Living the Dream - Dec. 3 - 13 - with photos Finished 3/09

[bbangel]

I'm enjoying this report! Christmas is so magical at the World.

Glad you are enjoying it. This was a great time to visit. Lots of stuff going on, beautiful decorations and not too crowded.

 

[bbangel]

We had a breakfast scheduled at 1900 Park Fare this morning. We took a bus to MK and then hopped on the monorail. We took some time looking around the resort. Beautiful. One day I hope to have the money to stay here. The gingerbread house was amazing. I can’t even imagine how long it takes to plan and then build and decorate that structure. I had a bit of a flashback to Hansel and Gretel when I saw it, though.

Mary Poppins greeted everyone at the entrance for 1900 Park Fare. She was in her holiday clothes and very obliging about photos. She was correcting the posture of some of the little girls and getting giggles in return. Of course that prompted a lecture about giggling not being very attractive. Quite fun.

Inside the breakfast were Alice, the Mad Hatter, Tigger and Pooh. The food was good. I was happy to see lots of fruit and had my first Mickey waffle. I got another birthday cupcake, but also got a crown and a signed placemat. Alice helped me blow out my candle. She and the Mad Hatter were amazing. She had the perfect voice and mannerisms. He was a riot. He had a whole conversation about why my mom was drinking coffee and why she hadn’t ordered tea. Priceless.

Yet again I was wishing for a video camera. We didn’t spend much time with Tigger and Pooh since we had just had dinner with them the night before. We really enjoyed this breakfast. Total cost would have been 47.29 not including tip.

We headed over to MK and the first thing we noticed was that the tree was missing. It was quite a shock and must have disappointed people if that was their only day in the park. Second thing we noticed was the crane behind the castle. Kind of marred the magic.

We toured Fantasyland first, riding all the rides and seeing Phillharmagic. I can’t actually see 3D effects, but still enjoyed the show. Mainly for the music. We were missing hearing the Disney music since they were playing Christmas songs everywhere. Both of us like Fantasyland in Disneyland better. This seemed more open somehow, maybe because there is no Matterhorn.

After whirling around Fantasyland, we shared a chicken and rib combo at Cosmic Rays. This was more than enough food for two. Total for this meal would have been 18.49.

After lunch we went on a few adventures. We rode Pirates while waiting for our Jungle Cruise fast pass time. Can I say, I was very surprised that Pirates wasn’t a fast pass. We enjoyed the new effects on Pirates, but not almost getting our heads blown off with the cannonballs. I know its just air but when you get it right on the side of the head it’s a bit of a blow. Especially when you aren’t expecting it. I don’t remember that from the original ride but I only rode it once a very long time ago. Still, this is one of the best rides in the park.

Jungle cruise is great when you have a good guide. Ours let two little kids drive the boat. He did a great job of the spiel and kept everyone laughing. A very good sense of timing is needed for this job.

The New Management version of the Tiki Room is awful. I love the original and hope they leave the Disneyland version the way it is. I just found the new one obnoxious and annoying. A bunch of people left in the middle because the noise was too much for their kids.

We headed into Frontierland and took a break over on Tom Sawyer Island. We had a bit of fun exploring and then found the rocking chairs at Aunt Polly’s. Mom had a bit of nap and I enjoyed the activity on the water and across the way. It was great to spend a bit of time relaxing and soaking it all in. I would post the picture of her napping, but she'd probably disown me!

Back on the mainland we caught the afternoon parade.

When the crowds thinned a little, we made our way over to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. People were actually waiting in a stand by line that said it was going to be a 2 hour wait. I think it was that long because Splash Mountain was down. Not sure what they were thinking. We had a fast pass and we waited about 10 minutes.

We went through the Haunted Mansion. I really like this ride, but wish you had more time to enjoy some of the scenes. Because of where this is located they can make it look a lot spookier on the outside than the one in Disneyland. I especially liked the view from TSI.

We used a snack credit to buy a Mickey ice cream and enjoyed it walking through Frontierland. I can't believe we didn't eat more of these, because they are fantastic.

We were still waiting for our fast pass time on Splash Mountain so we took the train around the park. We then got absolutely soaked on Splash. We actually got swamped right at the beginning by a wave from another boat coming down the plume. Mom was so wet that she bought a towel to wrap around herself. Luckily I had a pair of pants with me so I could change out of my shorts.

We shared the chicken and fish combo at Columbia Harbor House for supper. Total for this meal would have been 13.47. This was a great place to eat supper. It was full but not crowded and was a little calmer than some of the places we saw. And the food was delicious.

We poked around in the shops in Liberty Square and Frontierland while we waited for Spectromagic. Not quite as good as the Main Street Electrical Parade, but close. After the parade we waited for the fireworks and then left the park as it was closing. We loved the CM’s at the exits with the See Ya Real Soon signs. There were cheerleaders in the park that day and the CM’s had fun doing a cheer of their own. “We say Mickey, you say Mouse” etc. It was great fun.

Used two table service, two counter service, and one snack credit.

The Advice:

1. Do Fantasyland early to avoid the crowds.

2. Don’t stand in long lines. Grab a fast pass and come back later. It may mean extra walking, but you will get so much more done that it is worth it.

Up next – Choo choo (post 24)

 

[blue_river]

We used a snack credit to buy a Mickey ice cream and enjoyed it walking through Frontierland. I can't believe we didn't eat more of these, because they are fantastic.

Aren't they though? I ate far too many of them on our trip.
Thanks for the update bbangel

 

[bbangel]

I have always loved steam trains. There aren't a whole lot of them left anymore but they are wonderful. One of the things I like about Disney is that they use real steam trains in their parks. When I saw that they did a tour about the trains and let you go to the roundhouse I was so excited. I couldn't wait to do this tour!

It was a very early start so we were on the first bus to MK at about 6:40. We met our guide Jack, in front of the entrance gates. We all got our name tags and personal audio system. The audio system is great. You don't have to worry that you will miss something because you can adjust the volume of the speaker right in your ear. Very helpful for my mom who has issues hearing when there is a lot of background noise. 4 people didn’t show up, so we were only a group of 20.

It was nice to enter the parks before everyone else. Someone asked why we got to go in when the park wasn't open yet. Jack told them we were VIP's and they could be if they took a tour. We took a bunch of pictures of Main Street. They were just putting the finishing touches on the tree in the central plaza.

We headed onto the train and headed off to the Roundhouse. Jack told us all about the history of Disney and the trains and a little bit more about how steam engines operate. We were allowed in the cab of the engine but had to be careful not to touch anything as it was already started up. I couldn’t believe how hot it was in there. We then headed out again with a stop in Toon Town for some pictures.

Back at Main Street we had a break and then sat in the train station and heard more stories about Disney and trains, including some pictures of his personal railroad the Carolwood. At the end of the tour we all got the special tour pin. I would highly recommend this tour and if you go on a Thursday you will have Jack as a guide. He was terrific. We enjoyed this tour so much that we will definitely do another if we go back.

We headed over to MGM for the afternoon; first taking the ferry to the TTC and then a bus to MGM. We got there at about 11:30. We ate lunch at Pizza Planet. We shared a pizza with a salad and cookie. The total would have been 12.39.

We did the Backlot tour and Muppet Show. We enjoyed walking through the Streets of America, but the effect is somewhat diminished by the structures for the Osborne Lights. One of our favourite parts of this park was all the performers out on the streets.

I really enjoyed the public works guys. I don’t think I have ever laughed so hard.

We went to Sounds Dangerous and then watched the parade. We caught the last Indy Stunt Show of the day. The plant from the audience is very good at what he does. From the reviews of this park on the boards I was surprised at how much there was to see in this park. This is one place where we missed a lot because we hadn’t scheduled enough time here. There are a lot of shows and spontaneous entertainment at this park. If you are there for more than just rides, plan for more time.

We had an ADR the Prime Time Café. This was longest wait to be seated of any restaurant. Mom loved the waiting area, she kept finding things she remembered people in the family having. When we were finally called I had gone to the washroom. The person seating us made me tell her what colour the soap was. I think if I had gotten it wrong she would have sent me back!

Aunt Carole was our server and it turns out we share a birthday. We were seated with our cousins from New York and North Carolina both couples. The couple from NC didn’t know about the theme of the restaurant and it was quite funny to watch them. When she didn’t finish all of her potatoes, Aunt Carole had us all make airplane sounds to make her eat them. One man we had to make choo choo sounds for to get him to eat the last of his meatloaf.

We both started with the fried cheese. This was so yummy. I had the fried chicken and I couldn’t eat all of it, but when I said I wasn’t going to order dessert Aunt Carole let me get away with it. But boy did I ever get a look. Mom had the meatloaf and then angel food cake and Aunt Carole brought me another birthday cupcake and a magical moments certificate (I guess because we shared the same birthday). While mom was eating her dessert another woman in our section didn’t finish her vegetables and then said she wanted dessert. Aunt Carole took the plate away but then brought just the greens back with whipped cream on them. She was instructed to clean her plate if she wanted dessert. The look on her face was hilarious. She finally begged her husband to eat them for her, which he was kind enough to do. I have a feeling she owed him big time. We had a great time. Total would have been 70.26, not including tip.

It was almost 7 when we got out, so we decided to skip Fantasmic. Not a big sacrifice since we had seen it in California. We headed through the Osborne Lights instead. This display is amazing. Everywhere you looked there were special little details. We both loved the dancing portion.

We had had a long day so after seeing the lights we headed back to Pop for an early night.

Used two table service, one counter service and one snack credit.

The Advice:

1. If you have time, check out a tour. They are very well done and a great way to appreciate some of the Disney magic.

2. Check out the streetmosphere performers at MGM as they are truly outstanding.

3. If you choose a themed restaurant, be prepared to join in the fun. Getting into the spirit will allow everyone, including your servers, to have a more enjoyable experience.

Up next – Ready for Launch (post 27)

 

[Tinkerbell's Mom]

It's fun hearing about Disney through a first timer, it's been so long since I was a first timer, so much has changed, parks added . . . your trip report is great, can't wait to hear more.

 

[bbangel]

It's fun hearing about Disney through a first timer, it's been so long since I was a first timer, so much has changed, parks added . . . your trip report is great, can't wait to hear more.

Thanks for the encouragement!

I'm working on the next installment and hope to have it up later today or early tomorrow.

 

[bbangel]

Today we were heading to Kennedy Space Center. We had booked a tour with Gator Tours so we wouldn’t have to drive. We had breakfast at the hotel before we left. We left Orlando at about 9 and made it to the first stop, the Astronauts Hall of Fame, at about 10:30. We spent about 45 minutes going through the exhibits, which were mainly about the timeline of space exploration and the astronauts who had lost their lives. If you are going to Kennedy it is worth the stop.

We then headed to the visitor complex. There was a bit of a wait for the bus tour around the complex, in fact this line was longer than any at Disney! And they didn't even have a fast pass!

The bus stops at an observation area, sort of a big open building where you can see the launch pads. It’s about 3 miles from the launch pad where the shuttle was awaiting launch. Since the shuttle hadn't gone up the night before, it was still there for us to see. I wish I had a better zoom.

The next stop is the Saturn complex, which has a model of the Saturn rocket. There are a couple of movies at this site, including one about the Eagle landing on the moon.

The last stop on the bus tour is the International Space Station complex. You can observe actual components that are going to be going up soon. There is a model of the Canada Arm there, which was neat to see having heard so much about it.

There are also several exhibits at the main complex. We went through a very cute walk through about robots and another about the solar system. There were also two IMAX films at the main complex.

The Rocket Garden was really neat; all kinds of models of things that had been used for space exploration. You can climb inside some of them and see how small and cramped you would have been.

We didn’t have time to see everything and would have liked to have another day there.

We were supposed to have done an airboat tour after this, but because it was really windy that day, the boats were not running. Mom was really disappointed as she was really looking forward to that. I think if we go back to Florida we would spend a little more time exploring the non-Disney side of Florida.

We had dinner at Everything Pop and then just relaxed in the room.

Used three counter service and one snack credit.

The Advice:

1. If you have the time, definitely check out the Kennedy Space Center. It was amazing.

Up next – A quiet day and lift off

 

[bbangel]

Today we were having another park free day. We got a bit of a late start, but eventually got going. I did a couple of loads of laundry. It’s great to have the option so you can get away with packing a little less.

By about 10 we were headed to Downtown Disney to do a little more shopping. I managed to get most of my souvenirs. We used three snack credits at Goofy’s candy store to get cookies, candy and nuts. I brought the cookies back as a souvenir for the office; spend your money somewhere else as these cookies are not very tasty!

We shared linguine at Wolfgang Puck Express for lunch. I have never seen such a large portion of pasta. It could have fed four people! It did make a nice change from the usual counter service fare. All they had left for dessert was the cookie, which was a little disappointing (even though it was a great cookie). The total would have been 14.27.

After lunch we caught a bus to the Boardwalk and walked around the resorts to look at their Christmas displays. I really liked the carousel at the Beach Club. These resorts and their pools look so amazing. I can see how people get hooked on DVC.

We went back to Pop to get ready for our evening at the Hoop de doo Revue. After a brief delay when we forgot our tickets, we were at the MK waiting for the boat to Fort Wilderness. As we were waiting for the boat we started to talk about the launch of the shuttle, which was supposed to happen at any moment. And then there it was; a big glowing ball in the sky. You could see the booster rockets separate and the shuttle continue. There was a lot of cheering and excitement in the crowd. The funniest thing to me was the people who had no clue what had just happened and the people who completely missed it.

We made it on a very full boat and made it to Pioneer Hall just as they were opening the doors. I had kind of wanted to walk around a bit, but that is just another reason that I need to go back!

We ended up at a table right in front of the stage. The food just seemed to keep coming and coming. There was cornbread, beans, corn on the cob, fried chicken and ribs. Our servers came out on stage with our dessert, strawberry shortcake. As all the food is being served and eating there is the stage show. I laughed so hard my face hurt. We really enjoyed the show. The food was nothing special but it was a great experience. The total would have been over a hundred dollars.

There was a bus waiting for us outside of the Hall to take us back to our hotel. We were home by 12:30.

Used one counter service credit and four table service credits.

The Advice:

1. Taking a day or two away from the parks is a great idea if you are there for a longer trip. We were quite revived by doing something different for a couple of days.

2. The dinner shows are a more expensive use of credits on the meal plan, but don’t let that stop you from trying them. They are very well done and a great experience.


Up next – A morning at the MK

 

[KimAshton]

Love this trip report.

Me and my friends all adults are doing chief mickey's breakfast. I am really excited.

 

[bbangel]

Love this trip report.

Me and my friends all adults are doing chief mickey's breakfast. I am really excited.

I'm glad someone is still reading and enjoying!

You will love Chef Mickey's. Very fun and good interaction with the characters. Enjoy!

 

[tiki23]

I'm really enjoying your report!

How was the weather during your trip? We're going in early December this year and are hoping for mild weather. Especially as we are taking my Mom - her first plane trip and her first time to WDW!

 

[bbangel]

I'm really enjoying your report!

How was the weather during your trip? We're going in early December this year and are hoping for mild weather. Especially as we are taking my Mom - her first plane trip and her first time to WDW!

There was quite a range when it came to weather. Very warm the day we arrived but there were some chilly nights. Days usually got warm enough for t-shirts and shorts. Sweatshirts were needed most nights. A couple of days were fairly windy as well, which made it seem cooler. My best advice is to wear layers.

What a special trip for your mom! Make sure you check out the resort Christmas displays. That was one of my mom's favourite parts.

 

[bbangel]

Today was the day that the knowledge that we wouldn’t be here much longer started to creep into my mind. This would be our last day in the Magic Kingdom. It was hard not to spend the day thinking, "This is the last time we'll…" We still had stuff to look forward to but it was the beginning of the end.

We got an early start and were there for park opening. I really liked the opening show with the characters coming in on the train. The best part of being there right at opening is the un-crowded nature of the park.

We were the first people to go through Haunted Mansion and then we did a whirlwind tour through Fantasyland, riding all of our favourites again. We were two Dumbo rides short of getting Dream ears. They were handing them out before people got on the ride, but we were too far back in line. Unfortunately that is as close as we came to an official dream.

From Fantasyland we headed to Toon Town and were there as it opened. Goofy rode Barnstormer with a lucky little girl. We were in the train just behind them. I got a great photo of them as they were coming in and we were leaving the station.

We went and paid our respects to the Mouse. We decided not to wait for pictures with any of the other characters, although I liked how you could plan for character visits at WDW. It is much more hit and miss at Disneyland. I loved all the tiny details in Mickey and Minnie’s houses. Mom got a big kick out of the plate of cookies.

Since we hadn’t had breakfast, we found a bench and had a snack. Mostly left over stuff from previous meals (including my free cookies from Seasons). Once we were refreshed, we headed over to Tomorrowland.

We rode the TTA and Carousel of Progress. My mom really like the overview you got on the TTA. This was another ride we wanted to come back to but when we did later that night it had already closed. I fell in love with the Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow song. I kept meaning to find a CD with that music on it, but never did. I can probably still find it somewhere on line. Or maybe that could be my excuse to go back to the World!

We answered the intergalactic call and bravely battled the evil emperor Zurg. I regret to say that no one will ever call on me to defend the planet. I like the guns on Disneyland’s version of this ride much better. I did not like that fact that they were attached to the vehicle here. It made it much harder to aim.

Okay, you caught me. That is just an excuse because I am so horrible at this.

We avoided the Stitch ride as I cannot stand the little alien and mom has never seen the movie so didn't care. I may ride it when I go back just so I can say I did.

We took a break in front of the castle to watch Dream Along with Mickey. This is an okay show, but had similar themes as many of the other shows we had seen. Donald Duck is really the star of this one though.

I had a hankering to see the back side of the water so we did the Jungle Cruise one more time. I know some people get sick of the jokes on this ride, but I love it.

By this point Mom was starving, so we shared a bacon double cheeseburger meal at Pecos Bills. Mom loved the peanut butter brownie dessert. We both really enjoyed the fixings bar. It was a bit chaotic in there though. Not the most relaxing place to eat. I didn’t write down the cost of this meal, but I think it was around 13 or 14 dollars. It was much harder to keep track of the cost of counter service meals.


Used – one counter service credit

The Advice:

1. I can’t stress enough how important it is to go to the parks early. You can see and do so much more in the morning than you can in the afternoon.

2. Having more than one day in each park allowed us to space things out so we never felt rushed. It also allowed us to come back and do favourite rides again. If you’ve never been before, and can manage the time, plan for more than one day in each park.

Up next – More MK and dinner with Mickey

 

[bbangel]

After lunch we grabbed a fast past for Big Thunder Mountain. We wandered about a bit and caught the Country Bears. I like this show and wish it was still in Disneyland. The only thing left are the three hunting trophy's you can see at one point in the Winnie the Pooh ride. I hadn't seen the show since I was 13 and Mom never had.

As we came out they were doing the cowboy street show. Everyone looked like they were having fun. There were some pretty big smiles on the kids' faces.

We happened to be passing as they were loading the Liberty Belle, so we went on it. It gives you a pretty good view of Frontierland and Liberty Square, but I much prefer the boats going around Disneyland to this.

We rode Big Thunder, again wondering why people wait for that ride in the stand by when the fast pass line is over an hour shorter. And no, they hadn’t run out of fast passes yet.

Seeing that the crane had been lowered for the day, we went and took photos in front of the castle. The light wasn't the best, but the castle looks better with the crane down.

It was getting quite busy at this point. A lot of the cheer teams and football teams from the Pop Warner events were hanging out in the MK. We didn't have any bad experiences, other than the obnoxious assumption that everyone would want to hear them, but they definitely increased the volume of the crowd. We decided to take a break and head over and see Wilderness Lodge. We shopped our way down Main Street and just sort of absorbed the magic.

We went over to the Lodge on the boat. I would love to stay in one of the deluxes and have the different travel options. We looked at the Christmas tree and took a walk around the grounds. Unfortunately, at this point I started to not feel very well. I wasn’t sure at this point if it was the burger or something more. Anyway we relaxed in the lobby for a bit until I felt a little better. We watched a little girl all dressed up in Belle’s yellow ball gown having tons of photos taken. She was looking very unhappy with the whole process. I think she liked the dress just not having to pose (and pose and pose and pose).

Once I felt a little better we headed back to the boat launch to catch a ride to the Contemporary. We looked around the resort for a bit. This was probably my least favourite hotel of all the ones we saw, but I'm not really into the whole modern thing. We checked in for our meal early – good thing as the time I had been given was later than the time they had in their computer. In future I think I would double check all my times with the front desk when I arrived.

The buffet was good. I was still feeling a little iffy, so I couldn’t take full advantage, but there was enough stuff even I was happy (I am known for being quite picky). I started with the potato soup and it was very yummy. I also had the parmesan potatoes, some prime rib, veggies and a dinner roll. And of course lots of dessert. You can almost never feel too bad for ice cream! And the little key lime pie tart with the berry on top. Yum! Of course while all the eating was going on we were being visited by Goofy, Pluto, Donald, Minnie and Mickey! They did a very good job of getting to everyone, but not rushing through any of the tables. I remembered to compliment the Chef. I think I said something about adding cheese to potatoes being inspired; I got a gesture in return that seemed to say, “Of course, everything is better with cheese!” I was given yet another cupcake for my birthday and a birthday kiss from Minnie. By this point I was a little embarrassed by the birthday attention. Amidst all the eating and greeting, there is of course the napkin twirling. This meal was a lot of fun and again we were not the only people without children in the restaurant. I can see why people make this a family tradition. Total would have been 69.70 not including tip.

After dinner, we headed back to the park for Extra Magic Hours. We wanted to ride Space Mountain and ride Pirates again. Pirates was fine, we didn’t have much of a wait. Space was good until we were about 10 minutes from the front of the line. The ride broke down and all the lights came up. It was up and running again in about 25 minutes, but when you are that far into the line you kind of feel trapped in there.

The last thing we did was ride Peter Pan’s Flight, since that is my favourite ride. It took us more time to ride those three rides than to do all of Fantasyland and Toon Town that morning. Getting around was harder as there were more people on the walkways than previously.

We were back at the hotel before midnight, but just barely.

Used two table service credits.

The Advice:

1. Disney puts a lot of work into designing their resorts. They are worth going to see. Booking a meal at another resort is a great way of making sure you go see it.

2. Take advantage of the different kinds of Disney transportation. Don’t always focus on how fast you get there; take the time to appreciate the ride.

Up next – Around the World in five hours

 

[emilyclaire]

Checking in took about ½ an hour. Our CM was earning her ears, but she was super nice and gave me my birthday button.

What is a birthday button and how do you get one? My DH and I will be in WDW Oct. 14th-20th, and my birthday is the 18th. Do I just ask for one at check-in?

 

[CourtneyandRyan]

bbangel-

Just found your report this morning. Loving it and sad to see that it's almost over!

Great job and thanks for sharing!

 

[bbangel]

What is a birthday button and how do you get one? My DH and I will be in WDW Oct. 14th-20th, and my birthday is the 18th. Do I just ask for one at check-in?

My travel agent (Marion from SWV) had noted my birthday on my reservation (as a surprise for me) and on all my ADR's. When we checked in the CM made a button for me. So I would think you could ask when you check in. I know you can get them at Guest Relations in all the parks as well - just go in and ask! And for those wondering if you can get/wear this if it isn't actually your birthday...yes you can. Lots of people wore them their entire stay.
It was kind of fun to wear; lots of people said happy birthday as I walked around the park. I got very good at spotting them on other people and made sure to say happy birthday to them.
They also have buttons for people celebrating honeymoons, anniversaries and their first trip. I think that is it.

 

[bbangel]

bbangel-

Just found your report this morning. Loving it and sad to see that it's almost over!

Great job and thanks for sharing!

Thank you so much!

 

[bbangel]

Due to our late night on Sunday, we were a little slower getting going Monday morning. A phone call from Zoie about passing on our fridge got us going. She came and grabbed the fridge about 8. The fridge swap worked great for us. We got cold drinks and could take leftovers from restaurants. We didn't have any problems with the handover on either end. Would have been great to have a man to help with the lifting for Zoie and I, but other than that it was all good! A big shout out of thanks to Disneydaz for starting this one.

We had breakfast at Pop; Mom had waffles and I had grapes. I was still not feeling so great but was ready to take on the World. Showcase that is.

We got to Epcot at about 10. We hadn’t done the rides in the Land on our previous trip, so we grabbed a fast pass for Soarin’ and then rode the Living with the Land boats. We still had time after that so we went through Innoventions West. Once we rode Soarin’ we headed over to the World Showcase. I know a lot of people love Soarin’ but it’s just an okay ride for me. Not something I would wait very long for.

We started our world tour in Mexico. I’ve heard that Mexico’s boat ride is being re-furbished. I think that is a good idea, because it is a little dated. We were the only ones on the ride. I think a lot of people don’t even know it is there.

I have the feeling we missed a lot of what was going on in each country. It was a little overwhelming. I kept thinking, wait, where are we again. There were a lot of neat performances happening. Drummers in Japan, acrobats in China, and the chair stacking guys, who I think were outside France. I know we didn't see all of the entertainment that is available. Definitely on the list for the next visit.

Mini rant: As we continued around the countries, I started to get a little bothered. All the countries were being represented in stereotypes. I wasn’t learning anything new. It would have been nice to learn things that were surprising about these places, rather than beer and sausage or wine and cheese. The architecture and layout of most of the countries is amazing so it would be nice if the content was stepped up.

I wonder how come Maelstrom is a fast pass, but Pirates isn’t? I can hear the question now, "Maelstrom is a fast pass?" Don't get me wrong, it was fun, but there was no line and the boat wasn't full. A cannot imagine why they thought a fast pass was needed here. Has anyone ever used one?

When I got back I realized I hadn't taken nearly as many pictures in the World Showcase as I thought I had. I guess my brain was fuddled from not feeling so hot. I didn't even get a picture of the troll! I did take a lot of pictures in Morocco, which I think may have been my favourite pavilion.

We had lunch at the Tangerine Café. Very good food and a great place to sit and eat. It started to rain while we were eating and we went from being alone to being in a crowd in a few minutes. It didn’t last long and everyone was on their way again in less than half an hour. I had the chicken and lamb plate which would have been 18.54 (with dessert and drink). My mom had a meatball plate which would have been 15.45 (with dessert and drink). We probably could have shared this meal, but we had lots of credits at this point so we got our own meals.

We continued on our way around the World. We tried to catch the storytellers in each land. We enjoyed the gnome in Norway, La Bafana (sp?) in Italy and Pere Noel in France. We missed Mexico, China, Morocco and Japan. The Father Christmas in the UK was terrific.

I would just like to state for the record, as a Canadian, the first time I had ever seen anything or heard anything as ridiculous as Papa Noel was at the Canada pavilion in Epcot. Sorry to tell Disney, but we have Santa Claus. He lives at the North Pole, which is in Canada. His postal code is H0H 0H0. I’m not sure who came up with this character, but he was sure scary. Here comes Papa Noel – with his axe! What is that all about? I guess they were trying to have something different from the US but come on!

There were also a lot of characters out. Snow White and dwarves in Germany, Mulan and Mushu in Japan. Belle and Beast in France. Aladdin and Jasmin in Morocco. Winnie the Pooh and friends in the UK. This seemed to be a good place to see the characters as not many people seemed to know they were there.

Of course most of the Canada pavilion was a joke. Again with the stereotypes. Lumberjacks and fur traders. Well, maybe a hundred years ago. I felt a little sorry for the poor CM’s working there in flannel. They are really nice though and if you ask them they may show you how to draw a maple leaf. We spared ourselves the pain of the movie, although I understand an updated version of it will be coming soon. The one thing I liked was the garden. They have done a good job of capturing a piece of the Buchart gardens in Victoria, although on a much smaller scale.

The redeeming feature of the Canada pavilion was Le Cellier. We had an ADR here for 7 pm and were seated right on time. Our server was from Kamloops, which is just east of here. Very soon we had other servers coming to ask us about things happening back home. The people at the table next to us were also from Canada so it was quite nice to feel so at home. The restaurant was full, but not hectic. My mom had the cheese soup, mushroom filet and crème brulee. She also had a smoothie of some kind. I had no appetizer, a plain filet and the chocolate moose. The moose was so cute, I almost didn’t want to eat him. Everything was very good (although I like my cream cheese mashed potatoes better!). Total for this meal would have been 97.65.

It was almost 8:30 by the time we left the restaurant. The plan had been to stay and watch Illuminations. Unfortunately, I could barely stay awake at this point. At first I was going to go back by myself and Mom was going to stay for the show. She quickly realized she didn't really want to wait in the chilly air so we both decided to leave. I feel bad since I had heard such good things about this show and know we would have enjoyed it. Another thing for next time.

On our way out we took in the lights and tree and fountains one more time. As we passed Space Ship Earth we realized it was open so we took one last ride.

We headed back to the hotel. I think my mom may have watched something on tv, maybe a movie, but I was asleep before 9:30.

Used two table service credits, three counter service credits and one snack credit.

The Advice:

1. Epcot is a big park and can be both overwhelming and exhausting. I think a break in the middle of the day would have been beneficial for us. As it was we missed the evening entertainment because we were too tired.

2. There is more to see in the World Showcase than it may appear. Make sure you allow time to see as much of it as you can. Do check out the entertainment on offer as some of it is quite spectacular.

Up Next – The end is near

 

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This was our last park day and it did not begin well. I went from feeling iffy to feeling wretched. I refused to spend the last day in the hotel so I insisted that we continue as planned. No worries though, I was not a walking germ factory – my health issues were not contagious. My brain, however, is a little fuzzy on details for this day. I have almost no pictures and no notes so I'm winging it.

We had left the last day somewhat unscheduled so we could go back and do things we felt we had missed or wanted to do again. We both had enjoyed AK, and we had missed a few things, so we went back there for the morning.

We were there for rope drop and I think the show is great. The characters come out on a truck and go through their expedition check list. Only Mickey is missing. He pops out of the bushes in the distance. Very cute. We followed the truck around to Africa, pausing to have our picture taken with the Tree of Life in the background.

We went on the Safari first thing. The animals were much more visible going on it early than they had been on our previous trip. The elephants were on the move and an ostrich almost walked right into the truck he was so close.

After the Safari we had breakfast at Tusker House. Mom had some kind of breakfast platter. I had some more grapes and the biscuit that came with her meal. No idea what the cost of this meal was, but I would guess around 7 or 8 dollars.

We had missed the Festival of the Lion King show our first time there, so that was next on our list. Great show. Those performers have real skills. I do have to say though that we made very poor elephants!

After that my memory is very fuzzy. I don't think we went on any more rides but I could be wrong. I do remember trying to find the safari hat with Mickey ears Christmas ornament for a friend of mine. We finally found it in the last store we looked in. I also got my favourite souvenir, a pair of gloves with an embroidered Mickey head on the back. I wear them every day and it is like carrying the magic around with me. And they are subtle enough that they don't scream "look at the Disney freak" at everyone I meet.

I think we left AK around 11:30 and headed to MGM. We had only done half a day in MGM and had missed a lot. Plan A was we were going to do Tower of Terror. Because I was definitely not well enough to do that without ending up in serious trouble, we had to skip it. I am still bummed about this. When we did this ride in California our picture didn't come out so people don't believe we actually rode it. We really wanted to get our picture on this one to prove it. Oh well, another reason to come back. (Those reasons are really starting to add up, aren't they?)

So Plan B had us hitting some of the shows we missed. We saw Voyage of a Little Mermaid and walked through the One Man's Dream exhibit. There is a lot of great stuff in there and I think a lot of people skip it. There is a short film at the end and I think mom and I both got a little teary.

We also walked through the Narnia exhibit. We were both a little disappointed in this. Not sure what could be added to make it better but if you liked the movie it was still neat to see some of the props.

Our next disappointment was that Beauty and the Beast was not showing that day. Not sure if it had been scheduled to be down and I had some how missed that or if it was less planned than that. They actually had to bring a CM out to the front of the building to calm down some extremely upset people. I heard that they did have Beauty and Beast come out a few times that day to take pictures, but we didn't see them.

We had lunch at Starring Rolls. Mom got a sandwich, banana, cookie and drink. I got a croissant and drink. I also had some grapes and half of her banana. It must have been fairly late because the parade went by as we were sitting there. We couldn't see the parade but we did hear the spiel and music.

We went through the animation academy and learned how to draw Mickey Mouse. I also learned I am most like Belle. Mom wanted to be a villain and ended up most like the Stepmother from Cinderella. She got a real kick out of that. Mr. and Mrs. Incredible were in there for a meet and greet, but we didn't wait to see them.

I think the rest of our time we were just soaking up atmosphere and looking in shops. I was disappointed in the shops at MGM. They have these cool sounding names and then when you go in they are selling the same stuff as everywhere else. I did get my friend a book on the show Lost, because she is a serious fan of that show. I'm waiting for it to be over so I can just rent the DVD's and see the whole thing at once.

We had an ADR for dinner at Sci-Fi. There were a lot of people waiting for the meal and even more being turned away. Some people were very frustrated about not being able to find a place to eat. I had a chicken sandwich, which wasn't that great, and a chocolate milk shake, Mom had the rib plate, house salad and apple crisp. Total would have been 67.62 without tip. This was my least favourite meal but that could have been because I was feeling so bad.

Plan A had us taking in Fantasmic after dinner. Plan B had us heading back to Pop so I could crash into bed.


Used two table service credits, two counter service credits and one snack credit.


The Advice:

1. Having a day to go back and do things you missed was great. It removed some of the stress out of each day in the parks, knowing that we had the time to come back.

2. If you are an over-planner like me, have contingency plans in place. This is especially important if your group has issues that might throw off your plans. Having a plan B allowed us to still know what we were going to do and relieved some of my anxiety.