Bill, Susan, and Olivia go to WDW

[shooter364]

Bill and Family go to WDW

Pre-Trip day from heck



Cast:

Bill, 38, Police firearms instructor, husband to Susan, father to Olivia, driver and carrier of heavy things.

Susan, 40-something, Diplomatic Historian, Wife to Bill, mum to Olivia, purchaser of heavy things for Bill to carry.

Olivia, not quite 3, sweetness and light personified.

Dates Sept. 13-23



Our pre-trip report actually starts two days before our departure for Disney World... please, bear with me.

September 11, was a day like no other for most decent, civilised people. It was a day of senseless death and mayhem. A day of evil deeds perpetrated by barbarians under the guise of religion. It is in the immediate aftermath of these events that our story begins...

My leave was due to start on September 11, at 3 PM. Mind you, I wasn't leaving for WDW until the 13th, but I was taking the day off on the 12th in order to finish doing things around the house. I was on the firing line with ten officers, getting them through their bi-annual pistol qualifications, and had just been joking with a coworker that today was my last day for two weeks, and that soon we would be on our way to Disney World! Suddenly, my supervisor relieved me to take a quick look at the television in our classroom area, and what I saw nearly made me physically ill.

We suspended firing for a bit in order to see what was going on… but after 10 minutes we needed to get back to work and finish shooting. A few minutes later, we received a "cease fire" order. The Pentagon… a scant mile and half away from us, had been hit by a plane as well! The chief of Police cancelled training for the day, and we issued fresh ammo to the officers and sent them out into the street.

We stood by at the armory, ready to issue shotguns and other emergency equipment if it became necessary. While we were waiting, there was a report on the news about a car bomb exploding in one of the buildings where my wife works. I had spoken to her shortly before this report and was hoping she had left there by then… problem was, that Cel phone communications were disrupted all around the northeast. I sat at my desk, trying to be calm and not let any of my apprehension show. Fortunately, an hour later, my wife finally got through to me to tell me that she had abandoned our plan to meet at a nearby mall… she was walking across the city to get to where I am.

Once she got here, my supervisor told me that I wasn't needed and that I could go home. We were supposed to pick up our rented minivan at Dollar rent-a-car that afternoon… the location that is right next to National airport! Suffice it to say, that we weren't getting ANYthing from there on September 11th.

We drove home, passing the still-burning Pentagon, and smelling the acrid fumes from the fires. It was hard to believe that we had driven within 50 yards of the impact point just four hours before the plane was crashed into it.

When we got our town, 25 minutes south of DC, we rented a minivan at a place near our home, for $400 more than we had been quoted at Dollar, but there was no way that we were going to be put off.

Once home, I installed the portable CD player, and the "Video-in-a-bag" while Susan started packing.

It was a long day for us, for our country, and for everyone with a shred of decency in their hearts. I was between rage and tears all day, but one thing was certain, if there was ever a time to go to our Laughing Place, this was it.

I watched the news late into the night… finally going to bed at midnight.

The next day, Sept 12 we did last minute things around the house and just basically made ready to depart. I took the back row of seats out of the minivan, which was a Ford Windstar, in order to increase cargo space. After that, I took our dog, a retired racing Greyhound called Duncan, to the home of the people that would be caring for him while we were gone. While I was away, Susan made ready as best she could while trying to keep a two year old in check.

After Olivia (finally) went to bed... Susan began to pack in earnest. While she packed, I carried cases to the van, put ice in the portable cooler, went to the supermarket for some wine, and generally stayed out of her way.

I went to bed around 2330.

We were ready.

Tomorrow: Day One... Are we there yet?

 

[shooter364]

Day One… are we there yet?


Cast:

Bill, 38, Police firearms instructor, husband to Susan, father to Olivia, driver and carrier of heavy things.

Susan, 40-something, Diplomatic Historian, Wife to Bill, mum to Olivia, purchaser of heavy things for Bill to carry.

Olivia, not-quite-3, sweetness and light personified.

Dates Sept. 13-23



The alarm clock beeps once, and we are out of the bed like rockets! So what if it is only 3 AM? WE are going to Disney world!

After we took care of hygiene, Susan packed our last case (toiletries etc…) and I put it in the van (everything else had been packed the night before). We took a quick look around and went over the checklist: Is the AC off? All the doors are locked? No appliances left turned on? Great! We were set.

We retrieved the still-sleeping Olivia from her bed and took her straight away to the van, which was already running. Susan got her door shut (barely) and away we went, into the dark September morning. We were within ten minutes of planned departure (4 AM) so I was happy. Five minutes after we pulled away from home, we were on I-95 south and on our way!

As I fully expected, my darling wife, the love of my life, great mother, great friend and co-driver, promptly went to sleep… snoozing away along with Olivia. I had kind of hoped for some conversation, but what the heck… you can’t have everything, eh?

I made good time through Richmond, by avoiding the Richmond bypass… for you yanks that read this, and if you make the drive down I-95, give some thought to driving straight through Richmond (unless it is midday), the bypass is no reduction in time.

A note on Richmond: I mean no offense to any Richmonders by saying this, but the portion of Richmond that I-95 travels through, really stinks. I don’t mean stinks as in “it’s a bad area” I mean it smells really bad.

The smell was so bad, it woke Susan from her slumber, which she resumed as soon as we got clear of the city.

It was first light when we reached the North Carolina state line, and Susan had been awake for a while to keep me company. Olivia slept until around 7:30, bless her soul, and she woke up in a really good mood (as per usual).

After Olivia woke up, and had the chance to clear her head and talk with us for awhile, we put what was to become our best travel tool to work. That tool was our “video-in-a-bag” system. You may have seen these things before, essentially, it is a VCR, with a detached screen that can be hung on the back of a front seat, suspended between the two front seats, or sat on the floor. Anyway, Olivia loved it, and was able to watch the videos (Disney, of course) that we had brought along to keep her entertained. We were concerned about her getting too bored, because a 12-14 hour car trip can be a tough thing for a two year old to sit still for.

At 8:30, we stopped in Lumberton, NC to have a quick breakfast at McDonald’s and get some gas. It was here that I came to the realization that I was going to have to stop on this trip more than I normally would like to. My back, hip, and knee were killing me! After over 4 hours behind the wheel, It takes a few minutes of walking to get me to the point that I didn’t look like someone with a real physical disability. Anyway, after a good stretch and some food, we were on our way again.

Note: Have any of you ever noticed how many strip joints there are along I-95 in NC and Ga.?

By 12:50, we made it to Brunswick, Georgia, which is just a wee bit north of the Florida state line, and stopped for lunch. I always like to stop in Brunswick, because it is the home of the federal law enforcement training center, where I went to the police academy. I still train there from time to time, so I like to drive through the town and see what is new since last I was there. Another draw for Brunswick (for me, anyway) is Sally’s Cop Shop, one of the best police supply shop’s I have ever encountered. We had lunch at the Glynn Place Mall, to give Olivia a chance to run around a bit and stretch her legs. After lunch, we got gas and headed off for the last leg of the drive.

It started raining while we were in Brunswick, so we had to slow down a bit as we approached the Florida line. We passed an uneventful drive through Florida and were really starting to get excited, despite the rain.

We arrived in Orlando @ 6 PM and proceeded to Palm Parkway in Lake Buena Vista to the Homewood Suites Hotel. We checked in quickly and went to our suite… and were thoroughly disappointed. The suite was big enough, but the layout wasn’t what we were led to believe it was. Let me explain. Many of you know that we like to stay in suite hotels because of the fact that having a separate room is a really convenient thing when you have a little one that is supposed to be in bed at 8:30. When we got our reservations at the Homewood, we thought that the door to the bathroom would be outside of the bedroom area, which would decrease our traffic in the area where Olivia was sleeping. Anyway, that was bad enough, but we could deal with that.

We wanted to do a night-time drive around the parks and Down Town Disney, so we put the Millenium CD (which I am listening to as I type) in the player and off we went. We drove Past Down Town, and Pleasure Island, and the West Side, Typhoon Lagoon, and EPCOT. I was really excited just to see Spaceship Earth all lit up!

We decided to go have a quick dinner, so we went to Perkin’s at Crossroads. Our dinner was good, but we were tired and were ready to call it a day.

When we got back to the room and got Olivia off to bed, we were going to have a glass of wine and chat before we went to bed. I went to the cabinet and got a glass out and held it up to the light to inspect it… and was instantly disgusted! The glass was dirty! I checked everything else and found some utensils that were not as clean as I am accustomed to. Grrr! We decided that in the morning we were checking out of this hotel and going to the Embassy suites down the street. We usually stay at the ES, but decided to try the Homewood because we got a really great price.

Susan went to bed, she was really tired by this time. I stayed up and began reading my vacation book. This year it was “Blood and Iron”, book one of the American Empire series, by Harry Turtledove. After 10 minutes of being unable to keep my eyes open through page ten, I decided to call it a night.


Tomorrow: A date with Gabrielle

 

[SpottyDog]

Bill, I've just read yer prelude report and wanted to 'come out' and give that part it's rightful respect and acknowledgement, before delvin back into yer holiday proper.

Bill, I'm in tears reliving that day with you- and we only watched from afar. I admire your courage and honesty in gettin about yer business and not letting anything, however tragic and evil, get in your way.

I hope you enjoy the holiday that's about to unfold on these boards and trust that things are beginning to get back to normal in your kneck of the woods.

 

[bengunn]

September 11th was bad enough watching from several thousand miles away - I just cannot imagine what it was like to be so near and it being your country. I was upset enough over in the UK - and still am when I think about it.

 

[squitty]

Bill

Thank you for sharing this...

Sept 11th affected so many people all over the world. We still get so upset when we think of what happend.

 

[SpottyDog]

Sorry bill, got waylaid.

Well, I'm glad you got there ok and without crisis (apart from that stinky stretch in Richmond - sorry Richmond). That video in a bag sounds real neat.

I'm really gonna enjoy readin a WDW report from an American perspective. See yer on day two.

PS -

Note: Have any of you ever noticed how many strip joints there are along I-95 in NC and Ga.?

Nope, haven't been in that area but will make a point of it now!

 

[shooter364]

To tell you the truth, friends, I have spent the last several months trying to NOT think about the events of that day. I am happy to report, however, that the repairs at the Pentagon continues at warp factor 5. The section of the building that was destroyed in the explosion and fires has been re-built and is being re-plumbed and re-wired as we speak.

OK, on to day two.


Day Two, A date with Gabrielle


Cast:

Bill, 38, Police firearms instructor, husband to Susan, father to Olivia, driver and carrier of heavy things.

Susan, 40-something, Diplomatic Historian, Wife to Bill, mum to Olivia, purchaser of heavy things for Bill to carry.

Olivia, not-quite-3, sweetness and light personified.

Dates Sept. 13-23



We rose at 7 AM today, and made ready to depart from the “lovely” Homewood Suites. While Susan collected Olivia, I drove over to the Embassy Suites (a long drive of about 200 yards) to see about vacancies.

When I told the clerk about our experience at the Homewood, she gave us a nearly comparable price right away. Homewood and Embassy Suites are owned by the same parent company, so I guess it didn’t make much difference to them. I went back to the Homewood, and Susan had Olivia all ready to go. I went down to the front desk and told the clerk that not only were we checking out because of the cleanliness of the suite (I had brought the dirty glass and other utensils with me for illustrative purposes), we weren’t paying for the night we stayed either! She immediately said that there would be absolutely no charge and apologized profusely. Tropical Storm Gabrielle was still dumping rain on Orlando, so we loaded the van in a drizzling rain and headed for the Embassy Suites. We checked in so smoothly (as always)… we were in our room five minutes after walking into the hotel. Because we did this so early in the day, we were able to take advantage of the Embassy Suite’s made-to-order breakfast. After breakfast (around 9 AM) we decided that since it was still raining, we would head for Downtown Disney and do some shopping.

Our first stop was World of Disney… I was instantly in heaven, and had to work hard to restrain myself from spending a huge amount of money right away. I bought a few pins and Susan got a mini snow-globe (don’tcha just love those things?). I took the time to chat with CM Rose (from New York) who has plans to go home and visit her family in October… she, like so many others, is apprehensive about flying. I told her the same thing that I have been telling others. “Life goes on, and as Americans, we can’t just stay home and hide. Besides, the economy MUST be stimulated, and the best way to do that is travel, work, and buy things!” Since I believe in taking my own advice, I started spending money like it wasn’t real (not that I needed a terrorist attack to prompt me to spend money at WDW).

Next up was Disney “At Home”, we love that place too, even though we didn’t buy anything there. There was a great book there called “Be our guest”. The book, all about Disney’s philosophy on customer service, was published by the Disney institute. I plan to buy it in December and see how much of the principles I can incorporate where I work.

We had lunch at the Disney Gourmet and decided what our next move should be. We had originally thought that since it was raining steadily that we wouldn’t activate Susan’s Premium Annual Pass until the next day… however since the rain seemed to be getting lighter and lighter, we would activate it right away and hope for a visit to Epcot later in the day.

We decided to do something that so many other clubhouse members do… visit some of the resorts! We drove out to the All-Stars and got to look at how they were set up. The thing that struck us immediately was that the parking lot was so EMPTY. It really was an incredible sight.

Next we drove over to the Disney Institute… we thought that it was nice and might be good for a long trip. A quiet place that is a wee bit off of the beaten path.

We decided that we should also take a look at the new Premium Outlets Mall that is directly across I-4 from our hotel… we didn’t see any shops that we couldn’t shop in here, so we didn’t bother to go in.

Our next destination was something that has become a ritual to us. At least once during every trip to Orlando, we have to have a drive down International Drive… I-Drive, for short. Why do we do it? I dunno, could be that the first two times we went to Orlando, we stayed at hotels along that strip. It could also be the wide variety of people that you can see as you drive along. We are real people watchers. While we were driving along I-Drive, the rain stopped! I started getting excited, and Susan and I decided to give Epcot a shot.

When we arrived at Epcot, we parked in row Journey 8… the parking attendant told us that there were only 4,600 people in the park compared to a normal day of tens of thousands of visitors.

We walked into the park and experienced the thrill of the Epcot music playing loud and strong. The music, coupled with the view of Spaceship Earth is enough to give me goosebumps. We proceeded directly to Spaceship Earth and walked right on with no wait… it was so empty, we were the only people on the entire string of cars! People can say whatever they like about me, but I absolutely love that ride…especially the part about the burning of Rome, and the ending. As we made our way to the Canada pavilion, we heard the sound of bagpipes and guitars, and knew that Off Kilter was on! So we headed directly there. I have to tell you that Olivia truly loves the bagpipes. We listen to a fair amount of bagpipe music at home, and frequently attend Scottish Highland games here in our local area, so Olivia was right at home listening to Jamie Holton jamming on his pipes… she couldn’t resist dancing which was very cute.

Next was the UK… we went in to the first shop, and noticed an immediate change… where had all of the tartan gone? Through our last visit, in Dec., 2000, there were plenty of Scottish-made tartan wool products, but now there is almost none. I asked the young CM but she didn’t know, as the shop had been this way since she started a few months ago. She suggested that perhaps those products were not moving fast enough to be worthy of continuing to stock it, which made sense to me.

We strolled through the “International Gate” and took a stroll in the boardwalk area for a while before going the rest of the way around World Showcase. We didn’t do much more than walk around and take in the sights on this visit… although we did stop at the Mexican cantina for some tasty Margarita’s… which were VERY good!

We left the park and went to Gooding’s to pick up some things for dinner. We settled into our suite for the night, gave Olivia a bath and let her watch a video before sending her off to bed.

Susan was off to bed after her customary 45 minute “couch nap” while I stayed up to get some reading and journal-keeping done.

It was a good day… very relaxing, which is just another reason why we love Disney so much.

Tomorrow: Surreality

 

[shooter364]

Day three, Surreality


Cast:

Bill, 38, Police firearms instructor, husband to Susan, father to Olivia, driver and carrier of heavy things.

Susan, 40-something, Diplomatic Historian, Wife to Bill, mum to Olivia, purchaser of heavy things for Bill to carry.

Olivia, not-quite-3, sweetness and light personified.

Dates Sept. 13-23



We rose at 7:30 today… well I rose at 7:30, Olivia was up by 6:45 and had some personal time with Susan. After getting showered and dressed (and watching the Disney channel for a while), I looked out of our window, in the direction of the parks, and saw…. A perfect rainbow! This wasn’t your run-of-the-mill rainbow, this was a true to life rainbow of the full arc variety… we don’t see them very often where we are from. Olivia marveled at it as much as we did. It turned out to be a good omen for our planned adventures for the day.

We had breakfast at the hotel, which was as good as always. If any of you ever decide to stay at the LBV Embassy Suites, make sure you have an omlette done by Ed, the Chef. He makes a really tasty (and super sized) ham, cheese, and sausage omlette.

We arrived at the parking lot of the Ticket and Transportation center @ 10 AM and took the ferry to MK. We like to take the ferry because of the view and the breeze… we always try to be up front, so “Stroller Queen” Olivia can see everything.

We went in to the MK after having one of the security officers inspect the diaper bag. The wait wasn’t terribly long, and all of the guests were quite patient. Once again, after Sept 11, who can be stupid enough to be annoyed about security?

NOTE: It is a bloody shame that it takes a tragedy for people to start to take these things seriously.

Ahhhh! The Magic Kingdom! We entered the Kingdom and headed straight to “Le Chapeau”… I had been in Orlando all of this time, and I had yet to get my new MM ears! Time to change all of that. While I got my customary ears with “Daddy” embroidered on the back, Susan got herself a WDW sun-visor (she isn’t really a hat person), and Olivia got one of those pink, cone shaped Princess hats… the kind with the filmy pink gauze hanging from the point.

Having accomplished this important task, we proceeded up Mainstreet, amazed at the lack of people. We weren’t really surprised, but understanding the reasons and seeing the reality are two different animals. We usually go in mid-september, so light crowds are the norm for us, but this was weird!

After passing through the castle, Olivia saw the Carousel, and immediately wanted to ride. I took her on the “horsies, daddy!!!” and told Susan to get us a place in line for Dumbo. After the carousel, we walked to Dumbo, and Susan was just standing there, because she actually had to get out of the line because Dumbo was literally a walk-on!

To make a long story short, we rode the Carousel, Dumbo, Pooh, Peter Pan, and Small World inside of an hour. We had only gotten to the parking lot at 10, and by noon we had gotten hats, bought some pins, walked to Fantasyland and finished those rides.

We went to Cosmic Ray’s around noon because Olivia was hungry (well, I suppose I was hungry too!). Ray’s was nearly empty. There were no lines. Some of the tables were totally undisturbed. Amazing… completely amazing.

If I may editorialize for just a moment here, allow me to tell you how ill it made me feel to see WDW this empty. Somebody, or somebodies will pay for this!

After lunch, we went on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority. I had never done this ride before, and I must tell you that I really enjoyed it. It might be too tame for some… it isn’t really fast, and there are no spectacular spins, falls, drops, or loops… but it is fun nonetheless.

After TTA, we rode Buzz Lightyear twice. I scored 17,900 and Susan scored 7,100… go figure. I don’t think those scores really mean anything, but the ride sure is fun. Olivia had a good time with it with all of the colors and the ability to control the spin of your craft.

1:30: Olivia goes to sleep in her stroller. We mosey on over to Frontierland and purchase Mickey Bars. Mickey Bars have always been sort of a wicked parent’s treat for us. Olivia would certainly want to eat one just because we are eating them… the problem is that she would probably make a sinful mess of the whole thing. So…. We only eat them when she is napping, which she can always be counted on to do. It was always a guilty pleasure, but, sadly, that has been taken from us. Apparently, another company now produces the Mickey Bar. It used to be Dove, but I think Nestle is doing it now. The Mickey Bar is now a pale and thin shadow of the robust and delectable snack that it once was.

We wandered around for a while longer, shopping, chatting, people watching, and absorbing everything waiting for Olivia to finish her nap, which she did, around 4 PM. We headed for the exit, stopping briefly to shop in the emporium, where I bought some more pins (starting to notice a trend here?). We then made our way to the monorail headed for the TTC. I had been waiting for this moment since last December! All of you monorail fans know what I mean…

“Please Stand Clear of The Doors… Por favor mantengan se allejados de las puertas”

We drove to Epcot and parked in the far-flung fifth row from the front. We rode Spaceship Earth, again with no wait. The CM remembered us from the day before… there were that few people in the parks.

We went to Ice Station cool, which was producing no snow and ice, but still had ice-cold beverages. Somethings never change, folks… some unsuspecting soul always tries the Beverly with disastrous results, and today was no different. I enjoyed partaking of the est” ginger ale from Mozambiqueich has been my favorite for a long time. We wandered toward the Canadian pavilion and watched Off Kilter again… I have to tell you that I wish the guys would do sets that we longer than three songs. I also wish they would do the “fish dance” again. Another thing I wondered about as I stood there sweating… those kilts can’t be made completely of wool! They move about a lot easier than even a medium weight kilt would… I suppose it makes perfect sense, though… bloody hot in Orlando for a 16 oz. Strome weight kilt.

I stopped at the merchandise cart in the UK, to buy a Scottish flag for Olivia’s stroller and had a brief chat with the young CM there. She was from the Midlands, and had spent some time visiting in Washington, DC… turns out her favorite area of the city was the neighborhood I lived in when I was a bachelor. She has good taste, as I really loved my old neighborhood.

Next, we went to the French pavilion. There we saw the film, “Impressions de France”, we enjoyed it. The production values were great, and the music was fabulous. Having said that, I still prefer “O Canada!”

I have to rant here, just a bit…. Would someone in authority at Disney make a decision and bulldoze the “Outpost”? It serves no purpose and could give such better service as an Australian, Jamaican, or Korean pavilion. If you want to make a pavilion for a “black” African country, pick a country and do it… I find the “one-size-fits-all” approach to be extremely silly and slightly offensive. Sub-Saharan Africa is a big place and has more to offer, culturally, than some carved wood and bongo drums.

OK, I’m done. Whew!

We had margaritas at Mexico, the very nice fellow at the counter gave Olivia a free cup of Hi-C because she was really charming the guy. After our little margarita break we headed towards Rose and Crown for dinner… we were hungry and figured it would be best just to eat now.

For the first time ever, I was disappointed by my meal at the R & C! I had the fish and chips and frankly, it wasn’t very good. Certainly not up to the usual standard. Susan had the vegetarian Shepherd’s pie, and wasn’t thrilled at all.

I think we will have to stick to Rose & Crown as a lunch venue only.

Upon leaving the Rose and Crown (around 8 PM) we noticed that people were still wearing their ponchos…! IT hadn’t done more than sprinkle for 10 minutes all day! And that since 11 AM. Go figure.

As we headed towards the exit, we stopped off at Mouse Gear once again so Susan could pick up some T-shirts, and I could buy another pin (by this time I had already bought 11).

We thought about staying for Illuminations… but Olivia was really beat and Susan was starting to feel a little queasy, so we called it a night.

Returning to the Embassy Suites, I noticed that the message light on our telephone was blinking… The message was from Deb, one of the fine regulars at Rita Aero’s website! (www.disneynation.com) our safety since we hadn’t been heard from since the attacks. It was such a nice gesture. Apparently all of the regular posters in the New York City and Washington, DC areas had been heard from except for me. So she and some others were, at Rita’s suggestion, calling the various Embassy Suites to ask if a “Bill and Susan” were in the hotel! I can imagine some very confused hotel operators around town.

I did some reading after Susan and Olivia went to sleep… another happy Disney day comes to a close.


Tomorrow: Blizzard Beach and Animal Kingdom

 

[shooter364]

Day four, Animal Kingdom and Blizzard Beach


Cast:

Bill, 38, Police firearms instructor, husband to Susan, father to Olivia, driver and carrier of heavy things.

Susan, 40-something, Diplomatic Historian, Wife to Bill, mum to Olivia, purchaser of heavy things for Bill to carry.

Olivia, not quite 3, sweetness and light personified.

Dates Sept. 13-23


Olivia slept in this morning, which means WE got to sleep in this morning. Getting up at 8 AM is heavenly for us, as we normally rise at 4:15.

Susan and I read the newspapers as Olivia watches a video that we brought with us… It is about a pre-ballet class, taught by someone called “Miss Anita.” Friends, I try. I really do try, but Miss Anita has such a screechy, sugar coated, high-pitched voice, I could take an Uzi to the TV every time she is on. However, Olivia likes it, so it is good enough for me… sue me for being soft... I am the father of a Princess!.

After breakfast, we head for Blizzard Beach. The parking lot is nearly empty, which is a good sign for us! I purchased an annual water park pass for $104 (which includes taxes). We like to come to the water parks often, and at nearly $30 per entry, the Annual Pass pays for itself by your fourth visit.

Susan, being a true water person, heads straight for the wave pool as soon as we get our belongings settled into a locker. Olivia, truly being Susan’s daughter heads right in after her, and would have gone all the way, if not for my restraint. Our daughter takes after both of us in that she loves the water, and she has no fear of being submerged. We walked along the edge of the wave pool (up to Olivia’s waist) while mommy swam, and swam, and swam… she was having a ball.

Later, we went to Lazy River (or whatever you call it) and floated around for a bit. We all really love to do that.

One of the things that struck me while moving about the park on this beautiful, warm, sunny day, was that I was hearing more British accents than I had heard the few days prior. This pleased me a great deal as it meant that many of the British travelers that were affected by the events of September 11th had finally started to arrive. We enjoy having the chance to mingle with the large numbers of Brits that come to Orlando… it always reminds us of time we have both spent in the UK. We had planned to go to Animal Kingdom later that afternoon, so we decided to eat at Blizzard Beach. While I was walking toward “Lotta Watta Lodge” wearing my “Real Men Wear Kilts” T-shirt, an older gentleman fixed me with the ol’ gimlet eye and said in a strong Scots burr: “D’ye wear the kilt?” When I replied in the affirmative, he nodded once and said “Good man!” and walked away. After lunch, we headed out to AK.

It was a beautiful day and the crowds were a little heavier than I thought they might be. Before we even got to the gate… there was Donald Duck, posing for photographs with all of the children. Olivia had her picture taken, and afterwards stated, very seriously, that “Donald loves me, mama.” It was terribly cute. I chatted briefly with one of the security CM’s at the gate. We engaged in a bit of police small talk (he was a retired Philadelphia Policeman)… and then it was on to the Animals!

We strolled through Animal Kingdom, and decided to the baby care center to change Miss Olivia’s diaper. We noted the baby care center at AK is nowhere near as nice as the one in Magic Kingdom or Epcot.

We strolled through the Asia section with the now sleeping Olivia, and took pictures of the Tigers and Bats. We really had a good time looking at the birds… and enjoying the detailed theming that must have taken an awful lot of research to put into place.

One of the things we noted about AK is that the park is visually attractive, but lacks a center.

Since there is no end to the number of shops in AK, we had the chance to browse around and see what we could find. The first thing we found was that it pays to shop at lots of different places for souvenirs because the ebb and flow of the stock differs from place to place. We found a really neat AK picture frame that I plan to use for one of our Tiger pictures.

A CM took a photo of us with a great view of the tree of life behind us… if it turns out (we’ll know this afternoon) I’ll put it up on our website. I also took some “artsy” photos while we were there. Unfortunately, this involved getting down on the ground to do take them, but hey, a good photo is worth it. The problem with all of this is that because of the arthritis in my hips and knees, getting up AFTER taking a nice artsy photo isn’t always easy.

We were tired and were calling it quits a little after 5… we were tired, and wanted to relax this evening.

On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at the West Side to go to the Virgin Atlantic Megastore. We wanted to get some movies to watch for after Olivia goes to bed. By this time, watching the news had become quite depressing. We stopped at Gooding’s for food (and beer for me). While we were in the Deli section, by the Cheese display, Olivia pauses… and vomits! Splat! No warning, no nothing! Susan whisked her off to the restroom to clean her up, while I notified the front desk. I was concerned about motion sickness, dehydration, the bubonic plague and everything else, as to my knowledge, this was the first time Olivia has vomited since her infant stage. The funny thing is that once she vomited, she was immediately perky. She was behaving normally, and said she felt fine. She had her supper and a bath and it was off to bed for her at 8:30.

Susan and I stayed up for a while… We watched “Band of Brothers” on HBO. I liked it; Susan found it a bore. Go figure, eh?

Today was quiet and low key for us, but that’s the way we like our vacations… we spend a lot of time running hither and yon at home, so this suited us perfectly. Susan went to bed at 1115. I followed just a little while later.

Observation: Quite a few of our British cousins are going to go home with what appeared to be the most ungodly sunburns! Some of what I saw was painful for me to even look at!

Tomorrow: Not in the car seat!

 

[Janice]

I am really enjoying reading your reports Bill - thank you for sharing them with us

As with everyone, thinking about Sept 11th, leaves me speechless and full of sadness - I am glad you decided to go ahead with your trip, I admire your decision

 

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Day 5: Not in the Car seat!

Cast:

Bill, 38, Police firearms instructor, husband to Susan, father to Olivia, driver and carrier of heavy things.

Susan, 40-something, Diplomatic Historian, Wife to Bill, mum to Olivia, purchaser of heavy things for Bill to carry.

Olivia, not quite 3, sweetness and light personified???

Dates Sept. 13-23


We awoke at 0730 to an absolutely gorgeous morning! After personal hygiene essentials were accomplished and breakfast was consumed, we were heading off for a morning spent at Blizzard Beach, with MGM scheduled for the afternoon/evening. I was looking forward (as always) to some time in the cool water. We also had planned to go on the big family-sized raft ride, whose name escapes me for the moment. I was also looking forward to giving MGM another try, as it is the very least favorite of the four main theme parks for me.

As I strapped Olivia into the van, she erupted with not an inconsiderable amount of vomit. She got me, the car-seat, herself and her stuffed dog and friend-for-life, Shelby. It was quite a mess. We hustled her out of the seat and wiped her and the seat off as best we could with one of the beach towels. Susan hustled her upstairs while I tried to clean up as much as I could before it dried. Getting that finished, I went back to our room to get some cleaning materials to make sure that I got everything as clean as possible. Susan, my logistics genius, had packed away a cleaning product called “Greased Lightning” that cuts through grease, grime, and all sorts of dirt. I brought the Greased Lightning and a roll of paper towels to the parking lot and started cleaning, which went well. After this, I started a load of emergency laundry.

Susan was getting Olivia bathed and dressed again during and we both worried over what could be wrong with our little angel, who, by the way, was a real Trooper… she always stayed chipper and upbeat. Anyway, after all of this, Olivia seemed perfectly normal. So we decided to try our luck at MG for the remainder of our day… we could always go to the hotel pool later if we wanted to, so no harm done.

We parked near the front of the MGM lot (which happened throughout our trip, as I am sure you noticed) and Olivia caught a glimpse of the tram. Of course, to a two year old, a tram isn’t a means of transportation, it is a RIDE! Susan and Olivia walked toward the tram while I, not wanting to fold and unfold the stroller, walked to the entrance… they beat me by less than a minute 

We made it to the 1205 showing of the Little Mermaid show, which was really great. Truly, an unexpected pleasure. What I liked most were the mist and rain effects and the on stage rendition of “Under The Sea.”

From there, we headed to the amphitheater to see the Beauty and The Beast show… which was also very good, but nowhere near as good (in my humble opinion) as The Little Mermaid. The important thing here is, that Olivia really enjoyed both of the shows.

I was starting to get really concerned that Olivia was dehydrating because she didn’t want to drink water all of a sudden. By this time hunger was starting to be a factor for me (I get grumpy when I need food), so we went to the ABC commissary for lunch. I had the Lo Mein, Susan had the Yakitori chicken, and Olivia largely ignored her Macaroni and cheese (of course she had no problem eating half of MY lunch!.

We decided to stay in the Commissary for a while, and let Olivia cool off for a good while… this gave her some time to play and relax, while I scribbled in my notebook.

After taking a bit of a break at the commissary, we decided to browse the shops. In the large shop (name unknown) that is nearest the entrance to the park, Olivia saw a purple ball the has flashing lights when dropped or bounce, and decided that she HAD to have it… AND two princess bracelets… AND a Princess hat antenna topper. OK, truth time, Susan wanted the antenna topper.

We left MGM around 3:45 and headed off to Epcot. Olivia had dropped off to sleep on the way to Epcot, so we decided to just stroll for a while. We decided to get a Toll-House cookie Ice cream sandwiches… we got them and sat down to eat them near the kiddie fountain that is near Universe of Energy. As much as we love ice cream, we were unable to bond with the Toll-House cookie version of the Ice Cream sandwich. We watched the little one play in the fountain, and sat peacefully, relaxing in the perfect weather, just enjoying each other’s company. At this point in the story, you are probably asking yourselves “how in heck can you people spend so much time at Epcot?” My answer to that question is: “Easy… we just like it here.” Vacation is supposed to be about doing only what you like, so there it is.

Susan decided that on this particular day, we should stop in at Mouse Gear to do our shopping BEFORE we do anything else. Not being in a great tearing hurry to do anything else, I agreed. After a quick run through, we came to the mutual conclusion that we prefer to shop there in the evening… as we are about to exit the park. I suppose we are just creatures of habit.

Well… on to World Showcase (we just can’t get enough of it, sorry). In the Canadian trading post, an older gentleman asked the young woman if he could get a Scottish flag there. The girl half smiled as though he might have been joking, but she saw that he wasn’t, and said: “maybe you should try the UK area.” The poor fella looked confused and went on his way. We looked around the shop, finding all sorts of neat things that we would love to have… particularly the fleece sportswear from “Roots.” The problem with all of the “Rootswear” items is that they are exceptionally expensive, expensive even for Disney World, so we passed on them. As we were heading out of the shop, I asked the CM (the same girl as before) if she knew where I could get a flag from Zimbabwe… She stood there with her mouth open, not knowing how to answer. I let her off the hook and told her I was kidding. I don’t think she twigged to the idea that I was teasing her about the guy that had been in the store just a few minutes before.

We next went to the UK shop that sells perfumes, jewelry, tea cozies, etc… the CM positively doted on the still sleeping Olivia. She was having a good time peeking at her through what I call “the observation window” of her stroller canopy. After a while, the young CM went out of the store and Olivia and I followed Susan while she shopped. I was giving serious consideration to buying some cologne called Burberry. I always liked to smell it when we have been to WDW in past trips, I thought this might be the year for it to come home with me. I put down the cologne, figuring I would return for it later in the trip, when we noticed that the CM that had been paying so much attention to Olivia earlier had come back into the store, and was walking our way. She had a bag in her hand and reached in a produced a stuffed bear! Actually it was a plush classic Winnie The Pooh! She gave Pooh to me even as I protested that she shouldn’t… I didn’t want this kid to get in trouble, which is why I won’t mention her name. She wouldn’t hear of it, and insisted that it was alright for her to give it away. Anyway, that was a lovely gesture. When we go back in December, we will certainly pay her a visit and thank her again for her generosity.

I noticed something while we were at the UK pavilion that day… all of the UK CM’s were wearing the UK and US flag pins side by side… I thought that was a really nice gesture. I’m not usually much of a flag waver, I figure the Marine Corps tattoo on my shoulder is enough, but seeing those pins worn side-by-side in that fashion, made me think that it is nice to know who your friends are when times are tough. The United States has lots of allies and lots of friends, but I don’t think anything could break the bonds between the United States and the United Kingdom.

We stopped in the French perfume shop again, so Susan could check out the fragrances, but we didn’t stay long.

We by-passed Morocco because the acrobats were out and I didn’t want the drums to wake the little one if we could help it.

We went into the shop at Norway, and Susan sampled the perfume there. The perfume designer, Geir, was on-site promoting his new fragrance, and Susan decided to get some, but would come back for it later. While we were there, we looked at the Helly Hansen clothing line. I think the HH clothing is nice, but truthfully, I can’t find it in my heart to plunk down $50+ on a pair of shorts, no matter how nice they are.

We stopped for a Margarita (again) at Mexico, and passed some quiet time watching the people pass, looking across the lagoon and enjoying weather that is as near to perfect as any I can ever imagine. It was a beautiful late afternoon... warm but not hot, the sky ws clear and there was a gentle breeze. Perfect! In addition to our regular camera, I had a disposable camera that I kept in my fanny pack. I used this camera to take several pictures across the lagoon. I hope that when they are developed that I will have enough shots to make a nice panoramic view of the world showcase. This is where Olivia wakes up, and naturally wants to go look at the flamingos. After a diaper change, we take our leave (after another ride on Spaceship Earth!).

After supper and a bath, Olivia goes to sleep and mommy and daddy have a little time to talk before we to, are off to the land of nod

Tomorrow: Let’s try Blizzard Beach again!

 

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Day 6, Lets try Blizzard Beach again

Cast:

Bill, 38, Police firearms instructor, husband to Susan, father to Olivia, driver and carrier of heavy things.

Susan, 40-something, Diplomatic Historian, Wife to Bill, mum to Olivia, purchaser of heavy things for Bill to carry.

Olivia, not quite 3, sweetness and light personified???

Dates Sept. 13-23

We rise at 7:30 on another beautiful morning, and despite the turmoil shaking our country, we count our blessings as we prepare for a new day at Disney World. Olivia seems chipper this morning, after a long night of sleep. We are going to try to go to Blizzard Beach today, and soak up some rays while we soak in the cool water.

Olivia is thirsty, which I see as a good sign, but as soon as she has a few sips of water…. Well, if you have been reading these reports, you can well guess what happened next! Fortunately, all was contained in a bath towel. This was the last straw… this wasn’t a matter of dehydration… my girl was sick. So off we go to Centra-Care, the walk-in, urgent care facility located on Apopka blvd., right across from Crossroads shopping center. We got there at 8:15 and figured that since there was only one other person there that we wouldn’t have to wait for long… HA!

We wound up waiting for nearly 45 minutes before we saw a Doctor (We suspect none of the Doctors arrive at the clinic’s scheduled opening time). The quack, er… Doctor, whose name I shall leave out as I don’t need to be sued, examined Olivia. She did a throat swab to get a strep culture, checked her ears and eyes, poked her stomach and all of the other stuff, then pronounced: “She might be a little dehydrated… nothing to worry about, kids just get a little sick in a strange place sometimes.” Great! The same conclusion I came to… The last thing she wanted to do was to check a urine sample to make sure that there was no sign of urinary tract infection. To make a long story short, it took quite a while to produce a sample, as Olivia had now gone to sleep. When we left the clinic (4 hours after we got there), I asked the Doctor what treatment she recommended… Should she stay in bed?, could she go to the parks or anything… The Doctor said that all was well, just give her water, in small amounts from time to time.

Fine.

We went to the MK, via monorail, and by the time we took a brief pass though the Emporium, Olivia was snoozing away. We were hungry (no breakfast today!), so we went to the Plaza Pavilion for a bite.

Now, I don’t know if you are familiar with the Plaza Pavilion, but let me tell you, I think it is the best counter-service eatery in the Magic Kingdom. The food is good and they offer a few things you don’t always see elsewhere. I had the “Italian Stack’ sandwich, and Susan had the chicken fingers. The Italian Stack is a meal. Believe me. I am a big guy (6’ 1” and 250 lbs), and I like to eat, but this sandwich filled me up completely, which isn’t always the easiest thing to do. Anyway, we sat and watched the people cross to and from Tomorrowland for a while, and just let Olivia snooze… we were in no hurry. After a bit we decided to just stroll around… Susan, ever ready to shop, indulged me with something I am still boyishly fond of. A trip to the arcade! She took Olivia with her while I spent some money in the video arcade next to Space Mountain. I played my favorite game, the firefighter game (know which one I mean?) and lamented about the fact that there aren’t anymore “shoot ‘em up” games (although that isn’t such a bad thing).

At around 2 O’clock, we went to Fantasyland. Susan wanted to ride Peter Pan, which is her favorite, while I waited with Olivia. Just as Susan was going to get in line, Olivia woke up shrieking! “I want to ride Dumboooooo!” So, what did we do? Don’t ask silly questions! You know what we did! We went and rode Dumbo! Once again, Dumbo was only a 5 minute wait. After Dumbo, we went on the carousel, because Olivia wanted to ride “the horsies with flowers, Daddy!” After the carousel, it was “Small World” twice without waiting, (heck they were even running empty boats). Finally, Susan gets her wish, and we go on Peter Pan after a wait of maybe ten minutes. Olivia wanted to go back to Pooh, so we went in got in the short line. Just as we got in line, Olivia said: “Mommy, I’m too warm,” and proceeded to empty the contents of her stomach all over Susan’s white shirt. For the love of God, how can a little body hold SO MUCH STUFF? Poor Susan was covered, and so was Olivia. I put Olivia in her stroller, and headed for the baby care center, with my poor wife following. Susan cleaned Olivia, I cleaned the stroller, then Susan tried to clean her shirt, which was pretty much impossible. Once again, since she unloaded the contents of her belly, Olivia was as right as rain. So while she played, I went to the emporium and bought a new shirt for Susan. The poor soul.

Let me take a moment to tell you about my wife. She is quite possibly the most patient person alive (she must be to put up with me). She was taking all of this in stride and didn’t “lose it” even once. I married well, friends, I am here to tell you.

Needless to say, this was the end of our outing for the day. Despite Olivia’s illness, we got a lot done, and had a good time just being together.

When we got back to the hotel, Susan took Olivia swimming, while I was sent out to hunt for food.

When I returned, we had supper. Olivia played and watched a video, the Little Mermaid this time, while I did laundry. The laundry room is where I took my notes for the day.

It was a tough day, and the two of us were more than a wee bit stressed out.

I stayed up to read after everyone else went to bed, and eventually got there myself.

Tomorrow: Sand Lake Hospital

 

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Day 7, Sand Lake Hospital

Cast:

Bill, 38, Police firearms instructor, husband to Susan, father to Olivia, cleaner of vomit stained stroller & car seat.

Susan, 40-something, Diplomatic Historian, Wife to Bill, mum to Olivia, the very picture of patience.

Olivia, not quite 3, sweetness and light personified, indomitable spirit.

Dates Sept. 13-23


I’ll cut right to the chase today… As you can guess from today’s subtitle, we never made it to the parks.

We had originally planned to stay in today, to let my sick angel rest in a cool environment, so we weren’t concerned about missing any attractions today. We thought she might be fine first thing in the morning… but alas, she tossed almost right away. She did so again at midday. When she did so again a few hours later, we knew that things were turning for the worse, so off we went to Sand Lake Hospital.

Sand Lake Hospital is located on Turkey Lake Road, which is extends from Palm Parkway, and parallels I-4 (Interstate Highway 4). It is approximately a 10 minute drive from Downtown Disney. We got to the ER at about 5:30, and were immediately seen by the triage nurse, who assigned us to an examination room, where we were seen, immediately, by another nurse. The nurses and the doctors were very professional and courteous. The nurses were really good with Olivia and made her feel at ease. They did a urinalysis and monitored her for a few hours (while we waited for lab results). They also gave her popsicles as a way to help her take fluids. The Doctor gave us a prescription for an anti-nausea medication, but only to give to her in case she experienced more vomiting. The diagnosis was that she just had a bit of a virus, and not to worry (oh, and she WASN’T at all dehydrated). What she needs is some rest and she’d be fine. When we left the hospital, Olivia was just fine, and mom and dad were VERY relieved.

After putting Olivia to bed (after a bath and some play time) mom and dad had a glass of wine, relieved to know that all would be well.

Tomorrow: Rest, Relaxation, & Recuperation


Day 8, Rest, Relaxation, & Recuperation

Cast:

Bill, 38, Police firearms instructor, husband to Susan, relieved and worry-free father to Olivia.

Susan, 40-something, Diplomatic Historian, Wife to Bill, mum to Olivia, the very picture of patience.

Olivia, not quite 3, sweetness and light personified, indomitable spirit.

Dates Sept. 13-23

Olivia was tired the next morning. I can understand why, the poor soul has been through a lot in the last few days. Susan and I were up and about, but Olivia just wanted to sleep. In fact, with the exception of about 2 hours throughout the day, she just slept or lay quietly in bed. This would be worrisome if not for these mitigating factors: she was drinking more water, and her appetite returned (she only wanted crackers, but who can blame her?).

Susan and I passed a quiet day reading and starting to breathe again. My good wife, knowing I get cabin fever easily, sent me off to an Internet café on International Drive, so I could check email, and visit the forums. After checking in with various friends and comrades, I returned to the hotel. Olivia was still mostly sleeping, but still had not experienced any stomach problems. Later in the afternoon, Susan sent me on, what I found out only yesterday (10/9), was a wild goose chase. She sent me out to the Border’s bookstore on Sand Lake Drive to get the special edition of the New Yorker magazine. She knew they would probably be sold out, but she could see that I needed to be doing something. As I said in my day 6 report, I married well. I won’t say I am a control freak, but I am not someone that is used to being unable to influence my environment. To make a long story short, I was feeling helpless. Not being able to help my daughter, who is my precious jewel, really hurt me. So after I returned from the bookstore, we had dinner, and then watched GW Bush’s speech on TV. Thinking about the attacks still made me simultaneously feel like crying, and wanting to kill someone at the same time. I am no fan of Bush’s. I didn’t vote for him in 2000 (like the majority of the electorate) and I have no intention of voting for him in 2004, but I will give credit where credit is due, and say that he gave a fairly decent speech that night. I’ll reserve my other comments as politics is not the reason for this report.

We went to bed knowing that all was well with Olivia, and that we could get back out to the parks tomorrow for the last day of our vacation. We weren’t really sad about missing some days, because we got to do almost everything we wanted to. Add to that the fact that we already had reservations for a long weekend in December for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, Walt’s 100th birthday (12/5), and my birthday (12/6).

Tomorrow: The last day?[/B}

 

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Day 9, The last day?

Cast:

Bill, 38, Police firearms instructor, husband to Susan, father to Olivia, driver and carrier of heavy things.

Susan, 40-something, Diplomatic Historian, Wife to Bill, mum to Olivia, purchaser of heavy things for Bill to carry.

Olivia, not quite 3, sweetness and light personified

Dates Sept. 13-23


We arise at 7:30, to a gorgeous morning. And to a child that is positively full of beans! Olivia appears to have fully recovered. Susan and I are happy and relieved, but no one seems happier than Olivia.

After breakfast, during the drive to Epcot, We had a discussion about the fact that we were glad we would be getting one more day in the parks so that Olivia could finish the trip on a positive note. We wanted to see and do a few more things, and get some goodies for tomorrow’s (sat. 9/22) long drive home.

As we were passing Downtown Disney, I said: “y’know… maybe we ought to stay one more day. After all, we have sort of missed three full days. What d’you think?” Susan smiled and said she thought it might be a good idea… we were decided! That was easy! We’re staying an extra day! Woo Hoo!

We got to Epcot, and parked in “Journey #9”… the lot was nearly empty. We boarded the Monorail for the Magic Kingdom, where I once again heard the magic phrase: “Please stand clear of the doors… Por favor mantengan se allejados de las puertas” as usual, I couldn’t help smiling when I heard that.

The Magic Kingdom seemed to be more crowded than it had been during the pre-illness phase of our trip. What that means is that the place wasn’t deserted like it had been before. The park was by no means crowded. Naturally, I stopped to check out the pins at the pin station right at the bottom of Main Street before we did anything else. We ambled into Frontierland and Olivia said that she wanted “to ride the boat!” So we took a ride on the Jungle Cruise… Olivia really enjoyed it and so did we. I think that the key to having a really good time on the Jungle Cruise is having a CM that appears to be enjoying his/her job.

Next up was “Small World.” Some of you, no doubt, have noticed the number of times we went on this ride. All I can say is that Olivia enjoys it (we do too) and after the first couple of times, that bloody song doesn’t even drive me nuts anymore.

Next was a double dose of the “Tomorrowland Transportation Authority.” This year was my first time ever going on this particular attraction, and it now ranks among my favorites. Not only does it give a good view of Tomorrowland, it also gives an opportunity for some great photos (got a few great shots of the Castle). We rode through it twice so Olivia could have a wee break… we didn’t want to wear her out after her illness, but to tell the truth, she was rarin’ to go! After TTA, we did Buzz Lightyear again. We didn’t score so well on Buzz, since this time, we let Olivia steer the car for part of the time. I’ll tell you something… I never expected to have nearly as much fun on Buzz as I wound up having… it really is fun! I think Susan likes it even more than I do  Olivia really liked it too, even though she is so small, there are lots of neat sounds, lights, and things to look at.

After Buzz, we finally got to do what I have been waiting for since we arrived in Florida!
We went to the “Carousel of Progress” Woo Hoo! Does anyone love the COP more than me? I don’t think so! I am saddened to think that some day, probably soon, the Carousel of Progress will be deemed too old, too expensive, not fast or thrilling enough, and disappear, only to be replaced by another bloody roller-coaster! It would be a great shame, and a complete disservice to Walt Disney’s legacy and vision. I am tempted, at this point, to break into song, but I will refrain.

During our visit, we also did the “Country Bears Jamboree” this was another first for me (sue me, I’m a creature of habit!). While we were waiting for this attraction, I noticed a young woman wearing a T-shirt bearing the logo for “The Dis,” which is one of many Disney forums I participate in. I spoke with her and her companion for a bit, and she told me that they had just come from a breakfast meet with some other forum participants. I thought that was kind of neat. The Jamboree was fun, but truthfully, I was just glad to sit down with the cool air blowing, and close my eyes for a few moments.

By this time, I was getting hungry, and a hungry Bill can be a cranky Bill, so we went to lunch. We decided to eat at the “Robin Hood” burger place. I’m not really sure that is the proper name for it, but it is the sit-down counter service, right next to Small World. Anyway, the food was good enough, but it still isn’t as much fun as Cosmic Ray’s. Ah well, to each his own, eh?

After lunch, we did some more shopping (are you getting the feeling that we did more shopping than anything else?) at Sir Mickey’s and at Tinkerbell’s, where Susan bought a lacy, frilly, dress for you-know-who.

We were planning to go back to Epcot, so we strolled down Mainstreet, pin hunting all the way. By the time we got finished and to the Monorail, she-who-must-be-obeyed had gone to sleep in her stroller.

We arrived at Epcot, with no particular plans besides having dinner that evening at Marrakesh, so we did what we like to do best at Epcot (no, not have a Margarita… that was later): We took a stroll… a promenade, if you will, around the World Showcase. We stopped in this store, looked at the things in that store. We bought Tapestry of Nations T-shirts, which were being sold at the ridiculous price of $9.99!

We circled WS twice before our 7:15 seating at Marrakesh. The restaurant was nice. It wasn’t terribly crowded. So we were seated near the place that the musicians and the belly dancer performed. The musicians were great, as was the service. My food was perfect! I had the Lemon Chicken, which was perfectly done. It was mildly spiced and was delicious with the lemon preserve that it was basted with. Susan had the vegetable Couscous. She had so much, I wound up eating some of it too! It was wonderful. Olivia had a great time watching the musicians and the belly dancer. After dinner (which was quite reasonably priced) we walked through the Moroccan market, where I bought a fez. Go ahead and laugh, but I look pretty good in it!

Apparently, a thunderstorm had passed through the area while we were having dinner, because there was LOTS of water on the ground when we came out of Marrakesh. We walked back in the direction of the International Gate, since it was time to go back to our hotel. We passed Chefs De France, and promised ourselves that we would eat there on our next trip.

As we walked around towards the main exit of the park, we noted how eerily quiet the place was. Oh, there were plenty of people about, but they were all being fairly quiet too, as they staked out places to watch Illuminations. They needn’t have bothered… there wasn’t a bad spot in the house that night.

There was a nice breeze blowing that held the smell of the storm that had just gone by. There was lightning flashing in the distance, and the thunder rumbled far away, letting us all know that it was someone else’s turn to get wet. Right about then, I was experiencing one of many Disney Magic moments for this trip. We were finishing a very full, but wonderful day, we had eaten a great meal with fine entertainment, we were together in our very favorite place, and all was right in our world.

We left Epcot at 8:20, went home and got cleaned up. Olivia went off to bed, while Susan and I briefly sorted through all of the stuff we had bought that day. We added today’s pile of new treasure to the huge pile that had already accumulated… we really had a lot of stuff!

We sat down to read, and naturally, Susan fell asleep right away. I read for a while before going to bed.

Tomorrow: Bonus Day!

 

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Day 10, Bonus Day!

Cast:

Bill, 38, Police firearms instructor, husband to Susan, father to Olivia, driver and carrier of heavy things.

Susan, 40-something, Diplomatic Historian, Wife to Bill, mum to Olivia, purchaser of heavy things for Bill to carry.

Olivia, not quite 3, fully restored to sweetness and light personified

Dates Sept. 13-23



After a 7:30 wake-up, we went down for breakfast, where Olivia had a whole banana and a cup of juice. The return of her appetite tells us that she has, indeed, recovered.

We parked at Epcot and Monorailed (new word, I think!) over to the TTC, with the intention of taking the ferry over to the MK. When we got to the TTC, it was apparent that it just wasn’t going to happen that way today! There were so many people waiting for the ferry that I thought I must have fallen asleep and re-awakened in June! We looked at the Monorail line and saw the same thing! We wondered what was going on, but quickly remembered that is was Saturday! Add to that, the fact that since the attacks, all of the local news outlets were reporting empty parks and no lines for the attractions. I assume that lots of local residents wanted to take advantage of that. We ditched the idea of the ferry and the direct monorail, so we took the Resort monorail, which was a bit of a longer ride, but we got there faster anyway because of the long wait we would have had going either of the other ways.

It was gratifying to see so many people in the park that day. I realize that it may be strange to hear someone say that a crowd is welcome... but under the circumstances, I am sure that most of you will agree. That people were out spending their money was a good sign. There were more people here today than on any other day of our trip.

After getting up Main Street, Susan and Olivia went to Ariel’s Grotto to take pictures, while I retired to one of the nearby outdoor tables to scribble in my journal. While I was waiting, I used one of the nearby restrooms, and as I came out, a man struck up a conversation with me about how empty the parks had been, and about the events of September 11th. We had a very cordial five minute chat before he went back to his family and I went back to my table. Things like this occurred throughout the trip, and I will talk about it more in my “wrap up” piece.


After my girls returned from Ariel’s Grotto, we went back to the carousel, because Olivia wanted to ride the “horsies with the flowers!” There aren’t many of the horses with the flower garland decorations, so I had to move fast to get one for her. Now, usually, when I ride the carousel, I just stand next to Olivia in order to make sure she doesn’t fall, or so that she isn’t afraid, this time was different, though. Olivia demanded that I get on the horse next to her. I really didn’t want to do it, because I have knee problems as well as problems with my back (am I decrepit, or what?). However, what little madame wants is usually what little madame gets. So, I rode one of the carousel horses, feeling a little silly, but, what the heck… It’s not like I was the only dad on the carousel.

Our next stop was the enchanted Tikki room, which I thought was really cool. I wasn’t all that excited about the birds, but once again, any place that is a little dark and cool is always a good place to pass a little time.

We next went on the Aladdin ride. Tell me if I am wrong friends, Aladdin is really pretty much identical to Dumbo, isn’t it? It does all of the same stuff, right? The spitting Camel being the exception, right?

After Dumbo, we attempted to go on Pirates of The Caribbean. I have never seen the line so long before… so we give it a pass.

Once again, off to lunch at the Plaza Pavilion. The sky has been clouding up for a little while, and it bean to rain lightly as we left the Pavilion and headed over for our last time around on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority. We parked the stroller in a nice dry place and went for our ride. While we were riding, the clouds opened the rain came pouring down. We figured staying on the ride might be a good idea since it was raining, but alas, it was not to be. The attendant, Shane, announced that the ride was experiencing some “technical difficulties” and was shutting down. Reluctantly, we made our way down the walkway, only to see that there was a huge amount of people taking refuge under the overhang of the ride. We thought that it would be prudent for us to do the same. Shane, however, had other ideas. He and one of his mates decided that they needed to shout (repeatedly) for everyone to clear the area… which everyone completely ignored. So much for Shane. The rain didn’t appear to be slackening, so, off I went to Mickey’s Star Traders to buy ponchos for the whole crew (and one extra to wrap our cameras etc…). Wouldn’t you know that by the time we were going to put them on, the rain ended!?!

We went back to Pirates of The Caribbean and voila! No line! So we went on that, then spent some time buying more knick-knacks in the shop. A new refrigerator magnet, mini snow globe, picture frame, pin, and a telescope for Olivia (this cost $1.95 and she is STILL playing with it nearly a month later!).

Next was the Christmas shop near frontierland. Olivia had gone to sleep, so I waited while we got even MORE stuff (remember, we are spending this money for our country! Now, stand at attention, salute smartly and open that wallet!).

We are now ready to make our last visit to Epcot. It is 3:00 and we are ready to go. Oh wait! It is parade time! Someone please… shoot me now. At the risk of being thought a heretic, I have to say this: I usually can’t stand parades. I hated them when I was a kid, and I still hate them (unless we are talking about Tapestry of Nations, but that is a different story). We were trapped! No way out for love or money. Since this was a new parade, I guess the only thing to do was just endure. While watching, I took lots of pictures so Olivia could see all of the characters later. One of the things I noticed was that a lot of the parents practically had to shove their children out to meet the characters when the opportunity presented itself. Some of the kids looked very unhappy about that, although the parents were just going to town with the cameras and camcorders. After the parade passed by, we followed behind it so we could head for the gate.

As we headed for the gate, there was a fair amount of jostling by people trying to get to this place or that. I was annoyed by the number of people that tried to shove around Olivia’s stroller, while we were, clearly, trying to go in the same direction. While I understand that people had places to go and things to see, there is no need to push and shove. I am not ashamed to tell you that there are a few people that took some hard shots to the ankles because of their rudeness. Susan, my tigress, went even further, by shoving an old woman, and elbowing a teenaged girl in the belly! I was so proud. Rude behavior should never be rewarded with tolerance, and that’s all I have to say about that.

After pausing for a last visit to the shops along Main Street, we headed for the monorail to Epcot.

Well, what can I say? This is another beautiful afternoon at our favorite place in the world (although Doctor’s Cave Beach, in Montego Bay Jamaica runs really close). We walked over to “The Land” because we wanted a snack. Olivia got fruit and Susan and I were going to split a Rice Krispie treat. Olivia liked some of the fruit. We hated the Rice Krispie treat! That thing was awful. We usually love them, but not this one. It was positively the worst food item I have ever experienced at WDW. After a quick diaper change, Olivia conked out for her obligatory stroller nap, which gave us the opportunity to do our favorite thing: Stroll around the World Showcase!

The drummers were out again at Japan, so we went in to the Mitsukoshi Department store for a while. Susan bought Olivia a really nice Japanese picture dictionary, some incense, and a book about home design, while I looked for some sort of toy or figure from that Anime film “My neighbor Tottoro” (if you have children, they’ll love that film) I didn’t have any luck, but I always like to look around in that store anyway.

After looking in several shops of the other countries, we were about to pass the Mexican cantina. We gave each other the “now?” look, but decided to wait until we went ‘round again.

When we went through the English garden section of the UK, there was a British woman trying to corral her two exuberant young sons… with very little luck. The poor soul. The boys were obviously having a better time than their mum.

We were enjoying our second time through the WS, taking in the sights, sounds and smells, saying goodbye in our own way.

We got our Margaritas, and sat down to discuss our day, which had become our custom. We talked about how fully Miss Olivia had bounced back, and about our relief. We talked about Epcot and how we enjoy it on so many different levels.

One of the things that we like most about Epcot, is that we have both been to several of the countries that are represented. This gives us the chance to talk to the cm’s with a little knowledge of their homes. It also gives me the chance to practice my language skills. I speak German fairly well, and can make myself understood in basic Japanese and Spanish. The cm’s always seem to enjoy it when you try a bit of their language. We love to travel, but Olivia is still a bit young for foreign travel, so at Epcot, we sort of get the feeling of it, without actually doing it. Am I making sense?

More things we love about Epcot:

 The tranquility. It always seems so peaceful, which is something we both really enjoy.
 The architecture and the attention to detail in the creation of the pavilions of the represented countries. Epcot is very pleasing to the eye.
 The musicians, displaying everything from celtic rock, to traditional bagpipes, traditional Moroccan music, to the Japanese drummers etc…
 The ability to sample, even at a very basic level, the cultures of other countries.
 The food! (Mmmmm!)

OK, you get the idea.

Next, we headed to Mouse Gear where we spent the last of our Disney Dollars, and had a fine time doing it.

As we left, we paused in the parking lot for a last look back at Spaceship Earth. We were a little sad, but knowing that our next trip was only 71 days away made it a bit easier to take.

Back at the hotel, Susan got Olivia ready for bed, while I took my provisioning list to Gooding’s to make ready for tomorrow’s drive home.

Once Olivia was off to bed, Susan packed while I started getting the van ready. I made sure the CD player and CD’s were set up. Stocked the cooler, took the cases as they were filled, and dismantled the video-in-a-bag system. After doing most of the loading, I set up the video-in-a-bag system exactly as I had before, only this time, it wouldn’t work when I tested it. Hmmmm! This could be a problem. I took it apart and tried it again with the same results. I thought that since the hour was getting late, I should just skip it and approach it again in the morning after I had the chance to sleep.

We didn’t stay up late that night, as we wanted to get on the road by 7.

All was ready. Tomorrow, we were heading home.

Tomorrow, The Long Drive Home

 

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Day 11, The Long Ride Home

Cast:

Bill, 38, Police firearms instructor, husband, father, and arthritic long distance driver.

Susan, 40-something, Diplomatic Historian, wife, mum, and “in-flight” entertainment for Olivia.

Olivia, not quite 3, fully restored to sweetness and light personified

Date: September 23, 2001


As we were still on vacation, we didn’t want to get up any earlier than we had to. Susan and I got up at 6, and I packed the last bits of stuff into the van. I then took another whack at assembling the portable VCR. For some reason, the bloody thing wouldn’t work! It was very frustrating, but I didn’t have time to analyze… miles to make, you know! I went back to the room, and retrieved the still-sleeping Olivia. I put her in her car seat, and by 7:00, we were on the road. First thing we did was to drive over to Crossroads, so Susan could grab some breakfast munchies for us. Once our munchies were secured, we headed straight for I-4, and home.

As we zipped down I-4 (east) we passed the Embassy Suites, we all waved good-bye. We waved again as we passed Sand Lake Hospital then I got down to some serious driving. As it was Sunday morning, the traffic was very light and there were few Troopers in evidence, so I took the opportunity to um, well… shave some time off of our trip (there, that was delicately said).

We got to I-95 in no time at all, and before you know it, we were passing into Georgia. Upon entering Georgia, we stooped for gas in a town called Woodbine. I don’t wish to be rude, but Woodbine, Georgia is “just north of nowhere.” Anyway, we had a longish stop because my knee and back were giving me grief. I walked around and stretched a bit and spent a fair amount of time telling Olivia not to touch anything! After about 20 minutes, we were on our way again. Once again noticing a lack of Georgia State Troopers, and once again, taking care to shave some time off of our drive.

Olivia was a gem, as usual, but kept asking us if we were on our way to Epcot! We told her that we would be going back, but not for a little while yet. She readily grasps the concept of “Not Yet” so she was patient (and is still being patient, as of this writing). Even without her Disney videos, she was quiet and patient and enjoyed listening to the 4 or 5 Disney CD’s that we brought along with us. Susan talked to her and played with her a lot, and I sang to her. It was all going just fine.

We stopped around midday in Florence, South Carolina. We had plenty of gas in the tank at that point, but I had to get out of the van. I was feeling a wee bit sleepy, and my knee and back were killing me again. We decided that since broken down ol' dad (me) could use a break, we went to the “Cracker Barrel” for a sit down lunch.

The young lady that waited on us is not likely to win any awards for being very bright… I am guessing that she must be new. I don’t want to go on too much about this, so suffice it to say that her tip reflected out displeasure in the service we received.

Anyway… back on the road. I suppose it was kind of stupid for me to eat a heavy lunch, since a heavy meal always makes me sleepy, but I did. Of course I got sleepy, as usual, so, we stopped again just after we entered North Carolina. That was just what I needed! That last stop gave me enough energy to finish the drive. We blew through Lumberton, NC like nobody’s business (obeying the law, of course!). As I passed the exit for Selma, NC, I thought about my younger days in the Marine Corps. Camp Lejeune, the home of the 2nd Marine Division, is a little over an hour away. I didn’t dwell on my Marine Corps days for long, be cause they, like my youth are far behind me.

Susan was getting tired at this point, and so was Olivia, but we had to keep going… we were at Richmond as the sun was going down (I was determined to make Richmond by nightfall). The traffic was rather heavy, but there isn’t much I could do about that, so on we drove. Olivia was starting to get really vocal about being hungry, so we stopped in Fredricksburg, Va. (which is just 30 miles short of home) to get her a bite to eat. We took a brief stroll around Target, then finished our drive.

For our British friends, “Target” is a one-stop department/discount store. They sell practically everything. Think Wal-Mart, only a bit more upscale.

We got home at 8:30 PM. The thing that struck me as we walked through the front door of our house was THE SIZE! After a week and a half in a hotel, as nice as it was, it was so nice to be back in our home. We had done some major cleaning before we left so all was nice, neat, and orderly… until we brought in all of our stuff and promptly sat it all in the living room floor.

Olivia got a bath and was sent off to bed, and mercifully, she stayed there. Susan and I just sort of moved about like Zombies for a bit. I did a little note-taking about our ride home, but I was beat... we went to bed.

A lovely, if challenging, vacation had come to a happy, successful, and safe conclusion.


Next: Final thoughts

 

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Bill and Family go to WDW – Final Thoughts


Cast:

Bill, 38, Police firearms instructor, husband to Susan, father to Olivia, trip diarist.

Susan, 40-something, Diplomatic Historian, Wife to Bill, mum to Olivia, planner of Disney trips to come.

Olivia, not quite 3, and still asking if it is time to go to Epcot yet.

Dates Sept. 13-23 (and looking forward to December)


As usual, a trip to Walt Disney World is incomplete without encountering the unexpected. For better or worse, for good or ill, there is always something that wasn’t planned that makes for outstanding memories of your vacation. Those of you that have been reading this looong (and hopefully, not-too-tedious) report already know what happened to us on this trip, with Olivia’s illness. It was a real bummer for a few days, but it all turned out for the best. We still had a good time, we still saw and did what we wanted, and we still encountered no end of Disney Magic. The thing to remember here is that you just have to make the best of your situation, and always try to see the bright side.

Having said all of that, I ask for your patience while I plow through the last of my random notes and share with you a few observations I made during our trip. These thoughts are presented in the order in which I scribbled them throughout our trip… I have thrown some opinions in there and have made note of them.

Here goes:

Opinion: Travelling to and from WDW is part of the vacation, too. So don’t forget to have fun while you drive to the airport (whether it be National, Logan, O’Hare or Gatwick). Don’t forget to see and experience new things as you drive from the far corners of the United States or Canada… these are big countries, folks, look around. There is beauty everywhere we look; we just have to be willing to see it. Make the trip fun, it is a vacation, remember?

In keeping with the harmonious atmosphere that is Walt Disney World, I saw an incredibly high number of multi-racial/ethnic families, to which we added our number.

How can some people still be so pale at the end of the summer? (Naturally, the Brits are excused from this)

More men should wear kilts. Wearing a kilt is a heck of a lot cooler than wearing trousers in the summer… especially in Florida.

The Mickey Bar ain’t what it used to be. I wish they were still produced by Dove.

Question: Don’t you get hot if you leave your poncho on after it stops raining?

The Internet community of “Disney people” is as nice a group of people as you are ever likely to encounter. Deb (and others) from Rita Aero’s site (www.Disneynation.com) is a perfect example of this. Honorable mention goes to the unnamed lady I encountered from “The Dis.”

Water parks are what God gives us as a glimpse into what heaven must be like.

Baby-care centers are wonderful… even if you are just there to let the little ones have some decompression time… parents get the benefit as well.

I think AK has more shops in a concentrated area than any of the other major parks.

The Virgin Megastore is great! They stock just about every kind of music you could hope to find. I always have to restrain myself from spending waaay too much money there.

Would it be indelicate of me to wonder aloud as to why so many women go braless while at wdw? Hmm could it be that I have been in button-down Washington, DC too long.

When small children sleep, they do so with abandon. We only had one day at AK, but Olivia slept through 90% of it.

“Mantengan se allejados de las puertas” (I just wanted to type that again.)

The Gaston character from Beauty and The Beast has really “Big Hair”

I thought I would have seen more people keeping trip diaries… maybe people have better memories than I do, eh?

I love talking to the Cast Members. What a great bunch of people!

Always feel free to dance at WDW. There is always music playing, so if you feel like dancing, go ahead. Where else can you dance in the street and not get arrested?

The perfume shop at France (Epcot) smells wonderful.

Restaurant Marrakesh (Epcot) is grossly overlooked… the food is magnificent.

Suggestion: Take a really hard look at the parks when you are there. Can you imagine for a moment the hard work and talent that went into designing such wonderful places? There may be other parks that are more technologically advanced than WDW/Orlando… but they all came after, and as the result of Walt’s vision.

If you ever have the time, stop in and take a look at the Team Disney building, across from Downtown Disney. You will only get to go into the lobby if you go inside, but it really looks like a great place to work.

At Sand Lake Hospital, there is a Doctor named Corbett, he is wonderful with children. I will always be grateful to him.

Don’t forget to tell your loved ones how much fun you are having. Not only because you are at WDW, but also because you are together and you love them.

Listening to the WDW “Millennium CD” while typing trip reports is a great motivation… puts you right there.

Watching the “dancing fountain” at Epcot is fun.

“Spaceship Earth” awes me as much now as the first time I rode it!

If I had to use one word to sum up what I think Walt Disney World has over other theme parks, that word would be texture. (Magic was just too easy).

Disney Snow Globes are great, but can be pricey… if they cost more than you are budgeted for, get a few of the mini globes that are sold in many of the shops.
Let me close by saying that our trip was wonderful. Despite Bin Laden and associates, despite Tropical Storm Danielle, and despite Olivia’s illness, we had a grand adventure.

Writing this report (my first) has been a joy to me, and has served to keep my memories fresh. I have laughed out loud many times while typing all of this. Thanks Walt Whitman.

Next: Wait… that’s it. The end (until December, anyway)


Thanks for reading this.

Bill

 

[bengunn]

Thanks for the trip reports Bill; it make a nice change to see things from an American viewpoint. I am glad that you enjoyed your holiday after all you went through; kids getting ill on holiday can be a real downer.

We are really looking forward to our trip this summer (yes we know it will be hot and wet but what the heck - it is the only time that we can all go).