The Last Hurrah...July 13-21...BIG Update Page 4, post 58

[ImagineerM]

The Last Hurrah…July 13-21

…or the final trip before I get married.


Yes folks this is the tale of my final trip to Walt Disney World as a single guy! Next May I’ll be tying the knot with my beloved fiancée and it just recently hit me that this past week will be the last time I go to WDW the same way. From now on things will be different, a good different, but nonetheless different. And to be honest, realizing this impending change, I’ve become increasingly emotional and reflective. So I’m putting together this trip report to share with you the fun times we had on our last hurrah!

First an introduction and some important background information:

The Players:

Dear Aunt (DA) – a 60 year old kid at heart, she has bad legs and has to use a scooter to get around, uses a handicapped parking permit. She’s the matriarch of these trips, taking her nieces and nephews along on her vacations to share with us the magic of Disney.

Dear Sister (DS) – a 23 year old with some pretty serious issues. She played a major and incredibly negative role in this trip, which I will probably leave out of this report due to its personal and negative connotations. Basically she has attitude problems that lead to emotional outbursts. Don’t be surprised if you hear little or nothing about her in this report.

Dear Cousin (DC) – My 25 year old partner in crime! He’s been my best friend for life, born three weeks before I was we’ve grown up together. We’ve been going to WDW with DA for several years and spent many a wonderful time!

Dear Fiancée (DF) – My 24 year old soul mate…the love of my life. We were engaged on April 1st, 2007 and have set a date of May 17, 2008 for our wedding. She’s been to WDW before, but only on day trips. Never stayed at a WDW resort and hasn’t been since 1997.

Me – 25 year old former WDW CM, worked on Main Street during my CP in early 2001, then took a full time position as a Fast Pass team member and eventually went part time while finishing college as a Jungle Cruise Skipper. I’ve been to WDW more than 20 times on vacation and still get emotional every time I have to leave that magical place!

The Setting:

Check-in: July 13, 2007
Check-out: July 21, 2007

DA, DS & DF stayed at the Hawaii Concierge building at the Polynesian Resort. It’s been our Disney home for the past 4 years.
DC and I stayed at the Wilderness Lodge in a Standard View Room for the first time. DC was a last minute addition to the trip and due to maintain livable sleeping arrangements, we added a room at the WL for the two of us, this makes it easier for 5 single adults to sleep comfortably in their own beds.

The Prologue:
On Thursday July, 12, I woke up with a twinge of excitement that could mean only one thing! I looked at the date on my cell phone…then checked my date book….could it be??? YES! It was almost time to leave for our much anticipated annual trip to Walt Disney World. My bag was packed and I had a list of errands to run for the day before we could leave.

I stopped for lunch with my Mom at Pizza Hut then headed to my work to pick up my paycheck and say goodbye to my good friends there. Headed to the bank, home to pay my bills online and picked up my AAA TripTik. Picked up DC at this house, headed to target to pick up some wrinkle releaser for our clothes and dropped by the pharmacy to pick up some medicine for DF. Finally at 5pm DC and I met the rest of the crew at DA’s house and hit the road for our trip to WDW.

This was the culmination of almost 5 months of planning, done mostly by me. I was nervous for a few reasons. I know how my sister acts and I was praying that she’d keep her attitude/outbursts in check. I was nervous about staying at two separate resorts. I was dreading the 13.5 hour drive. I was nervous about how DF would enjoy WDW…hoping she’d love it as much as I do. I was nervous because I knew that this would be the last time I’d go to WDW like this…an all expenses paid, super deluxe vacation with the people I love the most.

In retrospect, the trip had some incredible highlights and sharing my favorite place in the world with my favorite person in the world was incredible. Unfortunately, this trip was also marred by a couple of major things: The valet service, the room and service at the Poly and those outbursts of my sister. I’ll talk about the first two problems as we go along, but I’m going to try and stress the positive times. I hope you enjoy my report and I look forward to sharing with you all!

I'll be updating with new posts throughout the day and the rest of this week...hope to have some pics available by the end of the week.

Cheers,
Josh

 

[OhMari]

Wow, you sure sound familiar? We used to have a DIS member on here from Paducah KY, and he worked as a CM on the Jungle Cruise, I am trying to remember his name, it was Josh or Scott and he tied his name in with Jungle Cruise.

Anyway, welcome and looking forward to your TR. Congradulations on your engagement.

 

[ImagineerM]

actually that is me...I'm Jungle Josh....I'm from Owensboro, KY...I left for a while do to some health and family problems...but I'm back now, just a different name...hope thats ok!

Cheers,
Josh

 

[ImagineerM]

July 12th and 13th

Travel and Check-in at the Wilderness Lodge

Picking up where I left off, it is Thursday July 12th and the 5 of us are leaving our homes in Kentucky for a 13.5 hour drive down to Walt Disney World. We somehow managed to get all of our luggage into the van, said goodbye to our parents, and hit the road! The journey began rather uneventfully and we drove to Cordele, GA for a nights stay at the Hampton Inn before driving the rest of the way on Friday morning.

Just past Chattanooga, TN I began to get concerned that we were making very poor time on the road. By my calculations we’d lost more than an hour on the road somewhere. That was a bad thing, we eventually stopped at a rest stop in GA and I realized what had really happened…apparently the new van DA bought automatically updated the clock via the GPS system…lol…I felt like a big dummy after that but it made for some pretty good laughs.

We arrived in Cordele at the Hampton Inn at about 3:00am local time and got checked in. Nice place, great beds and soft pillows…TINY bathrooms! But a good place to lay our heads for a few hours. DA and I needed the rest after our long night of driving. We got up around 9am, hit the continental breakfast and back onto I-75. Traffic was a little congested just past Tifton do to some construction, but for the most part it was smooth sailing.

I drove the rest of the way from Cordele to WDW and we finally rolled onto WDW property at 2pm. We pulled into our first stop, the Wilderness Lodge. Wowsers! This place was magnificent! I’ve been here before for dinner and visiting friends who have stayed here, but I’ve never stayed here as a guest. The building is absolutely beautiful and the lobby is breathtaking. Unfortunately our arrival was less that amazing and would be the first problem we experiencing during this trip here is how it happened:

We pulled up to the Lodge security shack, got out parking pass then pulled up to the overhang to check in. We waited a full 15 minutes before a valet or bellhop came to assist us. I was shocked at this delay in service because it was after 2pm and we were the only vehicle in the vicinity. Instead of helping us, the valets/bellmen were gathered around the podium talking amongst themselves.

We were finally greeted by a far from welcoming and unenthusiastic “You need something?” I told the gentlemen that we were checking in and had some bags we’d like help with. Without saying anything he left and returned more than 5 minutes later with a valet card and started to park the car without removing any luggage. I stopped him and reiterated having 4 bags we needed assistance with, to which he rolled his eyes, the shouted at a bellmen to “come help them with their bags” before he tossed my keys back to me and jogging away.

DC and I pulled our own bags from the van and put them on the luggage cart ourselves, as this new bellman stood nearby without offering to help. He finally took the cart and walked away without giving us a claim number or receipt, let alone acknowledging us. I then looked for a valet to park the van, but when I asked, I was promptly told I should just park it myself and handicapped parking was right up front. At this point I gave up and parked the car myself, then returning to the lobby to check-in.

At check-in I was greeted and when asked how I was doing, I expressed my concern over the events which just occurred. The response: “I’m sorry…so you’re checking in?” I pulled out my confirmation numbers and credit cards and got checked in and sent to the 6th floor, to a room with a King bed, despite my request for a room with two beds. I called the front desk and got no answer so I promptly returned to the lobby, waited in line and was greeted by the same cast member from check-in. She laughed and before I could say anything said “I totally messed up didn’t I? I didn’t read all of the notes until you left…didn’t know you wanted two beds…I just assumed you two, well…umm…you know.” At this point I’m pretty upset, but I hold my tongue. I won’t venture to guess what she assumed, but without a doubt that response was far from appropriate.

Luckily we were able to be moved to a room with two beds and we got settled into our new room on the 6th floor. We were in room 6108 with a nice view of the Villas at WL. The room was beautiful, with the best beds I’ve ever had at WDW! I brushed off the check-in mishap and was determined to have a good time. So we moved on to the Polynesian to check the others in….

I’ll be back with more in a bit!

Cheers,
Josh

 

[suttlesboys]

Loving your TR so far. Can't believe the comment the CM at check in made. Very inappropriate. Can't wait to hear about the rest of you're trip!! Oh, I almost forgot, I'm from Kentucky too. But Northern KY, next to Cincinnati.

 

[ImagineerM]

July 13th

Checking in to the Poly Concierge, the HoopDeeDoo, MK EMH

We left the WL and headed to the Polynesian hoping for a better check-in experience. Unfortunately it seemed like no one at the valet/bell services area knew who was supposed to do what. We arrived and waited more than 15 minutes for someone to help us with luggage and valet of the van…it was as if no one wanted to help us. Which is sad for them, because we tip VERY well!

Eventually, a young gentleman named Christopher stepped up and took control of the situation delegating to others what to do and helped us get situated. He would prove to be the ONLY positive experience with valet/bell services the entire week. We then waited another 10 minutes for the bell captain to call Hawaii and find out our room number and then another 15 minutes to get someone with a golf cart to wisk us away to the Hawaii building.

We were pleasantly surprised to find that despite paying for our Lagoon View Room, we were upgraded to our normal room on the Lagoon View side of the building, room 3504. We took in the view, got settled in and headed to the lounge to see what Chef Dick had prepared for snacks (yes it took nearly 3 hours to check in to the WL and then the Poly). We had some delicious O’hana skewers and pineapple with caramel sauce and headed back to the room to relax a bit.

As we got settled in and I noticed the room felt warm, I initially attributed this to the travel, moving things about and getting settled in. Then I checked the thermostat and saw that in read almost 76 degrees in the room, despite being set near 70 and it felt as if not air was being circulated. DF came out of the restroom and informed us that the toilet was not only dirty (what appeared to be a dried urine stain on the back of the seat) but wasn’t flushing properly. We quite literally had to flush the thing 3 or 4 times before it would finally empty.

At this point, our group had to leave the room to head to our HoopDeeDoo Reservation; on the way out I mentioned it to a young lady at the concierge desk. I was told to enjoy dinner and if there was still a problem after we returned to let them know. So we pulled our van from the valet and headed to the camp ground and caught a bus to Pioneer Hall. There were some pretty impressive storm clouds in the distance and the heat had cooled off substantially. We enjoyed the nice breeze while we waited to be seated.

I was quite disappointed when we were seated at obstructed view seats in the corner of the room under the overhang and near the entrance to the kitchen…how these seats could be included in the most expensive price category is beyond me. That is unless we were paying more for the additional show of servers complaining amongst themselves about their jobs and discussing where to go for drinks at CityWalk after work…all during the action on stage no less! What a disappointment, one of my favorite, most anticipate, not to mention most expensive dining experiences on property was ruined.

The food was good and the show is always a lot of fun, the guy playing six-pence was fantastic…one of the best I’ve seen. Unfortunately the music and lyrics were hard to hear over the wait staff chattering, the kitchen noise and the echo of sound from the overhang. But we ate plenty of fried chicken and ribs!

After the show we filed out to the buses that would return us to the Polynesian. DC and I took the van back to the WL to pick up some things before meeting the rest at the Poly (he left his ticket in the luggage…goofball!).

We got back just in time to catch Wishes from our balcony! What a beautiful sight! I forgot just how much I loved that show. Breathtaking to sat the least! After the show DA told me that the air hadn’t been fixed and the toilet was still not working, so I headed to the concierge desk and there wasn’t a CM in sight. So I returned to the room and called the front desk….no answer….so I called maintenance….no answer….I tried the front desk again and finally got an answer. They lady on the phone sounded completely put out that we were calling with a problem. Said she would put a note in the system and send maintenance up to take a look at it, but since it was so late it probably wouldn’t happen until the next day. I told her we’d be heading to the MK for EMH and they would be welcome in the room until 2 or 3 am…we just needed some air to sleep. Her response “well, I put it in the system, what more do you want me to do?”

Frustrated I hung up and we headed to the MK for extra magic hours! Nightfall had brought cooler air to the park and we were excited to finally be at WDW! We arrived just in time to grab an awesome spot to see Spectromagic right on Main Street. After the parade we went to Adventureland our first ride on the new refurb of Pirates of the Caribbean. I enjoyed it, I’ve always been a big fan of the original attraction, and upon first glance it felt like they just through Jack Sparrow in a few times in some awkward places…I think once would’ve been enough. But I didn’t NOT like it…if that makes any sense.

We then strolled back toward Splash Mountain with a 15 min wait, then Thunder Mountain with a 20 min wait. We headed toward Fantasyland, stopping for a moment to mourn the temporary closure of the Haunted Mansion…my personal favorite attraction. We then waited 20 min for Peter Pan, walked onto Snow White and Pooh, before heading to Tomorrowland for a trip on the TTA. By this point it was 2am and time for the park to close for the night.

We retreated down Main Street to the monorail and back to the Poly. DC and I then headed back to the WL and settled into those wonderful beds. I don’t know if it was because I was so tired or because the beds were so nice, but I slept like a baby that night.
It was a beautiful nights sleep.

Unfortunately, the girls at the Poly had no such luck. No one from maintenance came to look at the air conditioner. According to DF at 4:30 am the Thermostat read 79 degrees. They didn’t sleep well at all.
I’ll be back in a while with more. No one is saying anything, so I guess no one is reading. That or they’ve nothing to say. Hope you are enjoying.

Coming up next…a full day at the MK, Dinner at O’hana and a late night swim.

Cheers,
Josh

 

[scottny]

Great report so far. Sorry for all the problems. We were there at that time too but at POR. I was also at MK the night you were for Wishes. I did some of the parade.
Hope they get a new room with a functioning AC and clean bathroom.

 

[ImagineerM]

The First Full Day

The MK, Dinner at O’hana, More A/C troubles and a Late Night Swim

DC and I woke upon Saturday well rested and ready for our first full day at WDW! We were pumped and ready to roll. I called DF and decided we’d meet the girls at the MK and go from their, so we hopped the next available boat to the MK. I found this boat ride to be incredibly peaceful and quite the welcome start to the day. I even think I prefer the laid back boat rides to the hectic monorail journey. This WL place is growing on me!

So we arrive at the park and meet up with the ladies, first thing we decided to do was get our picture taken on Main Street with the castle in the background. It turned out beautifully, even got the fireworks going off in the background during the stage show. We took my aunt to Adventureland and started things off with a trip around the Jungle Cruise…had a good skipper, I approved. I’ve missed my old stomping grounds. There’s just something special about that Jungle River, I feel a connection with it...ha ha.

We moved from the Jungle to the Tiki Room…waited about 5 min and when the show started it seemed really loud. I don’t know if it was my seat or what, but it seems like they’ve pumped up the volume there…to the point that Iago’s voice hurt my ears. But its still fun, DF got a real kick out of the show. Next up was Mickey’s Philharmagic and we must have had perfect timing because we only waited about 5-7 minutes here as well! I really enjoy this show as did DF.

After we did a little window shopping in Fantasyland we headed over to It’s a Small World…Sigh…I love this classic, it always brings back such memories. Going through the handicapped line with DA we waited only about 10 min and enjoyed the happiest cruise in the world!

Upon exiting we ate at Pinocchio’s Village Haus…I wasn’t really hungry so I grabbed a cup of strawberry yogurt while the others ate some tasty looking sandwiches. A nice relaxing lunch, although the struggle to find a table in TS locations is absolutely ridiculous sometimes and especially with my aunt trying to maneuver that scooter around the tables while trying to avoid people jumping right out in front of her.

After lunch we stopped by the Yankee Trader store…DF flipped out, being the cooking fiend that she is, she was in Mickey heaven with all of the fun kitchen-ware…I’m still not sure what all she bought, but I know I saw some Mickey Mouse Glove Hand Pot Holders! How fun is that?

We then waited about 20 min for Pirates of the Caribbean and did some shopping in the Caribbean Plaza. The second trip through the ride I found the Sparrow addition much less distracting. I can live with it. Finally we ended up at The Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor! What a hoot. I’m really impressed by this attraction. They even used the jokes DC & I texted (inspired by his nephew age 9 back home):

1) What do you call a pig that does karate? Pork Chop
2) What is an astronauts favorite meal? Launch!

We got a big laugh out or hearing the monster say our name and city…LoL we’re such goobers!

At about 6:15pm we decided to head back to the room and get ready for dinner. We were meeting some of my family who lives in the area for dinner at O’hana at 7pm. While the ladies took the monorail home, DC and I took the boat back to the Lodge to get our swim trunks so we could all go swimming that night at the Poly. As we were leaving the Poly, I realized we’d forgotten the keys to the van…I’d given them to my aunt while at the MK so I wouldn’t have them in my pockets all day. So we’re supposed to be at the Poly in 20 min for dinner and had now fast way of getting there.

So I ran down to the valet and they offered to call me a cab. I felt bad but it was the absolute only way we’d make it to dinner on time. The cab arrived and I tipped him more than the fare because I felt bad for bothering him on such a short route. We ran upstairs to O’hana and made it just in time.

O’hana has always been a staple for my family, they’ve loved it and we’ve gone there for as long as I can remember. However, I think it’s lost some of its luster since the last menu change. I miss the old shrimp skewers and the wonton. Still, a great place to eat…I still can’t get enough of those chicken wings…wowsers!

After dinner DC, DF and I took the boat from the monorail from the Poly to the CR and then the boat from CR to WL to pick up the van. Showed DF around the CR while we were there, checked out the 4th floor changes…that arcade sure looks a lot smaller!

We I returned to the room DA and the rest of the family were chatting in the room and as soon as I walked in it was like being hit by a wall of hot air. So I made a u-turn out the door and headed straight down to the concierge desk. I sat down and told the lady what was happening and that it needed to be fixed immediately. I was quite nice about it and in turn quite shocked at her apathy over the situation.

I sat at the desk while she typed in a request to send someone to the room ASAP and that we’d be up for a while as we planned to go swimming that night in the quiet pool. I asked her to please put a rush on this as the room is officially unbearable to sleep in. I returned to the room and just after Wishes ended there was a knock on the door! Thank goodness! FINALLY someone shows up to look at the problem.

I watched as the guy tinkered with the thermostat some and then lifted a ceiling tile out of to inspect the system. After about 20 minutes he realized that there was “a cooling valve that was turned off that shouldn’t have been switched off.” So he turned it on and within 5 minutes we finally had cool air circulating around the room. Wahoo! Finally things were fixed…or were they? (more on that later)

Around 10:45pm the family let and DS, DC, DF and I threw on our swimsuits and headed to the quiet pool for our much anticipated swim….(record scratch)….only to find the quiet pool was “closed for maintenance.” Disappointed, we headed to the volcano pool and climbed in…wowowwowowsers…it was frigid in that pool! LoL….took a few minutes to get used to and we ended up having a good time floating around chatting and splashing!

We were back in the room around 12:15am…finally the room felt cool and livable. I checked the thermostat, a nice cool 72 degrees. DC and I made our way to the valet to retrieve our van….but there was no one there. I went back into the lobby and they had to page the valet to come get our car….what a pain. Seriously, the valet was officially on notice for me by this point. Nothing but trouble out of them all week.

We each showered and kicked back to watch some television in the room before finally falling asleep. I’m still in awe of how comfy those beds were!

What a day…too bad the toilet is still dirty and not flushing right!

Up next….Epcot, a not so soarin’ line, Whispering Canyon Café and EMH at MK!

Cheers,
Josh

 

[ImagineerM]

Sunday Bloody Sunday

DC & I love Epcot…it is a very close number two for us…probably only number 2 because the MK is such a sentimental favorite! Point blank we love it. DF is super excited about going to Epcot as well and feels much like DC and I. Unfortunately my sister hates Epcot…she despises the World Showcase and anything where one might actually (gasp) learn something new! This is a girl who often says “I don’t like readin’ no books, they borin’!” How we come from the same gene pool is beyond me.

So with that as background information we head to Epcot with hopes of having a great morning. We had our picture taken in front of spaceship earth…seeing that awful wand coming down brought a tear of joy to my eyes! They seem to be moving along on the demolition quite rapidly. Our first stop was The Living….errr…sorry The Seas with Nemo. We waited about 35 min for the ride and then spent a good hour roaming around the pavilion looking at the fish and watching the manatees. I enjoyed the new ride...very clever and well done. It was good to see life pulsing around the Seas again. And I got a big kick out of the birds on the rocks outside! Mine! Mine! Mine! Oh and of course during that time we visited with Crush…that show is amazing….very very well done! Kudos to the creative minds and talented performers behind this one, a pure classic!

After this it was near lunch time and DC, DS and DA are all diabetics, so they needed to eat. We headed to The Land pavilion to check out FastPasses for Soarin’ but they were for way to late (clashed with our dinner plans). We ate at the Sunshine Seasons….DC had a pork chop, I had a yummy rotisserie chicken with potatoes and carrots, DS and DA had some haus sandwiches and DF muched on some Asian noodle dish. We all enjoyed it, except DS…who made it very well known she’d rather be anywhere but Epcot. Some people just can’t have fun.

After lunch we headed toward the standby line at Soarin’…listed at 80 min, we decided to give it a go….DS pouted and whined the whole time…DF and DC both sat most of the way, while DA kept falling asleep on the scooter. After about 95 minutes we finally made it to the merge point. Ten minutes later we made it to the boarding area…We were the last ones in the area, a party of 5, apparently to big for the show so we couldn’t sit together. Without asking, the CM ran back up and had them send a party of 2 and a party of 3 down…we told him we didn’t mind splitting up, but he insisted that we just wait for the next flight. So we did….they loaded up and left us behind….15 minutes later we were still waiting, and suddenly it got quite back in the queue area…I knew then something was wrong.

5 min later a very nervous looking CM came out and told us “I don’t know why, but my management team has asked me to evacuate the building…I don’t know why so if you will all just follow me I’ll escort you out of the building and back into the park. Management will be there to answer your questions. Being a former CM myself, I knew something must be going on, cause they weren’t going to run us out backstage for no reason. So we started for the door…then…I hear my irrational DS yelling and screaming at the CM about waiting for so long and she better give her a pass to get back on later…I quickly jumped to the CM’s defense and told her that now was not the time and to let it go..we’d get it taken care of outside…unfortunately this sent my DS spiraling backwards into a hellfire of anger and hatred that lasted the whole rest of the week. She was irate and didn’t think she had done anything wrong…it was quite astounding and even more so embarrassing. I apologized to the CM as we exited the attraction. We reentered the park near the bathrooms at Journey into Imagination. After chilling out for a moment and letting things settle I asked a CM about what we should do…I was brushed off and told there were too many people and they probably wouldn’t do anything.

DC and I walked the girls to Imagination and told them we’d meet them at the exit. DS went into a rage and start screaming for no reason about wanting to leave…DA and DF rode the ride while DC and I went to Guest Services. They were very apologetic and offered to give me guest service recovery passes for fast pass entry into for our whole family into any two attractions. They were good all week at any park so we saved them.

We met up with the girls outside Imagination and realized it was almost 5:30 and we’d need to be leaving around 6pm for our dinner reservations. My irrational DS continued to embarrass herself and demanded that we leave immediately. So we did…listening to her bark and scowl at us all the way. We returned to the finally cooled off room and enjoyed some snacks from the lounge. I sipped on a bottle of Bud Light and kicked back for a bit. As it was time to leave for dinner, DS threw another yelling fit and announced that she would not be joining us for dinner cause we were ‘making her angry’ (albeit in more colorful terms). Being the overly nice woman she is, DA decided she would stay with DS to try and calm her down.

This upset DF, because tonight we were meeting her cousin who lives in the Orlando area, for dinner at the Whispering Canyon Café. We arrived just in time to meet her and chatter in the lobby of the resort while waiting for our reservation to go through. While waiting in the lobby I was approached by a nice young family from the DISboards who recognized my Lime Green DIS shirt….the first time anyone has approached me! I’m glad they did! We chatted for a couple of minutes then headed our own way…I thought that was pretty neat. I can’t recall the names they said they used on the DIS…but I recognized his name because there was a thread about him having surgery over on the community board..I want to say he said his name was something like ed’s dad and her name was jenny in RI I think. But there were numbers too.….but I can’t recall. So if anyone knows who they are, let me know!

After a nice long, leisurely dinner we showed DF’s cousin around the resort. She left around 9pm and we hung out in our room at the WL to avoid DS’s outbursts. We made it back to the resort in time to watch Wishes again…3 nights in a row! Afterwards we all 5 headed out to the MK for a night in Tomorrowland!

At the park we got FastPasses for Space Mountain, then went over to Stitch. Basically walked on, I hate this show…I really think they made a mistake by removing Alien Encounter. Afterwards we walked on to Buzz Lightyear and the TTA. By then it was time for Space Mountain. We rode it relatively quickly and then met up with DA. She wanted to check out Monster’s Inc again. We waited for about 15 minutes then someone came out and said the show was experiencing technical difficulties and would not be showing….disappointed we headed back to pirates and Big Thunder Mountain (walking on both) before leaving for the night.

We dropped off the girls and got them settled in at the Poly…goodness, the room sure wasn’t hot anymore, but it felt kinda chilly….hmmm….DC and I headed back to the Lodge and hit the sack.

Next up…MGM, a romantic night for two and another late night swim.

Cheers,
Josh

 

[Avivasmom]

Great report so far...sorry your SIS is like that but glad you made the best out of a tough situation.

HUGS!

 

[ImagineerM]

Just wanted to apologize for the delay...work is a bit hectic today...should have at lease one more installment up by 6pm Central Time.

Hope you are enjoying!

Cheers,
Josh

 

[Halloweenqueen]

Great report! Sorry about the hotel issues...what a pain!

 

[ImagineerM]

Monday at MGM Studios – 7/16

We decided to sleep in a bit on Monday morning before heading to MGM for the day. This was going to make for a short day, because DF and I had planned to make that night our date night…

So DC and I drove to the Poly to pick up the ladies. DA uses one of those heavy duty scooters from Walker Mobility and we could never figure out how to take it apart easily for transportation, so being the strong muscle men we are,.... .... DC and I decided we could lift it in and out of the van. That sucker sure is heavier than it looks, LoL!

We then headed for the MGM studios and headed straight to the Tower of Terror for FastPasses (only because the Rockin’ roller Coaster FP’s were down for a few days in order to update the system). Then we checked in for our lunch reservations at the 50’s Prime Time Café. Ever since I discovered this wonderful eatery several years ago, it has been a staple of our WDW dining experience. Which reminds me, DF and I purchased Annual Passes this year in anticipation of our honeymoon in May. Did the math and figured it was cheaper that way. Plus we purchased the Disney Dining Experience Card! Wowsers, what a deal! Saved us tons of money on this trip and I hope to use it again in May.

Anywho, lunch was AWESOME as always! The food is wonderful here, I love the fried chicken and mashed potatoes and there is nothing in the world quite like a Peanut Butter and Jelly Milkshake! If you’ve never experienced this, you should! DC, DA and DF all indulged in the Chicken Pot Pie….they all raved about it!

After lunch we waited about 30 min for the Great Movie Ride, that final film still gets me every time…I’m such a sucker for motion pictures! Then we visited One Man’s Dream, still an excellent exhibit and a nice tribute to one of my personal heroes. Then we realized we had just enough time to race across the park for Lights Motors Action! The show was good, as always…however in the middle of the show, right after the stunt guy falls off the building the show came to a screeching hault. The “director” told us someone had wondered backstage and set off an alarm…and since safety was number one, they had to check it out before they could continue. It was definitely not supposed to happen and the “director” seemed lost trying to ad lib his way through the awkward moment. He did well, but it was quite amusing if you ask me!

From here we headed to Muppet Vision 3D and walked straight in! I’m a Muppet fiend and love this show. Afterwards we spent some time wondering around the Muppet shop…I’m disappointed because it seems that the amount of Muppet merchandise is shrinking each trip! After this, realized it was time for our FastPasses at the Tower of Terror so we headed back toward that area for the ride.

DC and DA aunt bowed out, he doesn’t like elevators to begin with and she doesn’t do wild rides. So DF, DS and I rode then gave the extra Fast Passes away to a nice Father and Daughter who were about to get FPs…told them to go enjoy the ride now. We waited probably 5 min in the FP line, then 5 min after the preshow area, sat in the front row….I love the seatbelts…much better experience that the handlebars! The ride was good, a nice change of pace from the rest of the day.

After the ride, we met up with DC and DA who were shopping in Mickey’s of Hollywood. DC, DF and I headed for Sid’s One of a Kind Shop…one of our favorite stores. Here DC spied an Ash Trash used as set dressing on The Sopranos (on of his favorite shows) and he fell in love with it, saying he’d think about it.

By this point it was almost 5pm and time for DF and I to head back and get ready for our night out. DS had been grumpy all day (again) and threw a fit, so DA and DC decided we should just all leave. So we packed back into the van and headed back to the Poly.

Date Night
DF and I got cleaned up and changed into some clean clothes. I wore my black polo shirt and nice khaki shorts....then headed to the Contemporary to begin our night alone. We had 6:20 reservations at the California Grill and made it to the check-in just in time. A nice lady escorted us to the top and we were seated immediately. We didn’t sit at the window, but were close enough to have a nice view. About 5 min after we arrived, they opened the shades and WOW! What a view of the MK! It was beautiful.

For dinner, I had the Oak Fired Filet of Beef with Green Beans and Mashed Potatoes….I thought I died and went to heaven! That was the best steak I’ve EVER eaten…hands down, no doubt about it! Scrumptious! DF had the Gnocchi pasta, the vegetarian dish on the menu (said she needed a change of pace after all of the carnivorous meals we had indulged in to date).

To drink, we indulged in a bottle of 2003 Selback Oster Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese…We’re not wine aficionados, but we loved this wine. If anyone knows how or where I might find some of this to purchase let me know!

Finally, for desert we shared in the indulgence of a Valrhona Chocolate and Cherry. It was a warm, delicious chocolate cake filled with warm chocolate sauce and topped with powdered sugar and a cherry sauce. It was serves with a hefty scoop of homemade cherry ice cream….I’m drooling just thinking about it!

After dinner we took a stroll on the observation deck, had our picture taken by a nice lady who was playing with her daughter. Then I returned the favor, taking a picture of the two of them. The weather was nice and cool, the wind blowing…the perfect end to a wonderful meal. After a quick potty break, we went downstairs and took the monorail to the Grand Floridian to look through their shops.

DF and I were looking for a wedding cake topper, champagne glasses and any other nice wedding items. I was really surprise to find that the number of items was incredibly limited. I’d been told to check out the GF stores, unfortunately they had all the same stuff everyone else had.

After that we went to the MK and strolled down Main Street, doing some shopping and enjoying the beautiful sights on the MK at night. We then headed for the boats as the fireworks were going off and watched them as rode back to the Poly. Here we met up with the others.

While we were on our date night, the other three went to the Contemporary as well and waited almost 2 hours for a table at the Concourse Steakhouse. While waiting they played games in the new arcade, shopped and I think had a drink at the outer rim. DC and DA said they had a good time…DS just grunted at people now, some people just don’t know how to have fun!

At the Poly we changed into our swim suits and headed to the quiet pool for a night time dip! How refreshing!

When we returned to the room I was shocked at how cool it seemed, the thermostat read 68 degrees, I checked the settings, it was set for 72…I assumed I felt so cold because I’d just gotten out of the pool. DC and I left for the WL again and settled in for the night. I fell asleep watching reruns of Arli$$ on ESPN Classic.

Next up…
The Animal Kingdom, Wildlife Excursion, Boma, Jellyrolls and another night in the pool!

Cheers,
Josh

 

[RedxPanda]

Josh!

Congrats! I love hearing about disney through the eyes (and ears ) of a fellow (ex)CM and disney addict! Keep the details coming...


MainStreet 4ever! haha... that sounds a little lame... but so were those costumes


See ya around !

 

[jcc0621]

Just found your TR. Great job. Looking forward to more

 

[ImagineerM]

A Wild Day at the Animal Kingdom!

So now it is Tuesday morning, July 17th and it feels like a real scorcher today! DC and I love the AK…DS and DA do not…they find it boring, or at least DS does, as she so vehemently proclaims so that no one has any doubt. DA, DS and DF had reservations for breakfast at Chef Mickey's at 8:30am...DC and I preferred to sleep in and avoid the heavy meal before heading to the park. DC and I opted for some yogurt and fruit. We picked the girls up after their breakfast and headed to the Animal Kingdom.

Upon arrival at the park I went to Guest Services to pick up the first of my GSR passes from the Soarin’ debacle. We plan to use those on Expedition Everest today.

After that we headed to the Festival of the Lion King! What an amazing show! It was so good and we had awesome seats, sitting right up front in the Lion section! Absolutely the best show in any WDW theme park! Hoping some of the pictures turn out.

After this, we headed back to Africa where DC, DF and I checked in at the Mumbassa (sp?) Market Place for our Wildlife Discovery Excursion…a tour of the Savannahs made available to those staying at the concierge level of a Disney resort. If you get the chance, you should defiantly do this! This is my 3rd trip on the excursion and it always tops my list of favorite moments! This year was no exception!

We arrived and checked in with our driver, I think he said his name was J.C. (I could be wrong on this) and he informed us that we were the only people scheduled for today’s trip! So we had the bus, the driver and the tour guide all to ourselves! Wow! It was like a private VIP tour of the animal areas of the AK! Absolutely the best experience I’ve had yet at that park! Amy, our tour guide, is an animal curator in the West Savannah area of the Safari and she answered all of our questions, told us all kinds of awesome stories and they took their time stopping and finding awesome little spots along the route to take photos. It was spectacular! I can’t reiterate how awesome this tour is and I hope any of you concierge people will look it up and give it a go! A deal at twice the price!

After our 1+ hour tour, we met DS and DA at Everest and took off on an awesome ride! I rode it once last year and this year it just seemed so much better. We used the GSR pass and had an awesome time! Afterwards DS and DF decided we needed to buy the picture as we all looked terrified! I must admit, it is a funny picture.

When we finished here we walked to Dinoland made it just in time to squeeze into the Nemo musical. This was...well...an experience to say the least. We filed into the theatre with my aunt in her scooter. We were told to follow a CM to the handicapped seating area. There was one other scooter in front of us. The CM told us to wait while she seated the other scooter, she'd be right back. Well...she never returned. Other CMs were herding more guests into the area and they almost trampled us as we stood waiting for help. We asked other CMs who pushed past us with other wheelchairs for help but were completely ignored! I was really upset...so we pulled over to the bleacher seats in the back of the theatre while I tried to find someone to help. I was ignored and suddenly it as time for the show to start....So I returned to the bleacher seats, where We had been all but shoved out of the way by other guests.

The show began, and CMs were still herding people into the theatre, right in front of us, so we only saw half of the first 5 min of the show! Then, during the last 5 min of the show people stared getting up and leaving in droves, walking right past us, some talking, some laughing, some yelling at each other. It ruined the end of the show...some people have zero courtesy for other people...it's quite sad. Is it me or is this trend getting worse around WDW?

Well, after Nemo the diabetics in our group needed to eat, so we headed to Restaurantosaurus for a snack. After eating, my now annoyed at having to be there DS is ready to go. DS and DA have reservations at the House of Blues at the West Side before Front and Center Seats at La Nouba.

****The following is a recap of their experience according to my aunt****

They headed from Restaurantosaurus to the buses expecting to catch a bus from AK to Downtown Disney. Unfortunately there wasn't one, or at least they couldn't find it (I know in the past there has always been one, but I told them ahead of time I didn't know for certain). So they took a bus to the Poly and planned to catch the DTD bus from their. Unfortunately they had a really bad experience getting the scooter on the bus. The driver apparently couldnt get the hydrolics to lower the bus to the right level and it took a long time and my DS had to push from behind to get the scooter on board.

Once at the Poly, they decided they didn't want to mess with the ordeal a second time so the left the scooter with Bell Services and caught a cab to the West Side. DA really enjoyed the dinner...good food, excellent atmosphere, great service.

And the show...DA couldn't stop talking about it the rest of the week. She's seen int 3 times now and claims it gets better every time. Said her front and center seats were spectacular and well worth the price! She honestly couldn't say enought about the show. I've personally seen the show 3 times and have to agree. If you get the chance, go! Its worth it! Hope I get to take DF there in May. After La Nouba they took a cab back to the Poly.

**********and now back to the rest of us**************

After they left we sat at the restaurant for a while, trying to comprehend how DS could be so much different from the rest of us and why she couldn't just relax and have fun. But we didn't dwell long...becuase it wa time to hit Dinosaur!

I was really surprised at the wait here....we walked in to the preshow then right on to a CTX Rover. I've never seen the wait that short! Afterwards we headed back to Dinorama and DC and I played our traditional Whack-a-dino grudge match....I won, again....for like the 3rd time in a row! I won a tiny red dino, which we named Jambo Dino...he became our companion for the rest of the trip!

We then headed down to the Tree of Life for Its Tought to Be A Bug...DF really got a kick out of the show. It seems like they've toned down the attack a bit..less smoke, not as loud....I dunno. Still a great show!

Finally we headed back to the Kilamanjaro Safari and used some FastPasses that Amy gave us on our Wildlife Discovery Excursion! Had a good trip and saw lots of animals...the weather had cooled off and they were out in full force! After the safari we walked through the Pangini Trail....It was slow as it was almost closing time... Most of the animals were out of sight.

We then headed for the front of the park. DF bought a Tshirt and tiny snowglobe. We then headed over to the AKL to see about having dinner at Boma. I called Disney Dining but had no luck on reservations so we thought we'd try a walk up. I checked in a was told 30 min wait..which was fine. So I took the page and sat down. No sooner had my backside found the bench did the buzzer go off. We were seated immediately and feasted on the delicious food of Boma. The highlight of it all was dessert. Those Zebra Domes are to die for...but they had Banana Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce..It was the greatest dessert I've ever had! If anyone has the recipie, PLEASE SHARE!

After dinner we shopped in the gift shop, I bought a matted drawing of the Animal Kingdom that I plan on framing this coming week. Its beautiful!

Now it was time to head to the Boardwalk. We parked at the valet and headed down for a stoll along the lake. We sauntered through the gift shops then made our way to Jellyrolls.

I've never been to Jellyrolls before, was under 21 when I lived at WDW. It was so much fun! Much more my speed that PI and loved the entertainment. Some great music, everything from Elton John to Journey to The Eagles and the Beatles. DF had a mixed drink that was almost like a sex on the beach. I ordered a liquid cocaine...I forgot there are different recipies for this drink. I'm used to the fruity and sweet drink you get here in KY. I got a very strong, pepperminty, tart drink. Not to my taste, but I drank it nonetheless.

After a few hours of fun we headed back to retrieve the van. This turned into a 20 min ordeal. We were the first people in line to hand over our ticket, yet somehow the guy got three other cars (that approached the valet after us) first. Then called a cab for a incredibly obnoxious drunk who kept hanging on my shoulders. Then when he left to get our van he was gone for 7 minutes (I timed him)...I thouhgt we'd lost the van. Finally he came back and told us we had to pay 10 for parking. I told him no, we had a handicapped sticker and were told that it was complimentary...he said no he didn't believe me. I took him to the van and showed him the sticker and he demanded I pay him 10 before we could leave. It was absolutely ridiculous, rude and confrontational. I paid him and told him that Disney would be hearing from me as soon as I calmed down. (The next morning I called guest services and they gave me an email to send an email to and said thats all they could do).

So once we got back to the Poly we once again dawned our swimsuits and headed to the quiet pool for a relaxing dip! There's just something nice and relaxing about a nighttime swim. The only way to go.

When we returned to the room after the swim, the room was down right cold. The thermostat read 64 degrees. I turned it up to 80 degree s and tried to call the front desk but no answer, so I decided I'd wait and call in the morning. I was tired and not up for dealing with this now.

DC and I finally headed back to the WL after a full and fun day. Fell asleep watching Arli$$ again.

Next up....

Back to MGM, Liberty Tree Tavern, Fantasmic, MGM EMH and a hotel room with the incredibly shrinking temperature.

See you soon with more!

Cheers,
Josh

 

[ImagineerM]

MGM Part Duex….

So DC and I wake up on Wednesday morning and head to the Polynesian. We stop for a bite to eat in Captain Cooks while waiting for DF to finish getting ready. DA wanted to stay and relax by the pool today and DS just wanted to sleep all day... So the three of us met up in Captain Cooks and headed for MGM to finish up what we hadn’t seen.

Our first stop was Sid’s One of a Kind Shop, where DC purchased the Sopranos Ash Tray he had been drooling over and had it shipped to the room. We then headed for the Voyage of the Little Mermaid. A sign said we were waiting not for the next show but the one after that…after about 10 min in line we someone got lucky enough to squeeze into the next performance. I’ve always enjoyed this show, the film is one of my all time favorites! Sure it is showing some age, but still a fun stop on your MGM tour.

Afterwards we took in the Animation show…cute, but dated. Makes me long for the days when this was a working studio. On the way out we stopped in the Animation Gallery Store and I found a little corner with tons of awesome Art of Disney stuff that I fell in love with. There were models of Mr. Toads Car, the Nautilus and the Skyway, as well as a Pirate Mickey Statue and a Bronze, unpainted version of the same statue. I really liked these pieces and thought they’d make a great addition to my Mickey Mouse Collection. Thought I’d think about it and pick them up later. Next we made our way back to the Backlot Tour…it was fun and kept us dry while it was raining.

After this tour we headed up to catch Indiana Jones Stunt Show. We arrived about 20 min early and they were already full! I couldn’t believe it. DF was bummed because it was one of the shows we really wanted to see. Since it was a no go, we ended up in Sounds Dangerous with Drew Carey. It’s a fun diversion…in need of an update and bigger seats...I barely squeezed my fat but into those tiny seats…ugh! DF was unimpressed and said she got a good nap.

Right before we went in, DS called and said she was on her way over cause she wanted to see Beauty and the Beast…I told her we’d meet her there after we finished at Sounds Dangerous. And we did…of course, DS, never able to be happy about anything, complained about it taking so long. Whatever. So we entered the amphitheatre and were seated in the middle behind the control booth. Good seats and a WONDERFUL show! 2nd best show on property, behind the Festival of the Lion King!

After the show DS announced that she was ready to go. So we all left the park and headed for the Poly to meet up with DA for dinner. We had reservations in the MK at Liberty Tree Tavern. As we drove back to the resort we noticed some pretty major storm clouds heading our way. As we were making our way back to the room to sit down and recharge for a bit we passed DA who said she wanted to head to the MK first to do some shopping. As we were walking past the volcano pool the lifeguards started blowing whistles and told everyone to get out of the pool due to inclement weather.

We made it to the room and looked out toward the magic kingdom to see some horrible looking clouds on the horizon. Turned on the news and it said Universal was getting pounded and there were severe storm warnings till 730 and should clear up completely by 11pm. So we kicked back and watched some jeopardy and recharged then headed for the MK…the storms never really hit, they just passed on by.

At the park we met up with DA and were seated almost immediately. This is another of our favorite dining spots at WDW and in my opinion, the only one worth visiting at the MK. The turkey was phenomenal and the potatoes could be their own food group! We had a great time mingling with characters and taking pictures. Chip was particularly friendly and excited to be there! He got super excited upon seeing my DA’s St. Louis Cardinals shirt…they were instantly friends the rest of the meal! Totally awesome!

After dinner we shopped around Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe and also took advantage of one of the cheapest souvenirs on Disney property: Liberty Tree Tavern Mugs. You can purchase them at the restaurant for $5 each…they are nice, heavy duty glass mugs with the restaurants name and Colonial Era Characters marching on the glass. They’re the same ones you use at dinner! Awesome deal…check it out next time you go…one of the best kept secrets around!

Then we had one of the funniest encounters on the trip during a potty break at the Colombia Harbor House…DC and I entered the bathroom and while standing at the urinals heard a gentleman in one of the stalls…well…umm….struggling to relieve himself. He was audibly moaning and struggling. Being 25 year old guys we found that more than mildly amusing…sorry, toilet humor is still funny. I felt bad for the guy, but his grunts and moans were just too funny!

After this encounter we tried to get out of the park before the parade….this was a nightmare…people were so rude and pushed and shoved past our part and another wheelchair party in front of us as desperately tried to squeeze through the only pathway we could find. It was awful and totally sent my blood pressure through the roof! We finally made it out, returned to the Poly and packed the scooter into the van and headed back to MGM. Upon arrival we got our EMH wristbands and headed for the 1030pm Show of Fantasmic. Upon seeing the line, I was disheartened and didn’t think we’d make it in as we were line up down the street. But we did make it, barely. This queue is horrible, no cast in sight and completely disorderly, people were just stampeding through the area knocking people over, pushing and shoving. I’ve never quite felt like cattle before that night. And the poor girl who tried to seat us at the show was running three time in 5 min by rude and mean guests. DC and I stepped up and blocked off the path so she could seat a couple of wheelchairs without getting run over. We both took a couple of hits, but no harm.

The show was SPECTACULAR! I love love love this show! Mickey is my all time favorite and he is just super awesome here. This is easily the best nighttime show on property for me. Not to be missed!

After the show we waited to the theatre to clear out, opting not to fight the crowd. We then headed to Rockin’ Roller Coaster and were astounded by the 100 min wait, so we headed for the single riders line. Waited about 35-40 min before we got on. However while waiting, 4 people behind us in the Single Riders Line decided it would be good for them to hop over the barrier into the regular line as it had cleared out between groups. By this point I had had my fill of rude people doing stupid stuff like that to others. So I ratted them out. I got the closest CMs attention and pointed it out and he took care of it tell the cutters they had to leave the ride. One of them turned and cussed at me calling me a fat stupid SOB and said he’d kick my ***….I told to him to step off and go away.

The CM laughed and apologized to the rest of us in the single riders line. Said something about how rude people could be and didn’t understand why people would do such a thing, said something like “I mean come on! You’re at Disney World, don’t act like that!” He then said he was going to have security escort them out for threatening me. I felt proud of myself…I hate people that cheat like that.

After RnRC we headed to Star Tours and walked straight on. We were the only people in line. When the flight doors opened there was another family on board and they stayed for another ride. We had a really fun CM with us making jokes and chatting with us. There were literally 8 people in the ride. After one trip DS and DF decided they wanted to try ToT again so they headed that way. DC and I stayed on board and rode Star Tours two more times without getting off. Then we hung out in the Tatooine Traders. I bought a Starfighter Mickey Bobblehead for my collection of Mickey Mouse Figures. Then we met the 3 ladies at the exit of ToT. By this point we were tuckered out and decided to head back to the Poly.

We made it to the room around 1am and walking into the room was like walking into an icebox. The thermostat now read a frigid 61 degrees. I immediately called the front desk who connected me to maintenance where we were put on permanent hold. I tried again and was told by the front desk that they’d put my request in the system and “someone will likely see to it tomorrow.”

Seriously…how much are we paying to stay in this unstable environment? This is ridiculous and no offer to help us move to another room.

So DC and I left for the WL and the girls bundled up as best they could and tried to sleep. And so came the end of our Wednesday at MGM. Only 2 full days left at WDW! Where has the time gone!

Next up…
Finally! Time at Epcot! Nine Dragons, Coral Reef, Illuminations, Epcot EMH, Late night Pizza run and the coldest room ever!

See you soon with the next installment!

Oh, by the way, they finally cleaned the toilet...but it still doesn't work right, I gave up asking for help on that, it obviously wasn't going to happen!

Cheers,
Josh

 

[OhMari]

actually that is me...I'm Jungle Josh....I'm from Owensboro, KY...I left for a while do to some health and family problems...but I'm back now, just a different name...hope thats ok!

Cheers,
Josh

It's totally ok. I always wanted to introduce my dd to you, but you lived in Kentucky and my dd lives in Wisconsin. LOL. I didn't want to be one of those Italian mama's, even though I not Italian. I'll stop embarassing myself now.

Glad you are back!

You have the patient of a saint, dealing with your sister.
Plus, I can't believe all those problems with the Poly. When we stayed at the BWI, we tried to bring our own luggage to our room and we had more than enough guys trying to help us. We were told it is against WDW policy for guest to take their own luggage to their rooms. My dh took our rental to the parking lot, he pretended he didn't hear the guy tell him that someone would park our car.

 

[Halloweenqueen]

Your sister sounds like quite a pain.

Glad everyone is still having fun!

 

[ImagineerM]

Dateline Epcot: July 19, 2007

Yes ladies and gentlemen, finally, on Thursday the 19th, our 7th day at Walt Disney World, we get to spend the day at Epcot! As I’ve said before, I love Epcot. It will always hold a special place in my heart! Typically we spend several days here during a trip to WDW, but this year we’ve spent too much time politicking to keep DS in check that we haven’t made it here very long.

After the late night at MGM, we took the opportunity to sleep in a bit…I mean, we are on vacation, a little rest is a good thing right? DA decided to go do some shopping that morning and relax around the pool (she was worn out from the busy trip and the late nights). DS just proclaimed loudly that wasn’t going to Epcot…she hates it there and didn’t understand why we wanted to go . ::sigh:: how do we come from the same gene pool? Seriously.

So DF, DC and I went on by ourselves and have a wonderful time. When I woke up I called WDW-DINE and got us early lunch reservations for Nine Dragon. We picked DF up at the Poly and headed Epcot. Upon arrival, our first stop was Guest Relations to pick up the second of our GSR passes from the Soarin’ evacuation earlier in the week. (We had dinner plans w/DA and DS that evening and planned to go Soarin’ with them after dinner).

We then strolled back to China for a delightful lunch! DC and I have always loved this restaurant and it’s a regular stop for us. DF said it was one of the best dining stops she had made all week. She had Hot and Sour Soup and General Tsou Chicken (sp?). DC enjoyed the Hot and Sour Soup, Springrolls and the Sweet and Sour Pork (which he proclaimed should be its own food group). I enjoyed my personal favorite, the Honey Sesame Chicken…I’m drooling just thinking of it!

After lunch we wondered through the Chinese Pavilion, visited the gift shops and talked with some of the CMs (I always enjoy chatting w/ CMs at Epcot, learn a little about a culture and meet some really cool people. DC bought his nephew a miniature sword set…had to have it shipped home because you can’t take weapons with you on property. While he was doing this, a very nice CM showed DF and I the items they were selling from the Beijing Olympics. She was an awesome CM and told us all about the artwork and characters that were designed as spokespeople for the Olympics. Very cool.

As we were leaving the store we saw Mulan, so DF and I had out pictures taken with her. She made a big deal about DF engagement ring…asking us if the Matchmaker had done a good job and oohhing & awwwwing over the ring. It was cute. The Disney Photopass guy took some pictures of the scene and a posed shot of us with Mulan. It was pretty awesome, one of the better character meets I’ve had in a while. After this we took in the exhibit on the terracotta soldiers and eventually saw the 360degree film. It was beautiful!

From China we moved on around the lagoon and over to Germany. Here we looked at champagne glasses for the wedding. Then we sauntered through the other shops at Germany. DC bought a teddy bear for his niece, its super cute and soft. Next up on our whirlwind tour of the world is Italy! Beautiful shops here, in fact I’ve forgotten how pretty it is at this pavilion. Had our picture taken at the Neptune Fountain and were tempted by some delectable Italian Chocolates.

We moved from Italy over to America, where we took in a performance of the Fife and Drums Corp then headed to the American Adventure. I have always loved this show and think its one of the better experiences of the World Showcase and I think the new additions to the film montage were well done and quite touching. We all enjoyed, but its sad to see such small crowds here. While waiting for the show to begin, we expected to see the Voices of Liberty…unfortunately they weren’t here and we suffered through some awful group wearing black and red western outfits playing country western songs. ::shudder:: Yuck!

From here we looked through the shop and moved on to Japan. Here we showed DF around and then spent a good hour checking out all the neat stuff at Mitsukoshi department store. DF bought some rice candy and a Hello Kitty cup for a good friend. DC bought a pot your own bonsai tree kit for his other niece…although he and I both almost bought ourselves the same kit, it seems pretty cool.

As we were leaving Mitsukoshi it began to thunder pretty loudly. As we walked to Morocco, the skies parted and it poured rain. The lightening and thunder were both pretty intense. We were able to duck into one of the shops along with 100 of our closest friends...ha ha! We waited it out. Didn’t last long, pretty similar to most other central Florida storms, but the lightening and thunder were worse. Shortly after the storm let up we could hear sirens coming from backstage…maybe an ambulance or fire truck?

It continued to sprinkle for a bit but we continued on our was into Morocco. At this point, DA called to tell us they were at Epcot now and going to the Coral Reef to wait for us. They were 55 min early, so we told them where we were and that we’d head that way closer to 6pm for our reservation. Again, I had forgotten how cool the Morocco pavilion was as well. Took a picture in front of the tiled fountain as well as a picture of DC and I each wearing a Fez. We’re total goofballs.

We strolled through France for a bit after this and then realized it was time to head to the Coral Reef. So we dashed toward Future World and made it about ten till six. I checked us in and we had just enough time to visit the restrooms and wash our hands. We were seated nearly immediately.

We sat at one of the half circle booths toward the middle of the restaurant on the 2nd level. Great view, although the seat is a bit tight for overweight people like myself and DA. We fit, just not with a lot of room – and squeezing in was a little embarrassing. We ordered our meals: DC and I had the blackened catfish (outstanding!), DA had the curry cauliflower soup for an appetizer and Grilled Mahi Mahi for dinner (loved the fish, but not the couscous side). DS griped about eating at a seafood place…sigh…but we told her she could get steak or pork. She gripe about paying 30 for a steak…I honestly think by this point she is incapable of enjoying anything. She decides on the steak. DF ordered the Sterling Salmon with ratatouille and some Creamy Lobster soup for an appetizer (as did DC).

We waited a bit, got their appetizers (I stuck with the free bread!) and ate. Then our waiter brought out 2 steak knives to the table one for DS and one for DF. I didn’t think much of it. Then came the main courses…the food was awesome, maybe some of the finer cuisine we’ve had all week. But he brought DF and steak. I thought that was particularly odd since he didn’t ask her how she wanted it cooked when she ordered. Something got screwed up somewhere. She sent it back and the waiter had the audacity to ask, “are you sure that’s not what you ordered?” I mean seriously? The others ate and I waited for DF to finally get her correct order. She raved over the food…mine was delicious, I just wish I could’ve eaten it hot out of the kitchen!

After dinner we headed to the Land and rode Soarin’ using our GSR pass. It was fantastic! I just can’t get enough of the ride! I’d love to see a new film put in there that was themed a little better for a Florida attraction! It was a fun ride. We then walked straight on to the Living with the Land ride, another of my favorite Epcot attraction. Would have been much better if DS could stop huffing and puffing with boredom and frustration.

From here we rode Journey Into Your Imagination with Figment. I dig Figment, but I just don’t care for the ride. I miss Dreamfinder…sorry. Its ok, just no substitute for the original! From here we headed straight for the World Showcase to find a spot for Illumniations. DS griped and complained about being there, it was quite embarrassing, I’ll leave out the details, but it was painful to say the least. We got our EMH bracelets from the station near the now defunct Odyssey area and then watched Illuminations from an obstructed view location nearby. It was a wonderful show! I love the music, the fireworks and the lasers! Couldn’t really see the globe, but it was still a great nighttime show!

Afterwards, we were treated to another explosive show...one of my DS’s outbursts. It was quite embarrassing. In the end DA went with DF, DC and I to Mexico. DS went back to the hotel. We rode the spruced up version of the ride and explored the shopping. We then went to Norway expecting to shop and see Malestrom, but no luck, it had a sign saying “Malestrom will close at 8pm” even though it was listed on the list as open during EMH. Disappointed, but took DA back to the American Adventure…one of her favorite shows. After this we made our way back around the showcase, stopped by France for pastries, but they closed as we were walking up.

We ventured toward Future World where DF and I rode the lite version of Mission Space. The wait was odd. No one was in line but we still waited 20 min. It was bizarre. We rode the lite version because DF recently lost hearing in her left ear and this throws off he balance on spinning rides. This version even made her lightheaded, she like it but not a lot. DC is claustrophobic and can’t ride MS so he went shopping at Mouse Gear with DA.
We scampered over to Test Track right after getting off MS but they were shutting the doors as we walked up. Just missed out! But that’s okay, we were tired so we head for the parking lot. DC and I lifted DA’s scooter into the van and headed for the Poly.

I’ll be back in a bit to finish our Thursday adventure…still more to come!

Next up….Late night pizza run, The A/C plummets as my blood pressure goes through the roof!

Then…Shopping at Downtown Disney and the Quest for Pirate Mickey

Hope you’re still enjoying...keep those comments flowing!

Cheers,
Josh