BethC1952
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2001
- Messages
- 3,949
We decided to take care of a little business before we headed out to the Magic Kingdom. I had a few questions I wanted to ask about luggage preparation for the cruise, so we headed to the food court for breakfast. As we walked in the door, we realized that there was no line at Boatwright's, so we opted for a leisurely breakfast. I've been waiting years to have the banana and strawberry stuffed French toast, and it was worth the wait.
We headed to the Cruise Line desk in the lobby to ask our questions, and the cast member there was more than happy to answer our questions and give us some pointers about snorkeling at Castaway Cay. (Those details will be posted on the Cruise Line Trip Report board).
This was going to be a long day we had saved the Magic Kingdom for last. We took the bus directly there, and, as we passed through City Hall and caught our first glimpse of the Castle, the magic returned in full force. There were a lot of people there (it was almost noon), but not so crowded that it was unpleasant. We wandered down Main Street, our first goal being to get to Adventureland. We made a detour to the Baby and Child Care Center (we're way past the baby stage, but plan to return in a year with our granddaughter who will be two). The Cast Member there was very friendly, and gave us a tour of the place and answered all of our questions. If you have any questions about it, post a reply to this message and I'll try to help.
We got to Adventureland, and picked up a Fast Pass for the Jungle Cruise for an hour later. We walked right on to the Pirates of the Caribbean, still a favorite after all these years. We then walked right in to Tiki Birds Under New Management just really lucky timing! The original Tiki Birds was one of DS's favorites when he was little, and he had given us instructions to give him all the details of the new show (he's 26 now, and the father of the granddaughter we'll be traveling with next year). We really liked the new show too. The gags are just as bad, the show is just as colorful. Some of the effects might be a little intense for the youngest children, but just about anyone will enjoy it! And Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, it's out the door we go .
To the Jungle Cruise. There was no one else in the Fast Pass line. We felt like real VIP's. The Jungle Cruise hasn't changed much in all these years, except there's no longer a gun involved. It's still fun don't let anyone tell you that the magic is gone!
We wandered around Adventureland, checked out the new Alladin ride, which is like the Dumbo ride only with magic carpets instead of elephants. And now it was off to Liberty Square--can't miss the Haunted Mansion!
Another Fast-Pass for an hour later, so we opted to head to Fantasyland and "It's A Small World". I've loved that since the 1964-65 New York World's Fair. In fact, it took the last 16 years to get that song out of my head, and now it's back again! And then off to HM. Even with Fast Pass, we waited about 20 minutes, but, as always, it's worth the wait. And here is my only complaint and it's got nothing to do with Disney or Cast Members or anything like that. It's about people who choose not to control their children when waiting in lines. I know that kids can get really antsy waiting for something they really want to do, but there's really no excuse for pushing and shoving, and for really foul language. I know all those words too, but I have more class than to use them in every sentence I utter! And if your kids are going to eat while waiting (and that's really a good idea) make sure they clean up after themselves and not throw trash on the ground. I taught my son from the time he could walk to take his garbage to the trash can and put it in. If there isn't one nearby, hang on to it until you find one.
Back to the trip report .
And now we were hungry (again!). The Columbia Harbor House has always been a good stop for us. It's never crowded, and the food is good. It really hasn't changed much at all.
We left there, fully refreshed and ready for our walk to Tomorrowland. We went back through Fantasyland and on to Tomorrowland. And here was my big disappointment. Somehow I had lost track of time, and missed the last showing of the Carousel of Progress for the day. I'm sorry to hear that this attraction is aging so badly and that it will probably be gone soon. It was another favorite from World's Fair days!
So, we decided instead to take the old "People Mover" to survey Tomorrowland. It's really a shame this method of transportation never really caught on. It's so effortless!
We spent some more time wandering around, and shopping on Main Street, and then decided that we wanted to visit the "Monorail Resorts". They've changed--a lot. And I'm not sure I like the new looks. The last time we saw the Contemporary, it was dark and sophisticated. Now, it's bright and garish. In fact, the color scheme is the same one that's on my granddaughter's potty seat! I miss the lush vegetation at the Polynesian, but we sat on the beach there and watched the sun set. That was really nice.
The Grand Floridian is just beyond words. It's gorgeous. I've been to the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego, which is one of the models for this hotel. That's a beautiful hotel too, but it doesn't have Disney magic!
Our tour completed, we headed back to PO Riverside for a late night swim in the quiet pool. Which, in retrospect, wasn't really a smart thing to do, because now our bathing suits were wet, which meant I had to get up early in the morning to dry them again before I could pack them in my day bag for the cruise.
The last thing we did that night was pack so that we wouldn't have to rush in the morning. We tagged our bags and stood them right inside the door, because we knew they'd be picked up for the Cruise Line bus while we were at breakfast.
The remainder of this report will be posted on the Cruise Line Trip Report board as soon as I can within a day or two, I hope!
If you have any questions, please post a reply to this message or any of the others and Ill get back to you as soon as I see it.
Beth
We headed to the Cruise Line desk in the lobby to ask our questions, and the cast member there was more than happy to answer our questions and give us some pointers about snorkeling at Castaway Cay. (Those details will be posted on the Cruise Line Trip Report board).
This was going to be a long day we had saved the Magic Kingdom for last. We took the bus directly there, and, as we passed through City Hall and caught our first glimpse of the Castle, the magic returned in full force. There were a lot of people there (it was almost noon), but not so crowded that it was unpleasant. We wandered down Main Street, our first goal being to get to Adventureland. We made a detour to the Baby and Child Care Center (we're way past the baby stage, but plan to return in a year with our granddaughter who will be two). The Cast Member there was very friendly, and gave us a tour of the place and answered all of our questions. If you have any questions about it, post a reply to this message and I'll try to help.
We got to Adventureland, and picked up a Fast Pass for the Jungle Cruise for an hour later. We walked right on to the Pirates of the Caribbean, still a favorite after all these years. We then walked right in to Tiki Birds Under New Management just really lucky timing! The original Tiki Birds was one of DS's favorites when he was little, and he had given us instructions to give him all the details of the new show (he's 26 now, and the father of the granddaughter we'll be traveling with next year). We really liked the new show too. The gags are just as bad, the show is just as colorful. Some of the effects might be a little intense for the youngest children, but just about anyone will enjoy it! And Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, it's out the door we go .
To the Jungle Cruise. There was no one else in the Fast Pass line. We felt like real VIP's. The Jungle Cruise hasn't changed much in all these years, except there's no longer a gun involved. It's still fun don't let anyone tell you that the magic is gone!
We wandered around Adventureland, checked out the new Alladin ride, which is like the Dumbo ride only with magic carpets instead of elephants. And now it was off to Liberty Square--can't miss the Haunted Mansion!
Another Fast-Pass for an hour later, so we opted to head to Fantasyland and "It's A Small World". I've loved that since the 1964-65 New York World's Fair. In fact, it took the last 16 years to get that song out of my head, and now it's back again! And then off to HM. Even with Fast Pass, we waited about 20 minutes, but, as always, it's worth the wait. And here is my only complaint and it's got nothing to do with Disney or Cast Members or anything like that. It's about people who choose not to control their children when waiting in lines. I know that kids can get really antsy waiting for something they really want to do, but there's really no excuse for pushing and shoving, and for really foul language. I know all those words too, but I have more class than to use them in every sentence I utter! And if your kids are going to eat while waiting (and that's really a good idea) make sure they clean up after themselves and not throw trash on the ground. I taught my son from the time he could walk to take his garbage to the trash can and put it in. If there isn't one nearby, hang on to it until you find one.
Back to the trip report .
And now we were hungry (again!). The Columbia Harbor House has always been a good stop for us. It's never crowded, and the food is good. It really hasn't changed much at all.
We left there, fully refreshed and ready for our walk to Tomorrowland. We went back through Fantasyland and on to Tomorrowland. And here was my big disappointment. Somehow I had lost track of time, and missed the last showing of the Carousel of Progress for the day. I'm sorry to hear that this attraction is aging so badly and that it will probably be gone soon. It was another favorite from World's Fair days!
So, we decided instead to take the old "People Mover" to survey Tomorrowland. It's really a shame this method of transportation never really caught on. It's so effortless!
We spent some more time wandering around, and shopping on Main Street, and then decided that we wanted to visit the "Monorail Resorts". They've changed--a lot. And I'm not sure I like the new looks. The last time we saw the Contemporary, it was dark and sophisticated. Now, it's bright and garish. In fact, the color scheme is the same one that's on my granddaughter's potty seat! I miss the lush vegetation at the Polynesian, but we sat on the beach there and watched the sun set. That was really nice.
The Grand Floridian is just beyond words. It's gorgeous. I've been to the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego, which is one of the models for this hotel. That's a beautiful hotel too, but it doesn't have Disney magic!
Our tour completed, we headed back to PO Riverside for a late night swim in the quiet pool. Which, in retrospect, wasn't really a smart thing to do, because now our bathing suits were wet, which meant I had to get up early in the morning to dry them again before I could pack them in my day bag for the cruise.
The last thing we did that night was pack so that we wouldn't have to rush in the morning. We tagged our bags and stood them right inside the door, because we knew they'd be picked up for the Cruise Line bus while we were at breakfast.
The remainder of this report will be posted on the Cruise Line Trip Report board as soon as I can within a day or two, I hope!
If you have any questions, please post a reply to this message or any of the others and Ill get back to you as soon as I see it.
Beth
I'm looking forward to reading your cruise report too. Thanks for posting.
