We are: hubby and wife- early 30s; son 8; driving from an Atlanta suburb.
Day 1- Tuesday June 2
We left the house around 6 or 7am and stopped for Starbucks coffee and oven sandwiches (free; hubby has a hookup)!
Driving was smooth sailing until we got to a place where there was a huge accident. It looked like a truck had caught fire (Highway 91?). There were helicopters and traffic was backed up for miles. Luckily, we were going in the opposite direction, but several people had gotten out of their cars and were sitting on the highway with the ignition off.
We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express off Palm Parkway. It was about $100 a night including breakfast, and they were cool with you taking food upstairs to store in the frig. The hotel is fine if all you really need is a place to sleep and eat. It had a nice outdoor pool with what looked like a fun slide, and there were very few people there period. That's just what we wanted, and it's not like we had time to get in the pool anyway. Just to mention now, breakfast options were very good! There was always hot food available; eggs, sausage links or patties, omlettes, waffles, etc, and for the more healthy, yogurt, banannas, orange juice, coffee. We were never bored with the selections, and it was nice to just sit quietly with your family, and maybe 5 other people total. My complaints; there was a lot of roadwork on the street, and there is an abandoned building next door that's an eyesore. If we go on a budget again next year, I wouldn't have a problem staying here again. But, I think I would rather have something nicer. Also, the shuttles don't run regularly enough to rely on them for transportation, so if you do plan on staying here, you will be driving and parking (something we didn't account for on our original budget).
Anyway, we got to the hotel around 3pm and dropped off our stuff, then proceeded straight to Epcot and got there around 4pm. We immediately went to get fast passes for Test Track at 7pm. Soaring, of course, was out of passes. Let me say now, I really like the boards the parks have put up that tell you about wait times. It really helps planning and avoiding unnecessary walking. Then we headed to Mission Mars-Orange Team! The wait was only 20 minutes. My son refused to do this ride again! Then we walked right onto Spaceship Earth. How great was that! We didn't realize you could email your pics the first time, so don't forget, when you come out, get on the computer and email it to yourself and friends!
We finally got hungry (remember, we had gotten food way back in ATL), so we stopped at the Electric Umbrella. I am a small woman, so my son and I shared a bacon double cheeseburger w/fries and drink. My husband got a combo of his own. The burgers are ok. What made the experience was eating outside in front of the fountain, while the music played and the fountains "jumped". I had to record it!
Then we walked in The Seas and waited 10 minutes to talk to Crush.
Then it was time to go back to Test Track (around 7:30pm). We were in line about 15-20 minutes. I almost felt bad for the people who were complaining about waiting in line an hour. My son loved it!!!!
Then we went to find a spot to sit down to wait for Illuminations. As a short woman, I couldn't see Earth at all, but the fireworks were amazing (and a little scary)!
We got back home around 11pm and crashed! Tomorrow, Magic Kingdom.
Day 1- Tuesday June 2
We left the house around 6 or 7am and stopped for Starbucks coffee and oven sandwiches (free; hubby has a hookup)!
Driving was smooth sailing until we got to a place where there was a huge accident. It looked like a truck had caught fire (Highway 91?). There were helicopters and traffic was backed up for miles. Luckily, we were going in the opposite direction, but several people had gotten out of their cars and were sitting on the highway with the ignition off.
We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express off Palm Parkway. It was about $100 a night including breakfast, and they were cool with you taking food upstairs to store in the frig. The hotel is fine if all you really need is a place to sleep and eat. It had a nice outdoor pool with what looked like a fun slide, and there were very few people there period. That's just what we wanted, and it's not like we had time to get in the pool anyway. Just to mention now, breakfast options were very good! There was always hot food available; eggs, sausage links or patties, omlettes, waffles, etc, and for the more healthy, yogurt, banannas, orange juice, coffee. We were never bored with the selections, and it was nice to just sit quietly with your family, and maybe 5 other people total. My complaints; there was a lot of roadwork on the street, and there is an abandoned building next door that's an eyesore. If we go on a budget again next year, I wouldn't have a problem staying here again. But, I think I would rather have something nicer. Also, the shuttles don't run regularly enough to rely on them for transportation, so if you do plan on staying here, you will be driving and parking (something we didn't account for on our original budget).
Anyway, we got to the hotel around 3pm and dropped off our stuff, then proceeded straight to Epcot and got there around 4pm. We immediately went to get fast passes for Test Track at 7pm. Soaring, of course, was out of passes. Let me say now, I really like the boards the parks have put up that tell you about wait times. It really helps planning and avoiding unnecessary walking. Then we headed to Mission Mars-Orange Team! The wait was only 20 minutes. My son refused to do this ride again! Then we walked right onto Spaceship Earth. How great was that! We didn't realize you could email your pics the first time, so don't forget, when you come out, get on the computer and email it to yourself and friends!
We finally got hungry (remember, we had gotten food way back in ATL), so we stopped at the Electric Umbrella. I am a small woman, so my son and I shared a bacon double cheeseburger w/fries and drink. My husband got a combo of his own. The burgers are ok. What made the experience was eating outside in front of the fountain, while the music played and the fountains "jumped". I had to record it!
Then we walked in The Seas and waited 10 minutes to talk to Crush.
Then it was time to go back to Test Track (around 7:30pm). We were in line about 15-20 minutes. I almost felt bad for the people who were complaining about waiting in line an hour. My son loved it!!!!
Then we went to find a spot to sit down to wait for Illuminations. As a short woman, I couldn't see Earth at all, but the fireworks were amazing (and a little scary)!
We got back home around 11pm and crashed! Tomorrow, Magic Kingdom.
