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Robin Goble -- November 2001 -- Walt Disney World (PR, BCR)

November 2 - 10, 2001

CAST

• Robin/Me - age 38, trip planner--"But if I go again before my annual pass expires, look at all the money I'll save!"
• Dianne/Mom - age 60--"I'm just going because I miss my grandson!"
• Michael/Nephew - age 8--"Can we go to Epcot now?"

HISTORY

Well I just got back from Walt Disney World last week so it must be time to start planning another trip! Seriously, this will be my third trip to WDW since November of last year. Unfortunately, it will probably be my last trip for a while since Disney has gotten way too much of my money lately.

Me, my mother, and my nephew went to WDW (with a side trip to Cocoa Beach) last November. It was our first time to stay on-site (All-Star Movies) and we had a great time--the weather was perfect, the crowds were manageable, and my nephew fell in love with the Food and Wine Festival at Epcot. In May of this year my sister and I visited the mouse as an early birthday present to her (both trip reports are on MousePlanet). My nephew was disappointed that he didn't get to go with us so I promised that I would take him in November again so we could be there for the Food and Wine Festival. Oh the sacrifices that I make!

I actually made resort reservations in March before I even went on our May trip. Michael wanted to stay with Buzz and Woody again so I tentatively made arrangements for a week at the All-Star Movies. When we went in May, my sister and I split our stay between Port Orleans Riverside and the Animal Kingdom Lodge. I enjoyed being able to check out two different resorts so, in the first of several switches, I changed our reservations to two nights at the Beach Club (so we would be close to Epcot and the infamous Food & Wine Festival) and 5 nights at the Caribbean Beach Resort (CBR), both with discounts through the Disney Club since the Annual Passholder rates weren't out yet. I chose the Caribbean Beach Resort for Michael because he wanted to go to the beach again this trip but we had decided to stay at Disney the entire week. I knew he couldn't swim in the lake at CBR but thought he might be pacified with playing on the beach there. I knew he would love Stormalong Bay, the pool/small water park at the Beach Club.

In July Disney came out with great Annual Passholder rates for their resorts and, after several switches, I finally settled on four nights at the Polynesian (PR) (I'm thinking that the volcano pool will be a big hit) and three nights at the Beach Club (BC). I also decided to make our room at the Beach Club a concierge room since the prices were so good. Let's see...we've gone from all seven nights at a value resort to all seven nights at deluxe resorts, with three of those nights at the concierge level...just look at how much money this Annual Pass is saving me!?! Actually, I'm the only one to blame for the resort arrangements. Mother and Michael (and I) were perfectly happy at the All-Star Movies last year and I'm sure we would be perfectly happy there this year too. I just wanted to check out some of the other resorts and take advantage of some really good annual Passholder rates in the process.

I had decided to use my frequent flyer miles for airfare to Orlando, so in June I booked our flight. The only scheduling available for our time frame was to leave at 6:00 at night on Friday, November 2nd and arrive in Orlando at midnight! Since the price was right (read, "free"), we went ahead and took it. This put us in need of a room for Friday night. Since we were arriving so late and I knew Michael would be tired, I just wanted something very close to the airport so we could get him to bed in a hurry! I originally booked a Hampton Inn that was close to MCO for $71/night. I finally decided, though, to go with the Hyatt located in the airport--you can't get much closer than that, right? I had a $50 off certificate from milesource.com, an award program, so the rate would be about the same after the discount ($124 less the $50, for a rate of $74).

At our 120 day mark in July I made reservations for Michael to participate in the Grand Floridian's Grand Adventures in Cooking and their Pirate Cruise. At our 90 day mark in August I booked another Illuminations Cruise--we'll see if we have better luck on this one than we did in May!

Also in August, I ordered 7-day Park Hoppers for Mother and Michael (I have an annual pass from my May trip), made some priority seatings for meals, and managed to pay off the balance owed on our resort reservations. Now, as I sit and type this, I have nothing to do but wait for November!

Friday, November 2

"Car. 'Scuse car. 'Scuse car, please."

Plan: Flight to Orlando at 6:30pm. Arrive at 12:20am (ugh!). Spend night at airport Hyatt.

Finally, the day is here. How does the week before you go on vacation go by so slowly when the week you're on vacation goes by so fast?! Some kind of sadistic space-time continuum, I'm sure. I worked this morning until noon then dropped my car off at the body shop to be repaired while I was gone (due to a small fender-bender a few days before). My mother picked me up at the body shop and we grabbed a quick lunch before I headed home to finish packing.

My sister and her husband brought my nephew over after they picked him up at school and, since you can't get past security at the airport anymore if you aren't a ticketed passenger, we said our "good-bye's" at the house. We left for the airport at 4:15 and we were at the ticket counter at 4:30 (my dad dropped us off). With the new security measures check-in was a little slower than usual and you had to show your identification a lot, but no one was complaining. It was weird to see the armed National Guardsmen stationed around the airport. I am glad that they were there but it's one of those things that you don't ever expect to have to see in America.

After we were through the security check, we had plenty of time before our flight so we decided to get some supper. Burger King was Michael's restaurant of choice so we had cheeseburgers all around with onion rings and diet cokes for me and Mother, and French fries and milk for Michael ($17.23). Our flight was on time and we arrived at DFW (Dallas-Fort Worth) at 7:40.

If you have read my previous trip reports you know that my mother has had knee replacement surgery on both of her legs and is not able to walk long distances quickly and without rest. In fact, she uses an ECV (an electric scooter) to get around at the parks in WDW. From experience I know that any time you fly into DFW you can count on arriving at Terminal A, gate 4ish and having to make a connecting flight at Terminal C, gate 30ish within a 50 minute time frame. They have an airport train that takes you between terminals, but it always seems to be miles away from wherever you arrive. So, trying to be a good daughter, I called the airline about a week before our departure to see if I could arrange to have a wheelchair or cart for my mother at the gate when we arrived at DFW. The airline asked if she needed any help boarding the plane and I explained that she only had trouble with distances. They said this was not a problem, notated my reservation, and told me to check with the gate agent when we arrived. Problem solved...or so we thought.

When we landed at DFW, we had to de-plane on the tarmac and immediately board a bus which took us to terminal A. When we were dropped off at terminal A, there wasn't a gate-agent in sight and we had 40 minutes to make it to terminal C, gate 29. We started off in the direction of the train and, luckily, after a few minutes of trudging along, a woman driving a cart stopped and asked us where we were headed. When we told her "C-29" she told us to get in and she would drive us there. The driver was seated on the front row with a small, Asian woman who, I'm fairly certain, did not speak a bit of English. Mother and Michael sat on the second row, I settled on the third (and final) row, and the driver took off!

Mere words cannot express the sheer terror that we experienced on that ride to our gate. I can honestly say that I would rather ride in a Tijuana Taxi or drive blind-folded on the Autobahn than ride on that cart again! The driver zipped and zoomed, screeching around corners on two wheels, slamming on the brakes just inches from innocent pedestrians. Her favorite thing to do was to find some unsuspecting person talking on a cell-phone and run right up behind them. She apparently had no horn on the vehicle to warn pedestrians so she would just quietly say, "Car. 'Scuse car." as she sent people scattering in all directions, grabbing small children out of her path. After a while, the little Asian lady started helping her out by saying "'Scuse car, please." I'm sure she will find her first phrase spoken in English very useful in the future.

While Mother and I were terrified, Michael was having the time of his life. At one point--I swear I am not making this up-- as we were going down a ramp, he threw his hands into the air and shouted "wheeee!" like he was on a roller coaster or something! I told Mother that he was going to be disappointed in Space Mountain after this harrowing ride.

Ultimately, we got to our gate unscathed. Michael was thirsty so I walked him back a few gates and got some strawberry milk, a brownie, a cookie, and a croissant ($5.62). While we were gone, the gate agent paged my mother to come up to the counter. When mother checked in with the agent, the agent wanted to know if Mother needed a wheelchair to get on the plane! Mother explained that no, she needed the wheelchair to get to the gate, not on the plane.

By the time Michael and I got back to the gate, they had announced that there were some problems with one of the lavatories and our flight to Orlando would be delayed. After a while, there was an announcement that both lavatories in the back of the plane were not working, so they would try to locate another plane for us.

Eventually, another plane was found but instead of bringing it to our gate, they sent everyone to gate C-14 for boarding. I tried to grab a gate agent to get a wheel chair for Mother, but they were already off to the new gate so we joined in the Baatan Death March. Luckily, another cart came up behind Mother and offered her a ride to the new gate (although they kicked a child off of the cart to make room for her). By the time Michael and I made it to C-14, the gate agent had once again called Mother up to the counter to ask her if she needed a wheelchair to board the plane! Argh! Mother once again explained that she was fine boarding the plane.

When they called first class to begin boarding, the gate agent jumped in front of the first class passengers and screamed "Stop!" She then indicated Mother and said, "this woman needs extra time to board the plane!"

Mother slunk onto the plane, mortified, while the gate agent held the other passengers at bay. We had a good laugh about it after Michael and I finally got on the plane and caught up with Mother. So much for all of my planning!

The plane finally took off at 10:00 and we arrived in Orlando at 1:00am. Despite the late hour, it was good to know that we were finally here and our traveling was behind us for a week. I grabbed our luggage while Mother and Michael rested on a bench and then we made our way to the Hyatt. I sure was glad that we had decided to stay at the airport this first night and not have to worry with getting a car and finding our way to another hotel.

The Hyatt was a beautiful hotel, even at 1:30 in the morning. Check-in was mercifully quick and the bellman had us and our luggage in our room in no time. I ran down the hall for a diet coke for me and Mother and a Mountain Dew for Michael ($3.00). The room was very nice and roomy and the bathroom was huge. It had a sink and vanity area outside of the bathroom and another sink and vanity inside of the bathroom. There was a tub/shower combination as well as a separate walk-in shower that was wonderful.

We got Michael into his pajamas and into bed while Mother called home to let everyone know that we arrived safely. Michael complained about the light in the room being on and said, "I can't sleep with that light....." And he was fast asleep!

Saturday, November 3rd

"I forgot how much your cheeks hurt!"

Plan: Check in at Polynesian, swim/rest, lunch at Captain Cook's or Kona, MGM, Fantasmic!

I woke up at 6:00 (ugh--four hours of sleep!) and sat around until about 7:45 when I took a shower. Mother and Michael woke up at 8:00. Michael took a bath and Mother took a shower. I left Mother to get Michael dressed and call bell services to bring our luggage down while I went to get our rental car and pick up breakfast on the way.

I got a sausage and cheese croissanwich for Michael ($2.11) at Burger King and a croissant, cheese Danish, and diet coke for Mother and me at Mrs. Fields ($5.27).

The Emerald Aisle at National had lots of cars to choose from. There were several Blazers, a couple of GMC Jimmy's, a few pickups, and an array of full-size cars. I chose an Isuzu Rodeo since it looked like it had the most cargo room and I thought it would be handy for Mother's ECV. I picked up Mother and Michael at the front of the Hyatt and we were on our way! We ate our breakfast in the car.

A quick ride down 417 and $2.50 in tolls later and we were on Disney property. I always love the first sight of those purple Disney road signs--they make me feel like the vacation has truly started. We arrived at the Polynesian Resort at 10:30. A bell man helped us unload our luggage and I turned the car over to valet parking ($6.00 a day, but worth it, in my opinion--all of the Cast Members (CMs) working there were super nice and knew us by name by our second day). Mother and Michael were both in awe at the Great Ceremonial House (GCH) with all of it's fountains and greenery and lush plants. Check-in went very quickly although our room was not yet ready. Michael was jumping up and down to go see the volcano pool so we strolled out the back exit of the GCH and down to the swimming pool.

We had stuck Michael's swimming suit in my purse so he changed clothes and was in the pool by 11:00. He absolutely loved the pool, especially the volcano slide. I thought he might be nervous about going down the slide at first since it is fairly high (the bell man that helped us unload our car said it is 128 feet long), but he had no reservations about it at all. I'll bet he went down the slide at least 50 times that first afternoon!

While Mother got us a table by the pool, I went to Captain Cook's to get a couple of refillable mugs (2 for $19.06). I would highly recommend getting these mugs to anyone who drinks lots of soft drinks or coffee. We had first tried the refillable mugs when we stayed at the All Star Movies last year. We used them so much the mugs paid for themselves by the second day! ($8.99 for all the soft drinks, coffee, and hot chocolate you can drink for your entire stay (and subsequent stays if you bring the mug back with you) versus $1.50-$2.00 per soda if you purchase them separately.)

With our mugs purchased and filled with diet coke, I joined Mother at the pool and we settled in to watch Michael swim. He was having a blast in the pool and from our table we could look across the lake and see Cinderella's castle and Space Mountain at the Magic Kingdom. Aaaaah! What a life! It sure was good to be back. I remarked to Mother that I had forgotten how much your cheeks hurt at WDW from smiling all of the time.

About 1:00 I wandered back up to Captain Cooks to refill our mugs and get us some lunch (2 cheeseburgers with fries and a cup of delicious fresh pineapple--$15.14). Michael ate one of the cheeseburgers and Mother and I split the other. We enjoyed watching the birds and ducks come and "clean up" after people who ate by the pool. They particularly seemed to like potato chips which certainly can't be good for them! We saw one especially bold bird who got on a table and helped himself to a bag of chips by sticking his whole head in the bag! When we pointed this out to the lady to whom the chips belonged, she closed up the bag better and ruined all of the bird's fun!

We finally dragged Michael out of the pool at 2:00 when our room was ready. We were in room 1810 in Rarotonga. The location was very convenient to the GCH, Captain Cooks, the pool, the arcade, the laundry, etc. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised at how close everything was at the Polynesian. Just looking at maps of the resort before our trip, I thought that some of the buildings looked like they would be too far away from everything. I especially thought that I wouldn't want to stay in the concierge building (Hawaii) because it looked like a long walk to the GCH, but now I think that any of the buildings would do just fine.

The room was good-sized and our patio looked out on the quiet pool. Michael rested for just a few minutes while Mother and I unpacked. He wanted to go back to the pool at 3:00 because they were supposed to have pool games at that time. We went back to the pool at 3:00, stopping to fill our mugs and get a piece of cheesecake ($4.19) for Mother and I to share. Michael went in to the pool with his glasses on because he wanted to be able to see while he swam. In just a few minutes I saw him swimming around without his glasses!! I jumped up and went over to the side of the pool and asked him where his glasses were--he didn't even know he had lost them. I had visions of having to drain the pool so we could find his glasses, but luckily, Michael found them by a drain under the waterfall. After that excitement, we didn't let him wear his glasses in the pool again!

As we sat watching him swim, I realized that there was no way we were actually going to make it to a park today. I decided to make a priority seating (PS) for 'Ohana for 5:00 so we would be finished in time to watch the torch lighting ceremony at 6:00 and to see the Magic Kingdom fireworks from the beach at 6:30.

We got Michael out of the pool at 4:30 so we could get him dressed in time for dinner and then made our way up to the 2nd floor of the GCH to 'Ohana. I was a little worried that Michael wouldn't like the food at 'Ohana, but I knew that they would always bring him a kid's meal if he didn't find enough that he liked to eat off the regular menu. As it turned out, I had nothing to worry about. My sister and I had eaten at 'Ohana for the first time this past May. The menu was the same this trip--you start out with Hawaiian banana bread, then they bring out a big tray with salad with honey lime dressing, stir-fried vegetables, fried rice, honey coriander chicken wings, three dipping sauces (peanut sauce, barbeque sauce and fruit sauce)--with the exception of the fried wontons. In May, they brought out sweet and sour dumplings. This trip they had shrimp and chicken fried wontons and Michael loved them! He ate four bowls of them. Our server finally took pity on me and Mother and brought us out our own bowl of them because Michael wouldn't let us eat any of his. Michael also liked the rice and the chicken wings.

After a while, the servers brought by huge skewers of grilled meats: turkey, pork, steak and shrimp. Michael was brave and tried them all. During the meal they had coconut races for the kids. All of the children go to the front of the restaurant and get brooms and coconuts. Then, they have to sweep the coconuts around the restaurant. At the end of the race course, a CM gives out large handfuls of gummi worms to all. Michael really enjoyed the racing. When we got back to the table, our server had brought our dessert of fresh pineapple and caramel dipping sauce. Yum! Michael asked if we could please eat at 'Ohana again the next night!

We were all thoroughly stuffed and it was almost 6:00, so Mother took Michael on downstairs so they wouldn't miss the torch lighting while I settled the bill ($61.84 before tip). Our server was wonderful and even brought us a take-out box for Michael's extra gummi worms.

While I was paying the bill, Mother and Michael were downstairs in the lobby. They each got a lei from the Island Guide before the torch lighting ceremony began. At first, the torch lighter came into the lobby and blew on a conch shell to signify the beginning of the ceremony. Then, an older CM with long gray hair beckoned to the crowd to "follow me" and lead them outside in front of the GCH by the valet parking and bell services desk. The CM explained about the tradition of the torch lighting and then he picked a boy out of the crowd to help play the drums for the ceremony.

By this time, I had come downstairs but I had to stop just outside the door of the GCH since the ceremony had begun. They had CM's with a rope to mark off a section of the walkway for the torch lighter to perform. I had just arrived when the drums began and all of the sudden a nearly naked man (and a nice looking nearly-naked man, I must say) with a torch in his hand ran by. The man jumped up and lit six torches along the walkway then stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. He put his hand on the fire at the top of his torch and slid it down to the bottom of the torch so it was now on fire at both ends! He then proceeded to twirl and throw the torch around with such enthusiasm that I don't know what kept his loin-cloth from going up in flames (and I would have paid money to see that, by the way)! Then he was gone as quickly as he had arrived. Michael was greatly impressed. He declared that we must come see him every night while we were at the Polynesian.

After the torch lighting excitement, we walked down to the beach and found a spot to watch the fireworks which we thought were supposed to begin at 6:30. We waited until 7:00 and still no fireworks. We finally found out that they had extended the closing time of the Magic Kingdom until 9:00 that night, so the fireworks weren't going to take place until 8:00. We didn't want to wait that long on the beach as Michael was getting tired from our late night the night before so we went back to our room at 7:15.

We got back to our room just as the CM came for our turndown service. She turned our beds down and left chocolates for us. I went to refill our mugs. At 8:00 we heard the fireworks start at the Magic Kingdom. We opened our patio door and found out that we could see the high fireworks from our room. After the fireworks, Michael watched TV for a short while and was asleep by 8:30. I updated my trip report notes and soon followed him.

Sunday, November 4th

"Tuna Matata!"

Plan: Magic Kingdom, swim/rest at Polynesian, dinner at Boma

Well here's the problem with going to bed at 8:30--after 7 hours of sleep your body thinks it's time to get up, even if it's only 3:30! I sat in bed until Mother woke up at 4:00. We talked quietly until Michael got up at 6:00. We got dressed and went to Captain Cook's for breakfast. Eggs and toast for Michael, a bacon, egg and cheese croissant for me, and a Danish, link sausage and milk for Mother ($14.99). Mother bought a refillable mug for Michael so he could have some hot chocolate.

After breakfast we headed toward the GCH to pick up Mother's ECV that was supposed to be delivered the day before by Walker Medical (we used them last year also with no problems). On the way we ran into the new Character Caravan. There was Pluto, Rafiki, King Louie and Timon in the lobby of the GCH. Michael stopped to see a few of the characters.

We picked up Mother's ECV and then hopped on the monorail and headed to the Magic Kingdom. It was good to hear the familiar "por favor mantangense alejado de las puertas!" We all remarked on how handy it was to just take the monorail from the hotel. The CM's were very nice about helping us get Mother's ECV on the monorail. As soon as they saw her they had a ramp ready so she could drive into the monorail. They asked us where we would be getting off so they could radio ahead and have help for us at our destination.

We arrived at the Magic Kingdom at 9:00. After security searched our bag we headed up Main Street and straight to Tomorrowland for a ride on Buzz Lightyear (which had about a two minute wait). Michael did better than he did last year but I still beat him by a few points. He was glad to see that he had moved up in ranking from a Space Scout though.

After Buzz we went to Space Mountain for Michael's first ride ever on it. There was no need for a fast pass as there was only about a 5 minute wait. Michael loved this one. He immediately ranked it above Splash Mountain, his favorite from last year. Next, we headed to Fantasyland where we saw the only real crowds in the park (although most of the rides only had 10-15 minute waits). We first got fast passes for Winnie the Pooh (return time of 10:40-11:40) then went to ride Peter Pan. Michael liked it (it had been his favorite when we were here in 1997) but, much to my sadness, I realized that he had gotten too old for Fantasyland! "Heresy!" you say. "No one gets too old for Fantasyland!" Well now let me explain...I realize, dear reader, that you and I could ride Peter Pan and Small World all day long--they're classics for goodness sake. But Michael has reached that unfortunate boy age where he wants to be riding something fast and dark and loud with lots of thrills. Believe me, I was devastated enough for the both of us. I hope that, as he gets older, he will regain an appreciation for these rides but for now, it's off to Adventureland.

I must also explain that this was the morning that I gave Michael $50 of Disney dollars for his spending money and the money was burning a hole in his pocket. Every gift store and cart that we passed found him begging to buy something so, before we left Fantasyland Mother took him into the gift shop at the end of the Winnie the Pooh ride. The first thing he bought was a small Eeyore for me (my favorite character). He brought it out to me (I was waiting outside) and said "This is for you because of everything that you do!" Okay, okay, so I forgive him for thinking Fantasyland is boring--what a precious child! Several pins, a key chain, and one twirling light-up thingy later and we were on our way to Adventureland. We did stop and give our Winnie the Pooh fast passes to a mother and her daughter. We had a hard time finding a group of just two people to give the Fastpasses to. It seems that most of the people riding were families of 4 or more. This was the longest stand-by line we saw at the Magic Kingdom (25 minutes).

Our first stop in Adventureland was the new Aladdin ride. I love the bits of jewels and tile they have imbedded into the pavement around the ride. Michael and I rode Aladdin (5 minute wait) while Mother went in search of a coke. After we got off of the ride we sat for a moment and finished our coke then headed to Splash Mountain.

Splash Mountain also had about a 5-8 minute wait. Michael found a hidden Mickey in the rock just before you step out into the room where you load and unload from your log. Michael and I were in the front of our log and I got considerably more wet than Michael did. We noticed, after our drop, that it had begun to rain. By the time we got out of the ride, it was pouring down rain. We caught up with Mother and waited in the shelter of the kids' play area while we waited for the rain to ease up. Michael and I still wanted to ride Big Thunder Mountain Rail Road (BTMRR) so, after the rain let up we went to ride BTMRR while Mother headed to Main Street to pick up some banana bread from the bakery there. Michael and I made it onto the ride in about 5 minutes. We got the very first seat and Michael loved it. He said his ranking of the three "Mountains" at the Magic Kingdom were: Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, and then Splash Mountain.

After we finished BTMRR, we hopped on the train and rode it around to Main Street where we met up with Mother and went to the candy shop to try and find something to take back to the kids in Michael's 2nd grade class back home. A marshmallow thingy and several Mickey Mouse truffles later ($14.99) and we were on our way. We made it about 10 feet to the pin cart right outside the candy store. We all bought several pins (Michael wanted a Space Mountain one) and then I went to the camera shop to look for a battery for my video camera. The night before we left to come to WDW I had tried to charge the battery and it wouldn't hold a charge. I've had the camera for several years so I figure it's time for a new battery. They didn't have what I needed at the camera shop, but the CM working there was very helpful. He asked if we had a way to leave Disney property and told me where two camera shops were located along 192 in either direction.

After the camera store we left the park to take the monorail back to the Polynesian. This time, Mother had trouble driving her ECV onto and off of the monorail (she took the ramp at a weird angle). I was afraid for a minute that the ECV was going to tip over. The CM's were very helpful though and we made it off after a few tries. It was 2:00 by now and we were hungry so we decided to eat at Kona Cafe for lunch.

Michael had the child's' pasta with butter while Mother and I split an order of sticky wings and a barbeque pork sandwich. The sandwich was okay and the sticky wings were delicious but the desserts were what we were after. We finally decided on the Tangerine Crème Brulee for Mother, KoKo Puffs for me, and the Kilauea Torte for Michael (total for the meal before tip $45.13) then we all shared. The desserts there are works of art in addition to being absolutely delicious!

After lunch Mother headed back to the room while I stayed behind with Michael to purchase our tickets for the Luau on Tuesday night at guest services ($120.60 for the three of us for all you can eat and drink and the gratuity is included). Michael and I each got a new lei (in a different color than yesterday). As we were about to go to the room a storyteller from Hawaii came to the kids' area in the lobby to read a story. Michael decided to listen so he and I went over to the kids' area and sat down. They had a big plate of cookies for the kids and parents (I was still stuffed from lunch but Michael helped himself and said they were great). The storyteller was wonderful (I can't remember her name). She read a story to the children that had gathered and sang some songs then taught them how to play some Hawaiian game. After the story was over they offered the leftover cookies to the kids and Michael made me take three of them. I left him playing games while I took the cookies to our room and picked up our mugs to go fill them with coke.

After my quick trip to Captain Cook's for cokes I headed back to the room and Michael soon joined us there. We rested until almost 6:00 (Michael watched cartoons on the Toon Disney channel--mostly Timon and Pumba. I hate getting that "Hakuna Matata" song on your mind!) then went to the lobby to see if they were having the torch lighting ceremony tonight. Alas, they were not (we found out later it usually runs Tuesday through Sunday--the same nights that they have the Luau). There were no fireworks scheduled for tonight, so we decided to go on over to the Animal Kingdom Lodge (AKL) for our PS at Boma.

Arriving at the AKL was like coming home for me. My sister and I had stayed here for part of our trip this May and we absolutely loved the place. I was anxious to show it off to Mother and Michael. We immediately (after I pointed out the Hidden Mickey on the light fixture in the lobby to Michael) headed out to Arusha Rock to see if any animals were around. They had a fire going in the fire pit and a storyteller was there. Michael was sucked in to the story so Mother and I wandered out onto the rock to look for animals. They didn't disappoint us--we saw Zebras, Gemsbok, Anakole Cattle, Pelicans, and some Wildebeest but, alas, no giraffe. We walked around until almost time for our PS. We stopped by the fire pit to pick up Michael who was deep in conversation with the storyteller CM. Michael said he learned about the deserts of Africa.

We checked in at Boma at 7:20 for our 7:30 PS. We were glad we had a priority seating as they were telling those without priority seating times that there was a 45minute to 1 hour wait. The restaurant was very crowded. We were seated promptly at 7:30. I cannot even begin to tell you everything that they had on the buffet or even everything that we ate. There was 5-6 kinds of meats, 4 different soups, lots of cold salads and hot vegetables and breads. Some of the dishes that I enjoyed were nut-encrusted salmon, paps, plantain and corn chowder, and tamarind barbeque. I found the combination of spices in most of the dishes very unusual. I am glad I tried everything and nothing I ate was bad but I don't think I would ever order most of the dishes again if I were dining on my own. Michael ate mostly from the kids' station which was stocked with chicken strips, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, etc. Now all of the desserts that we tried (I counted eleven and that wasn't all that they had) were excellent. The Zebra dome and the Chocolate Nut Crunch Mousse were particularly tasty. They also had banana bread pudding, casaba cake, guava tartlets, fresh fruit tarts and much more. I wish they would offer a dessert buffet for a reduced price. I would love to come back and have just some coffee and desserts.

After dinner, it was pouring down rain again so we didn't go back out on the savannas. We were back at the Polynesian by 9:30. I went to fill our mugs while Michael took a bath. While we were getting ready for bed, Mother let out a huge burp! 'Oh, dear," she said, "Must have been some of that Tuna Matata!"

Monday, November 5th

"Por favor mantanganse ali holly de la sueratas?"

Plan: breakfast at 1900 Park Fair, Pirate Cruise at the Grand Floridian, Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom fireworks from the beach at the Polynesian.

I woke up this morning at 6:20 and Michael followed closely behind at 6:45. We showered and dressed and left the room by 8:45. We were moving slowly this morning and decided to skip a big breakfast at 1900 Park Fair and just eat at Captain Cook's instead. It was cloudy and chilly today as we felt the effects of hurricane Michelle. Michael had toast for breakfast and I had a bagel ($3.69). Mother was not hungry.

We got on the monorail at 9:30 to go to the Grand Floridian resort (GF) for Michael's Pirate Cruise. Michael had been practicing the "please stand clear of the doors" saying that they do on the monorail in Spanish but instead of coming out correctly as "por favor mantanganse alejado de las puertas" he started strong but finished up rather weakly with "por favor mantanganse ali holly de la suertas." To this day I hope that he didn't offend any Spanish-speaking guests by calling their mother a gerbil or something even worse with his mangled attempts at Spanish!

We were at the GF by 9:45 and walked through the hotel and made our way out to the marina. Mother was impressed with the lobby and grounds of the Grand Floridian and I pointed out where my sister and I had had tea and done the Villains Dinner in May.

We waited at the marina with a lot of excited children until 10:00 when the kids started to get their life jackets on and two CM's began to load the boat. There was one little girl who, approximately every 15 seconds or so, asked her parents "What time is it now?" or "How many minutes do we have left?" or "How long 'til we start?" It started raining before we even began to fill out the paperwork. Drew (the CM in charge) arrived and said he had called about the weather. It was supposed to get worse before it got better so he was going to have to cancel the cruise! Drew was very apologetic and said he could re-schedule us all for Wednesday if we wanted to try again then. I felt that this was certainly above and beyond the call of duty for Drew. I know that he is in charge of the Pirate Cruise on Mondays and Thursdays and he has the Grand Adventures in Cooking on Tuesdays and Fridays. For him to agree to take the kids on his morning off was a very nice gesture. We left our names with him and headed back to the monorail. All of the kids were disappointed and when they told the little girl who had been constantly asking what time is was that the Pirate Cruise had been canceled she said, "But Daddy, I've been so patient!"

When we got to the monorail station, Michael wanted me to check about riding up front. I asked the CM if it would be possible and, when the monorail pulled into the station, she checked for us and said we could, indeed, ride in the front. The view from up front is incredible. I never realized how much up and down there was to the monorail track. When you're riding in the cars, it feels as if you are relatively level for the entire trip. When we got off at the Polynesian, we all got monorail Co-pilot licenses. Michael was very proud of his.

When we got to our room we heard quacking coming from our patio. There was a duck and a drake quacking at our door. We had some banana bread left over and, I know you aren't supposed to feed the birds but they were just so cute, so we gave them some of the bread.

Since the weather was so bad we decided to go to Downtown Disney and do some shopping. We left the Polynesian at 11:00 and made a bee-line for the World of Disney. We bought several things there and then Michael headed over to the Lego store where he spent a lot of time. Around 1:00 we wandered over in the direction of the Wolfgang Puck Express. We went in Team Disney and Toys Fantastic. Michael rode the carousel outside of the Gourmet Pantry before we ate ($2.00) then we went to get some food at Wolfgang Puck's. Michael had pasta with butter and a roll and milk to drink, Mother and I both had the four-cheese pizza and waters ($31.63). The food was very good.

After lunch we looked through the Captain's Tower and then went back to the Lego store for Michael to buy some stuff with the birthday money he had brought with him. We went back to the Polynesian around 3:30. I went to Captain Cooks to fill our mugs and get some cheesecake and a sticky bun for a snack ($6.94). Michael played with his Legos and Mother napped while I updated my trip report notes until 5:00.

Around 5:30 we went to Manoa Mickey's Arcade and played some games for about an hour before we walked to the beach to try to catch the fireworks again. Mother stopped by the room to get a long-sleeve shirt for her and a sweater for Michael (I already had a jacket on). It was freezing by the beach with the cold wind coming off of the lake. Michael found a couple of boys to play in the sand with while we waited.

It was worth the wait, however, as the fireworks were beautiful when we finally got to see them. After they were over, Michael and I went back to the arcade while Mother went to Captain Cooks to pick us up some supper. We had chicken strips all around. I don't know how much it cost as Mother paid. We ate in our room (Michael ate one each of Mother and my chicken strips on top of his own).

After dinner, Michael and I decided to go back to Downtown Disney and see Monsters, Inc. at the AMC theater there. We left the hotel at 7:38 and made it for the 8:30 showing ($13.00 for tickets, $10.00 for an iced, pretzel, and a diet coke). The movie was very cute and we were back in our room by 10:30. Let me say again how convenient valet parking has been this trip!

Mother had already been sleeping when we got back to the room. I went to fill our mugs with diet coke and hot chocolate but Michael was fast asleep before I got back to the room. Mother went back to sleep and I updated my notes and watched TV until 11:30.

Tuesday, November 6th

"Every time you touched yourself, you had to wash your hands!"

Plan: breakfast at Captain Cook's, Grand Adventures in Cooking for Michael, Magic Kingdom, Luau at the Polynesian.

This morning I woke up at 5:30. At 6:30, I heard quacking at our patio door and, sure enough, mother duck was back for more banana bread but she had brought another female this time instead of the drake. I gave them some bread (they would take it out of your hand).

Mother and Michael got up at 7:30. Michael had found a motorcycle riding game that he really liked at the arcade last night so he quickly got dressed and went to the arcade while Mother and I finished up. We had to go get Michael out of the arcade at 9:00. He was still playing on the same 6 quarters that he took with him. He kept playing until 9:20 when we made him leave. We had just enough time to stop by Captain Cook's and get some toast for Michael and a cream cheese Danish for Mother and me to share ($3.23), and fill our mugs.

We hopped on the monorail at 9:30 and rode to the Grand Floridian. Our destination this morning was the Mouseketeer Club for Michael's Grand Adventure in Cooking. They let the kids in at 10:00 and we checked Michael in with Drew. After we left Michael, Mother and I just sat in the lobby of the GF for a while. We noticed the Mickey heads on the legs of the grand piano and saw a CM whose sole job was just to straighten the chairs in the lobby after guests were through sitting in them.

At 11:00 we rode the monorail back to the Polynesian, used the restroom, filled our mugs, then went back to the GF. Drew had told us to wait outside of the Grand Floridian Cafe. At 11:55 the kids came out pushing a tea cart loaded with little pizzas. They were all so cute in their chef hats and their aprons that they had decorated. They made their way through the cafe, passing out pizzas as they went. They all brought some pizzas to their parents/guardians and kept some for themselves. Michael got his picture made with Chef Drew and said his "good-byes" then we sat in the lobby and tried our pizza (Michael ate 3 of them). Michael said that he had a good time and would make their pizza recipe for us when we got back home to Texas. He said that they all washed their hands a lot! "Every time you touched yourself you had to wash your hands!"

After we finished our pizza, we rode the monorail back to the Polynesian. In the lobby of the GCH, a CM had set up a table for kids to color and make pictures with stamps. Michael immediately sat down and, while he made a volcano picture, Mother and I looked at pin cart that was close by. As we were buying a Polynesian Resort pin, the storyteller from the other day came by and said that they had the Mickey head American flag pins upstairs at Trader Jacks. Mother and I went upstairs and bought 2 each. The CM working there said they had received 300 of the pins that morning and were already down to about 20 left. The pin cart downstairs had already sold out of their shipment.

We got back to our room and 1:30. We heard quacking at our patio door and there was our duck friend again! After handing out a little more banana bread, Michael changed into his swimming suit and headed for the pool. Michael wasn't hungry after all his pizzas but Mother and I were so we stopped at Captain Cook's before we got a table at the pool. I had a cheeseburger and fries and Mother had some chicken salad, crackers, pineapple, and chips. We split a piece of carrot cake ($20.05).

After I had watched Michael for a while I decided to leave WDW property and try to find a battery for my video camera. I drove to 192 and followed the directions I had received from the CM at the Magic Kingdom. The camera shop was easy to find and I soon had a new battery ($59.00). The shop-keeper said that business had been very bad lately and he would be glad when things picked up.

I headed back to the Polynesian. During my short time off Disney property I had renewed my vow to never stay off-site again as long as I could scrape together even enough money to stay at an All Stars resort! After our first stay on-site last November, I have become a complete convert. We feel so sheltered staying inside WDW--no traffic hassles, congestion, tacky hotels, etc. I feel totally safe letting Michael run around the resorts by himself--something I would be leery about if I was off-site. To me, it's still worth staying on-site even without early entry and e-ride nights, especially during the off season. Everything just seems calmer and more magical, in my opinion, than being off-site.

After some friendly banter with the valet CM's, I went back to the room and started charging the new battery. I was back out by the pool by 3:00. After the battery had charged for about an hour I got my camera and took some video of Michael in the pool and some pictures of the resort. We got Michael out of the pool at 5:00. We stopped by Captain Cook's and got some cereal for Michael and a couple of cookies for Mother and me ($7.70) to tied us over until time for our Luau at 8:00.

On our way back to our room our mousekeeping CM stopped us to show us pictures of her new grandson. We had talked to her the day before and found out that she was a brand new grandmother--her first grandchild had been born that day. She was very excited and we "ooohed" and "aaahed" over her pictures.

While Michael was changing out of his swimming suit, the turn down service CM stopped by and straightened up our room for us and left us some extra chocolates. At 5:50 we left for the torch lighting ceremony at the GCH. We waited in the lobby, but found out at 6:15 that the ceremony had been canceled because of the high wind. We went back to our room and while Michael went to the arcade with another 6 quarters, Mother and I called home to check in on the family. At 7:00, I went to check on Michael and he was still riding that motorcycle. We left at 7:20 and went back to the room to change into some warmer clothes.

After changing, we walked to Luau Cove. It took about 10 minutes with us going slowly so Mother could keep up. We checked in and each got a lei and then waited for them to begin seating. While we were waiting, we struck up a conversation with a young lady from New York that was there with her husband and children. They had just arrived today and she said that she was glad they had decided to come to WDW. She said they had considered not coming after September 11th, but decided at the last minute to come ahead. She said it was good for them to get out and see that people were functioning normally and life was going on. Mother was wearing her Mickey head American flag pin and the lady asked where Mother had gotten it. The lady said she wanted to try and find one while they were here. We talked for a while about how the World Trade Center attacks had affected each of us and she told us that she thought our ex-governor (President Bush) was doing a great job. She said every time he came on TV and spoke, she felt safer. As they started seating everyone and our line began to move Mother whispered to me that she wanted to give the young lady her Mickey flag pin, so she took it off and told the lady that she wanted her to have it. The lady said "Are you sure?" And Mother said, "Yes, I just want you to know that all of us in Texas are thinking about and praying for you all."

Well I defy anyone to have a dry eye after that exchange! The lady hugged Mother and we were taken to our seats. We were at table 12A which was on the first row. I had called earlier to make sure that we were at a table with normal sized chairs. I had read on the internet that some of the chairs were very low to the ground and I knew that Mother would not be able to get up out of those chairs. The lady I spoke with assured me that our table had standard sized chairs and she was correct.

There was food already waiting for us on our table--salad, coconut-pineapple bread, and fresh pineapple. Our waiter came and took our drink order. After a while, he brought out a tray full of ribs, grilled chicken, fried rice and vegetables. He also brought out macaroni and cheese and chicken nuggets for Michael without even asking. All the food was very good. Michael especially liked the ribs and asked for more. The weather was freezing cold however! We had all put on long sleeves and jackets and my teeth were still chattering!

While we were eating, they started the show. At first they brought up all the people celebrating birthdays, anniversaries and the newlyweds, then all of the children, to dance. Then, they announced that it was time for dessert and the waiters began streaming out with trays of smoking volcanoes. Dessert was white chocolate cake with peach filling and chocolate cake with raspberry filling served with a peach and pineapple sauce. Yum! The slices of cake all had a "100 Years of Magic" candy wafer on top. After dessert, the show really started.

The dancers performed dances and wore costumes from the different islands of Polynesia: New Zealand, Hawaii, Tahiti, Fiji, etc. They also had the fire twirler perform and Michael made me video tape his whole act. He was amazing. For the final dance, the dancers went out into the audience and picked out people to bring on stage. One dancer picked Michael and brought him up to hula. What he lacked in skill, he made up for in enthusiasm as the girl who picked him was very attractive. As we were walking back from Luau Cove we overheard some guy talking about the fire twirler. "I don't think that was real fire," he said. Whatever! What did he think it was, crepe paper? We explained that we had seen the fire twirler light torches with his baton and that it was, indeed, real fire. We were back in our room by 10:30.

Michael went to get some water and came back with water and 2 diet cokes for me and Mother. He got in bed to watch TV and was asleep by 10:45. I updated my trip report notes and was in bed by 11:00.

Wednesday, November 7th.

"That's okay, I don't want to spend *all* your money."

Plan: breakfast at Chef Mickey's, check in at Beach Club, swim/rest, lunch at Beaches and Cream, settle in room, Epcot Food & Wine Festival.

I woke up this morning at 5:45 with too much on my mind to go back to sleep. The ducks came back at 6:45 for the last of the banana bread. I'm sure the people who have this room after us will wonder about the ducks. I got a shower and started packing. Mother and Michael woke up at 7:00. Michael said he didn't want to leave the Polynesian to go to the Beach Club. I had to promise him that, if he didn't like it at the Beach Club, I would see if we could come back to the Polynesian for the rest of our trip!

I took Michael's dirty clothes to the laundry ($1.00 for detergent, $2.00/load to wash (30 minute cycle), and $2.00/load to dry (35 minute cycle)) and put them on to wash then went back to the room to finish packing. I went back to the laundry to change them over to dry and we went to breakfast at Captain Cook's at 8:45. Michael had two bowls of cereal and milk and toast. Mother got bread and bacon to make a bacon sandwich, and I had my usual bacon, egg, and cheese croissant ($16.77). I went back to the laundry to get Michael's clothes while Mother and Michael waited at Captain Cook's. We left on the monorail at 9:30 and rode to the GF to put Michael on the Pirate Cruise. As we were getting off the monorail at the GF, Michael managed to spill Mother's coke all over her and the seat of the monorail, so she was a little soggy. The weather was beautiful today--the hurricane had passed on through. In fact, the weather was perfect for the remainder of our trip.

Drew was waiting for the kids at the marina. They all put on their bandanas and life jackets and boarded the boat. Drew joked that we could pick them up at 12:00 or he would just keep them all week and meet us at the airport with them. After waving until the boat was out of sight, Mother and I got back on the monorail and went to the Polynesian to finish packing. We called bell services to take our luggage over to the Beach Club for us and Mother drove her ECV around to the front of the GCH. We got our car from valet and the CM loaded the ECV in the back for us. He said to be sure and get one of the CM's at the Beach Club to unload it for us. Little did he know that I loaded and unloaded it by myself about a million times last November!

We drove to the GF to pick up Michael. When the boat came in sight all of the kids began waving and shouting at once, showing off all of their pirate treasure. Some had eye patches on and all of them looked like they had a good time. Michael said they started out with a map that directed them to the beach at the Polynesian. Once there, they had to find a coconut. When they found the coconut, it opened up and had another piece of the map inside. They followed the clues to each beach and finally ended up finding a big treasure chest full of goodie bags for each of the children. Michael said that they mutinied once and went off and left Drew on the beach but he doesn't know how Drew caught up with them!

We drove to the Beach Club (BC) and arrived at 12:30. The valet CM told us that our room was ready and that we would be in room 5703. We had a key that the concierge staff had sent to me earlier to use in the elevator to get to the fifth floor, but it would not work so I had to go to the registration desk in the lobby. The CM there gave me a key to get us up to the fifth floor and called ahead to let the staff know we were on our way up. We noticed that they already had their Christmas tree up in the lobby. The CM said they had just started decorating for Christmas today.

CM Joe met us as we got off of the elevator. He checked us in and showed us around the lounge. We went to our room and checked out our view of Stormalong Bay and the Boardwalk. The room was very nice--a little smaller than at the Polynesian, but the colors were bright and cheerful. There was a note and a bag of candy on our table to welcome us to the Beach Club. The candy was candied grapefruit slices which were delicious and highly addictive! I do not like grapefruit at all and even I thought they were wonderful. We hadn't had any lunch so we went down to the lounge to get a bite to eat. They had a good selection of food: fruit, pudding cups, rice krispie treats, chocolate chip cookies, chips and salsa, popcorn, pretzels, bacon-wrapped breadsticks (delicious), and vegetables with ranch dressing. They had lemonade, coffee, hot tea, iced tea, and water available plus soft drinks and bottled water on hand if you asked. The also had bowls of Hershey kisses and salt water taffy sitting about. We snacked a bit and then headed out to Epcot at 2:00.

We had a hard time finding a wheelchair (ECV) accessible way to get out of the resort. We finally went out by the quiet pool and headed out along the walkway to Epcot via the International Gateway. Once we were through the gate we decided to head across the bridge towards France.

We started snacking in France where we tried Saucisson en Croute (sausage wrapped in bread $2.00) and Vol au Vent (chicken and mushrooms with puff pastry $3.50). Both were good but Michael liked the chicken the most. It tasted kind of like chicken and dumplings. Next we went to Morocco but they had the same things that we had tried last year (Marrakesh Combo (beef and chicken with couscous), Lamb Kabsa, and Choukchouka Salad). Michael went back to the Kidcot area to start making a mask. He did this last year but we started late in our day and didn't make it to all of the countries. This year he had vowed to visit all of the Kidcot stations. At each country, you add something to your mask and a CM stamps the mask with that particular country's name. Anyway, while Michael went to start his mask, I decided to dart into the Tangerine Cafe for a bottle of water. While I was paying for the water ($2.50), the manager struck up a conversation with me. He asked where I was from and when I replied, "Texas" he said that I must meet Adil, a CM from Morocco. Adil has been in the U.S. for three months and every week he asks his manager for time off so he can go to Texas because Texas *is* America. He wants to see cowboys and horses and wide open spaces (although he didn't mention seeing Prairie Dog Town, my home town of Lubbock's claim to fame--I wonder why?). Obviously this plea is not working with his manager because Adil has yet to get time off and he has not yet made it to Texas. The manager made Adil give me his address and I said I would send him something from Texas. I beat a hasty retreat out of Morocco before the manager had arranged a marriage for me and we headed to Japan.

We stopped in Japan and tried the Tofu pudding ($1.00) which was very light and lemony. The lady who makes rice candy was out and we watched her for a long time. It is fascinating to watch her work. She made a mouse for Michael. Michael worked on his mask and bought some Pokemon cards and then we moved on to America.

We tried everything they had in America: BBQ chicken sandwich ($4.00), New England clam chowder ($2.00), and the honey tart ($3.00). It was all very good but Michael liked the clam chowder best and went back for a second bowl. We passed on Australia and New Zealand and stopped in Italy to try the Penne alla Carbonara (penne pasta with Italian bacon in a cream sauce--excellent! $3.00), pizza ($2.00), and Panna Cotta (a custard that was served on top of a walnut cake and drizzled with honey, also very good $2.50).

Next, we moved on to Germany where we sampled Apple Strudel with Vanilla Sauce ($2.50) and Schweinerippchen with Spaetzel--try saying that three times fast, in fact, try saying it just once--($3.00). We decided against ordering anything in Chile and Argentina because we had heard good things about the Sugar Cane Chicken from Africa. In Africa, we had some Sugar Cane Chicken ($4.00) and a Koeksisters ($1.50) which turned out to be my favorite sweet (fried dough rolled in sugar and coconut).

In Southeast Asia (China) we had wontons in peanut sauce ($2.00). Michael and Mother stayed to watch the Chinese acrobats while I went on to Norway to see if I could find a good bench for us to watch the Tapestry of Dreams parade from. All of the good seats were already taken so I went back to China and caught up with Mother and Michael. We found a bench there to watch the parade from and while I held the bench, Mother took Michael to Norway to add to his mask. She brought back a Chocolate Dream Log from Scandinavia ($2.00).

It was now about time for the parade to start and our bench turned out to be a very good spot. Michael got to have lots of interaction with the puppets. I had forgotten how much I liked the music in this parade. It seemed longer than the Tapestry of Nations parade that we saw last year--maybe since they don't have three separate parades now the two that they run from Morocco to Mexico last longer.

After the parade, Michael had to have some more wontons from China and Mother and I tried the Cold Sesame Noodles with Vegetables ($1.00). We ran past Ireland. They were serving boiled bacon and, while it may be delicious, it sounded rather vile to me so we chose not to partake. We then moved on to Mexico where we had the kid's Quesadilla, Tacos al Carbon, and Watermelon Juice. The quesadilla and the taco were both excellent.

After Mexico, we headed around the lagoon towards Canada stopping along the way to purchase this year's Food & Wine Festival pins. In Canada we had some maple fudge ($1.50) and cheddar cheese soup ($2.00)and in Poland/Russia we tried Pierogis with Kielbasa ($3.50) and Beef Stroganoff ($4.00). If you read my trip report from last year you might remember that Michael loved the pierogis (potato dumplings) so much that he ate five plates of them. Fortunately, this year he didn't think they were as good as the wontons in Southeast Asia, so he only had one plate.

By this time it was 8:00. Off-Kilter was playing and it was loud and very crowded! Michael wanted to stay for Illuminations but both Mother and I were tired plus I knew that we had an Illuminations Cruise booked for Friday night. However, Michael was insistent on staying for Illuminations. He had $6 in Disney dollars left and he had been wanting to buy a $3.00 light-up toy. When we went to the cart to look at the toy, there was another toy he liked better but it cost $20.00! So, I did what any rational parent would do...I wantonly bribed him! I told him that if he would let us not stay for Illuminations, I would buy the toy for him and he agreed. Chalk one up for capitalism!

On the way to the International Gateway, we passed the Kids' Marketplace. They had some cute food items like Yummi Gummi Sushi (a gummi worm covered in a cylinder of rice krispie treat, wrapped in fruit roll-up, and then sliced to look like sushi--very cute), Taco Parfait (layered meat, beans and cheese served with chips), and Honey Puffs (peanut butter and honey rolled into balls and rolled in colored candy sprinkles). Michael was going to try the Honey Puffs but as I went to order it for him he stopped me and said, "That's okay, Aunt Robin, I don't want to spend all your money." Gee, thanks. He doesn't mind pumping me for the $20 whirly light-up thing but doesn't want to splurge on a $2 Honey Puff! Kids!

When we got back to the hotel, we stopped in the concierge lounge for some diet cokes and desserts. Wow! There were at least 10 different kinds of desserts, each in individual portions and all beautifully decorated with chocolate curls, icing swirls, candy disks, white chocolate bars, etc. Our favorites were a dried fruit and nut tartlet, a chocolate/coconut cake that tasted like a Mounds bar, and their cheesecake. There was also carrot cake, cookies, cupcakes, rice krispie treats, flan, and several different kinds of cakes. Michael stayed in the lounge to watch some TV while Mother and I went back to the room.

In the room we found a birthday card for Michael signed by Goofy along with an autographed picture of Goofy and some cookies. Michael's birthday was at the end of October, so I guess they thought it was close enough to merit recognition. Regardless, it was a very nice gesture. We had also had turn-down service and we noticed that the chocolates here had a ship on them instead of a pineapple like at the Polynesian. We called bell services to bring our luggage up (did we really just leave the Polynesian today? It seems like a week and about 20 countries ago!) and Mother went to get some ice.

Michael came back from the lounge and, after we called home, promptly fell asleep. I made it up until 10:30 at which time I joined him.

Thursday, November 8th

"You get luxury and good food."

Plan: breakfast at lounge, Epcot Future World, Ice Cream Social, swim, Fantasmic

This morning I woke up at 6:00, Michael got up at 7:30, and Mother got up at 8:30. We went down to the lounge around 9:30 for breakfast and found quite a spread waiting for us. They had cereals, fruit, breads, English muffins, bagels, croissants, fresh pineapple, honeydew, watermelon and cantaloupe, coffee cake, muffins, various fruit breads, milk, coffee, and several juices (and, of course, our diet cokes!). We quickly ate and then strolled downstairs to take a closer look at the pool.

All I can say is "wow!" While the volcano pool at the Polynesian had a capacity of 120 people, Stormalong Bay has a posted capacity of 1,200! We got a table and while Mother settled in, I took Michael back upstairs to change into his swimming suit and to get the video camera. The pool is huge and winding with a sand bottom. Mother and I kept wondering how the water could be so clean with all the sand in it until we discovered that it is Disney sand. It's really tiny rocks that are heavier than real sand. If you pick up a handful and drop it in the water it immediately sinks to the bottom. That way it doesn't stir up and make the water look mucky like real sand. There is a enormously long slide that descends from atop a wrecked ship, a whirlpool, a bubbling section, sinking sand, sandy beach kids' area, lazy river, and hot tub, all connected by watery twists and turns. Michael was having so much fun that I went and put my suit on at 11:00 so I could join him. My favorite parts were the whirlpool (you just pick up your feet and the current carries you around and around very quickly--great fun!) and the sinking sand (the sand on the bottom of the pool in this area was up past my knees and I'm tall).

Mother went up to the lounge around 12:00 and brought down some snacks and cokes for us. Michael rented an inner tube ($3/hour) and I pushed him around in it for a while until he found a friend. At 2:00, Mother and I moved to a shady table and I went back upstairs to change into my clothes. When I got to our room, I noticed that our mousekeeper had made the cutest little ducks out of wash cloths. On the way back down I checked the gift shop for a Beach Club pin and some more of the candied grapefruit slices but had no luck finding either.

At 3:00 I walked over to Hurricane Hanna's to get us some lunch. Mother and I had a cheeseburger and chips each and Michael had two chicken strip kids' meals (these were very cute--they came with a plastic bucket and shovel, chicken strips, chips, and cookies). I also got us one refillable mug since it was closer to go to Hurricane Hanna's or Beaches and Cream for our diet coke refills than it was to go upstairs to the concierge lounge ($33.50 total). Also at 3:00, some CM's put up a net across the sinking sand section of the pool and started a water volleyball game, which Michael greatly enjoyed.

Finally at 4:00 we dragged Michael out of the pool and went upstairs to change his clothes. There was a message waiting for me from Adil, the kid from Morocco. He said he was off work today at 12:00 and all day tomorrow and wondered if he could "purchase a meal for me." Yikes! He must *really* want to see Texas!

After Michael changed clothes, we headed for MGM to see Fantasmic. Michael and I took the boat while Mother rode her ECV along the new walkway to MGM. The captain of our boat told many bad jokes on the way to MGM (for example: Why don't many people play tennis at WDW? Because it's too loud since both players raise a racquet! And they just got worse!). After a stop at the Swan/Dolphin we were on our way to MGM. Michael fell asleep on the ride over although he denies it (typical man!). Mother was waiting for us when we arrived. She said her ECV almost ran out of power on the way to MGM because of a steep bridge she had to go over. She also admitted to getting lost behind the Dolphin and having to ask for directions from some of the staff!

They were already seating for Fantasmic, which didn't start until 6:30, so we took Mother into the theater to get her a seat in the handicapped section. Michael wanted to go ride the Tower of Terror (he swears he's ready for it this trip) and the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster (which he didn't ride last time). I was worried that the theater might fill up before we got back but we decided to see what the wait times were.

Tower of Terror had a 40 minute wait posted but the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster only had a 15 minute wait so we went on that instead. Michael was a little nervous but after it was over declared that he loved it and didn't even mind going upside-down. This was my second time to ride it and I enjoyed it even better this time. I really appreciate how smooth the ride is, especially compared to rides like Space Mountain which jostle you around quite a bit.

It was 5:50 when we got through with the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, so we went back to the theater for Fantasmic. Michael got some popcorn and we passed the time talking to some people around us and a very friendly CM from Alaska (he said he loved the weather in Florida and was never going home!). Fantasmic was amazing as always. This was Michael's first time to see it and Mother's first time to see the Florida version. We wondered if the man from the Luau would think that they don't use "real fire" in Fantasmic either!

We did some shopping on the way out (but found no Beach Club pin) and Mother took the path back to the Beach Club while Michael and I caught the last boat back. The captain on this boat was very funny and poked fun at the Swan and "Carp" resort! He also pointed out that Disney built the walkway to MGM because they received so many requests from guests for one. So he encouraged guests to voice their opinions because "your vote counts...even in Florida!"

Back at the Beach Club we stopped by the lounge for a few desserts and then Michael said he wanted to go eat at 'Ohana again. He said that he liked 'Ohana better than the Magic Kingdom! When Mother asked him why he said, "Because, Grandma, you get luxury *and* good food!" Against our better judgment, we got the car and drove to the Polynesian. We arrived at 9:30 and were told there would be about a 15 minute wait. We waited a little while but Michael was getting very cranky from his lack of food and we thought he was going to fall asleep sitting up in his chair so we talked him into just running down to Captain Cook's for a quick bite. Michael had grits, toast and cereal and Mother and I shared a cheese and vegetable tray with some grapes and pineapple ($15.00). After we ate I found a Beach Club pin in the lobby and then we went back to the Beach Club.

We got to our room by 11:00, brought the ECV in to recharge the batteries, and were in bed by 11:30.

Friday, November 9th

"I think that's an entirely different version of Snow White!"

Plan: breakfast at lounge, Downtown Disney or MGM, swim, Illuminations Cruise

I was up at 6:00 this morning and Mother and Michael joined me by 8:00. We talked Michael into doing some of his homework while Mother and I showered and got dressed then we went down to the lounge for breakfast at 9:45. We were through with breakfast by 10:30 and Michael was in the swimming pool by 11:00!

Today there were CM's at the pool checking for everyone's resort ID and handing out wrist bands. One CM said that the Beach Club and Yacht Club were booked to capacity this weekend so they would probably be checking for room keys all weekend long. We brought our refillable mug with us and kept busy going for refills until 1:30 when we got Michael out of the pool.

On the way back to the room we stopped in the lounge to get Michael a snack. Today, in addition to the regular snacks that they always have there were some spicy chicken tartlets that were very good and highly addictive. Michael changed into his clothes and we ducked back in the lounge for some bottled water and then headed back to Epcot with a goal of finishing Michael's mask.

There were several characters at the International Gateway including Captain Hook, Smee, Piglet, and Friar Tuck (who I can't remember ever seeing before). We took some pictures and then headed to France to the Kidcot station. While in France, we got another Vol au Vent which Michael promptly took away from us and ate.

After France we had to make a quick stop in Morocco because Michael hadn't gotten the Kidcot CM to sign his mask like all the other ones had. While I avoided the Tangerine Cafe in case Adil was working, Michael watched a little of Mo'Rockin'. Jeepers, that gal could shake things on her body that probably should never be shaken! Michael was very impressed.

After Morocco we went to Italy and got two servings of the Penne alla Carbonara (since Michael had eaten most of it on Wednesday) and another Panna Cotta. While we were eating we saw the Masked performers (I think they're called either Masquerade or Bella Fortuna). I don't get it--I find them kind of creepy really. After eating his plate of penne pasta Michael had some Strawberry ice cream.

Next, we moved on to Africa where we got a Koeksister each and I got Mother and I a diet coke each at the Refreshment Outpost. While Michael went to play the drums and listen to the African storyteller, Mother and I ate our fried dough (I'm telling you, it's good!) and rested. Michael came over and informed us that he had just heard a *true story* about why turtles' shells are cracked. "Really, Grandma, it's a *true* story!"

On the way through China Michael had to stop and get some more of the wontons in peanut sauce (obviously his favorite of this trip). You normally get two wontons on a plate for $2.00, but this time Michael came back with four wontons. He said that the CM recognized him from the other day and, since Michael was such a good customer, the CM gave him extra. How nice!

In Norway, Michael and I rode Maelstrom (first time for both of us) and Michael played on the Viking ship for a while then we moved on to Mexico where Michael had another Quesadilla and some more Watermelon juice. We also watched the Huitzilin dancers while we were there.

We circled back around to Canada and Michael visited the Kidcot station there and in the UK. We stopped long enough for Michael to try the Honey Puffs ($2.00) from the Kids' Food & Wine Festival booth and then we listened to the British Invasion as we walked through the International Gateway and back to the Beach Club. We were back at the Beach Club by 6:00. It took us exactly 5 minutes from the entry gate to the Beach Club going at a slow pace.

Back upstairs, we stopped by the concierge lounge. This was the only night we made it for the evening appetizers and, once we saw what a great spread they put out, we were sorry that we hadn't been there before. The first appetizer we saw when we walked in was the fried wontons like they have at 'Ohana! Michael was in heaven--I think he ate at least 10 of them. They also had miniature open-faced sandwiches (corned beef on mini rye with sour cream and green olives), mini corn dogs, a fruit, cheese, and cracker tray, miniature roast beef and cream cheese sandwiches, mini vegetable wraps, stuffed celery, uncrustable peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and gummi worms. We snacked for a while and then left for our Illuminations Cruise at 8:00.

We were at the marina by 8:15 and were met there by Captain Jeff. We got onto our boat and set out toward the Swan/Dolphin. Captain Jeff told us a legend about how the 32-ton concrete statues of the Dolphin and Swans were put on the wrong buildings by mistake. The building the Swans rest on has waves painted on it while the building the Dolphins are on has blades of grass--it was supposed to be the other way around. Jeff said that it would have been too much trouble to move the statues once they were already in place, so they left them where they were. He also said that the fountains on top of the hotels were supposed to spray water 30 feet into the air but the wind kept blowing the water all over the people on the ground so they turned down the force of the spray.

As we sailed by MGM, Jeff asked us some Disney trivia questions such as: If Pooh is stuffed with fluff, what is Eeyore stuffed with? (sawdust) and Name the tallest and shortest of the seven dwarves (Doc is the tallest and Dopey is the shortest). Another question he asked was: At the end of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, when Snow White is about to leave with the Prince, she kisses all of the Dwarves good-bye except for one. Which one doesn't get kissed? Michael was trying to think of Grumpy as his answer but said "Angry" instead! We all laughed and Jeff said that he had had several creative guesses for Dwarf names. He said one time a man guessed "Droopy" and another time someone guessed "Gropey." But, he said, "I think that is an entirely different version of Snow White!" By the way, the correct answer is Sleepy.

We docked under the bridge in Epcot with about 10 minutes to spare and Jeff showed Michael pictures of Disney characters and let Michael try to name them all. Then, it was time for Illuminations to begin. The show was breath-taking as always. It was worth getting up at 5:30 in the morning for four days in a row to try and book the cruise just to see the looks of amazement on Mother and Michael's faces as they watched the show. After it was over, we headed back and we were at the marina by 9:30. Jeff let Michael pick out one of his character pictures as a gift before we left. I think that this cruise is one of the best ways to watch Illuminations. The view is great, you don't have to wait forever to get a decent seat, you don't have to fight the crowds and, perhaps the best benefit, when Illuminations is over you just sail past the masses of people trying to get out of the park! That's a perk that I don't mind paying extra for once in a while.

We decided to walk back to our room by going through the Yacht Club. Wow, what a beautiful place. I loved the hardwood floors and dark colors. They also had their Christmas decorations up and their tree and garlands were covered with ships and stars and various nautical decorations. Maybe next trip we'll try staying at the Yacht Club.

We were back at the Beach Club by 9:50. We made our usual stop at the lounge for cokes and some dessert and were in our room by 10:00. Mother and I both admitted that we weren't ready to go back home tomorrow. What happened to all the time we had?

Saturday, November 10th

"It's okay, Mom. You know money isn't everything."

Plan: breakfast at lounge, pack, Michael's choice.

I woke up early again this morning with dreadful thoughts of going home running through my mind. We were all up and packing by 8:00 and we made Michael do some more of his school work. We grabbed a quick breakfast in the lounge then went back to the room to finish packing. Luckily, we had brought two empty duffel bags with us from home in our luggage or we wouldn't have been able to take everything back home with us. We called bell services to pick up and store our luggage and they were at our room in a flash. We kept Michael's swimming suit with us and went down to the pool, stopping by the concierge desk to get a copy of our final bill. It wasn't easy but I had paid off the balance of our room before we arrived. It sure was nice to get the final bill and all it had on it was a few phone calls and the valet parking!

We were at the pool by 11:00. Michael decided to check out the arcade before he changed into his suit. Mother and I quickly settled around a table and took turns refilling our mug at Beaches and Cream. The CM's were checking room keys and handing out wristbands again today. Michael joined us after a little while, quickly changed into his swimming suit, and headed for the pool.

A little before noon, I went to Beaches and Cream and got a cheese burger for Michael and two orders of onion rings for me and Mother ($16.81). After lunch Michael got back in the pool. He was back moments later--he had forgotten to take his glasses off before he got back in the pool and he had lost them in the whirlpool! Talk about an unpleasant deja vu! Michael and I went to the whirlpool and started to look for them (although I wasn't much help since I was fully clothed and couldn't get in the water) while Mother talked to one of the lifeguards. There were still people in the whirlpool swimming and playing and I just knew one of them was going to step on his glasses. At least it's our last day. The lifeguard gave Michael some goggles to help him look for the glasses. They were just about to call a diver to come and help when Michael found them. What a relief!

By 2:00, we knew we could postpone the inevitable no longer so we got Michael out of the pool and into dry clothes. We stopped by Beaches and Cream one more time for a coke float for Michael, a sunshine shake for Mother, and a chocolate shake for me. We left the ECV with bell services for Walker Mobility to pick up later while valet brought our car around and loaded all of our luggage.

We sadly left Disney property but remain ever hopeful that we will be back again soon.

The trip home was long, as most trips home are. We did manage to get all of Michael's schoolwork done before we got home. Michael's parents were waiting for us at the airport. Michael immediately began to tell them about all of the things he bought while he was away. His mother remarked that he must not have very much of his birthday money left and Michael said, "It's okay, Mom. You know money isn't everything!" Amen to that!

In summary, here are a few random thoughts:

THE RESORTS

We loved both the Polynesian and the Beach Club resorts. I figured that I would have a distinct favorite between the two resorts after having stayed at both, but I really don't. The resorts both have an entirely different atmosphere about them and, as such, there were different things that I really liked about both resorts. I think that Michael felt more at home at the Polynesian. They seemed to have more activities for kids (storytelling, coloring, torch lighting, etc.). The atmosphere at the Polynesian was more laid back and friendly while the Beach Club was more formal and the CM's treated you more with respect rather than friendliness--but that seemed appropriate for the Beach Club's atmosphere. As an example, the Polynesian newsletter said there were pool games scheduled for 3:00 each day. We were at the pool at that time almost every day and never saw any of the activities going on. However, you could set your watch by the Beach Club's pool games! Every day at 3:00 sharp the water volleyball net went up! That's just one example of how everyone seemed to "hang loose" and the Polynesian.

It was a toss up between the decor of the resorts also. I love the lush greenery and exotic atmosphere of the Polynesian but the Beach Club was so sunny and bright and cheerful.

I can't really compare the dining options at the Beach Club since we made such good use of the concierge lounge and the Food & Wine Festival at Epcot. We never really had a sit-down meal at any of their restaurants.

As for location, you just can't beat being able to see Cinderella's castle from the beach and pool area (and some rooms) of the Polynesian. The monorail was very convenient to the Magic Kingdom and the other monorail resorts. Although we didn't make use of it, the monorail to Epcot would be fairly convenient also. But then, if you consider the fact that we could walk to Epcot in under 5 minutes from our room at the Beach Club and that we had boat service to MGM, Epcot, and the Boardwalk (as well as easy walk-ways), it's a toss-up again!

I guess my advice would be to decide which parks you want to spend most of your time in and then plan accordingly. I think that I would definitely split my trip between the two resorts again concentrating on the Magic Kingdom while at the Polynesian, and Epcot and MGM while at the Beach Club.

I think if I was absolutely forced to chose between the two resorts, I would give a slight nod to the Polynesian due to the friendliness of the CM's, but when I think about that short walk into the World Showcase....aaaaargh! I can't decide!!

THE FOOD

Once again, I was very pleased with 'Ohana. Michael said it was his favorite meal and Mother agreed. I liked everything they brought us to eat there, our server was fast and friendly, the atmosphere was fun--all in all a great experience.

I am glad we tried Boma this trip and, although I probably wouldn't feel the need to go back anytime soon if I were on my own, I would bring others to eat there just because it is so different from anything else at WDW. Again, their desserts were great and I would like to see a dessert-only buffet for a reduced price. If you have been wanting to eat there, I would recommend doing so if only to experience the novelty of some of the dishes and the beauty of the resort.

Like last year, we had a wonderful time at the Food & Wine Festival at Epcot. I would highly recommend this festival to anyone. I would also recommend that you be daring and try things that you ordinarily wouldn't order a full meal of. That's the beauty of this festival--the portions are small and the prices are inexpensive so you can try all kinds of things and don't have to feel guilty if you don't like something. You never know what will be your favorite dish, and you can always go back and get more of the things you really love.

Although I had two character meals scheduled for this trip, we didn't make it to either one of them. Actually, I think that I enjoy the character meals better when there are just adults in the party. I know that sounds backwards but we had more fun at the character meals in May when it was just my sister and I than the ones we went to last November with me, Michael, and Mother. I think that the characters can "let their hair down" at little more with adults (since they don't have to worry about frightening little kids, etc.) and have more fun.

As for Kona Cafe, I have two words--eat dessert! The food was good (especially the sticky wings) but the desserts were exceptional. They have all the desserts displayed so you can get a good idea of what you would like before you order it. It works great if you have several people in your party and each one can order a different dessert and then share.

The Polynesian Luau was also good. While I don't think the food overall was as good as 'Ohana, some items were very tasty (namely the ribs, pineapple-coconut bread, and the white chocolate and chocolate cakes). The show was highly entertaining and I wouldn't have a problem with going again.

Captain Cook's was where we ate most of our breakfasts and lunches while we were at the Polynesian. Although I missed the larger selection that is available at the food courts of the All Stars (and even the moderates), they do have a remarkably good selection for as small of a place as it is. We rely on a food court pretty heavily when Michael is with us because he spends so much time at the pool and it was nice that a deluxe resort realized that. If we hadn't been staying on the concierge floor at the Beach Club, we would have had a hard time finding something quick and inexpensive for meals, especially breakfasts. Beaches and Cream and Hurricane Hanna's worked for lunches, but, unless you wanted a full breakfast buffet at Cape May, or wanted to walk over to the bakery at the Boardwalk, you were pretty much out of luck in the mornings.

The concierge lounge was a life-saver with Michael (okay, okay, Mother and I *really* liked the desserts, too!). It was very convenient to pick up soft drinks for the pool or bottled water to take into Epcot with us, while the continental breakfast was plenty of food to make a meal from. The afternoon snacks were also nice when you were lounging by the pool and the hors d'oeuvres were good for an occasional light supper. The food was great and beautifully presented and the desserts were wonderful (we managed to take advantage of them every evening we were there). We certainly didn't spend very much on meals while we were on the concierge level (of course, we were also very close to the Food & Wine Festival during that time too). I think that after a few days of eating at the lounge though you would get tired of just snacking and start craving real sit-down meals. I think it's best to just supplement meals at the lounge. Overall, our experience with the concierge level was great. If you can afford it and want a little bit of extra pampering, I would highly recommend staying on the concierge level.

THE PARKS

Parks? What parks? There were parks there? Okay, so this was certainly about as far from a commando trip as you could possibly get. My sister would have exploded from the lack of park-time but the trip suited us well. Mother and I had had a rough and very busy October, so it was nice to be able to just relax and take it easy. As long as Michael is having a good time, we are having a good time and, believe me, he had lots of fun. We've come a long way from three parks in three days in 1997, to three parks in eight days in 2001! We didn't even make it to the Animal Kingdom this trip. I didn't feel a lot of pressure to hurry and "see everything" since I had just been in May and my sister and I had pretty much covered everything we had wanted to do.

The more I go to WDW, the more I feel that I can relax and enjoy all of "the world," not just the park part. The deluxe resorts are an attraction in themselves. We found more than enough to keep us busy at the resorts and were rested enough to enjoy the parks on the days we actually went.

Overall, the crowds were very manageable. The average waits we saw were 10-15 minutes for most rides with some having as short a wait as 5 minutes and a very few having 25-30 minutes. We did not have to use Fast Pass for anything that we rode and we never waited more than 5-8 minutes. The crowds did pick up on the weekends, especially at the Food & Wine Festival, but they were not overwhelming. We did not miss early entry or e-ride nights this trip (we would not have used early entry this trip anyway, but I would have taken advantage of e-ride nights if they had been offered). November is an excellent time to go, in my opinion.

THE WEATHER

Last year when we went to WDW in November, we had gorgeous weather every day. This trip was different. The first day of our trip (Saturday) was sunny and windy. The next few days were cold and cloudy with scattered and some heavy rain (due to the hurricane off the coast of Cuba). By mid-week, however, the weather was beautiful--sunny and warm. Therefore, my advice would be to be prepared. The weather didn't really prevent us from doing anything we wanted with the exception of swimming.

THE PLAN

If you read our plan for the day at the beginning of each day, you know that we didn't stick to it very well on some days this trip. While I'm a big proponent of planning (obsessively so, if you ask my family), I also think it's okay to stray from the plan now and again if something comes up. I recommend having a rough plan for each day: what park to go to, where you want to eat, what shows you want to see--kind of a "perfect world" scenario. You know, what you would like to do if everything runs perfectly, everyone's up on time, there's no waiting for transportation, no blisters, bathroom breaks, flat feet, bad breath, crankiness, etc. Then modify your plan as obstacles come up. That way, you always have some direction for the day (no standing about doing the "What do you want to do today?" "I don't know. What do you want to do?" routine). I especially think a rough plan is important during off-season because many of the parades and fireworks don't run every night so it's important to know what days you have available to see which shows and parades are important to you.

Well, that's all folks. Thanks for staying with me. If you have any questions, feel free to send me an e-mail.

Robin Goble

rgoble5972@aol.com

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