(Day 5 of our Feb 28 to Mar 5 trip)
We continued our incrementally increasing wake-up time plan, and got up about 7:45. We checked the weather, as we had for several of the mornings, and found that despite the clear skies and warm temperatures, the weat her bureau predicted a thunderstorm for the area for most of the day. So, the preparedness of my wife came in handy once more as we packed up the ponchos that we had brought for the trip and headed off to MGM for our last full day of the parks. We got to MGM just before opening, to clear and beautiful skies.
The last couple of days a mysterious black powder had appeared every morning on my camera as I took it out of its travel bag, and once more the black powder appeared as I took the camera out for a few shots with some characters as we first entered the park. Being in the Land of Disney I had just assumed it was some sort of magic black pixie dust (Ha). Well, I finally noticed that the lining my old camera bag (about 14 years old) had split a seam and the old black padding was disintegrating all over my camera. As we entered MGM we just happened to see the camera shop there, and decided to purchase a new WDW camera bag (actually very reasonably priced, with more pockets and features than my old bag). After taking a fond picture of the old and the new bag, we threw away the old bag, put the camera and flash into the new bag, and headed off into MGM.
My daughter and I went on RNRollercoaster with about a 5 minute wait while my son and wife walked around for few minutes. We met up to take the Great Movie Ride to very gray skies and went on the ride (about 5 min wait), which was very fun but the gangster CM seemed to be new and not very into the part yet. We exited the Movie Ride to VERY gray ski es and a distant rumble that seemed more than just the explosions from the backlot tram ride. My wife realized that she had lost her sun hat somewhere, probably knocked off when she was carrying our son on her back, and went back into the Movie Ride to see if they had it. Within about two minutes the sky, as they say, opened up, and it began to pour, with a steady rain that continued for the next 6 hours. But, being as this was MGM day it turned out fine since we spent most of the day on indoor shows (I'm glad it didn't pour on the day we went to AK.
We then went, with ponchos firmly in place, on the Animation Exhibit Tour (very nicely updated) followed by an early lunch at the ABC Commissary. My taboulli wrap was delicious, and the rest of the family said their food was also pretty good (but there is not much of a selection there). We then went to the Sounds Dangerous show (about 10 minute wait for next show) which I thought was hilarious (but was a little uncomfortable for DS once the lights went out). We ponchoed our way over to the Hunchback show (excellent) with no wait and then went on the Backlot Tour (no wait).
At this point came my one timing miscalculation for the trip. DS wanted a snack so I told them to get a snack while I scurried over to RNR for a fast pass so DD and I could ride once more after the last show we were planning for (DOUG, since DS did not want to see the little mermaid show). Well, MGM is small, but not that easy to maneuver around so by the time I got the FPs, went back and got the family, and went to the theater for the show (ok, stopping briefly for a camera shot with Pooh), we were 5 min late for DOUG, and the next show was not going to be for another 2 hours. We all realized it would have worked fine if I had just had them meet me at the DOUG theater directly. Well, DD and I took the RNR with the FPs while my wife went to Lost & Found to look for her hat. They did not have it, so we all left MGM to go back to CBR for some early dinner (and a towel to dry off). We had been joking with the CMs all day as to not knowing whether we were more wet from the rain or from the River Rapid ride the day before.
At CBR we checked to see if the MSEP was till on (not cancelled yet) and had dinner in the CBR food court (fo od is OK there but very spotty, the tomato Florentine soup was great but the tomato cheese soup was just so-so, the chicken was good (not great) and the pasta and pizza seem just ok too. Well DS was about Disneyed out at this point, so when we asked if h e wanted to go back to MK for a few more rides that night, he said no he'd rather stay and swim (it had finally stopped raining). So DW and DS stayed and swam while DD and I headed off to MK for a few more rides. The tram operator at MGM that morning ha d said MK would be open to 10 that night, so we were hopeful for some time, but I was a little suspicious since my previous info had said 8. As DD and I headed to MK by bus, the bus driver confirmed that the park was closing at 8, so we would only have about 2 hours of time left. However, when I picked up a park map at a cart, the map said the park would be open to 9 PM. However, I soon realized that the cart person handed me the timetable for the next week (which started the next day) so the park was indeed closing at 8.
Anyway, DD and I headed over to Tomorrowland for the Alien ride (no wait) which she thought was no big deal, and another spin on Buzz Lightyear. There was quite a wait for Space Mountain, so we headed off to Big Thunder Mountain (about a 20 min wait) after which we caught a great spot right near the end of the MSEParade route (against the ropes) we relaxed for the parade to start (about 15 min) and really enjoyed all the lights and many characters who interacted with us as they went by - it's great to get a spot along the ropes. My favorites are the women dressed up as the lighted butterflies. We sprinted as the parade ended over to Pirates of Car. and got in a last ride to Yo Ho Ho our night away. We got out just in time to view the fireworks from a nice spot near the Pirates gift shop. Unfortunately, the new Tiki room and the Timekeeper were closed by the time we arrived at the park that night (I didn't realize that those two rides close early at like 5 or 6) so I will have to lea ve those for next time.
The park was closing so we meandered down main Street one last time, stopping at the Candy Shop for some chocolate coated Mickey Pretzels to eat and give as gifts when we got home. We slowly wandered out of the park as I thought to myself, a bit sadly, that the times they are a changin'. By the next time we come back my daughter would likely be in high school (or college!), and my son will be at least 10-12. The childhood years fly by....
We arrived back at CBR, spoke of our evening with DW and DS, and plopped down in our beds for a long restful sleep.
More to come...the last day and closing thoughts....
SC
[This message was edited by stan on 03-14-01 at 01:38 PM.]
We continued our incrementally increasing wake-up time plan, and got up about 7:45. We checked the weather, as we had for several of the mornings, and found that despite the clear skies and warm temperatures, the weat her bureau predicted a thunderstorm for the area for most of the day. So, the preparedness of my wife came in handy once more as we packed up the ponchos that we had brought for the trip and headed off to MGM for our last full day of the parks. We got to MGM just before opening, to clear and beautiful skies.
The last couple of days a mysterious black powder had appeared every morning on my camera as I took it out of its travel bag, and once more the black powder appeared as I took the camera out for a few shots with some characters as we first entered the park. Being in the Land of Disney I had just assumed it was some sort of magic black pixie dust (Ha). Well, I finally noticed that the lining my old camera bag (about 14 years old) had split a seam and the old black padding was disintegrating all over my camera. As we entered MGM we just happened to see the camera shop there, and decided to purchase a new WDW camera bag (actually very reasonably priced, with more pockets and features than my old bag). After taking a fond picture of the old and the new bag, we threw away the old bag, put the camera and flash into the new bag, and headed off into MGM.
My daughter and I went on RNRollercoaster with about a 5 minute wait while my son and wife walked around for few minutes. We met up to take the Great Movie Ride to very gray skies and went on the ride (about 5 min wait), which was very fun but the gangster CM seemed to be new and not very into the part yet. We exited the Movie Ride to VERY gray ski es and a distant rumble that seemed more than just the explosions from the backlot tram ride. My wife realized that she had lost her sun hat somewhere, probably knocked off when she was carrying our son on her back, and went back into the Movie Ride to see if they had it. Within about two minutes the sky, as they say, opened up, and it began to pour, with a steady rain that continued for the next 6 hours. But, being as this was MGM day it turned out fine since we spent most of the day on indoor shows (I'm glad it didn't pour on the day we went to AK.
We then went, with ponchos firmly in place, on the Animation Exhibit Tour (very nicely updated) followed by an early lunch at the ABC Commissary. My taboulli wrap was delicious, and the rest of the family said their food was also pretty good (but there is not much of a selection there). We then went to the Sounds Dangerous show (about 10 minute wait for next show) which I thought was hilarious (but was a little uncomfortable for DS once the lights went out). We ponchoed our way over to the Hunchback show (excellent) with no wait and then went on the Backlot Tour (no wait).
At this point came my one timing miscalculation for the trip. DS wanted a snack so I told them to get a snack while I scurried over to RNR for a fast pass so DD and I could ride once more after the last show we were planning for (DOUG, since DS did not want to see the little mermaid show). Well, MGM is small, but not that easy to maneuver around so by the time I got the FPs, went back and got the family, and went to the theater for the show (ok, stopping briefly for a camera shot with Pooh), we were 5 min late for DOUG, and the next show was not going to be for another 2 hours. We all realized it would have worked fine if I had just had them meet me at the DOUG theater directly. Well, DD and I took the RNR with the FPs while my wife went to Lost & Found to look for her hat. They did not have it, so we all left MGM to go back to CBR for some early dinner (and a towel to dry off). We had been joking with the CMs all day as to not knowing whether we were more wet from the rain or from the River Rapid ride the day before.
At CBR we checked to see if the MSEP was till on (not cancelled yet) and had dinner in the CBR food court (fo od is OK there but very spotty, the tomato Florentine soup was great but the tomato cheese soup was just so-so, the chicken was good (not great) and the pasta and pizza seem just ok too. Well DS was about Disneyed out at this point, so when we asked if h e wanted to go back to MK for a few more rides that night, he said no he'd rather stay and swim (it had finally stopped raining). So DW and DS stayed and swam while DD and I headed off to MK for a few more rides. The tram operator at MGM that morning ha d said MK would be open to 10 that night, so we were hopeful for some time, but I was a little suspicious since my previous info had said 8. As DD and I headed to MK by bus, the bus driver confirmed that the park was closing at 8, so we would only have about 2 hours of time left. However, when I picked up a park map at a cart, the map said the park would be open to 9 PM. However, I soon realized that the cart person handed me the timetable for the next week (which started the next day) so the park was indeed closing at 8.
Anyway, DD and I headed over to Tomorrowland for the Alien ride (no wait) which she thought was no big deal, and another spin on Buzz Lightyear. There was quite a wait for Space Mountain, so we headed off to Big Thunder Mountain (about a 20 min wait) after which we caught a great spot right near the end of the MSEParade route (against the ropes) we relaxed for the parade to start (about 15 min) and really enjoyed all the lights and many characters who interacted with us as they went by - it's great to get a spot along the ropes. My favorites are the women dressed up as the lighted butterflies. We sprinted as the parade ended over to Pirates of Car. and got in a last ride to Yo Ho Ho our night away. We got out just in time to view the fireworks from a nice spot near the Pirates gift shop. Unfortunately, the new Tiki room and the Timekeeper were closed by the time we arrived at the park that night (I didn't realize that those two rides close early at like 5 or 6) so I will have to lea ve those for next time.
The park was closing so we meandered down main Street one last time, stopping at the Candy Shop for some chocolate coated Mickey Pretzels to eat and give as gifts when we got home. We slowly wandered out of the park as I thought to myself, a bit sadly, that the times they are a changin'. By the next time we come back my daughter would likely be in high school (or college!), and my son will be at least 10-12. The childhood years fly by....
We arrived back at CBR, spoke of our evening with DW and DS, and plopped down in our beds for a long restful sleep.
More to come...the last day and closing thoughts....
SC
[This message was edited by stan on 03-14-01 at 01:38 PM.]
