the Legend
Master of Attractions and TourGuide Hopeful!
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2001
- Messages
- 347
Before we continue, I'd like to thank everyone for their kind words and encouragement. I must admit my reports are longer than most but I am trying hard to keep them as short and concise as possible without compromising our experience. As you can imagine, this is no easy task. I hope everyone enjoys the reports and maybe learns a little something about us and WDW along the way. So, without further delay, the conclusion to 'The Kiwis have landed (Day 3 - Dreams come true!)'
With our kindest Regards,
Rob and Family.
Cast of Aladdin Down Under
Rob (as Aladdin) - That's me. 36yo Princely Rogue and Princess Pamperer.
Lydia (as Rajah the Tiger) - My Mum and very staunch protector of the Princesses.
Nadine and Adair (as the Princesses Jasmine) - 7yo identical Twins. Regal Renegades seeking love and adventure in far off lands.
Michael (as the Genie) - Local Tour Guide and Master Planner of our holiday
Wed Aug 29: Day 3 - Dreams come true! Pt.2
Leaving Adventureland, we knew there were still things to do but these were better left until after lunch. If you remember, we had just finished taking our photos with Aladdin and a guy dressed as a Tree. "Tree" claimed to be Princess Jasmine causing great distress to the Twins, who absolutely love the Princess. He might be "Firewood" if we didn't get outta there soon. Michael said he'd run ahead and meet us at the CP.
Objective #05 ..... Lunch.
Location ............. Crystal Palace
Mission .............. Eat well and rest while enjoying the company of Winnie, Tigger, Piglet and Eeyore.
Following the path out of Adventureland, I noticed a gathering of Strollers parked outside a large glass Atrium-type building. Looking inside, I could see Pooh and Tigger so we parked up. Michael was getting some water around the side of the Crystal and told us to wait until we were called. It must be a popular restaurant because all the benches were full with families waiting to get in. We thought it would take a while but after 5 minutes we were ushered inside. It had a very Victorian-English feel to it and the Wait Staff were dressed accordingly. Compared to the number of people outside, inside was relatively empty with maybe 5 families tops. Our Waitress, Barbara, was very cheery and polite.
She explained how the characters worked the room and told us about some of the options in todays buffet. Once the Drinks were ordered, we proceeded to the Buffet. Missing the first rotation of Winnie and Eeyore, we returned with our meals. Drinks were delivered promptly and I got to see Michaels Drink of Choice, Pink Lemonade. We've never seen anything like that before and it was fascinating. The food was fine but there were no real stand-outs from my point of view. Because there was hardly anybody in the Restaurant , the Characters kept coming around! 
The Twins were so busy talking to them, posing for photos and getting autographs that they didn't touch alot of their Lunch 
After missing most of their Breakfast, I was adamant they wouldn't miss Lunch too. We probably stayed longer than we needed too but I wanted to make sure the Girls had enough to eat! 
Of all the meals we had and would have at WDW, it was the tip I left our Waitress Barbara that I feel the most guilty about. 
Barbara, At the time, I couldnt be bothered doing the maths and short-changed you! You undoubtedly deserved more than I paid. Please accept my most humble Apology ... Sorry Folks! Its been haunting me for a while and I had to get that off my chest! Timed it well and left the Crystal Palace just as they were letting in the Lunch Masses.
Objective #06 ..... Complete Objective #04
Location ............. Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square
Mission .............. Have Fun. Rendezvous at the Enchanted Tiki Room.
The line for the Magic Carpets was quiet long. Calling upon his Tour Guide intuition, Michael decided to give it a miss promising that we'd be back to ride it tomorrow. This placed us right in front of the Tiki room, with a word to the CM, we discovered the pre-show was underway and we could go right in. We caught the tail-end of the show and didnt have to wait long before the Main Doors opened. Inside, Michael requested we sit in the middle to back rows. Once the show started, it was obvious why. As you enter the room, the seating circles a central podium. Most people sit around the podium not knowing that the show takes place above their heads and all over the ceiling of the Tiki Room. I was thankful that Michael had saved us from the sore necks those people must've suffered. Now If there is one thing I will remember about this show, it will be the volume. This Show is loud! Saying that I did like all the different birds and songs. We thought it was particularly funny when all the statues, flowers and walls started singing along as well. All in all, a cute show well worth a visit however prepare for ringing ears well after you've left.
"Where to from here?" Like an Indian Tracker in the Movies, Michael checks his Watch, looks at Sun
, sniffs the Afternoon Breeze, "I'm thinking Big Thunder Mountain!". There were smiles all round and I was grinning larger than the Cheshire Cat on Prozac. Big Thunder was great and having the ability to enter through the exit was a bonus though you could tell by the looks on the waiting Hoardes, they did not like standing there even if it was for one more train. I must admit, I do feel for them having done the long lines last Summer. From Thunder, we did Splash Mountain and having done it once meant that the second time around was not that frightful. We were no longer fearing the drops and there was no real surprises. We put the Twins up front hoping they would cop the full load of the Splash at the bottom but NOOOO, the Wave went right over them hitting Michael and I who were sitting directly behind. From there, we walked around to the Country Bears. Unfortunately for us, we missed the show by only a few minutes so we pressed on to the Haunted Mansion. Michael ran ahead to organise our entry.
Access to the Haunted Mansion for Guests in wheelchairs, like Splash and Big Thunder, is through the exit. We parked the Wheelchair and Michael knocked on a door. A CM answered and walked us through a corridor which lead directly to the Lobby. Keeping character the whole time, she announced to the Bellhop, "I have someBODIES for you". The room was dark with no visible exits except the way we came in. After the brief wait, another set of doors opened and in poured the people who had waited in line. Once the room was full, a different set of doors opened and we were ushered in. I knew the famous stretching room from DL visits and was watching the Twins who had no idea what was going on. Was the roof going up or were we going down? One of the Great Disney mysteries
The Doors opened and we made our way to the Doom Buggies. It was a long ride and pretty chilly too. The effects were superb though and I can see why it is a Disney Classic. The ride broke down at the "Hitchhiker" stage near the end, I chuckled as the Twins try to figure out where the Ghost was. In the end, I enjoyed it and although the Twins laughed it off, I know they were a little more scared than they were letting on. We never visited the Haunted Mansion again despite the fact we visited MK several times during our 10 nights at WDW including 2 E-ride Nights. Its a shame really but theres no telling with some people ... kids most of all.
We took our place in Michaels preferred spot for Parade watching. I could tell you but then we'd be out of a spot next time we visit! We were in for a long wait 20-30 minutes so Michael told us about his days as a Haunted Mansion CM. Apparently WDW used to host Grad Nights for several High Schools (I believe they still do in a more restricted way now). Of all the jobs to get on a Grad Night, Haunted Mansion CM was the most sought after. HM CMs were allowed to prowl the Mansion scaring the living daylights out of HS Graduates. Its a tough job but someone has to do it, right? He also told us that the Parade we were about to watch was in its last days and was to be replaced Oct 1. With that in mind, we watched the Parade. All the Characters were out (I have close to 3 rolls of film to prove it) and the floats were fantastic. We were happy when the Girls were selected by the Dancers leading the Parade. They were joined by other Children who danced in a Circle with Chip and Dale sealing what was a very magical day and a Dream come true for all.
Once the Parade had passed, Michael took us through a backway and down Main St USA. By the time we had reached the Railroad Station, we could've stay and watched the Parade again. But Michael urged us to leave before the Masses left. It was our chance to get to the Bus Stop before the Crowd came out. We made arrangements for the next day and boarded a near empty bus to the All-Star. Once we were back, we relaxed watching TV. Later that night, I took the Girls down for a swim in the All-Star Sports Pool after which Mum took them for Dinner at the Food Court. Not feeling hungry, I went back to my room and fell alseep watching the WDW Tour channel .... again
Summary - Magic Kingdom Part 2.
Crystal Palace, Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Dancing with Chip'n'Dale in the Magic Moments Parade
Enchanted Tiki Room, Splash Mountain, Michaels WDW Stories
Getting out before the Crowd
People everywhere! Shops everywhere!
Tomorrow: The Kiwis go to Infinity and Beyond!
Read the next instalment of 'The Kiwis have landed (Day 4 - To Infinity and Beyond!)'
With our kindest Regards,
Rob and Family.
Cast of Aladdin Down Under
Rob (as Aladdin) - That's me. 36yo Princely Rogue and Princess Pamperer. Lydia (as Rajah the Tiger) - My Mum and very staunch protector of the Princesses. Nadine and Adair (as the Princesses Jasmine) - 7yo identical Twins. Regal Renegades seeking love and adventure in far off lands. Michael (as the Genie) - Local Tour Guide and Master Planner of our holidayWed Aug 29: Day 3 - Dreams come true! Pt.2
Leaving Adventureland, we knew there were still things to do but these were better left until after lunch. If you remember, we had just finished taking our photos with Aladdin and a guy dressed as a Tree. "Tree" claimed to be Princess Jasmine causing great distress to the Twins, who absolutely love the Princess. He might be "Firewood" if we didn't get outta there soon. Michael said he'd run ahead and meet us at the CP.
Objective #05 ..... Lunch.
Location ............. Crystal Palace
Mission .............. Eat well and rest while enjoying the company of Winnie, Tigger, Piglet and Eeyore.
Following the path out of Adventureland, I noticed a gathering of Strollers parked outside a large glass Atrium-type building. Looking inside, I could see Pooh and Tigger so we parked up. Michael was getting some water around the side of the Crystal and told us to wait until we were called. It must be a popular restaurant because all the benches were full with families waiting to get in. We thought it would take a while but after 5 minutes we were ushered inside. It had a very Victorian-English feel to it and the Wait Staff were dressed accordingly. Compared to the number of people outside, inside was relatively empty with maybe 5 families tops. Our Waitress, Barbara, was very cheery and polite.
She explained how the characters worked the room and told us about some of the options in todays buffet. Once the Drinks were ordered, we proceeded to the Buffet. Missing the first rotation of Winnie and Eeyore, we returned with our meals. Drinks were delivered promptly and I got to see Michaels Drink of Choice, Pink Lemonade. We've never seen anything like that before and it was fascinating. The food was fine but there were no real stand-outs from my point of view. Because there was hardly anybody in the Restaurant , the Characters kept coming around! The Twins were so busy talking to them, posing for photos and getting autographs that they didn't touch alot of their Lunch After missing most of their Breakfast, I was adamant they wouldn't miss Lunch too. We probably stayed longer than we needed too but I wanted to make sure the Girls had enough to eat! Of all the meals we had and would have at WDW, it was the tip I left our Waitress Barbara that I feel the most guilty about. Barbara, At the time, I couldnt be bothered doing the maths and short-changed you! You undoubtedly deserved more than I paid. Please accept my most humble Apology ... Sorry Folks! Its been haunting me for a while and I had to get that off my chest! Timed it well and left the Crystal Palace just as they were letting in the Lunch Masses.
Objective #06 ..... Complete Objective #04
Location ............. Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square
Mission .............. Have Fun. Rendezvous at the Enchanted Tiki Room.
The line for the Magic Carpets was quiet long. Calling upon his Tour Guide intuition, Michael decided to give it a miss promising that we'd be back to ride it tomorrow. This placed us right in front of the Tiki room, with a word to the CM, we discovered the pre-show was underway and we could go right in. We caught the tail-end of the show and didnt have to wait long before the Main Doors opened. Inside, Michael requested we sit in the middle to back rows. Once the show started, it was obvious why. As you enter the room, the seating circles a central podium. Most people sit around the podium not knowing that the show takes place above their heads and all over the ceiling of the Tiki Room. I was thankful that Michael had saved us from the sore necks those people must've suffered. Now If there is one thing I will remember about this show, it will be the volume. This Show is loud! Saying that I did like all the different birds and songs. We thought it was particularly funny when all the statues, flowers and walls started singing along as well. All in all, a cute show well worth a visit however prepare for ringing ears well after you've left.
"Where to from here?" Like an Indian Tracker in the Movies, Michael checks his Watch, looks at Sun
, sniffs the Afternoon Breeze, "I'm thinking Big Thunder Mountain!". There were smiles all round and I was grinning larger than the Cheshire Cat on Prozac. Big Thunder was great and having the ability to enter through the exit was a bonus though you could tell by the looks on the waiting Hoardes, they did not like standing there even if it was for one more train. I must admit, I do feel for them having done the long lines last Summer. From Thunder, we did Splash Mountain and having done it once meant that the second time around was not that frightful. We were no longer fearing the drops and there was no real surprises. We put the Twins up front hoping they would cop the full load of the Splash at the bottom but NOOOO, the Wave went right over them hitting Michael and I who were sitting directly behind. From there, we walked around to the Country Bears. Unfortunately for us, we missed the show by only a few minutes so we pressed on to the Haunted Mansion. Michael ran ahead to organise our entry.Access to the Haunted Mansion for Guests in wheelchairs, like Splash and Big Thunder, is through the exit. We parked the Wheelchair and Michael knocked on a door. A CM answered and walked us through a corridor which lead directly to the Lobby. Keeping character the whole time, she announced to the Bellhop, "I have someBODIES for you". The room was dark with no visible exits except the way we came in. After the brief wait, another set of doors opened and in poured the people who had waited in line. Once the room was full, a different set of doors opened and we were ushered in. I knew the famous stretching room from DL visits and was watching the Twins who had no idea what was going on. Was the roof going up or were we going down? One of the Great Disney mysteries
The Doors opened and we made our way to the Doom Buggies. It was a long ride and pretty chilly too. The effects were superb though and I can see why it is a Disney Classic. The ride broke down at the "Hitchhiker" stage near the end, I chuckled as the Twins try to figure out where the Ghost was. In the end, I enjoyed it and although the Twins laughed it off, I know they were a little more scared than they were letting on. We never visited the Haunted Mansion again despite the fact we visited MK several times during our 10 nights at WDW including 2 E-ride Nights. Its a shame really but theres no telling with some people ... kids most of all.We took our place in Michaels preferred spot for Parade watching. I could tell you but then we'd be out of a spot next time we visit! We were in for a long wait 20-30 minutes so Michael told us about his days as a Haunted Mansion CM. Apparently WDW used to host Grad Nights for several High Schools (I believe they still do in a more restricted way now). Of all the jobs to get on a Grad Night, Haunted Mansion CM was the most sought after. HM CMs were allowed to prowl the Mansion scaring the living daylights out of HS Graduates. Its a tough job but someone has to do it, right?
He also told us that the Parade we were about to watch was in its last days and was to be replaced Oct 1. With that in mind, we watched the Parade. All the Characters were out (I have close to 3 rolls of film to prove it) and the floats were fantastic. We were happy when the Girls were selected by the Dancers leading the Parade. They were joined by other Children who danced in a Circle with Chip and Dale sealing what was a very magical day and a Dream come true for all.
Once the Parade had passed, Michael took us through a backway and down Main St USA. By the time we had reached the Railroad Station, we could've stay and watched the Parade again. But Michael urged us to leave before the Masses left. It was our chance to get to the Bus Stop before the Crowd came out. We made arrangements for the next day and boarded a near empty bus to the All-Star. Once we were back, we relaxed watching TV. Later that night, I took the Girls down for a swim in the All-Star Sports Pool after which Mum took them for Dinner at the Food Court. Not feeling hungry, I went back to my room and fell alseep watching the WDW Tour channel .... again
Summary - Magic Kingdom Part 2.
Crystal Palace, Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Dancing with Chip'n'Dale in the Magic Moments Parade Enchanted Tiki Room, Splash Mountain, Michaels WDW Stories Getting out before the Crowd People everywhere! Shops everywhere!Tomorrow: The Kiwis go to Infinity and Beyond!
Read the next instalment of 'The Kiwis have landed (Day 4 - To Infinity and Beyond!)'
