puffkin
DVC Owner- SSR & AKV
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Buzz and Woody- Day Three
Cast: Woody- planner, 21-year-old college student who has always wanted to go to Walt Disney World, second trip
Buzz- 22 year old fiancEwho has never been to Walt Disney World and isnt sure what to think of it
Dates: June 9th EJune 16th, 2001
Our story:
June 11th, 2001
The call from Mickey came at 7:30 this morning, along with the painful reminder that my feet were killing me. I had a large blister on the bottom of my fourth toe on both feet. But this is Disney, there is no such thing as stopping, so off we go. We were showered, fed and at the bus stop by 8:30, and waited about 5 minutes for the bus to Typhoon Lagoon. For some reason, our bus driver decided to go an alternate route, and it ended up taking us almost 25 minutes to get to Typhoon Lagoon. Oh well, we were in the park about 5 minutes after opening.
Now, this was Buzzs first time in a themed waterpark, and I think he was quite impressed. I had never been to TL, so I was also very impressed with how pretty and relaxing the park is, especially in the morning before the crowds hit. After staking out two lounge chairs in a prime spot (underneath a beach umbrella), we walked around in search of the slides. Neither of us really like slides, but we wanted to try a couple before the lines got too long.
First up was Gangplank Falls (the family raft ride). This ride is soooo short. It may be good for families with smaller children, but we didnt find that it was worth the effort. We also tried out Mayday Falls, Keelhaul Falls, and the Storm Slides. Again, these were all pretty short, and if you consider how much energy you need to expend to climb the stairs and haul the tubes, you may want to decide against these slides. Being that we got to the park early, we were able to get all these slides done in about an hour because the lines hadnt built up yet and we had no wait.
The attraction that I thought was very neat, but seemed kind of overlooked was shark reef. We did this twice, and enjoyed it both times. After getting a flotation vest and snorkeling mask, you receive a quick run down of the rules (swim straight, dont kick feet, ect.) and off you go to snorkel across a pool teeming with fish and a few harmless sharks. We saw plenty of fish and even a sand shark, and made sure to take pictures with the disposable waterproof camera. This is a neat little attraction that you probably wont find at most other waterparks.
Since we were done with the major slides and attractions by 10:30, it was now time to relax and really enjoy TL. We took a quick dip in the wave pool and caught a few of the monstrous waves in the deep in. This proves to be pretty exhausting, because there is a lot of swimming involved once the wave hit. I thought it was hilarious that no matter where you were in the park, as soon as one of the waves started, you would hear a loud chorus of screams come from the wave pool.
We both really liked the lazy river, and made three loops! It is a pretty big park, so the three loops took quite a bit of time, but were very relaxing. The river was getting pretty congested, especially at the landing areas, but we still managed to relax and have a good time. After dragging our wrinkled bodies from the lazy river, it was time for a quick nap on the lounge chairs (for Woody) and tanning time for Buzz.
We got a counter service lunch at one of the two restaurants in TL (I cant remember the name). Buzz had a Chicken Wrap and French Fries, while I had a Cheeseburger and French Fries. With two large drinks, the bill came to about $15. After lunch, it was back in the wave pool for a few more waves and then we decided to leave around 1:30. All in all, we really enjoyed Typhoon Lagoon and thought that it was a relaxing and beautiful waterpark!
After waiting at the bus stop for 5 minutes, our bus came and we were whisked back to ASMo. This trip was much faster, and for some reason, the bus driver reversed the stops and let off Movies first, followed by Music, then Sports. I am not sure what was going on with the bus transportation that day, because it was normal the rest of the week.
We showered and relaxed at the resort until about 3:45, and then headed to MGM. The purpose of this trip to MGM was to do the Fantasmic Dinner Package and ride the big rides. We waited about 20 minutes for a bus and got to MGM around 4:15 during a very brief humidity shower. We headed into the Great Movie Ride with about a 3 min. wait and hoped the rain would be finished by the time we were done. Buzz and I both thought that this ride was ok, especially the Wizard of Oz part, but it needs to be updated.
I must mention at this point how the hat outside the Great Movie Ride is progressing. On Monday, it looked like the blue part of the hat was complete, and they seemed to be doing a lot of work on the inside of it. It is very large and completely hides the front of the Chinese Theater. I think that it is going to be really neat when it is finished, but the placement is a bit odd!
Since the shower had stopped and the sun was back out, we walked down to check out the Tower of Terror and Rockn Rollercoaster. The standby line for RnR was 50 minutes, so we grabbed FPs for after dinner. The posted time for ToT was 13 minutes (which I knew meant no wait or minimal wait) so we rode this. We waited about 10 minutes for the ride and we both really enjoyed it. Buzz was expecting to just be whisked up and dropped once, so he thought the ride was really good and entertaining. I had been on this ride when it was pretty new in 1996 and I remember the drop sequence being one small drop followed by the big one. I was happy to see that they change the drop sequence every so often, so that it always feels like a new ride. Also, the theming of this ride is great; the lobby is so realistic!
We got done with this ride and walked over to Hollywood & Vine exactly in time for our PS at 5:30 and were seated in a minute or two. We did four buffets on this trip (didnt even realize the over abundance of buffet PS until we got there), but it struck me as odd that at some restaurants the drink was included, but at others it wasnt. At H&V, the drink was included and it was pretty good. I thought that the theming of this restaurant was nice and the food and variety were pretty good. This was Buzzs favorite buffet of the week. Our waiter gave us our voucher to Fantasmic and explained how it worked. He also said he would keep his fingers crossed that the weather would hold out since the skies were beginning to get that summer thunderstorm look. The two adult buffets and tip cost about $45.
After dinner we killed time in a few shops before it was time to use our RnR FPs. This is not the smartest ride to do after dinner, but rides dont really bother us, so we werent worried. Now, up until this point, I had really been enjoying FastPass, but it now reached a new level! This is a great ride to use fast pass, because the whole queuing area gets to watch you walk all the way around them and up the ramp while they are at a stand still. It was almost intoxicating watching their angry and/or clueless expressions as we were whisked to the front of the line while they waited for an hour. I know this is kind of mean, but I got such a kick out of this because FastPass is totally free and anyone can use it.
Anyways, I digress. We waited about 5 minutes and then we got a glimpse of what this ride is all about. It was such a good idea on Disneys part to stop the limo and let everyone watch it take off as they enter the loading area. It really instills excitement (or fear) into the guests waiting to ride. This was probably Buzz and my favorite ride of the whole week, you just cant beat the launch!
We hit the shops after RnR until it was time to head into the Fantasmic theater. I was amazed that there were people lined up before 7:00 to get into this show. And, the amount of people pouring in the front gates around 7:00 and heading for the theater made me realize that doing the Fantasmic Dinner Package was well worth it. Thanks DIS for another great tip!
We got to the special entrance for voucher holders at 8:15 and made the long walk to the theater. We were seated about half way up in the Ursula section, and were surprised to see that the rest of the theater had been almost completely filled! The reserved section was filled up by 8:30, so during peak seasons, you may want to get to the theater a little before the 8:30 time the voucher states to ensure a seat.
I assumed that there would be a preshow, but all that it amounted to be one of the CMs starting a wave, that impressively went all the way around. We also did a slow wave and a really fast wave, which were really funny to watch. I thought with that many people and how long they have to wait, Disney would have come up with a better preshow! By this time, the sky was looking very ominous and I was really worried that the show would get cancelled. We could see and hear the fireworks from Illuminations at Epcot, and once they died down, the show started around 9:05.
I was really impressed with Fantasmic and loved the show. Buzz also thought it was pretty good, but he had a hard time seeing some of the pictures on the water screen. I especially enjoyed when the floats came around and how beautiful the costumes were. Also, it wasn't as scary as I thought it would be, but I did hear a couple of kids crying. The worst part of this show is when it is over and 10,000 people try to leave the park at once.
Once again, Buzz and I managed to make it to the bus before the line got horrendously long, and two busses pulled up right away. We both had to stand on the packed bus, but we were back at the resort by 10:15. After grabbing a strawberry daiquiri for Woody and a beer for Buzz it was back to the room to relax before bed. I showered and assessed my blister situation (still painful, but no new blisters) while Buzz watched ESPNews. For the entire vacation, we were completely cut off from the real world in all aspects except for sports scores. Oh well, this was Buzzs vacation as well. Off to bed by 11:30 in anticipation for an early start at Animal Kingdom tomorrow.
Best and Worst of the Day:
Woody
Best: Fantasmic was very good and relaxing in the lazy river at Typhoon Lagoon was a much needed break.
Worst: Walking for what seemed like forever to get out of the Fantasmic Theater
Buzz
Best: Rockn Rollercoaster
Worst: None
Buzz and Woody's Great Adventure - Day Four
Cast: Woody- planner, 21-year-old college student who has always wanted to go to Walt Disney World, second trip
Buzz- 22 year old fiancEwho has never been to Walt Disney World and isnt sure what to think of it
Dates: June 9th EJune 16th, 2001
Our story:
June 11th, 2001
The call from Mickey came at 7:30 this morning, along with the painful reminder that my feet were killing me. I had a large blister on the bottom of my fourth toe on both feet. But this is Disney, there is no such thing as stopping, so off we go. We were showered, fed and at the bus stop by 8:30, and waited about 5 minutes for the bus to Typhoon Lagoon. For some reason, our bus driver decided to go an alternate route, and it ended up taking us almost 25 minutes to get to Typhoon Lagoon. Oh well, we were in the park about 5 minutes after opening.
Now, this was Buzzs first time in a themed waterpark, and I think he was quite impressed. I had never been to TL, so I was also very impressed with how pretty and relaxing the park is, especially in the morning before the crowds hit. After staking out two lounge chairs in a prime spot (underneath a beach umbrella), we walked around in search of the slides. Neither of us really like slides, but we wanted to try a couple before the lines got too long.
First up was Gangplank Falls (the family raft ride). This ride is soooo short. It may be good for families with smaller children, but we didnt find that it was worth the effort. We also tried out Mayday Falls, Keelhaul Falls, and the Storm Slides. Again, these were all pretty short, and if you consider how much energy you need to expend to climb the stairs and haul the tubes, you may want to decide against these slides. Being that we got to the park early, we were able to get all these slides done in about an hour because the lines hadnt built up yet and we had no wait.
The attraction that I thought was very neat, but seemed kind of overlooked was shark reef. We did this twice, and enjoyed it both times. After getting a flotation vest and snorkeling mask, you receive a quick run down of the rules (swim straight, dont kick feet, ect.) and off you go to snorkel across a pool teeming with fish and a few harmless sharks. We saw plenty of fish and even a sand shark, and made sure to take pictures with the disposable waterproof camera. This is a neat little attraction that you probably wont find at most other waterparks.
Since we were done with the major slides and attractions by 10:30, it was now time to relax and really enjoy TL. We took a quick dip in the wave pool and caught a few of the monstrous waves in the deep in. This proves to be pretty exhausting, because there is a lot of swimming involved once the wave hit. I thought it was hilarious that no matter where you were in the park, as soon as one of the waves started, you would hear a loud chorus of screams come from the wave pool.
We both really liked the lazy river, and made three loops! It is a pretty big park, so the three loops took quite a bit of time, but were very relaxing. The river was getting pretty congested, especially at the landing areas, but we still managed to relax and have a good time. After dragging our wrinkled bodies from the lazy river, it was time for a quick nap on the lounge chairs (for Woody) and tanning time for Buzz.
We got a counter service lunch at one of the two restaurants in TL (I cant remember the name). Buzz had a Chicken Wrap and French Fries, while I had a Cheeseburger and French Fries. With two large drinks, the bill came to about $15. After lunch, it was back in the wave pool for a few more waves and then we decided to leave around 1:30. All in all, we really enjoyed Typhoon Lagoon and thought that it was a relaxing and beautiful waterpark!
After waiting at the bus stop for 5 minutes, our bus came and we were whisked back to ASMo. This trip was much faster, and for some reason, the bus driver reversed the stops and let off Movies first, followed by Music, then Sports. I am not sure what was going on with the bus transportation that day, because it was normal the rest of the week.
We showered and relaxed at the resort until about 3:45, and then headed to MGM. The purpose of this trip to MGM was to do the Fantasmic Dinner Package and ride the big rides. We waited about 20 minutes for a bus and got to MGM around 4:15 during a very brief humidity shower. We headed into the Great Movie Ride with about a 3 min. wait and hoped the rain would be finished by the time we were done. Buzz and I both thought that this ride was ok, especially the Wizard of Oz part, but it needs to be updated.
I must mention at this point how the hat outside the Great Movie Ride is progressing. On Monday, it looked like the blue part of the hat was complete, and they seemed to be doing a lot of work on the inside of it. It is very large and completely hides the front of the Chinese Theater. I think that it is going to be really neat when it is finished, but the placement is a bit odd!
Since the shower had stopped and the sun was back out, we walked down to check out the Tower of Terror and Rockn Rollercoaster. The standby line for RnR was 50 minutes, so we grabbed FPs for after dinner. The posted time for ToT was 13 minutes (which I knew meant no wait or minimal wait) so we rode this. We waited about 10 minutes for the ride and we both really enjoyed it. Buzz was expecting to just be whisked up and dropped once, so he thought the ride was really good and entertaining. I had been on this ride when it was pretty new in 1996 and I remember the drop sequence being one small drop followed by the big one. I was happy to see that they change the drop sequence every so often, so that it always feels like a new ride. Also, the theming of this ride is great; the lobby is so realistic!
We got done with this ride and walked over to Hollywood & Vine exactly in time for our PS at 5:30 and were seated in a minute or two. We did four buffets on this trip (didnt even realize the over abundance of buffet PS until we got there), but it struck me as odd that at some restaurants the drink was included, but at others it wasnt. At H&V, the drink was included and it was pretty good. I thought that the theming of this restaurant was nice and the food and variety were pretty good. This was Buzzs favorite buffet of the week. Our waiter gave us our voucher to Fantasmic and explained how it worked. He also said he would keep his fingers crossed that the weather would hold out since the skies were beginning to get that summer thunderstorm look. The two adult buffets and tip cost about $45.
After dinner we killed time in a few shops before it was time to use our RnR FPs. This is not the smartest ride to do after dinner, but rides dont really bother us, so we werent worried. Now, up until this point, I had really been enjoying FastPass, but it now reached a new level! This is a great ride to use fast pass, because the whole queuing area gets to watch you walk all the way around them and up the ramp while they are at a stand still. It was almost intoxicating watching their angry and/or clueless expressions as we were whisked to the front of the line while they waited for an hour. I know this is kind of mean, but I got such a kick out of this because FastPass is totally free and anyone can use it.
Anyways, I digress. We waited about 5 minutes and then we got a glimpse of what this ride is all about. It was such a good idea on Disneys part to stop the limo and let everyone watch it take off as they enter the loading area. It really instills excitement (or fear) into the guests waiting to ride. This was probably Buzz and my favorite ride of the whole week, you just cant beat the launch!
We hit the shops after RnR until it was time to head into the Fantasmic theater. I was amazed that there were people lined up before 7:00 to get into this show. And, the amount of people pouring in the front gates around 7:00 and heading for the theater made me realize that doing the Fantasmic Dinner Package was well worth it. Thanks DIS for another great tip!
We got to the special entrance for voucher holders at 8:15 and made the long walk to the theater. We were seated about half way up in the Ursula section, and were surprised to see that the rest of the theater had been almost completely filled! The reserved section was filled up by 8:30, so during peak seasons, you may want to get to the theater a little before the 8:30 time the voucher states to ensure a seat.
I assumed that there would be a preshow, but all that it amounted to be one of the CMs starting a wave, that impressively went all the way around. We also did a slow wave and a really fast wave, which were really funny to watch. I thought with that many people and how long they have to wait, Disney would have come up with a better preshow! By this time, the sky was looking very ominous and I was really worried that the show would get cancelled. We could see and hear the fireworks from Illuminations at Epcot, and once they died down, the show started around 9:05.
I was really impressed with Fantasmic and loved the show. Buzz also thought it was pretty good, but he had a hard time seeing some of the pictures on the water screen. I especially enjoyed when the floats came around and how beautiful the costumes were. Also, it wasn't as scary as I thought it would be, but I did hear a couple of kids crying. The worst part of this show is when it is over and 10,000 people try to leave the park at once.
Once again, Buzz and I managed to make it to the bus before the line got horrendously long, and two busses pulled up right away. We both had to stand on the packed bus, but we were back at the resort by 10:15. After grabbing a strawberry daiquiri for Woody and a beer for Buzz it was back to the room to relax before bed. I showered and assessed my blister situation (still painful, but no new blisters) while Buzz watched ESPNews. For the entire vacation, we were completely cut off from the real world in all aspects except for sports scores. Oh well, this was Buzzs vacation as well. Off to bed by 11:30 in anticipation for an early start at Animal Kingdom tomorrow.
Best and Worst of the Day:
Woody
Best: Fantasmic was very good and relaxing in the lazy river at Typhoon Lagoon was a much needed break.
Worst: Walking for what seemed like forever to get out of the Fantasmic Theater
Buzz
Best: Rockn Rollercoaster
Worst: None
Buzz and Woody's Great Adventure - Day Four
inkbounc I am really enjoying your reports, especially the best & worst of the day! Thanks for bringing us along on your vacation!!
