MKFan-PR
Certified MK Freak! Work is what I do for Vacation
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2002
THE CAST:
MKFan-PR: Me, 34. Disney nut since my parents took me when I was 5. This is my 10th trip overall, number 6 with my DW and number 2 with my DD.
Carmen: DW, 38. Her 7th trip (6 with me). Knows a little English but enjoys Disney a lot.
Larissa: DD, 3.5. This is actually her 2nd trip, but this is the first that she will actually have memories of. Has been excited about the trip ever since she saw the vacation video.
We live in Puerto Rico, so a trip to Disney involves quite some planning and investment; it is very difficult to go more than once a year. With Larissa starting school this will be the first time that our family will NOT be going off-season, and who knows when we'll be able to return, so this trip is extra-special for my DW and me.
8/10: Day 10-Our last full day and ... Finally! Fantasmic!
We got up at about 9:30AM. Instead of the usual breakfast drill, we decided to have this one all together at OPR. Before leaving, I made a PS for lunch at San Angel Inn. We were at OPR for our (very) late breakfast at about 10:50AM. Enjoyed our French Toasts, croissants and cereal, then went to the Bus Stop for our journey to Epcot. The plan was to spend most of the day at Epcot, then catch a Friendship to MGM-ST for Fantasmic. We wanted Fantasmic to be our big finish and we were determined not to miss it this time!
At about 12:30PM we were at the security check in Epcot, and in no time we were inside. My favorite park is MK, but since my vacations in WDW are so relaxed, Epcot is my favorite relaxing spot. I know some people wonder why it's even there, but I enjoy spending time in it.
Since in our previous visit we went through the 'right-side' (facing SE), we decided to attack now the 'left side'. We went into UofE. I've always thought Ellen is quite funny on the pre-show, but then she kind of gets lost in the script in the actual ride. The dinosaurs and the ambience inside the ride are very impressive, though.
We skipped WofL, since we did it on our previous visit. Took some pictures of the entrance to Mission: Space (Darn! Missed the preview in Innoventions). Looks interesting.
We then passed in front of TT. Thought about getting a FP, but the return time was 7:00PM! It was only 1:25PM! Carmen convinced me to try the Single Rider line, while she and Larissa waited. I went in and... the Single Rider line is the next best thing to FP!. While the stand by line was over 45 Min., I was in my car in less than 10! Breaking up a group could be a bummer but it's definitely worth a try! The ride itself, I like it a lot. I waited for it since I saw its previews back in our '96 trip and through all the delays. Too bad it breaks down so much. I was sad to see the old 'World of Motion' ride go, but this ride is truly a worthy successor!
When I came out I found Larissa having a ball in the Coca-Cola 'car wash' (with the water sprays). We let her play a little while, then we headed through to Mexico for our PS at San Angel Inn.
Dining here is wonderful. The atmosphere is so nice and you really feel 'away', like I said in my previous Epcot report. We ordered everything in Spanish, and enjoyed talking to our server about how she got there and her plans for the future.
In this restaurant, there's an appetizer that, ever since we read it we wanted to try it and when we did, we were hooked and we order it every time! It's called 'Queso Fundido' (literally translated, it's 'Melted Cheese'). It's made up of ('healthy eaters' are now advised to turn away their eyes): diced Italian sausage with a blend of melted parmesan (I think) and mexican cheeses. You could describe it as 'a pizza without the crust', but the taste is truly amazing! We also love our 'Tacos al Pastor' and our 'flan'.
After dinner, what better than a nice boat ride in the 'Rio del Tiempo'. We then browsed the Plaza again, then exited the pavilion. We strolled through WS, then stopped in China to see the film (I haven't seen an Epcot film since I came here in '83!). While we waited, we saw the area being prepared. It turned out that it was too windy, and since it could rain, the Chinese acrobats (all children) that performed outside would now do it inside. We skipped the movie that was just starting and decided to see them. They were amazing, as always!. I think they had a different show for indoors. There was a kid who spinned dishes on a table, then the others started putting more and more tables with dishes, and he somehow balanced all. They were all very impressive!
After the show, we saw the movie, and the Circle-Vision is impressive. The film and the projection was showing its age and its wear though; one of the screens was badly out of focus. Also, it was chilling to see Tiananmen square.
After the film and some shop browsing, we continued our journey. We arrived at the American Adventure, hoping to catch a show, then exit for the TOD parade. The next show time was about 45 min. later, so we decided to see Showckwave again. This time, though, we had better seats and the heat wasn't as oppressive as the first time, so we obviously enjoyed this one more!
After the show, we parked nearby for the 6:15 showing of TOD. What a nice parade! It's different from other parades, and the 'puppets' are just incredible. Larissa was mesmerized by it, and then one of them extended it's 'arm' to shake Larissa's hand! The look on her face was worth the whole trip! (Darn! There go the tears again!).
It was now close to 7:00, and time to get moving to MGM-ST. We strolled onward to the International Gateway, stopping along the way to again watch a Living Statue.
We exited, then boarded a Friendship to MGM-ST. Once in, I stopped at the camera shop for a roll of film (forgot the spare roll in the room!), then we headed to the theater. We would not be denied!
Once into the theater, we realized we had excellent timing. It was about 7:45 PM, and the theater was now 2/3 to 3/4 full. We were seated in the next to last section (just beyond the two 'Mickey' sections).
From this point on it was just magical! There was no need for pre-show entertainment, since the crowd was into having fun. A wave started spontaneously, and it was a sight to see all those people having such a great time. People all around me were talking with their 'neighbors' ('Where are you from? Is this your first time', etc...).
And then,... finally,... Fantasmic! WHAT AN AWESOME SHOW! All three of us loved every second. The F/X, the fireworks, everything was... incredible!
After such a superb closing to our last night at WDW, we felt there was no need for more. Happily, we took our stroller, and slowly headed to the exit, enjoying every moment of that night. We took the second bus to CBR, where Larissa arrived sound asleep, no doubt dreaming about everything magical moment she experienced at this place her daddy loves so much (and, I hope, creating some memories of her own so that she, too, can become a Disney nut!).
I won't spoil this with the mundane details of our last night (packing, checking our charges, etc.). Let's just say we went to bed satisfied that this trip had truly been magical!
Next - The Goodbye and Final Thoughts
MKFan-PR: Me, 34. Disney nut since my parents took me when I was 5. This is my 10th trip overall, number 6 with my DW and number 2 with my DD.
Carmen: DW, 38. Her 7th trip (6 with me). Knows a little English but enjoys Disney a lot.
Larissa: DD, 3.5. This is actually her 2nd trip, but this is the first that she will actually have memories of. Has been excited about the trip ever since she saw the vacation video.
We live in Puerto Rico, so a trip to Disney involves quite some planning and investment; it is very difficult to go more than once a year. With Larissa starting school this will be the first time that our family will NOT be going off-season, and who knows when we'll be able to return, so this trip is extra-special for my DW and me.
8/10: Day 10-Our last full day and ... Finally! Fantasmic!
We got up at about 9:30AM. Instead of the usual breakfast drill, we decided to have this one all together at OPR. Before leaving, I made a PS for lunch at San Angel Inn. We were at OPR for our (very) late breakfast at about 10:50AM. Enjoyed our French Toasts, croissants and cereal, then went to the Bus Stop for our journey to Epcot. The plan was to spend most of the day at Epcot, then catch a Friendship to MGM-ST for Fantasmic. We wanted Fantasmic to be our big finish and we were determined not to miss it this time!
At about 12:30PM we were at the security check in Epcot, and in no time we were inside. My favorite park is MK, but since my vacations in WDW are so relaxed, Epcot is my favorite relaxing spot. I know some people wonder why it's even there, but I enjoy spending time in it.
Since in our previous visit we went through the 'right-side' (facing SE), we decided to attack now the 'left side'. We went into UofE. I've always thought Ellen is quite funny on the pre-show, but then she kind of gets lost in the script in the actual ride. The dinosaurs and the ambience inside the ride are very impressive, though.
We skipped WofL, since we did it on our previous visit. Took some pictures of the entrance to Mission: Space (Darn! Missed the preview in Innoventions). Looks interesting.
We then passed in front of TT. Thought about getting a FP, but the return time was 7:00PM! It was only 1:25PM! Carmen convinced me to try the Single Rider line, while she and Larissa waited. I went in and... the Single Rider line is the next best thing to FP!. While the stand by line was over 45 Min., I was in my car in less than 10! Breaking up a group could be a bummer but it's definitely worth a try! The ride itself, I like it a lot. I waited for it since I saw its previews back in our '96 trip and through all the delays. Too bad it breaks down so much. I was sad to see the old 'World of Motion' ride go, but this ride is truly a worthy successor!
When I came out I found Larissa having a ball in the Coca-Cola 'car wash' (with the water sprays). We let her play a little while, then we headed through to Mexico for our PS at San Angel Inn.
Dining here is wonderful. The atmosphere is so nice and you really feel 'away', like I said in my previous Epcot report. We ordered everything in Spanish, and enjoyed talking to our server about how she got there and her plans for the future.
In this restaurant, there's an appetizer that, ever since we read it we wanted to try it and when we did, we were hooked and we order it every time! It's called 'Queso Fundido' (literally translated, it's 'Melted Cheese'). It's made up of ('healthy eaters' are now advised to turn away their eyes): diced Italian sausage with a blend of melted parmesan (I think) and mexican cheeses. You could describe it as 'a pizza without the crust', but the taste is truly amazing! We also love our 'Tacos al Pastor' and our 'flan'.
After dinner, what better than a nice boat ride in the 'Rio del Tiempo'. We then browsed the Plaza again, then exited the pavilion. We strolled through WS, then stopped in China to see the film (I haven't seen an Epcot film since I came here in '83!). While we waited, we saw the area being prepared. It turned out that it was too windy, and since it could rain, the Chinese acrobats (all children) that performed outside would now do it inside. We skipped the movie that was just starting and decided to see them. They were amazing, as always!. I think they had a different show for indoors. There was a kid who spinned dishes on a table, then the others started putting more and more tables with dishes, and he somehow balanced all. They were all very impressive!
After the show, we saw the movie, and the Circle-Vision is impressive. The film and the projection was showing its age and its wear though; one of the screens was badly out of focus. Also, it was chilling to see Tiananmen square.
After the film and some shop browsing, we continued our journey. We arrived at the American Adventure, hoping to catch a show, then exit for the TOD parade. The next show time was about 45 min. later, so we decided to see Showckwave again. This time, though, we had better seats and the heat wasn't as oppressive as the first time, so we obviously enjoyed this one more!
After the show, we parked nearby for the 6:15 showing of TOD. What a nice parade! It's different from other parades, and the 'puppets' are just incredible. Larissa was mesmerized by it, and then one of them extended it's 'arm' to shake Larissa's hand! The look on her face was worth the whole trip! (Darn! There go the tears again!).
It was now close to 7:00, and time to get moving to MGM-ST. We strolled onward to the International Gateway, stopping along the way to again watch a Living Statue.
We exited, then boarded a Friendship to MGM-ST. Once in, I stopped at the camera shop for a roll of film (forgot the spare roll in the room!), then we headed to the theater. We would not be denied!
Once into the theater, we realized we had excellent timing. It was about 7:45 PM, and the theater was now 2/3 to 3/4 full. We were seated in the next to last section (just beyond the two 'Mickey' sections).
From this point on it was just magical! There was no need for pre-show entertainment, since the crowd was into having fun. A wave started spontaneously, and it was a sight to see all those people having such a great time. People all around me were talking with their 'neighbors' ('Where are you from? Is this your first time', etc...).
And then,... finally,... Fantasmic! WHAT AN AWESOME SHOW! All three of us loved every second. The F/X, the fireworks, everything was... incredible!
After such a superb closing to our last night at WDW, we felt there was no need for more. Happily, we took our stroller, and slowly headed to the exit, enjoying every moment of that night. We took the second bus to CBR, where Larissa arrived sound asleep, no doubt dreaming about everything magical moment she experienced at this place her daddy loves so much (and, I hope, creating some memories of her own so that she, too, can become a Disney nut!).
I won't spoil this with the mundane details of our last night (packing, checking our charges, etc.). Let's just say we went to bed satisfied that this trip had truly been magical!
Next - The Goodbye and Final Thoughts
