puffkin
DVC Owner- SSR & AKV
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Buzz and Woody- Day Two
Cast: Woody- planner, 21-year-old college student who has always wanted to go to Walt Disney World, second trip
Buzz- 22 year old fianc$B!&(Bwho has never been to Walt Disney World and isn$BCU(B sure what to think of it
Dates: June 9th $B!&(BJune 16th, 2001
Our story:
June 10th, 2001
The call from the Mouse himself came at 7:00 am as Day Two of our Great Adventure began. Buzz needed a little encouragement to get out of bed, because he is used to relaxing on vacations (something I never seem to accomplish). After getting Buzz into the shower, I got ready (got to love the separated vanity/sink). Filled our water bottle with ice and water, packed my pack and we were out the door. Buzz decided to eat breakfast in the food court, so I went over to guest services to pay off the room charge. We decided to pay it off every morning so that we knew exactly how much money we had left and what we were spending it on (they give you a nice itemized bill). Buzz had some kind of breakfast platter that cost about $5.
We were at the bus stop for Epcot by 8:20 and waited about 15 minutes. We made it to the gates of Epcot about 5 minutes after opening. This is the first time I had ever been to Epcot so I was really excited to see Spaceship Earth. It is so huge, and to me, very beautiful. How do all those white panels stay so clean? I also love the new Epcot sign on the ball, especially at night. I thought it might look tacky, but I really think it adds a magical touch to the place. After looking at the Leave a Legacy monuments in the entranceway, we headed directly to Test Track.
By this point in the trip, Buzz still wasn$BCU(B convinced that all my planning and reading of the DIS boards had really amounted to much. However, I thoroughly impressed him when I suggested we grab fast passes (already an 11:30-12:30 return and the park just opened) and ride the singles line. We walked by the 45 minute standby line right into the movie by using the singles line. After the movie, we waited about a minute. Buzz got in the car in front of me. The ride was enjoyable, but I wouldn$BCU(B wait longer than 15 minutes for it! Buzz was very pleased that I knew how to beat the lines on that one. Thank you DIS.
After test track we explored the two pavilions on that side. I think future world in Epcot is a wonderful place to go on a hot day. All the attractions are inside these air-conditioned pavilions, so you don$BCU(B get worn down as quickly. We did Body Wars (5 min.) and Cranium Command (walked in on pre show) in the Wonders of Life Pavilion. Cranium Command was really cute; I would definitely recommend it for parents with preteen boys. Body Wars was ok, not as graphic and gross as some people claim it is. We then walked over to the Universe of Energy Pavilion and did the Ellen ride. Buzz and I didn$BCU(B really care for it that much. The dinosaurs were all right, but the movie was kind of lame. Luckily, we walked in on the preshow for this one too, so we had no wait.
It was now after 11:30, so we used our FPs for Test Track. We waited for about 10 minutes this time because the ride temporarily broke down, which I hear happens quite frequently. Buzz was fascinated that the $BEH(Bolf ball$B!&(Bhad a ride inside it, so we walked back and did space ship earth (5 minutes). Another ok ride, actually for some reason I can$BCU(B even really remember it. We had passed Ice Station Cool on our way to the ride, and being a Coke fan, this was a must see. So, we headed back to Ice Station Cool to sample products from around the world.
Most of the samples tasted pretty good, I especially liked the apple one from China (I believe). I did know (from the DIS boards) that the Beverly from Italy was really gross, so I only took a tiny sip. Yuck. However, Buzz, who had no idea, was happily slurping away when he took a big chug of the Beverly. Of course, he had a fit and couldn$BCU(B get the awful taste out of his mouth. I thought the whole thing was very funny, but he was irritated because it ruined the whole experience for him. I guess I should have told him. We did some shopping in the coke store, and then headed for lunch.
We ate lunch at the counter service place called the Electric Umbrella, which is near Innoventions. Buzz had a Hot Dog and French Fries and I had a Chicken Sandwich and French Fries. It cost us about $17 including two large cokes. I thought this place was nice because it had plenty of seating inside. If the downstairs is full, try going upstairs. There was pretty much room up there.
After lunch we walked over and did Honey I Shrunk the Audience, walking right into the preshow. We both really enjoyed this show, but it may be a little much for younger children. I don$BCU(B want to ruin it for others, but parents should definitely ask a CM about the scary parts before subjecting their young children to it. We did Imagination (walk on) afterwards, which I thought was really lame. We did manage to grab a machine and send an e-card home to our families though on the way out of the ride.
We checked out Living with the Land, but the stand-by line was 50 minutes, so we grabbed fastpasses for an hour later and headed over to the Living Seas and did the ride there. I really enjoyed seeing the marine life, but the ride was so short! We did walk around and look at the aquariums and the manatees though. Then, back over to ride Living with the Land. We waited about 15 minutes, even with our fast passes because the CM was new and wasn$BCU(B doing a good job of combining the fast pass and standby lines. This ride was pretty interesting, especially the plants that weren$BCU(B growing in soil (I think this is called aeroponics).
By this time, we were ready for a change of pace, so we decided to head over to World Showcase and our PS in Germany. We happened upon the Character Bus right at the entrance to the World Showcase and saw a variety of characters including Mickey, Minnie, Pooh, Eeyore, Tigger, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, Prince John, Pinnochio, Chip and Dale, Baloo and some others I can$BCU(B remember. I did get a good picture of all the characters when they drove by on the bus though.
We took one of the boats over to Germany and were seated right away for our 5:00 PS at the Biergarten. The performers had just started a show and played several polka type tunes, a song with cowbells, a song with a xylophone type thing, and the long horns. Very nice. The inside looked like the town squares in a small German town and was quite nice. The food was all right, but there wasn't much to choose from. The deserts were really good though, especially the apple strudel. I really enjoyed that most of the CMs in each country were natives and spoke their native tongue to each other. It really added an air of authenticity. The two adult buffets, two sodas, and tip cost us about $50.
After dinner, we saw the American Adventure walking in right before they began letting people into the theater. I thought the show was interesting, but I suspect Buzz dozed through it. Definitely check this out if you need to get out of the heat, the show is about 30 minutes long and in blissful A/C. After the American Adventure, we walked through Italy, Japan, Morocco, France, the UK, and Canada. Mainly we walked through the shops and looked at the buildings. I made sure to try a Beaver Tail in Canada because of all the recommendations from this board. I got one with apple on top, but I ended up knocking the apple off and just eating the dough part, which was pretty good.
We walked back to Morocco to catch some of the 8:10 Tapestry of Nations. There was no room to sit, so we watched about five minutes then left to find a spot for Illuminations. I really liked the ToN music, but would have been much happier if I would have gotten a seat. It is a little long and slow to stand through after a long day on your feet. We found a place to stand near France for Illuminations and waited about 20 minutes for the show. I knew that you should try to stand somewhere with a good view of the sphere, which we had. However, I didn$BCU(B realize that the sphere moved into the middle of the lake during the show, and of course, a tree on one of the little islands conveniently blocked our view. The show and music was nice, but we weren$BCU(B overly impressed. Perhaps if we had had a better view, our opinion would change.
As could be expected, there was a huge throng of people exiting the park following Illuminations. All the bus stops were packed, but ours was suprisingly not too bad. A bus pulled up right away and we got on, standing though. We then realized that we must walk faster than most other people must, because the line for the All-stars was HUGE! I don$BCU(B know how we managed to beat the people from the other side of world showcase to the entrance and then all the way down to the All-Star stop. I know I really enjoyed Epcot and could have spent a whole other day there, and I think Buzz liked it as well.
We were back at the resort by 9:45 and decided to take a quick dip in the pool. A word of advice if you are planning to stay at the All-Stars, the pools are always busy, even late at night. Do not request a room near a pool if this is going to bother you. I was a little disappointed with the pool, basically it is just a normal pool shaped little different. I look forward to the day when I can stay in a moderate or deluxe with a neater pool. We cooled off for about 15 minutes then Woody took a shower while Buzz watched ESPNews. Off to bed by 11:30 and preparing for the next day at Typhoon Lagoon and MGM.
Best and Worst of the Day:
Woody
Best: Honey I Shrunk the Audience
Worst: The Imagination Ride
Buzz
Best: Honey I Shrunk the Audience
Worst: Ellen$BCT(B Energy Adventure
Buzz and Woody's Great Adventure - Day Three
Cast: Woody- planner, 21-year-old college student who has always wanted to go to Walt Disney World, second trip
Buzz- 22 year old fianc$B!&(Bwho has never been to Walt Disney World and isn$BCU(B sure what to think of it
Dates: June 9th $B!&(BJune 16th, 2001
Our story:
June 10th, 2001
The call from the Mouse himself came at 7:00 am as Day Two of our Great Adventure began. Buzz needed a little encouragement to get out of bed, because he is used to relaxing on vacations (something I never seem to accomplish). After getting Buzz into the shower, I got ready (got to love the separated vanity/sink). Filled our water bottle with ice and water, packed my pack and we were out the door. Buzz decided to eat breakfast in the food court, so I went over to guest services to pay off the room charge. We decided to pay it off every morning so that we knew exactly how much money we had left and what we were spending it on (they give you a nice itemized bill). Buzz had some kind of breakfast platter that cost about $5.
We were at the bus stop for Epcot by 8:20 and waited about 15 minutes. We made it to the gates of Epcot about 5 minutes after opening. This is the first time I had ever been to Epcot so I was really excited to see Spaceship Earth. It is so huge, and to me, very beautiful. How do all those white panels stay so clean? I also love the new Epcot sign on the ball, especially at night. I thought it might look tacky, but I really think it adds a magical touch to the place. After looking at the Leave a Legacy monuments in the entranceway, we headed directly to Test Track.
By this point in the trip, Buzz still wasn$BCU(B convinced that all my planning and reading of the DIS boards had really amounted to much. However, I thoroughly impressed him when I suggested we grab fast passes (already an 11:30-12:30 return and the park just opened) and ride the singles line. We walked by the 45 minute standby line right into the movie by using the singles line. After the movie, we waited about a minute. Buzz got in the car in front of me. The ride was enjoyable, but I wouldn$BCU(B wait longer than 15 minutes for it! Buzz was very pleased that I knew how to beat the lines on that one. Thank you DIS.
After test track we explored the two pavilions on that side. I think future world in Epcot is a wonderful place to go on a hot day. All the attractions are inside these air-conditioned pavilions, so you don$BCU(B get worn down as quickly. We did Body Wars (5 min.) and Cranium Command (walked in on pre show) in the Wonders of Life Pavilion. Cranium Command was really cute; I would definitely recommend it for parents with preteen boys. Body Wars was ok, not as graphic and gross as some people claim it is. We then walked over to the Universe of Energy Pavilion and did the Ellen ride. Buzz and I didn$BCU(B really care for it that much. The dinosaurs were all right, but the movie was kind of lame. Luckily, we walked in on the preshow for this one too, so we had no wait.
It was now after 11:30, so we used our FPs for Test Track. We waited for about 10 minutes this time because the ride temporarily broke down, which I hear happens quite frequently. Buzz was fascinated that the $BEH(Bolf ball$B!&(Bhad a ride inside it, so we walked back and did space ship earth (5 minutes). Another ok ride, actually for some reason I can$BCU(B even really remember it. We had passed Ice Station Cool on our way to the ride, and being a Coke fan, this was a must see. So, we headed back to Ice Station Cool to sample products from around the world.
Most of the samples tasted pretty good, I especially liked the apple one from China (I believe). I did know (from the DIS boards) that the Beverly from Italy was really gross, so I only took a tiny sip. Yuck. However, Buzz, who had no idea, was happily slurping away when he took a big chug of the Beverly. Of course, he had a fit and couldn$BCU(B get the awful taste out of his mouth. I thought the whole thing was very funny, but he was irritated because it ruined the whole experience for him. I guess I should have told him. We did some shopping in the coke store, and then headed for lunch.
We ate lunch at the counter service place called the Electric Umbrella, which is near Innoventions. Buzz had a Hot Dog and French Fries and I had a Chicken Sandwich and French Fries. It cost us about $17 including two large cokes. I thought this place was nice because it had plenty of seating inside. If the downstairs is full, try going upstairs. There was pretty much room up there.
After lunch we walked over and did Honey I Shrunk the Audience, walking right into the preshow. We both really enjoyed this show, but it may be a little much for younger children. I don$BCU(B want to ruin it for others, but parents should definitely ask a CM about the scary parts before subjecting their young children to it. We did Imagination (walk on) afterwards, which I thought was really lame. We did manage to grab a machine and send an e-card home to our families though on the way out of the ride.
We checked out Living with the Land, but the stand-by line was 50 minutes, so we grabbed fastpasses for an hour later and headed over to the Living Seas and did the ride there. I really enjoyed seeing the marine life, but the ride was so short! We did walk around and look at the aquariums and the manatees though. Then, back over to ride Living with the Land. We waited about 15 minutes, even with our fast passes because the CM was new and wasn$BCU(B doing a good job of combining the fast pass and standby lines. This ride was pretty interesting, especially the plants that weren$BCU(B growing in soil (I think this is called aeroponics).
By this time, we were ready for a change of pace, so we decided to head over to World Showcase and our PS in Germany. We happened upon the Character Bus right at the entrance to the World Showcase and saw a variety of characters including Mickey, Minnie, Pooh, Eeyore, Tigger, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, Prince John, Pinnochio, Chip and Dale, Baloo and some others I can$BCU(B remember. I did get a good picture of all the characters when they drove by on the bus though.
We took one of the boats over to Germany and were seated right away for our 5:00 PS at the Biergarten. The performers had just started a show and played several polka type tunes, a song with cowbells, a song with a xylophone type thing, and the long horns. Very nice. The inside looked like the town squares in a small German town and was quite nice. The food was all right, but there wasn't much to choose from. The deserts were really good though, especially the apple strudel. I really enjoyed that most of the CMs in each country were natives and spoke their native tongue to each other. It really added an air of authenticity. The two adult buffets, two sodas, and tip cost us about $50.
After dinner, we saw the American Adventure walking in right before they began letting people into the theater. I thought the show was interesting, but I suspect Buzz dozed through it. Definitely check this out if you need to get out of the heat, the show is about 30 minutes long and in blissful A/C. After the American Adventure, we walked through Italy, Japan, Morocco, France, the UK, and Canada. Mainly we walked through the shops and looked at the buildings. I made sure to try a Beaver Tail in Canada because of all the recommendations from this board. I got one with apple on top, but I ended up knocking the apple off and just eating the dough part, which was pretty good.
We walked back to Morocco to catch some of the 8:10 Tapestry of Nations. There was no room to sit, so we watched about five minutes then left to find a spot for Illuminations. I really liked the ToN music, but would have been much happier if I would have gotten a seat. It is a little long and slow to stand through after a long day on your feet. We found a place to stand near France for Illuminations and waited about 20 minutes for the show. I knew that you should try to stand somewhere with a good view of the sphere, which we had. However, I didn$BCU(B realize that the sphere moved into the middle of the lake during the show, and of course, a tree on one of the little islands conveniently blocked our view. The show and music was nice, but we weren$BCU(B overly impressed. Perhaps if we had had a better view, our opinion would change.
As could be expected, there was a huge throng of people exiting the park following Illuminations. All the bus stops were packed, but ours was suprisingly not too bad. A bus pulled up right away and we got on, standing though. We then realized that we must walk faster than most other people must, because the line for the All-stars was HUGE! I don$BCU(B know how we managed to beat the people from the other side of world showcase to the entrance and then all the way down to the All-Star stop. I know I really enjoyed Epcot and could have spent a whole other day there, and I think Buzz liked it as well.
We were back at the resort by 9:45 and decided to take a quick dip in the pool. A word of advice if you are planning to stay at the All-Stars, the pools are always busy, even late at night. Do not request a room near a pool if this is going to bother you. I was a little disappointed with the pool, basically it is just a normal pool shaped little different. I look forward to the day when I can stay in a moderate or deluxe with a neater pool. We cooled off for about 15 minutes then Woody took a shower while Buzz watched ESPNews. Off to bed by 11:30 and preparing for the next day at Typhoon Lagoon and MGM.
Best and Worst of the Day:
Woody
Best: Honey I Shrunk the Audience
Worst: The Imagination Ride
Buzz
Best: Honey I Shrunk the Audience
Worst: Ellen$BCT(B Energy Adventure
Buzz and Woody's Great Adventure - Day Three
