camillatin
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Dec 12, 2005
- Messages
- 77
Sigh, the last day. Fortunately, we didn’t have time to get depressed. We had an ADR at Crystal Palace at 8:05 a.m., so we were up and around early. Megan was concerned there would be a line at the remote airline check-in, so she insisted we get there really early. I looked at her as if she had sprouted two heads. How many people get up at 6:30 a.m. at Disney World??? But I dutifully did as told, and we were greeted at the desk by 4 CMs with nothing to do, just waiting to all help us. No kidding. Plus the completely bored bell services guy, where Megan checked her carry-on. No other actual hotel guests in sight.
Then we went to the bus stop... and wouldn’t you know it, this is the one time we hardly waited for a bus? So we arrived at the Magic Kingdom really, really early. As in, if we had actually gone and stood in the line, we would have been the second family in the early ADR line. But I saw a bench, and we took that. We didn’t join the line until right before it was due to open - which meant we were about the tenth family in instead of the second. No big deal; it’s still an incredibly empty park. But upon entering the main gate, I was shocked. It was suddenly Christmas.
I had been there just the night before for Spectromagic, and there was no hint of Christmas. But suddenly now there was a tree and wreaths and Christmas music playing... and it was only the third of November.
Crystal Palace didn’t actually start letting people in until about 8:10 a.m. (although they had let us in the main gate at 7:50), but we were seated very quickly. First up to greet us was Eeyore. Two points here: 1) The lighting in Crystal Palace was very bad for the pictures... I don’t know if it was just my camera or what, but it made everybody’s skin look rather pale (I’m already pasty-white enough, I don’t need the camera helping me in that department). The other character meal pictures don’t seem to have that problem... not sure why. 2) I’m not photogenic. Eeyore discovered this the hard way. I took Megan’s picture, then we swapped the camera and she took mine. As Eeyore is walking away, Megan cries out, “Oh wait, Eeyore, she had her eyes closed.” Eeyore was very accommodating and posed for a second picture. “Oh wait, Eeyore, she had her eyes closed again.” At this point Eeyore realized I needed help, and completely smothered me in a bear hug. If you look very closely in the picture, you can just see my shoulder peeking out from under his arms. That’s it. No more closed eyes problem.
The only problem I have with the character meal buffet thing is that you’re always worried you’re going to miss a character while you’re at the buffet. Liberty Tree, which brought the food to you, was far more convenient. Here at Crystal Palace, Megan did a nice sprint on her way back from the buffet line (with a full plate of food, no less) to ensure that she didn’t miss Tigger.
Also, eating when you’re about to have your picture taken is not a good idea. I think it was at 1900 Park Fair that, just as Megan was about to take my picture, I realized that I had a wad of food stored in my cheek like a chipmunk. I had just taken a mouthful when a character came by, and to be polite, you know how you push it aside so you can talk without giving them an eyeful, and well, anyway, chipmunk cheek ensued. And that’s just not a pretty picture. And I’m sure that was far more information than you needed to know. Let it never be said that my trip report is anything less than thorough.
So the rest of breakfast was uneventful, and we finished up just a few minutes after the park had opened - good timing. So we hit all of our favorites at the Magic Kingdom again - Big Thunder, Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain (twice), Buzz Lightyear (also twice, and one time I scored over 300,000 again - I’m getting better!!!), and Pirates of the Caribbean. We also intended to see the pirate tutorial because, if it was the same Capt. Jack as at the MNSSHP party, Megan would have enjoyed him quite a bit. Unfortunately, the times weren’t posted, and I don’t think they were in the times guide we had (which seems odd, so maybe my memory’s wrong), but anyway, we never saw it. By then it was about 11 a.m. or so (we accomplished quite a bit in two hours, didn’t we?), and our Magical Express bus was due at 12:30 p.m., so we decided to take the monorail to Epcot, stroll through Epcot, and then we’d be back at our hotel on time.
Once at Epcot, we discovered that we had different priorities for our last hour at the World, so we split up for the last time. I did one last pass through of the Seas and one last ride on Gary - I mean Mission:Space, and then I had one very last shopping mission - to buy some more Mickey Mints. It just wouldn’t be a Disney trip unless I brought home Dad’s favorite souvenir. But should I buy Mickey Mints, or Minnie Mints, or Donald Mints???? Fortunately, I didn’t spend the same amount of time Dad did on this decision before choosing the now-traditional Mickey Mints, and then I headed to the World Showcase to take a few last pictures. This was also where I had a wonderful lunch (well, it was actually leftover breakfast - half a muffin) in the UK. I was back on the benches near the maze and the gazebo, and there wasn’t another soul there. Seriously. I loved it.
Then I headed for the hotel, taking pictures of the Yacht and Beach Club and Boardwalk on the way, since I realized all of that was on the dead memory stick.
Back at the Boardwalk, Megan and I waited for the Magical Express on a bench with a woman who felt a need to vent. Apparently she felt that she had not had a good experience with either her incoming flight or DME and was concerned that her outgoing flight would go similarly. Best I could tell, it was no one’s fault but her own - she apparently was running late for her flight, and then received a speeding ticket on the way to the airport, which slowed down her arrival to the airport considerably, and she consequently missed her flight. This is neither the airline’s nor DME’s fault. But she seemed angry, and I really didn’t want to argue, so I just nodded and said, “Oh, what a shame.” Megan looked as if she wanted to say something to the lady, but she showed great restraint and wisely held her tongue. So we made sure we didn’t sit next to the angry lady on the DME bus.
Our journey through the Orlando airport was not particularly eventful until we got to security. I went through first. I put my shoes, purse, jewelry, watch, and soul in a large plastic bin (of which they had an entire row, just sitting, waiting for my stuff). Apparently this was wrong. The security guard, with a loud huff and a glare, took my shoes out to ride alone on the belt. Then the purse, which also didn’t apparently go in a bin, rode alone, while the jewelry and watch went in a tiny plastic bowl (actually the same kind I use as my dog’s food dish - no kidding). What the difference was, I don’t know. If you can’t see well enough through the large plastic bin, then don’t give us the large plastic bin. I thought that was the point - the plastic won’t obscure the picture in the x-ray. But no, some of my stuff was supposed to go in a small plastic bin and the rest was to ride separately. Yeah, whatever. Dulles didn’t have a problem with it.
Then it was Megan’s turn. She had seen (and learned from ) my mistakes, so she didn’t repeat those, but when her carry-on went through, she was pulled out of line. So she had to go through the security special check, where they take apart your entire bag. Apparently, she had put all of her toiletries in her carry-on, despite the fact that they were over 3 ounces and she didn’t have a ziploc bag. So they were confiscated. She then grumbled about security for the next 20 minutes, and when I had had enough, I said, “Don’t you remember that I had told you about the 3 oz. in a ziploc baggie rule before our first flight?” She angrily replied, “Yeah, but I forgot.” Okay, well you were warned - shut up about it. Yes it’s stupid, but I cannot singlehandedly fix the system, nor can your grumbling. But I kept all of those thoughts to myself, as well as the thought that it was a good thing we were heading home... to separate residences.
We made it to our flight with plenty of time to spare, the flight took off on time, and we arrived 10 minutes early. Gotta give United credit - we landed early on both legs of our trip and they didn’t lose any of our luggage. Good stuff. We retrieved our luggage, and headed outside... According to my dad, it had been quite nice weather here in Virginia until we came home, but all I know is we stepped outside of the airport (still in our Florida clothes, albeit with a jacket - I think Megan was actually wearing flip-flops) and it was 31 degrees! Oh what a shock to the system. Upon arriving home, I discovered that Summer, my dog, had not really missed me much, and had taken advantage of my empty bed.
Overall, our trip was absolutely wonderful! I would highly recommend going in late October/early November. The crowd levels were fantastic and the weather was nice - low 70s, not too humid, do bring a jacket for the evenings but it was still WAAAAAAY better than the 31 degrees at home. Renting a DVC studio was easily the best decision I made for the trip, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party was a ton of fun, and I would definitely recommend that everyone go in costume - even adults! It’s just so much more festive, and you’re at Disney World - you can’t look any more silly than the guy with the Mickey ears on Soarin’, so don’t worry, you’ll blend right in. The Dolphins in Depth tour was very informative and fun, and I would highly recommend that, too. The Dining Plan was good for this trip, but for most trips, it’s probably too much food for me. However, it certainly pays for itself in short order if you eat mostly at table service restaurants and don’t mind the loss of flexibility that comes with all the necessary ADRs. And celebrating your birthday at the World, well, that’s priceless!
So if anyone has any questions, I’m happy to answer anything I can. For now, I will leave you with my favorite picture from this trip. Thanks for reading!
Then we went to the bus stop... and wouldn’t you know it, this is the one time we hardly waited for a bus? So we arrived at the Magic Kingdom really, really early. As in, if we had actually gone and stood in the line, we would have been the second family in the early ADR line. But I saw a bench, and we took that. We didn’t join the line until right before it was due to open - which meant we were about the tenth family in instead of the second. No big deal; it’s still an incredibly empty park. But upon entering the main gate, I was shocked. It was suddenly Christmas.
I had been there just the night before for Spectromagic, and there was no hint of Christmas. But suddenly now there was a tree and wreaths and Christmas music playing... and it was only the third of November.
Crystal Palace didn’t actually start letting people in until about 8:10 a.m. (although they had let us in the main gate at 7:50), but we were seated very quickly. First up to greet us was Eeyore. Two points here: 1) The lighting in Crystal Palace was very bad for the pictures... I don’t know if it was just my camera or what, but it made everybody’s skin look rather pale (I’m already pasty-white enough, I don’t need the camera helping me in that department). The other character meal pictures don’t seem to have that problem... not sure why. 2) I’m not photogenic. Eeyore discovered this the hard way. I took Megan’s picture, then we swapped the camera and she took mine. As Eeyore is walking away, Megan cries out, “Oh wait, Eeyore, she had her eyes closed.” Eeyore was very accommodating and posed for a second picture. “Oh wait, Eeyore, she had her eyes closed again.” At this point Eeyore realized I needed help, and completely smothered me in a bear hug. If you look very closely in the picture, you can just see my shoulder peeking out from under his arms. That’s it. No more closed eyes problem.
The only problem I have with the character meal buffet thing is that you’re always worried you’re going to miss a character while you’re at the buffet. Liberty Tree, which brought the food to you, was far more convenient. Here at Crystal Palace, Megan did a nice sprint on her way back from the buffet line (with a full plate of food, no less) to ensure that she didn’t miss Tigger.
Also, eating when you’re about to have your picture taken is not a good idea. I think it was at 1900 Park Fair that, just as Megan was about to take my picture, I realized that I had a wad of food stored in my cheek like a chipmunk. I had just taken a mouthful when a character came by, and to be polite, you know how you push it aside so you can talk without giving them an eyeful, and well, anyway, chipmunk cheek ensued. And that’s just not a pretty picture. And I’m sure that was far more information than you needed to know. Let it never be said that my trip report is anything less than thorough.
So the rest of breakfast was uneventful, and we finished up just a few minutes after the park had opened - good timing. So we hit all of our favorites at the Magic Kingdom again - Big Thunder, Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain (twice), Buzz Lightyear (also twice, and one time I scored over 300,000 again - I’m getting better!!!), and Pirates of the Caribbean. We also intended to see the pirate tutorial because, if it was the same Capt. Jack as at the MNSSHP party, Megan would have enjoyed him quite a bit. Unfortunately, the times weren’t posted, and I don’t think they were in the times guide we had (which seems odd, so maybe my memory’s wrong), but anyway, we never saw it. By then it was about 11 a.m. or so (we accomplished quite a bit in two hours, didn’t we?), and our Magical Express bus was due at 12:30 p.m., so we decided to take the monorail to Epcot, stroll through Epcot, and then we’d be back at our hotel on time.
Once at Epcot, we discovered that we had different priorities for our last hour at the World, so we split up for the last time. I did one last pass through of the Seas and one last ride on Gary - I mean Mission:Space, and then I had one very last shopping mission - to buy some more Mickey Mints. It just wouldn’t be a Disney trip unless I brought home Dad’s favorite souvenir. But should I buy Mickey Mints, or Minnie Mints, or Donald Mints???? Fortunately, I didn’t spend the same amount of time Dad did on this decision before choosing the now-traditional Mickey Mints, and then I headed to the World Showcase to take a few last pictures. This was also where I had a wonderful lunch (well, it was actually leftover breakfast - half a muffin) in the UK. I was back on the benches near the maze and the gazebo, and there wasn’t another soul there. Seriously. I loved it.
Then I headed for the hotel, taking pictures of the Yacht and Beach Club and Boardwalk on the way, since I realized all of that was on the dead memory stick.
Back at the Boardwalk, Megan and I waited for the Magical Express on a bench with a woman who felt a need to vent. Apparently she felt that she had not had a good experience with either her incoming flight or DME and was concerned that her outgoing flight would go similarly. Best I could tell, it was no one’s fault but her own - she apparently was running late for her flight, and then received a speeding ticket on the way to the airport, which slowed down her arrival to the airport considerably, and she consequently missed her flight. This is neither the airline’s nor DME’s fault. But she seemed angry, and I really didn’t want to argue, so I just nodded and said, “Oh, what a shame.” Megan looked as if she wanted to say something to the lady, but she showed great restraint and wisely held her tongue. So we made sure we didn’t sit next to the angry lady on the DME bus.
Our journey through the Orlando airport was not particularly eventful until we got to security. I went through first. I put my shoes, purse, jewelry, watch, and soul in a large plastic bin (of which they had an entire row, just sitting, waiting for my stuff). Apparently this was wrong. The security guard, with a loud huff and a glare, took my shoes out to ride alone on the belt. Then the purse, which also didn’t apparently go in a bin, rode alone, while the jewelry and watch went in a tiny plastic bowl (actually the same kind I use as my dog’s food dish - no kidding). What the difference was, I don’t know. If you can’t see well enough through the large plastic bin, then don’t give us the large plastic bin. I thought that was the point - the plastic won’t obscure the picture in the x-ray. But no, some of my stuff was supposed to go in a small plastic bin and the rest was to ride separately. Yeah, whatever. Dulles didn’t have a problem with it.
Then it was Megan’s turn. She had seen (and learned from ) my mistakes, so she didn’t repeat those, but when her carry-on went through, she was pulled out of line. So she had to go through the security special check, where they take apart your entire bag. Apparently, she had put all of her toiletries in her carry-on, despite the fact that they were over 3 ounces and she didn’t have a ziploc bag. So they were confiscated. She then grumbled about security for the next 20 minutes, and when I had had enough, I said, “Don’t you remember that I had told you about the 3 oz. in a ziploc baggie rule before our first flight?” She angrily replied, “Yeah, but I forgot.” Okay, well you were warned - shut up about it. Yes it’s stupid, but I cannot singlehandedly fix the system, nor can your grumbling. But I kept all of those thoughts to myself, as well as the thought that it was a good thing we were heading home... to separate residences.
We made it to our flight with plenty of time to spare, the flight took off on time, and we arrived 10 minutes early. Gotta give United credit - we landed early on both legs of our trip and they didn’t lose any of our luggage. Good stuff. We retrieved our luggage, and headed outside... According to my dad, it had been quite nice weather here in Virginia until we came home, but all I know is we stepped outside of the airport (still in our Florida clothes, albeit with a jacket - I think Megan was actually wearing flip-flops) and it was 31 degrees! Oh what a shock to the system. Upon arriving home, I discovered that Summer, my dog, had not really missed me much, and had taken advantage of my empty bed.
Overall, our trip was absolutely wonderful! I would highly recommend going in late October/early November. The crowd levels were fantastic and the weather was nice - low 70s, not too humid, do bring a jacket for the evenings but it was still WAAAAAAY better than the 31 degrees at home. Renting a DVC studio was easily the best decision I made for the trip, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party was a ton of fun, and I would definitely recommend that everyone go in costume - even adults! It’s just so much more festive, and you’re at Disney World - you can’t look any more silly than the guy with the Mickey ears on Soarin’, so don’t worry, you’ll blend right in. The Dolphins in Depth tour was very informative and fun, and I would highly recommend that, too. The Dining Plan was good for this trip, but for most trips, it’s probably too much food for me. However, it certainly pays for itself in short order if you eat mostly at table service restaurants and don’t mind the loss of flexibility that comes with all the necessary ADRs. And celebrating your birthday at the World, well, that’s priceless!
So if anyone has any questions, I’m happy to answer anything I can. For now, I will leave you with my favorite picture from this trip. Thanks for reading!
