We just got back from 4 wonderful days in the world. I can tell you that though some things have changed there is still plenty of magic.
First our cast of characters: Myself, age 46, mother of 2, stepmother of 3. DH of 1.5 years, aged 45. And NO KIDS!!!!!!!
We arrived at MCO on Saturday 12/15 at about 10:00 am after an uneventful flight. For some reason I was chosen for a more thorough search by security on 3 different occasions during our 2 flights roundtrip. DH said it was my beady little eyes! We rented a car through National Emerald Aisle and had a smooth exit from the airport. Emerald Aisle was very convenient (no waiting in line at the counter), but there really wasnt much to choose from in the aisle and it was only 10:00 am.
I had reserved a room at AKL savannah view for the 3 nights of our stay. Our room was ready when we got there at about 11:00am. When I had called for reservations I had tried to use various codes from mousesavers for AKL and several other hotels without success. Finally I asked the castmember who was helping me whether she had any suggestions for special deals. She gave me one that was better than all the codes Id tried to use! $169 per night for Savannah view. Anyway, we got a really nice room (4302) on the Kudu trail and we loved it. We saw tons of animals during our stay. I gave DH an early x-mas present of a pair of binoculars and they were really great. The room was beautifully decorated and very comfortable. I would definitely stay there again.
After checking in we went to guest services to pick up our CP package and they gave us a really nice printout which included all our reservations and times for our whole stay. From there we went to the gift shop to pick up a magical moments pin and a pair of sunglasses for me (wed left in the dark and Id forgotten to bring any). From there we took the bus to Epcot. We were very pleased with the bus service at AKL during our entire visit. We never waited more than 10 or 15 minutes and most waits were much shorter.
We arrived at Epcot at around 1:00 and DH was hungry. We spent the afternoon doing what we call beer around the world. We started in Mexico splitting a plate of nachos and a Dos Equis at the outdoor café by the lake. We watched the Christmas customs show outside Mexico and moved on to Norway where we split a Rignes and did some Christmas shopping at the shops. Our next stop was China where we split a Chinese beer (cant remember the name) and did some more shopping after stopping to watch the amazing acrobats. Germany came next and we really explored the streets and shops after stopping to split a Becks beer and sausage with sauerkraut. On to Italy where we caught the tail end of a very unusual show while splitting an Italian beer whose name I cant remember either. After more shopping in Italy we went to America where we split a Sam Adams while listening to a really beautiful holiday program by the Voices of Liberty. We then saw the American Adventure its so uplifting. I always tear up during the two brothers on their way song during the civil war portion. Our last stop on the beer tour was Japan where we split a Kirin and a plate of sushi. We finished in time to watch the Tapestry of Dreams parade which was lovely and then went over to find seats for the 5:00 Candlelight Processional . The sky was threatening and we felt a few drops of rain, but luckily it passed us by. CP was breathtakingly beautiful, inspirational, and fun! DH proposed to me at CP so it is really special to us. The narrator was Alfre Woodard. She was very good but we both agree that James Avery is the best narrator weve seen. Hes got that really deep majestic voice and it almost sounds like the voice of God!
After CP we went to Morocco for our dinner package. Although we enjoyed the beautiful room and the music and dancer, we were underwhelmed with the food. I generally like Moroccan food but found this to be a bit bland. Overall, the restaurant was very romantic and enjoyable, though.
After dinner we returned to our hotel, doing a bit of exploring of the grounds of this beautiful hotel before turning in for the night. Our Epcot day was great fun. When we called our kids they were amazed when we told them we had spent 8 hours in EC without riding a single ride (unless you count AA). Our only negative of the entire day was we were shocked to see cleanliness problems at EC. We noticed several bottles in the water near where the flamingos are and various bits of trash around the park in random places. We never noticed it in any of the other parks so we wonder if this was just a fluke or if the maintenance at Epcot is truly slipping due to recent cutbacks. Anybody else notice this? Please say no!!!
First our cast of characters: Myself, age 46, mother of 2, stepmother of 3. DH of 1.5 years, aged 45. And NO KIDS!!!!!!!
We arrived at MCO on Saturday 12/15 at about 10:00 am after an uneventful flight. For some reason I was chosen for a more thorough search by security on 3 different occasions during our 2 flights roundtrip. DH said it was my beady little eyes! We rented a car through National Emerald Aisle and had a smooth exit from the airport. Emerald Aisle was very convenient (no waiting in line at the counter), but there really wasnt much to choose from in the aisle and it was only 10:00 am.
I had reserved a room at AKL savannah view for the 3 nights of our stay. Our room was ready when we got there at about 11:00am. When I had called for reservations I had tried to use various codes from mousesavers for AKL and several other hotels without success. Finally I asked the castmember who was helping me whether she had any suggestions for special deals. She gave me one that was better than all the codes Id tried to use! $169 per night for Savannah view. Anyway, we got a really nice room (4302) on the Kudu trail and we loved it. We saw tons of animals during our stay. I gave DH an early x-mas present of a pair of binoculars and they were really great. The room was beautifully decorated and very comfortable. I would definitely stay there again.
After checking in we went to guest services to pick up our CP package and they gave us a really nice printout which included all our reservations and times for our whole stay. From there we went to the gift shop to pick up a magical moments pin and a pair of sunglasses for me (wed left in the dark and Id forgotten to bring any). From there we took the bus to Epcot. We were very pleased with the bus service at AKL during our entire visit. We never waited more than 10 or 15 minutes and most waits were much shorter.
We arrived at Epcot at around 1:00 and DH was hungry. We spent the afternoon doing what we call beer around the world. We started in Mexico splitting a plate of nachos and a Dos Equis at the outdoor café by the lake. We watched the Christmas customs show outside Mexico and moved on to Norway where we split a Rignes and did some Christmas shopping at the shops. Our next stop was China where we split a Chinese beer (cant remember the name) and did some more shopping after stopping to watch the amazing acrobats. Germany came next and we really explored the streets and shops after stopping to split a Becks beer and sausage with sauerkraut. On to Italy where we caught the tail end of a very unusual show while splitting an Italian beer whose name I cant remember either. After more shopping in Italy we went to America where we split a Sam Adams while listening to a really beautiful holiday program by the Voices of Liberty. We then saw the American Adventure its so uplifting. I always tear up during the two brothers on their way song during the civil war portion. Our last stop on the beer tour was Japan where we split a Kirin and a plate of sushi. We finished in time to watch the Tapestry of Dreams parade which was lovely and then went over to find seats for the 5:00 Candlelight Processional . The sky was threatening and we felt a few drops of rain, but luckily it passed us by. CP was breathtakingly beautiful, inspirational, and fun! DH proposed to me at CP so it is really special to us. The narrator was Alfre Woodard. She was very good but we both agree that James Avery is the best narrator weve seen. Hes got that really deep majestic voice and it almost sounds like the voice of God!
After CP we went to Morocco for our dinner package. Although we enjoyed the beautiful room and the music and dancer, we were underwhelmed with the food. I generally like Moroccan food but found this to be a bit bland. Overall, the restaurant was very romantic and enjoyable, though.
After dinner we returned to our hotel, doing a bit of exploring of the grounds of this beautiful hotel before turning in for the night. Our Epcot day was great fun. When we called our kids they were amazed when we told them we had spent 8 hours in EC without riding a single ride (unless you count AA). Our only negative of the entire day was we were shocked to see cleanliness problems at EC. We noticed several bottles in the water near where the flamingos are and various bits of trash around the park in random places. We never noticed it in any of the other parks so we wonder if this was just a fluke or if the maintenance at Epcot is truly slipping due to recent cutbacks. Anybody else notice this? Please say no!!!
Thanks for posting this, I enjoyed reading about your day.
