<b>Day 3 - Monday, April 30</b>
5:45 is awfully early to wake up while youre on vacation, but Early Entry days are the best value in town. In addition, we also have reservations for 9:15 this morning at Cindys. This will certainly be the highlight of Lexis trip, since she wanted to go last year, but I wasnt educated enough to call 60 days out for PS.
We were at the park by 7:25, and the gates opened just after 7:30. While we didnt do the mad dash down Main Street, we did manage to cut off all but the fastest runners by walking quickly and cutting through the Plaza Pavilion. It continues to amaze me that more people dont know about this shortcut.
The first thing that we went onto was Alien Encounter. We had done this last year, but there was no audio in the pre-preshow - the one where youre introduced to the folks from X-S via television screen. Lexi was a bit apprehensive, but feels better if she can sit further back. She wanted no part of the front row, so we took the second row from the back. Either I wasnt paying attention as closely last year, or the effects have improved. Both the hot breath and the flicking "tongue" were more prominent this year. The theatre was full of screaming and crying children though. Parents really need to get a feel for their kids limits before experiencing this attraction.
We then headed over to Space Mountain and took three successive walk-on rides. We had only had time for this once last year, and I had the back seat. This year, I had the front seat in the front car, and must say that the ride was even better. From the back, you can see the glow strips on the side of the front car, but from the front, its very difficult to see where youre going at all. An A+ ride from the front seat, A- from the back.
It was getting closer to breakfast time now, but we had time for one round on Buzz Lightyear. This ride baffles me. I know where at least one "big score" target is, but I can never seem to hit it. Or anything else, for that matter. While Kathey and Lexi continued to rack up huge point totals, I never got beyond about 60,000 or so. One of these days, Alice... One of these days.
Leaving Buzz, it was about 8:55, so we headed over to the Castle. We checked in, the waited in the lobby where the Fairy Godmother was holding court. Lexi got into the 15-minute line to get an autograph and picture. Five minutes after she got them, our name was called to go upstairs.
My first impression of the dining room was that its smaller than I had imagined. I dont know why I had pictured something larger than the castles area, but I had. We were seated at a table right across the aisle from the window overlooking Fantasyland. I suppose a window seat would have been better, but we certainly had a better view than 80% of the people there.
I wish at this point that I could remember our waiters name. Unfortunately, I dont have the receipt with me that would show it, but the service here was phenomenal! Lexi got a huge kick out of being called "Princess" throughout the meal, our juice glasses never had time to empty, and the characters were very accommodating for multiple photos.
The food was also first-rate. While I was looking forward to the stuffed French toast (based on reviews Id seen) it was the potatoes that I was most impressed with. Id love to get a recipe if anyone has one - I never thought to ask while we were there.
After breakfast, we headed over to Pirates of the Caribbean. It just so happened that our timing was such that Pinocchio and Gepetto were just coming over to the Chalet area to sign autographs. Lexi was second in line and got the autos/pics in a hurry.
On the way to Pirates, we saw that there was no line at the Haunted Mansion (this seemed to be the norm), so we rode once, but knew wed be back tomorrow for e-ticket night.
Pirates of the Caribbean was one of the few lines that we waited in during our entire trip. It was about 10:30, and we waited for 25 minutes before we got on. PotC was a must-do this trip, since it was closed for refurbishment for our trip last year.
At the end of the ride, we saw a crowd gathered for autographs around Mr. Smee. Smee wasnt one of the characters that wed encountered previously, so Lexi go the autograph and picture. I thought we had a rare one until we saw him two subsequent times on the trip. Oh well, another one in her collection anyway. Surprisingly, I heard a lot of parents discussing among themselves and their children that the character was Doc from Snow White. Oy vey!
By this time, it was nearing time for the next show at the Diamond Horseshoe Review. This was another attraction that we glossed over last year, so I wanted to make sure that we saw it. I was kind of afraid that it might be boring for a 12-year old, but she was very much into the show and enjoyed it all. However, by the end of it, I could tell that she was getting sleepy. Although she napped for an hour yesterday, the pace was getting to be too much.
We headed back to the Boardwalk and put Lexi down for a nap. While she slept, Kathey and I took the opportunity to head down to the pool. There were showers off and on, so we got a couple of beverages and Kathey wrote out postcards. I just kind of watched people for awhile. I was ready to go back up to the room when Lexi called down on the walkie-talkies. She joined us and got 30 minutes of swim time in before we needed to get ready for dinner.
We had a 4:15 reservation for dinner at Alfredos. I was surprised to see so many negative reviews of this restaurant, and since we all like Italian, had to see for ourselves. We were seated, and while the waiter was very attentive, the food wasnt anything better than you can get at your neighborhood Olive Garden. I wouldnt negatively review the place, but it certainly didnt live up to expectations. Lexi had the kids portion of fettucini alfredo and liked that well enough. I had the Tricolore Pasta, (lasagna, alfredo and linguine al pesto). Again, it was good enough, but nothing special. Katheys chicken was the same. As to this restaurant, weve "been there, done that", but probably wont go back.
When dinner ended, we didnt have a real sense of a plan. Most mornings, I tend to run the commando touring route, but we leave the afternoons and evenings open. We strolled in the direction of Mexico, experiencing the different pavilions and snapping many pictures of the topiary there for the flower/garden show. At about 6:30, we found ourselves outside of Norway with a prime viewing location for Tapestry of Nations, so we stayed for that.
After seeing ToN and Illuminations last year, I bought the soundtrack CD and inadvertently memorized the score. It was pretty cool watching the parade while keeping up with the music in my head. Although I saw the parade last year, neither Lexi nor Kathey had. I dont know what exactly it takes to mesmerize a preteen girl, but this parade has it. She went through a roll of film on the puppets alone. I had one of those "dad" moments when I was just happy that I could bring her to experience something like this. It was the same feeling that I had had previously at the Lion King show at AK. Disney magic, I guess.
We decided to head over to Future World to see if we could catch an attraction or two before Illuminations started. Test Track had a 25-minute stand-by wait, so we headed over to Universe of Energy. Im not an Ellen DeGeneres fan, so we had previously skipped this. But now it was here and convenient, so we went in. My assessment is that this is an attraction worth seeing once if you have nothing else pressing to do. Once the stand-up preshow was over, it was a nice cool sit-down attraction.
We shopped a bit more before getting a spot for Illuminations near the entrance to World Showcase. Not a prime spot, but we arrived late, so I guess you take what you can get . Illuminations is still one of my favorite shows at Disney. The concept is great, the music is powerful and the pyrotechnics are the best on Disney property. We decided that wed see this again before we left, and would stake out a better location next time.
At the end of the show, we fought the one-way crowds to get over to the International Gateway and over to the Boardwalk. I had been too full after dinner to order the tiramisu at Alfredos but stopped now to pick one up at the Boardwalk Bakery for us to share while the girls did a little shopping. I also got an éclair just in case there wasnt enough tiramisu to go around. Not to worry, there was plenty. Once dessert was finished, it was "lights out".
<b>Day 4 - Tuesday, May 1</b>
After a full day yesterday, the plan was to sleep until we woke up on our own. We were planning on going to Typhoon Lagoon today, but the weather was looking ominous enough that we decided to pass. Thus, our only set plan for today was tonights e-ticket night. Sometimes the best laid plans... We were all awake by 8:00 am. After showers and an in-room breakfast of pop-tarts and last nights éclair, we took the boat over to MGM Studios. It probably would have been faster to walk, as we made lengthy stops at both Yacht/Beach Club and Swan/Dolphin.
That reminds me - when we ran across a park where Boardwalk shared bus service with the Swan/Dolphin, we tended to get off at the Swan, then walk back over to the Boardwalk, usually beating the bus there.
Although ToT and RnRC are favorites for all three of us, we wanted to see the Indiana Jones show, another attraction that was closed for refurbishment the previous year. It was very entertaining and well-done, especially the one audience "volunteer" who was selected to demonstrate the punching techniques.
We headed over to Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Although Ive soured on the TV show (they have NEVER called me back after Ive qualified) I wanted to see the Disney version. We just missed the 11:15 show, so we grabbed fast passes for the 1:15 and went over to see Voyage of the Little Mermaid.
We then got into the standby line for Millionaire and saw the 12:15 show. I didnt get the fastest finger, but I DID wind up in the #2 spot by the end of the show. Interestingly enough, the guy who won the 2nd fastest finger missed his first question: "Aladdin refers to a: a)boy b)goat c)genie d)thermos". He chose Genie.
During the second show, the fastest finger was an 11 year old boy who must have won just by lucking out pressing the buttons in the right order. The question was regarding the years that Broadway musicals won Tony awards, and his time was 1.5 seconds. The typical winning time was generally 3.3.
He burned his three lifelines on the first three questions, then got 4 right on his own before walking away from "What duet recorded Love Will Keep Us Together?". It was interesting in that the questions seemed to be geared toward a younger person before that. "What do you get when you round 265 to the nearest hundred?" and "Who are Pikachu and Chouizard?"
By the end of that game, Lexi was in the number 4 spot and Kathey was number 5. I can see how this game could be VERY addicting, especially if you continue to come so close to the top spot!
We headed over then to check out the stand-by times for ToT and RnRC, but they were longer than we wanted to wait for. Kathey had seen a bath wrap at the ToT shop that she wanted to get, so we picked that up before making a $10 lunch of a turkey leg, a loaded baked potato and a large drink. This was the best deal during our stay and we all walked away full.
It was now 3:15, so we headed back to the Boardwalk for a swim and drinks at poolside. Dinner was scheduled for 5:45 at 1900 Park Fare to see the villains before heading to MK for our e-ticket night, so it was a short break. The Villains dinner was a nice chance for Lexi to pick up some autographs and pictures that she hadn't already collected, and that was the reason that we scheduled it. However, the characters here had the best interaction of any dinner that we had. Most of them stopped more than once, and several took a light-hearted exception to our "picking" on them.
Our question to Prince John was if he really "just cant wait to be king", and we began calling him the character formerly known as Prince John. We asked Radcliffe (who in my opinion is the wimpiest villain in the Disney inventory) if he is the only villain in history to wear panty-hose. He answered by bringing over Captain Hook and showing us that indeed, he wasnt the only one. I commented to the Queen of Hearts that she reminded me of my 3rd grade teacher, and she proceeded to tie my sweatshirt (which was hanging over my shoulders) around my neck. All in all, it was great fun. Enough that it made me forget the pedestrian quality of the food.
Even with the price increase to 12 bucks, e-ticket night is still a great deal. In three hours time, we rode Splash Mountain twice, BTMRR three times, Haunted Mansion twice, Alien Encounter (this time I sat in the front row while the girls stayed back - AWESOME), Buzz Lightyear three times and Space Mountain three times. Plus, we were able to get autographs and pictures with Minnie Mouse and Chip and Dale.
After our last ride on Space Mountain, it was just after 11, so I decided to surprise the girls with the Kiss Goodnight. We lingered near the picture spot on the bridge between Tomorrowland and the Walt/Mickey statue. At 11:20, the music came up, the castle began changing colors, the announcement came on, and we were the only ones in that area to see it. It was like our own private show. When Mickeys voice came up, Lexi looked at me and said "That was so cool!" What a great way to end a day!
<b>Day 5 - Wednesday, May 2</b>
Today was another day to sleep in. If the weather would hold off, wed go to Typhoon Lagoon today. As we were getting ready to go, Lexi realized that she didnt have her autograph book. I realized that I was the last one to have it last night during the Kiss Goodnight, and I didnt remember bringing it back with me. Panic time! I called the MK Lost and Found, and within 5 minutes discovered that they did indeed have it. Whew! I made plans to pick it up that afternoon at the Lost and Found at the TTC.
By 10:00, the rains had let up and we headed out on the bus. The waterpark wasnt at all crowded. We got a great spot near Typhoon Tillys and hit every slide in the park without a line - some of them twice. After the water slides, we took a lap around the lazy river, only to have it begin raining again when we were halfway across. Kathey decided to get out and run back to put our towels and gear under shelter, but Lexi and I stayed and finished the circuit. After all, we were already wet and we didnt have lightning, so what the heck.
The rain didnt last more than 15 minutes, and the sun came out shining brightly. Kathey stayed behind to worship Ra, while Lexi and I spent the next hour and a half in the wave pool. Now, Ive been in wave pools before, but nothing like this. It was great! I spent a good half hour body surfing, something that I havent done in years. Id forgotten how much it wears you out! Or maybe Im just 15 years older than I was in 1986.
At about 2:00, we were getting hungry, and I wanted to try the burger at Beaches and Cream. I stopped by the hotel for a quick shower, because I was headed to TTC after lunch to retrieve the autograph book. We took the Studios boat over to the Beach Club and had lunch. Although the double cheeseburger there was excellent, I have to give a slight nod to the burger at the Mara at AKL. Id be more than happy to eat either of them on any given day though. Kathey ordered the regular cheeseburger and Lexi got a foot-long hot dog. The highlight though, was the drinks. I had a chocolate shake, Lexi had a root beer float, and Kathey got the Cherry Diet Coke. All were outstanding. Put this on my "visit again" list.
We made plans to meet up in Epcot once I picked up the autograph book and the girls got showered and changed. We wanted to get a good seat for Illuminations tonight.
After picking up the autograph book at Lost and Found (which shares a building with the Kennel Club), I walked over to the Kennel window and asked if there was a First Aid station nearby. They told me that it was over in the MK, but asked me what I needed. I was only looking for a Band-Aid, and they said that they could probably find one for me there. While one CM went to look, the other noticed the autograph book. It has Pooh on the front cover, and she was a big Pooh fan. She asked to see the autographs, then added a "special" one to the collection. She gave me an autographed picture of Pluto. Just another example of a CM going the extra mile for a guest!
When I got to Epcot, I tried calling the girls on the walkie-talkie, but there was no answer yet. I worked my way over to the World Showcase and tried calling the hotel from Canada, but there was no answer in the room. I continued toward the International Gateway and finally reached them there. Suddenly I realized that I didnt have the autograph book! Id left it on the payphone in Canada! Oh no, not again... I did a mad dash back over to the Canadian pavilion and fortunately found the book still there. What a relief! I wouldnt have said anything, but apparently when I realized, I muttered some mild obscenity into the radio and when Kathey asked me what, my answer was "Nothing, I hope. Ill let you know when you get here". At that point, she guessed what I'd done.
We had time to head over and see the shows at both Canada and France before getting a table and chair next to the lagoon. It was only 8:00, so we grabbed a glass of wine and a chocolate crepe from the snack cart and waited. Lexi was getting chilly, and since I was going to buy a "Four Parks, One World" Sweatshirt before we left anyway, I headed over to the Gateway entrance and bought a XXL. It was plenty large to cover both her torso and her legs.
We sat through the show again, this time with a much better vantage point than wed had on Monday night. We got several great pictures, if only theyll turn out. Well see.
At the end of the show, we joined the throng and headed back to the Boardwalk. I still had time to catch most of the 3rd period of the Penguins/Sabres playoff game. It was only 3-2 Buffalo when I arrived, but the final was 5-2. Good if youre a Buffalo fan, bad for me. It was a fun time nonetheless and a chance for me to watch some sports while the girls shopped.
I didnt stay out too late, because tomorrow we have priority seatings for the Breakfastasaurus (can you believe that my spellcheck wont take that one?). By 11:00, we were asleep.
<i>For the remainder of this trip report, please see <a href="http://www.disboards.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=37285">Part III</a></i>
5:45 is awfully early to wake up while youre on vacation, but Early Entry days are the best value in town. In addition, we also have reservations for 9:15 this morning at Cindys. This will certainly be the highlight of Lexis trip, since she wanted to go last year, but I wasnt educated enough to call 60 days out for PS.
We were at the park by 7:25, and the gates opened just after 7:30. While we didnt do the mad dash down Main Street, we did manage to cut off all but the fastest runners by walking quickly and cutting through the Plaza Pavilion. It continues to amaze me that more people dont know about this shortcut.
The first thing that we went onto was Alien Encounter. We had done this last year, but there was no audio in the pre-preshow - the one where youre introduced to the folks from X-S via television screen. Lexi was a bit apprehensive, but feels better if she can sit further back. She wanted no part of the front row, so we took the second row from the back. Either I wasnt paying attention as closely last year, or the effects have improved. Both the hot breath and the flicking "tongue" were more prominent this year. The theatre was full of screaming and crying children though. Parents really need to get a feel for their kids limits before experiencing this attraction.
We then headed over to Space Mountain and took three successive walk-on rides. We had only had time for this once last year, and I had the back seat. This year, I had the front seat in the front car, and must say that the ride was even better. From the back, you can see the glow strips on the side of the front car, but from the front, its very difficult to see where youre going at all. An A+ ride from the front seat, A- from the back.
It was getting closer to breakfast time now, but we had time for one round on Buzz Lightyear. This ride baffles me. I know where at least one "big score" target is, but I can never seem to hit it. Or anything else, for that matter. While Kathey and Lexi continued to rack up huge point totals, I never got beyond about 60,000 or so. One of these days, Alice... One of these days.
Leaving Buzz, it was about 8:55, so we headed over to the Castle. We checked in, the waited in the lobby where the Fairy Godmother was holding court. Lexi got into the 15-minute line to get an autograph and picture. Five minutes after she got them, our name was called to go upstairs.
My first impression of the dining room was that its smaller than I had imagined. I dont know why I had pictured something larger than the castles area, but I had. We were seated at a table right across the aisle from the window overlooking Fantasyland. I suppose a window seat would have been better, but we certainly had a better view than 80% of the people there.
I wish at this point that I could remember our waiters name. Unfortunately, I dont have the receipt with me that would show it, but the service here was phenomenal! Lexi got a huge kick out of being called "Princess" throughout the meal, our juice glasses never had time to empty, and the characters were very accommodating for multiple photos.
The food was also first-rate. While I was looking forward to the stuffed French toast (based on reviews Id seen) it was the potatoes that I was most impressed with. Id love to get a recipe if anyone has one - I never thought to ask while we were there.
After breakfast, we headed over to Pirates of the Caribbean. It just so happened that our timing was such that Pinocchio and Gepetto were just coming over to the Chalet area to sign autographs. Lexi was second in line and got the autos/pics in a hurry.
On the way to Pirates, we saw that there was no line at the Haunted Mansion (this seemed to be the norm), so we rode once, but knew wed be back tomorrow for e-ticket night.
Pirates of the Caribbean was one of the few lines that we waited in during our entire trip. It was about 10:30, and we waited for 25 minutes before we got on. PotC was a must-do this trip, since it was closed for refurbishment for our trip last year.
At the end of the ride, we saw a crowd gathered for autographs around Mr. Smee. Smee wasnt one of the characters that wed encountered previously, so Lexi go the autograph and picture. I thought we had a rare one until we saw him two subsequent times on the trip. Oh well, another one in her collection anyway. Surprisingly, I heard a lot of parents discussing among themselves and their children that the character was Doc from Snow White. Oy vey!
By this time, it was nearing time for the next show at the Diamond Horseshoe Review. This was another attraction that we glossed over last year, so I wanted to make sure that we saw it. I was kind of afraid that it might be boring for a 12-year old, but she was very much into the show and enjoyed it all. However, by the end of it, I could tell that she was getting sleepy. Although she napped for an hour yesterday, the pace was getting to be too much.
We headed back to the Boardwalk and put Lexi down for a nap. While she slept, Kathey and I took the opportunity to head down to the pool. There were showers off and on, so we got a couple of beverages and Kathey wrote out postcards. I just kind of watched people for awhile. I was ready to go back up to the room when Lexi called down on the walkie-talkies. She joined us and got 30 minutes of swim time in before we needed to get ready for dinner.
We had a 4:15 reservation for dinner at Alfredos. I was surprised to see so many negative reviews of this restaurant, and since we all like Italian, had to see for ourselves. We were seated, and while the waiter was very attentive, the food wasnt anything better than you can get at your neighborhood Olive Garden. I wouldnt negatively review the place, but it certainly didnt live up to expectations. Lexi had the kids portion of fettucini alfredo and liked that well enough. I had the Tricolore Pasta, (lasagna, alfredo and linguine al pesto). Again, it was good enough, but nothing special. Katheys chicken was the same. As to this restaurant, weve "been there, done that", but probably wont go back.
When dinner ended, we didnt have a real sense of a plan. Most mornings, I tend to run the commando touring route, but we leave the afternoons and evenings open. We strolled in the direction of Mexico, experiencing the different pavilions and snapping many pictures of the topiary there for the flower/garden show. At about 6:30, we found ourselves outside of Norway with a prime viewing location for Tapestry of Nations, so we stayed for that.
After seeing ToN and Illuminations last year, I bought the soundtrack CD and inadvertently memorized the score. It was pretty cool watching the parade while keeping up with the music in my head. Although I saw the parade last year, neither Lexi nor Kathey had. I dont know what exactly it takes to mesmerize a preteen girl, but this parade has it. She went through a roll of film on the puppets alone. I had one of those "dad" moments when I was just happy that I could bring her to experience something like this. It was the same feeling that I had had previously at the Lion King show at AK. Disney magic, I guess.
We decided to head over to Future World to see if we could catch an attraction or two before Illuminations started. Test Track had a 25-minute stand-by wait, so we headed over to Universe of Energy. Im not an Ellen DeGeneres fan, so we had previously skipped this. But now it was here and convenient, so we went in. My assessment is that this is an attraction worth seeing once if you have nothing else pressing to do. Once the stand-up preshow was over, it was a nice cool sit-down attraction.
We shopped a bit more before getting a spot for Illuminations near the entrance to World Showcase. Not a prime spot, but we arrived late, so I guess you take what you can get . Illuminations is still one of my favorite shows at Disney. The concept is great, the music is powerful and the pyrotechnics are the best on Disney property. We decided that wed see this again before we left, and would stake out a better location next time.
At the end of the show, we fought the one-way crowds to get over to the International Gateway and over to the Boardwalk. I had been too full after dinner to order the tiramisu at Alfredos but stopped now to pick one up at the Boardwalk Bakery for us to share while the girls did a little shopping. I also got an éclair just in case there wasnt enough tiramisu to go around. Not to worry, there was plenty. Once dessert was finished, it was "lights out".
<b>Day 4 - Tuesday, May 1</b>
After a full day yesterday, the plan was to sleep until we woke up on our own. We were planning on going to Typhoon Lagoon today, but the weather was looking ominous enough that we decided to pass. Thus, our only set plan for today was tonights e-ticket night. Sometimes the best laid plans... We were all awake by 8:00 am. After showers and an in-room breakfast of pop-tarts and last nights éclair, we took the boat over to MGM Studios. It probably would have been faster to walk, as we made lengthy stops at both Yacht/Beach Club and Swan/Dolphin.
That reminds me - when we ran across a park where Boardwalk shared bus service with the Swan/Dolphin, we tended to get off at the Swan, then walk back over to the Boardwalk, usually beating the bus there.
Although ToT and RnRC are favorites for all three of us, we wanted to see the Indiana Jones show, another attraction that was closed for refurbishment the previous year. It was very entertaining and well-done, especially the one audience "volunteer" who was selected to demonstrate the punching techniques.
We headed over to Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Although Ive soured on the TV show (they have NEVER called me back after Ive qualified) I wanted to see the Disney version. We just missed the 11:15 show, so we grabbed fast passes for the 1:15 and went over to see Voyage of the Little Mermaid.
We then got into the standby line for Millionaire and saw the 12:15 show. I didnt get the fastest finger, but I DID wind up in the #2 spot by the end of the show. Interestingly enough, the guy who won the 2nd fastest finger missed his first question: "Aladdin refers to a: a)boy b)goat c)genie d)thermos". He chose Genie.
During the second show, the fastest finger was an 11 year old boy who must have won just by lucking out pressing the buttons in the right order. The question was regarding the years that Broadway musicals won Tony awards, and his time was 1.5 seconds. The typical winning time was generally 3.3.
He burned his three lifelines on the first three questions, then got 4 right on his own before walking away from "What duet recorded Love Will Keep Us Together?". It was interesting in that the questions seemed to be geared toward a younger person before that. "What do you get when you round 265 to the nearest hundred?" and "Who are Pikachu and Chouizard?"
By the end of that game, Lexi was in the number 4 spot and Kathey was number 5. I can see how this game could be VERY addicting, especially if you continue to come so close to the top spot!
We headed over then to check out the stand-by times for ToT and RnRC, but they were longer than we wanted to wait for. Kathey had seen a bath wrap at the ToT shop that she wanted to get, so we picked that up before making a $10 lunch of a turkey leg, a loaded baked potato and a large drink. This was the best deal during our stay and we all walked away full.
It was now 3:15, so we headed back to the Boardwalk for a swim and drinks at poolside. Dinner was scheduled for 5:45 at 1900 Park Fare to see the villains before heading to MK for our e-ticket night, so it was a short break. The Villains dinner was a nice chance for Lexi to pick up some autographs and pictures that she hadn't already collected, and that was the reason that we scheduled it. However, the characters here had the best interaction of any dinner that we had. Most of them stopped more than once, and several took a light-hearted exception to our "picking" on them.
Our question to Prince John was if he really "just cant wait to be king", and we began calling him the character formerly known as Prince John. We asked Radcliffe (who in my opinion is the wimpiest villain in the Disney inventory) if he is the only villain in history to wear panty-hose. He answered by bringing over Captain Hook and showing us that indeed, he wasnt the only one. I commented to the Queen of Hearts that she reminded me of my 3rd grade teacher, and she proceeded to tie my sweatshirt (which was hanging over my shoulders) around my neck. All in all, it was great fun. Enough that it made me forget the pedestrian quality of the food.
Even with the price increase to 12 bucks, e-ticket night is still a great deal. In three hours time, we rode Splash Mountain twice, BTMRR three times, Haunted Mansion twice, Alien Encounter (this time I sat in the front row while the girls stayed back - AWESOME), Buzz Lightyear three times and Space Mountain three times. Plus, we were able to get autographs and pictures with Minnie Mouse and Chip and Dale.
After our last ride on Space Mountain, it was just after 11, so I decided to surprise the girls with the Kiss Goodnight. We lingered near the picture spot on the bridge between Tomorrowland and the Walt/Mickey statue. At 11:20, the music came up, the castle began changing colors, the announcement came on, and we were the only ones in that area to see it. It was like our own private show. When Mickeys voice came up, Lexi looked at me and said "That was so cool!" What a great way to end a day!
<b>Day 5 - Wednesday, May 2</b>
Today was another day to sleep in. If the weather would hold off, wed go to Typhoon Lagoon today. As we were getting ready to go, Lexi realized that she didnt have her autograph book. I realized that I was the last one to have it last night during the Kiss Goodnight, and I didnt remember bringing it back with me. Panic time! I called the MK Lost and Found, and within 5 minutes discovered that they did indeed have it. Whew! I made plans to pick it up that afternoon at the Lost and Found at the TTC.
By 10:00, the rains had let up and we headed out on the bus. The waterpark wasnt at all crowded. We got a great spot near Typhoon Tillys and hit every slide in the park without a line - some of them twice. After the water slides, we took a lap around the lazy river, only to have it begin raining again when we were halfway across. Kathey decided to get out and run back to put our towels and gear under shelter, but Lexi and I stayed and finished the circuit. After all, we were already wet and we didnt have lightning, so what the heck.
The rain didnt last more than 15 minutes, and the sun came out shining brightly. Kathey stayed behind to worship Ra, while Lexi and I spent the next hour and a half in the wave pool. Now, Ive been in wave pools before, but nothing like this. It was great! I spent a good half hour body surfing, something that I havent done in years. Id forgotten how much it wears you out! Or maybe Im just 15 years older than I was in 1986.
At about 2:00, we were getting hungry, and I wanted to try the burger at Beaches and Cream. I stopped by the hotel for a quick shower, because I was headed to TTC after lunch to retrieve the autograph book. We took the Studios boat over to the Beach Club and had lunch. Although the double cheeseburger there was excellent, I have to give a slight nod to the burger at the Mara at AKL. Id be more than happy to eat either of them on any given day though. Kathey ordered the regular cheeseburger and Lexi got a foot-long hot dog. The highlight though, was the drinks. I had a chocolate shake, Lexi had a root beer float, and Kathey got the Cherry Diet Coke. All were outstanding. Put this on my "visit again" list.
We made plans to meet up in Epcot once I picked up the autograph book and the girls got showered and changed. We wanted to get a good seat for Illuminations tonight.
After picking up the autograph book at Lost and Found (which shares a building with the Kennel Club), I walked over to the Kennel window and asked if there was a First Aid station nearby. They told me that it was over in the MK, but asked me what I needed. I was only looking for a Band-Aid, and they said that they could probably find one for me there. While one CM went to look, the other noticed the autograph book. It has Pooh on the front cover, and she was a big Pooh fan. She asked to see the autographs, then added a "special" one to the collection. She gave me an autographed picture of Pluto. Just another example of a CM going the extra mile for a guest!
When I got to Epcot, I tried calling the girls on the walkie-talkie, but there was no answer yet. I worked my way over to the World Showcase and tried calling the hotel from Canada, but there was no answer in the room. I continued toward the International Gateway and finally reached them there. Suddenly I realized that I didnt have the autograph book! Id left it on the payphone in Canada! Oh no, not again... I did a mad dash back over to the Canadian pavilion and fortunately found the book still there. What a relief! I wouldnt have said anything, but apparently when I realized, I muttered some mild obscenity into the radio and when Kathey asked me what, my answer was "Nothing, I hope. Ill let you know when you get here". At that point, she guessed what I'd done.
We had time to head over and see the shows at both Canada and France before getting a table and chair next to the lagoon. It was only 8:00, so we grabbed a glass of wine and a chocolate crepe from the snack cart and waited. Lexi was getting chilly, and since I was going to buy a "Four Parks, One World" Sweatshirt before we left anyway, I headed over to the Gateway entrance and bought a XXL. It was plenty large to cover both her torso and her legs.
We sat through the show again, this time with a much better vantage point than wed had on Monday night. We got several great pictures, if only theyll turn out. Well see.
At the end of the show, we joined the throng and headed back to the Boardwalk. I still had time to catch most of the 3rd period of the Penguins/Sabres playoff game. It was only 3-2 Buffalo when I arrived, but the final was 5-2. Good if youre a Buffalo fan, bad for me. It was a fun time nonetheless and a chance for me to watch some sports while the girls shopped.
I didnt stay out too late, because tomorrow we have priority seatings for the Breakfastasaurus (can you believe that my spellcheck wont take that one?). By 11:00, we were asleep.
<i>For the remainder of this trip report, please see <a href="http://www.disboards.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=37285">Part III</a></i>
