Brief synopsis of why we did this: In case you don't know us from earlier trip reports, the author is Joe (me); Helen is my wife. This makes our 4th trip to the World since May 2000 (which was Helen's first trip ever). We got married back in December, we had figured on taking a little trip to France. The weather (here and there) was a deterrent, so we put that off until summer. We never did go anywhere,even though we wanted to. WDW was not where we intended to go again any time soon, but I had the opportunity to attend a 3-day conference in Tampa. So, we thought, why not take a long weekend after that at WDW?
Plan: I go to the conference, leaving the evening of March 19. It ends the afternoon of March 22. I will rent a car and drive to Orlando. Helen will fly straight there from home on the 22nd. We'll spend the night at WDW March 22-24, and leave the early evening of 3/25 to come home, as we both need to work on Monday. The resort this time is the
Swan (based on info from the DIS Resorts board, I got the AP rate). We made no real
plans beyond that.
The trip: I went to the conference, it was interesting, and everything went off on
schedule, save the almost 1 hour delay leaving Philadelphia due to a problem with the plane’s compass. Fast forward to March 22. The conference ended around 3 pm. I
collected my things and took a shuttle to the airport, where I picked up my rental car from Dollar. I got a Plymouth Breeze again. For the money, it's a safe bet. It's a nice size, easy to drive, and gets pretty good gas mileage. I made the 90 mile trip East on I-4, running into some rush-hour traffic heading into Orlando, but nothing bad. Helen's flight was getting in at 5:50, and I was about half an hour early by the time I parked the car. I checked the monitor, and it was supposed to be arriving on time.
I was hungry, but I thought she probably would be, as well, so I just got a bottle of water while I waited. Sure enough, the flight arrived right on time. We collected Helen's bag, and were on our way to WDW by 6:30. On the way there, I called to check in with my daughter, who was staying with her grandparents (her mother's parents). She was fine and told us to send her an email postcard. We made it to WDW by about 7. Bell services took the suitcases and Helen went to check in while I parked the car. The Swan has a very smooth system going. I don't know if the Swan was full or not, but it certainly didn’t seem crowded. Helen asked if there were any corner rooms available, and there were. She was waiting with the keys when I got in from parking the car.
The room was very nice, and on the 5th floor, so it offered a good view. I can't say that the decorating was particularly my favorite, but since it was just a hotel room, it was great. It had a pull out couch in addition to a King bed. There was a desk and another small table that was also a lamp. There were 2 large windows, one facing the Dolphin and the other in the general direction of Epcot. We looked at each other and grinned. It's always exciting to get to WDW. Looking out over the grounds lit up in the darkness made me feel anticipation as if I were 8 years old. We had checked out the lobby on our
last trip and decided we could definitely stay here. No, it’s not Disney and the theming isn't as creative, but it is nice, spacious enough, and very clean. Also convenient was the fact that there was a sink and mirror in the bathroom, and one outside the. I would have no problem staying there again.
By the time we got to the room and changed, it was after 7:30 and we were both starving.
Helen said she hadn't eaten since breakfast, except for the little bag of peanuts on the
airplane (the package said, “Warning: Contains Nuts.” LOL). I had had a salad at
lunch, and it wasn't holding me. We both had our annual pass, so we could go anywhere
we wanted. We did find that we were a little discombobulated about what was open and how late. We went down to the Disney desk and got park guide maps to figure out which parks were open. AK and the Studios were already closed and the other two were open until 9. Instead of running over to Epcot, we decided to walk over to the Boardwalk and eat at Spoodles. It was great outside, in about the mid to low 60s, clear, slight breeze.
It wasn't too crowded in Spoodles, and we were actually seated in about 5 minutes. Helen ordered off the children's menu and had grilled chicken. It came with potatoes and a small salad. It was more than enough food for her. I like that fact that anyone can order from the kids menu at WDW and (usually) the CMs are nice about it. It works well for my 14-year-old daughter, who doesn't eat much, and for Helen, who tries not to eat much. I had a caesar salad and the soup of the day. No dessert for either of us, as good as it looked. Our waiter was very friendly and efficient, and we tipped as though we had ordered entrees and drinks (even though we both had water), since he treated us as such. We were out of there by 9, and saw some of Illuminations as we walked around the resort area. Helen was a little chilly (she has no meat on her bones to protect her from the cold, LOL), so I gave her my sweater. I was absolutely fine, and I have to say this was good
WDW weather, IMO.
We walked for a while, but headed back to the room about 10, since we knew we needed
to get up early. Guessing that there would probably be some Spring Break crowds, we
figured we'd better not sleep in too late. After watching TV for a little while, we turned in, not even having made any plans for the next day.
March 23: Helen got up around 6:45, and woke me up clattering around in the
bathroom. I checked out the weather forecast on TV while she showered, then looked at the maps to figure out what time the parks opened. AK opened at 8, all the others opened at 9. With the exception of AK, they were open later than I'd imagined. At 7, I called Dining to see if there was a PS available at Crystal Palace. There were several, so I took the earliest one I could get: 8:45. It was supposed to be clear and in the upper 70s. A look out the window confirmed that it was, indeed, a nice clear day.
I told Hel we were going to the MK, she said fine. We finished getting ready, and went
down to the lobby to find the bus. We realized we had no idea where it came. The people at the desk told us to go out front. It was still sort of chilly outside. It felt funny to be wearing a sweatshirt and jeans at WDW. A bus came in about 5 minutes and we were over to the MK at about 8:30. I wondered if I'd have trouble getting in, since I'd just made my PS at 7, but the CM didn't even look at any kind of list. It was odd to see the MK so deserted, since the park wasn't open. We were almost alone on Main Street. There were a few other people, probably on their way to Cindy's or CP, and some CMs wandering around. Other than that, it was dead.
We like Crystal Palace and go there every time. It has way too much good food, but at
least we never need lunch. I think CP has a nice atmosphere and feels laid back. It's a
good way to start the day. After we ate, we walked around the park the long way to
Tomorrowland. The MK wasn't too crowded yet. We got around to the TTA by 10:00.
As usual, there was no line. We rode it a couple of times without getting off. Hopefully that isn't a no-no. We took our cues from the CMs. They never say anything. It's not a very exciting ride, but it surprises me that it hardly ever has a line. Before we left MK, we rode Space Mountain, BTMRR and wanted to do the Hall of Presidents, but it was down (adding GWB to the lineup?). The lines weren't too long and we didn't use Fastpass. Looked in some shops (didn't buy anything) on the way out and left MK a little before one, not knowing for sure if we'd be back this trip.
We decided it was a little too cool to swim, but we did swing by the Grotto pool so I
could check it out. Helen watched some TV while I did a little work on my computer (the
price of vacationing on borrowed time). Around 2:30, we drove over to the outlets, but didn’t find anything we needed. There are some good bargains to be had in the Disney ones, though. I saw some of the same things in the stores in the parks for 2X the price as at the outlets.
At 5 or so, we got back to the Swan, parked, and walked over to Epcot. We were both
getting sort of hungry, so we headed to the Cantina. I really enjoy San Angel, but I
wasn’t going to mess with it on this short trip. Epcot’s answer to Taco Bell would have
to do. Helen had a chicken taco salad. They were happy not to include sour cream at her request. It was somewhat large, and she didn’t finish it, but did say it tasted good. I actually had the child’s plate this time. It consisted of a burrito, some corn chips and a churro. It also came with a drink (albeit a very small one). It, too, was just fine.
We decided not to spend the entire evening sitting there waiting for Illuminations. After we ate, we went to the Norway pavillion and rode the Maelstrom. We even stayed for the movie. It was sort of interesting. Then, since we had heard The American Adventure was good, and we hadn’t seen it, we went over to watch it. Both of us enjoyed it, although it paints a somewhat skewed picture of this country. But, we’re at Disney World to think happy thoughts, so, who cares? We wanted to watch the France and Canada movies, too, but chose to wait until the next day. Over in Future World, we rode Spaceship Earth as a walk-on, then I rode Test Track (single rider line) while Helen looked around in Mouse Gear. She bought a Donald Duck nightshirt for Keelie (my daughter). He is her favorite
character.
By this time, it was after 8. When we made it back over to the WS in time to get caught
in the ToN traffic. It is nice, but we were surprised that it was still going on. I guess I thought after the Milleniuim Celebration was over, it would be discontinued. The music is really good.
We worked our way over near the International Gateway and found a decent spot to stand and watch Illuminations. When it was over, the best option was definitely to walk back to the Swan. It only took about 10 minutes. Helen’s ankle injury from last fall had healed nicely and she didn’t have any problems on this trip. The huge crowds headed either toward the main exit out front or to the boat area, so we were glad to avoid this. If I were staying at CSR, I would definitely walk over to the Boardwalk and take the bus directly
back there. I would think it’d be much less hectic. We didn’t feel like doing anything
else, so we went back to the room, watched TV and went to bed.
March 24: We woke up early again, so we decided it was as good a morning as any to
visit AK. After we hurriedly showered and dressed, we went over to the Dolphin to eat at Tubbi’s. We noticed it on our last trip when we were staying at the Beach Club. Even
though we swore to ourselves on past trips that we would avoid buffets (other than
Crystal Palace) like the plague, we usually ended up succumbing to the pressure. Tubbi’s, in spite of its name, turned out to be a good place to get a quick breakfast without eating way too much. Helen had toast, strawberries and coffee. I had a bagel and orange juice. Thank goodness for that place.
Instead of going back over to the Swan to catch the bus, we thought it was probably OK
for us to get one at the Dolphin. A Magic Kingdom bus came first, but after 10 minutes
or so, one for AK showed up. I had heard about this bus on demand thing, but if it was in place during this time, the bus service didn’t seem that much different to me. We got to AK shortly after it opened. We trekked straight back to the safari. The line wasn’t too long yet, so we were in a jeep by 8:30. The past couple of times on this ride, the driver didn’t really play along with the poacher chase theme (it didn’t bother me at all), but this one was way into it. It’s silly, but the CM did a good job. At least the excited family from
last time, who were pointing, gasping and yelling constantly, was not behind us. The
antelope were standing around in a big cluster, as if they weren’t sure what to do. I didn’t realize how large they are.
Again, we skipped KRR (we haven’t ridden it yet), as it was still a bit too cold to get wet. Make that drenched. We did walk down the Pangani trail to look at the gorillas. They weren’t very active yet, but who can blame them? They’re very interesting to watch. We also did the Maharajah Jungle Trek. I had heard good things about the Lion King show, so we sat through it for the first time. Both of us really liked it. I’d see it again any time. Since Helen and I also like It’s Tough to be a Bug, we thought we might as well see it, too. As usual, there were some littler kids who were scared by it. Are their parents totally clueless? I do realize that some parents can be caught off guard by what frightens
their children, but I wonder if they even try to understand what an attraction is about
before they bring their kids into it. 3-D is probably too intense for a lot of 3-4, even 5 year olds, whatever the subject. JMO. End of rant.
After we finished with that, we bussed back to the Swan. Helen had forgotten her nasal
spray, so a call to her doctor’s office fixed that problem. They phoned her prescription to the pharmacy at Wal-mart, so we headed over there. I find Wal-mart to be useful for all sorts of things and I go there a couple of times a month, but the one not far from WDW was downright scary to me. Maybe we just caught it at a busy time, but everybody and their brother and their brother’s dog was there. It seemed incredibly dirty and disorganized in comparison to the one near my home. The prescription was ready when we got there, luckily, so we got it and a 6-pack of bottled water and left as quickly as
possible.
On the way back, we went to Downtown Disney to look around. Since it was after 2 and
we still hadn’t eaten lunch, we stopped at Ghirardelli’s and got ice cream. Nice lunch. In the Virgin Megastore, I had a mission for my daughter. Her friend had a CD by some Italian singer, Eros Ramasotti (sp?) who is apparently really popular in Europe (which is where her friend heard his music and bought the CD). She’d had no luck finding any of his CDs around home, although I’m sure she could have gotten it online. The Megastore had several, so I got his greatest hits. We listened to a little on our drive back to the hotel---I always screen her music---and I thought the music was pretty decent. He sounded a little like Lionel Richie, except mostly in Italian.
After I had success at Virgin, we went into World of Disney, Disney at Home, Pooh
Corner, and a few other places. World of Disney has almost anything you could want, but it’s a little overwhelming. Downtown Disney is probably a good place to go if you arrive early at WDW and you won’t have a pass until the next day. If you’re a souvenir shopper, make sure you don’t run out of money before you get a chance to look around down there. When we were ready to go back to the hotel, we were glad we had driven, because the bus service from DD can be so slow. Especially if YC/BC and Swan/Dolphin are sharing busses. It could make several stops in DD before even heading back to the resorts. One time we sat on a bus for 20 minutes at the one of the stops before moving on. That was later in the evening, though.
We went for a swim in the Grotto pool and froze. I’ve heard conflicting reports on
whether or not that thing is heated. It definitely didn’t feel heated. Then, we rested a while and decided to skip the parks for the rest of the day. We had most of the next day to do the two things we wanted to do in Epcot (France and Canada films) and maybe to go over the the Studios and ride a couple of rides. Instead of the parks, we would go over to PI and see a show or two at Comedy Warehouse, then call it an early night.
Around 5:30, we did decide to foray into Epcot for a little while, just to eat. Breakfast and the ice cream in the afternoon were not holding us. Nothing sounded that good, so we went to Pure and Simple. She had fruit salad, some lowfat mousse and water (which she already had with her). I had vegetable chili and a fruit smoothie, both of which were good. Both of us decided it was our favorite counter service restaurant at WDW. It’s a little different from everything else. The best part is that you don’t feel weighed down when you leave. I’d recommend it to anyone, and it never seems crowded.
Over at Pleasure Island, we got there in time to get in line a little early for the first Comedy Warehouse show. We didn’t really need to, but we figured there was no reason not to. We chatted with a some other couples/groups. A few said they came frequently or whenever they were at WDW, the rest said they had heard good things so they were trying it for the first time. There was already a fairly big line for the second show when we left the first one, so we got in line right then. Both shows were very funny and we enjoyed it as usual. It is unfortunate that several of the talented CMs left/had to leave. Hopefully that situation will be rectified soon. We didn’t feel like staying for a 3rd show, so we went back to the Swan and hit the hay.
March 25: We woke up early, but took our time getting ready and over to MGM. Before
we went to the Garden Grove cafe and both had fruit and a bagel. It was fine. We walked over (no more boat!) at 9:30 and went back to ToT to get a FastPass. We figured that we would have enough time to go ride the Great Movie Ride before our time came around. There was hardly a line there, so we pretty much walked right on. We got the gangster side again. This ride might need a little revamping. By the time we got back to ToT, it was about time, so we went ahead and rode. I still think I liked it better with fewer long drops than with more shorter drops. Either way, it’s fun. I could do without the preshow, though. The most exciting moment is when you have paused for just a few seconds looking out over the park and you realize how high you are. Then, wham, they drop you.
After that, we went to RRC to get FastPass. The time for it was 45 minutes away and
we had time to ride Star Tours twice (short lines) and shop. I have to say that, although 2 of the rides I like best (Tower of Terror and Rock & Roller Coaster) are at the Studios, it’s my least favorite park. It was pretty crowded (as we expected), but since it wasn’t really hot, it was bearable. Fastpass was a great idea. Sometimes I wonder why people are waiting in long lines when they could get a one and do something else while they wait.
IMO, it would be better to just sit and people watch on a bench than stand in a line. It’s not hard to find something to do while you wait for your time. After our ride on RRC, we got out of MGM and walked (hallelujah) over to Epcot, which took us about 20 minutes. We were so excited about this walking path.
The World Showcase hadn’t been open long, so it wasn’t too crowded yet. We went over
to France in order to catch the movie there. Of course, it’s an idealized portrait of the country, which is fine. Like I said before, I’m at WDW. Who wants to be realistic? That said, I’m ready to hop on a plane there next week. After that, we went back around to Canada to watch “O Canada!” It was just about to start when we got there, so we slipped in the back. I would recommend seeing both films if you have plenty of time in the parks, even though they seem a little dated. They wouldn’t be on my list of must-do WDW activities, but they’re worthwhile.
After the films, it was lunchtime and we were both hungry. Chefs de France is probably Helen’s favorite WDW restaurant, so I suggested we go back to France and eat there. The wait was about half an hour, but we browsed in the shops while we waited. When our beeper thing went off, we still had to wait about 5-7 more minutes before getting
seated, but we weren’t in a hurry, so it was fine. We split the quiche lorraine and salade nicoise, both of which were excellent. The whole dining experience took about 40 minutes (not too much longer than the wait to eat there).
By that time, we needed to go back to the Swan and check out. We had no problems with
the late AP checkout. I guess they have gotten all their employees on the same page with that one, or maybe we just got one who was up to speed. All in all, we were very satisfied with our stay at the Swan and would definitely return. No, there is no Mickey soap and Mickey’s happy voice will not greet you on the phone in the morning, but, for the price, I can definitely live with that. I also like Tubbi’s as an (overpriced) alternative to buffets in
the morning.
Our flight was leaving at 4:15, so we went ahead and left, stopping at DD on our way.
After hearing that I had found her Eros Ramasotti Greatest Hits CD at Virgin, my
daughter had begged me to return and see if they also had Eros Live. They did, and
Keelie is now driving us crazy with his music instead of Madonna. Helen picked up
something in World of Disney that her daughter’s fiancee had asked her to look for, then we were off to the airport.
We had a fine flight back home and we were back to reality. It was a fine trip on stolen time. Since we have seen most all we want to see, we were able to basically just relax and do the attractions we like most, and even spend some time outside of WDW and at DD. It was pretty crowded (lots of college kids), which I’d say is normal for the time, although it may get worse around Easter week when more of the school-aged kids are out. We didn’t encounter any rudeness or major inconveniences due to it. The weather was nice, we liked the resort, we’ll be back. So, until next time.....
[This message was edited by JoePA on 03-27-01 at 01:29 AM.]
[This message was edited by JoePA on 03-27-01 at 12:52 PM.]
Plan: I go to the conference, leaving the evening of March 19. It ends the afternoon of March 22. I will rent a car and drive to Orlando. Helen will fly straight there from home on the 22nd. We'll spend the night at WDW March 22-24, and leave the early evening of 3/25 to come home, as we both need to work on Monday. The resort this time is the
Swan (based on info from the DIS Resorts board, I got the AP rate). We made no real
plans beyond that.
The trip: I went to the conference, it was interesting, and everything went off on
schedule, save the almost 1 hour delay leaving Philadelphia due to a problem with the plane’s compass. Fast forward to March 22. The conference ended around 3 pm. I
collected my things and took a shuttle to the airport, where I picked up my rental car from Dollar. I got a Plymouth Breeze again. For the money, it's a safe bet. It's a nice size, easy to drive, and gets pretty good gas mileage. I made the 90 mile trip East on I-4, running into some rush-hour traffic heading into Orlando, but nothing bad. Helen's flight was getting in at 5:50, and I was about half an hour early by the time I parked the car. I checked the monitor, and it was supposed to be arriving on time.
I was hungry, but I thought she probably would be, as well, so I just got a bottle of water while I waited. Sure enough, the flight arrived right on time. We collected Helen's bag, and were on our way to WDW by 6:30. On the way there, I called to check in with my daughter, who was staying with her grandparents (her mother's parents). She was fine and told us to send her an email postcard. We made it to WDW by about 7. Bell services took the suitcases and Helen went to check in while I parked the car. The Swan has a very smooth system going. I don't know if the Swan was full or not, but it certainly didn’t seem crowded. Helen asked if there were any corner rooms available, and there were. She was waiting with the keys when I got in from parking the car.
The room was very nice, and on the 5th floor, so it offered a good view. I can't say that the decorating was particularly my favorite, but since it was just a hotel room, it was great. It had a pull out couch in addition to a King bed. There was a desk and another small table that was also a lamp. There were 2 large windows, one facing the Dolphin and the other in the general direction of Epcot. We looked at each other and grinned. It's always exciting to get to WDW. Looking out over the grounds lit up in the darkness made me feel anticipation as if I were 8 years old. We had checked out the lobby on our
last trip and decided we could definitely stay here. No, it’s not Disney and the theming isn't as creative, but it is nice, spacious enough, and very clean. Also convenient was the fact that there was a sink and mirror in the bathroom, and one outside the. I would have no problem staying there again.
By the time we got to the room and changed, it was after 7:30 and we were both starving.
Helen said she hadn't eaten since breakfast, except for the little bag of peanuts on the
airplane (the package said, “Warning: Contains Nuts.” LOL). I had had a salad at
lunch, and it wasn't holding me. We both had our annual pass, so we could go anywhere
we wanted. We did find that we were a little discombobulated about what was open and how late. We went down to the Disney desk and got park guide maps to figure out which parks were open. AK and the Studios were already closed and the other two were open until 9. Instead of running over to Epcot, we decided to walk over to the Boardwalk and eat at Spoodles. It was great outside, in about the mid to low 60s, clear, slight breeze.
It wasn't too crowded in Spoodles, and we were actually seated in about 5 minutes. Helen ordered off the children's menu and had grilled chicken. It came with potatoes and a small salad. It was more than enough food for her. I like that fact that anyone can order from the kids menu at WDW and (usually) the CMs are nice about it. It works well for my 14-year-old daughter, who doesn't eat much, and for Helen, who tries not to eat much. I had a caesar salad and the soup of the day. No dessert for either of us, as good as it looked. Our waiter was very friendly and efficient, and we tipped as though we had ordered entrees and drinks (even though we both had water), since he treated us as such. We were out of there by 9, and saw some of Illuminations as we walked around the resort area. Helen was a little chilly (she has no meat on her bones to protect her from the cold, LOL), so I gave her my sweater. I was absolutely fine, and I have to say this was good
WDW weather, IMO.
We walked for a while, but headed back to the room about 10, since we knew we needed
to get up early. Guessing that there would probably be some Spring Break crowds, we
figured we'd better not sleep in too late. After watching TV for a little while, we turned in, not even having made any plans for the next day.
March 23: Helen got up around 6:45, and woke me up clattering around in the
bathroom. I checked out the weather forecast on TV while she showered, then looked at the maps to figure out what time the parks opened. AK opened at 8, all the others opened at 9. With the exception of AK, they were open later than I'd imagined. At 7, I called Dining to see if there was a PS available at Crystal Palace. There were several, so I took the earliest one I could get: 8:45. It was supposed to be clear and in the upper 70s. A look out the window confirmed that it was, indeed, a nice clear day.
I told Hel we were going to the MK, she said fine. We finished getting ready, and went
down to the lobby to find the bus. We realized we had no idea where it came. The people at the desk told us to go out front. It was still sort of chilly outside. It felt funny to be wearing a sweatshirt and jeans at WDW. A bus came in about 5 minutes and we were over to the MK at about 8:30. I wondered if I'd have trouble getting in, since I'd just made my PS at 7, but the CM didn't even look at any kind of list. It was odd to see the MK so deserted, since the park wasn't open. We were almost alone on Main Street. There were a few other people, probably on their way to Cindy's or CP, and some CMs wandering around. Other than that, it was dead.
We like Crystal Palace and go there every time. It has way too much good food, but at
least we never need lunch. I think CP has a nice atmosphere and feels laid back. It's a
good way to start the day. After we ate, we walked around the park the long way to
Tomorrowland. The MK wasn't too crowded yet. We got around to the TTA by 10:00.
As usual, there was no line. We rode it a couple of times without getting off. Hopefully that isn't a no-no. We took our cues from the CMs. They never say anything. It's not a very exciting ride, but it surprises me that it hardly ever has a line. Before we left MK, we rode Space Mountain, BTMRR and wanted to do the Hall of Presidents, but it was down (adding GWB to the lineup?). The lines weren't too long and we didn't use Fastpass. Looked in some shops (didn't buy anything) on the way out and left MK a little before one, not knowing for sure if we'd be back this trip.
We decided it was a little too cool to swim, but we did swing by the Grotto pool so I
could check it out. Helen watched some TV while I did a little work on my computer (the
price of vacationing on borrowed time). Around 2:30, we drove over to the outlets, but didn’t find anything we needed. There are some good bargains to be had in the Disney ones, though. I saw some of the same things in the stores in the parks for 2X the price as at the outlets.
At 5 or so, we got back to the Swan, parked, and walked over to Epcot. We were both
getting sort of hungry, so we headed to the Cantina. I really enjoy San Angel, but I
wasn’t going to mess with it on this short trip. Epcot’s answer to Taco Bell would have
to do. Helen had a chicken taco salad. They were happy not to include sour cream at her request. It was somewhat large, and she didn’t finish it, but did say it tasted good. I actually had the child’s plate this time. It consisted of a burrito, some corn chips and a churro. It also came with a drink (albeit a very small one). It, too, was just fine.
We decided not to spend the entire evening sitting there waiting for Illuminations. After we ate, we went to the Norway pavillion and rode the Maelstrom. We even stayed for the movie. It was sort of interesting. Then, since we had heard The American Adventure was good, and we hadn’t seen it, we went over to watch it. Both of us enjoyed it, although it paints a somewhat skewed picture of this country. But, we’re at Disney World to think happy thoughts, so, who cares? We wanted to watch the France and Canada movies, too, but chose to wait until the next day. Over in Future World, we rode Spaceship Earth as a walk-on, then I rode Test Track (single rider line) while Helen looked around in Mouse Gear. She bought a Donald Duck nightshirt for Keelie (my daughter). He is her favorite
character.
By this time, it was after 8. When we made it back over to the WS in time to get caught
in the ToN traffic. It is nice, but we were surprised that it was still going on. I guess I thought after the Milleniuim Celebration was over, it would be discontinued. The music is really good.
We worked our way over near the International Gateway and found a decent spot to stand and watch Illuminations. When it was over, the best option was definitely to walk back to the Swan. It only took about 10 minutes. Helen’s ankle injury from last fall had healed nicely and she didn’t have any problems on this trip. The huge crowds headed either toward the main exit out front or to the boat area, so we were glad to avoid this. If I were staying at CSR, I would definitely walk over to the Boardwalk and take the bus directly
back there. I would think it’d be much less hectic. We didn’t feel like doing anything
else, so we went back to the room, watched TV and went to bed.
March 24: We woke up early again, so we decided it was as good a morning as any to
visit AK. After we hurriedly showered and dressed, we went over to the Dolphin to eat at Tubbi’s. We noticed it on our last trip when we were staying at the Beach Club. Even
though we swore to ourselves on past trips that we would avoid buffets (other than
Crystal Palace) like the plague, we usually ended up succumbing to the pressure. Tubbi’s, in spite of its name, turned out to be a good place to get a quick breakfast without eating way too much. Helen had toast, strawberries and coffee. I had a bagel and orange juice. Thank goodness for that place.
Instead of going back over to the Swan to catch the bus, we thought it was probably OK
for us to get one at the Dolphin. A Magic Kingdom bus came first, but after 10 minutes
or so, one for AK showed up. I had heard about this bus on demand thing, but if it was in place during this time, the bus service didn’t seem that much different to me. We got to AK shortly after it opened. We trekked straight back to the safari. The line wasn’t too long yet, so we were in a jeep by 8:30. The past couple of times on this ride, the driver didn’t really play along with the poacher chase theme (it didn’t bother me at all), but this one was way into it. It’s silly, but the CM did a good job. At least the excited family from
last time, who were pointing, gasping and yelling constantly, was not behind us. The
antelope were standing around in a big cluster, as if they weren’t sure what to do. I didn’t realize how large they are.
Again, we skipped KRR (we haven’t ridden it yet), as it was still a bit too cold to get wet. Make that drenched. We did walk down the Pangani trail to look at the gorillas. They weren’t very active yet, but who can blame them? They’re very interesting to watch. We also did the Maharajah Jungle Trek. I had heard good things about the Lion King show, so we sat through it for the first time. Both of us really liked it. I’d see it again any time. Since Helen and I also like It’s Tough to be a Bug, we thought we might as well see it, too. As usual, there were some littler kids who were scared by it. Are their parents totally clueless? I do realize that some parents can be caught off guard by what frightens
their children, but I wonder if they even try to understand what an attraction is about
before they bring their kids into it. 3-D is probably too intense for a lot of 3-4, even 5 year olds, whatever the subject. JMO. End of rant.
After we finished with that, we bussed back to the Swan. Helen had forgotten her nasal
spray, so a call to her doctor’s office fixed that problem. They phoned her prescription to the pharmacy at Wal-mart, so we headed over there. I find Wal-mart to be useful for all sorts of things and I go there a couple of times a month, but the one not far from WDW was downright scary to me. Maybe we just caught it at a busy time, but everybody and their brother and their brother’s dog was there. It seemed incredibly dirty and disorganized in comparison to the one near my home. The prescription was ready when we got there, luckily, so we got it and a 6-pack of bottled water and left as quickly as
possible.
On the way back, we went to Downtown Disney to look around. Since it was after 2 and
we still hadn’t eaten lunch, we stopped at Ghirardelli’s and got ice cream. Nice lunch. In the Virgin Megastore, I had a mission for my daughter. Her friend had a CD by some Italian singer, Eros Ramasotti (sp?) who is apparently really popular in Europe (which is where her friend heard his music and bought the CD). She’d had no luck finding any of his CDs around home, although I’m sure she could have gotten it online. The Megastore had several, so I got his greatest hits. We listened to a little on our drive back to the hotel---I always screen her music---and I thought the music was pretty decent. He sounded a little like Lionel Richie, except mostly in Italian.
After I had success at Virgin, we went into World of Disney, Disney at Home, Pooh
Corner, and a few other places. World of Disney has almost anything you could want, but it’s a little overwhelming. Downtown Disney is probably a good place to go if you arrive early at WDW and you won’t have a pass until the next day. If you’re a souvenir shopper, make sure you don’t run out of money before you get a chance to look around down there. When we were ready to go back to the hotel, we were glad we had driven, because the bus service from DD can be so slow. Especially if YC/BC and Swan/Dolphin are sharing busses. It could make several stops in DD before even heading back to the resorts. One time we sat on a bus for 20 minutes at the one of the stops before moving on. That was later in the evening, though.
We went for a swim in the Grotto pool and froze. I’ve heard conflicting reports on
whether or not that thing is heated. It definitely didn’t feel heated. Then, we rested a while and decided to skip the parks for the rest of the day. We had most of the next day to do the two things we wanted to do in Epcot (France and Canada films) and maybe to go over the the Studios and ride a couple of rides. Instead of the parks, we would go over to PI and see a show or two at Comedy Warehouse, then call it an early night.
Around 5:30, we did decide to foray into Epcot for a little while, just to eat. Breakfast and the ice cream in the afternoon were not holding us. Nothing sounded that good, so we went to Pure and Simple. She had fruit salad, some lowfat mousse and water (which she already had with her). I had vegetable chili and a fruit smoothie, both of which were good. Both of us decided it was our favorite counter service restaurant at WDW. It’s a little different from everything else. The best part is that you don’t feel weighed down when you leave. I’d recommend it to anyone, and it never seems crowded.
Over at Pleasure Island, we got there in time to get in line a little early for the first Comedy Warehouse show. We didn’t really need to, but we figured there was no reason not to. We chatted with a some other couples/groups. A few said they came frequently or whenever they were at WDW, the rest said they had heard good things so they were trying it for the first time. There was already a fairly big line for the second show when we left the first one, so we got in line right then. Both shows were very funny and we enjoyed it as usual. It is unfortunate that several of the talented CMs left/had to leave. Hopefully that situation will be rectified soon. We didn’t feel like staying for a 3rd show, so we went back to the Swan and hit the hay.
March 25: We woke up early, but took our time getting ready and over to MGM. Before
we went to the Garden Grove cafe and both had fruit and a bagel. It was fine. We walked over (no more boat!) at 9:30 and went back to ToT to get a FastPass. We figured that we would have enough time to go ride the Great Movie Ride before our time came around. There was hardly a line there, so we pretty much walked right on. We got the gangster side again. This ride might need a little revamping. By the time we got back to ToT, it was about time, so we went ahead and rode. I still think I liked it better with fewer long drops than with more shorter drops. Either way, it’s fun. I could do without the preshow, though. The most exciting moment is when you have paused for just a few seconds looking out over the park and you realize how high you are. Then, wham, they drop you.
After that, we went to RRC to get FastPass. The time for it was 45 minutes away and
we had time to ride Star Tours twice (short lines) and shop. I have to say that, although 2 of the rides I like best (Tower of Terror and Rock & Roller Coaster) are at the Studios, it’s my least favorite park. It was pretty crowded (as we expected), but since it wasn’t really hot, it was bearable. Fastpass was a great idea. Sometimes I wonder why people are waiting in long lines when they could get a one and do something else while they wait.
IMO, it would be better to just sit and people watch on a bench than stand in a line. It’s not hard to find something to do while you wait for your time. After our ride on RRC, we got out of MGM and walked (hallelujah) over to Epcot, which took us about 20 minutes. We were so excited about this walking path.
The World Showcase hadn’t been open long, so it wasn’t too crowded yet. We went over
to France in order to catch the movie there. Of course, it’s an idealized portrait of the country, which is fine. Like I said before, I’m at WDW. Who wants to be realistic? That said, I’m ready to hop on a plane there next week. After that, we went back around to Canada to watch “O Canada!” It was just about to start when we got there, so we slipped in the back. I would recommend seeing both films if you have plenty of time in the parks, even though they seem a little dated. They wouldn’t be on my list of must-do WDW activities, but they’re worthwhile.
After the films, it was lunchtime and we were both hungry. Chefs de France is probably Helen’s favorite WDW restaurant, so I suggested we go back to France and eat there. The wait was about half an hour, but we browsed in the shops while we waited. When our beeper thing went off, we still had to wait about 5-7 more minutes before getting
seated, but we weren’t in a hurry, so it was fine. We split the quiche lorraine and salade nicoise, both of which were excellent. The whole dining experience took about 40 minutes (not too much longer than the wait to eat there).
By that time, we needed to go back to the Swan and check out. We had no problems with
the late AP checkout. I guess they have gotten all their employees on the same page with that one, or maybe we just got one who was up to speed. All in all, we were very satisfied with our stay at the Swan and would definitely return. No, there is no Mickey soap and Mickey’s happy voice will not greet you on the phone in the morning, but, for the price, I can definitely live with that. I also like Tubbi’s as an (overpriced) alternative to buffets in
the morning.
Our flight was leaving at 4:15, so we went ahead and left, stopping at DD on our way.
After hearing that I had found her Eros Ramasotti Greatest Hits CD at Virgin, my
daughter had begged me to return and see if they also had Eros Live. They did, and
Keelie is now driving us crazy with his music instead of Madonna. Helen picked up
something in World of Disney that her daughter’s fiancee had asked her to look for, then we were off to the airport.
We had a fine flight back home and we were back to reality. It was a fine trip on stolen time. Since we have seen most all we want to see, we were able to basically just relax and do the attractions we like most, and even spend some time outside of WDW and at DD. It was pretty crowded (lots of college kids), which I’d say is normal for the time, although it may get worse around Easter week when more of the school-aged kids are out. We didn’t encounter any rudeness or major inconveniences due to it. The weather was nice, we liked the resort, we’ll be back. So, until next time.....
[This message was edited by JoePA on 03-27-01 at 01:29 AM.]
[This message was edited by JoePA on 03-27-01 at 12:52 PM.]
