Our Mother/Daughter Trip, Spring Break 2004 Trip
BACKGROUND
Mom and daughter, Jessica, age 17, taking our 11th trip to WDW since 1991. We were there from Friday, 19 March, to Saturday, 27 March 2004, for a total of eight nights. Jessica was never an early raiser in the mornings when we visited WDW so I decided to let her sleep in while I visited the parks early each day during this trip. She is 17 years old now so it was a little easier to make that decision than it would have been in the past. We both have cell phones so we made plans to meet for lunch each day and communicated by phone when necessary. It was a good idea and worked out great. We had purchased annual passes in December 2003 to use during both our New Years and Spring Break trips. I rejoined Connections last year to buy vouchers for both trips (28 Quick & Casual (QC) vouchers and 21 Vacation Kingdom (VK) lunch vouchers). We had 18 QC vouchers and 14 VK lunch vouchers left. I had even purchased some extra vouchers from fellow DISers as I didnt want to run out of them for this trip. I ended up returning with extra vouchers which I sold to other DISers.
Thursday
We drove to Kansas City, MO, to spend the night at AmeriSuites. Our flight leaves about 7 am on Friday morning and since the airport is about 2-1/2 hours away, its nice to leave the night prior and not have to wake up too early the day of departure. AmeriSuites lets you leave the car at the hotel and drives you to the airport which is very convenient.
Friday
We got picked up by Tiffany Towncar at about 4 pm. We stopped at Goodings grocery store and purchased water (12 pack of bottled water $5.99) and muffins (6 muffins $3.59). We arrived at SoG and unpacked. They gave us 10% off since there was construction going on so we paid $83.70 a night what a deal! When I opened the drapes in our room, I saw that we were facing the exact location that the camera on the SoG website faced. Our room number was 287 which was close to both pools and the temporary lobby and bus stop. It was a room at the end of a hallway which I like since its quieter having only one neighbor instead of two. I was worried about the noise during the mornings but that wasnt a problem at all. The room looked the same as I remembered and it was nice having a private balcony. I had made reservations at Chef Mickeys so we walked to the Polynesian and caught the monorail to the Contemporary. There were no lights along the SoG walkway which I found surprising but Im sure it was because of the construction. The walk was a little longer since we had to walk from the temporary lobby and check-in area which meant walking through a parking lot. At the end of the road, we saw some people waiting for the SoG valet people to pick them up so they wouldnt have to walk back to the resort. At Chef Mickeys we had prime rib, parmesan mashed potatoes, a pasta dish, fish, shrimp, etc., etc., to include some great desserts (About $55 with tip). After dinner, we took the monorail back to the Polynesian and watched Wishes fireworks and the Electrical Parade from the beach area - there were speakers in the bushes where the music was piped in. It was great! Note: One of my favorite Hidden Mickeys is on top of the Kona Café Coffee Bar counter made up of three small purple tiles. Before we walked back to the SoG, we stopped at the valet desk at the Polynesian to make sure we were headed in the right direction when a very nice Cast Member (CM) asked us if we wanted him to drive us back to the SoG of course we did! It was a fun ride and very nice of him!
Saturday
I took the bus to TTC and the monorail to Epcot. Jessica was still in bed when I left the room-we had planned to meet at 1 pm in the World Showcase for lunch. I had breakfast at Electric Umbrella - a cheese omelet (the smallest Ive ever seen), potatoes, bacon and a biscuit the size of a silver dollar and carton of milk for $6.70. I figured out the best deal in the future would be to eat the buffet breakfast at SoG for $7.50. I saw Ellens Energy Adventure which I hadnt seen in a while and it was funnier then I remembered. This visit, I wanted to see more of the different live entertainment at Epcot and got to see the Kristos (visiting aliens who perform ballet). There was a CM with them ready with towels as I am sure it got very hot under their bodysuits. I was at the World Showcase at opening and expected some sort of opening like Ive seen years ago when there were CMs from different countries at the rope drop ready to welcome guests - all they do is drop the rope now. Jessica had called me and was ready to meet me a little early so I waited for her at the International Gateway. She had taken the MGM bus which runs on schedule at SoG and took the Friendship boat to Epcot. We visited The American Pavilion and asked a CM for help in finding the Hidden Mickey in the lobby painting of the wagon train heading west. She showed us where it was located and proceeded to show us Hidden Mickeys in six of the other paintings in the lobby area. I didnt write them down but do take time and look for them on your next trip. We decided to eat at San Angel Inn, Mexico, today for lunch. We had never eaten there. We still have to eat at Nine Dragons, China, Chefs de France, France and Restaurant Marrakesh, Morocco, before we could say we have eaten at all the World Showcase sit-down restaurants. We both had the Tacos Al Carbon ($11.95 each) and sodas ($2 each). We realized that our VK lunch vouchers would not be a good idea to use here (bill was about $31 with tip). The meal was fine but I had wanted to use vouchers for every meal on this trip. I decided instead of eating at our final three restaurants, we would eat at those restaurants we know we would enjoy which included LOriginade, Italy and Le Cellier, Canada. We stopped and listened to the British Invasion, United Kingdom, which is always entertaining. We rode Test Track, watched Imaginum-A Statue Act (which is funnier when its the male statue rather than the female statue). I also purchased four more Lucky Cats at Mitsukoshi Department Store, Japan, so we now have all ten. For those of you who dont know about Lucky Cats, they are traditional Japanese good-luck charms in 10 different colors. White cat: Good luck and happiness; Black: Protect from illness and evil spirits; Gold: Dreams come true and good luck in finance; Green: Strength in academics; Orange: Good luck in your trip; Yellow: Good fortune in finance; Purple: Strength in artistic sense; Pink: Romance and new friends; Silver: Patience and Red: Good fortune for business, good health for child. It now looks like our lives should be perfect from here on! One of our favorite places to eat is Beaches and Cream so we took the boat to the Beach Club. We both had sodas, I had the prime rib sandwich which was very good and chocolate cake (a little dry-I should have gotten a scoop of ice cream with it) and Jessica had the chicken sandwich and her favorite, the No Way Jose. We used two QC vouchers (total bill $42). We walked to the valet desk at the Beach Club and asked for a cab back to SoG. If not, it would have taken at least two forms of transportation and too much time to get back. For $11 total, we were back at SoG soaking our feet in the hot tub in no time at all! We ended up taking cabs at different times during our trip which will be something I plan into our budget for future trips. My boss had made the comment once that Time is more valuable than Money you can always make more money but you will never get the time back. I enjoy being at WDW and would rather be at the resort relaxing or at one of the parks than spending the extra time getting there! Plus its also a lot easier on your feet! We were both asleep by 8:30 pm. The SoG had great smelling green apple hand soap in the bathroom and there was always coffee, lemonade and cookies in the lobby. I noticed that the prices at the temporary store in the lobby was also very reasonable (Sun block 8 oz $3.49; Suave shampoo 15 oz .95 cents; Secret deodorant 1.7 oz $1.70).
Sunday
I had the best apple Danish ($2) from the golf course food stand with a cup of milk ($1) which I enjoyed while waiting for the MGM bus. My first attraction was The Movie Ride I wanted to ride through the Cowboy side but only the Gangster side was running (I guess the crowd is so small early in the morning, theres no point running both sides). I asked a CM at the end of the ride when did they expect the Cowboy side to be running and was told to come back later and let the CM outside know that I was allowed to go to the front of the line in order to see the Cowboy side, which I did. It saved me a 40 minute wait (not that I would have waited to go on it again) at the time. I also visited Disney Animation which has changed since our last visit. The beginning part was very funny which involved Mushu, the dragon from Mulan, and a Disney artist. We then went into another room where a CM talked about animation to include Disneys new film, Home on the Range. The last stop was a large room with rolls of tables and chairs where we got to draw our own Disney character. The Disney artist made the comment that since there was not a lot of guests, we could draw something a little more difficult like Stitch unless we had a suggestion so I yelled out Mickey. We got to draw our own Mickeys face while the artist drew his own which was shown on a screen above his table. My Mickey turned out to look like he has gained about 20 pounds! I went to see Voyage of The Little Mermaid and then it was time to meet Jessica. We ate at Mama Melroses which we havent visited in probably 10 years. You get free bread and sun dried tomatoes and olive oil before your meal. We were using two VK lunch vouchers. We didnt care for any of the appetizers so asked if we could share the Grilled Chicken flatbread ($12.49), which the manager said was fine. Jessica had the grilled filet of beef ($19.99) and I had a shrimp pasta dish ($18.59). For dessert, we had the chocolate mousse ($5.49) and the cheesecake ($5.49). We both had sodas ($1.99 each) (total bill about $80). Everything was fine but Im not sure we would return there any time soon. We rode Rock n Roller Coaster and Who Wants to be a Millionaire where we finally got to see someone win the cruise! It was GREAT! We then took the boat to Epcot and watched our favorite, Roland the Mime, in France. For the first time, we visited the Pub in United Kingdom where we had some sodas. There was an older lady playing the piano and singing. We had dinner at the Electric Umbrella using QC vouchers. I had the double bacon cheeseburger and fries, strawberry cheesecake and a soda ($13.80) and Jessica had the chicken strips and fries, chocolate cream pie and chocolate milk ($11.80).
Monday
We were going on the Backstage Safari Tour at Animal Kingdom today ($65 each with Annual Pass discount of 30%, came to about $45 each) which meant Jessica had to leave with me in the morning. We had breakfast at Evergreens ($7.50 each). During the tour, we visited the backstage animal housing area, the Animal Nutrition Center where a CM was preparing meals for the animals and the Conversation Center where a goat was getting his tooth drilled down. We saw some x-rays which included those of a pregnant bobcat, a snake who had swallowed a golf ball and a fish which had gotten a wellness check. We saw an elephant, giraffe (male giraffes grow to 18-19 feet and females to 15-16 feet) and a rhino. We also watched a short film on how Disney takes care of their animals at which time we were offered snacks which included breakfast bars, brownies and bottles of water. Someone brought in a spine-tailed lizard who looked like a beanie baby to me. We received pins and the Animal Kingdom Field Guide. The whole tour lasted about three hours. This was my least favorite tour Ive been on for Animal Kingdom, the tour Wild by Design, was much much better. We tried to get seating for the Rainforest Café but there was no chance without priority seating. I made a note to make priority seating for there at Shades of Green for Wednesday. We had VK vouchers and Rainforest Café is the best place to use them besides the fact that we always loved the food there. Jessica went back to SoG while I took a bus to Epcot as Animal Kingdom was very crowded (it was Early Entry day there). For lunch, I ate at Tangerine Café, Morocco, using a QC voucher. I had the combo chicken and lamb, dessert and a soda ($15.30). I visited The Living Seas where they were playing music which included Beyond the Sea, which is a great song and the display was blowing bubbles which looked very cool.
I met Jessica for dinner at Beaches and Cream. I had a Cheeseburger and an ice cream sundae and Jessica had the Chicken sandwich and a No Way Jose, and we both had sodas. We used two QC vouchers (total bill $44).
Tuesday
Our second tour was today, Hidden Treasures, at Epcot ($59 each with Annual Pass discount of 15%, came to about $50 each). We walked around the World Showcase, learning about the art and agriculture. We also peeked in at most of the restaurants. The tour guide showed us a Hidden Mickey in Germany it is on the roof of the first building on the right where there are three or four men dressed in armor. We also learned that the IllumiNations fireworks are stored behind China which was interesting as China is where fireworks originated from. The tour was very good and better than the Backstage Safari. I had made priority seating for lunch at Le Cellier Steakhouse, Canada, for 12:30 which is the place and time our tour ended. We both had the cheese soup, Petit Filet, Jessica had the Cheesecake and I had the dessert Trio ($11.99) and two sodas. The bill came to $88.60. We used two VK lunch vouchers. We took the boat to MGM and fed the ducks on the way (I had brought crackers from home). Jessica took the bus back to SoG and I went into MGM for a short visit. I saw Beauty and the Beast which is always wonderful. It had been a while since we ate at Trails End, Fort Wilderness, so we decided to eat dinner there and forget about using our QC vouchers. I had the SoG valet call us a cab which cost us $10 to get to Fort Wilderness. Dinner included chili, fried chicken, ribs, pizza, etc, for a total of about $34. We then took the boat to Magic Kingdom. We rode Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at the same time the fireworks were going on which was neat, Carousel of Progress, Mickeys PhilharMagic, Haunted Mansion and Jungle Cruise. I finally saw the Hidden Mickey in the Haunted Mansion at the graveyard scene where the grim reaper forms a Mickey with his fingers. I found it at the last minute so I didnt get as good a look as I would have liked. We saw a little of SpectroMagic! I just love the music. We took the monorail to TTC and a bus to SoG. SoG has one of the best spots at TTC, close to the other parks buses and close to the entry way to the monorails.
Wednesday
I needed to do some laundry as I packed light for this trip and this was the day to do it. It was only $1 per wash and 75 cents for the dryer (45 minutes drying time). I had an apple Danish and milk from the golf course snack bar again and took the bus to Animal Kingdom. I saw Its Tough to be a Bug, walked through a couple of the trails, Flights of Wonder, Saw Devine, and watched Wes Palm in the entrance way. If you visit Chester and Hesters Dinosaur Treasures in DinoLand, look up and see the train that circles around the room some of the cars even have dinosaurs as passengers. Jessica met me at The Rainforest Café where, thank goodness, we had priority seating, as it was very crowded. This is definably the best deal for the VK lunch vouchers. We had buffalo wings and crab dip for appetizers, sodas, two primal steaks (I added crab cakes and Jessica added grilled shrimp). For dessert, we both had chocolate cake with raspberry sauce which was so good! The total bill must have been about $140 (we were never shown the check). We used two VK lunch vouchers. I had thought about returning there for dinner later in the trip but it was just too much food, but boy, was everything good! We saw Karuka Acrobats and Festival of the Lion King show (there always seems to be live entertainment near the exit of the show - this time it was Guitar Dan). We took the bus to Epcot as Jessica wanted to visit Innovations. After a couple of hours, we took the monorail to TTC and the bus to SoG. We had a funny driver named Mark. He announced to everyone that if we had any complaints about his driving, his real name was Francisco. He also told jokes and we sang a song The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round. He eventually told us it was his turn at a solo and he sang The Horn on the Bus Goes (he beeped the bus horn here three times), (again), (and again), The Horn on the Bus . Im sure you get the picture now. I love funny bus drivers!
Thursday
I sat on the patio for a bit this morning (while Jessica slept, of course) planning for the day ahead. There were construction men still working but I couldnt hear any noise. I had breakfast at Evergreens by myself while I read the newspaper (there were free USA Today newspapers in the lobby every morning). It started to rain for a few minutes but ended quickly. After getting off the bus at TTC, I decided to take the boat to Magic Kingdom for a change. There was a long line at the boat and at the monorail and then I realized it was Early Entry day and I had left SoG too late that morning. I noticed that the boats are named Admiral Joe Fowler, General Joe Potter and Richard F. Irvine. As one of the boats pulled into dock, Pluto came off and all of a sudden dozens of young children began popping up on their dads shoulders to see him. Pluto came back on the boat after everyone boarded and visited with guests upstairs. I always enjoy the ride better on the top deck as there are no windows and everything is open. I would guess that most people stay downstairs so they could get off of the boat and into the park quicker. Its always nice when you can take your time and enjoy everything a little more. As we passed another boat, Sailors Chip and Dale were on deck waving to us. At Magic Kingdom, I first got on the Railroad to ride it to Frontierland. Once on the train, it started to rain so I stayed on the train for a full circle ride until I got to Frontierland again and it had stopped raining. I walked around Liberty Square until it was time to meet Jessica at Epcot for lunch. As soon as I got under a huge tent to wait for the boat back to TTC, it started to pour! It was the worst rain pour Ive ever been in! What luck Ive been having missing all the rain by being in under something. My cell phone rang and Jessica wanted to know if we were still going to meet for lunch I told her the rain probably wouldnt last long as it never seems to at Disney World. I told her I could just meet her at TTC which we did. We then took the monorail to Epcot. Lunch was going to be at LOriginale Alfredo of Rome, Italy. When I look back, we could have easily eaten lunch there just using one VK lunch voucher. We both had individual pizzas with prosciutto ham ($9.95) for appetizers. Neither of us could finish them but they were very good. I had the Trittico di Pasta (samples of lasagna, Fettuccine Alfredo and a third dish which I didnt like ($18.25) and Jessica had the Pollo alla Parmigiana which was a chicken breast topped with mozzarella cheese ($18.50). Jessicas chicken was the thickest piece of chicken I have ever seen and she asked for Fettuccine Alfredo instead of ziti and ended up with more Fettuccine Alfredo than I did! Jessica had the chocolate mousse ($4.99) for dessert while I had the sampler ($9.95). The chocolate mousse was our favorite dessert there. We both also had sodas. (total about $90-we never saw the bill). We finished lunch just in time to watch Imaginum-A Statue Act. We then took the boat to MGM where we saw Who Wants to be a Millionaire and Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular. It looked like it was going to rain again so they cut the Indiana Jones show short which was a shame for those who had never seen it. We took the boat to Beaches and Cream for dinner (chicken sandwich with fruit, prime rib sandwich, fudge mud slide and ice cream sundae (about $48-used two QC vouchers) then back on to Epcot to see Roland the Mime, in France. Instead of walking to the front of Epcot and then to the Monorail and then to TTC to take the bus to SoG, yes, again, we took a cab from The Beach Club. I definitely had to soak my feet in the hot tub before bed.
Friday
Jessica and I had breakfast at Evergreens and took the bus to TTC. On our way out of SoG, we noticed that a new Shades of Green sign was put up at the main entrance. We got a Fastpass for Who Wants to be a Millionaire, went on the Movie Ride (gangster side) where I asked to sit in the front roll of seats so Jessica could sit next to the gangster that joins us in the middle of the ride. One of my favorites at MGM are the Streetsmosphere actors and I was so glad to finally see two of them on Hollywood Boulevard. It was a married couple with a New York accent. They were wearing matching sweat suits and sitting on beach chairs. They would tell everyone walking by that they wanted to get the best seats for the parade (it was only 10 am). The wife kept spraying her hair with hair spray and the husband was lifting hand weights. They were sooooo funny! We walked into the Indiana Jones show 10 minutes prior to the 10:30 show. The weather was fine so we got to see the whole show. We then went to Who Wants to be a Millionaire and decided to eat at ABC Commissary using our QC vouchers. Jessica had Feijoada (black beans and pork stew) which she didnt care for, Haagen Daas ice cream bar and a bottle of water (total $11.85) and I had a cheeseburger and fries, chocolate mousse and a soda (total $12.35).
We took the boat to Epcot and saw Roland the Mime. We decided to share dinner at two different countries and using our QC vouchers. We ate first at Yakitori House, Japan, where we shared the Shogun Combination (Teriyaki chicken, sukiyaki beef and rice) ($6.99) and for a side, we got an extra serving of Teriyaki chicken ($1.69), chestnut cake for dessert ($3.99) and a large lemonade ($2.29) (total bill $16). The extra side was a surprise and the meal was very good. We planned on using the second QC voucher for fish and chips in United Kingdom but the line was too long. We walked back to France to see Roland again. On the way, we stopped and listened to MoRockin in Morocco. We sat in France for a while waiting to see Roland again. After that, we walked to United Kingdom to listen to the British Invasion and back again to France to see Roland! We used a QC voucher at Boulangerie Patisserie in France where we shared a Ham and cheese sandwich, a piece of cheesecake and a soda (total $12). We finished just in time to see, who else, Roland the Mime, again! We took the boat to the Beach Club and a cab back to SoG, which took about 30 minutes from the time the call was placed until we got back to the resort.
Saturday
We woke up about 8 am and finished packing. Since SoG was expecting a full house today, we could not get a late check out of noon. Tiffany Towncar was picking us up at 1:15 so Jessica and I went out to sit near the pool. I mailed our disposable cameras back home (I didnt want to take any chances with the X-ray machines at the airport). We checked out at 11 am and left our bags with the valet and walked to Evergreens for a very long lunch (we had two hours). We shared appetizers of nachos & cheese and chicken fingers with mustard sauce, I had the Philly cheese sandwich and Jessica had the chicken wrap - we also ordered a side of french fries. We shared a piece of chocolate cake for dessert. The total bill was $30.00 I mentioned to the waitress that the receipt had the word dessert spelled as desert I wonder if they ever fixed it. There was only a few people dining at the time which is one of the things I like about Shades of Green that it is a small resort. Tiffany Towncar was on time and home we went. Another wonderful time at Walt Disney World with my wonderful daughter.
EXTRA NOTES/TIPS
Put extra money into your budget, if possible, for cabs at those times that it seems like the smartest thing to do
Bring clothes that do not need to be ironed this was the first trip I went out and purchased shirts from Wal-Mart that didnt need to be ironed what a blessing!
We never got to eat breakfast at Trails End, Fort Wilderness, which is one of the best palaces for breakfast - You can get a breakfast buffet there with unlimited drinks (orange juice, chocolate milk, etc) for $10
Soak your feet in the hot tub every night whether you think you need it or notthe day after I did, I felt like I could walk all day! One morning when I wanted to soak my feet before going to the parks, I noticed that the SoG hot tub was not working I didnt know that there was a switch out side the tub area that you needed to turn on!
We used 13 QC vouchers, saving about $75 and 8 Lunch vouchers saving about $160.
BACKGROUND
Mom and daughter, Jessica, age 17, taking our 11th trip to WDW since 1991. We were there from Friday, 19 March, to Saturday, 27 March 2004, for a total of eight nights. Jessica was never an early raiser in the mornings when we visited WDW so I decided to let her sleep in while I visited the parks early each day during this trip. She is 17 years old now so it was a little easier to make that decision than it would have been in the past. We both have cell phones so we made plans to meet for lunch each day and communicated by phone when necessary. It was a good idea and worked out great. We had purchased annual passes in December 2003 to use during both our New Years and Spring Break trips. I rejoined Connections last year to buy vouchers for both trips (28 Quick & Casual (QC) vouchers and 21 Vacation Kingdom (VK) lunch vouchers). We had 18 QC vouchers and 14 VK lunch vouchers left. I had even purchased some extra vouchers from fellow DISers as I didnt want to run out of them for this trip. I ended up returning with extra vouchers which I sold to other DISers.
Thursday
We drove to Kansas City, MO, to spend the night at AmeriSuites. Our flight leaves about 7 am on Friday morning and since the airport is about 2-1/2 hours away, its nice to leave the night prior and not have to wake up too early the day of departure. AmeriSuites lets you leave the car at the hotel and drives you to the airport which is very convenient.
Friday
We got picked up by Tiffany Towncar at about 4 pm. We stopped at Goodings grocery store and purchased water (12 pack of bottled water $5.99) and muffins (6 muffins $3.59). We arrived at SoG and unpacked. They gave us 10% off since there was construction going on so we paid $83.70 a night what a deal! When I opened the drapes in our room, I saw that we were facing the exact location that the camera on the SoG website faced. Our room number was 287 which was close to both pools and the temporary lobby and bus stop. It was a room at the end of a hallway which I like since its quieter having only one neighbor instead of two. I was worried about the noise during the mornings but that wasnt a problem at all. The room looked the same as I remembered and it was nice having a private balcony. I had made reservations at Chef Mickeys so we walked to the Polynesian and caught the monorail to the Contemporary. There were no lights along the SoG walkway which I found surprising but Im sure it was because of the construction. The walk was a little longer since we had to walk from the temporary lobby and check-in area which meant walking through a parking lot. At the end of the road, we saw some people waiting for the SoG valet people to pick them up so they wouldnt have to walk back to the resort. At Chef Mickeys we had prime rib, parmesan mashed potatoes, a pasta dish, fish, shrimp, etc., etc., to include some great desserts (About $55 with tip). After dinner, we took the monorail back to the Polynesian and watched Wishes fireworks and the Electrical Parade from the beach area - there were speakers in the bushes where the music was piped in. It was great! Note: One of my favorite Hidden Mickeys is on top of the Kona Café Coffee Bar counter made up of three small purple tiles. Before we walked back to the SoG, we stopped at the valet desk at the Polynesian to make sure we were headed in the right direction when a very nice Cast Member (CM) asked us if we wanted him to drive us back to the SoG of course we did! It was a fun ride and very nice of him!
Saturday
I took the bus to TTC and the monorail to Epcot. Jessica was still in bed when I left the room-we had planned to meet at 1 pm in the World Showcase for lunch. I had breakfast at Electric Umbrella - a cheese omelet (the smallest Ive ever seen), potatoes, bacon and a biscuit the size of a silver dollar and carton of milk for $6.70. I figured out the best deal in the future would be to eat the buffet breakfast at SoG for $7.50. I saw Ellens Energy Adventure which I hadnt seen in a while and it was funnier then I remembered. This visit, I wanted to see more of the different live entertainment at Epcot and got to see the Kristos (visiting aliens who perform ballet). There was a CM with them ready with towels as I am sure it got very hot under their bodysuits. I was at the World Showcase at opening and expected some sort of opening like Ive seen years ago when there were CMs from different countries at the rope drop ready to welcome guests - all they do is drop the rope now. Jessica had called me and was ready to meet me a little early so I waited for her at the International Gateway. She had taken the MGM bus which runs on schedule at SoG and took the Friendship boat to Epcot. We visited The American Pavilion and asked a CM for help in finding the Hidden Mickey in the lobby painting of the wagon train heading west. She showed us where it was located and proceeded to show us Hidden Mickeys in six of the other paintings in the lobby area. I didnt write them down but do take time and look for them on your next trip. We decided to eat at San Angel Inn, Mexico, today for lunch. We had never eaten there. We still have to eat at Nine Dragons, China, Chefs de France, France and Restaurant Marrakesh, Morocco, before we could say we have eaten at all the World Showcase sit-down restaurants. We both had the Tacos Al Carbon ($11.95 each) and sodas ($2 each). We realized that our VK lunch vouchers would not be a good idea to use here (bill was about $31 with tip). The meal was fine but I had wanted to use vouchers for every meal on this trip. I decided instead of eating at our final three restaurants, we would eat at those restaurants we know we would enjoy which included LOriginade, Italy and Le Cellier, Canada. We stopped and listened to the British Invasion, United Kingdom, which is always entertaining. We rode Test Track, watched Imaginum-A Statue Act (which is funnier when its the male statue rather than the female statue). I also purchased four more Lucky Cats at Mitsukoshi Department Store, Japan, so we now have all ten. For those of you who dont know about Lucky Cats, they are traditional Japanese good-luck charms in 10 different colors. White cat: Good luck and happiness; Black: Protect from illness and evil spirits; Gold: Dreams come true and good luck in finance; Green: Strength in academics; Orange: Good luck in your trip; Yellow: Good fortune in finance; Purple: Strength in artistic sense; Pink: Romance and new friends; Silver: Patience and Red: Good fortune for business, good health for child. It now looks like our lives should be perfect from here on! One of our favorite places to eat is Beaches and Cream so we took the boat to the Beach Club. We both had sodas, I had the prime rib sandwich which was very good and chocolate cake (a little dry-I should have gotten a scoop of ice cream with it) and Jessica had the chicken sandwich and her favorite, the No Way Jose. We used two QC vouchers (total bill $42). We walked to the valet desk at the Beach Club and asked for a cab back to SoG. If not, it would have taken at least two forms of transportation and too much time to get back. For $11 total, we were back at SoG soaking our feet in the hot tub in no time at all! We ended up taking cabs at different times during our trip which will be something I plan into our budget for future trips. My boss had made the comment once that Time is more valuable than Money you can always make more money but you will never get the time back. I enjoy being at WDW and would rather be at the resort relaxing or at one of the parks than spending the extra time getting there! Plus its also a lot easier on your feet! We were both asleep by 8:30 pm. The SoG had great smelling green apple hand soap in the bathroom and there was always coffee, lemonade and cookies in the lobby. I noticed that the prices at the temporary store in the lobby was also very reasonable (Sun block 8 oz $3.49; Suave shampoo 15 oz .95 cents; Secret deodorant 1.7 oz $1.70).
Sunday
I had the best apple Danish ($2) from the golf course food stand with a cup of milk ($1) which I enjoyed while waiting for the MGM bus. My first attraction was The Movie Ride I wanted to ride through the Cowboy side but only the Gangster side was running (I guess the crowd is so small early in the morning, theres no point running both sides). I asked a CM at the end of the ride when did they expect the Cowboy side to be running and was told to come back later and let the CM outside know that I was allowed to go to the front of the line in order to see the Cowboy side, which I did. It saved me a 40 minute wait (not that I would have waited to go on it again) at the time. I also visited Disney Animation which has changed since our last visit. The beginning part was very funny which involved Mushu, the dragon from Mulan, and a Disney artist. We then went into another room where a CM talked about animation to include Disneys new film, Home on the Range. The last stop was a large room with rolls of tables and chairs where we got to draw our own Disney character. The Disney artist made the comment that since there was not a lot of guests, we could draw something a little more difficult like Stitch unless we had a suggestion so I yelled out Mickey. We got to draw our own Mickeys face while the artist drew his own which was shown on a screen above his table. My Mickey turned out to look like he has gained about 20 pounds! I went to see Voyage of The Little Mermaid and then it was time to meet Jessica. We ate at Mama Melroses which we havent visited in probably 10 years. You get free bread and sun dried tomatoes and olive oil before your meal. We were using two VK lunch vouchers. We didnt care for any of the appetizers so asked if we could share the Grilled Chicken flatbread ($12.49), which the manager said was fine. Jessica had the grilled filet of beef ($19.99) and I had a shrimp pasta dish ($18.59). For dessert, we had the chocolate mousse ($5.49) and the cheesecake ($5.49). We both had sodas ($1.99 each) (total bill about $80). Everything was fine but Im not sure we would return there any time soon. We rode Rock n Roller Coaster and Who Wants to be a Millionaire where we finally got to see someone win the cruise! It was GREAT! We then took the boat to Epcot and watched our favorite, Roland the Mime, in France. For the first time, we visited the Pub in United Kingdom where we had some sodas. There was an older lady playing the piano and singing. We had dinner at the Electric Umbrella using QC vouchers. I had the double bacon cheeseburger and fries, strawberry cheesecake and a soda ($13.80) and Jessica had the chicken strips and fries, chocolate cream pie and chocolate milk ($11.80).
Monday
We were going on the Backstage Safari Tour at Animal Kingdom today ($65 each with Annual Pass discount of 30%, came to about $45 each) which meant Jessica had to leave with me in the morning. We had breakfast at Evergreens ($7.50 each). During the tour, we visited the backstage animal housing area, the Animal Nutrition Center where a CM was preparing meals for the animals and the Conversation Center where a goat was getting his tooth drilled down. We saw some x-rays which included those of a pregnant bobcat, a snake who had swallowed a golf ball and a fish which had gotten a wellness check. We saw an elephant, giraffe (male giraffes grow to 18-19 feet and females to 15-16 feet) and a rhino. We also watched a short film on how Disney takes care of their animals at which time we were offered snacks which included breakfast bars, brownies and bottles of water. Someone brought in a spine-tailed lizard who looked like a beanie baby to me. We received pins and the Animal Kingdom Field Guide. The whole tour lasted about three hours. This was my least favorite tour Ive been on for Animal Kingdom, the tour Wild by Design, was much much better. We tried to get seating for the Rainforest Café but there was no chance without priority seating. I made a note to make priority seating for there at Shades of Green for Wednesday. We had VK vouchers and Rainforest Café is the best place to use them besides the fact that we always loved the food there. Jessica went back to SoG while I took a bus to Epcot as Animal Kingdom was very crowded (it was Early Entry day there). For lunch, I ate at Tangerine Café, Morocco, using a QC voucher. I had the combo chicken and lamb, dessert and a soda ($15.30). I visited The Living Seas where they were playing music which included Beyond the Sea, which is a great song and the display was blowing bubbles which looked very cool.
I met Jessica for dinner at Beaches and Cream. I had a Cheeseburger and an ice cream sundae and Jessica had the Chicken sandwich and a No Way Jose, and we both had sodas. We used two QC vouchers (total bill $44).
Tuesday
Our second tour was today, Hidden Treasures, at Epcot ($59 each with Annual Pass discount of 15%, came to about $50 each). We walked around the World Showcase, learning about the art and agriculture. We also peeked in at most of the restaurants. The tour guide showed us a Hidden Mickey in Germany it is on the roof of the first building on the right where there are three or four men dressed in armor. We also learned that the IllumiNations fireworks are stored behind China which was interesting as China is where fireworks originated from. The tour was very good and better than the Backstage Safari. I had made priority seating for lunch at Le Cellier Steakhouse, Canada, for 12:30 which is the place and time our tour ended. We both had the cheese soup, Petit Filet, Jessica had the Cheesecake and I had the dessert Trio ($11.99) and two sodas. The bill came to $88.60. We used two VK lunch vouchers. We took the boat to MGM and fed the ducks on the way (I had brought crackers from home). Jessica took the bus back to SoG and I went into MGM for a short visit. I saw Beauty and the Beast which is always wonderful. It had been a while since we ate at Trails End, Fort Wilderness, so we decided to eat dinner there and forget about using our QC vouchers. I had the SoG valet call us a cab which cost us $10 to get to Fort Wilderness. Dinner included chili, fried chicken, ribs, pizza, etc, for a total of about $34. We then took the boat to Magic Kingdom. We rode Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at the same time the fireworks were going on which was neat, Carousel of Progress, Mickeys PhilharMagic, Haunted Mansion and Jungle Cruise. I finally saw the Hidden Mickey in the Haunted Mansion at the graveyard scene where the grim reaper forms a Mickey with his fingers. I found it at the last minute so I didnt get as good a look as I would have liked. We saw a little of SpectroMagic! I just love the music. We took the monorail to TTC and a bus to SoG. SoG has one of the best spots at TTC, close to the other parks buses and close to the entry way to the monorails.
Wednesday
I needed to do some laundry as I packed light for this trip and this was the day to do it. It was only $1 per wash and 75 cents for the dryer (45 minutes drying time). I had an apple Danish and milk from the golf course snack bar again and took the bus to Animal Kingdom. I saw Its Tough to be a Bug, walked through a couple of the trails, Flights of Wonder, Saw Devine, and watched Wes Palm in the entrance way. If you visit Chester and Hesters Dinosaur Treasures in DinoLand, look up and see the train that circles around the room some of the cars even have dinosaurs as passengers. Jessica met me at The Rainforest Café where, thank goodness, we had priority seating, as it was very crowded. This is definably the best deal for the VK lunch vouchers. We had buffalo wings and crab dip for appetizers, sodas, two primal steaks (I added crab cakes and Jessica added grilled shrimp). For dessert, we both had chocolate cake with raspberry sauce which was so good! The total bill must have been about $140 (we were never shown the check). We used two VK lunch vouchers. I had thought about returning there for dinner later in the trip but it was just too much food, but boy, was everything good! We saw Karuka Acrobats and Festival of the Lion King show (there always seems to be live entertainment near the exit of the show - this time it was Guitar Dan). We took the bus to Epcot as Jessica wanted to visit Innovations. After a couple of hours, we took the monorail to TTC and the bus to SoG. We had a funny driver named Mark. He announced to everyone that if we had any complaints about his driving, his real name was Francisco. He also told jokes and we sang a song The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round. He eventually told us it was his turn at a solo and he sang The Horn on the Bus Goes (he beeped the bus horn here three times), (again), (and again), The Horn on the Bus . Im sure you get the picture now. I love funny bus drivers!
Thursday
I sat on the patio for a bit this morning (while Jessica slept, of course) planning for the day ahead. There were construction men still working but I couldnt hear any noise. I had breakfast at Evergreens by myself while I read the newspaper (there were free USA Today newspapers in the lobby every morning). It started to rain for a few minutes but ended quickly. After getting off the bus at TTC, I decided to take the boat to Magic Kingdom for a change. There was a long line at the boat and at the monorail and then I realized it was Early Entry day and I had left SoG too late that morning. I noticed that the boats are named Admiral Joe Fowler, General Joe Potter and Richard F. Irvine. As one of the boats pulled into dock, Pluto came off and all of a sudden dozens of young children began popping up on their dads shoulders to see him. Pluto came back on the boat after everyone boarded and visited with guests upstairs. I always enjoy the ride better on the top deck as there are no windows and everything is open. I would guess that most people stay downstairs so they could get off of the boat and into the park quicker. Its always nice when you can take your time and enjoy everything a little more. As we passed another boat, Sailors Chip and Dale were on deck waving to us. At Magic Kingdom, I first got on the Railroad to ride it to Frontierland. Once on the train, it started to rain so I stayed on the train for a full circle ride until I got to Frontierland again and it had stopped raining. I walked around Liberty Square until it was time to meet Jessica at Epcot for lunch. As soon as I got under a huge tent to wait for the boat back to TTC, it started to pour! It was the worst rain pour Ive ever been in! What luck Ive been having missing all the rain by being in under something. My cell phone rang and Jessica wanted to know if we were still going to meet for lunch I told her the rain probably wouldnt last long as it never seems to at Disney World. I told her I could just meet her at TTC which we did. We then took the monorail to Epcot. Lunch was going to be at LOriginale Alfredo of Rome, Italy. When I look back, we could have easily eaten lunch there just using one VK lunch voucher. We both had individual pizzas with prosciutto ham ($9.95) for appetizers. Neither of us could finish them but they were very good. I had the Trittico di Pasta (samples of lasagna, Fettuccine Alfredo and a third dish which I didnt like ($18.25) and Jessica had the Pollo alla Parmigiana which was a chicken breast topped with mozzarella cheese ($18.50). Jessicas chicken was the thickest piece of chicken I have ever seen and she asked for Fettuccine Alfredo instead of ziti and ended up with more Fettuccine Alfredo than I did! Jessica had the chocolate mousse ($4.99) for dessert while I had the sampler ($9.95). The chocolate mousse was our favorite dessert there. We both also had sodas. (total about $90-we never saw the bill). We finished lunch just in time to watch Imaginum-A Statue Act. We then took the boat to MGM where we saw Who Wants to be a Millionaire and Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular. It looked like it was going to rain again so they cut the Indiana Jones show short which was a shame for those who had never seen it. We took the boat to Beaches and Cream for dinner (chicken sandwich with fruit, prime rib sandwich, fudge mud slide and ice cream sundae (about $48-used two QC vouchers) then back on to Epcot to see Roland the Mime, in France. Instead of walking to the front of Epcot and then to the Monorail and then to TTC to take the bus to SoG, yes, again, we took a cab from The Beach Club. I definitely had to soak my feet in the hot tub before bed.
Friday
Jessica and I had breakfast at Evergreens and took the bus to TTC. On our way out of SoG, we noticed that a new Shades of Green sign was put up at the main entrance. We got a Fastpass for Who Wants to be a Millionaire, went on the Movie Ride (gangster side) where I asked to sit in the front roll of seats so Jessica could sit next to the gangster that joins us in the middle of the ride. One of my favorites at MGM are the Streetsmosphere actors and I was so glad to finally see two of them on Hollywood Boulevard. It was a married couple with a New York accent. They were wearing matching sweat suits and sitting on beach chairs. They would tell everyone walking by that they wanted to get the best seats for the parade (it was only 10 am). The wife kept spraying her hair with hair spray and the husband was lifting hand weights. They were sooooo funny! We walked into the Indiana Jones show 10 minutes prior to the 10:30 show. The weather was fine so we got to see the whole show. We then went to Who Wants to be a Millionaire and decided to eat at ABC Commissary using our QC vouchers. Jessica had Feijoada (black beans and pork stew) which she didnt care for, Haagen Daas ice cream bar and a bottle of water (total $11.85) and I had a cheeseburger and fries, chocolate mousse and a soda (total $12.35).
We took the boat to Epcot and saw Roland the Mime. We decided to share dinner at two different countries and using our QC vouchers. We ate first at Yakitori House, Japan, where we shared the Shogun Combination (Teriyaki chicken, sukiyaki beef and rice) ($6.99) and for a side, we got an extra serving of Teriyaki chicken ($1.69), chestnut cake for dessert ($3.99) and a large lemonade ($2.29) (total bill $16). The extra side was a surprise and the meal was very good. We planned on using the second QC voucher for fish and chips in United Kingdom but the line was too long. We walked back to France to see Roland again. On the way, we stopped and listened to MoRockin in Morocco. We sat in France for a while waiting to see Roland again. After that, we walked to United Kingdom to listen to the British Invasion and back again to France to see Roland! We used a QC voucher at Boulangerie Patisserie in France where we shared a Ham and cheese sandwich, a piece of cheesecake and a soda (total $12). We finished just in time to see, who else, Roland the Mime, again! We took the boat to the Beach Club and a cab back to SoG, which took about 30 minutes from the time the call was placed until we got back to the resort.
Saturday
We woke up about 8 am and finished packing. Since SoG was expecting a full house today, we could not get a late check out of noon. Tiffany Towncar was picking us up at 1:15 so Jessica and I went out to sit near the pool. I mailed our disposable cameras back home (I didnt want to take any chances with the X-ray machines at the airport). We checked out at 11 am and left our bags with the valet and walked to Evergreens for a very long lunch (we had two hours). We shared appetizers of nachos & cheese and chicken fingers with mustard sauce, I had the Philly cheese sandwich and Jessica had the chicken wrap - we also ordered a side of french fries. We shared a piece of chocolate cake for dessert. The total bill was $30.00 I mentioned to the waitress that the receipt had the word dessert spelled as desert I wonder if they ever fixed it. There was only a few people dining at the time which is one of the things I like about Shades of Green that it is a small resort. Tiffany Towncar was on time and home we went. Another wonderful time at Walt Disney World with my wonderful daughter.
EXTRA NOTES/TIPS
Put extra money into your budget, if possible, for cabs at those times that it seems like the smartest thing to do
Bring clothes that do not need to be ironed this was the first trip I went out and purchased shirts from Wal-Mart that didnt need to be ironed what a blessing!
We never got to eat breakfast at Trails End, Fort Wilderness, which is one of the best palaces for breakfast - You can get a breakfast buffet there with unlimited drinks (orange juice, chocolate milk, etc) for $10
Soak your feet in the hot tub every night whether you think you need it or notthe day after I did, I felt like I could walk all day! One morning when I wanted to soak my feet before going to the parks, I noticed that the SoG hot tub was not working I didnt know that there was a switch out side the tub area that you needed to turn on!
We used 13 QC vouchers, saving about $75 and 8 Lunch vouchers saving about $160.
Thanks again.
