Over sideways and under on a Magic Kingdom Ride - My June 2007 Trip Report - by Kate

[kate2961]

Part I - Grim Grinnin' Ghosts Come out to Socialize

Not this time. There were no Grim Grinnin' Ghosts at the Magic Kingdom. Only a note left by Master Gracey.

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Yes, there were no socializing ghosts, but there was a socializing desk clerk at the Holiday Inn. We arrived at our hotel quite late on Friday night, June 15th. My husband and son dropped me at the front door and went to park the car. I went into the hotel to check us in.

There was a young man in his twenties behind the counter. He was thin with brown hair and eyes and otherwise unremarkable in his looks. He asked for my name and as he looked up my reservation he began to tell me what amazingly blue eyes I have. He said that they were the most incredible blue eyes he has ever seen. I had to hold on tight to keep from busting out laughing. I do have nice blue eyes, but they are pretty run of the mill blue eyes. Not 'Paul Newman' type blue eyes, if you know what I mean.

Then he wants my ID. So I pulled out my driver's license. He takes a look and protests that I could not possibly be that age since I look only twenty-something.

At this point I must have rolled my eyes, for his prose ceased and he tossed the room cardkey on the counter and got onto his cell phone and ignored me from this point.

As I grabbed the cardkey, my husband and son came into the hotel and we went to our room. I tried and tried but I could not get the key to work. I kept getting a red light. So I left my husband and son there while I returned to the front desk.

I got lucky because there was now another desk clerk and I told her that I could not get into my room. She asked if I deactivated the card. I said no and she ran the key card through a machine and handed it back.

I returned to the room and this time got a combined flash of red and green. Still no entry. This time the three of us returned to the front desk. I told her that the card still did not work and explained about the red and green lights. She asked whether I was 'Sandler' and I said no. "What's your last name?" I told her and she looked up the correct room number. We were supposed to have a different room key. We had been trying to enter someone else's room. I'm so glad we didn't get in. They must have locked the door. The male clerk heard this and made some comment about someone having really messed up the room keys. What?! Wasn't he the idiot that messed them up? Anyway, she reprogrammed the key card and we went to the room.

Guess what? Yep, it still did not work. We all went again to the front desk and I said "I'm beginning to think that you don't want us here." This time the female clerk used a new keycard (good idea) and accompanied us to the room to make sure that it opened. It worked this time.

We all fell fast asleep.

 

[kate2961]

Part II - Mama Melrose and Pop

Our first day at Walt Disney World was Saturday, June 16th. We were finally there after a long drive in the car. Traffic was bad today and it slowed us down by about an hour.

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We were staying with Pop for the first time. The desk clerk assigned us to the 60's building. I wondered whether that was a coincidence since my husband, Randall and I were both born in the 60's. The room was on the top floor and was very nice. We admired all of the towel animals that had been placed in everyone's windows overlooking the walkway, except the one where the guest had replaced the towel animal with his colorful underwear.

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My six-year-old son, Aidan snapped a shot of Randall and me as we left Pop to go visit Mama.

That night we had dinner reservations at Mama Melrose's restaurant. It was our first time there. For dinner I had the 'Spicy Italian Sausage' which was rigatoni pasta, peppers, onions, and a tomato basil sauce topped with Caprino cheese (sans the sausage since we are all vegetarians). I also had a cup of the vegetarian minestrone. No dessert.

The theme, food and service was okay for me, but Randall didn't like it. I can see his point though. If you're going to eat somewhere in MGM there are better choices.

By the time we finished, Star Wars was over for the day. Instead, we used the time to visit Muppet 3D...

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and see Fantasmic again.

The show is always different depending upon where you sit in the theatre to see the show. This was our first time sitting in the very front row (in that separate area where there are only a few benches). I highly do NOT recommend this area for your first, second, or third visit.

We got very wet from the mist of the water screens. The mist would travel to us a few seconds after the screen started and would practically cause us to close our eyes. So we did not see the water screens this time....and that is a major part of the show. But we did have excellent viewing for the stage areas and the boats. We were able to see incredible detail that we had missed before. And Aidan, being a six-year-old boy, loved the misting experience.

Another problem with this idea is that you end up being soaked by oily water. We all needed to take showers when we returned to Pop later that night (and it was already late).

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[Disneyolic]

Ooh ooh! I'm first to post. Now back to reading....

 

[Disneyolic]

Part I - Grim Grinnin' Ghosts Come out to Socialize

Not this time. There were no Grim Grinnin' Ghosts at the Magic Kingdom. Only a note left by Master Gracey.

[/IMG]

This was a sad point in our trip, but we already knew it would be down for rehab. Oh well, just another reason to go back...

There was a young man in his twenties behind the counter. He was thin with brown hair and eyes and otherwise unremarkable in his looks. He asked for my name and as he looked up my reservation he began to tell me what amazingly blue eyes I have. He said that they were the most incredible blue eyes he has ever seen. I had to hold on tight to keep from busting out laughing...... Then he wants my ID. So I pulled out my driver's license. He takes a look and protests that I could not possibly be that age since I look only twenty-something.

At this point I must have rolled my eyes, for his prose ceased and he tossed the room cardkey on the counter and got onto his cell phone and ignored me from this point.

Well, how dare you roll your eyes at his obvious love for you!

This time the three of us returned to the front desk. I told her that the card still did not work and explained about the red and green lights. She asked whether I was 'Sandler' and I said no.

Maybe it was Adam Sandler's room! Yup, I hear he frequents the Holiday Inn in Orlando...

Part II - Mama Melrose and Pop

We admired all of the towel animals that had been placed in everyone's windows overlooking the walkway, except the one where the guest had replaced the towel animal with his colorful underwear.

And where is that photo? That would have been a great one!

That night we had dinner reservations at Mama Melrose's restaurant. It was our first time there. For dinner I had the 'Spicy Italian Sausage' which was rigatoni pasta, peppers, onions, and a tomato basil sauce topped with Caprino cheese (sans the sausage since we are all vegetarians). I also had a cup of the vegetarian minestrone. No dessert.

Oh dear...I'm a definite carnivore. I guess I'll be reading through your meals faster than your park reviews....

Sounds like you're off to a pretty good start. I look forward to reading more!

 

[Disneyolic]

I wanted to tell you Kate that you don't need to use the "insert image" button if you are posting a picture from photobucket. All you need to do once you have clicked in the box from photobucket is come here and hit "Ctrl V" and your picture will post without the "IMG" before and after it!

 

[Goofster57]

Sounds like an interesting start to your trip.

I applaud your patience; by the third trip back I would have been grabbing the kid and using him to get into our room.

We haven’t done Mama’s yet, but as they say there is always next time.

We have done Fantasmic in WDW once, it was good, but I don’t feel it compares to the one we have here at Disneyland that takes place on the island.

Keep up the good work. Looking forward to reading more.

 

[kate2961]

I wanted to tell you Kate that you don't need to use the "insert image" button if you are posting a picture from photobucket. All you need to do once you have clicked in the box from photobucket is come here and hit "Ctrl V" and your picture will post without the "IMG" before and after it!

Wow. I obviously did not know that. I'm still trying to get the hang of the picture posting with sizes and such. Thanks much for the great tip.

 

[kate2961]

And where is that photo? That would have been a great one!

Oh, I should have thought of that.

I did do better this time at trying to take pictures for my trip report and, as a result, we ended up with over 1,100 photos!!!

Thank goodness for digital.

 

[kate2961]

I applaud your patience; by the third trip back I would have been grabbing the kid and using him to get into our room.

I should've done that.

We have done Fantasmic in WDW once, it was good, but I don’t feel it compares to the one we have here at Disneyland that takes place on the island.

Yes, I've heard others say the same thing. I can't wait to see the DL version. We're going to Disneyland next summer. Any tips for Fantasmic there?

 

[meloneyb21]

Great start . Can't wait for more.

 

[kate2961]

Part III - A Force to be Reckoned With

It was Sunday morning and we were all a bit rushed. We were scheduled to go to Star Wars weekend at MGM and we needed to be there by opening. We also needed to pack up the car, move all of our stuff, and check in to the Beach Club Villas.

We got a little lost on the way and ended up driving around the sports complex where we found the most amazing sights in the morning sky...

The pictures can't convey just how beautiful the balloons were, nor how big and colorful. At times we could also see the fire in the basket area. I assume that there was a race during the two weeks we were there because we found the balloons again on other mornings floating over WDW.

We drove up to the gate at BCV and gave the guard our name. He looked us up, waved us in and gave us our first "Welcome Home."

While Randall and Aidan grabbed some breakfast goodies at the Beach Club Marketplace, I went to the front desk. The process took some time because the desk clerk was new and had never done a DVC member check in before.

We were still doing well with our time and we had a chance to sit alone in the Solarium room at the Beach Club and eat our breakfast. If you ever have a chance to stay at the Beach Club, do not overlook this wonderful room. It can be a very peaceful and relaxing place to unwind.

We finished up our breakfast and headed to the lighthouse to catch the next boat to MGM. We arrived prior to opening and we were about 20th in our line in front of the turnstiles. Shortly before opening the Storm Troopers appeared and gave us a great show.

Of all the activities during Star Wars weekend, our top priority was the Jedi Training Academy. Aidan had seen the JTA on our June 2005 trip and dearly wanted to be picked. The JTA is unique in that you can't just line up for the event and participate. Instead, the MC somewhat randomly selects children from the audience. Aidan was never picked in 2005 and was practically crying when he didn't get picked again last night. We had stopped by the last JTA before we headed into dinner at Mama's.

So my plan was to catch each JTA until we got picked. We waited for rope drop and then rushed over to the stage beside Star Tours. We noticed from the prior night that the MC picked children wearing easily identifiable colors in their shirts or hats. We put Aidan in an orange hat and a bright green shirt. No luck. He wasn't picked. He was just devastated. He really wanted to do it. He was ready to be a Jedi.

We waited for the next JTA and this time I changed our plan. No hat...just the green shirt. Aidan needed to be on Randall's shoulders and I would need to jump up and down excitedly and point to my son (I had seen other mother's use this strategy.) The MC was almost done calling out the names, and I was getting tired and feeling foolish when we finally heard him say, "And you in the green." Waves of excitement passed over us as Aidan ran into the Jedi training area. He had made it and we could relax a little.

We stood there and watched. Proud parents of our little padawan. Some of the children got to fight Darth Vader, while others, like Aidan, fought Darth Maul. I love Darth Vader, but Darth Maul was much better. The costume was just amazing, plus he has the double light saber. Aidan had a blast and was very excited to get his JTA certificate when it ended.

Now that we had that completed, we could try to fit in some of the other Star Wars weekend activities. Next up was the parade. We found a nice shady spot and I left the boys to go and get us all frozen lemonades. The parade was wonderful.

We finished our day at MGM with the Hyperspace Hoopla. It was a fun show and we all enjoyed it.

That night we had dinner at Spoodles around 8PM. This was our first time at Spoodles and we liked it. I ordered the Lemon-Garlic Shrimp Linguine - with preserved lemons, Italian parsley, shaved garlic and butter, without the Shrimp. And we all shared the hummus and toasted pita appetizer. No dessert tonight either.

It was an early day on Monday so we all headed to our room and went to sleep (after watching the obligatory 15 - 20 minutes of cartoons).

 

[kate2961]

Part IV - Darlin' It's Better Down Where It's Wetter Under the Sea

...or The Day I Kissed Lester

Monday, June 18th was another early day for us. I wanted to get to Discovery Cove early so that we would get a good time for the Dolphin experience. We made it there a little after 8AM. There was already a long line and as a result our dolphin time wasn't until 11:15.

A woman gave a group of us a briefing about the park after we arrived. We all found it a little confusing and I wasn't really sure where we should go. I thought we were supposed to go to the cabana area for the lockers, but I got told by nice staff people that I was going the wrong way.

We finally found some lockers and the place to get wet suits and snorkel equipment. I got a vest for Randall and wet suits for Aidan and me. I HATE cold water so I thought I would be too cold in just the vest.

I took my wet suit into the ladies room and Randall and Aidan went into the men's room to change. I've never worn a wet suit before and I don't look forward to my next experience. These suits are TIGHT.

I pulled and pulled and squished parts of my body into the suit and stood there feeling squeezed all over. I couldn't get the zipper up and there were these puffy areas in the front that just didn't look right. I was getting frustrated and wondering whether I should just give up on this darn thing. I went out into the sink area to look into a mirror. I stood there disgusted with the way it looked and felt. I could see no way to make things better. Then I heard a voice from behind me say something like, "You have it on backwards." DOH. Of course it's on backwards.

I went back into the dressing room and slowly worked the suit off of my body. Again pulling and squeezing and groaning with pain. Putting the suit on the right way was easier, but not much. It looked better but it was still very tight. I wasn't going to be able to hide any fat rolls in this thing.

Again I debated with myself about whether or not to wear this thing. Squeezed or Cold was the question. Squeezed won out. Did I mention how much I hate cold water?

I met up with the boys and found out that Aidan hated the suit too. He opted for a vest. I wasn't so worried about him. He loves cooler water in his baths and showers. I think to this day he hates hot water because of the numerous hot water showers I took when I was pregnant and needed to warm my aching muscles. I must have cooked the poor thing.

Our first stop was for breakfast. It was included in the price and it was pretty good. We sat at a nice table in the patio area and tried to figure out what to do next. We decided to go swimming in the warmer water area first and the cooler water after the dolphin experience. The warmer water included a lagoon and a lazy river. The cooler water was the stingrays, coral reef and dolphins.

We all went into the warm water lagoon and tried out our snorkel equipment. I started swimming around and looking at interesting objects under the water. I found a little inlet and decided to swim up it. I found this great dinosaur fossil and I was admiring it, having a good time, when I heard someone say, "You're going the wrong way." The lifeguard was scolding me for swimming up a one way inlet.

Here's what I learned about Discovery Cove. They don't like signs. There were no signs to tell me not to swim the wrong way, no signs to the proper locker area, etc. etc. They just don't believe in signs. I will give them credit for their employees. They are totally on top of the park and there was always someone there asking me what I needed whenever I got confused. And I got confused a lot in this park. Maybe it was the Florida heat.

I knew Aidan would like the dinosaur so I tried to figure out where the inlet began so that I could take him there. I walked around the area and I couldn't figure it out. [I should've checked the map.] Finally I guessed that we needed to go directly north of the area and counterclockwise in the river. The river experience was great fun. We all loved it.

It was finally time for our Dolphin experience. Aidan protested over and over that he did not want to swim with the dolphin. He was scared. He only wanted to say hello and then leave.

We convinced him to enter the dolphin lagoon with us and we each held one of his hands. The dolphin came over and we were all invited to touch him. It was a wonderful experience to get this close to a dolphin. Aidan was still apprehensive, but getting more curious as he saw each of us interacting with the dolphin.

We each got a turn to get our picture taken with the dolphin and we were given the hand signal to give the dolphin a kiss on the chin. That's how I ended up kissing Lester. Our dolphin was a veteran of Sea World, was very old and quite large. His name was Lester and I gave him a kiss on his chin.

Randall and Aidan went together to get their picture taken. Neither of them wanted to kiss Lester. Somehow Aidan gave a hand signal to Lester and he rolled onto his back. The instructor laughed and said, "You must've told him to roll over. Tickle him between his fins." So Aidan lightly touched the skin between the fins and Lester twitched as if being tickled. Aidan loved doing that and from that moment they had a bond.

Each of us was given the opportunity to swim into the deeper water and get pulled back to shallow water by Lester. Our family went last to give Aidan a chance to see what would happen. He was now very excited and eagerly wanted to do it.

I went first so that I could be there when Aidan came to shore. Lester was very strong and fast and I had trouble finding a place to put my feet out of the way of Lester's strong tail.

Aidan loved his ride and so did Randall. The whole experience was a big hit with everyone.

After that we went and had lunch. They have a nice covered patio and a steel drum band was playing and singing while we ate lunch. They had a decent selection of food for vegetarians. We all decided to get veggie burgers.

After lunch we swam in the Stingray lagoon and coral reef. Both areas were nice, but I think we enjoyed the lazy river more.

Our day here ended and we headed back to BCV to get ready for our dinner at Rose and Crown. As we walked over to the UK from BCV we noticed that the sky was getting darker and there was a slight breeze. Randall decided to head back to the room to get our Mickey rain ponchos and Aidan and I went ahead to check in at the restaurant.

As we sat on the curb outside the Rose and Crown a light drizzle started. Randall showed up then and we all went inside the pub to keep dry. The rain stopped for a short time and we went out again to wait for a table. We finally got a nice table on the covered patio just in time to avoid a major downpour. I felt very sorry for the family that was trying to eat their fish and chips under the trees just a few feet from where we were. I wish they had more covered dining areas for counter service meals.

Our dinner was great. We always enjoy eating here. The servers are always very friendly. I had the Vegetable Pot Pie - roasted rutabaga, turnips, carrots and creamy lentils served with Irish cheddar.

By the time we finished it had stopped raining. We decided not to stay for Illuminations tonight. We would have time later in the trip and it was a little too wet tonight.

Another wonderful day over.

 

[kate2961]

Great start . Can't wait for more.

Thank you and I'm so happy that you're reading.

 

[Avivasmom]

How frustrating was your first night but looks like it was worth it,....your trip so far sounds great. Love all the pics...I have a 6 year old also.

We are staying at BCV end of November and cannot wait!! DD favorite park is Epcot so she is going to be so happy!

 

[kate2961]

How frustrating was your first night but looks like it was worth it,....your trip so far sounds great. Love all the pics...I have a 6 year old also.

We are staying at BCV end of November and cannot wait!! DD favorite park is Epcot so she is going to be so happy!

My son loves Epcot also. I've heard some parents say they avoid Epcot with younger children because they think there is nothing to do, but I think MK and Epcot both have lots for him to do.

I hope that you love BCV. We asked for and got fourth floor view of Epcot (room = 440). We could just barely see the fireworks and we could see the road. Wasn't bad but other views are probably better. Location was close to laundry room which was good for us in a studio. Next time I think I will ask for garden or pool view.

Thanks so much for reading.

 

[Disneyolic]

I especially liked hearing about your Discovery Cove experience. I think that would be fun with my kids someday...if we can only break away from Disney, that is.

 

[kate2961]

I especially liked hearing about your Discovery Cove experience. I think that would be fun with my kids someday...if we can only break away from Disney, that is.

I know what you mean. It took us several WDW trips before I even considered going someplace else. Now I try to add something new each year we go. So we did Universal in June 2005 and now Discovery Cove and Sea World this year. Will do Universal again when they add Harry Potter. Would even consider staying in Harry Potter themed hotel for a night or two.