Our Trip to Disney World
December 9-14, 2001
Two people, Wendy and David, both 33.
I, Wendy, had finished chemotherapy for a brain tumor just two months prior to our trip.
To see pictures go to: http://www.sameasiteverwas.net/albums/photos.php
Day 1 Sunday, December 14
Off to Disney World!
We had a thankfully uneventful journey from RDU to Orlando on Southwest and arrived on time. We picked up our National Emerald Aisle car, a beautiful blue Toyota Camry, and before we got to Disney World, we stopped at Chamberlins Market and Café, a health food store. We are both mostly vegetarians (we do eat fish on occasion), and I cant eat dairy, so we really wanted to get to a health food store. We got there about 35 minutes before they closed, and got some grocery shopping in (we also stopped at a supermarket in the same shopping center). Then we headed down to Disneys Old Key West Resort. There were no hassles checking in, and we were given a beautiful 1 bedroom room + full kitchen + living room + large bathroom including a tub for two and a separate shower. We had a river view, and a very quiet room just what we had asked for.
We unpacked our groceries, got changed and then headed out for dinner at Jiko at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. The restaurant was beautiful, the food was good, but not excellent. However, there wasnt much on the menu that I could eat. David really enjoyed his meal. After dinner, we walked around the Animal Kingdom Lodge. We didnt see any animals (except for fish and birds), but the Lodge was worth seeing. Arrived home (aka OKW) and collapsed.
Day 2 Monday, December 10
The Magic Kingdom
A preface: David and I both grew up in Southern California and we (or at least I) went to Disneyland at least once a year (sometimes more). But neither of us has been there in at least 15 years.
A gorgeous day. Highs in the mid 70s, a light shower in the afternoon.
I was so excited about going to the Magic Kingdom, I woke David up at 6:30am. (To wake him up, I made little whimpering noises like our dog, Keesha, does when she wants him to get up to feed her). We made it to the park shortly after the 9:00 opening time and went directly to Splash Mountain. We walked right on the ride, and rode it twice without getting off. We grabbed Fast Passes for Winnie the Pooh (although the wait was only 20 minutes), we sat down and had a bite to eat, walked right on to Peter Pans Flight (as good as we remembered it) and Snow Whites Scary Adventure (disappointing), and then used our Fast Passes for the Pooh ride (great!). Fortunately, neither of us are partial to rides that spin, so we passed on the teacups.
We hopped over to Mickeys Toontown Fair, walked around a bit, and rode the Barnstormer at Goofys Wiseacre Farm. It was short, but intense, (Im prone to getting dizzy just looking at roller coasters and spinning rides) and so I figured that that was enough coaster time for me!
David rode Space Mountain once we got to Tomorrowland and decided that that was enough roller coaster time for him. Tomorrowand is ultra cool. They have updated it since the last time I saw it (I was at The Magic Kingdom and Epcot about 15 years ago), and now it actually looks like it belongs in the future, instead of the future that was envisioned in the early 70s. We were both disappointed that they took out Journey Into Inner Space, but The ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter was fantastically amazing. Neither of us knew what to expect, and that made it much more fun. We were a bit wary of the title of the Buzz Lightyear ride with the word spin in it, but the castmember at the start of the ride assured us that the ride would spin only if we wanted it to. We wound up riding it twice in a row (but we did have to get off and then get back on again though Im not sure why since there were no lines). We didnt ride the Indy Speedway because we reasoned that now that we are actually old enough to drive it wouldnt be quite as exciting as we remembered the Speedway to be. (It was the Autopia in Disneyland now that I think about it, that must have been a pun on utopia.) But we did ride the Tomorrowland Transit Authority, and that was a relaxing break before our next trek across the Magic Kingdom.
We backtracked and headed over to the Enchanted Grove where we got a lemonade slush and then made a beeline for the Haunted Mansion. Again, no lines and we walked right on. I think the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland in CA is much better, but then again, I havent been on it in at least 15 years, so my perspective might be a bit skewed. We were also disappointed in the Jungle Cruise and the Pirates of the Carrots (er, I mean Pirates of the Caribbean. Old family joke. When my brother was younger, it is told, he couldnt say Caribbean so he would say the Pirates of the Carrots.) We got on the Walt Disney World Railroad and rode it around the park and got back off in Frontierland. Where were the dinosaurs? There were dinos on the train ride in Disneyland, right?
We were headed back home at about 4:30 when it started drizzling. It felt very refreshing, since we were hot and tired. When the rain got heavier, we tucked into a little nook on a path around the castle, and we saw a rainbow, right over Cinderellas castle! We were in the right place at the right time. Everyone around us was looking very delighted, and others, who were just noticing it, were excitedly alerting their family and friends: Look! A rainbow over the castle! Truly magical.
Exhausted, but wanting to view the fireworks, we waited for sunset just outside the park, at the edge of the lake where boats launched, headed towards the resorts. We took the monorail over to the Contemporary resort and went up to the top floor to the California Grill. Drinks in hand we watched the fireworks from the balcony on the 15th floor overlooking the Magic Kingdom. A perfect ending to a great day.
December 9-14, 2001
Two people, Wendy and David, both 33.
I, Wendy, had finished chemotherapy for a brain tumor just two months prior to our trip.
To see pictures go to: http://www.sameasiteverwas.net/albums/photos.php
Day 1 Sunday, December 14
Off to Disney World!
We had a thankfully uneventful journey from RDU to Orlando on Southwest and arrived on time. We picked up our National Emerald Aisle car, a beautiful blue Toyota Camry, and before we got to Disney World, we stopped at Chamberlins Market and Café, a health food store. We are both mostly vegetarians (we do eat fish on occasion), and I cant eat dairy, so we really wanted to get to a health food store. We got there about 35 minutes before they closed, and got some grocery shopping in (we also stopped at a supermarket in the same shopping center). Then we headed down to Disneys Old Key West Resort. There were no hassles checking in, and we were given a beautiful 1 bedroom room + full kitchen + living room + large bathroom including a tub for two and a separate shower. We had a river view, and a very quiet room just what we had asked for.
We unpacked our groceries, got changed and then headed out for dinner at Jiko at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. The restaurant was beautiful, the food was good, but not excellent. However, there wasnt much on the menu that I could eat. David really enjoyed his meal. After dinner, we walked around the Animal Kingdom Lodge. We didnt see any animals (except for fish and birds), but the Lodge was worth seeing. Arrived home (aka OKW) and collapsed.
Day 2 Monday, December 10
The Magic Kingdom
A preface: David and I both grew up in Southern California and we (or at least I) went to Disneyland at least once a year (sometimes more). But neither of us has been there in at least 15 years.
A gorgeous day. Highs in the mid 70s, a light shower in the afternoon.
I was so excited about going to the Magic Kingdom, I woke David up at 6:30am. (To wake him up, I made little whimpering noises like our dog, Keesha, does when she wants him to get up to feed her). We made it to the park shortly after the 9:00 opening time and went directly to Splash Mountain. We walked right on the ride, and rode it twice without getting off. We grabbed Fast Passes for Winnie the Pooh (although the wait was only 20 minutes), we sat down and had a bite to eat, walked right on to Peter Pans Flight (as good as we remembered it) and Snow Whites Scary Adventure (disappointing), and then used our Fast Passes for the Pooh ride (great!). Fortunately, neither of us are partial to rides that spin, so we passed on the teacups.
We hopped over to Mickeys Toontown Fair, walked around a bit, and rode the Barnstormer at Goofys Wiseacre Farm. It was short, but intense, (Im prone to getting dizzy just looking at roller coasters and spinning rides) and so I figured that that was enough coaster time for me!
David rode Space Mountain once we got to Tomorrowland and decided that that was enough roller coaster time for him. Tomorrowand is ultra cool. They have updated it since the last time I saw it (I was at The Magic Kingdom and Epcot about 15 years ago), and now it actually looks like it belongs in the future, instead of the future that was envisioned in the early 70s. We were both disappointed that they took out Journey Into Inner Space, but The ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter was fantastically amazing. Neither of us knew what to expect, and that made it much more fun. We were a bit wary of the title of the Buzz Lightyear ride with the word spin in it, but the castmember at the start of the ride assured us that the ride would spin only if we wanted it to. We wound up riding it twice in a row (but we did have to get off and then get back on again though Im not sure why since there were no lines). We didnt ride the Indy Speedway because we reasoned that now that we are actually old enough to drive it wouldnt be quite as exciting as we remembered the Speedway to be. (It was the Autopia in Disneyland now that I think about it, that must have been a pun on utopia.) But we did ride the Tomorrowland Transit Authority, and that was a relaxing break before our next trek across the Magic Kingdom.
We backtracked and headed over to the Enchanted Grove where we got a lemonade slush and then made a beeline for the Haunted Mansion. Again, no lines and we walked right on. I think the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland in CA is much better, but then again, I havent been on it in at least 15 years, so my perspective might be a bit skewed. We were also disappointed in the Jungle Cruise and the Pirates of the Carrots (er, I mean Pirates of the Caribbean. Old family joke. When my brother was younger, it is told, he couldnt say Caribbean so he would say the Pirates of the Carrots.) We got on the Walt Disney World Railroad and rode it around the park and got back off in Frontierland. Where were the dinosaurs? There were dinos on the train ride in Disneyland, right?
We were headed back home at about 4:30 when it started drizzling. It felt very refreshing, since we were hot and tired. When the rain got heavier, we tucked into a little nook on a path around the castle, and we saw a rainbow, right over Cinderellas castle! We were in the right place at the right time. Everyone around us was looking very delighted, and others, who were just noticing it, were excitedly alerting their family and friends: Look! A rainbow over the castle! Truly magical.
Exhausted, but wanting to view the fireworks, we waited for sunset just outside the park, at the edge of the lake where boats launched, headed towards the resorts. We took the monorail over to the Contemporary resort and went up to the top floor to the California Grill. Drinks in hand we watched the fireworks from the balcony on the 15th floor overlooking the Magic Kingdom. A perfect ending to a great day.
I'll see her in the rainbow over the castle.
