Our first trip to Walt Disney World. Sunday, Feb 11 to Sunday, Feb 18.
DH â Brian 37, hard worker, money supplier, happy go lucky guy.
Me â DW â Penny 37, homemaker, trip planner, money spender.
DD â Sammi 4 þ, happy to be out of the cold, ready for anything.
WeâÂÂre from Michigan where we left snow and a temp of16 degrees.
I wonâÂÂt give you step by step details, since I think we all know what goes on, so IâÂÂll just give the highlights, good and bad, the meals we ate and what we spent per day.
Sunday - February 11, 2001.
We left 16 degrees in MI and arrived to 65 degrees in Florida: Noon temp: 72. High of 83 today. Little foggy in the am, Partly cloudy and nice in the PM.
Travel Day:
We were picked up from our home at 4:45am by a town car and delivered to the airport in Detroit. The flight was good; it left on time and landed smoothly at 9:20am. Mark our town car driver from Classic Carriage Limo was waiting to meet us at the luggage area. We loaded up and arrived at the Beach Club about 20 minutes later.
Room 2634 at the Beach Club:
I had faxed in my room request for a 2nd floor room near the lobby and I got what I wanted. Our room was just five rooms away from the lobby. It was in a perfect location. Hurrah! We were also upgrade from a standard room to a courtyard view. The room was very nice and clean with two queen sized beds. We had no animals made out of our towels and were very pleased by that. (I donâÂÂt know about the rest of you, but I would not like our clean towels made into an animal and placed on top of a bed spread that I didnâÂÂt know the last time it had been washed). (Yes, IâÂÂm a germ freak).
Activities today:
Our room was not ready so we checked our luggage and went exploring the hotel. The pool is awesome. Sammi got a hair wrap and we walked around the boardwalk and had lunch at the Big River Brewery Co. We walked to Epcot, stopped by the fountain for the fountain show, which Sammi liked and decided to take a ride on the Monorail. There was no one waiting for the Monorail so we asked the CM if we could ride in the front with the pilot. It was too cool. My daughter especially liked it. We rode to the TTC and after we received our co-pilots licenses we had to vacate and got into the regular section to return to Epcot. And as I did read here on this discussion forum that some of the cars stunk, it did stink. DH said it was the air conditioning unit. To me it smelled like a horse just rode in there. We went back and checked into our room and we went swimming in Stormalong Bay. What a wonderful pool! We returned later in the evening to Epcot to watch the ToNP and the Illuminations fireworks. Both were spectacular. We watched to fireworks from the bridge in Italy, which was a great place to view them. We visited several countries where Sammi started to make the international mask (as we like to call it) and get her Epcot Passport stamped. I love Epcot because there is always something going on. We returned to our hotel and ate dinner at Beaches and Cream.
Crowds:
The crowds at Epcot were not bad earlier in the day however at night when we saw the 8:15pm Tapestry of Nations Parade, the place was empty. All the puppets came over to my daughter because there was no one else around. It was defiantly a highlight of our trip. But phooey, I didnâÂÂt have my camera with me.
Meals today:
We had Burger King at the airport prior to our flight out. Total for the three of us: $8.67
Big River Brewery Co. on the Boardwalk:
Very Good. The Honey Chicken was the best chicken sandwich that IâÂÂve ever had. DH had the Brew Burger and DD had the PB&J sandwich. Everything came with potato chips. Total for the three of us including 2 beers and 2 pops: $43.90
Warning: Watch out for the birds. We saw a seagull swipe down and sit right down on a table next to us and steal a ladies french fry.
Beaches and Cream at the Beach Club:
Very Good. DH and I split a Cheeseburger and chips and DD had a grilled cheese. 1 beer, 2 pops and for dessert two ice cream cones and a strawberry shake completed our meal. Great place, good service, but a little small and very busy. Great ice cream and shakes. Total for the three of us: $36.55.
Characters we saw today:
As we were leaving Epcot a character bus just let off at the Showcase Plaza so Sammi got to see Belle, Pooh, Eyeore, Tigger, Mickey and Minnie. Since we got there late the lines were long and she able to only give Belle a hug. (Blast it. I didnâÂÂt have my camera).
Two-way radios:
They worked great! We had them with us the entire time. We had the Motorola Talkabout 250âÂÂs with the different channels and codes. If one of us had to make a stop somewhere like the bathroom or to get a drink the other could keep going and we were able to link up again using the radios. Best purchase made prior to the trip.
Purchases made today:
Burger King at airport $8.67
Book at the airport $8.67
Soda mug (at hotel) $11.33
Beers $21.36
6 Pins, & 1 lanyard $51.94
Hairwrap $20.00
Sunglass cord $6.36
Tinkerbell Powderpuff $8.48
Tube rental for Stormalong bay $3.99
Epcot Passport $10.55
Treasure Gem Stones at Epcot $6.89
Mickey Ice Creams pops at Epcot $5.00
Dinner @ Beaches and Cream $36.55
$199.79
Tips of the day:
The two-way radioâÂÂs worked great. I would suggest purchasing a pair.
I bought the over the door shoe holder thingy that I read about from this discussion forum and it worked great. All our toiletries where easy to find and out of the way! Whoever thought to use it that way is a genius.
The Tapestry of Nations Parade (ToNP) is a must see, as are the Illuminations: Reflections of Earth fireworks.
Fax in a room request. It really does work!
Monday - February 12, 2001.
7:00am temp: 58. Noon Temp: 73. High of 83. Foggy until 11:00am then partly cloudy and nice.
Magic Kingdom and MGM
Activities today:
We had a 8:00am PS for CinderellaâÂÂs Royal Table. We arrived at MK at 7:25am. Sammi rode CinderellaâÂÂs Golden Carrousel while we were waiting for our 8:00am PS. Yeah! It was her first ride at WDW. After lunch we rode Dumbo, Snow Whites Adventure, Winnie the Pooh (SammiâÂÂs favorite) and ItâÂÂs a Small World. We left after that because my Brother-in-law Des called us on his cell that he was arriving at his Hotel and we were going to meet him and some other friends at MGM. We went back to the Beach Club and used the boat to take us to MGM. We all met up at MGM around 1:00pm using our ever-handy two-way radios. After a ride on Tower of Terror and the Rock-n-Roller Coaster it was time for our 1:30pm PS at the 50âÂÂs Prime Time Cafe. After lunch we did Star Tours (my favorite), Muppets 3D and the Backlot tour. We had about 1 ý hours until the 7:00pm showing of Fantasmic so we wandered that way and got a good seat in the center section. The show was very good, not our favorite but still worth seeing. We all parted ways after the show and returned to our hotels. We grabbed a pizza at the Boardwalk for dinner.
Crowds:
The crowds at MK were low before our 8:00am PS, but after it did start to get busy. We had to wait about ý hr for Dumbo, about 10 minutes for Snow White and less than 2 minutes for ItâÂÂs a Small World. We used FS for Winnie the Pooh and walked right on after DH and Sammi got off Dumbo. The crowds at MGM were many. As it was a non-early entry day it sure was busy. DH and Des got FS for Rock-n-Roller Coaster and had to wait about 20 minutes for the Tower of Terror. We waited about 5-10 minutes for Star Tours, Muppets 3D and the Backlot tour. At about 5:30pm the wait for the Tower of Terror and Rock-n-Roller Coaster was well over 45 minutes.
Meals today:
CinderellaâÂÂs Royal Table at Magic Kingdom:
Excellent food. The cream cheese stuffed french toast was to die for. I should have asked for more but I was stuffed myself. Our meals also consisted of scrambled eggs, bacon, cheesy potatoes (also excellent) and croissants (yum). DD had a plate of pancakes and bacon. Service was great and DD loved the princessâÂÂ. Total for the three of us $49.44.
50âÂÂs Prime Time Café at MGM:
Very Good. Great food, excellent service. I had a PS for 1:30pm but we werenâÂÂt seated until about ý hr later. Our server was Skip. He was a riot. I had the Chicken Salad sandwich with chips and a pop. DH had the pot roast with mashed potatoes and gravy and green beans (which he forced himself to eat) and two beers. He gave me a bit of his pot roast and I almost melted. It was heavenly. DD had PB&J and chips with chocolate milk. We didnâÂÂt have any room for dessert, but DD had a small bowl of ice cream. There was a table of four women next to us and one of the women tried to hide her uneaten green beans under her mashed potatoes so Skip brought her out a bowl of green beans with whipped cream and told her she had to eat them. When Skip walked away she put the bowl in front of my daughter. Skip came back just in time to see her do this and made her stand in the corner. We were rolling on the floor laughing. But it did force my DH to EAT his green beans. Total for the three of us $48.16.
Pizza from Boardwalk Pizza place (part of Spoodles):
Good, not great but it did hit the spot. Large Pepperoni pizza and 1 pop and 1 beer. Total for the three of us $19.03 (no tip required).
Characters we saw today:
At CinderellaâÂÂs Breakfast we saw Belle, The Fairy Godmother, Snow White and Jasmine. They all come to your table to chat with the kids and for the parents to take some pictures. My daughter loved it. Cinderella was not up in the restaurant area but we did see her and the Prince down in the lobby. We couldnâÂÂt get near her though; there was a ton of people.
At MGM we had our picture taken with Mickey in his director outfit and we took pictures of Sammi with Donald, Pooh, Tigger, Eyeore and Goofy. Lines were short and went quick.
Purchases made today:
Breakfast at CinderellaâÂÂs Royal Table N/C
($49.44 but n/c due to package we had)
Princess Hat from MK $15.90
Beer and Sprite at Hotel $5.30
Lunch at 50âÂÂs Prime Time Café $48.16
Pin of MGM $6.89
Mickey Spinning Light Toy and
Fantasmic T-shirt for Sammi $32.08
Picture of us with Mickey $13.73
Dinner of Pizza $19.03
Beer at Hotel $4.98
$146.07
Tips of the day:
Please return you used pool towels to the used towel bins. DonâÂÂt leave them laying on chairs, making it look like there is someone sitting there and donâÂÂt leave them laying on the decks. I donâÂÂt know how many times my daughter tripped over someoneâÂÂs towel. Would you leave your dirty towel lying around at home? No? Then have the common courtesy to take care of your towels at the hotel.
If you get the chance, eat Breakfast at CinderellaâÂÂs Castle. ItâÂÂs a beautiful restaurant with good service and excellent food. And ask for a second helping of the cream cheese stuffed french toast.
Use Fast Pass. It works great!
Tuesday - February 13, 2001.
7:00am temp: 60. Noon Temp: 75. High of 82. Foggy until 11:00am then partly cloudy and warm.
Animal Kingdom â Luau at the Polynesian Hotel â Epcot again
Activities today:
After a quick stop to the Bakery on the Boardwalk we shuttled over to Animal Kingdom where we met Des once more. We viewed the Tree of Life and watched ItâÂÂs Tough to be a Bug 3D. My brave little Sammi was scarred when the spiders came down but it was a good show. We also went on the Kilimanjaro Safari, where we saw many animals. From there we went to the âÂÂFestival of the Lion Kingâ show, which we all enjoyed and then on to ride the Kali River Rapids. Des thought he was going to get me wet, but, to his dismay, I put on one of the many rain ponchos that I had purchased before our trip. Haa Haa. I stayed bone dry. From there we went and had our pictures taken with Safari Mickey and Minnie. We did manage to get Sammi to ride Dinosaur with us however, she did have her eyes closed the entire time. It was a fun ride. And before we left for the day we let Sammi play in the boneyard for about an hour. We left Animal Kingdom and when back to the Beach Club to relax before our 5:00pm Luau at the Polynesian. We decided to rent a surrey from the boardwalk and managed to make it round the boardwalk three times before we all pooped out. Sammi thoroughly enjoyed her bell-ringing job. From there we took a taxi to the Poly for the Luau. After that we took the Monorail to Epcot and made it just in time to catch the 8:15pm showing of the ToNP (my favorite thing in all of WDW) and the Illuminations fireworks. After the fireworks we bid Des a goodnight and went back to our hotels.
Crowds:
Animal Kingdom wasnâÂÂt quite as busy as MGM was the day before but donâÂÂt get me wrong there were plenty of people around. We walked right in for ItâÂÂs Tough to be a Bug and had about a 10-15 minute wait for the Safari. We only had to wait for the Lion King showâÂÂs theatre to fill up before that started but it was a nice wait because we all got to sit down. We walked right on to Kali River Rapids and Dinosaur had about a 20-minute wait. We didnâÂÂt use any FS today as we felt we didnâÂÂt need them.
The Luau at the Polynesian was full but we were lucky and got a front row seat. (As we were riding the Monorail from the TTC to Epcot, at about 7:30pm there were a ton of people leaving the Magic Kingdom. I donâÂÂt think I have seen this many people in my life.)
Epcot was very crowded when we got there for the 8:15pm ToNP and fireworks. But we managed to find nice spots for the parade and fireworks near Morocco.
Characters we saw today:
We saw plenty from the Lion King; Pumbaa and Simba and others that I canâÂÂt name. The CMâÂÂs were moving the character along as Sammi and I got in line for pictures. But we did get a picture of her with Safari Minnie and Mickey.
Meals today:
Donuts from Boardwalk Bakery:
Very good donuts. Very large and I thought they could have tasted a little fresher but still good. 2 glazed cinnamon rolls, 2 bowtie twisted donuts (my favorite), 1 chocolate covered donut, and 3 small cartons of chocolate milk and one bottle of pop were $17.99. Wow, expensive.
The Luau at the Polynesian Hotel:
I was a bit leery about this one because of some of the negative comments I had read, but the food and service were great and the entertainment was excellent. We had a front row seat and my DD eyes were glued to the stage. The chicken and pork were very good, as was the banana coconut bread. DH liked the veggies, rice and the spaghetti dish. DD had some chicken nuggets and mac & cheese. I had pink lemon because the pop was flat and DH had 3 beers. Total for the four of us $162.75. DH had two tropical drinks prior to the Luau at a cost of $10.50.
P.S. everyone receives a lei prior to dinner.
Purchases made today:
Bakery at the Boardwalk $17.99
Sunglass case $8.48
Picture of Sammi w/Safari Mickey and Minnie $13.73
Picture of Sammi taken in Boneyard $13.73
Beer at Animal Kingdom $3.50
Nice Kitty t-shirt for nephew $16.96
Minnie Hat for Sammi $14.84
Beer, Strawberry Daq, pop & chips @ Hotel $10.34
Drinks at Luau $10.50
Dinner at Luau $162.75
Lei and postcard $7.85
10 postcards and 2 pins $18.02
2 Beers at Hotel $8.95
Des paid for the Surrey
$307.64
Tips of the day:
When you see something that you like, buy it right away. I waited a few times and said I would buy it later and then I couldnâÂÂt find it or remember where I saw it. IâÂÂm so glad that I bought my nephew his âÂÂNice Kitty, Kitty, Kittyâ t-shirt at Animal Kingdom, because I didnâÂÂt see it anywhere else in WDW. DonâÂÂt think that they will have it at the World of Disney store at Downtown Disney either, because they wonâÂÂt.
Look for the talking trashcans. DH found one outside of Animal Kingdom and later when we were leaving it was gone. It must have been a walking, talking trashcan. I never did see or hear any.
Wednesday - February 14, 2001. ValentineâÂÂs Day.
7:00am temp: 62. Noon Temp: 73. High of 84. Still foggy but cleared up by 10:00am, then partly cloudy and warm.
Magic Kingdom â Richard Petty Driving Experience
Activities today:
We arrived at the Magic Kingdom before the ropes dropped at 8:30am and grabbed a few goodies at the Main Street Bakery before heading over to Tomorrowland. When the ropes dropped we rode Space Mt. It was good, but IâÂÂm used to the roller coasters at Cedar Pointe in Ohio. Sammi didnâÂÂt ride it so DH took her on the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway while Des and I rode it, then Des stayed with her so DH and I could ride it. After that we rode Buzz LightyearâÂÂs Space Ranger Spin and Sammi had her hands over her ears the entire time. She thought it was too loud. From there we went over to MickeyâÂÂs Toontown Fair and had SammiâÂÂs picture taken with Mickey. We also toured Mickey and MinnieâÂÂs house and the men took Sammi on the Mad Tea Party ride. We hit the Pooh ride, the Carrousel and ItâÂÂs a Small World again before heading to Liberty Square to catch the Haunted Mansion. Sammi had promised her Uncle Des that she would ride the Haunted Mansion with him and she did, even though she had her hands over her eyes the entire ride. We managed to squeeze in a ride on Splash Mt before hitting, in my option, the stupidest ride in all of WDW, the Pirates of the Caribbean. We had to dash off after that to catch the shuttle to the Richard Petty Racetrack. Brian absolutely loved his Richard Petty Driving Experience. It lasted about 4 hours from start to finish and I even purchased a ride along in the Jeff Gordon car before the day was done. I went about 140 mph and Brain did great getting his car up to 123.8 mph (the max allowed is 125) in the 8 laps he was allowed. He would highly recommend this experience to anyone who knows how to drive a manual vehicle. We headed back to MK to catch the shuttle back to our Hotel to get ready for our PS at the Yachtsman Steakhouse, after all it is Valentines Day and what better way to spend it than at WDW and a nice restaurant.
Crowds:
The Magic Kingdom was packed. There were people everywhere. We got a FS for Buzz and waited 10 minutes for Space Mt. We got a FS for the Pooh ride and the men waited 5 minutes for the Mad Tea Party ride. There was no wait to ride the carrousel and itâÂÂs a small world. We waited 12 minutes for the Haunted Mansion and we got a FS for Splash Mt. The 5 minutes it took for the Pirates ride was a waste of precious WDW time.
Characters we saw today:
We took SammiâÂÂs picture with this big bear with a blue coat and a red hat, I donâÂÂt know who he was, maybe Briar Bear?? And of course Uncle Des and Sammi had their picture taken with Mickey. (We canâÂÂt go anywhere in WDW without finding Mickey and taking a picture of him and Des).
Meals today:
The Bakery at Magic Kingdom:
I had a croissant and DD had a blueberry muffin, DH had a cherry danish and a pop. All were good, thought DD feed most of hers to a couple of birds. Total for the three of us $8.17
Yachtsman Steakhouse at the Yacht Club:
Excellent all around. We had a PS for 7:30pm, and we waited in the bar for about 15 minutes until we were seated. I had a salad, Filet with garlic mashed potatoes and a pop. DH had a salad, NY strip and the garlic mashed potatoes and 2 beers. DD had the linguini and marina sauce and a pop. The bread was notably excellent as well. We had a few drinks prior to dinner in the Crews Cup Lounge. 2 beers and a virgin strawberry daiquiri $14.59. My brother in law paid for our dinner that night so I donâÂÂt know how much it was, but I did get a glimpse at the bill before tip and it was about $226.00. This included his meal of steak and about 3 glasses of wine for himself. We had a PS and we noticed that they were turning people away if you didnâÂÂt have one.
Purchases made today:
Milk from Mini bar in room $1.87
Stroller Rental at MK $6.00
Breakfast at MK $8.17
Photo Brian at Richard Petty $37.10
Ride Along Experience for me $74.19
Pop & Chips at Richard Petty $7.50
Candies from the sweet shop at MK $19.35
Beer & Strawberry Daq (Yachtsman) $14.59
Drinks at EPSN for DH and Des $89.73 (who could believe that two guys could drink that much?)
Total for the day: $258.50
Tips of the day:
If you have the opportunity to eat at the Yachtsman Steakhouse, do so, it was excellent.
The croissants at WDW are excellent. I would highly suggest trying them.
Thursday - February 15, 2001.
7:00am temp: 62. Noon Temp: 76. High of 84. The fog was finally gone but with it came a little humidity and warmer weather.
Epcot â Downtown Disney
Activities today:
We made a stop at the Boardwalk Bakery before we arrived at Epcot to once again meet Des. One little accident delayed us though. Sammi took a nasty spill on the bridge over the river that takes you to Epcot. She badly scrapped both knees and her hand when she tripped over her own feet. Down she went screaming and down her donut went with her. As I was freaking out at her bloody knees the birds were circling us trying to figure out a way to get to her donut as we were administrating to her wounds. Luckily I had several Band-Aids in my back pack, and we got her situated enough so that we could make it the first aid station in Epcot and get her cleaned up. Brian carried her to Epcot where we rented a stroller and IâÂÂm sure the birds were cleaning up the crumbs of her smashed donut. We meet up with Des at the fountain and took Sammi to the first aid station to clean her up. The nurse there gave us some ointment and knee sized bandages. I took care of her wounds and off we went. The brave little girl even managed to ride the Test Track with us. We all thoroughly enjoyed that ride. We rode Spaceship earth and the injured Sammi got to choose the next ride and she chose The Living Seas. It was good, but weâÂÂve been to the Aquarium in Baltimore, which was outstanding. We made it to China just as a Character Bus pulled up and Sammi got to see Mary Poppins. We ventured to Mexico to get something to eat before we headed back to our hotel to catch a shuttle to Downtown Disney. We spent four hours at the Marketplace shopping for our souvenirs. Of course we had to stop in at Ghirardelli Chocolates for ice cream. While I shopped at the World of Disney, Brian took Sammi to McDonalds for a happy meal. We only managed to go as far as the Downtown Disney Marketplace before we headed back to Epcot for our 8:00pm PS at Le Cellier in Canada. Off course he just had to watch the ToN parade again!
Crowds:
Crowds were less in Epcot than they were in all the other parks. We used a FS for Test Track but the normal wait was only 10 minutes. There were 5-minute waits for Spaceship Earth and The Living Seas. Those were the only rides/attractions we did in Epcot. There were a lot of people at Downtown Disney. It took us over an hour to get back to our hotel via the shuttle. We had to make a ton of stops. In the evening when we went back to Epcot, there again were a lot of people waiting to see the parade and fireworks.
Characters we saw today:
We arrived just in time to see the Character bus arrive and unload. We took pictures of Sammi with Pooh, Mickey and Minnie, Tigger, Mary PoppinâÂÂs, Bell and Chip and Dale.
Meals today:
Boardwalk Bakery again:
2 donuts, 1 bagel with cream cheese, 2 milks and 1 pop and again it was yummy. $10.85
La Cantia de Angel in Mexico at Epcot.
Counter service, food was ok, not the worst weâÂÂve had. DD and I shared some chips with sides of salsa and melted cheese and DH had some sort of combo plate with a pop. Total for the three of us $15.17.
Downtown Disney:
DD spotted the McDonalds and had to have a happy meal $3.60.
GhirardelliâÂÂs: I had 2 scoops of mint chocolate chip in a waffle cone that was dipped in chocolate â fantastic. DH had a strawberry shake. He said the strawberry shake he had at Beaches and Cream was better but he still enjoyed it. Des had a strawberry ice cream in a waffle cone. Total $14.14.
Le Cellier in Canada at Epcot:
Again everything was excellent all around and we were seated right away for our 8:00pm PS. They were turning people away if they didnâÂÂt have a PS. Our Server was Sean from Nova Scotia. I had the famous Cheese soup, Prime Rib with roasted potato gratin and a strawberry daiquiri. DH had the cheese soup, 12 oz Prime Rib with roasted potato gratin and 3 beers. DD had the grilled cheese and a bowl of the cheese soup. (Yippee, I had to finish her soup!). My brother in law joined us for dinner again and he had the Crab Cakes, the Maple glazed Salmon with wild rice and lemonade. No room in our bellyâÂÂs for dessert. Total for the four of us $133.16.
Purchases made today:
Breakfast at Boardwalk Bakery $10.85
Stroller Rental $6.00
3 Postcards from The Art of Disney â Epcot $2.39
4 pins and another lanyard $45.05
Lunch at La Cantina de Angel $15.17
Beer at Downtown Disney $3.50
3 Postcards at Downtown Disney $1.28
Ice Cream cones at Ghirardelli $14.14
McDonalds $3.60
2 Watches at World of Disney $143.10
2 Mickey T-shirts for Brian $36.26
Mickey necklace, Mickey pasta, Mickey chocolate coin, Mickey scrunchie, Minnie soap, Minnie T-shirt, Minnie hat, PoohâÂÂs honey pots, 102 Dalmatians shirt and bib, 2 pins, Mickey hair clips, T-shirt for Brian, 102 Dalmatians toy for Sammi all from World of Disney store $145.33
Pooh t-shirt for SammiâÂÂs God-mother $20.14
Bottle of pop & water @ DD $4.47
2 â Epcot t-shirts for me $40.28
Minnie hair clips, Minnie scrunchie $12.72
Beer in Canada $3.75
Dinner at Le Cellier $133.16
WDW hat, Minnie stuffed doll & Minnie wallet $33.91
Total today: $675.10
Tips of the day:
DonâÂÂt spend as much as we did!! UGH!
Test Track is must do. DonâÂÂt miss it.
If there is a certain place that you want to eat at, IâÂÂd make a PS otherwise you will not get in.
Friday - February 16, 2001.
7:00am temp: 68. Noon Temp: 80. High of 86. Partly Cloudy & record breaking warmth.
Chef MickeyâÂÂs â Laundry â Stromalong Bay & Main Street Electrical Parade
Activities today:
Breakfast today was at Chef MickeyâÂÂs at the Contemporary Hotel. We took the shuttle from our hotel to the Magic Kingdom and them took the Monorail from there to the Contemporary. We met up with Des and had breakfast. Of course we had to check out the shops first. We bid a good bye to Des as he was returning to Michigan to go on a ski trip. After breakfast we made a quick stop in the MK so that I could buy the Epcot Millennium CD that I saw there. (I could not find it anywhere else). We returned to our hotel to swim for a few hours and do some laundry. I love the location of the laundry, at the end of the quiet pool. You can swim or sunbathe and do laundry at the same time. At 5:30pm we returned to the Magic Kingdom to watch the Main Street Electrical Parade. We got a nice spot on a curb right across from TonyâÂÂs Town Square Restaurant. While we sat waiting for the parade, munching on french fries, there was ash falling on us from a nearby forest fire. The smoke was so thick it blocked out the sun. I wondered what would happen if Disney had to evacuate. We enjoyed the parade and at 7:40pm left MK to return to our hotel to order room service.
Crowds:
Chef MickeyâÂÂs was very busy. We waited about 15 minutes to be seated. We didnâÂÂt have to wait to get our food though. The Magic Kingdom was packed at 11:00am when we stopped in to buy the CD and do some more shopping. IâÂÂm glad we left after that. When we returned later for the 7:00pm Electrical Parade it again was packed solid. We left right after the parade.
Characters we saw today:
At Chef MickeyâÂÂs we saw Goofy, Pluto, Chip and Dale, Minnie and of course Chef Mickey.
Meals today:
Chef MickeyâÂÂs for Breakfast at the Contemporary:
It was our favorite breakfast all week. Excellent food. I had an omelet, bacon, hash browns, sausage, milk, fruit and the Krispy Kreme donuts. YUM! DD had french toast, sausage and fruit. DH had so much piled on his plate I couldnâÂÂt tell one food from the other. It was all wonderful. DD saw all the characters that came around. Total for the four of us $70.21.
Beach Club Room Service:
My DD loved getting room service. They were there within a ý hour and the room service person (is that what you call them?) was very nice. She laid everything out on the table in our room. DD had a hot dog with steak fries and DH and I had a pepperoni pizza and garlic cheese bread. Pizza was good but the cheese bread was excellent. We also raided the mini bar. Total for room service and mini bar $51.41.
Purchases made today:
Mickey ankle bracelet & brass Minnie & Mickey hooks $24.38
Pin $6.89
Breakfast at Chef Mickeys $70.21
Epcot Millennium CD, 2 â MK pins $41.32
Goofy t-shirt and stuffed Pluto for nephews $28.62
Minnie Locket for Sammi $5.30
Chocolate Mickey pop $1.33
Beer and nachos while laundry is washing $6.90
Beer and pop refill while laundry is drying $3.45
Chocolate shake from Beaches & Cream $5.25
Beer $3.45
French Fries, brownie and pop at MK $9.33
Room Service and mini bar $51.41
2- postcards, Minnie Notepad & Chalk Portrait of Sammi $75.05
$332.88
Tips of the day:
DonâÂÂt miss Chef MickeyâÂÂs. It was great.
If your going to do laundry and you donâÂÂt use powdered soap (thatâÂÂs all thatâÂÂs available to purchase) I suggest bringing your own small bottle of liquid detergent. DonâÂÂt forget the fabric sheets and a roll of quarters also.
Saturday - February 17, 2001.
7:00am temp: 63. Noon Temp: 72. High of 74. Cloudy with sprinkles.
More Laundry â Stromalong Bay â and Epcot one more time
Activities today:
We slept in today. We had breakfast in the Hotel and as we walked to Fantasia Gardens to play miniature golf, the smell of smoke was very heavy in the air. It was even very hazy due to the fires. After a nice game of golf we walked around the boardwalk one more time. Sammi just loves the fun house mirrors. The winds must have changed because the smoke was gone. We returned to our room to change into our swimsuits and gather the rest of our laundry. This time I swam while my DH did the laundry. After we returned the fresh laundry to our room, we went to Stromalong Bay and Sammi got another hair wrap and I too had one done this time. We swam and played for about an hour and after we cleaned up we headed to Epcot one last time so that Sammi could finish her mask and her passport. We eat dinner and watched the ToN parade again (that makes 4 times â but we just love it). It was a bit chilly so we were lucky that we changed into warmer clothes. After the parade we headed back to our hotel room to pack up for the cruise the following day. After most of the packing was done I took two large bags of our souvenirs down to the front desk to have them shipped home.
Crowds:
Crowds werenâÂÂt bad today, until parade time in Epcot, especially near Great Britain, where the parade ended. That area was jammed packed with people. There was barely anyone in our pool during the afternoon.
Meals today:
Yacht Club Gallery for Breakfast in the Yacht Club:
They had a breakfast buffet set up. Usual breakfast items. DH and I had the buffet and DD ordered French toast from the menu. Food was good, but weâÂÂve had better. This breakfast was sort of a let down after Chef MickeyâÂÂs. Total for the three of us $35.87.
Liberty Inn in America at Epcot:
Counter service, good food, had to wait for our food so the cashier threw in a slice of apple pie for no charge. I had a chicken sandwich, fries and a pop. DD had chicken strips, fries and a pop and DH had a Bacon cheeseburger, fries and what else? A beer. All in all it was good. Total for the three of us $21.93
Purchases made today:
Breakfast at Yacht Club Gallery $35.87
3 people for Miniature Golf at Fantasia Gardens $27.56
Film & Photo Album on Boardwalk $40.22
2 Hair wraps $43.00
Strawberry Daq, 2- beers, chips $11.87
Hurricane Hannah drink $8.10
Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream cone $2.64
Dinner at Liberty Inn at Epcot $21.93
Beer and pop in Epcot $23.75
Anne of Green Gables doll for Sammi $64.49
Mickey Balloon pin for Des $13.25
Cigar, chocolate coins $19.77
Beer $4.98
Mickey Polo shirt for Brian $40.28
$357.71
Tip of the day:
If you have a lot of souvenirs and no room in your suitcase, have them shipped home. Our box was delivered the same day we returned home.
Sunday - February 18, 2001.
7:00am temp: 53. High of 73. Partly cloudy and very windy.
Leaving the Beach Club â Arriving Port Canaveral for the Wonder
Activities today:
We finished up our packing and went downstairs to have some breakfast. Today we decided to try Beaches & Cream. Yum. After breakfast we took a last walk around the pool and the beach. We went back to our room gathered our suitcase and went to wait for our Limo driver Mark. He came right on time and we were off for Port Canaveral for our 4-day cruise aboard the Disney Wonder. You can read about our wonderful Cruise under the Cruise trip reports.
Meals today:
Beaches and Cream for Breakfast at the Beach Club:
To bad we discovered this place for breakfast on our last day. We could have been coming here for our donuts instead of going to the Boardwalk. I had a croissant (I love the croissants at WDW), bowl of cereal, a Mickey shaped glazed donut and chocolate milk. DD had a chocolate covered Mickey shaped donut and a milk. DH had O.J., a bowl of cereal and a bagel with cream cheese. The total for the three of us $17.43
Purchases made today:
Breakfast at Beaches & Cream $17.43
Summary:
I think thatâÂÂs about it. We had a wonderful time for our first family vacation to WDW. ItâÂÂll be some time before we return to WDW, not that we didnâÂÂt like it, but because there are so many other places we want to go, Hawaii, Ireland, etcâ¦
I think I covered every place we ate at. Basically everything we ate was good; nothing bad and no one got sick. It was good to eat something besides my cooking for a change. If anyone has any questions feel free to ask away.
Thanks for reading.
Total Spent:
Pick up at home by Brentwood Limo w/tip $ 100.00
Airfare for three $1110.00
4 Days at the Beach Club $1304.80
Unlimited Passes for three $ 730.89
Richard Petty Driving Experience $ 370.00
Food & Drink at WDW $ 976.14
Souveniers at WDW $1327.72
Cruise (7 day land/sea package) $4086.00
Three way shuttle service (Classic Carriage) $ 205.00
Tips (limo, servers, bell hops) $ 286.00
Souveniers and drinks on board $ 845.93
$11,342.48
"Cead mile failte"
Penjo
[This message was edited by Penjo on 03-19-01 at 10:35 PM.]
DH â Brian 37, hard worker, money supplier, happy go lucky guy.
Me â DW â Penny 37, homemaker, trip planner, money spender.
DD â Sammi 4 þ, happy to be out of the cold, ready for anything.
WeâÂÂre from Michigan where we left snow and a temp of16 degrees.
I wonâÂÂt give you step by step details, since I think we all know what goes on, so IâÂÂll just give the highlights, good and bad, the meals we ate and what we spent per day.
Sunday - February 11, 2001.
We left 16 degrees in MI and arrived to 65 degrees in Florida: Noon temp: 72. High of 83 today. Little foggy in the am, Partly cloudy and nice in the PM.
Travel Day:
We were picked up from our home at 4:45am by a town car and delivered to the airport in Detroit. The flight was good; it left on time and landed smoothly at 9:20am. Mark our town car driver from Classic Carriage Limo was waiting to meet us at the luggage area. We loaded up and arrived at the Beach Club about 20 minutes later.
Room 2634 at the Beach Club:
I had faxed in my room request for a 2nd floor room near the lobby and I got what I wanted. Our room was just five rooms away from the lobby. It was in a perfect location. Hurrah! We were also upgrade from a standard room to a courtyard view. The room was very nice and clean with two queen sized beds. We had no animals made out of our towels and were very pleased by that. (I donâÂÂt know about the rest of you, but I would not like our clean towels made into an animal and placed on top of a bed spread that I didnâÂÂt know the last time it had been washed). (Yes, IâÂÂm a germ freak).
Activities today:
Our room was not ready so we checked our luggage and went exploring the hotel. The pool is awesome. Sammi got a hair wrap and we walked around the boardwalk and had lunch at the Big River Brewery Co. We walked to Epcot, stopped by the fountain for the fountain show, which Sammi liked and decided to take a ride on the Monorail. There was no one waiting for the Monorail so we asked the CM if we could ride in the front with the pilot. It was too cool. My daughter especially liked it. We rode to the TTC and after we received our co-pilots licenses we had to vacate and got into the regular section to return to Epcot. And as I did read here on this discussion forum that some of the cars stunk, it did stink. DH said it was the air conditioning unit. To me it smelled like a horse just rode in there. We went back and checked into our room and we went swimming in Stormalong Bay. What a wonderful pool! We returned later in the evening to Epcot to watch the ToNP and the Illuminations fireworks. Both were spectacular. We watched to fireworks from the bridge in Italy, which was a great place to view them. We visited several countries where Sammi started to make the international mask (as we like to call it) and get her Epcot Passport stamped. I love Epcot because there is always something going on. We returned to our hotel and ate dinner at Beaches and Cream.
Crowds:
The crowds at Epcot were not bad earlier in the day however at night when we saw the 8:15pm Tapestry of Nations Parade, the place was empty. All the puppets came over to my daughter because there was no one else around. It was defiantly a highlight of our trip. But phooey, I didnâÂÂt have my camera with me.
Meals today:
We had Burger King at the airport prior to our flight out. Total for the three of us: $8.67
Big River Brewery Co. on the Boardwalk:
Very Good. The Honey Chicken was the best chicken sandwich that IâÂÂve ever had. DH had the Brew Burger and DD had the PB&J sandwich. Everything came with potato chips. Total for the three of us including 2 beers and 2 pops: $43.90
Warning: Watch out for the birds. We saw a seagull swipe down and sit right down on a table next to us and steal a ladies french fry.
Beaches and Cream at the Beach Club:
Very Good. DH and I split a Cheeseburger and chips and DD had a grilled cheese. 1 beer, 2 pops and for dessert two ice cream cones and a strawberry shake completed our meal. Great place, good service, but a little small and very busy. Great ice cream and shakes. Total for the three of us: $36.55.
Characters we saw today:
As we were leaving Epcot a character bus just let off at the Showcase Plaza so Sammi got to see Belle, Pooh, Eyeore, Tigger, Mickey and Minnie. Since we got there late the lines were long and she able to only give Belle a hug. (Blast it. I didnâÂÂt have my camera).
Two-way radios:
They worked great! We had them with us the entire time. We had the Motorola Talkabout 250âÂÂs with the different channels and codes. If one of us had to make a stop somewhere like the bathroom or to get a drink the other could keep going and we were able to link up again using the radios. Best purchase made prior to the trip.
Purchases made today:
Burger King at airport $8.67
Book at the airport $8.67
Soda mug (at hotel) $11.33
Beers $21.36
6 Pins, & 1 lanyard $51.94
Hairwrap $20.00
Sunglass cord $6.36
Tinkerbell Powderpuff $8.48
Tube rental for Stormalong bay $3.99
Epcot Passport $10.55
Treasure Gem Stones at Epcot $6.89
Mickey Ice Creams pops at Epcot $5.00
Dinner @ Beaches and Cream $36.55
$199.79
Tips of the day:
The two-way radioâÂÂs worked great. I would suggest purchasing a pair.
I bought the over the door shoe holder thingy that I read about from this discussion forum and it worked great. All our toiletries where easy to find and out of the way! Whoever thought to use it that way is a genius.
The Tapestry of Nations Parade (ToNP) is a must see, as are the Illuminations: Reflections of Earth fireworks.
Fax in a room request. It really does work!
Monday - February 12, 2001.
7:00am temp: 58. Noon Temp: 73. High of 83. Foggy until 11:00am then partly cloudy and nice.
Magic Kingdom and MGM
Activities today:
We had a 8:00am PS for CinderellaâÂÂs Royal Table. We arrived at MK at 7:25am. Sammi rode CinderellaâÂÂs Golden Carrousel while we were waiting for our 8:00am PS. Yeah! It was her first ride at WDW. After lunch we rode Dumbo, Snow Whites Adventure, Winnie the Pooh (SammiâÂÂs favorite) and ItâÂÂs a Small World. We left after that because my Brother-in-law Des called us on his cell that he was arriving at his Hotel and we were going to meet him and some other friends at MGM. We went back to the Beach Club and used the boat to take us to MGM. We all met up at MGM around 1:00pm using our ever-handy two-way radios. After a ride on Tower of Terror and the Rock-n-Roller Coaster it was time for our 1:30pm PS at the 50âÂÂs Prime Time Cafe. After lunch we did Star Tours (my favorite), Muppets 3D and the Backlot tour. We had about 1 ý hours until the 7:00pm showing of Fantasmic so we wandered that way and got a good seat in the center section. The show was very good, not our favorite but still worth seeing. We all parted ways after the show and returned to our hotels. We grabbed a pizza at the Boardwalk for dinner.
Crowds:
The crowds at MK were low before our 8:00am PS, but after it did start to get busy. We had to wait about ý hr for Dumbo, about 10 minutes for Snow White and less than 2 minutes for ItâÂÂs a Small World. We used FS for Winnie the Pooh and walked right on after DH and Sammi got off Dumbo. The crowds at MGM were many. As it was a non-early entry day it sure was busy. DH and Des got FS for Rock-n-Roller Coaster and had to wait about 20 minutes for the Tower of Terror. We waited about 5-10 minutes for Star Tours, Muppets 3D and the Backlot tour. At about 5:30pm the wait for the Tower of Terror and Rock-n-Roller Coaster was well over 45 minutes.
Meals today:
CinderellaâÂÂs Royal Table at Magic Kingdom:
Excellent food. The cream cheese stuffed french toast was to die for. I should have asked for more but I was stuffed myself. Our meals also consisted of scrambled eggs, bacon, cheesy potatoes (also excellent) and croissants (yum). DD had a plate of pancakes and bacon. Service was great and DD loved the princessâÂÂ. Total for the three of us $49.44.
50âÂÂs Prime Time Café at MGM:
Very Good. Great food, excellent service. I had a PS for 1:30pm but we werenâÂÂt seated until about ý hr later. Our server was Skip. He was a riot. I had the Chicken Salad sandwich with chips and a pop. DH had the pot roast with mashed potatoes and gravy and green beans (which he forced himself to eat) and two beers. He gave me a bit of his pot roast and I almost melted. It was heavenly. DD had PB&J and chips with chocolate milk. We didnâÂÂt have any room for dessert, but DD had a small bowl of ice cream. There was a table of four women next to us and one of the women tried to hide her uneaten green beans under her mashed potatoes so Skip brought her out a bowl of green beans with whipped cream and told her she had to eat them. When Skip walked away she put the bowl in front of my daughter. Skip came back just in time to see her do this and made her stand in the corner. We were rolling on the floor laughing. But it did force my DH to EAT his green beans. Total for the three of us $48.16.
Pizza from Boardwalk Pizza place (part of Spoodles):
Good, not great but it did hit the spot. Large Pepperoni pizza and 1 pop and 1 beer. Total for the three of us $19.03 (no tip required).
Characters we saw today:
At CinderellaâÂÂs Breakfast we saw Belle, The Fairy Godmother, Snow White and Jasmine. They all come to your table to chat with the kids and for the parents to take some pictures. My daughter loved it. Cinderella was not up in the restaurant area but we did see her and the Prince down in the lobby. We couldnâÂÂt get near her though; there was a ton of people.
At MGM we had our picture taken with Mickey in his director outfit and we took pictures of Sammi with Donald, Pooh, Tigger, Eyeore and Goofy. Lines were short and went quick.
Purchases made today:
Breakfast at CinderellaâÂÂs Royal Table N/C
($49.44 but n/c due to package we had)
Princess Hat from MK $15.90
Beer and Sprite at Hotel $5.30
Lunch at 50âÂÂs Prime Time Café $48.16
Pin of MGM $6.89
Mickey Spinning Light Toy and
Fantasmic T-shirt for Sammi $32.08
Picture of us with Mickey $13.73
Dinner of Pizza $19.03
Beer at Hotel $4.98
$146.07
Tips of the day:
Please return you used pool towels to the used towel bins. DonâÂÂt leave them laying on chairs, making it look like there is someone sitting there and donâÂÂt leave them laying on the decks. I donâÂÂt know how many times my daughter tripped over someoneâÂÂs towel. Would you leave your dirty towel lying around at home? No? Then have the common courtesy to take care of your towels at the hotel.
If you get the chance, eat Breakfast at CinderellaâÂÂs Castle. ItâÂÂs a beautiful restaurant with good service and excellent food. And ask for a second helping of the cream cheese stuffed french toast.
Use Fast Pass. It works great!
Tuesday - February 13, 2001.
7:00am temp: 60. Noon Temp: 75. High of 82. Foggy until 11:00am then partly cloudy and warm.
Animal Kingdom â Luau at the Polynesian Hotel â Epcot again
Activities today:
After a quick stop to the Bakery on the Boardwalk we shuttled over to Animal Kingdom where we met Des once more. We viewed the Tree of Life and watched ItâÂÂs Tough to be a Bug 3D. My brave little Sammi was scarred when the spiders came down but it was a good show. We also went on the Kilimanjaro Safari, where we saw many animals. From there we went to the âÂÂFestival of the Lion Kingâ show, which we all enjoyed and then on to ride the Kali River Rapids. Des thought he was going to get me wet, but, to his dismay, I put on one of the many rain ponchos that I had purchased before our trip. Haa Haa. I stayed bone dry. From there we went and had our pictures taken with Safari Mickey and Minnie. We did manage to get Sammi to ride Dinosaur with us however, she did have her eyes closed the entire time. It was a fun ride. And before we left for the day we let Sammi play in the boneyard for about an hour. We left Animal Kingdom and when back to the Beach Club to relax before our 5:00pm Luau at the Polynesian. We decided to rent a surrey from the boardwalk and managed to make it round the boardwalk three times before we all pooped out. Sammi thoroughly enjoyed her bell-ringing job. From there we took a taxi to the Poly for the Luau. After that we took the Monorail to Epcot and made it just in time to catch the 8:15pm showing of the ToNP (my favorite thing in all of WDW) and the Illuminations fireworks. After the fireworks we bid Des a goodnight and went back to our hotels.
Crowds:
Animal Kingdom wasnâÂÂt quite as busy as MGM was the day before but donâÂÂt get me wrong there were plenty of people around. We walked right in for ItâÂÂs Tough to be a Bug and had about a 10-15 minute wait for the Safari. We only had to wait for the Lion King showâÂÂs theatre to fill up before that started but it was a nice wait because we all got to sit down. We walked right on to Kali River Rapids and Dinosaur had about a 20-minute wait. We didnâÂÂt use any FS today as we felt we didnâÂÂt need them.
The Luau at the Polynesian was full but we were lucky and got a front row seat. (As we were riding the Monorail from the TTC to Epcot, at about 7:30pm there were a ton of people leaving the Magic Kingdom. I donâÂÂt think I have seen this many people in my life.)
Epcot was very crowded when we got there for the 8:15pm ToNP and fireworks. But we managed to find nice spots for the parade and fireworks near Morocco.
Characters we saw today:
We saw plenty from the Lion King; Pumbaa and Simba and others that I canâÂÂt name. The CMâÂÂs were moving the character along as Sammi and I got in line for pictures. But we did get a picture of her with Safari Minnie and Mickey.
Meals today:
Donuts from Boardwalk Bakery:
Very good donuts. Very large and I thought they could have tasted a little fresher but still good. 2 glazed cinnamon rolls, 2 bowtie twisted donuts (my favorite), 1 chocolate covered donut, and 3 small cartons of chocolate milk and one bottle of pop were $17.99. Wow, expensive.
The Luau at the Polynesian Hotel:
I was a bit leery about this one because of some of the negative comments I had read, but the food and service were great and the entertainment was excellent. We had a front row seat and my DD eyes were glued to the stage. The chicken and pork were very good, as was the banana coconut bread. DH liked the veggies, rice and the spaghetti dish. DD had some chicken nuggets and mac & cheese. I had pink lemon because the pop was flat and DH had 3 beers. Total for the four of us $162.75. DH had two tropical drinks prior to the Luau at a cost of $10.50.
P.S. everyone receives a lei prior to dinner.
Purchases made today:
Bakery at the Boardwalk $17.99
Sunglass case $8.48
Picture of Sammi w/Safari Mickey and Minnie $13.73
Picture of Sammi taken in Boneyard $13.73
Beer at Animal Kingdom $3.50
Nice Kitty t-shirt for nephew $16.96
Minnie Hat for Sammi $14.84
Beer, Strawberry Daq, pop & chips @ Hotel $10.34
Drinks at Luau $10.50
Dinner at Luau $162.75
Lei and postcard $7.85
10 postcards and 2 pins $18.02
2 Beers at Hotel $8.95
Des paid for the Surrey
$307.64
Tips of the day:
When you see something that you like, buy it right away. I waited a few times and said I would buy it later and then I couldnâÂÂt find it or remember where I saw it. IâÂÂm so glad that I bought my nephew his âÂÂNice Kitty, Kitty, Kittyâ t-shirt at Animal Kingdom, because I didnâÂÂt see it anywhere else in WDW. DonâÂÂt think that they will have it at the World of Disney store at Downtown Disney either, because they wonâÂÂt.
Look for the talking trashcans. DH found one outside of Animal Kingdom and later when we were leaving it was gone. It must have been a walking, talking trashcan. I never did see or hear any.
Wednesday - February 14, 2001. ValentineâÂÂs Day.
7:00am temp: 62. Noon Temp: 73. High of 84. Still foggy but cleared up by 10:00am, then partly cloudy and warm.
Magic Kingdom â Richard Petty Driving Experience
Activities today:
We arrived at the Magic Kingdom before the ropes dropped at 8:30am and grabbed a few goodies at the Main Street Bakery before heading over to Tomorrowland. When the ropes dropped we rode Space Mt. It was good, but IâÂÂm used to the roller coasters at Cedar Pointe in Ohio. Sammi didnâÂÂt ride it so DH took her on the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway while Des and I rode it, then Des stayed with her so DH and I could ride it. After that we rode Buzz LightyearâÂÂs Space Ranger Spin and Sammi had her hands over her ears the entire time. She thought it was too loud. From there we went over to MickeyâÂÂs Toontown Fair and had SammiâÂÂs picture taken with Mickey. We also toured Mickey and MinnieâÂÂs house and the men took Sammi on the Mad Tea Party ride. We hit the Pooh ride, the Carrousel and ItâÂÂs a Small World again before heading to Liberty Square to catch the Haunted Mansion. Sammi had promised her Uncle Des that she would ride the Haunted Mansion with him and she did, even though she had her hands over her eyes the entire ride. We managed to squeeze in a ride on Splash Mt before hitting, in my option, the stupidest ride in all of WDW, the Pirates of the Caribbean. We had to dash off after that to catch the shuttle to the Richard Petty Racetrack. Brian absolutely loved his Richard Petty Driving Experience. It lasted about 4 hours from start to finish and I even purchased a ride along in the Jeff Gordon car before the day was done. I went about 140 mph and Brain did great getting his car up to 123.8 mph (the max allowed is 125) in the 8 laps he was allowed. He would highly recommend this experience to anyone who knows how to drive a manual vehicle. We headed back to MK to catch the shuttle back to our Hotel to get ready for our PS at the Yachtsman Steakhouse, after all it is Valentines Day and what better way to spend it than at WDW and a nice restaurant.
Crowds:
The Magic Kingdom was packed. There were people everywhere. We got a FS for Buzz and waited 10 minutes for Space Mt. We got a FS for the Pooh ride and the men waited 5 minutes for the Mad Tea Party ride. There was no wait to ride the carrousel and itâÂÂs a small world. We waited 12 minutes for the Haunted Mansion and we got a FS for Splash Mt. The 5 minutes it took for the Pirates ride was a waste of precious WDW time.
Characters we saw today:
We took SammiâÂÂs picture with this big bear with a blue coat and a red hat, I donâÂÂt know who he was, maybe Briar Bear?? And of course Uncle Des and Sammi had their picture taken with Mickey. (We canâÂÂt go anywhere in WDW without finding Mickey and taking a picture of him and Des).
Meals today:
The Bakery at Magic Kingdom:
I had a croissant and DD had a blueberry muffin, DH had a cherry danish and a pop. All were good, thought DD feed most of hers to a couple of birds. Total for the three of us $8.17
Yachtsman Steakhouse at the Yacht Club:
Excellent all around. We had a PS for 7:30pm, and we waited in the bar for about 15 minutes until we were seated. I had a salad, Filet with garlic mashed potatoes and a pop. DH had a salad, NY strip and the garlic mashed potatoes and 2 beers. DD had the linguini and marina sauce and a pop. The bread was notably excellent as well. We had a few drinks prior to dinner in the Crews Cup Lounge. 2 beers and a virgin strawberry daiquiri $14.59. My brother in law paid for our dinner that night so I donâÂÂt know how much it was, but I did get a glimpse at the bill before tip and it was about $226.00. This included his meal of steak and about 3 glasses of wine for himself. We had a PS and we noticed that they were turning people away if you didnâÂÂt have one.
Purchases made today:
Milk from Mini bar in room $1.87
Stroller Rental at MK $6.00
Breakfast at MK $8.17
Photo Brian at Richard Petty $37.10
Ride Along Experience for me $74.19
Pop & Chips at Richard Petty $7.50
Candies from the sweet shop at MK $19.35
Beer & Strawberry Daq (Yachtsman) $14.59
Drinks at EPSN for DH and Des $89.73 (who could believe that two guys could drink that much?)
Total for the day: $258.50
Tips of the day:
If you have the opportunity to eat at the Yachtsman Steakhouse, do so, it was excellent.
The croissants at WDW are excellent. I would highly suggest trying them.
Thursday - February 15, 2001.
7:00am temp: 62. Noon Temp: 76. High of 84. The fog was finally gone but with it came a little humidity and warmer weather.
Epcot â Downtown Disney
Activities today:
We made a stop at the Boardwalk Bakery before we arrived at Epcot to once again meet Des. One little accident delayed us though. Sammi took a nasty spill on the bridge over the river that takes you to Epcot. She badly scrapped both knees and her hand when she tripped over her own feet. Down she went screaming and down her donut went with her. As I was freaking out at her bloody knees the birds were circling us trying to figure out a way to get to her donut as we were administrating to her wounds. Luckily I had several Band-Aids in my back pack, and we got her situated enough so that we could make it the first aid station in Epcot and get her cleaned up. Brian carried her to Epcot where we rented a stroller and IâÂÂm sure the birds were cleaning up the crumbs of her smashed donut. We meet up with Des at the fountain and took Sammi to the first aid station to clean her up. The nurse there gave us some ointment and knee sized bandages. I took care of her wounds and off we went. The brave little girl even managed to ride the Test Track with us. We all thoroughly enjoyed that ride. We rode Spaceship earth and the injured Sammi got to choose the next ride and she chose The Living Seas. It was good, but weâÂÂve been to the Aquarium in Baltimore, which was outstanding. We made it to China just as a Character Bus pulled up and Sammi got to see Mary Poppins. We ventured to Mexico to get something to eat before we headed back to our hotel to catch a shuttle to Downtown Disney. We spent four hours at the Marketplace shopping for our souvenirs. Of course we had to stop in at Ghirardelli Chocolates for ice cream. While I shopped at the World of Disney, Brian took Sammi to McDonalds for a happy meal. We only managed to go as far as the Downtown Disney Marketplace before we headed back to Epcot for our 8:00pm PS at Le Cellier in Canada. Off course he just had to watch the ToN parade again!
Crowds:
Crowds were less in Epcot than they were in all the other parks. We used a FS for Test Track but the normal wait was only 10 minutes. There were 5-minute waits for Spaceship Earth and The Living Seas. Those were the only rides/attractions we did in Epcot. There were a lot of people at Downtown Disney. It took us over an hour to get back to our hotel via the shuttle. We had to make a ton of stops. In the evening when we went back to Epcot, there again were a lot of people waiting to see the parade and fireworks.
Characters we saw today:
We arrived just in time to see the Character bus arrive and unload. We took pictures of Sammi with Pooh, Mickey and Minnie, Tigger, Mary PoppinâÂÂs, Bell and Chip and Dale.
Meals today:
Boardwalk Bakery again:
2 donuts, 1 bagel with cream cheese, 2 milks and 1 pop and again it was yummy. $10.85
La Cantia de Angel in Mexico at Epcot.
Counter service, food was ok, not the worst weâÂÂve had. DD and I shared some chips with sides of salsa and melted cheese and DH had some sort of combo plate with a pop. Total for the three of us $15.17.
Downtown Disney:
DD spotted the McDonalds and had to have a happy meal $3.60.
GhirardelliâÂÂs: I had 2 scoops of mint chocolate chip in a waffle cone that was dipped in chocolate â fantastic. DH had a strawberry shake. He said the strawberry shake he had at Beaches and Cream was better but he still enjoyed it. Des had a strawberry ice cream in a waffle cone. Total $14.14.
Le Cellier in Canada at Epcot:
Again everything was excellent all around and we were seated right away for our 8:00pm PS. They were turning people away if they didnâÂÂt have a PS. Our Server was Sean from Nova Scotia. I had the famous Cheese soup, Prime Rib with roasted potato gratin and a strawberry daiquiri. DH had the cheese soup, 12 oz Prime Rib with roasted potato gratin and 3 beers. DD had the grilled cheese and a bowl of the cheese soup. (Yippee, I had to finish her soup!). My brother in law joined us for dinner again and he had the Crab Cakes, the Maple glazed Salmon with wild rice and lemonade. No room in our bellyâÂÂs for dessert. Total for the four of us $133.16.
Purchases made today:
Breakfast at Boardwalk Bakery $10.85
Stroller Rental $6.00
3 Postcards from The Art of Disney â Epcot $2.39
4 pins and another lanyard $45.05
Lunch at La Cantina de Angel $15.17
Beer at Downtown Disney $3.50
3 Postcards at Downtown Disney $1.28
Ice Cream cones at Ghirardelli $14.14
McDonalds $3.60
2 Watches at World of Disney $143.10
2 Mickey T-shirts for Brian $36.26
Mickey necklace, Mickey pasta, Mickey chocolate coin, Mickey scrunchie, Minnie soap, Minnie T-shirt, Minnie hat, PoohâÂÂs honey pots, 102 Dalmatians shirt and bib, 2 pins, Mickey hair clips, T-shirt for Brian, 102 Dalmatians toy for Sammi all from World of Disney store $145.33
Pooh t-shirt for SammiâÂÂs God-mother $20.14
Bottle of pop & water @ DD $4.47
2 â Epcot t-shirts for me $40.28
Minnie hair clips, Minnie scrunchie $12.72
Beer in Canada $3.75
Dinner at Le Cellier $133.16
WDW hat, Minnie stuffed doll & Minnie wallet $33.91
Total today: $675.10
Tips of the day:
DonâÂÂt spend as much as we did!! UGH!
Test Track is must do. DonâÂÂt miss it.
If there is a certain place that you want to eat at, IâÂÂd make a PS otherwise you will not get in.
Friday - February 16, 2001.
7:00am temp: 68. Noon Temp: 80. High of 86. Partly Cloudy & record breaking warmth.
Chef MickeyâÂÂs â Laundry â Stromalong Bay & Main Street Electrical Parade
Activities today:
Breakfast today was at Chef MickeyâÂÂs at the Contemporary Hotel. We took the shuttle from our hotel to the Magic Kingdom and them took the Monorail from there to the Contemporary. We met up with Des and had breakfast. Of course we had to check out the shops first. We bid a good bye to Des as he was returning to Michigan to go on a ski trip. After breakfast we made a quick stop in the MK so that I could buy the Epcot Millennium CD that I saw there. (I could not find it anywhere else). We returned to our hotel to swim for a few hours and do some laundry. I love the location of the laundry, at the end of the quiet pool. You can swim or sunbathe and do laundry at the same time. At 5:30pm we returned to the Magic Kingdom to watch the Main Street Electrical Parade. We got a nice spot on a curb right across from TonyâÂÂs Town Square Restaurant. While we sat waiting for the parade, munching on french fries, there was ash falling on us from a nearby forest fire. The smoke was so thick it blocked out the sun. I wondered what would happen if Disney had to evacuate. We enjoyed the parade and at 7:40pm left MK to return to our hotel to order room service.
Crowds:
Chef MickeyâÂÂs was very busy. We waited about 15 minutes to be seated. We didnâÂÂt have to wait to get our food though. The Magic Kingdom was packed at 11:00am when we stopped in to buy the CD and do some more shopping. IâÂÂm glad we left after that. When we returned later for the 7:00pm Electrical Parade it again was packed solid. We left right after the parade.
Characters we saw today:
At Chef MickeyâÂÂs we saw Goofy, Pluto, Chip and Dale, Minnie and of course Chef Mickey.
Meals today:
Chef MickeyâÂÂs for Breakfast at the Contemporary:
It was our favorite breakfast all week. Excellent food. I had an omelet, bacon, hash browns, sausage, milk, fruit and the Krispy Kreme donuts. YUM! DD had french toast, sausage and fruit. DH had so much piled on his plate I couldnâÂÂt tell one food from the other. It was all wonderful. DD saw all the characters that came around. Total for the four of us $70.21.
Beach Club Room Service:
My DD loved getting room service. They were there within a ý hour and the room service person (is that what you call them?) was very nice. She laid everything out on the table in our room. DD had a hot dog with steak fries and DH and I had a pepperoni pizza and garlic cheese bread. Pizza was good but the cheese bread was excellent. We also raided the mini bar. Total for room service and mini bar $51.41.
Purchases made today:
Mickey ankle bracelet & brass Minnie & Mickey hooks $24.38
Pin $6.89
Breakfast at Chef Mickeys $70.21
Epcot Millennium CD, 2 â MK pins $41.32
Goofy t-shirt and stuffed Pluto for nephews $28.62
Minnie Locket for Sammi $5.30
Chocolate Mickey pop $1.33
Beer and nachos while laundry is washing $6.90
Beer and pop refill while laundry is drying $3.45
Chocolate shake from Beaches & Cream $5.25
Beer $3.45
French Fries, brownie and pop at MK $9.33
Room Service and mini bar $51.41
2- postcards, Minnie Notepad & Chalk Portrait of Sammi $75.05
$332.88
Tips of the day:
DonâÂÂt miss Chef MickeyâÂÂs. It was great.
If your going to do laundry and you donâÂÂt use powdered soap (thatâÂÂs all thatâÂÂs available to purchase) I suggest bringing your own small bottle of liquid detergent. DonâÂÂt forget the fabric sheets and a roll of quarters also.
Saturday - February 17, 2001.
7:00am temp: 63. Noon Temp: 72. High of 74. Cloudy with sprinkles.
More Laundry â Stromalong Bay â and Epcot one more time
Activities today:
We slept in today. We had breakfast in the Hotel and as we walked to Fantasia Gardens to play miniature golf, the smell of smoke was very heavy in the air. It was even very hazy due to the fires. After a nice game of golf we walked around the boardwalk one more time. Sammi just loves the fun house mirrors. The winds must have changed because the smoke was gone. We returned to our room to change into our swimsuits and gather the rest of our laundry. This time I swam while my DH did the laundry. After we returned the fresh laundry to our room, we went to Stromalong Bay and Sammi got another hair wrap and I too had one done this time. We swam and played for about an hour and after we cleaned up we headed to Epcot one last time so that Sammi could finish her mask and her passport. We eat dinner and watched the ToN parade again (that makes 4 times â but we just love it). It was a bit chilly so we were lucky that we changed into warmer clothes. After the parade we headed back to our hotel room to pack up for the cruise the following day. After most of the packing was done I took two large bags of our souvenirs down to the front desk to have them shipped home.
Crowds:
Crowds werenâÂÂt bad today, until parade time in Epcot, especially near Great Britain, where the parade ended. That area was jammed packed with people. There was barely anyone in our pool during the afternoon.
Meals today:
Yacht Club Gallery for Breakfast in the Yacht Club:
They had a breakfast buffet set up. Usual breakfast items. DH and I had the buffet and DD ordered French toast from the menu. Food was good, but weâÂÂve had better. This breakfast was sort of a let down after Chef MickeyâÂÂs. Total for the three of us $35.87.
Liberty Inn in America at Epcot:
Counter service, good food, had to wait for our food so the cashier threw in a slice of apple pie for no charge. I had a chicken sandwich, fries and a pop. DD had chicken strips, fries and a pop and DH had a Bacon cheeseburger, fries and what else? A beer. All in all it was good. Total for the three of us $21.93
Purchases made today:
Breakfast at Yacht Club Gallery $35.87
3 people for Miniature Golf at Fantasia Gardens $27.56
Film & Photo Album on Boardwalk $40.22
2 Hair wraps $43.00
Strawberry Daq, 2- beers, chips $11.87
Hurricane Hannah drink $8.10
Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream cone $2.64
Dinner at Liberty Inn at Epcot $21.93
Beer and pop in Epcot $23.75
Anne of Green Gables doll for Sammi $64.49
Mickey Balloon pin for Des $13.25
Cigar, chocolate coins $19.77
Beer $4.98
Mickey Polo shirt for Brian $40.28
$357.71
Tip of the day:
If you have a lot of souvenirs and no room in your suitcase, have them shipped home. Our box was delivered the same day we returned home.
Sunday - February 18, 2001.
7:00am temp: 53. High of 73. Partly cloudy and very windy.
Leaving the Beach Club â Arriving Port Canaveral for the Wonder
Activities today:
We finished up our packing and went downstairs to have some breakfast. Today we decided to try Beaches & Cream. Yum. After breakfast we took a last walk around the pool and the beach. We went back to our room gathered our suitcase and went to wait for our Limo driver Mark. He came right on time and we were off for Port Canaveral for our 4-day cruise aboard the Disney Wonder. You can read about our wonderful Cruise under the Cruise trip reports.
Meals today:
Beaches and Cream for Breakfast at the Beach Club:
To bad we discovered this place for breakfast on our last day. We could have been coming here for our donuts instead of going to the Boardwalk. I had a croissant (I love the croissants at WDW), bowl of cereal, a Mickey shaped glazed donut and chocolate milk. DD had a chocolate covered Mickey shaped donut and a milk. DH had O.J., a bowl of cereal and a bagel with cream cheese. The total for the three of us $17.43
Purchases made today:
Breakfast at Beaches & Cream $17.43
Summary:
I think thatâÂÂs about it. We had a wonderful time for our first family vacation to WDW. ItâÂÂll be some time before we return to WDW, not that we didnâÂÂt like it, but because there are so many other places we want to go, Hawaii, Ireland, etcâ¦
I think I covered every place we ate at. Basically everything we ate was good; nothing bad and no one got sick. It was good to eat something besides my cooking for a change. If anyone has any questions feel free to ask away.
Thanks for reading.
Total Spent:
Pick up at home by Brentwood Limo w/tip $ 100.00
Airfare for three $1110.00
4 Days at the Beach Club $1304.80
Unlimited Passes for three $ 730.89
Richard Petty Driving Experience $ 370.00
Food & Drink at WDW $ 976.14
Souveniers at WDW $1327.72
Cruise (7 day land/sea package) $4086.00
Three way shuttle service (Classic Carriage) $ 205.00
Tips (limo, servers, bell hops) $ 286.00
Souveniers and drinks on board $ 845.93
$11,342.48
"Cead mile failte"
Penjo
[This message was edited by Penjo on 03-19-01 at 10:35 PM.]
I was wondering when is the best time to go to the Boardwalk? We will be in WDW in April and I have 3 children. (ages 7, 5 and 10 months old) I am interested in finding out whats the best time is for the kids and what things there is to do for kids there. Thanks again! Alynn
