puffkin
DVC Owner- SSR & AKV
- Joined
- Apr 30, 2001
- Messages
- 9,848
Cast:
Woody- Disney nut and obsessive trip planner, 5th trip, age 23
Buzz- fiancé of Woody, tolerates Disney, 4th trip, age 25
Jasmine- Mother of Woody, 1st trip, age 49
Day 1 (December 6, 2003):
Actually, the first Day of our December Adventure began on Friday December 5th. Mom and I didnt have to work so that day was spent packing and preparing for the trip. Of course, we were getting slammed by the first of two snow storms so I spent the whole day worrying about our flight the next morning. Mom called about a dozen times with various questions during the day. I was packed and ready to go by the time Buzz got home from work. Buzz packed in record time, so we loaded up the car and were off. The first snow storm had just ended by this time, but the roads were pretty bad.
We eventually made it to my Moms house and loaded our stuff in her car. After saying good-bye to our dog (who my Dad was watching for the week) we were on our way around 7:45 pm. Even the major highways were snow covered, and we crept along. We had no major problems, but traffic was light and we just took our time. I was so glad that we had booked our hotel room in advance because the hotels were bound to be full.
We arrived at the Comfort Inn near the Philadelphia Airport around 10 pm (the drive took about 45 minutes longer than normal). Luckily the hotel was decent and our room was clean and in good shape. Buzz and I had had a horrible stay at the Ramada for our November trip to California, so I was a little nervous at trying the Comfort Inn (we usually stay at the Holiday Inn but they were booked for that night). We laid out our clothes for the next morning and went to bed.
Our wake up call came at 5:15 am. Everyone was up, showered, and packed in no time. Unfortunately, a peak outside showed that the second snowstorm had rolled in overnight as expected. It was bound to be an interesting morning. Our intention was to get on the 6:30 am shuttle. Buzz and I have learned from experience that the shuttles fill up quickly. If you want to guarantee a space, you have to wait outside at the curb at least 15 minutes ahead of time. Of course we froze because we had left our heavy coats in the car, but we were first in line. Sure enough, the shuttle pulled up and a whole bunch of people rushed outside. The shuttle filled up and quite a few people were left behind.
We were at the airport in a few minutes. There were plenty of open electronic kiosks at the USAirways counter and we had our boarding passes in a matter of seconds. I think my Mom was glad to be traveling with people who knew what they were doing at the airport. Our flight was on time, which I was happy to see. We zipped through security and were at the gate in no time. We had plenty of time so we grabbed some muffins for breakfast. My Mom thought we were nuts to go on vacation in December, so I think she was surprised when she saw that we had a full flight and that there were a lot of families traveling to WDW.
We started boarding a little after 8:00 am for our 8:30 flight. It was snowing up a storm outside, but so far so good. Everyone got on the plane, saw the safety video and the doors where closed. But, alas, it was too good to be true. Here is where things went downhill. First, a plane at the gate behind us got stuck in the snow when it tried to back out of its gate. So they had to call in a tug. Well, the tugs tires couldnt get a grip, so they had to call in a heavy duty tug with snow tires. We sat for about 45 minutes before the other tug came and was able to get the other plane moving.
We backed out (with no problems) and had to head to the deicing pad. Of course there was a long line of planes, so it took over an hour to get through the deicing pads. Then, we had to get in line for takeoff. Well, we were the next plane to take off when they shut down the runway for snow removal. So, we were diverted to the arrival runway, but we had to wait until all the planes with clearance to land had come in. All in all, we were about 2 hours late to take off. Our flight was pretty uneventful, although rather turbulent.
We landed in Orlando at 12:45. I was nervous that our Tiffany Towncar driver would not be there since we were so late and I had no way of calling to let him know. However, Carlos was waiting at the baggage claim area so my fears were unfounded. For once, our bags were one of the first ones up, so we were outside in no time. Carlos went to get the car (which took about 5 minutes) and we were on our way. I had requested a grocery stop, but Carlos took us to a Walgreens. We were able to get everything we wanted, but it was much more expensive than the Kashn Karry Tiffany Towncar usually stops at. Next time, I will request a grocery store when I ask for a grocery stop.
We pulled up to the Animal Kingdom Lodge around 2:30 pm. It is quite a sight. Buzz and I had eaten at Bomas on our July trip, but it was still breath taking. Mom would never admit it, but I could tell she was impressed. A bell hop was right there with a cart and whisked our bags away to storage. Carlos was quite impressed with my Disney-decorated tip envelope. I reconfirmed our pick up next Saturday and then I went off to check in while Mom and Buzz explored the lobby. Mom was so engrossed in looking around that she walked into one of the big poles in the lobby. Unfortunately, I didnt see this (LOL).
This check in was the fastest and easiest one yet. The CM was great and extremely helpful. I had only booked the room for two adults but she didnt give me any problems when I said a third adult had tagged along (we were never charged for the extra adult). I got three room keys with charging privileges and tons of maps and resort information. Our room was ready, and the CM happily informed me that all my requests were able to be met. We were on the Zebra trail in room 4417. This was a great location with a view of the Arusha Savannah. We were very close to the pool, restaurants, food court, and lobby.
Wow, what a resort. It was absolutely spotless and incredibly themed throughout. Our room was well appointed and spotless. The beds were large and comfy and the furniture was of high quality. The marble sink area was very nice and the tile work in the bathroom was top notch. I inspected and did not find a speck of mildew (I am a clean freak at home). I think the room was cleaner than my house. The room was a tad smaller than I expected but it wasnt a problem at all. Also, I was concerned that the rooms would be dark after reading some reports on the boards, but I didnt find that to be the case at all. I loved the light fixtures and I thought they gave off plenty of light especially around the beds and in the sink area. The dim lighting fit in very well with the overall theming of the room.
We stepped out on the balcony, and were impressed by the view. Our savannah had ankole cattle, eland, zebra, giraffes, wildebeests, and some kind of antelope. There was a nice animal guide provided in the room to help identify the animals. We were all impressed with the view. The balcony was a tad small, but we had enough room to animal watch.
By this point, we were hungry, so we set off the find the Mara. We were very close to the elevators that led down to the pool and the Mara. Although the Mara was nice and had a decent selection of food, Buzz and I both missed the food court at Port Orleans. I also found the ordering system to be slightly confusing at the Mara, but it was nice to have the food delivered to the table. Mom ordered the cheese pizza, I had the kids chicken finger platter, and Buzz ordered the double cheeseburger. We each got a refillable mug as well (total bill $57).
After lunch, we headed back to the room to unpack and relax. It is amazing how tired you get from sitting on a plane. I think Mom was a little excited to be there, because she was ready to go a short time later. So, we set out to explore the resort. I stopped by Guest Services to pick up a Hidden Mickey guide, and while I was there I picked up our Candlelight Processional passes for Monday night. Mom stopped by the gift shop, the Zawadi Marketplace, and bought a long-sleeved t-shirt. We found about half of the Hidden Mickeys before we decided to head out for some resort exploring.
We left the AKL around 5:30 pm and waited about 5 minutes for a bus to the Magic Kingdom. The plan was to monorail from the Magic Kingdom to Epcot and back before our dinner reservation at Chef Mickeys. When we arrived at the Magic Kingdom, there was a long line for the monorails and busses. I think that it was so crowded because they were taping portions of the Christmas Day parade that afternoon. We decided not to go to Epcot, but instead to check out the Grand Floridian.
The Grand Floridian was decorated very nicely and the band was playing festive music. The ginger bread house was quite a sight to see. After we were finished exploring, we hopped on the monorail to the Contemporary. We checked in at Chef Mickeys around 7:15 pm for our 7:30 pm PS. While we were waiting, a guy was giving the one CM a hard time because they had been waiting for a long time. Here it turned out the guy wanted a table against the wall because his kid was afraid of the characters and wanted to sit next to the wall. The kid was about 8 or 9 and every time a character was in sight, he started screaming and crying. Why would you bring an obviously terrified kid to a character meal if he was that afraid? There are plenty of other places to eat.
We were seated at 7:30 in the section next to the steak house in the Contemporary. I had hoped to get seated in the main dining area, but our table was nice and quiet. I knew my Mom would get a kick out of the characters, which is why I decided to do this meal our first night. We both thought the food was marginal at best, but Mom enjoyed the characters. It was a nice way to start the trip. Our total came to $93 with tip.
Thanks to the Disboards, I had booked the Holiday Sleigh ride at the Wilderness Lodge when I found out about them. I was able to get the last slot for the night, at 10 pm. We found the marina at the Contemporary and waited about 2 minutes for a boat to arrive. It had gotten quite cold by this point, and riding on the boat was very cold. We arrived at the Wilderness Lodge with plenty of time to spare before our sleigh ride. We explored the lobby area and then sat down and relaxed while waiting.
The sleigh ride was very nice a pretty good deal by Disney standards. The sleigh was actually on wheels, but it was very nice. Kelly was the driver, and Luke was a very pretty horse. Luke had bells, and there was a blanket in the sleigh to sit under. The path the sleigh took was through the Wilderness Lodge grounds and on the path to Fort Wilderness and back. It was very quiet and peaceful. The 30 minute trip cost $30.
After our sleigh ride, we headed down to the marina and waited about 5 minutes for a boat back to the Magic Kingdom. After another cold boat ride, we were at the Magic Kingdom, where we waited 5 minutes for a bus to the AKL. After a very long, busy, yet relaxing day, we were ready for bed. I showered and we all turned in around midnight.
Stay tuned for Day 2 and Moms first visit to the Magic Kingdom
Woody- Disney nut and obsessive trip planner, 5th trip, age 23
Buzz- fiancé of Woody, tolerates Disney, 4th trip, age 25
Jasmine- Mother of Woody, 1st trip, age 49
Day 1 (December 6, 2003):
Actually, the first Day of our December Adventure began on Friday December 5th. Mom and I didnt have to work so that day was spent packing and preparing for the trip. Of course, we were getting slammed by the first of two snow storms so I spent the whole day worrying about our flight the next morning. Mom called about a dozen times with various questions during the day. I was packed and ready to go by the time Buzz got home from work. Buzz packed in record time, so we loaded up the car and were off. The first snow storm had just ended by this time, but the roads were pretty bad.
We eventually made it to my Moms house and loaded our stuff in her car. After saying good-bye to our dog (who my Dad was watching for the week) we were on our way around 7:45 pm. Even the major highways were snow covered, and we crept along. We had no major problems, but traffic was light and we just took our time. I was so glad that we had booked our hotel room in advance because the hotels were bound to be full.
We arrived at the Comfort Inn near the Philadelphia Airport around 10 pm (the drive took about 45 minutes longer than normal). Luckily the hotel was decent and our room was clean and in good shape. Buzz and I had had a horrible stay at the Ramada for our November trip to California, so I was a little nervous at trying the Comfort Inn (we usually stay at the Holiday Inn but they were booked for that night). We laid out our clothes for the next morning and went to bed.
Our wake up call came at 5:15 am. Everyone was up, showered, and packed in no time. Unfortunately, a peak outside showed that the second snowstorm had rolled in overnight as expected. It was bound to be an interesting morning. Our intention was to get on the 6:30 am shuttle. Buzz and I have learned from experience that the shuttles fill up quickly. If you want to guarantee a space, you have to wait outside at the curb at least 15 minutes ahead of time. Of course we froze because we had left our heavy coats in the car, but we were first in line. Sure enough, the shuttle pulled up and a whole bunch of people rushed outside. The shuttle filled up and quite a few people were left behind.
We were at the airport in a few minutes. There were plenty of open electronic kiosks at the USAirways counter and we had our boarding passes in a matter of seconds. I think my Mom was glad to be traveling with people who knew what they were doing at the airport. Our flight was on time, which I was happy to see. We zipped through security and were at the gate in no time. We had plenty of time so we grabbed some muffins for breakfast. My Mom thought we were nuts to go on vacation in December, so I think she was surprised when she saw that we had a full flight and that there were a lot of families traveling to WDW.
We started boarding a little after 8:00 am for our 8:30 flight. It was snowing up a storm outside, but so far so good. Everyone got on the plane, saw the safety video and the doors where closed. But, alas, it was too good to be true. Here is where things went downhill. First, a plane at the gate behind us got stuck in the snow when it tried to back out of its gate. So they had to call in a tug. Well, the tugs tires couldnt get a grip, so they had to call in a heavy duty tug with snow tires. We sat for about 45 minutes before the other tug came and was able to get the other plane moving.
We backed out (with no problems) and had to head to the deicing pad. Of course there was a long line of planes, so it took over an hour to get through the deicing pads. Then, we had to get in line for takeoff. Well, we were the next plane to take off when they shut down the runway for snow removal. So, we were diverted to the arrival runway, but we had to wait until all the planes with clearance to land had come in. All in all, we were about 2 hours late to take off. Our flight was pretty uneventful, although rather turbulent.
We landed in Orlando at 12:45. I was nervous that our Tiffany Towncar driver would not be there since we were so late and I had no way of calling to let him know. However, Carlos was waiting at the baggage claim area so my fears were unfounded. For once, our bags were one of the first ones up, so we were outside in no time. Carlos went to get the car (which took about 5 minutes) and we were on our way. I had requested a grocery stop, but Carlos took us to a Walgreens. We were able to get everything we wanted, but it was much more expensive than the Kashn Karry Tiffany Towncar usually stops at. Next time, I will request a grocery store when I ask for a grocery stop.
We pulled up to the Animal Kingdom Lodge around 2:30 pm. It is quite a sight. Buzz and I had eaten at Bomas on our July trip, but it was still breath taking. Mom would never admit it, but I could tell she was impressed. A bell hop was right there with a cart and whisked our bags away to storage. Carlos was quite impressed with my Disney-decorated tip envelope. I reconfirmed our pick up next Saturday and then I went off to check in while Mom and Buzz explored the lobby. Mom was so engrossed in looking around that she walked into one of the big poles in the lobby. Unfortunately, I didnt see this (LOL).
This check in was the fastest and easiest one yet. The CM was great and extremely helpful. I had only booked the room for two adults but she didnt give me any problems when I said a third adult had tagged along (we were never charged for the extra adult). I got three room keys with charging privileges and tons of maps and resort information. Our room was ready, and the CM happily informed me that all my requests were able to be met. We were on the Zebra trail in room 4417. This was a great location with a view of the Arusha Savannah. We were very close to the pool, restaurants, food court, and lobby.
Wow, what a resort. It was absolutely spotless and incredibly themed throughout. Our room was well appointed and spotless. The beds were large and comfy and the furniture was of high quality. The marble sink area was very nice and the tile work in the bathroom was top notch. I inspected and did not find a speck of mildew (I am a clean freak at home). I think the room was cleaner than my house. The room was a tad smaller than I expected but it wasnt a problem at all. Also, I was concerned that the rooms would be dark after reading some reports on the boards, but I didnt find that to be the case at all. I loved the light fixtures and I thought they gave off plenty of light especially around the beds and in the sink area. The dim lighting fit in very well with the overall theming of the room.
We stepped out on the balcony, and were impressed by the view. Our savannah had ankole cattle, eland, zebra, giraffes, wildebeests, and some kind of antelope. There was a nice animal guide provided in the room to help identify the animals. We were all impressed with the view. The balcony was a tad small, but we had enough room to animal watch.
By this point, we were hungry, so we set off the find the Mara. We were very close to the elevators that led down to the pool and the Mara. Although the Mara was nice and had a decent selection of food, Buzz and I both missed the food court at Port Orleans. I also found the ordering system to be slightly confusing at the Mara, but it was nice to have the food delivered to the table. Mom ordered the cheese pizza, I had the kids chicken finger platter, and Buzz ordered the double cheeseburger. We each got a refillable mug as well (total bill $57).
After lunch, we headed back to the room to unpack and relax. It is amazing how tired you get from sitting on a plane. I think Mom was a little excited to be there, because she was ready to go a short time later. So, we set out to explore the resort. I stopped by Guest Services to pick up a Hidden Mickey guide, and while I was there I picked up our Candlelight Processional passes for Monday night. Mom stopped by the gift shop, the Zawadi Marketplace, and bought a long-sleeved t-shirt. We found about half of the Hidden Mickeys before we decided to head out for some resort exploring.
We left the AKL around 5:30 pm and waited about 5 minutes for a bus to the Magic Kingdom. The plan was to monorail from the Magic Kingdom to Epcot and back before our dinner reservation at Chef Mickeys. When we arrived at the Magic Kingdom, there was a long line for the monorails and busses. I think that it was so crowded because they were taping portions of the Christmas Day parade that afternoon. We decided not to go to Epcot, but instead to check out the Grand Floridian.
The Grand Floridian was decorated very nicely and the band was playing festive music. The ginger bread house was quite a sight to see. After we were finished exploring, we hopped on the monorail to the Contemporary. We checked in at Chef Mickeys around 7:15 pm for our 7:30 pm PS. While we were waiting, a guy was giving the one CM a hard time because they had been waiting for a long time. Here it turned out the guy wanted a table against the wall because his kid was afraid of the characters and wanted to sit next to the wall. The kid was about 8 or 9 and every time a character was in sight, he started screaming and crying. Why would you bring an obviously terrified kid to a character meal if he was that afraid? There are plenty of other places to eat.
We were seated at 7:30 in the section next to the steak house in the Contemporary. I had hoped to get seated in the main dining area, but our table was nice and quiet. I knew my Mom would get a kick out of the characters, which is why I decided to do this meal our first night. We both thought the food was marginal at best, but Mom enjoyed the characters. It was a nice way to start the trip. Our total came to $93 with tip.
Thanks to the Disboards, I had booked the Holiday Sleigh ride at the Wilderness Lodge when I found out about them. I was able to get the last slot for the night, at 10 pm. We found the marina at the Contemporary and waited about 2 minutes for a boat to arrive. It had gotten quite cold by this point, and riding on the boat was very cold. We arrived at the Wilderness Lodge with plenty of time to spare before our sleigh ride. We explored the lobby area and then sat down and relaxed while waiting.
The sleigh ride was very nice a pretty good deal by Disney standards. The sleigh was actually on wheels, but it was very nice. Kelly was the driver, and Luke was a very pretty horse. Luke had bells, and there was a blanket in the sleigh to sit under. The path the sleigh took was through the Wilderness Lodge grounds and on the path to Fort Wilderness and back. It was very quiet and peaceful. The 30 minute trip cost $30.
After our sleigh ride, we headed down to the marina and waited about 5 minutes for a boat back to the Magic Kingdom. After another cold boat ride, we were at the Magic Kingdom, where we waited 5 minutes for a bus to the AKL. After a very long, busy, yet relaxing day, we were ready for bed. I showered and we all turned in around midnight.
Stay tuned for Day 2 and Moms first visit to the Magic Kingdom
