MKFan-PR
Certified MK Freak! Work is what I do for Vacation
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2002
- Messages
- 495
The Cast:
Me MKFan-PR, 37. Absolutely, 100%, government-certified WDW freak. Enthusiast doesnt quite cut it. Fell in love with the place since the first time my parents took me when I was 5.
DW, 41. Married with me for 11 years. Guess where weve gone on vacation for most of them? Doesnt like thrill rides but loves strolling, window shopping and dining on Epcot.
DD, 6. Well call her Cookie (my pet nickname for her). This trip is supposed to be celebrating her good grades and performance in 1st grade at school (at least thats what I tell people!
). Shes been dreaming about it since I mentioned the possibility way back in October.
Our previous installments:
Day 1: Were here!...Our bags will follow shortly
Day 2-7/30: MGM and the baked MKFan Family
Ahhhh the joys of waking up without an alarm clock! I'm really on vacation now!
Its about 8:30 AM, and MKFan is now waking up. Because on vacation MKFan does what MKFan wants
Trying speaking of myself in the third person... Not working
Anyway, we start to get dressed to grab some breakfast. Yes, I know, I know in the summer youre supposed to be early at the parks, and youre supposed to do as much as you can in the mornings, which means that by now were supposed to be at the park gates but this is my vacation, and I wake up very early everyday for work and to take Cookie to school AND IM GOING TO WAKE UP AND DO WHATEVER I WANT ON MY VACATION!!!!
Sorry about that Its just that I had a vision of all the guidebooks surrounding me with glazed eyes and chanting be there early be there early
Anyway, we head to the Food Court for some breakfast. Cookie has some Mickey waffles, while DW and me have the King Creole Breakfast Platter. (Nice and light breakfasts? HA! Not for the MKFan Family!
besides, this stuff is gonna be burned off quite soon, believe me
)
Were now all set and head to the bus station in front. Another reason POFQ is great is the transportation. Although it shares most buses with POR, POFQ is the first stop for both pickup and drop-off, so we always had seats when leaving and always were the first ones off returning. There are two stops, the Jazz station, where the buses to Epcot, AK and I think Blizzard Beach stop, and the Blues station, with service to MGM, MK, and I think DD.
By the way, I forgot to mention that Cookie is wearing (as she will do for the rest of the trip) a Cinderella princess tiara. She wanted it to be her headdress for the trip. She looks very cute. But once this girl saw the attention she got (everyone greeted her well, hello Princess for the whole trip), she played the part to a tee even making me go ahead on stairs to hold my hand out for her like royalty!
Awwww thats so cute our own 6 yaer-old diva!
We take the bus and after taking the grand tour of all 4 POR bus stops, were finally on our way to MGM. First, I have to pick-up my AP, which is on will-call. Yes, I had an AP rate for POFQ. And no, they didnt ask to see the voucher or pass on check-in. If they do, they usually give you a chance to show it later. I think that mine showed up on my reservation, though. Since today is Saturday, I cant call DDE, so well do that on Monday.
We breeze through security, and use the new finger thingy in the turnstiles (Cookie loves it). And, FINALLY, we walk in to MGM. Its now around 11:30 AM.
Yes you guessed it its now VERY HOT! The sun is set on BAKE. Im afraid Ill get grill marks on my back if I seat on a bench. And for those of you now thinking See? Told ya! You should be there early! I DONT CARE!!! ILL DO IT MY WAY!!!
Sorry about the screaming Ill calm down now Its the heat
Where to go first? To our tradition Great Movie Ride! plus, its the closest air-conditioned attraction
The line is small, and in less than 10 minutes were on our way. This is always nice and I love the updated clips at the end. But, PLEASE, PLEASE, someone do something about the CM/guide performances! Yes, they are extremely lame and corny, but God We had the cowboy scene (actually cowgirl), and the girl was just going through the motions Ive seen better effort at the DMV! (Wed be at MK the next day and the Jungle Cruise guides were fantastic )
So now we head out through the Commissary to MuppetVision, where I enjoy the pre-show as always Classic Muppet Show stuff. Of course, the actual show is pretty good too, and DW and Cookie get a kick out of it.
Once were out, we go by New York street and check the time for the next show of the new Lights, Motors, Action (LMA) show. Perfect timing! We can get in, and its just about to start.
Actually, the timing is not that perfect. The waiting area is to the side and unshaded. The sun is now set to BROIL. Were starting to feel extra-crispy, and without the secret herbs and spices. Cookie is nearing a meltdown and wanting a mister. But were stuck now, and we have to endure just a couple of minutes more of this barbecue.
Finally were seated (near a fan, thankfully!). The LMA show is FANTSATIC! The action is superb and thrilling, and those drivers are incredible! They keep you entertained while they set up the next scene, and the crowd is always in awe. Excellent! The only downer was the shameless plug for the Herbie movie, with the car. The split Herbie was cool, though.
On the way out we stop to get Cookie her mister, which she greatly appreciates, and along the way we get autographs from the Power Rangers and JoJo (ah, yes the classic Disney characters
), plus Jessie and Buzz. As soon as Buzz sees the princess tiara in Cookies head, he bows and for the picture he poses in one knee, kissing her hand. It looks like hes proposing. I just hope the guy that actually proposes to her is not a cartoon character
but Im getting WAY too ahead of myself here! 
A stop at Star Tours, again with less than 10 minutes wait, where Cookie enjoys herself after starting the ride with her eyes closed. Then were in need of sustenance, and we head to the nearby Backlot Express, our favorite counter service place in MGM.
After enjoying our burgers and chicken strips (what, you were expecting gourmet food?) We skip Indiana Jones (next show not very soon) and Sounds Dangerous (an attraction that should have never taken place lets leave it at that and I love Drew Carey!) and head to Little Mermaid. After the entertaining show, Cookie reminds me that we dont have that move at home. Great. Now this trip is going to keep costing me after were home!
.
We decide that its time for a break. There are just a couple of things more that we would like to see, so a trip to the hotel and a dip in the pool seem like a good idea. On the way out we meet Mary Poppins and get her autograph. BTW, now you dont need the handstamp, with the new finger thingy.
Soon were back at POFQ. While Cookie gets into her bathing suit, I lay down on the bed to take a nap. A few minutes later, I wake up to find that Cookie and DW followed my example! After a few minutes I change and Cookie wakes up, so we proceed to the pool area, Doubloon Lagoon.
Cookie gets a life vest, showers and heads for the slide. Shes a little apprehensive at first, but loves going over and over and over again. I get in and find that the water is WARM! I dont know if its actually heated or if its due to the sun (or if its something else
), but I like it. I dont have to do the whole AARRGGH! ITS COLD!... DO IT SLOWLY!... NO, JUMP RIGHT IN!... thing. I go down the slide a couple of times. Great pool area.
One observation: wanna see a look of pure, crystal-clear delight? Watch the face of a child as he goes down a slide. You want to store that in a glass bottle and look at it for hours. Want to see an adult completely relaxed and enjoying himself? Watch him as he goes down the same slide. Im telling you, its priceless!
After a while we head back to the room, to change and head back to MGM. As soon as we enter the room, it starts to rain. Great timing!
We head out back to MGM. The afternoon is now nice and cool, with almost zero mugginess er, humidity. It would be that way every afternoon and evening the rest of the trip!
) At MGM, Cookie wants to try ToT. DW doesnt. I explain it to her, so that we dont have to use the chicken exit later, but she wants to. Well, ok, here we go.
As we start to climb the hill and it starts to get creepy (the increasing nightfall was not helping!), she starts to get nervous. Fearing a meltdown at the loading area, I try to reassure her, but I offer the option to back out, before we actually get into the hotel lobby. After thinking about it, she decides to opt-out, so we head back down. Believe me, this is way better than a last-minute meltdown at the loading area after everything is fine (more on that on a later installment!).
We sit down. DW goes with cookie into some shops while I check the line for RnR. 50 minutes. Nope, I dont think so.
After taking care of a ahem difference of opinion between parents and their DD we get some popcorn and cookie asks if we could please go into Fantasmic. Well, its just 15 minutes away, and people are not being turned away by the CMs. There must be space! Lets do it!
(BTW, MGM had very manageable crowds. Excellent choice for a Saturday. Nice pat on the back for MKFan
)
Anyway, we head for Fantasmic, and we are seated to the right side of the theater. Not too far, but not too close that we get wet. The show is excellent and the crowd is really into it, and everyone loves it. At the end, we are herded with the rest of the cattle er, people to the exit. Since that was just the first of two Fantasmic showings tonight, we can get a shortcut so instead of the exit, we can head back to Hollywood Blvd., so I can give RNR a try. After about 20 minutes of wait, I ride by myself and, again, I look like a total wuss in the picture. I absolutely love this ride. The only way I can describe the launch is the same way Katie Holmes talks about Tom Cruise amazing amazing amazing.
Its now almost 10:00 PM. We head out to the bus stop before the big exit crush after Fantasmic. We only wait about 10 minutes and the bus arrives. Only 2 families at the bus stop. A lot more will come later, but still loving POFQ!
We havent had dinner yet, so, after leaving the ladies in the room, its daddys room service. The only stations open at the Food Court are the bakery and the pizza shop. So its mini-pizzas for the ladies and a meatball sandwich for me. Both are surprisingly tasty (for a late night meal at a Food Court dont go expecting Emeril / Wolfgang Puck-class food here and then come back to berate me!
)
We freshen up and go to bed, looking forward to next day
Tomorrow MK, ducks, and the grilled MKFan Family
Stay Tuned!
Me MKFan-PR, 37. Absolutely, 100%, government-certified WDW freak. Enthusiast doesnt quite cut it. Fell in love with the place since the first time my parents took me when I was 5.
DW, 41. Married with me for 11 years. Guess where weve gone on vacation for most of them? Doesnt like thrill rides but loves strolling, window shopping and dining on Epcot.
DD, 6. Well call her Cookie (my pet nickname for her). This trip is supposed to be celebrating her good grades and performance in 1st grade at school (at least thats what I tell people!
). Shes been dreaming about it since I mentioned the possibility way back in October.Our previous installments:
Day 1: Were here!...Our bags will follow shortly
Day 2-7/30: MGM and the baked MKFan Family
Ahhhh the joys of waking up without an alarm clock! I'm really on vacation now!
Its about 8:30 AM, and MKFan is now waking up. Because on vacation MKFan does what MKFan wants
Trying speaking of myself in the third person... Not working
Anyway, we start to get dressed to grab some breakfast. Yes, I know, I know in the summer youre supposed to be early at the parks, and youre supposed to do as much as you can in the mornings, which means that by now were supposed to be at the park gates but this is my vacation, and I wake up very early everyday for work and to take Cookie to school AND IM GOING TO WAKE UP AND DO WHATEVER I WANT ON MY VACATION!!!!
Sorry about that Its just that I had a vision of all the guidebooks surrounding me with glazed eyes and chanting be there early be there early
Anyway, we head to the Food Court for some breakfast. Cookie has some Mickey waffles, while DW and me have the King Creole Breakfast Platter. (Nice and light breakfasts? HA! Not for the MKFan Family!
besides, this stuff is gonna be burned off quite soon, believe me
)Were now all set and head to the bus station in front. Another reason POFQ is great is the transportation. Although it shares most buses with POR, POFQ is the first stop for both pickup and drop-off, so we always had seats when leaving and always were the first ones off returning. There are two stops, the Jazz station, where the buses to Epcot, AK and I think Blizzard Beach stop, and the Blues station, with service to MGM, MK, and I think DD.
By the way, I forgot to mention that Cookie is wearing (as she will do for the rest of the trip) a Cinderella princess tiara. She wanted it to be her headdress for the trip. She looks very cute. But once this girl saw the attention she got (everyone greeted her well, hello Princess for the whole trip), she played the part to a tee even making me go ahead on stairs to hold my hand out for her like royalty!
Awwww thats so cute our own 6 yaer-old diva!
We take the bus and after taking the grand tour of all 4 POR bus stops, were finally on our way to MGM. First, I have to pick-up my AP, which is on will-call. Yes, I had an AP rate for POFQ. And no, they didnt ask to see the voucher or pass on check-in. If they do, they usually give you a chance to show it later. I think that mine showed up on my reservation, though. Since today is Saturday, I cant call DDE, so well do that on Monday.
We breeze through security, and use the new finger thingy in the turnstiles (Cookie loves it). And, FINALLY, we walk in to MGM. Its now around 11:30 AM.
Yes you guessed it its now VERY HOT! The sun is set on BAKE. Im afraid Ill get grill marks on my back if I seat on a bench. And for those of you now thinking See? Told ya! You should be there early! I DONT CARE!!! ILL DO IT MY WAY!!!
Sorry about the screaming Ill calm down now Its the heat
Where to go first? To our tradition Great Movie Ride! plus, its the closest air-conditioned attraction
The line is small, and in less than 10 minutes were on our way. This is always nice and I love the updated clips at the end. But, PLEASE, PLEASE, someone do something about the CM/guide performances! Yes, they are extremely lame and corny, but God We had the cowboy scene (actually cowgirl), and the girl was just going through the motions Ive seen better effort at the DMV! (Wed be at MK the next day and the Jungle Cruise guides were fantastic )
So now we head out through the Commissary to MuppetVision, where I enjoy the pre-show as always Classic Muppet Show stuff. Of course, the actual show is pretty good too, and DW and Cookie get a kick out of it.
Once were out, we go by New York street and check the time for the next show of the new Lights, Motors, Action (LMA) show. Perfect timing! We can get in, and its just about to start.
Actually, the timing is not that perfect. The waiting area is to the side and unshaded. The sun is now set to BROIL. Were starting to feel extra-crispy, and without the secret herbs and spices. Cookie is nearing a meltdown and wanting a mister. But were stuck now, and we have to endure just a couple of minutes more of this barbecue.
Finally were seated (near a fan, thankfully!). The LMA show is FANTSATIC! The action is superb and thrilling, and those drivers are incredible! They keep you entertained while they set up the next scene, and the crowd is always in awe. Excellent! The only downer was the shameless plug for the Herbie movie, with the car. The split Herbie was cool, though.
On the way out we stop to get Cookie her mister, which she greatly appreciates, and along the way we get autographs from the Power Rangers and JoJo (ah, yes the classic Disney characters
), plus Jessie and Buzz. As soon as Buzz sees the princess tiara in Cookies head, he bows and for the picture he poses in one knee, kissing her hand. It looks like hes proposing. I just hope the guy that actually proposes to her is not a cartoon character
but Im getting WAY too ahead of myself here! A stop at Star Tours, again with less than 10 minutes wait, where Cookie enjoys herself after starting the ride with her eyes closed. Then were in need of sustenance, and we head to the nearby Backlot Express, our favorite counter service place in MGM.
After enjoying our burgers and chicken strips (what, you were expecting gourmet food?) We skip Indiana Jones (next show not very soon) and Sounds Dangerous (an attraction that should have never taken place lets leave it at that and I love Drew Carey!) and head to Little Mermaid. After the entertaining show, Cookie reminds me that we dont have that move at home. Great. Now this trip is going to keep costing me after were home!
.We decide that its time for a break. There are just a couple of things more that we would like to see, so a trip to the hotel and a dip in the pool seem like a good idea. On the way out we meet Mary Poppins and get her autograph. BTW, now you dont need the handstamp, with the new finger thingy.
Soon were back at POFQ. While Cookie gets into her bathing suit, I lay down on the bed to take a nap. A few minutes later, I wake up to find that Cookie and DW followed my example! After a few minutes I change and Cookie wakes up, so we proceed to the pool area, Doubloon Lagoon.
Cookie gets a life vest, showers and heads for the slide. Shes a little apprehensive at first, but loves going over and over and over again. I get in and find that the water is WARM! I dont know if its actually heated or if its due to the sun (or if its something else
), but I like it. I dont have to do the whole AARRGGH! ITS COLD!... DO IT SLOWLY!... NO, JUMP RIGHT IN!... thing. I go down the slide a couple of times. Great pool area.One observation: wanna see a look of pure, crystal-clear delight? Watch the face of a child as he goes down a slide. You want to store that in a glass bottle and look at it for hours. Want to see an adult completely relaxed and enjoying himself? Watch him as he goes down the same slide. Im telling you, its priceless!
After a while we head back to the room, to change and head back to MGM. As soon as we enter the room, it starts to rain. Great timing!
We head out back to MGM. The afternoon is now nice and cool, with almost zero mugginess er, humidity. It would be that way every afternoon and evening the rest of the trip!
) At MGM, Cookie wants to try ToT. DW doesnt. I explain it to her, so that we dont have to use the chicken exit later, but she wants to. Well, ok, here we go.As we start to climb the hill and it starts to get creepy (the increasing nightfall was not helping!), she starts to get nervous. Fearing a meltdown at the loading area, I try to reassure her, but I offer the option to back out, before we actually get into the hotel lobby. After thinking about it, she decides to opt-out, so we head back down. Believe me, this is way better than a last-minute meltdown at the loading area after everything is fine (more on that on a later installment!).
We sit down. DW goes with cookie into some shops while I check the line for RnR. 50 minutes. Nope, I dont think so.
After taking care of a ahem difference of opinion between parents and their DD we get some popcorn and cookie asks if we could please go into Fantasmic. Well, its just 15 minutes away, and people are not being turned away by the CMs. There must be space! Lets do it!
(BTW, MGM had very manageable crowds. Excellent choice for a Saturday. Nice pat on the back for MKFan
)Anyway, we head for Fantasmic, and we are seated to the right side of the theater. Not too far, but not too close that we get wet. The show is excellent and the crowd is really into it, and everyone loves it. At the end, we are herded with the rest of the cattle er, people to the exit. Since that was just the first of two Fantasmic showings tonight, we can get a shortcut so instead of the exit, we can head back to Hollywood Blvd., so I can give RNR a try. After about 20 minutes of wait, I ride by myself and, again, I look like a total wuss in the picture. I absolutely love this ride. The only way I can describe the launch is the same way Katie Holmes talks about Tom Cruise amazing amazing amazing
.Its now almost 10:00 PM. We head out to the bus stop before the big exit crush after Fantasmic. We only wait about 10 minutes and the bus arrives. Only 2 families at the bus stop. A lot more will come later, but still loving POFQ!
We havent had dinner yet, so, after leaving the ladies in the room, its daddys room service. The only stations open at the Food Court are the bakery and the pizza shop. So its mini-pizzas for the ladies and a meatball sandwich for me. Both are surprisingly tasty (for a late night meal at a Food Court dont go expecting Emeril / Wolfgang Puck-class food here and then come back to berate me!
)We freshen up and go to bed, looking forward to next day
Tomorrow MK, ducks, and the grilled MKFan Family
Stay Tuned!
Looking forward to the next one!
Great report, I'm anxious to read the next day!
If if wasn't for the fact that I have to watch over DD, I'd be going down the slide about a thousand times. In fact, I love water parks (couldn't go on this trip, though 
)
