Newbie Trip Report - All In One Thread!!

[AnninIowa]

PREFACE

After watching all of the Disney shows on the Travel Channel and Food Network, my dad (who is 73, retired from John Deere, and lives with me) and I (31, owner of a home-based gift basket business and a consultant with The Body Shop at Home) began to seriously consider a trip to Walt Disney World in Florida. After tons of research (Frommer’s and Unofficial Guide, DIS Boards and AllEars.net), we had our AAA Travel Agent arrange a trip for us!

I choose the Beach Club as I wanted a Deluxe resort. The closeness to Epcot, MGM and Boardwalk restaurants, along with the awesome pool, sealed the deal for me. We were booked for 5 nights in a Standard Room at the Beach Club with 4-Day Park Hopper Passes, tickets to Cirque du Soleil…and at the last minute, the addition of the Dining Plan at only $25 per person per day. We would be flying out of Waterloo on Northwest Airlines on Sunday, October 1 and returning Thursday, October 6.

About one month before the trip, my dad had prostate surgery. Fortunately, all was well and he recovered quickly…but it was a question mark up until one week before if we’d actually be able to go. Because of the surgery, we’d be taking it even easier at Disney – only “must do” attractions, and if we didn’t get to do something, no big deal. Neither of us are “Disney” people – I saw some of the classic movies as a child, but haven’t seen any of the new ones – so characters aren’t big deal to us. We were mostly looking for an “easy” vacation where the details were taken care up and a possibly one-time chance to say we’d seen Disney.

 

[AnninIowa]

DAY 1 – Saturday, October 1

After leaving the Waterloo (Iowa) Regional Airport at 9:20 a.m. with a layover in Minneapolis and a slight delay due to the weather, we arrived at the Orlando International Airport at 3:00 p.m. We then began the hunt for the people waving the large “Mickey Hands” who would direct us to the Magical Express, i.e. free transportation and luggage transfer to the resort. After a LONG walk, we finally came upon them…and they directed us to walk more to another level to get to the Magical Express Check-In. After ending up on the wrong floor, we finally found it…and got into a long line to check in. The process went fairly quickly, and we were directed to the Beach Club line to await our ride. We were promptly shown to an awaiting bus, and in a few minutes were on our way! The Magical Express system would be transferring our luggage, so we’d packed a change of clothes and toiletries into a carryon as I’d heard horror stories about late arriving luggage.

We began the ride to the resort, first making a stop to drop of people at the Caribbean Beach Resort. When we got there, we ended up taking on guests from another bus whose air conditioning had broken. No big deal, as these were Yacht and Beach Club guests, too.

Finally, we arrived at the Beach Club – and got into another line to check-in. A man was behind the counter, a bit separate from the other front desk employees. When it was our turn to check in, we got him. He asked our name, entered it into the computer, and said he’d be right back. It was now 5:00 p.m. and I was tired and hungry. He came back after a few minutes…and announced we’d been UPGRADED to the Concierge floor! I immediately perked up knowing we’d get a full balcony, breakfast every morning, snacks all day, and some other amenities….certainly not worth the $150 per night it would have cost us out of pocket, but great things to be getting free!

The room was awesome! Two queen beds, two-sink area with storage, balcony, even robes in the closet – spacious and extremely comfortable. There was a knock on the door, and a housekeeper asked if we wanted turn down service. I thought she meant right then and there…so I said no. They didn’t do it for us until the very last night, then – but that last night left us 4 chocolate mints! We got cleaned up, rested for a few minutes, and then decided to head to Downtown Disney for dinner. We easily found the bus depot to await the Disney transportation, and the Downtown Disney bus arrived in less than two minutes. After stopping at the Boardwalk Resort to pick up more guests, it was a 10 minute ride to DTD, where we got off at the Marketplace stop.

We had the Magic Your Way Dining Plan, which allowed us a total of 10 Table Services (appetizer, entrée, dessert, drink, tax and tip), 10 Counter Service (entrée, dessert and drink) and 10 Snacks (drinks, ice cream) for the duration of our trip. Since the credits were pooled, we could use them any way we wanted. We had gotten a deal on the plan from our AAA travel agent – rather than $35 per person per day we only paid $25 per person per day!

I knew we’d be eating at Earl of Sandwich that night, so we got in line there. We used 2 Counter Service Credits – Dad got the day’s special, BBQ Beef Sandwich, plus a drink and cookie; and I got the Le Frenchy (ham, brie and dejonaise), drink and a brownie. The sandwiches were so good – hot and on baguettes - and very filling. We took the desserts with us to eat later, and then went to shop at World of Disney. Good grief, who came up with all of the Disney merchandise! The store was HUGE! We had a 10% coupon from AAA Travel, and we used it to buy a few magnets, postcards (as I was sending postcards to some friend’s kids back home), stuffed Mickey, Mickey Ears, and a photo album. We quickly realized we wouldn’t be getting any one souvenirs as the prices were insane! If we bought one person something, we’d have to buy for all – and it was out of the budget.

After shopping, we went to the Ghirardelli Soda Fountain & Ice Cream Shoppe, as I had a “buy one get one free” coupon. The place was packed! We quickly browsed the shop area, but since I own a gift basket business, I have access to Ghirardelli wholesale, so we didn’t buy anything. We went around to the ice cream parlor section and got in line. I ordered the Warm Brownie Sundae (plus a bottle of water), and Dad got the Very Berry Sundae; and we sat down to wait for them to be brought out. They certainly LOOKED amazing, but after digging in and getting to the ice cream at the bottom of the 5 inches of whipped cream, well, there wasn’t much there. There was hardly any hot fudge in mine, and quite frankly the whole sundae was rather bland – the brownie was pretty dry and not even warm. Dad said his was “okay”, but nothing great. Neither of us bothered finishing – although it would have been easy to as, in the end, there just wasn’t much to them. Definitely not worth the $7 each, even with the coupon!

We stopped in to Goofy’s Candy Company (I wasn’t impressed with this – a lot of candy you can get at home but with “Disney” packaging – and the prices were insane), Mickey’s Mart (I didn’t see any bargains here – just the stuff from the regular stores that was under $10), and Disney Tails (pet gifts), where I bought my pug Max a pack of Mickey pants and hand squeaky toys. There was a lot of great merchandise in Disney Tails – outfits, toys, treats, beds – for both dogs and cats. Finally we stopped into a kitchen store (can’t remember the name); they had everything Disney you could ever want or need for cooking. We then headed back to the bus stop, and within a couple minutes were on the bus back to the resort.

 

[AnninIowa]

DAY 2 – Sunday, October 2

I didn’t sleep much the first night as I was wound up - and Dad was snoring something fierce! However, even without much sleep, I was ready to go in the morning for our day at the Animal Kingdom. We ate a light breakfast in the Concierge Lounge (they had three kinds of cereal, Krispy Kreme donuts, bagels, croissants, fruit, coffee, tea, milk and juices), and then headed to the bus stop. Upon stepping outside, we were immediately hit with the heat. It was horrible! Fortunately, the air conditioned bus came quickly, and before long we were at Animal Kingdom…where we were immediately soaked with the humidity.

Animal Kingdom was packed! We were there about 8:40 a.m. and had quite a wait at the turnstiles. This was our first experience with the finger scanners – ugh! It was almost painful to position my fingers correctly. My poor dad has arthritic hands and didn’t fare much better. When we got past the entrance, there was a sea of people in front of us – I could just barely see the rope drop WAY up ahead. It took awhile for the crowd to disperse, and we followed the pack to the back of the park to ride Kilimanjaro Safari. The sign said there was a 20 minutes wait, but we soon realized this meant a 20 minute WALK though the waiting area! At the end of that trek we were soaked with sweat – and had just begun the day! Within a few minutes, we were seated in the truck (front row) and off we went on the fake safari. The driver was in character, but spoke so softly that is was pointless to even try to listen to her (someone in the back even yelled “Can you speak up?!”). No matter, as the whole scripted poacher thing is so lame – I just wanted to see some animals! I had read about the lack of actual animals at Animal Kingdom – and the critics were right. It was pathetic!! A couple of rhinos, a few giraffes and elephants. More focus was on the stupid poacher story line than on the animals. I was so disappointed in the whole safari ride!

After exiting, we walked the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail, where we did see some gorillas. That was about it, though, so we stopped for a couple of drinks (using 2 snacks credits), and headed for Rafiki’s Planet Watch. We boarded the Wildlife Express Train – and then spent about a half hour wasting time in the pathetic “attractions”, if you can even call them that – Conservation Station (I couldn’t see anything of these staged “behind-the-scenes exhibits” as TALL people were blocking my view) and Affection Station (petting zoo, which we didn’t go in). The Talking Trash Can was there, though, making eyes at the goats and talking to a lady from Massachusetts. I immediately saw the man doing the “can’s” talking in the gift shop behind me. I was so tempted to go up to the can and ask if he thought that guy was shoplifting…but I held back! We quickly headed back to the train, and went off to see “It’s Tough To Be A Bug”, where I witnessed a couple incidents of parents forcing their children to go in. In front of us were two red-neck parents holding the hands of their little boy. The boy was crying and saying he didn’t want to go in (we gathered he’d been there before and hated it). The dad screamed at him that there was no crying at Disney, that he was five years old now and to stop crying. Then inside while waiting to enter the theatre, a little girl was clinging to her mom, terrified, yet they dragged her in.

Dad and I really liked the show. Even though we haven’t seen the “Bug’s Life” movie, it was still great and full of surprises!

Not long after getting to the Animal Kingdom, I realized I should have listened to all the warnings about wearing comfortable shoes. I just had flip-flops with me on the trip…and I was miserable! Talk about PAIN!!!

Afterwards, we went to “Asia” to ride Kali River Rapids. The sign said there was a 20 minute wait; again, we soon found out it was a 20-minute WALK through the waiting area. The heat was so bad that I was actually hoping to get wet on the ride. I was scared of the moving boarding area, but it was no problem; and soon we were on our way. The first part of the ride was pretty tame, but then suddenly there was a huge drop that I wasn’t expecting! I can spin, and I can go down, but I can’t spin AND go down at the same time…and I also get sick going backwards. My luck, I go straight down the drop BACKWARDS…and screamed the entire time! The rest of the ride was very rough, although we didn’t get that wet. All in all, I really liked it.

By now it was almost 12:30 p.m., so we headed to Pizzafari for lunch. We used 2 Counter Service Credits here: dad got the Cheese Pizza, Apple Tart and drink; and I got the Hot Italian Deli Sandwich (came with a bag of Lay’s Chips), Chocolate Cake and drink. Everything was really good! I was a little worried about the pesto tomatoes on my sandwich, but I was able to pick them off easily enough. The cake was to die for! Out of pocket, this meal would have cost us $25 (I soon realized the counter service meals cost what a sit-down meal at home would cost), so the dining plan was really working in our favor.

We were too exhausted and miserable to see any more of Animal Kingdom, so after a quick stop in a gift shop so I could get a magnet and a few postcards, we headed back to the Beach Club. We both took showers and napped, and I massaged my poor feet…then we headed to Boma for dinner. Our bus ride earlier in the morning, and then again to Boma, proved how far Animal Kingdom really is from anything else. I had originally considered staying at AKL, but was glad I chose the Beach Club. AKL was just so removed from everything, and so DARK. Great for a brief visit, but it wasn’t where I’d want to stay.

Boma was packed; we were a bit early for our 6:00 p.m. ADR (2 Table Service Credits), but only waited about 5 minutes to be seated. It took a while for our server to take our drink order, and even longer to actually get the drinks. The place was really busy and people were piled in the waiting area. I’d heard such great things about Boma and was really excited to try it. While I’m glad we did try it, I would definitely never go again. I wasn’t expecting it to be so LOUD! I’d read all about the little “pod” areas for food…whatever, the “pods” are all in a line so I didn’t see how it was really different from other buffets. Anyhow, I was still looking forward to trying the food…but it just wasn’t appealing to us. I tried a number of different dishes, taking a little of each. Other than the “Potatoes with Afritude” and some of the breads, there wasn’t anything I liked. I forced myself to eat a few bites of the nut-crusted salmon, trying to get just the nuts. We found the food to be spicy – not in the traditional way of American spicy – but so “spiced” that it did bother us. We “tried” enough to fill up, however, then hit the desserts…which were awesome!!! We each had a famous Zebra Dome, and they were okay…but my favorites were the Chocolate Moose Crunch and the Chocolate Brownies. I went back for seconds of these – so good!! So, dessert made up for the food, definitely. Since our server was scarce – my drink was never refilled – we didn’t tip any extra, just the 15% that was included with the Dining Plan.

Again, I was glad we at least TRIED Boma, and now I can say I’ve eaten African foods. We stopped in the AKL gift shop before leaving, then headed back to the resort. This night I had no trouble sleeping!

 

[AnninIowa]

DAY 3 – Monday, October 3

While I slept soundly, Dad claimed I kept him up with my snoring. Whatever! Today was Epcot day, and I was determined to get to Soarin’ early. After a quick breakfast in the Concierge Lounge, we took to boat to Epcot, where we entered through the International Gateway. The crowd quickly passed us as first the heat, then my aching feet, slowed us down. By the time we hiked it to The Land building (I was surprised at how small the building was – you could see everything from one position…I was expecting a HUGE complex), we were sweating and I was limping. Not a good start. However, nothing was going to stop me from Soarin’, so we headed downstairs and found a 20 minute wait (later found out it was EMH that morning). Still, the line moved quickly, and we were seated – get this – in the front row of the middle section of seats RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE of the row! Smack dab in the middle – best seats you can get! The ride was amazing, although too short! If we’d had more time, I definitely would have ridden it again.

Half an hour later I realized we could have ridden Soarin’ again had we avoided Living With The Land! After a 20 minute wait and a 10 minute boat ride though the evolution of farming (and the steaming greenhouse!), I had to accept there were 30 minutes of my life wasted. Dad, however, thought it was great. Anyway…

Out of The Land and toward Spaceship Earth. I really appreciated the signage in Epcot, as well as Animal Kingdom and later MGM. It made getting around so easy! We both liked the Spaceship Earth ride (I especially liked the air conditioning!), as any chance to sit down was welcomed!

We then hiked over to Test Track, my other “must do”. The sign said there was a 40 minute wait, but I dismissed that since we hadn’t had to wait anywhere near what signs had said on other rides. Big mistake! The line stalled twice, and we definitely waited longer than 40 minutes. The waiting area is so LOUD – all the music and car noises – and it’s a repetitive beat. Not pleasant at all. Then just when you think you are boarding…you’re in another waiting area. FINALLY we boarded (front row) and held on for dear life! It was rough and fast, but really fun!!

By then it was almost 1:00 p.m. and I was thirsty, hungry, tired, hot, and in pain. Dad got in line for some water while I tried to find some shade – an impossible task, I learned, at Epcot. I knew there was no way we’d make it around World Showcase, but I thought we’d at least try to get lunch in France. We ate at the Boulangerie Patisserie, using 2 Counter Service Credits for 2 Ham & Cheese Croissants, Cake of the Day (chocolate!!), Strawberry Tart, and two drinks. The croissants were amazing – I actually had 1 and a half as Dad couldn’t finish his. So good!!

After lunch, I felt better and we decided to at least try to make it to America. We just walked past the countries in between, although the character bus was out so I stopped to take some pictures of Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Pluto. We finally made it to America for the American Adventure – what a great show!! Plus, air conditioning…chairs…what’s not to like?!

After the show, however, we were DONE with Epcot! We made our way back to England to exit through the World Showcase (stopping at the World Traveler shop for a magnet and postcards). Even though we were exhausted, I knew we HAD to get in the pool as the weather and our schedule may not have allowed it later in the trip. So we changed into our swimsuits and headed to the famous 3-acre Stormalong Bay…and it was fabulous! The water was perfect (although my dad thought is was COLD!), and we just bobbed around for an hour of so.

We had 6:00 p.m. ADR at Wolfgang Puck’s Café that night, so we cleaned up and headed for the bus. Of course, they drop off at Pleasure Island, meaning we had to WALK (my poor feet!!) to Wolfgang’s. We were early, but that got us a seat outside, which was perfect as it had cooled off and there was a nice breeze coming from the water. This was a 2 Table Service Credits meal – I had the Caesar Salad (yum!), Three-Cheese Ravioli (best I’ve EVER had!!), and Warm Dark Chocolate Soufflé Cake (very disappointing – just plain chocolate cake with a scoop of chocolate ice cream – only ate about half). Dad had a hard time here, as he just couldn’t figure out what to get. He tried the Asian Style Vegetable Spring Rolls (too spicy), Adventure’s In The Kitchen Meatloaf (he hated it), and Chef Marian’s Carrot Cake (which he thought was wonderful – fortunately, that filled him up). I had a Coke and Dad had the Mango Ice Tea (which he loved), and they gave us the bread, too (which I loved, Dad hated…oh well, more for me!). We tipped an extra $5 here, which the waiter seemed to really appreciate. Despite my dessert, I loved my food…Dad just ordered the wrong things for him – he should have gotten a salad and Fettuccini Alfredo, which I know he would have liked. I would definitely recommend Wolfgang Puck’s Café!!

We looked around the West Side a bit (definitely a more adult feel – not very “Disney”), then headed back to the Beach Club. We stopped into the Marketplace and dad got a Pistachio Gelato, which he loved. We went to the Marketplace several times during our stay to get milk and water – it was very convenient.

 

[AnninIowa]

DAY 4 – Tuesday, October 4

Another great night sleep – the Beach Club beds are SOOOOOO comfy!!! We had 8:00 a.m. ADR at Cape May Café for their breakfast, which also happened to have characters. Dad loves breakfast foods, so I wanted him to have a nice breakfast on the trip. I was dreading the character part, but figured I could suck it up for one meal. People in costumes make me…”uncomfortable”!! This was a 2 Table Service Credit meal for us, and there was plenty on the buffet: Mickey waffles, Krispy Kreme donuts, bagels, croissants, two types of eggs, bacon, sausage, fruits, potatoes…plus we each got drinks. The characters were Goofy, Minnie, and Dale (minus Chip for some reason)…and we did take a few pics of each other with the characters. I didn’t want to, now, but the CHARACTERS insisted!! Our server was so sweet – we ended up tipping her an extra $3.

After breakfast we took the boat to MGM Studios. It had rained a lot that morning, and it was sprinkling when we went. We had our Dollar Tree ponchos, but they were so hot we just sucked it up and let it rain on us. There were only three attractions I wanted to see at MGM, and we did them all in about 2 hours. Neither my Dad nor I are movie watchers, so I was unfamiliar with most of what was in the park. First we did The Great Movie Ride – an okay attraction, made GREAT by the air conditioning and sitting down!! The little skit, however, was so lame, although the cast members were genuinely trying. The only movie I’d seen in the attraction was The Wizard of Oz. Next was the Muppet Vision 3-D, which I LOVED!! Afterwards we stopped in the gift shop and I bought a Kermit and a couple of magnets. I love my Muppets! Then it was off to the Backlot Tour. The little preshow was okay, and the earthquake part was interesting, but that was about it. There really wasn’t anything to see or anything particularly memorable about it. We used 2 Snack Credits for ice cream (Mickey Sandwich and Nestle Crunch Bar). Being in MGM was interesting, though; in all my research, I had in my “mind” what restaurants and attractions would look like – but was pleasantly surprised at how EVERYTHING (from ice cream carts to signage) was movie themed.

We took the boat back to the Beach Club, used 5 Snack Credits at Hurricane Hanna’s (3 waters, 1 Coke and 1 Cookie) and rested for a couple hours. On our way up to the room, I spotted the Bellman that is featured in the Beach Club promos and who has been on the Travel Channel – and like a tourist went up and told him I had to take his picture!! He seemed pleased and saluted for me, then shook my hand. A celebrity moment, for sure!! At around 3:00 p.m., we headed over to the Boardwalk for a late lunch/early dinner at Big River Grille & Brewing Works. What an overlooked gem!! The view, the service and the food were outstanding!! We were able to use 2 Table Service Credits here. I got the Classic Caesar Salad (really good!) and the Big Brew Burger (with added bacon and Swiss cheese) with homemade kettle chips (awesome); Dad got the Clam Chowder (loved it) and a BBQ (sweet sauce) Pork Sandwich with the chips (loved it, too). I had a Coke, dad had the lemonade, and we each had the Chocolate Confusion Cake (too die for!) for dessert. This was probably the best meal of the trip, and we tipped the waiter an extra $5 (he was very appreciative).

We had time to stop back at the Beach Club to freshen up before heading to Cirque du Soleil. Of course, when we actually HAD to be somewhere at a certain time – tickets said we needed to be at Cirque by 5:30 p.m. – the bus was late! We waited for 15 minutes, and then had to endure stops at the Boardwalk and Marketplace before being dropped off at Pleasure Island at 5:25 p.m. We limped to Cirque and got in line. While in line on the balcony, I turned to take a picture of the street down the West Side. The ticket taking lady immediately jumped on me and said, “You can’t take pictures inside the show!” Was I taking pictures inside? NO! We were shown to our seats, and as I went to put my camera away, the usher attacks me, “You can’t take pictures in here!” Good grief!! I fully understand why they don’t allow pictures, but ease up! This was a half and hour before the show even began…and I wasn’t even taking pictures!!

I hopped in line to get a drink – and witnessed another sales campaign as they were selling “souvenir” mugs (more like JUGS). People were scooping them up, though. It took forever to get through the line, but I finally got my Coke and headed back to my seat. Initially I thought our seats were awesome – section B, right in front by the railing with the aisle in front. WRONG! This meant that anytime someone got up – and this was often – they walked right in front of us, blocking our view. I came to the conclusion that children should not be allowed to sit in the front sections – parents were up and down the entire show taking kids to the bathroom! It ruined a few parts of the show for me – and we’d paid $100 each for tickets!!

That aside, the show was AMAZING!! I would have liked the CD, but not for $21! I did get a program and a magnet, though, before we headed back to the Beach Club.

Here is where we learned a valuable lesson about the bus system. The entire time we were at Disney, the bus we rode was for the Boardwalk, Swan, Dolphin, Yacht and Beach Clubs. So when a bus with Boardwalk, Swan and Dolphin approached, we hopped right on. Plus, the bus depot was clearly marked that section 2 was for ALL the Epcot resorts. I couldn’t get rid of the nagging feeling that we should have asked if the bus would be stopping at the Yacht and Beach Clubs…and at the Swan Dad finally did. NOPE, the bus was headed back to DTD! We quickly got off and began the LONG walk through the Swan (man, the Swan and Dolphin are the UGLIEST hotels I’ve even seen!!) and caught the boat to the Beach Club. We later heard a bus driver explain that the buses split between the five resorts from 6 pm to midnight. Nice if the signs said that!!

 

[AnninIowa]

DAY 5 – Wednesday, October 5

By the morning of Day 5, I am beginning to feel “Disneyed-out”…but there was still the Magic Kingdom to see, and since this is the most “Disney” of the parks, I’d saved it for the last day. After a small bite to eat in the Concierge Lounge, we got in line for the Magic Kingdom bus, which came quickly. When we arrived, we moved quickly through the line (thank goodness it was the last “finger scan” we’d have to do), and entered Main Street. It was busy, but not PACKED. We found the Main Street Bakery and got into their LONG line. We used 2 Counter Service Credits here: Blueberry Muffin and Chocolate Milk for me, an Apple Turnover for dad. Both pastries were excellent, although finding a seat was ridiculous! Finally a group left and we snagged one of the two outside tables and ate fast to free it up for others.

I quickly found out that Magic Kingdom lacked the signage of the other three parks, and with it being pretty crowded, we struggled to figure out which path to take to get to Adventureland. We were going to do Jungle Cruise, but it didn’t open until 10 am…so we got right on the Pirates of the Caribbean. Maybe you have to see the movie for this to make sense, as I just didn’t get it. It was loud and somewhat violent…I wasn’t impressed. Jungle Cruise now had a line about a mile long, so we went searching for Frontierland.

Again, the lack of signs messed us up, and we ended up going through Liberty Square to get there! We got in line for Splash Mountain (sign said 20 minutes, but it was more like 5). The drops on this were much more intense than I was expecting – I screamed my way through every one!! We were in the back, so we only got a little water on us. The interior of the ride, however, is really cute. Next we got in line for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – sign said 10 minutes but it was less than 5. I LOVED this ride! I can handle the twists and turns – I’ve learned I’m getting too old for the drops…although I screamed throughout much of this ride, too!

We walked through Liberty Square so I could find Liberty Tree Tavern, where we had 1:00 p.m. ADRs. We than boarded the Walt Disney World Railroad to get to Mickey’s Toontown Fair as a shorter route to Tomorrowland. Fortunately, it was a quick walk through Toontown, at the end up which was the Mad Tea Party…the one ride I was most looking forward to – seriously!! I LOVE teacup rides! Dad hates them, but I promised not to spin the cup if he rode (he, he!!!). We had to wait through two cycles to ride…and I guess I forgot about not spinning the cups!! He survived, though, as it was an all too short ride.

We then headed into Tomorrowland and hit the crowd! Yikes, it was PACKED!! We hoped on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority – seats, yea! My poor dad about fell over when he got on the moving platform – despite all the warnings to be careful. We made it into our car and enjoyed the ride – I especially liked seeing the inside of Space Mountain. We then went to the Carousel of Progress, which was mildly entertaining – if not a bit hokey. Again, air conditioning and seats made it a “must see” attraction!

It took a while to maneuver out of Tomorrowland – isn’t this the “off” season?! I actually wanted to do a few of the rides in Fantasyland, but by the time we got there at Noon, wait times were running at least 20 minutes – some 40 minutes. So, we walked through Fantasyland (I was surprised at how small all of the sections of Magic Kingdom were!), and went back to Liberty Square. There was only a 10 minute wait for The Haunted Mansion, and after reading about it being a “must do”, we got in the line, which ended up being less than a few minutes. Again, maybe you have to see the movie to get this, but I just wasn’t scared or impresses. I also have a habit of not paying attention to the attraction itself but instead looking around me – and I quickly spotted how some of the effects were run. The ride also stalled twice – kind of took the momentum out of it. Still, it was interesting to do, I guess, and killed more time before lunch.

While it was only 12:35 p.m., we went over to Liberty Tree Tavern anyway to see if we could get in early. We were seated in less than five minutes (how awful would it be to work here and have to constantly say – and here – the “Here ye, here ye…now seating…”?! Our server asked me is we were a couple! I said no, that was my Dad!! She said that was too bad as we were getting the most romantic seat in the house, the one that men request when then want to propose. Well, that kind of grossed me out!!

Our server was less than pleasant – not rude, but clearly not enjoying her job. This was a 2 Table Service Credit meal – and by far the worst meal we had! For appetizers, I had the Tavern Fried Cheese (mozzarella cheese sticks with marinara sauce – strangely half the plate were “sticks” and the other half “nuggets” – these were your typical mozzarella sticks, although a bit too greasy) and dad had the New England Clam Chowder (he said it was very good). For entrees, I had “The Sandwich Heard Around the World” - grilled turkey panini with Swiss cheese, applewood smoked bacon, avocado tartar served on multi grain bread with arugula and mache salad. YUCK!!! The avocado tartar was slimy and make the sandwich soggy…and the bread had more grain in it than a bird feeder. The “salad” looked more like extra condiments for the sandwich. I barely ate ¼ of this – it was awful. Dad had the “Pilgrims' Feast” - traditional roast turkey with herb bread dressing, mashed potatoes and a garden vegetable. While he liked the turkey, he said the dressing was terrible. With the heat, he just wasn’t able to get down a “Thanksgiving” meal. For dessert, I had the Chocolate Liberation Cake - warm chocolate lava cake with raspberry sauce. The cake was very small, but good. When it first came out, it has a strawberry on it – and I’m allergic to strawberries. Even though the waitress was pretty sure the sauce was raspberry, she insisted on taking it back and making one with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce for me. Dad had the Caramel Apple Tart - shortbread crust, sugared apples, and vanilla bean ice cream. He said it was just “okay” – the apple turnover at the Main Street Bakery had been much better. After eating here, I’d wished we’d eaten at Tony’s Town Square instead. Oh well! We did give our server an extra $5 tip – and she seemed very pleased!

We finished lunch just in time to catch the next showing in the Hall of Presidents. We both loved this, and I was glad no one booed Bush – in fact, several people clapped! I was expecting more presidents, however, and less movie. I loved how the presidents twitched – Regan’s foot moved several times!

By now is was almost 2:30 and we headed back to Main Street. People were lining up for the parade – but there was no way I was standing around for half and hour to see it. We stopped in to the Main Street Confectionery. It was fun to look at all the treats, but I was too full to actually get any - they were making the giant Mickey Rice Krispies that have been on the Food Network! We then headed out of the park and went to ride the Monorail, just to see the view and the Monorail resorts. I thought the Contemporary was hideous – so ugly!! The Polynesian looking depressing with all the BROWN – not like the Hawaii I’ve seen. The Grand Floridian looked beautiful, but the pool seemed small for a Deluxe. It was a fast trip, and as we rode over the water it popped into my head that if we derailed….needless to say, I was glad to get off!!

We caught the bus back to the Beach Club and napped for a couple hours. We then headed back to Downtown Disney Marketplace to spend the last 3 Counter Service Credits we had. Just to use one up, we stopped at Wolfgang Puck’s Express where I got a Caesar Salad, Brownie and Coke. I only ate about half the salad and took the brownie with me. We then went back to Earl of Sandwich where I got the Earl’s Club and Dad got the Tuna Melt – both were excellent – and we each got cookies and drinks. The staff was rather rude, putting the damper on a great meal. We browsed World of Disney again to see if we’d missed any thing we couldn’t live without – we hadn’t. We then headed back to the Beach Club to get ready for our morning departure. After being in the stifling heat and with my poor feet destroyed, I had definitely had enough of Disney! The Weather Channel showed a nice 45 degrees back home – and I couldn’t wait to get there!!

 

[AnninIowa]

DAY 6 – Thursday, October 6

We woke up early, as we needed to be on the Magical Express bus at 8:10 a.m. We got breakfast from the Concierge Lounge and brought it back to the room. I also stopped into the Marketplace to get some tissues and a last magnet. Unfortunately, we had to take our luggage ourselves as Northwest isn’t yet part of the luggage service. The bus arrived promptly and after a stop at the Caribbean Beach Resort, we were off to the Orlando Airport. Check in went smoothly, and before long we were leaving Florida. During our layover in Minneapolis, we ate lunch at T.G.I. Fridays, and I was a bit dismayed at not being able to use the Dining Plan! Back to the real world!! We had a bit of a delay, and then a bumpy ride back to Waterloo (Waterloo is a small airport, hence we get the smallest planes – 32 seats!) – and I was moments away from grabbing the barf bag! The Northwest employees, however, were top notch during the trip. My only complaint was that my luggage was DESTROYED by the time we got home. I had to throw one suitcase away, and one is unsuitable for air travel now.

All in all, I’m so glad we went to Disney World! The transportation, the Beach Club, the Dining Plan…everything was so “easy” to do! For the same amount of money, there are other places in the world I’d like to see before returning to Disney, but I wouldn’t rule out another trip. There’s definitely plenty to do even if you aren’t “into” Disney!!

I'm happy to answer any questions!!

 

[Deluzy]

Thanks Ann!

I haven't had a chance to read your full report - but I can't wait!!!

 

[mckymama]

I sat and read your whole review, and imagine my surprise when you said that you were glad you went to WDW! It sounded like you didn't like much besides the desserts and air conditioning. I've never heard of someone not liking the Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Polynesian, Contemporary, Grand Floridian, etc. etc. I would have expected you to say that you would never return. Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to vacation. I'm just sorry you didn't enjoy yourselves more.

 

[AnninIowa]

Mckymama - As I said at the end of the review, I enjoyed the overall ease and attractions of the trip. While there were a few attractions I didn't really "get", there wasn't anything (aside from Animal Kingdom - and I LOVE animals, which is why I was so disappointed) I regretted doing. As I stated, this was a one-time chance for us to see Disney. My opinions on the resorts, for instance, were what I saw from the monorail. As far as you've never heard of anyone not liking certain attractions or resorts, I've been reading posts on this board for months and every single attraction has at least one negative review. And yes, the desserts and air conditioning were FABULOUS!!!

 

[heaven2dc]

I'm at a loss as to my reply - I truly enjoy reading trip reports (the good and the bad) but not sure where yours fell in line with. I think you might have enjoyed the trip more if your shoes were more comfortable, the weather cooler and the parks less busy. Even tho I'm a *************, I refuse to go during the hottest time of the year and will only go when it's less crowded especially with comfortable shoes. I truly hope you had a somewhat pleasurable experience in all and hope maybe someday you will come back!!

 

[AnninIowa]

I really didn't intend my report to be negative - I was hoping some of the humor would come through...but I also tried to be completely honest. Yes, the heat and sore feet affected the trip. However, you have to remember that I am writing from a non-Disney fan perspective and as one who went without children. I know many of you on the boards experience the "magic" and "pixie dust", and, hey, whatever tickles your pickle! I didn't even bother writing about the rude people who cut in line, pushed, and ran my poor dad over - I figure those things in to any place where there are large groups of people.

I truly enjoyed the vacation, with the resort, Cirque du Soleil and dining being my favorites. The parks were more of a "well, now we can say we saw them" type of thing (although I loved Soarin', Test Track, Big Thunder Mountain, Mad Tea Party and many others attractions). I would go back in a second if I had the money...but with "big" vacations few and far between, the next destination is the Big Island of Hawaii!!!

 

[jenga1030]

Wow! I'm a little depressed after reading that. And I'm from Georgia, what exactly does a "redneck parent" look like?

 

[AnninIowa]

"redneck parent"

One word: MULLET

And I wouldn't have called them rednecks had they treated their child well - they were horrible! "Redneck" was the kindest word I felt I could post on this board.

 

[Ellester]

Well, I enjoyed your report! I do have to say that both the Haunted Mansion and Pirates were rides LONG before they were movies! I am wondering if you used Fastpass at all. Seems like you could have hit the Jungle Cruise, Soarin', Pooh, Peter Pan, and/or Philharmagic with little to no wait if you had used it.

Your description of your baggage and flights with Northwest express brought back memories! We lived in Ames for 5 years and I traveled a bunch for business during that time. If you think Waterloo is bad, try flying out of Ft. Dodge sometime! My DH and I once had to change seats after most of the passengers got off at Mason City to readjust the weight distribution on the plane! And Northwest was never gentle with my bags! Thanks for the report, I'm glad you and your dad got a taste of Disney (warts and all)!

 

[Montana Disney Fan]

I'm from Montana and surrounded by Rednecks. God bless 'em

Great report! Thanks for sharing.

MDF

 

[luvmy2sams]

Thanks for sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly of your trip. I, too, was surprised that you would consider returning to Disney. My mom (a non-Disney person) ventured through Epcot alone during a business trip last year and now fully understands the magic. I'm sorry that the pixie dust didn't capture you as well.

And I wouldn't have called them rednecks had they treated their child well - they were horrible! "Redneck" was the kindest word I felt I could post on this board.

Yipes! I sure hope that the other rednecks out here don't take this comment the way it came across my screen...and I'm not a redneck.

 

[fizz13]

Thankyou for posting your review. I'm sorry that you didn't get into it like some of us do but at least you gave it a try. There is nothing worse than a person not getting/ dissaproving of WDW when they haven't been, so at least you have formed an opinion for yourself.. Maybe next time you go you will enjoy it more knowing you need comfortable shoes. can go when its cooler etc. These are all good things to learn.

Thanks for sharing,
Clairexx

 

[Paul_Pearce]

I'm just posting to make sure I get to read all of the replies to this thread in my Outlook account!!!!!!

 

[michellejed]

I enjoyed reading your trip report but was also surprised to see you would come back.

It sounded as if your father was very accommodating going on all the rides with you, you were lucky to have him along with you.