S
SpottyDog
Guest
Four Go Wild In Florida
Day 1 + 1/2 - We get off the plane.
NOTICE TO NEW STRANGERS
If youve just wandered in and havent read me pre trip report or short account of our travelling adventures STOP RIGHT THERE BUDDY ! You are in no way prepared for what these good people in front of you are about to see. Go right back to one of these to get your mind into the right key to entwine with mine (wish I could make one of those echoey haunted house laughs come up there.
Ill try to put one on me website - Oh yes, theres one of those coming when this is all finished.)
The Plan and The Flight
TO EXISTING READERS
Now that were getting off the plane, Ill start to calm down so Im afraid there wont be quite so much of the personal misery and discomfort that you all seem to find so amusing. Personally, I think youre all saddos to smirk and giggle at someone elses traumas but will carry on for the Newies out there who need to be warned of the dangers of self flushing toilets and the like. (Authors acknowledgement to Shelagh for the subject matter).
The Day We Planned
Youll know that the key to getting me moneysworth is to stick to me plan - its
not too detailed (the one we took with us only had the timetable in hours not minutes) - and is our guide to making sure we dont miss anything. Now, I think you should have to memorise it but Valerie says thats not fair (see you do get a mention in me report) so Ill give you a reminder of what we planned to do every day.
So DAY 1 PLAN - Fly (safely) and get on the road as quickly as possible. Last time the Airport was a doddle so we expect to land at 2pm and be at Belz by 3 to buy our trainers. Ponderosa for lunch .Check in at ASMu about 4.30, getting to MK for about 5pm. Ride the Train, do Its A Small World and as many others as we can before watching Main St Electrical Parade from the corner of Main St Sq beside the garage/shops. Head for Poly Beach by boat to watch fireworks from
the beach and return to MK resort buses for an early night by about 10.30.
Normal rules apply, Vets can move straight to the brief but exactly the same information at the end of the short (but not as short as the summary) account thats about to unfold before the other nice peoples monitors . If you cant throw a six, read on. (Dont think I dont know some of you have blue tacked the dots on the six either. How childish. Cheaters never win - as youll find out at the end.)
Midway through Day 1 - We get off the plane.
So single stranger, youre on your own. (bet Stu could make an echoey laugh here). All the others have fastpassed straight to the end again - well thats their loss cause by the end of today youll have as much info in your head as me but will be too confused to use it.
Now then, the planes just ground to a halt and Im busy trying to get the blood back to me fingers after grasping the arms of me seat a little too tightly on the way down. The Captain says there will be a slight delay while they tow us to the disembarkation bay and attach the gate. I hope thats not code for were all going to die. While I wait for the blood to recirculate round me whole body, you have a final look round the converted cargo plane weve been cooped up on for the last eight hours. See the front door to your right? Close your eyes.
I meant mentally close your eyes! You cant hear me if you cant see the monitor.
Now close your eyes and think of that door to your right. In a moment, (if we dont get blown to kingdom come) itll open and our holiday will begin. Exciting isnt it?
Think of that lovely hot air all around you. Yes, Ill be right behind you and will start the report as soon as we get through that door ! Eyes open, lets go.
Right , off the plane, times awasting. Join in with the other rude people who push past us, even though its clear were having trouble stowing all our odds and ends back into our hand luggage before we can get off - dont you just hate that?
Step off the plane - thanking the cabin crew for not telling me that the seat that bloke conned me into didnt have a fully functioning set of buttons - into the tunnel. (Shirley, they must have read the pre trip report and have done the exit up to look like one of those expanding tunnels the players come through as they enter the pitch.)
Its freezing! Major overload on the air-conditioning. Into the Immigration Hall and its packed. Three flights have come in together and we are all jostling for position. I bet you do the same ; scan the lines in a nanosecond assessing the number in each queue, how many per party and which has the lowest average age. Sorry to our more senior members (Im talking people who are too old to travel, not you), but you do take so much longer to do the most straightforward things - juggle eight bags, open your passport to the photo page with your tongue and ask the nice man with a gun if you can have another form coz youve crossed over the line ever so slightly on his ever so important (well,I can still read it) form. Well that might work for you but weve read the boards and they said go left, so we did. Into the Line of Many Idiots -
Quote I didnt know we had to fill that bit in "Does that bit matter,then?" After an age we cleared Immigration.
Keep calm Dave. Deep breaths and relax. Dont glare at the nice people with guns. They can be a bit touchy these foreigners.
Right, lets get the bags. It was horrible, there was pushing, shoving, gouging even, but I didnt care! I had to do it to get me bags and get on , me plans running behind time already - glad I didnt finalise it in minutes after all now.
Got the bags and headed for the Airtours Check In Desk.
Not so fast there, Buoy (like him off Dukes of Hazard) Been on a farm lately?
Got any proedeuce with Yaall
No, nice man with a gun. Can I go now? coz me stress levels are likely to land me in your ever so nice, but dirty and smelly with sawdust on the floor and sun streaming in the two barred no-glass window, jail cell in a minute
Step to the right please. Cross the lovely disinfected carpet and feed your bags
through the X Ray machine over there in case youve brought any oxo cubes or
pictures of a roast beef dinner with you
Now he didnt say that when we got to the nice machine, there would be three lines and we could fight with each other to put our bags through first - but we did anyway. I was thinking I might as well mug someone who looks rich cause Im going to end up in jail anyway.
Some people werent going through the slow you down until you cant take it anymore line at all. I was so pleased for them (as you can imagine) but thought it made a mockery of putting the rest of us through that extra free ride as they could have been carrying anything as well. I did think, perhaps they were off an internal flight but we saw some people off our flight go that way (left,you see).
Valerie says she thinks we got picked coz they thought me and our Gary looked like terrorists ( Ill let Astrid or Janice explain that one!).
Finally we made it out of the main terminal and took our time to enjoy the moment as the doors swished open and that lovely hot Disney air hit us full on - lovely. Now hurry up!
At the door of the check in building, I told Valerie, Gary and Julie (group mention logged) to wait in the car-lot coz Id be through here in no time. First time I was
very nervous - 1st time in America & needed loads of info wheres the hotel? wheres Orlando? wheres the car? How do I drive it? Yes Id like to hear all about your lovely timeshare viewing opportunity. but this time, I know the drill. Need no instructions, no chit chat, just pick up me Dollar slip and let me through.
I strolled into the room without a care in the world and was given loads of time to find some! The queue was horrendous. Of course, those that had gone right in the Immigration queue and been allowed left at disinfection alley were in front of me. I had a little crisis all to meself and stood in the line muttering under me breath for the next 30+ minutes. Poor Valerie even came to see what the hold-up was - and she never goes anywhere on her own coz shes got a tendency to get lost. Of course the problem was there were the three flights together and two of them were Airtours UK so thats 700+ to move, plus the internal flight had Airtours clients as well. They had four people on the fly drive desk ,serving the odd passenger that sauntered into the hall while the 700+ of us made do with the three most helpful I must just explain this to you, just in case Reps you would never want to be in a queue for. For sport, they made sure the three of them were never actually at their desks at the same time by taking turns to go into the back room between odd clients , just to keep the throughflow slow enough for the nice Timeshare lady (no gun, so Ill not need to be polite to her) to stop each passenger to offer them the chance of a lifetime.
Given that so many people revisit Orlando, and all we do is pick up a slip to hand to Dollar to release our cars, why cant they have a straightforward express pickup line for those who dont need any advice or help to speed the vast majority of travellers on their way ? Dont get me wrong, I was very grateful for the advice and reassurance I got my first time but the handling system at Sanford seems to be so inefficient, yet so easy to resolve, its annoying. And why, didnt they pass some of the queue over to the fly drive desk reps (still Airtours) at least until their line had more than one person in it!
I got to the desk and lets just say they processed my Dollar slip swiftly with a
minimum of conversation and the nice lady without a gun smiled and stepped aside as it was my turn to walk across her lair following a short (yes I hardly used any words at all, just grunts and glares!) explanation that I was a tad stressed, had been in their country for almost two hours and up to now wasnt having the time of my life that Id been promised!
To the Land of Dollar next. Because of the way Airtours were handling the check ins, walking into Dollar was going from the sublime to the ridiculous. About 20 keen upgraders to every driver. I twisted and turned through the unnecessary line system (I was too far gone to limbo under about four lines of taping) and finally and triumphantly got to the smiling lady upgrader. Just pleased to be in sight of the finishing line (and I bet you are too, arent you dear stranger ?) I politely swerved past all her leading upgrade questions, designed to help me come to the conclusion that an upgrade meant more to me than the holiday
itself and that the whole exercise would be wasted and a miserable failure if I let my family down by embarrassing them in public in such a puny little car. If shed only come out of parrot mode for a minute and thought about the shattered state of a man in front of her and considered what does he need to hear for a second, Id have sold the kids for a car that was going to give me back the last 2 hours. Still she was a pleasant lady and clearly enjoyed the game as our eyes were smiling at each other. I thought, Im in here but didnt have the energy never mind the time! So a compact Dodge Neon it was and keys held tightly, I
left the Land of Dollar and finally got out into the Orlando heat and sunshine for the first time. The family had tans by the time I rejoined them.
We quickly found the car,which was adequate. The boot is snug for luggage for four but it did the job. No cruise control or CD player but $100+ isnt worth it IMHO for a bigger boot,CDs instead of tapes and to rest me right foot on one journey to Busch. Bags stowed, using the glaring method from this morning (from the other report,if youve forgotten. It WAS a long time ago) we were
ready to be on our way.
Now if you remember I was looking forward to driving this time coz I was so much more confident than the first time I drove in US. All that drained as soon as I sat behind the wheel. I had to concentrate on which pedal was which and having looked at the automatic lever I froze. As well as P(ark) R(everse)
N(eutral) and D(rive) - which I remembered, there was 1 & 2. The lack of brackets is coz I couldnt for the life of me remember what they were for. Panic set back in. Did I need to use them to start the engine or something? I couldnt remember. Not so self-assured now, I reached for the manual. So I sat for the next 5 minutes looking all over for the driving instructions. Found them on P96! Youd expect them to be at the beginning wouldnt you? Mind a less than way past
breaking point driver would calmly have found the section in the index. I dont do calm. Having established that 1 & 2 were only there for rough terrain and very steep hills, I regained my composure and started the engine to give the family much needed air conditioning. I wouldnt turn the engine until Id made sure I wasnt going to blow the engine if I had the starting sequence wrong. Well get on our way then? Not now. Ive been so stressed with all the goings on from going left ,when I should have gone right, through disinfectant alley to Land of
Dollar via Airtours Line of No Hope that Ive no confidence in me memorised
directions. So I sat and chilled with me maps for a minute. That done, we belted
up and prepared to move off. Hang on, Id better just pay a quick visit. One more upset could be costly. Out I pop and am back in a minute. I walk to the car and reach inside to pop the trunk ( see one pee and Im a struttin merican cruisin dude again). Funny thing is, a compact doesnt have a trunk release button (I missed that off me upgrade features). So I popped the trunk to get me tape from me bag & oh my god the luggages gone! I slammed the trunk in
shock and went to tell Valerie the luggage has gone and shes not there either. The cars empty! Now youll not have guessed, but I was really freaked out for a split second. No release button? Yep, Id walked past the family ( who wondered what the heck I was doing looking round that other car further up the lot) and was so full of what I had to do I just went through the motions and got in the wrong car. Well I felt a bit silly. Especially as one of the Dollar attendants had been watching me all the time. I sheepishly shuffled past her and rejoined our party ,who seem to think Dads breakdown due to being the only one in this
family that ever does anything and if you all helped me from time to time Id
cope just that little bit better ! was one of the highlights of the holiday.
Off we go, this time for real. Will we get out the gate? Last time they gave us the wrong car and our documents couldnt get us past security so we had to turn back until it got sorted. Im just lucky, I guess. Surely weve had our stint of anecdote making incidents this time? Yes, were free! First junction, OK, ease into the right lane and stay there then you cant do what you did last time - drove the first half mile on the wrong side of the road coz the junction twisted me mind. First traffic light coming up - they seem so high up when youre staring ahead with the concentration of a chess master on speed. Please stay green, dont want to stop yet, might stall. Nearly through. Nearly.. oh, shucks RED. Pulled up short to make sure I didnt overshoot - once the cars stopped Im not edging forward for nobody. Green and off towards the left turn onto the 417 slip road. Up onto the 417 I pushed it on to join the faster traffic. Oh its all coming back now. Just needed a minute to get back in the swing. Indicate to join the main road and look over your shoulder to move out. I saw Gary and Julie (who to their credit smiled back at me) - Id looked over me right shoulder! Before anyone noticed, I swished me head round so fast I was dizzy . If theres anything there its too late and got into the lane just before the slip ran out.
On to Belz then? Well no, actually.
While we were in the converted cargo plane with no headphones to speak of we passed the time by talking- I cant say I enjoyed it and dont intend to make a habit of it, but it passed the time! Anyway, V was worried about leaving the car outside Belz while we went shopping, in case the luggage got stolen and she was itching to get to Disney. We could go into the shops in pairs and the other two guard the car, but whichever two werent with me couldnt be trusted to come
back inside the allocated five minutes . Julie would be bitterly disappointed at
missing out on Ponderosa, but shes smaller than us and certainly couldnt take us together! Anyway, it would be cheaper to grab a burger in the food court at ASMu. As it happened, Vs feet were quite swollen when we landed and she didnt think shed be able to try shoes on today. So were heading straight for Disney. I know youll be sorry to see this journey end coz you seem to be enjoying it so.
But Ive got a holiday to get on with you know. I put me tape into the machine,cranked it up and were looking good -
LET ME EE ENTER TAIAINN YOOOO !!!
The toll booths are a ploy to teach us to drive their cars ,you know. Like the training levels on computer games are designed to introduce you to elements of
the game bit by bit. While it took me the whole route to master stopping in line with the collector in 99 , I was nearly straight there at the first one this time.Just short. Thatll do. The hard faced lady just waved her hand in a very Im bored with these tourists that cant drive way. Come on she demanded. She made me pull forward all of two feet. If Id undone me belt and shed held onto the booth as she leaned into me, we neednt have gone through all that polarver.
Still, I made the next one almost perfect. Much more confident now, its amazing how quickly you get back into the swing of things. Thats the benefit of staying calm and being in control in a quiet confident manner.
As we approached the third booth, I spotted that the green bays had tourists waiting to get through but the exact change gate was free. Valerie already had the two coins ready for me so we went for the regulars route. As I slowed, I noticed it wasnt an outstretched hand I was aiming for but a wide mouthed bucket, like the ones they do the collections with at Blackpool illuminations to keep the traffic flowing. I passed the coins to me left hand, pulled up beside the bucket - it was me first time and I decided, trying while driving past would be asking for trouble. I should have kept me toe down. I flung like a girlie and was
horrified as the coins hit the rim of the very small mouthed bucket and bounced
into the road. The attendant looked at me with a mix of pity and tedium. Do I have to get out ,Mate? Well, he might have had a gun. He just looked at me in that just go in the green lane from now on,tourist way and picked up me coins and let me go. I was a tad quiet for the rest of the journey and not much happened to tell you about.
We started to get excited as the Disney signs were coming thick and fast. The
nearer to home we got the less we needed the instructions. Were back. Round the corner from the slip road were all straining our necks for the first glimpse of
the gates. There they are ! First tear of joy of the holiday, therell be a few more
of them before were done.
Navigating the superb WDW road system, were soon approaching the security gates of our own piece of the Magic.
Once you get used to the idea that most roads run in parallel or at right angles
and all slips go round and round for ever to join up you cant go wrong. I use the
awfully nice Swan and Dolphins as landmarks. Everywhere you go, theyre there , its just a case of getting used to telling where you are and which way youre headed in relation to which side of the car theyre on.
Stopping at the security gates to show our booking forms, we were a little disappointed our special guard, who used to salute every time we passed his gatehouse, wasnt on duty. Maybe tomorrow. (We didnt see him at all, and that was a minor disappointment, coz to us he WAS the All-stars). From there we were soon parked up and heading for the Check in. Gary had his swimming kit in his hand luggage but Julie had forgotten to do that so they couldnt go for a quick dip as wed planned. (It took half an hour to check in last time and we figured if they went swimming it would keep them out of our hair until wed got the keys and moved the car and bags.) So I gave them some money to go to the amusements,$10 I think. Dad so caught up in the excitement he lost all sense of
tightness.
There was no-one else at check in so we were quickly sorting things out.
Mr & Mrs Robinson? Yes, here you are. You asked for a non smoking. pool facing Calypso room,preferably first floor (thats ground to you and me). Youve got exactly what you asked for ,have a nice stay.
I couldnt see her for more tears or say thank you properly for that choking
sensation you get when youre filling up. No, big boys dont cry here. When you get into as many scrapes and embarrassing situations as I seem to do , you learn to be so grateful for anything that goes right it goes straight to your tear glands!
So we were checked in and moved the car in less than 20 minutes. One thing when we were going through the check in process I mistook a question and asked for all our keycards (in Disney your keycard is also your UMP) to be activated as chargecards - so all purchases are billed to the room. So the kids
can charge anything in Disney, from gifts to food and drink and even sweets at the shop to my bill ! More tears , but not of joy this time.
We dropped the bags in the room and transferred all we needed to our bumbags
- I just cant use their term - and were sitting by the pool with fries and a beer
by 5pm. It was like the earlier 16 hours had never happened - and I bet you wish they hadnt !
I paid $4 for the first draft Bud from the poolside bar but remembered it was much cheaper from the fridge in the shop, so I went there for me next one before we headed for Mk. $2.50 for a large bottle of Icehouse and its even cheaper at the supermarkets, so well be going there to stock up tomorrow.
Wed got the kids refillable mugs as soon as we went into the foodcourt and they were ,as always, in their element with their all you can drink lifestyle. Valerie had brought our two from last time and was nervous about taking them into the foodcourt as theyd changed the design, but everyone was using old mugs. So V was happy with her American coffee and all was well with the world.
I could have stayed there all night , but we wanted to get to MK coz we had a lot on the plan to do and it all hinged round being ready for the Main St Electrical Parade at 7pm. Originally wed planned to do MK then move on to Epcot for RoE and then Pleasure Island for the fireworks to break the back of the plan. Now, everyone told us we were being too adventurous, but we remembered the kids playing in the pool till 2.30 in the morning the last time, so were confident wed
be OK. Nearer the holiday we found our first night (Friday) was an E night, so it seemed even more sense to get tickets and ride the night away then head for PI as we had loads of time to do RoE and were on the cruise with Janice and Chris for front row seats on Wednesday,anyway. It was only the week before we went that our memories of the last holiday came into perspective. Yes, the kids had been in the pool at 2.30am but that was UK time! 9.30 US time. It became apparent we might not be the finely toned specimens we thought we were, and we agreed to abort the E night as we might be too tired. Wed wait and see how we felt after the Fireworks at 8.30.
We caught the WDW bus to MK and were at the gates about 6ish. It was just about twilight, and the boats and Floridian has just lit up. When you go to MK for the first time, go just as it gets dark. Light enough to see everything, but just dim enough to let the lights transform the place into the picture postcard image we all know and love.
We leave the Resort bus station, and walk towards the main entrance. As we walk under the monorail lines that obstruct your view , we get our first real look at the Magic Kingdom. It really is just that. Getting a little darker all the time, the Railway Station is one of my favourite views and its looking all the better as its outline is picked out with the lights. Right on cue, the MK Railway whistle blows and sends a shiver up me spine and we head for the ticket barriers , quickening as we get nearer. Faster now , to a brisk pace, were going through the tunnel and enter Main St Square. Slowing to take it all in the sounds of the piped music, people congregating for the MStEP in less than an hour - the hustle and bustle - its busier than we expected. Feel like bursting, keep calm. Turn left and walk on. Dont look up. Get to the centre of the station and turn right. Cross the road into the garden and follow the path round to Walt and Mickey. Keep out of the way of those getting their photos taken. Dont look up. Back on the road in front of the garden, position me feet dead centre of the tram tracks. Deep breath. Look up.
The Castles lit in mauve, rising above Main St. Its dusk now and the lights just
right. Its like that illumination postcard I bet most of youve got. Take a minute.
Bite bottom lip as silent tears fall ( then and now). Whenever anyone tells you nothings worth what we pay to get there. That Orlandos just an American money factory. That you can get the same rides at Blackpool or Alton Towers. You send them to me. That moment, for me, is worth all the sacrifices we all make to go there and why well keep going time and again.
Well, thats a change of pace. Told you at the beginning Ive no idea of continuity. Where the report was amusing its now going to be sickenly sentimental. My split personalitys got a split personality and we still cant make one normal person between the four of us!
So thats set the scene. lets get this holiday on the road.
6.20 ish, we climbed the steps to the railway station for our trip around the
Magic. At the top of the stairs I turned to look at the castle again through the arch of the roof, another favoured framed view - turquoise this time. Onto the station platform, the man in front couldnt contain himself any longer and cried out All Aboard. I wanted to do that! Were sitting in the train as night comes down and the view over the lake is lovely. Ferries and boats come and go and the monorail trains swish in and out of the station. Perfect . What we ever see in Great Yarmouth in our trailer (American ,of course) I cant remember.
Howdy folks and were off. Im videoing the journey but its too dark now but keep it running for the soundtrack.
Now those of you who are still there ( and I know ,by now, 90% will have moved off to BetterThingsToDoLand) will be pleased to hear that I wont be describing every little detail of the next two weeks. This last piece of overkill was to set the tone and convey the impact of the first time we see the castle. From now on Ill only describe things that made me laugh, cry or angry - so thats most then.
We got back to Main St about 6.50 and made our way to our chosen spot to the left of the Vehicle garage. Our main tack to getting the most into an evening is to arrive late at most events and take what you can get, rather than waste a valuable hour or more getting an unrestricted view. This had worked for us tonight as there was only one line of people with children in front of us. These didnt present much of a view barrier and meant the kids could position
themselves behind the smaller ones to see perfectly. Anyway, a few heads in the video adds atmosphere!
We looked forward to MStEP but were a little sad as Spectro magic is our all time favourite. For some time it had been rumoured that Spectro would replace MStEP in the second week of our holiday and we would get the best of both worlds. This wasnt to be the case and both V & I were subdued before the lights went down for the same reason.
The Sparky type voice introduced the show and the lights went out all over the Kingdom. At the same time the plinkity plink of the parade started up. We were instantly lifted, coz we know the tune from our WDW CD. Maybe this isnt going to be so bad after all. After a while, coz its a long show, the repetitive style of music does wear you down but the floats were very good. Valerie and Julie particularly enjoyed the snails for the way they moved round and the sounds they made. I think my favourite is Peter Pan - the galleon and Big Ben. Tink
flying round the mast is well done. Our Gary wont join in getting excited about most things coz itd ruin his cred so dont know if he had a favourite. Just as I was thinking this must be finished soon. Im getting bored with it now., round the corner came Cinderella in her coach. Although it was dark, and there was quite a crowd, she spotted me straight away and blew me a big sloppy kiss. Cheered by her affection for me, I managed to stay till the end. Dopey in the front of the mine trucks was next, followed by his trusty mates. Sneezy came over and sneezed all over this kid in the front and then wiped his gloves all over the kids mums shoulder - so that was nice. Petes Dragon with Elliott riding him to keep him under control (so who was Pete?) then Chip N Dale came in followed by the tribute to America float. I was so into it by now I nearly saluted the flag! Poor Eyore looked so forlorn as he walked behind his more confident pals, Pooh and Tigger who were all over the place meeting guests young and old alike. We followed the end of the parade back up Main St towards the castle to
get a good spot for the Fantasy in the Sky Fireworks. Valerie had read on the board that it really was Tink that sets off the fireworks. She hadnt seen her before and I thought it was just a light effect.
We were parched, so agreed to head into the Plaza Pavilion for drinks and we thought we might be early enough for a seat to watch from there. Two cokes,an iced tea and a coffee, and we had what looked like a perfect spot to the right as you look at the castle. Tinks wire was right above us and we had an unrestricted view of the castle. We sat and savoured the view of the castle as it changed colour and enjoyed our drinks - well not quite true. Id got iced tea coz I couldnt remember if I liked it and didnt . But Id paid for it so down it went.
The lights dimmed and we could see Tink preparing to fly. The castle went dark,
the man said what he says (where we were, we were too far from the sound system) and then Tink set off towards us in the spotlight (her , not me and Valerie). She flew right over our heads and the fireworks began but we couldnt see them, only the light they cast. No wonder we got such good seats - no one else wanted them. Theres an overhang from the terrace where we were and this
shielded the sky. The lower fireworks were partly hidden by trees in the gardens
outside. Now I remembered Id made the same mistake one night last time. Thatll be why the sound system was poor - its no use sitting there. But it was loud enough! It was like sitting in a military bunker in a battle with explosions and the thunderflashes that go with them going on all around us. At least that must be what Julie thought coz she was hysterical. She doesnt like loud noises and explosions in particular. She didnt enjoy any of the shows last time and we had to make concessions like watching from afar etc. to compromise with her. Before we came, she said she was looking forward to the fireworks coz she wasnt frightened by the bangs anymore - no? I led her out of the Plaza and we agreed wed head for the bus coz wed missed the show now and we might beat the rush, anyway. The fireworks ended as we got half way down Main St and Julie perked up straight away. We were soon on the bus and heading for home. It was just before 9pm. Julie and me did our nodding dog impressions (which were to become a feature of most late night bus trips) and Valerie woke us up to get off back at ASMu. Home by 9.15, we were all sound asleep at 9.20. I dont think well get to Pleasure island tonight then.
Now then dear faithful stranger - are you being sponsored? I said cheaters never
win. Youve braved the most drivel anyone should ever have to endure in the last two days and now youll get your reward. A magic password will transport you straight to the very similar but much shorter summary at the end of these pointless words of self indulgence. While Wendys scrabbling on the floor looking for the dice, you will be able to type WHAT A PR*TT past the place of NoPoint.
See you next time.
NON STRANGERS AND THOSE WHO THREW A SIX READ FROM HERE
Youve only just beaten us to here. This report is really just about getting through immigration etc. and driving to WDW so was quite short.
We got off the plane and were lucky enough to select lines in Immigration and Check In that let us get to know our fellow travellers.
Walked over a nice mat the Govt provided to clean our shoes.
Nothing much to say about check in or dollar, except they were nice.
Got straight in the car and hit the road.
Was a natural the minute I got back in the driving seat and hit all me toll booths first time.
Got the room wed requested at ASMu - so that was nice.
Went to MK, looked at the castle - again!
Went on the train, watched the parade, got front row seats in the WW1 simulation show and went back to the resort.
Me and Julie wanted to go down to Pleasure Island. Julie particularly coz there were fireworks but Valerie and Gary were too tired.
Went to bed 2.20am UK time.
PLAN FOR TOMORROW
MK bus 7am for early entry.
Belz for shoes 10ish then on to Discovery Cove.
Call in at Seaworld after DC to take in late show,if possible.
Ponderosa for tea.
Epcot by 9pm for Reflections of Earth.
Drinks before bedtime.
Oh, before we go. Those of you that loaded your dice just to miss the tedium that is my life. Well nah,nah,na-na-nah. My faithful strangers been rewarded for loyalty by being given a Magic password that lets the user past all further drivel - and you know therell be the odd bit of that.
The passwords WHAT A PR*TT but its encrypted in Magic code and only the loyal stranger (and Stu) can decode it. When you see WHAT A PR*TT it really says WHAT A PR*TT coz its in code. When you type what you see (WHAT A PR*TT) it'll not encode it so will come out as 'WHAT A PR*TT' and won't work. So you wont be able to use it, so there!
Day 1 + 1/2 - We get off the plane.
NOTICE TO NEW STRANGERS
If youve just wandered in and havent read me pre trip report or short account of our travelling adventures STOP RIGHT THERE BUDDY ! You are in no way prepared for what these good people in front of you are about to see. Go right back to one of these to get your mind into the right key to entwine with mine (wish I could make one of those echoey haunted house laughs come up there.
Ill try to put one on me website - Oh yes, theres one of those coming when this is all finished.)
The Plan and The Flight
TO EXISTING READERS
Now that were getting off the plane, Ill start to calm down so Im afraid there wont be quite so much of the personal misery and discomfort that you all seem to find so amusing. Personally, I think youre all saddos to smirk and giggle at someone elses traumas but will carry on for the Newies out there who need to be warned of the dangers of self flushing toilets and the like. (Authors acknowledgement to Shelagh for the subject matter).
The Day We Planned
Youll know that the key to getting me moneysworth is to stick to me plan - its
not too detailed (the one we took with us only had the timetable in hours not minutes) - and is our guide to making sure we dont miss anything. Now, I think you should have to memorise it but Valerie says thats not fair (see you do get a mention in me report) so Ill give you a reminder of what we planned to do every day.
So DAY 1 PLAN - Fly (safely) and get on the road as quickly as possible. Last time the Airport was a doddle so we expect to land at 2pm and be at Belz by 3 to buy our trainers. Ponderosa for lunch .Check in at ASMu about 4.30, getting to MK for about 5pm. Ride the Train, do Its A Small World and as many others as we can before watching Main St Electrical Parade from the corner of Main St Sq beside the garage/shops. Head for Poly Beach by boat to watch fireworks from
the beach and return to MK resort buses for an early night by about 10.30.
Normal rules apply, Vets can move straight to the brief but exactly the same information at the end of the short (but not as short as the summary) account thats about to unfold before the other nice peoples monitors . If you cant throw a six, read on. (Dont think I dont know some of you have blue tacked the dots on the six either. How childish. Cheaters never win - as youll find out at the end.)
Midway through Day 1 - We get off the plane.
So single stranger, youre on your own. (bet Stu could make an echoey laugh here). All the others have fastpassed straight to the end again - well thats their loss cause by the end of today youll have as much info in your head as me but will be too confused to use it.
Now then, the planes just ground to a halt and Im busy trying to get the blood back to me fingers after grasping the arms of me seat a little too tightly on the way down. The Captain says there will be a slight delay while they tow us to the disembarkation bay and attach the gate. I hope thats not code for were all going to die. While I wait for the blood to recirculate round me whole body, you have a final look round the converted cargo plane weve been cooped up on for the last eight hours. See the front door to your right? Close your eyes.
I meant mentally close your eyes! You cant hear me if you cant see the monitor.
Now close your eyes and think of that door to your right. In a moment, (if we dont get blown to kingdom come) itll open and our holiday will begin. Exciting isnt it?
Think of that lovely hot air all around you. Yes, Ill be right behind you and will start the report as soon as we get through that door ! Eyes open, lets go.
Right , off the plane, times awasting. Join in with the other rude people who push past us, even though its clear were having trouble stowing all our odds and ends back into our hand luggage before we can get off - dont you just hate that?
Step off the plane - thanking the cabin crew for not telling me that the seat that bloke conned me into didnt have a fully functioning set of buttons - into the tunnel. (Shirley, they must have read the pre trip report and have done the exit up to look like one of those expanding tunnels the players come through as they enter the pitch.)
Its freezing! Major overload on the air-conditioning. Into the Immigration Hall and its packed. Three flights have come in together and we are all jostling for position. I bet you do the same ; scan the lines in a nanosecond assessing the number in each queue, how many per party and which has the lowest average age. Sorry to our more senior members (Im talking people who are too old to travel, not you), but you do take so much longer to do the most straightforward things - juggle eight bags, open your passport to the photo page with your tongue and ask the nice man with a gun if you can have another form coz youve crossed over the line ever so slightly on his ever so important (well,I can still read it) form. Well that might work for you but weve read the boards and they said go left, so we did. Into the Line of Many Idiots -
Quote I didnt know we had to fill that bit in "Does that bit matter,then?" After an age we cleared Immigration.
Keep calm Dave. Deep breaths and relax. Dont glare at the nice people with guns. They can be a bit touchy these foreigners.
Right, lets get the bags. It was horrible, there was pushing, shoving, gouging even, but I didnt care! I had to do it to get me bags and get on , me plans running behind time already - glad I didnt finalise it in minutes after all now.
Got the bags and headed for the Airtours Check In Desk.
Not so fast there, Buoy (like him off Dukes of Hazard) Been on a farm lately?
Got any proedeuce with Yaall
No, nice man with a gun. Can I go now? coz me stress levels are likely to land me in your ever so nice, but dirty and smelly with sawdust on the floor and sun streaming in the two barred no-glass window, jail cell in a minute
Step to the right please. Cross the lovely disinfected carpet and feed your bags
through the X Ray machine over there in case youve brought any oxo cubes or
pictures of a roast beef dinner with you
Now he didnt say that when we got to the nice machine, there would be three lines and we could fight with each other to put our bags through first - but we did anyway. I was thinking I might as well mug someone who looks rich cause Im going to end up in jail anyway.
Some people werent going through the slow you down until you cant take it anymore line at all. I was so pleased for them (as you can imagine) but thought it made a mockery of putting the rest of us through that extra free ride as they could have been carrying anything as well. I did think, perhaps they were off an internal flight but we saw some people off our flight go that way (left,you see).
Valerie says she thinks we got picked coz they thought me and our Gary looked like terrorists ( Ill let Astrid or Janice explain that one!).
Finally we made it out of the main terminal and took our time to enjoy the moment as the doors swished open and that lovely hot Disney air hit us full on - lovely. Now hurry up!
At the door of the check in building, I told Valerie, Gary and Julie (group mention logged) to wait in the car-lot coz Id be through here in no time. First time I was
very nervous - 1st time in America & needed loads of info wheres the hotel? wheres Orlando? wheres the car? How do I drive it? Yes Id like to hear all about your lovely timeshare viewing opportunity. but this time, I know the drill. Need no instructions, no chit chat, just pick up me Dollar slip and let me through.
I strolled into the room without a care in the world and was given loads of time to find some! The queue was horrendous. Of course, those that had gone right in the Immigration queue and been allowed left at disinfection alley were in front of me. I had a little crisis all to meself and stood in the line muttering under me breath for the next 30+ minutes. Poor Valerie even came to see what the hold-up was - and she never goes anywhere on her own coz shes got a tendency to get lost. Of course the problem was there were the three flights together and two of them were Airtours UK so thats 700+ to move, plus the internal flight had Airtours clients as well. They had four people on the fly drive desk ,serving the odd passenger that sauntered into the hall while the 700+ of us made do with the three most helpful I must just explain this to you, just in case Reps you would never want to be in a queue for. For sport, they made sure the three of them were never actually at their desks at the same time by taking turns to go into the back room between odd clients , just to keep the throughflow slow enough for the nice Timeshare lady (no gun, so Ill not need to be polite to her) to stop each passenger to offer them the chance of a lifetime.
Given that so many people revisit Orlando, and all we do is pick up a slip to hand to Dollar to release our cars, why cant they have a straightforward express pickup line for those who dont need any advice or help to speed the vast majority of travellers on their way ? Dont get me wrong, I was very grateful for the advice and reassurance I got my first time but the handling system at Sanford seems to be so inefficient, yet so easy to resolve, its annoying. And why, didnt they pass some of the queue over to the fly drive desk reps (still Airtours) at least until their line had more than one person in it!
I got to the desk and lets just say they processed my Dollar slip swiftly with a
minimum of conversation and the nice lady without a gun smiled and stepped aside as it was my turn to walk across her lair following a short (yes I hardly used any words at all, just grunts and glares!) explanation that I was a tad stressed, had been in their country for almost two hours and up to now wasnt having the time of my life that Id been promised!
To the Land of Dollar next. Because of the way Airtours were handling the check ins, walking into Dollar was going from the sublime to the ridiculous. About 20 keen upgraders to every driver. I twisted and turned through the unnecessary line system (I was too far gone to limbo under about four lines of taping) and finally and triumphantly got to the smiling lady upgrader. Just pleased to be in sight of the finishing line (and I bet you are too, arent you dear stranger ?) I politely swerved past all her leading upgrade questions, designed to help me come to the conclusion that an upgrade meant more to me than the holiday
itself and that the whole exercise would be wasted and a miserable failure if I let my family down by embarrassing them in public in such a puny little car. If shed only come out of parrot mode for a minute and thought about the shattered state of a man in front of her and considered what does he need to hear for a second, Id have sold the kids for a car that was going to give me back the last 2 hours. Still she was a pleasant lady and clearly enjoyed the game as our eyes were smiling at each other. I thought, Im in here but didnt have the energy never mind the time! So a compact Dodge Neon it was and keys held tightly, I
left the Land of Dollar and finally got out into the Orlando heat and sunshine for the first time. The family had tans by the time I rejoined them.
We quickly found the car,which was adequate. The boot is snug for luggage for four but it did the job. No cruise control or CD player but $100+ isnt worth it IMHO for a bigger boot,CDs instead of tapes and to rest me right foot on one journey to Busch. Bags stowed, using the glaring method from this morning (from the other report,if youve forgotten. It WAS a long time ago) we were
ready to be on our way.
Now if you remember I was looking forward to driving this time coz I was so much more confident than the first time I drove in US. All that drained as soon as I sat behind the wheel. I had to concentrate on which pedal was which and having looked at the automatic lever I froze. As well as P(ark) R(everse)
N(eutral) and D(rive) - which I remembered, there was 1 & 2. The lack of brackets is coz I couldnt for the life of me remember what they were for. Panic set back in. Did I need to use them to start the engine or something? I couldnt remember. Not so self-assured now, I reached for the manual. So I sat for the next 5 minutes looking all over for the driving instructions. Found them on P96! Youd expect them to be at the beginning wouldnt you? Mind a less than way past
breaking point driver would calmly have found the section in the index. I dont do calm. Having established that 1 & 2 were only there for rough terrain and very steep hills, I regained my composure and started the engine to give the family much needed air conditioning. I wouldnt turn the engine until Id made sure I wasnt going to blow the engine if I had the starting sequence wrong. Well get on our way then? Not now. Ive been so stressed with all the goings on from going left ,when I should have gone right, through disinfectant alley to Land of
Dollar via Airtours Line of No Hope that Ive no confidence in me memorised
directions. So I sat and chilled with me maps for a minute. That done, we belted
up and prepared to move off. Hang on, Id better just pay a quick visit. One more upset could be costly. Out I pop and am back in a minute. I walk to the car and reach inside to pop the trunk ( see one pee and Im a struttin merican cruisin dude again). Funny thing is, a compact doesnt have a trunk release button (I missed that off me upgrade features). So I popped the trunk to get me tape from me bag & oh my god the luggages gone! I slammed the trunk in
shock and went to tell Valerie the luggage has gone and shes not there either. The cars empty! Now youll not have guessed, but I was really freaked out for a split second. No release button? Yep, Id walked past the family ( who wondered what the heck I was doing looking round that other car further up the lot) and was so full of what I had to do I just went through the motions and got in the wrong car. Well I felt a bit silly. Especially as one of the Dollar attendants had been watching me all the time. I sheepishly shuffled past her and rejoined our party ,who seem to think Dads breakdown due to being the only one in this
family that ever does anything and if you all helped me from time to time Id
cope just that little bit better ! was one of the highlights of the holiday.
Off we go, this time for real. Will we get out the gate? Last time they gave us the wrong car and our documents couldnt get us past security so we had to turn back until it got sorted. Im just lucky, I guess. Surely weve had our stint of anecdote making incidents this time? Yes, were free! First junction, OK, ease into the right lane and stay there then you cant do what you did last time - drove the first half mile on the wrong side of the road coz the junction twisted me mind. First traffic light coming up - they seem so high up when youre staring ahead with the concentration of a chess master on speed. Please stay green, dont want to stop yet, might stall. Nearly through. Nearly.. oh, shucks RED. Pulled up short to make sure I didnt overshoot - once the cars stopped Im not edging forward for nobody. Green and off towards the left turn onto the 417 slip road. Up onto the 417 I pushed it on to join the faster traffic. Oh its all coming back now. Just needed a minute to get back in the swing. Indicate to join the main road and look over your shoulder to move out. I saw Gary and Julie (who to their credit smiled back at me) - Id looked over me right shoulder! Before anyone noticed, I swished me head round so fast I was dizzy . If theres anything there its too late and got into the lane just before the slip ran out.
On to Belz then? Well no, actually.
While we were in the converted cargo plane with no headphones to speak of we passed the time by talking- I cant say I enjoyed it and dont intend to make a habit of it, but it passed the time! Anyway, V was worried about leaving the car outside Belz while we went shopping, in case the luggage got stolen and she was itching to get to Disney. We could go into the shops in pairs and the other two guard the car, but whichever two werent with me couldnt be trusted to come
back inside the allocated five minutes . Julie would be bitterly disappointed at
missing out on Ponderosa, but shes smaller than us and certainly couldnt take us together! Anyway, it would be cheaper to grab a burger in the food court at ASMu. As it happened, Vs feet were quite swollen when we landed and she didnt think shed be able to try shoes on today. So were heading straight for Disney. I know youll be sorry to see this journey end coz you seem to be enjoying it so.
But Ive got a holiday to get on with you know. I put me tape into the machine,cranked it up and were looking good -
LET ME EE ENTER TAIAINN YOOOO !!!
The toll booths are a ploy to teach us to drive their cars ,you know. Like the training levels on computer games are designed to introduce you to elements of
the game bit by bit. While it took me the whole route to master stopping in line with the collector in 99 , I was nearly straight there at the first one this time.Just short. Thatll do. The hard faced lady just waved her hand in a very Im bored with these tourists that cant drive way. Come on she demanded. She made me pull forward all of two feet. If Id undone me belt and shed held onto the booth as she leaned into me, we neednt have gone through all that polarver.
Still, I made the next one almost perfect. Much more confident now, its amazing how quickly you get back into the swing of things. Thats the benefit of staying calm and being in control in a quiet confident manner.
As we approached the third booth, I spotted that the green bays had tourists waiting to get through but the exact change gate was free. Valerie already had the two coins ready for me so we went for the regulars route. As I slowed, I noticed it wasnt an outstretched hand I was aiming for but a wide mouthed bucket, like the ones they do the collections with at Blackpool illuminations to keep the traffic flowing. I passed the coins to me left hand, pulled up beside the bucket - it was me first time and I decided, trying while driving past would be asking for trouble. I should have kept me toe down. I flung like a girlie and was
horrified as the coins hit the rim of the very small mouthed bucket and bounced
into the road. The attendant looked at me with a mix of pity and tedium. Do I have to get out ,Mate? Well, he might have had a gun. He just looked at me in that just go in the green lane from now on,tourist way and picked up me coins and let me go. I was a tad quiet for the rest of the journey and not much happened to tell you about.
We started to get excited as the Disney signs were coming thick and fast. The
nearer to home we got the less we needed the instructions. Were back. Round the corner from the slip road were all straining our necks for the first glimpse of
the gates. There they are ! First tear of joy of the holiday, therell be a few more
of them before were done.
Navigating the superb WDW road system, were soon approaching the security gates of our own piece of the Magic.
Once you get used to the idea that most roads run in parallel or at right angles
and all slips go round and round for ever to join up you cant go wrong. I use the
awfully nice Swan and Dolphins as landmarks. Everywhere you go, theyre there , its just a case of getting used to telling where you are and which way youre headed in relation to which side of the car theyre on.
Stopping at the security gates to show our booking forms, we were a little disappointed our special guard, who used to salute every time we passed his gatehouse, wasnt on duty. Maybe tomorrow. (We didnt see him at all, and that was a minor disappointment, coz to us he WAS the All-stars). From there we were soon parked up and heading for the Check in. Gary had his swimming kit in his hand luggage but Julie had forgotten to do that so they couldnt go for a quick dip as wed planned. (It took half an hour to check in last time and we figured if they went swimming it would keep them out of our hair until wed got the keys and moved the car and bags.) So I gave them some money to go to the amusements,$10 I think. Dad so caught up in the excitement he lost all sense of
tightness.
There was no-one else at check in so we were quickly sorting things out.
Mr & Mrs Robinson? Yes, here you are. You asked for a non smoking. pool facing Calypso room,preferably first floor (thats ground to you and me). Youve got exactly what you asked for ,have a nice stay.
I couldnt see her for more tears or say thank you properly for that choking
sensation you get when youre filling up. No, big boys dont cry here. When you get into as many scrapes and embarrassing situations as I seem to do , you learn to be so grateful for anything that goes right it goes straight to your tear glands!
So we were checked in and moved the car in less than 20 minutes. One thing when we were going through the check in process I mistook a question and asked for all our keycards (in Disney your keycard is also your UMP) to be activated as chargecards - so all purchases are billed to the room. So the kids
can charge anything in Disney, from gifts to food and drink and even sweets at the shop to my bill ! More tears , but not of joy this time.
We dropped the bags in the room and transferred all we needed to our bumbags
- I just cant use their term - and were sitting by the pool with fries and a beer
by 5pm. It was like the earlier 16 hours had never happened - and I bet you wish they hadnt !
I paid $4 for the first draft Bud from the poolside bar but remembered it was much cheaper from the fridge in the shop, so I went there for me next one before we headed for Mk. $2.50 for a large bottle of Icehouse and its even cheaper at the supermarkets, so well be going there to stock up tomorrow.
Wed got the kids refillable mugs as soon as we went into the foodcourt and they were ,as always, in their element with their all you can drink lifestyle. Valerie had brought our two from last time and was nervous about taking them into the foodcourt as theyd changed the design, but everyone was using old mugs. So V was happy with her American coffee and all was well with the world.
I could have stayed there all night , but we wanted to get to MK coz we had a lot on the plan to do and it all hinged round being ready for the Main St Electrical Parade at 7pm. Originally wed planned to do MK then move on to Epcot for RoE and then Pleasure Island for the fireworks to break the back of the plan. Now, everyone told us we were being too adventurous, but we remembered the kids playing in the pool till 2.30 in the morning the last time, so were confident wed
be OK. Nearer the holiday we found our first night (Friday) was an E night, so it seemed even more sense to get tickets and ride the night away then head for PI as we had loads of time to do RoE and were on the cruise with Janice and Chris for front row seats on Wednesday,anyway. It was only the week before we went that our memories of the last holiday came into perspective. Yes, the kids had been in the pool at 2.30am but that was UK time! 9.30 US time. It became apparent we might not be the finely toned specimens we thought we were, and we agreed to abort the E night as we might be too tired. Wed wait and see how we felt after the Fireworks at 8.30.
We caught the WDW bus to MK and were at the gates about 6ish. It was just about twilight, and the boats and Floridian has just lit up. When you go to MK for the first time, go just as it gets dark. Light enough to see everything, but just dim enough to let the lights transform the place into the picture postcard image we all know and love.
We leave the Resort bus station, and walk towards the main entrance. As we walk under the monorail lines that obstruct your view , we get our first real look at the Magic Kingdom. It really is just that. Getting a little darker all the time, the Railway Station is one of my favourite views and its looking all the better as its outline is picked out with the lights. Right on cue, the MK Railway whistle blows and sends a shiver up me spine and we head for the ticket barriers , quickening as we get nearer. Faster now , to a brisk pace, were going through the tunnel and enter Main St Square. Slowing to take it all in the sounds of the piped music, people congregating for the MStEP in less than an hour - the hustle and bustle - its busier than we expected. Feel like bursting, keep calm. Turn left and walk on. Dont look up. Get to the centre of the station and turn right. Cross the road into the garden and follow the path round to Walt and Mickey. Keep out of the way of those getting their photos taken. Dont look up. Back on the road in front of the garden, position me feet dead centre of the tram tracks. Deep breath. Look up.
The Castles lit in mauve, rising above Main St. Its dusk now and the lights just
right. Its like that illumination postcard I bet most of youve got. Take a minute.
Bite bottom lip as silent tears fall ( then and now). Whenever anyone tells you nothings worth what we pay to get there. That Orlandos just an American money factory. That you can get the same rides at Blackpool or Alton Towers. You send them to me. That moment, for me, is worth all the sacrifices we all make to go there and why well keep going time and again.
Well, thats a change of pace. Told you at the beginning Ive no idea of continuity. Where the report was amusing its now going to be sickenly sentimental. My split personalitys got a split personality and we still cant make one normal person between the four of us!
So thats set the scene. lets get this holiday on the road.
6.20 ish, we climbed the steps to the railway station for our trip around the
Magic. At the top of the stairs I turned to look at the castle again through the arch of the roof, another favoured framed view - turquoise this time. Onto the station platform, the man in front couldnt contain himself any longer and cried out All Aboard. I wanted to do that! Were sitting in the train as night comes down and the view over the lake is lovely. Ferries and boats come and go and the monorail trains swish in and out of the station. Perfect . What we ever see in Great Yarmouth in our trailer (American ,of course) I cant remember.
Howdy folks and were off. Im videoing the journey but its too dark now but keep it running for the soundtrack.
Now those of you who are still there ( and I know ,by now, 90% will have moved off to BetterThingsToDoLand) will be pleased to hear that I wont be describing every little detail of the next two weeks. This last piece of overkill was to set the tone and convey the impact of the first time we see the castle. From now on Ill only describe things that made me laugh, cry or angry - so thats most then.
We got back to Main St about 6.50 and made our way to our chosen spot to the left of the Vehicle garage. Our main tack to getting the most into an evening is to arrive late at most events and take what you can get, rather than waste a valuable hour or more getting an unrestricted view. This had worked for us tonight as there was only one line of people with children in front of us. These didnt present much of a view barrier and meant the kids could position
themselves behind the smaller ones to see perfectly. Anyway, a few heads in the video adds atmosphere!
We looked forward to MStEP but were a little sad as Spectro magic is our all time favourite. For some time it had been rumoured that Spectro would replace MStEP in the second week of our holiday and we would get the best of both worlds. This wasnt to be the case and both V & I were subdued before the lights went down for the same reason.
The Sparky type voice introduced the show and the lights went out all over the Kingdom. At the same time the plinkity plink of the parade started up. We were instantly lifted, coz we know the tune from our WDW CD. Maybe this isnt going to be so bad after all. After a while, coz its a long show, the repetitive style of music does wear you down but the floats were very good. Valerie and Julie particularly enjoyed the snails for the way they moved round and the sounds they made. I think my favourite is Peter Pan - the galleon and Big Ben. Tink
flying round the mast is well done. Our Gary wont join in getting excited about most things coz itd ruin his cred so dont know if he had a favourite. Just as I was thinking this must be finished soon. Im getting bored with it now., round the corner came Cinderella in her coach. Although it was dark, and there was quite a crowd, she spotted me straight away and blew me a big sloppy kiss. Cheered by her affection for me, I managed to stay till the end. Dopey in the front of the mine trucks was next, followed by his trusty mates. Sneezy came over and sneezed all over this kid in the front and then wiped his gloves all over the kids mums shoulder - so that was nice. Petes Dragon with Elliott riding him to keep him under control (so who was Pete?) then Chip N Dale came in followed by the tribute to America float. I was so into it by now I nearly saluted the flag! Poor Eyore looked so forlorn as he walked behind his more confident pals, Pooh and Tigger who were all over the place meeting guests young and old alike. We followed the end of the parade back up Main St towards the castle to
get a good spot for the Fantasy in the Sky Fireworks. Valerie had read on the board that it really was Tink that sets off the fireworks. She hadnt seen her before and I thought it was just a light effect.
We were parched, so agreed to head into the Plaza Pavilion for drinks and we thought we might be early enough for a seat to watch from there. Two cokes,an iced tea and a coffee, and we had what looked like a perfect spot to the right as you look at the castle. Tinks wire was right above us and we had an unrestricted view of the castle. We sat and savoured the view of the castle as it changed colour and enjoyed our drinks - well not quite true. Id got iced tea coz I couldnt remember if I liked it and didnt . But Id paid for it so down it went.
The lights dimmed and we could see Tink preparing to fly. The castle went dark,
the man said what he says (where we were, we were too far from the sound system) and then Tink set off towards us in the spotlight (her , not me and Valerie). She flew right over our heads and the fireworks began but we couldnt see them, only the light they cast. No wonder we got such good seats - no one else wanted them. Theres an overhang from the terrace where we were and this
shielded the sky. The lower fireworks were partly hidden by trees in the gardens
outside. Now I remembered Id made the same mistake one night last time. Thatll be why the sound system was poor - its no use sitting there. But it was loud enough! It was like sitting in a military bunker in a battle with explosions and the thunderflashes that go with them going on all around us. At least that must be what Julie thought coz she was hysterical. She doesnt like loud noises and explosions in particular. She didnt enjoy any of the shows last time and we had to make concessions like watching from afar etc. to compromise with her. Before we came, she said she was looking forward to the fireworks coz she wasnt frightened by the bangs anymore - no? I led her out of the Plaza and we agreed wed head for the bus coz wed missed the show now and we might beat the rush, anyway. The fireworks ended as we got half way down Main St and Julie perked up straight away. We were soon on the bus and heading for home. It was just before 9pm. Julie and me did our nodding dog impressions (which were to become a feature of most late night bus trips) and Valerie woke us up to get off back at ASMu. Home by 9.15, we were all sound asleep at 9.20. I dont think well get to Pleasure island tonight then.
Now then dear faithful stranger - are you being sponsored? I said cheaters never
win. Youve braved the most drivel anyone should ever have to endure in the last two days and now youll get your reward. A magic password will transport you straight to the very similar but much shorter summary at the end of these pointless words of self indulgence. While Wendys scrabbling on the floor looking for the dice, you will be able to type WHAT A PR*TT past the place of NoPoint.
See you next time.
NON STRANGERS AND THOSE WHO THREW A SIX READ FROM HERE
Youve only just beaten us to here. This report is really just about getting through immigration etc. and driving to WDW so was quite short.
We got off the plane and were lucky enough to select lines in Immigration and Check In that let us get to know our fellow travellers.
Walked over a nice mat the Govt provided to clean our shoes.
Nothing much to say about check in or dollar, except they were nice.
Got straight in the car and hit the road.
Was a natural the minute I got back in the driving seat and hit all me toll booths first time.
Got the room wed requested at ASMu - so that was nice.
Went to MK, looked at the castle - again!
Went on the train, watched the parade, got front row seats in the WW1 simulation show and went back to the resort.
Me and Julie wanted to go down to Pleasure Island. Julie particularly coz there were fireworks but Valerie and Gary were too tired.
Went to bed 2.20am UK time.
PLAN FOR TOMORROW
MK bus 7am for early entry.
Belz for shoes 10ish then on to Discovery Cove.
Call in at Seaworld after DC to take in late show,if possible.
Ponderosa for tea.
Epcot by 9pm for Reflections of Earth.
Drinks before bedtime.
Oh, before we go. Those of you that loaded your dice just to miss the tedium that is my life. Well nah,nah,na-na-nah. My faithful strangers been rewarded for loyalty by being given a Magic password that lets the user past all further drivel - and you know therell be the odd bit of that.
The passwords WHAT A PR*TT but its encrypted in Magic code and only the loyal stranger (and Stu) can decode it. When you see WHAT A PR*TT it really says WHAT A PR*TT coz its in code. When you type what you see (WHAT A PR*TT) it'll not encode it so will come out as 'WHAT A PR*TT' and won't work. So you wont be able to use it, so there!
inkbounc 
