puffkin
DVC Owner- SSR & AKV
- Joined
- Apr 30, 2001
- Messages
- 9,848
Cast:
Woody- planner, 23-year Accountant/Disney nut- 4th trip
Buzz- 25 year old fiancé and Billing Coordinator/night college student- 3rd trip
Dates: July 19th July 26th, 2003
Friday July 25th:
Our vacation is starting to wind down, but we still had plenty of things to do, so the wake up call came at 7:30 a.m. We were heading to MGM, and we made it to the bus stop by 8:20 a.m. We waited about 10 minutes for a bus, and we were in the park before rope drop. Our two favorite rides are Rockn Rollercoaster and Tower of Terror, so of course we headed there first.
We grabbed fast passes for Rockn Rollercoaster and then waited in the standby line for ToT (30 minutes). We got a different drop sequence this time, which I thought was really good. It started with a big drop, then we stopped and then dropped again. Then we started bouncing around, going up and followed by some quick drops. I love how you never know which sequence you are going to get now. We left ToT, then grabbed another fast pass for RnR before riding.
Yes this is July; we ended waiting 20 minutes, for RnR even in the fast pass line. We had an enjoyable ride, as usual. I crave the take offs, even though the rest of the ride is relatively tame. We had skipped Millionaire last year, so we headed down there to grab fast passes. It was still too early to get another fast pass, but a CM was standing there handing them out, so we grabbed two for the 11:20 a.m. show.
We had some time to kill before we could use our second RnR fast pass, so we stopped to grab a snack of a giant soft pretzel and frozen lemonades ($7). With tummys full, we had another enjoyable ride on RnR, with only a 10 minute wait this time in the fast pass line. We then headed back to Millionaire, where a CM asked us if we wanted to sit in the fastest finger row. When you sit there, you dont get an advantage over the rest of the guests, but you do get front row seats, a private monitor, and more comfortable chairs. Unfortunately, neither one of us managed to crack the top 10, but we had a good time. I was wondering though, if they changed this attraction. Before, if someone was still in the hot seat when time ran out, they were carried over into the next show. Now, it looks like they allow the person that is in the hot seat when time runs out to finish. Is this observation correct?
We had also skipped the Backlot Tour last year, so we headed there next. Perhaps my memory is foggy, but I dont remember the stunt scene they do before you get on the trams. Is this new, or can it be cancelled from time to time? Buzz and I both didnt remember this from 2 years ago. I did take notice that residential street has been totally demolished. The green walls are up, but you could kind of see in when we drove by on the tram, and there was a demolition crane and piles of steel. The tour guide mentioned that Walt Disney World is constantly changing and that MGM was making room for a new attraction. He didnt mention anything about the new stunt show, just that a new attraction was under construction.
After the Backlot Tour, we decided to say good-bye to MGM, and we headed out to the bus stop. We waited approximately 5 minutes for a bus back to POR. When we got back to the resort, the mousekeeper had not been to our room yet, so we headed to the food court for lunch. Buzz had the nachos supreme and I had a cheeseburger and fries ($13). After lunch, we headed over to the general store to pick up our package from the Christmas store in Downtown Disney. Both of the items we had personalized turned out great. We also picked up a photo album, candle, and POR magnet. We then headed back to our freshly made up room, and took a well needed nap.
After resting, we changed and left for Epcot around 4:30 p.m. We ended up waiting about 10 minutes for a bus. We arrived at Epcot a little early for our 6:00 PS at the San Angel Inn, so we headed over to Honey I Shrunk the Audience. The pre-show was just ending, and we walked right into the theater. This is another attraction where parents should be careful about taking young children. The boy next to me was 5 or 6, and he was absolutely terrified. After Honey, we tried Journey Into Your Imagination (walk on) again. The first time we did this, Figment wasnt a part of the attraction, and it was really lame. Last year, we were there right after it reopened with Figment, but the ride broke down in Figments upside down house, and we didnt get to see the rest of the attraction. So, we tried it again this year, and actually go all the way through the attraction. I still think it is kind of dumb, but it was a lot better than the first year we rode it.
We still had a little time, so we walked through MouseGears before heading over to Mexico. We were seated immediately for our 6:00 p.m. priority seating. I loved the atmosphere of this restaurant. The salsa and chips were good, and I enjoyed my meal of the Mahi Mahi dish. I was surprised, because I am a very unadventurous eater. Buzz didnt care for his dish though, he ordered the Camarones Fideos. He said that it had a bitter after taste that he didnt like. Our total bill came to $55 with tip.
During dinner, it had started to pour outside, so we killed some time in the Mexico pavilion. It continued to rain, though not quite as hard, so we broke out the ponchos and headed out into the elements. First, we headed to Norway to pick up some chocolate that we liked called Daim. Then we walked through the shops in Morocco, France and England. It was still raining pretty steadily, so we decided to leave. By this time, the park was virtually deserted. We walked through MouseGears and picked up 2 sweatshirts, a post card and a lollipop (for Buzz).
By this time, it was now 8:50 p.m. and Illuminations was still set to run at 9:00 p.m. I begged and pleaded to stay for it since it is my favorite show, and Buzz relented. We grabbed a spot in Canada and waited a few minutes for the show to start. Unfortunately, the rain trapped a lot of the smoke from the fireworks and the fire barge, and you really couldnt see much of the show. I am glad that we had the opportunity to see the show earlier in the week. We left before the show was over since we couldnt see it anyways.
A bus was waiting at the POR stop, and we were back at the resort in no time. Unfortunately, reality set in, and we did some packing since we would be leaving tomorrow. I showered, and we were settled into bed by 11 p.m. for our last night at Port Orleans Riverside.
Stay tuned for Buzz and Woodys Summer Escape-Day 8
Best and Worst of the Day:
Best
Woody- Getting to ride RnR (2x) and ToT
Buzz- Same
Worst
Woody- rain on the last full day of vacation
Buzz- the rain and the meal at Mexico
Woody- planner, 23-year Accountant/Disney nut- 4th trip
Buzz- 25 year old fiancé and Billing Coordinator/night college student- 3rd trip
Dates: July 19th July 26th, 2003
Friday July 25th:
Our vacation is starting to wind down, but we still had plenty of things to do, so the wake up call came at 7:30 a.m. We were heading to MGM, and we made it to the bus stop by 8:20 a.m. We waited about 10 minutes for a bus, and we were in the park before rope drop. Our two favorite rides are Rockn Rollercoaster and Tower of Terror, so of course we headed there first.
We grabbed fast passes for Rockn Rollercoaster and then waited in the standby line for ToT (30 minutes). We got a different drop sequence this time, which I thought was really good. It started with a big drop, then we stopped and then dropped again. Then we started bouncing around, going up and followed by some quick drops. I love how you never know which sequence you are going to get now. We left ToT, then grabbed another fast pass for RnR before riding.
Yes this is July; we ended waiting 20 minutes, for RnR even in the fast pass line. We had an enjoyable ride, as usual. I crave the take offs, even though the rest of the ride is relatively tame. We had skipped Millionaire last year, so we headed down there to grab fast passes. It was still too early to get another fast pass, but a CM was standing there handing them out, so we grabbed two for the 11:20 a.m. show.
We had some time to kill before we could use our second RnR fast pass, so we stopped to grab a snack of a giant soft pretzel and frozen lemonades ($7). With tummys full, we had another enjoyable ride on RnR, with only a 10 minute wait this time in the fast pass line. We then headed back to Millionaire, where a CM asked us if we wanted to sit in the fastest finger row. When you sit there, you dont get an advantage over the rest of the guests, but you do get front row seats, a private monitor, and more comfortable chairs. Unfortunately, neither one of us managed to crack the top 10, but we had a good time. I was wondering though, if they changed this attraction. Before, if someone was still in the hot seat when time ran out, they were carried over into the next show. Now, it looks like they allow the person that is in the hot seat when time runs out to finish. Is this observation correct?
We had also skipped the Backlot Tour last year, so we headed there next. Perhaps my memory is foggy, but I dont remember the stunt scene they do before you get on the trams. Is this new, or can it be cancelled from time to time? Buzz and I both didnt remember this from 2 years ago. I did take notice that residential street has been totally demolished. The green walls are up, but you could kind of see in when we drove by on the tram, and there was a demolition crane and piles of steel. The tour guide mentioned that Walt Disney World is constantly changing and that MGM was making room for a new attraction. He didnt mention anything about the new stunt show, just that a new attraction was under construction.
After the Backlot Tour, we decided to say good-bye to MGM, and we headed out to the bus stop. We waited approximately 5 minutes for a bus back to POR. When we got back to the resort, the mousekeeper had not been to our room yet, so we headed to the food court for lunch. Buzz had the nachos supreme and I had a cheeseburger and fries ($13). After lunch, we headed over to the general store to pick up our package from the Christmas store in Downtown Disney. Both of the items we had personalized turned out great. We also picked up a photo album, candle, and POR magnet. We then headed back to our freshly made up room, and took a well needed nap.
After resting, we changed and left for Epcot around 4:30 p.m. We ended up waiting about 10 minutes for a bus. We arrived at Epcot a little early for our 6:00 PS at the San Angel Inn, so we headed over to Honey I Shrunk the Audience. The pre-show was just ending, and we walked right into the theater. This is another attraction where parents should be careful about taking young children. The boy next to me was 5 or 6, and he was absolutely terrified. After Honey, we tried Journey Into Your Imagination (walk on) again. The first time we did this, Figment wasnt a part of the attraction, and it was really lame. Last year, we were there right after it reopened with Figment, but the ride broke down in Figments upside down house, and we didnt get to see the rest of the attraction. So, we tried it again this year, and actually go all the way through the attraction. I still think it is kind of dumb, but it was a lot better than the first year we rode it.
We still had a little time, so we walked through MouseGears before heading over to Mexico. We were seated immediately for our 6:00 p.m. priority seating. I loved the atmosphere of this restaurant. The salsa and chips were good, and I enjoyed my meal of the Mahi Mahi dish. I was surprised, because I am a very unadventurous eater. Buzz didnt care for his dish though, he ordered the Camarones Fideos. He said that it had a bitter after taste that he didnt like. Our total bill came to $55 with tip.
During dinner, it had started to pour outside, so we killed some time in the Mexico pavilion. It continued to rain, though not quite as hard, so we broke out the ponchos and headed out into the elements. First, we headed to Norway to pick up some chocolate that we liked called Daim. Then we walked through the shops in Morocco, France and England. It was still raining pretty steadily, so we decided to leave. By this time, the park was virtually deserted. We walked through MouseGears and picked up 2 sweatshirts, a post card and a lollipop (for Buzz).
By this time, it was now 8:50 p.m. and Illuminations was still set to run at 9:00 p.m. I begged and pleaded to stay for it since it is my favorite show, and Buzz relented. We grabbed a spot in Canada and waited a few minutes for the show to start. Unfortunately, the rain trapped a lot of the smoke from the fireworks and the fire barge, and you really couldnt see much of the show. I am glad that we had the opportunity to see the show earlier in the week. We left before the show was over since we couldnt see it anyways.
A bus was waiting at the POR stop, and we were back at the resort in no time. Unfortunately, reality set in, and we did some packing since we would be leaving tomorrow. I showered, and we were settled into bed by 11 p.m. for our last night at Port Orleans Riverside.
Stay tuned for Buzz and Woodys Summer Escape-Day 8
Best and Worst of the Day:
Best
Woody- Getting to ride RnR (2x) and ToT
Buzz- Same
Worst
Woody- rain on the last full day of vacation
Buzz- the rain and the meal at Mexico
