MOmousefan
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2005
- Messages
- 1,054
Monday
Our last day. The kids want to sleep in again, so I check my bags at the bell station and head over to AK for one last EE fix. I made it for the 9:00 rope drop and by the time I got my EE FP it was for 10:20. I took some pictures of the big drop and then checked out the single rider line.
This is a good place to eat.
It was less then 10 minutes so I rode it and got back in line and rode it again. As I exited the car, my camera bag became entangled in the mesh pocket and I couldnt for the life of me get it loose! The CM had me get out of the car and it took her a minute, which seemed longer, to get it loose. How embarrassing!
I hadnt eaten any breakfast, so I headed to the nearest kiosk, which was by the entrance to Kali, and as I approached, two tourists went behind the counter. It seems the CM passed out so cold she was barely moving. Another CM at a nearby kiosk came over and to run back and forth as her kiosk had a phone and the downed CMs didnt. There was plenty of assistance around so I went back to EE and rode again in the single riders line. I was hungry and nothing else was open in this part of the park. I asked later and all they would say was the CM was taken out in a wheelchair. Hope shes alright.
One of my goals was to visit other resorts, so I figured I would ride the monorail to the three resorts in the loop. I took a bus to the Contemporary and walked around admiring its clean lines of architecture. After the rainy week we had I could see the benefits of staying in this resort. They had some awesome pressed pennies, but I had used up all of my change and one dollar bills, so next trip this will be a goal. On to the Poly and I am very impressed with the landscaping.
It is like walking through the Jungle Cruise. I have no idea what the rooms are like, but the buildings looked like they are showing their age. Still, if I were to stay at a monorail resort, this would be the one!
On to the GF and what an impressive entry into the main hall! There was some kind of activity on the main floor involving lots of little girls in adorable costumes. They might have been Cinderella or a princess, but it has been years since my girls did this, so I am not sure. They came upstairs where I was sitting and looked at pictures with a CM.
I called the kids they happened to be riding the monorail from EPCOT, so we met at the GF and rode around to the MK and took the bus back to PoP.
We had lunch there and I had the lo mein and did not like it. We messed around for awhile and I could tell the kids wanted to continue their vacation with Scotts relatives, so we said our goodbyes to each other and would see each other in a week. My bus was to leave at 2:45 and it was 1:30, so I retrieved my bags to stow the stuff I bought that morning. The bellman said if I wanted I could take the next bus at 1:45. I took his offer and was at MCO by 2:30. I checked by suitcase, went through security and took it easy in the SW boarding area. It was so cold in the seating area I got out my new hoodie and wore it. Other people putting on everything they had in their carry-ons. The clouds rolled in and there was a typical FL afternoon thundershower. It got steadily worse and we could see the lightning coming. Our flight was delayed 1:50, so we left MCO at 7:30. My connecting flight in Chicago left at 9:30, so I knew it would be close. They polled the passengers to find out who was on my flight to KC and there more then 20, so they held the flight for us. With my A boarding pass I got the spacious wing seat. The young lady next to me was on her cell phone and she was very agitated about spending the night at Mid-Way airport. She cussed, she cried, and she gave the listener h*** about this. She was a real multi-tasker as she talked on the phone, grabbed my pen to write a phone number on her hand, and then assisted me when a flight attendant asked if there was a Michael Sanders on the plane would he please press the attendant call button. This rattled me as I did not know where the button was so my seatmate pressed it for me all the time crying and cussing. I never did find out why they wanted to know where I was.
After we were airborne the young lady opened her bag, got out a pill bottle and headed for the restroom. She came back much calmer, so thank goodness for pharmaceuticals.
As we approached Mid-Way they announced for those of us on the KC flight to rush from our gate (19) to gate 2. I could hear a lady behind say they were going to hold the flight so she could go potty. As I approached gate 2 they were just loading the Bs, so I along with the others made our flight. Let me say again that SW was professional in all aspects of my flights. I havent flown since the early 70s. We made it into KC around 11:30 and I called for the hotel shuttle which arrived within 10 minutes. I was in bed by 12:30 and found it hard to believe that I had ridden EE earlier that day.
The next morning I made the three hour drive home. I have mixed emotions as I will miss WDW, but was glad to be home. Typically next spring the urge to return will hit me. I am already planning the trip with my oldest daughter and her husband and hopefully my son. The 200-2008 school year will be my last, so after I retire I would like to try WDW in the fall. My son is marine service technician and the fall and winter is his slow time.
This was a trip of firsts and I had several goals to achieve;
1. Fly for the first time in years This was a pleasant experience thanks to SW and DME. I love to drive, but this was very convenient.
2. Take a non-family member, although Scott will be a member after their wedding on July 28. Scott passed the future SIL test and Alison has made a good choice. It is a bittersweet experience when your daughter gets married, at least to me.
3. Have a turkey leg It was very tasty and will become a required activity from now on.
4. Visit the France and China movies Nope, I missed this one, maybe next time.
5. Experience the American Adventure Missed this one too. On the day I planned to attend the kids had other ideas, so this will go on the list for next time.
6. Participate in an evening EMH This is better than morning EMH IMO. It is cooler, the crowds thin out after midnight and the parks take on a different look after dark. From a commando perspective most rides were walk-ons and I took some great pictures.
7. See all of the new attractions since our 2005 visit EE and NEMO in AK, LMA in MGM (didnt see it in 2005), Peter Pan and Snow White in MK.
The positive:
PoP Century was as good as we remembered from 2005. Our rooms were by the Popjet pool so the bus stop and food court were close. The grounds were always immaculate and everyone was friendly.
The bus service was on time and we never had more than a 20 minute wait except for MGM one night. I miss the interaction with the drivers.
The food. While overpriced it is still good.
With one exception all CMs were professional, courteous, and still friendly. To only have one person with a negative attitude amidst the countless people we dealt with is astonishing. We talked with CMs from all over the world.
We enjoyed the new attractions and loved our old favorites. Some are showing their age, but still contribute to a memorable vacation.
The negative:
Florida heat and humidity. We knew this beforehand but it is still a shock!
Strollers, ECVs, and people stopping suddenly in the middle of the path. These have been hammered to death in other threads, so you know what I mean.
While our trips are enjoyable and we will be going back, the prices are outrageous. As long as we keep coming back, the prices will rise.
We have a wedding to get ready for and my last year of teaching. I will post some pictures of the wedding. This forum keeps the magic alive until the next trip and I will lurk and occasionally add my $.02. I want to thank all of you who answered my questions.
I will be adding some video on Youtube when it is edited.
Have a great summer, a great next trip, and be safe.
Our last day. The kids want to sleep in again, so I check my bags at the bell station and head over to AK for one last EE fix. I made it for the 9:00 rope drop and by the time I got my EE FP it was for 10:20. I took some pictures of the big drop and then checked out the single rider line.
This is a good place to eat.
It was less then 10 minutes so I rode it and got back in line and rode it again. As I exited the car, my camera bag became entangled in the mesh pocket and I couldnt for the life of me get it loose! The CM had me get out of the car and it took her a minute, which seemed longer, to get it loose. How embarrassing!
I hadnt eaten any breakfast, so I headed to the nearest kiosk, which was by the entrance to Kali, and as I approached, two tourists went behind the counter. It seems the CM passed out so cold she was barely moving. Another CM at a nearby kiosk came over and to run back and forth as her kiosk had a phone and the downed CMs didnt. There was plenty of assistance around so I went back to EE and rode again in the single riders line. I was hungry and nothing else was open in this part of the park. I asked later and all they would say was the CM was taken out in a wheelchair. Hope shes alright.
One of my goals was to visit other resorts, so I figured I would ride the monorail to the three resorts in the loop. I took a bus to the Contemporary and walked around admiring its clean lines of architecture. After the rainy week we had I could see the benefits of staying in this resort. They had some awesome pressed pennies, but I had used up all of my change and one dollar bills, so next trip this will be a goal. On to the Poly and I am very impressed with the landscaping.
It is like walking through the Jungle Cruise. I have no idea what the rooms are like, but the buildings looked like they are showing their age. Still, if I were to stay at a monorail resort, this would be the one!
On to the GF and what an impressive entry into the main hall! There was some kind of activity on the main floor involving lots of little girls in adorable costumes. They might have been Cinderella or a princess, but it has been years since my girls did this, so I am not sure. They came upstairs where I was sitting and looked at pictures with a CM.
I called the kids they happened to be riding the monorail from EPCOT, so we met at the GF and rode around to the MK and took the bus back to PoP.
We had lunch there and I had the lo mein and did not like it. We messed around for awhile and I could tell the kids wanted to continue their vacation with Scotts relatives, so we said our goodbyes to each other and would see each other in a week. My bus was to leave at 2:45 and it was 1:30, so I retrieved my bags to stow the stuff I bought that morning. The bellman said if I wanted I could take the next bus at 1:45. I took his offer and was at MCO by 2:30. I checked by suitcase, went through security and took it easy in the SW boarding area. It was so cold in the seating area I got out my new hoodie and wore it. Other people putting on everything they had in their carry-ons. The clouds rolled in and there was a typical FL afternoon thundershower. It got steadily worse and we could see the lightning coming. Our flight was delayed 1:50, so we left MCO at 7:30. My connecting flight in Chicago left at 9:30, so I knew it would be close. They polled the passengers to find out who was on my flight to KC and there more then 20, so they held the flight for us. With my A boarding pass I got the spacious wing seat. The young lady next to me was on her cell phone and she was very agitated about spending the night at Mid-Way airport. She cussed, she cried, and she gave the listener h*** about this. She was a real multi-tasker as she talked on the phone, grabbed my pen to write a phone number on her hand, and then assisted me when a flight attendant asked if there was a Michael Sanders on the plane would he please press the attendant call button. This rattled me as I did not know where the button was so my seatmate pressed it for me all the time crying and cussing. I never did find out why they wanted to know where I was.
After we were airborne the young lady opened her bag, got out a pill bottle and headed for the restroom. She came back much calmer, so thank goodness for pharmaceuticals.
As we approached Mid-Way they announced for those of us on the KC flight to rush from our gate (19) to gate 2. I could hear a lady behind say they were going to hold the flight so she could go potty. As I approached gate 2 they were just loading the Bs, so I along with the others made our flight. Let me say again that SW was professional in all aspects of my flights. I havent flown since the early 70s. We made it into KC around 11:30 and I called for the hotel shuttle which arrived within 10 minutes. I was in bed by 12:30 and found it hard to believe that I had ridden EE earlier that day.
The next morning I made the three hour drive home. I have mixed emotions as I will miss WDW, but was glad to be home. Typically next spring the urge to return will hit me. I am already planning the trip with my oldest daughter and her husband and hopefully my son. The 200-2008 school year will be my last, so after I retire I would like to try WDW in the fall. My son is marine service technician and the fall and winter is his slow time.
This was a trip of firsts and I had several goals to achieve;
1. Fly for the first time in years This was a pleasant experience thanks to SW and DME. I love to drive, but this was very convenient.
2. Take a non-family member, although Scott will be a member after their wedding on July 28. Scott passed the future SIL test and Alison has made a good choice. It is a bittersweet experience when your daughter gets married, at least to me.
3. Have a turkey leg It was very tasty and will become a required activity from now on.
4. Visit the France and China movies Nope, I missed this one, maybe next time.
5. Experience the American Adventure Missed this one too. On the day I planned to attend the kids had other ideas, so this will go on the list for next time.
6. Participate in an evening EMH This is better than morning EMH IMO. It is cooler, the crowds thin out after midnight and the parks take on a different look after dark. From a commando perspective most rides were walk-ons and I took some great pictures.
7. See all of the new attractions since our 2005 visit EE and NEMO in AK, LMA in MGM (didnt see it in 2005), Peter Pan and Snow White in MK.
The positive:
PoP Century was as good as we remembered from 2005. Our rooms were by the Popjet pool so the bus stop and food court were close. The grounds were always immaculate and everyone was friendly.
The bus service was on time and we never had more than a 20 minute wait except for MGM one night. I miss the interaction with the drivers.
The food. While overpriced it is still good.
With one exception all CMs were professional, courteous, and still friendly. To only have one person with a negative attitude amidst the countless people we dealt with is astonishing. We talked with CMs from all over the world.
We enjoyed the new attractions and loved our old favorites. Some are showing their age, but still contribute to a memorable vacation.
The negative:
Florida heat and humidity. We knew this beforehand but it is still a shock!
Strollers, ECVs, and people stopping suddenly in the middle of the path. These have been hammered to death in other threads, so you know what I mean.
While our trips are enjoyable and we will be going back, the prices are outrageous. As long as we keep coming back, the prices will rise.
We have a wedding to get ready for and my last year of teaching. I will post some pictures of the wedding. This forum keeps the magic alive until the next trip and I will lurk and occasionally add my $.02. I want to thank all of you who answered my questions.
I will be adding some video on Youtube when it is edited.
Have a great summer, a great next trip, and be safe.
We also stayed at Pop, which I love, and sounds like our room was very close to yours. It was a great location. Have a great last year of teaching, and then enjoy the freedom of being able to go to WDW in the off season (if there IS one anymore!). 
