DeeCee735
"How Do You Know of the Key?"
- Joined
- Mar 1, 2001
- Messages
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TRIP REPORT DISNEY TRIP Saturday, 2/15/03
Left New York at 2:00 a.m. Kids slept til sun up I slept on and off. We took the laptop which has a dvd player in it and some dvds to watch. That kept the kids happy and involved. Hit major bad weather, snow, ice, rain, sleet in South Jersey and it lasted til South Virginia, where it turned to rain lots and lots of rain. It rained heavy on and off until about 60 miles into North Carolina, and finally stopped. Eventually the clouds subsided and by the time we got to South Carolina it was sunny and 75 degrees. Georgia went up to 82 and finally when we pulled into Florida which was about 5:45 pm (crossed the state line) it was 80 and gorgeous! Unfortunately instead of arriving at the Springhill Suites @ Marriott Village, Lake Buena Vista by 8:30 which is when we should have, we hit major traffic on I-4 and didnt get to the hotel til just after 10 pm. That didnt stop the kids from hitting the pool, and hubby from ordering pizza! We had room 3165, on the first floor, with the pool right outside the window. I was pretty happy with the size and cleanliness of the room.
Sunday, 2/16/03 DISNEY STUDIOS
Woke at 7:30 a.m. Checked out of Springhill Suites and into Boardwalk at 9:30 a.m. Room was ready! Had room 3101 view of drive, not bad at all. Unpacked and got to MGM by 10:30 a.m. First thing we did was ride Rock N Roller Coaster! Awesome!
Then Tower of Terror, saw Beauty & the Beast Show. Ate yucky fast food from Rosies and Catalina Eddies. Lowell had the BBQ chicken pizza, it was the only good thing. I had a veggie burger, too dry, too cold. Liz and Coleen had the tomato and mozzarella pizza flatbread, it was gross. Michael had the same old thing .fried chicken strips and fries.
Then we did the Great Movie Ride, Star Tours, 3D Muppet Show, Sounds Dangerous & Rock N Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror again! It started to rain (about 5:30) but we had made P.S. arrangements for Momma Melrose for 5:50 so we went there for our sit down dinner. Michael had the spagetti and meat sauce, he didnt like it, too many onions in the sauce. Lowell and both girls had the chicken parmesean. They all said it was just okay, the sauce was too spicy. I had the brick oven baked caprino cheese and toasted bread. It was good, but again the sauce was alittle spicy. I had the Wild Mushroom Risotto for dinner, it was just okay. Overall we didnt really like Momma Melroses.
Came back to the BW, Coleen and Liz didnt feel good. They got worse as the night wore on, and eventually ended up throwing up all night and running fevers. That lasted all day Monday, what a total bummer for them. They waited so long for this trip together and they are spending it laying in bed sick! We may end up staying an extra day to give them more of a chance to enjoy vacation. Its a good thing we had the chance to do MGM early and all day, they did have fun with that!
Monday, February 17, 2003 MAGIC KINGDOM
Both Liz and Coleen are still pretty sick. Michael wanted to go out and do stuff and I didnt blame him for that. We started the day by DH and I going for a walk to the Bakery for breakfast, and over to the BCV to check them out. I got my BCV pin just for stopping by! Came back to hotel, DH stayed with the girls and Michael and I did Magic Kingdom! What a blast, we really got lucky over and over. First thing we did was go into Alien Encounter, we just made the show, they were closing the doors, so there was no wait to do that. Then we walked over to Space Mountain to pick up fast passes and someone gave me their two! It was for 3:30 to 4:30. So we walked over to Buzz Lightyear and got fast passes with our own tickets that was for 2:30 to 3:30. We then walked over to fantasyland so I could check out Tinks Treasurers and see her fliting around the store, no big deal there. Then we ate at Columbia Harbor House, I had the Hummus sandwich it was good, especially the bread. Michael again had the chicken strips, hes getting sick of them already who can blame him same old same old. Then we walked over to Big Thunder Mountain RR to see how long the wait was, and someone there handed me their fast passes! We got right on the ride! Then caught a few minutes of the parade and got went back over to Buzz Lightyear with our fast passes and walked right onto that (meanwhile the place was packed and lines were very very long). When we finished there we jumped right onto the Transit Authority Tram (no wait). Then by that time it was our turn to use the fastpasses on Space Mountain! That was awesome! Finished up there and walked back to Main Street, caught some of the character show at the Castle, and on the way out saw the Flag Ceremony at Town Square very moving! We back to the Boardwalk and jumped into the jacquzzi tub! That was wonderful. The girls still feel crappy, but are slowly improving. Lowell and I went over to Epcot in the evening and ate at Le Cellier. It was extremely delicious. He had the pasta and shrimp and loved it, and I had the prime rib, and cheddar soup. Both were really delicious. Came home, cleaned up and now Im writing this! Hope the girls are better tomorrow write some more than.
Tuesday, February 18, 2003 EPCOT/FANTASMIC
Liz still didnt feel well at all this morning. Coleen is much better. DH, Michael, Coleen and I had breakfast outside Bakery this morning. What a beautiful day! Cool, but very sunny, perfect park touring weather. We headed over to Epcot, first got a fastpass to Test Track. Did Universe of Energy (I enjoy it everytime I see it) and Honey I Shrunk the Audience. Walked over to World Showcase, cancelled lunch ressies at Le Cellier and went into Biergarten instead. We were seated right away (about 2:00 p.m.). All of us thought it was delicious. Hubby thought the breaded chicken was the best. I had just about everything but that. I thought the roast pork was delicious, and the meatballs, and the roasted chicken were also delicious, but for me the best was the potato salad, and the cucumber salad. For dessert we all tried the layer cake with cream (dont really know the name) but none of us really liked it too much. I tried the raspberry/almond cake, it was delicious, and I took a couple of bites of the cheesecake, also delicious. After eating we checked out Germany, and the shops, very interesting and pretty. We shopped at Outpost, walked around WS a little, and headed back to Future World. We did the Ice Station Cool (if thats what you call it). The two kids got a kick out of trying different sodas. We walked right onto Spaceship Earth and did both Innoventions. Theyre always fun. We video e-mailed home and the kids made paper. Then we headed over to our fast pass Test Track, DH and Liz were there to meet us! Liz is finally feeling good! Four of us rode with fast pass, and DH got on the singles line. They were handing out orange single tickets to fill in the empties. After riding (which by the way was awesome) we headed out (5:50 p.m.). Got on the boat and headed straight over to MGM to see Fantasmic. It was pretty cool so I finally bought the sweatshirt I was wanting and we walked into the theater. We were seated on the side, but low down, and we had great viewing. Lowell says Fantasmic is Disney at its best cause its such a great show, I agree.
After the show we went back to Boardwalk and had munchies at the ESPN Zone. Then ice cream at the Sweet Shoppe. Im totally stuffed, all the walking Ive been doing for three days, and Im probably putting on the pounds. Anyway, thats it so far. I think tomorrow we are going to do Magic Kingdom alittle and then come back to the Boardwalk. The girls want to have their faces painted and hair wrapped. Write more than.
Wednesday, February 19, 2003
I cant believe its already Wednesday. Of course, as usual vacation goes by too fast. The girls are way back to themselves, so today is their choice. They decided on Magic Kingdom. Fine by me! We got a late start, which is a good thing. It gives us all a chance to rest, and me to do laundry and straighten up I love our one bedroom accommodations so keeping it clean is important to me, things always look best when they are clean. The kids are exercising their freedom, and so are me and Lowell. They went over to the bakery and me and Lowell went to the front desk to arrange to stay til Friday. We had spoken to the manager on Monday, when the girls were sick, Ive gotta say I have never been among such accommodating people, no matter where Ive gone or stayed. They called member services for us and helped get us set up in the same room. The manager also sent up lots of towels and detergent, shampoos and soaps, when the girls were bed ridden. They picked up the garbage for us Monday and Tuesday (I had called and asked them to do so what with all the germs, etc.) They also sent up Lysol upon my request to get rid of those nasty germs.
Anyway, after setting up Friday, we met with the kids. They wanted to see the Volcano Pool at the Poly, and ride the monorail, so we took the car over to the Polynesian, checked out the resort and rode the mono into the MK. Everyone LOVES walking into it. Coleen, my daughters friend (first time here since she was 6), really really got the magic upon seeing the castle. There were characters all over the place and she got lots of pics. First thing we did was Alien Encounter, the kids really get a big thrill out of it, my husband didnt think much of it, but I enjoyed it. Then we got Fast Passes for Space Mountain, which surprisingly brought us back only and hour later. (Monday it was for like four hours later). We had a 2:50 time, so at 2:55 we could get a FP for Buzz, which is what we did. In the meantime we rode Transit Authority Tram Ride (right name for it?), and of course, had lunch (gotta keep my man fed and happy!). Then we went on Space Mountain, which is so totally awesome everyone in our party agreed. Then shortly after Buzz Lightyear, also awesome, but in a different way, I love that ride. Then we headed over to the Castle and did alittle shopping inside. We headed over to Frontierland/Adventureland, and rode the Liberty Belle Boat, all of us enjoyed the leisurely ride, and the chance to see the other side of the Kingdom. We walked right onto Haunted Mansion after that, oh and somewhere in the day the kids took the time to do the tea cups Coleen is my kind of rider, anything, anytime, anywhere. My kids are alittle more reserved and picky with rides. After Haunted Mansion, we walked over to get fast passes for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and then waited on line (about 35 minutes) for Splash Mountain. It was only 3 out of 5 of us, but I felt worth the wait because I havent done it in the last few years, that drops a killer! Then we got a snack and waited (only shortly) for our time to ride Big Thunder, all of us really enjoy that! Then I, thanks to the boards/tips, etc., timed it just right and got us on a boat around the seven seas lagoon as the fire works were going off over the Castle. Beautiful! We went back to the Poly, the kids picked out some souveniers from the shop and headed back to our beloved BW for some night time fun and dining. The kids were off on their own, they took the walkie talkies and headed to Beaches and Cream for burgers and sundaes, and hubby and I enjoyed dinner at an outside table at Big River Grille & Brewing Works. He had the meat loaf, and wasnt crazy about them because of the sausage it was mixed with (hes soooo picky but then again, hey its his dinner). I had the ½ rack of ribs, and a GADZOOKS beer. The beer was, to my surprise, very good, I like lighter tasting beer, if any, and the ribs were excellent. Not one bit of fat and not too spicy on the bbq sauce at all, which is how I prefer it. We both agreed the mashed potatoes were excellent and, of course, you cant beat the atmosphere if thats what youre in the mood for. There was a peddling piano player who passed by a couple of times, once he stopped and played a Disney theme for us. And just down the way and juggler/balancing act going on. We had a perfect view of the fireworks from Illuminations from our table. The Boardwalk was bustling with action. Kids playing arcade games, young couples going into Atlantic Dance, families riding surrey bikes, face painting, hair wrapping, etc. Everytime we spend an evening on the Boardwalk, its a confirmation for both of us on how right it was to purchase DVC here! We LOVE it! Oh, I had a tarot card reading, very very interesting well just have to wait and see
Tomorrow, again kids choice. More to come.
Thursday, February 20, 3003 Non-Park Day
I was up early, sat out on the balcony and typed out this trip report. Went to bakery for coffee and my raspberry donut (my favorite from the bakery so far). Very relaxing just sitting on the boardwalk and watching people go by. When everyone else finally got up, the girls decided today was the day they wanted their hair braided. I called the salon at Yacht & Beach Club, but they were booked, they suggested calling the salon at Swan & Dolphin, which I did, and got an appointment for 11 a.m. that very morning. Took the kids over there and DH, DS and myself had breakfast at Tubbis Buffeteria. Pretty good, not expensive. Kids choose to skip the parks and hang out in their own backyards.
They played tennis, went to community hall, hung out in the pool and ate at Leaping Libations, poolside. Hubby and I took the opportunity to check out the Marketplace. I like all the stores, thought the Legos display was pretty awesome, but decided to do most of my shopping right at the Boardwalk, I like the stuff at Thimbles & Threads and saw some things there I wanted to purchase for my people back home. We ate at the Gourmet Pantry, something quick and not too filling, so that we had room for ice cream sundaes at Ghiradellis! Can you say delicious? We did have dinner ressies at Boma, (Ive been looking forward to checking out this resort all week), so we headed back to the hotel, took a long walk to work off some of that ice cream, and then a nice little nap. Got up just in time to catch the face painting booth at opening. DD, her friend and myself had our faces painted! Then we headed over the AK Lodge. Got there about ½ hour before our P.S.s so we could check things out. I must say I was really blown away walking into this resort. It just totally surpassed my expectations. The lobby is amazing, and the savannah viewing was awesome. I cant think of a better place (or opportunity) to be 20 feet away from zebras! It really was beautiful, and if I felt the magic anywhere, it was here. Then .Boma! What can I say? Everything was at the least VERY GOOD, and some of it was downright delicious. I had the pork, the chicken, the prime rib, the butternut squash (that was great), the grits with the tomato sauce I spoke to the chef about this and he said it was as African cuisine as you could get. My DH loved that tomato stew kind of sauce that accompanied it, I forget the actual name. DS and I choose the potato/bacon soup, outrageous, and DH had the seafood gumbo, he loved it. I thought the coconut/pineapple/carrot salad was soooo good, oh, and I tried the African quiche (lamb and ground beef), very good, but I didnt go back for seconds, just not in the mood for egg anything. DH loved the potato salad oh, and the mashed potatoes, sweet mashed with white really really good. Can you say stuffed? The two girls ate conservatively, (still afraid to be adventurous after being sick), but everything they ate they enjoyed. And were not even up to dessert yet! I, of course, tried a little taste of everything, I wasnt crazy about a lot of the desserts (and I have a major sweet tooth). The zebra domes were very good, but also very rich, most of the desserts were very rich, and I was very full, so maybe that had a lot to do with it. I really like the chocolate mouse mini cakes very good, and of course there is always something to be said about dipping the traditional large chocolate chip cookie into coffee! Bottom line .. Boma is a thumbs up for my whole family, and yes Id do it again. As a matter of fact, getting more time in at the lodge is a priority for next time we are home.
Again, once we got back to the BW, it was alive and bustling with people and entertainment. We so enjoy walking, watching, listening, and just being in this atmosphere. Its really great to have a place to go to at night when the parks are closed and fireworks/shows are over, yet were still looking to hang out. Jellyrolls is under renovations, and we didnt even look to see if it was open, there seemed to be enough going on to leave that for another trip. Tomorrow Animal Kingdom!
Friday, February 21, 2003 Animal Kingdom
Woah! 90 degrees! Also, a little on the humid side ..
Animal Kingdom was surprisingly not crowded (last time we did this park it was wall to wall people). We were able to do a lot of things in only a few hours (woke up late, got there after noon). We started by walking right into The Festival of the Lion King. It was great, better than I expected. The costumes were fantastic and all of us really enjoyed it. From there we walked into the back and right onto Kilmanjaro Safaris not a minute to wait! We saw lions, a cheetah (beautiful creature), rhinos, elephants, giraffes, and many other birds and animals. I wanted to do the jungle trek, but was voted down by everyone else, they were anxious to experience Kali River Rapids, so off to that we went! We had a very short wait, maybe 10 minutes, and then down river we went! Can you say soaked?! It was lots of fun. We got off the ride and walked right into Flights of Wonder, with 2 minutes to the beginning of the show. I really like this we did it last time we were here and Ill do it everytime we come. The owl, and the eagle breathtaking. We headed over to its Tough to Be A Bug, and right into the show! Only had to wait for the audience to fill up and the doors opened. We had 3rd row front and center seats, and it was even better than I remembered. The entire family really loved it! Then we went into Dinoland and walked right onto Primeval Whirl twice! What a fun ride! Kids loved it, DH doesnt like spinning so he sat this out, but I was up for the double whammy it was lots of fun. Then, of course, Dinosaur had about a 15 minute wait, my husband really likes this experience, from the pre show to the ride itself. We headed back to BW just after park closing, we had no lunch, so we were all very hungry, but the kids wanted to go about their own thing and DH wanted to go offsite, he had an Olive Garden craving, so thats what we did. Kids ate, again at ESPN and Beaches and Cream they like it, who am I to argue? Once we got back we had the depressing task of packing . We got to bed early as we got up at 3:00 and on the road by 4:00 am on the dot. As depressing as it is to say good-bye (for now - ah the beauty of DVC ownership), we were all looking forward to the last leg of this trip, as it took us to VA, and our best friends house, where we were lucky enough to be to celebrate the Sweet Sixteen of their daughter. My kids had a ball, as did I with my buddy! Danced the night away at the party, got to bed way too late, and up way too early for the rest of the drive (in the pouring rain of course, but hey much better than the blizzard we missed at the beginning of the week teeheehee) back to Long Island! Until next time . This was a great vacation!
Left New York at 2:00 a.m. Kids slept til sun up I slept on and off. We took the laptop which has a dvd player in it and some dvds to watch. That kept the kids happy and involved. Hit major bad weather, snow, ice, rain, sleet in South Jersey and it lasted til South Virginia, where it turned to rain lots and lots of rain. It rained heavy on and off until about 60 miles into North Carolina, and finally stopped. Eventually the clouds subsided and by the time we got to South Carolina it was sunny and 75 degrees. Georgia went up to 82 and finally when we pulled into Florida which was about 5:45 pm (crossed the state line) it was 80 and gorgeous! Unfortunately instead of arriving at the Springhill Suites @ Marriott Village, Lake Buena Vista by 8:30 which is when we should have, we hit major traffic on I-4 and didnt get to the hotel til just after 10 pm. That didnt stop the kids from hitting the pool, and hubby from ordering pizza! We had room 3165, on the first floor, with the pool right outside the window. I was pretty happy with the size and cleanliness of the room.
Sunday, 2/16/03 DISNEY STUDIOS
Woke at 7:30 a.m. Checked out of Springhill Suites and into Boardwalk at 9:30 a.m. Room was ready! Had room 3101 view of drive, not bad at all. Unpacked and got to MGM by 10:30 a.m. First thing we did was ride Rock N Roller Coaster! Awesome!
Then Tower of Terror, saw Beauty & the Beast Show. Ate yucky fast food from Rosies and Catalina Eddies. Lowell had the BBQ chicken pizza, it was the only good thing. I had a veggie burger, too dry, too cold. Liz and Coleen had the tomato and mozzarella pizza flatbread, it was gross. Michael had the same old thing .fried chicken strips and fries.
Then we did the Great Movie Ride, Star Tours, 3D Muppet Show, Sounds Dangerous & Rock N Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror again! It started to rain (about 5:30) but we had made P.S. arrangements for Momma Melrose for 5:50 so we went there for our sit down dinner. Michael had the spagetti and meat sauce, he didnt like it, too many onions in the sauce. Lowell and both girls had the chicken parmesean. They all said it was just okay, the sauce was too spicy. I had the brick oven baked caprino cheese and toasted bread. It was good, but again the sauce was alittle spicy. I had the Wild Mushroom Risotto for dinner, it was just okay. Overall we didnt really like Momma Melroses.
Came back to the BW, Coleen and Liz didnt feel good. They got worse as the night wore on, and eventually ended up throwing up all night and running fevers. That lasted all day Monday, what a total bummer for them. They waited so long for this trip together and they are spending it laying in bed sick! We may end up staying an extra day to give them more of a chance to enjoy vacation. Its a good thing we had the chance to do MGM early and all day, they did have fun with that!
Monday, February 17, 2003 MAGIC KINGDOM
Both Liz and Coleen are still pretty sick. Michael wanted to go out and do stuff and I didnt blame him for that. We started the day by DH and I going for a walk to the Bakery for breakfast, and over to the BCV to check them out. I got my BCV pin just for stopping by! Came back to hotel, DH stayed with the girls and Michael and I did Magic Kingdom! What a blast, we really got lucky over and over. First thing we did was go into Alien Encounter, we just made the show, they were closing the doors, so there was no wait to do that. Then we walked over to Space Mountain to pick up fast passes and someone gave me their two! It was for 3:30 to 4:30. So we walked over to Buzz Lightyear and got fast passes with our own tickets that was for 2:30 to 3:30. We then walked over to fantasyland so I could check out Tinks Treasurers and see her fliting around the store, no big deal there. Then we ate at Columbia Harbor House, I had the Hummus sandwich it was good, especially the bread. Michael again had the chicken strips, hes getting sick of them already who can blame him same old same old. Then we walked over to Big Thunder Mountain RR to see how long the wait was, and someone there handed me their fast passes! We got right on the ride! Then caught a few minutes of the parade and got went back over to Buzz Lightyear with our fast passes and walked right onto that (meanwhile the place was packed and lines were very very long). When we finished there we jumped right onto the Transit Authority Tram (no wait). Then by that time it was our turn to use the fastpasses on Space Mountain! That was awesome! Finished up there and walked back to Main Street, caught some of the character show at the Castle, and on the way out saw the Flag Ceremony at Town Square very moving! We back to the Boardwalk and jumped into the jacquzzi tub! That was wonderful. The girls still feel crappy, but are slowly improving. Lowell and I went over to Epcot in the evening and ate at Le Cellier. It was extremely delicious. He had the pasta and shrimp and loved it, and I had the prime rib, and cheddar soup. Both were really delicious. Came home, cleaned up and now Im writing this! Hope the girls are better tomorrow write some more than.
Tuesday, February 18, 2003 EPCOT/FANTASMIC
Liz still didnt feel well at all this morning. Coleen is much better. DH, Michael, Coleen and I had breakfast outside Bakery this morning. What a beautiful day! Cool, but very sunny, perfect park touring weather. We headed over to Epcot, first got a fastpass to Test Track. Did Universe of Energy (I enjoy it everytime I see it) and Honey I Shrunk the Audience. Walked over to World Showcase, cancelled lunch ressies at Le Cellier and went into Biergarten instead. We were seated right away (about 2:00 p.m.). All of us thought it was delicious. Hubby thought the breaded chicken was the best. I had just about everything but that. I thought the roast pork was delicious, and the meatballs, and the roasted chicken were also delicious, but for me the best was the potato salad, and the cucumber salad. For dessert we all tried the layer cake with cream (dont really know the name) but none of us really liked it too much. I tried the raspberry/almond cake, it was delicious, and I took a couple of bites of the cheesecake, also delicious. After eating we checked out Germany, and the shops, very interesting and pretty. We shopped at Outpost, walked around WS a little, and headed back to Future World. We did the Ice Station Cool (if thats what you call it). The two kids got a kick out of trying different sodas. We walked right onto Spaceship Earth and did both Innoventions. Theyre always fun. We video e-mailed home and the kids made paper. Then we headed over to our fast pass Test Track, DH and Liz were there to meet us! Liz is finally feeling good! Four of us rode with fast pass, and DH got on the singles line. They were handing out orange single tickets to fill in the empties. After riding (which by the way was awesome) we headed out (5:50 p.m.). Got on the boat and headed straight over to MGM to see Fantasmic. It was pretty cool so I finally bought the sweatshirt I was wanting and we walked into the theater. We were seated on the side, but low down, and we had great viewing. Lowell says Fantasmic is Disney at its best cause its such a great show, I agree.
After the show we went back to Boardwalk and had munchies at the ESPN Zone. Then ice cream at the Sweet Shoppe. Im totally stuffed, all the walking Ive been doing for three days, and Im probably putting on the pounds. Anyway, thats it so far. I think tomorrow we are going to do Magic Kingdom alittle and then come back to the Boardwalk. The girls want to have their faces painted and hair wrapped. Write more than.
Wednesday, February 19, 2003
I cant believe its already Wednesday. Of course, as usual vacation goes by too fast. The girls are way back to themselves, so today is their choice. They decided on Magic Kingdom. Fine by me! We got a late start, which is a good thing. It gives us all a chance to rest, and me to do laundry and straighten up I love our one bedroom accommodations so keeping it clean is important to me, things always look best when they are clean. The kids are exercising their freedom, and so are me and Lowell. They went over to the bakery and me and Lowell went to the front desk to arrange to stay til Friday. We had spoken to the manager on Monday, when the girls were sick, Ive gotta say I have never been among such accommodating people, no matter where Ive gone or stayed. They called member services for us and helped get us set up in the same room. The manager also sent up lots of towels and detergent, shampoos and soaps, when the girls were bed ridden. They picked up the garbage for us Monday and Tuesday (I had called and asked them to do so what with all the germs, etc.) They also sent up Lysol upon my request to get rid of those nasty germs.
Anyway, after setting up Friday, we met with the kids. They wanted to see the Volcano Pool at the Poly, and ride the monorail, so we took the car over to the Polynesian, checked out the resort and rode the mono into the MK. Everyone LOVES walking into it. Coleen, my daughters friend (first time here since she was 6), really really got the magic upon seeing the castle. There were characters all over the place and she got lots of pics. First thing we did was Alien Encounter, the kids really get a big thrill out of it, my husband didnt think much of it, but I enjoyed it. Then we got Fast Passes for Space Mountain, which surprisingly brought us back only and hour later. (Monday it was for like four hours later). We had a 2:50 time, so at 2:55 we could get a FP for Buzz, which is what we did. In the meantime we rode Transit Authority Tram Ride (right name for it?), and of course, had lunch (gotta keep my man fed and happy!). Then we went on Space Mountain, which is so totally awesome everyone in our party agreed. Then shortly after Buzz Lightyear, also awesome, but in a different way, I love that ride. Then we headed over to the Castle and did alittle shopping inside. We headed over to Frontierland/Adventureland, and rode the Liberty Belle Boat, all of us enjoyed the leisurely ride, and the chance to see the other side of the Kingdom. We walked right onto Haunted Mansion after that, oh and somewhere in the day the kids took the time to do the tea cups Coleen is my kind of rider, anything, anytime, anywhere. My kids are alittle more reserved and picky with rides. After Haunted Mansion, we walked over to get fast passes for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and then waited on line (about 35 minutes) for Splash Mountain. It was only 3 out of 5 of us, but I felt worth the wait because I havent done it in the last few years, that drops a killer! Then we got a snack and waited (only shortly) for our time to ride Big Thunder, all of us really enjoy that! Then I, thanks to the boards/tips, etc., timed it just right and got us on a boat around the seven seas lagoon as the fire works were going off over the Castle. Beautiful! We went back to the Poly, the kids picked out some souveniers from the shop and headed back to our beloved BW for some night time fun and dining. The kids were off on their own, they took the walkie talkies and headed to Beaches and Cream for burgers and sundaes, and hubby and I enjoyed dinner at an outside table at Big River Grille & Brewing Works. He had the meat loaf, and wasnt crazy about them because of the sausage it was mixed with (hes soooo picky but then again, hey its his dinner). I had the ½ rack of ribs, and a GADZOOKS beer. The beer was, to my surprise, very good, I like lighter tasting beer, if any, and the ribs were excellent. Not one bit of fat and not too spicy on the bbq sauce at all, which is how I prefer it. We both agreed the mashed potatoes were excellent and, of course, you cant beat the atmosphere if thats what youre in the mood for. There was a peddling piano player who passed by a couple of times, once he stopped and played a Disney theme for us. And just down the way and juggler/balancing act going on. We had a perfect view of the fireworks from Illuminations from our table. The Boardwalk was bustling with action. Kids playing arcade games, young couples going into Atlantic Dance, families riding surrey bikes, face painting, hair wrapping, etc. Everytime we spend an evening on the Boardwalk, its a confirmation for both of us on how right it was to purchase DVC here! We LOVE it! Oh, I had a tarot card reading, very very interesting well just have to wait and see
Tomorrow, again kids choice. More to come.
Thursday, February 20, 3003 Non-Park Day
I was up early, sat out on the balcony and typed out this trip report. Went to bakery for coffee and my raspberry donut (my favorite from the bakery so far). Very relaxing just sitting on the boardwalk and watching people go by. When everyone else finally got up, the girls decided today was the day they wanted their hair braided. I called the salon at Yacht & Beach Club, but they were booked, they suggested calling the salon at Swan & Dolphin, which I did, and got an appointment for 11 a.m. that very morning. Took the kids over there and DH, DS and myself had breakfast at Tubbis Buffeteria. Pretty good, not expensive. Kids choose to skip the parks and hang out in their own backyards.
They played tennis, went to community hall, hung out in the pool and ate at Leaping Libations, poolside. Hubby and I took the opportunity to check out the Marketplace. I like all the stores, thought the Legos display was pretty awesome, but decided to do most of my shopping right at the Boardwalk, I like the stuff at Thimbles & Threads and saw some things there I wanted to purchase for my people back home. We ate at the Gourmet Pantry, something quick and not too filling, so that we had room for ice cream sundaes at Ghiradellis! Can you say delicious? We did have dinner ressies at Boma, (Ive been looking forward to checking out this resort all week), so we headed back to the hotel, took a long walk to work off some of that ice cream, and then a nice little nap. Got up just in time to catch the face painting booth at opening. DD, her friend and myself had our faces painted! Then we headed over the AK Lodge. Got there about ½ hour before our P.S.s so we could check things out. I must say I was really blown away walking into this resort. It just totally surpassed my expectations. The lobby is amazing, and the savannah viewing was awesome. I cant think of a better place (or opportunity) to be 20 feet away from zebras! It really was beautiful, and if I felt the magic anywhere, it was here. Then .Boma! What can I say? Everything was at the least VERY GOOD, and some of it was downright delicious. I had the pork, the chicken, the prime rib, the butternut squash (that was great), the grits with the tomato sauce I spoke to the chef about this and he said it was as African cuisine as you could get. My DH loved that tomato stew kind of sauce that accompanied it, I forget the actual name. DS and I choose the potato/bacon soup, outrageous, and DH had the seafood gumbo, he loved it. I thought the coconut/pineapple/carrot salad was soooo good, oh, and I tried the African quiche (lamb and ground beef), very good, but I didnt go back for seconds, just not in the mood for egg anything. DH loved the potato salad oh, and the mashed potatoes, sweet mashed with white really really good. Can you say stuffed? The two girls ate conservatively, (still afraid to be adventurous after being sick), but everything they ate they enjoyed. And were not even up to dessert yet! I, of course, tried a little taste of everything, I wasnt crazy about a lot of the desserts (and I have a major sweet tooth). The zebra domes were very good, but also very rich, most of the desserts were very rich, and I was very full, so maybe that had a lot to do with it. I really like the chocolate mouse mini cakes very good, and of course there is always something to be said about dipping the traditional large chocolate chip cookie into coffee! Bottom line .. Boma is a thumbs up for my whole family, and yes Id do it again. As a matter of fact, getting more time in at the lodge is a priority for next time we are home.
Again, once we got back to the BW, it was alive and bustling with people and entertainment. We so enjoy walking, watching, listening, and just being in this atmosphere. Its really great to have a place to go to at night when the parks are closed and fireworks/shows are over, yet were still looking to hang out. Jellyrolls is under renovations, and we didnt even look to see if it was open, there seemed to be enough going on to leave that for another trip. Tomorrow Animal Kingdom!
Friday, February 21, 2003 Animal Kingdom
Woah! 90 degrees! Also, a little on the humid side ..
Animal Kingdom was surprisingly not crowded (last time we did this park it was wall to wall people). We were able to do a lot of things in only a few hours (woke up late, got there after noon). We started by walking right into The Festival of the Lion King. It was great, better than I expected. The costumes were fantastic and all of us really enjoyed it. From there we walked into the back and right onto Kilmanjaro Safaris not a minute to wait! We saw lions, a cheetah (beautiful creature), rhinos, elephants, giraffes, and many other birds and animals. I wanted to do the jungle trek, but was voted down by everyone else, they were anxious to experience Kali River Rapids, so off to that we went! We had a very short wait, maybe 10 minutes, and then down river we went! Can you say soaked?! It was lots of fun. We got off the ride and walked right into Flights of Wonder, with 2 minutes to the beginning of the show. I really like this we did it last time we were here and Ill do it everytime we come. The owl, and the eagle breathtaking. We headed over to its Tough to Be A Bug, and right into the show! Only had to wait for the audience to fill up and the doors opened. We had 3rd row front and center seats, and it was even better than I remembered. The entire family really loved it! Then we went into Dinoland and walked right onto Primeval Whirl twice! What a fun ride! Kids loved it, DH doesnt like spinning so he sat this out, but I was up for the double whammy it was lots of fun. Then, of course, Dinosaur had about a 15 minute wait, my husband really likes this experience, from the pre show to the ride itself. We headed back to BW just after park closing, we had no lunch, so we were all very hungry, but the kids wanted to go about their own thing and DH wanted to go offsite, he had an Olive Garden craving, so thats what we did. Kids ate, again at ESPN and Beaches and Cream they like it, who am I to argue? Once we got back we had the depressing task of packing . We got to bed early as we got up at 3:00 and on the road by 4:00 am on the dot. As depressing as it is to say good-bye (for now - ah the beauty of DVC ownership), we were all looking forward to the last leg of this trip, as it took us to VA, and our best friends house, where we were lucky enough to be to celebrate the Sweet Sixteen of their daughter. My kids had a ball, as did I with my buddy! Danced the night away at the party, got to bed way too late, and up way too early for the rest of the drive (in the pouring rain of course, but hey much better than the blizzard we missed at the beginning of the week teeheehee) back to Long Island! Until next time . This was a great vacation!
