big hugs and thank yous for bringing us to the airport, and then we hop in line to the security checkpoint. Well, I go through first- nothing happens, then JR goes through, again, nothing happens, and then Alex goes through, and guess what? He sets off all of the security alarms!!
After all of the guards search him and find nothing, we walk over to our gate. On our way there, JR and I decided we wanted to purchase a bottle of water and a muffin for breakfast, so we do, and then find a seat at our gate area.
When they finally start to announce that they are ready for passengers to board (and I have to say- I did take a peek at my fellow travelers rather carefully
- I don't mean to, but I couldn't help it 
), we hop in line to board. Hand in the ticket, and we are off! We find our seats and settle in, of course JR gets the window seat! Well, at about 6:10am, our plane hits the runway, and finally takes off. Once in air, we are offered beverages, both JR and I decline (we have our water, remember? 
), and Alex gets an Apple Juice. During the flight, we tried to get a little shut-eye, and before we knew it, we were landing in Philadelphia. Once there, we got out and stretched our legs, used the rest rooms, and then waited for our boarding call for the next plane. And so we did, hopped on the other plane, stowed our carry ons, and waited for takeoff. The flight was pretty uneventful, and we got a little bit of sleep before we landed in Orlando. Then, at 10:40am, we had finally arrived at our destination!
Were going to Disney World, we keep saying to each other, grinning like idiots! We got out of the plane, walked through the airport and then hopped onto the monorail to get to baggage claim (I love that monorail!), where we met our driver from Tiffany Towncar. There he was, holding our names- JR said he felt like he was famous or something. We waited for what seemed like forever for our bags to come out (our driver even mentioned that baggage was slow that morning), and our driver helped us with our bags and then we all walked out into the warm Florida sunshine
- it was very humid, though, and headed to his beautiful black towncar. We made a quick stop at a Publix grocery store- got our snacks and such, and then we were finally on our way.
Pulling up through the gates at the All Star Music Resort, I just couldnt stop smiling. It felt like we were coming home. Our driver dropped us off in front of the lobby, gave us our bags, settled payment with us, and left with a wave
See you in 10 days! We walked into the lobby, and checked in- what a surprise! Our room is ready and its only 11:20am
Just a side note- I had faxed in our requests on Monday, and we did not get any of them... 
) We had requested Calypso, non-smoking, 3rd floor, pool view if possible. What the CM at check in told me was that we had been assigned Jazz Inn, 1st floor. Well, I talked it over with Alex, and he really did not want Jazz (I know, I know- it's not that much farther), so we kindly asked if we could have anything in Calypso. The CM (who was kind of snotty 
, by the way) said that we could get a 2nd floor Calypso room, but that it was smoking. Well, that was fine with Alex, so that was fine with me, too. And, that room was ready too!! We ended up in room #1513, 2nd floor, smoking, Calypso #1.
During check in, I was also supposed to get our Hoop Dee Doo tickets, but I completely forgot!! The CM explained to me that early entry was no longer in practice 
, and told me about the character caravan, which we never saw. I asked her about the possibility of any e-nights and she said that they will probably never do those again. period.
After checking in (and getting what seemed like a million brochures and maps
), we walked through the lobby and we were on our way out towards the pool (and our room!). To the right, we saw building number 1, Calypso, where our room was located. We took the elevator up to the second floor, and it was there that we found our room. We unpacked some of our things, the rest we would unpack later. At this point, we were pretty hungry, so we headed down to the food court (with my refillable mug from last trip) , and purchased two more refillable mugs (one for JR and one for Alex), and lunch for ourselves. We got chicken fingers, a cheeseburger, and a pizza for one. All were very good, and they really hit the spot.
After our lunch, we went back up to our room and got our waist packs, cameras, and camcorders, and set off for the Magic Kingdom! We waited at the bus stop for only a few minutes, and the bus marked Magic Kingdom pulled up and whisked us away
. Pulling up into the Magic Kingdom, I almost cried! I just love that first glimpse of the castle. It is so beautiful. Before we got to the turnstiles, we had to stop and have security check our bags. We got out our park tickets- Alex being the designated ticket holder for us, and we walk through the turnstiles into this magical place called the Magic Kingdom. Down through Main Street, we are engulfed in the atmosphere. The music, the smells, the people, everything about this is magical. JR just cannot stop smiling (and neither can we). The Magic Kingdom is Disney World (to us, anyway). The crowds really arent too bad. We head back to TommorowLand, where we hop in line for a ride with Buzz Lightyear. Surprisingly enough, I beat the pants off of Alex and JR , and we decide to try once again. Does anyone else find this ride terribly addictive? This time JR beats both of us, and we head over to do Alien Encounter. JR really likes it, and it is so fun to watch him absorb everything 
. After Alien Encounter, we decide to walk through Fantasyland- we wanted to do Pooh, but the wait was 45 minutes and we didn't want to do Fastpass, so we headed over to Liberty Square and did the Haunted Mansion and the Hall of Presidents, both of which were very good. I love the part in the Haunted Mansion where there are hitchhiking ghosts!! After that, we did BTMRR, and Pirates of the Caribbean before we needed to head out for dinner.
At about 5:30pm, our stomachs start to grumble, and we head out of the park, and hop onto the monorail headed for the Contemporary. We have 7pm PS for Chef Mickeys and I was hoping that we could get in early. When I first told JR that we would be doing a few character meals, he kind of groaned, but once we were there, his face really lit up when he saw Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Chip, and Dale. We got our picture taken, and were seated. We then went and got our food, it was all really delicious. JR couldn't believe how much food they had out! We told him to just wait and see how much food we would be offered in the next ten days! We have never eaten there before, so the napkin twirling was quite an experience! After dinner, we were still running on adrenaline, so we decided to take the monorail back to the Magic Kingdom and check out the fireworks... what can I say? They were awesome! I love the kiss goodnight, too.
Alex made a really funny observation as we were moving with the crowd out the turnstiles to the busses... if you watch the way everyone walks in a mob like that- they all waddle!! It is so funny- After he said something, we all started to make our waddling really exaggerated, and people probably thought we were on drugs or something- but it was so much fun.
Another observation (this one made by JR)- check the three different lines for the All Star busses... some of them are significantly shorter than others. That night, the line for AS Music was outrageous, so we hopped in AS Sports line, and we got on the first bus that pulled up! I know, we cheated
, but we got home a lot faster!
Once the bus dropped us off at AS Sports, we walked over to our room at AS Music, and grabbed our mugs to be filled with soda, and headed back up to our room. We then unpacked the rest of our things, got ready for bed, set our wake up call, and we were asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillows. We needed to get a lot of rest because tomorrow is pcot Center.
As the sun set on our first day at Disney World, I couldnt help but anticipate the excitement of the magic to come
Go toDay Two- Epcot, Garden Grill, and Rose & Crown Pub
Cast of Characters:
Marsha ~ *ME!* ~ 23 years old, trip planner, 4th trip to Disney World
Alex ~ *DH* ~ Turned 24 years old on trip, 3rd trip to Disney World
JR ~ *My Brother-in-law, Alex's brother* ~ 18 years old, 1st (real) trip to Disney World
Special Appearances by:
Carol ~ *my Mom* ~ age withheld, 3rd trip to Disney World
Bob ~ *my Dad* ~ age also withheld, 3rd trip to Disney World
*Day One- Airport, Magic Kingdom,and Chef Mickeys*
Planned Itinerary:
Breakfast- home or at airport
Lunch- Intermission Food Court
Dinner- CHEF MICKEYS
Park: Magic Kingdom
So, the adventure begins. Very early on Thursday morning (or maybe I should say very late night Wednesday
), October 25th, we are up and at em (of course- we didn't get any sleep at all on Wednesday night!!), all packed and ready to go. Our plane leaves the Rochester (NY) airport at 6am sharp, so Alex's parents come promptly at 4:30am to pick us up. I am not a morning person, and this is the only reason I would leave my house at 4:30am for anything! With the heightened security at the airports, we wanted to be there early enough! (Who chose the 6am flight, anyway?!? Oh, yeah! Me! We wanted to be in the World early so we can start having fun!) My mother and father-in-law were kind enough to drive us to the airport at this ungodly hour (and they wanted to see their boys off
) Well, off we go, my mother and father-in-law rubbing their eyes as they pile into the car after us, whisking us away to the airport. As we wait in the long line (can you believe it- a long line!?!?!?!) to check in at our USAirways counter, our excitement begins to grow
We are going to Disney World! After checking in at the counter, we walk over to the security area, where we give my in-laws big hugs and thank yous for bringing us to the airport, and then we hop in line to the security checkpoint. Well, I go through first- nothing happens, then JR goes through, again, nothing happens, and then Alex goes through, and guess what? He sets off all of the security alarms!!
After all of the guards search him and find nothing, we walk over to our gate. On our way there, JR and I decided we wanted to purchase a bottle of water and a muffin for breakfast, so we do, and then find a seat at our gate area.When they finally start to announce that they are ready for passengers to board (and I have to say- I did take a peek at my fellow travelers rather carefully
- I don't mean to, but I couldn't help it ), we hop in line to board. Hand in the ticket, and we are off! We find our seats and settle in, of course JR gets the window seat! Well, at about 6:10am, our plane hits the runway, and finally takes off. Once in air, we are offered beverages, both JR and I decline (we have our water, remember? ), and Alex gets an Apple Juice. During the flight, we tried to get a little shut-eye, and before we knew it, we were landing in Philadelphia. Once there, we got out and stretched our legs, used the rest rooms, and then waited for our boarding call for the next plane. And so we did, hopped on the other plane, stowed our carry ons, and waited for takeoff. The flight was pretty uneventful, and we got a little bit of sleep before we landed in Orlando. Then, at 10:40am, we had finally arrived at our destination! Were going to Disney World, we keep saying to each other, grinning like idiots! We got out of the plane, walked through the airport and then hopped onto the monorail to get to baggage claim (I love that monorail!), where we met our driver from Tiffany Towncar. There he was, holding our names- JR said he felt like he was famous or something. We waited for what seemed like forever for our bags to come out (our driver even mentioned that baggage was slow that morning), and our driver helped us with our bags and then we all walked out into the warm Florida sunshine
- it was very humid, though, and headed to his beautiful black towncar. We made a quick stop at a Publix grocery store- got our snacks and such, and then we were finally on our way. Pulling up through the gates at the All Star Music Resort, I just couldnt stop smiling
. It felt like we were coming home. Our driver dropped us off in front of the lobby, gave us our bags, settled payment with us, and left with a wave
See you in 10 days! We walked into the lobby, and checked in- what a surprise! Our room is ready and its only 11:20am
Just a side note- I had faxed in our requests on Monday, and we did not get any of them... ) We had requested Calypso, non-smoking, 3rd floor, pool view if possible. What the CM at check in told me was that we had been assigned Jazz Inn, 1st floor. Well, I talked it over with Alex, and he really did not want Jazz (I know, I know- it's not that much farther), so we kindly asked if we could have anything in Calypso. The CM (who was kind of snotty , by the way) said that we could get a 2nd floor Calypso room, but that it was smoking. Well, that was fine with Alex, so that was fine with me, too. And, that room was ready too!! We ended up in room #1513, 2nd floor, smoking, Calypso #1. During check in, I was also supposed to get our Hoop Dee Doo tickets, but I completely forgot!!
The CM explained to me that early entry was no longer in practice , and told me about the character caravan, which we never saw. I asked her about the possibility of any e-nights and she said that they will probably never do those again. period. After checking in (and getting what seemed like a million brochures and maps
), we walked through the lobby and we were on our way out towards the pool (and our room!). To the right, we saw building number 1, Calypso, where our room was located. We took the elevator up to the second floor, and it was there that we found our room. We unpacked some of our things, the rest we would unpack later. At this point, we were pretty hungry, so we headed down to the food court (with my refillable mug from last trip) , and purchased two more refillable mugs (one for JR and one for Alex), and lunch for ourselves. We got chicken fingers, a cheeseburger, and a pizza for one. All were very good, and they really hit the spot. After our lunch, we went back up to our room and got our waist packs, cameras, and camcorders, and set off for the Magic Kingdom! We waited at the bus stop for only a few minutes, and the bus marked Magic Kingdom pulled up and whisked us away
. Pulling up into the Magic Kingdom, I almost cried! I just love that first glimpse of the castle. It is so beautiful. Before we got to the turnstiles, we had to stop and have security check our bags. We got out our park tickets- Alex being the designated ticket holder for us, and we walk through the turnstiles into this magical place called the Magic Kingdom. Down through Main Street, we are engulfed in the atmosphere. The music, the smells, the people, everything about this is magical. JR just cannot stop smiling (and neither can we). The Magic Kingdom is Disney World (to us, anyway). The crowds really arent too bad. We head back to TommorowLand, where we hop in line for a ride with Buzz Lightyear. Surprisingly enough, I beat the pants off of Alex and JR , and we decide to try once again. Does anyone else find this ride terribly addictive? This time JR beats both of us, and we head over to do Alien Encounter. JR really likes it, and it is so fun to watch him absorb everything . After Alien Encounter, we decide to walk through Fantasyland- we wanted to do Pooh, but the wait was 45 minutes and we didn't want to do Fastpass, so we headed over to Liberty Square and did the Haunted Mansion and the Hall of Presidents, both of which were very good. I love the part in the Haunted Mansion where there are hitchhiking ghosts!! After that, we did BTMRR, and Pirates of the Caribbean before we needed to head out for dinner.At about 5:30pm, our stomachs start to grumble, and we head out of the park, and hop onto the monorail headed for the Contemporary. We have 7pm PS for Chef Mickeys and I was hoping that we could get in early
. When I first told JR that we would be doing a few character meals, he kind of groaned, but once we were there, his face really lit up when he saw Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Chip, and Dale. We got our picture taken, and were seated. We then went and got our food, it was all really delicious. JR couldn't believe how much food they had out! We told him to just wait and see how much food we would be offered in the next ten days! We have never eaten there before, so the napkin twirling was quite an experience! After dinner, we were still running on adrenaline, so we decided to take the monorail back to the Magic Kingdom and check out the fireworks... what can I say? They were awesome! I love the kiss goodnight, too.Alex made a really funny observation as we were moving with the crowd out the turnstiles to the busses... if you watch the way everyone walks in a mob like that- they all waddle!!
It is so funny- After he said something, we all started to make our waddling really exaggerated, and people probably thought we were on drugs or something- but it was so much fun. Another observation (this one made by JR)- check the three different lines for the All Star busses... some of them are significantly shorter than others. That night, the line for AS Music was outrageous, so we hopped in AS Sports line, and we got on the first bus that pulled up! I know, we cheated
, but we got home a lot faster! Once the bus dropped us off at AS Sports, we walked over to our room at AS Music, and grabbed our mugs to be filled with soda, and headed back up to our room. We then unpacked the rest of our things, got ready for bed, set our wake up call, and we were asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillows. We needed to get a lot of rest because tomorrow is pcot Center.
As the sun set on our first day at Disney World, I couldnt help but anticipate the excitement of the magic to come
Go toDay Two- Epcot, Garden Grill, and Rose & Crown Pub
