CdnDisneyNut
<font color=coral>What way does the "C" go again?<
- Joined
- Sep 2, 2002
- Messages
- 7,185
Airport--Arrived at the airport at 4:00am for a 6:30 flight. Small line at the airport counter and had boarding pass within 15 minutes. Leaving the Toronto airport for the States one clears US Customs before boarding the plane. US customs agents were not opened yet and did not open until 5:00am. I was about the 25th in line and by the time customs agents the line grew to several hundred. Cleared customs and security and was at the boarding gate by 5:15. Flight left late however made up the time in flight and arrived early in Orlando.
Mears--Claimed luggage and off to get the shuttle to All Star Sports. The shuttle left within 5 minutes with a stop at the other Terminal building. Then off to the resorts. There was only one stop (Coronaldo Springs) before stopping at the All Star.
Check-in--Arrived at the resort around 11am and check-in was done fast. However the room was not ready yet. Changed into shorts, grabbed bathing suit and checked the luggage at the baggage room.
Care Medical--I had work done on my knee recently and I knew my knee would not last a week of theme park walking so I booked a scooter for the week rather than rent the ECV from the parks. The scooter has ready fully charged as promised. I found the 3 wheeled scooter managed better than the four wheeled ECV found at the parks. The multiple speed controlled helped in the park especially during parades and any time the parks go congested. The only problem I encountered with it the scooter did not have enough power to go up the ramp of the Disney bus after a day at Epcot. The bus that arrived was one that lowered instead of a lift. The scooter needed a little push to get on the ramp. I had a same type of bus later in the week and the CM driver instructed me drive the scooter in and not back it in. I had no problem. So I do not know if it was the battery condition or loading instructions that caused the problem
WDW Transportation--During the week I was on all forms (bus, boat, ferry and monorail) of Disney Transportation system. The longest wait for any vehicle was 10 to 15 minutes. All the transit drivers were helpful in loading the scooter into their vehicles. However the way the drivers strapped the scooter down varied from driver to driver. Some asked if I was able to transfer to a regular bus seat, others strapped the scooter only and others strapped the scooter and myself in.
Park Security--The delay until the parks was minimal with the added security checking all bags going into the park. You could bypass the security checkpoint if you were enter the park without any bags. No bag check going into the e water parks.
Hidden Mickeys--This trip I was more aware and tried to find the hidden MIckeys throughout the parks and the resorts
Day 1 Blizzard Beach/ Downtown Disney--After checking in went over to McD's for lunch before heading to the water park. I decided to travel to Blizzard Beach from McD's directly instead of returning to the resort to pick up the Disney Transit to the park. It seemed to be about half way between ASSp and the park. Spent a couple of hours doing the all the slides except the high speed ones. Spent a lot of time in the Cross creek lazy river relaxing and enjoying the sun. Returned to the resort and claimed my room. I was assigned a room in Hoops (first floor building #2). The room was one of the closest in Hoops to the furthest room in the Surf building that charges the premium rate. Took the Disney Transit to Downtown Disney for Dinner (Wolfgang Pucks), shopping and entertainment. Went to the Comedy Warehouse and the Adventures Club. Since it has been a long day (up at 3:00am) I retired for the night.
Day 2 Epcot--Arrived at the park at opening time. Headed over to Test Track and entered though the single rider line. The stand by wait time was 20 minutes. There was little or no lines at the other Future World attractions. Headed over to the World Showcase and exited the park at the International Gateway to take a stroll around the lake to see the 'Epcot resorts'. I had lunch at the Boardwalk and returned to the park via the Friendship boat. Toured the World showcase pavilions. Norway's Maelstrom is still closed and I think I heard a CM it will not open until mid November. Lined up the first showing of the Tapestry of Dreams Parade. However because of the wind conditions it was cancelled. Toured some more around the World Showcase waiting for the second parade. The second parade was cancelled as well.
. They wait to the last minute to cancel the parades. Picked up a small snack and found a spot to view Illuminations. A CM assured me that it will still go on with the wind conditions unless within the next hour the winds pick up to hurricane strength. The show went on as planned. Stayed in the park about a half hour after the show and took me time to the exit to miss the crowds on the buses.
Day 3 Disney MGM Studios--Arrived at the park shortly after park opening. Got a PS for 50's Prime time Diner for supper. Went to Star Tours, ToT and RnR RC before the lines got to long. The longest wait time was 15 minutes. Next on the agenda was the Back Lot Tour and the theatre presentations. During the back lot tour I notice the set up of the Osborne lights. They should be awsome once when they are turned on next month. There was little or no wait except for Millionaire (got a FP). Did not try BandB or Mermaid. Lined up for the afternoon parade. Fifteen minutes before the parade started the sky opened up and started to rain. A light drizzle; but it lasted for most of the parade. A half hour after the parade the rain was coming down in buckets. Seeked shelter in a store until the rained eased up a little. Headed over to the 50's diner for my reservations. Glad to be there and out of the rain. Cousin Liz (waitress/CM) talked me into having a drink (she had stoled the keys to Dad's liquor cabinet). I got caught trying to hide the last bit of potatoes on my plate. However I was still offered dessert since I did finish my meat and veggies. I passed; too full. After diner went to see the Stunt Show before heading over to be seated for Fantasmic. Still raining (though light) and can see lighting in the background. I am nuts. Seating in an open theatre in a lightning storm surrounded by aluminium benches. The show went on as planned. There was added special effects during the show with the lightning in the background (with no cost to Disney). Because of the weather the theatre was only half full. Left the park after the show and there was no lines waiting for the bus.
Day 4 Magic Kingdom--Happy Canadian Thanksgiving. Arrived at the park in the morning and did not need a FP to go on Space Mountain, Big Thunder, Haunted Mansion or Jungle Cruise. Toured the park and there was no or little lines at all of the rides and attractions. Lined up for the afternoon parade and started to rain (do you see a pattern here). The rain stopped before the parade started. Watched the evening parade without any rain.
Day 5 Animal Kingdom/ Downtown Disney --I got to the park just after park opening and went over to Kilamanjaro Safari to get it before the lines are long and while the animal are more active before the heat of the day. The line was small and a FP was not required. There was little or no line for Dinosaur and Primeval Whirl. Lined up for the afternoon parade and you guessed it .The rain returned. Stopped before the parade started. Returned to the resort for a little R&R. Went to Downtown Disney for the evening. Returned to the Adventures club and the Comedy Warehouse and visited a couple of the clubs. I went over to see Disney Quest. I am not into arcade games. I could see how teenagers could spend the whole day there. I stayed at DTD for the New Year's celebration. The party is smaller since my last visit (last visit was Nov 2000).
Day 6 Resort & Parkhopping --Today is a leisure day to check out a couple of resorts and returning to the parks to see some of the rides for one last time. Took the bus from the resort to MGM. Rode Star Tours and Tower of Terror. Exited the park and travelled to Epcot via the Friendship Boat. Along the way viewing the resorts along the boardwalk promenade. Entered the park and visited Test Track. Left the park and went onto Magic Kingdom via the monorail with a stop at the Polynesian. Took a stroll through the resort to see how the other half lives. continued to MK to ride Space Mountain. Returned to the resort. I thought I would I would try to see the Tapestry in Dreams one last time. I returned to Epcot via the scenic route. Resort to DTD. DTD to Port Orleans via the friendship boat. A stop at Port Orleans to have a look around. I think I will be staying here on a future visit. Then onto Epcot via bus. I got settled to see Tapestry in Dream. Cancelled again because of winds. Returned to the resort before the start of the evening fireworks.
Day 7 Blizzard Beach / Epcot / MNSSSHP--Arrived at BB before park opened and spent the morning. Went on the Summit Plummet and Slusher Gusher before the crowds grew. The park seem more crowded today (Thursday) then on day 1 (Friday). There were signs at he park entrance welcoming people from 'Dream Flight'. Left the park to return to the resort. I went to Epcot in the mid afternoon to finch off the Future Word exhibits I have not seen yet and repeat a couple I wanted to see again. Headed over to MK via monorail and ferry. They were letting people into the park before the 7:00pm start time. I was not handed a bracelet when I entered the park. There was a poster thought that anyone that did not have a bracelet were party crashing. Not true The park was done up very good for the Halloween party. Do not know if it was just me but it seemed that they had the park lights dimmer then usual for that haunting effect. The line up for any of the rides were non existent. All of the FP machines were covered up and were not required. Lined up for the free photo. There was about 70 % of the children and 20 % of the adults in costumes. It was nice to see some of the CM in costumes as well. I have never been on the Liberty Square Riverboat before. Entertainment and storytelling was not bad. Lined up the second parade and ride of the headless horseman. No rain. This would have been a parade if it had been raining it would have added to the effect. Watched the fireworks and the witch replaced Tinkerbell's flight.. The crowds did not thin out after the fireworks. It seemed that they all stayed to the very end. I did a little trick or treating myself. The trip back to the resort was the most enjoyable. The bus driver had a Disney contest between the Kids and the Adults. The kids questions were sooooooooo easy and the adults were a bit difficult. The loser had to sing a trio of songs (Zip a do Dah, It's a Small World, and Mickey Mouse Club Theme). The kids won (surprised). The trip back to the resort seemed like it did not take any time at all.
Day 8 Homeward Bound--Arrived back at the resort around 1:00am. Since I had an early flight time (Mears pick up at 7:15). Finished most of the packing and got a Mickey wake up call in the morning. Mears pick up was on time. We were the last resort picked up and off to the airport. They dropped passengers off the other terminal first the off to our terminal. No problem with checkin or security.
Mears--Claimed luggage and off to get the shuttle to All Star Sports. The shuttle left within 5 minutes with a stop at the other Terminal building. Then off to the resorts. There was only one stop (Coronaldo Springs) before stopping at the All Star.
Check-in--Arrived at the resort around 11am and check-in was done fast. However the room was not ready yet. Changed into shorts, grabbed bathing suit and checked the luggage at the baggage room.
Care Medical--I had work done on my knee recently and I knew my knee would not last a week of theme park walking so I booked a scooter for the week rather than rent the ECV from the parks. The scooter has ready fully charged as promised. I found the 3 wheeled scooter managed better than the four wheeled ECV found at the parks. The multiple speed controlled helped in the park especially during parades and any time the parks go congested. The only problem I encountered with it the scooter did not have enough power to go up the ramp of the Disney bus after a day at Epcot. The bus that arrived was one that lowered instead of a lift. The scooter needed a little push to get on the ramp. I had a same type of bus later in the week and the CM driver instructed me drive the scooter in and not back it in. I had no problem. So I do not know if it was the battery condition or loading instructions that caused the problem
WDW Transportation--During the week I was on all forms (bus, boat, ferry and monorail) of Disney Transportation system. The longest wait for any vehicle was 10 to 15 minutes. All the transit drivers were helpful in loading the scooter into their vehicles. However the way the drivers strapped the scooter down varied from driver to driver. Some asked if I was able to transfer to a regular bus seat, others strapped the scooter only and others strapped the scooter and myself in.
Park Security--The delay until the parks was minimal with the added security checking all bags going into the park. You could bypass the security checkpoint if you were enter the park without any bags. No bag check going into the e water parks.
Hidden Mickeys--This trip I was more aware and tried to find the hidden MIckeys throughout the parks and the resorts
Day 1 Blizzard Beach/ Downtown Disney--After checking in went over to McD's for lunch before heading to the water park. I decided to travel to Blizzard Beach from McD's directly instead of returning to the resort to pick up the Disney Transit to the park. It seemed to be about half way between ASSp and the park. Spent a couple of hours doing the all the slides except the high speed ones. Spent a lot of time in the Cross creek lazy river relaxing and enjoying the sun. Returned to the resort and claimed my room. I was assigned a room in Hoops (first floor building #2). The room was one of the closest in Hoops to the furthest room in the Surf building that charges the premium rate. Took the Disney Transit to Downtown Disney for Dinner (Wolfgang Pucks), shopping and entertainment. Went to the Comedy Warehouse and the Adventures Club. Since it has been a long day (up at 3:00am) I retired for the night.
Day 2 Epcot--Arrived at the park at opening time. Headed over to Test Track and entered though the single rider line. The stand by wait time was 20 minutes. There was little or no lines at the other Future World attractions. Headed over to the World Showcase and exited the park at the International Gateway to take a stroll around the lake to see the 'Epcot resorts'. I had lunch at the Boardwalk and returned to the park via the Friendship boat. Toured the World showcase pavilions. Norway's Maelstrom is still closed and I think I heard a CM it will not open until mid November. Lined up the first showing of the Tapestry of Dreams Parade. However because of the wind conditions it was cancelled. Toured some more around the World Showcase waiting for the second parade. The second parade was cancelled as well.
. They wait to the last minute to cancel the parades. Picked up a small snack and found a spot to view Illuminations. A CM assured me that it will still go on with the wind conditions unless within the next hour the winds pick up to hurricane strength. The show went on as planned. Stayed in the park about a half hour after the show and took me time to the exit to miss the crowds on the buses. Day 3 Disney MGM Studios--Arrived at the park shortly after park opening. Got a PS for 50's Prime time Diner for supper. Went to Star Tours, ToT and RnR RC before the lines got to long. The longest wait time was 15 minutes. Next on the agenda was the Back Lot Tour and the theatre presentations. During the back lot tour I notice the set up of the Osborne lights. They should be awsome once when they are turned on next month. There was little or no wait except for Millionaire (got a FP). Did not try BandB or Mermaid. Lined up for the afternoon parade. Fifteen minutes before the parade started the sky opened up and started to rain. A light drizzle; but it lasted for most of the parade. A half hour after the parade the rain was coming down in buckets. Seeked shelter in a store until the rained eased up a little. Headed over to the 50's diner for my reservations. Glad to be there and out of the rain. Cousin Liz (waitress/CM) talked me into having a drink (she had stoled the keys to Dad's liquor cabinet). I got caught trying to hide the last bit of potatoes on my plate. However I was still offered dessert since I did finish my meat and veggies. I passed; too full. After diner went to see the Stunt Show before heading over to be seated for Fantasmic. Still raining (though light) and can see lighting in the background. I am nuts. Seating in an open theatre in a lightning storm surrounded by aluminium benches. The show went on as planned. There was added special effects during the show with the lightning in the background (with no cost to Disney). Because of the weather the theatre was only half full. Left the park after the show and there was no lines waiting for the bus.
Day 4 Magic Kingdom--Happy Canadian Thanksgiving. Arrived at the park in the morning and did not need a FP to go on Space Mountain, Big Thunder, Haunted Mansion or Jungle Cruise. Toured the park and there was no or little lines at all of the rides and attractions. Lined up for the afternoon parade and started to rain (do you see a pattern here). The rain stopped before the parade started. Watched the evening parade without any rain.
Day 5 Animal Kingdom/ Downtown Disney --I got to the park just after park opening and went over to Kilamanjaro Safari to get it before the lines are long and while the animal are more active before the heat of the day. The line was small and a FP was not required. There was little or no line for Dinosaur and Primeval Whirl. Lined up for the afternoon parade and you guessed it
.The rain returned. Stopped before the parade started. Returned to the resort for a little R&R. Went to Downtown Disney for the evening. Returned to the Adventures club and the Comedy Warehouse and visited a couple of the clubs. I went over to see Disney Quest. I am not into arcade games. I could see how teenagers could spend the whole day there. I stayed at DTD for the New Year's celebration. The party is smaller since my last visit (last visit was Nov 2000).Day 6 Resort & Parkhopping --Today is a leisure day to check out a couple of resorts and returning to the parks to see some of the rides for one last time. Took the bus from the resort to MGM. Rode Star Tours and Tower of Terror. Exited the park and travelled to Epcot via the Friendship Boat. Along the way viewing the resorts along the boardwalk promenade. Entered the park and visited Test Track. Left the park and went onto Magic Kingdom via the monorail with a stop at the Polynesian. Took a stroll through the resort to see how the other half lives. continued to MK to ride Space Mountain. Returned to the resort. I thought I would I would try to see the Tapestry in Dreams one last time. I returned to Epcot via the scenic route. Resort to DTD. DTD to Port Orleans via the friendship boat. A stop at Port Orleans to have a look around. I think I will be staying here on a future visit. Then onto Epcot via bus. I got settled to see Tapestry in Dream. Cancelled again
because of winds. Returned to the resort before the start of the evening fireworks.Day 7 Blizzard Beach / Epcot / MNSSSHP--Arrived at BB before park opened and spent the morning. Went on the Summit Plummet and Slusher Gusher before the crowds grew. The park seem more crowded today (Thursday) then on day 1 (Friday). There were signs at he park entrance welcoming people from 'Dream Flight'. Left the park to return to the resort. I went to Epcot in the mid afternoon to finch off the Future Word exhibits I have not seen yet and repeat a couple I wanted to see again. Headed over to MK via monorail and ferry. They were letting people into the park before the 7:00pm start time. I was not handed a bracelet when I entered the park. There was a poster thought that anyone that did not have a bracelet were party crashing. Not true The park was done up very good for the Halloween party. Do not know if it was just me but it seemed that they had the park lights dimmer then usual for that haunting effect. The line up for any of the rides were non existent. All of the FP machines were covered up and were not required. Lined up for the free photo. There was about 70 % of the children and 20 % of the adults in costumes. It was nice to see some of the CM in costumes as well. I have never been on the Liberty Square Riverboat before. Entertainment and storytelling was not bad. Lined up the second parade and ride of the headless horseman. No rain. This would have been a parade if it had been raining it would have added to the effect. Watched the fireworks and the witch replaced Tinkerbell's flight.. The crowds did not thin out after the fireworks. It seemed that they all stayed to the very end. I did a little trick or treating myself. The trip back to the resort was the most enjoyable. The bus driver had a Disney contest between the Kids and the Adults. The kids questions were sooooooooo easy and the adults were a bit difficult. The loser had to sing a trio of songs (Zip a do Dah, It's a Small World, and Mickey Mouse Club Theme). The kids won (surprised). The trip back to the resort seemed like it did not take any time at all.
Day 8 Homeward Bound--Arrived back at the resort around 1:00am. Since I had an early flight time (Mears pick up at 7:15). Finished most of the packing and got a Mickey wake up call in the morning. Mears pick up was on time. We were the last resort picked up and off to the airport. They dropped passengers off the other terminal first the off to our terminal. No problem with checkin or security.
