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Chad Huth -- March 2000 -- Walt Disney World (PO)

When: March 1 - March 6

Who: My parents and I

From: Dallas, TX

Part One: Introduction and Preparation

Introduction: I've been a Disney fanatic all my life (25 years) and have been to WDW 9 times. My first trip was in 1986 after the Living Seas opened. My most recent trip (not counting this one) was May 1998, right after the Animal Kingdom opened. During this trip, we nearly ran into Joe Rohde on our way to CTX :-)

Preparation: First, this was my eighth trip to the "World", so there wasn't a lot of planning to do. Planning really boiled down to choosing which days for each park, when to see Cirque du Soleil, picking restaurants and mealtimes, deciding on accommodations, buying a new camera (OK, so I don't do this every time I go to WDW, but this time I wanted to take a lot of good photos, so I bought a Canon Elan IIe -- wonderful camera), deciding on film (speeds, brand, number of exposures -- I took 6 rolls of 36 exposure Fuji Superia 800, 4 rolls of 24 exposure Superia 800, and 2 rolls of 24 exposure Superia 1600 -- more on this later), and downloading as much of WDWIG and the hidden Mickeys pages into my Palm III as possible (iSilo is great for this...).

Our itinerary was as follows:

Wednesday, March 1:

Leave DFW around 6 am

Arrive Orlando around 9

Meet Tiffany Town Car person

Arrive Port Orleans (our first time at this resort) before noon

Check in, inhale a quick lunch, drop bags off at room, load cameras

Tour Epcot

Dinner at 5 pm at Restaurant Akershus

Meet Dad (who was attending a conference) after dinner

See ToN and Illuminations 2000

Sleep

Thursday, March 2:

Very early breakfast at PO food court

Tour Animal Kingdom

Lunch at Flame Tree Barbecue

Return to hotel around 3 or 4 to freshen up before Cirque

Head to Downtown Disney

Dinner: whatever we could find (we found the Cheesecake Factory at DisneyQuest)

Cirque du Soleil: La Nouba

Return to DisneyQuest

Go to Adventurers' Club

Friday, March 3:

Breakfast at PO food court (we actually ended up at Bonfamilles Cafe)

Tour MGM

Lunch: fast food

Dinner: 5 pm PS at Brown Derby

Fantasmic!

Mom and I then decided to head back to Downtown Disney

Saturday, March 4:

Breakfast: 7:40 PS at 1900 Park Fair

Tour Magic Kingdom

Lunch: fast food (we chose Columbia Harbor House)

Dinner: 5 pm PS at Cinderella's Royal Table

We stayed for the late Main Street Electrical Parade

Sunday, March 5:

Breakfast at PO food court

Tour Epcot

Meet my cousin and her family at entrance

Lunch: We met the rest of my relatives from Florida at

Beaches and Cream

Dinner: 5 pm PS at Teppanyaki

ToN and Illuminations

Monday, March 6:

Check out

Breakfast at PO food court

Tour Animal Kingdom

Tour MGM

Lunch: Brown Derby

Return to MCO via Tiffany Town Car

Depart around 5-6 pm

Get home around 9-10 pm

Anyway, that gives a general overview of the trip report. Part 2 will begin the actual trip report, and part 8 will have a summary (with more detailed opinions).

Subject: Trip Report Part 2 of 8 -- Epcot From: Chad Date: Thu, 18 May 2000 04:46:14 -0500

First Day -- Arrival & Epcot

Our flight was scheduled to depart around 6 or 7 am, so we had to stumble out of bed sometime around 4:30 am. I think this was easily the worst part of the vacation (other than leaving Disney). Fortunately, we remembered to eat something for breakfast (mom had stopped at La Madeleine the day before :-), since the flight was only going to have a 'bistro' meal -- a nutrigrain bar and a banana. Not much of a breakfast. We arrived in Orlando about ten minutes early and were picked up by Tiffany Town Car. This was our first (but not last) time to use them. Previously, we've always used Mears. I must say, Tiffany was a much better service - I think we got to Port Orleans faster than it normally would have taken just to board the Mears van. We have already made arrangements with them for our next trip (more about that in a later post).

It was around lunch by the time we reached PO and checked in. This was our first stay here. Previously, I have stayed at Dixie Landings, Wilderness Lodge, and Grand Floridian, as well as a few off-property hotels. I thought PO was nicely themed, and liked its smaller size, as well as being the first stop for transportation (which goes to DL second). However, I think I prefer DL (which is where we normally stay -- at least until AK Lodge opens :-) Since we were already quite hungry, we decided to grab lunch at the PO food court. I was NOT impressed with the food here (except for the beignets...). This was probably the worst meal of the vacation (not counting breakfast...). Overall, though, I think this was the only meal that I was totally dissatisfied with.

After lunch, we headed straight for Epcot. After getting some pictures of the entrance plaza (I really like the way it looks with the Leave a Legacy monoliths, though I miss the fountain with the Lucite sculpture...), we headed for spaceship earth. We didn't encounter any lines at all this day, which was a pleasant surprise. Of course, it could be that the crowds had already made their way around to World Showcase. Spaceship Earth has always been one of my favorite attractions, but I really wish they'd bring back the Walter Cronkite narration and Tomorrow's Child ending. The AT&T postshow area looked interesting, but we didn't spend much time here.

Our next stop was Test Track. On the way, we walked through one of the Innoventions exhibits (but didn't spend any time there). One of these days, I think we'll have to spend some time in Innoventions, but there's just too much to see. We were able to walk right onto Test Track without even needing a fastpass. I was pleasantly surprised at this. It was much more enjoyable than I had imagined. The queue area was very well done (although we didn't have time to look, since there was no line). The ride itself was more interesting than I expected. The postshow, however, was less than impressive. I must admit that I still prefer the old World of Motion show. It had more of a Disney feeling to it (especially the 'first traffic jam'), and the Transcenter was a much better post-show, IMHO.

Next, I remembered about Ice Station Cool, so we headed there. After sampling all of the beverages (including the Beverly - yuck!), I decided that the watermelon flavored one was the best. We then headed to JIYI (or as I like to put it, Journey into their Lack of Imagination). I admit, I was hoping that this wouldn't be as bad as everybody said. It was worse. I can only say that I'm glad there wasn't a line. If I wanted to go see a fun house style ride, most of it in total darkness, with the volume cranked up so loud our ears were ringing, I'd go to Six Flags. I found this ride to be unimaginative, boring, at times painful, and quite insulting. We were so disgusted after this that we didn't bother to look at the Image Works (although we normally spend at least 30 minutes there). I was also disappointed that the image works appeared to be much smaller, and lacked the wonderful view it once had of the park from the second floor. We still managed to see HISTA, however. I enjoy HISTA, but I think the other 3-D movies are better (perhaps I'm just getting tired of the Honey, I shrunk the... series).

We then headed for World Showcase and were delighted to find the rose garden that connects Imagination with Canada. Very fragrant and colorful. We were feeling a little pressed for time, so we skipped all of the movies (we don't normally see these, anyway. Actually, we've only seen France and China, although I would like to see Canada). Our first stop, then, was the Millennium Village. Although we didn't spend much time here, I thought it was very well done. I hope it survives the Millennium. We did walk through the Swedish exhibit. Very strange. I like the rubber mulch mat in the spring egg (for lack of a better word). The snowman was also cool. We decided to grab a snack at the food court here, since neither of us ate much at PO. I tried the African peanut crusted chicken wrap, which was pretty good, and mom tried the Asian curry chicken pita, which was very good (and spicy). We reluctantly skipped dessert since we had a 5 pm PS at Akershus. I found quite a lot of items that I wouldn't mind buying at the gift shop, but refrained (for now). The next time I'm there, I may have to buy one of the palm leaf dragon sculptures.

After MV, we strolled around the promenade heading for American Adventure. On the way, we stopped in the tea shop in UK and spent a few minutes listening to British Invasion. We then stopped in some of the shops in France. We stopped at Japan for a few minutes to listen to the Taiko drummers (they seemed to be performing every time we were near Japan). Finally, we arrived at American Adventure (my favorite Epcot attraction now that Imagination, World of Motion, Kitchen Kabaret, and Horizons are gone). Unfortunately, we missed the Voices of Liberty this time. After that, we decided it was time to head to Norway for dinner. In front of Italy, we were delighted to see one of the neatest things we've seen. I remember reading about them awhile back, but I can't remember what they're called. Anyway, they consist of three people dressed as butterflies, walking on stilts (very graceful), and one person that looked like he was wearing a turban. There was also some kind of vehicle. They reminded me of the Ciriklis that I had seen previously in the AK.

After waiting for the drawbridge to close, we made our way to Norway. This was our first time to eat at Akershus. In fact, we probably wouldn't have tried it if it weren't for all of the great reviews it's gotten on RADP. I'm very glad that we tried it. It was one of the best (and most unusual) meals we had. The salmon (which I normally wouldn't have tried) was delicious. So were the rice cream and viking ship chocolate mousse desserts. Our waitress was quite friendly, and even gave us a tour of the buffet. The restaurant was quite elegant, and there was no wait whatsoever. After dinner, we rode the Maelstrom. I think we enjoyed looking for hidden Mickeys in the queue area mural even more than we enjoyed the ride.

After the Maelstrom, it was time to head to the front to meet up with dad (who was attending a conference). After riding SE again, we headed to TT, but were informed that it was broken and probably wouldn't be fixed for a few hours. We decided to head back towards Italy to stake out our spot for ToN and I2k. ToN was the [second] best parade I've ever seen! (MSEP is first). I2k was simply amazing! I think it is easily the best of the Epcot finales (I've seen Laser Phonic Fantasy and at least three different versions of Illuminations prior to this). They really need to find a way to keep these shows after the Millennium. Naturally, I had to have the Millennium CD (currently my favorite Disney CD). We then wearily made our way back to PO.

Second Day -- AK, La Nouba, DisneyQuest, and Adventurers' Club

We woke up early and headed to the food court for breakfast. Although I think Dixie Landings has a much better food court, I must admit that the French toast and beignets are good. After breakfast, we headed to the Animal Kingdom. This was my second visit (I was there the first week of June 1998). Animal Kingdom is definitely my favorite park. I could easily spend an entire trip here (if it weren't for all the other things to see...). We headed down the anteater/three toed sloth side of the Oasis and veered off toward Camp Minnie-Mickey. We still had some time before Festival of the Lion King started, so we watched Pocahontas. I thought this show was cute, and all the kids really seemed to enjoy it. It certainly can't compare with Festival of the Lion King, but then, what can? :-) After Pocahontas, we saw FoTLK. FoTLK is my favorite show at any of the parks. This was the first time my parents had seen it, and they were equally impressed.

After FoTLK, we headed to Dinoland for CTX. We rode CTX twice during our last trip, and each time it seemed different (we rode on two separate days), but this could have been because they may still have been tweaking it (after all, it had only been open a month). Although my memory from that trip is a little fuzzy, I think it was slightly different this time. It didn't seem to have been toned down much (if any), but it did seem like there was more darkness. Also, it seemed like the ending had changed slightly. We like this ride, but it gave my mother a migraine (from the bright lights during the time travel sequences). I do think this ride could be improved a bit (more dinosaurs, less darkness, lower volume levels), but it is still pretty good. I think they did a great job with the themeing (especially the boarding area). After CTX, we took a peek in Chester's & Hester's and then went to Flame Tree Barbecue (FTB). FTB was (again) the best counter service meal we had. The chicken was delicious, and we found the recipe for their barbecue sauce in the Cooking with Mickey cookbook. I was glad that we found the picnic areas down near the river, as they provided a great view of Asia. We could see a heard of Asian cattle grazing, and there was a siamang (or some other monkey) swinging from the ropes stretched between the two large towers near the entrance to Asia.

After lunch, we headed for Asia (which we had not seen before). The attention to detail here was amazing! We were very impressed with the themeing. We headed for Maharaja Jungle Trek, and mom decided that she should head back to the hotel (her headache was getting worse), so dad and I continued on. The kimodo dragon was out (although a bit hard to find and not at all photogenic), and there were some other animals (I think they were where the tapirs should be, but I don't think they were tapirs, but I can't remember and I don't have a picture--oh well) in the next area. Then, the bats. I thought this was very well done, and I would have like to have spent more time here (we saw one of them eating a pineapple), but we were pressed for time (as always). Then we headed for the tigers. The tigers were all asleep (they're cats -- of course they were asleep :-). Fortunately, they were also all lying near the viewing windows. I have some great photos of them. Even if the tigers aren't around, the ruins are worth spending some time looking at. The murals just past the first set of windows are simply beautiful. It's hard to imagine any other theme park going to such lengths just for a tiger habitat, but that's what makes Disney special. The next area had what I think may have been some kind of antelope and cattle. There were also some large storks. Then, we came back to the tigers (there's one window at the entrance to the aviary). Finally, the aviary. We could easily spend hours here (and in the Pangani aviary). The birds here are fearless! Some of them would walk right up to us. One even ran over my foot! This is where a 300 mm lens could have been really useful, but I still got several good close-ups with my 200 mm zoom.

After that, I went on Kali River Rapids. Unfortunately, I left my camera with my dad (who decided to sit down and wait for me), so I have no pictures of the queue area :-(. This was the first time that I should have used fastpass (but didn't). It took about 45 minutes to get to the boarding area, and there was a tour group (not Brazilians, thank goodness) from a local school behind me. They were relatively well behaved, although I did get bumped quite a lot. This was the most elaborately decorated queue area I've ever seen! Even if I didn't want to ride, I'd still enjoy walking through the queue area (with fastpass, of course :-). This is probably the best designed rapids ride I've been on. The themeing was pretty good, and the watertight compartment in the center of the raft was a brilliant idea. After seeing that, I don't think I would have any trouble with my camera getting wet. Speaking of getting wet, I was fortunate this time, since most of the water landed on the group across from me :-).

After drying off my glasses, we took the back way around to Africa. On the way, I stopped for some photos of the Tree from a vantage that we didn't get during the last trip. We also noticed a performer on stilts dressed as some kind of very colorful crane. He was walking up behind people and pecking them on the head (his costume had a very long neck)! We also took a few minutes to stroll down some of the side paths. I think I found the hidden path, but we didn't go down it. I'll have to check it out next time. In Harambe, we headed straight for the safari. This (my third time), was by far my best experience with the safari. Our driver was wonderful, and we saw most of the animals. Highlights included seeing the hippos out of the water, seeing three black rhinos, and seeing a pair of cheetahs and a lioness. The real clincher, though, was being less than five feet away from a white rhino! We then ran through Pangani (since we were running out of time). We didn't spend much time in the aviary, naked mole rats, or hippo areas. There wasn't much to see at the savannah overlook, but there were a couple of meerkats and a dik-dik out. This was great, since I love meerkats, and none of my photos from the previous trip turned out. I have 2 good photos now. Then, we headed for the gorillas (dad's favorite). The silverback was sitting relatively close to the walkway. There was an adolescent to the other side playing in the water. There was a mother and her infant nearby sitting on a log. I have some terrific photos of them.

After that, we headed for the front, stopping long enough for me to get a frozen banana (yum!). We then returned to PO to freshen up and check on mom. Mom's headache had subsided, so we headed to Downtown Disney. We had about an hour before we needed to be at Cirque du Soleil, so we decided to grab dinner. After ruling out most of the places on the West Side (due to time constraints), and remembering reading that there was a counter-service place in DisneyQuest, we headed there. I though the food (spaghetti) was pretty good, and we all decided to come back after La Nouba (we were impressed by the elevator ride at the entrance, and had heard a lot about CyberSpace Mountain). We then headed for the big top.

This was the first time any of us have seen a Cirque du Soleil performance (not counting an occasional act on TV). I knew that it would be good, but I was completely unprepared for what followed. I have NEVER seen such an incredible show before! Words don't begin to describe it. Had I been able, I would have seen it several more times. As it was, I had to settle for the CD. Does anyone know if they have a video for sale (perhaps at the gift shop)? I'll be back in June and will have to make a trip over there if they do (unfortunately, we won't be seeing Cirque du Soleil :-{. After La Nouba, we headed back to DisneyQuest, where we tried the Hercules game (pretty good -- I was the high scorer as Pegasus. Mom came in second as Phil, and dad was third as Hercules). Then, we found cyberspace mountain. I built a level three coaster (much too tame), and decided that next time I would have to go for a four or five. Next time would have to wait until the next day, as the line was getting pretty long. Mom and I then tried the ride the comics attraction. I wasn't too impressed with this, as I though the sword was a bit awkward and the visuals were out of focus, which made me a little motion sick (which is a first) and dizzy. After the room stopped spinning, we headed out. Dad was pretty tired, so we directed him back to the boat dock while we went on to Pleasure Island. Again, this was our first time at Pleasure Island. Although I don't normally care for nightclubs, I decided that I would have to see Adventurers' Club. Boy, I was glad I did! We didn't stay very long, just long enough for the induction and a trip to the library (just about one kungaloosh worth of entertainment). We will definitely have to go back and spend more time there. We then walked around to the resort boat dock (stopping at Ghirardelli's and at the WDW Forever kiosk) and headed back to PO.

Third Day -- MGM, DisneyQuest, and Downtown Disney

We woke up early for our day at MGM, and decided to try Bonfamilles cafe for breakfast. This turned out to be a mistake, as the service was lousy and the food was worse. The restaurant was nearly empty, and service was still extremely slow. The food at the buffet was not very fresh. It's unlikely that we'll return any time soon.

Upon arriving at MGM, the first thing we did was head down Sunset Boulevard and check on the wait for ToT and RnRC. RnRC was longer, so I got a fastpass (parents weren't too interested in this one at the time) and then we did ToT. ToT is one of our favorite attractions. Dad (who still won't get in the elevator - because of claustrophobia, he claims) even likes walking through the queue area. This was our first time (but not last :-) with the new drop sequence. I didn't think they could improve this ride, but apparently they did! I think there were 5 drops from varying heights, but I'm not entirely certain, since toward the end we couldn't tell whether we were rising or falling. I did notice what appeared to be a new special effect in the drop shaft: lightning. This was a nice touch, but not the best lightning effect Disney is capable of. We then headed to RnRC, where my parents waited outside (with my camera). RnRC is one of the best coasters I've been on! But...I still think they should've themed it to fit with the rest of the Sunset Boulevard area. Oh well, at least it isn't visible from Sunset Boulevard. I also thought the seats were a little uncomfortable, but that didn't stop me from riding it three times.

Our next stop was my mom's favorite attraction -- The Great Movie Ride. I've always liked this, but I think it could stand to be rehabbed. Mind you, I don't think they should change it (after all, we've seen what can happen when they change a ride - JIYI), but they could stand to replace some of the more static figures with better animatronics. For instance, the musical at the beginning (Footlight Parade?) could stand to be improved. It would also be nice if Mary Poppins was a little more active. Still, this is one of my favorite rides. Surprisingly, this is one of the few attractions where I really enjoy the video sequences (unlike the Living Seas, for instance). After TGMR, we decided to grab some lunch. I believe we ate at the Commissary, but I can't really remember. It was located between Indy and Star Tours. The food here was pretty good (much better than breakfast, anyway).

Our next stop was Star Tours. There was no line. We walked right in, which was kind of unfortunate, since I didn't get a chance to take many pictures of the queue area (although I do have a good photo of the AT-AT on my cube at work). This is great. I must admit that I'm not sure I want to see a new movie. By the way, does anyone know whether they'll keep all of the entrance props (the AT-AT, Ewok village, etc...) if they change the movie to match Episode I? Also, I think they should bring back Darth Vader and get rid of the Energizer Bunny. I like the new facade for Tatooine Traders. I think it will fit in nicely when the temperature rises above 100 :-)

Our next stop was Muppetvision 3 4D. I just love this movie. It has (I think) one of the better preshows, and it certainly has one of the best finales. I wonder how many people see the show and miss everything that goes on in the projection booth? After this, we strolled down New York Street a bit and then wandered into Hunchback. I think this is probably my favorite (not counting Fantasia 2000) recent Disney movie. Unfortunately, our seats were terrible. If you want to see this show, you almost have to get seats in the middle section. We were seated at the back along the side. This is one show where not all seats are created equal. Hopefully we'll get better seats the next time we see it.

After that, we wandered over to the Magic of Disney Animation. I didn't get a chance to do this during our last trip, so I definitely wanted to make time for it this trip. My parents weren't interested, so they waited for me outside and saw some live entertainment of some kind (I don't recall what, though). The last time I went through the animation building, it was the original tour in the old building. I think they have really improved it. Although it takes a long time (45 minutes), I think it's really the main reason to go to MGM. After all, this is the only place where you can go and see how Disney makes their animated movies. Speaking of which, there are a couple of new ones they're working on that look very good (although I don't recall what they are now...). After the animation tour, I stopped in the gallery store and drooled over more than a few of the items on display :-) I either need to save up enough money for some of these things, or I need to stay away from the gallery stores.

We then headed for our dinner PS at the Brown Derby. This is one of the best restaurants we've eaten at on the WDW property. The food here is always excellent, and we've never had to wait more than a few minutes for a table (of course, we usually have early PS). I highly recommend the grouper and the grapefruit cake. Afterward, we headed back to ToT and RnRC before getting seats for Fantasmic!. Going back to ToT, does anyone else think they should have an audio-animatronic Norma Desmond sitting in the lobby? :-) Back to Fantasmic! This show was INCREDIBLE! Even the preshow was good (we had two CM's that were dressed as bellhops from ToT that were doing a comedy routine with some acrobatics. They were very good). Unfortunately, none of my photos were very good. I'll try faster film next time, and perhaps a monopod, although I don't really want to have to carry one of those around all day. After the show, we didn't really notice any problems with crowd control, but we were seated near the exit. I can imagine that people sitting very far to either side could have problems getting out. The bus ride back to the hotel was a pleasant surprise. Our driver, Frank, was terrific! He had us all answering Disney trivia questions and singing Disney songs. We've never had a bus driver like that before. After stopping at the hotel to drop off the camera (and dad), mom and I caught the launch to Downtown Disney. Our first stop was DisneyQuest, which can be surprisingly addictive. After nearly making myself sick on Cyberspace Mountain, we headed back around for some shopping. We made the mistake of wandering into the bookstore that's attached to the Disney Gallery, where I found a couple of books that I didn't already have. I picked up the "One Day at Disney" book, which has photos from all of the parks. I also would have bought the framed picture of the Queen from Snow White at the Gallery (which was also hung prominently above the register at the Villain's store) if it had been in the budget. Anyway, that's about it for day three. We caught the last launch back to PO (it was freezing out on the water) and stopped in the bar for a drink before going to bed.

Fourth Day -- Character Breakfast, Magic Kingdom, and the return of MSEP

We have something of a tradition of having breakfast at least once at 1900 Park Fair, and this year was no different. We got up extremely early for our 7:40 PS. We took the bus to the Magic Kingdom and then rode the resort monorail around to the Grand Floridian. This is always the best breakfast we have at Disney. The food always seems to be fresh, the service is attentive, and there is a large selection. The best part is the cheese blintzes. And to top it all off, you can enjoy breakfast while being serenaded by Big Bertha :-) After breakfast, we waddled back to the monorail and headed for the Magic Kingdom.

We noticed a new sculpture near the flagpole on Main Street: Minnie was sitting on a park bench with someone (Roy, perhaps?). I got a great photo of it. Once we reached the hub (for some reason we didn't ride the train this time :-( , we headed for Adventureland. Unfortunately, the Aloha Isle wasn't open yet and we never made it back there, so we didn't get our Dole Whips :-( We climbed the treehouse (this is one of those attractions that I'm indifferent to. It's nice and has a wonderful view, but I don't care too much if I miss it) and then headed for the Tiki Room. I like the new show a lot, just as I liked the old show. It's entertaining, and more important, it's air conditioned and has seating :-). For some reason, we skipped the Jungle Cruise this time, and Pirates was down for rehab (boy, was I ticked. We missed it by only a week!), so we headed to Frontierland.

We first saw the Country Bear Jamboree (our first time to see it!). We really enjoyed this and will probably see it many more times. My photos (I waited until the end, just as they asked) didn't turn out very well -- they were all underexposed. I might be able to help them a little bit if I could scan them into the computer. We then got Fastpass for Splash Mountain and rode Big Thunder. I love the themeing of this area of Frontierland. Their are a lot of wonderful photo opportunities here (especially if, like me, you're looking for inspiration for a model railroad). My BTMRR photos turned out beautifully (one looks just like a postcard). This was the first time I really noticed how much a circular polarizer can help. BTMRR was a blast (it always is), but this trip didn't compare to our last trip when my cousin and I were able to ride it several times in a row during the fireworks. It really is the best spot to be during the fireworks. By the time we got off, it was just about time for Splash Mountain, so we headed that way (I guess we didn't really have much of a choice, anyway :-). Did they rehab Splash Mountain recently? It looked cleaner than during our last trip. Also, all of the scenes were working (last trip, the Brer Rabbit that hops along next to the boats was broken -- he was just laying down behind the grass there, but still visible). Also, it seemed like we got hit by more water this time. Not during the drop, but before the drop when the log first floats around the front of the mountain. Anyway, I was glad I had a lens cloth to dry off the camera (and my glasses). By now, it was nearing lunch time, so we headed off to find something to eat. We ended up at Columbia Harbor House. I had the fried fish, which was all right, but not great. It was quite crowded. I think next time we will probably try to either eat earlier or later.

Since we were in the area, we hit the Hall of Presidents next. I really like this attraction (especially when it's hot outside!), but not quite as much as American Adventure. The amount of detail in here is astounding! Next time, I might try to sit near the front to see more clearly. After that, we headed for my favorite attraction, the Haunted Mansion. I have several good exterior shots of the building. After stopping for a photo of the Pet Cemetery, we headed to Fantasyland. At this point, I must've gotten lazy with my camera, as I don't have many more photos before the parade. From what I can recall, we headed for Peter Pan's Flight, which is really one of the better Fantasyland attractions. We pretty much skipped everything else here (although I would've liked to ride Pooh, just to give it a chance, there was a long line and not enough time). I think we got PS for space mountain and took in Carousel of Progress (IMHO, one of the best attractions Disney has ever come up with), TTA (which I still call the WEDway People Mover), and Buzz Lightyear (which is exceedingly addictive! -- top score for me was over 100,000). Then I rode space mountain, which broke down right before my rocket rounded the corner to the lift. Fifteen uncomfortable minutes later, we were on our way. Although I don't remember the exact order that we saw everything, I know that we managed to got to the Enchanted Grove for strawberry swirls (much better than the citrus swirl, IMHO), see Alien Encounter, ride Buzz a second time, and see the Timekeeper (which I stumbled into during our last trip and absolutely love). Alien Encounter is terrific, but is getting a little too predictable. After the tenth time, I think it's losing it's 'scare factor'. We then headed down what seems to be a new path leading to the castle for our 5:00 PS. We always have dinner here at least once. The food and service have improved tremendously over the years. I tried the salmon, which was delicious. It was the best meal of the trip. After dinner, we headed back to Tomorrowland to waste some time before the second MSEP.

MSEP was the first Disney parade I ever saw (way back in 1986), and it's still my favorite. I like Spectromagic, but I think MSEP has more charm, more of the Disney "magic". I took as many photos as I could, but we weren't able to get any video as the camcorder was having battery problems. While waiting for the parade, I made one observation: those glow in the dark collapsible swords should be outlawed! I can't count how many times I was hit by one of those things because parent's can't control their kids. Those swords are downright dangerous, especially to people sitting on the ground waiting for the parade!  Happy that we were able to see the MSEP one last time, we wearily made our way back to PO.

Fifth Day -- Epcot and Beaches and Cream

After breakfast at the food court, we headed for Epcot, where we were going to meet my cousin, her husband (both in their 20's), and their son (a toddler) near the Leave a Legacy kiosk. My cousin had never been to Epcot, but her husband had. We headed to spaceship earth first and then got fastpass for Test Track. While waiting, we headed for Ellen's Energy Adventure. I really like the new show, although I wish they had kept the original preshow 'kinetic' movie. I always used to fall asleep on this, but I can now stay awake. After Energy, most of us went to Test Track, while mom went to wonders of life with the little one. Test Track was a blast. We then met back at Wonders of Life where we all watched Cranium Command (the best "new" attraction in Epcot -- certainly the last one added that had the Disney "magic"). We all thoroughly enjoyed this. We then stopped in Mouse Gear and spent a few minutes watching the Kristos.

We then headed to the Beach Club for lunch at Beaches and Cream, where were having a kind of family reunion. This was our first time at Beaches and Cream. Had we realized how small the restaurant was, we would've chosen someplace else to meet. Our group took up three booths. Despite this, service was good, and the food was decent. After lunch and some group photos, we decided to head back to the park. Mom wanted to stay and chat, so we arranged to meet an hour later around Canada (our cell phones were quite handy here). We decided to do The Living Seas, which seemed a little cleaner and brighter (except for the central diver tube -- are they ever going to change the water in this thing? Yuck!). Has there always been a movie bypass prior to the hydrolators? Because we were pressed for time, we didn't spend much time here. We then headed for The Land, and rode Living with the Land. I've always enjoyed this attraction, and it's one of my dad's favorites. By the time we had finished, mom was calling. We arranged to meet near the rose garden between Canada and Imagination. We walked around the promenade, stopping for a few moments to see the Living Statues at France and the Taiko Drummers in Japan on the way to the American Adventure. My cousin didn't feel like seeing this, so we split up for a little while. We were fortunate enough to walk in while the Voices of Liberty were performing. I love listening to them in the Rotunda. They have such beautiful harmony. After the American Adventure, it was time for our 5:00 PS at Teppanyaki.. This is one of the restaurants that we always eat at, and I must say that the food has been better on previous trips. Still, it was a decent meal (and the green tea ice cream was delicious). Afterward, mom had to have some French pastries, so we backtracked to France. While mom went for pastries, the rest of us caught the first ToN. Then, we headed around to Norway for the Maelstrom and Mexico for El Rio del Tiempo. We found a decent spot by the water near Mexico for I2k. After Illuminations, we headed back to the hotel. Here we encountered our longest wait for transportation. I estimate that it took at least 45 minutes to get a bus. By the end, they were loading three buses at a time. The wait seemed a little odd, since there was very little wait at any of the other bus stops.

Last Day -- AK and MGM

This was our last day, so we woke up early to check out and drop off our bags at baggage services. Then we had one last breakfast at the food court before heading to Animal Kingdom. We headed straight for It's Tough to be a Bug (which we had missed earlier). I just love walking through the queue area here and trying to spot all of the animals. I took quite a lot of photos here. The movie was good (as always--though I think it seemed less 'fuzzy' this time, maybe because we were closer to the center), but I've decided to hold my nose during certain - ahem - fragrant segments. Next we headed to Anandapur for the Jungle Trek. It was quite a feat getting from the exit to Bugs over to Asia (or anywhere, for that matter). This exit area is the one place in the park that really bugs me -- the paths here need to be much wider to accommodate the crowds. Eventually, we made it across the bridge to Asia. The bats were enjoying some pineapple, so we spent a few minutes watching them. Has anyone ever seen them flying around? What time would be best to see this? The tigers were laying around, but I got a wonderful photo of one of them about ten feet away looking right at me. I just love the design of this area -- there's so much to look at, even if the animals aren't out. After spending a few moments in the aviary we headed out. On the way, I noticed the ring-tailed lemurs out and got a picture of them. Then we headed to MGM.

I only have three photos from MGM this day, and I can't really remember the order we did things in, but in no particular order: We took in ToT one last time, while waiting for our RnRC fastpass (I think...) Mom decided to give RnRC a try this time, which is why ended up at MGM (we probably would have stayed at AK otherwise). All I can say is that I've created a monster! She really loves this ride. Then we decided to get some lunch. We weren't really in the mood for fast food, and there was already a long line at 50's Prime Time Cafe (which we have never eaten at ... yet), so on a hunch we decided to check the Brown Derby (figuring that it had probably only been open a few minutes and is probably not as popular for lunch). We walked right in (I think it was around 11 am). This time I tried the rotisserie half chicken, which wasn't as good as the grouper. Mom had the woodland mushroom and potato lasagna, which she really liked. I don't recall what dad had. After lunch, we headed for TGMR one last time. There was quite a line (the whole park was pretty crowded), but nature provided some entertainment while we waited. One of the trees (or posts, maybe?) in the outside queue area had a small hole in it. There was a family of birds living there and we were able to watch them come and go quite a bit. The last photo I have is a close-up of one of the metal dragons on the outside of the building (they kind of look like flagpoles, only sideways. Then we headed back to the hotel where we were met by Tiffany Town Car (different driver -- better in my opinion). There were more of us (as well as more luggage) this time (dad met us late our first day, since he was already there for business). We were just barely able to get everyone and everything into the car (we probably should have requested a van). We had a similar problem back in Dallas. The plane trip was uneventful (the best kind ;-) and we made it to DFW sometime around 9. I was back at my apartment around 11 and pretty much went straight to bed.

Final thoughts

I decided that it might be a good idea to summarize our experiences, so here goes.

Transportation: We've used rental cars, Mears motor shuttles, and Tiffany town car. Since we stay on property and haven't been very interested in seeing things off property (although I'm going to make over to Kennedy space center one of these days...), we find a car to be an unnecessary expense. Disney's internal transportation still does a pretty good job most of the time, and when you add in parking fees as well as the walk from where the tram drops you to your car, then the busses, boats, and monorails are more convenient -- even if you have to wait in line -- at least you're not walking across the parking lot. As for Mears versus Tiffany, I'd say there's no contest. For three of us, the price was roughly the same for both, but we had a private car waiting for us and only us with Tiffany, whereas with Mears you generally have to wait as much as thirty minutes before getting on a van or bus with numerous other people -- all staying at different resorts (and yours is invariable the last stop...). Tiffany is just so much easier.

Resorts: I've stayed off property at Holiday Inn Maingate East (or was it west?) as well as at a Best Western that wasn't convenient to anything (but we were there for Magic Music Days). If you're going to Disney World and are not planning to see anything else, then staying onsite is much more convenient (besides, even the low end Disney resorts tend to be a step up from their offsite rivals). Onsite, I have stayed at the Grand Floridian (only one, unfortunately), the Wilderness Lodge, Dixie Landings, and now, Port Orleans. If I could afford it, I would probably stay at the Grand Floridian every trip, but that's just wishful thinking. Wilderness Lodge was nice, but since we usually have breakfast in the food court, we weren't impressed (when we stayed there the food court was just barely a step up from a vending machine. The restaurants weren't particularly good, either. This has hopefully changed in the 5 or so years since that trip). We normally stay at Dixie Landings. The themeing is every bit as good (and in some cases, better) as the deluxe resorts, but at considerably reduced cost. The food court is one of the best on property, it has a great swimming pool (if you like that sort of thing...), and it has a decent bar (with a few really good specialty drinks). It does, however, have two downsides -- it is a rather large resort, so you may be in for a hike if your room is near the back, and it shares all transportation with Port Orleans. There are some days that I think Disney should seriously rethink this strategy. Busses are often standing room only in the morning and after the evening finales, and Dixie's four stops come after Port Orleans' one. We've stayed at Port Orleans once (this trip). I like being at the first bus stop (no standing in the morning), but the food court wasn't very impressive (although the beignets were good), the full service restaurant was downright lousy (for breakfast, at least), and it didn't have as charming an atmosphere (although the themeing is very nice--a sparkling clean, crime free French Quarter). Rooms were pretty much the same as at Dixie, but mine was a little threadbare. I'll probably be staying at Dixie in the future (although Coronado Springs looks nice and I'm dying to stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge).

Things that have been added/changed since our last trip: JIYI: I'll be brief here. This is quite simply the worst attraction any imagineer has ever come up with. Enough said. Bring back the old show with Figment (as a real character, not a connect-the-dots puzzle) and Dreamfinder (one of the best AA hosts, IMHO). Bring back the dream vehicle (not as some half size, blocky knock-off like the one in Mouse Gears). Bring back "Just One Spark" (as a real, honest-to-goodness song with lyrics, rather than a few bars of barely audible background music). And PLEASE put the Image Works back on the second floor, where it belongs -- bring back the rainbow corridor, too. Even though it's a dark ride, there should still be at least something to see. And turn the volume down! The end of that ride is downright insulting, to think that that sub-Six Flags quality (not-so)funhouse could somehow increase our imagination. The only thing I got out of that ride was a headache and a bad taste in my mouth. Oh well, so much for being brief.

Test Track: I like this attraction. It has a well designed queue area, an innovative ride system, and tolerable volume levels. AND it has more imagination than JIYI. Still, I prefer the original World of Motion show, which had more of the Disneyesque kind of feel that I've come to expect. Still, I think it least this 'rehab' was at least not a total loss.

Millennium Village: I really like this. Disney needs to keep it open after the Millennium, perhaps changing the countries in it every year or two. The gift shop was nice (I'm going to have to go back for one of those palm-leaf dragons), as was the food court (cheap too!) I only wish that we could have spent more time here.

Tapestry of Nations: Words fail me here...but I'll give it a try anyway. This is the best thing to happen to Epcot in a VERY long time (since Wonders of Life was added, perhaps?). Twice is simply not enough times to see this parade. PLEASE tell me it's going to live on after the Millennium!

Illuminations 2000: Reflections of Earth: This is the best incarnation of the show (I've seen the old Laser Phonic Fantasy, as well as several incarnations of Illuminations), with the best soundtrack, and the most impressive special effects (the globe and the inferno barges), and the best synchronization (are some of those fireworks shells computer controlled?). It is well worth staking out your spot more than an hour in advance (its best seen from as close to the lagoon as possible, except when the islands are blocking your view of the center -- we tried a spot near Italy (on the American Adventure side) that juts out over the lagoon a bit (there's another spot like this to the Germany side, with an elevated area between the two near the gondolas -- but this was roped off due to a wedding. That spot would have been excellent if it were available), and a spot to the Odyssey side of Mexico. The Italy location was better for Illuminations, but you are a considerable distance from the parade route, so you should catch the first ToN if you plan to watch from there. We did not do this, and consequently had to peer in between people's heads to see much of the show. Although the Mexico location was not as good (ToN could not be seen from there, either), we were right on the water and had a better view.

Ellen's Energy Adventure: Although not technically a new attraction, it is at least recent, so I'll mention it. I like the new one more, although I miss the old preshow (with the kinetic screen). At least I can stay awake long enough to see the dinosaurs.

The (relatively) recent Spaceship Earth rehab (new ending and narration): I'm neutral on this one regarding the ending. I like both. But please, bring back Walter Cronkite! And Tomorrow's Child! Also, weren't there some kind of time travel special effects in the entry and exit tunnels before the rehab? What happened to them? Now you don't get a sense of time travel, you just travel along in darkness.

Food Rocks: All right, I know this is old now, but I'm on a roll. I realize there are some people that like this show, and I'll try to respect your opinions, but I've seen better shows at Six Flags. Kitchen Kabaret was a terrific show, with a great soundtrack (veggie veggie fruit fruit...), and was just more fun.

Epcot overall: I think this park has gone downhill. For a while it was my favorite park, but that is no longer the case. While it used to take me at least two full days to see this park, I am now content to spend only one day here. As much as I like ToN and I2k, I would gladly trade them for a few of the attractions that used to be there. And don't get me started about Horizons, which was one of my favorites :-(

Fantasmic: Excellent show, well worth waiting for. I would really like to see the Disneyland version. Great soundtrack and impressive special effects. Quite imaginative (must not have been the same group that did JIYI). Poor crowd control. Although we didn't have too much trouble, we sat near the exit and the amphitheater was not full. They should have routed the exit straight out of the park, rather than funneling everybody back onto Sunset Boulevard. Also, I think they should have spaced it a bit from the parks biggest E-tickets (which can get quite crowded before show time).

Rock 'N Roller Coaster: A great coaster, but a little uncomfortable.

Buzz Lightyear: Excellent and addictive.

Pooh: I can't comment on this as we did not have time for it. But I almost never made time for Toad, either.

Tiki Room under New Management: At least as good as the original.

MSEP: THE best parade anywhere, anytime! I can't say that I really look forward to seeing its inevitable replacement (although spectromagic is good, it doesn't have the charm that MSEP has).

Animal Kingdom: This is now my favorite park. I could easily spend a week here (just watching the meerkats and Festival of the Lion King). We saw most of the park during our previous trip, but Asia was new, so here goes:

Kali River Rapids: The best ride of its type that I have ridden. The queue area has some of the most elaborate themeing anywhere and is worth taking the effort to see even if you decide to bypass the ride. The dry compartment is a very nice feature. It should be an especially nice attraction when the temperatures soar into the 100's.

Maharaja Jungle Trek: Like Pangani Falls, this is marvelously well designed. It is beautifully themed and well thought out. The tiger habitat is wonderful. The aviary is also quite nice, although some of the support structures can be seen quite clearly through the vegetation here.

Asia overall: For the few hours that we were there, the effect was as if we had been transported to some far-off land. As with the rest of AK, the themeing is extremely well done. The effect is truly amazing.

DisneyQuest: This was a lot of fun (and included in our ticket price, anyway).

Cirque du Soleil: This was simply amazing. I would have seen it two or three more times that week if it were possible.

Adventurer's Club: We didn't spend much time here, but will most definitely be back in the near future. Kungaloosh!

Overall, I think the place has seen some improvement since our last trip (with two notable exceptions in Epcot). Everything (except Pirates) was working, with no noticeable missing, darkened, or otherwise semi-operational scenes, which was a definite improvement over the previous trip. I think the overall quality of food has also risen a little. Everything was spotless, as usual. I think this was our best trip yet.

And now, some news: I've got a chance to go back May 31-June 4 with my mom and two of our friends (who have never been)! I plan on taking a lot more photos (especially of MSEP and Fantasmic!). I'll also be taking my Palm III again. Last time, I loaded most of the WDWIG and one or two pages from the Hidden Mickeys site (which are not very suitable for Palm Pilot conversion -- they take up too much space and have too many links). I'll probably do the same thing this time, though if I get a chance I might try to create an abridged Hidden Mickey list. The Palm Pilot is great for storing confirmation numbers (but keep them written down somewhere as well) and taking notes, but it's best use is to help us spot hidden Mickeys and decide where to eat. That (in response to a recent thread) is my secret fanny pack item (along with a lens cloth and lenspen, film, a small spritzer bottle, one of those fold-up fans from China, a felt tip pen for marking my film canisters as used, my resort key/pass, spare batteries, and a water bottle neck strap thingy from the Animal Kingdom).

There, I think that's about it for summary.

Chad Huth

mhuth@attglobal.net

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