Remembering Walt Disney World 1988
The Cast: Me (21), ex-DH (23), DS1 (2), Sister (20), Future BIL (21)
We took our first plane ride ever on Midway Airlines from Chicago to Orlando in early December and stayed at a Holiday Inn on International Drive. Nice place, but I would NEVER want to stay on Int'l Drive again.
Day 1 (Thursday):
We arrive armed with 3 Day Park Hoppers and no CLUE what EPCOT was...someone later told us it stood for Every Parent Comes Out Tired. Settled in to our hotel and ordered room service just because I'd never done so before.
Day 2 (Friday):
Headed off to the MK and got a bonus of watching a space shuttle launch heading into the MK. We rode Space Mountain, Peter Pan, Snow White, Mr. Toad, 20,000 Leagues (hated it hated it hated it. freaked me out), Peter Pan, It's a Small World, Skyway (DH and DS), The Haunted Mansion, POTC, and The Jungle Cruise. We ate at Pinocchio's in Fantasyland. My sister and my son rode Dumbo repeatedly and he remembers this quite clearly even though he was only 2. Went back to the hotel for a bit and my sister and her BF did not want to return to WDW with us.
Went to MK again and decided to check out this "EPCOT." When we left the MK, we turned in our stroller and ex-DH didn't want to take a receipt and get a new one at EP. Said he'd carry the boy. He later realized that was NOT a bright move on his part. We loved loved loved EP. I have no idea what all we saw that night, but I distinctly remember getting ready to head out of the park around closing time and someone said, "Aren't you going to stay for 'Illuminations'?" We had no clue, again, but decided to stay. I was amazed and so glad we had taken these folks' advice.
Day 3 (Saturday):
Sister and BF are going to Sea World. I try explaining about EP. Not interested. So, ex-DH and I head back to WDW. We went to the MK for a while and I rented a disc camera because my sister took my mother's that my mother had leant to me. Anyone remember those? Then we headed to EP with a receipt for a stroller in hand.
I remember eating lunch at The Land in the food court. In Futureworld, we met Mickey who took GREAT pictures with DS. DS used to call him Micka Mouse and DS loved him immediately and was never afraid. We also met Norway Goofy. I was on a quest to get a little something from every pavilion in EP but only remember buying something in Mexico, Italy, and Japan. In Italy, I bought a little Capidomonte flower sculpture for $5.
:::Rabbit Trail Warning::: Fast Forward 10 years: When DS2 was in Kindergarten, he informed me one morning while 5 minutes from leaving for school that it was his teacher's birthday and he needed a gift. I told him I hadn't had enough warning and I didn't have a gift. He looked in my china cabinet and said, "How about that flower?" I thought, "Why not? I'm going back to WDW in a bit and I'll just pick up another one." Oh, the price of not knowing what you're doing. Got to WDW and asked in Italy if they had anymore of those. They directed me to DTD where the least expensive one I could find was $25. I had had no idea they were collectibles. :::End of Rabbit Trail:::
I remember we rode Living with the Land, El Rio de Tiempo, The Maelstrom, and Spaceship Earth. We were fascinated by the dancing water at Journey into Imagination and DS loved the music he could make by stepping on the floor.
Day 4 (Sunday):
Departing day. :::sigh:::
Caution, ignorance at work, again. I let my sister's boyfriend take my park hopper pass on the last day so he could experience EP with ex-DH and my sister and I went to DTD. Forgot to send the rented camera with ex-DH. Now, picture me trying to explain to the person at the gate WHY I didn't have a stamp on my hand for re-entry, but had the pass, and the camera, and the whole crazy mess. They finally let me return it and we didn't miss our flight.
Somewhere in there we also drove out to Daytona Beach. The beach is not my cup of tea, but others in our party wanted to see the ocean.