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Ryan Seal -- June 2000 -- Walt Disney World (ASMoR)

June 9th - 14th, 2000

Preface

The trip actually started in November of 99. We had talked about doing such a thing for months, and finally in November, we decided to put some money down and really get the ball moving. We decided we would have to stay on Disney property because anything else would just be wrong. Just after we said that, we realized the price would jump a little bit, but would definitely be worth it. We settled on staying at Disney's All-Star Movies resort, part of three-hotel All-Star Resort facility. Cam had researched a little, and heard that the Movie resort was slightly more interesting than Sports (which he had stayed at), and music.

In the months between November and June, extensive planning took place. We tried to get some more people to go on the trip with us, but all denied, citing excuses along the lines of "it's for kids", and "where's the beach?" We also tried outlining a small itinerary, so we didn't have to decide where to go completely on the fly.

One decision that needed to be made was the one of how the heck to get there. Flying was definitely faster, and might allow us to stay another day, but driving allowed us more freedom and a noticeable price drop. We also realized that we'd have to pay for more than a plane ticket to get there because we would need shuttles to the resort, and we also would not have any transportation to Universal when we went. Hertz doesn't exactly like renting cars to 18 year olds. There was a parent issue or two in there also. Ryan's parents wanted him to fly because of the increased risks involved in driving 3000 miles. Cam was a fan of flying also, citing as the more expeditious mode of transportation. Eventually we talked over the pros and cons of each method, and decided that driving would be cheaper, and allow us to take a side trip on the way back (plus it enhanced the idea of a college trip by turning it into a 'road trip').

As the time got closer to leave, we both started thinking of more and more stuff to do, and realized that there was no way we'd get to do all of it in this trip (good excuse for another trip eh?). So we mulled over a few options and narrowed them down to a few main things we wanted to see or do. One item on that list was a tour. Disney offers a couple different "backstage" tours, prices ranging from $40 to $200. Cam had a hankering for the $200 one, but Ryan suggested that the $40 (I think) tour would suffice. The $200 tour included all of Disney (except Animal Kingdom), and the $40 tour covered specific rides in the Magic Kingdom. As time went on, we argued back and forth about which tour to take, or to even take one. Drawbacks included not being able to spend that day doing what we wanted in a Disney park, and setting us back another $200 on a trip we wanted to be as cheap as possible, yet still giving us full satisfaction. Cam did some more research and found out that American Express offered tour discounts on the $200 tour, which would save us $40 apiece. That swung Ryan over to the $200 tour side, and it was set. $160 for a daylong tour that allowed us into the deep recesses of Disney World would be well worth it. The problem came in when both of us realized we, nor our parents, had an American Express card. What ensued after that is too long and tedious to describe, but just know that Ryan ended up with 3 American Express cards issued in his name, all showing up in the mailbox at various points before and during the trip. In any case, we got the discount, and would be taking the tour on Monday June 12th, as planned.

The day or two before the trip, Cam and Ryan went to Sam's and Wal-Mart to stock up on essentials for the car ride and hotel stay. A Pick-N-Save trip also took place, resulting in the purchase of nothing. For this also, we tried to keep ourselves happy with what we got, but also decided that the less we spent, the better.

The day before we left (Thursday, June 8th), Ryan washed the van and took out the back seat to allow for expanded packing room. Later that night both packed and tried to think of any last things to do or take with, while feeling the anxiety and excitement building up. Sleeping would prove quite difficult, as one can only imagine, things running through your mind the night before a trip like that range from "what if Cameron wants to spend the whole time in Mickey's Toon Town Fair" to "I hope my camera works for the whole trip" to "what if I get a flat tire in Tifton, the cleanest city in the world's turf grass". Our alarms were set for 2:30ish.

Day One

Friday, June 9th

As the buzzer went off, Ryan realized that heading to bed at 11:30 didn't allow for much sleep time, and driving in a slumbery haze was not recommended. The van was packed at the last minute, which really didn't matter much because two people's bags don't need much arranging to fit into the back of the van. All the parents were up, with the exception of Cameron's mother, who seemed indifferent that her son would be taking a 3000-mile trip with the whacko up the street. Ryan drove down to Cam's house to allow him to put his bags in the back, and the parents were beginning to realize that Cam and Ryan, the crazy fools, were actually following through. Cam's dad had graciously allowed us to take along the radar detector, which would be much-needed on such a long driving trip. We placed it on the dash and made sure the Velcro was appropriately positioned to point precisely where a cop was expected. After a picture or two took place, they were off after a few hugs and a "good luck, drive safe, call me when you get there, and don't kill my son" was said.

And we were off. Starting time from Franklin was around 4:10AM. We didn't travel long before we had to stop: we needed ice for the coolers so a stop at Speedway was necessary. This is a good time to mention gas prices, which were more than exorbitant at the time. The first picture we have attests the $2.08 a gallon price that the tank was filled up on.

Next up was a McDonalds fuel-up, where Egg McMuffins, juice and coffee would keep the two of us fueled through Chicago at minimum. I-94, here we come.

As we drove away from familiarity, reality set in, and the buzz began. Cam and Ryan spoke of how weird it was to actually be going, and at the same time we were already noting that we were sick of driving - it was 4:45.

Getting to Chicago was a breeze, and the carefully planned time they had agreed to leave Franklin at proved beneficial: they got through Chicago before rush hour, and just in time to see sunrise over Chicago's skyline.

While driving through Chicago, many a lead-foot passed Ryan, who noted each one, yet was apprehensive to speed so early into the trip and start the proceedings off on a bad foot for getting a ticket not less than 90 miles from home. The radio was on, and the signal from Flashback Friday on 'KTI had just faded enough to warrant changing over to a Chicago station. Morning radio can be quite boring, but speeches about "wake-and-bakes" kept the two of us attentive and conversational.

The stretch between Illinois and Gary Indiana was less than interesting, until we hit Gary itself, and proceeded to drive right through. Yeah, so we (yeah, we...Cam had the map, Ryan had the wheel) missed the turn, but construction was decided to be the cause, and we got to see some of Gary's industry from a distance while racing to get back onto the correct path. Luckily, that fiasco only took a few minutes out of their time, and they were back on the road in no time.

Now the fun part set in, and one of the first giddy-like experiences took place. Cameron had never really been to Indiana, or remembered enough of it to realize that farm field upon farm field was not really exciting to drive through. So we proceeded to crack jokes about the terrain, while keeping our eyes open for the occasional squad car parked under a bridge. Somewhere in this timeframe we hit one of the many rest stops that dot the interstate system. It's always comfortable to know that there is a place to pee and pick up snacks, and at some point in the last week, this place might have been washed. Also notable in these places is the obligatory "you are here map" and the thoughtless banter exchanged between weary travelers citing how "tired they are" and "is Chicago that way?"

More and more of the like took place, until gas was needed - fill up when it goes below a quarter tank and you won't have to push the van later was the thought in mind. We hit some local-yokel gas station in Indiana, and found out that there still were analog style gas pumps still in use in the U.S. A kind man came out of the station and asked us if we needed help, and instructed us on the use of the pump. Ryan cleaned up the windows and checked the oil for fun, and Cam found entertainment in pumping the gas. Inconveniently, these pumps weren't pay-at-the-pump, and Ryan headed into the station. The man behind the counter asked him how much it came to and Ryan was 2 immoral thoughts away from saying "$5" when the price actually totaled close to $30. We both had decided to put every charge the two of them would be splitting on the Amex card, and Ryan was amused to find that this remote gas station, in the boonies of Indiana, had a credit card terminal and payment was executed in the planned manner.

The Faith Hill CD was played, which had been agreed upon by both parties previous to the trip. The songs proved to be ok, but after hearing the same sort of songs for an hour, it was decided to hit the radio back up.

Eventually the Indianapolis skyline loomed in front of us. A jackknifed truck created a traffic disturbance entering the city, and had blocked off access to one of the I-65 bypasses we though we might take. The traffic jam created from the accident set us back a half-hour or so, and disappointed us because we had made good time already.

Indianapolis isn't really that large of a city, but compared to the rest of Indiana, it was a welcome sight. Traffic was not that dense once inside the city, and we passed through with relative ease. Shortly after, we headed to a Burger King to relieve ourselves, and found a rather stinky bathroom, dirtier than most rest stops. Lunch did not seem appealing to us at this time, the grease from Macs was still sitting on top of the juice in our stomachs. So, back on the road we went.

Ryan continued to head towards Kentucky, familiar territory for him. They pulled out Cam's Disney trivia book and tried stumping each other on inane trivia, each surprised at the other's knowledge. As the bridge over the Ohio River came into view, Ryan alerted Cam to the view he would get, and we tallied one more state traveled to on our mental list. Louisville is right across the river, and is the home of famous places such as the Kentucky Derby at Churchill downs, and the infamous Jewish Hospital Cameron found insanely funny. UPS also had a hub at the airport, and behind that Six Flags over Kentucky could be seen. Sure, it looked interesting, we decidedly said it was nothing compared to where we were headed.

The hills started to appear shortly after Louisville, and the Astro was introduced to the sort of work it would take traversing this terrain would take. Bowling Green is just about one-hundred miles from Louisville, and Ryan's great-aunt and uncle lived there. As we passed the Corvette Plant, Corvette Museum, and Fruit of the Loom factory, it was decided we would stop in that city, and dine at the White Castle (a common site in the south, which neither of us had been to). Before entering the restaurant, Ryan warned Cam that his ears would be a little surprised to hear the southern drawl spoke in this region, and he tried to restrain himself from laughter as he order his bite-sized burgers. Ryan had taken the notebook into the restaurant, and this was the first chance to take note of mileage and reminisce over the previous eight hours of driving.

After leaving Cam agreed to Ryan taking him over for a surprise visit to his aunt. Surprisingly enough, Ryan was able to navigate himself around a place he hadn't been to in four years, let alone a place he had never had the opportunity to be a driver in. They made it to her house after a few missed trips around the wrong block. As he knocked on the door, both hoped that she would actually be there after we had taken this minimum of 15-minute detour (time is precious when both the trip's tourists can almost smell the Florida air). She actually did open the door and was taken aback at the sight of her great-nephew standing in front of her. We entered the house and chit-chatted about some things, and even took a picture to prove we were there. We told her to email the relevant parties and notify them we safely made it that far. We said goodbye and headed back on the road in the direction of Nashville. This time, with Cameron at the helm of the '98 Astro.

BP had conveniently placed a gas station near the I-65 on-ramp, and Ryan fueled up as Cameron took to his assigned job of mileage and drive-time tracking. Cam noticed how weird it felt to actually be driving instead of playing with the window, or eating Swedish Fish. Ryan took a much needed rest, while keeping an eye on the road so we didn't end up with another Gary, IN incident when we got near Nashville.

Nearing 2:45 we finally hit Nashville, and had previously entered our 5th state on the journey. N'Sync was on the radio which was out of place in the city known for its country music. Travel through this areas was pretty boring, and this was nap time for Ryan.

Chattanooga is a much-remembered part of the trip. There were reports on the radio of a traffic jam in the area. By the time we hit it, it lasted a whole 15-minutes. Then, after that, we hit the mountains of Tennessee. We noticed Lookout Mountain, and were impressed by the run-away truck slides set up on the Interstate. These sand filled, highly-sloped ramps provided trucks who lost braking power a literal last-ditch effort to stop themselves before careening off a cliff or rear-ending another vehicle. The scenery was great, and the river that we crossed next was another highly-remembered part of the trip.

The bridge over the river was under construction, and traffic was down to one lane. As we crossed the bridge it was noticeable that a few bad moves and we'd be sitting at the bottom of this river instead of traveling over the top of it. Signs declaring "Bee alert, arrive unhurt" were placed in the emergency lanes, amusing us to no end. Just know that above the letter "B" was an actual picture of a bee, creating a visual pun. Also mentionable is the car in front of us, which had its gas cap cover still open, and the over-abundant "Fireworks Here" signs and stores of the like. One store appeared to be Wal-Mart sized, and its façade made it appear even larger. All of these incidents were highly documented on video.

Next up was our 6th state: Georgia. The stretch between Nashville and Atlanta is enormously boring, and Ryan was glad Cam had to drive it. Both were alert as Atlanta neared and the clock struck 7:00. This was the first time either had driven on a freeway seven lanes wide, which each found impressive. Various landmarks in Atlanta were pointed out, including the housing complex inhabited by athletes during the '96 Olympics. Somewhere in the midst of our landmark sightings, we decided we needed to get into a different lane, two lanes over, to get where we wanted to go. Cam decided that it would be a good time to change lanes, and did so. A problem occurred when he almost clipped a red car in front of us while changing lanes. Video also documents this. Also in Atlanta, U-Haul trucks passed Cameron while the speedometer topped the 65MPH mark.

As previously decided, it would be more expensive and harder to find our way around Atlanta so we would wait until we were out of the area before stopping. Cam pulled over about a half hour our of Atlanta and we decided on Arby's to eat. After a needed meal, Ryan took over the wheel. On the way back to the freeway, a fellow driver decided that he would undertake a u-turn in the intersection, which Ryan and Cameron both agreed must be commonplace in the south.

The last leg of that day's drive was ahead of them, and was less than exciting - well until the boys livened up the ride with the humor only under stood by two giddy and overtired boys nearing their destination. Signs advertising Georgia pecans and gentlemen's clubs lit up the unlit road. And a particular type of sign kept appearing over and over as we neared the town of Tifton.

The Tifton signs advertised it as the "world's cleanest city", and "turf grass capital of the world" - not every day you cross something like that. Well, expectations of this city put a spark under us and got us even more giddy. Both the front windows were opened, and Ryan threw in one of his CD's. Both sang along, with the goal of keeping us awake and adding some excitement to such a boring time. Cam stuck his head out the window like a dog in the backseat for over an hour, and noted that the feeling of the wind on your face is like nothing else. While Ryan felt the urge do partake in such a thing, he thought otherwise when he realized it's hard to keep your eyes open when wind hits your face at 90 mph - it's not a good idea to close your eyes while driving, even when you're tired. Well Tifton was soon approaching and as we drove through, we were entirely unimpressed, and decided to either litter on Tifton's roads or look for litter in an effort to thwart their cleanest city title. We also thought it was weird not seeing any turf grass in the area touted as the turf grass capital - what a letdown.

After that disappointment, we needed something else to lift our spirits - other than the prospect of Disney being less than a few hours away, of course. So what we found was actually amusing enough to keep us entertained on the way back from the trip, in addition to the remainder of that night. Ever since we hit the Georgia area, yellow and black scrabble letter-like signs reading "Waffle House," peered over the highway with an illustrious invitation to eat waffles in greasy-spoon conditions, along with other people traveling the road, such as truckers. We were so amused that every single little one-horse town had one of these restaurants, we began to point out their towering signs before they were anything more than a blip on the windshield. Pointing them out might be an understatement though. It was more like a deafening yell to the effect of "Waffffllllle Hoooouuse". Surprisingly enough, the yell was just barely audible over the blaring radio and blustery wind passing at 90 mph. It kept us extremely entertained, while also serving the purpose of keeping the driver awake.

Somewhere after Atlanta, lights over the highway ceased to exist. This meant that it was more difficult to discern if there was a squad car in front of us. At one point Ryan was traveling at a slightly higher than normal speed, within reason of course. All of a sudden, the unseen light bar on the top of the car in front of him fired up and the Astro's brakes were tapped lightly to decrease our speed. He was less than amused that the cop was even there, let alone so well-disguised that it was completely unnoticed by either of the two traveling passengers. Luckily, the Florida state trooper was after the car in front of him, and not after us. It was funny though, to think that we were traveling faster than both of them. Oh well, luck was with us.

The Florida border was in reach, and we had decided to go as far into Florida as possible. Gainesville was the next larger city we would hit and decided to stop there. A potty/gas stop was needed before we got there, and also contributing to that stop was the fact that Ryan had almost ventured into sleepy-land behind the wheel. Both of us hit the bathroom and on the way back to the van were entertained by a white-trash man and woman in an old Camaro. The man asked Ryan which way was west, and where the heck the ocean is. He notified him that he could head to Tampa and hit the ocean quite easily. The man said he wanted to hit the water as soon as possible (how odd for 1:00 in the morning eh?) and he was just going to head "dead nuts west" in an effort to drive straight into the water, apparently without the use of roads on the way. The two proceeded back to the van and Cam appropriately took over the wheel for the very last stretch that day.

The first hotel in Gainesville we attempted to stay at was filled by some uppity convention so we headed south a few miles to hit up a Days Inn. The person in front of us got a room, and notified us to stick to the Days Inn because the Howard Johnson across the street wouldn't let her stay there for a reasonable price because she was black. Knowing full-well that neither of us was black and we weren't headed to the HoJo anyway, we decided to stick to the Days Inn as previously planned.

We put down the Amex card, got our keys and headed to find the room. Unpacking the van was basically unnecessary, so we grabbed the relevant bags and went inside. At this point all the two of us could think about was crashing - no, not crashing the van. It was about 2:00AM and we had to call our parents "any time we got there", so we did. They both decided it would be time to play 20 questions, so 40 total questions were exchanged between the two conversations, and the parents were then apprised of the goings-on of that day and the next - both sets of parents were relieved we didn't kill each other either in a crash, or hand-to-hand combat.

Our bags were randomly thrown on the floor and our hotel room "how clean is it" procedure, taught to us by our parents, was initiated. We found two dirty pillows, one with lipstick Ryan thought, and the other with something decidedly other than lipstick. Luckily each bed had another pillow in it. By the time we actually hit the pillow we realized that it really didn't matter what the pillow was like because we were sleeping before we even hit it.

Day Two

Saturday, June 10th

The alarm was set for 10:00, allowing us eight MUCH-needed hours of sleep after a day of driving for over twenty hours. As we woke, we hurried, knowing that Disney World was just over two hours away.

As Cameron finished up his packing, Ryan headed into the bathroom to snap a picture of the revoltingly dirty showerhead used by each of the two in that morning's showers. Both joked that Days Inn would get a kick out of seeing that picture once we got back and wrote them a letter. Barely seen in the background of the picture of Cam adjusting his pants, is the image of a rag covering the smoke detector. Apparently the people there before us needed a way to smoke in the room without getting caught. Luckily neither of us had created a fire, and all was well. Lastly, we partook in our first "make sure we grabbed everything" procedure of the trip.

As we got into the van we noticed the hot and much dreamt about atmosphere only found in Florida. The temp neared 90, but surprisingly enough, the humidity was low. Before we left on the trip the media was reporting fires sparking up around Florida, and we had actually seen a bright red light glowing in the distance, along with smoke and ash blowing on the highway. It appeared almost foggy in the moonlit night, an eerie sight when clear skies and warm weather are expected.

The road was busy enough to warrant bobbing and weaving efforts to keep a decent speed. But a few minutes of that took place before Ryan realized we should stop to get gas because the tank did not have enough to make it to the Orlando area. We hit a station just south of Gainesville, cleaned the windshield and listened to the odd noises coming out of the speaker on the pump (I think it was something like that...right cam?). So after that, we were able to finally hit the very last stretch on the trip down.

The AAA TripTik had listed a route to All-Star movies that swept down the south side of the Disney resort on Hwy 192. So we proceeded in this direction. The route took us past the boonies of Florida, not ever seen be the two of us on previous trips. There were many orange groves along the way, and Ryan commented that it would be adventurous to grab one off the tree and taste the freshest orange possible. We decided we would grab a glass of orange juice at the hotel instead.

The fastest speed of the trip down was achieved in this stretch. There were pretty high and far hills on the highway, and it was easy to see if there was a squad car around when at the top of one of these hills. If no such car was present, Ryan hit the gas and ended up finding out the van was governed somewhere around 100 mph.

On the way to Gainesville, we both noticed there were signs advertising Disney tickets and the like, but when we finally got within 50 miles of Disney World, the real Disney travel info booths popped up. We passed a few of them, each indicating our vicinity to the Florida tourist treasure.

From the back-roads of Florida to the touristy and garish buildings off of 192, we listened to a Disney music CD Cam had brought along and excitement increased. Ryan pointed out the Orange Lake Country Club, where had had stayed just the year before with his family, while weaving through the apparently ever-present construction barrels.

Cam had taken out the video camera somewhere, and Ryan had his digital camera placed on his lap waiting for the chance to get telling pictures of their Disney World entrance. As we turned off 192, we snapped and taped away at the famous gates welcoming us. We were there.

In an effort to check-in before all the other schmoes took our room, Ryan tried following the signs to the All-Star area. We ended at the gate to Epcot for some strange reason. The nice man at the gate - as are all Disney employees (cast members) - pointed us to a turnaround point just up ahead that would lead us back to the main roads, and eventually to our destination. We both found it really funny that Disney had built this turnaround point, and that the man at the gate wasn't surprised by our foible.

After that memorable debacle, we rolled past the two other All-Star resorts and up to the guard booth at the All-Star resort. We presented her with the reservation confirmation we had received a few months earlier and were waved through. It was around 1:00 Saturday, June 10th, and check-in time was technically 4:00, but our research had informed us early check-in was possible.

The front of the resort was an colorful sight, with orange letters spelling out "All Star Movies" contrasting against the blue walls of the lobby. We exited the van into the Florida head again, and took in our first breath of Disney Air. As the sun beat onto the parking lot, memories of other extremely hot times in Disney World flooded our head.

There as a substantial line inside the building, so we took turns standing in line talking, and watching a Disney movie (lemme know if you remember which one) playing for the kiddies while their parents checked in. When we finally got to the counter, after a half-hour or so of waiting, we were greeted by a friendly guest services cast member. She was kind, as expected, and walked us through each step the procedure. We paid on the American Express card, and in doing so, were handed two White Glove Care hip-pockets. We also purchased our E-Ride tickets at this time, making sure we didn't forget about doing it or attempting to purchase them after they had been sold out. Finishing up the check-in procedure was the presentation of the ever collectable and importance endowing resort keys with our names on them. In addition we received a pile and a half worth of maps, guides, and Disney paraphernalia to keep us reading for the rest of the trip - ok, so they also make good souvenirs.

Before we headed to our room, we looked around the resort in an attempt to get some sort of bearing on where things were. The food court had ample seating, while the gift shop had enough Disney items in it to keep a third-world country working for a year. The walls in the lobby were garnished with pictures of Walt Disney receiving Academy Awards, and working on various films - all in-keeping with the Movies theme of the resort.

Outside the main building was the Fantasia themed pool, littered with small children and ugly forty-somethings sun-bathing. We strolled past, this area realizing quickly that we had exited the air-conditioning and our bags were still in the van. So, we returned to the Astro and drove over to the parking lot closest to our room.

We parked the van in an available spot; none were really available because everyone was taking buses around the resort at this time of day. The pain of unpacking the van and moving stuff to the room was diminished by the fact that we still were in awe of where we were. Our home would be room 9805, on the second floor of the Toy Story building for the next 8 (check that) nights. At least three trips were made by each of us, including a few uses of the elevator because it's not easy to walk up stairs carrying those bags. We then filled up the cooler with some ice to allow for colder beverages later on, and to make sure our candy didn't melt (it did later on).

There was a playpen near the door, which we attributed to the previous inhabitants of the room. The front desk was alerted to this, and was supposed to send over someone from the bell staff to pick it up - that took a few hours, and two phone calls.

The room was decorated with Toy Story furnishings, including a movie poster on the wall. A single sink sat next to the bathroom door, allowing either of us to shower while the other person did sink-related stuff. The in-the-wall safe was placed in the sink area also, and we had placed our extra cash and expensive electronic equipment in there for safe-keeping while we were at the parks. Each of us got our own set of dressers, although they weren't put to much use throughout the trip. Cam had chosen the taller set of dressers, because Ryan wasn't able to see into the top anyway.

A table was positioned next to the TV/dresser area, and another was placed bedside. On the bedside table were a notepad, clock, phone instructions, and the obligatory pizza slice-shaped room-service/pizza delivery menu. Disney always has interesting stuff to read, so the two of us, throughout the week, would pick up something from the table and read through it.

We decided this would be an appropriate time to rest for a bit, providing us with some extra energy to use later on in the day. Cam plopped on the bed to watch the many Disney World television channels, as Ryan whipped out his camera for some room pictures.

We both found the shower to be dizzying but yet beneficial to the theme. Our opinions changed on that a little when we entered the bathroom sunburned, tired, and eventually dizzy from the shower curtains.

The beds were ample space for one person to sleep in, and Cam had placed his stuff on the bed near the wall, claiming it as his own. Ryan's bed would be near the door; a further trip to the bathroom, but a better view of the popcorn lamp.

The popcorn lamp just about made the trip for Cameron. Ryan had read about the lamp on a web site before the trip and proceeded to show it to Cam. When the light was off, the light appeared to be a popcorn box. When turned on, the box disappeared and emitted a light, while hiding the fact that the paint making it a popcorn box was even there. This seems so inane, but it is interesting when actually seen.

After a bit of "relaxation" we headed out to the Transportation and Ticket Center to verify that the tickets Ryan had from the year before actually had 2 days of admission remaining. The bus system was the easiest way to get there, so we headed towards the lobby.

Along the path to the lobby, we passed an interesting bug positioned on a railing. This bug was grasshopper-like, but much, much larger. It was definitely picture worthy, so Ryan positioned himself as close as possible to the beast without actually coming close enough for it to kill him if it jumped on him, and snapped three pictures. Neither of us has seen anything like that, ever.

This would be our first time using the All-Star buses, and this experience would be an indicator of how well the bus system in general worked at All-Star. The stops were positioned outside the lobby and the bus was there right away. Surprisingly enough, we were the only ones on the bus, which meant we had our own charter to the Magic Kingdom.

The Magic Kingdom is the crown jewel of what we really went to Disney World for. So, it was appropriate enough we stop there, and hop on the Monorail to the Transportation and Ticket Center. It was an awakening event to actually see the top of Mainstreet USA poke out from behind the train station. Again, we were there.

After snapping a picture of the Contemporary, we headed up the monorail ramp in front of the Magic Kingdom, and waited patiently for a train to arrive. It was at this time that we both remarked how fun it would be to ride in the front car of the monorail, and get to "drive". We vowed to make sure we did it by the end of the trip, but we never did.

We had previously spoken about the famous "Please stand clear of the doors. Por favor mantangas alejaro de las puertas" line that the monorail automatically blurted out upon the doors closing. It's one of those things Disney people hear, and immediately reminds them of where they are. Every time after that, we both lipped, or spoke, that phrase when it was said. Sure, people looked as us funny, but we knew it, and they didn't.

That first monorail trip was short, but gave us the monorail fix we had needed. We passed through the Contemporary atrium, an amazing sight, then headed past the Wilderness Lodge, and over to the TTC. We noted, at each stop to let off passengers, the clichéd phrase.

After exiting the monorail, we aimlessly wandered over to the ticket booths, past a revolving Mickey topiary that re-introduced us to the wonders of the Disney grounds staff. The man at the ticket booth was happy to swipe our tickets to assure us there were two days left on each. We were relieved to hear that, meaning no additional ticket purchase would be necessary for either of us. After placing the tickets back in Ryan's wallet, we headed over to the buses waiting to take guests all over Disney property.

The line to the Marketplace and Downtown Disney bus was decently long, and allowed us to get our first endurance test from the Florida sun. Sure, we complained about it, but we decidedly said we would rather be there than back in Wisconsin. Other line-waiters were also complaining about the sun, and at the same time, were obsessively spraying suntan lotion around like firefighters at a roaring blaze. The wind was kind enough to blow some lotion mist in our direction, so we both were complimentary doused in SPF 50. They apologized, but we probably could have used it anyway.

The bus this time was crowded, leaving us with the sardine packed feeling normally associated with Disney transports at peak times. Did it matter to us? Not really. Children nagged their parents, while the stench of the suntan lotion gave the air a musty odor.

Going to the Marketplace had been decided weeks earlier, allowing the free, yet necessary trip to the required destination. The shops there had souvenirs, and also lots to look at. We also went under the guise that we would find something to take back to our families. Each of our sisters had made subtle hints that they would like something brought back for them, but our parents hadn't explicitly instructed to do as such. Of course upon arrival without such, the wrath of our parents would most likely have been felt anyway.

We got off the bus, which had stopped at a rear entrance, and headed right to the main path. Along this path were various stores selling items from cookery to underwear, each adorned with some sort of Disney accent. The first store we hit was a store filled with pieces of Disney artwork. Items ranged from original cells to a wooden statue of Mickey Mouse, valued at over $5000. Seeing lots, but purchasing nothing, we headed further down the path to Disney's Days of Christmas store.

Lining the walls and evergreen trees of this store are every conceivable Christmas decoration imagined. Ornaments were hung on the trees, while Minnie and Mickey mugs were on the shelves. Disney certainly finds a way to permeate every facet of its customer's lives. Christmas time is hardly an exception.

The World Of Disney store is the main attraction in the Marketplace, and hours can be spent at what it heralded as the largest Disney store in the world. Cameron found his way to the theme park soundtrack CD's, and both of us enjoyed looking at the pins on sale for the Millennium Celebration taking place. A tower of stuffed animals bearing the visage of famous Disney characters peaked near the 30+ foot ceiling. The amount of revenue generated by this store alone seemed to be enough to keep the entire corporation afloat even in times of severe economic problems. We decided to hold off on purchasing stuff until later in the trip (we figured it'd be beneficial to see all of the Disney wares before deciding on something the first day), and left the store for further adventures.

By this time, we were hungry, and had decided to head over to the McDonalds located at the Marketplace. This McDonalds had been built a few years earlier under an agreement between the large Disney and McDonalds corporations, a fitting partnership.

The building itself was accented by a large "M" arch, and accented with a Rube Goldberg-style contraption of gears and springs attached to a clock. The inside was reminiscent of most McDonalds, except embellished. A menu appeared above the registers, which appeared normal, but after reading it for 30 seconds or so, the display would change. The panels were actually video panels, and they had commercials playing and animations moving for the different items.

The menu included standard McDonalds fare but also offered the option to pick the size of your Value Meal. Instead of having normal and "super size", they had two other sizes, allowing the customer to pick the size heart-attack they wished to take-on. We each picked an appropriate meal for ourselves - this was our first meal after traveling for the morning - and proceeded to a table. It appeared that a school-group was there at the same time because there were numerous adults following adolescents around, and intermittently speaking into radios.

We exited Mac's, and decided not to go to anymore fast-food restaurants while on this trip. What's the purpose of traveling so far, then eating the same food you can get at home?

In the Marketplace area is a large Virgin Megastore. Inside is everything from CD's to movies and books. A sign welcoming us as we came in proclaimed, "Two words that will help to convince you to celebrate black music month: Vanilla Ice." We both thought the sign was pretty funny, so a picture was taken.

Disney Quest was next on our itinerary - also planned weeks in advance. We knew it wouldn't take a whole day to do, and we both had wanted to go there. This was another place where an Amex discount could be used, saved us $6 per ticket. While waiting for our ticket there was a family in front of us so confused by the ticketing system, it took over ten minutes to let them inside. When we finally got up there, it took us no more than 2 minutes start-to-finish.

We went inside and were led to an elevator disguised as a "transporter" of some sort. The doors closed, and we could feel ourselves move vertically, as a movie played on the walls around us. Just before the doors opened to let us off, a star-field type scene was displayed 360 degrees around us, creating a space-like environment.

We got off the elevator and were greeted by a friendly cast member who asked us if we needed to know where to go, but we declined and headed off towards the roller-coaster creating attraction called Cyber Space Mountain (puny eh?). We waited a short time in line and created a looping, gut-wrenching coaster, purposefully meant to get us sick or at least raise the eyebrows of the cast member attending to our ride experience.

After walking up the ramp to the full-motion simulator, we emptied our pockets as instructed, and entered the red cylinder that would take us through our track. The harnesses were pushed down, and we were instructed to push the button next to us to return the ride to resting position if we felt sick. No one wants to spin in puke, so it's nice to know that button is there.

The ride itself was pretty good. It had enough barrel rolls and loops in it to keep us looking for the next one. It's pretty hard to get two coaster enthusiasts sick on a ride like that, and it didn't. For sure, our faces, visible on a monitor outside the ride, were interesting to watch as we dipped and shook over the track.

Next up was a trip to the Astro Blaster ride, where modified bumper cars raced around a rink while shooting Nerf balls at other cars. One driver was needed, along with the passenger who loaded the gun and shot. We took turns with each, and rode the ride at least twice. Video can be seen of one of these instances. It is definitely a well-designed experience, and we knocked many a car into a spinning frenzy. Each was quick to pass the blame on the other, be it in a driving or firing role.

Another ride we undertook that day was a virtual reality sword fighting game. We were strapped to barstool type pedestals and a visor was placed over a helmet tightened around our head. Our hands clenched a fake laser-sword. As we wildly swept the "swords" around, many passers-by probably laughed at us, but we didn't care, there were enemies to beat, and each other's score to worry about. Cameron won.

Another VR simulation type ride had a navigator and 3 gunners positioned in a circle. We were supposedly in a vehicle of some sort, jumping around a foreign planet. Each gunner had to thwart enemies, while the navigator, played by Ryan, picked up hostages. We ended up losing miserably in this game due to Ryan's lack of vehicle control (put lightly), but were extremely amused by the small child and his father sitting behind us. They each had a gun, and the when appropriate, the child would yell as if his life depended on this game. He was so amusing, the video camera was taken out to record the incident. His deafening shouts were slightly annoying, but it was good to see a kid so enthusiastic about a ride; which sparked memories of our own childhood and made us wish "we had stuff like this when we were kids".

Next up was the much-anticipated visit to the create-a-postcard computers connected to the Internet. Around the perimeter of the circular room were sets of two opposing chairs encompassing a Compaq terminal. We sat down at two separate workstations, allowing us to write a postcard to each of our families. As Cameron worked on his, Ryan visited his web page to leave a message for anyone looking at the page while he was gone, and also left he browser at that page so subsequent visitors could peruse his site. They both had their computer fix for the week, even though it was less than two days since they last touched a keyboard. It's hard to believe that either of the two could forget about their computers completely while there, but Disney provides an atmosphere that makes such a thing the last item on either of their minds.

We headed downstairs and hit up one of the last rides we would go on at Disney Quest. At the lowest level of the building were 5-6 inflatable "rafts" positioned in front of a video screen. The riders are to sit in the raft and paddle oars, while devices picked up their movements and guided the video screen accordingly. As waves hit the "raft" the air pressure keeping the raft in the air would increase, making the riders feel as if they were actually on a raft. Also adding to the effect was the splash of water after hitting particularly large waves. It was another well-created attraction by the Imagineers.

Simulating a pinball machine with a hockey theme was Mighty Ducks Pinball. This game involved standing on a front-to-back and side-shifting pedestal, allowing the rider to control their virtual "puck". The riders were to navigate past a goalie and score points. This ride doesn't top the list at Disney Quest, but is a pretty neat idea that inspires competition, while incorporating a physical aspect into video games.

Next to the pinball game were six multiplayer Sega racing game systems. We waited in line for a seat, and while doing so, watched the riders' expressions captured from a video camera aimed at their face. Some people didn't realize that they were seen on a monitor above them, making their faces even more interesting to watch. Cameron led the pack, while Ryan finished somewhere behind him - yelling a few curses.

The last thing we attempted to try there were remote control cars with video cameras attached to them. One person stayed at a controlling station, while the other person followed the vehicle's movements by looking through a glass floor under his feet. It was hard to even find which car was ours, and the car didn't steer correctly anyway, so we decided to leave. The only satisfying part of this was Cameron taking out his rage by crashing into other cars.

We left the building and headed into the first nighttime environment we had in Disney for this trip. Disney does an exceptional job of making everything look just as good, if not better, at night than in the day. Spotlights and little bulbs not visible in the day appeared from nowhere, illuminating the path through Downtown Disney and the Marketplace. Pleasure Island's large spotlights swept the air behind Planet Hollywood and the other clubs, icons of the Downtown Disney area, indicating this was the place to be at night.

Cameron had pleaded to go to a Run DMC concert, or at least see the BET (Black Entertainment Television) party located within Pleasure Island. Ryan politely declined numerous times, citing the fact that it would cost us even more money, and we were too tired anyway.

As we perused the shops a final time, we looked again for some stuff to take to our parents, but found nothing. Our first day in Disney was coming to an end, and our legs hurt already after only a few hours of hitting the pavement. The bus didn't come fast enough, and we almost blended in with the other sleeping children resting with their heads on the window when it finally did come. We both commented how we each experienced multiple instances when we could have easily fallen asleep as soon as the driver cut the lights.

After letting the guests from the two other All-Star hotels off, the bus stopped at All-Star Movies and let the remaining tired passengers off, nearing 11:30. We headed past the food court, which begged us to come and eat something, but we resisted. The room was overly accommodating for the two of us, offering two wonderful beds and pillows too. We quickly changed and initiated bedtime procedures, including calling our parents and brushing our teeth.

Somewhere in this time period was another 15-20 minute act of tired giddiness, released through the production of a small video clip. Ryan had wanted Cameron to act as if he were using the bathroom, in an effort to display the wild decorations to our viewing public. This initiated uncontrollable laughter and led to the final part of the video. After playing around with that stuff, we had two somewhat painful conversations with our parents (we were tired), and hit the sack. We mumbled a few words back and forth between the beds and eventually fell asleep, to be awakened only seven hours later.

Day Three

Sunday, June 11th

T

he buzzer alerted us that it was time for our first full day at a theme park, and this was to be an Epcot day - as planned earlier. The noise was no welcome sound, as if any alarm is. After the wakeup procedures began (same as the bedtime procedure, except without calling our parents), we packed up our white glove care hip pockets and groggily trudged to the food court.

We figured orange juice was an essential breakfast item, yet orange juice wasn't available to pour into our mugs for free, so we took the next best thing: orange soda. We will both attest that that particular soft drink tastes much different to the barely awake taste buds. In addition to our little beverage adventure, we ate some sort of Danish, which was sustenance enough. This was a truly healthy breakfast, and the grease and sugar were expected to last us until an early lunch.

We placed ourselves into the Epcot bus line, and waited for it to show up. It took over a half an hour for one to arrive, which is not normal for Disney. We entertained ourselves by watching the families surrounding us. Each had different preparations they were in the middle of, and a few realized they left their tickets back in the room. Children wandered aimlessly, wondering why they weren't at the theme park, while parents advised them not to be whiney that day. We took over the big-kid role, and set an example for our younger peers.

The bus swept us over to the All-Star bus stop at Epcot, and we disembarked. There was a sense of urgency in our steps as we headed to the gate. When approaching, we got out our tickets, then presented them to the cast member and entered the first park of our trip.

Just past the gates were jaggedly shaped rock formation like things, adorned with engraved metal plates. Each of these plates was part of the Leave a Legacy program, part of the Millennium Celebration, which was headquartered at Epcot. We passed by, and started a fast paced walk to the Test Track area.

Ryan had been on Test Track on his previous visit, but this would be Cameron's first ride. We had planned to wait any length of time to get on, but were relieved to see wait times under an hour. The line itself provides some form of pre-ride entertainment. The rider is taken through a mock GM quality control procedure. Various stations have been set up demonstrating tire endurance testing, test-dummy impact testing, and lastly a sound dampening room provided an appropriate environment for stereo testing. We were completely surprised to make it to the front of the line in less than 15 minutes, and when there we tried peeking at the ride operator's control panel to see what type of gadgets he may have back there.

The pre-show was interesting, the first time. And upon its completion, we were released into the final ride queue to be assigned a car to ride in. We were put right in front, and excited to know that we would be the first to be hit if we crashed. The ride took us an amazing 64.9 mph around a looped track, traveling not more than a few inches from the ground. We both pointed out that it was possible to see some glimpses of the backstage area, then realized that we would be back there in a two days ourselves on the tour. The ride finished with a viewing of ourselves on an infrared camera positioned above the track. When the car stopped in the load/unload zone, the seatbelts released, and we pointed towards the exit, which took us through a simulated GM assembly line and a GM showroom. Ryan had his picture taken next to a Grand Prix in the showroom, in honor of the Grand Prix his family had waiting for him at home.

We realized that we were able to get on the ride quickly the first time, and the line probably wasn't much longer at that point. We rushed back over to the queue, and waited for our second tour around the track. Before getting on the ride the first time, we had grabbed a Fast Pass, allowing us to return to the ride at a later time, to enter a faster line. By the time the second ride was done, it was time for the fast pass, so we went again. In the end, we were able to get on the ride three times in less than an hour and a half, no small feat. Oh yeah, we grabbed another Fast Pass to be used later in the day.

Coca Cola had set up an "Ice Station Cool" refreshment zone, near the World Showcase, offering free soda produced by Coke, and sold to different countries around the world. The line wove through a cave, which had been cooled to "sub-artic" temperatures in an effort to simulate the North Pole. This cave opened into a large room filled with multiple soda dispensers. Cam had done this before and instructed Ryan to take a sip of the "Beverly" drink, found in Italy. He immediately cringed and decided that more sips would not be required, and said, "there better be something around here that tastes good to wash this down." The other drinks were not nearly as bad, but had their own peculiar tastes corresponding to their location.

When we had our fill of free drinks, we noticed the World Showcase had just opened, and we headed on over. Canada is the first country guests pass when traveling the circular path around the World Showcase Lagoon. We stopped for a picture of their gardens, and also snapped a few of the building that houses Le Cellier, a Canadian steakhouse.

Just past the Canada pavilion, was the Millennium Village. This building was home to smaller, "minor" countries that were not afforded an entire World Showcase pavilion. We noted gray skies above us, and went in.

Inside were a few drab booths, along with carts and tables displaying information about each country. We perused rather quickly and made it all the way to the back of the building, where the Jerusalem exhibit was located. Cameron had seen a sign advertising a flight-simulator ride and begged Ryan to go on. In the line to this ride was an interesting piece of stained-glass artwork, which Cameron propositioned Ryan to take his picture next to. Ryan remarked that this made Cam appear "Jewish", and agreed.

The ride itself proved to be less than a flight-simulator, and more of a "hop on this magic carpet and we'll preach religion down your throat" ride. We both quietly laughed to ourselves, as we didn't want to disturb anyone that didn't find this humorous. We left the ride, and the experience was one we talked about throughout the trip.

It was then time to eat, and we strolled back to the food booths at the rear of the building. Each country had its signature dishes available, and we both decided on curry chicken from India. Cameron paid for his first, and Ryan gawked at the price he was forced to pay. It was $6 for one sandwich and a can of Coke. The can of Coke itself carried a $2 price tag. And we're not talking any form of collectible can either. That was exorbitant to say the least.

We headed to the exit, and outside a complete downpour had just begun. We both needed a trip to the restroom, and decided it would be best to hide our camera equipment under our shirts and make a run for it. On the way, we splashed through puddles and dodged raindrops, making it to the restroom in record time. One of us went, while the other held the cameras. When Ryan came back, he saw Cam with the video camera perched under his shirt, appearing as if he was going to give birth to a HandyCam. Ryan grabbed the digital camera, and snapped a picture, while he got a few weird looks from other people huddled under the hut.

As we sat under the hut, we watched ducks play in pools of water created by the rain, and videotaped the "poncho people" (as we termed them) walking by. They both had yellow on their body, and both human and duck appeared impervious to rain. It was humorous seeing the people pass by, appearing as if they were a close relative to the duck by wearing their $5 poncho with a Mickey on the back.

Deciding we had ventured far enough into the Showcase for the time being, we headed back into Future World. We had both been interested in trying out the new Journey Into Your Imagination ride, which was a newer incarnation of something we each had previously been on. This ride was somewhat of a Disney mainstay, and word on the street was it had been renovated to a point of non-recognition and had turned into an utter embarrassment.

The line was short, and we made it on quickly. The ride took us through the same building, but had new scenery and a new storyline. Noticeably missing was the Figment character, along with his patriarch, the Dreamfinder. These were both the main characters in the earlier version of the ride, and their theme song was recognizable to the both of us, yet missing from this ride. We had an intimation this ride would be worse, and it was proven after we got off.

Next up was the Honey I Shrunk the Audience, another Epcot mainstay. It had begun to rain again, and our position in line was just short of the protection of a tarp. We were slightly wet, and the chill of the air-conditioners shocked us as we entered the building. The line passed through a booth handing out "protective eyewear" needed for the experiment we were about to see, then filtered into a pre-show area presented by Kodak. Six different projectors showed images of "true colors shining through" while the song of that name played in the background. We both had seen this plenty of times, allowing us to look around at the people prematurely donning their 3-D glasses, while we played around with our own.

Each viewing of the show itself takes away a little excitement, but knowing what was coming and being able to watch people as they rode for their first time made up for it. As mouse tails and dog sneezes surprised the newcomers, we both watched and laughed while being at least a little jumpy from the sudden addition of reality to the movie.

After threatening to keep the 3-D glasses as a souvenir, we decided it best to give them back, then headed over to the Land Pavilion. This was Ryan's first visit inside, and Cameron gave him the interior tour. The building dated itself through 70's style colors and designs, while still allowing a diverse atmosphere. We didn't do much inside, but decided that eating there would have been preferable to the food we had at the Millennium Village.

After leaving, the rain had basically subsided and we headed over to the Innoventions pavilions to see how that had been recreated for the Millennium Celebration. The last time Ryan was there, both the pavilions had been closed to prepare for the celebration, so it would be interesting to see what all the hype was about.

This was the first time both of us had been inside these pavilions in a few years. The last time we had been in them, we had less of technical background, and were amazed at the technology that we would be using in the near future. This time, were slightly unimpressed by the lack of new whiz-bang gizmos, and more corporate hype. We had expected to see completely new ideas set before us. Instead, we found some newer technology that we both had either used before ourselves, or knew such a thing existed.

IBM had a few terminals set up to allow people to send picture postcards home. Being the techno-freaks we are, we headed over there to fire off as many emails as we could without someone behind us in line getting mad. Being that we each had a few people to send emails to, we had to stand in line a few times and send a few postcards to multiple people at once - instead of making many individual ones. Everyone at home was happy to see us alive and well, and that neither of us had any scars from attempts at the other one's life.

There was also a station to send a video email home, but we would have had to register for it and wait in a considerable line. We figured the picture postcards would suffice, and if we got time, we would go back and try out a video one.

We didn't last too long at Innoventions, so, at this point, we headed over to take a look at what had happened to Horizons. It was an older ride that had been previously doomed and demolition had just begun. Disney does one heck of a job with hiding things that are being constructed, or revamped. We figured that Horizons would be difficult to hide, seeing that the pavilion it was house in was quite large. We walked over there and were amazed at what we saw. The building's façade was still intact, yet the guts had been meticulously removed. From a distance, it was hard to even tell what was going on. Upon closer inspection, viewers were able to see the inside stripped down to nothing more than structural support, and the ground was littered with concrete and debris. It was odd looking at a Epcot mainstay reduced to such a level, but a sign reading "Watch this Space for future development," was placed in front, and reminded us that something bigger and better was on the way.

Just a few months before the trip we had heard news of Disney partnering with NASA to create a ride. This decision introduced Horizons to its fate, and disappointed the ride's many followers. The new ride is to simulate a space mission, as accurately as possible, while working with the best experts in the field. Upon riding Test Track, it can only be imagined what Disney Imagineers, along with NASA experts will create in their partnership.

Since we were in the area of the MetLife "Wonders of Life" pavilion, we headed over there. Inside was body wars, which we got on right away. This ride simulates shrinking a space capsule of people down to the size of a white blood cell, the injected into a body. The ride itself moves every direction possible, corresponding to the image on the screen. We weren't overly impressed with it, being that we had been on this ride, and its twin Star Wars, numerous times. However, riding this ride allowed us, firsthand, to experience what would be explained later in the trip on in our tour.

After wandering around the Wonders of Life, we hit Cranium command, a dated yet humorous movie illustrating the functions of the brain's multiple functions. The video had some up-and-coming stars in it for the time it was created, and it was interesting seeing these people before they made it really "big". Being so old, the movie most-likely doesn't have much time left before it's scrapped, but is definite a little gem hid way back inside the pavilion.

Upon exiting Cranium Command, the guests are release into a playground of sorts. There are many sensory experiments awaiting guests to come over and try them out. We both donned headphones and listened to sound effects created by ordinary objects. For instance, the sound of rain was created through recording the sound of bacon frying. Next to this area are some touch experiments, such as an identification by touch experiment where the guest touches something behind a curtain and has to guess what it is only by its feel. Next to that, is a large metal coil, wrapped with alternating hot and cold tubes, providing us with a unique experience. When we touched the coil, it confused our brain into thinking what we were actually touching was the exact opposite of what we did touch. For as lame as it sounds, it was worth a minute of playing around with and watching people get confused.

As we were heading out, we watched the MetLife miniature blimp coast around the upper echelons of the pavilion, as guests below wondered who was controlling it.

The rain was still coming down in spurts, so we made the best of the situation, and headed over to the World Showcase: the other half of Epcot.

After already making it to Canada, we headed on to the U.K. area. We passed some landmarks in this area such as the famous Rose and Crown restaurant, and took a picture of Cam next to a straw-thatch building designated as a Kodak Picture Spot.

France was up next, and was adorned with a mock Eiffel Tower. It is pretty funny knowing that the tower is nowhere near as tall as it looks, nor has a large base as it appears. The Imagineers created it to scale, and used forced perspective to make it seem like what is poking out from the rear of a building is extremely tall. When taking the tour a few days later, we noticed that the tower itself is just attached to a building, rather than going all the way down to the ground.

It is well known that France has a bakery to which no other can compare. The delectable pastries made within were discovered by both of us, on previous trips. We had decided that at some point in our trip, we would absolutely have to go back to France and grab some sweets. We were certainly enticed by the prospect of such goodies, but their ability to ruin our moderately priced dinner loomed above our heads. So, we moved on.

We passed Morocco rather quickly, nothing of interest for us was there, and our attention was focused on the Japan pavilion. The two of us had been in the same Japanese class from seventh grade through senior year in high school, and going to "Japan" together would make the experience more enjoyable knowing that we had some information about it. We had always walked through the area with our families when we went, but this time was different because we were able to talk about some of the Japanese thing we recognized without having to explain a long story about it to our parents.

We joked on-and-off about actually speaking Japanese to one of the cast members working there, but neither of us could muster up the strength to head over there and offer a friendly "konnichiwa." It probably wouldn't have been too out of the ordinary to do such a thing, but we really couldn't think of anything to say, and were also afraid that we would receive a reply that was beyond our comprehension. It would be pretty bad talking to someone pretending to know the language, then receiving an answer and not knowing what to reply. We decided to skip it, and headed for the department store.

The department store is probably the best thing for us to do there because in our Japanese classes we had taken more than a few trips to a store in Chicago that sold Japanese things. It was weird going inside and being able to point out the different items inside and knowing what was actually in that bag. Both of us had figured that after high school we would never use Japanese again, but this little experience offered us the chance to use our basic Japanese knowledge to read the labels on packages and realize that yes, those really were "fish flavored crackers."

After perusing for a while and trying to use whatever Japanese we could in an effort to impress some unassuming bystander with our foreign language wizardry, we decided that it was time to head over to the next pavilion.

On the way out, the sound of Koto drums played by expert percussionists greeted us. The noise they made was interesting to listen to, but it's hard to believe that this noise could be listened to for a prolonged period of time. Also in the area making noises of their own were "deer scarers". These bamboo-like devices fill up with water, and when full enough, tip over and bang on another piece of bamboo, making a noise which scares animals from the garden. Many onlookers were entertained and equivalently confused at these simple and autonomous creations.

Providing a segue from Japan to America, was our one and only experience with meeting a character throughout the entire trip. Mickey was due out soon in the area next to the gift shop. We saw kids lining up and decided to hover around for a bit. As Mickey and his "helper" came from behind the fence, he was literally mobbed by children awaiting him in ambush. They ran at him like if they weren't the first to touch him, they would never get their picture taken with him (which in some instances can be true, seeing that Mickey really doesn't like 90+ degree heat). His helper luckily had been in this situation before and yelled at the children while waving his hands to scare them away. He was so effective, he made a few of them cry, and from our viewpoint, ruining their whole Mickey-meeting experience. Seeing that less kids were in line because their parents were busy consoling them, we both hopped into line.

There weren't many people in front of us, and as we waited there, we realized we would only be able to get an individual picture of us with Mickey if we didn't find someone to take one for us. Ryan wasn't keen on the idea of handing his $500 camera over to some stranger, but hey, this is Disney World, and we asked the people in line behind us to snap it. It was really funny because the people behind us noticed Cameron's shirt said "Wisconsin" on it and pointed out that they were from the Milwaukee area also. Sure, there are hundreds of people from out area there at the same time, but being in line in front of them made it kind of interesting. We exchanged a few polite words and handed the camera to the man to snap the picture, while hoping he doesn't take a crooked picture. Mickey greeted us as any character should, with a hug, and we proceeded to put our arms around him for the obligatory picture. The man told us to smile, snapped away, and looked at the camera funny. Keeping the large line behind us in mind, we didn't want to ask for a second one, and we thanked the man and quickly reviewed the shot. It turned out to be great, with the two of us set in front of a nice bush-filled background and Mickey's bright red costume standing out along with the two of us evincing genuine smiles.

Everyone gets a picture like this at some point in their trip, but this picture really captured the mood and theme behind the trip. With both of us smiling, and Mickey between us, it demonstrated a common bond and a true happiness for being where we were and having such a good time. That picture is now framed in a Millennium Celebration frame purchased from the All-Star Movies gift shop, and sits next to Ryan's computer.

Next was the American Experience, which Cam had never seen. Yes, that is surprising knowing that that "show" is one of the more popular attractions in the World Showcase. There was a decent amount of time before the show started, but the Voices of Liberty (singing group) would be out shortly to entertain us before we headed into the theater.

We grabbed a bench around the rotunda's perimeter, and started to review the video we had taken previously. After Cam recorded some footage of his face, the singers came out and put on a very good show. Sure, we're fresh out of high school and this music wasn't exactly up our alley, but a few good voices working together will entertain anyone. It's hard not to like a live performance, especially in Disney World.

Sitting next to us in a wheelchair was a he/she type person. We didn't really take notice to their androgenic qualities until someone came up to "them" and asked if "he" would like any assistance. Until that point, we had assumed he was a she, and left it at that. But, hearing that he was a she, we doubted our original guess and decided to not judge either way. To this day we cannot decide if she was a he or he was a she. It should be noted that this was not some sort of transvestite or anything, just some older person exhibiting qualities of both sexes and making it hard to distinguish which one they actually were.

The Voices of Liberty were done with their performance, and it was obvious it was nearing show time because of the large group of people crowding around the entrance to the theater. We headed over to this mob, and proceeded up the escalator and made our way to our seats.

Everyone always gets confused on moving all the way to the end of the rows, and this situation was no different. Sure, it's a large theater, but when everyone stops in the middle, the people just entering the theater have to either walk around to the other end, or sit way too close or way too far from the screen for it to be enjoyable. Cast members are not always consistent with instructing the audience to do as such, and most of the time people are paraded around the theater to look for a seat because some inconsiderate fools didn't slide down the extra 20 seats to the end. Little do most of these people know that just about anywhere they sit they'll see the enveloping screen and audio-animatronics.

The show began with Maya Angelou pronouncing her famous "We, we the people" in a way only she could do. Her voice is very effective, and really sets the tone for the performance. It's odd thinking that while watching this somewhat educational and patriotic show you are in Disney World. Disney World is about as American as you can get, but when watching George Washington speaks, you are reminded that all this fanciness and imagination is possible because of his and his compatriots doings. Most people hopefully leave this show with some sense of nationalism, and reflect on it as they exit.

That feeling only lasts for a few minutes, because after you exit the building you're set right back into the scurrying crowds of Epcot. We noticed earlier that there was a Leave a Legacy booth located by where we took our picture with Mickey, and headed over there. We asked a question or two about how much it was and what exactly we got. It was $38 for a two-person picture, and Ryan hemmed and hawed over spending money. Yeah he's a tightwad, but he eventually gave in and decided to have his mug engraved next to Cam's.

The lady taking the picture had us each fill out some personal information, and a release form saying that our image would be displayed in the park for no less than 20 years, but that it's not guaranteed that the image will be in the same location for those 20 years. We signed away and were handed two plastic credit card type cards with our picture number on it. This could later be used to view our image on the Internet so we didn't have to go all the way to Florida to see what it looked like.

We squeezed together as close as we could on the little stand they had set up for us. We had thought that for as close as we were, the photographer would tell us to separate a little bit, but we were surprised to hear her commanding us to move ever closer to each other. It took over five minutes to get us close enough to actually fit us into the frame. Our cheeks were practically touching, and this picture was meant to commemorate our trip to Florida, not serve as a remembrance of our honeymoon.

With that out of the way, we had accomplished a few of our main goals for the trip: taking a picture with Mickey, watching American Experience, and getting a Leave a Legacy picture (ok, this was more Cam's goal than Ryan's, well until he got it done, then it was cool).

In the area in front of the American Experience the drum and fife band had shown up, putting on their show while wearing what looked like extremely hot wool clothes. Just a few days earlier we had heard that the Magic Kingdom marching band had been fired, and that Disney might be doing the same to entertainers at other parks in an effort to revitalize the music and entertainment guests get to experience. We kind of felt bad for them, but continued on.

Italy was next, and there was really nothing for us to go inside their area to see. We passed by Germany and also stopped by China to watch some entertainers balance bowls on their head. They weren't that good really, but we did get an interesting experience after we stopped.

Most people don't realize that there is a drawbridge in this area, used to cart out stuff for the Illuminations show from backstage. As we were walking, we noticed a crowd of guests stopped behind a rope, and a cast member behind an unobtrusive box telling everyone to stay back. Suddenly, the ground in front of us began to rise, and we realized what this actually was. Disney has done an excellent job hiding this, and if the bridge hadn't risen in front of us, neither of us would have been the wiser.

[We went on Spaceship Earth at some point in this day...tell me when]

We skimmed past the Mexico area, and decided to double back towards Japan to make our priority seating at the Teppanyaki Dining Room. We both were really anticipating eating there. On our way, we passed by Arlo Guthrie (Woody Guthrie's son) performing at the little band-shell area. We had enough time to snap a picture, but didn't feel the need to stay and listen to any of his songs.

The Teppanyaki Dining Room is located above the department store we had perused earlier. We headed up, and informed the hostess who we were and what time our priority seating was for. She instructed us to take a seat and wait for our names to be called. We sat down and discussed what fun we were having, and checked out some video on the camcorder and reviewed the pictures on the digital camera. We were called to a table at the same time as a few other people, so we assumed they would be with dining with us, and they were. We were ushered down a long hallway, passing up fellow diners amazed at the talent of their chef, as we anticipated what our own meal would bring.

Our table was as far back as we could be taken, but that was no bother. The hostess took our drink orders, and also gave us steamed towels with which we were instructed to wash our hands with. She eventually came back and took our meal orders, which she left with the chef to prepare for us.

In the time between the order and the chef arriving, Cam explained his previous dining experiences there, and we tried to keep the conversation to ourselves. We had always heard people end up having a table-wide conversation and end up having a great time, but our table was occupied by ourselves, a five person family with three kids, and two females sitting to our right who kept to themselves. This worked out fine. A few times, the lady next to Ryan laughed at his snide comments about the meal, but offered nothing in response in at attempt at conversation.

The chef came to the table with a cart full of food, and fired up the grill. He dramatically poured some water on the hot surfaced, creating a large steam cloud. When he finished cleaning the surface, he dribbled some oil down and plopped some bean sprouts on top. These were eventually set-aside to cook, while he cut our vegetables in an entertaining fashion. He wouldn't just cut them, he would do it as fast as possible, in the style of showmanship expected from this place. We both commented later on that he could have been more interesting in his methods, but he was by no means boring.

Next came the meat, and he verified with everyone sitting around the table that they had ordered what he had written in front of him. The portions of meat had been placed on his cart, and he dumped the meats into piles to cook together, starting with the ones that would take the longest to cook. There was a large pile of chicken and beef, and the two next to us had ordered lobster to go with theirs. Ryan had ordered a chicken meal, while Cam had ordered beef. It was fun watching a professional at work, and interesting seeing your food actually being cooked in front of you.

As each meat finished cooking, the chef placed it on the appropriate plate. The rim around the grill provided a small space for a plate, two dipping-sauces, and drinks to be placed, but somehow we were able to eat without spilling all over. The food was by all means good, and worth coming back for.

We had decided that getting a picture of this meal was mandatory. In the middle of his efforts, Ryan grabbed his camera, leaned as far back as he could in his seat as to get everything he could into the picture, and snapped away. It felt weird taking a picture at the dinner table, but this sort of thing is common at the restaurant so no one thought anything of it.

As the meal ended, Ryan joked with Cam about what to order for desert. Neither of us really wanted anything of course, but Ryan suggested Cam ask the waitress for a little sucky-sucky. This, of course isn't an actual item, but provided comic relief while waiting for the bill. When the bill came Ryan placed the American Express card in the billfold and tried to keep it as far away from the hot grill as possible so the plastic didn't melt. That would be the last thing we needed was to continue the trip with one less credit card. After grabbing the receipt and strapping our cameras back on, we headed for the door on a full stomach, ready to take on the rest of the park that night.

It had become dark during the meal, and Epcot had transitioned into the spectacle it becomes at night. Spaceship Earth was lit up on all sides, and the "2000" and Mickey hand was glimmering in the spotlights. It certainly looks just as amazing at night as it does in the day.

As Illuminations time neared, we dashed off to an area where we could see. It had begun to rain slightly, and we feared that we would miss out on video and pictures during the show. Someone had told us earlier that Illuminations was only cancelled twice in the entire time it's been shown, so we weren't worried that we'd miss the show completely. We were able to get a seat in front of France, behind one row of people standing just behind the guardrail. We peered jealously at the empty area next to us reserved for a private party.

We were able to peek between the drops of rain and had an overall good view of the show. We did get a few pictures of explosions and the like, but no video. It really didn't matter though, because we agreed that sort of video wasn't too fun to watch anyway. We had both seen the older versions of it and Cam liked this one just as much, while Ryan said some of the older versions were decidedly better.

Now is one of those times which really reminded us of where we were. Nothing defines Disney World more than a huge crowd of people after a show participating in a mass-exodus in an effort to be the first back to their bus. People surrounded us from all sides, and our only option was to move with the herd.

As the cattle drive neared the gateway to the World Showcase, Spaceship Earth was the focus of everyone's attention. Cam turned on the video camera to remind us later on just how the crowds were. This was, because of the rain, another poncho-person experience, and the crowd reminded us of a huge wave of yellow plastic moving one direction.

The lit-up sidewalks suddenly appeared beneath our feet, and Cam grabbed some more footage of the wonder of fiber optics. It's amazing how no one can see these lights in the daytime, and no on remembers to look for them either, but how bright and fun they are to see at night. Disney's Imagineers get a nod of appreciation from the two of us.

Next comes another one of those defining Disney moments. As everyone trudges to the buses, we heard small groups discussing their day, and the obligatory tired children complaining how much they wanted to go home. We discussed our own day, but also talked to each other about the times when we had been through the same situation and how unique it is.

Everyone was so exhausted, yet at the same time worried that their bus is going to leave without them, or that they'll have to wait in a huge line, that they find enough energy to pick up the pace to the bus stops. We assumed that the all of the All-Star resorts shared a single line, and that the buses stopped at each individual resort, but were more than happy to find out each separate resort had its own bus running back. We both commented how we'd seen lines at times stretching beyond the normal queue area, bound by improvised paths, heading towards the Epcot entrance.

After a short time of waiting (probably no more than fifteen minutes), and paying close attention to our surroundings to make sure no one skipped us in line, we were near the front of the line. When we had first entered the line, we figured we would make it on the third bus or so, but as we got closer to the front it looked like it would be a close call between the second and third bus. The second bus was just about packed as a group in front of us embarked. Looking like the bus was completely full, we held back by the door, expecting the driver to tell us to hop on the next one. But, seeing that there were only two of us, he politely waved us on, and we stood right behind the "passengers must stand behind this line while bus is in motion" line.

Standing wasn't exactly our idea of a peaceful ride home, especially because the buses make turns were it's almost a fight to keep standing and gripping onto two handrails becomes mandatory. But, in a seemingly labored ride, we were able to make something good out of it. Disney's bus drivers are known for their extensive park knowledge, and willingness to share it with visitors. We each had seen many guests discussing park secrets or tips and tricks with the bus drivers multiple times, and this was our attempt to try it ourselves.

Ryan noticed that he could see the bus's odometer from his vantage point, but couldn't make out exactly what it read. He asked Cam if he could make it out, but it was too blurry. It looked like it read 700,000+ miles, but was that right? Cam finally got up the nerve to speak to the driver, and asked him how many miles were on it. He concurred that there was 780,000 miles on it, and cited the diesel engine as the reason. He said that most of those buses put on one million miles before they're decommissioned. At any one time there are 150 buses traversing the park, among Disney's fleet of 216 buses. To us, those were interesting figures to find out because we always see Disney transports, but never really had any clue at how many of those buses were around at one time.

In addition to his facts, he asked us some personal questions. We told him we would be heading to Cedar Point amusement park in Ohio after we left Disney, and he was slightly taken aback, because he was from Cleveland, and headed there himself quite a bit when he was a kid. He mentioned that he had a motorcycle at the time, and he could make the trip from Cleveland to Sandusky (where Cedar Point is), a 45 mile trip, in 28 minutes. This was completely ironic to hear, because he was now safely driving as many as 50 passengers around Disney World, and not many years before he was speeding over 95 mph on a motorcycle in Ohio. Apparently he's pretty good at showing restraint.

The bus finally arrived at All-Star movies, after our interesting conversation, and we were the first to get off the bus. We said goodbye to the driver, and he instructed us to have a good time on the rest of our trip. As we walked back too our room, we talked about what the driver had told us, and thought it was great that we finally got to talk one-on-one to a cast member.

It was nearing 12:00, and we decided that filling up our mugs wouldn't really be worth it at this point. The room was overly inviting, and would provided much needed rest after a 17-and-a-half hour day. We used whatever energy we had and initiated our bedtime procedures, and both of us were out like a light by 12:30.

Day Four

Monday, June 12th

Mickey woke us up again this morning, and we kicked ourselves into high-gear. We had to be at Epcot's guest-relations booth outside the park at 8:45. We had decided the night before that hopping on a bus around 8:00 would provide ample time. We each showered quickly and went through our morning routine. We packed up our hip-pockets, this time leaving the video camera behind. Disney had previously told us that there weren't many picture-taking opportunities, and we knew taking a video camera wouldn't be useful after reading reports of others who had taken this tour.

We left the room, and headed to the food court to grab some Danish type bakery, and ate that on the way to the bus stop. It was just about 8;00 and there were no Epcot buses in sight. We had expected one to be there about the same time we got there, and were slightly anxious when one didn't show up yet at 8:15. Earlier, we had decided that 8:15 was the critical time to get a bus at, without risking not being at the tour at 8:45. We figured that 8:45 was just a buffer time, and that the tour really wouldn't start until 9:00. The bus finally arrived at 8:20, and swept us away to Epcot.

The ride there felt slightly different because we knew we weren't actually going in to Epcot and would experience something different than everyone else on the bus was. We kept hearing people talking about going to Test Track, and when does the World Showcase open, and stuff like that, and we were inwardly proud to know that we wouldn't have to worry about that stuff, and we would have a view that no one else on that bus would get the chance to see.

The bus dropped us off where it had left us the night before, and we were glad to see the guest relations booth where we had expected to see it. We went up to a person with a clipboard, thinking they were who we needed to check-in with. They pointed us in the direction of another person with a clipboard, and we were introduced to our tour guide, Mark. He handed us some nametags, and instructed us to write our names, or nicknames, on their front. Next a lady with a clipboard checked us off the list and asked us if we had any special requirements for our meal. Neither of us had any requirements, so we were good to go.

As the time neared 9:00, more people began to arrive. The last group showed up slightly after 9:00, and consisted of a group from California; one of them had never even been to Disney World. In our opinion, this tour would be SO much better if you've been in a park before and had the chance to experience everything before the magic is revealed. We introduced ourselves to the group, and told everyone where we were from. Mark then started out with some rules including what he can and can't reveal [give me more rules, because I know some of them were quite interesting] (including exact park attendance) and then transitioned into the story of how the Disney Company began. Ub Iwerks and Walt had gotten together on a few animation projects and eventually created the empire that we know today.

It was fascinating to hear truly factual information from a validated source. It was easy to tell that Mark was as much a fan of Disney as we were, and that he really enjoyed his job. He said he spent a lot of time researching stuff for the tour, and also did a few other things at the Disney Institute, where the tour is managed.

We were ushered onto a Mears shuttle (not a bus) waiting for us at the front of the Epcot parking lot. We were introduced to our driver from the day [if you remember his name, lemme know], contracted from Mears. The bus was air-conditioned, and mark pointed out the cooler of refreshments located up front. We agreed that for a $200 tour, they better let us have some free drinks.

Mark picked up a microphone and began telling us more information about what we would see that day. He outlined the tour as having 3 [or 4?] I'll figure it out once I actually write about each part] main "acts", each revealing more and more about the World. The first stop would be the American Experience, located at the rear of Epcot. Ryan knew this was on the tour, and this was one main reason he had Cam ride this the day before. There's no use seeing what's behind a set that you've never seen from the front.

The bus drove around to the back, on seemingly public roads, placed us at a checkpoint, without ever seeming like we left the "on-stage" area. We were told that at this point, only cast members, and us were able to pass through. Mark pointed out the rear of many attractions, including the loop outside Test Track. Remembering that ride from the day before, we though of what went through our minds as we pointed out we'd be back there the next day on the tour.

The bus stopped outside a fairly plain building, with a number on the back. This looked like any other building you'd see, and there was no indication from the rear, what was on the front. Several ancillary buildings were painted the same shade of red, and the neighboring pavilions were painted different colors to set each pavilion apart from another. A door had been left open, by means of a sandbag, and we were led down some stairs, into a large area, behind the American Experience stage.

Mark Twain and George Washington audio-animatronics were clearly visible from where we were, and they rested upon huge movable platforms which would move back and forth under the stage, positioning each scene to be raised for audience view. The whole setup is amazing, and is extremely hard to explain without actually being there.

Mark began to point out various things around the room, but most people were so much in awe, they missed the first few minutes of his speech. Since we were there before the World Showcase had opened (it opens at 11:00), maintenance and costume people were there preparing the show. He explained that every night, early in the morning [do you remember what time cam?] hairdresser and wardrobe staff would come in and makeup the animatronics. The set and "actors" were dusted, the stage was oiled to move properly, and a few test runs were done to make sure everything was good-to-go for show time.

It is really weird to think that something seemingly autonomous from a guest's standpoint, really has so much going on behind the scenes on a daily basis. The unknowing viewer sits and watches the show, while not realizing that the stage is moving back and forth underneath him, and that many hours before he even got there, there were people working on making those characters appear to be real. It's as if each show has its own staff assigned to it. Most would think that there is some sort of pool of maintenance people working on everything from Spaceship Earth to some Circlevision 360 movie, but from the way Mark made it seem, each show carries its own maintenance staff.

Next to where we were standing, there were a few human-height cabinets with electronic equipment and LED's inside. Piquing Ryan's curiosity, he took a look. Mark would eventually move on to explain that the computers inside essentially ran the show. They told the stage how to move, and also made sure safety sensors were not tripped. With such a massive stage moving like that, safety was more than essential. What was odd about the machines, is that they were antiques. They appeared to be from the late seventies, and hadn't really been touched except for routine maintenance.

Another important thing we were told dealt with the projection system for the show. The movie the audience sees is actually projected from the rear, posing some difficulties. Those that have been to see this show know that the curtains in front of the screen open further and further, revealing a massive screen encompassing 120 degrees of vision [is that right?]. Because the screen is circular and wraps around the audience, the projector and film must compensate for distortions caused by this. The further the image has to be projected, the more distorted it becomes. The projector itself sat a great distance behind the screen, and could not really be seen from our vantage point. We were told that the film was larger than standard 35mm to compensate for distortion, and that the bulbs that powered it were blinding, and extraordinarily more powerful than conventional projectors. Mark said that the film had melted a few times in early testing, and that a cooling system was developed to allow for these strong bulbs to be used without damaging anything.

The American Experience seems simple and poignant for the average guest. The effects seem easily accomplished, and they happily leave after the show. Now that we had seen what happens in the background, it was almost worth going back to see again, just to see what sort of awe knowing what we learned produced. We never got time, but we'll be back on subsequent visits for sure.

This was only the first stop on the tour and the group was wondering what else could lie ahead. If this was so interesting already, it must get better.

We left the air-conditioned building and again boarded the bus to our next destination. The driver navigated us around the world showcase, and Mark pointed out the Eiffel Tower behind France's pavilion was cut off just below the guests' viewpoint, and was actually much smaller than what it seemed from the front. We eventually curved around to the rear of the Living Seas, where large tanks and a pool-type area were.

These tanks handle the water for the large aquarium, which is filled with actual seawater. The pool is used to get new animals acquainted to their new environment, and also to quarantine sick ones. While Mark was explaining all of this, a group of suit-and-tie executives walked past us, touring the same area we were. We wondered who was in that group, and if any of the Disney big-wigs were one of them. They were most likely some middle-managers checking up on the status of their park, and nothing more. The heat outside was getting to us as Mark talked, and he finally finished and pointed us towards the rear door of the Living Seas.

The first door he tried was locked, and we were directed to another door, just to the right of it. As we entered, Mark told the last person in the group to close the outside doors before we opened the door that led "on-stage." He said by us allowing daylight into the attraction, it would ruin the theme Disney was trying to keep, and that was a no-no. So as the door shut behind us, a rope was moved and the door leading on-stage was opened. We walked in and looked around, most of us had seen it before. We thought it was kind of odd that part of the tour would be on-stage at such a boring attraction, and it was.

Mark explained many details about the tank and the life inside it. Neither of us was overly-interested, and details of this part are scarce. A few times we commented to each other how boring it was, and were glad to be moving on. Well, just as we were about to leave, Mark counted the guests on the tour, to make sure we were all there, and came up one short. Where the heck was the 14th person? Some of us were slightly annoyed at this person's boldness to wander off, but eventually the person came back, unaware of the anger towards him, and we continued on.

This was the last stop at Epcot, and the bus next took us to Disney's MGM Studios. Both of us had read trip reports about what was on this tour, and we weren't surprised to pull in behind the Fantasmic stage.

Chain-link fences surrounded the area, and there were a few trailer-like buildings in the rear, out of audience sight. Our bus pulled into a parking space (yes, there were parking spaces specially painted for Fantasmic cast members). We were guided off the bus, and into the humid Florida heat.

Mark pointed out various things behind the stage itself, such as the moat and the ladder going to the top of the mountain. Then, he led us over to the front of the stage area, to the rightmost seating area for the show. We all grabbed a spot on the bleachers, and proceeded to bake in the sun while Mark explained what was going on.

We had arrived at a time when the crew was testing the equipment and installing pyrotechnics for the night's shows. It seems as if the show was prepared about an hour before it was put on, but this was about ten hours before show time, just to give an idea of how early they really do get ready. A few times, all the water jets were turned on at once, and we got misted. People in street clothes were everywhere, watching the jets move, and placing stuff around the stage for later on.

Mark explained that the fire at the end of the show was produced by pumping a gas through pipes in the water. This is an extremely safe system because the gas can be shut off at any time, and any residual gas rises in the air. If any liquid fuel was used, leftover fuel could ignite unexpectedly, and dangerously close to the audience. Mark also explained the way the three huge water jets created a movie screen out of thin air. The boats traveling around the moat were steered by the rearmost "paddler," and powered by small motors. [Cam, were some of these guided by ropes on the bottom, or not?] People who had not seen the show before thought this was interesting, and vowed to see it at a later time.

What was really interesting about this part was how different the stage looked in the daytime, rather than at night. Night allowed for mysterious shadows, dark crevices and eerie mountain peaks. The daylight revealed that the peripheral sides of the stage were shrouded with chain-link fences covered with a leafy dark mesh to hide the rear of the stage. At night, these fences looked as if there was a jungle back there, and created a dark backdrop allowing the audience to focus their attention on anything illuminated on the stage. The water in the moat was only a few feet deep, just allowing enough room for the large paddle-boat to move through.

Next, we were taken back behind the stage. Mark explained some details about the casting for the show and said that some of the actors in it were part of the Mulan parade in the afternoon. We went to the "green room" next, where the actors get their costumes on and prep for the show. The room was located inside the trailer-like buildings in the back, and were comfortably air-conditioned. The first thing we noticed once inside, was that the listing of which person was to play which character that night had been covered by a black curtain. Mark explained that Disney didn't want to ruin the idea of the characters being "real", and had hidden the board for this tour.

The room was decently large, with some vending machines, and couches. On the sides were a couple offices for the show directors, and lining the walls were the actor's pictures. It was an odd mixing of fantasy and reality. In this room, people were transformed from ordinary people into cartoon characters, and the way this situation was treated, was unique.

We saw sign-in sheets for the characters, and were told that about 20 minutes [umm 20, I think, yeah 20] before show time all the characters had to be on the stage's island. The bridge spanning the moat was raised at that point because the boat carrying all the characters, and steamboat Mickey, at the end, had to pass through that area. Once they were on the island, they had to stay. And if they were not on the island, they were screwed.

Mark took a while explaining the difficulties of putting the costumes on and making sure each character looked exactly right. Each person was scrutinized for errors before they went on stage. Disney did not want any misrepresentation of their characters. While Mark was busy with this, some nosy person on our tour started peaking behind the curtain covering the cast board. He was caught, and was given a few weird looks by everyone else. They make rules for a reason.

On the way back to the bus, the ladder going to the top of the mountain was pointed out again, and also the snake [it has a name doesn't it?] that comes onstage at the end. He couldn't reveal any of Disney's tricks in switching the two Mickey's simultaneously, but would only say that there were never two Mickey's on stage at one time. The snake looked less fearsome in the daytime.

The bus took us next to the back lot area, where we would tour the largest wardrobe department of any movie studio. The driver parked, and we were led into the front office. A friendly secretary was there to greet us, and we also noticed a few girls on chairs who looked like they were interviewing for a job. We were introduced to a few people around the office, and the secretary had some samples of Disney fabrics for us to take home. These samples were actual pieces of fabric from characters that greeted guests in the parks, and included Mickey, Minnie, Cinderella and Prince Charming, among others. Cam grabbed the very last Mickey swatch, and Ryan was relegated to a Prince Charming piece.

Mark took us down a hallway, past some cubicles and we noticed some fabric samples on the wall, along with fashion artist's renderings of different costumes. He explained how busy this department was, and that every single Disney character's wardrobe was produced here. Next, he led us into the sewing area of the building, where huge sewing machines, and large pressing machines filled the room. We were only allowed to stand in one part of the room, but it looked like any other clothing plant seen on TV. The only difference, is this one was filled with some of the most talented people available, hand-picked by Disney.

As we walked back to the office area, an important looking man strolled through. Mark pointed him out as [I don't' remember his name offhand], the Emmy award winning costume designer. It was pretty weird to think that the man in front of us had been on TV not too long ago, in front of millions of people accepting one of the most prestigious awards in Hollywood. He was extremely friendly (how Disney-like of him), and talked with us for a minute or so. We then moved down the hall, and past a big board of swatches, much like the ones we had been presented with. Each swatch was labeled for a specific character, and these were used as examples and references when working on new costumes. Pooh's orange color was easily spotted, along with some other notable Disney names.

We spent a decent amount of time in that building, but the facts we remember are limited. Neither of us was overly interested in Disney fashion. The only really notable thing told to us is the way computers had changed the way they worked, and how they could print out patterns and immediately size them to fit different actor's on the fly.

Lunch time was nearing, and we walked our way behind the MGM backlot, over to Mama Melrose's. We were led onstage on our way to their front entrance, and were greeted by a host who had been expecting us. The group was led to the very back of the building, and seated at a table large enough to fit the whole tour. The waiter came by and took some drink orders, while most of the tour headed to the bathroom.

Mark sat next to us, which allowed for a conversation about where we were from and why we were there. He was a very friendly man, and it was obvious he loved his job. We talked a bit with the couple that sat in front of us, and eventually the food came. Mark pointed out the theming of the restaurant, and clued us in on a story behind it. He pointed out that none of us really had matching silverware, and the reason behind it was that Mama Melrose had purchased this with what little money she had, and had picked up the silverware from yard-sales all over town. We figured Disney just wanted a place were they could take their mismatched silverware, but hey, it added to the theme.

This meal was all-you-can-eat, and free. We made use of that. The server brought large plates of many different things on the menu, ranging from pasta to chicken and a large salad. Ryan, not liking salads, had to pass, and be mocked by Cam. We stuffed ourselves with as much food as possible, and were impressed by the quality of the meal. Dessert was last, and was excellent. Two large plates with a few samples of everything on their dessert menu were placed in front of us. We grabbed a piece or two of what looked good, and indulged. We were slightly disappointed at what was left on the table, because a second helping of some of the stuff would have been great. But in any case, it was time for us to leave. Mark pointed out that "candy bar" cheesecake we were eating, used to actually be called Snickers Cheesecake, until Disney made Nestle the official candy bar of Walt Disney World. That was just one of those little corporate touches that makes Disney so unique. Mark then grabbed a bag of food for our driver, who would eat it while we were at our next attraction, and we headed out the rear door, to the bus waiting for us.

That was the end of the MGM part of our tour, and we were headed to the last destination of the day, the Magic Kingdom. We were taken to the rearmost part of the Kingdom, and show the floats for the Electric light parade, being checked before that night's show. It was weird seeing this in normal light; dust was clearly visible and they looked rather drab. Mark said that the strings of lights were only seven lights long, and staggered. So, if a strand was to go out, only every third light or so would be out, and only on one small area of the float. Good thinking. Each float had a driver, and they were indicated to hold steady, move faster, or keep their speed through lights inside the cab. The locations of the drivers are really logical, but not really even noticed as the parade passes by. Small sensors in the road pick up where each float is, and Mark would later point these out to us and show us the computer tracking system.

We next headed over to the parade staging and characters preparation area. It was somewhat like the green room area at Fantasmic, except there was a large dance floor set up for the performers to warm-up and practice. We were greeted by a cartful of Mickey heads, being transported somewhere. Everyone looked shocked to see the nonchalant attitude shown by the person pushing the cart because this was Mickey's head, completely dissociated from his body!

Inside were huge racks of costumes, on a movable line. When the performer was ready, they came here to pick up their costume, and put it on. The huge amount of costumes was overwhelming, and seeing them up-close revealed a lot. They looked extremely heavy and hot. It was unimaginable to think people would throw this stuff on when the heat was reaching 90 degrees. It was