The girls do Disney 11/11-11/16

[sramille]

CAST:
Myself: 27yr old, 7th trip to the World, 6th trip as a grown up and to Super Soap Weekend
DA: 26 yr old best friend, 1st trip to the World

Arrival

When I started looking for airfare I convinced DA to work a half day on Thursday and fly to Orlando in the afternoon. We went ahead and purchased our tickets departing Tucson at 2:45pm, arriving in Orlando at 10:50pm. As the date got closer, I realized that there was no way I would have enough composure to work that day. I had hoped that we would be able to fly standby on an earlier flight(for obvious reasons), but it just wasn't in the cards. We probably could have made it from Tucson to Dallas, but there was a strong possiblity that we could be stuck in Dallas until our originally scheduled flight. Instead...we took the day off, went to Jazzercise and finished packing. Both of our flights went smoothly. I had bought a DVD player that we used to watch Raising Helen on our flight from Dallas to Orlando. (Figures that they were playing "13 going on 30" on that flight...great movie, but I'd already seen it 3 times) We arrived right on time and Fritz? from Murray Hill was waiting for us when we came down the escalator. It was an awkward 15 minutes or so waiting for our luggage, but it arrived with no difficulties. Fritz was off to get the car and we were on our way. It was very nice to have help with our luggage and a quiet ride "home". We stopped at Goodings at Crossroads where we purchased water, soda, beer, bagels, cream cheese, and a couple of snacks. Total was around $55. I've never paid as much for anything as I did there, but compared to Disney prices, it was a bargain. After arrival at Pop Century, I only had to wait a few minutes to check in, but the entire process must have taken at least 10 minutes. Something interesting...although I booked and paid for the entire trip, the room ended up in DA's name. Must have been something that the Dreams agent did when she set it up. We were given room 7363 in the eighties section. Quite a hike from the lobby when you have luggage and groceries! Room was just as expected and perfectly adequate for two adults looking to cut costs...we ended up getting it for $55/night. We got the collapsible cooler set up and went outside to relax with a couple drinks before getting ready for bed.

I almost forgot!!! DA had a lime green ribbon and luggage tag on her bag. I had to laugh...she only knows what I've told her about the DIS, but she'd fit right in!

 

[sramille]

Epcot and the Luau

I had intended on getting us to the parks bright and early this trip. I'm very aware of the benefits of being in the parks the first couple of hours. (Disneyland at Christmas) Apparently, it just wasn't meant to be on this trip, but everything turned out ok. Our first night, I couldn't figure out how to get the alarm clock to work, but set the wakeup call which was extremely loud and efficient. We got up and ate our bagelsw/ cream cheese...yum! We probably didn't make it to the bus stop until around 10ish. We waited about 10mins for a bus and got a seat..woohoo!

First stop in Epcot was Test Track. The wait was 40 mins so we got a FP w/ return time of 1:55-2:55. Next, we went over to Mission Space and waited 5-10 mins to get on. I don't know if it was the single Dramamine I took that helped, but the ride didn't seem nearly as intense as I remember from last year. Also, the ride was much more fun when I played along by pushing the buttons and steering during the landing.

Next, we wandered over and walked into the Universe of Energy. Cute show...we were concerned for awhile that the educational part was going to be skipped, but they came through in the end.

We went to check out the world showcase for the next couple of hours. On our way over, we caught the Epcot Vybe out in front of the water. Very good performers...I always enjoy hearing live music. Our next stop was in Mexico to pick up a chicken taco and sample of wine from the F&W booth. The chicken was very good as was the corn tortilla it was served in, but I just don't enjoy soft corn tortillas in my tacos. The wine was so-so. We wandered around the Mexico pavilion and fell in love with some of the wood carvings inside. Unfortunately, they were a little pricey for something that we wouldn't know what to do with in our homes. DA was impressed with the outside of the pavilion since she had seen and climbed a building like that earlier this year in the real Mexico.

Off to Norway...finally rode Maelstrom which I didn't know was even back there until I started reading these boards. Cute ride, but I didn't feel like it said a whole lot.

Next was China where we had the potstickers and plum wine from the F&W booth. I love potstickers and these did not disappoint! The plum wine strikes me as a dessert wine. It was very,very good, but I couldn't drink it regularly.

We made our way to Italy just in time to see a performance from the Living Statue. I was very excited for DA to see this. When we were in Vegas at the Venetian they had one, but I don't think it did anything except pose for pictures and people were throwing money at it!!! I was not disappointed today. We saw a very funny performance. One guy went up and the statue put her arm around him. After his picture was taken, she kept leaning against him and he couldn't get her to stand back up on her pedestal. Very cute! We walked back through the buildings in Italy and I remembered the Bellini I had tried last year....I describe it as peach champagne. Luckily, we were able to find it at a booth right around the corner...$14 for two glasses, but worth every penny!

Time to go back to Future World. We stopped to get FPs for The Land on our way to ride TT. DA was impressed with the theming of the ride, but thought it would have gone faster. I really enjoy the outside portion of the ride, it feels so freeing. (It helps that I rarely get to drive over 45 around here!) Next up was the Land. This was one area that DA had expressed interest in prior to the trip and she talked about it for days afterwards. It was really cool seeing the hydroponics in action and to see things growing from the lattice they have set up.

Wandered over to the Living Seas next...another spot DA was interested in. We must have looked around for 45 minutes or so. I don't think either one of us had ever seen a seahorse so that was cool. We watched the cuttlefish for at least 10 minutes...what ugly, fascinating creatures! I also enjoyed watching the HUGE sea turtle swimming through the big tanks.

It was now time to get going (3:15) to relax a bit and get ready for the Luau. What timing! The bus pulled right up as we were walking to the bus stop and we got seats again!

Back at the room, we snacked and got ready to go. We had intended on getting to the Poly early for a Lapu Lapu, but got going a little late. While we were waiting to board our bus to the MK, the driver had problems getting the stairs to fold up after loading a wheelchair. While she called for help, an Epcot bus pulled up so we hopped on that and took the 2 monorails over to the Poly. We were meeting my friend and her family so I was worried that we would be late, but as it worked out we were walking off the monorail into the lobby just as they were walking in the front entrance. Perfect! We took the long walk to the Luau, got leied and waited to be seated. We were on the left side of the stage, the second table back which would have been fine, but there was a pole in the way of a great view. I was worried about this show after all of the reviews I had seen, but it did not disappoint. The coconut pineapple bread was fantastic and my friends mother ate at least 3 helpings of the salad. Everyone loved that mango-poppyseed dressing. The main courses were not mind blowing, but definitely decent food and there was plenty of it. I thought that the show would have a bunch of hokey stuff and one or two traditional dances, but they must have done more like 6 or 7. This was great since I was doing this show specifically to make up for DA not seeing a Luau last year in Hawaii. The Spirit of Aloha ended up being all that I wanted it to be.

After the Luau, we wandered around the lobby and took a few pictures. Talked about going for that drink, but DA and I were exhausted and had to be up bright and early for our Segway Tour the next morning. My friend drove us back to Pop, we showered and were off to bed! By the way, the weather was gorgeous all day, mid 80s, partly cloudy, slightly humid for our taste, but I couldn't have asked for a better Florida day.

 

[sramille]

Segway, Epcot and Wishes

I had set the wakeup call for 7 this morning and managed to work the alarm clock for 7:15. We got up and ready, ate breakfast and called a cab to get us to Epcot in time for our Segway tour. I had called the front desk the night before and asked if we could get a bus to Epcot and be there by 8:15. The not so friendly lady on the other end informed me that the first bus wouldn't leave until 8:15...no good. She recommended that we take a bus to MGM which had EE and then take a boat to Epcot. Well, I'm no expert, but why would the boat be running from MGM earlier than the bus leaving our hotel??? Besides, I knew that it was Super Soap day so I wasn't taking any chances. Our cab was outside when we got there and it cost $9.50 plus tip to get us to Epcot. We were at the turnstiles right around 8:10. They could give you better instructions for this tour. I knew they had said something about being at Guest Relations inside the park to the left, but I almost got thrown off by the Guest Relations outside the park. Instead, we jumped in a line of people that looked like they were going in. Turns out it was the line for the Princess breakfast as shown by the sign up front. Also turns out that we were right where we were supposed to be, but if it weren't for the CM checking people in the line, I would not have known. We made it up to GR right around 8:15 and saw a CM on a Segway leading people off. We went into Guest Relations anyway, but noone was there. Granted we didn't wait long because we didn't want to lose the Segway guy, but there was noone in there! So, we chase them down and the CM sends us back to GR. Naturally, there are now 2 people in there! Don't you hate how that happens? Anyway, they check us in and we're on our way to get started with our training. I'll tell you...when I first stood on my Segway I thought there's no way I can do this! It was so difficult to get thing to sit still. However, within minutes, it was felt natural. We completed our training and were on our way to the World Showcase. It was very nice to be there before the general public. We had our first accident in China where a woman fell over and skinned her knee. She decided to continue and joined us in a couple of countries. Then it was MY turn! In Germany we were riding along the path behind the little train set. As I was coming around the curve, I noticed that I was on my way to running into the railing on the right side so I quickly turned myself left....and hit the left railing! Down me and the Segway went. Luckily, I was fine, but I thought I had broked the Segway. The CM stood it up and looked at the piece that had fallen off and just velcroed it right back on! Whew...$5,000 saved. I was so embarrassed! We continued on for a little while before they stopped to take our pictures in front of the water with SE in the background. We made our way out the other side of the WS and were done with our tour. Very cool! We were both very glad that we took the tour.

First stop after the tour was Figment...cute ride, but nothing special to us.

We decided to go back to the WS the other direction today so we started in Canada. We stopped and had the cheddar soup, a huge chunk of maple walnut fudge and a glass of ice wine. DA decided that if the bottle cost $56 we had to try it! The soup was just as good as I had heard and the fudge was great. The wine was the best we had the whole trip. We went on to the Poland booth where we tried the Kielbasa and Pierogie with a glass of cherry wine. The food was good, but the wine tasted like cough syrup. We made our way around to France where we caught what I can only describe as a chair show. Very cute. I love the little impromptu shows you come upon throughout the parks and this was no disappointment. Next was the India booth where we tried the Chicken Tikka in practice for my friends wedding next spring. My first venture into Indian food was not bad...I should have no problem!

We grabbed DA a Fiesta Margarita on the other side before we exited the WS. Did some shopping and went out to wait maybe 2 minutes for our bus.

Back at the hotel, we ate in the food court. DA got the nachos and I got the chicken fingers and a Mickey rice krispie treat. Yum! We went to rest in the room for awhile and change into some warmer clothes.

We ended up making it to the Magic Kingdom around 7:15. Was it ever crowded! This was what I expected, but you're never really ready for it. First stop was Philharmagic. We waited around 15 minutes to get our seats, but it was well worth it. I love this show! I've never seen so many people reach for the 3-D effects.

Next on the list was the Tiki room...little did I know that it closed at 8. I was so disappointed. DA had her first experience with the Tiki Room in California and I really wanted her to see the WDW version. Oh well.

DA expressed interest in going on Big Thunder Mountain since it hasn't been open in DL. We wandered over there and the sign said that there was a 20 minute wait. After a short debate, we decided to get a FP and wander over to Tomorrowland to pass the time. We walked right on the TTA which I don't remember ever doing before. Then, on to Carousel of Progress..there couldn't have been more than 7 people in our theatre. Both attractions were fun, but those slow, dark rides just aren't good when you're exhausted! We noticed that Stitch was open...with a 70 minute wait!!!! Nothing is worth waiting that long in my book. I've never done Buzz, but the wait was 40 minutes and FPs were for during the fireworks so we passed on that too. We wandered back to Frontierland and had a good ride on BTMR while Spectromagic was starting to roll through the area. We walked over to a nearby smoking area with a couple of rocking chairs and just sat on the water and watched the parade from a distance. It wasn't a perfect view, but it was much nicer than bobbing back and forth behind 5 rows of people.

We wandered towards the front of the park for Wishes while searching for a diet coke and the restroom. We ended up with no soda, but found the restrooms up by the Pavilion. We sat down right in front there for about 5 minutes before the fireworks started. The show was great, but our location wasn't the greatest for hearing the music so it didn't achieve the effect I was hoping it would.

We had perfect weather all day. Temps in the 80s. It did start to sprinkle a little during Wishes, but nothing you could complain about when the day had been so nice!

After the fireworks, we headed right out of the park. Here is where we experienced the longest wait we had the entire time we were there. We waited at least 45 minutes for our bus to Pop!

We were exhaused when we got back so we didn't do much, but shower and get to sleep!

 

[sramille]

MGM and Super Soap
Late as usual...I wanted to be at the park by 10, but we probably weren't at the bus stop until 10. Ah well...The bummer this morning was that we got all ready to go and get outside to sprinkles. It was hardly raining, but enough so that our hair was pretty scary by the time we got to the bus stop. We arrived safe and sound and walked up the main street where they were interviewing a few AMC stars up on stage. Funny, now the weather was beautiful! We went to sit down over by the Brown Derby to form our plan of attack. I thought it was odd that I saw all of these people in blue tshirts around...they didn't look familiar. And, there was a CM not allowing people to walk throught the BD walkway. In a few minutes I knew why....they brought out Susan Lucci and Minnie Mouse for a photo op up on the grass where Sorceror Mickey and the broomsticks are. They posed for a few before they brought out Mickey himself. What a great start to the day!
When all that was over we headed back to get a FP for RocknRoller Coaster. We had somehow timed it so that we were about 15mins away from the next Beauty and the Beast so we walked over there. DA was surprised at how full the theatre was with 15mins to go. the show was as magical as always. DA thought the show was very well done. After the show, we went to grap FPs for Tower of Terror and use our FP for the coaster. I love that ride! I love the concept, the coaster, the music! I think DA got a kick out of it too. When we came out of the ride, Mulch, Sweat and Shears was playing outside. They were very good and I love catching acts around the park. DA thought it was just too cute. Off to Tower of Terror....good, fun ride, but I just don't see why people are scared of it so much. DA was giggling by the time it was over.
We had just enough time before lunch to catch the Great Movie Ride. Nice ride...I love old movies and Wizard of Oz is a big favorite of mine!
We had a 1:15 PS for Prime Time next. It must've taken 10 minutes just to get checked in. They were telling people that they weren't seating anyone without a PS until after 2pm. There were several people in line trying to get reservations which was why the line was moving so slowly. We waited in dad's living room for about 5 minutes before we were called. The restaurant was very cute, maybe a little loud. Our server Uncle Jimmy came around shortly to give us our dining instructions. We ordered onion rings and shared the meatloaf dinner. Those were the best darn onion rings I've ever had! The meatloaf was good...green beans were green beans...and the mashed potatoes were very good. It's so nice to be able to share meals. There's no way either of us could've eaten that entire meatloaf dinner. We were in and out pretty quickly and on our way to Indiana Jones. Again, we walked right in about 5 minutes before the show started. The show wasn't anything special, but here's where we really lucked out....shortly after the show started it started raining pretty good, but by the time we came out it had stopped. And, we didn't even plan it that way!
In an effort to do things that I haven't done in years, we hit The Little Mermaid next. Not the right show for us to do when we're tired! I hadn't seen it in 10 years, but I think from now on I'll skip this one.
We went over to have our picture taken with Sorceror Mickey next. I don't know why more people don't go in here. Everytime I go, there's only like 1 or 2 people ahead of me. Next, we went back to the backlot tour which just isn't the same, but as long as they have the preshow and catastrophe canyon I'm happy. Saw Mulch, Sweat and Shears again. Hillary B. Smith(Nora) from OLTL came out and danced with the guitar player for a moment before she went off to her next event. Very cute. We skipped the Muppets, Star Tours and One Mans Dream since we'd seen them a couple of times in California. We got a couple of beers and sat down to wait for the Super Soap parade. Unfortunately by then it was obvious that we wouldn't be getting curb seats so we stayed away until the parade started. Couldn't see much behind the throngs of people, but I still caught glimpses of all of my stars. There's nothing like seeing them and hearing the theme music blasting through MGM. Especially when I come home and watch the shows again. Had a couple more drinks while listening to the concert. Eventually, went off to get a hot chocolate and peanut butter/chocolate cookie. Yummy! The concert went on for maybe an hour and ended with fireworks over the sorcerers hat. Really good performances from Bob Guiney and the soap stars. Not the same without Kurth and Taylor though. Went home and tried to have a couple more drinks, but DA was on the phone so I got really tired. We got pizzas from the food court and sat outside. I managed to sneak a purchase of the Elvis Stitch that DA had been admiring. She totally didn't notice the Disney bag strapped to my purse when I came back with the food. I stuck it under her covers while she was showering. I was so proud of myself! Somehow today was much easier than the two Epcot days. We felt relaxed and our bodies weren't nearly as tired and sore as before. Very welcome feeling!

 

[sramille]

Animal Kingdom and Illuminations
I had hoped that we could do EE at AK today, but again sleep prevailed. We got up, had breakfast and were out at the bus stop around 9am. Once inside the Animal Kingdom, we wandered through the Oasis and headed for the Safari. There was a 30 minute wait so we got a FP and went to explore the Pangani Exploration Trail. The highlight here was that the gorillas were out and a couple of them kept fighting with each other. Very scary! That took just long enough for us to use our FPs when we were done. It took about 5-10 minutes to get on the safari and we were on our way. There were lots of animals out. We got to see the baby elephant, saw the cheetah get up and walk around and I had the best view of the lions out of my three trips to this park.
After the safari, it was time for Flights of Wonder. The show was starting in less than 5 minutes so we sat in the bleachers in the back, but it was a great view to not have to duck around peoples heads. The show was great just as I remembered. DA is a bird lover so she really enjoyed it.
Next, we went to check out the wait for Dinosaur. It was 20 mins so we grabbed a FP and went off to the Flame Tree BBQ for lunch. We got a pork sandwich meal and a side of fries. That was a great sandwich!!! And, we both really enjoyed the bbq beans too.
After lunch, we went to ride Dinosaur which was a walk in by now. That ride is still so scary even though I know it's fake! DA was giggling when we got off.
We went through the Maharajah jungle trek next. I love watching the fruit bats back there!
Next up was FOTLK. Again, we made it to the show just before it started so we were seated in the back which wasn't a problem for us. The show was good as usual.
We went over to catch Tarzan Rocks, again in the bleachers, but at least we didn't have to wait. We were annoyed at this show. First, the CMs were letting people in 15 minutes late! Then, the microphones were turned up so loud that I couldn't understand the words. Don't get me wrong...I still love the stunts, but they need to turn it down a bit! We ended up leaving a few minutes early to catch the parade. Turns out we didn't need to because there was plenty of room for a front row seat. We ended up waiting on the pathway between Asia and Africa which is the tail end of the parade. This is my third time with this parade and it was just as cute as ever. I love the music and the costumes.
After the parade, we got some popcorn and went to get a closer look at the Tree of Life. We browsed through the shops and made our way out of the park.
Another benefit to where we sat for the parade...the crowds afterwards were thinner because they had seen it 10 minutes before. We took a bus directly to Epcot. In hindsight, we probably should have gone back to the hotel, but we were feeling pretty good after the relaxing day so we kept going.
First on the list in Epcot was Spaceship Earth. We walked right on. DA couldn't believe that we had seen people lined up for this ride the other morning. Again, it's not a good idea to ride slow, dark rides when you're exhausted! It was tough to stay awake for that one! But now DA had done the ride in the ball so all was well with the world.
We did our last little bit of shopping next. We got a bib for some friends having a baby any day, a rattle for another friend having a baby any day, and a placemat for my kitty.
Then, we went over to find dinner in the WS. We looked at the Mexico menu, but were really hoping for potstickers in China. I really didn't want to wait for a seat so we didn't even look at the menu at Nine Dragons. Instead, we went right over to Lotus Blossom Cafe. No potstickers...bummer! DA got some kind of chicken bowl and I got beef fried rice and egg rolls. The chicken and my rice were just ok. They would have been better if the soy sauce had had any flavor. But, the egg rolls were awesome! After dinner, we made our way over to the American Adventure and walked right in. Again....why were we sitting in a dark room when we were so tired??? Actually, there was a teenager a few rows up that was actually sleeping when it was over. I mean, people were up and walking out and he was just sitting there. Poor kid.
Now we still had about an hour to waste. We walked over to France and caught an act by a guy with balloons who was involving children in the audience. Very funny show. Then, we went into the pastry shop so I could get some hot chocolate and dessert. By now, it was pretty cool out. DA had jeans and a longsleeve shirt on and she was chilly. I had shorts and sandals so I was pretty darn cold! The hot chocolate wasn't as good as the night before, but at least it helped keep me warm. There was nothing left to do but wait for the show to start. We went over and sat down on the landing in front of the International Gateway. There were lots of people along the fence, but we still had a pretty good view. Illuminations was great, but I wish just once I could actually see what is being shown on the ball when it's out there.
We made our way out of the park, finally stopping by the Art Gallery on our way out. Very cool stuff in there. I can't wait til I buy a house and have a whole room that I can decorate with Disney stuff. Off to the bus stop where we waited maybe 10 minutes for standing room only. Back to the hotel to shower and pack. Very sad that it's all over.

 

[sramille]

Departure
We had packed most of our things the night before. I checked out our bill that had been hung on the door and everything came out just fine. I did so good this trip! DA laughed at me, but I had been saving my cash and putting it in envelopes for each day or significant event on the trip. It really helped me. By the time the trip rolled around, I didn't need to take any cash out. I had bought my ticket a couple of months prior and used another $50 rewards. The hotel had been paid in full. The Segway tour had been paid in full. It was a good feeling to be organized.
We were up and out front just after 8:30 and Fritz was waiting. We had a very nice drive back to the airport. Note: I had requested a photo stop, but he never mentioned it. I know I could have, but I was just too exhausted by this point. We were at the airport and checked in right around 9am for our 11am flight. Everything went smoothly on the way home. We watched Mulan on the way from Dallas to Tucson...that little DVD player sure does help pass the time! Poor DA had started feeling sick on Monday and it was hitting her hard on the way home. She didn't go back to work the rest of the week. I got sick last year on my Disney cruise so I know exactly how she feels. Hopefully, I won't get it next!

 

[kathymc]

sounds like a great trip
thanks for posting

question though - what does DA stand for?

 

[llij]

Sounds like you had a great trip. Thanks for the report. Sorry that your friend got sick and I hope that she feels better.

 

[sramille]

Thanks for reading...DA is just my "code" name for my friend that came with me.