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Joy Morris -- December 2000 -- Walt Disney World (SOG, ASMoR)Dec 9-17 2000, Not enough time trip report I started out to write a daily report and as it took longer and longer to finish it became more summary because the memory goes. Still some thoughts about our trip, hope it helps with yours. Characters:
HOTELS We stayed at two hotels during our stay. We qualified to stay at Shades of Green so we did for 3 nights and then switched to All Star Movies for 5 nights. I really wanted to stay on property this trip. This was a first in three trips. I think even my budget conscious DH was impressed by the advantages. In the past we have stayed at the Sheraton Lakeside (Now Four Points Lakeside) which provides free shuttle service to the parks but mostly in the mornings and evenings so you had to spend all day there. How nice to come and go rapidly. Thoughts on Shades of Green or SOG. This resort is for people with certain types of military connections. It is located across from the Poly, down a short road. It is back in the greenery (and greens as it is surrounded by golf courses) with a pond, trees and lots of grass. It is a three story place with the lobby on the second floor (a running joke with DH and SIL, no wonder they are having problems with the recount if Floridians count one, L, three) as well as the shops and restaurant. Our room was located on the first floor near the quiet pool on the opposite side of the building from the Mickey shaped Pool. Our room had a patio with a couple of chairs and a small table that you could get to through the glass sliding doors. From this patio we could see the fireworks over MK a little bit although they were better from the upper stories (part of them used the outside stairs to watch from the third floor. The room itself was long and medium wide. It had two queen size beds and a fold out loveseat. There was also a table with four chairs, a TV and a dresser. There was plenty of room for everyone despite all the trip stuff we had. The room service food was very good with huge portions and cheaper than anything else we ate all week. Service was prompt and they have you leave trays outside when you are done. The only problem we ran into was that the bathroom was all-inclusive and so this slowed as getting ready in the mornings. The staff here was extremely helpful and friendly, everyone of them. There is a person in the lobby to help you figure out how to get places, dining options and etc. I was also thrilled because at the small store they carried Disney type pins that sold for $2 each. We racked up the bucks here as we continually had to buy more to feed our growing Pin Trading habit, but much cheaper than buying pins in the parks!!!! We mainly went to MK the time we were here so we generally walked over to the Poly and took the Monorail. We got hooked on animal watching seeing turkeys, herons, raccoons, armadillos, and a small alligator. By the way, he was not scary while we were there, staying way on the other side from the path. The All Star Movies is a horse with funky colors. It has great themeing but is about 5 times larger than SOG. The people were friendly enough, just more people to deal with. We were in the Dalmatians Building but on the backside so our view was more of the AS Music and trees. The room was somewhat smaller. There were two beds, a TV on a dresser, a small table and two chairs. With all of our traveling paraphernalia it seemed a bit more crowded but not bad. At least the sink was outside the bathrooms so we could do a couple things at a time. It was a short walk in the morning to the bus stop and a bit longer one going back at night (I had a problem with blisters on this trip). We all liked having the food court here and used it for dinner several times and breakfast a couple of times. DH and SIL bought the refillable mugs which they used to get coffee in the mornings and pop during the day. This definitely saved funds for them. DD and I did not because we drink more milk and juice drinks. PS, I loved the Mickey waffles. A Disney fix to start the day. Neat pools we only used once. We never seemed to get back to the pool in the warm daytime and at night it was just a bit chilly. The buses ran frequently and we seldom waited more than five minutes for a bus. One night it was very crowded on the bus going back so we just waited for the next bus which came promptly. My DH would stay at the All Stars again. We loved the buses and the food court. He thought it was worth some extra to stay on Disney property, but only in an off season when the rates are lower. I liked them both. Where we ate : Kona Cafe at the Poly. We ate there for one dinner and one lunch. I had heard a lot about this place and had high expectations. We were wowed by the chocolate sculptures and the dessert display. DH spent 20 minutes talking to one of the chefs about how they make them. DH and SIL decided to share a chicken dinner. I thought I would have the crab cake appetizer. DD asked for noodles with butter. Okay, we admit to being cheap okay. When a meal is $15 dollars we expect a good size bit of food. First of all, we had bad service. Our waiter was slow and seldom appeared. The chicken was delicious, because we all had some but it was a pretty small half a chicken, a medium serving of potatoes and a few beans. My crab cakes were yummy but there were only 2 little quarter size, inch high pieces. DD was hungry and ate most of her noodles and a piece or two of chicken. The service was very slow and we never felt like our server cared that we were there. I did have a fruit drink that was yummy. No dessert for us because we couldn't decide on one to share and felt we had already spent too much to be still slightly hunger and be ignored. Still we had breakfast PS a few days later because I had heard so much about Tonga toast. The service at breakfast was much better. We arrived at 8 am and the restaurant was only 1/2 full. I had the Tonga toast but passed on breakfast meat early in the morning so my nice server substituted fresh pineapple that was fantastic, so sweet. The rest had normal breakfast things. DD had cereal. DH had eggs and toast. The food was plentiful and good except that I don't like Tonga toast. It didn't do much for me. To each his own. I even tried the stuffed french toast at the ASMovies food court but it was definitely worse. Too sweet I think. One night we ate at the Shades of Green Restaurant. I was very hungry so I had the buffet which had a terrific selection of meats and meat dishes. There was a salad bar, vegies, and choices of potatoes and breads. It was all well cooked and delicious, my only complaint was no desserts were included with the meal. SIL had the tempura shrimp which turned out to be a huge plate of shrimp that were also huge in size. She was very happy with this meal. Both of our dinners were about $15. DD had the usual, pasta plain but she liked it better here. DH had something uneventful that we can 't remember now. The service here was outstanding, the food was great and priced well for the portions received. We went to the Garden Grill Ice Cream Social. This is the restaurant in the Land Pavillion at Epcot. The whole thing revolves as you eat. We did spend quite a bit of time trying to decide if the table are one the moving part or the kitchen. But it was determined we moved as the view from the doors stayed the same. The ice cream is beautifully done with a waffle cone filled with ice cream and chocolate cookies at the top. Strawberries and candies at the bottom. DD cone was a scoop of ice cream with a cone hat made to look like a clown. It was came with worms, a great kid treat. Did you know it was all you could eat ice cream? Ha, I doubt many people make it through more than one. Only DH even finished the whole thing. What was great was a lot of character interactions, almost constantly. We got to see Chip, Dale, Mickey, and Pluto. DD played a lot with Pluto who is one of her favorites since way back. I made several trips into Millenium village during this trip because I love to try new things without having to order a bunch of it. I loved the food choices here. My favorite was the Hawaiian coconut cake. Several of the things were great. Some were interesting to try once. Unfortunately this fun little place is history now. Wednesday was DH birthday so I took everyone to Primetime Cafe because I had heard so many great things about the interactions here. The food was so so. I had the soup since I was still sick from by RNRC experience. DH had his favorite things, meatloaf and mashed potatoes. I don't remember what everyone else had. I waited for all the fun things to happen and not much did. They did make every one sing happy birthday to my husband. He wasn't impressed. Then one of the street character came and gave him a kiss. Also some nice people eating in the restaurant sent him some little Debbie cakes as a present. All in all, I would rather eat at the Sci Fi as I like the atmosphere better. Thursday we tried the Castle at MK, but for lunch not the very popular and hard to get breakfast. I leave in the west. The very thought of getting up and calling at 5 in the morning gives me hives. Still, I was excited to try the atmosphere here, one of the ultimate fantasy things. Again, we were a bit disappointed. Expectations too high. You are treated royally here. We were able to get a semi window seat and it was great fun to see fantasyland from above. We enjoyed watching the Sword in the Stone show while we ate. The food was delicious. I had the major domo pie which is potatoes in a croissant like crust topped with meat and vegies in a wine sauce. Yummy. DH had the sandwich which was huge. DD had the grilled cheese sandwich. The room is near. It looks like a grand dining hall. But we all agreed it was a one time thrill and wouldn't do this again. Friday we ate a late breakfast at Breakfasaurus at AK. We almost missed our PS. They first take your picture. I said let's be crazy as I am not buying the picture. Well we were and guess what? We loved that silly picture. SIL ended up buying the package and gave some part of them. The buffet here was great. Lots of choices of which my favorite was the cinnamon roll french toast. The food was still hot and plentiful even though we were at one of the last seatings. The waitstaff here were a lot of fun, playing practical jokes, performing magic tricks etc. We loved our Nancy was also quick to help with picture taking and plate clearing. Extreme character interaction as we ate, especially as the restaurant started to clear out. Lots of Goofy (my favorite and the best family picture we took), Mickey, Donald, and that old rascal Goofy again. This was by far our favorite meal and most memorable time. We all walked away very happy with the experience. The only major meal we would all do again. The rest was snacking and eating at the food court at the hotel. I became attached to my Mickey waffle breakfast since it puts you in the spirit of things. Liked turkey legs. Loved Millenium village food, the French Bakery is always a must, had salmon in Norway, and pieced where we were. DD especially liked the variety and convience of the food court at ASMovies. Me I loved snacking around the Epcot world showcase. Garden Tour: I took the Gardens of The World Tour because I wanted to see all the gardens that I always seem to miss. I thought I had missed more than I really had but that is life. We met just inside the gates at the inside Guest Relations. I had gotten to Epcot early so I went in and did some pin trading. I thought we were meeting at the outside guest relations only to have to go back in again. Lots of walking before I even get started. Our guide was the man in charge of Italy and Germany, sorry I can' t remember his name. The tour started about 9:40. He told us some brief things about the gardens in future world as we walked to World Showcase. On the way there I saw the character bus with two my favorites on it, Jimminy and Mushu. Of course I could stop then and we never saw the bus again. Boohoo.) We got to go past the ropes and started in Mexico. It is very interesting to see the crews still working as this part was not yet open to the public. Just some tidbits from the tour as we went all the way around the showcase. Mexico: there is a big tree there that came from a hotel in Orlando before the hotel was destroyed. Disney had to move this giant tree and put it in. They are willing to do this to create the look they want. They have many nurseries to supply the plants they need as they do change out plants as needed. Chinese gardens are based on age and serenity so there are more rocks and still pools. (We saw a crew working on the roof here. A lift truck and all. It was removed at 11:00) We had to wait for the bridge to let the friendship boats go into the lagoon. I should mention here that it rained and rained this morning. The only major rain we hit and the one time I had no access to raingear. In Germany, he showed us the train set up and explained how many of the "trees" are really herbs and other plants to keep the scale correct with the train. Our guide was the one who originally created the set up. He talked about how they make the hanging baskets with moss and plantings on the outside with a hole in the center so they could change off the potted plants. Disney has a schedule for trading off the plants as certain plants appear at certain times to go with what is happenning. For instance poinsettas were everywhere as this was Christmas season but in January they would be changed to something else. He also talked alot about color and how there are certain colors for each area of Ecpot. Only certain colors can be used in the different colors. There is mostly white used in Norway, even whitish poinsettas set up to look like trees. In America the colors are of course, red white, and blue. In the Japanese pavillion there are many beautiful areas. Japanese gardens are geared to reflective movement. So there is running water and fish. Also in this area are a lot of palms and we talked about how palms are priced by heights and they are more if they have a split growth. In France, the plants are placed to form designs. In the UK, their are many english roses and a butterfly garden where the gardeners place cocoons a box so you can see the different butterflies hatch. In Canada we got to go back into the area and see the garden. We also got to go backstage to see how the illusion of mountains were created. It was really interesting to see the back area of Epcot since you get so much a different feel from the front side. I learned many interesting things from this tour but it was a bit too technical for me. I just like the basic info but the horticulturists and serious gardeners deserve their info too. I got a bit bored in the middle but I still enjoyed it. If I had to do it again though, I would just take the hidden treasures tour since I really just wanted to see and learn very basic info about the countries. National Car Rental. I got a free Emerald Aisle card because I was a MKC member. We stood in the National line only to find out we really only needed to go pick a car and drive out. We were all a bit unsure of this process and heated talks ensued before I just took one car that was burgundy (looked different than the others so maybe we could find it in the parking lot). We drove to the exit and checked out in 5 minutes. This was terrific!! We also got a great deal. 9 days in a full size car was only $153. We took the south exit out of the airport and headed to WDW. Took a one to early exit but got to the area okay. We were headed to Shades of Green, which is resort for Military Personnel. It is a MK resort and the funny store for the day. We didn't keep right enough going through the MK gates and ended up in the parking lot. The parking attendants kept signaling me to park and I just wanted out. What a hassle. We did a lovely tour of the parking lot and managed to get far enough right to get to the hotel. Shades of Green is just across from the Poly. Return was very easy. Just follow the signs in and drive up to the next car. They scan your papers from the rental and you are on your way. No hassles about fees or anything .(unlike another car company that shall remain nameless.) We are also very close to the check in for our flight. Only across the street and up the elevator. NASA DH is up and moving early today. This is the one day that he was excited about planning, as he is a big space program nut. We get ready (did you know it takes a long time for 4 people to use one bathroom) and grab snack foods to eat on the way. We navigate around the WDW property and hit the Beeline to the coast. On the way we see the Disney Cruise boat from the road. DD is excited. She would really love to sail on this. She takes a photo from the car. We get to NASA and have to stand in line since we bought passes at SOG. Finally we are in and ready to take the bus tour. The bus tour consists of three stops. On the way to the first stop the bus driver starts by pointing out the local wildlife, like the alligators in the culverts and streams. This becomes part of our favorite pasttime.... looking for alligators is a blast, especially while you are far away from them. One of the first things we observe is the shuttle launcher. It looks like a huge frame on wheels. It is what they put the shuttle on as they roll it out for launch and then it is launched off this base. Coming around we see the huge Vehicular Assembly building. I am awed not only by its size but by how high the door stretch. The first stop is the observation gantry. You are ushered in to view a short film about all the crews that work on the shuttle. It is amazing how many different groups are involved. The film exits to some interactive exhibits. At your leisure you can go out and climb the viewing platform to see all the area around. Just to let you know, I am not a NASA nut so I was the first one out and up the platform. This would be cool if you could look out and see the shuttle ready for launch but we were a day too early and there was scenery. DD and SIL do this slower than I but of course DH is videotaping and looking at everything and everything again. I did get a nice pressed penny. We moved on to the next stop ( we saw one biiigggg gator and several small ones) which is the Titan Space Rocket. You start with a reenactment of an Apollo launch where the window of the room changes to reflect what would have been seen outside. This is interesting. After that you walk out and see the titan rocket and the vary size of it is awe inspiring. While you are that this stop there are lots of displays to see including space vehicles and a recreation of the moon landing which had a lot more problems than people knew about. The moon landing was my favorite part. We also had lunch here and let me tell you Nasa cafeteria food is as bad as Disney when it comes to price. In fact, it bothered me more since it doesn't have the ambience of Disney to make you feel more like spending money. This stop was my favorite and we all spent a lot of time here. The last stop is the Space Station building where you can walk through mock ups of the space station and then go to the viewing area and observe them working on components. Ididn't do this but the rest of my family thought it was great. By this time I was getting bored with the whole idea. We then caught the shuttle back to the main area. There we did a walk through of the space shuttle which was both larger and smaller than I thought it would be. Of course time had to be spent in the gift shop buying neat souveniers. My favorite was a magnet that said "Space Happens". Other Florida After NASA, I was determined to spend some time this trip picking a real Florida orange. So we drove down Highway One. This had several groves. Unfortunately, the day was Sunday, the one day almost all are closed. But we did find a orchard store that was open and had fresh orange juice and other treats from the orchard. So, even if I didn't get to pick it, I got the real deal. I highly recommend it. Plus this road heads to Cocoa Beach. We try to go to the Florida coast every trip because the water is sooooooooo warm. We always end up just outside of Cocoa Beach where there is beach access right by the road. The wonderful thing about Florida beaches is there are tons of sea shells to pick up and collect. The water is not far from the road and you can have lots of fun right away. We played in the water, picked up shells, and played in the sand for over an hour before it got dark. SIL truly enjoyed it as it was her first visit to a Florida beach and she was amazed by all the shells to be had. The water is still nice but not as warm as some previous visits. Being at the beach is refreshing but at dark we were ready to head home/our hotel. Christmas Parties and other Christmas Moods I was truly excited about going to the World at Christmas time. I purchased my tickets for MVMCP early on for the Monday we were there since I heard the weekend nights were crowded. We arrived about 7:30. We went first to Splash Mountain to ride it was it was warmer and to make sure we did before it got crowded. (It had rained earlier in the evening but had stopped by the time the party started) We were able to ride Splash two times in a row without getting off. That is an experience I had hoped for and it was very cool. We might have made it three but they made us get off even though there wasn't much of a crowd. Oh well. We then rode BTMRR and Jungle Cruise in the dark because I heard they are different experiences in the dark than during the day. It is true. Our biggest mistake was getting caught in Adventureland during the first parade. We ended up seeing the parade both times since we didn't realize we had seen most of it that first time. No problem getting the picture taken. There were no lines in Adventureland. We rode a lot of rides and did not spend much time trying to see the shows. We viewed the fireworks from Fantasyland where we were able to view them wonderfully and the surround version is just marvelous. We loved it. One of the best parts of the night. But the highlight for me was at the end of the evening. We waited for the crowds to clear out a bit after the second parade. We just watched the colors change on the castle and the people go by. Then, we headed down mainstreet with a small crowd. My favorite memory occurs here where all of us stop and watch as the "snow" fall on main street. It is the epitome of Christmas magic with the small town feeling, the Christmas music playing, the crowd still and hushed and the snow falling. It was a truly magical moment that almost made the price of tickets in itself. Christmas at Epcot was also wonderful. There is the lighted arch between FW and WS that is lighted at night. The lights change colors to music. At the end of the arch is the huge lighted Christmas tree. Beautiful. Each of the countries had story tellers. We saw two and both were great fun as they shared humor and culture. If you get a chance, stop to see these. The presentations are short. The Monkey King in China and The Seller in Japan were lovely. MY POINT: One of my goals this trip was to see more of the entertainer in WS and just enjoy it more. This is an important aspect of WS and I was able to see more than ever before. I loved it. Take the time!!!!! We are also firm believers in the passport program. DD purchased a passport and then was involved in getting stamps and doing the KidStation projects. She really enjoys this. Also there are different decorations in each country. While at Epcot, we tried some different foods in different countries. We tried Red Bean Ice Cream in Japan. Pass, it was too hard and the flavor wasn't that great. KakiGori, good. Beaver Tails: yummy but alot like food we get here at the fair. French pastries, great. It is a must go every trip. This time it was bread pudding. Heavenly. Osbourne Lights. Again there is something magical about the snow thing. Even though you know it isn't snow, its better because it is warm and magical. The Osbourne lights are on the back lot and are hugh. DH was in heaven. This event mixed two of his favorite things. Video taping everything and Christmas lights. He is the one who keeps buying more lights everyyear so maybe in 5 years you will be coming to see his light show. There are thousands of lights on the houses and buildings. The effect is magical and even with all the people you just walk and enjoy. My favorite part is the yard equipment with lights like the bicycle, lawnmower, and the barbeque. You are free to stroll at your own pace and see things. Also there is Christmas music playing. Remember DH is in his element,, so we girls finished about 10 minutes before him and had to wait as the crowds dwindled. One of many things that is a must see at this time of year. COLLECTING AND SHOPPING: We really got into pin trading this trip. I went planning to trade and had pins from the Disney store I bought the year before. Then, we were able to cheat a little as the Store at SOG carried discounted pins that were cheap enough for us to buy a bunch and trade off. Once I had started, DD decided it was great. Then SIL also got into it as well. We only traded with Cast Members and got so we looked at every lanyard we saw and even spent time looking for them. The best trades were in the shops at the parks early in the morning. It was so much fun. I am hooked now of course and have to buy the pins, ouch!. DH also made a record at Epcot of some of his favorite songs from rides. While there is a large selection of songs and it took him a while to scan them, he still wished there was more stuff, especially stuff from the fountains and the Christmas music we heard everywhere. He does like the cd and plays it a lot. Thats about it. The weather was great. Cooler in the mornings and evenings but warm during the day. We pretty much wore short sleeves all day and only a bit of rain. Plenty warm enough to go to Blizzard beach during the day. However, the week before it was cold and people wore coats. The crowds were smaller. We have been in Nov and Feb and these were by far the smallest lines we saw. Imagine no lines for Splash MT at 10 am. It was weird. We didn't use fastpass much because we didn't need it. As always, we are ready to go again, someday. Joy Morris morrismj@qwest.net Mail a Comment to Joy Morris |
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