PrincessTToo
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- May 11, 2003
- Messages
- 159
PRESHOW - This is my 3rd solo trip. The other two were in January (02 and 03). All other trips to WDW over the last 8 years have also been in the winter. When I asked my DH if he wanted to come along on this trip, he said Florida.. in MAY? Are you nuts?.
SHOW - Wed, May 7th.
My flight was on time and I got my bag very quickly after we landed at MCO. Mears was a very easy check in because I had booked it online. And my Mears van was ready to go as I walked to the outside desk. This was the first time I didnt have to wait at the Mears loading area. I was checked in and in my room at the Swan (first time at the Swan) within 1 hour of landing at MCO.
I was in room 1267. Its a concierge level regular Queen-Queen room which I got with a AAA discount. I had a view of the back of the Tower of Terror on one side, the Boardwalk on the other side and the front of the hotel directly out the window. I could see the bus stop from my window which helped figuring out the lay of the land. They give you a little tiny map of the hotel at check in and nothing else. No bus schedules. No directions on how to get to the parks. And there was nothing in the room except the room service book.
The beds looked great and the room was very bright. But it smelled very musty. The bathroom was very small and the lights above the vanity were extremely dim. But I already had my Florida hair going (picture a poodle that hasnt been combed in years) so I really didnt want to see myself anyway.
I turned up the air conditioner to try and get rid of the musty smell. I was going to unpack but I found that the TSA had put one of those plastic ties on my bag. I had forgotten to put scissors or nail clippers in the front pocket and there was nothing useful in the room to get it open. So I put my valuables (camera, etc.) in the safe and decided to just go to the park and find a pair of scissors later.
I had read that the walk from the Swan to Epcot was very easy and there were directions signs to the parks all over. Hmmm. The direction signs inside the hotel were great, but when I got to the intersection between the Boardwalk and the bridge there was no signs anywhere saying this way to Epcot. I had remembered once walking to the Boardwalk from Epcot so I went in that direction. Because of the heat and the sun, by the time I got to the ESPN club I decided I was extremely nuts to come to Florida in May.
But one foot inside Epcot and I was smiling again. The CM at the gate was very sweet and chatty. She asked if I was hot enough! I think the poodle hair and the fact that my face was melting (picture the Nazis at the end of the first Indiana Jones movie) probably answered her question. All the CMs I met on my trip were just wonderful, despite the record heat.
And the first thing that struck me once I was inside Epcot was the trees. Since I normally come in January, I don't get to see many of the WDW trees with their leaves. They not only had leaves but many of them were blooming. It was beautiful.
By tradition the first ride on any WDW trip is Spaceship Earth. Its still a joy to me but Im starting to face the fact that it needs to be rejuvenated. The soundtrack was very hard to hear and very inconsistent. On my several journeys on SE, The Theater Was Born was once before the actors, once while passing the actors and once after I was about out of that scene. And I practically had to press my ears against the speakers to hear anything. But my biggest question is why do they have to remind us a hundred times that the vehicle will be rotating backwards? Is it that big a shock to everyone? Do people start having heart attacks when the vehicle rotates backwards without warning? If so, then why dont they have heart attacks when the doom buggies rotate backwards in the Haunted Mansion? (Sorry for the rant.)
After SE, I went to Innoventions to send my DH a picture Email. He just loves to see my Florida hair.
Next I went to the Electric Umbrella to test their veggie burger. I had decided that I was going to try a different veggie burger every day on my trip. Unfortunately the veggie burger had obviously been cooked on the same grill with the hamburgers. I think I actually ate more cow fat than veggie burger. Oh well, the fries were good and the iced tea was cold.
For some reason I started to wander towards The Land but I ended up at The Living Seas. (On the way I saw one of the Flower and Garden presentations. It was packed with people.) I hadnt been in The Living Seas in years and years. I enjoyed the movie. And I thought the aquarium was wonderful. Theres so much to see. I love the manatees and I got to see a dolphin from a distance.
Then I heard Ice Station Cool calling me. Or maybe the heat was making me hallucinate, anyway I just love the ginger ale there.
Then I decided to do the World Showcase, starting with Mexico. I skipped the Mexico boat ride because its only makes sense after youve had a couple of margaritas. But when I got to Norway Id thought Id give the Maelstrom another try since Id had such good luck with The Living Seas. I hadnt been on the Maelstrom in a few years either. Unfortunately I still found it very uninspiring. This time I got up the courage to walk out of the theater and I skipped the movie.
But thank goodness I rode the Maelstrom. If I hadnt I would have missed one of the best things Ive ever seen at WDW. At about 3:30 PM I was about to cross the drawbridge between China and The Outpost when a CM held us back, closed the gates and started to raise the bridge. Then the barge with the globe from Illuminations came by very, very slowly. Its so cool to see all the innards of the globe. (I found out on my tour the next day that there is only 6 inches of clearance on either side of the barge while its going through the canal. Thats why they have to take it through so slowly.) I was just kicking myself for not having my camera.
Once the bridge was back down I strolled to the American Adventure in search of the WTC flag. I was looking all over for it and was also looking for a CM to ask where it was. I finally found them with a woman who had fainted from the heat. They had some paramedics-looking people there asking her how much water she had drank that day. Everybody was so busy that I didnt bother to ask them about the flag. (I found out the next day that they had taken the flag down on May 1st.)
So as not to follow in the overheated womans footsteps, I went to France in search of some Perrier. I noticed that the movie didnt start for 10 minutes so I went to the bakery and got chocolate cake and a Perrier. Anyway, I must have dawdled over my cake because I just missed the movie. Not wanting to wait another half hour (even if it is one of my absolute favorite attractions), I took the boat back to the Swan.
I stopped at the concierge desk to ask for a pair of scissors. She was busy helping a woman figure out which park to take her 2 and 4 year olds. The concierge told the woman that there wasnt anything for them to do at Epcot. This set me off and I morphed into Tour Guide Barbie. I interrupted them and told the woman about Kidcot and how the rides are much tamer (except Test Track and Body Wars) than lots of the rides at the Magic Kingdom. In the end I was unable to convince either one of them of the wonders of Epcot for little kids. And the concierge was reluctant to loan me the scissors to boot. I had to promise to bring them right back which I did.
The maid came while I was unpacking. She said that no one had told her I had checked in. She replenished the coffee packs and said the rest of the room looked o.k. I asked her when they did the nightly turndown service. I dont think I asked correctly because she said the beds always looked like that. She also apologized for the smell in the room even though I hadnt said anything about it. She said that the room had just been redecorated and the smell was the wallpaper glue. She said a lot of guests were complaining. Frankly, I didnt even notice the smell anymore after I cranked up the air conditioner.
After the maid left I finished unpacking, cleaned myself up and changed clothes. By then the Concierge Lounge was open. It was very nice and I just loved the fresh vegetables. The cookies were also wonderful. When I was planning the trip I thought that I would save some food money because of the concierge lounge, but it turns out I spent exactly the same $$ per day on food that I did on my trip in January.
I also thought Id save money on this trip by not being anywhere near DTD. Except for a short stay at the Portofino, Ive been staying at one of the DTD hotels for several years. But DTD called and I responded. The World of Disney store was packed and I waited longer at the checkout line than I did at any attraction on my whole WDW visit! On the way back to the bus I stopped at the Market Place and got potato salad, popcorn and another Perrier. (This Perrier cost $1.25 less than the one in Epcot!)
Once back at the hotel, I stopped at the concierge desk again to ask when was the first bus to the Magic Kingdom. She said sometime between 7:00 and 7:30 AM. Sometime??
I had to be at the front gate of Epcot by 8:45 AM for my Hidden Treasures of World Showcase tour. When I had reserved my place on the tour the CM had said that I might not be able to get in through the International Gateway before Epcot opened so I should find a way to get to the front gate. My plan was to take the bus to MK and then the monorail to Epcot.
I went back to the room, watched TV, ate my Market Place food, ironed my clothes for tomorrow, called my DH to tell him that I was indeed nuts -- but then he has known that for years. Then I crashed on the extremely Heavenly bed. The mattress was great but the pillows were beyond Heavenly. Is that possible?
P.S. Im a very light sleeper and found the Swan to be one of the quietest hotels Ive ever stayed at. But maybe that's because it was pretty empty.
SHOW - Wed, May 7th.
My flight was on time and I got my bag very quickly after we landed at MCO. Mears was a very easy check in because I had booked it online. And my Mears van was ready to go as I walked to the outside desk. This was the first time I didnt have to wait at the Mears loading area. I was checked in and in my room at the Swan (first time at the Swan) within 1 hour of landing at MCO.
I was in room 1267. Its a concierge level regular Queen-Queen room which I got with a AAA discount. I had a view of the back of the Tower of Terror on one side, the Boardwalk on the other side and the front of the hotel directly out the window. I could see the bus stop from my window which helped figuring out the lay of the land. They give you a little tiny map of the hotel at check in and nothing else. No bus schedules. No directions on how to get to the parks. And there was nothing in the room except the room service book.
The beds looked great and the room was very bright. But it smelled very musty. The bathroom was very small and the lights above the vanity were extremely dim. But I already had my Florida hair going (picture a poodle that hasnt been combed in years) so I really didnt want to see myself anyway.
I turned up the air conditioner to try and get rid of the musty smell. I was going to unpack but I found that the TSA had put one of those plastic ties on my bag. I had forgotten to put scissors or nail clippers in the front pocket and there was nothing useful in the room to get it open. So I put my valuables (camera, etc.) in the safe and decided to just go to the park and find a pair of scissors later.
I had read that the walk from the Swan to Epcot was very easy and there were directions signs to the parks all over. Hmmm. The direction signs inside the hotel were great, but when I got to the intersection between the Boardwalk and the bridge there was no signs anywhere saying this way to Epcot. I had remembered once walking to the Boardwalk from Epcot so I went in that direction. Because of the heat and the sun, by the time I got to the ESPN club I decided I was extremely nuts to come to Florida in May.
But one foot inside Epcot and I was smiling again. The CM at the gate was very sweet and chatty. She asked if I was hot enough! I think the poodle hair and the fact that my face was melting (picture the Nazis at the end of the first Indiana Jones movie) probably answered her question. All the CMs I met on my trip were just wonderful, despite the record heat.
And the first thing that struck me once I was inside Epcot was the trees. Since I normally come in January, I don't get to see many of the WDW trees with their leaves. They not only had leaves but many of them were blooming. It was beautiful.
By tradition the first ride on any WDW trip is Spaceship Earth. Its still a joy to me but Im starting to face the fact that it needs to be rejuvenated. The soundtrack was very hard to hear and very inconsistent. On my several journeys on SE, The Theater Was Born was once before the actors, once while passing the actors and once after I was about out of that scene. And I practically had to press my ears against the speakers to hear anything. But my biggest question is why do they have to remind us a hundred times that the vehicle will be rotating backwards? Is it that big a shock to everyone? Do people start having heart attacks when the vehicle rotates backwards without warning? If so, then why dont they have heart attacks when the doom buggies rotate backwards in the Haunted Mansion? (Sorry for the rant.)
After SE, I went to Innoventions to send my DH a picture Email. He just loves to see my Florida hair.
Next I went to the Electric Umbrella to test their veggie burger. I had decided that I was going to try a different veggie burger every day on my trip. Unfortunately the veggie burger had obviously been cooked on the same grill with the hamburgers. I think I actually ate more cow fat than veggie burger. Oh well, the fries were good and the iced tea was cold.
For some reason I started to wander towards The Land but I ended up at The Living Seas. (On the way I saw one of the Flower and Garden presentations. It was packed with people.) I hadnt been in The Living Seas in years and years. I enjoyed the movie. And I thought the aquarium was wonderful. Theres so much to see. I love the manatees and I got to see a dolphin from a distance.
Then I heard Ice Station Cool calling me. Or maybe the heat was making me hallucinate, anyway I just love the ginger ale there.
Then I decided to do the World Showcase, starting with Mexico. I skipped the Mexico boat ride because its only makes sense after youve had a couple of margaritas. But when I got to Norway Id thought Id give the Maelstrom another try since Id had such good luck with The Living Seas. I hadnt been on the Maelstrom in a few years either. Unfortunately I still found it very uninspiring. This time I got up the courage to walk out of the theater and I skipped the movie.
But thank goodness I rode the Maelstrom. If I hadnt I would have missed one of the best things Ive ever seen at WDW. At about 3:30 PM I was about to cross the drawbridge between China and The Outpost when a CM held us back, closed the gates and started to raise the bridge. Then the barge with the globe from Illuminations came by very, very slowly. Its so cool to see all the innards of the globe. (I found out on my tour the next day that there is only 6 inches of clearance on either side of the barge while its going through the canal. Thats why they have to take it through so slowly.) I was just kicking myself for not having my camera.
Once the bridge was back down I strolled to the American Adventure in search of the WTC flag. I was looking all over for it and was also looking for a CM to ask where it was. I finally found them with a woman who had fainted from the heat. They had some paramedics-looking people there asking her how much water she had drank that day. Everybody was so busy that I didnt bother to ask them about the flag. (I found out the next day that they had taken the flag down on May 1st.)
So as not to follow in the overheated womans footsteps, I went to France in search of some Perrier. I noticed that the movie didnt start for 10 minutes so I went to the bakery and got chocolate cake and a Perrier. Anyway, I must have dawdled over my cake because I just missed the movie. Not wanting to wait another half hour (even if it is one of my absolute favorite attractions), I took the boat back to the Swan.
I stopped at the concierge desk to ask for a pair of scissors. She was busy helping a woman figure out which park to take her 2 and 4 year olds. The concierge told the woman that there wasnt anything for them to do at Epcot. This set me off and I morphed into Tour Guide Barbie. I interrupted them and told the woman about Kidcot and how the rides are much tamer (except Test Track and Body Wars) than lots of the rides at the Magic Kingdom. In the end I was unable to convince either one of them of the wonders of Epcot for little kids. And the concierge was reluctant to loan me the scissors to boot. I had to promise to bring them right back which I did.
The maid came while I was unpacking. She said that no one had told her I had checked in. She replenished the coffee packs and said the rest of the room looked o.k. I asked her when they did the nightly turndown service. I dont think I asked correctly because she said the beds always looked like that. She also apologized for the smell in the room even though I hadnt said anything about it. She said that the room had just been redecorated and the smell was the wallpaper glue. She said a lot of guests were complaining. Frankly, I didnt even notice the smell anymore after I cranked up the air conditioner.
After the maid left I finished unpacking, cleaned myself up and changed clothes. By then the Concierge Lounge was open. It was very nice and I just loved the fresh vegetables. The cookies were also wonderful. When I was planning the trip I thought that I would save some food money because of the concierge lounge, but it turns out I spent exactly the same $$ per day on food that I did on my trip in January.
I also thought Id save money on this trip by not being anywhere near DTD. Except for a short stay at the Portofino, Ive been staying at one of the DTD hotels for several years. But DTD called and I responded. The World of Disney store was packed and I waited longer at the checkout line than I did at any attraction on my whole WDW visit! On the way back to the bus I stopped at the Market Place and got potato salad, popcorn and another Perrier. (This Perrier cost $1.25 less than the one in Epcot!)
Once back at the hotel, I stopped at the concierge desk again to ask when was the first bus to the Magic Kingdom. She said sometime between 7:00 and 7:30 AM. Sometime??
I had to be at the front gate of Epcot by 8:45 AM for my Hidden Treasures of World Showcase tour. When I had reserved my place on the tour the CM had said that I might not be able to get in through the International Gateway before Epcot opened so I should find a way to get to the front gate. My plan was to take the bus to MK and then the monorail to Epcot.
I went back to the room, watched TV, ate my Market Place food, ironed my clothes for tomorrow, called my DH to tell him that I was indeed nuts -- but then he has known that for years. Then I crashed on the extremely Heavenly bed. The mattress was great but the pillows were beyond Heavenly. Is that possible?
P.S. Im a very light sleeper and found the Swan to be one of the quietest hotels Ive ever stayed at. But maybe that's because it was pretty empty.
