WDW without ADRs....almost

[DL55]

Hi ! This is my first trip report (and first thread started). We went April 10 - 21. I hope it will be entertaining.

The cast of characters : me, Kathy, likes to plan for trips almost as much as going on them. DH, Gary AKA Goofy, (he even looks like him) prefers to play golf but does enjoy other activities. We are both as old as Disneyland so you younger folk may be bored.
My signature isn’t accurate in regards to my visits to Disney. Used to live about 2 hours north of Disneyland and went many times (just don’t remember when). We usually try to go to WDW every 4 years. If you noticed we went in 2002 and 2003. It looks like once a year but it was more like 18 months. What caused this abnormality? Well my DH won two airline tickets at a golf tournament. We looked at each other and asked where and both of us said “Walt Disney World!” Years ago I stated I wanted to celebrate my 50th birthday at Disneyland. So another early (<4 yrs) trip to Disney in 2005..

I’ll do a little pre-trip report before I start the trip report.

This trip was our third attempt to stay at the Shades of Green (SOG). The first time at 6 months out in 1998, they were full. The second attempt in 2002 (they were adding on), we got overflow reservations at the Animal Kingdom Lodge! (my favorite). Finally, calling 8 months out we got our reservations. DH was happy, I was hoping for the AKL.
Soon after we had our reservations I discovered the DISboards. I discovered all sorts of useful information regarding the parks and transportation.. Reading the trip reports really raised my excitement. Reading about making ADRs 180 days out was making me anxious. Since it was only two of us and we knew we didn’t like the idea of planning where we wanted to eat so far in advance we decided NOT to make any ADRs. Any foodies still reading are shaking their heads. So the question is did we get to eat anywhere “fancy”?

Next installment will have pictures. And I promise not to drag this out too long, but we did go for 10 days.

 

[DL55]

Thursday April 10, we left for the airport at 4:45 am as it takes almost 2 hours to get there. We had a 7:50 flight on Southwest. I had obtained my boarding passes 24 hours earlier (thanks to DIS info) and had A29 and A30. We were the first to board. Flight stopped in San Antonio for more passengers. This was the closest thing to nonstop we could get. We arrived in Orlando at 2:05.
We used Alamo, rented a mid size car because of DH’s golf clubs. Picked a pretty blue PT Cruiser. I always thought they were cute but impractical. I was right. Had to put the golf clubs in the back seat, wouldn’t fit in the back. We could get 2 suitcases and carry on in the back. Probably could get another small suitcase back there. As we were heading for the exit we were fumbling around trying to find the window switches. Finally found them on the dashboard. The PT Cruiser was easy to spot in the parking lots

.
We found the SOG without any problems. Our room (3163) was at the end of the new section. Since the garage was on the other side of the corridor wall, we had the closest parking spot in all of the World! (only a few steps away, through 2 doors on the stairway). We felt it was closer to walk through the garage than wander down the hallway to get to the elevators.

DH checking out the maps

After checking out the room, we decided to find Wal-Mart to get breakfast items and our Diet Pepsi (addicted). Well things got a little testy at this point. I missed the exit to go back the way we came to get to the closer Wal-Mart (per the DIS). So after some crabby discussion we went to the Wal-Mart that DH thought he knew the location. We eventually found a Wal-Mart then stopped to eat at TGI Fridays. (this has probably scared off the foodies!).

After getting back to our room, we walked over to the Poly and checked out the lobby. We then went down to the beach. We sat in a swing and watched the Water Pageant.

Daylight view, where we watched fireworks.

 

[whgrn]

ooooh, I'm tingling with anticipation!!!!!! Tell me more, tell me more!!!

 

[M&N]

Don't drag it out tooo much. You even have pictures!

 

[DL55]

ooooh, I'm tingling with anticipation!!!!!! Tell me more, tell me more!!!

Don't drag it out tooo much. You even have pictures!

OH,Oh I have readers!
I was going to do 1 day per day but I'm too impatient so I'll probably do 2 days per day. Besides I don't have very long installments.
I hope the pictures are big enough. I didn't want them too big either.

 

[sharonW]

Aaaaaaaah...happy to see "mature" folk
here cause now I don't feel so silly reading
these boards all the time!! My love for disney
is stronger then ever, its in the blood!!!
can't wait to hear all about the trip and see
your photos..hurry back!!!

 

[whgrn]

Aaaaaaaah...happy to see "mature" folk
here cause now I don't feel so silly reading
these boards all the time!! My love for disney
is stronger then ever, its in the blood!!!
can't wait to hear all about the trip and see
your photos..hurry back!!!

Hey, who you callin' "mature"?!? Where in NJ are you from??

OH,Oh I have readers!
I was going to do 1 day per day but I'm too impatient so I'll probably do 2 days per day. Besides I don't have very long installments.
I hope the pictures are big enough. I didn't want them too big either.

Well of COURSE you have readers! Us TKers stick together my friend!! And 2 days per day sounds good to me. Don't keep us waiting TOO long!

 

[crzy4my2]

I love the view from the room. I also love lots of pictures..keep em coming

 

[sharonW]

Hey, who you callin' "mature"?!? Where in NJ are you from??



Well of COURSE you have readers! Us TKers stick together my friend!! And 2 days per day sounds good to me. Don't keep us waiting TOO long!

Phillipsburg nj warren county, yeah, lots of older folks living
out this way!!

 

[magsnden]

yay!!!!!

 

[donac]

"Hi ! This is my first trip report (and first thread started). We went April 10 - 21. I hope it will be entertaining.

The cast of characters : me, Kathy, likes to plan for trips almost as much as going on them. DH, Gary AKA Goofy, (he even looks like him) prefers to play golf but does enjoy other activities. We are both as old as Disneyland so you younger folk may be bored."


Dh and I are also as old as Disney. We did go to DW for our 50th but went to DL for our honeymoon 30 years ago this AUg (the same month as our next trip to DW.)

HI NJ people.

 

[pepperw23]

Your trip report rocks already!!! Your DH reminds me of my Dad, every time we go on a trip he breaks out the maps and studies them in the hotel room, then moves on to his Quip Quote (or whatever the heck those things are called lol). .

Where is SOG anyway? I have heard of it, but have never even thought to wonder where it was...until now when someone I know stayed there.

Can't wait to read some more, your good at this!! Love your pics BTW.

 

[MagiKitty]

Yeah! Another trip report! These are so much fun, and even more so with my friend being the storyteller!

I've heard of SOG but this was the first time I saw pictures. (and no, they weren't too big at all!) You have quenched my curiosity.

Looks like this is going to be great fun! Can't wait for the next installment!

 

[whgrn]

Hey Dona!! How ya doin'?!?!?

 

[DL55]

Aaaaaaaah...happy to see "mature" folk
here cause now I don't feel so silly reading
these boards all the time!! My love for disney
is stronger then ever, its in the blood!!!
can't wait to hear all about the trip and see
your photos..hurry back!!!

Thank you for reading. Some times I feel soo old when I read these reports (no diapers, etc)

Hey, who you callin' "mature"?!? Where in NJ are you from??

Well of COURSE you have readers! Us TKers stick together my friend!! And 2 days per day sounds good to me. Don't keep us waiting TOO long!

Hi whgrn!

I love the view from the room. I also love lots of pictures..keep em coming

Thanks, I thought not too many people would see the view from these rooms.

yay!!!!!

Hi magsnden!

"Hi ! This is my first trip report (and first thread started). We went April 10 - 21. I hope it will be entertaining.

The cast of characters : me, Kathy, likes to plan for trips almost as much as going on them. DH, Gary AKA Goofy, (he even looks like him) prefers to play golf but does enjoy other activities. We are both as old as Disneyland so you younger folk may be bored."


Dh and I are also as old as Disney. We did go to DW for our 50th but went to DL for our honeymoon 30 years ago this AUg (the same month as our next trip to DW.)

HI NJ people.

Hi! My grandparents used to live in NJ. Disney is fun for anniversaries, either coast.

Your trip report rocks already!!! Your DH reminds me of my Dad, every time we go on a trip he breaks out the maps and studies them in the hotel room, then moves on to his Quip Quote (or whatever the heck those things are called lol). .

Where is SOG anyway? I have heard of it, but have never even thought to wonder where it was...until now when someone I know stayed there.

Can't wait to read some more, your good at this!! Love your pics BTW.

SOG is across the street from the Poly, about .4 mile walk lobby to lobby.

Yeah! Another trip report! These are so much fun, and even more so with my friend being the storyteller!

I've heard of SOG but this was the first time I saw pictures. (and no, they weren't too big at all!) You have quenched my curiosity.

Looks like this is going to be great fun! Can't wait for the next installment!

Hi MagiKitty! I was a little worried that they were too small.

 

[Pikester]

Your trip report looks AWESOME!

Glad to know that there are others out there addicted to Diet Pepsi just like we are. My poor husband had to get by with Diet Coke on our last trip.

 

[DL55]

Friday April 11, our first full day at Disney. We walked over to the Poly at 7:30 am to catch the bus to the Animal Kingdom (AK). The SOG bus didn’t start until 8:30 and the AK opened at 9am. We wanted to get there for the rope drop.

Between the lobby and the bus stop.

Walking at the Poly

Rope drop at AK.
We got Fast passes (FP) to Expedition Everest (EE). We went on Primeval Whirl (PW), Dinosaur, and Primeval Whirl again. We love PW, it makes us laugh. Then on to EE. What a fun roller coaster! We got a FP for the Safari. Since Kali had only a 10 min. wait we went on that. Actually for the first time on a river ride I did not get soaked! At 11am we stopped at Pizzafari. Very short lines and plenty of tables. FPs for It’s Tough to be a Bug weren’t working. The wait was only 10 min so we watched the show. Then on the Safari, always enjoy this ride. By the time we got over to Finding Nemo the crowds had been let in. We got seats next to the far right wall. We enjoyed the show and could see everything. Being on the right side we were among the first out of the theater.

Me

It was now mid afternoon, the crowds had built up, so we decided to go somewhere else. NOW my DH decides to put in his 2 cents. (after asking for months for ideas). He wants to go to Downtown Disney (DTD) and go to DisneyQuest. So we head to DTD via AKL. Since we’re at the AKL we checked it out. After arriving at DTD we thought we would check out places to eat. We wandered by the Earl of Sandwich and DH thought the prices were decent. We went on and went to Raglan Road. I had told him that I wanted to eat here. It was 4 pm and they were open for dinner so we went in. There was no wait. DH had Sheppard Pie and I had Chicken and Sage Banger. We both had an ale also. We enjoyed our meals. (No pictures, it just makes me hungry again). At DisneyQuest we had fun. We did some virtual reality games (magic carpets, something with a light sword), Cyberspace Mt (a must do) and the Astroblasters (really fun). We also did the Pirates of the Caribbean game and did pretty good for just two of us.
We left early as my DH had a 7 am tee time the next day.

 

[DL55]

Your trip report looks AWESOME!

Glad to know that there are others out there addicted to Diet Pepsi just like we are. My poor husband had to get by with Diet Coke on our last trip.

Hi Pikester! I read in someone else's TR about getting Pepsi at Wal-Mart so we HAD to stop and buy some. We couldn't go ten days without it.
Have to do the second day later today, dentist

 

[giftcard]

Another Diet Pepsi addict here!!!!

Very interested to hear about how you managed w/out ADRs as I'm a planner and want to make them but my best friend is freaking out at the thought of planning this early. I'm trying to be more laid-back about the whole thing.

Good luck at the dentist. Looking forward to reading more!!!

 

[Princesskeyblade]

I'm in!

I love your pictures! And I can't wait to read more.


For the dentist!