therealgoofy
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- May 26, 2003
- Messages
- 168
Two Texans and a Mouse
Day 1, 9/22
Dates: 9/22-9/29 Austin, TX to WDW
Coronado Springs Resort
Cast Members:
Chris ambitious planner, twenty-something (ok, 29, but that still counts)
Jill (girlfriend) recent college grad that has no idea whats in store for her. Newbie to everything WDW/Universal
Were back from our week long vacation at WDW and it was everything and more than I had expected. Im going to make an attempt at writing a trip report, throw out some tips, and maybe a picture or two. I now know why people never finish their trip reports. They're TIRING!!
If you read my Pre-Trip, then you know that we had a busy weekend before we left for the world. If you didnt read it, then you should be forced to drink a liter of Beverley from Epcot. I attended the Austin City Limits Music Festival with a bunch of friends while Jill had to work. Jill literally picked me up at the front gates of the festival and we left for Houston (cheaper to fly from Houston than Austin).
Our flight was early that Monday morning and we had my dad take us to the airport. <b>TEXAN TIP #1-- I carried an envelope with reservation information for air, car and hotel reservations.</b> It also had confirmation for Universal Tickets that I ordered online. One thing I forgot to do was print out our itinerary that I had spent weeks making, but it was ok because I got to bug Jill the entire flight when making a new one. The flight was uneventful and getting our bags was almost too easy. We rented a car from Dollar for $119/week. $119/week really means $160/week by the way. Taxes kill you. That whole process went smoothly until the guy was forceful with the insurance. What they dont tell you is that you can decline the insurance; however Im smarter than that. He acted like it was the first time someone had ever declined the insurance. I laughed at him and was on my way. The car lot was literally right out the door of the airport. That was a nice surprise. We took the toll way to WDW and easily found our home for the next week the Coronado Springs Resort!!
Our first experience with Disney Magic was with the security guard at the hotel. He was super nice with both of us. He took the time to find out where we were from and made small talk with us. This niceness was an ongoing theme for the entire trip. We walked inside to check-in where we encountered our first potential problem. I had requested the Cabanas, but the girl said that they didnt have any left. I didnt make a stink about it, and said that anything will be fine. We wouldnt have known the difference anyhow. She said, You know, lemme go check something really quick. She was gone for a couple of minutes while Jill and I talked about getting the Magic Kingdom ASAP! The CM came back and circled our room on a map. It was in the Cabanas! Score!
We drove around to the room and discovered that it was not only in the cabanas 9B, but it was also a water view room. NIIICE! This is the view from our room #1605 The room was much nicer than I expected. The smell of new carpet was refreshing when we opened the door. Our room was 9605. The dig site was just across the bridge and the Pepper Market was a quick walk away. Here is a pic that we took before heading out to MK There was no time for either of those now because we had a plan to be in the MK by 5pm and Ill be damned if I was going to deviate from the itinerary within the first 45 minutes. We walked over to the bus stop at the Cabanas and saw every bus go by except for MK. We got bored and took a pic Finally after what seemed like forever, but was only 20 minutes, the bus came. Vacation had officially begun!! I think that there were about 5 people total on the bus. <b>TEXAN TIP #2the last bus stop at Coronado is at the very front of the resort (El Centro). </b> During the slow season, we found it much easier to get on the bus at this stop even though the walk was a tad farther. The buses were never full the entire time we were there.
<b>TEXAN TIP # 3If you dont carry bags/purses into the park, you dont have to wait for bag searches .except at Epcot it seems that the world of the future hasnt grasped that concept yet.</b>
As previously stated, POTC was to be our first ride by popular vote by the DISers. I was leaning towards Splash Mountain and at one point thought of defecting, but Im a man of honor and integrity. Our first step was to grab a FP for Jungle Cruise. We waited about 10 min for POTC while I Jill with my vast Disney knowledge about the dead guys and the stalemate chess game. As the week went on and I would spat of some random fact Jill would simply reply with, DIS boards? That first drop sure seemed a lot bigger when I was younger but it was still fun. Disney spares no expense on their A/C do they?! Its either freezing cold inside the attractions or hot as hell outside. There didnt seem to be a middle ground anywhere.
Jill is a college grad and her intellect is what turned me on to her (intellect = legs). My point is that shes not stupid. However, after reading this paragraph you may disagree. She leans over to me and says Are these people real? As I pointed to one of the pirates that were closer to the boat, I said, No, theyre animatronics see She replies, Well, I know not all of them are real, but some of them are right?! At that precise moment I thought I heard Walt Disney belt out a laugh from above. We got it straightened out, but there would be more to come tomorrow. I suppose if her only downfall is thinking that some animatronics are real, then Im doing ok. Our first ride was a success.
Next stop Tiki Room Pic . I have heard about the Lemmings at WDW in previous posts, but never thought that people could be so stupid. It turns out theyre more stupid than I thought. My joke of the week to Jill was to DONT BE A LEMMING! Lemmings are followers and they are-a-plenty at WDW. Be your own person! Make your own path! We see the line almost coming out the front gate for the Tiki Room yet there were two other lines with no one in them. Lemmings right, Chris and Jill left. The show was decent, but I can wait another 8 years before seeing it again. I think that if we had kids it would have been more fun.
We then hop over to Jungle Cruise and use our FP. <b>TEXAN TIP #4This is the most important tip of my trip. USE FASTPASS WHENEVER YOU CAN!! There is no excuse for not using this to your advantage. </b> You may have to use your brain a bit more, but itll be worth it. Jungle Cruise wait was posted at 30 mins, we wait about 3. The JC was better than I remembered and the jokes even made me laugh out loud. There really are some funny ones in there hiding between the cheesy ones. You have to be Simpsons quick to catch the good ones though.
MK seemed to be really packed but the waits werent long at all. Throughout the week, it seemed that way in all of the parks. Packed walkways and no waits were common. Another thing I noticed were the hundreds of strollers that were outside the attractions. The overwhelming urge to switch strollers around so that people were more lost and confused than they already were, was foiled by Jill being such a nice person.
We decided to go over to Liberty Square because that was the last land on our itinerary for the day. However, I was drawn in by the one and only DOLE WHIP. I could eat one of these everyday. The creaminess of them is unparalled. What the heck is that thing?! We both agree that it rocked. As we were walking to Liberty Square a CM stopped us and said Arent those things great?! and then recommended a citrus swirl from a vendor behind the Aladdin ride. We would eat those another day.
Haunted Mansion had a minimal wait and the ride was awesome as usual. Jill was mildly impressed with the stretching room, but thought the ghosts were great. We got stuck just before the hitchhiker jumped onboard, but it was for only a minute or so.
We hadnt planned on doing anything else that evening except the fireworks, but it was only 6:30 and Splash Mountain was starring us in the face. There was no wait. I think that this is the best ride in the MK. The theming is perfect, the ride is long, there are more drops than just the big one and you dont get too wet. Perfect! I didnt notice the smell that everyone talked about. Granted, I wouldnt drink the water, but it didnt bother me.
We hopped on the train and rode it over to Toon Town Fair/Tomorrowland where we rode Space Mountain with about a 5 min wait. I was in the front car and forgot that if youre 65, the cars are super small. I felt like a Shriner at the circus. I still feel like if I would have raised my arms that would have been removed by a passing track from above. I kept thinking at any given moment my head was going to be decapitated but that makes the ride a lot of fun. Note to everyone: If you are on one of those people mover walkways that they have at the end of the ride and feel like not walking MOVE OVER!! Dont block the lane for everyone else who is trying to get to the next ride.
We did Alien Encounter next with zero wait and I have to say that this ride scared the crap out of me when I rode it 8 years ago. I didnt know what to expect back then. I thought that by the way they lock you down that the room may spin or something. After riding it this time, I must say that Ill be glad to see it get a rehab. Its pretty lame and not that scary. Thats not to say that I would bring a small kid in there though. However, Id suggest taking kids in there if theyve been bad during the day.
We jumped over to Buzz Lightyear with a minimal wait and I must say that I was expecting a bit more. Ok, I got my butt kicked by Jill. I was really really bad at that game. How the heck are you supposed to know what laser is your when theres like 8,000,000 red dots on the same target. We did Men in Black later that week and I thought it was much better although the outcome was the same. I lost.
It was just about time for the Fantasy in the Sky fireworks and we were able to sit down right in front of the castle to watch them. This was a really cool show, but it had nothing on Illuminations later in the week. About halfway through the show, we headed back down Main St. so that we could get out of there first. <b>TEXAN TIP #5 Read and bring along the Transportation guide that is given to you on check-in! </B> We somehow ended up getting on a monorail to the Polynesian (which was pretty cool I might add). We took the bus from there to Downtown Disney.
Our first stop was the Christmas store, but we decided to wait until later on that week to buy our goodies. We then had a light dinner at Wolfgang Puck Express. Jill had a Ceasar salad with a glass of wine and I had a Caesar chicken sandwich. Both were very good and not overpriced. I definitely recommend WPEs if you want a good meal, but dont want the wait.
By this time we were pretty beat and decided to head home and unpack. The framed art that was given to us for the FTP is pretty cool. Its a picture of Donald standing on a music staff (sp?). It's now hanging in my bathroom to be seen by all.
Beds were comfy although the polyester bedspread was not.
Tomorrow is MGM and EPCOT (which wasnt scheduled)
-tRG
Day 1, 9/22
Dates: 9/22-9/29 Austin, TX to WDW
Coronado Springs Resort
Cast Members:
Chris ambitious planner, twenty-something (ok, 29, but that still counts)
Jill (girlfriend) recent college grad that has no idea whats in store for her. Newbie to everything WDW/Universal
Were back from our week long vacation at WDW and it was everything and more than I had expected. Im going to make an attempt at writing a trip report, throw out some tips, and maybe a picture or two. I now know why people never finish their trip reports. They're TIRING!!
If you read my Pre-Trip, then you know that we had a busy weekend before we left for the world. If you didnt read it, then you should be forced to drink a liter of Beverley from Epcot. I attended the Austin City Limits Music Festival with a bunch of friends while Jill had to work. Jill literally picked me up at the front gates of the festival and we left for Houston (cheaper to fly from Houston than Austin).
Our flight was early that Monday morning and we had my dad take us to the airport. <b>TEXAN TIP #1-- I carried an envelope with reservation information for air, car and hotel reservations.</b> It also had confirmation for Universal Tickets that I ordered online. One thing I forgot to do was print out our itinerary that I had spent weeks making, but it was ok because I got to bug Jill the entire flight when making a new one. The flight was uneventful and getting our bags was almost too easy. We rented a car from Dollar for $119/week. $119/week really means $160/week by the way. Taxes kill you. That whole process went smoothly until the guy was forceful with the insurance. What they dont tell you is that you can decline the insurance; however Im smarter than that. He acted like it was the first time someone had ever declined the insurance. I laughed at him and was on my way. The car lot was literally right out the door of the airport. That was a nice surprise. We took the toll way to WDW and easily found our home for the next week the Coronado Springs Resort!!
Our first experience with Disney Magic was with the security guard at the hotel. He was super nice with both of us. He took the time to find out where we were from and made small talk with us. This niceness was an ongoing theme for the entire trip. We walked inside to check-in where we encountered our first potential problem. I had requested the Cabanas, but the girl said that they didnt have any left. I didnt make a stink about it, and said that anything will be fine. We wouldnt have known the difference anyhow. She said, You know, lemme go check something really quick. She was gone for a couple of minutes while Jill and I talked about getting the Magic Kingdom ASAP! The CM came back and circled our room on a map. It was in the Cabanas! Score!
We drove around to the room and discovered that it was not only in the cabanas 9B, but it was also a water view room. NIIICE! This is the view from our room #1605 The room was much nicer than I expected. The smell of new carpet was refreshing when we opened the door. Our room was 9605. The dig site was just across the bridge and the Pepper Market was a quick walk away. Here is a pic that we took before heading out to MK There was no time for either of those now because we had a plan to be in the MK by 5pm and Ill be damned if I was going to deviate from the itinerary within the first 45 minutes. We walked over to the bus stop at the Cabanas and saw every bus go by except for MK. We got bored and took a pic Finally after what seemed like forever, but was only 20 minutes, the bus came. Vacation had officially begun!! I think that there were about 5 people total on the bus. <b>TEXAN TIP #2the last bus stop at Coronado is at the very front of the resort (El Centro). </b> During the slow season, we found it much easier to get on the bus at this stop even though the walk was a tad farther. The buses were never full the entire time we were there.
<b>TEXAN TIP # 3If you dont carry bags/purses into the park, you dont have to wait for bag searches .except at Epcot it seems that the world of the future hasnt grasped that concept yet.</b>
As previously stated, POTC was to be our first ride by popular vote by the DISers. I was leaning towards Splash Mountain and at one point thought of defecting, but Im a man of honor and integrity. Our first step was to grab a FP for Jungle Cruise. We waited about 10 min for POTC while I Jill with my vast Disney knowledge about the dead guys and the stalemate chess game. As the week went on and I would spat of some random fact Jill would simply reply with, DIS boards? That first drop sure seemed a lot bigger when I was younger but it was still fun. Disney spares no expense on their A/C do they?! Its either freezing cold inside the attractions or hot as hell outside. There didnt seem to be a middle ground anywhere.
Jill is a college grad and her intellect is what turned me on to her (intellect = legs). My point is that shes not stupid. However, after reading this paragraph you may disagree. She leans over to me and says Are these people real? As I pointed to one of the pirates that were closer to the boat, I said, No, theyre animatronics see She replies, Well, I know not all of them are real, but some of them are right?! At that precise moment I thought I heard Walt Disney belt out a laugh from above. We got it straightened out, but there would be more to come tomorrow. I suppose if her only downfall is thinking that some animatronics are real, then Im doing ok. Our first ride was a success.
Next stop Tiki Room Pic . I have heard about the Lemmings at WDW in previous posts, but never thought that people could be so stupid. It turns out theyre more stupid than I thought. My joke of the week to Jill was to DONT BE A LEMMING! Lemmings are followers and they are-a-plenty at WDW. Be your own person! Make your own path! We see the line almost coming out the front gate for the Tiki Room yet there were two other lines with no one in them. Lemmings right, Chris and Jill left. The show was decent, but I can wait another 8 years before seeing it again. I think that if we had kids it would have been more fun.
We then hop over to Jungle Cruise and use our FP. <b>TEXAN TIP #4This is the most important tip of my trip. USE FASTPASS WHENEVER YOU CAN!! There is no excuse for not using this to your advantage. </b> You may have to use your brain a bit more, but itll be worth it. Jungle Cruise wait was posted at 30 mins, we wait about 3. The JC was better than I remembered and the jokes even made me laugh out loud. There really are some funny ones in there hiding between the cheesy ones. You have to be Simpsons quick to catch the good ones though.
MK seemed to be really packed but the waits werent long at all. Throughout the week, it seemed that way in all of the parks. Packed walkways and no waits were common. Another thing I noticed were the hundreds of strollers that were outside the attractions. The overwhelming urge to switch strollers around so that people were more lost and confused than they already were, was foiled by Jill being such a nice person.
We decided to go over to Liberty Square because that was the last land on our itinerary for the day. However, I was drawn in by the one and only DOLE WHIP. I could eat one of these everyday. The creaminess of them is unparalled. What the heck is that thing?! We both agree that it rocked. As we were walking to Liberty Square a CM stopped us and said Arent those things great?! and then recommended a citrus swirl from a vendor behind the Aladdin ride. We would eat those another day.
Haunted Mansion had a minimal wait and the ride was awesome as usual. Jill was mildly impressed with the stretching room, but thought the ghosts were great. We got stuck just before the hitchhiker jumped onboard, but it was for only a minute or so.
We hadnt planned on doing anything else that evening except the fireworks, but it was only 6:30 and Splash Mountain was starring us in the face. There was no wait. I think that this is the best ride in the MK. The theming is perfect, the ride is long, there are more drops than just the big one and you dont get too wet. Perfect! I didnt notice the smell that everyone talked about. Granted, I wouldnt drink the water, but it didnt bother me.
We hopped on the train and rode it over to Toon Town Fair/Tomorrowland where we rode Space Mountain with about a 5 min wait. I was in the front car and forgot that if youre 65, the cars are super small. I felt like a Shriner at the circus. I still feel like if I would have raised my arms that would have been removed by a passing track from above. I kept thinking at any given moment my head was going to be decapitated but that makes the ride a lot of fun. Note to everyone: If you are on one of those people mover walkways that they have at the end of the ride and feel like not walking MOVE OVER!! Dont block the lane for everyone else who is trying to get to the next ride.
We did Alien Encounter next with zero wait and I have to say that this ride scared the crap out of me when I rode it 8 years ago. I didnt know what to expect back then. I thought that by the way they lock you down that the room may spin or something. After riding it this time, I must say that Ill be glad to see it get a rehab. Its pretty lame and not that scary. Thats not to say that I would bring a small kid in there though. However, Id suggest taking kids in there if theyve been bad during the day.
We jumped over to Buzz Lightyear with a minimal wait and I must say that I was expecting a bit more. Ok, I got my butt kicked by Jill. I was really really bad at that game. How the heck are you supposed to know what laser is your when theres like 8,000,000 red dots on the same target. We did Men in Black later that week and I thought it was much better although the outcome was the same. I lost.
It was just about time for the Fantasy in the Sky fireworks and we were able to sit down right in front of the castle to watch them. This was a really cool show, but it had nothing on Illuminations later in the week. About halfway through the show, we headed back down Main St. so that we could get out of there first. <b>TEXAN TIP #5 Read and bring along the Transportation guide that is given to you on check-in! </B> We somehow ended up getting on a monorail to the Polynesian (which was pretty cool I might add). We took the bus from there to Downtown Disney.
Our first stop was the Christmas store, but we decided to wait until later on that week to buy our goodies. We then had a light dinner at Wolfgang Puck Express. Jill had a Ceasar salad with a glass of wine and I had a Caesar chicken sandwich. Both were very good and not overpriced. I definitely recommend WPEs if you want a good meal, but dont want the wait.
By this time we were pretty beat and decided to head home and unpack. The framed art that was given to us for the FTP is pretty cool. Its a picture of Donald standing on a music staff (sp?). It's now hanging in my bathroom to be seen by all.
Beds were comfy although the polyester bedspread was not.
Tomorrow is MGM and EPCOT (which wasnt scheduled)
-tRG
)! I get so involved in the reports and when they stop, it's like having to go home mid-way through a trip to WDW!
