MickeyMonstersMom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2002
- Messages
- 1,429
MMMs annual solo trip
Part Three: A Whole New World
Thursday, 4/21/05
Waking before my alarm went off, I walked around the Hippy Dippy Pool area a bit before heading to Classic Hall for breakfast. The fountains in the kiddie pool and the spraying flowers do put Pop a notch above the All-Stars (though I still love ASMu), and the buildings seem so much closer and the walks shorter. I was a bit annoyed to find that though the food court opens at 6:00, the hot stations do not until 6:30 and 7:00. Rather than wait, I settled for a yogurt-granola parfait (quite good!) and took it back to my room. Hoping to get lucky with an early opening, I reported to the bus stop and ended up being its only passenger - a good sign for low crowds later? I hoped so! However, there were busloads of High School students entering the park through a designated gate and I wondered how this would affect touring today - not at all, as it turned out. I saw the students everywhere, but for the most part they were well-behaved and did not create any bottlenecks that I noticed.
Settling in at a gate, I read my book until the gates opened right at 9:00 and intended to head for Test Track, but encountered a rope right in front of Spaceship Earth. I didnt have time to become irritated as CMs in bright blue uniforms approached and invited us to try Soarin - yay! Many people still opted for Mission: Space and Test Track, but a sizeable crowd followed the blue-suited CMs to the new attraction. I hadnt even considered the possibility of seeing this yet, so I knew very little about it. It was great, although Id like it better if the transitions between scenes were less abrupt. I could have sworn I smelled oranges when going over the groves, but chalked it up to my imagination at the time. Plans to try it again later and find out for sure were derailed by 70-minute waits and no more Fastpass distribution. Oh well, it gives me yet another reason to return!
I wanted to get over to Test Track as Id intended to get that out of the way right at opening, but I was distracted by Living with the Land, which Id missed last year, and as long as I was already in the building for Soarin I decided to ride that now instead of coming back and risking long lines. It was better than Id remembered. By the time I reached Test Track, the single-rider line was already posted as a 20-minute wait, and reality tended to be more like 25-30 minutes. I enjoyed it more than last year, but would not wait that long for it again. On my way back across toward the Living Seas, I stopped at Ice Station Cool to watch people trying Beverly. Feeling a moment of guilt, I warned a teen girl to sniff and sip her full cup before she slugged it down - she thanked me for it afterward! I still love Japans flavor though Germanys is becoming a closer second.
I had to check in with my pals Bock and Lou, the manatees who had made me cry on my first visit there, but remembered for the first time ever to stay on the right and watch the film before I went into the aquarium area. Eh, the movie didnt thrill me, but that could have been in part due to the several crying children in there. Some were afraid of the darkened theater, and the others - well, I dont know. At any rate, it was wonderful to commune with the awe-inspiring manatees for a while.
Feeling a little nervous about trying Moroccan food, I rode the Friendship Boat across the lake and checked in at Restaurant Marrakesh at about 11:50 for my noon PS. The CM at the podium curtly informed me that the restaurant did not open until noon, so I walked around the waiting area looking at the decor and the plaques on the walls. Im ashamed as a history teacher to say that I did not know that Morocco was the first country to recognize the United States as an independent nation, so I read the reprint of the historic letter with great interest - ironically, the English version was handwritten, so the French translation was actually easier to read. It was a little awe-inspiring to consider that Morocco has had the longest unbroken treaty relationship with the United States of any country in the world... since 1787. I was seated a little after noon in the center of the room very close to the entertainment area and with a great view of the beautifully decorated arched ceiling and pillars. The food turned out to be amazing - I can still taste it! I enjoyed the musicians more than the belly dancer - her movements seemed much more MTV than traditional Middle East, so that was a bit of a disappointment. The food will have me coming back, though, whether the entertainment is there or not! My only disappointment was that the meal came with rice instead of couscous, and as full as I was, I almost stopped at the Tangierine Cafe on the way out but gathered up a few shreds of self-control and moved on to explore the rest of the World Showcase. Hehe, I could always get the couscous later!!
Man, I love this place.
Last year my goal was to see every movie and check out every shop, and this year I just wandered wherever my feet took me and managed to see a lot of the shows. The Chinese acrobats are so talented and eager to please! It makes me wonder why China doesnt take home every gold medal in Olympic gymnastics. Ive been around for the Japanese drummers before, but listened without watching; this time I really paid attention, and their physical expressiveness adds a lot to the show. Very impressive. I also caught the French comedians - isnt it great how humor can transcend language? I almost turned around at the American Adventure when I heard the fife and drum band coming, as they made me cry in 2002 and I didnt want to embarrass myself again. However, I stuck around and put on my sunglasses just in case. I held on to my composure through the National Anthem, but when they surprised me with the Battle Hymn of the Republic (were just starting the Civil War unit in my classes) down the tears came. Sheesh. Get hold of yourself, woman! The tall man with the American flag was the same one wed seen in 2002 - interesting. I thought about approaching him to talk about working at Epcot (second career possibilities after retiring from teaching, you know) but didnt want to draw attention to my red nose and watery eyes, so I turned tail and slunk away.
At this point, about 4:30, I was starting to feel pretty tired - instead of following a plan like I usually do, Id crisscrossed the World Showcase several times and the feet were starting to let me know of their displeasure. I made a point of exiting via Mexico and Norway so that I could enjoy their rides. Kringla Bakeri og Kafe worked its usual magic and sucked me right into there - originally, to have my old standby favorite of rice cream, but decided to try the veiled maiden based on recommendations from the DIS. I felt guilty for not getting a sandwich and sharing a few bread crumbs with the birds outside as I usually do. I swear one of them recognized me from the past and kept staring at me accusingly! Boarding El Rio Del Tiempo I could see and smell the restaurant in there and fleetingly considered getting a PS for later, but told myself firmly NO and limped out of the park wondering what on earth Id decide to eat when I returned (can you tell I go to WDW to eat??!). In keeping with my amazing luck (when and how will I be paying for this??!) I caught the Pop bus right away and took a quick nap in the room before heading back to see Illuminations for the first time.
I headed back around 7:00 and made a beeline for Morocco to get that couscous, but there was a long line and I started thinking about the great aromas over at Mexico, so I headed over to the Cantina (my feet were *not* happy). Once there, though, I couldnt decide what I wanted and stood there like an idiot, monopolizing the menu and dithering until lines there got out of hand. Finally I ended up at Kringla for a turkey sandwich and my favorite, rice cream. Yes, my appetite was starting to scare me at this point. I saved my Coke and took it over to an Illuminations viewing spot between Mexico and Norway as people were already starting to claim areas of the pavement. I whiled away the time either people-watching or reading my book. By 8:20 my area was pretty packed with people - we werent squashed on top of each other, but most of the walkway was filled with people now sitting and waiting for the show. I noticed that several families and groups around me had taken off their sneakers and figured, why not? Ohhh, my feet were much happier with me then! Its amazing that WDW is kept so clean that not only do people feel comfortable sitting on the walkways, but even removing our shoes. I really love Disney.
Illuminations. (dramatic pause) Reflections of Earth began promptly after several countdown-style announcements that were just starting to annoy people by 9:00. The show was wonderful. I heard some people complaining about the short length and relative lack of spectacle compared to Fantasmic, but I think that the shows simplicity makes it better than Fantasmic in that regard. I like both, I guess, but for different reasons.
I felt very content being a human being as I relaxed and watched my fellow humans trickle past for about half an hour, including some who were taking the long walk around the Showcase toward Canada rather than exiting on the near end. I briefly considered following them, but upon standing my feet let me know that this would not be tolerated, so I meandered toward the front of Epcot, reaching the bus stop a little after 10:00. The Pop Century line was the most crowded of all Id seen, but two buses came before I even had time to get my book back out. A third bus arrived and the line was held up by a woman in an ECV who argued with the driver, saying that she could not drive her ECV onto the bus and the driver would have to do it. Of course, he tried to explain that he could not do this, and she finally and angrily gunned her ECV up the ramp. She popped a bit of a wheelie and one of her rear wheels slipped off the ramp, causing the driver, her companion, and a bystander to leap forward and physically push her ECV to safety. I wonder how she got to Epcot in the first place? At last everyone else got on board, but a man kept standing on the loading ramp (the part clearly marked Do Not Stand Here) and the driver could not get the bus into gear because of it. She kept shutting the engine off and coming back to check, at which point the man would squeeze back into the crowd and off the platform, so she could not figure out what was wrong. Finally, she directed us all to get back off as she must be having technical problems with the bus. People were pretty peeved at this point, but another bus pulled up just as we were getting off that one, and we arrived back at Pop by 10:45. I had considered going for a swim before bed, but instead watched Krissa for a while (how can anyone sustain that level of energy and enthusiasm??) and dropped off to sleep mentally reviewing my plan for the Animal Kingdom and looking forward to having couscous at Boma (am I obsessive? Really?) the next day.
Next - Part Four: Nahtazu?
Part Three: A Whole New World
Thursday, 4/21/05
Waking before my alarm went off, I walked around the Hippy Dippy Pool area a bit before heading to Classic Hall for breakfast. The fountains in the kiddie pool and the spraying flowers do put Pop a notch above the All-Stars (though I still love ASMu), and the buildings seem so much closer and the walks shorter. I was a bit annoyed to find that though the food court opens at 6:00, the hot stations do not until 6:30 and 7:00. Rather than wait, I settled for a yogurt-granola parfait (quite good!) and took it back to my room. Hoping to get lucky with an early opening, I reported to the bus stop and ended up being its only passenger - a good sign for low crowds later? I hoped so! However, there were busloads of High School students entering the park through a designated gate and I wondered how this would affect touring today - not at all, as it turned out. I saw the students everywhere, but for the most part they were well-behaved and did not create any bottlenecks that I noticed.
Settling in at a gate, I read my book until the gates opened right at 9:00 and intended to head for Test Track, but encountered a rope right in front of Spaceship Earth. I didnt have time to become irritated as CMs in bright blue uniforms approached and invited us to try Soarin - yay! Many people still opted for Mission: Space and Test Track, but a sizeable crowd followed the blue-suited CMs to the new attraction. I hadnt even considered the possibility of seeing this yet, so I knew very little about it. It was great, although Id like it better if the transitions between scenes were less abrupt. I could have sworn I smelled oranges when going over the groves, but chalked it up to my imagination at the time. Plans to try it again later and find out for sure were derailed by 70-minute waits and no more Fastpass distribution. Oh well, it gives me yet another reason to return!
I wanted to get over to Test Track as Id intended to get that out of the way right at opening, but I was distracted by Living with the Land, which Id missed last year, and as long as I was already in the building for Soarin I decided to ride that now instead of coming back and risking long lines. It was better than Id remembered. By the time I reached Test Track, the single-rider line was already posted as a 20-minute wait, and reality tended to be more like 25-30 minutes. I enjoyed it more than last year, but would not wait that long for it again. On my way back across toward the Living Seas, I stopped at Ice Station Cool to watch people trying Beverly. Feeling a moment of guilt, I warned a teen girl to sniff and sip her full cup before she slugged it down - she thanked me for it afterward! I still love Japans flavor though Germanys is becoming a closer second.
I had to check in with my pals Bock and Lou, the manatees who had made me cry on my first visit there, but remembered for the first time ever to stay on the right and watch the film before I went into the aquarium area. Eh, the movie didnt thrill me, but that could have been in part due to the several crying children in there. Some were afraid of the darkened theater, and the others - well, I dont know. At any rate, it was wonderful to commune with the awe-inspiring manatees for a while.
Feeling a little nervous about trying Moroccan food, I rode the Friendship Boat across the lake and checked in at Restaurant Marrakesh at about 11:50 for my noon PS. The CM at the podium curtly informed me that the restaurant did not open until noon, so I walked around the waiting area looking at the decor and the plaques on the walls. Im ashamed as a history teacher to say that I did not know that Morocco was the first country to recognize the United States as an independent nation, so I read the reprint of the historic letter with great interest - ironically, the English version was handwritten, so the French translation was actually easier to read. It was a little awe-inspiring to consider that Morocco has had the longest unbroken treaty relationship with the United States of any country in the world... since 1787. I was seated a little after noon in the center of the room very close to the entertainment area and with a great view of the beautifully decorated arched ceiling and pillars. The food turned out to be amazing - I can still taste it! I enjoyed the musicians more than the belly dancer - her movements seemed much more MTV than traditional Middle East, so that was a bit of a disappointment. The food will have me coming back, though, whether the entertainment is there or not! My only disappointment was that the meal came with rice instead of couscous, and as full as I was, I almost stopped at the Tangierine Cafe on the way out but gathered up a few shreds of self-control and moved on to explore the rest of the World Showcase. Hehe, I could always get the couscous later!!
Man, I love this place.
Last year my goal was to see every movie and check out every shop, and this year I just wandered wherever my feet took me and managed to see a lot of the shows. The Chinese acrobats are so talented and eager to please! It makes me wonder why China doesnt take home every gold medal in Olympic gymnastics. Ive been around for the Japanese drummers before, but listened without watching; this time I really paid attention, and their physical expressiveness adds a lot to the show. Very impressive. I also caught the French comedians - isnt it great how humor can transcend language? I almost turned around at the American Adventure when I heard the fife and drum band coming, as they made me cry in 2002 and I didnt want to embarrass myself again. However, I stuck around and put on my sunglasses just in case. I held on to my composure through the National Anthem, but when they surprised me with the Battle Hymn of the Republic (were just starting the Civil War unit in my classes) down the tears came. Sheesh. Get hold of yourself, woman! The tall man with the American flag was the same one wed seen in 2002 - interesting. I thought about approaching him to talk about working at Epcot (second career possibilities after retiring from teaching, you know) but didnt want to draw attention to my red nose and watery eyes, so I turned tail and slunk away. At this point, about 4:30, I was starting to feel pretty tired - instead of following a plan like I usually do, Id crisscrossed the World Showcase several times and the feet were starting to let me know of their displeasure. I made a point of exiting via Mexico and Norway so that I could enjoy their rides. Kringla Bakeri og Kafe worked its usual magic and sucked me right into there - originally, to have my old standby favorite of rice cream, but decided to try the veiled maiden based on recommendations from the DIS. I felt guilty for not getting a sandwich and sharing a few bread crumbs with the birds outside as I usually do. I swear one of them recognized me from the past and kept staring at me accusingly! Boarding El Rio Del Tiempo I could see and smell the restaurant in there and fleetingly considered getting a PS for later, but told myself firmly NO and limped out of the park wondering what on earth Id decide to eat when I returned (can you tell I go to WDW to eat??!). In keeping with my amazing luck (when and how will I be paying for this??!) I caught the Pop bus right away and took a quick nap in the room before heading back to see Illuminations for the first time.
I headed back around 7:00 and made a beeline for Morocco to get that couscous, but there was a long line and I started thinking about the great aromas over at Mexico, so I headed over to the Cantina (my feet were *not* happy). Once there, though, I couldnt decide what I wanted and stood there like an idiot, monopolizing the menu and dithering until lines there got out of hand. Finally I ended up at Kringla for a turkey sandwich and my favorite, rice cream. Yes, my appetite was starting to scare me at this point. I saved my Coke and took it over to an Illuminations viewing spot between Mexico and Norway as people were already starting to claim areas of the pavement. I whiled away the time either people-watching or reading my book. By 8:20 my area was pretty packed with people - we werent squashed on top of each other, but most of the walkway was filled with people now sitting and waiting for the show. I noticed that several families and groups around me had taken off their sneakers and figured, why not? Ohhh, my feet were much happier with me then! Its amazing that WDW is kept so clean that not only do people feel comfortable sitting on the walkways, but even removing our shoes. I really love Disney.
Illuminations. (dramatic pause) Reflections of Earth began promptly after several countdown-style announcements that were just starting to annoy people by 9:00. The show was wonderful. I heard some people complaining about the short length and relative lack of spectacle compared to Fantasmic, but I think that the shows simplicity makes it better than Fantasmic in that regard. I like both, I guess, but for different reasons.
I felt very content being a human being as I relaxed and watched my fellow humans trickle past for about half an hour, including some who were taking the long walk around the Showcase toward Canada rather than exiting on the near end. I briefly considered following them, but upon standing my feet let me know that this would not be tolerated, so I meandered toward the front of Epcot, reaching the bus stop a little after 10:00. The Pop Century line was the most crowded of all Id seen, but two buses came before I even had time to get my book back out. A third bus arrived and the line was held up by a woman in an ECV who argued with the driver, saying that she could not drive her ECV onto the bus and the driver would have to do it. Of course, he tried to explain that he could not do this, and she finally and angrily gunned her ECV up the ramp. She popped a bit of a wheelie and one of her rear wheels slipped off the ramp, causing the driver, her companion, and a bystander to leap forward and physically push her ECV to safety. I wonder how she got to Epcot in the first place? At last everyone else got on board, but a man kept standing on the loading ramp (the part clearly marked Do Not Stand Here) and the driver could not get the bus into gear because of it. She kept shutting the engine off and coming back to check, at which point the man would squeeze back into the crowd and off the platform, so she could not figure out what was wrong. Finally, she directed us all to get back off as she must be having technical problems with the bus. People were pretty peeved at this point, but another bus pulled up just as we were getting off that one, and we arrived back at Pop by 10:45. I had considered going for a swim before bed, but instead watched Krissa for a while (how can anyone sustain that level of energy and enthusiasm??) and dropped off to sleep mentally reviewing my plan for the Animal Kingdom and looking forward to having couscous at Boma (am I obsessive? Really?) the next day. Next - Part Four: Nahtazu?
