SusanEllen
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- May 24, 2004
- Messages
- 1,717
No doubt everyone who is reading this trip report has already read Kevins A Very British Trip Report and those with a keen memory for detail will remember that I joined the group from the UK a week and a half into their stay. Therefore this day Im reporting as Day 19 isnt actually my 19th Day. Its my 10th, but I thought Id better number the days as Kevin and Matt have so that readers will be able to mesh the three reports. Heres what happened during the afternoon of Day 19:
First there was a bus ride back to the Wilderness Lodge where I found a phone message from Josette, the helpful CM at All Star Music, saying she had located our relay box and shed added a note about it to Jackie and Dans check in information. It was good to get this confirmation that the relay was back on track. I called the All Star Music, asked to speak to a guest services supervisor. I told the supervisor that Josette was the hero of the day for finding our groups special box and that I appreciated the follow up call to let me know all was well. The supervisor assured me that Josettes good work would be noted and she thanked me for the call.
Out the door and on my way to the bus stop where (I'm sure Matt will feel vindicated to read) I had to wait for 20 minutes for an Animal Kingdom bus. However, that small inconvenience was offset by the fact that I was the only WL guest climbing aboard and at the only other stop, the Grand Floridian, all other guests debarked. I then had the bus to myself from GF to AK. The driver joked that I had the longest limo in Orlando.
A giant Christmas tree loaded with wild animal ornaments had sprung up by the front gate of Animal Kingdom since we were here a few days ago. I've never been at WDW late enough in the fall to see the Christmas decorations and this was a real treat.
My list for Animal Kingdom included another ride on Everest so I went there straight away and joined the very long single rider line. A CM told us it was about a 45 minute wait. The standby line was well over an hour and Im sure the FPs had all evaporated hours ago. It was a very busy Saturday at Animal Kingdom. But the time on line didnt seem so long (although it was every one of those predicted 45 minutes) as I had a charming young couple behind me who drew me into their conversation. He had moved from New York City to Tampa three years ago. She was from Long Island and visiting Florida for the first time. We first started talking about Fast Passes. They asked me if I could tell them how they worked. That led to a discussion of what they could do at Disney with only two days available to them. And then that led to talk about work (work being why they could only be at WDW for two days). She works for a group of radio stations in NYC in a job she sort of enjoys, but what she really wants to do is write commercials. Oh my word! Thats what my Scott didbrilliantly. A few more questions and she realized she knew some of his award winning commercials and was an admirer of his work. If there really are only six degrees of separation between most of us, isnt it a surprise to find a connection to an absolute stranger with only three questions? Small World, isnt it?
Next up was something new to mePrimeval Whirl. After riding it I realized that, though its dressed differently, its basically the same ride as Mulholland Madness in DCA. There was only about a 10 minute wait, which must mean something when the park was so crowded. Glad I rode it, but dont think Id ever stand in a line to do so again. Apparently many in the park that day felt the same way.
Then on to another thing on my To Do lista Mickey ice cream bar. This has been a Magic Kingdom tradition in years past, but realizing that time was slipping away, I decided that an ice cream bar in hand at AK was a sure bet and the possibility of one later at MK might not ever materialize. I opted for the sure bet.
Timing wasnt right to get to see the Festival of the Lion King, a shame because I do love that show. Consolation prize was Dinosaur, which is still fun.
Now it was nearly time to go. I wanted to see the parade if possible, because on previous trips Ive somehow always missed it. I knew, though, if not careful, Id have trouble getting through the crowds, to the gate, and on my way back to WL in time to get ready for my early seating at Artist Point. I managed to position myself so as not to get cut off from the walk way to the gate. It wasnt optimum viewing for the parade, but Im not so greedy as to expect every experience to be a peak experience. Luckily, a lot of the floats and the people pedaling them (!) were high enough to be seen over the guests tall enough to block my view. That would be anyone over 5' 1"! Parades are one of the things Disney does best and seeing one Id not seen before was a great way to end my time at Animal Kingdom.
Back to the bus stop. No super stretch limo exclusively for me this time, I had to share with a lot of other park goers. But funniest thingdo you recall the very first bus of the day? The one to EPCOT when I met Dave and Emma who took me along to Mission: SPACE? Do you remember that we were on that bus with only one other couple, the one I referred to as older? Well, here they were, seated directly across the aisle from me on this bus. We were in those seats toward the front of the bus that face each other. They spotted me first and I heard her say, Look whos here. We laughed and said the expected comments about what were the odds? Had we all enjoyed the day? And then, how did this happen? In the next 15 minutes I learned that he had had a heart transplant ten years ago and was doing quite well, she had retired from thirty years with the administrative offices of their school district, and that although they only lived an hour away in a small town north of Orlando and could have done WDW as a day park, they came several times a year as onsite guests. They allowed as how it was a wonderful thing to have the perks offered to Florida residents. They wished me well as we said goodbye. Everywhere Ive turned today there have been friends just waiting to be met. Really and truly, it is a Small World after all.
First there was a bus ride back to the Wilderness Lodge where I found a phone message from Josette, the helpful CM at All Star Music, saying she had located our relay box and shed added a note about it to Jackie and Dans check in information. It was good to get this confirmation that the relay was back on track. I called the All Star Music, asked to speak to a guest services supervisor. I told the supervisor that Josette was the hero of the day for finding our groups special box and that I appreciated the follow up call to let me know all was well. The supervisor assured me that Josettes good work would be noted and she thanked me for the call.
Out the door and on my way to the bus stop where (I'm sure Matt will feel vindicated to read) I had to wait for 20 minutes for an Animal Kingdom bus. However, that small inconvenience was offset by the fact that I was the only WL guest climbing aboard and at the only other stop, the Grand Floridian, all other guests debarked. I then had the bus to myself from GF to AK. The driver joked that I had the longest limo in Orlando.
A giant Christmas tree loaded with wild animal ornaments had sprung up by the front gate of Animal Kingdom since we were here a few days ago. I've never been at WDW late enough in the fall to see the Christmas decorations and this was a real treat.
My list for Animal Kingdom included another ride on Everest so I went there straight away and joined the very long single rider line. A CM told us it was about a 45 minute wait. The standby line was well over an hour and Im sure the FPs had all evaporated hours ago. It was a very busy Saturday at Animal Kingdom. But the time on line didnt seem so long (although it was every one of those predicted 45 minutes) as I had a charming young couple behind me who drew me into their conversation. He had moved from New York City to Tampa three years ago. She was from Long Island and visiting Florida for the first time. We first started talking about Fast Passes. They asked me if I could tell them how they worked. That led to a discussion of what they could do at Disney with only two days available to them. And then that led to talk about work (work being why they could only be at WDW for two days). She works for a group of radio stations in NYC in a job she sort of enjoys, but what she really wants to do is write commercials. Oh my word! Thats what my Scott didbrilliantly. A few more questions and she realized she knew some of his award winning commercials and was an admirer of his work. If there really are only six degrees of separation between most of us, isnt it a surprise to find a connection to an absolute stranger with only three questions? Small World, isnt it?
Next up was something new to mePrimeval Whirl. After riding it I realized that, though its dressed differently, its basically the same ride as Mulholland Madness in DCA. There was only about a 10 minute wait, which must mean something when the park was so crowded. Glad I rode it, but dont think Id ever stand in a line to do so again. Apparently many in the park that day felt the same way.
Then on to another thing on my To Do lista Mickey ice cream bar. This has been a Magic Kingdom tradition in years past, but realizing that time was slipping away, I decided that an ice cream bar in hand at AK was a sure bet and the possibility of one later at MK might not ever materialize. I opted for the sure bet.
Timing wasnt right to get to see the Festival of the Lion King, a shame because I do love that show. Consolation prize was Dinosaur, which is still fun.
Now it was nearly time to go. I wanted to see the parade if possible, because on previous trips Ive somehow always missed it. I knew, though, if not careful, Id have trouble getting through the crowds, to the gate, and on my way back to WL in time to get ready for my early seating at Artist Point. I managed to position myself so as not to get cut off from the walk way to the gate. It wasnt optimum viewing for the parade, but Im not so greedy as to expect every experience to be a peak experience. Luckily, a lot of the floats and the people pedaling them (!) were high enough to be seen over the guests tall enough to block my view. That would be anyone over 5' 1"! Parades are one of the things Disney does best and seeing one Id not seen before was a great way to end my time at Animal Kingdom.
Back to the bus stop. No super stretch limo exclusively for me this time, I had to share with a lot of other park goers. But funniest thingdo you recall the very first bus of the day? The one to EPCOT when I met Dave and Emma who took me along to Mission: SPACE? Do you remember that we were on that bus with only one other couple, the one I referred to as older? Well, here they were, seated directly across the aisle from me on this bus. We were in those seats toward the front of the bus that face each other. They spotted me first and I heard her say, Look whos here. We laughed and said the expected comments about what were the odds? Had we all enjoyed the day? And then, how did this happen? In the next 15 minutes I learned that he had had a heart transplant ten years ago and was doing quite well, she had retired from thirty years with the administrative offices of their school district, and that although they only lived an hour away in a small town north of Orlando and could have done WDW as a day park, they came several times a year as onsite guests. They allowed as how it was a wonderful thing to have the perks offered to Florida residents. They wished me well as we said goodbye. Everywhere Ive turned today there have been friends just waiting to be met. Really and truly, it is a Small World after all.
