The NASTEE (Nate And Spencer Trip ExtraordinairE) Trip Report--Day 5 (Part 4): Would You Like Some McNuggets With Your Bucket O' Fries?
Cast:
Nate ("Aerobics"): 24, 4th trip to WDW, 1st trip in 12 years, 1st time staying on property
Spencer (Anti-aerobic): 29, 8th trip to WDW, hasn't stayed on property since 1992
Dates:
September 16-23, 2000
Lodging:
Wilderness Lodge--September 16-21, 2000
All Star Music--September 22, 2000
After we had exited through the International Gateway, we bolted to try to catch the boat to the Epcot resorts, but just missed it--which was fine. Normally, I would've suggested that we should just walk to the Boardwalk Inn, but since I had no clue how far a walk it was (and since it was also pouring down rain), we just decided to wait another 15 minutes for a boat. As we waited, someone offered to take a picture of us and our "balls", which generated more laughter from all involved parties.
Finally, the boat arrived and we were off to BWI. I think that, on my next trip to WDW, I'm just going to set aside an entire day to go look at resorts. WDW's resorts are so stinkin' cool!!! Every single one that we saw had so much character and ambiance, and although we absolutely adored the Wilderness Lodge in every way, I think that I'd just have to stay somewhere else next time, just because they all seem so interesting. When we arrived at the Boardwalk, we were a little disappointed to see that it wasn't too populated, but I suppose that the rain played a major role in that aspect. Also, we felt that Disney did a phenomenal job of capturing the "essence" of the Atlantic City Boardwalk. Being a frequent visitor to the "nowaday" AC, it was really neat to see how Disney interpreted the era of the early 1900's beachfront boardwalk.
We snooped around BWI a little bit and decided right then that if we were to return, this resort would definitely be on the top of our wish list (and I just think that that Keister Coaster would be the coolest thing!). Eventually, we headed over to the bus transportation area and waited to board a bus to Downtown Disney. As we waited, we observed two younger couples who were obviously on their way to Pleasure Island.
This next note is for all of the guys: Please do not complement your girlfriend's/spouse's/fiancee's fabulous "night on the town" outfit with blue jeans and flip-flops. This just will not do. Ladies, I'd think twice before trusting your boyfriend's/spouse's/fiancee's assertion that he "packed something nice" (especially, if he has a history of wearing, say, khaki pants, white socks, and soccer sandals).
Of course, this is all said in fun, but we counted so many cases of "fabulous girl/totally bored guy" at Downtown Disney and Pleasure Island that we almost offered to "stand-in" for the guys so that they could sit at the ESPN Club and drink beer or something. Oh, and ladies, if you do need to rent a fabulous, fun, (occasionally) well-dressed guy for the evening, my current escort rate is a real steal at $5/hour plus drinks. (J/K!!! 
)
After a short bus ride, we hopped off at the Downtown Disney Marketplace. You know those "Caution" signs that they have at, like, Alien Encounter, Space Mountain, Rock 'n Roller Coaster, etc.? Why don't they have one here? I sincerely believe that more damage (financial, that is) can be incurred here in 30 minutes than can be incurred in an entire day at MK. What a "candy store"! Also, I know that this is a kinda moot point now, but don't forget that you have the Magic Kingdom Club card! This happened to us twice while shopping at Downtown Disney, and while I'm sure it's not gonna break us, that would've been a nice $20 retained.
We first stopped in 2 R's (Readin' and Ritin') and just kinda scoped out some stuff, including this Millennium screen saver about which there was a thread on the PassPorter boards. I really don't know why I didn't just buy it then and there--I suppose one always has to have a "warm-up" purchase before jumping into the "high-impact" stuff (Wait a minute--are we talking about aerobics or shopping? ).
Anyway, so we didn't get anything there (this time), but, unfortunately, our next stop was Disney at Home. This store is basically the Bed, Bath, and Beyond from heaven. I could have easily dropped $500 in here (luckily, Spencer was there to kinda smack my hand away from anything too extravagant). However, we did end up w/a whole new "set" for the bathroom, including a shower curtain, Mickey tub treads, etc. Somehow, Spencer was able to talk me out of instantly redecorating all of the other rooms in our apartment, but I was able to convince him to let us buy a couple of Mickey throw blankets that were 50% off. Woo-hoo!!! Happy dance for the bargain shopper! (Just another note: Thank Goddess for the resort package delivery perk--I'm not sure we would've been able to fit all of our stuff back on the bus!)
We browsed a few of the other shops before finally giving into the sheer magnetism of the big enchilada itself, The World of Disney. You might as well just check your sanity and rational thinking at the door. What an absolute zoo--and I loved every minute of my shopping experience there. Every time you rounded a corner, you'd find something new to add to the rapidly growing pile of junx in your arms. I'm not going to take the time to list all of the neato stuff that we got at this store, but I can tell you that, when we tried to take a picture of all of the WDW goodies that we brought home w/us (once we got home, that is), we almost couldn't fit it all in one frame.
I will, however, take a moment to describe my pen "fetish". I truly and firmly believe that everybody is OCD (Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder) about at least one thing. For Spencer, it's making sure that the 8th quarter is added at the same time to each washing machine at the laundromat to ensure that all of the wash cycles end at exactly the same time. (I know...weird, huh? ) For me, one of the (many, many) things about which I am OCD is pens. I love pens and will amass them constantly. However, I only use one at a time and refuse to "start" another one until the first one "dies".
Well, I was just in pen heaven at World of Disney. I was originally debating whether I wanted the Official 2000 pens, the Kooky WDW pens, or the Mickey Through The Years pens, when Spencer came up w/an absolutely brilliant idea--Buy all 3 packs!!! I'm tellin' you--the man is wild and crazy! So, now I've got 18 fabulous pens in my Lady & The Tramp mug at work--1 pen is in use, 17 are on standby. Oh, glorious day!
There are only a few things that can "beat" my pen fetish--one of them is my mechanical pencil fetish (Uh oh--my nerdy, actuarial side is really starting to show, isn't it? ). Unfortunately, I couldn't find any Mickey mechanical pencils at World of Disney, so we made our purchases, which included this totally kick-butt WDW 2000 Memories photo album, in which you can write on the lined black-page caption areas w/gold ink. Way cool! I also got a WDW 2000 sweatshirt which is XXXL. I'm holding a party in this aforementioned sweatshirt this upcoming Saturday--please RSVP for time and directions.
Since we were still without a mechanical pencil (and Spencer was starting to crave his own cool pen--I must've been contagious), we headed all the way back to the 2 R's to look for both items. Again, I gazed longingly at the 2000 WDW Millennium Celebration screen saver, and again, I failed to pick it up.
Just a side note, though: Jennifer (Gym Mom from the PassPorter boards) has graciously offered to pick up a copy of this screen saver for me when she goes in, like, 5 days (and I'm definitely paying her top dollar for the service). Jen, you rock my world! Have a great trip!
We eventually found a really cool pen for Spencer, but sadly, no cool Mickey mechanical pencils could be found.
Oh, well--you can't always get what you want out of life, and besides, I really was very thankful that we were able to buy as much of the cool stuff as we did.
It was nearing 10:30 p.m., and we were getting slightly hungry, so we stopped at the huge-o McDonald's. This place is so cool! Even if youâÂÂre not going to eat there, just go in and check it out. We were very impressed. Since we weren't too hungry, we decided to get one of those Extra Value combo thingies w/6 McNuggets, fries, and a soda. We originally ordered a large size, but the (very funny) CMs talked us into upgrading to Super Size. I think what they meant to say was "Humongo Size". They might as well serve those fries in a bucket! When we saw the fries that we were about to receive, I leaned over to Spencer and asked him if he'd like some McNuggets w/his fries (isn't it usually the other way around? ).
So, we got our tray of food and attempted to make a dent in our container of fries. After about 7 hours (J/K--it was more like 20 minutes), we just gave up and ended up tossing quite a few of them (and darnit! I love McD's fries, too! But, enough is enough!).
Now that we had our Millennium's fill of fries, we were ready to do some more shopping, so we headed over to the West Side, where we stopped at the Virgin Megastore. Poor Spencer was experiencing some serious CD envy. For those of you that don't know, Spencer is a retail manager for a major music store chain here at Pentagon City, but even that colossal store of his pales in comparison to the Virgin Megastore. If I hadn't been feeling slightly (and I mean ever so slightly) guilty about the spending we had done earlier, I firmly believe that I would've gone absolutely bonkers here. The next time I'm headed down to WDW, I'm going to make a huge list of all the CDs that I'll want to get when I'm down there.
By this time, we (Spencer, really) were starting to get tired, so we decided to try to find the bus pick-up area for the West Side. Had we known just how far past the Cirque du Soleil tent we would have to walk to get to the bus area, we would've just walked to the Pleasure Island pick-up section. But, we just kept reminding ourselves that we were on vacation and that we weren't in a hurry to get anywhere--that usually did the trick (usually.... ).
After a few minutes, a WL bus arrived, and we were back to the resort by 11:30. One thing that I really kinda regret is that we never truly took the time to just absorb the WL--yes, we certainly enjoyed its beauty and everything, but we didn't explore the different floors and the fireplaces and stuff. I know I said earlier in this installment that I'd have to stay somewhere else next time, but I think that, if I ever stay at the WL again, I will definitely set aside at least an entire morning or afternoon, if not a whole day just to explore this majestic resort.
As Spencer got ready for bed, I took a few moments to record memories in the PassPorter and add to any of my notes that seemed kinda cryptic. I'm telling you guys--taking just 10 minutes each night before going to bed to either record items in your PassPorter or on your notes really helped to make easier not only the writing of the NASTEE report, but also just remembering all of the wonderful experiences that we had had each day. Take advantage of those "down times"!!! You'll be so glad that you did!
And, still to come...The NASTEE Trip Report--Day 6 (Part 1): The Contemporary Water Launch Dream Sequence
Somebody call I-X-I-I!!!
Cast:
Nate ("Aerobics"): 24, 4th trip to WDW, 1st trip in 12 years, 1st time staying on property
Spencer (Anti-aerobic): 29, 8th trip to WDW, hasn't stayed on property since 1992
Dates:
September 16-23, 2000
Lodging:
Wilderness Lodge--September 16-21, 2000
All Star Music--September 22, 2000
After we had exited through the International Gateway, we bolted to try to catch the boat to the Epcot resorts, but just missed it--which was fine. Normally, I would've suggested that we should just walk to the Boardwalk Inn, but since I had no clue how far a walk it was (and since it was also pouring down rain), we just decided to wait another 15 minutes for a boat. As we waited, someone offered to take a picture of us and our "balls", which generated more laughter from all involved parties.
Finally, the boat arrived and we were off to BWI. I think that, on my next trip to WDW, I'm just going to set aside an entire day to go look at resorts. WDW's resorts are so stinkin' cool!!! Every single one that we saw had so much character and ambiance, and although we absolutely adored the Wilderness Lodge in every way, I think that I'd just have to stay somewhere else next time, just because they all seem so interesting. When we arrived at the Boardwalk, we were a little disappointed to see that it wasn't too populated, but I suppose that the rain played a major role in that aspect. Also, we felt that Disney did a phenomenal job of capturing the "essence" of the Atlantic City Boardwalk. Being a frequent visitor to the "nowaday" AC, it was really neat to see how Disney interpreted the era of the early 1900's beachfront boardwalk.
We snooped around BWI a little bit and decided right then that if we were to return, this resort would definitely be on the top of our wish list (and I just think that that Keister Coaster would be the coolest thing!). Eventually, we headed over to the bus transportation area and waited to board a bus to Downtown Disney. As we waited, we observed two younger couples who were obviously on their way to Pleasure Island.
This next note is for all of the guys: Please do not complement your girlfriend's/spouse's/fiancee's fabulous "night on the town" outfit with blue jeans and flip-flops. This just will not do. Ladies, I'd think twice before trusting your boyfriend's/spouse's/fiancee's assertion that he "packed something nice" (especially, if he has a history of wearing, say, khaki pants, white socks, and soccer sandals).
Of course, this is all said in fun, but we counted so many cases of "fabulous girl/totally bored guy" at Downtown Disney and Pleasure Island that we almost offered to "stand-in" for the guys so that they could sit at the ESPN Club and drink beer or something. Oh, and ladies, if you do need to rent a fabulous, fun, (occasionally) well-dressed guy for the evening, my current escort rate is a real steal at $5/hour plus drinks. (J/K!!! )After a short bus ride, we hopped off at the Downtown Disney Marketplace. You know those "Caution" signs that they have at, like, Alien Encounter, Space Mountain, Rock 'n Roller Coaster, etc.? Why don't they have one here? I sincerely believe that more damage (financial, that is) can be incurred here in 30 minutes than can be incurred in an entire day at MK. What a "candy store"! Also, I know that this is a kinda moot point now, but don't forget that you have the Magic Kingdom Club card! This happened to us twice while shopping at Downtown Disney, and while I'm sure it's not gonna break us, that would've been a nice $20 retained.
We first stopped in 2 R's (Readin' and Ritin') and just kinda scoped out some stuff, including this Millennium screen saver about which there was a thread on the PassPorter boards. I really don't know why I didn't just buy it then and there--I suppose one always has to have a "warm-up" purchase before jumping into the "high-impact" stuff (Wait a minute--are we talking about aerobics or shopping?
).Anyway, so we didn't get anything there (this time), but, unfortunately, our next stop was Disney at Home. This store is basically the Bed, Bath, and Beyond from heaven. I could have easily dropped $500 in here (luckily, Spencer was there to kinda smack my hand away from anything too extravagant). However, we did end up w/a whole new "set" for the bathroom, including a shower curtain, Mickey tub treads, etc. Somehow, Spencer was able to talk me out of instantly redecorating all of the other rooms in our apartment, but I was able to convince him to let us buy a couple of Mickey throw blankets that were 50% off. Woo-hoo!!! Happy dance for the bargain shopper! (Just another note: Thank Goddess for the resort package delivery perk--I'm not sure we would've been able to fit all of our stuff back on the bus!)
We browsed a few of the other shops before finally giving into the sheer magnetism of the big enchilada itself, The World of Disney. You might as well just check your sanity and rational thinking at the door. What an absolute zoo--and I loved every minute of my shopping experience there. Every time you rounded a corner, you'd find something new to add to the rapidly growing pile of junx in your arms. I'm not going to take the time to list all of the neato stuff that we got at this store, but I can tell you that, when we tried to take a picture of all of the WDW goodies that we brought home w/us (once we got home, that is), we almost couldn't fit it all in one frame.
I will, however, take a moment to describe my pen "fetish". I truly and firmly believe that everybody is OCD (Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder) about at least one thing. For Spencer, it's making sure that the 8th quarter is added at the same time to each washing machine at the laundromat to ensure that all of the wash cycles end at exactly the same time. (I know...weird, huh?
) For me, one of the (many, many) things about which I am OCD is pens. I love pens and will amass them constantly. However, I only use one at a time and refuse to "start" another one until the first one "dies".Well, I was just in pen heaven at World of Disney. I was originally debating whether I wanted the Official 2000 pens, the Kooky WDW pens, or the Mickey Through The Years pens, when Spencer came up w/an absolutely brilliant idea--Buy all 3 packs!!! I'm tellin' you--the man is wild and crazy!
So, now I've got 18 fabulous pens in my Lady & The Tramp mug at work--1 pen is in use, 17 are on standby. Oh, glorious day!There are only a few things that can "beat" my pen fetish--one of them is my mechanical pencil fetish (Uh oh--my nerdy, actuarial side is really starting to show, isn't it?
). Unfortunately, I couldn't find any Mickey mechanical pencils at World of Disney, so we made our purchases, which included this totally kick-butt WDW 2000 Memories photo album, in which you can write on the lined black-page caption areas w/gold ink. Way cool! I also got a WDW 2000 sweatshirt which is XXXL. I'm holding a party in this aforementioned sweatshirt this upcoming Saturday--please RSVP for time and directions. Since we were still without a mechanical pencil (and Spencer was starting to crave his own cool pen--I must've been contagious), we headed all the way back to the 2 R's to look for both items. Again, I gazed longingly at the 2000 WDW Millennium Celebration screen saver, and again, I failed to pick it up.
Just a side note, though: Jennifer (Gym Mom from the PassPorter boards) has graciously offered to pick up a copy of this screen saver for me when she goes in, like, 5 days (and I'm definitely paying her top dollar for the service). Jen, you rock my world! Have a great trip!
We eventually found a really cool pen for Spencer, but sadly, no cool Mickey mechanical pencils could be found.
Oh, well--you can't always get what you want out of life, and besides, I really was very thankful that we were able to buy as much of the cool stuff as we did.It was nearing 10:30 p.m., and we were getting slightly hungry, so we stopped at the huge-o McDonald's. This place is so cool! Even if youâÂÂre not going to eat there, just go in and check it out. We were very impressed. Since we weren't too hungry, we decided to get one of those Extra Value combo thingies w/6 McNuggets, fries, and a soda. We originally ordered a large size, but the (very funny) CMs talked us into upgrading to Super Size. I think what they meant to say was "Humongo Size". They might as well serve those fries in a bucket! When we saw the fries that we were about to receive, I leaned over to Spencer and asked him if he'd like some McNuggets w/his fries (isn't it usually the other way around?
).So, we got our tray of food and attempted to make a dent in our container of fries. After about 7 hours (J/K--it was more like 20 minutes), we just gave up and ended up tossing quite a few of them (and darnit! I love McD's fries, too! But, enough is enough!).
Now that we had our Millennium's fill of fries, we were ready to do some more shopping, so we headed over to the West Side, where we stopped at the Virgin Megastore. Poor Spencer was experiencing some serious CD envy. For those of you that don't know, Spencer is a retail manager for a major music store chain here at Pentagon City, but even that colossal store of his pales in comparison to the Virgin Megastore. If I hadn't been feeling slightly (and I mean ever so slightly) guilty about the spending we had done earlier, I firmly believe that I would've gone absolutely bonkers here. The next time I'm headed down to WDW, I'm going to make a huge list of all the CDs that I'll want to get when I'm down there.
By this time, we (Spencer, really) were starting to get tired, so we decided to try to find the bus pick-up area for the West Side. Had we known just how far past the Cirque du Soleil tent we would have to walk to get to the bus area, we would've just walked to the Pleasure Island pick-up section. But, we just kept reminding ourselves that we were on vacation and that we weren't in a hurry to get anywhere--that usually did the trick (usually....
).After a few minutes, a WL bus arrived, and we were back to the resort by 11:30. One thing that I really kinda regret is that we never truly took the time to just absorb the WL--yes, we certainly enjoyed its beauty and everything, but we didn't explore the different floors and the fireplaces and stuff. I know I said earlier in this installment that I'd have to stay somewhere else next time, but I think that, if I ever stay at the WL again, I will definitely set aside at least an entire morning or afternoon, if not a whole day just to explore this majestic resort.
As Spencer got ready for bed, I took a few moments to record memories in the PassPorter and add to any of my notes that seemed kinda cryptic. I'm telling you guys--taking just 10 minutes each night before going to bed to either record items in your PassPorter or on your notes really helped to make easier not only the writing of the NASTEE report, but also just remembering all of the wonderful experiences that we had had each day. Take advantage of those "down times"!!! You'll be so glad that you did!
And, still to come...The NASTEE Trip Report--Day 6 (Part 1): The Contemporary Water Launch Dream Sequence
Somebody call I-X-I-I!!!
