Day 5 (AK/MGM/MK/Epcot): 9/6/02

[SnackyStacky]

I wrote these journal entries before going to bed each night. They're not as detailed as some of the ones I've read, but oh heck, I was bored!

All of my daily reports are linked on one site with digital camera photos as well. Click here to see them.

Cast:
Me, Dan, 23 years old, church music director with a serious Disney addiction

Lisa, roomate, 26 years old, law student praying that a law firm will hire her.

I don't know if I mention it in the entries, but we stayed at the Courtyard Marriott in Downtown Disney.

Friday, 9/6/02

Well, today was our last day, and we used it to hit all of our favorite rides again. We started out with breakfast at the Courtyard Grill and caught a bus to the Animal Kingdom.
We once again went right to It's Tough To Be A Bug, and once again we had no wait to get in! I think that this is my favorite of the 3D shows in all of the parks. I'm not entirely sure why, but it is just so much fun!

We then headed over to Dinosaur. After having ridden it twice, I was ready to just have fun and not be scared of what was lurking behind the next dark corner. I also realized that it's not so much the animatronics that are frightening, but the sound. It was very loud, and immensely realistic.

We then headed for the exit and caught a bus to MGM Studios. We immediately headed for the Rock 'n Roller Coaster. It was so much fun, and there was no line, so once again, we rode it twice!

We were then feeling either incredibly brave, or incredibly stupid (I'm still not sure which) and got in line for the Tower of Terror. I'm so glad we did because it was so much fun! It didn't feel like falling, it felt like floating. It was an awesome feeling. I was also hoping this would be a decent substitute for the Haunted Mansion. It definitely was. The lobby of the hotel was amazingly well done, and the stuff you saw before you actually dropped was amazing.

We decided to try to come back and do the Tower of Terror again, but in the meantime, we decided to get to the Magic Kingdom for the last time. I grew to HATE the process of getting to the Magic Kingdom. First you had to catch a bus, then wait for the monorail, then walk to the entrance (and thanks to some gateways being roped off, it's not really a short one), have your bags inspected, and finally go through the turnstiles. It's a tremendous waste of time!

Anyway, because of the Night of Joy, the Magic Kingdom was PACKED! This is a special ticket event of contemporary Christian singers who perform after-hours at the Magic Kingdom. Anyway, we walked to Splash Mountain to ride it for the last time. We were going to go on Big Thunder Mountain, but the line was wrapping outside, so we skipped it and did Splash Mountain. 6 times was the charm. It was still my favorite ride, but I had had enough for this trip.

We decided not to fight the Magic Kingdom crowd and headed back to the hotel.

We got some sandwiches at the deli counter. We rested for a bit, and then swam.

Afterwards, we went to Epcot. We did Spaceship Earth one last time. Afterwards, we headed to World Showcase to finish the countries. Lisa thought that MGM closed earlier than it actually did, so our time at the countries was somewhat limited.

We started out browsing through the Mexican shops, and got a Margarita at the Margarita bar. It was a "fiesta" flavor. A little bit of coconut, mango, lime, and strawberry all mixed together.

I looked through the Norway shops while Lisa sipped at the Margarita. It was then on to China for some quick window shopping. We breezed through Germany, and Italy, looking briefly in some of the shops. The food at Germany smelled SO good! I will definitely have to eat there the next time we go.

Afterwards, we headed for the international gateway, which is an entrance to Epcot on the World Showcase side of the park. We took a shuttle boat to MGM.

All we had wanted to do was the Tower of Terror and get a turkey leg. But, because Fantasmic is in that area, it was crowded since it was so close to Fantasmic's show time. We rode the Tower of Terror after a brief 10 minute wait, and got a turkey leg, that Lisa had wanted since we went in January.

We decided to take a bus to Port Orleans and take the Sassagoula river cruise to get to Downtown Disney. It was dark, and they didn't really light the river banks, so it was somewhat wasteful, albeit very relaxing.

Once at Downtown Disney, I got a warm caramel sundae at the Ghirardelli soda shop, while Lisa got a cheeseburger from McDonald's for dinner.

We then caught our bus back to the hotel, packed, and went to sleep.

Here are some of my final thoughts:

*It's much easier to tour with 2 people. Not necessarily more fun, just easier. Only 2 tastes to cater to, not 6.
*Tower of Terror is not that bad at all. It's really fun!
*There IS life at Disney World outside of the Magic Kingdom.
*TOO MUCH REFURBISHMENT!!!! I know they need to refurbish in the off-season, but they need to space it out better. There was too much at once.
*Parade pushers are OBNOXIOUS!
*Next time, we will simply relax.

 

[Marla Hellwig]

Next time you ride Tower of Terror - ask for the seatbelt seat - talk about float time - you had a great trip - thanks for posting!

 

[Ratpack]

Originally posted by SnackyStacky
*Next time, we will simply relax.

I like this line. I have said this very same thing trip after trip and it has yet to happen.

 

[Daisymeo]

Splash Mountain and Tower of Terror are my favorite rides. I was also on Weight Watchers and lost 23 pounds. It's a great program. I went off of it during our trip to WDW but with all the walking only gained one pound that week.

 

[SnackyStacky]

Daisy,

I was trying my best to watch what I ate. Even with all of my walking, I still managed to gain 2 pounds! LOL!!!!

But I agree! THe Weight Watchers is awesome!

 

[disneysteve]

Originally posted by SnackyStacky

Here are some of my final thoughts:

*It's much easier to tour with 2 people. Not necessarily more fun, just easier. Only 2 tastes to cater to, not 6.

I agree. We leave in 14 days for WDW with just my wife, daughter and myself. This will be the first time in 6-1/2 years that is will just be the 3 of us and we are really looking forward to it. We enjoy traveling with other family, but it does complicate almost every decision - when to eat, where to eat, where to go next, what time to leave, etc.

*Tower of Terror is not that bad at all. It's really fun!

I think this is one of those rides that isn't as scary as everyone thinks. Its a lot of fun and everyone ought to try it at least once.

*There IS life at Disney World outside of the Magic Kingdom.

This is what we keep telling people when they ask why we keep going back year after year. Most non-Disney fanatics have no clue how much there really is to do in Disney World. You can't possibly come close to seeing everything in one week. Plus they keep changing and adding stuff.

*TOO MUCH REFURBISHMENT!!!! I know they need to refurbish in the off-season, but they need to space it out better. There was too much at once.

I've read quite a few comments along these lines. I'm curious to see if all for myself. I guess we should be thankful that long neglected areas are finally getting the attention they need. Its worth some inconvenience now if the end result is good.
*Parade pushers are OBNOXIOUS!

Can't argue with that.

*Next time, we will simply relax. [/B]

Fuh-ged-a-bout-it. If you really wanted to relax, you wouldn't go to Disney World. You'd go to some little Caribbean island where there is little more to do than lie on the beach and sip exotic drinks with tiny umbrellas.

Thanks for the report.

Steve