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G. Stephen Olmsted -- December 2000 -- Walt Disney World (Offsite, WL)WDW Planning Report - 12/2/00 through 12/10/00 The Cast:
Modes of Travel: Air, Rental Car Resort: Courtyard by Marriot, Wilderness Lodge Accommodations: Probably standard History: My sister and I started traveling together as adults in 1997 after the death of our mother. We enjoy each other’s company. She puts up with my endless planning, I put up with her snoring. The fact that she is a travel agent for a major company doesn’t exactly hurt, either. Normally we fly for free, get our rental car at a deep discount, and hotels are usually discounted as well. Last year, WDW was offering 50%off hotel accommodations and passes to travel agents who wanted to come to Florida during the month of September. We felt like it was too good of a deal to pass up, so we packed our bags and took off, eager to see the sights. The trip was not what we expected (Mr. Planner failed to realize that September is hurricane season and one of the rainiest months in Florida...whoops!). We had a lovely room in the Alligator Bayou section of Dixie Landings. So far, so good. Everything was pre-paid....all we had to worry about was food and souvenirs. Needless to say, it rained every afternoon, the sun baked, and the humidity about did us in. We would spend 2-3 hours in the park, come back to the hotel sweating and exhausted, take a 3-4 hour rest, and then go to dinner. I think the only park we stayed in for a good amount of the day and night was Epcot, mostly because we wanted to see Illuminations. We spent one day shopping at the World of Disney (goodbye money!), and one day touring the Disney Magic Cruise Ship (one more little perk for travel agents). For me, it wasn’t all miserable. Attractions that stood out for me were the entire Animal Kingdom (tree and animal hugger here), the Tower of Terror, and Alien Encounter (after the first white knuckle experience). The Cast Members, as always, were wonderful, and there were certainly no complaints about Dixie Landings. On our last day, it was pouring outside. Amy stated that she would “never come back to Disney World.” Lesson: never say “never,” especially when big brother is as stubborn as a mule. Recent past: After returning from DL a few weeks ago, Amy brought up the subject of next year’s vacation. Not one to let sleeping dogs lie, I casually mentioned that we hadn’t really given WDW a chance, and I would like to go back, perhaps in early December of 2000. Talk about hitting a brick wall! She would NOT go back to the heat, rain, humidity and bugs. End of discussion. Until..... A week or so ago, Amy called me and said that she had looked into weather patterns for December in Florida. The temperatures are cooler and it isn’t monsoon season. She also mentioned that her company had an arrangement with Marriott hotels in Florida....and if we wanted to stay off-property, we could have a nice room at any Marriott for around $49 a night. She also had two round trips tickets on United for anywhere in the Continental U.S. I took this as a good sign that her resolve isn’t as strong as I thought (YAY!). Actual Planning (subject to change): Resources:
Discussion of Hotels: I admit I’ve been spoiled, first by the Disneyland Pacific Hotel (Concierge Level) and then by Dixie Landings. I enjoy the little perks of staying next to DL and staying on property at WDW, not the least of which is early entry to the parks. Still, the low price of the Marriott is very appealing. I spoke with WDW reservations today, and to stay at a moderate resort for 8 nights for 2 would run around $1800 with Length of Stay Passes (or whatever they’re calling them now). I’ve been considering paying for the WDW Resort costs for both of us, since Amy has been so generous to me (I have been the beneficiary of free airline tickets, free hotels, and next-to-nothing car rentals for the past three years, all because of Amy’s affiliations with the travel industry). I feel that perhaps it is time for me to pay her back for all of her kindnesses. Or should I just pay for the hotel off-property and our passes? I guess it’s the eternal question. Off-property or on? Guess it all depends on my finances and how much money I can put away in a year’s time. Goals for this trip:
If you have any suggestions, questions, or comments, please write. The Report SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2nd Well, we've finally made it to Orlando. Our Frontier flight took off a few minutes late at 11:15 am MST. The flight was uneventful, although we had a lunch of some kind of roast beef wrap that had apples, carrots, and pinon nuts in it. Very strange, but I was starving. We landed at MCO around 4:15 EST this afternoon. Our luggage arrived without incident. They were easy to spot because of the lime-green ribbons we attached to the handles. Went over to National, and flashed my Disney Club card, which was good for a "fee waived" membership into the Emerald Club. Not a bad benefit, considering the normal fee is something like $50. We chose this huge, maroon-colored Bonneville....not exactly what I had in mind, because I'm used to driving smaller cars. But it's nice just the same. I had directions to our hotel from Mapquest.com, but they proved to be very confusing. Gave up on that, and kinda followed my nose to the Courtyard Marriott, which is about 4 blocks away from the main entrance to WDW. It's a nice enough hotel for one night, but the elevators are kinda like the Tower of Terror, but without the special effects and the knowledge that you're going to be fine. Went across the street to Red Lobster for dinner, because I had $50 in gift certificates from Freeride. I had a huge lobster tail, and some of their stuffed mushrooms. We were both really tired, so we decided to come back to the hotel for the night. Tomorrow we have no set plans, except checking into the Wilderness Lodge, and maybe going to the beach and the Beltz outlet mall for some shopping. Don't be surprised if we wind up at one of the theme parks, however. I hear the Mouse calling me from a few blocks away. Expenses: $2.00 porter at the airport $5.10 fax to the Wilderness Lodge $2.25 tolls $60.00 Red Lobster $49.00 Courtyard by Marriott for one night. $4.00 Balloon Man at Red Lobster (don't ask) SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3rd What a wonderful day! And we didn't even make it to a theme park yet. The morning started off cloudy, with just a hint of a breeze. It actually felt good, considering I'm used to cloudy, very cold days in Colorado, and am not acclimated to normal Florida heat. In any case, we checked out of the Courtyard by Marriott, and decided to head over to the Wilderness Lodge to do an early check-in before we headed out to who-knows-where. We kinda wanted to make this an easy day, because we were both still tired from traveling, and I normally don't sleep well the first night out on vacation. I'm not known for sleeping well period, but last night was pretty unusual. We drove up to the Wilderness Lodge, checked in our luggage with the Bellman, and went into the Lobby. This place is fab-u-lous! There is a huge Christmas tree in the middle of the lobby, that seems to go up to the sky. It's decorated with thousands of tiny white lights, and the ornaments are reminiscent of Indian dream catchers, canoes, teepees, etc. There is a huge fireplace on one end, with rocking chairs in front. Totem poles decorate the sides. We decided to check in, and then get our room assignment later on in the day. Surprise! Our room was ready, at 10:00 in the morning. They had received my fax, had it noted in the computer, and all but one of our requests were granted. No upgrade was available. No big deal. Our room, while it isn't exactly huge, is very nicely appointed. It is located off the lobby, with two queen beds, a double sink, an armoire with TV and dresser drawers. There is an additional dresser by the closet. The bedspreads look like quilts....but aren't exactly....we have a balcony overlooking a courtyard of sorts, with a view of huge tree and the new DVC Villas at the Wilderness Lodge. Little did I know how much this "extension" of the Wilderness Lodge would affect my next 40 years of vacations.... After our luggage and refrigerator arrived, we decided to head down to the Roaring Forks snack bar for breakfast. I had a pecan sticky bun, and Marie had a croissant. We each got refillable mugs to use throughout our stay. We left the WL, and headed east to see the ocean at Cocoa Beach. For some reason, I really prefer the Pacific over the Atlantic. Anyhow, we walked along the beach about a mile each way, watching the seagulls and the sandpipers. Also noticed some oil rigs off the shore quite a ways. Yuck. I know that the oil companies are trying to find alternatives to foreign oil, but yuck anyway. I found a Publix market in Cocoa Beach, and decided this is where we could get bottled water, etc. for a reasonable price away from Disney. For example, I bought six bottles of water for $3.00....in the parks, one bottle goes for that amount. We got a bite to eat at Wendy's, and then headed back to Orlando. Marie wanted to go to the Character Shop in the Beltz factory outlet stores, so we headed down International Drive to reach our destination. International Drive has to be one of the most congested streets in Orlando. And such a monument to bad taste gone worse. After what seemed like an eternity, we reached the outlet stores, found the character shop, and decided there was really nothing we needed. After a rest at the hotel, we got in the car and headed off to Disney's Boardwalk. This resort is really beautiful as well, with the feel of an Atlantic City type area, without the casinos. We watched a juggler juggle fire with a bowling ball perched on his head, and then went into Spoodles. Spoodles is a wonderful restaurant, albeit just a bit noisy. We were seated almost immediately. We shared an Arugula salad, with walnuts, feta cheese, granny smith apples, and a raspberry vinaigrette. I had the shrimp and scallops on top of rice, with a white wine and mushroom reduction. Marie had a salmon fillet on top of rice with a red wine reduction. For dessert, we shared a Marco Polo chocolate cake, with a scoop of Jasmine/tea/raspberry ice cream. The meal was absolutely delicious, our CM (can't remember her name) was very pleasant and helpful....and we both were stuffed. Came back to the WL and went into Roaring Forks to buy a quick breakfast for the morning. The only thing of note here, was CM David who was the first CM I've ever seen with a moustache. Tomorrow: EE to the Magic Kingdom, break, Fantasmic at MGM, and an Illuminations 2000 cruise with fellow DISers! Expenses: Tolls: $5.00 Breakfast: $26.00 Lunch $10.00 Dinner: $70.00 with tip (and worth every penny) MONDAY, DECEMBER 4th I'm writing this report late at night, mostly because I am still keyed up from the wonderful day we had at the World. I was wide awake at 5:00 am this morning, and was actually waiting by the phone for Mickey's wake-up call. Got a warm shower, and had a breakfast of Fruit Loops and milk. We were out the door by 7:00 am (still dark and cold out) for Early Entry into the Magic Kingdom. Main Street was beautifully decorated for the holidays, and Christmas music filled the air....but I guess I haven't gotten into the Christmas spirit as of yet. It'll come, I know it will. We decided to go to Fantasyland immediately, where we found no waits for The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. This attraction is just adorable and the special effects are lots of fun. We rode through it twice. The dream sequence is something to see, and the Heffalump that blows a smoke ring at you was something else. We then took a trip to Never Never Land with Peter and the Darling Children, and braved the Adventures of Snow White. I remember being in Disneyland for the first time, and the Snow White attraction scared me into not doing any more dark rides. Apparently I've gotten over that. We went over to Tomorrowland, and rode Buzz Lightyear. This attraction is so much fun! You aim laser cannons at moving targets and gain points by hitting them. I only got 27,500 points, which probably didn't qualify me for any kind of Space Ranger....actually I was having too good a time shooting a father and his young son in the space pod behind us. Fast Pass was not open yet for Space Mountain, and there was a 20 minute wait....and it was every part of 20 minutes if not more. I dunno....Space Mountain just doesn't do it for me any more. It messes up my back and neck big time (darling, I am growing old....silver threads among the gold). From there, we went to do the Haunted Mansion (always great fun), and Pirates of the Carribean. There was a live cast member in the last room, tied to a chair with an AA figure. Guess I have been spoiled by the Disneyland version of Pirates. The Magic Kingdom's version is good, but doesn't even come close to Disneyland's. The drop here is minor, there's no bayou section, and it just didn't seem quite as good. End of editorial comment. We decided to brave the cold weather, and go on Splash Mountain anyway. There was virtually no line (gee, wonder why....). We sat in the front of the log and got pretty much soaked. For some reason, I just love this attraction. Note to maintenance, however. Check Brer Rabbit's shirt on the "leaving home" scene. You could see the mechanics *through* his shirt. How do you spell T-A-C-K-Y? By that time, it was around 11:30, and we went to Casey's Corner for a hot dog. Looked through some of the shops, and decided to take the Monorail over to the Contemporary to look around. Big mistake. I saw the $1,000 fiber optic Main Street Electrical Parade wool and leather coat. Somebody I know wants it for Christmas! Are you listening, Santa? Are you?? I've been a fairly good boy this year....... We came back to the Wilderness Lodge, and took about a 3.5 hour break. I fell asleep almost immediately and woke myself up by my own snoring (I'd make a lousy husband, lover, what-have-you.....). We took off for MGM around 4:00 pm. It was still very chilly outside, so I layered with a t-shirt, sweat shirt, and jacket. We went over there primarily to see Fantasmic!, but I was lured by the Rock n' Roller Coaster. Even if it is an off-the-shelf ride, it sure is a blast! The 0-60 mph take-off is breathtaking, not to mention that 360 and the roll. Love the ride, love the soundtrack! After RNR, we got in line for Fantasmic! and were seated in the Mickey section, dead center, almost at the top. Hard to tell which version I enjoy better. The pirate ship is missing from the Magic Kingdom version, but Malificent's dragon is much better here. You can see it a lot better than you can in Disneyland. There sure were a lot of parents who were hightailing it out of the amphitheater once Mickey's dreams turned into nightmares. And then there were the people who were just leaving before the show was over to beat the crowds, which I found rather rude to the performers and to the people who were trying to watch the performance.....not to mention dangerous. The parents with frightened children I can understand...... (getting off my soapbox.....) We had some time, so I suggested we go and see the Osborne family lights. We got the glasses that turned each light into a snowflake design, which was fun. It was also blowing snow on New York Street. One "flake" landed right in my ear, which gave me the shivers.....the display itself was something to see. After we exited MGM, we got in the car and blasted over to the Boardwalk for our Illuminations Cruise. Thanks, Jessica! We had a wonderful skipper, CM Lori, who provided lots of very welcome blankets for our cruise around. Illuminations 2000: Reflections of Earth is absolutely wonderful, and from our vantage point under the International Gateway we had the perfect seats. The show just gave me the chills (like I didn't have them already from the cold!). We met Jim Thompson and his wife, and Deb and Deb from Maine. A perfect way to end a perfect night. Tomorrow: Morning off, and Epcot Future World tomorrow afternoon. Expenses: Junk Food: Around $20.00 Mousekeeping: $2.00 Jelly Bellys (gotta have 'em!) $5.00 Fantasmic Glow in the Dark Pin: $8.00 Illuminations Cruise: $24.00 Memories: Priceless (and I'm not kidding) TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5th Today's report is going to be short (for a change). I "hit the wall" so to speak, and all I wanted to do was sleep all day. I woke up around 8:00 this morning, bummed around the Lodge for awhile, and then went to the Yacht and Beach Club to go to Beaches and Cream for lunch. We saw a bride-to-be in the lobby of the Yacht Club. Her dress was beautifully beaded, but it looked like the bride was freaked out. She had been crying. Hope she wasn't left at the altar. We both had strawberry sodas and Prime Rib Philly Sandwiches. Unfortunately, our server had a severe attitude problem. I know that everyone has bad days (I certainly do) but when she tossed my plate on the table, french flies flew and I wound up wearing onions and green peppers on a clean shirt, I knew we had a problem. When she didn't apologize, I decided that I'd had enough. I have worked in the service industry, and I know how much servers get paid....but I'm not about to tip well for an attitude. So I left her a 41-cent attitude "adjustment." We decided to dash our plans for the day and go shopping at Downtown Disney for the day. I thought that might be relaxing. A trip into the World of Disney proved me wrong. However, I did pick up another Mickey pillar candle, a few more pins, and a Millennium video. Used my Disney Club card and got a 10% discount. The card has already paid for itself in just a few months. Outside the store, I noticed that my little toes were hurting, and once we got back to the Lodge, it was confirmed. Blisters. I was surprised, because I didn't think we'd been doing all that much walking....or maybe my second set of tennis shoes didn't fit properly. In any case, I brought some of those new-fangled Band-Aids along, and that seems to have done the trick. We went to the Whispering Canyon Café for dinner, and were served by "Goldie Rush". She gave us a lot of attitude as well, but it was all in fun. When I paid for the bill with my Visa, she announced to everyone there that my credit card had been "declined." I coulda died right there. When I realized she was kidding, I think I turned several shades of purple. Anyhow, the dinner was just what I needed to get back into the Disney mood. Saw another beautiful bride in the lobby of the Wilderness Lodge. By contrast, she was absolutely radiant. It was funny, when I first saw her out of the corner of my eye, I assumed she was one of Disney's princesses. But after I saw that she was a new bride, I realized that her joy and happiness made her more beautiful than any Disney princess. What a lucky groom! You could tell she was truly in love. Tomorrow: back on schedule. Early Entry for MGM, doing a DVC presentation at 10:00, and on to Epcot for the Candlelight Processional and Tapestry of Nations. PS: I went back to buy the fiber-optic jacket today. Guess what? All sold out. Moral: Buy it when you see it.....or something must have stopped me from buying it in the first place. Perhaps sanity. Expenses: Beaches and Cream: $32.00 World of Disney: $56.00 Whispering Canyon Café: $60.00 WEDNESDAY, December 6th In Memoriam: One year ago on December 6, 1999, my dad, Bob Olmsted passed away from a massive heart attack. He was 75 years old. Though he didn't understand my lifestyle, and I didn't understand why, in his later years he and I started getting along. He mellowed....I mellowed, and we became friends. I miss him terribly. But the legacy he left behind will always stay in my heart. This has been a very unusual vacation. I'm sleeping more, I'm relaxing more, and am having a wonderful time. I "slept in" again, and we didn't get to Early Entry at MGM until around 8:00. No big deal. The park was quiet, and Rock n' Roller Coaster, the Tower of Terror (fear every drop!!), and Muppet Vision 3D (love Piggy and Fozzie Bear) were all walk-ons. Cast Members were out discouraging people from using Fast Pass at all. At 10:00, we went to the Disney Vacation Club kiosk on Sunset Boulevard and met Byron, our salesperson, and went over to the Boardwalk Villas for a look-see. They are presently selling the Wilderness Lodge Villas. We had a very pleasant time with Byron, and I've decided to join!! I go over tomorrow afternoon to sign the paperwork, and we'll then close in about a month. The Villas are beautiful. They follow the Wilderness Lodge theming, with which I am very comfortable. Decided to give myself 24 hours to sleep on it just to be sure, but with my love of Disney, it's a natural, far as I'm concerned. End of commercial. We received a free lunch for touring the models, so we went to some brewing company (can't remember the name...my memory is going) and enjoyed our meal. We then took the Friendship boat over to MGM, picked up our rental car, and came back to the lodge for a nap (I'm seeing a pattern of naps this time around). After our rest, we headed over to Epcot for the Tapestry of Nations, the Candlelight Processional and dinner. The Candlelight Processional was wonderful. The guest conductor, Maestro Mark Davis, was just outstanding. You could see how much he was enjoying himself. The Walt Disney World orchestra, The Voices of Liberty, and the mass choir of high school students were outstanding. I experienced some grief, as I realized how much my dad would have enjoyed seeing this presentation. He was a musician, as am I, and I could see him conducting, and me playing one of my instruments. When the choir sang "Silent Night," Disney "snow" began to fall throughout the theater. It truly was a glorious program. The narrator, Joe Mantegna, did a fine job of telling the Christmas story. Great moustache, Joe! We had dinner at Marrakesh in Morocco. We both had beef shish kabobs. After dinner, we wandered through Future World, listening to the Christmas music, looking at the lights, and watching that amazing fountain. Also bought a soft-sided pin case to display my ever-growing collection. With the Candlelight dinner package I bought, I also enjoyed a 15% discount on all that I bought in Epcot. Tomorrow: Animal Kingdom, Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party (sold out from what I understand). Hope to meet many DIS members there. Expenses: Mousekeeping Tip: $2.00 Breakfast: $3.00 Lunch Tip: $4.00 Candlelight Dinner Package: $90.10 Gifts: $145.00 Pin Stuff: $54.00 THURSDAY, December 7th After Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, all I could do was collapse into bed. Today was a day of gains of losses. By that I mean that everyplace I turned, I wound up losing something....cigarettes, lighters, house keys....along with the key to the safe, room card, annual passport. I swear that I'm losing my mind as well, but fortunately I seem to have found that. Everything except the cigarettes and lighter were found. I think I lost those somewhere on the Kali River Ride. No big loss. As some of you may know, I've been trying to quit smoking since September....mixed results, obviously. Yesterday was spent in the Animal Kingdom for a while. We rode most of the major rides and saw the animals....and that's when I started losing things. We had gift certificates for the Rainforest Café, and the service and food were good. They would cash one of the certificates, since the bill was $24.97 or something like that....so I asked the waiter to wait until we left, and then give the other certificate to a large family party that was sitting near us. We watched from the side, and the look on the grandfather's face when he was presented the certificate was priceless. It made me feel like I helped make someone's day. Came back to the resort for a break, and then went to MVMCP. What a sea of people! Once we were ferried over to the Magic Kingdom the crowd spread out a bit, so it wasn't so claustrophobic. When I found that the event was sold out, I really expected long lines at the attractions, but with the exception of Winnie and Buzz, the lines were all walk-ons. We did Splash, the Country Bear Christmas Special, Big Thunder....and did Buzz later on the Fast Pass system. We lined up on Main Street to watch the Christmas fireworks, which featured Santa Goofy near the top of the castle, and Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Tinkerbell flying through the air. The fireworks were gorgeous. The finale featured fireworks all over the perimeter of the park. We then caught Micky's The Night Before Christmas Show. Santa Goofy was all over the park, apparently. He was in that show...on top of the castle, and in the Parade. He's a very busy guy! We tried to hook up with fellow DIS members at the hub for the 2nd showing of Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Parade, but the place was mobbed. Sorry I missed all of you! The parade was lavish, even by Disney standards, with tin soldiers, Santa Goofy (again!), the princesses, Mickey and Minnie, and the REAL Santa Claus! Snow flew all over Main Street. Tomorrow.....Backstage Magic Tour Expenses: MVMCP: Around $65.00 Food: Around $15.00 FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8th Today we did the Backstage Magic Tour.... I don't want to spoil it for everyone else who is planning on doing the tour, but let me just say that it was WELL worth the money. By the end of the day, my feet were screaming, however. To give a general description, the tour allows you to see backstage of some of the attractions in Epcot, MGM, and the Magic Kingdom. You visit the Utilidors, Costuming, Hair and Makeup Departments, parade floats (the Electric Light Parade Floats are too cool!), and many of the other "nuts and bolts" departments backstage. Our CM tour guide, Susan, was helpful, knowledgeable, and at times very irreverent and funny. We really enjoyed our day. Tomorrow: A whirlwind tour of Epcot and Animal Kingdom to see the attractions we've missed. Expenses: Tour: $350 (give or take) Dinner: $10.00 (offsite.....way offsite) I have bought sooooo many pins that I'm almost afraid to total them up. So I won't! (Author's note: It is now December 30th , I'm editing this thing....and decided to tally up the pins....I've got over 125 of them so far. I guess if I ever go broke there's always eBay! :) ) SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9th Second to the last day at Disney I slept in as usual this morning. Woke up in a fog, put on my robe and went to the vending machine across the hall to get a Coke. Was greeted by a Mousekeeping CM, but I was too sleepy to be embarrassed. Finally made it to Epcot around 10:30 am. Got Fast Passes for Test Track (you *can* use your passport and your Disney Resort key to get two passes at the same time), and then went shopping. We decided to kill some time and went to Ellen's Energy Adventure. A lot of people don't care for her, but I think she can be funny occasionally. Hard to believe that Jamie Lee Curtis started her career in cheap horror movies (she's in Ellen dream as a "Jeopardy" contestant). Anyway, got through Test Track once before it broke down for an hour, and then rode through again. It's an OK ride, but I can go faster on the freeway at home. Had some junk food for lunch, and then headed to The Art of Disney and bought the Disney Art Classic piece with Yen Sid and Mickey that I'd had my eye on all year. We then drove over to the Animal Kingdom and saw The Festival of the Lion King. This is such a good show. Very well done and a lot of fun. We were in the Lion section. Kilimanjaro Safari was next. Our tour guide was a native of Boston Massachusetts which must be on the southern tip of Africa. Actually he was the best guide I've had on this ride. He was very knowledgeable, personable and funny. Came back to the Wilderness Lodge for a little rest, and then headed out to Steak n' Shake. The food is reasonable and tastes good. Just wish I could get the cook or the waiter to get my order right once. There's always next year........though it's kinda a pain to get back and forth to the Crossroads on a Saturday night. The food revived me, and we went to the Magic Kingdom for the Fantasy in the Sky fireworks display, and the late showing of the Main Street Electrical Parade. It was cool seeing the MSEP floats without the lights yesterday on the Backstage Tour, but I really enjoyed seeing the parade all lit up as well. It brings back many fond memories of childhood. They did some tweaking of the soundtrack to MSEP for the Christmas season, and there are some Christmas carols interspersed with the familiar electronica. Tomorrow: MGM and going home. I have really missed Bandit, my lab. I'll be very happy to see him. Expenses: Food: $21.00 Disney Art Classic and Pins: Never mind LAST DAY AT THE WORLD - SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10th Today was going to be the day that we were supposed to revisit Disney/MGM Studios and the Magic Kingdom to get to the attractions we had missed, or wanted to re-do. What actually happened turned out to be completely different. We got to the Studios around 9:30 or 10:00, and the place was completely packed because of early entry, I believe. We got Fast Passes for Rock n' Roller Coaster, and while we were waiting, wandered about and did a little shopping.. When we loaded up for Rock n' Roller Coaster, we were directed to the last car in the last row. I didn't think much about it beforehand, but the ride is completely different in the back car. It's a lot rougher, and a lot jerkier. I guess I wasn't ready for that, because upon exiting, I was a wonderful shade of pale white and green. I managed to keep my stomach down, but that was the end of rides for the day. We decided to go back to the Wilderness Lodge for awhile, and get a small bite to eat before heading to MCO to catch our flight home. On our way out of the studios, however, we were stopped by a CM taking a survey. I wasn't in a real hurry, so decided I could spare some time. The questions were fairly general in nature, like what kind a pass I had, but when she started asking personal questions, such as what I did for a living, what my income was, I drew the line. I don't feel it's any of Disney's business, and told her so. At some point, I reached for my wallet/checkbook in my back pocket, and to my complete horror, I discovered that it was gone. Driver's license, credit cards, debit card, checks.....everything was gone. I quickly terminated the survey and ran back to the store where I'd last made a purchase. No checkbook there. No checkbook in the Lost and Found. By this time, I was in full panic mode. I have a knack for remembering numbers, such as 800 numbers for banks, checking account numbers, charge account numbers, etc., so I decided the prudent thing would be to start calling banks, and canceling credit and debit cards. The one thing I didn't count on was that a person isn't able to call 800, 888 or 877 numbers from Disney pay phones, except from your hotel room, which I had checked out of earlier. They charge you to make "free" calls from your hotel room, by the way. So in addition to being panicked, I was getting angry that I was unable to contact my bank. So I got in the rental car, went off-site and started making calls and canceling everything I could think of. I was thinking the worst of course, and felt I had to protect myself. After making several calls, we went back to the Wilderness Lodge to decompress, and perhaps get a bite to eat so I could calm down a bit. At this point, I was ready to kiss the State of Florida and Disney goodbye and never come back. Never mind that this trouble was my fault, and I was more angry with myself than anyone else. At some point during this calamity, I must have forgotten about Disney Magic...but fortunately it hadn't forgotten about me. A few hours after my checkbook went missing, some kind soul returned the checkbook, unopened, to the lost and found at the Studios. We were on the way to the airport, and something made me go back to the Studios one more time, where my checkbook was returned to me. If you are reading this report, and you are the person who returned my checkbook, God bless you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. The flight home was uneventful until the end. We passed through a bank of clouds and landed in Denver in the middle of a raging snow storm. I managed to get lost on the way home, and wandered around Denver in whiteout conditions for two hours. Somehow or the other, I finally got home safely. CONCLUSION Despite some glitches, this was a wonderful trip. All told, around $5,000 was spent, not including the membership in the DVC. But this was intended to be a once-in-a-lifetime blowout, and it certainly was.....but now that I've joined the DVC, I'll be going back more often for a lot less money in the long run. Next trips: WDW with a close friend in March, Disneyland Paris in April, and another WDW trip in October 2001. Thanks for reading! G. Stephen Olmsted disneycub@earthlink.net Mail a Comment to G, Steven Olmsted |
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