Dimplenose
Stranger from the outside
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2002
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Libbys Trip Day 2 MGM studios and EPCOT
Cast Me 43 in love with Mickey Mouse
DH (of 20 years) 43
DS 14 cynical teenager
DD 11 a stroppy little madam
Location 14 day holiday at Windsor Palms with 1 night trip to Royal Pacific Resort
Date August 11th to 25th 2005
Friday August 12th 2005
3am My body says wake up!. I get a drink and go back to bed.
4am I give up trying to sleep and do some unpacking.
5am Try to get another nap.
6 am DH awake so we had coffee and watched the news on TV.
At 7am we woke the kids and had breakfast. Once we are dressed its still very early so we go outside to the pool area and play a rather inane game of trying to walk across the pool decking without turning the security light on.
We soon left for MGM, but first we had a detour and went to look at the villa we should have had. One reason I chose it was that it had a privacy fence behind it so it wasnt overlooked. The main feature missing from all the photos I had seen was a large storage tank just on the other side of the fence and much higher than the fence. This turned out to a part of a water treatment plant. We also found out that a lot of the construction vehicles were parked near the water treatment plant each night it was worth the heartache of the past week not to have that villa. I am a firm believer in things happening for a reason now I could see the reason.
We found the Sherbeth Road, much smaller and less developed than I had expected, and seemed to go on forever past a deserted motel and some very nice, but very isolated condos. We got to MGM and parked in Stage 43. We got the tram (because we wanted to, we were close enough to walk). There was a very quick bag search followed by our first experience of finger scans. DH had a problem this time but over the fortnight we all had a problem at one time or another. We went to get fast passes for R&R coaster then the other 3 went on Tower of Terror. I had a look round the shops and took photos while they did these rides (I am the official family wimp.)
We all went on the Great Movie Ride with just a 5 minute wait. We got the Cowboy side. The girl playing the villain was a bit wet. It was now 10:50 and with our tummies still tuned into UK time we were getting rather hungry. We went to Sci-Fi dine in and made a reservation for 11:30. We went to get a fast pass for Lights, Motors, Action but the return time was 12:30 which we thought might be a bit tight after lunch so we decided to leave it for another day.
We walked back to Sci-Fi dine in taking pictures and looking in shops along the way. We arrived a bit early but were soon shown to our seats. We were right at the front. The kids both had ribs and DH and I had BBQ chicken sandwich. (With drinks and tip $85). I noticed that small children were being given driving licences when they sat at the front of their car. We love this place, not so much for the food but for the atmosphere and the corny film clips.
After lunch we went to the back lot tour. We had a 15 minute wait. Once in we walked right past the water tanks Im sure that this used to be the start of the show and through the props to the tram tour. It was OK. Our guide wasnt very interesting but by luck we had managed to coincide our tour with the Lights, Motors, Action show and we saw where the cars did their turns one driver even waved to us.
On our way through the America Film Institute shop DD bought a Pirates of the Caribbean T-shirt with a picture of Johnny Depp on it which got quite a few comments from CMs during the holiday (as she wore it when ever it was clean).
DS wanted to do Star Tours but there was a 30 minute wait posted and we were all beginning to wilt so we decided not to do this today. On the way out DS bought his pride and joy a Darth Tater he is so proud of it!
As we drove back to the Villa we managed to get lost and ended up on the I4 I still dont know how. We came off and turned around and started to retrace our steps just as a storm started. We popped into the supermarket for a few things we had forgotten yesterday. The thunder seemed overhead now. The checkout girl said it would only last 15 minutes, but it circled round for a couple of hours.
Back at the villa DD had wanted to swim but the weather was too bad. So we had snacks and started to watch TV. I fell asleep for a couple of hours.
At 5pm we went to Epcot. It was only just beginning to stop raining but the storm was a long way away now. Spaceship earth was a walk on. Its funny to think that on our first trip in 1998 a lot of the final stuff was still new or experimental, but now its all very common in lots of homes.
It was lovely and cool after the storm and as we walked around world showcase we couldnt believe how small it seemed. Weve only ever been to WDW during August and normally its a test of endurance to walk around Epcot in the heat and humidity. We dipped into shops along the way and really enjoyed being able to take things leisurely.
We stopped for a meal at the Liberty Inn probably the nastiest meal of the fortnight. (I find counter service meals near closing times rather dodgy we had a particularly horrible meal at the Electric Umbrella on our last holiday at this time of day).
The kids were now getting tired and irritable and any thoughts of staying for Illuminations were shelved (shame because the rain had really thinned out the crowds). We decided to finish our tour of World Showcase and then head back to the villa. When we reached UK, British Invasion were playing but just as we stopped to watch they finished their session. We carried on round and walked back to the car. We got lost again coming home, but not as badly as earlier.
Once back at the villa DD went for a swim what happened to the tired girl we had to drag around Epcot? We sat under the lanai with cold drinks. Later we watched the end of Cry Baby (This was meant to be a holiday with Mickey Mouse but Johnny Depp seems to be turning up a lot!).
We then all crawled into bed.
Libby
Cast Me 43 in love with Mickey Mouse
DH (of 20 years) 43
DS 14 cynical teenager
DD 11 a stroppy little madam
Location 14 day holiday at Windsor Palms with 1 night trip to Royal Pacific Resort
Date August 11th to 25th 2005
Friday August 12th 2005
3am My body says wake up!. I get a drink and go back to bed.
4am I give up trying to sleep and do some unpacking.
5am Try to get another nap.
6 am DH awake so we had coffee and watched the news on TV.
At 7am we woke the kids and had breakfast. Once we are dressed its still very early so we go outside to the pool area and play a rather inane game of trying to walk across the pool decking without turning the security light on.
We soon left for MGM, but first we had a detour and went to look at the villa we should have had. One reason I chose it was that it had a privacy fence behind it so it wasnt overlooked. The main feature missing from all the photos I had seen was a large storage tank just on the other side of the fence and much higher than the fence. This turned out to a part of a water treatment plant. We also found out that a lot of the construction vehicles were parked near the water treatment plant each night it was worth the heartache of the past week not to have that villa. I am a firm believer in things happening for a reason now I could see the reason.
We found the Sherbeth Road, much smaller and less developed than I had expected, and seemed to go on forever past a deserted motel and some very nice, but very isolated condos. We got to MGM and parked in Stage 43. We got the tram (because we wanted to, we were close enough to walk). There was a very quick bag search followed by our first experience of finger scans. DH had a problem this time but over the fortnight we all had a problem at one time or another. We went to get fast passes for R&R coaster then the other 3 went on Tower of Terror. I had a look round the shops and took photos while they did these rides (I am the official family wimp.)
We all went on the Great Movie Ride with just a 5 minute wait. We got the Cowboy side. The girl playing the villain was a bit wet. It was now 10:50 and with our tummies still tuned into UK time we were getting rather hungry. We went to Sci-Fi dine in and made a reservation for 11:30. We went to get a fast pass for Lights, Motors, Action but the return time was 12:30 which we thought might be a bit tight after lunch so we decided to leave it for another day.
We walked back to Sci-Fi dine in taking pictures and looking in shops along the way. We arrived a bit early but were soon shown to our seats. We were right at the front. The kids both had ribs and DH and I had BBQ chicken sandwich. (With drinks and tip $85). I noticed that small children were being given driving licences when they sat at the front of their car. We love this place, not so much for the food but for the atmosphere and the corny film clips.
After lunch we went to the back lot tour. We had a 15 minute wait. Once in we walked right past the water tanks Im sure that this used to be the start of the show and through the props to the tram tour. It was OK. Our guide wasnt very interesting but by luck we had managed to coincide our tour with the Lights, Motors, Action show and we saw where the cars did their turns one driver even waved to us.
On our way through the America Film Institute shop DD bought a Pirates of the Caribbean T-shirt with a picture of Johnny Depp on it which got quite a few comments from CMs during the holiday (as she wore it when ever it was clean).
DS wanted to do Star Tours but there was a 30 minute wait posted and we were all beginning to wilt so we decided not to do this today. On the way out DS bought his pride and joy a Darth Tater he is so proud of it!
As we drove back to the Villa we managed to get lost and ended up on the I4 I still dont know how. We came off and turned around and started to retrace our steps just as a storm started. We popped into the supermarket for a few things we had forgotten yesterday. The thunder seemed overhead now. The checkout girl said it would only last 15 minutes, but it circled round for a couple of hours.
Back at the villa DD had wanted to swim but the weather was too bad. So we had snacks and started to watch TV. I fell asleep for a couple of hours.
At 5pm we went to Epcot. It was only just beginning to stop raining but the storm was a long way away now. Spaceship earth was a walk on. Its funny to think that on our first trip in 1998 a lot of the final stuff was still new or experimental, but now its all very common in lots of homes.
It was lovely and cool after the storm and as we walked around world showcase we couldnt believe how small it seemed. Weve only ever been to WDW during August and normally its a test of endurance to walk around Epcot in the heat and humidity. We dipped into shops along the way and really enjoyed being able to take things leisurely.
We stopped for a meal at the Liberty Inn probably the nastiest meal of the fortnight. (I find counter service meals near closing times rather dodgy we had a particularly horrible meal at the Electric Umbrella on our last holiday at this time of day).
The kids were now getting tired and irritable and any thoughts of staying for Illuminations were shelved (shame because the rain had really thinned out the crowds). We decided to finish our tour of World Showcase and then head back to the villa. When we reached UK, British Invasion were playing but just as we stopped to watch they finished their session. We carried on round and walked back to the car. We got lost again coming home, but not as badly as earlier.
Once back at the villa DD went for a swim what happened to the tired girl we had to drag around Epcot? We sat under the lanai with cold drinks. Later we watched the end of Cry Baby (This was meant to be a holiday with Mickey Mouse but Johnny Depp seems to be turning up a lot!).
We then all crawled into bed.
Libby
