crazyj4488
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- Mar 24, 2005
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WDW Trip Report April 24-30th, 2005
Day 2 Monday, April 25, 2005
LINK BACK TO DAY 1 REPORT: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=811849
Part 1 - Ducking Disney Two First Timers at Universal Studios
Part 2 - First trip into the Magic Kingdom Solo
Part 3 - A Bit of Romance
Cast:
Me Jeff - 29 yr old male 9th time to WDW
My GF Sally 27 yr old Female 1st time to WDW
Our wake up call came in at 6:45 AM. My body was a bit hesitant to move since it was very tired from the day before. I knew waking early and getting to each park 30 minutes before opening was key to this crowded time at the world. Even though my itinerary had Universal Studios stamped on it for the day, I was going to treat each and every day the same. This would only make our entire vacation less tiring and less stressful. I also knew, through some exhaustive research beforehand, that the entire Disney World resort had the highest crowd rating of the week this Monday. It was a great time to leave the grounds while everyone else bumped into each other and stood on their tired feet in long lines. Again, I wasnt going to waste time or my large investment in this trip doing that.
I kissed Sally on the forehead and wished her good morning. She sorted moaned in a less than enthusiastic tone and I decided not to push my luck by dumping water or trash on her head. I knew better than that.
We had two separate double beds during our stay and this was actually a god send since every moment of sleep was important to our tired bodies. Most of the Disney resorts have two double beds and this didnt bother me one bit given the circumstances. Sleeping in the same bed as someone else can certainly cause you to awaken at odd times. In my opinion, it is quite important to resemble a rock while slumbering at Disney. Every minute of shut eye truly counted at this magical place.
I started my day by opening the curtains in the room but not the drapes. We were lucky enough to get a corner room at Port Orleans which had two windows instead of one. I left the blinds behind the curtains shut as to not completely make this a rude awakening. I figured doing this would also allow Sally to gently begin to rise. To my surprise, it worked and she started to wiggle out from underneath her little nest that she had created during the night. Again, I was proud of her for getting up without a fuss. She, obviously, wanted this trip to go as smoothly as possible for both our sakes and I had told her over and over before our departure how important waking up was.
I had showered the night before and proceeded to brush my teeth. Sally immediately headed for the muffins as she does habitually in the mornings. Breakfast gets her going each morning and she consistently has a smackrel (Poohs word for food) upon awakening. After practically sleep walking through her smackrel, Sally headed for the shower. I kept quiet as to not wake some sort of beast. I knew once she showered that the waters would be calmer on that uncertain sea. A good friend had once told me that women were like unlabelled cans of vegetables. You never knew what you were going to get when opening that can up. Sally was no exception. Handling with care at times was the prescription for an undead Jeff.
After the remainder of the muffin munching, news watching, and getting pretty, we headed towards the parking lot. I had made sure to apply some spray on sunscreen as I walked to the car. The Florida sun is relentless. My adrenaline level was quickly rising as this would be our first time ever at the famed Universal Studios. I was in good spirits. The cool morning weather was only adding to my pleasant feelings. I quickly glanced at the map before leaving the lot, and we were on our way.
I exited the Walt Disney World grounds and headed swiftly down I-4 towards Orlando. I was simply looking for some Universal Studio exit signs and I found them rather quickly. The place seemed empty when we arrived around 8:15. This was just another good sign that my detailed trip planning was paying off. I had been to the Universal parking lot on a previous trip to WDW just to check out the grounds and the Universal Citywalk. I knew that the parking garage there was one of the biggest in the world and that it took a good quarter mile of walking to get across the bridge spanning the roadways below. Therefore, when the parking attendant at the gate offered us preferred treatment for $12, we took it. This would save us time getting into the park and getting our super tired feet out.
It was about 8:30 AM as we made it down the automated walkways and proceeded through the Universal Citywalk area. Some hip music was playing and there were a few people starting to move around in this area already. The Citywalk area of Universal is a free section of the park system that has a lot of nightlife offerings. Restaurants, shopping, and a huge movie theater were found here all housed in some great looking buildings. It was an energetic place for sure.
After avoiding anything Citywalk related, we turned right at a small crossroads and river of sorts. This took us down the waterfront towards the Studios. The Islands of Adventure park, which is also owned by Universal, was located to the left. We crossed a bridge and were greeted by only about 20 other people waiting for the gates to open for the day. We had a little less than 30 minutes until park opening and took the time to absorb our new surroundings. We also took some pictures of the area. Before we knew it, the line at the gate started moving into the park.
My plan at Universal was devised using the Unofficial Guide to WDW. It all made sense to me. I had enough knowledge of Universal from my research to know which attractions were the newest or most popular. You always want to experience these types of attractions first thing in the morning because the crowds dont start flooding the parks entrance until around 11 AM. Shrek 4D was one of the newest attractions but The Return of the Mummy was also a newer one and seemed to draw more of a crowd from what I had read. Therefore, I grabbed an Expresspass for Shrek which had a return time of around 10:35 AM. After doing that, we headed towards The Return of the Mummy which, by the way, had replaced the King Kong ride at Universal.
While we walked through the park for the first time, I noticed that the layout was much more open than the some of the Disney parks. The theming was very well done but the experience, at first, wasnt as intimate as a Disney park. While clean and good looking, Universal seemed to be missing some of those very small details that create an appropriate atmosphere for each area of the park. It was no bother to me or Sally. We both had a big smile on our face as we held hands and walked towards our first attraction. This was exciting for both of us.
We first had to store Sallys small shoulder bag in some free lockers located next to the Mummy ride entrance. This was my first indication that this was going to be a thrilling experience and we found the locker system to be really cool. It was operated by a biometric fingerprint scanner. Therefore, there was no key or code to worry about. You simply needed to bring your finger back to your belongings and they would be returned to you.
As we made our way through the queue area, we saw many TV monitors with cast members of the Mummy movie talking about some sort of curse on the set. It was all done in a humorous tone. We kept walking and the theming made a transition of sorts. We were now walking through what appeared to be a large Egyptian tomb full of artifacts. It was getting darker and a bit creepy. As we headed towards a staircase, a cast member, in uniform, sort of lunged at Sally in order to give her a scare. This moved her quickly towards me and Im sure the dude that pulled this little stunt received some sort of witty comment or look by Sally. I chuckled a bit about it and continued moving towards the loading area.
The ride vehicles for The Return of the Mummy looked like mining cars with shoulder restraints. As soon as we were seated and strapped in, the car quickly proceeded into the attraction. It was dark and creepy looking all around us. We first saw audio an animatronic figure struggling while wrapped in cloth. He was telling us to get out and that the place was cursed. All of a sudden, a plume of smoke rose up next to him and the undead Mummy from the movie came out yelling to us that there was no escape. The audio animatronic figure used for the Mummy was one of the most impressive robotic characters I had ever seen. We swiftly proceeded into a huge chamber which looked like a treasure room of sorts. It was dark and I was getting a bit anxious. This ride was absolutely nuts so far and I knew it was going to get a bit crazier. Next, a gigantic holographic face of the mummy appeared and started yelling at us in this evil tone. Balls of fire flew up through the room and the entire chamber was lit up. It looked like a treasure room of sorts. After this whackiness, the ride vehicle took off into a series of high speed turns and drops. The car then stopped suddenly in a dark room with some 3d images of the mummy and or curse following us while we slowly rotated in a circle. The special effects were unreal. The car then took off into another serious of turns and drops. I screamed and laughed like a little girl as did Sally. The car, again, stopped suddenly at a wall and a bunch of locusts started dropping out of the walls. There was the sound of bugs creeping around loudly all around the room. Unexpectedly, the car dropped into the floor and started traveling backwards. This was insane. After some more turns and drops, the car stopped again and it looked as if the ride had ended. A shadow appeared in a window above the ride vehicle which looked like a cast member for the ride. She told us to remain seated for unloading but then something appeared behind her and the glass shattered. Again, the Mummy showed his nasty face as started screaming at us. Now fire started to creep up the walls and the ceiling was engulfed in flames. The heat in the room was very intense and the fire looked unbelievable as it crept above our heads. The wall in front of us opened up and we took off again for the last series of turns and drops. Sally and I shockingly looked at each other as the mine cart approached the unloading area. The only thing that came out of our mouths at that moment was, what in the hell just happened?
We just had to ride the Mummy once more. What a crazy experience!
After all of that, we needed to move on so Sally retrieved her bag using her finger with the biometric scanner. We headed towards The Men in Black ride. It was a pretty good walk towards the back of the park. We passed up a couple other, less popular, attractions and really enjoyed traveling through the New York city street and San Francisco wharf themed areas. The rear of the park was empty. It was 9:30 AM.
Everything around us looked really cool. I was snapping pictures left and right. Again, we had to store Sallys bag in the biometric lockers before entering the MIB attraction. The queue area for this ride was the most amazing display of theming I have ever seen in a ride queue area. We first boarded a large steel elevator just as Will Smith did upon entering the MIB facility. After that, we walked past many of the aliens seen in the movie and then the weapons storage room. It was all so detailed. Sally and I were both telling each other how impressed we were and how neat everything looked.
We quickly boarded the ride vehicle for MIB. As an important side note, we had walked onto everything so far with no problems. What a good feeling this was. We had also walked onto everything at EPCOT the day before and we were now doing the same thing on our first full day in Orlando. All of my planning and research was paying off. I was getting my moneys worth and we were having a blast. I hugged Sally along the way and held her many times while I could. We were both feeling happy being together in this strange place. Sally put her complete trust in me with this trip and had not questioned any of my decisions. She was confident that I knew what I was doing and, therefore, was not complaining about anything. I appreciated her willingness to wake early and walk swiftly with me in order to stay one step ahead of everyone else. Both of our motivations were creating a great experience so far.
The MIB ride was everything I had expected. Each vehicle came equipped with a laser gun and a display containing your score gained while blasting the aliens that popped out of every nook and cranny. Everything around us looked really cool and it was a bit of fun. However, I am really not into these types of rides. Disney World has a Buzz Lightyear ride which contains the exact same experience. The MIB ride was about 10 times better than the Buzz ride but Sally and I exited the attraction feeling a bit unexcited by the whole thing. I could see how this interactive experience may be really fun for kids but it was only mildly entertaining for our old souls.
We exited MIB, retrieved Sallys bag again with her finger, and headed to a bench so Sally could re-apply some bandages to her feet. The blisters she had gained the night before were bothering her. I was feeling a bit anxious about this as we had so much walking in front of us. I remained calm and did everything I could to help her out. I was being supportive and asking a lot of questions to make sure she was okay. She applied some bandages while I went to grab a Diet Coke. She quickly put her shoes back on and seemed to be holding up just fine as we walked towards the Back to the Future ride. It was nearing 10:00 AM.
We walked right onto Back to the Future even though the standby time was showing 10 minutes. There were a few people in the loading area with us but that was about it. Back to the Future was a bumpy bore of a simulator ride. This ride has been around since the 80s and it showed its age. Neither of us enjoyed this attraction and Sally even felt, briefly, sick afterwards. None of this was bothering me because we were headed to my most anticipated ride at Universal Studios. The E.T adventure.
The movie E.T. has been close to my heart since I was a child. I have seen it well over 30 times and enjoy it just the same with each and every viewing. I still remember seeing this movie in the theater, as a child, with my Mother and Father. I also recall crying my eyes out with the rest of the theater while E.T. was dying. When I was a teenager, E.T. was finally released on VHS years and years after it had been shown itself in the theaters. Again, the tears fell from my eyes. I had always been able to completely identify with this story because I was raised by a single Mother. Elliott was in the same shoes throughout the film. E.T. had brought him hope and purpose. Something we all struggle seeking out while we are young.
I knew the E.T. ride operated in the same fashion as Peter Pans Flight over at the Magic Kingdom. I was equally excited about the design of the ride system at E.T. Peter Pans Flight has always been one of my favorite rides at the Magic Kingdom given the way your vehicle flyies over each scene. However, I was completely surprised at how well done the queue area was at E.T. While proceeding to the loading area, It appeared as if we were walking through a forest at night with huge trees towering above us. An audio animatronic E.T. appeared from the trees after emerging through a plum of smoke with lasers firing around the figure and through the smoke. It looked amazing. We even passed by the foil covered umbrella and speak and spell E.T. built in order to phone home. I was completely enthralled with this attraction and we had not even boarded our bicycles for the magical flight through the forest. Once we sat down and strapped ourselves into our ride vehicle, I noticed a small basket mounted on the front of our bike with a small white blanket covering it. We quickly started riding through the forest while bright lights peered through the trees. We were being chased by the research team and the excitement was mounting. A jeep came plowing through the bushes with its headlights blinding us. We turned swiftly to avoid it only to come upon some police cars blocking our way. I looked down at the basket mounted on the front of our bicycles and a small head popped up from under the blanket. E.T. took control and we smoothly glided above the cop cars and headed towards the stars. The town was seen far below us and was getting smaller. I could see houses and cars, rivers and stadiums. Finally, the moon appeared in the background. The famous scene with E.T. and Elloitts silhouette against the moon could be seen within the stars we were flying through. It was incredible. Before we knew it, we were on E.Ts home planet. Things were very colorful and there were strange creatures everywhere. The experience ended with E.T. himself calling out our own names as we returned home. I heard him say, Sally and Jeff as we glided back to reality. It all only led to one thing. A second ride!
After a great experience with The E.T. Adventure, we headed down the themed streets with a smile on our faces. We were bouncing around like kids but heading towards the First Aid station to get Sally some more band-aids for her feet. A friendly nurse gave her plenty of bandages to take care of her feet. Sally applied some fresh ones while I retrieved some funds from the ATM. Sally had lasted one day and was already short on cash. Welcome to Orlando I told her while taking care of the situation. I wanted her to feel comfortable with some cash in her pocket versus feeling worried about the situation. She had done her best to pitch in what she could for this expensive vacation before we left by paying for our Cirque Du Soleil tickets to be used later in the week. That gesture was enough for me. She had been working extremely hard to cover her bills and take care of her responsibilities at home. I was proud of her and was more than happy to reward her with the best escape from the stress of life back home possible.
Our Expresspass return time for Shrek had arrived. We headed to the queue area and quickly entered the pre-show area. Overall, I wasnt impressed with the show. The only redeeming quality was the theater seating moving us up and down to the 3D action on the screen. Other than that, it was a mildly entertaining but forgettable show. It wasnt my cup of tea and I heard nothing special from Sally while exiting the theater. It was around 11:00 AM.
As expected, the crowds were quickly filling the park as we were already done with the most popular attractions. We were both hungry at this point so we proceeded to the restrooms for a quick break, made some brief business calls back home, and looked over the map for someplace to eat. We picked Finnegans Irish Bar and Grill which was directly across the street from The Return of the Mummy ride. I smiled while entering the restaurant as I caught a glimpse of the 50 minute wait time posted for The Mummy.
After two pints of Harp Lager, and a couple of corn beef on pretzel roll sandwiches, we left our lunch spot feeling a bit rested and energized. We headed to the rear of the park while dodging other guests. I needed to acquire some Expresspasses for the JAWS ride. As the wait would certainly be nearing an hour with all the crowds we were now seeing. I was correct. I grab our passes quickly and we headed all the way back to the front of the park to see the Terminator 2 3d theater attraction.
T2 was, hands down, the best 3d show I have ever seen and Sally seemed to agree with me. The theater special effects were great and the way they mixed live actors into the action on-screen added even more to the show.
After T2, we walked over to the Twister attraction. We waited 5 to 10 minutes to get into the theater. While viewing a quiet looking town scene, all hell broke loose in front of us. The wind started to blow, clouds rolled in, and rain poured down. The wind picked up to the point where everything in front of us started to tear apart. A cow flew in front of us and then the entire area we were standing on sort of collapsed with a large thud and left us standing a couple of feet lower than we had stood upon entering the theater. I found it to be an entertaining show. Sally wasnt too impressed though. She seemed to have a problem with attractions that involved water. Maybe she was worried about melting or something. Im not sure.
Our Expresspass return time for the JAWS ride was not ready yet so we had to bite the bullet and get into our first line of the vacation. We waited about 30 minutes for Earthquake. Overall, the presentation and small subway ride into a chaotic disaster was well done. Both of us enjoyed it enough but we were getting very tired on our feet. That just showed us how much more fatigue standing in line causes especially after you have been going for hours on end. It was after 2:00 PM, the sun was intense, and we were both thinking of our comfy hotel room back on the Disney property. Sallys feet were also bothering her so we stopped to sit on a bench while she adjusted her shoes before heading to our final attraction at the Universal Studios.
JAWS was the only thing left on our Universal to-do list. We entered the Expresspass return queue and boarded our boat within 5 minutes. The ride into the shark infested waters was entertaining but short-lived. Both of us were mildly amused but definitely ready to exit the park.
On the way out, I stopped at a gift shop and purchased a small stuffed E.T. His big eyes were staring at me while wearing a tiny red zippered hoody. I just had to take him home with me as a memento of my trip to Universal Studios.
We quickly got back to our rental car since it was parked in the preferred zone. Sally was, again, complaining about the blisters on her feet so I knew we had to find a Walgreens in order to get something made especially for her problem. We, indeed, found a Walgreens right outside the park and I purchased some special bandages along with some drinks.
We passed through the front gates at Disney World rather quickly. Mickey was, once again, welcoming us with open arms. I entered our room at Port Orleans and immediately headed for the shower. Sally treated her feet and got into bed. We were quite exhausted. After my shower, I remember finishing off a Fosters beer can while I settled into my comfy bed. Sally was by my side and I was happy with all we had accomplished during the day. It wasnt long until we both passed out. It was just after 4:00 PM.
I woke up close to 8:00 PM. I was really quite out of it. Sally was still fast asleep in her bed next to mine. I gathered my thoughts for a second and started going over the info in my head in regards to the park hours that night. I knew Monday was the worst day to go to the Magic Kingdom. However, I also knew that the park was opened until 11:00 PM due to those crowds. I kept thinking of Cinderellas castle. I just had to see it up close. I was at Disney World and this was my playground for the entire week. Armed with my knowledge of the crowd patterns and park, I was completely confident that I could navigate my way through the masses and see many things with just a couple of hours left until closing. I knew exactly when each nighttime parade and fireworks show was taking place that evening. The thousands of people waiting for and watching these shows were what I had to avoid. While they waited and watched, I would hit some of the popular attractions in the park without standing in line.
Sally woke up while I moved around the room to get dressed. I asked her if she was interested in going with me to the Magic Kingdom but her response was not enthusiastic. I didnt think she needed to go anywhere anyways given the state of her feet. Our upcoming day in the park was an important one. She needed to rest and her feet needed some time to heal. Our itinerary had the Magic Kingdom stamped on it for the next morning as Tuesday is its least crowded day of the week. Travelers, typically, spend the entire week at WDW and begin there week by visiting the one park which features the castle along with all the classic attractions Disney World is known for. This is exactly why Mondays are so crowded at the Magic Kingdom. We needed to rise early on Tuesday and get into the park as soon as the rope dropped. Sally certainly needed the rest to undertake this mission.
My girlfriend put up a bit of a fuss once she found out that I was willing to go to the Magic Kingdom without her that night. I told her that she needed the rest and that I could no longer sleep. I told her that I would leave the rental car at the resort in case she needed it and that I would be home around 11:30 to Midnight. I had my cell phone with me in case she needed to reach me as well. After kissing her on her forehead, Sally quickly retreated back into her little bed nest and closed her eyes. She was, understandably, worn out.
PART 2
I quickly exited the hotel room and walked straight over to the resort bus stop. It was a 1 minute walk just past the parking lot. I was completely alone and there was not a sound to be heard around me. I paced back and forth under the bus stop shelter waiting for a bus with the words Magic Kingdom displayed above the front windshield. The first bus to arrive just less than 10 minutes from the time I got to the shelter was headed to the magical park I so desired to see for the first time on this trip. It all just felt too easy to me. Again, this was a huge playground and I had easy access to the entire thing. I was excited about this and the thought of seeing the Magic Kingdom at night. It truly is a wonderful place during the evening It was about 8:45 PM and I was the only one on the bus. I had just over 2 hours to get to the park, proceed through the turnstiles, and catch a couple of rides while everyone watched the parades and fireworks.
The bus pulled up to the front gates of the Magic Kingdom around 9:00 PM. I knew the first Spectromagic parade began on the hour, started in Frontierland, and ended on Main Street which is at the entrance of the park. As expected upon entering the front gates, Main Street was wall to wall with people waiting for the parade. I looked up at the train station and a train had just pulled in. There was no way I was going to make it down Main Street in order to access the park. That was a no brainer. My only chance was that train sitting in the Main Street Station. I was stuck behind a small line while people proceeded through the ticketing system. Sweat formed on my forehead as I kept staring at that train. Would it leave the station? Would I be stuck in a thick throng of people on Main Street?
I finally got through the gates with my heart racing. I had to make it onto that train or I would be stuck standing at the front of the park with thousands of other people. I just about ran under the train station onto Main Street and immediately turned around to find the steps leading up to the train itself. I made it to the loading area just as one of the cast members was heading towards the gate to shut it. I sat down on the train and was relieved.
I rode the Walt Disney World railroad at night as my first experience at the Magic Kingdom for this vacation. The travel time gave my heart a chance to slow down a bit. I was going to make my exit in Frontierland and see what the standby time for Splash Mountain looked like. Typically, all of the mountains at the Magic Kingdom have a 15 minute or less wait during parades and fireworks. I was correct as soon as I made my way down off the train loading area into Frontierland. The standby time posted for Splash Mountain was 15 minutes. The area around the attraction was quieter than a 15 minute wait and I figured the sign had not been updated. I was correct again as I boarded my log vehicle in only 5 minutes.
I noticed that Splash Mountain was in bad shape as soon as I made it down towards the loading dock. There was a wall in the queue area leading to the boats that looked very colorful. When I looked closer, I found the colors to be made up of hundreds of pieces of chewing gum that guests had stuck to the wall. It was absolutely disgusting and not the best first experience upon finally reaching a ride in the Magic Kingdom. I shrugged off the negative feelings and got into my boat as Splash Mountain has always been one of my all time favorite rides at the world.
Upon floating through the attraction, I was, once again, disappointed to see this place in such a deplorable condition. The music could not be heard in the first part of the ride and I saw pieces of trash lying around the opening scenes. I just couldnt believe my eyes. For Disney to leave one of their headliner attractions in this state was a thought beyond my comprehension.
The further I proceeded into Chickapin Hill, the worse things seemed to get. I counted about 5 audio animatronic figures that were not working properly and I was most disappointed when Brer Rabbit was not hopping along my boat in the one scene that has always stuck in my mind.
I got somewhat soaked from the shoulders up when my boat dropped down into the briar patch. I knew I would dry quickly and looked forward to the grand finale of the ride. Yet again, I was quite disappointed to see a huge tear in the background fabric behind the riverboat full of hens seen in one of the last scenes of the ride. What was Disney doing? This ride should have been kept in better condition, I thought.
The ride through Trash Mountain was still somewhat enchanting given that it was nighttime. I could see the castle from atop the hill as my boat drifted along its waterways and I was, after all, at the Magic Kingdom. I quickly ignored my negative feelings and thought about what I should do next. I opted out of riding Splash for a second time as I traditionally had done during all of my previous trips given the condition it was in. I did not want to concentrate on anything like that.
Upon exiting the Splash Mountain area of Frontierland, I noticed that there were people still blocking the streets of Frontierland since the parade had gone by. I didnt want to get near that mess and, once again, heard the Walt Disney World Railroad train coming to a stop at the station directly above Splash Mountain. The train would, for the second time this evening, serve as my scapegoat.
I boarded the train, rode through the nifty looking scenes of the Big Thunder Mountain, Indian campgrounds, and Alligators before stopping at Mickeys Toontown Fair. I knew I could exit this area and make it to Tomorrowland via the secret red walkway that goes behind Toontown and the Tomorrowland Autopia. I had never known of this walkway until my recent research reveled it. As I headed left from the train platform, there was the red walkway. As expected, it was completely empty. This was a true park secret.
The red walkway dumped me out into Tomorrowland right next door to the attraction I wanted to try to get into. Space Mountain loomed overhead. The standby time was 30 minutes and that was longer than my 15 minute rule. I passed it up and could only think of The Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean. These two attractions were lined up perfectly for a park exit and I knew there would be no crowds while the fireworks and last parade got underway. Therefore, I headed out of Tomorrowland to get back on track with a plan.
I passed through Cosmic Rays Starlight café in hopes of shortcutting it through to Fantasyland. The rear exit of Fantasyland near the Columbia House restaurant would take me right to Liberty Square where The Haunted Mansion resided. I hit a wall when I noticed the path to Fantasyland was roped off due to the fireworks show that was about to begin behind the castle. I made the grave mistake of heading towards the hub of the park and the front of the castle. This was where the entire population of night time guests gather for the fireworks seen behind the castle each night. I almost got completely stuck in an elbow to elbow crowd as thousands upon thousands of guests crammed themselves into this one central area. How ridiculous and almost dangerous this was becoming. I had to get out of there and fast. I turned completely around as other guests who were, obviously clueless, continued their attempt to push their way through the throng of miserable people. Kids were crying and parents were cursing. Oh boy!
I quickly found another pathway that led to Fantasyland via the Teacups and Pooh ride and was relieved. Fantasyland was quiet as everyone else in the park was standing in in the mess situated in front of the castle anticipating the fireworks. I headed towards The Haunted Mansion but couldnt help making a detour right at the exit of this land in order to check out the newly refurbished Its a Small World ride. I had avoided this attraction since I was a kid having no desire to get that song stuck in my head. Knowing they had just dumped millions of dollars into refurbishing this classic attraction made me think better of avoiding it.
I walked right onto one of the boats for Its a Small World and began my journey with a family seated in front of me. They had a cute little girl riding with them and I really enjoyed her face lighting up for each and every new scene of dancing dolls we encountered on the ride. She pointed and yelled over and over again as the boat drifted trough the whimsical scenes. This made the annoying and repetitive nature of the song tolerable. Seeing the Magic Kingdom through the eyes of a child is truly something special. Overall, I found that they had done a wonderful job renewing Its a Small World and felt happy with my choice of experiencing it this time around.
While quickly moving away from that annoying Small World song, I heard some large explosions. It was the fireworks and that meant that it was just after 10:00 PM. The park would be closing in less than an hour and I had two big rides to get on before making my exit.
As expected, I walked right into The Haunted Mansion and it was fun as usual. I also found this attraction to be in disrepair though. It was nowhere near as bad as Trash Mountain and I really did enjoy myself after it was over. That left one of my all-time favorite rides upon my exit. The Pirates of the Caribbean.
I was the only person at the loading dock when I got onto Pirates. A cast member told me to take my pick of seats since I was the only one in the loading area. Pirates was in wonderful shape and I enjoyed just about every moment of it. The only bad part about the ride was the boats getting backed up near the exit which caused me to get stuck in two different scenes towards the end of the ride. The soundtrack to the ride got pretty annoying after hearing it loop several times. I did, however, truly enjoy this entire watery journey.
I knew my exit of the Magic Kingdom on a Monday night during heavy crowds would not be a pretty one. I also knew the bus loading areas for the buses returning to the Disney Resorts would be packed with people trying to get home for the night. Again, I assumed correctly. Upon leaving the front gate area of the park, I saw enormous lines of people trying to get back to their hotels. It was a pretty awful sight and I wasnt about to put myself through that mess. I found a bench near the Port Orleans loading area and took a seat next to a family of three. The moon was full and lighting the waters of the Seven Seas Lagoon which was situated on the other side of a sandy beach I could see near the bench I was sitting on. The air was cool and the wind was blowing. I sat on that bench for well over an hour waiting for bus after bus to arrive and gobble up the horrendous line. I just couldnt understand these guests standing in this hour long line with sore feet and kids passed out in their arms. Why they want to pay thousands of dollars to put themselves through that kind of torture was beyond me. People needed to plan and think a bit more in my opinion.
After about an hour and twenty minutes, I got into the line and it only took me another 20 minutes to get a seat on a standing room only bus back to my resort. A little girl seated on her Moms lap next to me kept pawing at me and calling me Daddy as we traveled on the dark bus. Everyone around us started laughing and I was touched by the comedy of it all but not too happy to be on stage at this point.
I left my daughter on the bus and headed back to my room at the Magnolia Terrace. Sally was still sleeping upon my 12:30 AM arrival but quickly woke up as I entered the room. I asked her if she was hungry and she said yes. I threw her in the car and we headed out to International Drive in order to find some late night fast food. We found a Taco Bell after I entered Walgreens to get Sally some moleskin bandages and a pair of sandals. I hoped the sandals would eliminate the friction on her feet and alleviate the pain of her blisters. I was willing to do anything to help the poor girl out. After all, I had dragged her around these huge parks for two days now.
PART 3
Sally and I got back to the hotel with our food and feasted along with a bedtime cocktail. It was close to 1:30 AM and we had to wake up just after 7 AM for our big morning at the Magic Kingdom. I knew it wasnt going to be easy for me since I hadnt slept as much as Sally but I was motivated to keep on track. I wanted to have a talk with Sally first though. I wanted her to know just how proud I had been of her over the past couple of months. She had received two promotions at her place of work and had made manager of an entire apartment complex after only 8 months experience in the industry. Others had been there for well over a year or two and still werent even close to this kind of position. Sally had managed to pick herself up off the ground after being laid off twice before entering the apartment leasing business and she successfully maneuvered herself into a wonderful position with a lot of hard work. I just had to let her know how I felt about it. We also talked about the hard times our relationship had been going through and talked about promising one another to work at things a bit harder. With that, I asked Sally if I could give her something to show her how proud I was of her. I also wanted to give her something that symbolized my promise to work at our relationship a bit harder. I went into my backpack and brought out a tiny bluish green box wrapped with a white bow. It said Tiffany & Co. on top of it. Sallys eyes welled up with tears as she opened the box to find an iolite stone banded heavily with white gold. It was a beautiful symbol of how I felt about our friendship and intimacy. Plain and simple.
With that, I held Sally for some time, kissed her goodnight on her forehead, and set E.T. next to my pillow. I quickly fell asleep with peace and a smile in my heart. Our next day of adventure was only hours away.
-J
Sally and I in Future World
Day 2 Monday, April 25, 2005
LINK BACK TO DAY 1 REPORT: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=811849
Part 1 - Ducking Disney Two First Timers at Universal Studios
Part 2 - First trip into the Magic Kingdom Solo
Part 3 - A Bit of Romance
Cast:
Me Jeff - 29 yr old male 9th time to WDW
My GF Sally 27 yr old Female 1st time to WDW
Our wake up call came in at 6:45 AM. My body was a bit hesitant to move since it was very tired from the day before. I knew waking early and getting to each park 30 minutes before opening was key to this crowded time at the world. Even though my itinerary had Universal Studios stamped on it for the day, I was going to treat each and every day the same. This would only make our entire vacation less tiring and less stressful. I also knew, through some exhaustive research beforehand, that the entire Disney World resort had the highest crowd rating of the week this Monday. It was a great time to leave the grounds while everyone else bumped into each other and stood on their tired feet in long lines. Again, I wasnt going to waste time or my large investment in this trip doing that.
I kissed Sally on the forehead and wished her good morning. She sorted moaned in a less than enthusiastic tone and I decided not to push my luck by dumping water or trash on her head. I knew better than that.
We had two separate double beds during our stay and this was actually a god send since every moment of sleep was important to our tired bodies. Most of the Disney resorts have two double beds and this didnt bother me one bit given the circumstances. Sleeping in the same bed as someone else can certainly cause you to awaken at odd times. In my opinion, it is quite important to resemble a rock while slumbering at Disney. Every minute of shut eye truly counted at this magical place.
I started my day by opening the curtains in the room but not the drapes. We were lucky enough to get a corner room at Port Orleans which had two windows instead of one. I left the blinds behind the curtains shut as to not completely make this a rude awakening. I figured doing this would also allow Sally to gently begin to rise. To my surprise, it worked and she started to wiggle out from underneath her little nest that she had created during the night. Again, I was proud of her for getting up without a fuss. She, obviously, wanted this trip to go as smoothly as possible for both our sakes and I had told her over and over before our departure how important waking up was.
I had showered the night before and proceeded to brush my teeth. Sally immediately headed for the muffins as she does habitually in the mornings. Breakfast gets her going each morning and she consistently has a smackrel (Poohs word for food) upon awakening. After practically sleep walking through her smackrel, Sally headed for the shower. I kept quiet as to not wake some sort of beast. I knew once she showered that the waters would be calmer on that uncertain sea. A good friend had once told me that women were like unlabelled cans of vegetables. You never knew what you were going to get when opening that can up. Sally was no exception. Handling with care at times was the prescription for an undead Jeff.
After the remainder of the muffin munching, news watching, and getting pretty, we headed towards the parking lot. I had made sure to apply some spray on sunscreen as I walked to the car. The Florida sun is relentless. My adrenaline level was quickly rising as this would be our first time ever at the famed Universal Studios. I was in good spirits. The cool morning weather was only adding to my pleasant feelings. I quickly glanced at the map before leaving the lot, and we were on our way.
I exited the Walt Disney World grounds and headed swiftly down I-4 towards Orlando. I was simply looking for some Universal Studio exit signs and I found them rather quickly. The place seemed empty when we arrived around 8:15. This was just another good sign that my detailed trip planning was paying off. I had been to the Universal parking lot on a previous trip to WDW just to check out the grounds and the Universal Citywalk. I knew that the parking garage there was one of the biggest in the world and that it took a good quarter mile of walking to get across the bridge spanning the roadways below. Therefore, when the parking attendant at the gate offered us preferred treatment for $12, we took it. This would save us time getting into the park and getting our super tired feet out.
It was about 8:30 AM as we made it down the automated walkways and proceeded through the Universal Citywalk area. Some hip music was playing and there were a few people starting to move around in this area already. The Citywalk area of Universal is a free section of the park system that has a lot of nightlife offerings. Restaurants, shopping, and a huge movie theater were found here all housed in some great looking buildings. It was an energetic place for sure.
After avoiding anything Citywalk related, we turned right at a small crossroads and river of sorts. This took us down the waterfront towards the Studios. The Islands of Adventure park, which is also owned by Universal, was located to the left. We crossed a bridge and were greeted by only about 20 other people waiting for the gates to open for the day. We had a little less than 30 minutes until park opening and took the time to absorb our new surroundings. We also took some pictures of the area. Before we knew it, the line at the gate started moving into the park.
My plan at Universal was devised using the Unofficial Guide to WDW. It all made sense to me. I had enough knowledge of Universal from my research to know which attractions were the newest or most popular. You always want to experience these types of attractions first thing in the morning because the crowds dont start flooding the parks entrance until around 11 AM. Shrek 4D was one of the newest attractions but The Return of the Mummy was also a newer one and seemed to draw more of a crowd from what I had read. Therefore, I grabbed an Expresspass for Shrek which had a return time of around 10:35 AM. After doing that, we headed towards The Return of the Mummy which, by the way, had replaced the King Kong ride at Universal.
While we walked through the park for the first time, I noticed that the layout was much more open than the some of the Disney parks. The theming was very well done but the experience, at first, wasnt as intimate as a Disney park. While clean and good looking, Universal seemed to be missing some of those very small details that create an appropriate atmosphere for each area of the park. It was no bother to me or Sally. We both had a big smile on our face as we held hands and walked towards our first attraction. This was exciting for both of us.
We first had to store Sallys small shoulder bag in some free lockers located next to the Mummy ride entrance. This was my first indication that this was going to be a thrilling experience and we found the locker system to be really cool. It was operated by a biometric fingerprint scanner. Therefore, there was no key or code to worry about. You simply needed to bring your finger back to your belongings and they would be returned to you.
As we made our way through the queue area, we saw many TV monitors with cast members of the Mummy movie talking about some sort of curse on the set. It was all done in a humorous tone. We kept walking and the theming made a transition of sorts. We were now walking through what appeared to be a large Egyptian tomb full of artifacts. It was getting darker and a bit creepy. As we headed towards a staircase, a cast member, in uniform, sort of lunged at Sally in order to give her a scare. This moved her quickly towards me and Im sure the dude that pulled this little stunt received some sort of witty comment or look by Sally. I chuckled a bit about it and continued moving towards the loading area.
The ride vehicles for The Return of the Mummy looked like mining cars with shoulder restraints. As soon as we were seated and strapped in, the car quickly proceeded into the attraction. It was dark and creepy looking all around us. We first saw audio an animatronic figure struggling while wrapped in cloth. He was telling us to get out and that the place was cursed. All of a sudden, a plume of smoke rose up next to him and the undead Mummy from the movie came out yelling to us that there was no escape. The audio animatronic figure used for the Mummy was one of the most impressive robotic characters I had ever seen. We swiftly proceeded into a huge chamber which looked like a treasure room of sorts. It was dark and I was getting a bit anxious. This ride was absolutely nuts so far and I knew it was going to get a bit crazier. Next, a gigantic holographic face of the mummy appeared and started yelling at us in this evil tone. Balls of fire flew up through the room and the entire chamber was lit up. It looked like a treasure room of sorts. After this whackiness, the ride vehicle took off into a series of high speed turns and drops. The car then stopped suddenly in a dark room with some 3d images of the mummy and or curse following us while we slowly rotated in a circle. The special effects were unreal. The car then took off into another serious of turns and drops. I screamed and laughed like a little girl as did Sally. The car, again, stopped suddenly at a wall and a bunch of locusts started dropping out of the walls. There was the sound of bugs creeping around loudly all around the room. Unexpectedly, the car dropped into the floor and started traveling backwards. This was insane. After some more turns and drops, the car stopped again and it looked as if the ride had ended. A shadow appeared in a window above the ride vehicle which looked like a cast member for the ride. She told us to remain seated for unloading but then something appeared behind her and the glass shattered. Again, the Mummy showed his nasty face as started screaming at us. Now fire started to creep up the walls and the ceiling was engulfed in flames. The heat in the room was very intense and the fire looked unbelievable as it crept above our heads. The wall in front of us opened up and we took off again for the last series of turns and drops. Sally and I shockingly looked at each other as the mine cart approached the unloading area. The only thing that came out of our mouths at that moment was, what in the hell just happened?
We just had to ride the Mummy once more. What a crazy experience!
After all of that, we needed to move on so Sally retrieved her bag using her finger with the biometric scanner. We headed towards The Men in Black ride. It was a pretty good walk towards the back of the park. We passed up a couple other, less popular, attractions and really enjoyed traveling through the New York city street and San Francisco wharf themed areas. The rear of the park was empty. It was 9:30 AM.
Everything around us looked really cool. I was snapping pictures left and right. Again, we had to store Sallys bag in the biometric lockers before entering the MIB attraction. The queue area for this ride was the most amazing display of theming I have ever seen in a ride queue area. We first boarded a large steel elevator just as Will Smith did upon entering the MIB facility. After that, we walked past many of the aliens seen in the movie and then the weapons storage room. It was all so detailed. Sally and I were both telling each other how impressed we were and how neat everything looked.
We quickly boarded the ride vehicle for MIB. As an important side note, we had walked onto everything so far with no problems. What a good feeling this was. We had also walked onto everything at EPCOT the day before and we were now doing the same thing on our first full day in Orlando. All of my planning and research was paying off. I was getting my moneys worth and we were having a blast. I hugged Sally along the way and held her many times while I could. We were both feeling happy being together in this strange place. Sally put her complete trust in me with this trip and had not questioned any of my decisions. She was confident that I knew what I was doing and, therefore, was not complaining about anything. I appreciated her willingness to wake early and walk swiftly with me in order to stay one step ahead of everyone else. Both of our motivations were creating a great experience so far.
The MIB ride was everything I had expected. Each vehicle came equipped with a laser gun and a display containing your score gained while blasting the aliens that popped out of every nook and cranny. Everything around us looked really cool and it was a bit of fun. However, I am really not into these types of rides. Disney World has a Buzz Lightyear ride which contains the exact same experience. The MIB ride was about 10 times better than the Buzz ride but Sally and I exited the attraction feeling a bit unexcited by the whole thing. I could see how this interactive experience may be really fun for kids but it was only mildly entertaining for our old souls.
We exited MIB, retrieved Sallys bag again with her finger, and headed to a bench so Sally could re-apply some bandages to her feet. The blisters she had gained the night before were bothering her. I was feeling a bit anxious about this as we had so much walking in front of us. I remained calm and did everything I could to help her out. I was being supportive and asking a lot of questions to make sure she was okay. She applied some bandages while I went to grab a Diet Coke. She quickly put her shoes back on and seemed to be holding up just fine as we walked towards the Back to the Future ride. It was nearing 10:00 AM.
We walked right onto Back to the Future even though the standby time was showing 10 minutes. There were a few people in the loading area with us but that was about it. Back to the Future was a bumpy bore of a simulator ride. This ride has been around since the 80s and it showed its age. Neither of us enjoyed this attraction and Sally even felt, briefly, sick afterwards. None of this was bothering me because we were headed to my most anticipated ride at Universal Studios. The E.T adventure.
The movie E.T. has been close to my heart since I was a child. I have seen it well over 30 times and enjoy it just the same with each and every viewing. I still remember seeing this movie in the theater, as a child, with my Mother and Father. I also recall crying my eyes out with the rest of the theater while E.T. was dying. When I was a teenager, E.T. was finally released on VHS years and years after it had been shown itself in the theaters. Again, the tears fell from my eyes. I had always been able to completely identify with this story because I was raised by a single Mother. Elliott was in the same shoes throughout the film. E.T. had brought him hope and purpose. Something we all struggle seeking out while we are young.
I knew the E.T. ride operated in the same fashion as Peter Pans Flight over at the Magic Kingdom. I was equally excited about the design of the ride system at E.T. Peter Pans Flight has always been one of my favorite rides at the Magic Kingdom given the way your vehicle flyies over each scene. However, I was completely surprised at how well done the queue area was at E.T. While proceeding to the loading area, It appeared as if we were walking through a forest at night with huge trees towering above us. An audio animatronic E.T. appeared from the trees after emerging through a plum of smoke with lasers firing around the figure and through the smoke. It looked amazing. We even passed by the foil covered umbrella and speak and spell E.T. built in order to phone home. I was completely enthralled with this attraction and we had not even boarded our bicycles for the magical flight through the forest. Once we sat down and strapped ourselves into our ride vehicle, I noticed a small basket mounted on the front of our bike with a small white blanket covering it. We quickly started riding through the forest while bright lights peered through the trees. We were being chased by the research team and the excitement was mounting. A jeep came plowing through the bushes with its headlights blinding us. We turned swiftly to avoid it only to come upon some police cars blocking our way. I looked down at the basket mounted on the front of our bicycles and a small head popped up from under the blanket. E.T. took control and we smoothly glided above the cop cars and headed towards the stars. The town was seen far below us and was getting smaller. I could see houses and cars, rivers and stadiums. Finally, the moon appeared in the background. The famous scene with E.T. and Elloitts silhouette against the moon could be seen within the stars we were flying through. It was incredible. Before we knew it, we were on E.Ts home planet. Things were very colorful and there were strange creatures everywhere. The experience ended with E.T. himself calling out our own names as we returned home. I heard him say, Sally and Jeff as we glided back to reality. It all only led to one thing. A second ride!
After a great experience with The E.T. Adventure, we headed down the themed streets with a smile on our faces. We were bouncing around like kids but heading towards the First Aid station to get Sally some more band-aids for her feet. A friendly nurse gave her plenty of bandages to take care of her feet. Sally applied some fresh ones while I retrieved some funds from the ATM. Sally had lasted one day and was already short on cash. Welcome to Orlando I told her while taking care of the situation. I wanted her to feel comfortable with some cash in her pocket versus feeling worried about the situation. She had done her best to pitch in what she could for this expensive vacation before we left by paying for our Cirque Du Soleil tickets to be used later in the week. That gesture was enough for me. She had been working extremely hard to cover her bills and take care of her responsibilities at home. I was proud of her and was more than happy to reward her with the best escape from the stress of life back home possible.
Our Expresspass return time for Shrek had arrived. We headed to the queue area and quickly entered the pre-show area. Overall, I wasnt impressed with the show. The only redeeming quality was the theater seating moving us up and down to the 3D action on the screen. Other than that, it was a mildly entertaining but forgettable show. It wasnt my cup of tea and I heard nothing special from Sally while exiting the theater. It was around 11:00 AM.
As expected, the crowds were quickly filling the park as we were already done with the most popular attractions. We were both hungry at this point so we proceeded to the restrooms for a quick break, made some brief business calls back home, and looked over the map for someplace to eat. We picked Finnegans Irish Bar and Grill which was directly across the street from The Return of the Mummy ride. I smiled while entering the restaurant as I caught a glimpse of the 50 minute wait time posted for The Mummy.
After two pints of Harp Lager, and a couple of corn beef on pretzel roll sandwiches, we left our lunch spot feeling a bit rested and energized. We headed to the rear of the park while dodging other guests. I needed to acquire some Expresspasses for the JAWS ride. As the wait would certainly be nearing an hour with all the crowds we were now seeing. I was correct. I grab our passes quickly and we headed all the way back to the front of the park to see the Terminator 2 3d theater attraction.
T2 was, hands down, the best 3d show I have ever seen and Sally seemed to agree with me. The theater special effects were great and the way they mixed live actors into the action on-screen added even more to the show.
After T2, we walked over to the Twister attraction. We waited 5 to 10 minutes to get into the theater. While viewing a quiet looking town scene, all hell broke loose in front of us. The wind started to blow, clouds rolled in, and rain poured down. The wind picked up to the point where everything in front of us started to tear apart. A cow flew in front of us and then the entire area we were standing on sort of collapsed with a large thud and left us standing a couple of feet lower than we had stood upon entering the theater. I found it to be an entertaining show. Sally wasnt too impressed though. She seemed to have a problem with attractions that involved water. Maybe she was worried about melting or something. Im not sure.
Our Expresspass return time for the JAWS ride was not ready yet so we had to bite the bullet and get into our first line of the vacation. We waited about 30 minutes for Earthquake. Overall, the presentation and small subway ride into a chaotic disaster was well done. Both of us enjoyed it enough but we were getting very tired on our feet. That just showed us how much more fatigue standing in line causes especially after you have been going for hours on end. It was after 2:00 PM, the sun was intense, and we were both thinking of our comfy hotel room back on the Disney property. Sallys feet were also bothering her so we stopped to sit on a bench while she adjusted her shoes before heading to our final attraction at the Universal Studios.
JAWS was the only thing left on our Universal to-do list. We entered the Expresspass return queue and boarded our boat within 5 minutes. The ride into the shark infested waters was entertaining but short-lived. Both of us were mildly amused but definitely ready to exit the park.
On the way out, I stopped at a gift shop and purchased a small stuffed E.T. His big eyes were staring at me while wearing a tiny red zippered hoody. I just had to take him home with me as a memento of my trip to Universal Studios.
We quickly got back to our rental car since it was parked in the preferred zone. Sally was, again, complaining about the blisters on her feet so I knew we had to find a Walgreens in order to get something made especially for her problem. We, indeed, found a Walgreens right outside the park and I purchased some special bandages along with some drinks.
We passed through the front gates at Disney World rather quickly. Mickey was, once again, welcoming us with open arms. I entered our room at Port Orleans and immediately headed for the shower. Sally treated her feet and got into bed. We were quite exhausted. After my shower, I remember finishing off a Fosters beer can while I settled into my comfy bed. Sally was by my side and I was happy with all we had accomplished during the day. It wasnt long until we both passed out. It was just after 4:00 PM.
I woke up close to 8:00 PM. I was really quite out of it. Sally was still fast asleep in her bed next to mine. I gathered my thoughts for a second and started going over the info in my head in regards to the park hours that night. I knew Monday was the worst day to go to the Magic Kingdom. However, I also knew that the park was opened until 11:00 PM due to those crowds. I kept thinking of Cinderellas castle. I just had to see it up close. I was at Disney World and this was my playground for the entire week. Armed with my knowledge of the crowd patterns and park, I was completely confident that I could navigate my way through the masses and see many things with just a couple of hours left until closing. I knew exactly when each nighttime parade and fireworks show was taking place that evening. The thousands of people waiting for and watching these shows were what I had to avoid. While they waited and watched, I would hit some of the popular attractions in the park without standing in line.
Sally woke up while I moved around the room to get dressed. I asked her if she was interested in going with me to the Magic Kingdom but her response was not enthusiastic. I didnt think she needed to go anywhere anyways given the state of her feet. Our upcoming day in the park was an important one. She needed to rest and her feet needed some time to heal. Our itinerary had the Magic Kingdom stamped on it for the next morning as Tuesday is its least crowded day of the week. Travelers, typically, spend the entire week at WDW and begin there week by visiting the one park which features the castle along with all the classic attractions Disney World is known for. This is exactly why Mondays are so crowded at the Magic Kingdom. We needed to rise early on Tuesday and get into the park as soon as the rope dropped. Sally certainly needed the rest to undertake this mission.
My girlfriend put up a bit of a fuss once she found out that I was willing to go to the Magic Kingdom without her that night. I told her that she needed the rest and that I could no longer sleep. I told her that I would leave the rental car at the resort in case she needed it and that I would be home around 11:30 to Midnight. I had my cell phone with me in case she needed to reach me as well. After kissing her on her forehead, Sally quickly retreated back into her little bed nest and closed her eyes. She was, understandably, worn out.
PART 2
I quickly exited the hotel room and walked straight over to the resort bus stop. It was a 1 minute walk just past the parking lot. I was completely alone and there was not a sound to be heard around me. I paced back and forth under the bus stop shelter waiting for a bus with the words Magic Kingdom displayed above the front windshield. The first bus to arrive just less than 10 minutes from the time I got to the shelter was headed to the magical park I so desired to see for the first time on this trip. It all just felt too easy to me. Again, this was a huge playground and I had easy access to the entire thing. I was excited about this and the thought of seeing the Magic Kingdom at night. It truly is a wonderful place during the evening It was about 8:45 PM and I was the only one on the bus. I had just over 2 hours to get to the park, proceed through the turnstiles, and catch a couple of rides while everyone watched the parades and fireworks.
The bus pulled up to the front gates of the Magic Kingdom around 9:00 PM. I knew the first Spectromagic parade began on the hour, started in Frontierland, and ended on Main Street which is at the entrance of the park. As expected upon entering the front gates, Main Street was wall to wall with people waiting for the parade. I looked up at the train station and a train had just pulled in. There was no way I was going to make it down Main Street in order to access the park. That was a no brainer. My only chance was that train sitting in the Main Street Station. I was stuck behind a small line while people proceeded through the ticketing system. Sweat formed on my forehead as I kept staring at that train. Would it leave the station? Would I be stuck in a thick throng of people on Main Street?
I finally got through the gates with my heart racing. I had to make it onto that train or I would be stuck standing at the front of the park with thousands of other people. I just about ran under the train station onto Main Street and immediately turned around to find the steps leading up to the train itself. I made it to the loading area just as one of the cast members was heading towards the gate to shut it. I sat down on the train and was relieved.
I rode the Walt Disney World railroad at night as my first experience at the Magic Kingdom for this vacation. The travel time gave my heart a chance to slow down a bit. I was going to make my exit in Frontierland and see what the standby time for Splash Mountain looked like. Typically, all of the mountains at the Magic Kingdom have a 15 minute or less wait during parades and fireworks. I was correct as soon as I made my way down off the train loading area into Frontierland. The standby time posted for Splash Mountain was 15 minutes. The area around the attraction was quieter than a 15 minute wait and I figured the sign had not been updated. I was correct again as I boarded my log vehicle in only 5 minutes.
I noticed that Splash Mountain was in bad shape as soon as I made it down towards the loading dock. There was a wall in the queue area leading to the boats that looked very colorful. When I looked closer, I found the colors to be made up of hundreds of pieces of chewing gum that guests had stuck to the wall. It was absolutely disgusting and not the best first experience upon finally reaching a ride in the Magic Kingdom. I shrugged off the negative feelings and got into my boat as Splash Mountain has always been one of my all time favorite rides at the world.
Upon floating through the attraction, I was, once again, disappointed to see this place in such a deplorable condition. The music could not be heard in the first part of the ride and I saw pieces of trash lying around the opening scenes. I just couldnt believe my eyes. For Disney to leave one of their headliner attractions in this state was a thought beyond my comprehension.
The further I proceeded into Chickapin Hill, the worse things seemed to get. I counted about 5 audio animatronic figures that were not working properly and I was most disappointed when Brer Rabbit was not hopping along my boat in the one scene that has always stuck in my mind.
I got somewhat soaked from the shoulders up when my boat dropped down into the briar patch. I knew I would dry quickly and looked forward to the grand finale of the ride. Yet again, I was quite disappointed to see a huge tear in the background fabric behind the riverboat full of hens seen in one of the last scenes of the ride. What was Disney doing? This ride should have been kept in better condition, I thought.
The ride through Trash Mountain was still somewhat enchanting given that it was nighttime. I could see the castle from atop the hill as my boat drifted along its waterways and I was, after all, at the Magic Kingdom. I quickly ignored my negative feelings and thought about what I should do next. I opted out of riding Splash for a second time as I traditionally had done during all of my previous trips given the condition it was in. I did not want to concentrate on anything like that.
Upon exiting the Splash Mountain area of Frontierland, I noticed that there were people still blocking the streets of Frontierland since the parade had gone by. I didnt want to get near that mess and, once again, heard the Walt Disney World Railroad train coming to a stop at the station directly above Splash Mountain. The train would, for the second time this evening, serve as my scapegoat.
I boarded the train, rode through the nifty looking scenes of the Big Thunder Mountain, Indian campgrounds, and Alligators before stopping at Mickeys Toontown Fair. I knew I could exit this area and make it to Tomorrowland via the secret red walkway that goes behind Toontown and the Tomorrowland Autopia. I had never known of this walkway until my recent research reveled it. As I headed left from the train platform, there was the red walkway. As expected, it was completely empty. This was a true park secret.
The red walkway dumped me out into Tomorrowland right next door to the attraction I wanted to try to get into. Space Mountain loomed overhead. The standby time was 30 minutes and that was longer than my 15 minute rule. I passed it up and could only think of The Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean. These two attractions were lined up perfectly for a park exit and I knew there would be no crowds while the fireworks and last parade got underway. Therefore, I headed out of Tomorrowland to get back on track with a plan.
I passed through Cosmic Rays Starlight café in hopes of shortcutting it through to Fantasyland. The rear exit of Fantasyland near the Columbia House restaurant would take me right to Liberty Square where The Haunted Mansion resided. I hit a wall when I noticed the path to Fantasyland was roped off due to the fireworks show that was about to begin behind the castle. I made the grave mistake of heading towards the hub of the park and the front of the castle. This was where the entire population of night time guests gather for the fireworks seen behind the castle each night. I almost got completely stuck in an elbow to elbow crowd as thousands upon thousands of guests crammed themselves into this one central area. How ridiculous and almost dangerous this was becoming. I had to get out of there and fast. I turned completely around as other guests who were, obviously clueless, continued their attempt to push their way through the throng of miserable people. Kids were crying and parents were cursing. Oh boy!
I quickly found another pathway that led to Fantasyland via the Teacups and Pooh ride and was relieved. Fantasyland was quiet as everyone else in the park was standing in in the mess situated in front of the castle anticipating the fireworks. I headed towards The Haunted Mansion but couldnt help making a detour right at the exit of this land in order to check out the newly refurbished Its a Small World ride. I had avoided this attraction since I was a kid having no desire to get that song stuck in my head. Knowing they had just dumped millions of dollars into refurbishing this classic attraction made me think better of avoiding it.
I walked right onto one of the boats for Its a Small World and began my journey with a family seated in front of me. They had a cute little girl riding with them and I really enjoyed her face lighting up for each and every new scene of dancing dolls we encountered on the ride. She pointed and yelled over and over again as the boat drifted trough the whimsical scenes. This made the annoying and repetitive nature of the song tolerable. Seeing the Magic Kingdom through the eyes of a child is truly something special. Overall, I found that they had done a wonderful job renewing Its a Small World and felt happy with my choice of experiencing it this time around.
While quickly moving away from that annoying Small World song, I heard some large explosions. It was the fireworks and that meant that it was just after 10:00 PM. The park would be closing in less than an hour and I had two big rides to get on before making my exit.
As expected, I walked right into The Haunted Mansion and it was fun as usual. I also found this attraction to be in disrepair though. It was nowhere near as bad as Trash Mountain and I really did enjoy myself after it was over. That left one of my all-time favorite rides upon my exit. The Pirates of the Caribbean.
I was the only person at the loading dock when I got onto Pirates. A cast member told me to take my pick of seats since I was the only one in the loading area. Pirates was in wonderful shape and I enjoyed just about every moment of it. The only bad part about the ride was the boats getting backed up near the exit which caused me to get stuck in two different scenes towards the end of the ride. The soundtrack to the ride got pretty annoying after hearing it loop several times. I did, however, truly enjoy this entire watery journey.
I knew my exit of the Magic Kingdom on a Monday night during heavy crowds would not be a pretty one. I also knew the bus loading areas for the buses returning to the Disney Resorts would be packed with people trying to get home for the night. Again, I assumed correctly. Upon leaving the front gate area of the park, I saw enormous lines of people trying to get back to their hotels. It was a pretty awful sight and I wasnt about to put myself through that mess. I found a bench near the Port Orleans loading area and took a seat next to a family of three. The moon was full and lighting the waters of the Seven Seas Lagoon which was situated on the other side of a sandy beach I could see near the bench I was sitting on. The air was cool and the wind was blowing. I sat on that bench for well over an hour waiting for bus after bus to arrive and gobble up the horrendous line. I just couldnt understand these guests standing in this hour long line with sore feet and kids passed out in their arms. Why they want to pay thousands of dollars to put themselves through that kind of torture was beyond me. People needed to plan and think a bit more in my opinion.
After about an hour and twenty minutes, I got into the line and it only took me another 20 minutes to get a seat on a standing room only bus back to my resort. A little girl seated on her Moms lap next to me kept pawing at me and calling me Daddy as we traveled on the dark bus. Everyone around us started laughing and I was touched by the comedy of it all but not too happy to be on stage at this point.
I left my daughter on the bus and headed back to my room at the Magnolia Terrace. Sally was still sleeping upon my 12:30 AM arrival but quickly woke up as I entered the room. I asked her if she was hungry and she said yes. I threw her in the car and we headed out to International Drive in order to find some late night fast food. We found a Taco Bell after I entered Walgreens to get Sally some moleskin bandages and a pair of sandals. I hoped the sandals would eliminate the friction on her feet and alleviate the pain of her blisters. I was willing to do anything to help the poor girl out. After all, I had dragged her around these huge parks for two days now.
PART 3
Sally and I got back to the hotel with our food and feasted along with a bedtime cocktail. It was close to 1:30 AM and we had to wake up just after 7 AM for our big morning at the Magic Kingdom. I knew it wasnt going to be easy for me since I hadnt slept as much as Sally but I was motivated to keep on track. I wanted to have a talk with Sally first though. I wanted her to know just how proud I had been of her over the past couple of months. She had received two promotions at her place of work and had made manager of an entire apartment complex after only 8 months experience in the industry. Others had been there for well over a year or two and still werent even close to this kind of position. Sally had managed to pick herself up off the ground after being laid off twice before entering the apartment leasing business and she successfully maneuvered herself into a wonderful position with a lot of hard work. I just had to let her know how I felt about it. We also talked about the hard times our relationship had been going through and talked about promising one another to work at things a bit harder. With that, I asked Sally if I could give her something to show her how proud I was of her. I also wanted to give her something that symbolized my promise to work at our relationship a bit harder. I went into my backpack and brought out a tiny bluish green box wrapped with a white bow. It said Tiffany & Co. on top of it. Sallys eyes welled up with tears as she opened the box to find an iolite stone banded heavily with white gold. It was a beautiful symbol of how I felt about our friendship and intimacy. Plain and simple.
With that, I held Sally for some time, kissed her goodnight on her forehead, and set E.T. next to my pillow. I quickly fell asleep with peace and a smile in my heart. Our next day of adventure was only hours away.
-J
Sally and I in Future World
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