9 Times - A Story of Disney First Trips

[RocketEAR99]

This is my Disney Travel history to date (Part 1 of 9). The title may lead you to believe that I've been on 9 Disney-related trips all to different destinations...nope! In fact, I've only been to WDW...and 8 times. The 9th is just around the corner though, so the update for that is forthcoming!

The reason this is a story of first trips is because, as I am sure some can relate, no 2 trips have been the same. The people I've gone with have changed or I was in a different age group or we stayed at a different place. Something has always been significantly different!

My first trip to WDW was a complete surprise. It was June of 1993. I was 7 years old. I had just finished up being ring boy in someone's wedding and let me tell you, the smaller the tuxedo, the stiffer it gets. I felt like I was walking in a cardboard suit! So the ceremony was over and I was getting changed. Dad told me, "We're not going to the reception. We're leaving here and taking a plane to Disney World!!!" You can imagine my excitement that now I was finally going to the place I'd heard so much about from other kids and had never been to!

It was just my parents and me (I'm an only child) going and I remember little about it. We flew Delta, my first and only time by that airline, but it was my first flight ever too. I remember we stayed in some hotel off property and got a rental car, a white Caddy with leather interior. The seats burned the skin in the hot Florida sun! I remember that feeling we all get with that first pass under the "Welcome to Walt Disney World" sign!

As to the parks, we went to them all. Animal Kingdom wasn't there yet and then MGM Studios was still getting on it's feet (ToT was under construction). I remember seeing the Indiana Jones stunt show, Body Wars, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean and then being slightly disappointed that the Castle wasn't much more than a prop. But no measure of disappointment could combat the magic of that time so many kids young and old dream of...meeting Mickey Mouse, *the* Mickey Mouse for the first time!

I remember it was the most magical one-week trip of my life, even though I can't remember much more about it! And it was my only full-week trip to WDW to date.

Next time: 2 more family add to the party. We didn't fly and someone's tall enough to ride more rides!

 

[OhMari]

Cool about the first time.
Wasn't the bride and groom upset you left?

 

[RocketEAR99]

Cool about the first time.
Wasn't the bride and groom upset you left?

No, I think my parents had let them know prior. They're still good friends of the family. I hang around them a lot.

 

[RocketEAR99]

Part 2 of 9. Taking that walk down memory lane prior to the report of my 9th trip.

August 1997. I was 11 years old, almost 12. I may have flown to Florida my first time there, but my family is actually a railroad family, both on the maternal and paternal sides. More importantly, at that time and even today, my father and 2 of his brothers worked for Amtrak. This means free Amtrak train travel for all in this story. Again, this trip was something of a surprise to me and my first trip to the World was far enough in my past and I figured Disney was a one-time gig at that age.

Me, my parents and my Aunt and Uncle drove down to Virginia and got on a train. Wherever we were going, the car was coming too as it was loaded on to the train. Dad called it the Autotrain. We initially sat in coach until we found that there were 2 unoccupied deluxe sleepers! SCORE! We got a free upgrade to First Class. Once in our staterooms, the porter opened the wall between the two rooms so we could all hang out together until nightfall. Then I was told we were going to Florida (hey I was 11, I didn't know that Amtrak's Autotrain only went from Virginia to Sanford, FL).

We would be in Florida for 2 full days and then be taking the train home, so out of Universal, Sea World and the then 3 parks of Disney World, I got to pick only 2 places we would go. I picked the Magic Kingdom (duh!) and Epcot Yes Epcot. Go figure! If I had only thought more about that ToT at MGM Studios!

Now if you've never taken a the Autotrain to FL and you live close enough to Virginia (it was a 2-hour drive for us), I highly recommend it, even if only once as it may not be the best repeat option from a financial standpoint. But hey, you get to take your car! They offer a wine and cheese tasting when you first get on board. The meals (dinner and breakfast) are complimentary and are very tasty! Plus they do a movie in the lounge car and you can sit back and watch the scenery slowly change! It's quite a care-free way to travel.

Though we didn't realize it at the time, this trip would set off the chain reaction of our love for Disney World! But how did this trip really differ from my first trip? One word: Mountains! Space, Splash and Big Thunder!!! I was tall enough to ride them all! Space Mountain instantly became my favorite ride of all time and it still is to this day...even as much as I do like Rock 'n' Roller Coaster. For Splash I was on the second bench from the front behind my Aunt and Uncle. After the big plunge I remember opening my eyes and saying, "Wow, I barely got wet at all!" and then looked in front at my Aunt and Uncle who were drenched! We still talk about that day.

As I say this trip birthed my love of thrill rides. There's no ride around I won't do. And shortly after this came that little thing called Disney Vacation Club, which my Aunt and Uncle promptly joined and much later persuaded the rest of us into. It was a short trip, but worth the fun!

Next Time: Fast forward ten years to my third trip. No Parents, not summer, on property and with a different Aunt and Uncle and a 3-year-old cousin.

 

[RocketEAR99]

Ah, now this isn't that long ago! I was in college and it was my "Spring Break"...the college called it "Winter Break" but it was a full week off either way and my Aunt and Uncle (different from the last trip) were taking my 3-year-old cousin down to Disney World and treated me to the 4-night trip too! Was I excited? Mildly...It had been 10 years since my last trip and I'd forgotten about what it was like. I thought (like so many do) of Fantasyland...kiddie rides, but hey, it was a free vacation to a warmer climate and there was still Space and Splash Mountain after all.

It was my first time staying on property. Pop Century!!! We flew down on Southwest and with their current rates, I doubt I'll fly any other carrier again. For the first time I experienced the convenience of the Magical Express Amazing idea! I kept thinking, wow Disney's really stepped up the game in the past 10 years! One of the first things we did after checking in at Pop was a meal in the Pop Century food court. That place had some smell about it like malted milk shakes or something. It smelled good. But there was lots of variety in food there and it was quite good!

We boarded a bus to Magic Kingdom (another new thing for me was the bus transportation). When I took my first steps into the park, my first thought was "Wow, I'd forgotten what a place this is!" I was done and overtaken by the magic as though I was a little kid once again. And the other thing was the time of year, late Feb/early March...not a lot of people at all. I got on some rides in all the parks a couple times in a row with maybe a 20 minute wait. If it said 30 minutes, we said we'll come back to it later with a Fastpass (another new thing for me). Seriously, how often do you consider a 30 minute wait at Disney World to be long? It was that empty.

For the first time in my life I got on ToT and Rock 'n' Roller Coaster...and several times at that (Extra Magic Hours- another new thing for me). ToT is actually my favorite of the two, but I love them both. I got to check out DAK for the first time ever and was amazed. Everest and Kali Rapids!!! Kali Rapids my Uncle and I got on and stayed on for 3 consecutive trips...no line at all. We got drenched! My Aunt had my little cousin pressing the red button on the bridge to get us with the elephants at the end! It was revenge for keeping her stranded with the kid for that long

And finally for the first time...I honestly did not know Disney World did fireworks every night. I saw IllumiNations and Wishes. Now no other fireworks are worth watching. Guess that was the down side.

So it goes to show you, if you can get there at a low crowd time of year like that...so worth it! As a matter of fact, I haven't gone in June-August since 1997. Low crowds are the best!

Next Time: It doesn't get better than being a DVC member!

 

[RocketEAR99]

Prior to this trip my parents informed me that they had bought into the Disney Vacation Club on a special offer that they only had to buy 100 points to get in. Our "home" was Animal Kingdom Villas- Kidani, which was finishing construction at the time. They just did it themselves and were planning a trip for January 2009, a 2 BR at SSR! Was I excited? Well sorta.

I know, how do I go from my experience in 2007 to just "sorta excited" about 2009 and the DVC? Well in 2008, I had traveled to Costa Rica for 10 days. I figured if we were to spend that kind of money, it made more sense to travel around the world than to repeatedly go to Disney. I knew DVC can take you to other places, but I figured it wouldn't be the same. That was my argument. But hey it was their money and who am I to say what they do with it?

Well they invited me to think about signing onto their contract and buying 50 more points. Now it was voluntary, but that WAS going to be my money. I would be graduating college in May of 2009 and was already guaranteed a full-time job, career worthy, within 2 months after graduation, so I kept that in mind too. Well naturally I was going to go stay at SSR with them, but my buy-in was still a decision yet to be made.

We left by plane with my Aunt, Uncle and Cousin from the last trip and my grandparents for Disney World at the end of Marathon Weekend. But the 2BR villa in SSR was just for my parents and me (can you say splurging?). Remember, the best experience room-wise for me was Pop Century, and it was a good one. Well we walked into this place at SSR and it was love at first sight. The room was just amazing, obviously in space, but it was very deluxe indeed. I then wondered why people spend all that money for suites in GFR when they could get a home at SSR. Ok monorail and pampering aside.

Stepping into the parks, the crowds were light, but not quite as light as they were in late Feb/early March. And, of course, there were several things (attractions and structures) that were under refurbishment, but it didn't detract from the experience as much as I figured they would. Disney is really good with those things! Also for the first time, I was on Dining Plan and enjoyed an array of restaurants ('Ohana, Biergarten, Liberty Tree, Tony's and Sci-Fi to be exact). I enjoyed them all very much and have made repeat visits to each! I no longer can go to WDW without enjoying the food there! Safe to say with all this, I forgot about real world traveling for the duration of the trip.

After day one, I said to my parents about DVC, "I want in." And so began my repeated adventures at WDW! The three of us now own 200 points with plans to steadily add on until we reach 600. No regrets! Only enjoyment! I'm hooked, or as Buddy Elf would say, "I'm in love! I'm in love and I don't care who knows it!" Sure I would like to still see other parts of the world, but not at the sacrifice of at least one good trip to WDW per year. I know I'd eventually like to use points to check out Disneyland, Aulani in Hawaii and go on a cruise. But WDW is where it's at! The only place I know I can leave reality for a time, and leave it just about entirely outside the 47 square miles of Walt Disney World.

Next time: It's a bachelor party at WDW! (no, not for me).

 

[RocketEAR99]

May 2009 was the first trip to Disney I personally planned, and the first time I used my DVC membership. Through the course of my college education, I was blessed with 3 friends that I now refer to as my brothers. One of them, Ben, was getting married in June and asked me to be his Best Man. Now Ben is a Star Wars fan...not to be confused with fanatic. So I decided it would be cool to take him to Disney World for Star Wars Weekend, and thanks to DVC, the room was "free"! I managed to round up him and one other of my "brothers", Brent (who knew nothing about Star Wars ) and go down there for 2 nights. Shortest trip ever for me, but Ben had never even been to Florida.

We got down there early on Friday so we enjoyed the better part of the first day at Magic Kingdom! You can't go to Disney without going there. And they had EMH that night! Ben was amazed the entire time about Disney's attention to detail...and he's right because frankly you can see picture after picture of Magic Kingdom and not fully grasp how AMAZING it is until you're standing in it. We enjoyed at dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern on DDP which was enjoyed by all.

Our room was a deluxe studio at Boardwalk Villas. Brent (and Ben) got to stop by ESPN and see some of the NBA Championship which was LA vs. Orlando that year, making the hype even sweeter. The room itself was very nice. We obviously only went there to crash at night, but everyone loved it. I told them I spared no expense But they knew I was joking.

Saturday morning we walked to Hollywood Studios for the Star Wars Weekend events (and for other HS attraction goodness). We carried only light sabers (no fancy costumes). Ben loved seeing the detailed Star Wars character costumes. We checked out most of the attractions that day as the crowd really was not bad at all! We got to go on all the big name rides and see the big name shows.

After the Star Wars Parade, we took an afternoon break and went to Downtown Disney where we met up with our friend (the 3rd brother), Dave who was already in Florida, near Tampa on a missions trip. We toured the Lego store, another thing Ben's a fan of, and some other places while enjoying good conversation.

We ventured back to the Studios for dinner at Hollywood & Vine. It was OK, but I'd rather dine just about anywhere else on property than that place now. Then we saw HyperSpace Hoopla. None of us knew anything about it previous to seeing it, so we had a ton of laughs over it! Ben tried to get the attention of a Tuskan Raider for a picture by tapping him on the shoulder. BAD IDEA. The guy did not like that and mildly threatened Ben with his weapon before allowing the picture to be taken, it was so funny!

We toured a couple more attractions before going back to Boardwalk having had a short 2-days, but very very fun filled time! And Brent returned with a mild desire to get Star Wars educated.

Next time: Our first stay at our home resort, AKV-Kidani.

 

[heaven2dc]

I love your mini-trip reports! We got hooked to WDW when we stayed for our first time in March 1997 (12 of us - all adults except one son who was 15 at the time). We also got hooked on the Epcot resorts (BWV). I haven't bought into DVC but should - I've rented points the last 3 visits and saved BUNDLES!!

I had to chuckle to myself (ok...I actually laughed outloud but no one is here at work yet ) when you told about getting the attention of the Tuskan Raider. I would LOVE to go during Star Wars Weekend but always thought it would be too hot.

Can't wait to read about your upcoming trip! (wow - 10 more days and before you know it, you will be back)

 

[RocketEAR99]

I love your mini-trip reports! We got hooked to WDW when we stayed for our first time in March 1997 (12 of us - all adults except one son who was 15 at the time). We also got hooked on the Epcot resorts (BWV). I haven't bought into DVC but should - I've rented points the last 3 visits and saved BUNDLES!!

I had to chuckle to myself (ok...I actually laughed outloud but no one is here at work yet ) when you told about getting the attention of the Tuskan Raider. I would LOVE to go during Star Wars Weekend but always thought it would be too hot.

Can't wait to read about your upcoming trip! (wow - 10 more days and before you know it, you will be back)

Thanks! I too am a fan of the Epcot Resorts now. I like all the DVC resorts so far to be honest, but I enjoy being within reasonable walking distance to 2 of the parks! And I just like the atmosphere of the actual Boardwalk. Yeah, the DVC saves serious $$$ for the semi-frequent traveler to WDW.

As for Star Wars Weekend, this coming trip will be my 2nd time. Last time, the weather wasn't too hot at all (80s I think). This time looks to be more like 90s, so I'll see how that turns out. And last time it was pretty incredible how bad the crowds at DHS were *not*. Very much within reason and the costumes are incredibly realistic (as Disney is known for that)! Hope you get a chance to check it out someday!

 

[RocketEAR99]

Three times in one calendar year!?! Can you believe it? Guess you probably can. So remember that Aunt and Uncle and little cousin from a couple trips back? Well they're DVC members too and the three of us threw in points with them to get a 2BR Villa at AKV-Kidani for 5 nights!

My Aunt, Uncle and cousin flew down as they usually do, but my parents and I drove to FL this trip. It was my first time taking the car (well SUV) to Florida! We had to get there in time to check-in on a Sunday. We left at 3:00 AM on the Friday before to beat all the DC-Richmond, VA traffic. And because we weren't going to take our time.

We drove straight through (minus a couple quick meals) to Charleston, SC. We got a hotel room in that area and arrived in the early afternoon. We all wanted to check out the U.S.S. Yorktown air craft carrier. It's a big ship! And you can go pretty much everywhere in it. The also had a cold-war era diesel submarine there that we went through. We took a leisurely drive through downtown Charleston to see the buildings and stuff too.

Saturday we got up (not so early this time) and drove the rest of the way to Orlando. We stopped in Savannah, Georgia along the way and checked out some river-front shops. We got into Orlando in time for dinner and after dinner we were all tired so we crashed at our hotel room off property.

Sunday, after buying groceries, we checked in at AKV-Kidani. I had seen the lobby at AKV-Jambo before (talk about WOW), but this was all of our first time at our actual home resort. The lobby was much smaller, but to me it was "cozy". We took some time to tour all the common areas and overlook the savannah. We found out in the library they hung a couple banners with all the names of families who initially bought DVC at Kidani. I found our name!!!

Our room was absolutely AMAZING. If it weren't for the location (far away from most of the parks), AKV would be my favorite resort bar none! It has so much to offer and if you like relaxing a lot at your resort, this one is perfect when you get that savannah view room (as we did). It is definitely worth the points if you stick around the room to enjoy it. The giraffes in particular have a tendency to get pretty close. I will say, the lower your floor with that view, the better.

There was only one drawback to sharing a villa with my Aunt and Uncle. They do not do the Dining Plan and we can't get Dining Plan unless we all get it for the whole week My parents and I love dining plan on the other hand. But don't think for a minute that this stopped us from dining at Disney World. We still went out to 5 TS meals anyway ('Ohana, Hollywood & Vine breakfast w/ little cousin, Tony's, Whispering Canyon and Les Chefs de France). 'Ohana was great again! Hollywood & Vine was a good breakfast buffet, lunch at Tony's was delightful, Whispering Canyon was a lot of fun, and Chefs de France was AMAZING (I had the duck). My dad kept saying, "Poor Donald."

I really enjoyed all the Autumn decor at the Magic Kingdom! Many restaurants offer seasonal dishes, and Epcot was having their Food & Wine Festival!!! The crowds were reasonable too. I want so much to return that time of year! Hopefully will either this year or next. I've already made dining reservations in case we do it this year I think this was the trip that got me to the point that Disney is like home that I can go there and "settle in" like I never left. But it doesn't change the fact that I never want to leave either

When we did leave, we took our time, used that Amtrak employee's pass again and hopped the AutoTrain home for a stress-free end to the trip! Got two deluxe sleepers for my parents and me (for free!!!) But that's only because no paying customers had reserved them.

Next time: A trip with my parents and a cousin who's closer to my age. Stayed at BLT!!!

 

[RocketEAR99]

All of my trips to WDW were AMAZING up to this point. This one was...good. But it wasn't Disney's fault, it was part of the company.

It was Mom & Dad, the me and my cousin (24 at the time, just like me, since he's only 4 months younger than me). Now I've gone on trips with my parents many times before, so can you guess which part of the company lowered this trip's fun level from AMAZING to good?

My cousin had not been to WDW in 10 years. Like me, WDW had birthed his love for thrill rides. I decided to invite him along as he had expressed many times his desire to go back. Mom & Dad drove down to FL again. My cousin and I flew on Southwest. We got there late on Sunday afternoon early in March. We chose this time because of the ridiculously low crowds I experienced the last time I went this time of year. And the crowds met my expectations of low to nonexistent levels again!

Our room, for the first time, a 1BR Villa at Bay Lake Tower! We didn't get a special view, but we could see Space Mountain if we stepped out on the balcony and leaned forward. The view didn't matter to us, everything else did. And everything else is every bit of all the good people say it is! The room was very well kept. Being able to walk to Magic Kingdom or take the bridge to Contemporary for the Monorail access was almost an invaluable convenience!

Next thing of note is the Lounge on the top floor of BLT. I think it is still only available to DVC members staying at BLT on points and their guests. If you should fall into this category it is so worth checking out! They check your membership and room key in the lobby and escort you to an elevator, insert their key card, and press the button for the top floor. It makes you feel like a VIP The lounge is magnificent and has good service. My cousin and I visited it most nights we were there as we closed our full day with a flatbread and a drink. The view from up there is quite incredible too. I could stand out there for a long time at night just watching the lights and castle at the MK! The only "downside" to BLT is that everything like mini mart, shops and arcade is over at CR, but it's really a short walk.

We got dining plan again and revisited some favorites and checked out a couple new ones. We went to 'Ohana, Tony's, 50s Prime Time, T-Rex (not dining plan), Cape May Cafe and then Kona Cafe for breakfast. All were very good. I highly recommend Kona for breakfast and their famous Tonga Toast! A note about Cape May Cafe is that the crowd around the Buffet can get a little tight because of the way it's arranged, but the seafood is good!

Now about my cousin. When it came to Theme parks, he wasn't the best to be with. He loved thrill rides, but didn't realize until there that there really aren't that many at WDW. They are, after all, Theme Parks, not Amusement Parks! He lacked the sense of imagination and fantasy that my parents and I have and that keeps us coming back to WDW. So the classics like Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Hall of Presidents and such, he was bored with. That can really bring a lot of people down. I wouldn't let it bring me down, but because I had to make that mental fight, it still wasn't as much fun. Furthermore, my cousin smokes (not real heavy, but enough). It is REALLY hard to stop even every once and a while to find a place where smoking is actually permitted.

Was the trip still worth it? It's Disney World, the happiest place on Earth! So that's a resounding YES! It just wasn't as much fun as it could've been. Will I ever invite my cousin back? Probably, but with the understanding that he can go his way (thrill rides and chilling by the pool), but I'm gonna go mine because I cannot miss out on the fantasy and dream that is Walt Disney World (sometimes you just have to type out the full name)!

Next time: Back at AKV-Kidani, and a much needed get-away for an Aunt and Uncle that had not been to WDW since their honeymoon and had not taken a vacation for 8 years!

 

[RocketEAR99]

So here's the deal, last August, my maternal grandfather passed away. Of all my grandparents, he was the one I was closest to. Sure I miss him, but I have many many fond memories of times spent with him. My grandmother had passed away a few years before that so my Aunt and Uncle (Mom's sister and her husband) had been living at my grandparents' house and taking care of them for about 8 years or so. In all that time they had not been on a legit vacation! Of course even if they had the time for one, unfortunately they also lacked the money.

My parents and I had talked amongst ourselves many times about one day taking them to WDW with us. When my grandfather passed and things settled down, the time had come. In September my parents and I told them, "We are going to Disney World in late January and we want to take you with us, all expenses paid." Their eyes lit up! They couldn't turn it down! They had been there before (about 10 years ago) for their honeymoon, but really that was a Florida trip, not a Disney trip as they went to Universal and some other places too.

We all flew down on Southwest on Jan 23, early in the morning. We stayed at AKV-Kidani in a 2BR w/ Savannah view. Our goal was that in 6 days, they could get a full WDW experience (without wearing everybody down). Full experience meant the best room we could think of, a day at each theme park, dining at our favorite restaurants to date, and catching the fireworks shows. Our mission was a partial success.

We did get what we considered to be the best room (transportation aside). Naturally we got through all the parks. The crowds were low most of the time, but we hadn't realized that there would be so many tour groups from South America there! Turns out January is their "summer vacation". So we got to do everything except Fantasmic because even with 2 showtimes and following the low-crowd calendar, they packed the house to standing room only and so many people still didn't get in! It just was not worth the effort. We dined at Biergarten, Tony's, 'Ohana, Kona, 1900 Park Fare, and Sci-Fi. All of them were the great dining experiences we hoped they would be! My Aunt and Uncle several times remarked how much WDW had changed in 10 years and how much they didn't realize the resort offered!

All through the trip I was the fearless leader, the planner, the treasurer, and the tour guide. I didn't mind because WDW planning has become a new hobby for me! Still though there was a drawback. My parents and I were on this trip for my Aunt and Uncle who so very much deserved and needed the trip, but we didn't do anything on our own (like riding Space Mountain and ToT several times over because my Aunt has a type of motion sickness and my Uncle has a sensitive back). We all enjoyed being there, but my parents and I left feeling like we needed to go again to redeem ourselves a little.

All this leading up to today. Now just 3 Days away from a brief return to WDW...my parents can't make this one and I'm out to be unattached as I explore the resort so I'm going SOLO for the First time ever! That and between DVC points, being a passholder and having unused Southwest travel funds, this particular trip is costing me just $250 all-inclusive for 3 nights/4 days! I'm a little nervous, but mostly excited as so much has changed over just a few months at WDW. And I'm looking forward to a second adventure with Star Wars Weekends!

My next report will be THE report that all this has culminated to. Next time I hope will be Saturday evening, LIVE from WDW-SSR!

 

[RocketEAR99]

Apologies for the delay as I meant to report while I was at WDW. I guess I got caught up in the magic.

So this trip was just me! I'd never gone solo before and I'll start by saying that while I am very glad I went solo this time, I don't really want to do it again. I didn't have a negative experience or anything, but it's more fun when I can share the joy of WDW with other people I know.

Flight arrived in Orlando on Saturday, May 21 at about 8:30 AM. Weather got up to Mid-90s and was Sunny and dropped to Mid-70s and clear. That was pretty much the way it was the whole time I was there. All went very smoothly when I arrived. I boarded the Magical Express for SSR. I was the ONLY passenger! I got there and checked in, my room wasn't ready yet, of course, so I left for Epcot, by way of a bus to MK and taking the Monorail, because I just felt like it. Epcot was the only park really recommended to go to that day and after seeing the crowds flooding into MK, I understood why. When I got to EC, the crowd was a little heavier than I'm used to, but manageable. I got a FP for Soarin' and grabbed lunch at Sunshine Seasons. Sweet & sour chicken with broccoli, noodles, and a piece of chocolate mousse cake for dessert. There is no question that Sunshine Seasons is still my favorite QS location at EC!!!

I took my time touring EC, checking out most attractions once. Thankfully EC has a couple of digital tip boards to let you know the wait times for their attractions. The crowd would disperse to 2 of the 3 headliners (Soarin', Test Track, and Mission: SPACE) at a time, leaving one with a 20 minute wait time (except Soarin' which never dropped below 55 minutes, but the FP took care of that problem). Later in the day I did notice that Maelstrom got up to a 140 minute wait! YIKES! It's a neat ride but it's not that good.

I got a late dinner at the Cantina de San Angel which was spectacular! Since the remodel they've really stepped up their game as the food was quite authentic. A mother and daughter joined me briefly at my table since the place was quite full and we had a nice little chat. I walked the World Showcase and viewed Impressiones de France for the first time. It's a neat video showing very beautiful scenery! I also had my Hidden Mickey guide with me and am pleased to say I found 33 new hidden mickeys in my travels at EC! Naturally I stayed for IllumiNations. They did not use the Inferno barge this time though. Odd? But they replaced all those flames with fireworks, so it was still good!

I ended my day tired and beat back at SSR. They were showing Tangled when I got there for a pool-side movie...ahhh, loving Disney more by the minute! My deluxe studio was at The Springs (rm 4223). The room was in good shape and was right at the top of the steps to the 2nd floor, a super short walk from the bus stop and the Carriage House. The view overlooked a small courtyard and directly toward the pond and the fountain, really good for that building! All was very clean and tidy, but the pull-out sofa looked like it could be replaced (as in falling apart). I cannot comment on it's functionality since I only used it as a luggage rack which it handled that task exceptionally well!

Since this report is very detailed and long, I'm going to give it in doses. I'll report on each of the 4 days as I get the time to post. Thanks for reading and if you have any questions, please ask!

 

[RocketEAR99]

On Sunday morning I got up and out the door by 7:00 AM. It was my day for Star Wars Weekends at DHS and they were scheduled to rope drop at 8:00 AM. As planned, I got to the turnstiles by 7:20. I knew they were hosting a charity breakfast that started in the park at 6:00 around Studio Catering. Admission was $50 for the all-you-can-eat breakfast and for the proceeds to the charity. So I figured on a group of people already being there and having their head-start at the attractions. Well thanks to that breakfast, there was no rope drop and when I walked in at 7:20, a cast member was standing in the middle of a virtually EMPTY Hollywood Blvd saying that everything was open and running!

Normally this would be the perfect opportunity to go to Toy Story Mania, but I was overly anxious to try out the new Star Tours so that's where I went. No wait. I FP'd it for later and then proceeded to ride it...3 Times in a row! I will not give away any spoilers, but will say that I had a different experience every time and it is a spectacular attraction, trumping by FAR it's original version. It was then that I proceeded to Toy Story, and got on after a 20 minute wait. Then hunger set in so I went to Starring Rolls and used 2 snacks on QSDP to get a chocolate croissant and a strawberry parfait. Both were very good!

I then went on to FP Rock n Roller Coaster and ride Tower of Terror. Due to Star Wars Weekend, they had the gates open to just outside the park near RnRC for "Jabba's Hutt", a big air-conditioned tent selling lots of Star Wars merchandise and hosting character signings (C-3PO and R2-D2 when I walked in). I didn't buy anything, but returned to Star Tours for my FP for a 4th and really awesome ride, better than the 3 that preceded it! I got on the Great Movie Ride and then returned to RnRC for my FP time. Now unlike 2 years prior, the parade was at a later time (12:40) and had a much shorter route (from the gate to the hat), so I had to stake out a spot for almost an hour along a crowded Hollywood Blvd. Fortunately the wind wafted some A/C from the shops out to the street on occasion.

The heat was strong but bearable. The parade was just how I remember it, but with a few extra celebrities due to it being opening weekend. Anthony Daniel's car was only a few feet from me! Following the Parade, I returned to SSR for lunch from the Artist Palate which I took back to my room. I got a Toga wrap (turkey wrap) which was very good and came with their chips! After lunch I napped a couple hours and then returned to DHS for dinner at Backlot Express. I got a grilled turkey and cheese which is a personal favorite of mine. Then I got a spot and waited at the big fancy stage set up at the hat for Hyper Space Hoopla at 7:45 PM! If you've never seen one of these, it's worth YouTubing. This year with the Rock music was one of the better ones I've seen!

That ended, after much laughter, at 8:15 and I left for Magic Kingdom! Nothing like beginning a "day" there with Wishes! I took a stroll around and got some ice cream at the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor for the first time in well over a decade! It was as good as I remember it. Afterward was extra magic hours from Midnight to 3:00 AM!!! Talk about low lines. I got on each of PotC, HM, Splash Mtn, Space Mtn twice and got on Big Thunder once and checked out PhilharMagic. The new Haunted Mansion line is AMAZING. They give you the option of going directly into the attraction or taking the "scenic route" through the graveyard. There is a lot of interactive stuff on the scenic route that I highly recommend checking out. And those hitchhiking ghosts are more fun than ever on the ride. One sat next to me and switched my head with his in the mirrors!

So it was a full day for me, but I saw so much. I know believe that as long as I'm not park touring with a rookie or a commando, I'll only be park touring right after rope drop and during evening EMHs.