Jones's do Orlando at Christmas and Gulf Coast for New Year - Part 3

Mike Jones

<font color=993300>....nothing clever to say... ju
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Jun 23, 2003
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The Cast:

Mike, 39, chief organiser, driver and brew maker
Heather, 40, wife and mum
Bethany, 11 (going on 20!), coaster addict, hates getting wet.
Adam, 9, (going on 8!), hates coasters (except BTMRR), LOVES getting wet!

DAY 3 - SATURDAY 20TH DECEMBER 2003

(Plan today is Epcot, PS at Whispering Canyon Café, Wilderness Lodge, and hopefully Illuminations)



Awoke at 545am after a pretty good night’s sleep, followed in short order by the kids, leaving Heather to sleep on for a bit. Sorted pancakes for the kids and brewed coffee for self, which I took outside onto the lanai. The air temp this morning is cool - cold, although calm and, as I can see stars, I expect another sunny day. Checked the pool temperature - pleasantly warm, but I don’t feel like a swim. Enjoyed coffee and had a think about what we wanted to do today at Epcot. I woke Heather at 630 with a brew (she’s a proper northern lass who likes her cuppa first thing: I can only respond to coffee!) We all shower and I beat the kids into their gear and encourage them to pack anything they think they might need today, as we are hoping to stay out until late. Chase Heather up to find she’s faffing about with ‘high maintenance’ clothes - trousers that need PRESSING for heaven’s sake! - AND - she ‘has to prepare these to wear as her other favourite ones are at home.’ - WHO packed? It wasn’t me, and I’m sure the kids didn’t! Look, you don’t understand, I’m going to EPCOT today, family, that’s EPCOT, probably my favourite place on the planet, PLEASE get your s**t together and COME-ON!!!!

We manage to leave by 800am and are parked by 815. We join the line (fortunately short, so I don’t need to seek a new family yet) and jig around in the cold breeze for 30 minutes. I chat to the couple behind us, who are from Illinois, and have no kids, lucky sods! I dispense walkie-talkies to Heather and Adam, as Beth and I are intending to hit Mission: Space first, while they amble to Test Track and obtain FastPasses for us all. We get excited (ok, I get excited) at 845 when we are allowed inside…. but Disney timekeeping is typically regimental and we are only allowed to reach the ropes below Spaceship Earth! At least we are still near the front of the line, at the left side for a sprint start towards Mission: Space! One of the CMs is zipping about on a Segway thingy - we first saw these last year and although they seem much more common now, they won’t let me have a go! We are admitted at 0900 exactly, and instructed not to run! However, as the CM charged with leading the charge to MS and TT is on a Segway, and dashes off at better than 10 mph, we are pretty much free to set a new time for the 200 metres and leap into the fray! Our tactics pay off, as we are the first people to the entrance of MS - it then comes unravelled, as, having no crowd to follow, we run in the wrong door! By the time the CMs sort us out, we are about 20 back in the line! Never mind, we’re nearly there! The waiting areas are great, with authentic looking and obviously fictitious displays (eg: photos of ‘first family in space,’ including their dog!). The central, rotating Space Station Display is impressive, very reminiscent of 2001 Space Oddity. After almost endless barf warnings we are teamed up with 2 local teenage lads, one of whom has ridden before. We are all assigned our mission posts - Beth is Engineer and I am Commander. Admitted to the capsule and closed in. The mission tasks are assigned and explained (basically press 2 buttons each when instructed) and the ride commences. Now this is a personal view: I have never been affected by any sort of motion sickness or nausea, and I used to do Freestyle Skydiving (sort of gymnastics in freefall) so didn’t anticipate any ill effects. (Bethany seems to have picked up some of the same genes, as she loves coasters, the wilder the better.) The ride was fantastic! Take-off was a blast, literally - you can feel the G forces and a pretty convincing weightless sensation to follow! The other effects of rough manoeuvring and crash landing are more typical of other simulators like Wild Arctic, Star Tours, Back to the Future etc, but none the worse for that. I expected to at least understand the motion sickness stories, if not be affected, but quite honestly, we couldn’t understand what all the fuss had been about. (Beth too, but she still couldn’t persuade her mum to try it!)

Exited the ride at around 920 and walked across to TestTrack. No sign of Adam & Heather, and no reply on the W/Ts so we presume they have gone on the ride after getting FPs for all of us. We walked back through Innoventions plaza to have a look at the Fountain, one of our favourite spectacles, particularly at night. I videoed a session, but the ‘normal’ dramatic and inspiring music has been replaced by festive stuff, so the impact was somewhat muted. We noticed the Christmas displays on the causeway to the World Showcase and moved closer for a better look.. It’s very pleasant out now, with clear blue skies and the breeze has either dropped off a bit or the sun is countering it. We wandered back to TestTrack and find Heather and Adam in the shop- they have ridden. (Adam’s after a TT ride vehicle model, but also wants a car he’s seen at Old Town, and is struggling to make a decision, as he can’t afford both!). We go further back, into the GM-sponsored exit area to gawp at the vehicles on display. Heather (all 5’2 of her) wants the Hummer2, but I’m smitten with an ENORMOUS ‘van’ (MPV over here), a GMC Explorer, I think…kitted out with every extra you can think of, having sumptuous, leather ‘armchairs’, fridge between the 2 front seats, fitted blinds, accessory sockets all over the place and a full size flat screen TV in the back with DVD and video!! I WANT ONE! (but I suspect that it may be a bout 3 feet too big for UK roads! FastPass time approacheth, so we drag Adam out of the store, and enter the ride. Virtually no wait, until we enter the pre-show thingy and have to listen to Bill telling us about the course for approximately the 20th time in 4 years! (‘Oh no Bill, not number 7, please!’). Soon in the car, but experience a couple of delays, first at the belt check area where the computer insists we haven’t got our seat belts fastened, (the engineer bypasses this and we advance up the hill-climb.. at about 2 mph!) and then near the ‘environmental tests’ where we are stopped for about 1 minute! Bit annoying, but the track test is as fast and eye watering as ever and we leave with smiles on our faces! Quickly through the GM car show area and exit the shop…. No Adam! Back into the shop and retrieve him again, kicking and whining, as he’s still not decided on a model car.

It’s very sunny now but the breeze is cold. All the cast members forced to work outside in shade (kiosks etc) are shivering and many have portable heaters to supplement their thick winter clothing! We are quite comfortable though, and it does seem to be getting a bit warmer.

Bit peckish now and short of caffeine, so we grab coffee and cookies from a vendor near the Universe of Energy. We sit in the sun to eat – lovely! Quick restroom stop (parents only, again!) and walk into U of E at 1055. It’s a while since we did this attraction and 3 of us enjoy it, although Beth whinges intermittently during the short wait and the show itself. (I love kids, but I can’t eat a full one.) Exit around 1145 and start to walk back towards the World Showcase, via the central walkway with the Christmas arches and the big Tree. We take a few pics and video footage before going right, to the ‘Refreshment Port’ (McDonalds) for Adam’s lunch (6 McNuggets, fries and chocolate milk). We sit on a bench near Canada while he eats, and video the Canadian Santa telling the story of Christmas to a gaggle of children. Beth and I decide to leave them to it, as we are hungry and both want to eat at Japan – Heather doesn’t feel hungry at the moment. We proceed through Canada and the UK pavilion, across the bridge to France (my dad reckons that the water below you must be the English channel!!), past Morocco to Japan – I can’t believe how quiet it is everywhere! The drummers are performing when we arrive at Japan and we stop to enjoy and video for a few minutes – this is definitely one of my favourite attractions at Epcot – the performers are very passionate and their energy is amazing! The spokeswoman is always out of breath at the end! They didn’t look cold!

We climb the steps past the lovely, Japanese gardens and enter the Yakitori House. This is the counter service option in Japan (there is a two part, full service restaurant above the large store on the other side of the square, but we’ve never eaten there as only half the family would enjoy the food) and is styled after a traditional teahouse. I think that Japan has possibly the most authentic feel of all the pavilions, and the Yakitori is no exception. Beth wants Teriyaki Chicken and I have the Shogun Combo. Yum! $12.55 for both. We go through to the small, sheltered patio garden outside and are just starting when Heather and Adam arrive. It’s quite a lot warmer now and the layers are coming off.

After lunch everyone has a browse in the Japanese store. Nothing is purchased and we soon move on to the US pavilion. We wander the store (surprisingly small, given the prominence of the pavilion itself,) where Adam tries on various silly hats. I can hear the fife and drum troupe outside and go out to watch and video. They play a couple of tunes before the MC invites all the children watching to come up front and lead the Pledge Of Allegiance, which the American adults all join in. Say what you will about the US citizens, they are wonderfully patriotic! He finishes by inviting everyone to come inside and visit the American Adventure – we did not want to do this having done it in April, when, I am ashamed to say, 5 out of 6 family members, self included, fell asleep! In defence of our reaction to what seemed to be an impressive presentation, I believe the soporific effect was more down to the heat outside that day, and the lovely cool darkness within when we were all quite washed out! However, we know that live singing will precede the show and Heather and I go in hoping for festive tunes! (The kids are scornful of any real culture and decline to follow us. We are not disappointed! ‘Voices of Liberty’ perform, in period costume, a variety of beautiful, Christmas songs under the high rotunda roof, which provides wonderful acoustics. Very moving! We drift back towards the exit via Italy and Germany, without more than a brief look in their stores. The kids want to get their hands on the free samples at Ice Station Cool, so we go in, but are somewhat miffed, as the snow generator has been turned off, although there are small drifts in the passageway! Everyone tucks in (although it’s hard to move around as the floor is exceptionally sticky with spilled soda!) and I manage to con Heather into trying the Beverly! RESULT! What a face! She advances menacingly so I herd the kids out quickly! Back to the car at about 330 (we were early enough that we are parked close in, near the bus station and don’t need the trams.)

We drive over to the Wilderness Lodge for about 345pm – we tell Security that we have PS’s for the WCC at 5pm and are admitted without any difficulty or list checking. We are concerned about Adam now, as he is complaining of a headache and I wonder if the meal will work out or not.

Part of the plot this visit is to see a bit more of the WDW resort hotels so we’ve booked meals at WCC and Boma (AKL) over the week. We self-park and walk across the huge, covered forecourt into the Lobby.. and are blown away! I think this huge area is about 80 feet high and is decorated with a beautiful Christmas tree of at least 50 feet high. The theme is old American hunting lodge on steroids, with extensive use of natural timbers (and more than likely very good imitations!) throughout, and dark, heavy but warm fabrics and furnishings. We have a good look around, including the store and the restrooms, before going outside to view the water features and pool. A bald eagle flies overhead, circling lazily, and I manage to catch it on the video! We go back inside and climb up a few floors to take photos and video of the lobby from above, before checking in at the Café reception (if you haven’t visited this hotel, the WCC is adjacent to and opens into the lobby area). We are advised that when ‘the bell’ is rung at 5pm we should return and await a server shouting our name for seating. I collect menus and we adjourn to some very comfortable sofas nearby. Quite a lot of folk are gathering now in anticipation of the restaurant opening for dinner and I am glad I made PS’s all those weeks ago! We chat to a friendly, American lady who was there with a largish family group. She was very knowledgeable about all things Disney and we talked until the bell rang. The atmosphere and theme of the WCC seems to be lively bordering on raucous! The servers shout the names of the group and lead you to your tables, before taking drinks orders, then the fun begins! Straws are hurled at us and the table in a small cloud (although drinks are placed carefully enough!) and when they are returning with platters of food, they accompany their passage across the wooden floors by bashing the folding, serving tables at every step! It soon gets very full and incredibly noisy! Adam is not too bright now and can’t really face the hot dog he orders. Heather and I have the family skillet (all u can eat sausage, pork, ribs, steak, etc. with sweetcorn, beans and mash). Beth has a burger. I think we had beer and the kids had coke and strawberry smoothie for Bethany, but I forgot to record it in my notes.

Partway through the meal a server came across from another area and asked Bethany if she liked younger men – Beth, puzzled, said ‘no’ and the waitress bellowed across to her table ‘Sorry honey, you’re out of luck, she only likes older guys!’ to the embarrassment of a young boy and the delight of his family! Other situations erupted from time to time, including the stealing and wearing of guests’ hats by the servers and a hobby horse race around the room by a couple of dozen of the children.

We finish fairly quickly as Adam looks peaky now and pay the check - $83 incl tip. The food was decent but not special, but the entertainment was unique and fun! Don’t bother if you or yours are raging introverts – you may end up singing a song in front of your fellow diners!

Todays plan included Illuminations at Epcot but Adam isn’t well and the rest of us are tired anyway – it seems to take our family 3 or 4 days to adjust to the jetlag. We go back at 645pm and tidy up. The kids are bathed and bedded by 815 and Heather & I open a beer or two and watch TV – ‘Shawshank Redemption’ is on from 800 – 1040. I just manage to watch it out before falling into bed!

Tomorrow – a Universal day (not sure which park yet)

Mike.:teeth:
 
yayyy, another cool report :Pinkbounc that family skillet that you and your wife ate at WCC sounds delish! I was thinking of dragging hubby there for dinner, until you said about the singing part - I ain't singing for my supper lol.

Anz :earsgirl:
 
I had sort of planned to take DH & DD to dine at WCC next month but was planning to just 'wing it' when we get there, judging by your report I think I might phone tonight and make some PS. Thanks Mike.

Great reports BTW
 

Wonderful trip report ~ Thanx for sharing.
 
Great report Mike did u buy the walkie talkie's over there and are they useful?:jester:
 
highlander - no, we borrow them off a friend, but they are cheap as chips at Wal-mart -circa $20 a pair. Very useful to let the kids roam or if the group splits.

Mike:teeth:
 














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