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David Hastings -- April 2000 -- Walt Disney World (ASMuR)

Dates of trip- 4/13/2000 thru 4/23/2000

Cast of Characters:

• David (me): 41 years of age. I am a sales rep. with Nabisco. Lots of hours and a fair amount of stress (I did say sales didn't I?). Boy, do I need this vacation. Hobby-photography. You'll see. This will be my eighth trip to WDW.
• Debbie (wife): 47 years of age (don't tell her I told you!). She's a jewelry manager at Wal-Mart. Not many hours but enough aggravation to make this vacation a welcome relief. This will be Debbie's thirteenth trip to WDW.
• Caity (daughter): 12 years of age. Attends the Magnet School in Virginia Beach and is already taking some high school credit courses. The poor kid doesn't get home from school on the bus until almost 5:00 in the afternoon and then spends the whole night on homework. I think she has the hardest job of all of us. She deserves this vacation. This will be Caity's fifth trip to WDW.

Pre-planning:

I'm not going to go into too much detail with our trip planning. Most of what we decide on you will see in the report anyway. This will be our third trip in three years after a drought of about 6 years. We went in May 1998 for two weeks with another couple. Orlando was suffering from a record heat wave during this whole time with the heat factor each day being well above 100 degrees. Debbie and Caity, who do not take to hot weather, still keep the heat as their prevalent memory from this trip. We stayed at Dixie Landings in the Alligator Bayou section.

We decided to return again in April 1999. We weren't sure if we could afford it again so soon but decided that maybe we could swing it if we stayed at the All-Star Movie Resort. This really took some convincing for me as I was not exactly taken with these resorts (the word tacky came to mind). However, it came down to this or postpone the trip by a year so you know how that came out. Anyway, I ended up really liking the All-Star Movie Resort. Instead of looking tacky, the large icons were a constant reminder that- Hey Dave! You're on vacation, this is Disney, and we don't take anything too seriously here. The word that comes to mind is fun.

Fast-forward to August 1999. We had planned on returning to WDW in 2001 but Debbie and Caity started with the puppy-dog eyes and I'm an easy sell anyway so it was on the phone to the CRO to try for the All-Star Movies once again. After our last trip its now hard to justify spending the extra money to stay in one of the nicer resorts. We've stayed in a lot of them in the past and actually prefer some of the other hotels but its nice to have the extra money for meals and souvenirs. My favorite moderate resort is Dixie Landings- I just love the peaceful, relaxing atmosphere. And someday we will definitely stay at the Wilderness Lodge. Anyway, we called the CRO and wouldn't you know the All-Star Movies was all booked for April 14-21; and we're calling 35 weeks in advance. So its never too early to call. Well, we decided to give the All-Star Music Resort a try. We've seen the Calypso section before and if we could get in there we would be happy. Reservations made- it's now official.

Shortly after Christmas on a Sunday afternoon the three of us sat down to decide on a schedule for our vacation. Debbie and I had asked off work for Friday, April 14 so that we could leave late Thursday and extend our vacation by one day. Basically at this session we just decide what park we are going to do on what day and then decide at what restaurants we want to eat. First, something you should know about me. When we plan a trip the thing I look forward to the most is picking the restaurants and planning the meals. I really enjoy eating at restaurants and eating things that we can't always fix at home. I even enjoy going online and checking out the menus and restaurant reviews. I know a lot of people don't care much what they eat in the parks but I'm not one of them. I like a hamburger or a hotdog as much as the next guy but after a day of walking around the park I think a sit-down meal is just what the doctor ordered. Its cool, relaxing, refreshing and a great opportunity to get off your feet and spend some quality time together. I can't tell you how many people I saw on this trip sitting hunched- over on a bench, looking hot and tired, trying to stuff down a cheeseburger wrapped in paper while not spilling their fries. In my humble opinion, this is not the way to do WDW.

Once we have our park schedule we all throw in our ideas for where we would like to eat and then fit whatever we can into our schedule. We only schedule one large meal per day; either lunch or dinner. Plus, we decide what to do for breakfast based on our touring schedule. I should point out here that we are all reformed WDW commandos. I was probably the worst. But last year for the first time we decided to rush less, take the time to enjoy ourselves and if we miss something we'll just hit it the next time. We ended up having the best trip ever and missed almost nothing anyway. At least, not anything important. So this year we had more sit-down breakfasts than usual but this worked out well with the institution of the Fast-Pass system (more on this later). After we've made our plans we make notes on a calendar 60 days in advance so we'll know which reservations need to call and make on that day.

Disney Tip- while preparing for our trip I always get a 3-ring binder and fill it with those clear plastic sheets. Then when we receive our room confirmation in the mail and get our restaurant confirmation numbers this can all go into the binder where we will have it in case we need it on vacation. I also put into this binder any information I can get online- ex. hotel facts and figures, park hours, special activities going on, etc..... It's also good for holding the booklet that the Magic Kingdom Club Card sends us as well as information sent to us by Disney. After the vacation this book is great to keep as a souvenir book for a wonderful vacation.

The only other thing that I would like to say about a trip to WDW is that it is a lot more than just a 1-week vacation. It is something to look forward to for weeks and even months in advance. No matter how much your job gets you down you can always say "That's all right, I'm be at Disney in a few weeks". After we make our reservations we create a countdown calendar that we can check off each week. We also start watching some 'WDW Inside Out' shows that we have on tape. We also watch the WDW Planning video for the current year. And then a few weeks before the trip we get on the computer and print out lists (with pictures) of the 'Top Ten Things That We're Looking Forward To On This Vacation'. It may seem hokey but it's a great family activity and a lot of fun. We also like to play Disney Trivia and do other similar things in anticipation of our trip.

That's about all I'm going to cover in regards to trip planning. It was a bit longer than I had intended. Just hope you're never trapped in a room with me for a couple of hours. :-)

DAY 1- THURSDAY, APRIL 13-TRAVEL DAY

Finally, after all the planning and anticipating the day of departure had finally arrived. It was a regular work day for me and a school day for Caity. Debbie took the day off at my request to take care of the last minute details including the last minute trip to the bank for cash. Most of our money will be in Travelers Checks which we had picked up weeks ago at AAA. I should point out here since I didn't mention in the planning section that we always pay off the hotel rooms as soon as we make our reservations. This decreases the expenses to be incurred at the time of the trip. In fact, we decided to head home on Saturday and stopping for the night instead of leaving on Sunday and driving straight through (I need to be home on time to retrieve my laptop from my vacation relief). Well, we just left the money from that last night on the account because we knew that we would be charging some items to the room for convenience sake.

Anyway, Debbie picked Caity up from school to save us some time and when I got home from work just after 3:30 p.m. I packed the car and we were on the road at 4:26 p.m. One happy note- my brother-in-law Jimmy was visiting from Georgia and would be house-sitting for us as well as taking care of our dog Buddy. He is a Beagle- Basset mix, cute as can be and just as spoiled. Debbie always hated dropping him at the kennel on previous trips. This way Buddy and Jimmy could keep each other company and also give Jimmy some quality time with his mother who also lives in town. The temperature when we left was 46 degrees and very windy. Nothing like this kind of weather to really put you in the mood for Florida. We arrived at the Comfort Inn in Florence SC about 10:00 p.m. We had made reservations here for our trip down and our trip back. We figured that this would be about halfway to Florida from Virginia Beach. No change in the weather from home as it was very cold in Florence and sprinkling. We were hoping for warmer weather come morning as we all had short pants packed in the overnight bag. We went to bed about 11:00 p.m. without setting an alarm.

DAY 2- FRIDAY, APRIL 14- TRAVEL DAY, WHISPERING CANYON CAFE

I woke up at 6:00 a.m. I can't believe it. Normally I wake up at 4:00 a.m. for work but I guess my body clock is on vacation too. After my shower I turned on the Weather Channel and they are calling for thunderstorms for Florida today and the cloudy with thunderstorms for the next five days at least. We've always been very lucky with the weather on our trips but it looks like our string is about to end. After a leisurely continental breakfast we left the hotel about 9:00 a.m. I figure we should be at WDW by 2:00 or 3:00. WRONG! Traffic, due to the heavy rains, was horrible. There were also a lot of accidents that were slowing things considerably. During a gas stop my wife spotted a Wal-Mart, wouldn't you know, and I waited in the car while she and Caity ran in to buy some long pants and some ponchos. I was by this time feeling quite irritated and depressed by the prospect of spending a week slogging through the rain. I am not a huge fan of walking around the parks soaking wet. Debbie, of course, rightly pointed out that whatever the weather we are on vacation and its better than being at work.

Well, we finally crossed the main gate into Disney World at 6:15 p.m. Debbie waited in line to check in at All-Star Music while Caity and I looked around the gift shop (Maestro Mickeys). Good news- we got into the section we wanted- Calypso, Bldg. 10. We were in Room 502; a great location on the second floor overlooking the pool area. To my surprise, the view was actually beautiful- colorful buildings, palm trees and a guitar-shaped pool. As stated before I was dubious about the All-Star Music resort but I was very pleased. However, the food court is not nearly as nice as that at the All-Star Movies.

After check-in we decided to go to the Whispering Canyon Cafe for dinner. Initially we had planned to do Epcot tonight both for dinner and to see the parade and the Illuminations 2000. However, as late as it was we didn't want to pay for the extra day on our passes especially as the weather was bad enough that I felt sure that they probably cancelled both events. We were seated almost immediately at the restaurant by a hostess who told us that there have been waits all day but that we had timed it perfectly. I told her that it wasn't careful planning but traffic problems and she said that there had been 5 accidents on I-4. I told her that I could personally vouch for that.

We have never eaten here but I have heard that it is a lot of fun. Our waiter, according to his name tag, was Jethro Bodine (real name Jeff). He was very good, fun and entertaining. The whole restaurant experience was very entertaining with stick pony races and a lot of waiter/waitresses performing for and/ or embarrassing the customers. First, we were introduced to the families seated around us. Then we ordered, Chicken Fingers for Caity and the Grand Canyon Passage for Debbie and I. This is an "all-you-care-to-eat" barbecue skillet including Smoked Pork Ribs, Beef Brisket, Apple-Rosemary Chicken, Pork Sausage and a Smoked Turkey Leg. Vegetables included Baked Beans, Garlic Potatoes, Cole Slaw, Sweet Corn, a Tossed Salad with Apple Vinaigrette Dressing and Fresh Baked Rolls. All the food was very good, no room for dessert.

A couple funny things during our meal: A waiter walked through the restaurant calling out a patrons name like he was looking for her. Her credit card in his hand and he then proceeded to tell her for all to hear that her card had been declined. The other incident was a waiter chiding a young boy for not participating in the stick pony race. He got the whole restaurant involved and had us all shake our fingers at him and shout in unison "You ain't all that". It was quite funny.

After dinner we toured the hotel for a bit and had a sit in front of a roaring fire in a hidden area above the entrance overlooking the lobby. They were playing the music from 'Last of the Mohicans' and I could have sat there all night. Then it was a quick stroll through the mercantile and a tour of the outside pool area. We absolutely love this hotel and will definitely stay here sometime. The theming and attention to detail is absolutely incredible. After this it was time to head back to our hotel (sigh) to finish unpacking and in bed by midnight.

DAY 3- SATURDAY, APRIL 15- ANIMAL KINGDOM

I woke up at 5:00 a.m. bright-eyed and bushy-tailed (yeah-right); although after my shower I was ready and raring to go. While Debbie and Caity were getting ready I walked around the resort for some uncrowded nighttime photos (it was still dark out). I did notice that the pool area was littered with flotsam and jetsam from the previous night. You know, towels, pieces of clothing, empty cans-- very un-Disneylike. I'm going to assume that it was a result of the intermittent rain during the night and not due to a lack of service at an economy hotel. It seems like a far cry from the nicer resorts where they even rake the sand on the beaches during the night.

We arrived at the Animal Kingdom promptly at 7:00 a.m. Oops, it doesn't open until 8:00. I finally figured this out after about 10 minutes sitting with 5 other cars in front of the deserted gate. No problem, it was nice and relaxing and they let us through after about 5 more minutes. We had made reservations for Donalds Restaurantosaurus and at the far right turnstile they were letting restaurant guests into the park. They even provided a tour guide to escort our group to the restaurant (about 10 people total with some other park guests). I don't remember our guides name but he was very humorous and entertaining as he walked us through a totally deserted park. I loved it as it afforded me the opportunity to take a bunch of photos and some video without crowds of people in front of me.

The buffet was pretty much the standard Disney breakfast buffet and was fresh and very good. There were no fancy specialty dishes but there was a huge variety of everything. It is a Character Breakfast and we got visits from and pictures with Donald, Pluto, Goofy and some mouse named Mickey. All were decked out in archaeological gear. This year is the first where Caity is starting to feel a little old for visits from Characters (12 years!). Of course her mother is definitely into it 100%. I think the Characters are fun but it seems like every time I am about to take a bite of hot food a new Character arrives. But as I said they are fun and they work hard and it does add to the total Disney experience. I must say that as good as the food was I enjoyed the coffee the most. If you are a coffee drinker you'll know what I'm talking about.

We finished our breakfast exactly at 8:00 when the park was opening. We left the restaurant, took a right, and walked right onto Countdown to Extinction. No people anywhere except for the CM at the door. As usual, this ride was very fun and exciting and a great first ride for this vacation. I hear that they will be toning this ride down to make it more kid friendly and will be renaming it Dinosaur to tie-in with the movie. If this is true I hope it will not be a permanent change.

Next we headed to Harambe for the Safari ride. There was a 35 minute wait posted out front but the actual wait was about 15 minutes. Our driver was Jack from South Africa so his accent was very authentic. He looked remarkably like Billy Zane in the Phantom movie. We were seated directly behind him. He seemed to have a lot of fun driving the safari vehicle with a lot of quick starts and taking corners very fast. It made the ride very exciting. As it was early, overcast and not hot there were a lot of animals out and about. The male lion was even walking around looking very regal.

After the safari we went to see "It's Tough to be a Bug". It was very fun as usual. With all the physical effects its easy to overlook how far 3D technology has come. The 3D effects are flawless. It seems I always forget just how good this show is. Caity loves it but refuses to sit all the way back in her seat. :-)

Our next stop was the "Tarzan Rocks" show. We all liked this show very much. It is not a stage show as much as a concert enhanced by dancing and acrobatics. Some people have been disappointed in this show and I can see how it would be less enjoyable for anyone who is not a fan of the music. That is not a problem for us. We are huge Phil Collins fans as well as fans of the movie. I filmed most of the show- especially the brunette singer named Julie. LOL

At this point we were ready for a cool snack so we headed to Camp Minnie-Mickey for a Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Cookie. These are made by hand as you order and consist of a square of vanilla ice cream sandwiched between 2 gourmet Chocolate Chip cookies. Enough said. (Sound of lips smacking)

As we were there we stepped in to see the "Pocahontas and Her Forest Friends" show. It's a cute shoe containing live animals and is geared mostly to kids.

Then it was over to Asia for the "Flights of Wonder" bird show. This show changes every time we come back which is nice since it's always good. The birds do pretty much the same thing but the humans are trained differently each time. The bird that sings knows something like 8 songs and I've seen him on TV (Dave or Jay, I can't remember).

It was now about 1:30 so we decided to head over to Tusker House for lunch. I had heard that the food was good for counter service food and we found this to be true. I had the Peanut Crusted Chicken which was served with rice and fresh vegetables. Debbie got the Rotisserie Chicken which came with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy and vegetables. Caity had the Macaroni and Cheese and a slice of Cheesecake. The inside of the restaurant is surprisedly roomy and beautifully themed. There was also extensive seating out back but we elected to stay inside. The meal was really very good for counter service food served in the quantities that they handle.

After lunch Debbie and Caity walked around the shops while I walked around Mombasa Marketplace taking pictures and video. After reuniting, Debbie suggested taking the Wildlife Express (train) to Conservation Station. This is not a favorite of mine but we hadn't been in a couple of years. So we hopped on board (no wait) and arrived in short order. Outside of Conservation Station we found Chip and Dale posing and signing. Caity elected to bypass them for now as we would be seeing them in Cape May Cafe later in the week. We walked inside and found 2 more Characters with hardly anyone around them. First, my wife forced me to have my picture taken with my arm around Pocahontas. :-) Then I took pictures of Debbie and Caity with Rafiki- who is one of our favorite park Characters. After Debbie's picture Rafiki started going through her hair looking for bugs. He was very funny and I managed to get it on video.

We looked around a little and visited the Affection Section and then decided to head back as the skies were suddenly threatening. We'd been lucky up until now. So we headed back to All-Star Music where Caity got a hair wrap. To my surprise it really looked good and was about the length of her hair (about 8-10 inches). It lasted about 2 weeks after we got home and finally fell out. But it came off intact and I realized that it had string inside and was attached to her hair only at the top. It is now hanging from my rear view mirror along with the shell necklace that the used to hand out at the Polynesian Revue.

We then decided to try something that we never get to do at home. Something called a nap. After a short rest we looked outside to find lightning in the sky and the pool was closed. It looked like it would be a relaxing evening in the hotel and a pizza at the food court. All in all, a great first day with the weather not being a factor until late afternoon.

One last note; this year for the first time we purchased a set of Motorola Walkie Talkies for communicating when apart. This was mostly for times when there may be an attraction that Caity would rather sit-out (such as TZTOT). This will allow her to ride something else rather than standing around waiting on us. It also comes in handy during rest room breaks and allows those not breaking to look around shops or something similar instead of sitting on benches waiting out front waiting. Its worth the expense for the peace of mind.

DAY 4- SUNDAY, APRIL 16- MAGIC KINGDOM

Woke up at 6:00 a.m. Drove to the TTC and caught Monorail Coral to the Magic Kingdom. There was no wait at all. The Magic Kingdom opens at 9:00 today but we have priority seating at Cinderella's Royal Table at 8:00. Just like the Animal Kingdom yesterday it was great walking through a totally deserted park on our way to the Castle. Once again, a great opportunity for pictures and video.

We were seated immediately at a table in the dead center of the room (please ignore all references to the Haunted Mansion). Not as good as a window seat but a great table otherwise. Our waiters mane was Gus. Was this just an accident or was he placed here because of his name? For those who don't know Gus is the name of the chubby mouse in the Cinderella movie (thanks, Caity). He was very attentive, friendly and was very funny calling me King and Debbie and Caity Princess.

As far as the Character breakfasts go- finally one for the dads. We were visited by Cinderella, Jasmine and Aurora (woo! hoo!) as well as visits from Aladdin and Prince Charming. I guess they were okay too but my wife isn't writing this report. All of the characters, male and female, were charming, polite, funny and sweet. I think the best of the face characters are reserved for this breakfast.

Also, the food was very good- bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, cheesy-bacon potatoes and the famous cream cheese stuffed french toast. This was the only item that we had seconds on. We were just too full. Also, the meal started off with fresh muffins and croissants and a melon plate which contained cantaloupe, honeydew , watermelon and pineapple. All in all, this was an extremely enjoyable breakfast and I cannot imagine a better way of beginning your day in the Magic Kingdom.

We finished our meal and got downstairs about 2 minutes before the rope drop at the back of the castle to officially open Fantasyland. This in itself was entertaining with Captain Hook and Aladdin leading the crowd in a countdown to the rope drop. We walked immediately to The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and got on with no wait. This is not what I would classify as an E-ticket ride but it is very cute, colorful, fun and entertaining. I am a huge fan of dark rides and this is a good one. Caity also enjoyed it as she is a big fan of Eeyore. After the ride we noticed that Disney had included a design flaw that exited the riders right through the gift shop (Ha! Ha!).

After Pooh Caity put in a request for Splash Mountain so we headed in that direction with quick detours into Peter Pan and the Haunted Mansion as walk-ons. Who could resist? Two classics and all-time favorites. Marc Davis, the principal designer for the Haunted Mansion passed away recently and I like to think that the attraction finally has its 1000th ghost. Then it was on to Splash Mountain where the waits were still under 15 minutes. This is probably my favorite Magic Kingdom attraction. I just love the music, especially that "pretty good, sure as you're born" song, as well as all of the great Audio-animatronic scenes. At about 11 minutes, I think this is one of Disney's longest rides. I just wish I didn't get quite so wet at the end (two cameras, remember?). No need for Fast Pass.

Next, it was on to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Debbie's favorite ride. We got a back seat and the whole ride was wild and wooly. Also, I was holding the Nikon with my left hand and videotaping with my right so without a hand hold I was getting plenty of air time. It also seemed that the ride was faster than I remember. Great fun!!

Caity's next request was Tomorrowland so across the park we went. Whatever happened to all those months of planning? At this point the park was rapidly filling and Tomorrowland was packed. After perusing various wait times and finding none that we liked we picked up a Fast Pass for Space Mountain at 11:15 which would allow entry between 12:35 and 1:35. Then we decided to go ahead and get in line for Buzz Lightyears Space Ranger Spin. I like this ride but I would like it better if it had 3D targets instead of painted plywood. Our scores: David- 215,000 Debbie-2,500 :-( Caity-92,600

Then it was across the street to Carousel of Progress. This is one of the All-time Classics and I hope it never leaves. This show definitely bears the signature of Walt himself. I'm even glad that for traditions sake they returned the original song "There's a Great Big, Beautiful Tomorrow" but I would like to see "Now is the Time" resurrected elsewhere. We'll see.

Well, for us now is the time for a snack. Debbie got a hot dog and a Coke from a stand while Caity and I decided on a Mickey Ice Cream Sandwich and a Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bar respectively. Now that I've had my first Ice Cream Bar the vacation is officially upon us. Now, reenergized, we were ready for Space Mountain. This was our first encounter with Fast Pass. Our official review- 3 thumbs up, way up. We walked right past a 75 minute line and got right on our car. Fast Pass is a great idea. I don't normally find Space Mountain as exciting as some but it seemed more fun than usual; both faster and less rough, if that is possible.

Next, it was a trip to the Ladies room for both Debbie and Caity. Now this is where we need Fast Pass. I waited patiently for them at Auntie Gravities (sound of foot tapping).

By common decree it was time for the Jungle Cruise so we walked over and picked up Fast Passes at 2:15 with a window for return between 3:15 and 4:15. Debbie was ready for something cool after her hot dog so she got in line for a Dole Whip. Caity and I are always ready for a treat so we went to the Sunshine Tree Terrace where I could get my usual Yogurt Twist and Caity her Coke Float. All VERY refreshing. Then it was over to the Pirates of the Caribbean. As always this ride was fun but probably the main attraction was the air conditioning. One thing that added to the ride was a lady sitting behind me who was an obvious novice to Disney parks. She kept repeating "This is amazing. I've never seen anything like this". I guess this was her first encounter with Audio-animatronics. It's always fun watching someone experiencing something for the first time.

Next was the The Enchanted Tiki Room- Under New Management. I think this show is a vast improvement over the old show although it seems very short.

Our Fast Pass entry time had arrived so we crossed the street to the Jungle Cruise. Our skipper was neither outstanding, nor poor, just average. Maybe I've just heard the jokes too many times. I thought the best joke was as we were departing he told us to "lower your head and watch your step, but if you do bump your head make sure you lower your voice and watch your language". (I guess you had to be there.) After our Jungle excursion we decided to take a leisurely stroll through the shops on Main Street and work our way towards Tony's where we have Priority Seating for 5:30.

We were seated immediately and greeted by our waiter Claude. Debbie and I both ordered the 6-oz Beef Tenderloin with Prosciutto and Mozzarella. This comes with Gorgonzola Mashed Potatoes and Balsamic Glaze. I debated for a long time because they had a Chile-Crusted Salmon with Orzo Pasta and a Tomato Saffron Broth. The tenderloin won out. Caity ordered the Scamps Ravioli which is a ravioli filled with macaroni and cheese and served with a tomato sauce. While we waited they brought 4 small loaves of bread and a Sun-Dried Tomato and Basil sauce for dipping. Yum. As a starter I ordered Bean Soup and Debbie got the salad. Both good. Our entrees were excellent. Freshly cooked and hot. This was one of the best meals I have ever had at WDW. Caity loved her ravioli as well. Debbie ordered the Tiramisu for dessert, against her own better judgment. The tiramisu passed with flying colors. Very tasty and surprisedly light.

After dinner we headed back to Tomorrowland so Debbie and I could see Alien Encounter while Caity once again helped Buzz defeat the Emperor Zurg. During the AE pre-show I could not hear the announcements due to many, many loud teenagers. Well, a few minutes later a terse announcement interrupted the Skippy portion of the show stating that absolutely NO videotaping is allowed. I sheepishly lowered my camera but I still got a lot of good footage beforehand. The Alien Encounter attraction is one of my MK favorites and I can see how it could scare young children but for adults it is just plain fun.

After the 3 of us reunited we rode on the TTA which afforded some gorgeous views of Tomorrowland as the sun was setting behind the castle. Of course, pictures and video were taken.

We then headed towards Frontierland to find a spot to watch the Main Street Electrical Parade. On the way we stopped to ride Snow White's Scary Adventure and It's a Small World. We then staked out a spot in Frontierland about 20 minutes before the parade and ended up in a pretty good location. As much as I love Spectromagic it was great hearing Baroque Hoedown and seeing all the old floats again. Also, I must say that they had refurbished and greatly improved upon the old floats. I taped the whole parade in case it's not here long and/or doesn't come back at all.

Our final event of the day was the Fantasy in the Sky fireworks show. Or I should say it was for me. Debbie and Caity threw in the towel and found a spot to sit while I enjoyed the show. Then we joined the crush of people on Main Street heading for the exit. We made it to the Monorail alive and discovered that it was the same one as this morning- Monorail Coral. I'm not sure when we were happier to see the monorail, this morning or this evening. A short ride to the TTC. Another short ride by car to the hotel and into bed by 11:30.

DAY 5- MONDAY, APRIL 17- DISNEY STUDIOS

Awoke at 6:00 a.m. Our first stop is Hollywood & Vine at Disney Studios where we have Priority Seating for 8:00. This is a character breakfast where Minnie greets you at the door as the restaurant owner and Goofy, Pluto and Chip and Dale visit you at the table. When we first visited here two years ago it was something of a hidden treasure. It wasn't very crowded, kind of a relaxing start to the day and the staff was very attentive. The staff is still very good and the food is, in my opinion, better than most of the breakfast buffets. For some reason, everything here seems fresher and hotter. My only grievance, this time the restaurant was CROWDED. It was all those Virgins. Virgin Tours had a huge group eating at the restaurant this morning. I wish I had known. It really spoiled the atmosphere of the place with a lot of noise and incredible lines at the buffet tables and a lot of people cutting in line. Sometimes these tour groups completely overwhelm the parks, restaurants, attractions, etc. and us poor slobs who scrimp and save to vacation here end up being greatly inconvenienced. I certainly don't expect any special privileges by any means but large, rude tour groups can definitely affect your vacation. Having said all that I don't know what can be done about it but it helps to vent every now and then.

After breakfast it was down Sunset Blvd. We sent Caity over to the Rock & Roller Coaster (RNRC) with our park passes so she could get us all Fast Passes. Meanwhile, Debbie and I were going to hit the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (TZTOT) for a quick ride and then meet back up with Caity to ride RNRC. Bad plan. The wait for TZTOT was already very long without the Fast Pass. New plan- get Fast Passes for TZTOT and go ahead and ride RNRC with Caity. So we hotfooted it across the street to try to catch Caity but we got there just as she got our Fast Passes for RNRC. No problem. we'll just ride RNRC and if we like it we'll have Fast Passes to go again. After our second ride we'll head to TZTOT to pick up Fast Passes for later.

Boy, it sure sounds confusing when you write it out. The main thing you need to know is that you can only have Fast Passes for one attraction at a time. So we headed on into G- Force Records to ride RNRC. This will be our first time on this ride and is probably the one thing I have been looking forward to the most. As you walk through the building be sure to check out the marble doors that separate the first and the second rooms. While waiting in line we met an Englishman and his two young daughters. They were obviously having a great time on their vacation and it was fun listening to their excited descriptions of RNRC and TZTOT. The one daughter (age about 6) was especially cute with her English accent as she explained how she was sitting in the elevator "and then we just plummeted".

Caity ended up sitting out the initial ride as there was a CM who was talking to the people in the waiting line who really exaggerated the fear factor on this ride. Caity decided to let mom and dad try it first. Well, this ride really is a lot of fun. Maybe not as thrilling as I had hoped but a lot of fun nonetheless. There are no large drops but plenty of turns, loops and inversions. Due to the G-forces involved (up to 4 g's) there are times when you are not sure which way is up and which way is down. But you don't care. You are too busy laughing. Also, the soundtrack by Aerosmith is nice. The ride starts with your limousine accelerating from 0-60 mph in 2.8 seconds. That was my favorite part. This coaster is well designed for lots of fun and great for people who do not like large drops on coasters. This describes Caity to a T so we picked her up and used our passes to get right back on. Needless to say, Caity loved it although she did say that it took her stomach a little while to catch back up to her after the rapid start.

After RNRC we headed back across the street to pick up the TZTOT Fast Passes. Then we headed over to the area behind the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Playground where we knew you could get one of those photos where they digitally insert your family onto a variety of backgrounds. We got one of Cinderella's Castle with the three of us standing in front along with the Top 5 characters who were holding up a 2000 sign ($16.95). We figured this would be a great souvenir for the Millenium trip.

Then we went on the Backstage Tour. Nothing new to report. This tour is in bad need of an upgrade.

Then it was time for our Fast Passes into TZTOT. I don't have too much to add to the accolades for this attraction. Let me just say that it gives new meaning to the term E-Ticket. Anyone who is not familiar with this ride is just not paying attention. It's not the drops that make this a great ride, but the total theming. The storyline, the special effects, the authentic look of this old hotel, everything works together to really make this an experience to remember. Wait time- 1 hour, 40 minutes. Wait time with Fast Passes- less than 15 minutes.

Then it was down the road for our 1:00 Priority Seating At 50's Prime Time Cafe. This is a very popular restaurant and really needs to be expanded. The waiting area is interesting- it looks like someone's living room from the 1950's. It's just too small to comfortably handle Disney- type crowds. We got called to our seat at 1:20. I ordered the BBQ Chicken Sandwich, Debbie ordered the Mom's Fried Chicken and Caity ordered the Spaghetti with Marinara Sauce. All our meals were good, but nothing special. But I must say, the portions were HUGE. Especially after a big breakfast. And we were trying to order what looked like smaller meals. Our waitress was not one for doing too much but that was okay by me. It was a bit more relaxing. She did, however, joke around with Caity some and did provide good service.

After lunch we headed to the other side of the lake to see Sounds Dangerous with Drew Carey. I thought it was better than some have made it out to be and it is definitely better than the 101 Dalmation cartoon show. I still miss the old show with Chevy Chase and Martin Short.

Our next stop was The Great Movie Ride. We enjoy this ride but it could do with some upgrading. Even if they kept the current animatronics and just redid the film clips at the beginning and end of the ride it would be a great improvement. Also, some more props in the queue area would be nice.

Our last stop of the day would be the Hunchback of Notre Dame Stage Show. This is one of, if not the very best, stage show in WDW. The actor playing Clopin is absolutely fantastic with a voice that is hard to believe. In fact, all of the actors are excellent. This is definitely a not-to-be-missed show. I know that Michael Eisner was very big on this movie and had expected it to do a little better than it did. It was also Caity's favorite so we never miss this show. The pre-show was Matt the Juggler. He was very funny and he was in a zone today because he performed his routine flawlessly. We thought he was very entertaining. Disney usually does a great job of entertaining you while you wait for the main event.

After the show we decided to head on back to the hotel (stopping on the way, of course, for one of those Mickey Ice Cream Bars) for an evening of relaxation and laundry. Also, I should happily note that the weather had decidedly taken a turn for the better. Instead of 5 or 6 days of solid rain it now looks like good weather all week. Whatever it was weatherwise that changed- THANK YOU VERY MUCH! All we ended up with was rain as we crossed the gate and then that one storm the next night and then the weather was perfect the rest of the week. Tomorrow- shudder- we're actually leaving Disney property.

DAY 6- TUESDAY, APRIL 18- ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE

When we were planning our vacation the question of Islands of Adventure (IOA) kept coming up. When we get down to Florida I just hate leaving the Disney parks for any reason. One week is just not enough time anymore. However, this is our third trip in three years and the trip two years ago was for two weeks so I got talked into leaving the mouse for one day to try IOA. Once the decision was made I must admit I started getting excited about the idea after checking into the park and seeing all the great pictures on themeparks.com.

We got up in plenty of time on Tuesday morning and hit the road more or less on schedule. Of course, the idiot driving the car (excuse me while I get up to take a bow) took a wrong turn and we ended up on International Drive. Not a major problem but enough to slow us down some so that we were not going to be among the first there. I know, how do you get lost between WDW and Universal? On property I'm fine, but get me off property and I guess all brain functions cease. Anyway, we finally pulled into the Universal parking garage and began the long trek to the park entrance. It was actually pretty easy due to moving sidewalks and escalators. For anyone who doesn't know both of the Universal parks (Universal Studios and IOA) share the same parking area. The parks are not separated like the Disney parks. Upon leaving the parking areas you enter CityWalk which is basically Universal's version of Pleasure Island. From there you can exit into either park. We had visited Universal Studios two years ago for one day and would not be hitting it this time. Although, today, the Studios was opening a new Men in Black ride and Will Smith was going to be there. Maybe this will lessen the crowds in IOA.

We found a place selling tickets in CityWalk so we bought our tickets here to bypass the lines at the main gate. Debbie bought the tickets asking for three tickets for IOL (our internet server). Luckily we left with three tickets for IOA and headed for the gate. We had a touring schedule from The Unofficial Guide that we intended to use. We had used one for Universal Studios and it was excellent. After entering through the Port of Entry we found a booth where they were taking restaurant reservations so we stopped briefly to make reservations at Mythos. Then we headed left into Marvel Super Hero Island and checked out Dr. Dooms Fearfall. 75 minute wait, we'll skip it for now. Next, the Incredible Hulk Roller Coaster which is supposed to be great. It was not open due to mechanical difficulties. Okay, next in line- The Adventures of Spiderman. We got in line here, I think the wait was about 45 minutes. At this point we found out that the park had opened at 7:00 for people who had the two day/ two park passes. For them, all the big rides were available to ride with short waits. The park opened at 9:00 for us regular 1-day ticket holders but between 9:00 and 10:00 the 2-day ticket holders could go right to the front of the line. I knew nothing about any of this and between this and the rides breaking down the touring plan went out the window. By the way, after waiting in line for well over half an hour Spiderman broke down.

At this point I'd just about had it. The frustration factor was very high. I guess I should point out here that what we've seen of IOA so far was absolutely beautiful. The theming in the Port of Entry (sort of Main Street in a fantasy version of Adventureland) is really incredible. I was taking pictures just as fast as I could. Marvel Super Hero Island also looked really great; almost like being inside a comic book. The overall look of IOA so far as well as the possibillity of at some point actually riding something kept us from packing it in and heading out.

We decided that we may have more luck elsewhere in the park so we headed to Seuss Landing to ride The Cat In The Hat. There was a 45 minute wait but we rolled up our sleeves (figuratively) and got in line. This is a very cute ride very much like The Pooh ride in the MK. This ride is actually more fun with a lot going on all around you along with those Seuss characters including you-know-who. You actually ride on couches through a house.

Well, we've gotten our first ride and guess what? That's right. Time to eat. Have you noticed a trend in my trip report? After all, it is lunchtime and we did skip breakfast. Caity's one choice for eating was an earnest request for the Green Eggs and Ham Restaurant. Actually, it's counter service restaurant shaped like a green ham with a giant fork sticking in the top. All the seating is outside. We got in line to order and never thought we would reach the counter. It had to be the slowest service I have ever had anywhere, anytime. We finally placed our order and found a nice spot to sit where we could look at the park while we ate. Because the restaurant is what it is we all decided to have the Green Eggs and Ham Sandwiches which came with fries. As expected the fried eggs were green (colored with parsley puree, no taste to the coloring). The sandwiches were made fresh and were very good. The ham had a very good flavor to it, obviously good deli ham and not the cheap stuff. Literally everybody else in line ordered hamburgers or chicken fingers, apparently nobody wanted either green eggs or ham.

After lunch we headed toward The Lost Continent. I guess I should tell you that IOA is set up kind of like Epcot, except that it consists of six lands situated around the lake. We are working our way around counterclockwise. Our first stop in The Lost Continent is Poseidon's Fury (PF). It's a show done similar to Fantasmic with projections on water screens. Although different in a lot of ways I would call both shows about equal. There is a walk through a water vortex at the beginning of Poseidon's Fury that is really something to see. Also, it is an indoor attraction so it can run all day which is quite effective at spreading out the crowds. Even so there was a 90 minute wait.

After PF we walked through The Lost Continent on the way to The Dueling Dragons (DD) roller coaster. The Lost Continent is probably my favorite of the IOA lands as far design and architecture go. It is really incredible looking with many things carved out of stone, exotic buildings and even a restaurant inside an oak tree (The Enchanted Oak Tavern). It would really take too long to describe all of IOA (and after all this is a Disney trip report) so I will pretty much stick to what we actually experienced. The Dueling Dragons roller coaster is actually two coasters side by side. They are inverted coasters which means you hang beneath the track (my favorite). One side is called Fire, the other side is called Ice. Both are fun but Caity preferred Ice because Fire had some serious air time at one point. Debbie only rode one side because the queue area is huge; you just seem to walk forever. Debbie has heel spurs which were bothering her a little at this point. The queue area is actually very well done and winds through a very dark castle including dungeon areas with plenty of skeletons to look at. It's very cool and would be welcome if the lines were long. Today it was a walk on. I think IOA expected this this coaster to be their most popular but The Incredible Hulk seemed to take that crown. After you board the coasters they are both weighed and a computer figures out when to start them because a one point in the ride the two coasters fly right at each other and miss by a mere 12 inches. Very exciting.

Next we headed over to Jurassic Park to ride the Jurassic Park River Adventure. At least Debbie and I did. Caity did not like the look of the large drop at the end. She went on over to Camp Jurassic which is a prehistoric playground. Debbie and I went ahead and got in line although the wait time was posted as 75 minutes. In a little less than that time we were in our boats. I think this was Debbie's favorite attraction at IOA. I thought it was very well done for what there was. It just seemed real short to me. I thought there would be more dinosaurs. The T-Rex at the end was very impressive. You are inside a large building and at this point you see the T-Rex ahead of you and boy is he mad! But just as he attacks you hit the drop which takes you outside of the building. The drop seems taller or faster (or both) that Splash Mountain. It's very fun but the ride needs to be longer. The whole JP area is designed very well and the Discovery Center looks just like the building in the movie.

After JP we headed back into The Lost Continent because we had dinner reservations coming up in a little over an hour. While there we decided to see The Eighth Voyage of Sinbad. This is a stage show done in a huge theater. The set is enormous and quite elaborate. It's a pretty entertaining show with a lot of special effects and humor thrown in. It's not a must-see but well worth seeing if you have time.

Now it was time for what I have been looking forward to. Dinner at Mythos. This is the premiere restaurant at IOA. Before it opened there were claims that it was to be the first 5-star restaurant in a theme park. I think they later backed off from that but it really is an excellent place. Don't get me wrong. We are not 5-star people. We weren't looking for fancy but we do enjoy having a nice sit down meal in the middle or at the end of a long, tiring day. It's just as good as a nap and leaves you revitalized and ready for more. Mythos is a very interesting looking restaurant. It appears to be cut into rock kind of like a cave with windows. There also faces and figures cut into the rock on the outside of the restaurant. Of course, like Disney, it's not real rock but a good facsimile. The inside of the restaurant actually manages to look elegant with crystal chandeliers and lighting fixtures (not cut crystal, but natural, quartz looking crystals). One wall of the restaurant is almost all windows and this overlooks the lake and affords you a view of the park as you eat. Very nice.

Our server was Aphrodite (no, not the one from Hercules, Darn it). She was very friendly, very helpful and spent a lot of time talking to us about the restaurant and about the park. She was very efficient and did not make us feel rushed at all. I ended up ordering the Horseradish Encrusted Snapper which came with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and a duo of orange and mango barbecue sauces. This was one of the best meals on this vacation. The fish was actually very mild in spite of its name with only a hint of that horseradish taste. It was served fresh and hot and was excellent. Debbie ordered the Prime Rib which came with mashes potatoes. When Debbie's meal came the Prime Rib was HUGE. She was so surprised that she said, "Holy Cow!". "Yes, it was" said the Indian gentleman who had brought her dish. Oops! Well, at least he was smiling. Debbie couldn't finish it all so I had to help her. What else could I do here in the land of heroes? Caity ordered Fettucine Alfredo which was not on the menu but the chef was glad to accommodate. In case you hadn't picked up on it this is a very good restaurant and I would highly recommend it both for the food and the opportunity to relax and recharge the batteries.

After dinner we wanted to check out Spiderman to see if it was up and running. It was but with a 90 minute wait. We got in line. I have heard from many sources that this is the best attraction in Orlando so I was determined to find out for myself. We got to our car in almost exactly 90 minutes and no breakdowns! Basically the story of the ride is this. You are riding in a vehicle which is call the Scoop. I believe that it is owned by the Daily Bugle which is Peter Parkers newspaper. It's a multi-wheeled vehicle which can take you wherever the news is. The technology for this ride is similar to the Back to The Future ride in Universal Studios. You are sitting in your vehicle and are wearing polarized glasses and the action is taking place in front of you in a 3D film. The main difference is that on this ride your vehicle is not sitting still. You actually travel through the city around buildings and through alleys. The action takes place all around you as you travel down the streets and go around corners. The 3D effects are flawlessly integrated with the standing sets as well as with your ride vehicle and the overall effect is just stunning. Spiderman is swinging around and crawling on the sides of buildings. The bad guys are up to all kinds of mischief which includes jumping on the hood of your car and jamming a power cable down into it. Your car also get levitated, dropped and hit so that it flies through the air. I don't want to give too many details except to say that you have to try this ride. I also must say that having ridden it I can fully understand why there are problems with it breaking down. With technology this advanced there are bound to be some problems (remember Test Track).

At this point The Incredible Hulk roller coaster was running but since it had been breaking down all day we decided that we didn't want to take a chance of being on it for the next breakdown. Dr. Dooms Fearfall had incredibly long waits so the two of them will have to wait until next time (whenever that may be). It was getting late so we decided to head to Toon Lagoon which is the only land we had not yet seen. Caity and Debbie decided to ride Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges which is a white-water raft ride a-la Kali River Rapids. I hate to say it but this looks much better. I did not ride but could see most of it from viewing areas. It is a very long ride which was my main complaint about Kali- too short. It is also themed really well, very cartoonish looking. Don't get me wrong, I love the queue area of Kali- in fact, I think it's amazing. I also think Kali is a beautiful and a very classy ride. This just looks more fun for kids and the ride itself is much more exciting. That is the review from Caity who rode it over and oner and over... I think she ended up riding about 6 times without getting off. It was getting late and the temperature had dropped quite a bit. Debbie was good for one ride but that was it. She managed to stay mostly dry (I don't know how!) and didn't want to press her luck. Caity met some people on the boat (I didn't meet them but I assume they were Eskimos) and rode soaking wet with them for almost an hour. At this point we told Caity that it was time to go as it was getting late. I almost hated to make Caity leave as her lips were turning blue and it gave her that sort of comic book look that was all around us.

Or course she wanted to ride Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls (IOA's version of Splash Mtn.) but when she saw the drop at the end she agreed that it was time to call it a night.

Brief summary of IOA. This is really a very nice park. It has a lot of state-of-the-art attractions and the theming throughout the park is incredible. The two Universal parks are probably as close as you can get to a Disney park. I recommend both if you have time. Overall, I prefer Disney and I'm not really sure why. There is some sort of an intangible quality to a Disney park that is hard to put your finger on and hard to express in words. IOA is probably a great park for teenagers who want to run, run, run all day and max out on thrill rides. But for those of us who want to do the rides but also want a certain level of comfort and yes, even relaxation, I think that Disney does that better. Also, IOA needs to pick up a thing or two about handling crowds. Maybe institute something along the lines of Fast Pass. But overall, I think they are well on the way to providing entertainment which rivals the mouse. And let's face it, anytime someone raises the bar higher we are the one's who will win in the end. I think a little competition in Orlando is a good thing. 'Cause lets face it, when pushed up against the wall, the mouse can become a lion.

Tonight, in bed at a decent hour. Tomorrow, back to Disney.

DAY 7- WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19- EPCOT

Woke up early and ready for Epcot. Since we didn't make it here Friday this is our first day in this park. We have a tradition for our Epcot day and that is to park at the Beach Club Resort, have breakfast at the Cape May Cafe, and then walk over to Epcot via the International Gateway. Breakfast at the Cape May is a Character Buffet where you get visited by Goofy, Chip and Dale. They are all dressed in their beach wear. First of all I should probably describe the restaurant. It is located in the Beach Club Resort which is attached to one of my favorite resorts where I would love to stay someday- the Yacht Club Resort. Both resorts were designed by Robert A.M. Stern who I believe has done some work for Michael Eisners parents. Both resorts are gorgeous and elegant but don't have that stuffy feel that my wife says that The Grand Floridian has. The Cape May Cafe is really a beautiful restaurant. The walls are decorated with murals of early century beach goers. The restaurant is very colorful but muted, with the predominant color being pink (don't worry guys- it doesn't look feminine). The decor is enhanced by croquet mallets, beach umbrellas and sandcastles under glass. This has to be our favorite of all the breakfast buffets. The food is just a cut above some of the others with an extensive selection of items. The buffet tables are set up in a square in the middle of the room with one whole side being pastries- quite a selection. Everything we had was very good but as usual my favorite was the fresh, hot coffee.

Then it was a short walk over to Epcot and like everybody else it was straight to Test Track. But our goal was to pick up Fast Passes for later. The regular line had a 90 minute wait. Then we headed over to Spaceship Earth. Although not exactly exciting I've always enjoyed this very much, and I like thinking that my daughter is being educated without realizing it- but I guess that's the whole point of Epcot. After this we went across to the Universe of Energy to see Ellen's Energy Adventure. I wasn't a huge fan of the Ellen TV show but she is great in this. She is very funny and the show overall is about ten times more entertaining than the old show. It also stars Bill Nye the Science Guy (who we really like) and Jamie Lee Curtis ('nuff said).

After this show it was time to utilize our passes for Test Track. Our wait was 6 minutes as opposed to the 90 minute wait in the regular line. This is another very fun ride and easily Epcots most popular attraction. I do, however, miss the old World of Motion ride and wish that it could have been kept as well. At least it was replaced by something good. I think that GM really needs to be commended for sponsoring this attraction. I heard that they approached the Imagineers about updating the attraction and asked, "If money is no option, what can you give us that will be great?" All I say is, THANKS GM!

Thinking back to when I first rode Test Track I was a little disappointed; perhaps my expectations were a too high after so many delays. But I must say, this is FUN! We walked out and got 3 more Fast Passes which were already giving nighttime returns.

Next, we went over to the Wonders of Life Pavilion to see Cranium Command and to let Caity spend some time in the Sensory Funhouse. Cranium Command is another fun entertaining show full of celebrities. Basically we enter the mind of a 12 year old boy and help him get through his day. Having a twelve year old girl of my own I'd say that this show is not exaggerated in any way.

After this we stopped for Ice Creams (you know what kind). Debbie was laughing because here in Future World they literally had another ice cream cart every few feet. In fact, we found this to be true of all the parks. Of course I'm all for this as I love those ice cream bars and would rather not stand in line all day to get one. Of course, if you're looking to buy something you know that Disney will do anything it can to sell it to you. :-) I did get frustrated at IOA yesterday when I looked for hours to try to find a place to get some ice cream but could not find what I wanted in a place that was convenient. However, I digress.

After our snack it was time to take Debbie and Caity into Ice Station Cool to sample some sodas from overseas. Well, what would a trip report be without a reference to the Beverly, Italy's infamous soft drink. I had been telling them both about this drink and as I am the guru of snacks at WDW they had no reason to suspect me of anything ulterior. Needless to say they did not fail me in their reactions to this bitter drink. Debbie especially, as she was very thirsty and started drinking heartily- at least until the taste hit her. Most of the others were very good though, especially China's and Israel's.

Then it was across to the Imagination Pavalion to see Journey Into Your Imagination. I had not seen this new show yet and I was anxious to see it for myself. I know some have been disappointed. Well, IMHO, I thought it was much better than the old ride. I liked the characters of Dreamfinder and Figment but the ride itself was awful. It just looked cheap to me. I thought the new ride really had a lot of very clever visual effects. Sure, the ride could have been a lot better but my impression is that they were trying to work within a budget. We enjoyed it anyway.

Afterwards, we let Caity explore the Imageworks area for awhile. Sometimes the best thing for a 12 year old is to let her (or him) run around for awhile being "hands on" with a lot of different things. In these days of 250 cable channels and the Internet kids can seem to go sensory withdrawal. Anyway, Caity got her "fix". She also e-mailed some photo postcards to her friends back home. This area is a vast improvement over what it used to be.

Next, we headed over to The Land to take the Living With the Land boat ride. Debbie loves this, and Caity and I get to nap. Actually, if you are into gardening at all then you will find this very interesting. Then it was upstairs for the "Circle of Life" film. This film is very good especially if you are into photography as I am. Its also good for animal lovers (and aren't we all).

Next we decided to head for Millenium village, but on the way we stopped in Canada for a Beaver Tail. No, not a real one, didn't I just say we were animal lovers. :-) No this was the fried pastry. We got the one with cinnamon and sugar on top and let me tell you it was some kind of good. We split it between the three of us since we'd be eating in a couple of hours.

Then it was on to the Millenium Village. This was OK, nothing special but there were a lot of different things to look at. We rode the Journey to Jerusalem simulators in Israel which I enjoyed because that city has such an interesting history. The rest of the Village did not have too much worthy of note, but it is a nice diversion if you have the time.

After leaving the Village we headed over to Canada as we had PS at 4:50 for Le Cellier. We stopped in at the Northwest Mercantile and bought the Off Kilter CD. I also took a quick look at their shirts as 2 years ago they had $50 polo shirts on sale for $13.99. They had the word CANADA embroidered in the left pocket area. They were very nice shirts so every year I hope to get as lucky again. Not this year. Then it was on to the restaurant which is one of, if not our favorite, in all of WDW. The soft breadsticks are excellent and believe or not the pretzel ones are the best. They are more like small loaves of bread than breadsticks. For my entree I had my usual Maple Glazed Salmon on a bed of Wild Rice with vegetables. It seems strange to go to a steak place and get fish but it is sooo good. No matter how good everything else looks I just can't not order the salmon. Debbie had the New York Strip with Au Gratin Potatoes and this was also very good. Caity had the Macaroni with Meatballs.

We left the restaurant just in time to see Off Kilter perform. We really enjoy these guys ever since we first saw them in 1998. Last year they weren't performing the week that we were there so it was great seeing them this year. Also, to let you know, I have since listened to their CD and it is very good. I wondered if the music would be just as good in a recording as in a live show but not to worry.

Off Kilter finished up about 10 minutes before the 6:30 running of the Tapestry of Nations parade. Debbie stopped to use the phone booth in England to check in at home. (Apparently everything was fine.) Caity and I went ahead to stake out a spot for the parade. I must tell you ahead of time that I had ordered the Millenium CD from Amazon.com and that I absolutely LOVE this music. So theres no way that I could be disappointed in this parade. They could have just played the music and I would have been happy. But no worries, the parade was very good. The puppets did a good job of interacting with the kids and the music and narration were very inspiring. You could tell when the end of the parade was coming by the sound of applause that followed it. IMHO, this parade is the best that WDW has ever produced.

The parade ended right at 7:00 and our Test Track Fast Pass return time started at 7:15 so it looked like everything was falling into place perfectly. Dinner, Off Kilter, the Tapestry of Nations parade and then Test Track. Well, almost. Test Track had broken down and would be down for at least 1 hour. (Wow, deja vu.) The CM who was sending people away stamped our passes so that they would be good until closing; we'll see.

Caity suggested Norway for the Maelstrom ride so off we went. There was a 30 minute wait so we decided to go for it. It was cool and relaxing and kind of nice as the day winds down. We even stayed for the film "Spirit of Norway" which I know a lot of people skip. It was very short and I thought very well done. I saw nobody sleeping or yawning.

Then it was back to Test Track to see if it was up and running. No, it wasn't up or running, nor would it be all night. Well, at least we got on it this morning. Also, we found out that the second Tapestry of Nations parade was cancelled due to high winds. I can imagine that trying to hold onto those very tall lightweight puppets in a high wind would be like trying to hold onto a sail.

We decided to ease our disappointment over Test Track by getting a pastry and a coffee in France and then staking out a spot for Illuminations 2000. On the way we found a perfect spot along the fence right on the water in front of Japan. So I left Debbie and Caity to claim this land in the name of the country of Hastings and proceeded to France. Along the way I saw a few minutes of the Japanese drummers and the Living Statue in France. I got in line in the pastry shop and picked up a Napoleon for Debbie and a Chocolate-Hazelnut Mousse pastry for myself as well as 2 coffees. Caity had elected to have ice cream instead for those of you keeping score. I made it back to the girls without being mugged and having my tray stolen. But that doesn't mean that a lot of people didn't look ready to do it. It was a beautiful night, we had a great spot for Illuminations, pastry and coffee. Does life get any better than this?

Well, as it turns out, it does. I must say, in my opinion, Illuminations 2000 is, without a doubt, by far, the best show of any kind that Disney has ever produced. The music in this show is absolutely incredible and the show designers did a flawless job of integrating the fireworks, the other effects and the storytelling. The timing of the fireworks to correspond with certain beats of the music was near perfect. I hate to sound too technical because that is not really what the show is about. It is a show about bringing the world and its people together as we enter the new millenium. The show is beautiful and stirring and at times will give you chills and at other times leave you amazed.

Enough gushing. Just let me say, if a trip to WDW is in your plans this year whatever it takes do not miss this show. This show alone makes the trip worth it. Thank you Disney for raising the bar one more time. After the show we walked back to the Beach Club, picked up the Malibu and were back to the hotel in short order. I must say that Debbie's been holding up very well. She has been coming down with a cold. It's not to severe but enough to wear her out a little faster. I guess germs don't take vacations.

DAY 8- THURSDAY, APRIL 20- DISNEY STUDIOS

Today, due to Debbie's cold, we decided to sleep-in and have a relaxing morning at the hotel. Years past, in my commando days, this would have been unthinkable. But then, after all, this is a vacation. Then, about 11:30 Debbie took Caity to Winter Summerland for some minature golf. I love playing this course but I had some other things to do including sime shopping so I sent them on. They got back to the room about 12:30 and then we left for the Studios. This was our second day at the park so we were just hoping to hit what we had missed before. We have PS for the Hollywood Brown Derby at 5:10 and plan to hit Fantasmic afterwards. We saw this show last year and really enjoyed it although the dragon was broken and did not make an appearance. Hopefully this year everything will be 100%.

Immediately upon entering we headed towards Muppetvision 3D but as we passed the entrance to the Backstage Pass tour we decided to check it out as it didn't look crowded. It included the actual set from Home Improvement which was interesting and the rest of the tour was based on the 101 Dalmations Tour which we saw last year. Hmm, still no tribute to Joely Richardson. Then as we were skipping lunch we decided to get our nutrition by purchasing some Ice Cream Floats from that little hidden shop near the Mermaid fountain from Splash.

Then we went on into the Muppet show which was entertaining as always. I love Rizzo as Mickey during the pre-show and the 3D Mickey at the end of the movie. Then we went around the corner and stopped in the It's a Wonderful Shop and looked around for a little while. As you can guess it is a Christmas shop. I also took Debbies and Caitys picture out front next to the snowman. We didn't buy anything as we are trying to cut back on souvenirs this year and anything we do get we'll try to buy at the World of Disney where we get a discount with the Magic Kingdom Club card. Then it was across the park to the Animation Tour. This was pretty good with the animator drawing Turk from Tarzan. They also had some scenes from the upcoming movie, Dinosaur, which looks like it's going to be great.

It was almost 5:00 when the tour ended so we walked next door to the Brown Derby. We checked in and were seated in just a few minutes. They sat us in a booth which looked out over the restaurant. It was very pleasant. For dinner, I ordered the Pepper- Grilled Filet Mignon with small Red Potatoes. Debbie ordered the Roast Pork Tenderloin with Boniatos Mash and Gala Apple Chipolte Pan Juices. Caity ordered the Mickey's Macaroni and Cheese. This was the fourth of the truly memorable meals this trip. The filet mignon came with a square of herb butter on top and was cooked a perfect medium. The steak and potatoes were sitting in a Carmelized Shallot Bordelaise Sauce (or as I call it, brown sauce) which was out of this world and very light. This made the difference in turning a very good meal into an excellent meal. The tenderloin of Debbie's was the best I ever had (my plan of filling her with bread and salad was a complete success). The 'pan drippings' that came with her meal were also light and very flavorful; a perfect complement to her pork (which, by the way, had no fat that I could see). And, as usual, Caity loved her Macaroni and Cheese which she said is the same that is served at the Yachtsman Steakhouse. She said it was rich but VERY good. Debbie got the Grapefruit Cake for dessert. Apparently this is one of the signature dishes for the original Brown Derby. She said it was very good, tart and light. By the way, it had a cream cheese frosting (mmmmm...).

By the time we finished it was 6:25 which was the starting of our 10 minute window to get into Voyage of the Little Mermaid using the Fast Pass. I guess being a show instead of a continuous ride you do not have the usual 1 hour window. Luckily the theater was close by and we made it with no problem. After about a ten minute wait they let us in. This show is fun. Sit near the back so as to have a better view of all the effects.

After the show it was time to join the rest of the teeming masses waiting to get in to see Fantasmic. Apparently I, like all the other sardines, thought that arriving 1 1/2 hours early would be enough to avoid this crowd. Not anymore. Boy, way too many people are becoming Disney savvy. Well, they let us in and handled the crowds well and we ended up with pretty good seats anyway. We were seated in the Jafar section which is just to the left of center and we were about 2/3 of the way up. In no time the theater was full. And it really is a huge theater. I can't imagine trying to see Fantasmic in Disneyland without a theater. I believe everyone just crowds along the water and does the best that they can.

Well, as I said this theater was packed but luckily the temperature was comfortable and the crowd was prepared for the wait and I saw absolutely no one who was cranky, irritable or in a bad mood. All the kids, from infants on up seemed to be laughing and having fun. The pre-show was the bellhops doing basically the same show as last year but that was okay because they are very good. We also saw them on Sunset Blvd. earlier doing some Streetmosphere routines.

Fantasmic was very good as usual and the dragon did make an appearance this time. I have the CD at home (bought after last years show) and I'm very familiar with the music so it was interesting seeing what action was going on during the different parts of the music.

After the show the CM's did something that I still cannot believe. As we were leaving they split the crowd in two, I guess as a method of crowd control. We were directed to the left and found ourselves walking behind some of the shops on Sunset Blvd. I'm talking completely behind the scenes. We were walking past trash cans, balers, stacks of supplies and we could even look through open doors into the backs of shops. This was 100% backstage away from the themed areas and I know that Walt must be spinning in his grave. It didn't bother me so much being backstage as it did knowing that this contrary to everything that Walt believed in. He didn't want so much as a salt shaker to be out of character as to spoil the theme of the park. Maybe this was an authentic Hollywood back alley (LOL).

Once we got out of the alley we realized we had gone a little ways down Sunset so we did our salmon impressions and worked our way upstream towards the Rock N Roller Coaster. We wanted to get Debbie's brother a some gifts for looking after our house and dog and a t-shirt from here would be perfect as he is a musician. I also wanted a glass that I saw. I collect glasses and coffee mugs from Disney attractions.

After we made our purchases it was back to the hotel for a hot chocolate and in bed by 11:00.

DAY 9- FRIDAY, APRIL 21- MAGIC KINGDOM

Sadly, today is our last full day. Boy, time does fly. The alarm went off at 6:00 and it was off to the MK by 7:30. I was ready early so I walked around the resort snapping some more photos and taking some more video while it was quiet. The last morning I did this it was still mostly dark. The early morning pictures always look the best. The sun is not harsh and the early morning mist gives a nice quality to the photos.

We parked at the Polynesian Resort so that we could catch the monorail to the MK. We like doing this at least once per trip because we love this resort. It gives us a chance to look around. We stayed here once years ago before Caity was born. We would like to stay here again but it would probably mean buying no souvenirs and eating pop tarts all week. As I said before since the Value Resorts aren't all that bad they seem to be our best option allowing us to eat some nice meals and buy some of the souvenirs that we absolutely have to have. I think that if you are planning on spending any amount of time at the resort it is probably better to stay somewhere besides the All-Stars.

The ride to the MK was quick on a half-filled monorail. We arrived at Tony's Town Square at about 8:15 and they let us in a few minutes later. We were the first customers seated today and we got the same table as the other night. We thought that was 'neat' because that made it seem like "our" table. Our waiter was Kevin and he was super. He was very upbeat and very attentive, probably the best all week, and we've had a lot of good ones. The food was great. We never come to WDW without eating at Tony's for breakfast at least once. But it always seems to be on the last or next to last day making the meal kind of bittersweet. Debbie and I both got the Italian Toast - which I think is even better than Disneys famous banana-stuffed french toast. The Italian version is a cinnamon french toast which comes with an apple-cinnamon compote which I promptly gave to my wife so I could have the maple syrup (ummm- maple). It's all very sweet but if you're a coffee drinker its just right. I got the sausage with mine and Debbie couldn't decide between the bacon or ham so they brought her both at no extra charge. (Disney Magic alert). Caity got the 2 eggs, breakfast potatoes, bacon and a biscuit. All were happy and satisfied. I think next time we will cut back on the character buffets as this meal was more than enough food at half the cost.

After the meal Debbie asked for the manager who approached very nervously but who perked up quickly when she found out that we were just wanting to compliment Kevin. He really did make the meal more pleasurable. At one point while he was serving us he held two saucers up behind my head giving me- yeah, you guessed it- Mickey Mouse ears. I only knew something was up because my family was looking at me and laughing even more than usual. If you are ever planning on eating in the MK then Tony's is a must.

The first item on our agenda was to head into Tomorrowland to check out the line for Buzz. Oh well, so much for that. You can tell already that its going to be crowded in the MK today. On a whim, we looked over at the Astro-Orbiter- 5 minute wait! It's been years since I have ridden this. I remember that the last time I rode this I looked up into the sky and happened to see the Space Shuttle taking off. Now that's what I call Disney Magic!! The AO was fun but I would love to ride this at night with everything all lit up.

Our next stop was to be Space Mountain but we decided that we better hit Splash Mountain first before the lines got too bad. We wanted to buy the picture of us that Disney is so kind to provide. On our first ride on Sunday I was filming the drop and was holding the video camera in front of Caitys face. Oops. Splash Mtn. had a 30 minute wait posted but we got on in about 12 minutes. We hardly got wet and the picture was great. We stopped at the shop next to the ride and purchased a coffee mug which said "I Survived Splash Mountain" and had a picture of a dripping wet Mickey Mouse. It's really a great looking mug.

Next I sent Debbie and Caity on to Winnie the Pooh and I went back to Space Mtn. to pick up Fast Passes. I know, you're asking "Why didn't you get them earlier?" Its because we didn't know how the line would be for Splash Mtn. and we thought we might need them there. The Fast Pass return time was 12:55 to 1:55. It'll probable be close Since we have PS at Cindy's for 1:00. We'll see. If we don't make it, nothing lost. When I got back to Winnie the Pooh Debbie and Caity were sitting out front and had decided that it was a cute ride but didn't feel like waiting 60 minutes just now.

We decided to head to Toontown just for a quick visit. We rode Goofy's Barnstormer (short wait, short ride). Then Debbie and Caity looked around for a few minutes while I took a few pictures. Then it was onto the Lilly Belle (train) to head to Liberty Square to revisit the Haunted Mansion. If it seems like we are skipping around its because we are. Today we are basically hitting our favorites or things we missed on Sunday. Anyway, if you are a HM fan, you must visit Doombuggies.com. This is a great web site dedicated to the Haunted Mansions in all the Disney parks. We got to the HM and guess What? The whole front queue area was packed well down past the hearse with the invisible horse. I may be slow, but I see a pattern developing.

Once again to console ourselves we decided to drown our sorrows with Dole Whips and ice creams. (Is there a 12-step program for these things?) We had already decided to cancel our 1:00 PS for Cindy's because we just weren't that hungry after our breakfast at Tony's. Our snack was light and refreshing and would hold us until we hit the Animal Kingdom this afternoon. I hate to miss a meal at Cinderella's but eating there would be a sin when you can't really appreciate it. After finishing our snack and watching some acrobats who were performing in Adventureland we headed to the House of Treasure which is the shop next to Pirates of the Caribbean. We purchased a glass with a pirate skull and a coffee mug with Pirate Mickey on one side and Pirate Goofy on the other. The artwork on both was exceptional and they both had 'Pirates of The Caribbean' written on them. Caity bought one of those bracelets that you put together yourself and she spelled out CAITY on hers. (Who'd have guessed?)

Now it was time for our Fast Pass on Space Mtn. Our wait was about 15 min. which is great considering the crowds today. I ended up in the backseat so I knew I was in for a bumpy ride. I had the Nikon clutched securely in my right hand and the bag from the pirate shop in my left. The video camera was lodged securely between my left hip and the left wall. Well, about 3/4 of the way through we hit a particularly rough spot and I flew to the right and the video camera flew up and the left. Now, here's the picture. The video camera is hanging by its cord outside of the car which is continuing its riotous journey oblivious to my predicament. There was no way to grab the wildly hopping camera so I had to reel it in like a fish with it bouncing off the side the whole time. When the ride finally ended I did a quick inspection and discovered that while the camera appeared okay but that the battery was missing. Now this was a 10 hour battery that cost about $80 so I wasn't too happy and I scrambled around searching the floor of the car and, lo and behold, there it was! I reattached the battery, turned on the camera and I couldn't believe it but the camera was fine. Thank you Sony! The Debbie noticed that the lens cap was missing from the Nikon but this camera was also undamaged. That's one ride I'll not soon forget and the last ride on SM that my cameras will ever take.

Then it was back down Main Street so we could head out to the Animal Kingdom. It's always sad leaving the MK for the last time. At least today's crowds make it hurt just a little bit less. We got onto Monorail green to take our last Monorail ride of the trip. We disembarked at the Poly and picked up the Malibu and headed for the AK.

We arrived at the AK and walked right back to CTX and picked up our Fast Passes. Then we went to Pizzafari for our dinner. I got the quarter pound chili cheese dog which was actually really good. Debbie got the penne pasta with meat sauce which she said was as good as she has gotten in many restaurants. Caity got the pizza and some breadsticks- good as well. AK really is a step above as far as counter service restaurants go. While carrying one of our 2 trays to the table I had what you could call camera incident #2. I was within inches of setting the tray down when my Nikon strap slipped off my shoulder down to my arm. This caused no damage to my camera but jostled the tray just enough to spill a very large Diet Coke that went everywhere. And wouldn't you know it, I was in a dining room full of people with nothing to do but stare at me. Good one, Dave. But Disney being Disney, it was cleaned up in short order and the drink replaced for free.

Anyway, back to the restaurant. The food is very good and the interior of the restaurant must be seen to be believed. It is VERY bright and colorful with murals painted on ALL the walls and animal figures everywhere. Even if you don't eat here you must stop in for a look around.

Then it was on to the Maharaja Jungle Trek. It was really good today. The bats were hanging down where we could see them and moving around and opening their wings. Then it was on to the tigers who were incredible as always. I just can't get over the theming in Asia.

After the Jungle Trek it was Fast Pass time for CTX. This is a great ride and fitting that it would be our final ride this year as it was also our first ride. We bought the photo here as well which was one of the reasons for our return as the photo equipment wasn't working last Saturday. After CTX it was back to the hotel for an evening of swimming.

DAY 10- SATURDAY, APRIL 22- DOWNTOWN DISNEY, HIT THE ROAD

We got up with no alarm at 6:00 a.m., showered, dressed, grabbed breakfast at the food court and checked out about 9:15. Our only extra charges were $90 that we had accrued because we had decided to get a refrigerator to hold Debbie's insulin. As I was making a trip to the car with a suitcase in each hand I passed another man doing the same thing. He looked over at me and said "Well, I guess its back to reality". I agreed and thought only in WDW could two grown men make such a remark without embarrassment.

We arrived at Downtown Disney about 9:30. Caity was thrilled to see the huge N'Sync album cover hanging outside the Virgin Records Megastore. We parked outside Disney Quest but they didn't open until 10:30 so we walked on down to the World of Disney to do some shopping where we could use our Magic Kingdom Card to get a discount. I got a great looking polo shirt with the 2000 Spaceship Earth embroidered on the front left pocket area, I also got the new WDW Music CD and a Millenium Screensaver for $15 that has 101 full-screen photos. Debbie and Caity also got a few assorted things but I'm not sure what they were.

After WOD Caity went on to Disney Quest armed with a walkie-talkie and Debbie and I went on to Ghirardelli's- my favorite shop. I ended up buying 9 candy bars for myself and we ended up with about 8 others for gifts. I like to put the candy bars in the refrigerator at home and finish them off over the next few weeks. Just one more thing to bring back those vacation memories. Then we went over to Gourmet Pantry where I found about 50 things I wanted but we just bought some jams to give as gifts.

At this point it was time for lunch so we headed on over to Bongo's Cuban Cafe which is owned by Gloria and Emilio Estefan. I've wanted to try this restaurant for a couple of years now. It's ironic that we are hitting this restaurant today because before dawn today Elian Gonzales was seized by INS agents in Miami. Things just seemed normal in the restaurant (I don't know what I was expecting) but we found out later that the restaurant closed the next day in protest.

Anyway, this restaurant was really very good. I must admit that I was a little wary about trying Cuban cuisine. Not to worry. Our waiter did explain that Cuban cuisine uses some exotic spices but that they are all mild. I ordered the Filet Mignon and black beans and rice which also came with fried, salted plantains which tasted like tortilla shells. Everything was excellent. Debbie got the 1/2 Roasted Chicken with black beans and rice except her meal came with sweet plantains which tasted like sweet potatoes. I guess they use plantains a lot in Cuba. I don't know if you've seen them in the grocery store but they look like dark green bananas. We were both too full for dessert. In fact we couldn't even finish our meals.

Our waiter was a young man named Mauricio who was very personable and friendly and he chatted with us for a long time after our meal was over. The manager also came to our table and chatted for awhile. The restaurant was actually a little more casual inside than I had expected. I was thinking it would be very formal with linen tablecloths and that sort of thing. We liked the less formal look and were impressed with the friendliness of the whole staff. We kind of felt like we were at the Tropicana with Ricky Ricardo. On the way out of the restaurant we bought a couple Bongo's glasses that we liked.

After our meal we went across to DQ to pick up Caity. This place is very large and consists of 4 levels which can be reached by stairs or elevator. I also discovered that it is so noisy in there that Caity couldn't hear me calling her on the walkie-talkie. I searched all the levels to no avail and finally managed to reach her when she was in a relatively quiet area. We were reunited in short order and then it was time to head on out. I unfortunately did not have a chance to do anything as we needed to get on the road.

We did stop by the Candy Cauldron on the way out and I got 2 candy coated Mickey pretzels to eat in the car. Caity got a small piece of peanut butter fudge and Debbie got a lemon-lime Italian Ice from a stand across the street. Then it was out to the car and we left Disney property at 2:10 p.m. :-(

At about 10:00 that evening we arrived at the Comfort Inn in Florence S.C. and were in bed and asleep at about 11:30.

DAY 11- SUNDAY, APRIL 23- ARRIVE HOME

Woke up at 6:10 a.m. We were on the road by 7:30. Arrived back in Virginia Beach at 1:00.

HIGHLIGHTS-

1.Fast Pass, Fast Pass, Fast Pass!!!!!!

2.Illuminations 2000

3.Tapestry of Nations

4.Spiderman at IOA

5.Best Meals-Brown Derby, Tony's Town Square Cafe, Le Cellier, Mythos

6.Weather- GREAT after initial threat of being horrible all week

7.Disney Moments too numerous to mention

LOWLIGHTS-

1.Not having 2 weeks for the vacation

2.Crowd levels high due to Spring Break

3.Traffic problems on first day keeping us out of the park

4.Crowd handling and ride breakdowns at IOA

5.First trip ever without a celebrity spotting. We have seen many movie and TV stars over the years but my 2 favorite celebs were Michael Eisner and Roy E. Disney (Walt's nephew)

FINAL THOUGHTS

I don't want to start repeating what I have already written in the body of this report so I'll just mention what I think is the most important thing to remember about your WDW vacation. I've written a lot about rides, restaurants, hotels, etc. and all those things are key to what you are doing on your vacation. But that is not what your vacation is really about. It's about the opportunity to spend some quality time with your family without the 1001 distractions and interruptions that we live with from day to day. Homework, long hours at work, pagers going off, voicemails to check, the telephone ringing constantly and a thousand other things that keep us busy, busy, busy. Well, I have learned over the last few years that it is very important to slow things down on vacation. As I said before, I used to be a Disney Commando. I wanted to start early, go hard, and finish late. I wanted to squeeze everything out of our time at WDW that I possibly could. But we have discovered that the days that mean the most to us are the ones where we don't hurry. We do what we can and if we miss something- it'll be there next time. And I hate to say it, but the best days are usually the ones where we don't hit a park at all. A day spent relaxing at River Country and Fort Wilderness can be much better than fighting the crowds in a busy park. I know this sounds like heresy and I do love the parks and I'm not necessarily suggesting River Country but find something that you would like to do and take it easy for a day. It could be miniature golf of shopping at Downtown Disney or whatever you like; the important thing is to step back, catch your breath and enjoy yourself. My daughter is 12 now- still young. But it won't be long before she will be out on her own. The time that we have spent together at WDW are probably the best times that we have ever spent together as a family. While down here you are together almost constantly without all those distractions and nothing can replace these times or the memories of these trips. My favorite memories of my childhood are the vacations that I used to take with my family. I don't want to get too corny or too preachy but it is important to keep things in perspective and to remember that your vacation is not about what you can do but about doing it with your family as a family.

Thanks for lending an ear. Or is that two big black ears? I hope you had half as much fun reading this as I did writing it. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to e-mail me.

David Hastings

cookieman_59@hotmail.com

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