The NASTEE (Nate And Spencer Trip ExtraordinairE) Trip Report--Day 6 (Part 1): The Contemporary Water Launch Dream Sequence
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
I was sure I was still dreaming when I heard the phone ring at 6:15 a.m. My legs argued for about 20 seconds over which one was going to get out of bed first. Eventually, my right leg gave up the fight and slowly led the way for the rest of my body toward the phone. Mickey, with his usual morning cheer, gave me the same motivational speech that I had received on each of the 4 preceding days. This time, though, I actually intended on following his orders.
After hanging up the phone, I walked out onto our (dormer) balcony and noticed that it had been raining for most of the night. I was slightly disappointed, because I had really wanted to go roller skating this a.m., but even I know better than to go skating over wet terrain (especially on a trail on which I'd never before skated). So, I dejectedly went back into the room, reminding myself that there was always next time, right? At least I was able to crawl back into our warm bed and sleep for another hour and a half.
Around 8:00 a.m., I (re-)got up and readied myself for yet another fun-filled day in WDW. Today's agenda included: Chef Mickey's for breakfast, Epcot--World Showcase, Typhoon Lagoon, Tapestry of Nations (3rd attempt), Cirque du Soleil, DisneyQuest...and somewhere in there, I think we were supposed to pack up since tonight would be our last night at the Wilderness Lodge (
). So, we were out of our room by 8:45 a.m.--first stop: Contemporary Resort! On our way to the boat dock, we passed a major duck conference which was being held in the wading pool. There were so many ducks present at this convention that some had decided to just listen in from the side of the pool. Looking back, I really wish we would've taken a picture of this event, because it was really much funnier than I've made it sound. 
An MK-bound water launch was pulling out just as we arrived, but since weren't going to the MK anyway, it wasn't a big deal. Fortunately (for us), we were able to have the Contemporary water launch all to ourselves.
We took a few pictures, but Spencer noticed that our camera's lens was awfully foggy (it was really humid because of all the rain that had passed through the area). Thinking it wouldn't make a difference, we snapped a few more pics of Bay Lake, the Contemporary Resort, and the monorail. Well, as we found out once we got home, fog on the lens will indeed mess up your pics (duh, right?). But, even though the pics didn't turn out fabulously, they still looked kinda cool--almost as if you were dreaming the images. We have since named this small collection of pics "The Contemporary Water Launch Dream Sequence". So, take it from me, guys--clean that lens off before you snap, or you just might end up w/a dream sequence of your own.
I was really excited about going to the Contemporary and Chef Mickey's. I've read a ton of reviews re: the Contemporary and how it's all convention-y and lacks theme and stuff. But, I am just in awe of the entire resort. I think it's the whole monorail-in-the-lobby thing that just makes it so surreal for me. Anyway, I'd absolutely love to stay here sometime, even if it were only for a few days, but I think that I'd have to insist on staying in the tower (and preferably facing MK). Can you imagine any better way to end a night than by sitting out on your balcony, watching the castle change colors?...Nope, I can't either.
Although our PS wasn't until 9:30 a.m., we checked in at 9:15 a.m. and were almost immediately seated. We did get our picture taken first (and I really tried to keep my eyes open this time
). As with every other breakfast buffet that we went to at WDW, the food here was phenomenal. The whole Fall Fantasy is so very habit-forming. I came home wishing that every day could begin w/an all-you-care-to-eat breakfast buffet (I suppose it could, but I guess, eventually, the novelty would wear off, eh?). Mickey, Pluto, and Goofy all made it over to our table--I don't remember if there were any other characters, but I finally obtained what I had been waiting for the entire trip--a picture w/Mickey!!! Yay! (I'm planning on going to Best Buy soon to buy a scanner--once I have that, I sincerely hope to post all of these pics online so that you guys can see just how nutty and crazy Spencer and I really are. )
On my 2nd trip to the buffet, I (very politely) asked the pancake maker guy if he could make me a Mickey pancake--and he did!! Could you really ask for anything more? I certainly couldn't. Later on into the meal, a CM came by w/our Chef Mickey's pic--my eyes were open! Yeah! We ended up buying the 2 magnets, and I definitely think it was a smart buy.
Right before we were getting ready to leave, they had their traditional napkin twirling dance thing. I so suck at this! I couldn't do it on my cruise on Italian night, I couldn't do it at the Hoop Dee Doo Revue, and I couldn't do it here. I guess we all have our faults, eh? I just can't figure out the proper wrist rotational torquing action that is necessary to perform an effective napkin twirl. Are there any exercises out there for me? Help!
One other comment: We were seated right next to the entrance of Chef Mickey's and also (what I believe was) the Concourse Steakhouse. So, we had a perfect view of the monorail coming in every few minutes. How do they keep that thing so quiet? It hardly makes any noise at all--I love it! (Like every other WDW-phile, I also have a monorail obsession...and no, I'm not at all ashamed to admit it! )
Our next stop was Epcot (only our 4th time there in 6 days). Just a quick comment here about Unlimited Magic Passes (UMPs) vs. Park Hopper Plus Passes (PHPs) (before I forget to mention it). When I originally booked this Fall Fantasy package, they added UMPs to my package. I originally planned on removing the UMPs and getting PHPs. I am so glad that I did not! Since we got UMPs, we were able to adjust for unforeseeable events (i.e., raining out of Tapestry of Nations (twice)) and not worry about how many "days we had left". Now, I've seen formidable arguments against the UMPs (i.e., if you get sick and can't go to the parks, you're SOL with the UMPs), and those points are certainly valid. However, I did just want to give a quick "thumbs up" for the UMPs, because they worked perfectly for us.
Thanks to our oh-so-happy (what's synonymous w/"happy"? ) CM "Joe Carioca" from the Wilderness Lodge, we were able to "go to the front of the line" on Test Track. This was really cool! Actually, what you do is go through the exit and show a CM or two your special pass, and they direct you through this (slightly confusing) maze of arrows, and then before you know it, you've "popped out" right at the loading area (i.e., you bypass the training room). In a way, I was glad that we had been on this ride before because I really enjoy seeing the pre-shows for all attractions. At WDW, when I see the pre-show, I feel like I get so much more out of the attraction/experience. If I could give just one overall tip for enjoying WDW, it would be: Enjoy the journey, and don't focus so much on the destination. You'll experience so much more fulfillment.
Again, this ride thrilled us, but after having already been on it, it certainly wasn't as exciting as before (since we now knew about all of the "scary" stuff); but, in a way, that's kinda cool, too, because this time we could pay more attention to details. We still only made it up to 64.8 MPH, but that's just fast enough, thank you very much.
Next, we wanted to head over to the World Showcase for the "rope drop" at 11:00 a.m., but I first had to stop at a concession stand. My reason for stopping was that I had had a "death in the family" the night before. After Spencer and I had finished with our Spaceship Earths (our "balls"), I had just attached them to the clip on my backpack. Somehow, through the course of our tearing around all over Downtown Disney, I had lost the straw to one of our Spaceship Earths. So, when I got up to the concession stand, I informed the CM of my "tragedy" and turned around to show her my straw-less Spaceship Earth. I pleaded with her to allow me to just purchase another straw, rather than a whole new Spaceship Earth, but she kindly offered me a new straw free of charge. Wasn't that nice of her?
So, now with my straw safely packed away in my backpack, we headed over toward Mexico, walking by the Odyssey Center. Ok, all you Epcot-heads: Just what is the Odyssey Center? We couldn't figure it out, so I specifically made a note to ask you guys--so, can you help me out on this one?
We still had a few minutes before the rope drop, so we just paused and watched the ducks and flamingos--I love doing little things like that! Eventually, they dropped the rope, and we were on our way to "tour the World"!!!
Please stay tuned for The NASTEE Trip Report--Day 6 (Part 2): "Hey, It's The Viking Of The Day!"
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
I was sure I was still dreaming when I heard the phone ring at 6:15 a.m. My legs argued for about 20 seconds over which one was going to get out of bed first. Eventually, my right leg gave up the fight and slowly led the way for the rest of my body toward the phone. Mickey, with his usual morning cheer, gave me the same motivational speech that I had received on each of the 4 preceding days. This time, though, I actually intended on following his orders.
After hanging up the phone, I walked out onto our (dormer) balcony and noticed that it had been raining for most of the night. I was slightly disappointed, because I had really wanted to go roller skating this a.m., but even I know better than to go skating over wet terrain (especially on a trail on which I'd never before skated). So, I dejectedly went back into the room, reminding myself that there was always next time, right? At least I was able to crawl back into our warm bed and sleep for another hour and a half.
Around 8:00 a.m., I (re-)got up and readied myself for yet another fun-filled day in WDW. Today's agenda included: Chef Mickey's for breakfast, Epcot--World Showcase, Typhoon Lagoon, Tapestry of Nations (3rd attempt), Cirque du Soleil, DisneyQuest...and somewhere in there, I think we were supposed to pack up since tonight would be our last night at the Wilderness Lodge (
). So, we were out of our room by 8:45 a.m.--first stop: Contemporary Resort! On our way to the boat dock, we passed a major duck conference which was being held in the wading pool. There were so many ducks present at this convention that some had decided to just listen in from the side of the pool. Looking back, I really wish we would've taken a picture of this event, because it was really much funnier than I've made it sound. An MK-bound water launch was pulling out just as we arrived, but since weren't going to the MK anyway, it wasn't a big deal. Fortunately (for us), we were able to have the Contemporary water launch all to ourselves.
We took a few pictures, but Spencer noticed that our camera's lens was awfully foggy (it was really humid because of all the rain that had passed through the area). Thinking it wouldn't make a difference, we snapped a few more pics of Bay Lake, the Contemporary Resort, and the monorail. Well, as we found out once we got home, fog on the lens will indeed mess up your pics (duh, right?). But, even though the pics didn't turn out fabulously, they still looked kinda cool--almost as if you were dreaming the images. We have since named this small collection of pics "The Contemporary Water Launch Dream Sequence". So, take it from me, guys--clean that lens off before you snap, or you just might end up w/a dream sequence of your own.I was really excited about going to the Contemporary and Chef Mickey's. I've read a ton of reviews re: the Contemporary and how it's all convention-y and lacks theme and stuff. But, I am just in awe of the entire resort. I think it's the whole monorail-in-the-lobby thing that just makes it so surreal for me. Anyway, I'd absolutely love to stay here sometime, even if it were only for a few days, but I think that I'd have to insist on staying in the tower (and preferably facing MK). Can you imagine any better way to end a night than by sitting out on your balcony, watching the castle change colors?...Nope, I can't either.
Although our PS wasn't until 9:30 a.m., we checked in at 9:15 a.m. and were almost immediately seated. We did get our picture taken first (and I really tried to keep my eyes open this time
). As with every other breakfast buffet that we went to at WDW, the food here was phenomenal. The whole Fall Fantasy is so very habit-forming. I came home wishing that every day could begin w/an all-you-care-to-eat breakfast buffet (I suppose it could, but I guess, eventually, the novelty would wear off, eh?). Mickey, Pluto, and Goofy all made it over to our table--I don't remember if there were any other characters, but I finally obtained what I had been waiting for the entire trip--a picture w/Mickey!!! Yay! (I'm planning on going to Best Buy soon to buy a scanner--once I have that, I sincerely hope to post all of these pics online so that you guys can see just how nutty and crazy Spencer and I really are. )On my 2nd trip to the buffet, I (very politely) asked the pancake maker guy if he could make me a Mickey pancake--and he did!!
Could you really ask for anything more? I certainly couldn't. Later on into the meal, a CM came by w/our Chef Mickey's pic--my eyes were open! Yeah! We ended up buying the 2 magnets, and I definitely think it was a smart buy.Right before we were getting ready to leave, they had their traditional napkin twirling dance thing. I so suck at this! I couldn't do it on my cruise on Italian night, I couldn't do it at the Hoop Dee Doo Revue, and I couldn't do it here. I guess we all have our faults, eh? I just can't figure out the proper wrist rotational torquing action that is necessary to perform an effective napkin twirl. Are there any exercises out there for me? Help!
One other comment: We were seated right next to the entrance of Chef Mickey's and also (what I believe was) the Concourse Steakhouse. So, we had a perfect view of the monorail coming in every few minutes. How do they keep that thing so quiet? It hardly makes any noise at all--I love it! (Like every other WDW-phile, I also have a monorail obsession...and no, I'm not at all ashamed to admit it!
)Our next stop was Epcot (only our 4th time there in 6 days). Just a quick comment here about Unlimited Magic Passes (UMPs) vs. Park Hopper Plus Passes (PHPs) (before I forget to mention it). When I originally booked this Fall Fantasy package, they added UMPs to my package. I originally planned on removing the UMPs and getting PHPs. I am so glad that I did not! Since we got UMPs, we were able to adjust for unforeseeable events (i.e., raining out of Tapestry of Nations (twice)) and not worry about how many "days we had left". Now, I've seen formidable arguments against the UMPs (i.e., if you get sick and can't go to the parks, you're SOL with the UMPs), and those points are certainly valid. However, I did just want to give a quick "thumbs up" for the UMPs, because they worked perfectly for us.
Thanks to our oh-so-happy (what's synonymous w/"happy"?
) CM "Joe Carioca" from the Wilderness Lodge, we were able to "go to the front of the line" on Test Track. This was really cool! Actually, what you do is go through the exit and show a CM or two your special pass, and they direct you through this (slightly confusing) maze of arrows, and then before you know it, you've "popped out" right at the loading area (i.e., you bypass the training room). In a way, I was glad that we had been on this ride before because I really enjoy seeing the pre-shows for all attractions. At WDW, when I see the pre-show, I feel like I get so much more out of the attraction/experience. If I could give just one overall tip for enjoying WDW, it would be: Enjoy the journey, and don't focus so much on the destination. You'll experience so much more fulfillment.Again, this ride thrilled us, but after having already been on it, it certainly wasn't as exciting as before (since we now knew about all of the "scary" stuff); but, in a way, that's kinda cool, too, because this time we could pay more attention to details. We still only made it up to 64.8 MPH, but that's just fast enough, thank you very much.
Next, we wanted to head over to the World Showcase for the "rope drop" at 11:00 a.m., but I first had to stop at a concession stand. My reason for stopping was that I had had a "death in the family" the night before. After Spencer and I had finished with our Spaceship Earths (our "balls"), I had just attached them to the clip on my backpack. Somehow, through the course of our tearing around all over Downtown Disney, I had lost the straw to one of our Spaceship Earths. So, when I got up to the concession stand, I informed the CM of my "tragedy" and turned around to show her my straw-less Spaceship Earth. I pleaded with her to allow me to just purchase another straw, rather than a whole new Spaceship Earth, but she kindly offered me a new straw free of charge. Wasn't that nice of her?
So, now with my straw safely packed away in my backpack, we headed over toward Mexico, walking by the Odyssey Center. Ok, all you Epcot-heads: Just what is the Odyssey Center? We couldn't figure it out, so I specifically made a note to ask you guys--so, can you help me out on this one?
We still had a few minutes before the rope drop, so we just paused and watched the ducks and flamingos--I love doing little things like that! Eventually, they dropped the rope, and we were on our way to "tour the World"!!!
Please stay tuned for The NASTEE Trip Report--Day 6 (Part 2): "Hey, It's The Viking Of The Day!"
Somebody call I-X-I-I!!!
