Around the World in 9 Days - 12/8 through 12/16

[ransom]

Introduction

To those reading this, thank you! This is a report of our first trip to WDW. We brought along a Passporter, and filled out a card every night with all the pertinent info. That's helping me a lot in writing this. I'm keeping at least one chapter ahead, so I can reliably post one chapter a day.

So much magic happened on our trip, I can't wait to tell you about it!

I'd appreciate any feedback you may have about the trip report.


-Ransom

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Chapter 1: The Pre-trip Report

This, our first trip to Walt Disney World, was years in the planning. While both of us had been to Disneyland before (DW's last trip was in 1980, while mine was in 1988), neither of us spent much time over the last 14 years that we've been together thinking about returning - let alone going to WDW. From time to time, I'd bring up going to Disneyland as a suggestion for a vacation, but DW never expressed much interest and there was always something to do around the house or a need to visit out-of-state relatives, so we kept our "just us" vacations closer to home. We did a few long weekends to Wisconsin (we live in northern Illinois), but otherwise all our vacation time over the last fourteen years has been spent either at home or visiting relatives.

I should introduce us. I work as a network administrator, and DW plays the role of bookkeeper, but that's not really who we are. In the nineties I designed role-playing games as a side-line, while DW did illustration. The company we worked for eventually went out of business (and we never pursued it thereafter), but those roles are closer to who we really are: I work with words, she works visually. I can read about something and know it pretty well, while she does best with seeing things first hand.

At any rate, in July of this year, we took a week off from work for the usual vacation at home. But we decided to do something a little different: for the first time in about ten years, we would visit the local Six Flags theme park. It's just down the street from us, but we just don't have much desire to go there most of the time. We decided we wanted something more than a stay-at-home vacation this time, though, so I bought our tickets over the Internet to take advantage of the discount.

But when we woke up the morning we'd planned on going, neither of us really had the desire to go to a madhouse theme park in the July heat and humidity. We talked seriously about staying home (pre-purchased tickets or no) but finally decided on going.

We had a great time! Riding the thrill rides was a lot of fun, as was getting a funnel cake and just enjoying the atmosphere. Of course, being a die-hard Disney nut, I made a few comments about how poorly maintained and themed the place was. And that, coupled with seeing how happy my wife was at the park, made me think once again of Disney. Before the day was over, I'd decided we would go to Walt Disney World. I didn't know when or how, but I knew we'd do it. I talked it over with DW, and she agreed to the idea.

Although I'm usually pretty wishy-washy about things (I can argue just about any side of just about any issue), when I make my mind up, I act pretty quickly. So once DW had agreed to the idea, I sprung into action. I bought both the Official and Unofficial guides, did Internet research (which is how I found The DIS), and talked to a co-worker who had visited Disney World at least once every two years for the last twenty years. By the first week of August, we had our plane tickets, our reservation at the Wilderness Lodge, our Magic Your Way tickets w/ Dining, our dining reservations, and reservations for transportation to and from the airport. Oh, and we signed up for parasailing at DW's request. (Me? I'm acrophobic, but I signed up, too. I kept thinking, "Mickey wouldn't hurt me. Everything will be fine." You'll see how that turned out later in this trip report.)

Since our reservations were for the second week of December, that left us a lot of time to fill. During those agonizing months, DW kept busy with her hobbies, but I spent the time hyping myself on Disney. I spent a lot of time here on The DIS (even making DIS Veteran just before leaving for the trip), reading guide books (in addition to the above, I also bought the 2007 edition of the Unofficial Guide when it came out, the deluxe Passporter, the EZ Fun Guide, and signed up for Tour Guide Mike), and talking to my DCW (Disney Co-Worker).

Unfortunately, all my planning and talking about WDW made DW a bit concerned about how much of a vacation it would be. With daily ADRs, getting up early every day so we can do some touring before the parks fill, and making time for evening fireworks at MK, Disney/MGM, and Epcot, it was looking less like a vacation and more like work. Would there be any time to relax, or would it all be go-go-go? I assured her that having these plans would make our vacation better, not worse, as we would end up having had many more experiences and far less time wasted standing in lines or trying to figure out what to do next.

As you can tell, I'm a planner. And that's because I'm a worrier. That's good because I rarely end up overlooking anything - I worry constantly, so I tend to think of every eventuality and plan for it. But it's bad, because often my worrying about the future prevents me from enjoying the moment. And, when it gets down to it, no amount of worry or planning can cover every eventuality. Stuff happens. Unpredictable stuff happens. I know I need to control my worrisome nature, and I was hoping I'd be able to get a start on that during this trip. But leading up to it, I had plenty of time to worry.

Although I try to think of everything, sometimes random things bring some new worry to my awareness. I bought something via mail order for our trip, and our credit card company called to verify that the transaction was OK. That made me realize I'd better let them know we'd be traveling, so our purchases would be automatically OK'd. When I called them to do that, the agent I spoke to advised making a photocopy of our ID and credit cards to carry with us in case the originals were stolen. Although I was a bit worried about doubling the number of vital things I had to make sure didn't fall into the wrong hands, what he said sounded like a prudent idea to me, so I followed his advice. In chapter 2 of this report, you'll see how my worries were justified.

But my biggest worry was whether, after this trip, DW would ever want to go again. During my research, all my love of Disney had been brought back to me. I knew I wanted to go again and again. But not without her. Would she like the rides? She remembered enjoying Disneyland, but after seeing her enjoy Six Flags' thrill rides, I wondered whether the typical Disney slow-paced ride would interest her. And since we would be getting up early every day and staying up late most nights, would she end up going through it like a zombie, numb to the magic around her? And what about the Wilderness Lodge - would it be the right fit for her? What would she think of the boats and busses?

But back to the story. The days ticked slowly by, until it was finally the day before we left. We'd taken that day off as well, so we could do laundry and pack everything except what we'd need to get ready before leaving. Oh, I forgot to mention that we planned on getting up at 1 AM to get to our flight. We'd figured on taking a couple of hours to get ready, then spending an hour in transit to the airport, spending an hour getting our bags checked and getting through security, and then having enough time for breakfast at the airport even if something went wrong along the way. Some of you reading this are probably laughing at us right now, but remember that we're not frequent travelers. The last time we were at an airport was before 9/11/2001, and long before the new liquids ban and subsequent easing of that ban. We didn't really know what to expect, and figured we might well make a mistake and end up delayed during the security check.

Sorry for the digression. Now where was I? Oh, right - the day before. So we packed most everything we'd need (we had a grocery stop planned with Tiffany Town Car at Publix to pick up some of the other things we'd need) and went to bed at 8 PM. That would give us about four hours of sleep, even allowing a full hour for calming down and falling asleep. We figured that would get us through our first day, and we'd be tired enough to sleep in a strange hotel.

That was the plan, anyway. Naturally, we couldn't fall asleep. I think DW nodded off around 10, and I finally got to sleep about half an hour later. But a couple of hours of sleep is all you need before Disney world if you're a soft, middle-aged American, right? Right?

Next: A Brush with Disaster

 

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Chapter 2: A Brush with Disaster

The alarm went off at 1 AM, as planned. We keep the alarm across the room on top of our chest of drawers (and old trick I learned during my college days that keeps me from going back to sleep after turning it off). I was so sleepy that I barely made it across the room. I stood there after turning off the alarm (one of the loud, old-fashioned, bell-ringing ones), sort of swaying back and forth, bleary-eyed and getting my bearings.

What? 1 AM? Why is the alarm going off?!?

Then it all came back to me. This was the day! Today we were finally going to Disney World!!

At that point, we both started rushing around. Shower, shave, dress, do the final packing, make sure we have everything we need, eat something to hold us over until we get through airport security, get 150 lbs. of luggage down the stairs and to the front door so there won't be a delay when the driver arrives, reset the digital thermostat to save energy while we're gone...and endless list of things to do before we go.

Somehow we managed to get it all done with time to spare. We had about 15 minutes for standing around saying, "I can't believe we're really going" and "I can't believe it's finally The Day" before the driver pulled up in a stretch limo.

That was a surprise for DW. When I'd checked into pricing for various ways of getting to the airport, I'd been surprised to see how little the additional cost was to use a stretch limo instead of a town car. You see, we live out in the boondocks, so most of the cost of getting a professional driver and car out here comes from the time it takes to travel out here and back. Once you have an expensive, professional human being killing an hour just to get here, it pretty much doesn't matter what they're driving. So I went for the stretch limo. How could I resist surprising DW with that?

So when the driver pulled up in the cool white limo, gathered up our luggage, then opened the door for DW, she was wide-eyed and amazed. Inside was the usual front-facing back seat, with a long L-shaped seating arrangement between that and the driver. It was great traveling to the airport inside that car, enjoying the little twinkling lights, the neatly arranged Champagne glasses, and the feeling of privacy you get in such a car. It's not something I've done often, but I do enjoy it every time - and I was very glad DW did as well. We were off on the right foot!

We arrived at the airport and exited the warm and cozy limo into 6 degree chill night air at 4 AM.

Remember, our flight was at 7, so we had plenty of time if something went wrong. Well, we sailed through the easy check-in kiosk phase, then went directly to the security line. It wasn't too long, only looping back on itself a bit. Just as we rounded the corner to the main queue, though, they opened a second security point and drew from the main line starting with the person in front of us. So, within minutes of joining the queue, we were suddenly second in line! Within minutes, we were out on the main concourse and headed for our gate.

At that point, we had nearly two hours to kill in the airport, waiting for boarding to begin. So we found our gate, made a pit stop, then bought a light breakfast at a coffee and pastry place. There were no tables in the place, so we went across and used the tables at the Chili's restaurant (which was closed.) We were a bit unsure about doing that, but by the time we were done, several of the other tables were in use by folks who'd bought food at the same shop, so it seemed to be pretty routine. Besides, it was nice to sit down and eat at a relaxed pace in the airport - something we both have enjoyed back when we flew more (before all the security checks made airports more of a time eater than they used to be).

Once we'd eaten, we went back to our gate and sat down to wait it out. I bought a newspaper, and we both read sections of that until they started the boarding call. Although it was a pleasant way to spend the morning, we both decided we'd leave home an hour later the next time.

Our plane boarded and our flight took off on schedule. The takeoff and landing were both very smooth, as was the trip itself. No turbulence to speak of, no "air rage" types, and even clear skies all the way, much to DW's delight. It was, quite simply, a very pleasant trip. The magic continues!

On arrival at Orlando International, after a quick trip to the bathroom and a ride on the monorail, we were able to find our driver from Tiffany Town Car and quickly claim our luggage. From there, it was a quick trip out the door (into 50 degree weather) and to the waiting town car.

On the way, we passed the lines of Disney's Magical Express users queueing up to get on their busses. We "pardon me"'d our way through a couple of the lines, heading for the car. Behind me, I heard, "Sir! Excuse me! Sir!" It took a few times for me to realize they were talking to me. I turned around, and a woman was holding up some paper and telling me I'd dropped something.

Remember the photocopy of my ID and credit cards that I'd been advised to make? Well, I'd been worried about putting it in my luggage, so I kept it in my back pocket for the trip. It had apparently worked its way nearly out while I was sitting on the plane, then dropped out just as I was passing through those lines.

I'm so thankful that lady was kind enough to alert me to the fact that I'd dropped it. What a vacation ruiner losing that would have been! Lesson learned: either don't bring such a sheet, or keep it in a front pocket so it won't fall out.

I was so scared and embarrassed, I don't think I properly thanked the person who returned the sheet to me. I think I just mumbled my thanks and turned around to catch up with DW and the driver. So if the person who helped me out that day is reading: THANK YOU! Thank you so much. You saved our vacation. You are definitely part of the Disney magic!

Next: Tears at the Lodge

 

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Chapter 3: Tears at the Lodge

After a quick stop at Publix to pick up a few things, our driver took us expeditiously to our destination. On the way, we were treated to the increasing incidence of billboards for Disney parks and attractions. They did their job of building our excitement, but there's nothing like seeing the arch for the first time. We were there!

Well, almost. We still had the trip to 901 Timberline Drive. As we approached and the scenery became more dominated by trees, we felt as though we were going to a secluded spot in the mountains of the northwest. I smiled as I spotted the "Bear Crossing" sign and started thinking of the Lodge's mascot, Humphry. But I worried what DW would think of it all. I hoped to see her smile when we entered the lobby.

Our driver pulled up to the Lodge, and a cast member approached and took our luggage for us. Since we were arriving at noon, long before the 3 PM check-in time, there was little chance we'd get a room right away. Still, we had to check in in order to get our Keys to the World, so we entered the lobby.

I looked up and around, and I was stunned by the scale, theming, and overall feel of the place. Just stunned. I turned to look at DW, to get her reaction, and saw that she was crying. Visions of our stay at a run-down hotel up north flashed through my head, bringing to mind DW crying about the dump of a room we had stayed in at the time. But this was different. She was crying tears of joy.

After a hug and a kiss, we went to the front desk and checked in. We both smiled at the "welcome home" we got from the cast member. And, magically, they had our room ready! We got our keys and headed to the elevator.

I was happy because our courtyard view room was on the same side as Roaring Forks, but near Bay Lake in the outer, larger part of the courtyard. In other words, we got exactly the type of room we'd requested. More Disney magic!

And when we opened the door to our room and saw the newly installed decor, we were stunned again. To top it all off, a Mickey Head towel animal was sitting on our bed. A towel animal on our first day!

After the bellman brought our luggage and gave us a quick overview of the Lodge and how to get around it, we unpacked. As usual, there weren't enough hangers from all our clothes. But someone on The DIS had mentioned that you can call mousekeeping and get more hangers if you need them. Never having done that before, it was a new concept to me. So I hesitantly called mousekeeping and the conversation went like this:

Me: "Hi, I was wondering if I could get some more hangers?"
Mousekeeping: "Certainly. How many did you need?"
Me: "Would eighteen be out of reason?"
Mousekeeping: (Laugh) "No, I'll send them right up."

And that, in a nutshell, is how we were treated the whole time we were there.

After the hangers arrived and we finished unpacking, we went out to the balcony to soak in the moment, the deliriously delicious moment we found ourselves in.

Next: You Gotta Do MK on the First Day!

 

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Chapter 4: You Gotta Do MK on the First Day!

After enjoying our room for a bit, we went downstairs to have a burger at Roaring Fork and buy our Lodge mugs. What a treat! No, the food wasn't haute cuisine, but it was better than what I get from the cafeteria at work and, well, it was Mickey Approved! Of course we grabbed an extra Mickey napkin for the scrapbook.

When we finished eating, we went back upstairs briefly, then decided to hit the Magic Kingdom. But first we wanted to ride the monorail. We'd thought we'd be too tired for going to any park on our first day, but with all the magic we'd already experienced, we were jazzed.

Thanks to the DIS, I knew just how to get to the boat docks, and which boat to take to get to the Contemporary. We waited only a few minutes for a boat, then got on and got our first boat ride.

We had so much fun riding those boats back and forth during the week. And that was with keeping our hands, arms, feet, and legs inside the boat at all times!

Once we got to the Contemporary, we followed the signs to the monorial station. From there, we went to the TTC, then switched trains and went to Epcot and back, then got on the express monorail to the MK.

When we got to MK, we soaked up the joy that is Main Street, then took the short cut to Tomorrowland. My favorite ride from my Disneyland years was the Peoplemover, so I wanted to ride the TTA. DW's favorite ride was Space Mountain, and she wanted to ride that. So we headed for SM, got fastpasses, then went back to the TTA, where I got to experience that ride for the first time.

I enjoyed it, but it's just not the same as the old ride at Disneyland. That one had on-board speakers that were synchronized to the ride. On the TTA, you sort of hear the audio come toward you then fade into the distance. Not the same at all. That didn't stop me from riding it many times during the week, however!

After getting off the TTA, we headed over to SM and, after waiting a few minutes in the fastpass line, DW was seated up front! She was thrilled, and enjoyed the ride quite a bit.

But all that excitement had burned up our remaining energy, so we headed back to WL. Besides, we had an ADR for dinner at Whispering Canyon.

Once back at the Lodge, we found in our room a nice card and balloons for our 10th anniversary! When we were booking, we'd gotten talking to the cast member and had mentioned we'd be celebrating our anniversary while we were there. At the time, I hadn't heard how special celebrations are treated at Disney World, so I didn't expect anything to come of it. I just brought it up because we were so happy to be going to such a special place to celebrate our 10th and wanted to share my happiness with the nice cast member we were talking to. Well, she must have made note of that, because the WL folks knew why we were there and gave us a nice little acknowledgment of our special day. How magical!

Then, before we could head down for our ADR, there was a knock at our door. I answered it, and there was a cast member with a gift basket! I was shocked and wondered who it was from. It was from my Disney fan co-worker and his wife, wishing us a magical stay!

So many magical things had happened to us on our first day, we just couldn't believe it. Everything went well on the trip, our room was ready when we arrived, and it was just exactly the room we'd hoped for! Not to mention a mickey head towel animal was on our bed when we got there, followed by anniversary balloons and card, and now a gift basket!

Later, we headed down for our ADR. It was fun watching the folks at the table next to us, as they were put in charge of the ketchup. About two dozen bottles were put on their table. Two other couples were celebrating anniversaries, and they were pressed into participating in a kissing contest for all to see. When they asked if anyone else was celebrating an anniversary, we kept quiet since we were just absolutely ready to fall asleep on our feet. We'd been up about 17 hours on less than 3 hours of sleep at that point.

Our waitress was Miss Unstable, who took mercy on us and just gave us the usual antics (tossed napkins and straws), then got our food to us and got us out of there before we passed out into our plates.

We then went back upstairs, got ready for bed, ordered a wake-up call for 6 AM, and fell asleep just about two minutes after our heads hit the pillows at around 8 PM.

Next: A Full Day at the Magic Kingdom

 

[jworthy]

You do an excellent job of writing your report....reminds me of the detail when I used to play MUD's. Looking forward to more!

 

[dopeyfanatic]

Aw, a limo! I'm hoping we'll be able to use a limo to go to the airport, but it will have to be a BIG one as there's at least 13 of us going, and as many as 19.

 

[ransom]

Wow, people are reading this after all!

Thank you for the kind comments, jworthy!

As for the limo, dopeyfanatic, it was cool! But, yeah, although it was too big to talk to the driver from the back seat, it would only fit 10-12 people comfortably.

Have you considered a stretch Hummer?

 

[Cass]

Hi there, I was at Disney the same week as you, I came by WL one evening and enjoyed the choir in the lobby.

Your trip report is great and you had such a magical first day

 

[ransom]

Hi there, I was at Disney the same week as you, I came by WL one evening and enjoyed the choir in the lobby.

You might have been in the audience at the same time as us! I don't remember which night we did that, though (didn't put it in the Passporter, alas). But we also enjoyed the bell choir when we caught them at the Grand Floridian on Friday. Disney does so much great stuff for their guests.

Your trip report is great and you had such a magical first day

Thank you!

That magicalness wasn't just a first time thing, right? It doesn't get less magical on subsequent visits, does it?

 

[ransom]

Chapter 5: A Full Day at the Magic Kingdom

We were sleeping soundly as the phone began to ring at 6 AM. Although I was still very tired, I sprang up and hit the speaker button so DW could hear the wake-up call. Although Stitch's "Nooooo sleeping!" was less welcome than a full Mickey call would have been, it was still very much a part of the magic!

We showered and dressed, then went downstairs for our first breakfast at Roaring Fork. We had scrambled eggs, bacon (lots of it - they must have given us 8 strips each!), hash browns, and a biscuit. DW had coffee, and I had milk (I'm not a coffee drinker). Since DW puts plenty of cream in her coffee, she had no problem with the Nescafe - a pleasant surprise after all the bad things we'd heard about it (probably from those who take their coffee black).

After breakfast, we headed back to the room to take care of necessities, and then down to the docks for our second boat trip to the MK. We got there by 8:30, in plenty of time to watch the opening ceremony. As Mickey and friends arrived via train and made us feel welcome in the most magical place on earth, both DW and I teared up. What a great way to start our first full day in WDW!

We headed down Main Street, cut across the Tomorrowland Terrace Noodle Station, and rode Buzz Lightyear. Then it was off to Fantasyland, where we experienced The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (great ride!), Snow White's Scary Adventures, got fastpasses for Peter Pan's Flight, headed over to It's a Small World (still bland after all these years), took in Mickey's PhilharMagic (a WONDERFUL 3D movie), and then swung back for Peter Pan's Flight.

Since we were about done with Fantasyland, we went through the castle and checked out the hoity-toity gift shop therein. It'd be nice to own one of those jewel encrusted castles, eh? We looked at the more moderately priced stuff, and saw some things that we could buy for friends and family, but ultimately decided to put off purchasing until later in our stay. The good thing was, if DW was looking at souveniers, then I knew she was having a good time. We're talking about the woman who cuts the logos off her shoes and jeans, and refuses to wear logo shirts, here. If she's thinking about buying Mickey items, it means a lot!

After perusing the stuff in the store, we doubled back through the castle then went to Liberty Square and toured the Haunted Mansion and the Liberty Belle before heading over to Harbor House for lunch. DW had the Garden Galley Salad (which she loved), while I had the Starboard sandwich with chips. (That sandwich is just incredible for theme park fare! Broccoli - and that sauce!) After lunch, we went to Frontierland and rode my old favorite, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Whee!

At that point, it was around 3 PM and we were starting to feel the effects of too little sleep and too much touring. So we headed out of MK. On the way out, I passed by Aloha Isle, home of the Dole Whip! While I wasn't in the mood for ice cream, I did want some water, so I got in line. When I made it to the register, my cashier happened to be talking to her coworkers and said, "Did you guys know the whips are on the Internet?" As she turned back to me, I smiled and said, "Boy are they!" I was tempted to go ahead and order one at that point, but I stuck to my goal of getting water and getting out.

By the time we got to the end of Main Street, though, we were both a little hungry so we stopped by the train station to get some popcorn to eat while waiting for the boat. From there, it didn't take long and we were back at the Lodge by 3:30. There, we found another towel animal on the bed: this time, a towel man, complete with robe and sash! We were overjoyed to have towel animals two days in a row!

After we placed the man on the bunk bed with our Mickey Head towel animal, we rested until it was time to head over to the Concourse Steakhouse at the Contemporary for our 6:00 ADR. I'd figured half an hour would be plenty of time to get there.

Well, we must have just missed the boat, because we waited until 5:40 and there was no boat in sight. As I grew more worried we'd miss our ADR, I suggested we try the bus stop. We might get lucky.

So we headed back down the pier, through the Lodge, and out the other side at a good clip. We got to the bus stop and...no busses. No taxis either.

But as I stood there despairing, DW spotted a taxi van pulling up under the canopy at the main entrance. She watched as the driver opened the door for his passengers. A woman approached and appeared to be asking the driver questions. DW then said, "Let's see if he can take us there!" I doubted he had no one to pick up at such a busy place and time, but I said, "Sure." So we double-timed it over there, watching with trepidation whether the woman would finish talkign to the driver too soon, and he would pull away before we could get there.

Just as we approached, the woman finished her conversation and turned away. Out of breath, I gasped to the driver, "Can you take us to the contemporary?" It was 5:52 at that point. He said, "Sure! That's easy, it's so close." Relief flooded over me. I thanked him profusely, and hopped in. I then asked, "How much?" He said, "No charge, it's so short." I was amazed! It was magical enough he had been there in the first place, but that he'd do it for free--!

He did get us there a few minutes before our ADR. DW handed him a tip, thanked him sincerely, and then we dashed off to figure out where the heck in the Contemporary the restaurant was. Fortunately, the signs made it easy. We walked up the first escalator, then ran up the stairs between the escalators to the fourth floor. We rounded the corner, and probably looked like lunatics as we dashed toward the maitre' d'. We'd made it!

The dinner was worth the effort. We both had the filet mignon with gorgonzola butter, but I started my meal off with french onion soup while DW had pan seared scallops. I ended my meal with creme brulee, wile DW ordered the chocolate cake. We both ended up eating the brulee, however, and the cake went virtually untouched. The brulee was magnificent, just as I'd heard on the DIS!

After our wonderful dinner, we headed back to MK via monorail.

Once again at MK, we entered just as Spectromagic was about to begin. On our first day, we'd entered MK just before the 3 O'Clock parade. That theme continued throughout our stay. Unless it was early morning, if we were entering MK, a parade was about to start. It made for tougher touring, but we learned to roll with it and just enjoy the fact that we were guaranteed to see every parade more than once.

We carefully worked our way down Main Street, then through Adventureland, and finally just made it across the street so we could get into Frontierland before the ropes went up. We headed right for our next attraction, Splash Mountain.

Since a parade was going on, we not only got a boat to ourselves, there was no one in the two boats in front of us, or the two boats behind. We decided to sit in the back of our boat.

Since it was dark, the exterior parts of the ride were hard to see. But the ride itself was fantastic! It's just like the movie - or, at least the cartoon segments of the movie. I understand why Uncle Remus was replaced by a frog, but it's still sad. Nonetheless, we enjoyed the ride immensely, and thankfully didn't get more than a misting of water on ourselves.

As we left Splash Mountain, it became obvious we weren't going to be able to get to Adventureland until the parade was over. So we stood on the bridge by Splash Mountain and watched the last half of Spectromagic. It was a lot of fun!

But just as the last float was going by, DW looked to her left and saw an orange glow in the distance. She touched my arm and said, "It's the shuttle!" I looked where she was pointing, and sure enough, we could see the fiery shuttle launch, silhouetting the castle. Moments later, we saw the separation occur as two points of light broke away from the main one and fell toward earth. How magical! Only once in a lifetime can you expect to watch the shuttle launch from MK between Spectro and Wishes!

Speaking of Wishes, I knew we hadn't a second to lose if we wanted to get a good position for seeing the fireworks. I led us toward Main Street, but we didn't even make it to the Partners statue. We ended up in an area with too many trees for good viewing when Wishes started.

Although the beginning of the show was still magical from our limited vantage point, I kept my eye out, and soon saw an opening to get nearer the castle. I grabbed DW and steered her over there so she wouldn't have to stop watching the show (she's a huge fan of fireworks, annually braving mosquitos and West Nile Virus to see the Fourth of July fireworks). Finally, we were in a position to see it nearly as well as it was meant to be seen. The finale, which lit up our area like it was high noon on a clear day, was wonderful and DW was very, very happy!

After that, it was time to leave if we wanted to get much sleep before our next 6 AM wake-up call. So we slowly headed out, following the crowds. It didn't take that long to get out of MK, but I hadn't factored in the effect of the Electric Water Pageant on our boat ride.

We were delayed leaving the MK boat docks, then slowed down all the way across the lagoon, then rerouted to Fort Wilderness for an even longer delay, then finally transported to the Lodge. I love the Electric Water Pageant in all its hoary simplicity and 80s-style electronica, but I was a bit tired of delays at that point. Well, I was a bit tired, period! But after only having been able to get one ride in after dinner, getting back to the Lodge much later than I expected was a bit of a bummer. We should have stayed at MK instead of heading right out. At least we could have gotten some shopping done!

Still, it was an incredibly magical day. Even if you discount the routine magic of WDW, we still got bonus magic from the taxi driver, from our mousekeeper, and from NASA. What a day!

Next: Our First Bus Ride -- to AK!

 

[ransom]

Since DISBoards is going to go down 12/22 at 5 PM, and be down for one or two days, I won't be able to follow my one-post-per-day rule. After that, it'll be Christmas, and I'll be unlikely to be able to get to a computer and post. So I'll be posting the next part of the story on Tuesday, most likely.

So, thank you for reading! See you next week! And Merry Christmas to all!

 

[BYC]

Merry Christmas! I am enjoying your report! We were in WDW when the shuttle launched, but never saw it. We didn't know about it, so didn't look for it.

 

[stealthnet]

Excellent so far... Subscribing.

 

[swankybeth]

Great report so far! I'm enjoying reading about all of the magical things that have been happening and looking forward to reading more.

 

[ransom]

I'm back! I hope everyone had a great Christmas. It's wonderful to see some new folks stopping by to read my report! BYC, Stealthnet, and Swankybeth: Welcome!

I'm going to post the next entry as soon as I finish with this post, then I'll start writing again. Since I'm now a few days further away from the magic, I'm hoping I can still remember it all. Thank goodness for the Passporter, or I'd be lost I'm sure.

One thing that will help is that we bored our relatives to death with 5 hours of home movies from WDW over the Christmas holiday. It might have put some to sleep, but it reinforced the magic for us!

 

[ransom]

Chapter 6: Our First Bus Ride -- to Animal Kingdom!

As was our new routine, we awoke Sunday at 6 AM to the sound of a ringing phone, followed by Stitch's "Nooooo sleeping!" and Mickey's apology. After a quick shave and shower, I headed down to Roaring Forks while DW finished getting ready. I picked up oatmeal, a donut, and a blueberry muffin for myself, and a bagel for DW. I also bought our resort mugs, and filled DW's with coffee and mine with Diet Coke for later. For breakfast, I bought a milk for myself.

(I know, I hear you saying, "Oatmeal, donut, AND a blueberry muffin for breakfast?!?!" Hey, I was on vacation. Every other day of the year, I eat a half cup of Fiber One cereal. It's bland, and I hate it. But I have to do it or I don't "move" if you see what I mean. I brought Fiber One with me, and I did have it every second day (along with something tastier), but I decided to indulge on this trip. And I still had oatmeal every day to keep things moving. So there! )

Sorry about that digression. Anyway!

We made it to the bus stop to AK by 8 AM. This was to be our first experience with Disney bus transportation. Within minutes, the bus arrived. We were at AK before 8:30. I know this because DW and I had each selected and purchased a nice straw hat at the Outpost gift shop by 8:34, according to my receipt. So, our first experience with the Disney bus system was smooth as can be!

Once again, we were in time to see the opening ceremony (albeit from some distance, as we dallied in the Oasis a bit too long to get a good spot). After Mickey arrived and got the safari off to a start, we headed for Expedition Everest. The line was already huge, so we grabbed fast passes and moved on to Dinoland, where we walked on to Primeval Whirl. Exiting, I asked the cast member to "please tell Chester that he did a great job with this one." She grunted noncommittally, so I'm not sure she understood the reference. Or maybe she was just too busy.

Next, we went on Dinosaur.

That's a fun ride. I liked it just fine. No problem.

Okay, I'll tell the truth. It scared me spitless!

I was on the far right of the ride vehicle, so when the first few dinos lunged and roared on the left side, I was fine. But that last one came from the right, and its roar was deafening. Next thing I knew, my knees were up around my head as my body tried to curl itself in to a fetal position right there while strapped in to the ride vehicle. I'm not proud of that moment, but that's what happened!

Fortunately, DW didn't notice my moment of cowardice.

So of course I mentioned it at the earliest opportunity! We had a good laugh about it, then I adamantly refused to go on that ride again!

From there it was off to Everest, where we got our first taste of that most excellent ride. What a treat! I don't want to ruin it for anyone, so I won't say anything specific, but every moment of that ride was absolutely fantastic. DW and I weren't the only ones clapping and cheering wildly as the train pulled back into the station.

Next we got fast passes for the safari and headed back to Tusker House. It wasn't time for them to start serving lunch yet, so we did a little sight seeing. I experimented with our new video camera, while DW took some pictures with the digital camera.

Once Tusker House opened back up, we got in line and had our first encounter with a cast member who insisted that since we're on the dining plan, we had to get dessert. It was so funny! I wish I could remember what he said, but I remember we were all laughing. Although I was mindful of my calorific breakfast, I went ahead and got the dessert. Here's what we had:

DW: Turkey wrap with cucumber salad, milk, cheesecake.
Me: Fried chicken sandwich, fries, diet coke, cheesecake.

We both ended up eating the cheesecake. It was very good. And that, dear friends, is how you gain weight while walking 10 miles a day!

After lunch, we went on the safari. What a blast! Disney does such a wonderful job of keeping the animals from feeling caged in. I wish zoos were like that.

After the safari, it was off to the Pangani Trail. At that point, we were grateful for the shade, because we'd forgotten to put on the sunscreen the day before, and had burned a bit. We'd applied it this morning, but being in the sun still was uncomfortable.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention the magical moment of the day: as we were waiting for Tusker House to reopen for lunch, we were roasting in the hot sun. Then, the clouds rolled in and gave us relief. Without that, it's doubtful we would have been able to stay at the park after lunch.

After the safari, we did the typical thing and crossed over to the Pangani Trail. I'm glad we did, because we got some great video of a hippo with his face right up against the glass, eating lettuce that had just been tossed into the tank.

By the time we exited Pangani Trail, DW's feet were feeling very sore and we were both tired and sunburned. So we just took in It's a Bug's Life (love that bug spray effect!) on the way out. My receipt shows I was back at Roaring Fork at 2:20, so you can see how early we had to cut this day. It's too bad, too, because we really wanted to see the Flights of Wonder show and ride Kali River Rapids. But we were exhausted, and it was starting to be not-fun, so it was best to come back early rather than missing a whole day later due to exhaustion.

After relaxing in our wonderful room at the Lodge (and seeing the duck towel animal our sweet mousekeeper had left us), we went to Artist Point for dinner. It was an OK experience. Our server was kept very busy by a large group at another table, so service wasn't top notch...but she didn't forget us! It just took a bit longer than usual to get through the meal.

If you're wondering, we both had the smoky portobello soup, then DW had scallops. I had the buffalo steak (which tasted like beef to me, so it wasn't much of a thrill, although it was decent tasting). And, yes, I indulged and had the berry cobbler - but only because I'd heard so much about it here on The DIS! So some of the pounds I gained, I blame on my fellow DISers. Yes, it was worth it.

Oh, while I'm being all confessional, I should mention that during that trip to the Roaring Fork at 2:20 that I mentioned above, I bought myself a Mickey Head ice cream. Why? Again, I blame it on the DIS! I'd been told it would be unforgivable to go to WDW and not have both a mickey head ice cream and a Dole Whip!

After dinner, we were in bed by 8:30, with our wake up call all set for the next day at 6 AM. Hopefully we'd be able to make it all day.

Next: Epcot!

 

[ransom]

Chapter 7: Epcot

After our 6 AM wake-up call, we followed our new routine of showering, with me finishing dressing first and heading down to Roaring Fork to fill up our mugs and get breakfast while DW continued to get ready.

On this particular morning (Monday, Dec 11), I brought back a banana for myself and oatmeal for DW. No, I wasn't dieting after gorging myself the previous days! I was getting ready to ride Mission:Space (the original version), as today was the day we would go to Epcot. I'd been told eating a banana is a good idea, as it helps keep your blood sugar levels up but not too high (supposedly low blood sugar can put you on the road to motion sickness). After eating, we headed down to the bus stop.

As with the day before, it only took a few minutes for the bus to arrive. We ended up at Epcot by 8:40.

After being let into the park, we headed for Test Track. I was supposed to go directly to Mission:Space to maximize the chances of the banana doing its job for me, but I decided to delay. If I got sick, at least I wanted to have already done Test Track!

On the way, I glanced at the big board to see what the wait times were, etc. It mentioned that "Wonders of Life" was closed, and I despaired. I'd read it was open for December, and had really been looking forward to seeing Body Wars and Cranium Command.

Fortunately, on the way to Test Track a cast member asked us what we were heading for. I told him where we were going, then asked about Wonders of Life. He immediately checked on it, and told us it was in fact open! I pumped my arms and did a little geeky dance in celebration, right there in the middle of Epcot's courtyard.

After I calmed down a bit, we walked on to Test Track. It was a fun ride, but the speed part was just OK. If you've ridden in a convertible on a freeway, it's not much different. The rest of the ride was better, in my opinion.

From there, it was on to Mission:Space, my nemesis. I'd been dreading riding it since we booked the trip back in early August. I'd read everything I could about avoiding motion sickness. Thus, the banana. And thus, I had peppermint candies with me. Supposedly, if you suck on a peppermint candy, you're less likely to experience motion sickness. I was desparate, so I gave it a try.

I never used to get sick on rides. Then about the time I turned 18, I started getting sick, but only on carnival rides. After I turned 30, it spread to rides at standard theme parks, such as Six Flags. Usually it's just uncomfortable, but sometimes it can knock me out for the day. I definitely didn't want that to happen on our trip to WDW!

So we entered the Mission:Space building, me sucking on my peppermint candy. Although the ride was another walk-on, I finished the candy by the end of the pre-show. So I popped another in my mouth just before entering the ride capsule.

As we sat down in that enclosed space, I spotted the sickness bags. I pointed them out to DW with a grimace, but she assured me everything would be fine.

As the ride started, my eyes went kind of blurry and I felt something in my stomach. I thought, "Oh, no! Here I go." But it went away within seconds! I kept my eyes on the screen (just glancing down at the buttons when necessary), and at the end of the ride, I felt fine. I was elated! I'd made it through "Mission:Hurl" unscathed!

So of course, having deprived myself earlier, I celebrated by going directly to the coffee cart near Universe of Energy and getting a nice danish. I enjoyed every bite!

Next we went toward Universe of Energy. We still had drinks from the coffee cart, which we planned to finish while walking toward the entrance - I'd spotted a garbage can by the door. But as we rounded the corner of the planter, the cast member working that attraction hustled over to us (we were the only ones there at the time) and said, "You can't bring those in here!"

I started to motion toward the garbage can and let her know we planned to throw them out on the way in, but before I could get any words out of my mouth, she said, "You ought to go somewhere else and finish those before you go in here. And next time, buy a bottle because those are OK anywhere. Cups can't go inside the building or on rides."

I think she was just trying to be helpful, but the tone of her voice and the way she rushed toward us put us off. So, rather than be around her any more, we walked away and went to Wonders of Life instead. She was draining our Disney high, and definitely brought my down from the feeling of elation I'd had after surviving the much-dreaded Mission:Space.

At Wonders of Life, we looked around a bit at this huge, clean, brightly colored pavilion. It was the first "real" pavilion we'd been inside, since both Mission:Space and Test Track consist of a ride and little else. It was impressive!

We then experienced Body Wars, followed by Cranium Command. Both were great fun! Sure, they're a little dated, but we didn't mind that at all. Body Wars is like Star Tours, so that makes it aces in my book. Cranium Command starts out slow but it's funny enough to see at least once.

We also tried some of the little hands-on experiences available in the main WoL pavilion, but most of them were down or broken. That was sad, because I'd read that it was once *the* pavilion to be in at Epcot, with long lines just to get inside.

At least we enjoyed Body Wars and Cranium Command. Oh, and I didn't get motion sick on Body Wars, either! In fact, I didn't get motion sickness anywhere at WDW. I can't even begin tell you how wonderful that was!

For posterity, we took many pictures and much film footage of the inside of the pavilion. We wondered what would be there next time we came to WDW.

After leaving the Wonders of Life pavilion, we saw a large line outside of Universe of Energy. We were kind of bummed by that, since there had been no line when we tried before. So, we headed elsewhere. (Had we known at the time that the ride takes on a ton of people each cycle, we would have waited. Or maybe not. We still weren't looking forward to encountering that too-proactive cast member again.)

So we headed across Future World to get fast passes to Soarin'. On the way, we stopped in at Electric Umbrella for lunch. We each had a double cheeseburger with fries and a diet coke. Once again, the cast member taking our order played at being offended that we weren't going to have dessert.

This time, though, the cast member wasn't aware we were on the dining plan until I handed her my Key to the Kingdom in order to pay for our meal. So she said, "Oh, you should have gotten desert!"

I replied, "That's OK. We really don't need it."

So you know what she did? She called out to the person behind the counter, "Hey, I forgot to put the dessert on their bill. Give them each a cheesecake."

What could we do at that point but accept? DW didn't eat more than a couple of bites of hers, but you know I enjoyed all of mine!

Next, we moved on to The Land so we could get fastpasses to Soarin'. And what a great pavilion The Land is! When you walk in, you see this huge amount of space, yet so much of it isn't even visible until you go to each of the attractions! That building is just humongous.

After we got our fastpasses, we headed over to Living with the Land. I think the line took all of 10 minutes for that. Gotta love those continuous loaders!

Living with the Land was a really enjoyable ride. It's probably our favorite edutainment type ride in Future World. We took lots of pictures, but unfortunately it's hard to see that, for example, the radishes are the size of soft balls without something else in the scene to give the viewer a sense of scale. Still, the pictures are nice for us to look at; they're just not much for sharing.

It was also great to see that tomato tree! I had no idea such a thing existed. And the "airoponics" section was very interesting. But I smiled the most when I saw the pumpkins being "trained" into Mickey head shapes.

When we exited The Land pavilion, we headed to The Seas with Nimo and Friends. We took pictures and video of the "Mine, Mine" birds. They're such a crack up!

The new attraction is quite cool as well. The animated characters seem to really be in the tank. I absolutely loved the theming in the ride queue, although once again I didn't get to enjoy it as much as I'd have liked to since we were out of the line and into a clamshell in no more than five minutes.

Once inside the Seas pavilion proper, we hesitantly took in Turtle Talk with Crush. Would it be fun for adults, or was it mostly a kid thing?

We needen't have worried! His interactions with the kids were hilarious - especially the bra sequence. But the funniest part was the kid who asked, "What are the names of all the turtles in the ocean?" Crush's response: "Uh, how much time do you have, Dude?"

Next we headed up to the main viewing area and walked around looking at the various fish swimming around those huge tanks. Having been to many aquaria, it didn't seem to be anything special. But it was fun nonetheless!

On the way out of the pavilion, we stopped at the gift shop and DW bought a Nemo key chain and attached it to her Bagalini (which was a huge hit, by the way; she's been using it since we returned instead of switching back to her purse).

Then it was on to Spaceship Earth (another walk-on, and a relaxing ride), and finally Soarin'. Even the fastpass line for that one took us about 15 minutes to get through. But it was worth it, because not only is the attraction awesome, but we got to ride in the front! Woo hoo! It was so cool, and it felt so much like I was really gliding over my native California that I lifted my legs up as we went over the mountains. I love getting lost in an attraction like that!

When Soarin' ended, it was early afternoon and we hadn't even stepped foot into World Showcase. So we gathered our things and headed over there, starting from the left and going clockwise. We passed up Mexico (since we knew we'd be there for our 6:00 ADR at San Angel Inn), went over to Norway briefly, then spent time in China, where we had some delicious food at Lotus Blossom (we split an order of twice cooked beef and egg rolls) and browsed at the huge store. Some ornaments caught DW's eye - she was looking for something to bring back for her sisters - but she decided to put off purchasing any gifts until we'd been to all four parks.

After browsing at the store, DW's feet were hurting pretty bad. She decided to apply some moleskin at that point. It helped a lot, and made it possible for us to continue touring. As DW rested her feet, we watched a performer tell a tale of a staff and a dragon. I wish I'd caught that on tape!

Once we felt able, we continued our tour and briefly entered each of the countries until we got to France, when we opted to stop for a snack at the pastry shop. We each had a pastry, but I'm afraid I don't recall what they were. The receipt doesn't show that information - just the price. I do remember I ate something I'd never heard of, while DW had a tart of some sort - perhaps strawberry. Both were delicious.

After eating our snacks, we continued touring with the UK, then Canada. At that point, it was time to head back to Mexico for our ADRs.

Once inside the Mexico pavilion, we rode El Rio del Tiempo (because you just know we got there early and had extra time to kill). It was while in the boat that I noticed the restaurant offers some really good seating that overlooks the ride. I hoped we'd be seated there, but knew there was only a small chance of that.

El Rio del Tiempo itself was fun, but a bit too like It's a Small World for DW's pleasure.

After exiting, we headed over to San Angel Inn so we could sign in for our ADR.

There was a group in front of us in line, including a blonde woman and a few men. She wanted to get a table even though she didn't have an ADR, but the place was packed. The cast member told her that he could fit her in at 8, but when he then asked how many in her party (there were four people present aside from DW and I), she said they had 12 people! So the cast member told her that he couldn't fit that many in at the last minute. After much negotiation, they agreed to seat the 12 people in groups of 4, scattered across the restaurant rather than at one big table. I'm glad she was able to get her group in, but it's surprising that anyone would show up at any restaurant and expect to be able to get 12 people seated with no problems!

We were up next, and after they looked up our ADR, we were given a beeper and told it'd be a few minutes. So we browsed the carts and shops, looking for something for DW's coworker who just got married. We almost bought a Day of the Dead bride and groom figurine, but again, DW decided not to get any gifts until we'd been to all the parks.

When we were paged for our ADR, there was some confusion as to who would seat us. Eventually a young woman was called over. It seems a table was being cleared for us on the left side of the restaurant. But I saw her shake her head, and I said hopefully, "Did you have a different idea of where we should be seated?"

She did! I was surprised and happy when she brought us to a table overlooking El Rio del Tiempo! We spent the evening watching the volcano, seeing boats of people float by, and dealing with momentary blindness from the flash photography efforts of those passing tourists.

We both started the meal with Sopa Azteca, and finished with an order of flan that we split. DW's main course was combinacion cozumel, while mine was puntas de filete. Both were very good!

After dinner, we decided to head for home. I'd planned on us seeing Illuminations that night, but DW's feet were hurting pretty badly even with the moleskin. I promised DW that if we could make it through a late night the next day (which was when our MVMCP tickets were for), we would have a relatively early night the following day (since we'd be at MGM, and Fantasmic! is over at 7:30). After that, we'd come back to Epcot an hour or so after opening, then stay late enough to watch Illuminations.

On the way out, we both loved the look of Epcot at night, so we decided to capture the moment - DW with her digital camera and me with the camcorder. We filmed the giant Christmas tree at the entrance to the World Showcase, then I turned around and got the arches as the lights danced to the music. I continued filming as I walked through to Future World. But as I got there, I realized I had lost DW!

I almost panicked. I didn't know what to do - we had neglected to designate a place to meet if we got separated. I didn't want to wander far from where I'd last seen her, but with the crowds and the darkness, it was tough trying to find her without moving around.

At that moment, DW was half way through the arches, still taking pictures, and realized that she had lost me! Her first thought was, "See you back at the Lodge!" Which actually turned out to be the best way to approach it, because when she continued on to Future World, we found each other. Whew!

On the way out, our feet really started to hurt. It was better than previous days (thanks partly to the moleskin DW was wearing to keep her little toes safe), but we both hoped the bus would be at the stop when we got there, so we wouldn't have to stand around for long. As we approached the bus area, we saw a bus just starting to load. Was it in the right space for Wilderness Lodge? There was no way to tell from the distance we were at, so we looked at each other, said "go for it," and we ran on our aching feet. It felt like we had nothing but bloody stumps left. And as fate would have it, as we drew closer we were able to see that the bus was for another resort; our bus stop was the one next to it. D'oh!

So we had to wait for a bus after all. But not long. Just long enough to meet a nice couple who were also heading back early. The bus picked us up at 7:30. Once we got to the Lodge, we saw that a fourth towel animal had been left for us: a huge towel rabbit!

After celebrating our good fortune with a kiss and hug, we relaxed for a little bit then headed to bed. We needed the rest, because the next day would be a long one and we knew it.

Next: How many times can you enter the MK in one day?

 

[BYC]

I am enjoying reading your report! Curious, though...what kind of foot wear were you and DW wearing? I walked for 10 days wearing only my Crovs, and my feet never bothered me at all. And, I have BAD FEET!

 

[ransom]

I am enjoying reading your report! Curious, though...what kind of foot wear were you and DW wearing? I walked for 10 days wearing only my Crovs, and my feet never bothered me at all. And, I have BAD FEET!

We're thinking of trying Crocs next time, but this time we were both wearing tennis shoes. My feet never hurt as badly as DW's did, but they did hurt. I spent a lot of time as a teenager working jobs that required me to stand on concrete floors in shoes that had virtually no padding, so my feet are pretty sensitive to that sort of thing. In DW's case, her feet usually aren't so sensitive, but she'd bought new tennis shoes a few weeks before we left for our trip. That wasn't enough time to break them in.

We're just grateful that we made it through the whole trip. I may be making it sound worse than it was. We did have some moments of pain, but even DW never let it stop us for long. Without the moleskin, though, she probably would have been out of commission for a day or more.

Next time we'll be better prepared!

 

[ransom]

Chapter 8: How Many Times Can You Enter the Magic Kingdom in One Day?

Ah, it was finally Tuesday, the day I'd planned as much magic as possible for DW. The day would start out with a character breakfast, proceed to a non-theme park thrill ride, dinner and fireworks, and finally MVMCP! It'd be a long day with lots of shuttling back and forth, but I hoped DW would think it was all more than worth it.

We woke up at the usual 6 AM, but managed to get to the bus stop by 7:05 by not going to Roaring Fork. We were headed to breakfast at the Crystal Palace!

I'd gotten an ADR for 8:15. Never having done a character breakfast, let alone one before park hours, I didn't know what to expect. I'd been told to make sure I got to the bus stop by 7 AM for a special "character breakfast" bus that would be coming. So I was pretty worried when we didn't make it down there until 7:05. Would the bus come, or would we be frantic like we were on Saturday, when we ended up taking a taxi to our dinner ADR at the Contemporary?

Fortunately, an MK bus arrived at 7:10 (it wasn't marked 'Character Breakfast' or anything, so I don't know if the advice I was given was spot on or not). It took only minutes to get to the park, where we went through security then waited in the special character breakfast line. They started letting us in at 7:45.

As people on The DIS had told me, it's even more magical to be on Main Street when it's empty. We took lots of photos and some film footage. An unobstructed view of the castle is a magnificent thing (even with the crane).

We checked in at the Crystal Palace, and were seated shortly after 8. The place was nearly deserted. I think only two or three other tables were occupied at that point. We were seated near the windows, in the first group of tables the characters go to, which was great! After a short delay during which our server was found, we were given the go-ahead to get our breakfasts.

DW asked the chef for sunny side up eggs, and picked up some grits, cantaloupe, watermelon, bacon, sausage, and a biscuit. The chef kept trying to make the eggs perfect by moving the whites around with the spatula, but kept breaking the yolks in the process. He must have thrown away nearly a dozen eggs to get the perfect ones. I kept it simpler and just drew entirely from the buffet, selecting a waffle, a pancake, scrambled eggs, bacon, and sausage.

Shortly after returning to our table, we saw Pooh on his way down the aisle toward us. DW asked me to run and get some honey (or, should I say, 'hunny'), but it was too late - Pooh had arrived. When DW told him she wanted to give him some honey but had run out of time, he endearingly expressed his appreciation for the thought. (It's amazing how those characters can get concepts across without speech!)

We both got our pictures taken with Pooh, Eeyore, and Tigger. Only DW got a picture with Piglet, though, because the "hip, hi, horray" parade was about to start, and he had to scoot off to join the group. The best moment for DW was when Tigger kissed her hands. For me, it was just standing next to Eeyore for our picture, as I can always related to his attitude.

We both had a great time watching the kids and characters interact. I went back for seconds on the waffle, and grabbed an extra biscuit for DW.

As we left Crystal Palace, they were minutes from opening the park. We headed right over to Adventureland. There were perhaps a dozen other people there at the time. Once the rope dropped, we all went straight to Pirates of the Caribbean, which was of course a walk on at that point. DW and I enjoyed the addition of Captain Jack very much, but it was disappointing getting only half the ride that they have at Disneyland. Don't get me wrong; it's still great! Just not as great as the original.

On the way out, DW bought a nice leather-type pirate hat. Since we didn't want to carry it around with us all day, we had it sent back to the Lodge.

The cast member we bought it from was really "on." He "Arrr, Matey'd" his way through the whole transaction, told a pirate joke, and generally made our day more magical! What a great place to be!

We then tried to get on Jungle Cruise next, but it wasn't open yet. A sign said it wouldn't open until 10, so we headed over to Frontierland.

First we rode Splash Mountain a second time - this time, during daylight. Boy did we get wet! They must have had it timed differently, because every boat got soaked by the water shooting out of the big drop as you float around it. We were in the second set of seats, and unfortunately the folks in front of us knew to duck down as we went over the big drop, so we got quite a bit more wet. Thank goodness it was sunny!

To dry off, we went on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad again. It's such a nicely themed coaster, and it's just the right speed where almost anyone should be able to enjoy it. It's the only coaster I've ever ridden multiple times without getting off (back at Disneyland, during Grad Nite), so it has a special place in my heart.

After BTMRR, we headed back to Jungle Cruise. The wait was already 20 minutes at that point, and it was only 10:15! That was the longest line we waited in for our whole vacation, which is pretty darned good if you ask me!

Our Jungle Cruise tour guide was just about as funny as they come. I don't recall many of the bad puns he used, but he had us all laughing the whole way through. Everyone on the boat clapped at the end.

After our cruise, it was time to try an elusive Dole Whip! I went back to Aloha Isle while DW rested her feet. I debated whether to get a float or a plain whip, and finally decided to stick with the standard: a pineapple Dole whip!

DW and I split the treat, and I must say, it definitely has a true pineapple flavor! It was quite tasty. Unfortunately, I'd been the first Aloha Isle customer of the day, so I got the first Whip out of the machine that day. Thus, ours was pretty icy rather than creamy. We'll have to try one some other time to see if they're supposed to be that way.

Once we finished our treat, we experienced the Swiss Family Tree House. It was just as I remembered it from Disnehyland: lots of stairs, but with a great view of the park! It's too bad there's not much room to move to the side and let people by so you can gawk at the vignettes and scenery. It all goes by so quickly!

As we exited the Tree House, we decided to head over to the Tiki Room. I was a bit worried about it, because while I loved the original show, DW doesn't recall ever seeing it on either of her two trips there. And she doesn't care for Gilbert Gottfried. I so wanted it to be like the original show, but it just wasn't. DW was unimpressed, as was I. Some day we'll have to go to Disneyland and see the original in all its glory.

After that letdown, we headed to Pecos Bill's for lunch. I decided to be "the man" and chose the BBQ pork sandwiches, fries, and Diet Cokes for us both. D'oh! Another let down. The pork was dry as could be. Pretty much standard theme park fare, and quite a difference from the excellent food we had at Harbor House on Saturday. After striking out twice in a row, I hoped that DW's choice for our next event would work out better. She'd decided we should try parasailing.

I'm afraid of heights. DW has her own fears (which we got to explore later in the week), but she has no problem with heights. She's been on a glider, and she's been up in an ultralight. Heck, she wanted to own one at one point. So for her, parasailing was a logical choice among the non-theme park activities available at WDW.

As for me, I was scared. I had to keep saying to myself, "Mickey wouldn't let anyone hurt me. Mickey wouldn't let anyone hurt me. Mickey wouldn't let anyone hurt me" as we rode the monorail to the Contemporary.

But I'm getting ahead of the story. Before we left MK, I insisted we stop off at another old favorite of mine, the Country Bear Jamboree. That worked out much better than the Tiki Room had. DW loved it, as did I. We both really hope they keep maintaining it so future generations can fall in love with it.

After the Jamboree let out, it was definitely time to go. We had a 2:00 appointment at Sammy Duvall's over at the Contemporary. So we walked fairly quickly to the MK gates, went to the Monorail, and caught a ride to the Contemporary. That took so little time, we actually ended up at Sammy Duvall's with fifteen minutes to spare. (A side effect of my worrisome nature is that I'm always way early for everything. Remember the two hours we had to kill at the airport? That was because of me, too.)

So, wonder of wonders, I was blessed with extra time to fret after signing that dreadful waiver. It put such great images in my mind. Air shear? Heart attacks? Whoo-eee! Sign me up! Oh, right...I had already signed up. Too late!

Before we knew it, it was time to get on the boat. DW had generously agreed to go first, so I could see what happens before I was in the thick of it. I need to know what's normal, or I'll worry needlessly, you see. So they strapped her in, and away she went!

She had a great time, and I had a chance to observe that sometimes the parasail line gets about 45 degrees off kilter from the back of the boat as the driver speeds on his course around the lake. Eventually, everything straightens out, and the parasailer doesn't drop at all. It's all good! Or so I kept telling myself (in between chants of "Mickey wouldn't let anyone hurt me").

All too soon, it was my turn. DW came down smiling and happy. We changed places, and whooosh! I was off.

As I rose up, it wasn't that bad, really. As long as I didn't look down, anyway. Pretty soon, I was higher than the top of the Contemporary, looking over all the trees in WDW. Quite a ride.

If you've never done it, I should mention that you have to remove your shoes and socks before you go up. So you're up there barefoot. It was a bit chilly up there, but nothing I couldn't handle. But as a bonus, being up there like that was equivalent to a nice foot massage, because my feet felt better all day.

There I go getting ahead of the story again. So I'm up there and the driver is going on his usual route, and he makes his first turn. I'm at about 45 degrees of the stern of the boat. No problem; this is normal (I keep telling myself - yet more chanting).

Then the boat stops. Ut oh.

Then the boat turns around, and I'm actually 45 degrees off the bow of the boat! Double ut-oh!

I tried to remain calm. I told myself, "They'll start the engine any minute now. The breeze is keeping me aloft. Everything will be fine."

Then I started dropping.

It was a slow ride down, though, so no problem. They'll start the engine soon.

Only they didn't.

Then I hear the guys on the boat saying, "Dropping! Dropping! Dropping!" as I got closer to the water. The edge of panic creeping into *their* voices (the voices of the professionals I was trusting) almost pushed me over the edge.

Then they started up the engine and took off. But there was still a lot of slack in the line, so I was still dropping. Would they make it far enough fast enough to pull me back up, or was I going for a dip?

I was at about 60 feet up. No problem, there's still time.

Then I was at 50 feet. Okay, time to panic now!

I made it down to about 40 feet before the line pulled taut and I started going up again. Whew! I wasn't going to have to go swimming after all!

(All this time, DW was in the boat, quietly saying "Oh, don't do this to him! Not to *him*!")

I got one last ride up, then it was time to pull me back down. Fortunately, I got back into the boat without incident. The crewman running the winch asked, "How was it?" I said, "Uh...great." I had an image of manliness to preserve (especially after the Dinosaur incident), so I had to fib just a bit.

After us, two young teenage girls went up in tandem. They also got dropped (not quite so far as I had, fortunately) and I realized why: someone was running a watercraft in the area marked off for parasailing. The guys had to stop to avoid them. Grrr!

But it was all good. At least I did conquer my fear of heights, and I didn't truly panic. I was scared when I was dropping, but I think justifiably so. I faced my fear, and I even faced actually dropping with no way to help myself, and I didn't come unglued. So I feel good about it. Maybe I'll do it again sometime.

Maybe right after I ride Dinosaur again!

As I mentioned, one interesting side-effect of our parasailing adventure was that our feet felt much better afterward. It felt as though they'd been massaged. It's really remarkable. That's another reason to do it again some day. Goodness knows your feet need every bit of help they can get when doing WDW!

After we made it back to shore, we headed back into the Contemporary and to the monorail. Every time so far, we had been transferring at the TTC from the resort line to the express line, as I had forgotten that the resort line also goes to MK. This time, we got off the monorail, and then I remembered that little factoid. So we ducked back in (apologizing to a nearby cast member who said, "That's OK; we get that a lot"), and just waited a couple of stops until we were back at the MK. That was much faster than waiting for another train (not to mention easier on the feet).

Once back into MK, we ran into a parade, of course. This time, it was the Dreams parade. We laughed about our parade curse, then decided to roll with it and watch the whole thing rather than trying to work our way to somewhere else. We'd been trying to get to the Hall of Presidents, so we watched it from across the street, near Liberty Tree Tavern. We got some decent video and a few pictures.

Once the parade was past us, we walked across the street and entered the Hall of Presidents, where we had to wait a bit before being allowed into the main theater. It gave us a chance to peruse the pre-show area. While we were waiting, a woman worked her way by us to the painting on the wall, looked at it briefly, then said, "Found it!" Someone said, "What?" and she replied, "A hidden Mickey." I wish I could do it that fast! I looked and looked, and couldn't find it. Of course, I didn't have a hint book with me.

The show at the Hall of Presidents was enjoyable, and quite a good companion to the original "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln" from Disneyland. I'd put it on the same level with that venerable show, in fact. It's very impressive to have all those Presidents up on the stage at once!

Next, we headed over to Tom Sawyer Island, another old favorite of mine that DW had never experienced at Disneyland. I showed her the old mine, with its funhouse floor, then I showed her around the island a bit. Of course we had to go across the barrel bridge! She thought that was fun, and even snapped a photo of me crossing it, since it's a favorite of mine.

From there, we caught the Walt Disney World Railroad at the Frontierland station, and enjoyed the ride to the main gates. It was time to head back to the Contemporary for our 5:30 ADR at the California Grill. A quick monorail ride, and we were there.

We checked in at the desk, then were told to approach the elevator that would take us up to the restaurant. We were a bit confused, but sure enough, as soon as we got to the elevator, it opened and a man in it greeted us, then brought us to the restaurant. Although the whole experience screamed, "You're way out of your league" to us, we were always made to feel comfortable.

After a short delay (we were there before the restaurant opened, as usual), we were seated at a table right by the window, with a perfect view of the Magic Kingdom! What a magical surprise!

Our waiter struck just the right balance between formality and friendliness for us. The waiter for the next table over struck a much more familiar pose with his guests. Perhaps the waiters get a feel for their guests and respond accordingly, or perhaps we were just lucky, but either way, the way the waiter treated us was a very positive part of the experience for us.

For an appetizer, we ordered cheese flatbread to share. (Although we were on the dining plan, we decided to pay out of pocket for this meal, since it was a two credit restaurant just like Artist Point, where we had used up two credits. Paying out of pocket for this would balance us out on credits.) After enjoying the flatbread, we each ordered a salad (I had the Hearts of Romaine Salad with roasted garlic dressing, anchovies, marinated artichokes, olives, aged parmesan, and croutons, while DW had Salad of Endive and Mache with Pomegranate Vinaigrette, Candied Walnuts, and Point Reyes Blue Cheese), an entree (I had Oak-fired Filet of Beef with Gruyere-Potato Pave, broccolini, and Teriyaki Barbecue Sauce, while DW had Seared Day Boat Scallops with Farro Wheat Risotto, Braised Baby Carrots, and Crustacean Butter Sauce).

Before our salads could be served, Wishes started. DW decided at that moment that she would like to go out to the platform and watch from there, rather than from in the restaurant. I notified our waiter, who handled the change of plans smoothly. So we went outside and enjoyed the spectacle, and DW was very delighted! It was magical beyond belief.

Once the show was over, we came back inside. Within minutes, our salads were delivered. I'm not a fan of anchovies, so I didn't eat those, but the rest of my salad was delicious. DW enjoyed her salad as well, particularly the candied walnuts.

Our main courses were similarly delicious. They didn't prepare the scallops the way DW prefers them to be prepared, but she enjoyed the difference this time. I liked the beef, but I'm not a fan of putting sauces on a good cut of beef, so I should have asked for mine to be made plain. Still, a filet is a filet, and I enjoyed every bite!

Throughout dinner, we loved seeing views of the Magic Kingdom and the Grand Floridian. It's amazing how big Space Mountain is! Splash Mountain was also large and well-lit. It was interesting to see how Disney sticks to the theme of each of their lands, lighting them differently based on what they should be like. So, Main Street is bright at night, but Frontierland is nearly dark. I love that consistency and thoughtfulness.

Once we'd finished our entrees, we decided to order and share the Autumn Apple Tart (freshly-baked Gravenstein Apple Tart with Spiced Cider Ice Cream and Quince Molasses). It was delicious, and we almost wished we'd ordered two of them instead!

Once we'd paid our bill (leaving a hefty and deserved tip for the great waiter we had), we went back downstairs and got on the monorail. By 8:15, we were back at MK (once again taking the resort route all the way around, rather than switching to the express monorail at the TTC as we had previously).

Naturally, as we entered the MK, we saw people lining up for the parade. What would MK be without a parade every time we enter the park? We ducked into the Main Street Cinema and wandered to the back of the building, where there's a mural I'd heard about. I wanted to see it for myself, and to film it for later enjoyment. When I was finished, DW asked me to get behind the wheel of the Steamboat Willie craft, so I crouched down on my knees and took the wheel. She got a couple of decent shots of me that way.

Later, we strolled down through the shops on the right-hand side of Main Street, looking for anything that might be good to buy for friends and family. We didn't see much, other than the bride and groom Minnie and Mickey figures for DW's coworker who was recently married. Once again, we put off buying anything.

When we made it to the end of Main Street, we cut through the noodle station and headed right for my fave, the TTA. Then it was off to Space Mountain, where we walked on and, once again, DW was seated up front! She had even more fun on the ride this time than the last. Next we went to see Stitch, which wasn't as bad as people had said it would be. We actually enjoyed it, and probably would have loved the original Alien Encounter. We both enjoyed the effects, including the chili dog burp. What's not to love? (Keep in mind that we'd never heard of the Stitch character until I started planning our vacation!)

After exiting Stitch, we were heading toward the teacups part of Fantasyland when the special MVMCP Wishes began. Oh, my goodness! DW loved every second of it. Fireworks twice in one night! Double magic! And I must admit, I quite enjoyed the fireworks myself. DW always wondered why I was never enthusiastic about municipal fireworks, but now she knows: Disney had spoiled me for those shows way back when I was going to Disneyland regularly.

After the show was over, we walked over by the castle. I took some heavily zoomed in shots of the castle to see how they would turn out. I zoomed all the way in to the windows near the top. Just as I did so, the lights were turned out! DW said, "Cinderella apparently doesn't like Peeping Toms."

After I put the camcorder away, snowflakes were falling on the castle walls, Christmas music was playing, it was dark. So of course we had to spend a few minutes hugging and kissing. Magic was in the air!

As we headed down Main Street, enjoying the "snow," the music, and the spirit of Christmas, we held hands and smiled to one another. It was a perfect moment.

We made it back at the Lodge at 10:20 (where we found an octopus towel animal waiting for us on our bed!). It had been a long, eventful day, and we had to be up at 6 AM the next day for our last "new" park: Disney/MGM. So, after resting a bit "out on the veranda" (our balcony) and filling out the Passporter for the day, we turned in and were almost immediately asleep, dreaming wonderful dreams of the magic we'd experienced, and the magic to come.

Next: More Tears, But Not of Joy