Kaycee
Magic is everywhere if you know where to look
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2001
- Messages
- 4,641
Saturday, December 18, 2004
We were up early this morning and walked over to MGM for early entry. One of my favorite parts of staying at the Swan and Dolphin is being able to walk to MGM and Epcot. Helen had never been to MGM and she loves thrill rides, so we headed straight to RocknRoller Coaster and Tower of Terror. We got fastpasses for TOT and the walked onto RNRC. I absolutely love this coaster; I think its just about perfect fast but smooth, and with great music. When we came off the ride, the line was still short so we rode again woo hoo! It was time for our fastpasses so we went to ride TOT. I like the random drop sequences because no matter how many times you ride, you never know what to expect. The downside is, some of the sequences arent as fun as others. Our first ride was fun, but it wasnt one of the better sequences. We got fastpasses for RNRC (are you sensing that we really liked this ride?) then headed to the Great Movie Ride. It was just now 9am. Two rides on RNRC and a ride on TOT during EE isnt too bad.
We had the best guide on GMR that Ive ever had, but our gangster left something to be desired. He just recited the lines without any inflection at all. The guide made up for him though; he was great, and you could tell he really loved movies.
We went back to RNRC to use our fastpasses I dont think Id ever get tired of riding this ride. After RNRC, we got fastpasses for TOT. It was only 10:30, but we were having an early dinner, so we decided to grab a quick lunch at ABC Commissary. On the way back to TOT to use our fastpasses, we stopped by Indiana Jones to get fastpasses for that. I dont know if fastpasses really make a difference for the shows or not, but the park crowd was really picking up, and we figured it wouldnt hurt to have them.
We had a much better drop sequence on TOT this time; it was great! We were in row 2, the front right row, both times we rode. I like being on the front row when they open the doors and you look out at the park right before they drop you.
It was time for Indiana Jones. I had never been to this show, so it was a first for both of us. It was fun, but I dont think Id take the time to do it again.
We decided to take a few minutes to look in some of the shops. Im not much of a shopper, especially at WDW, but I had been looking for a hat to wear to Candlelight Processional on Monday night since it was supposed to be very cold. So far, I had not had any luck finding a warm hat; every shop wed been in only carried baseball caps or floppy cotton hats. Finally, at a little shop in MGM, I found the perfect hat. Its a warm fleece hat with Mickey on the front woo hoo! Helens sister is a huge Eeyore fan, so we were always on the lookout for unique Eeyore items. We found a couple of cute things in the MGM shops.
Once Id reached my 15-minute shopping tolerance level, we decided to go see Muppets Vision 3-D. I love the Muppets, and I still laugh at this movie even though Ive seen it so many times. Helen really liked it too. After the Muppets, we headed to Walt Disney: One Mans Dream. I have loved Walt Disney since I was a little girl. Just seeing a picture of him makes me smile. Luckily, Helen loves Walt too, and she wanted to take her time going through One Mans Dream, checking out all the items on display. Perfect! After we finished looking at the exhibit, we went to see the film. My favorite part of the film is when they show a picture of the first animation studio Walt worked at in Kansas City Kaycee Studios! I just love the Walt connection to my screen name.
When we left One Mans Dream, it was almost time for the parade. We found a good parade-watching spot across from Echo Lake near Sounds Dangerous. I have never seen the Disney Stars and Motor Cars Parade, so Im not sure how much was changed for Christmas, but it was a cute parade. After the parade, we just strolled around MGM until it was time for our PS at 50s Prime Time Café. When we checked in for dinner, people in front of us were being told there were no tables available for the rest of the evening. We were seated within 2 or 3 minutes of checking in. Its amazing how much difference just a little planning can make, and yet so many people go to WDW without making any plans at all.
We had a lot of fun at 50s Prime Time. Our server was Cousin Jan, and she was perfect, funny but not over the top. Helen got in trouble for having her elbows on the table, which cracked me up. If you knew Helen, youd know how funny this was. Shes an attorney and a college professor, and shes always calm, cool and collected. Once you get to know her, you find out how much fun she can be, but she comes across as very straight-laced when you first meet her. To see her getting scolded for elbows on the table was priceless.
Cousin Jan had a lot of fun with the people at the tables around us too, scolding them for various things. We got a kick out of watching her. There was another server who had several tables not far from us, and he was really something. He had two teenage girls up singing Im a Little Teapot and he put one woman in the corner. Then he came over and started feeding another woman her green beans, complete with airplane-in-the-hangar dialogue. It was great.
After dinner, we went to see the Osborne Family Lights. I saw these in 2002 on Residential Street and thought they were fantastic. Seeing them in their new location was, honestly, a disappointment. Sheer walls of lights are definitely impressive, but it just doesnt have the same magic and creativity that the light displays had when they were on houses. I really hope they can find a better home for the lights than where they are now.
As we were coming out of the display, we got caught in throngs of people pouring in to see the lights. We took that as our cue to leave the park, so we walked back to the Swan, stopping by the Boardwalk Bakery on the way for a cup of hot chocolate. We relaxed in the room until bedtime.
We were up early this morning and walked over to MGM for early entry. One of my favorite parts of staying at the Swan and Dolphin is being able to walk to MGM and Epcot. Helen had never been to MGM and she loves thrill rides, so we headed straight to RocknRoller Coaster and Tower of Terror. We got fastpasses for TOT and the walked onto RNRC. I absolutely love this coaster; I think its just about perfect fast but smooth, and with great music. When we came off the ride, the line was still short so we rode again woo hoo! It was time for our fastpasses so we went to ride TOT. I like the random drop sequences because no matter how many times you ride, you never know what to expect. The downside is, some of the sequences arent as fun as others. Our first ride was fun, but it wasnt one of the better sequences. We got fastpasses for RNRC (are you sensing that we really liked this ride?) then headed to the Great Movie Ride. It was just now 9am. Two rides on RNRC and a ride on TOT during EE isnt too bad.
We had the best guide on GMR that Ive ever had, but our gangster left something to be desired. He just recited the lines without any inflection at all. The guide made up for him though; he was great, and you could tell he really loved movies.
We went back to RNRC to use our fastpasses I dont think Id ever get tired of riding this ride. After RNRC, we got fastpasses for TOT. It was only 10:30, but we were having an early dinner, so we decided to grab a quick lunch at ABC Commissary. On the way back to TOT to use our fastpasses, we stopped by Indiana Jones to get fastpasses for that. I dont know if fastpasses really make a difference for the shows or not, but the park crowd was really picking up, and we figured it wouldnt hurt to have them.
We had a much better drop sequence on TOT this time; it was great! We were in row 2, the front right row, both times we rode. I like being on the front row when they open the doors and you look out at the park right before they drop you.
It was time for Indiana Jones. I had never been to this show, so it was a first for both of us. It was fun, but I dont think Id take the time to do it again.
We decided to take a few minutes to look in some of the shops. Im not much of a shopper, especially at WDW, but I had been looking for a hat to wear to Candlelight Processional on Monday night since it was supposed to be very cold. So far, I had not had any luck finding a warm hat; every shop wed been in only carried baseball caps or floppy cotton hats. Finally, at a little shop in MGM, I found the perfect hat. Its a warm fleece hat with Mickey on the front woo hoo! Helens sister is a huge Eeyore fan, so we were always on the lookout for unique Eeyore items. We found a couple of cute things in the MGM shops.
Once Id reached my 15-minute shopping tolerance level, we decided to go see Muppets Vision 3-D. I love the Muppets, and I still laugh at this movie even though Ive seen it so many times. Helen really liked it too. After the Muppets, we headed to Walt Disney: One Mans Dream. I have loved Walt Disney since I was a little girl. Just seeing a picture of him makes me smile. Luckily, Helen loves Walt too, and she wanted to take her time going through One Mans Dream, checking out all the items on display. Perfect! After we finished looking at the exhibit, we went to see the film. My favorite part of the film is when they show a picture of the first animation studio Walt worked at in Kansas City Kaycee Studios! I just love the Walt connection to my screen name.
When we left One Mans Dream, it was almost time for the parade. We found a good parade-watching spot across from Echo Lake near Sounds Dangerous. I have never seen the Disney Stars and Motor Cars Parade, so Im not sure how much was changed for Christmas, but it was a cute parade. After the parade, we just strolled around MGM until it was time for our PS at 50s Prime Time Café. When we checked in for dinner, people in front of us were being told there were no tables available for the rest of the evening. We were seated within 2 or 3 minutes of checking in. Its amazing how much difference just a little planning can make, and yet so many people go to WDW without making any plans at all.
We had a lot of fun at 50s Prime Time. Our server was Cousin Jan, and she was perfect, funny but not over the top. Helen got in trouble for having her elbows on the table, which cracked me up. If you knew Helen, youd know how funny this was. Shes an attorney and a college professor, and shes always calm, cool and collected. Once you get to know her, you find out how much fun she can be, but she comes across as very straight-laced when you first meet her. To see her getting scolded for elbows on the table was priceless.
Cousin Jan had a lot of fun with the people at the tables around us too, scolding them for various things. We got a kick out of watching her. There was another server who had several tables not far from us, and he was really something. He had two teenage girls up singing Im a Little Teapot and he put one woman in the corner. Then he came over and started feeding another woman her green beans, complete with airplane-in-the-hangar dialogue. It was great.
After dinner, we went to see the Osborne Family Lights. I saw these in 2002 on Residential Street and thought they were fantastic. Seeing them in their new location was, honestly, a disappointment. Sheer walls of lights are definitely impressive, but it just doesnt have the same magic and creativity that the light displays had when they were on houses. I really hope they can find a better home for the lights than where they are now.
As we were coming out of the display, we got caught in throngs of people pouring in to see the lights. We took that as our cue to leave the park, so we walked back to the Swan, stopping by the Boardwalk Bakery on the way for a cup of hot chocolate. We relaxed in the room until bedtime.
