AWilliams
Wishing on a star...
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2000
- Messages
- 325
Click Here to See Report with Photos:
http://www.netamy.com/amyandjoe/travel/orlando404/orlando4045.htm
DAY 5: Thursday, April 29th
I woke up long before the alarm was scheduled to ring and jumped in the shower. Today we would be checking in to the Wilderness Lodge at Disney!! We really enjoyed our stay at the Hard Rock and the Universal parks, but I missed Mickey! Our check-out instructions and final bill had been slipped under our door. I filled out the form and brought it downstairs. I also grabbed a couple bags and brought them to the car. Joe was up and getting ready when I returned. He helped me carry down the rest of the luggage and we were on our way. I went in the wrong direction on I-4 (again), but knew the quick turnaround.
Wilderness Lodge
There wasn't much traffic and we were at the Lodge in just about 20 minutes. We parked and left our luggage in the car in case our room wasn't ready yet. We had eaten dinner at the Wilderness Lodge on our honeymoon and loved the themeing here. The lobby was just as I had remembered. There was no wait to check in and our room was ready!! We went back outside and grabbed our bags. It was a long trek to our room, but the view was well worth it. We had a woods view and could see the Contemporary, monorail, and train station of the Magic Kingdom!! We were both hungry, so we headed to get some breakfast. We grabbed some coffee and pastries and ate out by the pool. We finished eating and went to hunt down the bus stop.
Epcot
It seemed like forever waiting for the Epcot bus and when it finally arrived we had to wait for them to lower the ramp to accommodate a wheelchair. Next we had to pick up more passengers at Fort Wilderness. Nearly an hour had passed from the time we got to the bus stop. We'd try a different route on the way back to the hotel! This would be the first test of our special 2-day hopper passes (from my conference). We didn't have any problem using them the whole trip. Our next stop was the camera shop to drop of the digital card to be put onto a CD. Finally we were on our way to Mission Space! The line wasn't that long, but we opted for a fast pass, so we could go on test track. Unfortunately the line for test track was huge and we couldn't get another fast pass yet. We wandered around Innoventions and into Mouse Gears where we bought a wine topper.
Our MS time had arrived! The pre-show and displays were good, but I was getting a bit nervous. They put us into a group with two other people and I was selected as Commander! Now I was even more nervous! We got into the pod and got strapped in. The monitors moved closer to us and this was it. I could see the launch structure and I knew this was going to be bad. We launched and I closed my eyes (yes, I know they tell you not to do this). I felt nauseous, so I opened up my eyes. Finally we were in space and I felt a bit better. We whipped around the moon and landed on Mars. Okay already, get me out of here!! Joe loved this ride, but I didn't think I could go on it again.
I needed a Margarita, so we headed for Mexico. I order two and they came with salt on them, yuck, but I drank it anyway. We walk through all the countries, stopping for a drink in England. It was hot, so we decided to head back to the hotel and check out the pool. My photos weren't ready yet, so I asked if they could send them to the hotel and they said they would be there later tonight. Perfect! We took the monorail to the TTC. I thought we could get a boat from there, but we had to wait for a bus. This trip only took about 15 minutes! A much better route!! We changed into our suits and headed for the pool (bar). We walked over to check out the pool at the villas and beach area, but decided to swim in the main pool. The water was actually pretty cool, so we moved over to the hot tub for a while.
Artist's Point
We had one of the earliest priority seatings at Artist's Point, so it was pretty empty. We wanted to enjoy dinner, but were also eager to get to the Magic Kingdom! Our waitress was very thorough, but we already knew what we wanted (thanks to the menu's on Deb's site!) She did recommend a very good wine! Joe had the buffalo and I had the vegetarian entree. Both dishes were excellent. We would have dessert at the MK! The boat to the contemporary was at the dock, so we hopped aboard. I thought it would be faster to go this way and take the monorail. It wasn't.
Magic Kingdom
There was a line to get into the MK and Main Street was already lined with people! We headed for Big Thunder Mountain and the wait was 20 minutes. There were no fast passes to be had anywhere, so we just waited, and waited. The ride was great as usual (our favorite at the MK). Joe isn't a big fan of lines, so we were done going on any rides for the evening. We headed for the ice cream parlor on Main Street and hoped to find "a" spot to watch the parade. We wound up on the train platform which was really crowded, but I was able to sit on the stairs and see most of the parade. A lot of people left after the parade, so we were able to get a great spot for the fireworks. Wishes was absolutely spectacular. I still have a huge grin any time I think about it! I love Disney! We were one of the first ones out and caught a direct boat back to the Lodge. It was a small boat and went really fast in the dark. It was actually pretty exciting until they couldn't figure out how to dock it! We got off and headed straight for bed!
http://www.netamy.com/amyandjoe/travel/orlando404/orlando4045.htm
DAY 5: Thursday, April 29th
I woke up long before the alarm was scheduled to ring and jumped in the shower. Today we would be checking in to the Wilderness Lodge at Disney!! We really enjoyed our stay at the Hard Rock and the Universal parks, but I missed Mickey! Our check-out instructions and final bill had been slipped under our door. I filled out the form and brought it downstairs. I also grabbed a couple bags and brought them to the car. Joe was up and getting ready when I returned. He helped me carry down the rest of the luggage and we were on our way. I went in the wrong direction on I-4 (again), but knew the quick turnaround.
Wilderness Lodge
There wasn't much traffic and we were at the Lodge in just about 20 minutes. We parked and left our luggage in the car in case our room wasn't ready yet. We had eaten dinner at the Wilderness Lodge on our honeymoon and loved the themeing here. The lobby was just as I had remembered. There was no wait to check in and our room was ready!! We went back outside and grabbed our bags. It was a long trek to our room, but the view was well worth it. We had a woods view and could see the Contemporary, monorail, and train station of the Magic Kingdom!! We were both hungry, so we headed to get some breakfast. We grabbed some coffee and pastries and ate out by the pool. We finished eating and went to hunt down the bus stop.
Epcot
It seemed like forever waiting for the Epcot bus and when it finally arrived we had to wait for them to lower the ramp to accommodate a wheelchair. Next we had to pick up more passengers at Fort Wilderness. Nearly an hour had passed from the time we got to the bus stop. We'd try a different route on the way back to the hotel! This would be the first test of our special 2-day hopper passes (from my conference). We didn't have any problem using them the whole trip. Our next stop was the camera shop to drop of the digital card to be put onto a CD. Finally we were on our way to Mission Space! The line wasn't that long, but we opted for a fast pass, so we could go on test track. Unfortunately the line for test track was huge and we couldn't get another fast pass yet. We wandered around Innoventions and into Mouse Gears where we bought a wine topper.
Our MS time had arrived! The pre-show and displays were good, but I was getting a bit nervous. They put us into a group with two other people and I was selected as Commander! Now I was even more nervous! We got into the pod and got strapped in. The monitors moved closer to us and this was it. I could see the launch structure and I knew this was going to be bad. We launched and I closed my eyes (yes, I know they tell you not to do this). I felt nauseous, so I opened up my eyes. Finally we were in space and I felt a bit better. We whipped around the moon and landed on Mars. Okay already, get me out of here!! Joe loved this ride, but I didn't think I could go on it again.
I needed a Margarita, so we headed for Mexico. I order two and they came with salt on them, yuck, but I drank it anyway. We walk through all the countries, stopping for a drink in England. It was hot, so we decided to head back to the hotel and check out the pool. My photos weren't ready yet, so I asked if they could send them to the hotel and they said they would be there later tonight. Perfect! We took the monorail to the TTC. I thought we could get a boat from there, but we had to wait for a bus. This trip only took about 15 minutes! A much better route!! We changed into our suits and headed for the pool (bar). We walked over to check out the pool at the villas and beach area, but decided to swim in the main pool. The water was actually pretty cool, so we moved over to the hot tub for a while.
Artist's Point
We had one of the earliest priority seatings at Artist's Point, so it was pretty empty. We wanted to enjoy dinner, but were also eager to get to the Magic Kingdom! Our waitress was very thorough, but we already knew what we wanted (thanks to the menu's on Deb's site!) She did recommend a very good wine! Joe had the buffalo and I had the vegetarian entree. Both dishes were excellent. We would have dessert at the MK! The boat to the contemporary was at the dock, so we hopped aboard. I thought it would be faster to go this way and take the monorail. It wasn't.
Magic Kingdom
There was a line to get into the MK and Main Street was already lined with people! We headed for Big Thunder Mountain and the wait was 20 minutes. There were no fast passes to be had anywhere, so we just waited, and waited. The ride was great as usual (our favorite at the MK). Joe isn't a big fan of lines, so we were done going on any rides for the evening. We headed for the ice cream parlor on Main Street and hoped to find "a" spot to watch the parade. We wound up on the train platform which was really crowded, but I was able to sit on the stairs and see most of the parade. A lot of people left after the parade, so we were able to get a great spot for the fireworks. Wishes was absolutely spectacular. I still have a huge grin any time I think about it! I love Disney! We were one of the first ones out and caught a direct boat back to the Lodge. It was a small boat and went really fast in the dark. It was actually pretty exciting until they couldn't figure out how to dock it! We got off and headed straight for bed!
