GreatBiscuit
Golden but never flaky
- Joined
- Aug 20, 1999
Episode 49 – Bring on the Magic!
Previously on Biscuit’s Grand Adventure, shuttles were delayed, pit stops were made, and we finally arrived at Orlando International.
I closed the previous episode with a shared excitement between myself and Tahli over our arrival in Orlando. Though I was excited to get to The World, I was even more excited for the girls. As I mentioned in the Pre-Trip, this past year of working nights has been hard on all of us. It has been especially difficult for Tahli. I wanted this trip to be a special time for her and for us as a family. When we landed, as she watched the ground below, I watched her. The wonder and excitement in her eyes was more precious to me than the trip itself.
Once we landed, the clan looked to me to navigate us successfully to the Magical Express counter, but not until we had a quick potty break. Once all minds and other relevant parts were clear, it was time to sally forth. Luckily I had spent some time on the DIS transportation board and the Orlando International Airport website so I had a handy dandy map & directions all printed out and added to my “plan” folder. The directions on the DIS were spot-on. We headed to the monorail and were soon whisking towards the main concourse.
I was shocked on our way through by just how long the security lines were. It was a MADHOUSE! Deep down, I was sad to know that it would soon be us, but I pushed those thoughts aside and quickly rallied up a war cry. (Sorry about that if you were behind me…those darned continental breakfasts you know.)
I snaked us through Level Three like I actually knew where I was going, and in short order, we discovered the elevators to Level One, Side B. (Much to the relief of Tahli I might add, who was NOT feeling the love on riding the escalator.) Once we reached the first floor, it was just a quick jog to the left to reach the Magical Express check in desk.
Now at this point, I was a bit nervous. I have a slight confession to make in that I was not fully prepared for Magical Express check in. I had called Central Reservations several times over the course of the previous months, confirming reservation numbers, dates, what have you. I had even called to verify they had our flight info. But for some reason, I never got the Magical Express welcome packet. You know, the one with the handy yellow tags? And since I didn’t think to venture over to the Transportation Board until 3 days prior to our trip, I had no clue that there even was such a creature as a Magical Express Yellow Tag until the very last minute.
I flew into full on panic mode and called the Magical Express number (which I learned from the Transportation Board is NOT the same as Central Reservations) and was assured by the Cast Member who answered that all would be well with the world. I was instructed to simply bring our baggage claim tickets to the counter and they would handle the rest. Whew. That’s a relief…sort of…but I was still a bit worried about it.
There was no line at the desk and we were soon checked in by a friendly CM from Philadelphia. (Sorry, I forgot to record his name….SHAME I know…I’ll put myself in timeout later.) I remember he was from Philly because he was an Eagles fan and commented on my Dallas Cowboys shirt. I gave him my claim tickets, he said “No problem Mr. Biscuit” and after some authoritative key clicking, he smiled and wished me a magical day. We then headed down the red carpet and presented our Magcial Express boarding pass. The CM there was from New York, and wanted to know why the Cowboys had to send “TO” to Buffalo. (I couldn’t tell you but I have to say, I wasn’t crying when he left.)
We were directed to the proper lane and got in line. I did a quick update on my live report, reminded the kids not to play with the ropes, and within 20 minutes, we were being led out to our bus. We wound up with a Disney Cruise Lines bus, which I first thought was kind of cool until I realized the port hole window treatments made it impossible to get a good shot of the Disney World gate. DOH!
The promo video playing helped pass the time quickly and we were soon cruising up the drive to the Pop. (Get it, cruising, DCL Bus….never mind.) I was seated on the right hand side and I remember first glimpsing the top of one of the bowling pins through the window. The feeling was a bit surreal. I was ACTUALLY getting ready to check in for my first ever stay on property! How cool is that?
It’s strange how even when you have seen countless photos of place, it is always a little bit different when you actually see it in person.
Before I proceed any further, I should offer up a word about photos. I took a lot of “scenery photos” that by themselves seemed odd, but I took them with a greater purpose in mind, namely panoramics. Using Windows Live Photo, you can stitch multiple pictures together to create one large picture, and you will find several scattered about this TR. The only weird thing about it is that sometimes foreground elements are removed or blended, resulting in ghost images. So if you encounter a few odd spooks, never fear. The Haunted Mansion still contains all 999 Happy Haunts. (NoMel) We now resume our regularly scheduled programming.
When Magical Express drops you off, you enter on the right hand end of the main building. As you walk in, the check in/out desk is to your left, the TV room is immediately to your right, and at the end of the long hallway is Everything Pop. (Gift Shop & Food Court.)
(Composited from 8 photos, taken our first day later that afternoon.)
See what happens when stay in the parks too long? Your legs rebel and detach themselves for a rest at your resort!
Papa and I entered the check in line to handle the particulars, while Tracy and Nana took the kids to the TV room.
(Composited from 15 photos, taken during checkout on our last day.)
After about 10 minutes of waiting, we spoke with the first CM at the rolling laptop podium. He was working his way down the line to ensure no one was waiting unnecessarily to checkout. He was from a town very near my hometown, and used to work at one of our local TV stations. Queue the music “It’s a world of laughter, a world of cheer….” A few minutes later and we were checking in with Tyng from Singapore. She was an awesome CM and was all smiles. She found us two rooms next to each other in Building 5, third floor, just above the kiddie pool. Best of all, they were ready now! DOUBLE SCORE!
We collected the rest of crew and headed in the general direction of our rooms. At the end of the lobby in the Pop Century, there is a cross hallway. (Think of the main lobby as a capital T turned sideways.) When you reach the end, if you turn left, there is a short hallway with a DVC booth, and a room I discovered was used to triage someone when an ambulance is called (no it wasn’t any of us), and at the end of the hallway is a door that leads to the busses. Directly in front of you is Everything Pop. To your right, is another short hallway that contains the Fast Forward Arcade, restrooms & payphones, and at the end a door that leads outside to the heart of the resort.
(Composited from 6 photos, taken later in the afternoon of our first day.)
Left to the Bus, Right to the Arcade & Hippy Dippy Pool/Rooms
I lead us out door number 2 and in the general direction of Building 5. I was not sure where the elevators were (I was so excited I forgot to ask) so I hauled us up the first set of stairs I came to. We eventually found our way to our rooms and managed to locate the elevators & ice machine in the process. (If you are ever there and need the elevator, they are located in the middle of the buildings behind the giant icons…which in our case was Baloo & Mowgli.)
Our room numbers were 5307 & 5308 and we were located to the right of the characters, about half way down.
When we arrived at our rooms, the door to ours was already open and there was a crew inside touching up the paint on one of the walls. We told them we would be next door and stowed our carry on luggage in Nana & Papa’s room. My first impression? Small, but nice, and very clean. The room looked like it was brand new.
We sat around for a couple of minutes to decide on a plan of action. Soon there was a knock at the door and the painters told us they were done and that the walls would be dry in ten minutes. I didn’t want to be a skeptic, but either they were using some miracle paint or he was “exaggerating”. I went ahead and transferred our carry-ons to our room, and took a quick photo before the girls moved in.
(If you look closely at the back / right walls, you can see where the paint was touched up. It blended perfectly once it was dry.)
I also needed to make a quick pit stop. (At the airport, I guarded our luggage while the crew handled their business.) And so it was that I was introduced to the infamous Pop Century commodes. I had heard the stories about how you can hear them flushing in other rooms at night. I simply attributed it to thin walls. Then I pulled the handle. Had I not just cleared the deck, I would have had a biological malfunction. I must have jumped a foot. This was a throne which flushed with authority! I half expected to see an artillery shell go flying out the back of the thing. I stood there for a moment in awe. Yet I had to wonder who in their right mind thought it would be a positive thing to install a nuclear powered toilet in a resort. Then I spent a couple of days on the Disney Dining Plan. Suddenly the sheer genius of the design became crystal clear. But that’s getting ahead of myself.
By this time the girls had made it to our room, accompanied by a chorus of “DON’T TOUCH THE WALL!” Which the mostly did not do. (We did notice a tiny smidge of paint on Hailee’s knee a little bit later.) They loved the resort already and couldn’t wait to try out the pool. Unfortunately, their swimsuits were in our regular luggage which we could only hope was on its way from the airport. Would our bags all make it? Would the kids take a nap? We’ll see. But for now, we’re here, the girls are in awe, and Biscuit is euphoric.
Coming up on Episode 50 – A Dining Newbie No-More.
Previously on Biscuit’s Grand Adventure, shuttles were delayed, pit stops were made, and we finally arrived at Orlando International.
I closed the previous episode with a shared excitement between myself and Tahli over our arrival in Orlando. Though I was excited to get to The World, I was even more excited for the girls. As I mentioned in the Pre-Trip, this past year of working nights has been hard on all of us. It has been especially difficult for Tahli. I wanted this trip to be a special time for her and for us as a family. When we landed, as she watched the ground below, I watched her. The wonder and excitement in her eyes was more precious to me than the trip itself.
Once we landed, the clan looked to me to navigate us successfully to the Magical Express counter, but not until we had a quick potty break. Once all minds and other relevant parts were clear, it was time to sally forth. Luckily I had spent some time on the DIS transportation board and the Orlando International Airport website so I had a handy dandy map & directions all printed out and added to my “plan” folder. The directions on the DIS were spot-on. We headed to the monorail and were soon whisking towards the main concourse.
I was shocked on our way through by just how long the security lines were. It was a MADHOUSE! Deep down, I was sad to know that it would soon be us, but I pushed those thoughts aside and quickly rallied up a war cry. (Sorry about that if you were behind me…those darned continental breakfasts you know.)
I snaked us through Level Three like I actually knew where I was going, and in short order, we discovered the elevators to Level One, Side B. (Much to the relief of Tahli I might add, who was NOT feeling the love on riding the escalator.) Once we reached the first floor, it was just a quick jog to the left to reach the Magical Express check in desk.
Now at this point, I was a bit nervous. I have a slight confession to make in that I was not fully prepared for Magical Express check in. I had called Central Reservations several times over the course of the previous months, confirming reservation numbers, dates, what have you. I had even called to verify they had our flight info. But for some reason, I never got the Magical Express welcome packet. You know, the one with the handy yellow tags? And since I didn’t think to venture over to the Transportation Board until 3 days prior to our trip, I had no clue that there even was such a creature as a Magical Express Yellow Tag until the very last minute.
I flew into full on panic mode and called the Magical Express number (which I learned from the Transportation Board is NOT the same as Central Reservations) and was assured by the Cast Member who answered that all would be well with the world. I was instructed to simply bring our baggage claim tickets to the counter and they would handle the rest. Whew. That’s a relief…sort of…but I was still a bit worried about it.
There was no line at the desk and we were soon checked in by a friendly CM from Philadelphia. (Sorry, I forgot to record his name….SHAME I know…I’ll put myself in timeout later.) I remember he was from Philly because he was an Eagles fan and commented on my Dallas Cowboys shirt. I gave him my claim tickets, he said “No problem Mr. Biscuit” and after some authoritative key clicking, he smiled and wished me a magical day. We then headed down the red carpet and presented our Magcial Express boarding pass. The CM there was from New York, and wanted to know why the Cowboys had to send “TO” to Buffalo. (I couldn’t tell you but I have to say, I wasn’t crying when he left.)
We were directed to the proper lane and got in line. I did a quick update on my live report, reminded the kids not to play with the ropes, and within 20 minutes, we were being led out to our bus. We wound up with a Disney Cruise Lines bus, which I first thought was kind of cool until I realized the port hole window treatments made it impossible to get a good shot of the Disney World gate. DOH!
The promo video playing helped pass the time quickly and we were soon cruising up the drive to the Pop. (Get it, cruising, DCL Bus….never mind.) I was seated on the right hand side and I remember first glimpsing the top of one of the bowling pins through the window. The feeling was a bit surreal. I was ACTUALLY getting ready to check in for my first ever stay on property! How cool is that?
It’s strange how even when you have seen countless photos of place, it is always a little bit different when you actually see it in person.
Before I proceed any further, I should offer up a word about photos. I took a lot of “scenery photos” that by themselves seemed odd, but I took them with a greater purpose in mind, namely panoramics. Using Windows Live Photo, you can stitch multiple pictures together to create one large picture, and you will find several scattered about this TR. The only weird thing about it is that sometimes foreground elements are removed or blended, resulting in ghost images. So if you encounter a few odd spooks, never fear. The Haunted Mansion still contains all 999 Happy Haunts. (NoMel) We now resume our regularly scheduled programming.
When Magical Express drops you off, you enter on the right hand end of the main building. As you walk in, the check in/out desk is to your left, the TV room is immediately to your right, and at the end of the long hallway is Everything Pop. (Gift Shop & Food Court.)
(Composited from 8 photos, taken our first day later that afternoon.)
See what happens when stay in the parks too long? Your legs rebel and detach themselves for a rest at your resort!
Papa and I entered the check in line to handle the particulars, while Tracy and Nana took the kids to the TV room.
(Composited from 15 photos, taken during checkout on our last day.)
After about 10 minutes of waiting, we spoke with the first CM at the rolling laptop podium. He was working his way down the line to ensure no one was waiting unnecessarily to checkout. He was from a town very near my hometown, and used to work at one of our local TV stations. Queue the music “It’s a world of laughter, a world of cheer….” A few minutes later and we were checking in with Tyng from Singapore. She was an awesome CM and was all smiles. She found us two rooms next to each other in Building 5, third floor, just above the kiddie pool. Best of all, they were ready now! DOUBLE SCORE!
We collected the rest of crew and headed in the general direction of our rooms. At the end of the lobby in the Pop Century, there is a cross hallway. (Think of the main lobby as a capital T turned sideways.) When you reach the end, if you turn left, there is a short hallway with a DVC booth, and a room I discovered was used to triage someone when an ambulance is called (no it wasn’t any of us), and at the end of the hallway is a door that leads to the busses. Directly in front of you is Everything Pop. To your right, is another short hallway that contains the Fast Forward Arcade, restrooms & payphones, and at the end a door that leads outside to the heart of the resort.
(Composited from 6 photos, taken later in the afternoon of our first day.)
Left to the Bus, Right to the Arcade & Hippy Dippy Pool/Rooms
I lead us out door number 2 and in the general direction of Building 5. I was not sure where the elevators were (I was so excited I forgot to ask) so I hauled us up the first set of stairs I came to. We eventually found our way to our rooms and managed to locate the elevators & ice machine in the process. (If you are ever there and need the elevator, they are located in the middle of the buildings behind the giant icons…which in our case was Baloo & Mowgli.)
Our room numbers were 5307 & 5308 and we were located to the right of the characters, about half way down.
When we arrived at our rooms, the door to ours was already open and there was a crew inside touching up the paint on one of the walls. We told them we would be next door and stowed our carry on luggage in Nana & Papa’s room. My first impression? Small, but nice, and very clean. The room looked like it was brand new.
We sat around for a couple of minutes to decide on a plan of action. Soon there was a knock at the door and the painters told us they were done and that the walls would be dry in ten minutes. I didn’t want to be a skeptic, but either they were using some miracle paint or he was “exaggerating”. I went ahead and transferred our carry-ons to our room, and took a quick photo before the girls moved in.
(If you look closely at the back / right walls, you can see where the paint was touched up. It blended perfectly once it was dry.)
I also needed to make a quick pit stop. (At the airport, I guarded our luggage while the crew handled their business.) And so it was that I was introduced to the infamous Pop Century commodes. I had heard the stories about how you can hear them flushing in other rooms at night. I simply attributed it to thin walls. Then I pulled the handle. Had I not just cleared the deck, I would have had a biological malfunction. I must have jumped a foot. This was a throne which flushed with authority! I half expected to see an artillery shell go flying out the back of the thing. I stood there for a moment in awe. Yet I had to wonder who in their right mind thought it would be a positive thing to install a nuclear powered toilet in a resort. Then I spent a couple of days on the Disney Dining Plan. Suddenly the sheer genius of the design became crystal clear. But that’s getting ahead of myself.
By this time the girls had made it to our room, accompanied by a chorus of “DON’T TOUCH THE WALL!” Which the mostly did not do. (We did notice a tiny smidge of paint on Hailee’s knee a little bit later.) They loved the resort already and couldn’t wait to try out the pool. Unfortunately, their swimsuits were in our regular luggage which we could only hope was on its way from the airport. Would our bags all make it? Would the kids take a nap? We’ll see. But for now, we’re here, the girls are in awe, and Biscuit is euphoric.
Coming up on Episode 50 – A Dining Newbie No-More.
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I am at least on the second to the last day of our trip, I just need to get my butt in gear and start typing away. 
Love the panoramic shots you stitched together. Neat! 
Now you have me thinking about switching our next stay at ASMu to POP, or maybe we'll just have to go again and stay at POP 
Very, very cool!
Glad to have you aboard. Im all in favor of Disney Trip plotting! 
