Our WDW Trip - A Blessing in Disguise (new update 6/29/06)

[Minnie]

As I sit here writing this trip report all I can think of how important these trips to WDW really are. I am currently recovering from a nasty accident that occurred one week to the date after we were enjoying Mother’s Day evening at WDW. I now realize more than ever how blessed I was to have been able to take this trip and spend the time with the ones I love the most. We are now less than 2 months away from our next trip and I vow to be less of a commando and simply see the magic through the eyes of my family.

Okay mush stuff over on to the trip report…

Dates: May 13th - 15th
Cast Members:

DM (mom) – Wonderful lady that puts up with my park commando ways and let’s me plan the trip. Well until I get ridiculous anyways.

DS (12) – Terrific 6th grader that earned this trip for being an A honor roller all year. Quite an achievement for this young man who is finally coming in to his own after struggling with ADD all his young life.

Me – Park commando, over planner, can’t wait to hug a palm tree and get teary-eyed when walking on Main Street.

This trip really began last year when my DM and I saw pictures from the Flower & Garden Show. Our brains began to turn and we began to plot on how to go in 2006. Should we really take DS out of school, would DD (my dad) really be okay with us going again, would DF (my fiancée) understand another trip with my mom and son to Florida, and would I find a laptop to do my college work at WDW? As happens to us all life gets in the way and our AP’s sat burning in our pockets as planned trips had to be cancelled. Finally after much indecision we booked the airline tickets, got an AP rate at the Pop (only resort available), made ADRs, and waited for the day to leave.

Our flight schedule had us landing at MCO on Saturday May 13th at 3pm. The one thing we decided on early was that we would only take carryon luggage for this short trip and miss the whole baggage claim area. This turned out to be a good idea though it was interesting trying to get a 17” laptop down the plane isle.

Okay for all of you that travel with laptops or are thinking of doing so – DO NOT get a 17” laptop! This sucker was barely made it down the aisle, barely fit on the tray, and heavy – ouch. I have ordered a new one – 14.1” will be ready for our next trip.

Okay back to the trip. Anyways we decided to rent a car rather than take the Magical Express. I’ve heard both good things and horror stories – and this commando had no room in her spreadsheet for horror stories! (In the airline on the way back I heard one person that spent 3 hours between landing at MCO and arriving at the resort – yuck!)

The line at the rental car was long but since DS and I were in winter clothes (hey it’s was only 40 degrees when we left home) we changed clothes in the restroom and DM was ready by the time we were gone. She got a great deal which upgraded us from a compact to a Dodge Charger. Great car with lots of luggage room – anyone sees this deal for July send me a PM! We headed off to WDW passed through the take your money roads – hmm I wonder if they got the idea from Disney’s dump shops? and then finally passed through the magical arch (and no I don’t mean McDonalds – come on guys this isn’t the restaurant board).

I by this time was getting very nervous about our first ever value stay. Okay no flames but I am a deluxe girl who likes the valet parking and interior walkways, but I love WDW more so a value stay we were having as no room at any other inns was available. Not that I didn’t try mind you I called, called, called, and called some more trying to find any room but nothing at all was available anywhere.

We pulled into the Pop resigned to giving the value a try. My DS found the TV corner so DM went off to sit with him while I checked us in. I was surprised to have the CM ask for my AP as we’ve never been asked for it before when checking in. I drew out that burning AP and proudly presented it to the CM. Yes see I am an AP holder so there. No I didn’t really say that but I thought it – loved that moment.

When the CM started to give me our room keys I asked very sweetly – “I requested a close to the main area building was it granted?” He looked surprised and said “this isn’t the room you want at all let me see what I can do.” I so scored on this one – not only a hottie to look at (if you check in at the Pop look for a hot looking foreigner working the desk (so wish I had gotten his name) but also one ready to spread the pixie dust. He worked his CM magic and we were sprinkled with pixie dust as I had a choice of a couple different locations. I selected the 50s Tramp building facing the lake top floor. This by the way is the best location! Very close to the parking (no valet at the values), the main area, quiet pool, regular pool, elevator, and could even see fireworks!!!!! The room was smaller than we’d had before, no refrigerator unless you paid for it, no privacy curtain (what’s up with that?), and yes I heard those darn turbo toilets but it would work and work nicely for this quick trip.

Sorry to end here everyone but I have to get some of that dratted homework done that I mentioned earlier. My DF does wonder sometimes what he has gotten himself into. I am an accountant for a great company but for some reason decided that all those years of going to school at night to get my BS degree wasn’t enough so now I am back in school working towards my MBA in accounting. Sometimes it’s not so bad and sometimes well anyways I’ll try to write more on our trip later.

Next up: Light’s Action Motors (and mom where did grandma go) and Mama’s or Primetime – decisions decisions????

 

[OhMari]

Great beginning to your report. Thanks for sharing.

 

[TLinden16]

Those turbo toilets are very loud. None of the values have the privacy curtains. As a matter of fact, the CBR was the only one with the privacy curtains until a few years ago.

Can't wait to hear about more of your trip. Thanks for posting.

 

[fizz13]

Great start, good DISing checking for a better room, well done,
Claire xx

 

[Minnie]

Those turbo toilets are very loud. None of the values have the privacy curtains. As a matter of fact, the CBR was the only one with the privacy curtains until a few years ago.

Can't wait to hear about more of your trip. Thanks for posting.

We stayed at the POFQ in December of 2004 and they had a privacy curtain in the bathroom area. This worked perfect as one of us could be in the shower while the others got ready seperating the room by the curtain. This could easily be done at the values. I was suprised that it was not there. Didn't bother us really it was just surprising.

Thank you all for your posts!! I will try to write more soon.

 

[Minnie]

Great start, good DISing checking for a better room, well done,
Claire xx

Before the Dis I wouldn't have known any better. I would have just taken what I was given. Now I do check before hand on the Dis for others suggestions and make requests and then ask again at the desk if the room is in a poor location.

The only time I failed to do this was at the POFQ. We were told that it was a small resort so don't worry about it. Big Mistake We got stuck in bld 7 and I never said a word. Now I know better. All from what I learned on the Dis

 

[Minnie]

As I look back on what I have written so far I noticed that I touched on our decision to return to WDW but I don’t think I really gave it the oomph it needed to be understood. Many of the conversations between my DM and I went like this:

Me – “Mom look at these pretty pictures. Wouldn’t it be nice to see them in person (hint hint)”?
DM – “It sure would we’ll have to see what we can do.” (I just love my mom ).

Months of the above conversations go by along with this really scary conversation brought up by my DM.

DM – “Do you think we should ask your DF (fiancée) and DD (dad) to go this time?”
Me – “Are you nuts – remember the graduation trip (sorry but when you put 2 grown men in the backseat of an SUV on each side of an 10 year-old you should probably expect the same conversation as if all were about 3) so that quickly sent that idea to the clinker. (My DM is also very smart and has the memory of an elephant ).

Skipping ahead a few more months….

Me – “I guess we won’t go we should probably save the money and do a blowout trip in July (yep leaving DF and DD (dad) home again)”. (Believe me this is not a bad thing on either side. They get rid of us for a week and we enjoy ourselves without being tossed out of the park due to their blue language at the idea of standing in the xxxx lines – fill in the blank with whatever word you can think of. Now play nice this is a family site after all ).

Me again, “I’ll post the question on the Dis and get some opinions.” – This was no help thanks guys as it was firmly split 50/50.

Me again, “Mom did you see that great rate on Southwest?”
Mom, “Should we book it?”
Me – Mom – Me – Mom – back and forth and guess what – we missed a terrific rate that probably will never be seen again.

After looking for airline rates for a long time, I stop by DM’s house one afternoon to find that – she has booked the tickets on Airtran – woohoo we are going in May and July !!! Decision made!!!!!

Yes we are spoiled outrageously, my DS and I love my DM we are only children and only grandchildren. She puts up with us and loves Disney how can you get any better than that?????

The only snaffoo in this otherwise brilliant trip planning was that we waited so long that all the AP rates were gone from everywhere but the Pop or suites and the suites weren’t in the budget (lottery anyone?). So I booked the Pop all the while hoping to upgrade.

Now I’ll let you all in on a little nasty secret that I was unaware of. The 24 hour cancellation policy even on upgrades. After many, many phone calls including one panicked one from the parking lot at the Pop Century I finally snagged up a room at the CBR. Then I find out that we could not transfer my deposit from the Pop but would loose it and have to pay again at the CBR. Well this was not happening so we stayed at the Pop and had a wonderful time

If I’d have only known about this nasty policy I could have avoided a couple hours worth of phone calls on the way to the airport and again on the way to Disney. Oh well live and learn

I am now in the middle of trying to add some days to our July trip – I think everyone already knows this poor story or if you read the Maelstrom or Resort board you do since you’ve heard my whining board wide – and I will have something booked before our trip. But I will not book something we don’t want as I will not get stung again

 

[Minniespal]

Enjoyed reading your report ~ Thanx for sharing.

 

[Minnie]

I am now in the middle of trying to add some days to our July trip – I think everyone already knows this poor story or if you read the Maelstrom or Resort board you do since you’ve heard my whining board wide – and I will have something booked before our trip. But I will not book something we don’t want as I will not get stung again

Not really part of the trip report but more of an update to my saga:

Our July reservations came through One whole week no split tripping for us this year at the Beach Club SAB here we come

 

[GeorgiaAristocat]

Minnie
Hope you are feeling better (just don't say "one more time!" again, 'kay?)

Waiting for the rest of the report!

Amy

 

[Minnie]

Minnie
Hope you are feeling better (just don't say "one more time!" again, 'kay?)

Waiting for the rest of the report!

Amy

Amy - How sweet of you for posting on my trip report I hope to be able to add more to my trip report tomorrow.

Nope no more "one more time" for me! Or so I say right now

 

[Minnie]

I last left you as we had scored some major pixie dust in a terrific CM that gave me exactly what I wanted (well not a room at the WL but you get where I was going with that )

So after dropping off our bags (remember only carry-ons and that darn awfully heavy laptop) we grabbed our park duds (camera bag, APs-those suckers were toasty by this time from all that waiting, room keys, dump shop cash) and off we went

A little aside (yes there will be many of these on this report – sorry Charlie). Now my DS for some reason fell in love with the Disney bus system. On a previous trip one of the Purple Pants crew (otherwise known as bus drivers to the less informed) kept us entertained on our own personal bus (hey only ones at the bus stop – just change that to VIP lettering thank you very much) and dropped us off in a perfect spot nowhere near where we were supposed to have gone (gotta love the Disney magic) so my DS now loves the bus system. An overcrowded, flesh pressing bus or an empty, seats available spread out bus – he loves them all. However I had done my Dis homework and knew that the Pop bus stop was a long ways away from the entrance to anywhere so I was determined to take the rental car and since my DM agreed – my DS missed one of his favorite attractions –the Disney bus system

So after disappointing my DS we grabbed the rental car from our fabulous parking spot and took a left out of the Pop to the MGM Studios. Okay this is one park that I really have never fallen in love with. Now I have to admit the Osborne Light Show was fab and Mama Melrose has the best Italian anywhere but other than that this place is worse than the AK in my opinion in holding in the heat so we had never really explored this park.

Thankfully this was an early May evening so the weather was absolutely perfect for checking out the hottest park in WDW. I had checked out the times of the shows ahead of time (thank you again wonderful Dis knowledgeable people type) and knew that if we hustled we’d make it to the Lights Action Motors show that we missed on our last trip due to you guessed it – the hottest park in WDW during July – not me no way – why in the world don’t they have this sucker in the mornings or late evenings???? Still haven’t figured that lovely schedule out yet – anyways we went through the strip search (bag check) and presented those hot as a poker APs to the machine along with our two fingers and waulau in to the MGM we go. I knew we needed to hustle so I pointed the way and took off with my DS since my DM said she’d follow just “get some seats so we don’t have to do this in July.” Well those were famous last words as we got up to the seats and my DS said, “Where did grandma go”. So my DS and I backtracked through the building to finally find DM. My DS is about ready to go nuts at this point as the cars are starting to squeal. I send him on back to the seats and DM and I followed – woo we made it.

Here comes another thing I don’t understand – along with the schedule of this show – is why in the world they send you around kingdom come to end up going way up the stairs and then back down to get to your seats – my DM and I just loved this part 0 not.

Anyways not to upset the LAM lovers – but in my opinion only – this show is just not spectacular. It was okay but nothing more really than what we see at the local dirt racing track any Friday or Saturday night (yes I live in a small town and this is our fun summer activity). Well except for the guy falling of the roof and getting set on fire. All in all – if I end up back in MGM we’ll head for Indiana Jones instead

The end of this “spectacular – not” finally came and we headed out with the masses. I was glad to have watched it in the relatively nice evening of May cause it definitely isn’t worth it to deal with this mess in July.

We then headed to another attraction that we have missed on all of our last trips – “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” Me me me me me me me – but no hotseat for me this time even following the advise of Delswife. Maybe next time because this attraction is a fastpass and it is AIRCONDITIONED – major plus in July

After not being a Millionaire we decided to keep our ADR at the 50s Primetime and headed around the pond. I’ve already wrote a review on our restaurants for that board so if see “A Picky Eaters Dining Review” for our take on this restaurant. The only thing I want to add is I should get a major pat on the back from my family for being the compulsive overplanner instead of the normal laughter that occurs – yes I’ve heard it you stinkers – as they were turning away those without ADRs that night

We were exhausted by this point after a very long day so we headed back to the rental car (sorry DS no bus) and decided that desert sounded great. Since I was craving Zebra Domes we headed for the AKL. We were waived through the gate by the CM once we said that we were going to be shopping. This is my DS 2nd favorite resort that we have stayed at so he loved looking around once again. We walked over to Mara’s and I grabbed a snack pack of Zebra Domes and we were off heading back to the resort.

My DS had been begging to go swimming so after a quick stop at our room we headed off to the main pool. The evening was quite cool at this point so my DS headed for the pool and my DM grabbed a couple of chairs so that we could read our books while watching DS. I had left my Zebra Domes in the room in a bucket of ice so I headed to the food court for snacks (once again see my dining report for a review) and my DM and I settled back to enjoy the snacks while my DS enjoyed the pool

I must stop here and send a special thank you out to the parents that raised some wonderful teenage boys that were in the pool that evening. I don’t think the boys realized it but they spread pixie dust that evening by including my DS in their football game and water antics. He had an absolute ball and had the time of his life

After deciding to give the teenagers a break we grabbed my DS out of the pool and headed back. Quick showers for all and then Disney dreams as Mickey and Stitch would be waking us all up very early for a full day at Epcot for the Mother’s Day Flower & Garden Show

Next time: Pop Century food court frenzy, Flower for all, You call this Italian?, Where oh where can we eat?, and Paradise found….

 

[jaycns]

Keep it coming! Thanks for sharing your trip!

 

[impulse]

The reason they don't have LMA late in the evening is that it's too dangerous for the driver to drive under low lighting condition, and artificial light creates a glare. It's also a bit tough to do it in the morning considering the amount of preparation needed for each show. I'm sorry you didn't like it too much.

Awesome report, keep it coming!

 

[kaw1218]

Great report!
And yet another thing to keep me glued to my laptop..... hopefully my DH won't go through with his threats to throw it off the deck!

 

[burly]

Its what i do...subscribe

 

[Minnie]

The reason they don't have LMA late in the evening is that it's too dangerous for the driver to drive under low lighting condition, and artificial light creates a glare. It's also a bit tough to do it in the morning considering the amount of preparation needed for each show. I'm sorry you didn't like it too much.

Awesome report, keep it coming!

I didn't realize this - thank you so much for the explanation! As always the safety of all involved must come first! I learn so much on the Dis

 

[Minnie]

First of all I want to say thank you to all of you that have posted on my trip report!!!

Now I last left you with Disney dreams spinning in our heads. The alarm was set to go very early as we were getting ready for a full day of Mother’s Day fun at Epcot’s Flower & Garden Show. After Mickey & Stitch woke us I managed to get my slug of an almost teenage (gosh did I just say that ) son out of bed my throwing out the all important words of (Soaring, Mission Space, and Test Track). Hmm I wonder if those words would work at home? Probably not but worth a try

After bandaging our feet and medicine taken for all we headed out for the Pop Century Food Court where we were once again reminded of the wonderful pixie dust the CM showered on us the night before with the great location. A couple minute walk max and we opened the doors to a FRENZY

Now this is not my first time at a food court (we’ve stayed once before at the POFQ) but this was out of control. People and food everywhere and this was early as we wanted to make the rope drop at Epcot. The floor around the mug refill section and frozen coke machines was already very sticky and the whole place was just yuck! A lovely way to start our Mother’s Day . I won’t go into what we ate as I did that in my restaurant review (once again for those that may have missed it – see a Picky Eaters Dining Reviews).

After polishing off our breakfast and washing off our sticky sandals we headed out to our rental car (sorry DS no bus ride again for you – cackle cackle ). A quick drive to Epcot and up front parking (or so we thought – this will be very important later on) and we headed for the rope drop.

After making our way through the cavity check (baggage claim) and the finger squeeze (where my DS’s AP did not work and was buzzed in by the CM – this will be very important later) both my DM and I were given a carnation for Mother’s Day. We ended up and wrapped the stem around our purse/camera case and thought of just how many flowers were going to be lining the walkways later in the day

Though the flowers strongly beckoned (both my DM and I are avid gardeners with admittedly mixed luck) my DS had been promised the rides. We both decided that getting the rides with the lines out of the way first was the way to go. It would also put DS in his happy zone which puts us all in a happy zone

First up was Soaring. The plan was to grab fast passes and then head to Mission Space where DS would do the single rider line until our fast passes became valid. Instead we were sprinkled with the pixie dust of low May crowds (where oh where was everyone that was packed into the resorts (remember no deluxe for me this trip (sad) ). We were able to walk on this ride with absolutely no wait and enjoyed “soaring” over California. This was a ride that this ride chicken worried over so much last July but have since found the worry for not as I love this ride. After returning to Florida we exited Soaring intending to grab fast passes for later in the day. Much to our surprise the wait was nonexistent once again so we “soared” off to California once more

We then decided to head over to Test Track to grab fast passes. This is where I learned a very important lesson. My DS’s AP was not valid to get fast passes because it had not been used to enter the park – remember I told you it would be important. I grabbed the two fast passes that I could get and then was talked into doing the stand by line by my DM. Though I originally balked at doing anything related to stand by we were quickly zooming off in our convertible (and taking pictures with “my car” the Pontiac Solstice. Now this ride as most of them do dumps you into a gift (dump) shop. This is where I made my first purchase of the weekend. A scale model of “my car”!!! This baby now sits on my computer station at home where it provides the boost I need to finish that nasty homework called (the MBA program - ).

After exiting our fast passes were not yet valid so we headed off to Mission Space so my DS could ride. For any of you with queasy stomachs and outer space loving children the single rider line is one of the best inventions at Disney. I was able to stay with him until time to enter the pods where I took the chicken walk and was able to send a “Postcard from Space” and look around in the dump shop while awaiting my DSs return from Mars

My DM had decided to sit in the nice shady area and people watch while her grandson was blasting off so we all had a good time. After finding DM we headed over to Test Track for another spin in the convertibles. My DS tried to wave at the people in the now 60 minute long standby line but “the look” kept his arm firmly at this side. He always wants to know why in the “world” they won’t get fast passes? I just tell him it’s our little secret and do you really want all them in the fast pass line Yep mom’s logic wins again

Okay sorry I have to end this here with our morning just ending. When I return I’ll get to the rest of my title “Flower for all, You call this Italian?, Where oh where can we eat?, and Paradise found….”

 

[burly]

Thanks for posting. Good so far.

 

[missmun52]

loving your report