A 10 day trip at OKW 1/7-1/17!

dianeschlicht

<font color=blue>DVC-Trivia Contest, Apr-2006: Hon
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We had a nice liesurely trip in 1 bedroom unit 5221. This is a lock off unit on the second floor and on the end of building 52 at the South Point area of OKW.

The first 5 days we spent having fun with our friends who were in 5222! They were my recently widowed friend Maureen and her two adult children. We had a great time with them. We all missed her recently departed DH who had planned this trip, but who succumed in October to pancreatic cancer after just 6 weeks of illness.

Some thought the weather to be cold, but we enjoyed the mid 40 degree mornings and mid 60's afternoons! We could get by with shorts and light jackets, and that is a WHOLE lot better than the below zero temps here in Minnesota!:cool:

As usual, we ate our way through the world! Finally have crossed O'Hana off our list of favorite restaurants. We have always loved this one, but last year we thought it had declined, and this year it had slid even farther. We did add a new favorite though! We ate at 1900 Park Fare for the evening buffet and thought it was quite good. Of course, Boma's and Akershus are our favorite buffet type choices at WDW, and they were wonderful as usual. Our very favorite is still Mitsukoshi Teppanyaki dinning rooms in the Japan pavilion. We had mid-day dinners there twice this trip. We also ate at Artist's Point for the first time, and LOVED it! I had Buffalo, and DH had Salmon.

We drove over to Canaveral with the idea we were going to get the $10 bus tickets for the launch. We got there to find they are now $30 a piece (web site was wrong) and we would have to be there before 6 a.m.! We said "no thank you", and watched it from the roof of the Contemporary instead! It was a very nice warm day with no wind, so the roof was quite pleasant! For those who want to know how to access the roof when the California Grill is closed...Just go to the 11th floor and go out the access stairs at the end of the building. Take it up to the 15 floor roof area. When you return, you have to walk down to the 11th floor too.

We usually take a behind the scenes tour, but just did a little one this trip. We did the 1 hour "behind the seeds" tour in the land pavilion. It was very interesting, and I got some great ideas for my new sun room.

We saw each parade at least once, and each laser/fireworks show at least twice! Illuminations is my favorite, so we saw that 4 times! Spectromagic was on a couple of nights, but we only went into the park just to see that the night we went to O'Hana. I always love that parade. I certainly hope they keep the Jammin' Jungle parade after the 100years of magic celebration! I think that is SOOOO cute!

WE did the Safari so many times, I can't remember how many!!! We like to start our mornings there and move on to other parks after that.

The statues were particularily fun this time too! I almost missed them at first, because they have moved to Italy.

I'll try to add pictures later.

Our next trip is August 22-27th! We celebrate our 35th anniversary on the 24th and my birthday on the 27th!

Does anyone know how I can change my countdown clock?
 
A great trip with friends food and such - thanks for posting - off to find something to eat now
 
Sounds like a great trip, thanks for sharing!!:D

Go to the tech board for help with your countdown.
 
Very nice report, Diane!

(I could have used more detail, but not whining too much here!)

Thanks for sharing with us!

So it's your 27th birthday in August?:p ;) :p ;)

Looking forward to pictures!
 

Thanks for the report. We will be there the same time as you in Aug.
 
Great, Credit man! Maybe we can have a mini meet! It will be a shortened trip for us since DS has to get back to colleges classes the next week. He goes all summer too, so that week was the only time he could go.
 
Yepod wanted details, so I have time to relate the "who wants to be a millionaire, play it" story. I didn't really want to do this, but DH talked me into it. I had forgotten how much fun it can be. The first time this trip, we both got into the top ten, but no further. WE had a good time, so we went to the next show too. THis time, DH was in the top spot at the end of the show, but no time left for him to get into the hot seat. The third time was really fun! The crowd started messing with the "stage managers" and would applaud when each couple came through the doors to find a spot. It turned into a contest between the sections of the audience! That time, DH ended up in the top postition at the end of the game again, and I was in the 10th spot at games end. All in all, it was way more fun than I remembered having at this site on other trips.

We really MISSED the Hunchback show!!!! I am so sad they took this one out! It was, in my opinion, the best show on any WDW property!! We did go back to the Beauty and the Beast show this time (haven't done that for years), and were underwhelmed again. We liked the vocal group who perfomed accopella before the show though!
 
I am trying to think more detailed for you, Yepod, but I don't have time just now to relate more stories. Stay tuned, and I will give it a shot!;)
 
Thanks for posting, Diane! I also love to read trip reports, the more detailed the better!:)
 
Thanks Diane, that was GREAT:D ;)

Take your time, installments aren't a bad thing!

That's why some do seperate their day reports (& it takes some of us a month or more to get them posted);)

Keep em comin!
 
Space shuttle story:

We drove over to Canaveral on Sunday to get launch tickets. We had read on the web site that they were $10. Well, you would think NASA would have an updated web site, but they didn't!:mad: The tickets were actually $30 a piece, and since the earliest launch date was the day before we left for home, we decided not to do it. Our intent was to drive over toward the cape that morning. Then we heard the traffic and accident reports, so changed our minds about that too! We knew we would be able to see it from just about anywhere on site, but decided to try the top of the Conetemporary. We got there only to find the elevator to the top closed. They only have it open when Californina Grill is open. We asked CMs around, but none of them had any information for us. Finally, one CM told us he had gone to the roof before and that we should take the elevator to 11 and go out the stairs at the end of the building. The sign still said no roof access, but we got up there anyway! About 25 other found it too! The catch is that you have to go in and out through the 11th floor because of concierge on the upper floors.

I have pictures, but they are currently on DH's laptop. I plan to get then off this weekend.
 
Just the kind of stuff us less educated need, Diane!

Thanks for the installment!;)
 
Here are a couple of my favorite pictures from this trip.

Dh pointing out our LaL photo on the very first panel to the right as you enter. We did this Jan. 2000, but had never photographed it before.

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Hidden Mickey joke from the Land staff!
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One of my favorite parts of the Chinese acrobats show!
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Early morning view from our villa at OKW (5221)
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You would think after 10 days in "the world" I could think of more to relate, but I am finding it difficult to do details! I will say that the roses on the walkway between World showcase and Imagination were especially nice this trip. They are offen sparse in January, but they were beautiful this year. For those of you who do not go as often, there are lots of little spots that many miss when they are trying to see "all there is to see" in just 5-7 days. I like to wander the little paths at AK and see all the little animal exhibits under the roots of the Tree of Life. I am sure many folks don't even notice these. This trip we took lots of pictures of the neat benches all along the paths at AK too. They are made of logs, so DH had to photograph them for ideas!:rolleyes: Do you really think he will ever get around to making one?!?!?!?:p WE also like to see all the topiary we can. Theses change regularily, so they are not always the same. I once took a DI class about topiary, and it was facinating. Another favorite pastime of mine is to just strike up a conversation with anyone who happens to be near me. I meet such interesting people from all over the world that way! Both of our dinners at Teppanyaki Dinning Rooms we met interesting people from Norway, France, and Japan! I met one lady on the monorail I wished I could become friends with. We had a great deal in common!
 
Diane,

Would love to try for a mini-meet this Aug. Loved your WWTBAM story. I was #1 when a show ended also, so the next time my DS was sure I would get in the hot seat. Talk about preasure. I was lucky enough to make it to the hot seat. It was great fun.
 
Now you're a trip report expert!

Was the acrobat going to the can or was the can going to her:eek: :p :eek: :p ;)

Loved the LaL picture! I can now say I'd recognize that great smile even with the effect those pics give you!

More pictures please! Don't make me whine, you know I can be terrible:rolleyes: :rolleyes: ;)
 














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