MickeyMonstersMom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2002
- Messages
- 1,429
MMMs annual solo trip
Part Two: Ahhh, back in the World
Wednesday, 4/20/05
It took about 1 hour, 15 minutes to drive from Daytona Beach to the Pop Century. Id considered taking Route 417 to avoid I-4, but my uncle advised me to just wait until noon before hitting Orlando, which worked out very well. Tears sprang to my eyes as I drove beneath the arch; feeling stupid, I wiped my eyes to look for the Pop Century signs and must have missed them as I drove around for several minutes and what seemed like in several circles before finding the place. It was very frustrating, as I could visualize its location on the map, but hadnt brought the map with me! The CM at the security station was very gracious and we chatted for a few minutes about our common home state and apparently similar mothers! Its nice to arrive at WDW and feel, well, familiar right away.
I parked and got to Classic Hall just in time to see a Mears bus discharging its passengers into the check-in line. Drat. However, even though the line was packed, I waited only 15 minutes. There is a great little room near the end of the line for other family members to hang out while someone checks in, but despite the large number of people in the lobby, that little room was empty. DS later noticed that room right away and agreed that it would make check-in less boring. As I waited, I realized that the CMs were not advising people to wait until 4:00 for their rooms, so I was excited to find that my room was also ready right away. Then the best of all - Id gotten 1950s #1109, which was closer to Classic Hall than the 1960s rooms! Wonderful! Ive found the ASMu rooms to be perfectly adequate for the 4 of us when Ive been with my mother and both kids, so I already knew Pops rooms would be fine. It was spotless throughout and cheery. Lady and the Tramp were adorable as well, the best exterior theming in the place IMO. In fact, I really did not care for the 1970s, 80s, or 90s at all. Id stay at Pop again (and will, because DS has requested it for his birthday trip), but would be deeply disappointed if I werent in 1950s or 1960s. I may even pay more to ensure it! The toiletries shelf above the sink and the separate, dedicated soap area are great improvements over the All-Stars (though I still love my ASMu).
I was hungry and headed to the food court to grab a sandwich, but there was only one register open and I was unwilling to wait in the long line, so I just hopped a bus to DTD and bought a bag of popcorn there. I must say, I had outstanding bus karma on this trip - with the exception of Epcot after Illuminations, every time I approached a bus stop, a bus rolled up. It was eerie, I tell you! It was nice to finally stroll around the Marketplace, as our visit there last summer was cut short by DDs sudden fever. I bought some gifts for friends, resisting the urge to buy myself mickey-shaped ice cube trays and license plate frames that said, Been there, done that, going BACK! I could really drop a lot of money at World of Disney - mental note: do not let the kids in there!!
By 3:30 I was ready to move on. I had a 5:10 PS at Ohana and debated going back to Pop first, but figured that was cutting things a bit close, so I boarded the Poly bus (which instantly appeared the moment I approached the bus stop). It was annoying to have to stop at the West Side, then Typhoon Lagoon, then the Contemporary, before reaching the Poly at last. I was glad I didnt decide to go to Pop after all! Along the way I chatted with two other families who were at WDW for the first time. One man enthusiastically declared that they had been to almost every park, except for one - and then proceeded to ask me if Id ever been to that Fort Wilderness one and what kinds of rides they had. After coughing a little (to cover the laughter, of course) I let him know that it was a campground. He thanked me very nicely for telling him, saving him the hassle of getting there only to discover that there were indeed no rides.
By the time the bus reached the Poly I had less than an hour before my PS, so I walked down to my favorite stretch of the beach and relaxed in a swing, watching the water mice and ignoring my rumbling tummy. I wandered into the Great Ceremonial House at 4:45 to notice a line already forming at Ohanas podium, so I checked in and got myself a Mai Tai at the Tambu Lounge. The bartender and other couples at the bar didnt seem to know what to do with this unaccompanied woman, so I just focused on the TV and watched some very old basketball game (I knew it was old because the players were actually wearing shorts) until my pager went off at 5:05. Since Id seen the coconut races and such several times, I asked for a table in the back room and was seated with a sideways view of the lagoon as well as of the main dining room. My server also seemed out of his element in dealing with a solo diner and vacillated between impersonal and overly cheery. He kept the food coming, though, so I was satisfied! Details on the meal can be found in my dining report. By about 6:00 every table in the place was taken. The bartender had commented that they had been at capacity every night for the past 5 or 6 weeks, turning away hundreds (his word) of people each night.
I felt bad for one little girl, about 2 years old, who had apparently hit the wall and was not enjoying herself at all. She had been sitting contentedly munching on some bread when she suddenly just erupted into screams. Her parents kept asking her what was wrong, but she just kept howling incoherently. After about ten minutes her mother picked her up and left the dining room while the rest of the family continued eating. They returned several minutes later much calmer, but within only a few minutes of sitting down, the little one started whimpering and winding back up. After a few rounds of this, she did manage to sit through the rest of the meal without incident, but I felt terrible for the entire family as their meal was so interrupted. Im glad they all were able to enjoy it by the end. I also observed a chef come out to talk to a family with special dietary needs, something Ive noticed almost every time Ive eaten at Ohana. It may be a very common occurrence, but Im still impressed, anyway.
I waddled out, beyond full, at 6:30 or so and decided to play around on the monorails for a while. I hadnt ridden the Epcot monorail since 2002 - or was it 1993??! - so it was time. I figured at least it would take my mind off the fact that my stomach was going to burst. After transferring at the TTC, I enjoyed a nice little ride around the loop and whet my appetite for visiting my favorite park the next day. I lingered for a few minutes by the park entrance, savoring the music, and ambled over to the Pop bus stop just in time to walk onto the waiting bus. Along the way I was forced to cough again when a little girl pointed to a picture of Bambi and said, Look, a reindeer! and her mother replied, Thats not a reindeer, honey, its Bambi, a deer. Bambi is a doe. Between the food and the humor, I figured Id better get myself to bed before I hurt myself, so I turned in early after watching the Top Seven Must-See Attractions at Disney. Now I was positive that I did not want to try Mission: Space, but was greatly looking forward to Test Track, the Living Seas, and trying Moroccan food at the World Showcase.
Next - Part Three: Epcot
Part Two: Ahhh, back in the World
Wednesday, 4/20/05
It took about 1 hour, 15 minutes to drive from Daytona Beach to the Pop Century. Id considered taking Route 417 to avoid I-4, but my uncle advised me to just wait until noon before hitting Orlando, which worked out very well. Tears sprang to my eyes as I drove beneath the arch; feeling stupid, I wiped my eyes to look for the Pop Century signs and must have missed them as I drove around for several minutes and what seemed like in several circles before finding the place. It was very frustrating, as I could visualize its location on the map, but hadnt brought the map with me! The CM at the security station was very gracious and we chatted for a few minutes about our common home state and apparently similar mothers! Its nice to arrive at WDW and feel, well, familiar right away.
I parked and got to Classic Hall just in time to see a Mears bus discharging its passengers into the check-in line. Drat. However, even though the line was packed, I waited only 15 minutes. There is a great little room near the end of the line for other family members to hang out while someone checks in, but despite the large number of people in the lobby, that little room was empty. DS later noticed that room right away and agreed that it would make check-in less boring. As I waited, I realized that the CMs were not advising people to wait until 4:00 for their rooms, so I was excited to find that my room was also ready right away. Then the best of all - Id gotten 1950s #1109, which was closer to Classic Hall than the 1960s rooms! Wonderful! Ive found the ASMu rooms to be perfectly adequate for the 4 of us when Ive been with my mother and both kids, so I already knew Pops rooms would be fine. It was spotless throughout and cheery. Lady and the Tramp were adorable as well, the best exterior theming in the place IMO. In fact, I really did not care for the 1970s, 80s, or 90s at all. Id stay at Pop again (and will, because DS has requested it for his birthday trip), but would be deeply disappointed if I werent in 1950s or 1960s. I may even pay more to ensure it! The toiletries shelf above the sink and the separate, dedicated soap area are great improvements over the All-Stars (though I still love my ASMu).
I was hungry and headed to the food court to grab a sandwich, but there was only one register open and I was unwilling to wait in the long line, so I just hopped a bus to DTD and bought a bag of popcorn there. I must say, I had outstanding bus karma on this trip - with the exception of Epcot after Illuminations, every time I approached a bus stop, a bus rolled up. It was eerie, I tell you! It was nice to finally stroll around the Marketplace, as our visit there last summer was cut short by DDs sudden fever. I bought some gifts for friends, resisting the urge to buy myself mickey-shaped ice cube trays and license plate frames that said, Been there, done that, going BACK! I could really drop a lot of money at World of Disney - mental note: do not let the kids in there!!
By 3:30 I was ready to move on. I had a 5:10 PS at Ohana and debated going back to Pop first, but figured that was cutting things a bit close, so I boarded the Poly bus (which instantly appeared the moment I approached the bus stop). It was annoying to have to stop at the West Side, then Typhoon Lagoon, then the Contemporary, before reaching the Poly at last. I was glad I didnt decide to go to Pop after all! Along the way I chatted with two other families who were at WDW for the first time. One man enthusiastically declared that they had been to almost every park, except for one - and then proceeded to ask me if Id ever been to that Fort Wilderness one and what kinds of rides they had. After coughing a little (to cover the laughter, of course) I let him know that it was a campground. He thanked me very nicely for telling him, saving him the hassle of getting there only to discover that there were indeed no rides.
By the time the bus reached the Poly I had less than an hour before my PS, so I walked down to my favorite stretch of the beach and relaxed in a swing, watching the water mice and ignoring my rumbling tummy. I wandered into the Great Ceremonial House at 4:45 to notice a line already forming at Ohanas podium, so I checked in and got myself a Mai Tai at the Tambu Lounge. The bartender and other couples at the bar didnt seem to know what to do with this unaccompanied woman, so I just focused on the TV and watched some very old basketball game (I knew it was old because the players were actually wearing shorts) until my pager went off at 5:05. Since Id seen the coconut races and such several times, I asked for a table in the back room and was seated with a sideways view of the lagoon as well as of the main dining room. My server also seemed out of his element in dealing with a solo diner and vacillated between impersonal and overly cheery. He kept the food coming, though, so I was satisfied! Details on the meal can be found in my dining report. By about 6:00 every table in the place was taken. The bartender had commented that they had been at capacity every night for the past 5 or 6 weeks, turning away hundreds (his word) of people each night.
I felt bad for one little girl, about 2 years old, who had apparently hit the wall and was not enjoying herself at all. She had been sitting contentedly munching on some bread when she suddenly just erupted into screams. Her parents kept asking her what was wrong, but she just kept howling incoherently. After about ten minutes her mother picked her up and left the dining room while the rest of the family continued eating. They returned several minutes later much calmer, but within only a few minutes of sitting down, the little one started whimpering and winding back up. After a few rounds of this, she did manage to sit through the rest of the meal without incident, but I felt terrible for the entire family as their meal was so interrupted. Im glad they all were able to enjoy it by the end. I also observed a chef come out to talk to a family with special dietary needs, something Ive noticed almost every time Ive eaten at Ohana. It may be a very common occurrence, but Im still impressed, anyway.
I waddled out, beyond full, at 6:30 or so and decided to play around on the monorails for a while. I hadnt ridden the Epcot monorail since 2002 - or was it 1993??! - so it was time. I figured at least it would take my mind off the fact that my stomach was going to burst. After transferring at the TTC, I enjoyed a nice little ride around the loop and whet my appetite for visiting my favorite park the next day. I lingered for a few minutes by the park entrance, savoring the music, and ambled over to the Pop bus stop just in time to walk onto the waiting bus. Along the way I was forced to cough again when a little girl pointed to a picture of Bambi and said, Look, a reindeer! and her mother replied, Thats not a reindeer, honey, its Bambi, a deer. Bambi is a doe. Between the food and the humor, I figured Id better get myself to bed before I hurt myself, so I turned in early after watching the Top Seven Must-See Attractions at Disney. Now I was positive that I did not want to try Mission: Space, but was greatly looking forward to Test Track, the Living Seas, and trying Moroccan food at the World Showcase.
Next - Part Three: Epcot
