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

[ransom]

Chapter 9: More Tears, But Not of Joy

We woke up a little bleary-eyed the morning after MVMCP and so many days of running around. But we knew that night would be a relatively early one, since Fantasmic! is run so early in the evening. Then, the next day we planned to sleep in a little.

We did the usual morning routine, this time getting a breakfast plate, apple danish, and oatmeal for me, while DW had a bit of oatmeal, some of my bacon, a little orange juice, and coffee. The apple danish was very good. Very, very good. In fact, I'd love to have one right now, as I write this. Mmmmmm...apple danish.....(drooling sounds)....

After eating that high-calorie, high-fat, and high-pleasure breakfast, we went down to the bus stop. We got there around 8:10, which happened to be just when the bus to Disney/MGM arrived. For the first and only time, we were the only two passengers on the bus! Try that in mid-July!

The bus arrived at Disney/MGM at 8:30, and after going through security, we were only a few people back in the queue at the turnstiles. Even as they began letting people into the park, the queues were only a dozen or so people deep. And I have video to prove it!

When they let us into the park, I had a chance to get right up front for the opening ceremonies. Instead, I hung back, trying to get a good position. Why? Because I hadn't filmed a single one of the opening ceremonies we'd seen so far. Not Animal Kingdom, and not even the one at the Magic Kingdom that made us cry.

This time, I wanted to make sure that I not only filmed it, but that I filmed it well.

The couple from Iowa that got the "starring roles" did a good job playing along, and the director and gossip columnist had us all laughing. Thank goodness I got it on tape!

Once "Hollywood, here we come!" had been shouted, we headed around the corner and down the street to Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, where we were able to walk on. The preshow was great, the first few seconds of acceleration were great, but the rest of the ride was . . . all right. I mean, it's a nice coaster and all, but it's not very Disney to us. Okay, it's in the dark -- but road signs as theming?!?

Since DW also wasn't impressed with that attraction, I started wondering if Disney/MGM was worth our time. It was supposed to be one of the two super headliners at the park, but it'd left us cold. I thought, maybe MGM is just a half-day park for us.

Feeling a little let down, we proceeded to the Tower of Terror. The queue was empty as usual, so we didn't get to experience much of the exterior theming. Inside, though, it was very good. Sort of like an updated Haunted Mansion. And the boiler room! Wow, what a cool concept for the final portion of the ride queue!

The above is what I was thinking about as we were going through the process of getting to the elevators. DW, however, wasn't thinking of much beyond her fear of being dropped in an elevator. I had forgotten she had that fear (it hasn't come up in years and years), but of course it was foremost in her mind at that point. But she was a trouper, ready to test her mettle against the ride.

When we were seated and the doors had closed, DW was looking a bit scared. By the time we saw the ghosts, she was really frightened, not knowing when we'd be dropped. So I put my arm around her to comfort her.

After the ride vehicle moved through the hotel and set itself up for the drop, DW was tensed up. I heard her groan, and then we dropped!

I tried to comfort her, but my arm kept lifting off from around her shoulders as we descended faster than the speed of gravity!

When the ride ended, DW was in tears.

So we never rode it again.

Right? Wrong! Unlike with me and Dinosaur, DW wanted to ride Tower of Terror again. In fact, it was DW's favorite attraction in all the parks. Her favorite coaster is Expedition Everest, but her favorite attraction of all is Tower of Terror. I know this because she told me so - through bleary eyes and mussed mascara. Go figure!

On the way out, we bought the ride photo. It's too bad that some folks were taking photos at the time of the shot - it kind of ruins the effect. But those of us who were actually paying attention to the ride have some fun expressions on our faces. One young woman has her mouth wide open, screaming, her eyes showing her terror. In fact, I remember that scream, because she was sitting to my right (DW was on the left). People like her make the ride more fun for the rest of us, by getting into it and thereby leading us further into the illusion as well.

After leaving the haunted hotel, we went back up the street toward the hat. On the way, we were tempted by the smells coming out of the eateries. I almost bought something at the bakery, but decided to be good. At the end of the street, we hooked a right and headed for the Great Movie Ride.

That was a lot of fun. We both loved that they have real people mixed in with the animatronics. We got the gangster during our ride. Seeing him fried and our regular tour guide revealed was a hoot! In fact, the only bad thing was that I, not being experienced with our new video camera, had been taping the ride but stopped after the third scene. In the viewfinder, it looked like I wasn't getting much. Once we got home, we found that it had been capturing everything as clear as a bell. Lesson learned for next time!

After exiting the Great Movie Ride, we walked around One Man's Dream, then went further down Mickey Avenue, turned the corner, and first experienced the Streets of America. While I'd seen the New York and San Francisco effects online (accidentally; I'd been trying not to ruin anything for myself before the trip), DW hadn't any idea they were there. Seeing it the first time gave her pause as she asked, "Is that real?"

We got a few pictures there (probably like everyone else in the World), then went on down the street, saw where we'd be having dinner (Mama Melrose's), and then ended back in the Echo Lake area. We didn't have an ADR for lunch, but I wanted to try a sit-down restaurant. It was 11:00, so I thought my chances were good of getting something. My first choice was Prime Time Cafe, with second being Sci Fi Dine-In theater (simply for the atmosphere; I'd heard the food wasn't very good).

So we walked over to Prime Time, went in, and asked if they could fit us in. They could! When? Right that minute! So we got immediate seating in Mama's kitchen, with a TV right next to us. The magic continues!

Those of you keeping track of my calories will be shocked to hear I started my meal with a huge chocolate malt. I drank nearly all of it before we'd even ordered our lunch! Our server, Liz, warned me that I'd better have left room for lunch or I'd be in trouble! DW also got a warning - about putting her elbows on the table. She enjoyed playing along with that one.

In fact, it was a very nice lunch. We both had the chicken pot pie, which was pretty good. I had a bit of gristle in mine, but that's forgivable. We frequent family owned restaurants at home, and we'll sometimes run into that sort of thing. I counted it as a bit of authentic theming and went on with my meal (while watching TV, of course).

I ate all of the pot pie, except for the peas. I like peas just fine, but they don't like me. If I ate those, I wouldn't need to take a bus back to the Lodge. I could just lean over and blow myself back there! But I was a bit worried that I'd get in trouble for not eating them. Fortunately for everyone else at Disney World, Liz gave me a pass on that one.

DW ate all of her pot pie, and thought it was quite good compared to what she's gotten at non-WDW restaurants. (DW makes a wonderful turkey pot pie every year after Thanksgiving. She thinks it's just OK, but I absolutely love it. It's my favorite meal. I could eat a whole pie in one sitting if she'd let me get away with it!) DW particularly enjoyed the pastry part of the pot pie.

I haven't mentioned much about DW's impressions of WDW food to this point. She had been expecting fast food quality stuff. We don't eat fast food, so you can imagine she wasn't looking forward to a week of eating at WDW. Boy was she surprised! The only thing she didn't particularly enjoy for the whole week was that dry BBQ pork at MK. Everything else was, as she said to me, "at least two notches above" what she expected. And some, such as the food at California Grill, was excellent in her opinion.

Back at Prime Time, we didn't have any dessert with our meal. Since we were doing this outside of the dining plan (with all our signature restaurant experiences, I didn't want to waste another table service credit on lunch),
Liz didn't try to tempt us into piling a big piece of cake on top of the rest of the calories we (well, okay, I) had just eaten.

After lunch, we took a nice walk to the corner of the park and took the Backlot Tour. Those volunteers during the walking part of the tour sure do get soaked! Watching them put together a movie on the spot was a lot of fun, too. And during the riding part of the tour, we got to see the seamstresses having coffee and cake after lunch. Hey, I wasn't the only one eating sweets after all!

On the way back to Streets of America, we stopped at a cart and DW bought a light-up Christmas tree hat with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Stitch ornaments. Since we've gotten home, she's worn it a couple of times, including on Christmas. My family got a kick out of it.

Next up for us was Muppetvision 3D. We'd already seen Mickey's Philharmagic and Bug's Life, so we were familiar with Disney style 3D movies at that point. But getting to see Sweetums roaming in the auditorium was a great touch! Plus, there's nothing like the Muppet sense of humor. And those guys in the balcony always slay me!

From there, we took a short walk to Star tours. It wasn't walk-on, but we couldn't have waited more than 10 minutes. The queue was only backed up to where the droid is at its desk.

I'd been warned on the DIS that the movie for Star Tours was seriously degraded, with pops, cracks, and scratches. Since I'd last seen it when it debuted at Disneyland in 1988, I was a bit bummed at the prospect of DW's first experience with it being disappointing.

But when the ride started up, we didn't notice any problems with the film. Maybe we were too busy enjoying it to notice, but I can definitely say there were no major problems with it. And the ride was as fun as ever! (And now that I've ridden Body Wars, it's nice to be able to compare the two. Personally, the mythos of the original Star Wars trilogy still has an effect on me, so I prefer Star Tours, but Body Wars is at last equal in terms of the simulator effects.)

After that, it was already time for dinner! How? Well, I'd wanted to do the Fanstasmic! dinner package, so I'd signed up for Mama Melrose's. The best time I could get was 3:30. At the time, I figured we could just get a snack before Fantasmic! started if we got hungry later. (But what are the chances of me being hungry?)

We made it to Mama Melrose's right on time, but they didn't have a table ready for us quite yet. DW headed to the bathroom, and just as she went in, I was told our table was ready. D'oh! Luckily, we were seated right after DW got back.

Our meal was pretty darned good. I wasn't expecting much (again, based on the mixed reviews I'd seen on the DIS), so I was impressed by the atmosphere as well as the presentation of the food. DW ordered tomatoes and fresh mozzarella as her appetizer, while I had the bruschetta. She adored hers (it's one of her favorite things to eat), and I very much enjoyed mine. We both had hot italian sausages over pasta for our main dish. It was good, but I'm not a fan of very finely ground sausage; I prefer a bit courser texture. Flavor-wise, it was very good. For dessert, we each had crema limone, which was very nice!

After dinner, we went on Tower of Terror for a second time. We were dropped more often and for longer falls this time, but DW liked it even better! We were tempted to buy the ride photo again, but ultimately decided against it.

To celebrate our luck at getting even more drops this time (and DW's delighted/terrified response thereto), we made our way back to Mickey Avenue and bought DW a back scratcher, a sorcerer's hat Christmas ornament, and a Fantasia stuffed Mickey. On the way, we got to enjoy some streetmosphere as the boss plumber and his crew argued whether they were spending too much time in the candy store instead of on the job. It was a great bit of street theater! (Oh, and we also got to see Tow Mater.)

From the merchandise cart where we bought the souvenirs, it was back around through Streets of America to the Echo Lake region again to see Sounds Dangerous. Unfortunately, the show had just started, so we weren't able to see it. D'oh!

But right across the street, Indiana Jones was only a few minutes from starting. So we went into the theater, took off our shoes, and made ourselves at home.

No, really! Our feet were hurting, so after I took off my shoes, DW did likewise. What a relief! And I didn't get any complaints, so I don't think they were stinking.

We both enjoyed the stunt show, but DW much moreso than I. Still, it's a must-do to both of us for our next trip. I know people complain about how it hasn't been changed since it opened more than a decade ago, but for us newbies, it's quite a treat and I'm glad Disney's kept it around. Watching the stunt people at work (not to mention the explosions) is a really great experience.

Once Indiana Jones let out, it was 5:45 and almost time for the Osborne Lights, so we went back to the Streets of America. We were able to get a good spot at the top of the rise so we could see everything. Once it started, I was able to get pretty good video of it. DW and I both enjoyed the dancing lights very much, and rewatching that at home has been extra magical.

Once the lights stopped dancing, we grabbed a snack (a shared bag of chips), then went to the special "dinner package" entrace to Fantasmic!

Once we got to the cast member who was checking everyone's tickets, I realized my mistake. Back at Mama Melrose's, the person seating us gave us the ticket and told me to make sure that our server signed it. Well, I had completely forgotten to get that signature!

So as I pulled it out, I got worried we would have to go all the way around to the other side and take whatever seats were left. But the cast member said it was no problem so long as we had our receipt from dinner, and we were allowed to proceed! Yes!

After a short walk, we were in the Fantasmic! theater for the first time. It's an impressive place, with seemingly good views from all three sides. We had seats about half way down the bleachers from the rope dividing the package seats from the regular seats. Not dead center by any means, but far enough over that we could see what was happening on the main stage with no problem.

I'd been told that this was the best night time show at WDW, so I pulled out the video camera. I shot the whole thing without a monopod or tripod, and my hand was shaking uncontrollably by the end as my muscles were about to give out. I kept at it, though, even though the viewfinder made it look like I wasn't getting much. I just wanted to get whatever I could, because I thought DW might like to re-experience it when we got back home.

Boy, did she! When Sorcerer Mickey appeared near the end, DW cried. It put a lump in my throat, too. What a great play! It has all the right messages, plus a fun story and plenty to see along the way. And those water "screens" they project onto! That's a great idea, and just the kind of thing you'd expect from Disney Imagineers.

Oh, and the home movie? It looks great! Sure, it's only a single camera angle, but I got all the action and the sound is perfect. DW loves re-watching that more than anything else. I'm so glad I kept my hand up there, despite the muscle spasms. (Oh, and as for that - the optical image stabilization feature of the camera must have taken care of that, because it seems rock-steady on replay.)

Once Fantasmic! was over, we made the long trek out of the park. As with Animal Kingdom, we felt we'd given MGM short shrift. We had a blast there, but there just wasn't time enough to do everything. We missed Sounds Dangerous, the Narnia display, and almost all the shows. We resolved to spend at least a day and a half at Disney/MGM next time. So much for my worries that Disney/MGM would turn out to be a half-day park. It sure beats the heck out of Universal Hollywood during the 80's!

On the way out of the Studios, DW took several pictures of the park's icon, Mickey's sorcerer hat. Can you tell that's her favorite Disney animated feature? Or, as she calls it, Mickey's greatest role.

We took the bus back to WL, and were there by 8:15, which is when we stopped at the mercantile to pick up our packages from AK (Everest photos) and MK (DW's pirate hat -- hey, how many hats *did* she buy on our vacation, anyway? You know something? The one hat she didn't buy was the Sorcerer Mickey style one. Boy does she regret that oversight!).

After relaxing a bit, we were in bed shortly after 9 PM. We'd decided to get a late start the next day for our second day of touring Epcot (since we planned to be up late watching Illuminations that night), so set the wake-up call for 7:30 rather than 6:00 AM.

Next: They don't cancel Illuminations, do they?

 

[ransom]

Chapter 10: They Don't Cancel Illuminations, Do They?

Our wake-up call came at 7:30 on this day (Thursday, December 14). We did the usual, including bringing take-out from Roaring Fork up to the room. I had scrambled eggs, bacon, and hash browns. DW had coffee and two biscuits.

Rain was in the forecast, but it was to be a warm day - between 78 and 80. The day started out cloudy and remained that way. Which was fine with us! We love clouds and rain.

We got down to the bus stop for Epcot at 10:00. The bus was there right away, and we were unloading at Epcot just fifteen minutes later.

Once we were in the park, I decided to film the complete path from the entrance to Ellen's Energy Adventure. But as we passed by Gateway Gifts, DW pointed out that we should buy ponchos so we would have them later in the day when we would need them. So, I paused my recording, and we went inside.

Once in the store, I asked the cast member (Raymond) if the predicted rain was likely to cause them to cancel Illuminations. He replied, "Illuminations is only cancelled during hurricanes." Yay! No worries there! We wouldn't miss the final one of the three nighttime shows.

With our ponchos in hand, we continued filming our journey to Ellen's Energy Adventure.

When we arrived, as luck would have it, our favorite cast member was running the ride again. Since we didn't have drinks in hand this time, she let us into the pavilion without a fuss.

We were both impressed by this attraction. We both like Ellen DeGeneres anyway, but the ride had humor, excitement, and of course the educational aspect that makes for a good Epcot attraction. We enjoyed the dinosaurs and the multimedia presentation. But the aspect that brought the biggest smile to our faces was the ride vehicles. Having an entire theater-sized seating area spin around, then break apart into ride vehicles is just too cool! And very Disney. It's like the Carousel of Progress and its philosophy of, "Why have the stage rotate when you can have the rest of the building rotate around it?"

When we exited the pavilion, we walked across Future World to the Imagination Pavilion. On the way, we stopped and got a cheese danish to share from the coffee cart, then later enjoyed the backwards waterfall. What a great, playful thing to put in a park!

At the Imagination Pavilion, we first experienced Honey I Shrunk the Audience (our final 3D presentation on our WDW tour), which was a fun attraction even for those of us who never saw the movies. The rats were the best part for us. Even though DW knew it was coming as soon as she saw them on screen, she still gave a little "oohhhh!" and squirmed in her seat when she felt them on her legs!

On exiting that attraction, we spent a moment admiring the leaping waters fountain then proceeded to Journey Into Imagination with Figment. That one was good, too. I particularly appreciated the disappearing butterfly. DW missed that, though.

In the Imagination Pavilion proper, we used one of the the Kodak camera stations to send an email of us to my Disney co-worker/friend.

Doing all that work with the clip art made us hungry, though, so we headed over to The Land pavilion and ate lunch at the Sunshine Season Food Fair. What a great place! There's so much to choose from. Once again, I found myself wishing the cafeteria at my workplace could be more like this.

Each of us had an order of beef flatbread, watermelon, and a diet coke. We both enjoyed the beef flatbread very much! DW ate most of the watermelon, since I have a slight allergy to it and have to be very careful when I eat or my lips and mouth will swell and itch for hours.

After lunch, we continued touring with Innoventions East, which we found unimpressive. We played with a few of the interactive exhibits, but it mostly seemed to be geared to children. In Innoventions West we found much the same, but did have a blast taking the Segway test drive. It will be tempting to do the Segway Tour next time we're at WDW.

Once we exited Innoventions West, it was time to head over to World Showcase. We took the winding brick path instead of the main sidewalk on the way out of Future World. It's so nice that they provide those alternate choices.

(There's so much to do and see at WDW, it's hard to give an accurate picture of it all to anyone who has never been! Over the Christmas holiday, we showed my parents our home movies and photos of WDW, and probably talked their ears off about it since we'd only been back a few days at that point. But even with all that, my parents really didn't seem to see much special about the place. It's just one of those things you have to experience for yourself, I guess.)

Once we made it to Future World, we began a clockwise tour. We skipped Mexico, but visited the shops and streets of each of the other countries. In Norway, we also rode Maelstrom and loved it! Going backwards added a great touch. In the gift shop after the ride, DW bought a delicate straw ornament.

In China, we went back to the store to buy the ornaments DW had spotted on Monday for her sisters, but they were gone, alas. Fortunately she was able to find other ones that were almost as good.

Our final pre-dinner purchase occurred when I bought 2 Belleck ornaments in the UK for my parents.

We reluctantly skipped the rest of the attractions in the World Showcase, hoping to fit at least some of them in between dinner and Illuminations.

After touring Canada, we went back to the UK for our ADR at Rose and Crown. The clouds had been getting darker all day, and it had been raining off and on. The most magical part of the day was when we were seated at Rose and Crown and it started pouring. We love the rain, but it was fortunate we were inside when the downpour started. Nearly an inch fell while we finished our meal. Then, it cleared up as we paid or bill and left the restaurant. It was ideal - we got to enjoy the rain while staying dry and indoors. What other explanation for the timing can there be but Disney magic at work?

For dinner, we both had fish and chips. Where we live, it's not hard to find fish and chips, but not one restaurant in our area keeps malt vinegar on hand. We were so happy to see malt vinegar on the table at the Rose and Crown! And when our dinners arrived, the portions were huge! Neither of us could finish what was on our plates. I asked the server (Amy of Glasgow, Scotland) whether these were upsized for America, but she replied that they were the same size as is served in the UK! That was surprising, as I thought only us Americans ate huge portions. Either way, it was a delicious meal.

Oh, I almost forgot the best part of the dinner: potato leek soup. Oh, it was soooo good! It was like eating heavy cream flavored with potato and leek. Absolutely delicious! We both ate every last spoonful of it!

For dessert, I had a delightful bread pudding, while DW had the apple crumble.

After dinner, we watched the British Invasion do a few songs, then headed back to France to watch Impressions de France. I love Circlevision 360, but even this 180 degree movie was a delight to watch! I consider it a must-see for our next visit.

On our way out, we stopped in the gift shop and bought a toothpick holder and two mickey bottle stoppers.

Then it was time for Illuminations. Or, at least for finding a spot from which to view Illuminations. I picked the island between France and the UK (having read of it in the Unofficial Guide). We arrived there at 8:45, and Illuminations was set to start at 9:30.

We sat for a few minutes near one of the planters on the upper level, then decided to go down to the lower level for a better view. There, we met a family that had already staked out their own spot. We talked a bit, each hoping that not too many others would find the place. Within minutes, other groups approached, so we decided to find spots along the railing to stake out for the best viewing.

Once Illuminations started, we loved the "blowing out the candles" effect, as well as the first salvo of fireworks. One was fired from near where we were standing, which made me jump!

The spot we'd picked was nice. There were no obstructions to viewing, and there was no smoke drifting our way.

Unfortunately, there was no smoke drifting anywhere.

The clouds were low, so the fireworks were being shot low in the sky. But the night was still, so the smoke just hung in the air after each shot. About half way through the presentation, all you could see was a colored glow as additional fireworks went off.

So, we didn't get the full effect of the show. It was still good, but we definitely want to see it in all its glory next time we go to WDW. We'll have to make sure to try seeing it early next trip, so that if something goes wrong we have a second opportunity.

After Illuminations, we headed out of the park with the masses. We didn't have to wait more than a few minutes for a bus. We were back at the Lodge by 10:40.

A few minutes later, I tried to pick up our packages at the Mercantile, but it was too busy and we were too darned tired. So it was up to our room and off to bed for us (after filling out the Passporter page).

Next: Hopping Around the World

 

[swankybeth]

I'm enjoying your report. I got a little nervous with your last chapter title, but I'm glad you got to see Illuminations. It's hands down my favorite WDW nighttime entertainment. When I was in the WDWCP I was lucky enough to get to watch it every single night I was at work.

 

[winkers]

Great report! I love your description of your reaction to Dinosaurs!! I'd love to see a pictue of that! Thanks for the laugh!

 

[ransom]

Happy new year from the central time zone, everyone!

 

[ransom]

I'm enjoying your report. I got a little nervous with your last chapter title, but I'm glad you got to see Illuminations. It's hands down my favorite WDW nighttime entertainment. When I was in the WDWCP I was lucky enough to get to watch it every single night I was at work.

Wow! I'd love to see it again, clearly. A coworker has an official Disney video of the original version and has offered it to me, but I'm unsure whether I should watch that. Do you think it'll ruin it for me?

 

[ransom]

Great report! I love your description of your reaction to Dinosaurs!! I'd love to see a pictue of that! Thanks for the laugh!

There are no pictures of that moment, thank goodness! And if there ever were any, I burned 'em all. So forget about it!

I'm glad you've found my report worth reading.

 

[ransom]

Chapter 11: Hopping Around the World

Our final full day had originally been planned as a third day at Magic Kingdom. However, we'd never made it to Downtown Disney and DisneyQuest. We'd also not gotten to Kali River Rapids at Animal Kingdom or Carousel of Progress at Magic Kingdom. So, we revised the plan for this day and decided to squeeze as much as we could into it.

As part of that, I thought it might be a good idea to get tickets to Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party so we would be able to end the day at MK. So after taking a shower and getting dressed, I went downstairs and asked at the front desk whether any tickets were still available. Unfortunately, there weren't any. I wasn't surprised. After all, I was trying to get tickets for a Friday MVMCP at the last minute. Still, I was a little disappointed.

We had an ADR for breakfast at Whispering Canyon at 7:30, so I went over and checked in. It was around 7:15 at the time, so I selected one of the comfy chairs in the lobby and plopped myself down. Within a few minutes, DW joined me. Our pager went off shortly thereafter, and we were seated promptly.

We ordered eggs, bacon, biscuit, sausage, and potatoes - a pretty pedestrian breakfast. Eating a basic sit-down breakfast after being at the Crystal Palace wasn't a thrill to say the least. We should have tried the breakfast skillet. Plus, although we were avoiding the subject, we were both feeling a little despondent that it was our last full day. That didn't help.

After breakfast, we rubbed Humphrey's nose (as we had every day - I neglected to mention that in the previous trip reports) and headed over to the bus stop. It was 8:30. It took about 15 minutes for a bus to arrive, but we still made it to MK just prior to 9:00.

I'd been hoping to get video of the opening ceremonies, but the park was already open when we arrived. Another thing to do on the next trip!

So we headed right on over to Tomorrowland to experience the Carousel of Progress. I hadn't been on it since it was at Disneyland (many, many moons ago), and DW had never been on it.

As we walked to Tomorrowland, I had the video camera running. I wanted to capture the park one more time. When we got to the Carousel of Progress, though, I turned it off. I wish I'd kept it on throughout the show, because we were the only two in the theater! I could have captured the ride with no extraneous noise from the audience. I sure hope it's still there when we return to WDW, or I'll be kicking myself about that missed opportunity for the rest of my life.

Which is to say, we really enjoyed Carousel of Progress! "There's a great big beautiful tomorrow..." Ahhh. For me, it felt like coming home. For DW, it was all new and endearing. Oh, please, please, Disney, keep the Carousel going!

Once the show was over, I wanted to ride the TTA again. It's such a peaceful ride, but it's another one that seems in danger of being removed. I don't know why more people don't ride it, but every time we were on it there weren't more than a dozen other people riding it at the same time.

After leaving the TTA, we walked back through the Tomorrowland Noodle Station to Main Street. We paused and watched part of a show that was in front of the castle. I also enjoyed watching folks walking from the Plaza Restaurant to the nearby tables with their breakfasts. It looked like any small town might look in the early morning. I made a mental note to eat breakfast in the parks more often the next time we're in the World.

We finally had to tear ourselves away from all the wonderful magic of MK. We had quite a ways to go that day, and had to get a move on if we wanted to get it all in.

After leaving MK, we saw that a ferry boat was just about to leave the docks. So we ran over, hoping we wouldn't miss it. After seeing us, they were kind enough to hold the boat for us. Ahh...Disney.

This was the first time we were on one of the ferry boats, so we spent a little time exploring it and more time videotaping and photographing it as well as the view from it. We were still feeling the Disney magic and wonder, but the sadness of knowing our stay would soon end was creeping in.

Once we made it to the TTC, we found the bus stop area, sat down on the bench at the Animal Kingdom stop, and waited.

And waited.

It took nearly 15 minutes for the bus to arrive, then it waited a further 5 minutes for additional passengers to arrive. Never having park hopped, we had no idea if this might be how it would be for the rest of our day. But we hoped not!

Once the bus took off, it didn't take long to get to Animal Kingdom. We arrived there at about 11 AM. The first thing we did was take photos and video along the paths to Discovery Island, then along the paths to Expedition Everest. It's true that we were at Animal Kingdom mostly to ride Kali River Rapids (which we'd missed on our earlier visit), but we also wanted to ride Expedition Everest again. Once we reached the latter, we got fastpasses. They were for only an hour later. Considering it was 11:05 at that point, we were surprised yet again at how few people seem to use the fastpass system.

As we walked away with our fastpasses, we debated whether to ride Kali right away, or have lunch first. We finally decided to have lunch. We chose to eat at Mr. Kamal's, a cart in Asia, where we had chicken strips, chips, and diet cokes. The chicken strips were superb!

DW isn't a fan of chicken strips. She'll eat them, but there's usually too much breading for her or not enough chicken. And when she does eat them, she'll have maybe one or two.

But in this case, she ate all three huge strips! She was as shocked as I was. Maybe it was because it was our last meal at a Disney theme park, or maybe it was really that good, but we both found them to be delicious.

After taking a few minutes to let our meal digest, we put on our ponchos and rode Kali River Rapids. You may call us cowards for wearing ponchos, but we were to be at Downtown Disney shortly, and didn't want to get soaking wet.

I'd read that whichever seats on the raft have the most weight will end up getting the most drenched. But I didn't think about that until we'd already strapped ourselves in. What happened was this:

A family was staying on the raft we were assigned to for second go-around. The father and his little boy were in one pair of seats. That balanced his side out. The mother was alone in the next pair of seats. Their two teenager daughters (or one daughter and her friend) were in the next pair of seats.

So the logical thing for us to do would be to each take a seat in the two remaining pairs.

But that's not what we did. We instead took the seats nearest where we entered, and ended up next to the daughters. That meant that between those four adjacent seats, our side had the most weight. And although neither DW nor I is particularly heavy, we outweighed the skinny daughters by a good 80 pounds. Once I realized all this, I was very glad we'd put the ponchos on!

As the ride started, the dad kept needling the daughters that they'd be drenched this time around, just like they had been the previous time. I smiled to myself, thinking how wrong he was.

The raft bounced around, turning this way and that, and everyone got a little wet at some point. But at the moment it counts, the raft swung around to head over the fall. Guess who got drenched? No, not us - the daughters! The dad and mom got a good laugh about it, and the two victims took it good-naturedly. As for us, we still got quite a bit of water poured over us, but our ponchos protected us from the worst of it.

All in all, it was a very fun ride. We'd both love to do it again when we don't have to be concerned about getting soaking wet. It's certainly the wettest water ride we've ever been on!

After exiting Kali, we walked over to Everest. It was shortly after noon, which meant our fastpass return times had just begun.

As we walked through the fastpass queue, we again were torn between taking time to enjoy the theming and getting to the ride. And once again getting to the ride won out, as it had all week. Next time, we have to take more time to soak in the magic.

Our second ride on EE was the best. The first time, it was hard to catch all the nuances. We love the way it starts out like it's just BTMRR's big brother, then gets faster, crazier, and more thrilling as it goes along. It is, without a doubt, the best roller coaster we've ever ridden anywhere. It's a prime example of the towering abilities of Disney's Imagineers, as well as the Walt Disney company's dedication to offering the best possible experiences to its customers.

We were so, so happy that we had ridden EE a second time. After our first, aborted tour of AK, going back the second time - and especially taking time to enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of the park along with experiencing two of its best attractions - bumped it up in our minds as a co-equal with the other three parks.

But it was time to head for Downtown Disney. So we reluctantly began walking out (but not before stopping at a cart and getting the best soft serve we've ever had). When we got to the bridge from Asia, we took some pictures and video of the water way. Then we decided to go back and capture some of the other areas in Asia that we'd enjoyed. Somewhere along the line, we bought Eeyore and Mickey Christmas stockings. We just couldn't quite make ourselves leave that park!

But finally, we turned back around and walked away, AK tugging at our hearts and begging us to stay with every step we took.

So it was with real regret that we went to the bus station to find the bus to Downtown Disney. You old hands may be shaking your heads at this point, but at the time we didn't know there was no way to get directly from AK to DTD. Fortunately, we knew you could get there from any resort, so after looking at all the signs, we decided to take the opportunity to tour a resort or two along the way. We queued up for the bus to the Yacht and Beach Clubs.

But the trip to DTD was not to be a quick one. It took about 10 minutes for the bus to arrive, then we had to wait for it to stop at the Swan and Dolphin resorts before getting to our (interim) destination: the Yacht Club. There, we looked the place over and checked out the Christmas railroad display. It was OK. Nothing too impressive, but worth seeing.

Next we went out the back and walked down to the Beach Club. The pool and slide are definitely impressive. Who but Disney would deliberately put sand in a swimming pool? And that slide! The kids must love it.

After entering the Beach Club, we took in its Christmas display of an all-chocolate carousel. That was pretty cool, too. But neither resort comes close to the Wilderness Lodge in terms of the overall feel. They're definitely nice, and it would be good to stay there sometime because they're so close to Epcot and MGM, but they're not really the resorts for us.

When we got to the bus stop out front, we found a bench and waited for the bus to DTD. It took more than 20 minutes for that bus to arrive. It was nice to sit down, but we regretted wasting the time on our last full day.

Once at DTD, we toured the shops. We started at the Art of Disney, where DW bought a poster-sized print of a Sorcerer's Apprentice cell. She also strongly considered buying a Nemo figurine showing the anemone, Dory, and Nemo, but decided against it (she regrets that, now).

Next we briefly toured Days of Christmas, Ghirardelli, and the Goofy Candy shop. We didn't buy anything in those stores.

Where we did buy a few things was at World of Disney. I'd been wanting to buy some of the Mickey logo polo shirts. They're very nice, with heavy weight material and three buttons, just the way I prefer them. I wanted to buy red, green, and blue shirts. Unfortunately, they only had the red ones in medium, so I only was able to buy one of those.

As I was at the register, DW found two great Mickey ties for me to wear to work. They're both very subtle, and look great. I was torn as to which to buy, and agonized for a few minutes before saying "to heck with it" and buying both! I needed some new ties anyway.

After leaving WoD, we began our trek to Disney's West Side.

On the way, we enjoyed seeing the displays outside of the LEGO Imagination Center. We took pictures of the serpent, and have since enjoyed the way its LEGO-ness makes pictures of it look pixellated.

Pleasure Island was of course not open yet when we walked through it, but that's OK; we're not really the club hopping type.

On Disney's West Side, I took some footage of the new Disney Vacation Club property across the way, Saratoga Springs. It looks beautiful!

Finally, we made it to DisneyQuest, which was the main reason for going to DTD in the first place. I'd added on the Waterpark Fun and More option just for this purpose, thinking we might go there twice and thereby justify the cost. It wasn't looking that way, but I still wanted to get some of the value out of it.

So we had no problem getting in, and soon were in the elevator. It's a neat way of entering the "theme park in a box" that is DisneyQuest.

The first thing we did was Cyberspace Mountain. DW programmed the track configuration, then we got into the simulator. The ride was fun, but disconcerting. The screen shows you going through a loop, and you feel yourself being tilted upside down, but instead of being plastered to your seat, you're just hanging there because there are no G forces involved as there would be on a real coaster.

We'd planned on doing Cyberspace Mountain more than once, but after the first time we decided that once was enough. So we moved on to Pirates of the Caribbean.

Now that was fun. We were paired up with a man and his young son, who opted to be captain. All four of us had a good time sailing around the bay and blowing up pirate ships. We ended up with a high score. I don't recall what the rating was, but it was the highest one they showed.

After that, we wandered around the place a bit, but didn't find anything else that we wanted to do. So we left, having spent only an hour or so in DisneyQuest.

I'd thought there would be a bus stop on the West Side, but when I checked the map, I found there was not. We would have to go all the way back to Pleasure Island to find one.

We decided to walk outside the complex, on the sidewalk near the parking lot. It was a boring walk back, and we were weighed down by the knowledge that we'd just wasted our final afternoon in Disney World.

When we got to the bus stop, it took nearly a half hour before a bus came to return us to the Lodge. Then it made a stop at Typhoon Lagoon on the way. So we had plenty of time to talk about what we'd do the next time.

We decided we wouldn't go to DTD again. There didn't seem to be very much - if anything - Disney there that we couldn't get in one or more theme park or resort gift shops. As for DisneyQuest, it just wasn't good enough to compete with the theme parks. Given the option, we'd rather be at any of the four theme parks. So, cross that off the list of things to do again.

Nonetheless, having done all those things, we were glad. If we hadn't, we would have regretted it and would have had to plan (and pay) for it on the next trip.

But at the same time, we wished we had that time back to spend at the parks.

We returned to the Lodge, stopped at the Mercantile and bought three different kinds of Mickey head Christmas tree ornaments, then rested in our room for about an hour prior to leaving for our 7:00 ADR at the Grand Floridian Cafe. We took the boat to the Contemporary, then monorail to the Grand Floridian. Along the way, I filmed the end of Wishes as well as our journey itself.

At the Grand Floridian, the first thing we did was go into Basin and buy some nice wooden soap holders and some soaps for the grand nieces. Then we did some filming of the dramatic lobby, the grand staircase, and of course the gingerbread house. We checked in at the Cafe, then bought a gingerbread man and a shingle to save for when our trip was over and we were back home.

Dinner at the Grand Floridian Cafe consisted of prime rib, mashed potatoes, and a diet coke for me, strip steak, shrimp, and mashed potatoes for DW. For dessert, I had lemon cheesecake and DW had key lime pie. It was all good, but DW found the shrimp to be particularly good.

(Oh, I haven't mentioned our delight that Disney's chefs make mashed potatoes the same way we do at home! We like to leave the skins on as well.)

After dinner, I filmed our return journey. Our final transport delay of the day occurred at the boat dock at the Contemporary, where we waited about fifteen minutes for a boat - then almost missed it because I was expecting it to dock on the opposite side! Good thing the captain asked us if we were headed to the Wilderness Lodge, or we might be sitting there yet! (Hmm...would that be so bad?)

By the time we got back to the Lodge, it was 8:20. We went to the Mercantile and picked up our packages there (Tower of Terror photos and a 9" Sorcerer Mickey stuffed animal, both from Disney/MGM). We then went to our room, got our mugs, went to Roaring Fork and got something to drink, then went back to our rooms and reminisced about the day while filling out the Passporter page.

Next: Our Last Day

 

[ransom]

Chapter 12: Our Last Day

Alas, our last day had arrived. We woke up at the usual 6 AM to the sounds of Stitch saying, "Noooooo sleeping!" Ah, Stitch. We would miss you so much.

After showering and dressing, I went to Roaring Fork for the last time for breakfast take-out. I got myself a danish, oatmeal, and milk, and DW a biscuit, juice, and coffee. I also stopped off at the concierge desk and picked up a list of hidden Mickeys. Then I returned to the room and DW and I had breakfast on the balcony as had been our habit during our stay.

After breakfast, I decided to call mousekeeping and ask if we could have a later checkout. They'd been so kind to us for our whole stay, and I hoped they'd allow us this one final luxury.

I wasn't disappointed! We were offered noon or 1 PM checkout times. Since our driver was scheduled to arrive at 1, we chose that as the time. And that was the most magical moment of our day! We'd been granted another whole 2 hours of time at our beloved Lodge!

At 7:45, we started packing. We had it well in hand by 8:30, when we decided to start exploring Wilderness Lodge.

Yes, it's true, we had stayed there all week and hadn't explored it very much. We had kept ourselves busy with the parks instead. So on our last day, we decided to engage in a Hidden Mickey Hunt while exploring the Lodge and taking pictures and video of that magnificent place.

We had fun, but of course it was bittersweet. We went all over outside and inside the resort (other than the 7th floor, of course). We found the nice desks provided in the common areas, as well as a couple of nice spots from which to watch the Electric Water Pageant. But we didn't find any hidden Mickeys. Our hearts just weren't in it. It felt like a waste of our last few precious hours in the World.

After a couple of hours of exploring, we went to the Mercantile and bought what DW calls our Panic Souvenirs. I chose a Wilderness Lodge totem pole (the 12" one), while DW chose a Mickey coffee mug and coffee ("It's really swell!"), as well as Mickey head earrings.

Once we'd dropped our purchases and cameras off at our room, we went back down to Roaring Fork for lunch. It was 11:45.

We chose to reprise the first meal we'd eaten at Roaring Fork (indeed, in Disney World): bacon cheeseburgers, fries, and diet coke. Maybe that'll be a tradition, and we'll have that as our first and last meal every time we go.

Shortly after noon, we returned to the room and finished packing, then relaxed on the balcony in a very blue mood. Neither of us could believe it was already nearly time to leave! We knew we'd be back, but when?

Before we knew it, it was all over. It time to head down to meet our driver.

By this point in the story, you should be well aware of my penchant for never being late. I'm nearly always early. Well, this time we were late. We left the front door of the Lodge at 1:05 to find our Tiffany Towncar driver angry at us. He commented, "I was about ready to go in there and see what was going on with you."

I apologized for being five minutes late, and wondered why he didn't remember the rather generous tip I'd given him when he dropped us off a week ago. Most times, when I leave a nice tip, folks remember me. Perhaps he's used to large tips, or maybe he was just having a bad day. Either way, he cut us no slack at all.

As we left Disney World, we looked back at the arch at the entrance, remembering our first day and our excitement at seeing that in person for the first time.

After driving in stony silence most of the way, answering our queries monosyllabically, the driver got us to the airport by 1:35. Of course, our flight wasn't until 4, but that's the way I'd planned it. I need time to wait; it's a sickness.

At the airport, we went through check-in and screening without too many problems. We decided to pay for the upgrade to the extra 5" of leg room, since our trip from Chicago featured 2 and a half hours of sitting with my nose almost in the guy in front of me's hair. It's extortion to charge for what used to be standard coach seating, but at that point I decided the extra 5 inches were worth the price!

Then we slid our baggage under the rope so they could scan it, and went on our way to security. The only problems we had there were of our own design. I forgot I had a week's worth of change in my pocket and tried to go through the metal detector. D'oh! Oh, well, that was easily enough corrected.

DW's carry-on got searched because she had the Mickey Mouse coffee mug in it, and it looked understandably suspicious on the scanner. Once they unwrapped it, though, there was no problem. And the security guy even rewrapped it nicely for her.

Once we'd gone past security and ridden the monorail, we found our gate and sat for a while. What's up with those dimming and then brightening lights? Do they have an energy shortage at MCO?

While we were waiting, a problem occurred with one of the planes. It happend to be the one at our gate. It needed to leave before ours could get in, but there was a maintenance issue with it. Fortunately, they rerouted our plane to an adjacent gate.

In the mean time, we had an early dinner at one of the airport eateries. We each got a ham and swiss sandwich and chips. I had water with mine, while DW had milk. It was standard airport fare, all pre-packaged and virtually flavorless. A far cry from the wonderful meals we'd had in the World!

A short time after we finished dinner, our plane landed and the passengers disembarked. Slowly 3:30 approached. It was time to load!

But then the gate agent started playing games. He was chatting to people he knew, hugging some friends, and even blowing kisses at a few ladies. Ultimately, boarding was delayed by nearly 20 minutes by that guy.

Once we were on the plane and seated, that gate agent came on as well! He started horsing around with the flight attendants (who looked very uncomfortable with him and his antics), then he walked up and down the isle raving about some thing or other. Finally, he left. One of the flight attendants said, "Lock the door!" I didn't blame her.

Our flight ultimately left the gate 20 minutes late, then had to wait another 10 minutes on the tarmac. Once we were safely aloft and the snacks were being distributed, DW and I were hungry again, so we paid for the in-flight snack packs they offer. They weren't half bad!

Once at O'Hare, we made our way to the luggage carousel. We stood there for a good fifteen minutes before any luggage for our flight came through. That's the only complaint we have about O'Hare, though. Otherwise, our experiences with that "most busy airport in the country" were uniformly positive.

Once it appeared, we claimed our luggage and then called our limo service. The driver was there within minutes to pick us up. We were back home by 7:30 PM local time (having gained an hour crossing the time zone, of course).

Around 8:00, we began slowly unpacking. We put all the clothes we'd taken with us into the laundry basket, put away our toiletries, and made a nice display of our souvenirs on the kitchen table.

That was it. Our vacation was over. We were home. And so very depressed. How could we make it until our next trip?

Next: Reminiscences, and Thoughts About Next Time

 

[Bee]

I loved your report. I wanted to let you know since no one seems to be leaving you any messages.

Great report!!!

 

[swankybeth]

Wow! I'd love to see it again, clearly. A coworker has an official Disney video of the original version and has offered it to me, but I'm unsure whether I should watch that. Do you think it'll ruin it for me?

I don't think it will ruin it. It will be NOTHING like experiencing it in person, but magical all the same.

 

[ransom]

I loved your report. I wanted to let you know since no one seems to be leaving you any messages.

Great report!!!

Thank you. That's very sweet of you!

 

[ransom]

I don't think it will ruin it. It will be NOTHING like experiencing it in person, but magical all the same.

That's true. Next time he offers, I'll take him up on it!

 

[kimshmkr]

I enjoyed your trip report very much! It might even inspire me to write my own! We were there 12/18-12/25. Again, great job!!!!

 

[ransom]

I enjoyed your trip report very much! It might even inspire me to write my own! We were there 12/18-12/25. Again, great job!!!!

Thank you so much!

 

[ransom]

Epilogue: Reminiscences, and Thoughts About Next Time

DW and I started this trip hoping that we would like Disney World enough that we'd feel like going back, or at least returning to Disneyland some day. Boy did we succeed!

Normally when a vacation or other fun event ends, I think, "I'd like to do that again some day." But this time, we both left thinking that we'd like to do it again the very next day! We wanted to make definite plans for coming back again at some point in the not too distant future.

While we were there, work was a distant memory. It no longer was something we did or thought about every single day. And it shifted our perspective so that work wasn't just what we did so we could keep a roof over our heads and eat regularly. No, work was also something we did so we could have fun at Disney resorts!

And what fun we had! Every evening, when we were filling out the Passporter, there were multiple things that would fit into the "most magical moment of the day" section. Not a day went by when we didn't have several surprising moments of sheer joy.

Normally on vacation, I think about work all the time. It takes me a long, long time to get out of work mode and into vacation mode. Actually, I rarely achieve that. But at Disney World, DW was in vacation mode from the time we walked into the Lodge, and it didn't take much longer for me to join her. Within a few days, I didn't have a care in the world. Everything was good, and I had no real worries for the first time in many, many years. For an inveterate worrier like me, that's saying something!

So we'll be back. We haven't firmed up our plans yet, but it'll happen. And when we do go back, I'll have to remember the lessons of this time:

1) Go ahead and shoot the video, even if it looks like it's not coming out. Mini DV tapes are cheap, but memories are priceless. (Also, videotape the opening ceremonies!)

2) Pack more lightly. We brought way too many clothes. If we run out, we can either use it as an excuse to buy a few Disney items, or we can use the washing machines and dryers on site. We didn't wear 1/4 of the clothes we packed for this trip, and that was room we could have used to take back more souvenirs!

3) Don't bother with the grocery stop. Most of the stuff we bought was available on site for free or at low cost. The rest could be packed at home. And when we're on the dining plan, food is a non-issue, so there's no reason to buy peanut butter and such to keep in our room.

4) Use Disney's Magical Express. Who wants to deal with an expensive, surly driver if they don't have to?

5) If we see something we really like in a gift shop, and we can afford it, buy it! We may not have another opportunity.

6) Don't worry so much. I worked myself into a tizzy a few times during the planning stages of the trip over a myriad of issues. It was all needless. If anything goes wrong, we can handle it. Worrying over the small details is a waste of time and detracts from the fun of vacation planning.

7) Stop and smell the roses. Getting in as many attractions as possible is fun, but some of our most pleasurable memories involve no attractions at all. That last day at Animal Kingdom, for example, when we spent time talking to a nice couple from Connecticut, admiring the scenery, and relaxing in the shade. Or when we were relaxing on our balcony at the Lodge. Many DISers say this, and it's true: slow down, and you'll enjoy it more.

8) As a corollary, if you're heading somewhere and get stopped by a parade, just enjoy it. That's what it's there for.

9) Don't be afraid to try new things - even scary things! Parasailing was fun, even with the little problem of getting a bit too close to the water.

10) Use the Passporter. I wouldn't remember half the details I do if it weren't for jotting notes down in that book at the end of each day.

11) Take care of your feet. There was a point early in the vacation, where it would have been all over if I hadn't packed the moleskin. That let DW keep going, albeit painfully at times. Next time, we'll not only bring along the moleskin, but we'll have better, more broken-in shoes.

12) Don't be afraid to ask for things like additional hangers or a later checkout time. Disney cast members are very accommodating of reasonable requests.

13) Most importantly, don't forget to have a churro! I can't believe I never bought one. I'd be so looking forward to that. I haven't had a good churro since 1988, the last time I visited Disneyland. I finally get to the Magic Kingdom, and I completely forget about it! D'oh!

Since we got back, we've had the Disney Depression that everyone else seems to get. To help alleviate it, we explored joining the Disney Vacation Club. But for us, at our age and with no children, it just makes no sense. We'd never be able to go enough times to make it pay financially. Ten years ago, it would have made sense. But not now.

So we'll stick to the pay-as-you-go plan. I'd expected us to visit Disneyland next, and had even made reservations to do so, but I think we'll be canceling them. We want to go back to Disney World first. But some day, we will go to Disneyland. Perhaps by then they'll have recreated the People Mover. (Well, I can hope!)

Until that next time, best wishes to all of you. Thank you for reading my trip report!

 

[ransom]

Thank you for reading my trip report!

I used to write professionally, but it's been nearly 10 years and my skills have really gotten rusty. I apologize for the way some sections read like a dry recitation of facts.

I think next time, I'd like to post less frequently than daily, and to break each vacation day into more than one post, so I don't feel like I have to squeeze everything in. Some of those posts were really, really long, and I felt like I needed to cut out a lot to prevent some of them from becoming completely unwieldy. So a number of fun or magical memories were left out. Also, I think posting photos would have helped a lot.

(DW just reminded me of yet another fun memory that I didn't include in the trip report. We were at the security gate for Disney/MGM, and the guard was looking through her Baggalini. She had her cash folded up and stuffed in one of its pockets. When he spotted that, he smiled and said, "Oh, you'll be spending money today! I thank you, my wife thanks you, and my kids thank you!" Little personal interactions like that mean so much.)

Anyway, if you have any suggestions for making my next trip report better, please do let me know.

 

[Ron from Michigan]

Thanks for the great trip report. I can remember when we wen't to WDW for the first time. We were so excited. We had no idea what it was going to be like. This was pre Dis days. We went for 4 days and just loved it. Now we go back at least twice every year. it has just been my wife and I for several years now. We were there the same time as you were Dec. 7-17. You picked a great time to go. It is always one of the slowest weeks of the year. It was so funny how your wife liked ToT so much. I got my wife on it once and she vowed it would never happen again. We rode EE 4 times in and hour on our last day, what a great ride. I'm so gald you liked California Grill, along with Jiko at the AKL it is our favorite place to dine at Disney. If you go back at Christmas time again you have got to see the Candlelight Processional at Epcot. Well when is the next trip ? I agree with you about the Animal Kingdom, over time it has really grown on us. You did not mention if you saw the Festival of the Lion King show. If you did not make sure you see it next time. In my opinion it is the best show at Disney. If your like us as soon as we get home we start thinking and planning our next trip. Thanks again for the great report. Ron................

 

[ransom]

Thanks for the great trip report. I can remember when we wen't to WDW for the first time. We were so excited. We had no idea what it was going to be like. This was pre Dis days. We went for 4 days and just loved it. Now we go back at least twice every year.

Wow, twice a year! How wonderful!

We've been debating doing that. Do you think that two shorter trips per year would be better than one longer trip?

it has just been my wife and I for several years now. We were there the same time as you were Dec. 7-17. You picked a great time to go. It is always one of the slowest weeks of the year.

How cool!

We were very happy with the crowd levels, too. I've read some dissenting opinions saying the waits were too long, but we had no problems!

It was so funny how your wife liked ToT so much. I got my wife on it once and she vowed it would never happen again.

I don't blame your wife! Although, I guess I'll do Dinosaur again some day.

We rode EE 4 times in and hour on our last day, what a great ride. I'm so gald you liked California Grill, along with Jiko at the AKL it is our favorite place to dine at Disney. If you go back at Christmas time again you have got to see the Candlelight Processional at Epcot.

Thanks for the recommendation for Jiko. It'd be nice to try some new restaurants next time around.

Well when is the next trip ?

Hopefully December!

How about you folks?

I agree with you about the Animal Kingdom, over time it has really grown on us. You did not mention if you saw the Festival of the Lion King show. If you did not make sure you see it next time. In my opinion it is the best show at Disney.

We didn't see more than a handful of shows, unfortunately. We're hoping to get to at least some of them next time!

If your like us as soon as we get home we start thinking and planning our next trip. Thanks again for the great report. Ron................

What everyone here says is true: the only cure for the post-Disney depression is to start planning your next trip!

 

[Ron from Michigan]

We are planning a March trip for our Anniversary and a trip for the food & wine festival in october. I think two short trips are great, but I would never go less than 5 or 6 days myself. make sure you go and visit the Animal Kingdom Lodge on your next visit. It is really an awesome resort.