MickDaddy
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2001
- Messages
- 40
A Perfect Disney Trip
Day 1 (April 1st) The First and the Last
After weeks of planning, pouring over DIS messages and internet information, the time had finally arrived. We left at 11pm from Georgia for the approx. 6hr drive to the Beach Club at Disney (even factored in the hour time change so we would not miss a minute of fun). Four hours into the trip we pulled over to rest, obviously our internal clocks didn't know where we were going. After about an hour of sleep we were ready to start again. We arrived at the Beach Club after 8:00 am, already late for the early opening at MGM, our first stop. Check-in was flawless, room was not ready however, plans called for an morning at MGM, prior to an afternoon at Blizzard Beach, then check in. We were able to get our E-night tickets(Tuesday) at check-in, however they were out of fanny packs from American Express.
The Beach Club is situated in a great location, after a short tour to check out the grounds, we were on a boat for the short trip to MGM. This was the first time our family has stayed at a Disney property, and we will surely be back. Tickets in hand, we when right into MGM to discover the place nearly empty, realatively speaking. All of the anticipated crowds had failed to appear, and we felt we had the park to ourselves. First order of business was to get fastpass tickets to the "soft opening " of Who Want to be a Millionaire. This went without a hitch, and off to do the rest of our favorite rides, Muppets, the Great Movie Ride, Star Tours, all had virtually no wait. By 10:00 am we were waiting for the next showing of Doug Live, plenty of time before our 12:40 window for Millionaire. By this time the crowds had pickup. My family isn't into the high intensity rides, so there was no rush to get to RnR coaster or TOT, I would have plenty of time to get to that later (or so I thought). The Doug show was fun, interesting concept of blending live action and animation.
We arrived in time for the second showing of Millionaire. We were seated in the fastest finger chairs on stage, but everyone has a control panel and competes at the same time. They continued a game with a contestant from the previous show, winning a pin set, hats, points, but the ultimate prize a trip to see Regis would go unclaimed. The set seemed identical to the TV show, and really made you wonder how you would do if you actually played the game on TV. A hint if you play, once you know the answer start hitting the button, whoever gets the most points before the round is over becomes the next player. If your session ends before you complete your game, they ask you to come back to finish.
After Millionaire it was time to head to Blizzard Beach. We wore our swimsuits under our clothes, so no need for suitcases. One tip was to drive to BB, this worked out great. We had come to find out that BB was celebrating its sixth birthday that day, no cake though. The weather was still a little cool, especially when you got out of the water. However DD(age 11) overcame her fear of waterslides, and ended up having a great time. When ended up staying until the park closed at 6:00 pm.
Once we arrived back at BC, our room was ready. I had faxed a room request to the room controller, 4 days prior to arrival asking for a second floor, full balcony, double queen, 'garden view' room as per recommendations by many of the contributors to the DIS board. We ended up with a great room and the main level, facing the gardens, and the lagoon off the back, a very short distance from the main lobby, which turned into a great advantage.
DD reminded us that tonight would be the last MSEP at MK, so full of energy we headed out to catch the 8:15 parade. Bus transport to MK was no problem, and in no time we were on Main street taking in this enduring spectacle. Once the parade was over we resisted the urge to stay at MK since we were coming back for E-night later that week, and decided to check out the Boardwalk for dinner.
We decided to explore the Boardwalk, only a short walk away. By this time it was after 9:30pm. After all the planning , the one thing own family could not do is decide on dinner choices for the trip, so we decided that this would be the one thing we would do on the fly ( i.e. no PS arrangements). Spoodles looked pretty good at the time, so we checked in, and after a 10 min. wait went right in. Another tip, the later you eat, the better chance of getting a walk in table. We were seated in the back, next to a large group. Once our server arrived we gave our drink orders, which included a bottle of wine to celebrate. When the waiter brought the wine, it was not the bottle I had ordered, despite his having a small problem with the language he continued to insist that this was what I had ordered, finally I had him bring the menu back to point out the difference between what he was trying to give me and what I actually ordered. After a short while a different waiter delivered the right wine, was very apologetic. The only other problem was my DW steak and to be sent back for being extremely tough and overdone, only to be reserved slightly less tough and over cooked. Remainder of the meal when without a hitch and we were generally pleased, but this restaurant won't be on my list of favorites when we returned. It pretty much lived up to a lot of the reviews already posted on this board and others. The night ended quietly in anticipation to a trip to Animal Kingdom in the AM.
Day 2 THE SEARCH FOR THE CANDY COW
Having been primed to get up early for the awakening of the animals at AK, our internal clocks once again took command of the situation, and decided to sleep in. We were awake and ready to go by 9:30, but who cares we were on vacation. Although our original planned called for AK this morning, we decided with the late start Epcot would be better.
We were surprised at how short a walk it was to get there from BC, less than 5 min. We went in through the International gate, and spent a lot of time just looking and the British and Canadian scenery which is hard to appreciate due to the crowds. Our first stop was Test Track, the fastpass worked great with a 12:10 return window. We went on to Cranium Command, enjoying the rest of the pavilion prior to making 8:00 pm ressies for the Coral Reef restaurant. We continued to enjoy the other exhibits up until time for TT. DW took a lot of encouragement to ride TT, but she hung in there even though the ride broke down at the end.
We proceeded to spend the rest of the day at the various national pavilions eating and drinking our way around the world. DD became fascinated with the Japanese lady who fashions animals out of candy. Despite her best efforts she could not get the women to make her a cow and left disappointed but determined to try again. Finally it was time to head over for our dinner reservations. DD could not remember visiting the Seas pavilion on a prior visit, so we decided to do this first, then dinner. That time of the evening there were no crowds, and no problem studying the various fish.
After we arrived at Coral Reef, DD discovered she left her autograph book at the pavilion, so while I was seated the CM let them back through the elevator to retrieve it. This turned out to be the best meal of our trip. Our server, Maggie I believe was just wonderful. Everyone's food was cooked to order, and they presented an impressive wine list by the glass. Although I read CR had mixed reviews at times, we were very pleased with our experience this time around. When dinner was done the fireworks had finished, and we took a leisurely walk back to BC. Once we returned to the room DD was ready for bed, so we left a family walkie-talkie with her, and headed over to the Boardwalk to listen to the music from the clubs and people watch until it was time for bed.
Day 3 MK REALLY LOOKS DIFFERENT AT NIGHT
We were able to wake up a little earlier this time, and set out for AK by 8:30. We arrived at AK at about 9:15, and already the park seemed crowded, but not to bad. DD had a great time getting autographs from the characters at the front gate. We went directly to the Safari ride which only had a 20 min standby wait time. This seemed a little better than the fast pass. The wait was no problem, and soon we were on way to see the animals. For some reason this park seemed to be a bit more crowded and harder to negotiate. We made our way to the Tarzan Rocks show. Again the production values were quite high, and everyone pleasantly surprised. From there it was on to Dinosaur. As I said before the rest of the family is not into intense rides, so it took a bit of coaxing to get DW and DD into line. Fast pass worked out great for this attraction, however as we were just ready to get into the cars DD fled in terror. DW had a ball once she got over her initial fear. This turned out to be her favorite ride, going for a total of 3-4 times before the trip was over. By this time the crowds were getting thicker, so it was time to head back to the hotel for some pool time. The pool at BC was outstanding, sand covered it kept everyone entertained for the rest of the afternoon. Our game plan was to grab dinner as we walked through EPCOT to catch the monorail to MK for E-night.
Our DD decided to spend her meal time in a quest for the candy cow in the Japanese area. Despite enduring two sessions of the drummers, the candy lady again ignored her request for her treasure. Disappointment did not last long, as a trip to MK was the next objective. We arrived just as the new parade Spectromagic was beginning. Suddenly DD realizes that this may be the only opportunity to ride It's a Small World( a tradition for her). So we began the impossible task of fighting the crowds, and this time it was really, really crowded to get to IASW before closing at 9:00. In keeping with a perfect trip everything went fine. Once we passed the castle the crowds thinned and IASW was enjoyed to her heart's content. As we left IASW the fireworks were just beginning, and so was one of those magical moments that only happens at this place at this time.
E-night had officially started. We had obtained our armbands after we first arrived, again with a problem, and proceeded to the Haunted Mansion. This place can be really creepy at night with no one around, but that just added to the fun. There was very little crowd to speak of for E-night, and we felt like we had the park to ourselves. All the major characters were there, especially Mickey, who was positioned in front of the Castle. Everyone had a ball taking pictures with Mickey framed overhead with the castle and not another soul in sight. We pretty much rode until we could ride no more. Then spent the rest of the time exploring Main street. It is amazing how much of the architecture and details of the buildings you miss when all of the crowds are there. Finally it was time to go, and with much regret we trudged back to the bus for the short trip back to BC accompanied by host of shared family memories.
Day 4 CAN YOU PARTY ALL NIGHT
Needless to say by now we were completely exhausted. Our original travel plans called for a full day at Universal, however once it was decided that we would sleep in there were no arguments to be found. After a relaxing morning doing nothing but enjoying the balcony and gardens near our room, it was time to head to Disney Marketplace. This is another of our favorite family activities, lots of window shopping, looking at all the changes that had occurred since we had last visited. We had lunch at the Cuban restaurant on the Westside prior to visiting DisneyQuest for the first time.
This turned out to be an awful lot of fun. We sacrificed the rest of a nice day to stay inside and play, and play, and play. Great concept, our favorite, the Pirates of the Caribbean. We played this until we beat the phantom pirate, yelling and screaming the whole time. Many of the activities we had not tried before, including a lot of the virtual reality machines. By the time we left, it was after 7:00 pm and a unanimous decision to continue the party. We headed over to PI and proceeded to party well into the night, taking in the comedy club, adventurer's club, music, food and whatnot. This was the first time any of us had been to PI, since our DD was too young on our previous trips. This time she had no problem hanging with the big kids, and brought in the "New Year" with as much energy as she had at the beginning of the day.
Day 5 THE CANDY COW COMES HOME
Our last had come and unfortunately it was time to leave, but not without more fun. Since our passes were good until midnight we decided to treat the travel day as a full day. After checkout we headed over to AK to finish the things we didn't get to last time. First up was a return trip Dinosaur. This time DD summoned all her courage and took the ride with us. She had the time of her life and proceeded to ride as soon as she could get back in line. The crowds had yet to materialize, and we walked right into the attraction again and again. Next up the Kali River rapids. Since we wore our swim suits again getting wet was no problem. This was our biggest disappoint of the trip, only because the ride only lasted 3 min if that long. Today we were able to walk right onto the ride, but yesterday the standby wait was 80 min, definitely not worth it my humble opinion. After exploring some of the nature trails, we finished our visit with Its Tough to be a Bug. Finally, it was time to say goodbye to AK.
We returned to BC for a final swim when the first thunderstorm of our visit hit. DD didn't mind being in the water during the rain, but her parents retired to the porch to soak up the scenery and plan our last outing. While relaxing in the bar DW went back to the front desk to inquire about the fanny packs we did not receive when we checked in. The CM discovering that we had not received them, promptly went to the YC and personally delivered them to us at the bar. Got to love that Disney service.
When decided that one last trip to EPCOT for dinner, prior to going to MGM for FANTASMIC would be a grand way to close out the day. While in EPCOT DD decided yet again to for the search for food in her quest for the candy cow. While I left in find dinner, I later see her strolling triumphantly with her precious cow in hand. The candy lady had finally granted her request and fashioned a candy cow, with "hidden Mickeys" for spots. DD trip was a complete success. We watched the parade of nations at Epcot, then made a hasty retreat to MGM. The timing was perfect. Seating had just begun for FANTASMIC, and we ended up with great seats near the front in the middle section.
I think the festival seating works well here. Many families line up early with dinner in hand and spend the time before the show starts as down time for the family. Many people brought cards and entertainment for the kids which seemed like a great idea until show time. FANTASMIC is definitely not to be missed. This was truly an innovative and entertaining experience. I just can't wait too see it again and again. A fitting end to a wonderful trip. As we left the show, time for some last minute shopping before piling into the car for the trip home. As we slowly drove away on I-4, the question still lingered whether we should have gone back to PI before our tickets expired? The answer a resounding yes.
Day 1 (April 1st) The First and the Last
After weeks of planning, pouring over DIS messages and internet information, the time had finally arrived. We left at 11pm from Georgia for the approx. 6hr drive to the Beach Club at Disney (even factored in the hour time change so we would not miss a minute of fun). Four hours into the trip we pulled over to rest, obviously our internal clocks didn't know where we were going. After about an hour of sleep we were ready to start again. We arrived at the Beach Club after 8:00 am, already late for the early opening at MGM, our first stop. Check-in was flawless, room was not ready however, plans called for an morning at MGM, prior to an afternoon at Blizzard Beach, then check in. We were able to get our E-night tickets(Tuesday) at check-in, however they were out of fanny packs from American Express.
The Beach Club is situated in a great location, after a short tour to check out the grounds, we were on a boat for the short trip to MGM. This was the first time our family has stayed at a Disney property, and we will surely be back. Tickets in hand, we when right into MGM to discover the place nearly empty, realatively speaking. All of the anticipated crowds had failed to appear, and we felt we had the park to ourselves. First order of business was to get fastpass tickets to the "soft opening " of Who Want to be a Millionaire. This went without a hitch, and off to do the rest of our favorite rides, Muppets, the Great Movie Ride, Star Tours, all had virtually no wait. By 10:00 am we were waiting for the next showing of Doug Live, plenty of time before our 12:40 window for Millionaire. By this time the crowds had pickup. My family isn't into the high intensity rides, so there was no rush to get to RnR coaster or TOT, I would have plenty of time to get to that later (or so I thought). The Doug show was fun, interesting concept of blending live action and animation.
We arrived in time for the second showing of Millionaire. We were seated in the fastest finger chairs on stage, but everyone has a control panel and competes at the same time. They continued a game with a contestant from the previous show, winning a pin set, hats, points, but the ultimate prize a trip to see Regis would go unclaimed. The set seemed identical to the TV show, and really made you wonder how you would do if you actually played the game on TV. A hint if you play, once you know the answer start hitting the button, whoever gets the most points before the round is over becomes the next player. If your session ends before you complete your game, they ask you to come back to finish.
After Millionaire it was time to head to Blizzard Beach. We wore our swimsuits under our clothes, so no need for suitcases. One tip was to drive to BB, this worked out great. We had come to find out that BB was celebrating its sixth birthday that day, no cake though. The weather was still a little cool, especially when you got out of the water. However DD(age 11) overcame her fear of waterslides, and ended up having a great time. When ended up staying until the park closed at 6:00 pm.
Once we arrived back at BC, our room was ready. I had faxed a room request to the room controller, 4 days prior to arrival asking for a second floor, full balcony, double queen, 'garden view' room as per recommendations by many of the contributors to the DIS board. We ended up with a great room and the main level, facing the gardens, and the lagoon off the back, a very short distance from the main lobby, which turned into a great advantage.
DD reminded us that tonight would be the last MSEP at MK, so full of energy we headed out to catch the 8:15 parade. Bus transport to MK was no problem, and in no time we were on Main street taking in this enduring spectacle. Once the parade was over we resisted the urge to stay at MK since we were coming back for E-night later that week, and decided to check out the Boardwalk for dinner.
We decided to explore the Boardwalk, only a short walk away. By this time it was after 9:30pm. After all the planning , the one thing own family could not do is decide on dinner choices for the trip, so we decided that this would be the one thing we would do on the fly ( i.e. no PS arrangements). Spoodles looked pretty good at the time, so we checked in, and after a 10 min. wait went right in. Another tip, the later you eat, the better chance of getting a walk in table. We were seated in the back, next to a large group. Once our server arrived we gave our drink orders, which included a bottle of wine to celebrate. When the waiter brought the wine, it was not the bottle I had ordered, despite his having a small problem with the language he continued to insist that this was what I had ordered, finally I had him bring the menu back to point out the difference between what he was trying to give me and what I actually ordered. After a short while a different waiter delivered the right wine, was very apologetic. The only other problem was my DW steak and to be sent back for being extremely tough and overdone, only to be reserved slightly less tough and over cooked. Remainder of the meal when without a hitch and we were generally pleased, but this restaurant won't be on my list of favorites when we returned. It pretty much lived up to a lot of the reviews already posted on this board and others. The night ended quietly in anticipation to a trip to Animal Kingdom in the AM.
Day 2 THE SEARCH FOR THE CANDY COW
Having been primed to get up early for the awakening of the animals at AK, our internal clocks once again took command of the situation, and decided to sleep in. We were awake and ready to go by 9:30, but who cares we were on vacation. Although our original planned called for AK this morning, we decided with the late start Epcot would be better.
We were surprised at how short a walk it was to get there from BC, less than 5 min. We went in through the International gate, and spent a lot of time just looking and the British and Canadian scenery which is hard to appreciate due to the crowds. Our first stop was Test Track, the fastpass worked great with a 12:10 return window. We went on to Cranium Command, enjoying the rest of the pavilion prior to making 8:00 pm ressies for the Coral Reef restaurant. We continued to enjoy the other exhibits up until time for TT. DW took a lot of encouragement to ride TT, but she hung in there even though the ride broke down at the end.
We proceeded to spend the rest of the day at the various national pavilions eating and drinking our way around the world. DD became fascinated with the Japanese lady who fashions animals out of candy. Despite her best efforts she could not get the women to make her a cow and left disappointed but determined to try again. Finally it was time to head over for our dinner reservations. DD could not remember visiting the Seas pavilion on a prior visit, so we decided to do this first, then dinner. That time of the evening there were no crowds, and no problem studying the various fish.
After we arrived at Coral Reef, DD discovered she left her autograph book at the pavilion, so while I was seated the CM let them back through the elevator to retrieve it. This turned out to be the best meal of our trip. Our server, Maggie I believe was just wonderful. Everyone's food was cooked to order, and they presented an impressive wine list by the glass. Although I read CR had mixed reviews at times, we were very pleased with our experience this time around. When dinner was done the fireworks had finished, and we took a leisurely walk back to BC. Once we returned to the room DD was ready for bed, so we left a family walkie-talkie with her, and headed over to the Boardwalk to listen to the music from the clubs and people watch until it was time for bed.
Day 3 MK REALLY LOOKS DIFFERENT AT NIGHT
We were able to wake up a little earlier this time, and set out for AK by 8:30. We arrived at AK at about 9:15, and already the park seemed crowded, but not to bad. DD had a great time getting autographs from the characters at the front gate. We went directly to the Safari ride which only had a 20 min standby wait time. This seemed a little better than the fast pass. The wait was no problem, and soon we were on way to see the animals. For some reason this park seemed to be a bit more crowded and harder to negotiate. We made our way to the Tarzan Rocks show. Again the production values were quite high, and everyone pleasantly surprised. From there it was on to Dinosaur. As I said before the rest of the family is not into intense rides, so it took a bit of coaxing to get DW and DD into line. Fast pass worked out great for this attraction, however as we were just ready to get into the cars DD fled in terror. DW had a ball once she got over her initial fear. This turned out to be her favorite ride, going for a total of 3-4 times before the trip was over. By this time the crowds were getting thicker, so it was time to head back to the hotel for some pool time. The pool at BC was outstanding, sand covered it kept everyone entertained for the rest of the afternoon. Our game plan was to grab dinner as we walked through EPCOT to catch the monorail to MK for E-night.
Our DD decided to spend her meal time in a quest for the candy cow in the Japanese area. Despite enduring two sessions of the drummers, the candy lady again ignored her request for her treasure. Disappointment did not last long, as a trip to MK was the next objective. We arrived just as the new parade Spectromagic was beginning. Suddenly DD realizes that this may be the only opportunity to ride It's a Small World( a tradition for her). So we began the impossible task of fighting the crowds, and this time it was really, really crowded to get to IASW before closing at 9:00. In keeping with a perfect trip everything went fine. Once we passed the castle the crowds thinned and IASW was enjoyed to her heart's content. As we left IASW the fireworks were just beginning, and so was one of those magical moments that only happens at this place at this time.
E-night had officially started. We had obtained our armbands after we first arrived, again with a problem, and proceeded to the Haunted Mansion. This place can be really creepy at night with no one around, but that just added to the fun. There was very little crowd to speak of for E-night, and we felt like we had the park to ourselves. All the major characters were there, especially Mickey, who was positioned in front of the Castle. Everyone had a ball taking pictures with Mickey framed overhead with the castle and not another soul in sight. We pretty much rode until we could ride no more. Then spent the rest of the time exploring Main street. It is amazing how much of the architecture and details of the buildings you miss when all of the crowds are there. Finally it was time to go, and with much regret we trudged back to the bus for the short trip back to BC accompanied by host of shared family memories.
Day 4 CAN YOU PARTY ALL NIGHT
Needless to say by now we were completely exhausted. Our original travel plans called for a full day at Universal, however once it was decided that we would sleep in there were no arguments to be found. After a relaxing morning doing nothing but enjoying the balcony and gardens near our room, it was time to head to Disney Marketplace. This is another of our favorite family activities, lots of window shopping, looking at all the changes that had occurred since we had last visited. We had lunch at the Cuban restaurant on the Westside prior to visiting DisneyQuest for the first time.
This turned out to be an awful lot of fun. We sacrificed the rest of a nice day to stay inside and play, and play, and play. Great concept, our favorite, the Pirates of the Caribbean. We played this until we beat the phantom pirate, yelling and screaming the whole time. Many of the activities we had not tried before, including a lot of the virtual reality machines. By the time we left, it was after 7:00 pm and a unanimous decision to continue the party. We headed over to PI and proceeded to party well into the night, taking in the comedy club, adventurer's club, music, food and whatnot. This was the first time any of us had been to PI, since our DD was too young on our previous trips. This time she had no problem hanging with the big kids, and brought in the "New Year" with as much energy as she had at the beginning of the day.
Day 5 THE CANDY COW COMES HOME
Our last had come and unfortunately it was time to leave, but not without more fun. Since our passes were good until midnight we decided to treat the travel day as a full day. After checkout we headed over to AK to finish the things we didn't get to last time. First up was a return trip Dinosaur. This time DD summoned all her courage and took the ride with us. She had the time of her life and proceeded to ride as soon as she could get back in line. The crowds had yet to materialize, and we walked right into the attraction again and again. Next up the Kali River rapids. Since we wore our swim suits again getting wet was no problem. This was our biggest disappoint of the trip, only because the ride only lasted 3 min if that long. Today we were able to walk right onto the ride, but yesterday the standby wait was 80 min, definitely not worth it my humble opinion. After exploring some of the nature trails, we finished our visit with Its Tough to be a Bug. Finally, it was time to say goodbye to AK.
We returned to BC for a final swim when the first thunderstorm of our visit hit. DD didn't mind being in the water during the rain, but her parents retired to the porch to soak up the scenery and plan our last outing. While relaxing in the bar DW went back to the front desk to inquire about the fanny packs we did not receive when we checked in. The CM discovering that we had not received them, promptly went to the YC and personally delivered them to us at the bar. Got to love that Disney service.
When decided that one last trip to EPCOT for dinner, prior to going to MGM for FANTASMIC would be a grand way to close out the day. While in EPCOT DD decided yet again to for the search for food in her quest for the candy cow. While I left in find dinner, I later see her strolling triumphantly with her precious cow in hand. The candy lady had finally granted her request and fashioned a candy cow, with "hidden Mickeys" for spots. DD trip was a complete success. We watched the parade of nations at Epcot, then made a hasty retreat to MGM. The timing was perfect. Seating had just begun for FANTASMIC, and we ended up with great seats near the front in the middle section.
I think the festival seating works well here. Many families line up early with dinner in hand and spend the time before the show starts as down time for the family. Many people brought cards and entertainment for the kids which seemed like a great idea until show time. FANTASMIC is definitely not to be missed. This was truly an innovative and entertaining experience. I just can't wait too see it again and again. A fitting end to a wonderful trip. As we left the show, time for some last minute shopping before piling into the car for the trip home. As we slowly drove away on I-4, the question still lingered whether we should have gone back to PI before our tickets expired? The answer a resounding yes.
