We love rack rate! Aug 1-17 More NEW pics 9/1!

[Timon-n-Pumbaa Fan]

Have a wonderful trip my friend! I look forward to your report on the state of the Mouse & the Magic!

PS. Happy Birthday!

 

[lovesdumbo]

We are leaving TOMORROW!!

Safe travels!!!!!!

See you 2 weeks from tonight at Cape May!

I am so not ready.

 

[snappy]

Wishing you the best trip ever!! Enjoy!!

We'll keep mom in our prayers.

Can't wait to see your DH's pictures.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

We're here!!

Live reports coming soon! So far, so good!!

 

[tinknme]

We're here!!

Live reports coming soon! So far, so good!!

I love live TR's! Glad you all made it safely! I have to ask, just how unbearably hot is it?

 

[tink2020]

Woohoo! I can't wait!

 

[PNO4TE]

I'm here too! Can't wait to find out how you like... everything!

 

[Tammi67]

Checking in to see if there's been an update. Have fun today!

 

[Steffy]

I just noticed the link in your siggie. I read the whole thread this morning. I love seeing the planning that you did all in one place. Woo Hoo!

Enjoy!!!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I love live TR's! Glad you all made it safely! I have to ask, just how unbearably hot is it?

It depends on where you are standing. In the "concrete" areas of Epcot just now it was HOT. But I think it is getting ready to rain again because now there is a breeze.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

AARRRGGGH! I just typed for TWENTY minutes and the stupid internet booted me off and lost my entire Day 1 post!
So beware of in-room internet access!!!

Let's try again, shall we?

DAY 1 - Friday, August 1 -

We left the house at 4 AM as planned. Our flight was delayed about 10 minutes, no big deal. We landed at MCO about 9:35 AM. The line for ME wasn't too bad. We got on the bus about 10 AM but we had to sit there until EVERY seat was full. Our driver was VERY enthusiastic! He liked to honk in time to the music. He also liked to push trhe gas pedal in time to the music. And AKL is the LAST stop on the ME route so we got to enjoy it for the WHOLE ride. Anyway...we got to AKL about 11:20 AM.

Our room was ready, so a CM from Bell Services escorted us to our room and then up to the concierge lounge. We got checked in, grabbed some cookies and lemonade, then went back to the room to grab our stuff for the park. Our bags from ME arrived, which I thought was really fast!

We got to the bus stop at AKL at 12:30 PM and waited ONE minute for a bus!

When we got to MK it was raining. That was bad, because I was wearing shoes that aren't water friendly and DH was carrying his Sony dSLR LOOSE! A CM in one of the shops gave him a bag to put the camera in. We traded pins in the shops until the rain let up enough to go to City Hall for a new DDE card. From there we did some rides (Buzz, Carousel of Progress, TTA, Tea Cups, Pirates, Snow White, IASW). Peter Pan was 55 minutes, Pooh was 50, Space Mtn. was 50. Skipped those! Lunch was at Casey's - just the basics.

HM was posted a 20 minute wait and it was every bit of 20 minutes if not more. I have NEVER seen the queue that long!

We had dinner at Cali Grill. It was yummy, and DS really liked the sushi.

After dinner we just came back to the hotel. We got to the bus stop at MK at 9:37 PM, waited 7 minutes. The turn down service left us lovely chocolates, and a birthday surprise for me!

I'll try to post some pics!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

California Rolls and Sashimi

Filet Mignon

Kid's mac & cheese

Pork loin

Valrhona chocolate cake with apricot ice cream

Peachy Keen dessert trio

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Somebody please tell me if those pics are too big! I can't tell on the laptop if they need to be resized!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

This is the birthday surprise from concierge, and photos from our balcony.

 

[tink2020]

Yum!

Thanks for posting pictures, Elizabeth. I'm glad you all are having a good time so far!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Thanks, Jennifer!
Are the pics too big?

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

I was awake at 5:15 AM, ready to get up and take on the day!

DS woke up with 2 quarter-sized red blotches on one side of his face. They weren't bites or sunburn, but I don't know what caused them. Odd. They were still there after his shower, so it wasn't marks from sleeping against his hand or anything. I will be keeping an eye on him.

DS and DH grabbed breakfast in the concierge lounge, but I stayed in the room to finish getting ready so no pics of what they ate!

Today was Epcot, 9 AM opening. We got to the bus stop at 8:05 AM, waited 3 minutes. We were at Epcot by about 8:20 AM.

We went directly to Soarin' for a FP, rode the Nemo thing with the Clam Mobiles, saw Turtle talk (where Crush talked to DS!), rode Soarin' (standby was posted 20 minutes and we waited longer than that with FPs). We rode Spaceship Earth and WOW! is it better than it was in December! VASTLY better than when we previewed it!

I happened to notice the board at Guest Relations showed decent availability for TS dinners - Mexico, Morocco, France, Germany (I think). In the past the whole board has read "Full" so I found that interesting.

It doesn't seem THAT crowded. And no tour groups that I have seen.

We had lunch at Electric Umbrella (just burgers, no pics because we have all seen burgers), then we did the Disney Visa Meet & Greet when it opened at 1:30. We had our photo with Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy.

We left for the hotel after that. Arrived at the bus stop at 1:44 PM and waited 12 minutes for a bus.

We grabbed some cookies and lemonade in the lounge, then DH promptly fell asleep.

DS and I went down to the gift shop at 3 PM to trade with "King Pin", then DS decided he would have a nap, too.

Dinner tonight at Coral Reef, followed by World Showcase stuff.

 

[KristineN]

nice photos Elizabeth....makes we want to go back NOW!! I really liked AKV

 

[tmfranlk]

Great pics! It's things like that that tempt me out of values, though we'd have to cut our trip too short to swing it. Someday when I can take my mom again, though, definitely! Love the food pics too. Maybe a little large, but they aren't bad. I can scroll a little left and see the full pic as I page down.

 

[ReAnSt]

Elizabeth- I am glad you are having a good time. The food from Cali Grill looks delicious. I have not been able to convince others to join me there. Last time I was there was when it was still Top of the world.