Disney SPECTACLEFEST 8/5-8/12! *COMPLETE*-- with pics!

[Praying Colonel]

Cast--
Me: 42 years old chronologically, 12 years old in spirit; loved the Wonderful World of Color and Mickey Mouse Club reruns on TV, but never went to WDW until 2004, now trying to make up for lost time

DW: 3 previous trips to WDW (1973, 1996 and 2004), huge fan of all things Disney who has secret crushes on Donald Duck and Winnie the Pooh

DD: 17 y/o who tries to be cynical and blasé about WDW but occasionally lets her love of Disney leak through

DS: 15 y/o Disney freak and heir to Lou Mongello's title of "King of Disney Trivia"; my planning partner

Day 1--A Day of Unexpected Pleasures

The idea to drive to WDW from Louisville was hatched this past February when we bought our Honda Odyssey. Leather seats, DVD player, comfortable and made to eat up highway miles, we (and by "we," I mean "I") thought we could just drive straight down there and spend a little "quality" time together as we did so. We originally planned to leave about 8:30 p.m. on Friday 8/4 after DW had a nap, and she would drive until 1:00 a.m. Then I would take over (having slept for 4 hours) and drive us the rest of the way.

Here's how we tried to pack so we'd have room for someone to sleep in the back:

Well, excitement intervened. DW couldn't sleep (because she was too excited, just like the commercial!), so at 7:30 pm EDT August 4, we were off!.

I drove (because I was too excited, just like the commercial!), but slept for about 3 hours from Bowling Green, KY to Chattanooga, TN. I started driving around midnight, while the family hunkered down to sleep.

As I was driving through Atlanta around 2:00 a.m., I started to think that my idea wasn't so hot--I was getting VERY sleepy. But I had a trick up my sleeve. I had abstained from caffeine for 2 weeks before the trip, thinking I might need some help as I was driving. I pulled into a convenient store at 3:00 a.m. and got some of the worst coffee you've ever had in your life, but it was strong and it did the trick!

Kept driving until 7 a.m., when we stopped at a Waffle House in Lake City, FL. Our family tradition is to eat at a Waffle House when we're on a WDW vacation, and no other time. So we'd been looking forward to a Waffle House breakfast for a while! Saw our first palm tree--we're getting closer to Disney!

Got sleepy a little bit after breakfast (as the family went back to sleep). Disney podcasts and more coffee in Gainesville kept me alert and excited. Stopped at a Publix in Clermont to get breakfast items for the week, then onto 429 South, the newly-completed Western Way. The road was absolutely deserted--we wondered if we'd missed a turn somehow and were on a piece of road that was still under construction! But we knew we were going right when we saw the Disney exit, and then the archway welcoming us to Walt Disney World! We were thrilled to finally be there! We all cheered!

We arrived at the Coronado Springs Resort around 10:30 a.m. We had never stayed onsite before, and while we know WDW sets a high standard for quality, what we saw surpassed even our high expectations. The resort was clean and absolutely immaculate. We checked in even though our room wasn't ready yet, and we were told that we could enjoy the Dig Site pool and call in a couple of hours for our room location. We'd packed our swim gear for just such a contingency (uber planners we are!), but had forgotten about our perishable food. What would we do?

CM's to the rescue! We were told that we could take all of our items to Luggage Check and they'd refrigerate our perishables until we returned. Yay!

DW, DD and DS used our first snack credits at Pepper Market (I was still a little addled from the driving and was full from the big breakfast, so didn't feel like eating). Then we went to the Dig Site pool and again were blown away by the beauty of the lake as we walked there, and the flowers and landscaping. The pool was quite busy, but it was large and the kids had a great time swimming and going down the large slide from the top of the pyramid. DW and I went to the hot tub area to soak and then nap. Even though I was running on fumes, I couldn't sleep--I was just too anxious to get there and get going! We'd been planning this trip in detail for the last 6 months, and now were just a matter of minutes from getting to the parks for the first time!

We swam/rested until 1:45. I called and was told our room was ready. We'd requested Cabana 9b, and that's where we were, on the first floor--Room 9505. We had a great view of the lake and were right by the white-sand beach and hammocks, with crepe myrtles right outside our door. We unpacked, showered and were off to Epcot!

We caught a shuttle and rode over.

We were so excited when we saw SE for the first time!

Our plan was to tour the "less attended" FW attractions until dinner, then shop WS until Illuminations. But DW wanted to do Soarin', which is certainly not a "lesser attended" attraction! When we arrived I went to check if FP was available for Soarin' while the family waited at SE. I knew Soarin' was very popular and didn't expect any FP's to be available, but there they were! We also got Surprise FP's for Honey I Shrunk the Audience, but time constraints would prevent us from using them. I reported back with Soarin' FP's, immediately earning the gratitude of the family unit.

Then we started with SE, where we walked on. Last time we did the attraction in 2004, DW slept through it because we did it late at the end of a long day of touring. Although she was tired from the trip, she stayed awake for the attraction this time and we all really enjoyed it.

Then I went to check the board on the off chance that M:S would have a low wait time. Sure enough, it was listed as a 20 minute wait, so we headed over.

^DS in foreground, leading the way

This is a big favorite for our entire family, and my favorite in all of WDW. I was a big fan of the Apollo moon missions, and so experiencing even a simulated space mission is a real thrill for me, especially blastoff. We all did the Orange team more intense training. The wait was 20 minutes for Orange team vs. walk on for Green team. It was lots of fun as usual, but being sleep-deprived and having nothing on my stomach, I was a little sick afterwards, as was DW. We didn't want to let the kids know, however, so we kept it to ourselves and walked to WS, where we had 5:45 ADR's at Teppanyaki. We entered our name and were seated after about a 10-minute wait. We'll discuss this more in dining reviews, but overall we enjoyed our meal here very much.

After dinner, DD wanted to shop since Japan is her favorite pavilion. But there wasn't enough time for her to do it right if we wanted to do Soarin' and get a good spot for Illuminations. We decided to catch the boat over to FW and see Illuminations from there, but the ride was way too long. We got off at Mexico and walked around to Soarin'. I can't adequately express what a thrill it was to do Soarin' for the first time, and I know DW felt the same way. I know that, because as we flew over the Golden Gate Bridge for the 1st time, she grabbed my arm and held on for dear life!

After Soarin', we found a little spot by the fence around 8:20 that wasn't taken and had a perfect view for IllumiNations! We all sat down by the fence and fended off poachers until 9, when IllumiNations started. It is my favorite evening show in WDW, but we didn't have a great spot the last time we saw it in 2004, so the rest of the family didn't have the same feeling for it back then that I did. This time our view was unimpeded and everybody loved it. The feeling of community just topped off the day.

We made great time out of FW and the bus was waiting for us! We got right back to CSR and went to Pepper Market for refillable drinks. Then we headed back to the room where we got cleaned up, prepared for the next day and then to bed for blessed sleep, sleep, sleep. Even though it had been a tiring 27 hours or so, we'd had an awesome first day.

Next: Animal Kingdom with no waiting, and evening fun at MGM

 

[soldiersmom]

Sounds like fun--I'm in, waiting for more!

 

[pumba]

I love your report......Even when we get up at two thirty am to get to the airport we are still go go going at night time....We love Disney and Soarin is my new all time favorite ride....we did Soarin 9 times in May.....gotta love this one..thanks so much for your great report...

 

[declansdad]

Just wanted to say that your excitement comes through in your report. Great reading so far.

 

[cjhinch]

Loving it so far!! We have done the all night drives many time...it gets tough in those early hours when everyone else is asleep!! Can't wait for more!

 

[momtotanmanandraerae]

I loved your report. We are driving from Virginia in November in our Honda Odyssey with DVD player! I love it! We also stayed at CSR last trip and I just thought it was beautiful. My son was sick one night and couldn't sleep so we strolled him around the lake at 2:00 am. It was amazing! I will never forget that. I look forward to reading more!

 

[Silly Girl]

I'm loving your report. We were there 8/7-8/11 and drove from Kansas. Can't wait for the next installment.

 

[DisneyFan06]

This is a great report! I can't wait to read your next installment.

 

[lauren_elizabeth]

Definately subscribing to this one!

 

[pattiken]

so far so good!!! Waiting for more

 

[disneyjunkie]

I can't wait for day two.

 

[silverangel879]

Nice Report!!! Keep it Comming!!!!!!

 

[ColleenS]

Very exciting! You have a lovely family. Can't wait to read more.

 

[Praying Colonel]

A couple of weeks before our trip, I'd strained my lower back pretty badly. I took physical therapy before we left on our trip, but I was still struggling with it a little.

When I awoke that first full morning, I was definitely stiff and sore. But we had a full day of touring planned--based on tips from TGM and the UG, we were going to Animal Kingdom that day! I knew I had to get loose, so I arose around 6:15, took some Ibuprofen and headed for the Dig Site pool to soak in the hot tub and try to work out the kinks.

On the way, I saw this view of the CSR at daybreak:

The pool doesn't officially open until 8:00 a.m., and the jets in the large hot tub weren't working. But the water was still very warm, so I got in and soaked for about 15 minutes, swam in the large pool and then got out and soaked in the hot tub some more. I was the only person there, and the solitude and beauty was special. This would be my morning ritual for the time we were at WDW.

Our goal: to have fun and avoid lines. Today we wanted to be at AK for rope drop, use the UG touring plan to get our touring in before it got too hot and then go back to the CSR for a rest/swim break. So we were out the door around 8:00 a.m. and arrived at AK around 8:15. Yes, we're the crazy Type A people you wonder about who are first in line!

This was our 1st visit to AK and we were very excited to see Everest, Dinosaur, the Safaris, Lion King and the rest. After the opening ceremony

we were off! I went to EE to get FP's and met the family in Dinoland. While the family was waiting, they made some new friends:

First we did Primeval Whirl, which was fun--a lot like midway rides at fairs, with a lot of jerks and twists that weren't so hot for my back. When we came to the end, I thought the CM said, "Did you have fun?" and the kids said "Yeah!" Well, we take off again! "Uh-oh," my back said. Turns out the CM had actually said, "Do you want to go again?" So we ended up riding it twice.

After PW we went to Dinosaur, with no waiting.

A lot of fun and a very unique attraction, but again my back wasn't digging these jerks and twists on these attractions. I figured I'd go as long as I could and hope it held out. (Turned out, it did--my back actually got steadily better throughout the week, so maybe all the rides with jerks and turns were good things!) Dinosaur really scared DW and DD--DD actually hid her head, which is unusual for her because she doesn't scare very easily. But DS and I thought it was very cool.

After that it was on to Asia and Kali River Rapids, where we walked on. Even though it was only 10 or so, we were already hot and actually looking forward to getting wet. We were not disappointed:

Then it was on to EE! We walked on with our FP's. All I can say is "Wow!" Beautifully themed, and even though I knew what was going to happen when we got to the top and saw the track mangled, it was still a thrilling experience. We all loved the animatronic Yeti--even though it would be nice to see him a little more, the build-up also made seeing him at the end all that more exciting.

Next we went to Flights of Wonder, where we walked in as the 10:30 show was starting. We were amazed by all the things the birds could do. I was sure the owl was going to fly right into my huge head (how could he miss it?), but he turned at the last second and flew between and slightly above DD and me. Viewing the Bald Eagle was a moving experience:

The crowd all cheered, and our family all got a little misty seeing it in its glory.

Next, DS wanted to do the Maharaja Jungle Trek but DD wanted to see Harambe. DD and I headed to Africa to get FP's for the Safaris and look around Harambe while DW and DS did the MJT. Turned out they saw Ms. Davine at the MJT, and I'm sorry I missed that. Apparently she scared DW when she appeared! DD and I saw this talented group of African acrobats doing limbo with the stick only about a hand's width off the ground, and doing tricks jumping through hoops.

DS and DW met us at Tusker House. I'll talk more about this in our dining review. But we enjoyed this meal just fine for CS.

After lunch we used our FP's for the Safaris, where we waited about 5 minutes before starting. Our vehicle was not built for comfort

but it was still a lot of fun. We saw lots of animals including hippos

Rhinos about 10 feet from our vehicle

Antelope about that close, too

And crocodiles.

I made the mistake of calling them alligators, and the driver proceeded to make great fun of me, much to the amusement of the kids. ("Anyone know why they're holding their mouths open? Because they're mad they were called ALLIGATORS!")

After this we walked to Festival of the Lion King, and again lucked into walking in right before it started. We were in the giraffe section and had a lot of fun trying to make little giraffe sounds. We were blown away by this show: the beautiful songs, the singing, set designs, costumes, acrobatic talent, all of it was just amazing. DS got a kick out of the monkeys and their acrobatic routine. It was the best stage show we saw all week.

Finally, we went to the Tree of Life and saw It's Tough To Be A Bug.

We all enjoyed it except for DW, who was creeped out in the first scene by the tarantula and never really got into it after that. Also, she didn't like the feeling of bugs running under the seat. We all agreed that some little kids wouldn't like this attraction. There were a couple of smaller ones in front of us who were crying.

By this time it was around 2, so we cut out, admiring the Tree of Life and the beautiful vegetation on our way out of the park. We were back at CSR by 2:30, where we slept the sleep of the dead until about 5. Then it was up, get ready and off to MGM!

We drove this time, parking in the AAA section and heading to H&V for a 6:30 seating for the Fantasmic Dining Package. We took a wrong turn and instead of finding H&V, we found ourselves by the ToT. While we were there, we checked to see if they had FP's, and sure enough, they did!

After dinner we hurried back to the ToT, where we rode it for the first of what would be several times during our stay. This is DW's favorite attraction at MGM--she loves the theming and that little moment right before it drops you for the first time when you know it's coming, but it's not quite there yet.

We walked back down to the area where Fantasmic Dining Package users entered. We sat down around 8:15, but there was plenty of seating available and there would be until about 10 minutes before the show. We doubt if we'll use the FDP in the future, because we've found it's not necessary in order to get good seats for the show.

The last time we saw Fantasmic we saw it at the end of a long day with no break. Also, the water projectors didn't work properly at first, and we had to wait about 30 minutes before they could restart the show from the beginning. So we didn't remember a lot about the show. This time the nap definitely helped us, and the show went off without a hitch--we thoroughly enjoyed the show and will remember a lot more about it!

We walked back out with the crowd, enjoying the evening air. We found our vehicle and were back at CSR by 10. We went to Pepper Market with our refillable mugs, then stopped at the arcade with DS while DD went to Panchito's, the gift shop. DW proceeded to take DS to school on Ms. Pac-Man. He was very impressed with his mother's old-school video-game skills!

Then it was back to the room where we got cleaned up, prepped for the next day and off to bed.

Next: Day 3 at MK and Epcot, or "Hey, where'd the crowds go?"

 

[heaven2dc]

I don't know how you did it driving all that way and staying up all day - great dad and husband Sounds like you are having a great time so far - will be waiting for more!

 

[Tortuga Joy]

Wow! What a great looking family you've got! Sounds like you all had a blast as your excitement really comes thru your writing. Can't wait for more.

 

[byoung]

Great report and pictures.

 

[Cruz Family]

Great report so far, I can't wait to hear the rest!

 

[Praying Colonel]

When we were planning our itinerary months before, TGM listed MK as the best park to visit on our Day 3, since MK had an evening EMH the evening before. Later he changed it to make Epcot his choice for that day, but still listed MK as favorable due to the evening EMH.

Let me tell you: that TGM guy knows his stuff.

Again, our plan was to catch the first bus to MK and be there at rope drop, do our touring until early afternoon, then take an afternoon break. So after a morning soak in the CSR Dig Site hot tub and pool, I headed back to the room and woke the family. While the women were getting ready:

DS was wondering when we'd be heading for the bus stop:

Turned out he had no need to worry. We got out the door at 8 and were in the front of the rope at the entrance to Main Street by 8:15. The sun was in our faces and very hot--it would've been nice if they could've admitted us to Main Street and left us there until rope drop. But there was a CM making cool balloon figures to amuse us and keep the kids interested:

After the opening ceremony

they let us go through Main Street to the entrance to Tomorrowland, where we met another rope. At 9 they dropped the rope and got out of the way, no walking the rope down the way. It was a jailbreak! DS wanted to run, too, but we told him that we need to follow the rules and we'll get there soon enough.

We power-walked to Space Mountain, and were still able to walk on with no waiting. All the Jailbreak Gang somehow got absorbed into SM and weren't there when we arrived!

^(Note the lack of a crowd. In August, no less!)

As I said before, I'm a sucker for all things space-related, and the cool outer-space music and theming makes SM my favorite MK attraction. I rode in the front seat for the first time ever, and that was a special thrill, too.

After SM we went to Buzz, and again walked right on. Hey, where are the crowds? (Not that we're complaining.) DS and I went to school on the highest-scoring targets on Buzz, but we still had trouble achieving a high score. But Buzz is always fun, and like a potato chip, once isn't enough! There still wasn't a crowd when we were finished, so we asked the CM if we could ride again. At first she said no, but then she looked around and motioned us to stay put. Yay! The 2nd time we scored even worse, but we had as much fun. In fact, the Emperor put our kids in jail for having too much fun, much to their chagrin:

We bailed them out and headed for Fantasyland and Pooh. On the way we made a friend:

I know there are many who prefer Mr. Toad to Pooh, but we never experienced Mr. Toad and really enjoy Pooh--especially my wife, who loves the Blustery Day story. We walked right on and had a great time.

After that, we walked on Peter Pan, which is another favorite of DW's. I got to snuggle some with my best girl as we flew over London.

Then we went right into Philharmagic, which is probably our kids' favorite MK attraction. They especially love the scene where they sing "A Whole New World" and Donald flies down and through the street.

After this, we went to the Haunted Mansion:

and encountered our first medical "emergency" of the week. DS was wearing sport sandals, and DD accidentally stepped back onto DS' foot, tearing off part of his toenail as she did so. Ouch! He was bleeding and I know it was smarting like a sonofagun! DS didn't want to stop everyone's fun, but he was still bleeding after we did HM (no waiting, again) so he and I went to first aid to get his toe bandaged. Some ice, Bactine (I didn't know they still made that stuff--I remember it from when I was a kid) and a couple of bandages and we were back out and on to Liberty Square to meet the ladies at the Hall of Presidents.

This is one of my favorite attractions in MK. No one thinks of it as a headliner, but I always enjoy seeing the animatronic figures interacting with the audience and themselves.

By this time it was around 11:45 and we were off to lunch at Pecos Bill's.

Before we ate, I walked over to Splash

and picked up FP's. We weren't planning on doing Splash until our 2nd day in MK, but we were ahead of our schedule for the day and Splash is DW's favorite MK attraction, so we thought we'd do it after lunch since we were right there, anyway.

Splash was the first attraction where we had to wait in line--about 5 minutes, in the FP line. Absolutely unheard of in August.

The standby line was much longer:

I'll never understand why folks would wait 55 minutes in the standby line instead of using FP. I wonder how many of those folks even know about FP? I have this theory that a large % don't, or think you have to pay to use it.

DW and DD rode up front, and DD (but not DW) got soaked--again. For some reason she's like a "soak magnet" on Splash, much to the amusement of DS.

After Splash we saw the Country Bear Jamboree, almost as a chore more than anything. Normally we might pass it up--it's kind of dated and not a whole lot of fun. But I'd never seen it and DW thought I should try it at least once. OK, so I did. Can we not see it ever again, please?

As we were leaving CBJ, the skies opened and down came a real "gullywasher." We pulled out our ponchos and headed for Main Street, where we were going to do some shopping before heading home for our afternoon break. Well, it wasn't your typical Florida shower--it rained harder, and harder, and thundered, and lightninged--it was about an hour-long storm. We hung out in the shops and piddled--while we did that, a barber-shop quartet entertained us. They looked almost as good as they sounded:

Finally the thunder stopped enough for us to get to our bus stop and back to CSR for our break.

That evening was dinner at Le Cellier and shopping in WS. But on the way we stopped at the Land Pavilion to see if any FP's were available for Soarin', and again we lucked out and got FP's for after dinner. DD and DS talked to the locals while waiting in Canada:

After dinner, DS went shopping in Japan while DD walked around WS with DW and me. The air was cool (for Florida in August) and clear after the earlier storm, and we had a great time. While taking some pics:

A couple of guys asked if we wanted them to take our pic as a family. We told them that it wasn't our whole family because our son was off shopping, and one of the guys offered to be our Guest Son for the pic. And here he is:

He's literally the son I never had.

We walked to Japan and collected DS, who bought a rare 4th-generation Pokemon plushy which is only available in Japan, or something like that...anyway, it was time to use our FP's, but DD wanted to shop in Morocco. So DS, DW and I headed back to Soarin' and rode it together. DS requested the top row, and that's definitely the best vantage point, in our opinions. We had an extra FP left since DD didn't come with us, so DS rode it again while DW and I sat (ah, glorious sitting, in the glorious air conditioning!) and waited. His 2nd ride meant we missed IllumiNations, but DW and I enjoyed sitting and talking.

We called DD and we arranged to meet at the Pin Station in Innoventions Plaza. DW bought a lanyard and her first pins, starting us down a road which we may regret....

We drove back to the CSR, got our mugs refilled at Pepper Market, then back to the room to watch the 6 Disney cartoons they show on continuous loop. Then blessed sleep in anticipation of the next day's adventures at MGM.

We'd all had a good time, but you could tell everyone was feeling pretty tired after walking around Epcot. A sign of things to come?

Next: Day 4--A meeting with The Bear

 

[disneyfreak7]

Sounds like you are having a great time. just wondering where did you grab a spot to view illuminations on your first evening at Epcot? I never seem to grab a good spot!