Debbie's Spring Break Report April 5-11, AKA MOO!!! - Day 7 added

[Debi]

Trip Dates:
April 5-11, 2007

Resort:
Walt Disney World Dolphin

Cast of Characters:
Me (Debbie), 26, traveling to WDW solo

Now that the pertinent travel details have been established, let the pre-trip report begin!! A little background about me: as mentioned in the title, I’m 26 years old, and a teacher. I’m a certified Disney freak. I’ve traveled to WDW 25+ times (I lost count after 25), but even as a frequent WDW traveler, this is my first time at WDW over Easter. I’ve always stayed away due to the horrible crowds I’ve heard about, but I decided to travel this week for a reason. My best friend is a CM at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, and her mom’s birthday fell on Easter Sunday this year. Our families are very close so I jumped at the chance to help her celebrate her birthday. Anyhow, crowds were just as bad (in fact, worse) than what I was expecting. Hence, the reason for the title of this trip report; on many occasions, I felt like I was a part of a cattle call. I travel during peak travel times (New Year’s Eve, etc.) and this was definitely the most crowded I’ve ever seen WDW.

Okay, this is supposed to be a pre-trip report, so I digress. No more foreshadowing.

I am a DVC owner at BWV, but I did not have enough points to stay this week, so I booked a room at the Dolphin. I can’t seem to keep myself away from the Epcot Resort area. I love, love, love it there. The price was right, the location was right, and my decision was made!

Delta recently started flying non-stop from Atlantic City to Orlando. Spirit is the major airline out of ACY, so previously I had only flown Spirit. There was a significant price difference between the two airlines, so I booked with Delta. Keep in mind that this is a commuter (50-seat) plane, hence the price difference. I’ve flown these planes before, so that doesn’t bother me. Flight times were nearly identical, so it was a no-brainer for me.

Resort booked? Check! Airfare booked? Check! Now, on for the plans. I realized after I came home from my previous WDW trip (New Year’s Eve) that I find myself doing the same things each trip. So, I decided to try at least one new thing each future trip. So, I decided to book a tour this trip. Which one? Hmmm…..decisions, decisions! I’ve already done the Backstage Magic tour as well as the Segway tour. So, after much debate, I decided to book the Mickey’s Magical Milestone tour for April 6. This is a 2-hour tour in the Magic Kingdom. It is a $25 tour, but offers discounts for AAA members, Disney Visa cardholders, AP holders and DVC members. So, I booked with an AP discount, and paid a little over $20 for the tour (I can’t remember the exact total).

Since my best friend was scheduled to work on Easter Sunday (her mom’s birthday), she decided to have a quite at-home dinner her that day. We scheduled a dinner the following night (Monday). Originally, we wanted to eat on Disney property, but by the time we got around to booking, everything was full (bad Disney planner!). This worked to our advantage, as there is a new restaurant that opened next to the Orange County Convention Center that my best friend’s mom loves. My best friend’s family is from Chicago, and there is a chain of Italian restaurants in the Chicago area (Maggiano’s). Anyhow, we decided to head there on Monday, as my best friend and her mom haven’t eaten at Maggiano’s since they moved from Chicago.

One more new thing I decided to do this trip: I wanted a manicure. I booked a spa appointment at Saratoga Springs for a manicure.

So, those three things are set. I had some calls out to some other friends that live locally, and slowly but surely, we start to plan other events (Illuminations, Flower Power concerts, etc.). This week is filling up quickly! I also had some built-in ‘me time’ during the week.

Oh, one last warning: I did not take pictures this week. Since I have been to WDW so many times, I found myself taking pictures of the same things over and over again. So, I left my camera at home this trip. No photos during this TR, sorry.

Plans are set. Details are set. I will have Day 1 posted soon.

 

[goofymania101]

very cool! i can't wait until day 1 is posted!

courtney

 

[Mr._The_King]

Sounds great Can't wait for more

 

[puggymom]

Hey another Jersey girl!

I'm about to take another solo trip, and I love to read what other solos do. I am signed up for the Backstage magic, what did you think of it? I did KTTK last time and loved it.

 

[IcePrincess467]

Can't wait to read more...I was there the same time as you

 

[OhMari]

I was there at the same time. We noticed a lot of Jersey people, why? your accents. And we noticed that many were teachers. We often heard, I'm a teacher, I needed to get away and get some warmth.

 

[Tinkalink]

Looking forward to reading more!

 

[Debi]

puggymom, it's been a while since I've done the Backstage Magic tour (I did it during the Millenium Celebration), and I really enjoyed it. I learned a lot about WDW on the tour!

 

[Debi]

Day 1: April 5, 2007

Even though my alarm was set for 4:00AM, I was wide awake at 3:30AM. That pre-WDW excitement was really getting to me. So, I decided to get up at 3:45AM. I did my last minute packing, checked my e-mail one last time before leaving, and was out the door by 5:30AM.

Even though my flight wasn’t scheduled to depart until 8:00AM and the Atlantic City airport is tiny, I wanted to give myself plenty of time, as this was my first time flying Delta. I didn’t know how long the lines were going to be, etc. The rational side of me knew that this is a 50-seat commuter flight, and Delta doesn’t fly any other type of plane out of ACY, but the OCD side of me wanted to make sure I had the full 2 hours in case anything went wrong.

I arrived at the airport at 6:00 exactly, and based on the line at security, I was glad I did. I said a quick goodbye to my mom (she dropped me off at the airport), and got in line. There was only one family in front of me in line at the Delta counter, so my wait was about 2 minutes. I had been assigned a window seat, but knowing my body’s physiology, I asked if I could be reassigned to an aisle seat. I knew that at some point during the flight, I’d need to use their tiny bathroom, and I hate having to ask the person next to me to move so that I could get out. Unfortunately, the Delta rep told me that there were no aisle seats available, so I had to deal with the window seat. No big deal. I can make it 2 hours without going potty (I hope!). Besides, the person next to me has to be sympathetic; he/she has a bladder, so he/she will understand. Makes sense, right? Stay tuned…..

After checking in, I got in line for security and waited. And waited. And waited. And waited some more. Did I tell you that ACY is a tiny airport? There are only 8 gates at this airport, and Delta Connection and Spirit are the only two airlines that fly in and out of it. So, I was shocked that it took me 30 minutes to get through security. Seems as if Spirit had two flights departing between 7:00 – 7:30AM, and all these people ahead of me were on those flights. Thank goodness I had time to spare.

By 6:40AM, I was at the gate, and pulled out a word search. I worked until about 7:30AM, and decided to use the facilities once before boarding the plane. By the time I came back, Delta began boarding the plane. Good timing.

Our flight departed about 5 minutes late, and was uneventful. Sure enough, the woman next to me fell asleep shortly after takeoff. Not a big deal, I told myself. I took care of my needs before boarding the plane, so I’ll be fine for the next 2 hours. Wrong. Somewhere around 9:15, I was regretting that bottle of water I drank on the drive up to the airport. Nothing I could do now, since my neighbor was sleeping. I turned on my iPod and tried to distract myself.

That was the longest hour and 10 minutes of my life. We landed at 10:30, and I speed walked off the plane. In case you’ve never flown a Delta Connection flight, they dump you off in the middle of the tarmac, and you have to hike it through this long hallway, up a flight of stairs, and in to the main terminal (we landed at gate 60, for anyone familiar with MCO). Gate 60 is only for commuter flights, so it is not your standard gate. You do climb off the plane on the tarmac and enter this semi-hallway that exits to all of the other commuter flights. At the end of the hallway, you climb a flight of steps that take you to the main ‘hub’ of gates.

Anyhow, after quickly finding a bathroom, it was off to baggage claim. I’m very much a control freak, and I’m not willing to give up control of my bags to DME. Plus, I love the convenience of having a rental car, especially having a friend that works in the area. If we decide to go offsite, the convenience of the car is very, very nice (I hate having to inconvenience her to pick me up, especially if she chooses to go home first to change clothes, etc.). Besides, I’m staying at the Dolphin, which doesn’t participate in DME.

Sorry, off topic. I arrive at baggage claim, and find the carousel for Delta Connection flight 5681 from ACY. I called my mom to tell her I was okay, and then called my friends in the area. I always fly Spirit to MCO, and they’re notoriously slow in getting luggage to the carousel, so after 15 minutes of waiting for Delta, I wasn’t alarmed. But then, 20 minutes go by, and eventually 30. Now, I’m getting nervous. There were probably only 10 other people at the carousel with me, but I could tell by their body language that they’re getting aggravated also.

Not much longer, a man (I’m assuming an airport employee) approached all of us and told us that our luggage had arrived at a different carousel, and was already pulled and waiting for us at the end of said carousel. Remember me saying that I was a control freak? Yeah, well, that wasn’t sitting too cool with me. So, I went to the new luggage carousel, found my bags (thank goodness!), and off I went. I reserved a full-sized car from Alamo (got a great rate), did the on-line check-in, and out to the garage I went. I selected a red Pontiac Grand Prix, and I loved it! Off to WDW I went.

One minor detail of the car-rental though: I normally reserve a mid-sized car, so I was a little disoriented in the parking garage. It took me a while to find the full-size cars, and after waiting so long for my luggage, I wasn’t in the mood to go on a wild goose chase for the car. But, I eventually found the section, and was set.

I got to the Dolphin at 11:30AM, and there was a long line at the front desk. I debated whether I wanted to get in line, or leave my bags with bell services and come back later. When I saw that the line was moving pretty quickly, I decided to get in line. I’ve had pretty good luck with getting in to a room early at the Dolphin, so I took my chances.

After less than a 10 minute wait, I was called to the desk by a great CM (are Dolphin employees considered CM’s?) named Keith. He told me that my assigned room wasn’t ready, but he was going to check to see if there was a room ready. After a minute of typing in his computer, he did find a room ready for me. He placed me in room 10-177 in the West Wing. After giving me my room key and mini-bar key (which I never used), I was off.
I’m a big fan of the Dolphin’s East Wing (I love those Epcot views), but I must say that I was pleasantly surprised with this room. I had a view of the Grotto pool, side of the Swan, and a dead-on view of the Tower of Terror. I was able to see the high fireworks from both Fantasmic and Illuminations from that room. Not bad! Plus, the room was very convenient to Picabu, the laundry room (yes, I do laundry on vacation), and the resort’s ‘back door.’ (Back door = door that leads in to the walkway to the Swan and Boardwalk.)

As I was unpacking, my tummy started to rumble. I decided that I would head to the Land for lunch that day, as I love their Asian Noodles section. So, after unpacking, I headed to Epcot. Once side note: I opened the closet in the room to store my suitcase, and, I kid you not, the closet door attacked me! The top part of the closet came off the track and nearly fell over. Note to self: call maintenance after lunch to have that repaired.

Unpacking done, I left for Epcot. My goodness, the parks were crowded! World Showcase wasn’t too bad at this point (it was 12:15 when I entered Epcot), but Future World was a mess! As I was walking to the Land, I had my first ‘moo!’ feeling of the trip. My thought was that the Land food court wouldn’t be too crowded, as everyone was still on Soarin’, Test Track or Mission Space. Right? Wrong! What I failed to realized in my hunger-induced daze was that by the time I reached the Land, it was now 12:30PM, which is prime lunch time. Getting my food didn’t take long, but finding a place to sit was a chore. I felt like a cattle being herded through the massive crowds. Normally, I eat during off-peak times (lunch for me is between 11:00-11:30AM, and dinner is between 4:30-5:00PM), so this will hopefully be the only time that I eat during prime meal rush.

My main focus for today would be to take in all of the Flower and Garden Festival decorations. However, I wanted to get my F&G shopping done first. After lunch, I went in search for the Festival Center store. For the last few years, this store has been located behind Ice Station Cool, so that’s where I headed. Only, it wasn’t there this year; that is the new home of Character Connection. Hmmmm, where did Festival Center go? After consulting a guide map, I discovered that it’s now in the old Odyssey building. So, off I went. MOO!!! The crowds had definitely increased in Future World. I made it in one piece to the store, and didn’t see much that interested me. I did buy the required pins (I collect F&G pins, as well as AP and DVC pins), and then headed in to World Showcase.

I started in Mexico and walked towards America. I caught a show of the Fife and Drum Corps in America, and during the show I realized just how tired I was. But, before I left, I wanted to check to see if El Rio del Tiempo was open yet. So, I backtracked to Mexico. Sure enough, it wasn’t yet open. A CM in the Mexico pavilion told me that it was scheduled to open the next day. So, I headed out of the park.

One of the things I love about traveling to WDW solo is that I can do what I want, when I want to do it, and not have to worry about anyone else’s schedule. I love, love, love the Epcot Resorts Area (this will come up a few more times during this trip, so get used to it  ), so I decided that I was going to take a stroll along the Boardwalk and get some ice cream. Which, I did. I stopped in Seashore Sweets, ordered soft serve cookies-n-cream ice cream in a waffle cone, and ate it on the Boardwalk.

With my sweet tooth satisfied, I went back to the room to address the broken closet door, and hopefully catch a nap. I had a little more than 4 hours sleep the night before, and I was pretty darn tired. So, I called the front desk and asked them to send somebody to fix the closet door. I decided to lie down for a bit, as I thought that it would be a while before somebody would be up. 15 minutes later, there was a knock at the door. Hooray! The maintenance man fixed my closet door quickly, and left. Now, I can finish that nap I never got to start. No can do. Less than 5 minutes after the maintenance man leaves, my phone rings. It was the Dolphin front desk calling to confirm that my door had been fixed. Wow! I was very impressed with that call. I had a maintenance issue while at the BWV last December, and I never received a follow-up call after that. My heart will forever belong to the BWV, but I was very impressed with the level of guest service here.

Ooops, off topic again. So, I finally did get to sleep around 3:30, and napped until 5:00. With that, I decided to head back to Epcot to see Paul Revere and the Raiders. For the life of me, I can’t remember where I ate dinner (I didn’t add this to my notes), but it was somewhere in Epcot. After a quick bite, I headed back to the America Gardens Theater (AGT). My friends Barb and Tammy were already in line, so I jumped in line with them. I am a huge Off Kilter fan, as are Barb and Tammy, so we all know each other from the Off Kilter shows. Another off topic alert: Epcot’s times guide showed Off Kilter as not playing today, but the first thing Barb and Tammy said to me was: “Why weren’t you at the OK shows today?” Whoops! Somebody goofed. I told them that I was going to catch the 6:30 Off Kilter show, and come back for the 8:15 Paul Revere show. I hotfooted it over to Canada, saw the show, and came back to AGT, met Tammy and Barb who were already in line for the 8:15 show.

By the time the show was over, I was exhausted. Mooo alert! The parks were very, very crowded. I had every intention of staying for Illuminations tonight, but between the crowds and my exhaustion, I decided to leave. Besides, I have an early morning tomorrow, as I’m headed to the Magic Kingdom for the Mickey’s Magical Milestone Tour.

Out the park I went, and to my new ‘home’ for the next 6 nights. I scheduled a wake up call for 6:00AM, and went to bed.

 

[Debi]

Day 2: April 6, 2007

5:30AM. According to the clock, that’s the time I woke up this morning. Normally, on my days off at home I’m sleeping until 7:30-8:00AM. But, when I’m in WDW, there’s no time to waste! I dozed until Mickey called (okay, Mickey doesn’t do wake up calls at the Swan/Dolphin, but I pretended it was him calling me) at 6AM. I showered, dressed, and got ready to go.

Off topic alert! I have a ski machine/treadmill at home that I use 20-30 minutes per day. I still like to exercise while in WDW, so part of my morning routine is to walk to the MGM Studios and back. If I’m particularly energetic, I’ll loop around the Boardwalk and in front of the Yacht and Beach Club before heading back to the room. So, after getting dressed, I grabbed my iPod, and off I went. I love, love, love the walking path to the MGM Studios. The walk past the Boardwalk and the canal is very pretty, and I definitely enjoy this form of exercise more than the machine I have at home.

I digress. After the morning walk, I grabbed a quick breakfast of a fruit salad and giant blueberry muffin at Picabu. The plan was to be on the road to the MK by 8AM, as I have to check in for my Mickey’s Magical Milestone tour at 8:45. My initial plan was to head to Downtown Disney after my tour, so I decided to drive to the MK. First mistake of the trip! I knew that parking at the MK is a hassle, but I decided to brave it anyhow.

Talk about cutting it close. After parking, taking the boat to the MK, and going through security, I finally made it on to Main Street at 8:40AM. I was really cursing myself for not using Disney transportation this morning. I will always take my own car going everywhere, except to the MK; it just takes too darn to get there after parking and waiting for either the boat or monorail.

So, I checked in for my tour, and the CM told me that there was coffee and water available if I was so inclined. Free water in WDW?!?! Knock me over with a feather! Knowing that I’d become thirsty at some point during the tour and not being a fan of FL tap water, I grabbed a bottle of water. After picking up the water, I was directed to the front of the check-in building and was told that our tour guide would meet us there at 9:00AM sharp.

I began talking to another family from Buffalo, NY on the tour. For the life of me, I can’t remember their real names, but it was great chatting with them.

At 9:00AM, our tour guide introduced herself. Her name was Rae, and she was from near my hometown of Novato, CA (she’s from Alameda, CA for anyone in the Northern CA area). After grouping all of us together, we were off and running.

I won’t go in to detail about the tour in case anyone is planning taking the tour (I don’t want to ruin the surprise), but I really enjoyed it. It was a 2-hour tour, and with an Annual Passholder tour, the total was $21.XX. It was a cute tour!

The tour ended at 11:00 in Liberty Square. Although I wasn’t particularly hungry, I decided to grab lunch in the Magic Kingdom in order to avoid the lunchtime goof I made yesterday. It had been ages since I ate at Cosmic Ray’s, so I headed over there for lunch.

Another moo alert here! By this point in the day, the MK was packed. I had a hard time crossing Main Street to get to Tomorrowland. My initial plan was to grab lunch, do some shopping on Main Street, and then head to Downtown Disney for more shopping (I’m a woman, what can I say? I loved to shop!). After I saw those crowds, I knew that shopping wasn’t going to happen.

I grabbed lunch at Cosmic Ray’s (a chicken sandwich – I wasn’t in the mood for anything fancy), and was able to grab a table in Sonny Eclipse’s room. Call me corny, but I like watching that show, even though the show never changes and I know all the punch lines. It was a good lunch, and as I was finishing eating (11:30AM), the place was starting to get packed. I was ready to leave.

Which, after a quick potty stop, is exactly what I did. Wow, the crowds on Main Street went from bad to worse in the 20 minutes it took me to eat lunch. Ever feel like a fish swimming upstream? That was me trying to exit the Magic Kingdom.

I eventually made it out. I hopped on the monorail, as I wanted to take a look at the demolition progress of the North Wing at the Contemporary. As I’m on the monorail, I realized that I didn’t have my 10% off coupon for Ghiradelli. Darn it! I had a major sweet tooth, and wanted that coupon. So, I had to make a detour back to the Dolphin to pick it up. Glad I had my car.

The North Wing is completely gone. Nothing but a pile of dirt remaining. Now, I’m even angrier at myself for not packing my camera. To all DVC members reading my trip report, I am forever sorry. I promise pictures in May when I’m back to WDW.

So, after a quick stop back at the Dolphin to pick up my Ghiradelli coupon, I headed out to Downtown Disney. Another moo alert! It took me the better part of 15 minutes to find a place to park. Yikes! This is Downtown Disney at 1:00 in the afternoon. Where are all of these people coming from?

First stop….you guessed it! I got my Ghiradelli chocolate. It was then off to see my friends Debbie and Debbie. One Debbie works at the Art of Disney Store, and the other is at the Days of Christmas. Debbie and Debbie are fellow Off Kilter regulars who live in Orlando, and we had been playing telephone tag for the few days leading up to my trip. We wanted to meet for dinner, and couldn’t get in touch with each other. I decided to surprise them and stop in. I went in to the Art of Disney Store first, and chatted with Debbie #1 first. She was just about to head on her lunch break, so I couldn’t chat with her long. She told me that she’d call me after she got out of work. I then went to the Days of Christmas to say hi to Debbie #2. Guess what? She was about to head on her lunch break also. She did mention possibly meeting for dinner at the ESPN Club on the Boardwalk, but she’d talk to Debbie #1 and get back to me. We agreed to talk definitely at 5PM that day, as that’s when they’re out of work.

I was getting pretty tired at this point, and even though I wanted to do some shopping, I decided to leave. Crowds were thick, and I didn’t have the patience or energy to deal with them.

I got back to the room a little after 2:00, and housekeeping was cleaning the room next to me. Great. So much for plans of a nap. What should I do? Oh, yes! My Ghiradelli chocolate! I turned on the TV and ate half of the chocolate bar (chocolate with caramel filling – yummy!). I decided that while housekeeping was cleaning my room, I’d take a walk on the Boardwalk. The Boardwalk is my DVC home, and I was getting pretty homesick. The best way to cure this is to do my shopping on the Boardwalk, right?

I headed over, and found a very cute luggage tag with the Boardwalk logo on it. Off topic alert! Delta’s luggage requirements say that each passenger can check two pieces of luggage free of charge, and the first one can’t total more than 62 inches when adding the length, width, and height. My suitcase measured 62 inches exactly, and being the type-A planner I am, I was nervous that their measurements would be slightly different than mine and wouldn’t let me check the bag. So, I grabbed a smaller suitcase from the attic and packed everything (barely!) in that. I don’t have a luggage tag on the smaller suitcase, and I wanted to pick up a Disney-themed one that week. This one was perfect for me! I bought that and the 2007 Boardwalk tree ornament. I took the long walk back to the room (past ESPN, Yacht/Beach Club), and by that point housekeeping had serviced my room.

I took a nap for about an hour, and headed to Epcot. Two items on my agenda: ride the new Rio del Tiempo ride (now the Grand Fiesta Tour), and see a Paul Revere show. First stop was Mexico. Very cute update. Again, I don’t want to ruin this for people that haven’t ridden the new attraction, but overall it is very cute. To give you a feel for the crowds this week, the line for the Grand Fiesta Tour snaked to the top of the entrance ramp, and looped a few times in front of the San Angel Inn. Overall, the wait time was 15 minutes.

As I was exiting, Debbie #1 called me. She said that she was running late, and would be in Epcot between 6:00-6:30. I told her that I was going to grab a bite to eat, and I’d meet her in from to the America Gardens Theater for the 6:45 Paul Revere show. I decided that I was in the mood for Chinese, so I stopped at the counter service restaurant in China and had orange chicken. This is what I love about Epcot! The food choices are amazing here, better than any other Disney park.

I took a slow walk back to America, where Debbie and Debbie had called me to tell me that they have just taken a seat. On the way back, I bumped in to old friends of mine (they were fellow Tapestry of Nations fans, and we often watched the parade together outside Germany). We caught up on how everyone is doing, and after chatting a few minutes, we parted ways. Very nice to see them!
Debbie, Debbie and I had discussed staying for Illuminations, but after the show they were exhausted. The weather had turned bitterly cold that night (for Florida, at least), and I was ill-prepared wearing only a t-shirt and shorts. Between their exhaustion and my cold, none of us were up to staying for fireworks. So, I walked them to the front of World Showcase, and then I doubled back to the International Gateway. This seems to be the story of the day: even the best-laid plans are aborted.

I made it back to the room at 8:30, and quickly turned the heat on. After watching Illuminations from my window, I went to bed. I get to sleep in tomorrow. Hooray!!

 

[BobLefty61]

Looking forward to hearing about your trip! Sorry to hear it was so crowded, though...

 

[Debi]

Day 3: April 6, 2007

Remember my promise to myself that I would sleep in today? Yeah, well, that didn’t happen. I woke up at 6:30AM, and forced myself to fall back to sleep. After 10 minutes realizing that this wasn’t happening, I got out of bed and got a start to my day.

Remember me saying that I liked to keep up my exercise routine while in WDW by going for walks to the MGM Studios and back? That didn’t happen today either. Why not? I have a sports injury to my ankle, and with all the walking I did the day before, I really aggravated it. Normally, I plan well and pack a great ankle brace. For some reason, I decided not to bring it this trip, thinking that I rarely use it and was hoping that I wouldn’t need it this week. Wrong. Between the cold weather and the pain in my ankle/foot, there was no way I could complete my morning walk. Bummer. I hoped that the next day I’d be up for it.

One of my favorite things to do in WDW is to grab a muffin or something similar at the Boardwalk Bakery and eat breakfast at a table on the Boardwalk. Since I was giving up one of my favorite WDW activities (my morning walk), there was no way I was giving this up also. So, after showering and dressing, I was off to the Boardwalk at 7:15AM. Did I mention that it was cold this morning? In case I didn’t, I’ll mention it again: it was cold this morning! I stupidly packed only shorts and t-shirts for this week, and boy was I paying for it. Note to self: buy a sweatshirt soon. It was going to be cold for the next few days.

After a not-so-healthy breakfast of a cinnamon bun and a bottle of water, I walked back to the Dolphin and drove to Downtown Disney. I wanted to do the shopping I could do the day before due to crowds. I arrived at Downtown Disney at 8:45. Man, I really wish I could have slept in. Downtown Disney didn’t open until 9:30, so I had 45 minutes to kill before stores opened. What was an excited girl to do? Walk around to keep herself warm.

On my walks around, my ankle started to swell up and get sore. So, I decided to seek out a bench. However, I was stopped by the CM working the DVC desk near the Pin Traders store. He and I started chatting about DVC, Disney in general, living in FL, etc. I never did find my bench to sit on, but just standing still keeping most of my weight on my good ankle for such a long time definitely helped. Hi, Jeff from NY, if you’re reading this!

At 9:30, my first stop was the Pin Traders store. I picked up 2 pins, and then headed to the World of Disney in hopes of a sweatshirt. I looked and looked and looked for something I liked. I do not like hooded sweatshirts (don’t ask me why, I just don’t like them), and trying to find a non-hooded sweatshirt was like finding Tweety Bird in WDW. Wasn’t going to happen. If I’m spending $40+ on a sweatshirt, I was making darn sure it was a sweatshirt I liked.

With nothing found there, I decided to look in other stores in Downtown Disney. I did find a men’s sweatshirt in one store (I can’t remember which one), but being a men’s sweatshirt, it definitely was not for me. I shopped in every clothing store in the Marketplace, and couldn’t find a sweatshirt I liked. Have I mentioned that I’m picky when it comes to clothes? Not a big deal, I told myself, as there were plenty of other places in WDW that I could find a sweatshirt. Besides, by this point, it was a little after 11:00, and it was starting to warm up.

I was now getting hungry, and I had to make a decision as to where I was going to eat lunch. I wasn’t in the mood for Wolfgang Puck Express or the Earl of Sandwich, and I am yet to master the art of dining in a table service location solo. So, what were my other choices? Think, Debbie, think! Ah ha….what is the most unhealthy, artery-clogging restaurant in Downtown Disney? Ah, yes, McDonalds! There are two things I only do while in WDW: drink alcohol, and eat McDonald’s food. I never drink or eat McDonald’s while at home (even though I have a McDonald’s a half mile away from my house), and McDonald’s French fries sounded very appealing to me that day. So, lunch decision made.

McDonald’s wasn’t crowded at 11:30 when I came in, but by the time I left, the line was out the door. I definitely came in at the right time. Hooray!

With my arteries officially clogged, I was ready to high-tail it back to the Dolphin. I was in no mood to shop with the crowds building. My only purchases at Downtown Disney were my two pins and lunch. Aaah, well, Downtown Disney isn’t going anywhere. I know I’ll be back soon so that I can give Mickey more of my money. 

I got back to the Dolphin at 12:15, and my room was cleaned. Hooray! No need to worry about housekeeping disturbing my mid-day break.

Although I didn’t sleep, I did lie down for an hour, and I really needed that break. At 1:30, I was refreshed and ready to head out to Epcot.

After arriving, I stopped at Pin Central to purchase the Easter 2007 pins (I must get out of this pin collecting hobby….boy is it expensive!), and then found myself walking towards Test Track. I love Test Track, and was starting to really miss it. Test Track is one of the few attractions with a single riders line, so I knew I could get through quickly.

Did I say quickly? Remember the title of my trip report. Can anything be done quickly during this time of year? My judgment was just slightly clouded, and when I approached Test Track, I saw the single riders line had a posted wait time of 40 minutes. This has to be a mistake, I told myself. No way could there be a 40 minute wait in the single riders line.

I was (almost) right. It was not a 40 minute wait, but it was a 30 minute wait. Wow, Disney was pretty darn close! Yikes. This was the longest I’ve waited for Test Track, and I will not wait this long for it again. I love the attraction, but it is not worth a 30+ minute wait.

After that, I headed for Spaceship Earth. Another favorite of mine. Less than a 5 minute wait for Spaceship Earth. Hooray!

With that, I was ready to head to World Showcase. As I’m walking to World Showcase, my cell phone rings. My friends Debbie and Debbie are calling me. “What are your plans for dinner?” they ask me.

“Something in Epcot. I haven’t decided exactly what yet, though,” I reply.

“Would you like to try to get in to Alfredo’s tonight? It’s closing at the end of the summer, and we’d like to head there at least once before it closes.”

Twist my arm. I love Alfredo’s, and was very much up for the suggestion. Debbie and I agreed to meet in front of Alfredo’s at 5PM. It was now closer to 3:30, so I had some time before meeting them.

I browsed at the Larry Dotson booth (he’s my favorite artist, and I wanted to check out his new work), and chatted with his wife for a bit. I was ready to buy every piece he had for sale, but I quickly realized that my credit card limit didn’t go that high, so I had to decide which one piece I wanted to buy. I told Mrs. Dotson that I’d be back at the end of my trip to purchase a piece; I needed time to decide.

With that, I stopped to watch the Dragon Legend Acrobats in China, and then headed back to Italy. Debbie called me at 5:00 exactly, and said that they had hit traffic, and were just now entering Epcot. They’d be back to Italy in about 15 minutes.

We got in line for the outdoor seating at Alfredo’s at 5:20PM, and after a 30 minute wait, we were seated. Well worth the wait. Debbie and Debbie each ordered a salad and the appetizer portion of the fettuccini alfredo. I ordered the ‘regular’ sized alfredo. After a fattening lunch at McDonald’s, what a better way to follow it up than with a fattening dinner. I’m going to have to go for a full-length walk tomorrow to work this off. I had once heard that calories don’t count while in WDW, and today was a perfect example for this.

After dinner, Debbie and Debbie wanted to stay for another Paul Revere show. One was enough for me, but since I only see Debbie and Debbie so rarely, I decided to join them. We then parted ways after the show, and I was now mad that I couldn’t find a suitable sweatshirt this morning. Brrrr, was it ever cold tonight!!

I headed back to the room, watched both Fantasmic and Illuminations, and went to bed.

 

[Debi]

Day 4: April 8, 2007

Happy Easter!!!

My mission today was to head to Epcot bright and early for my all-time favorite WDW attraction: Soarin’. Epcot was holding the Extra Magic Hours this morning, and this was the perfect opportunity to head over. With the crowd levels being so disgustingly high, I stood no chance of riding Soarin’ without the EMH.

So, with a wake up call set for 6:00AM, I was set to go. I slept until the phone rang, and was grateful to have no more pain in my ankle. Hooray! Weather permitting, I’d be able to get my morning walk in today.

After a quick shower and dress, I grabbed my iPod and headed out. No sooner did I take two steps out the door did I realize that it was way too cold for a walk. Remember, I packed like a typical tourist and had no warm clothing. So, I returned to the room, grabbed my park gear, and headed to the Boardwalk for breakfast. My plan was to eat breakfast, then head to the lobby of the Boardwalk. There is a small gift shop on the Inn side of the resort, and I was going to check to see if they sold any Boardwalk-themed outerwear.

What I didn’t take in to account was the fact that the store didn’t open until 8AM. Bummer. After Soarin’, I was headed to Mouse Gear for warmer clothes. There was no way I could stand this cold weather any longer.

I headed to Epcot at 7:15, and was glad I did. By the time I got there (7:25AM), there was already a line of 30-40 people at International Gateway. Considering Epcot didn’t open until 8AM, I thought that this was a pretty big crowd. Yikes. Will I get to Soarin’ before the wait time gets too horrible? I had 30 minutes to think about my options.

By 8:00, I decided that I was waiting in line for Soarin’ no matter the wait time. For me, it was worth it. Thank goodness the wait time was only 20 minutes by the time I got there at 8:10AM. Because this is WDW and Disney generally overstates their wait time, I was able to board my flight in 10 minutes. And the best news? I scored a seat in row 1. No feet dangling in front of me. This made me very, very happy.

I contemplated a Fastpass, but decided against it. My favorite thing about traveling to WDW solo is not being committed to a time schedule. Who knew where I’d be at that time? I decided against the Fastpass, and went in search of a sweatshirt.

While browsing through Mouse Gear, I ran in to the same dilemma that I ran in to at the World of Disney. There was nothing there that appealed to me. I’m not about to pay $40+ for a sweatshirt that I’m only going to wear a few times. So, I headed out. When World Showcase opened at 11:00, I’d check there for other options.

After leaving Mouse Gear, I stopped by Pin Central, and then headed towards Journey Into Imagination. I love Figment, and since it was now getting close to 9:00AM, I knew this attraction would be opening in a matter of minutes (it’s not an EMH attraction). I was the only one in my car – talk about low crowds!

Another thing I love about traveling to WDW solo is the spontaneity. I can go where I want when I want, and don’t have to worry about other people’s schedules. It’s been years since I’ve seen Honey I Shrunk the Audience, and since it’s right next door to Journey Into Imagination, I headed over. Plus, it’s a great place to stay warm. I entered the show just as they were opening the theater doors (talk about good timing!).

With that, I wanted to head back to Test Track. Love the single riders line! Posted wait time for single riders was 15 minutes, and I got through in about 10. Next stop? Space Ship Earth, of course!

By this point, it’s nearly 11:00, and I head towards World Showcase. My breakfast was wearing off, and my body was still telling me to find warm clothing. Those were my two priorities in World Showcase today. So, first I decided to head for food. I’d be in a much better shopping mood if my belly were full. I know I’m in the minority, but I really like the counter service restaurant in Mexico. I got soft chicken tacos and a soda, and that really hit the spot.

As I was eating, I decided against shopping in World Showcase. Why? Because I really wanted something with a Boardwalk logo on it. I’m a DVC member at the Boardwalk, and don’t own any merchandise to show it (save for my personalized license plate, DVCBDWK, but that can’t keep me warm right now). So, after lunch, I left Epcot and headed to the Boardwalk.

I’m glad I did. Within a few minutes, I found a very nice navy blue sweatshirt with Mickey on it. Problem is, there were only size small sweatshirts on the rack. I wear a size large. Before I knew what hit me, I had a manager approach me and asked me if she could be of assistance. I explained my dilemma, and she told me that she’d check to see if that had any additional in the back. A few minutes later, she came out to tell me that while they didn’t have any larges, there were a few stores on property that did. She would be happy to call these locations if I wanted to travel there to get it. One of the stores she mentioned was the general store at Old Key West. Since I was planning on heading to Saratoga Springs that night to tour the model rooms of the Animal Kingdom Villas, I told her that I’d drop by there to pick it up. She asked me for my name, and said she’d call to put it on hold.

Kristy (manager) came back to me pretty quickly to tell me that Old Key West no longer had that sweatshirt in a large. Apparently, the inventory showing in their computer system is a few days behind, so it’s not always accurate. She then went on to show me a few other sweatshirts and jackets that she thought I’d like.

As she’s showing me a jacket, another CM of the store approached Kristy to tell her that Old Key West just called, and was able to locate the sweatshirt in a large. Kristy immediately called back OKW, and had it held for me. What a relief! I did already send WDW a letter about Kristy. Although it was a small thing for her, this to me went well beyond the call of duty. IMHO, after she told me that they didn’t have any additional sizes, I thought her job ended there, and I was back to square one. Thanks, Kristy, if you’re reading this!

Anyhow, I then headed back to the room to try to warm up. Housekeeping hadn’t yet serviced the room, so I knew that any downtime would be interrupted by them. One of the reasons I love DVC: you don’t have to worry about this. There is a very big debate on this: some people really dislike making their own beds, etc. while on vacation, and others don’t like having to worry when housekeeping will show up. I’m in the second camp, so I only napped for about an hour before heading out. I decided to head over to OKW earlier so that I could have the sweatshirt for the evening.

I took the long way around, heading first back to the Boardwalk to see the Easter display (I saw it this morning but didn’t have time to take a close look at it). I then walked back to the Dolphin and left for OKW. After purchasing my sweatshirt, I went to the main lobby to see if I could tour a 1 bedroom unit. I’m considering a stay at OKW next summer on DVC points, and was curious to see the 1 bedroom. I was told that there were none available to tour, but come back later in the week to see if any have become vacant. The CM I spoke with was very friendly, so although I didn’t get to se a 1 bedroom that day, I had a wonderful conversation with her.

With that, I realized I had some time to kill before the AKV units opened up (the tours were only from 5-7 nightly). So, I drove to Downtown Disney, figuring I would walk around for a bit before heading to SSR. I parked the car and was about to get out, before I realized I only had 5 minutes or so before I had to get back to SSR. How did this happen? Very simple. It took me forever to find a place to park! Another moo alert. The parking lot was a mob scene, and based on that, I wasn’t about to brave the crowds, especially given my limited time frame.

However, after I pulled in to the parking space, I noticed something very odd. I parked across from a green Saturn Vue, and the driver’s door was wide open. I looked around for the car’s owner and didn’t see anybody. I debated closing the door myself, but decided against it. Who knows if there was some goofball in that car waiting to do something bad. I decided against it. I hope that Saturn was still there when the family came back.

Okay, back on track. I left the Marketplace and drove back to SSR. I went back to the Theater Building (next to the Preview Center, for any SSR regulars), and went right in for the tour. The rooms are very, very nice! I was very impressed. I promptly left a message for my guide asking for pricing information. I’m still waiting for a call back. I plan on calling him again tomorrow.

With that, I called my friend Chris (another local), and made more definite plans for that day. Before I left NJ, we left it as I would call him on Sunday, and we’d plan to meet for dinner. Chris was out running errands, and wouldn’t make it to Epcot until 6:30 or so. He told me to go ahead and eat, and he’d catch up with me later.

So, I headed for Epcot and ate dinner at the counter service in Morocco (overpriced, but good food). Chris called me at 6:30 and told me he was just coming in to Epcot. We decided to meet in front of the Land, as he hadn’t yet eaten. So, he grabbed a sandwich, ate, and we went in to World Showcase.

After a quick ride on El Rio del Tiempo (er, the Grand Fiesta Tour), we grabbed some iced coffees (despite the cold weather, I’m not a regular coffee drinker) and chatted as we talked. We then went in for Impressions de France, which Chris has never seen. I haven’t seen it in years, so it was nice to go see it again.

With that, we grabbed a spot for Illuminations and watched the show (we watched from near the Off Kilter stage – good spot for me!).

Chris bolted after the show, as he had other commitments, and I hung out before departing. I called my best friend at CBR, and we made plans for the next day. Even though her mom’s birthday was Sunday, we would all celebrate on Monday. So, after making firm plans for the next day, I left Epcot and headed back to the room. What a great ending to a great day!

 

[OhMari]

I really enjoy reading a TR knowing that i was there at the same time. I was at POR April 4-8 and then checked into the Boardwalk April 8-12.

I agree with the days you were at Epcot, I was there too and it was really crowded.

 

[BlndeShorty1]

I'm loving your TR so far! I'm taking my 5 yr dd May 14th and we are both really excited! Can't wait to hear about the rest of your trip!

Becky

 

[Tinkalink]

Great TR! I'm enjoying reading about your travels. It was a shame it was so cool. I probably would've packed like you did - expecting warm "Easter-like" weather. Glad the CM went the extra mile for you - that is so nice. You can find the prices for AKV on one of the DVC Planning posts. I think the prices are only good for current DVC members until June. Can't wait til the next post!

 

[Debi]

Day 5: April 9, 2007

Today was earmarked as another sleep-in day. However, sleep and WDW don’t go together for me. I was wide awake at 7:15AM. Can I ever sleep in at WDW? This was my last chance, as I have early mornings planned the nest two days. Aaah, well. Too much to do, not enough time.

The only thing on my schedule for today was to meet my best friend Ann and her mom. Ann’s family is from Chicago, and there is a large chain of Italian restaurants in that area (Maggiano’s, for anyone that’s from the area). When Ann and her family moved down, they seriously missed the food there. So, when one opened up next to the Orange Count Convention Center, Ann’s family was very excited. So, the plan was for Ann to pick me up at the Dolphin at 5:30 (I wasn’t sure how to get to Maggiano’s, and the Dolphin is practically on her way home, so it was convenient for her to pick me up), stop by her house to pick up her mom, and head out. The rest of the day was up in the air.

So, as I was getting ready, I decided that I’d head to the MGM Studios that day. Since I’d missed my morning walk the last few days, I was looking forward to walking that length today. So, after a breakfast at Picabu’s, I headed out, iPod and park bag in hand.

I arrived at the MGM Studios at 9:00AM, and the crowds were already heavy. Yikes. There were only a few things on my to-do list today: Voyage of the Little Mermaid (even as an adult, I love this show), Muppet Vision 3D, and Beauty and the Beast. I’m not much of a coaster person, so Rock-n-Roller Coaster and the Tower of Terror don’t hold much interest to me.

After arriving, I picked up a Times Guide and saw that the first showing for Beauty and the Beast is at 10:45. So, I had time to tour other parts of the park before the first show. I headed over to Voyage of the Little Mermaid. I had just missed the first show, so I had to wait 20 minutes for the next show. Not good timing on my part.

I had planned on heading to Muppet Vision prior to Beauty and the Beast, but it was nearly 10:00 when the VoTLM let out. I wanted to catch the 10:45 show, so Muppet Vision would have to wait.

After a potty stop, I got in line for Beauty and the Beast. I had just started chatting with a very nice family from London when we were let in. I sat about 5 rows back from the stage, center of the row. Great view! I knew this would mean trouble getting out, but the view was worth it.

At about 10:30, Four For a Dollar took the stage. I love this group just as much as I love the Beauty and the Beast show. If you can, get to the show early to catch this group; they are amazing! I won’t ruin the surprise for people who haven’t seen them before, but it’s worth it to get to the theater at least 15 minutes early.

The show was excellent as always, and after the show ended, my tummy was starting to rumble. I’m an early eater (I eat lunch and dinner on an early schedule), so I decided to head to Pizza Planet before seeing Muppet Vision 3D. This worked out perfectly, as the line for the Muppets was out the door and starting to wrap around the fountain when I arrived. I knew I wouldn’t make that show. Besides, crowds at Pizza Planet were going to be horrible if I waited any later to eat. So, I grabbed an individual cheese pizza, small salad and some water, and ate at an outside table. The pizza was no big deal, but the salad was pretty good. No complaints here!

It seems that my luck with timing has reversed. After lunch, I walked right in to Muppet Vision 3D, and the pres-how was just ending. I walked right in and saw the show. It’s very cute, and just like VotLM, adults and kids can both enjoy this attraction.

I had considered doing some shopping in the Studios, but everything was wall-to-wall people. I wasn’t even going to attempt the stores; even the cash registers had lines a mile long. With my to-do list accomplished, I left the Studios at 12:40. I pulled out my iPod, and walked back to the room.

I arrived back to the room at 1:00PM, and rested for an hour. Housekeeping hadn’t yet serviced my room, and they were nowhere in sight. So, I knew I could rest without interruption.

At 2:00, I left for Epcot. I wanted to catch at least one Off Kilter show before meeting Ann. I arrived just in time for the 2:30 show, and it was enjoyable as always. If you ever catch an Off Kilter show, be sure to watch the area just in front of the stage. It seems that there are always kids (and sometimes adults) dancing. It’s very fun to watch, and it keeps the band entertained also.

I debated whether to stay for the 3:30 show or watch O’Canada. I had never seen O’Canada, and with my mission to do at least one new thing each trip, this is something I wanted to do. After a very short debate, I decided to stay for the 3:30 show. O’Canada would have to wait for another day. I had about a half hour before the next show, so I walked once around World Showcase, stopping briefly to watch the drummers in Japan.

Following the 3:30 Off Kilter show, I headed out of Epcot. I needed to pick up Ann’s mom’s birthday presents, and do something with my hair. I also needed to pick up my Mickey sweatshirt; weather forecasts for the night were for cold weather.

I arrived back to the room shortly before 4:30, and housekeeping had just finished my room. This was the latest they had serviced my room. I turned on the TV and watched a ‘King of Queens’ rerun as I got myself ready to go.

Just as I was leaving the room, Ann calls me to tell me that she’s just leaving the Caribbean Beach, and she’d be to the Dolphin in about 5 minutes. Again, timing is still in my favor; just as I’m walking out the front doors of the Dolphin, Ann pulled up. Hooray!

We drove back to her house, and as she was changing her clothes, I gave her mom her birthday presents. We chatted for a few minutes before heading out.

When we arrived at Maggiano’s, we were greeted by a lobby full of people waiting for a table. It’s obvious not only in the theme parks, but off property also, that spring break is definitely here. Moooo! We put our names in at 7:00, and were finally seated at 7:45. This should have been expected, though; shame on us for not calling for reservations.

All three of us were starving, so we ordered more food than we should have. Ann and her mom went home with a ton of leftovers. The one thing that impressed me was that they give desserts for free when someone is celebrating a birthday. Very nice touch! I’m not a huge fan of Italian food (save for Alfredo’s in Epcot), so I don’t know that I’d come back, but this is just personal preference. Everything went very smoothly at the restaurant, and I can’t complain about anything; I’m just not much of an Italian food fan.

We finally left just before 10:00PM, and Ann dropped me off at the Dolphin at 10:30. Ann promised me that I’d have my leftover fettuccini before I left. I told her that I was holding her to that promise, and she did not disappoint (more to come in tomorrow’s report).

After setting a wake-up call for 6:00AM tomorrow (I have an 8AM manicure appoint at Saratoga Springs), I was off to sleep at 11:00PM. Yawn!

 

[lajones81]

I can't wait to read more!!

 

[Debi]

Day 6: April 10, 2007

Ring! Ring! I must admit that these early mornings are catching up to me (remember, I’m not a morning person on my days off at home), and when the wake-up call came in at 6AM, I was ready to throw the phone against the wall. But, I had to get going, as I had an 8AM appointment for a manicure at Saratoga Springs. Grumble, grumble.

I wanted to give myself plenty of time to get to Saratoga Springs, as I wasn’t quite sure where the spa was. So, I was out the door at 7:15. This worked out perfectly, as I arrived at SSR at 7:30, and proceeded to get lost. I followed the signs to the parking lot to the spa, but couldn’t find the exact building. I walked completely around a building when all I needed to do was turn right instead of left when I approached it. Go figure. If anyone has an appointment at the SSR spa, go to the Preview Center, turn right at the main doors, and the spa is around the corner to the left. I couldn’t for the life of me figure that out.

I arrived at 7:45AM, just in time for their 15-minute-in-advance check-in rule. The manicure itself was nice, and CM Helen was very friendly and professional. To me, though, it was just like any other manicure I’d ever had; there was nothing special about it. I might go back some day for a massage, though; we’ll see.

I left SSR shortly after 9:00 (the manicure itself lasted an hour, and then 10 minute nail polish drying time), and headed back to the room. I wanted to head back to OKW to see if a 1-bedroom had opened up for me to tour. Because I wasn’t able to take my morning walk today, I decided to walk down to the MGM Studios and pick up the OKW bus there. I made it to OKW at about 11:00, and the front desk CM informed me that while there were vacant 1-bedrooms available, they hadn’t yet been cleaned by housekeeping. If I came back later, they’d have one for me to tour.

With that, I was getting hungry and trying to figure out what to do for lunch. Ann and I had plans to meet between 12:00-1:00PM; it all depended on what time she got up and going today (it was her day off). Since I hadn’t eaten since dinner the night before, I was starving. I couldn’t wait for up to 2 hours more to eat, so I hopped a boat to Downtown Disney. I called Ann and left her a message to tell her that I was going to grab a bite to eat. I had a wonderful tuna melt at the Earl of Sandwich, and that was exactly what I needed. Just as I was finishing, Ann called me back. She was in the shower when I called, and she had some errands to run before meeting. We decided to meet at the Dolphin at 1:30PM. She is in the process of moving, and she wanted to drive me past the house she and her mom were putting in an offer on.

So, I hopped on a bus back to the Dolphin, and decided to try to rest for a bit. Ann and I were going to go to Property Control (a CM-only store behind the MK; they can bring a guest with them), see the new house, get dinner somewhere, visit a friend of hers at the Yacht Club and head to Jellyrolls. It was going to be a late night, and I could feel my energy dipping.

I got back to the room at 12:45, and was almost asleep when my cell phone rang. Ann was just pulling in to the Dolphin, and wanted to make sure I was there. Ooops! I didn’t realize it was 1:30. Out the door I went, and met Ann 2 minutes later.

To Property Control and beyond! Although I had no shopping to do, I loved looking around at all the stuff here. Very nice! Ann had some shopping to do for her godson’s first birthday, so she did all the shopping.

After leaving, we headed to Clermont, where she and her mom have an offer in on a house (they’re still in negotiations, so nothing is definite yet). I should mention now that April 10 was a rainy, foggy day. Clermont is known for its rolling hills and beauty, but because of the rain, visibility was horrible, so I couldn’t take in the full beauty of the town. However, it is a very nice area, and I hope that Ann and her mom are able to get the house they want.

During our tour of Clermont, I mentioned to Ann that I had wanted to tour a 1-bedroom at OKW. With that, she pulls out her cell phone, calls over to OKW, talks with a friend of hers who works at the front desk, and was able to ‘reserve’ a 1-bedroom for me to tour. Wow! The room was rented for the night, so the only stipulation was that I had to get there before the guests occupying the room does. Not a big deal; we were leaving Clermont now, and would be to OKW in about 20 minutes.

We arrived, and were able to see the room. Now, one side note here: the rain had been off and on all day (more on than off), so there were some pretty big puddles throughout OKW. We decided to walk to the building since it was close to OKW’s check in building (Hospitality House), and I would up stepping in a pretty good sized puddle. There is nothing like walking around with wet feet. Yuck. Note to self: change shoes prior to going to Jellyrolls.

The 1-bedroom is very nice; definitely larger than the BWV’s 1-bedroom units. I’m thinking about staying at OKW next summer (love the flexibility of DVC!), and it’s easy to get spoiled with that 1-bedroom.

As we were walking back to the main parking lot, Ann and I both realized that we were hungry. Where to eat? Ann reminded me of the leftovers from last night. Decision made! We went back to her house, chowed down on leftover Italian and left over birthday cake, and headed out. It was now almost 6:00, and we had to head back to the Dolphin, head to the Yacht Club, and wind up at Jellyrolls.

Since our last stop was at the Boardwalk, Ann parked there, and we walked back to the Dolphin. My feet were still wet, so I didn’t mind stepping in a few more puddles along the way. Thankfully, a few minutes later, I changed in to dry shoes, grabbed my Mickey sweatshirt, and off we went to the Yacht Club.

Ann had an Easter present for a friend of hers that works there, so after dropping it off there, we headed back to the Boardwalk. The rain had finally ended, and it was turning out to be a nice night.

As we walked back, Ann called her godson to wish him a happy birthday (well, have his mom put the phone to his ear so that she could sing to him; this was his first birthday), and Ann spent a while talking with her godson’s mother. We finally made it in to Jellyrolls just before 9:00, and much to our surprise, the bar wasn’t yet crowded. Tuesday nights are known to be Cast Member nights, and we were expecting a big crowd. There were only 4-5 tables occupied at that point, and the bar was slow for most of the night.

I had to be up at 6AM again tomorrow (I had 2 loads of laundry I wanted to do before heading home tomorrow afternoon, and I didn’t want to fight for washing machines at the Dolphin), so at 1AM, Ann and I left Jellyrolls. We walked back to the Boardwalk parking lot, and she drove me around to the Dolphin. What are friends for?

After setting a wake up call for 6:00AM, I got to bed at 1:30. Will I be able to survive tomorrow?

 

[Debi]

Day 7: April 11, 2007

Sadly, when my wake up call came in at 6:00AM, I didn’t want to get up. Not because I’m running on less than 5 hours sleep, but because today is my last day in WDW. I had to get two loads of laundry done (I hate going home with dirty laundry), and be to Epcot by 9AM. What a better place to spend my last day in WDW than in my favorite theme park?

So, after getting up and getting showered and dressed, I headed down to the Dolphin laundry room. This is where my room location comes in handy. I hopped on the West elevators, down to the first floor, around the corner, and I was at the laundry room. I didn’t have to lug a big bag of dirty laundry through the resort. Very convenient.

I threw in my two loads, and headed next door to Picabu to get a fruit salad for breakfast. After eating, I went back to the laundry room to throw my clothes in the dryer. Knowing that the dryers here take a while to dry clothes, I headed back to the room, grabbed my iPod, and finally was able to walk to the MGM Studios and back. The weather was finally warm enough to walk, and my ankle wasn’t bothering me. Yay!

After I got back, I only had to wait a few minutes for my clothes to finish drying. I folded laundry, took it back to the room, and headed out. I made it to Epcot a few minutes after 9:00.

My best friend Ann was off again today, and since today was my last day in WDW, she wanted to spend a few hours with me before leaving. So, the plan was for her to call me when she got in to the park, and we’d have lunch. Originally, she thought that she’d be in Epcot by 11:00, but plans changed and she didn’t make it in until later (see below).

So, with some time until I met Ann, I hopped on SSE. I then did the last of my pin shopping, and decided that I wanted to head for Test Track one last time. What’s this? A 45 minute wait for the single riders line at 10:00AM? Sorry. I love Test Track, but I’m not waiting 45 minutes for it. I’ll come back later.

I walked through Mouse Gear (I told you I was a shopper!), Ice Station Cool (I forget the new name of this place), and went back to the Festival Center to take a closer look at the merchandise there. By this time, it was 11:00 and World Showcase was opening. Plus, I was expecting Ann to call me soon. I started on the left, through Mexico. About 11:30, Ann calls to tell me that she’s running late. She got delayed by a viewing of her house, and she’d be to Epcot at 12:30. This time, I told her, I’d wait for her for lunch.  So, I continued my walk through World Showcase, stopping to watch O’Canada. I finally got to see the film! Nothing exciting, but I’m glad I saw it.

Because I love World Showcase so much, it took me pretty close to an hour to get through. So, I headed towards the front of the park to meet Ann. At 12:30 exactly, she called me to tell me that she just came through the turnstiles. She was in the mood for a sandwich and I was in the mood for Chinese, so we decided to head for the Land. We planned to meet in front of the pavilion.

After lunch, we stopped by The Seas pavilion where Ann’s mom was working. I told Ann that I’d like to stop by the 2:30 Off Kilter show to say goodbye, but that’s the only ‘must-do’ before I left. So, we started walking towards World Showcase.

Since we had some time before the show, we did some shopping in the stores in the UK (I warned you I was a shopper!). We then took seats for the 2:30 show.

I knew that after the show was over, I had to head out of the park and head back to the airport. My flight left at 6:30PM, and I still had to stop for gas. So, at 3:00, I sadly left Epcot. Ann walked me back to the Dolphin parking lot, and I drove her around to the main entrance. We said our goodbyes, and I headed off.

I arrived at MCO at 4:00, two and a half hours before my flight. Since this was my first time flying Delta, I had no idea how long their lines would be, so I wanted to give myself plenty of time. There were plenty of agents and self-service kiosks available, so I walked right up to check in for my flight. Flight was on time, and I was off.

It took me about 10 minutes to get through security, and I was to my gate by 4:20PM. What’s this? Departure time of 7:20PM? The flight was showing as on time just 20 minutes ago. I asked the agent at the desk, and she told me that the plane was coming from Charleston, and the flight was delayed there due to weather. Yikes. Although it was an inconvenience, it was really not that big of a deal. So, I went in search of food. I found a Burger King, and had a grilled chicken sandwich and a Dr. Pepper. I then went back to the gate, and the new departure time showing was 6:45PM. Wow. The flight went from an hour delay to 15 minutes. I can definitely live with that.

I pulled out a book and read until boarding time came at 6:30PM. Let me back up a minute. I am an aisle-seat kind of girl as mentioned in day one of my trip report. Thank goodness I was already assigned an aisle seat. This way, the problem that came up on arrival day could be avoided.

Okay, back on track. Just after boarding, the woman across the aisle on the window asked if she could trade seats with me. Two of her kids were sitting behind me, and her third child and her DH were sitting behind her (the child had the window seat and her DH had the aisle; these planes only have two seats on each side of the aisle). The woman sitting next to her is claustrophobic, and doesn’t like window seats. She had taken some anti-anxiety medication before the flight that she said would make her sleepy. I politely explained my bladder situation, and she was very understanding. Since her DH had the aisle seat, he could watch the two children behind me very easily. Crisis averted.

The flight was uneventful, and we landed in ACY at 9:10PM. After collecting my suitcase, I met my mother at the front of the airport, and home I went. Now, I’m counting down the days until my next trip!