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Jason Kerman -- April 2001 -- Walt Disney World (Offsite)Who (ages at time of trip):
Where: Pretrip Report: My brother, Kevin (10), was on our community's local travel soccer team- the Mastic Terminators. Since this was his first year on the team, we weren't aware that the team heads out of state once a year to play in a multi-state tournament. So one night, my father attended the team's parent meeting and came home with a packet that said "Walt Disney World" on the front. Naturally I was quite curious; I was practically the only one in my classes at school that hadn't ever been to WDW!! Anyway, he sat down at the table and showed it to me. On the side it read "Disney's Wide World of Sports Spring Soccer 2001" (or something like that). I didn't say anything- I didn't want to beg my father and make him aggravated and therefore convince him not to go ;) . Anyway, I forgot about it for about 2 weeks or so until I heard Mom and David talking in the car one day about what to pack. I was so excited I almost jumped out the window!! Well, it was about October or November 2000, and we were headed into NYC (we live 1 ½ hours East of the city on Long Island) to see Radio City Christmas Spectacular. The Saturday night before the show, we headed out to Eastern LI to Mom's friends rather large home to borrow their SUV (our van was in the shop due to a slight accident a few weeks earlier) for the occasion, since Dad's 5-passenger car wouldn't fit all 6 of us, Mom's friend, and her niece. Dad and I went out to pick up the SUV. As soon as we got home, Dad made hotel reservations for our trip!! He reserved two adjoining suites at the Comfort Suites Maingate Resort for just $73 a night (he works for the VA Medical Center- therefore he receives a government rate when we travel- an added perk!) for 6 nights (remember, the April vacation week is a peak time, so this was a great rate!). We decided that we would drive down to Florida, since only David said he would fly (that's 1 out of 6…even though our trip was before the horrible events of 9/11/01, we weren't comfortable with flying). Dad asked around at work, and his co-workers said that on previous driving trips to Florida, they stayed overnight in North or South Carolina to split up the driving. Dad decided to do the same, so we pulled out a United States map and tried to decide where a good rest-over spot would be. We finally chose Santee, South Carolina, a small town off Interstate 95. I voluntarily went online and searched for hotels for the stay-over. I finally located the Ramada Inn off I-95, exit 98. Dad booked it for the evening of April 8, 2001, which spelled out our first day of driving: Home to Santee. The best features of the Ramada were that it had adjoining rooms and it was across the street from a Cracker Barrel restaurant, which we don't have at home, but Dad heard excellent reviews about it from his co-workers and was excited about being able to try it. Which left us another order of business- we had to order our WDW passes!! Since we would be a part of the DWWS Soccer Tournament, we received discounted rates on Park Hopper passes. Dad, after talking with Mom, Uncle Chuck, and Aunt Meg, decided on the 3-day Park Hopper (which normally doesn't exist!) at $111 each. So he wrote "10" (for the 10 of us that would be going) in the slot next to 3-Day Park Hopper and sent the paperwork in to Kevin's coach. With reservations made and tickets ordered, there wasn't much else to do to prepare. Eventually, the passes came in the mail and Dad put them away for safekeeping. (Looking back on it, I would have put them in a safe!) * * * * Months passed, and finally it was April! In February, I began a countdown in my school planner. It went something like: "10 days!" each day. It was now Friday, 4/6, the last day of school before the Spring vacation and WDW! I was so excited that I even told my English teacher I was headed to Disney! She seemed excited for me (she was one of my favorite teachers). I drew all over the empty week (vacation week) in my planner- Mickey ears, etc. I finally went home and found Mom packing a day and a half early. I asked her why and she said "Hey, there's lots of stuff to pack, you know." I helped for awhile and then my brothers got home. Eventually, Dad came home from work and we had dinner and called it a night. It was now finally Saturday, 4/7, the day before we leave! Mom and I finished packing and then we loaded the van (which we had back from the shop by now). Brian had a soccer game in the morning, and then Dad was going to take the van for an oil change to be safe for the trip. He also installed EZ-Pass, which in the Northeast allows for electronic toll collection on roads, tunnels, and bridges. When he got home, we looked over our paperwork, put the passes in a safe place, and prepared for the biggest day of our lives (so far)!! We all went to bed early because Dad planned to leave very early the next morning. Day 1- Sunday, April 8, 2001 Actual: I actually arose this morning earlier than everybody else. It was about 3:00 am. I actually woke up this early every Saturday when I was in 7th grade (that year) and watched VH1 for an hour or so and then fell asleep. Don't ask why- guess it was just a habit- but I loved it. Anyway, that's sort of what happened this morning. I awoke at my normal Saturday time (except it was Sunday (4/8) and we were headed to WDW!!) and turned on VH1. To this day, I still remember that the last song I watched before Dad came in and woke me up: Survivor by Destiny's Child. Needless to say, it still reminds me of Florida today because it was in my head the whole first day there. Dad finally came in around 3:15 and said "Ok, time to get up." I practically ran out of bed. My brothers, however, are not so easy to arise (especially at 3:15 in the morning!)- they kinda dragged on out of bed. After we got ready, we hopped into the car (Dad carried in the small 9" TV then because he didn't want it to be in the car overnight). We finally left around 3:30 am (EST) and Mom recorded the time we left in her trip notebook (like she always does). We headed to my aunt and uncles' house to pick them up (they drove their own car). When they saw us pull up, they began to carry their bags out the door into the trunk of their car (they have a 5-passenger Honda Accord, we have a Mazda MPV van). Uncle Chuck came to our van and handed a 2-way radio to Dad. (The walkie-talkies belonged to his parents and we borrowed them for the trip). These would prove to be fun later. After they finished loading their car, we drove off first and they followed. The first message using the 2-way radios was about a ½ hour into the trip. Uncle Chuck said that they were running low on gas and that they only had about a quarter of a tank. My father estimated that they would run out of gas in Southern New Jersey. When we finally approached Southern New Jersey (and it was now light outside), we stopped on the side of the NJ Turnpike so they could get gas and we could get out and stretch our legs. After that quick stop, we got back into the cars and headed back South on the NJ Turnpike. We left New Jersey and I was now in a state that I had never been to before: Delaware. We coasted through the states of Delaware and Maryland, getting onto the Capital Beltway before approaching the Washington, DC area. We kind of got lost in the Capital Region- I think it was Maryland- but we stopped for directions and got ourselves back on track. We soon crossed the Potomac River and entered Virginia. Upon approaching the Richmond area, we took the Richmond Bypass (I-295) (because Dad wanted to avoid the traffic of the city of Richmond) and stopped off the Bypass at a Subway for lunch, where I had my usual turkey sandwich, but this time it came with chips! We got back on the road shortly after lunch, and we soon hit North Carolina, and then South Carolina- our destination for the evening. I remember that NC and SC were pretty boring- flatlands with few buildings (I remember getting really excited when we saw a Honda plant somewhere in NC), and Dad pointing out certain pieces of history as we passed notable Southern spots such as a civil war battlefield (I was in 7th grade at the time and we didn't learn about the civil war yet (that was in the 8th grade curriculum in New York State)- so Dad offered to explain what it was. Thanks, Dad- but no thanks, I'm tired!). Finally, we reached our evening's destination- the Ramada Inn in Santee, South Carolina. "There it is!" I remember screaming to my aunt over the 2-way radios. We pulled into the lot. The building looked kind of weathered, but it would be okay for one night. Everyone else stayed in the car while Dad and I went in to check in. (As you can imagine, it was no easy feat getting everyone to stay behind, when we had been sitting since Virginia). After we checked in, we went out and Dad drove the car to its parking spot. Aunt Meg and Uncle Chuck parked next to us, and we went into the hotel to put our clothes for the night down (we obviously didn't take everything out). After we got settled, we drove across I-95 to the Cracker Barrel to have dinner. I can't really remember what everyone ordered (after all, there were 10 of us), but I do remember that I got a grilled cheese sandwich, which I thought was good. Our server had a deep Southern accent (but then again we were in South Carolina) and was all smiles and extremely friendly. For a Sunday night, I remember the restaurant being very crowded. After we all finished eating, the waitress asked us if we wanted dessert- we said no, we were full enough! Dad and Uncle Chuck split the check according to the number of people in our families (6 for us, 4 for them). We went out to the counter inside the store to pay (that's how they do it at Cracker Barrel- you don't leave the money at the table- I like it better this way), and we looked around in the store for a bit. After we finished, we hopped into our cars and went back over to the Ramada. We had all woken up very early that morning, so we were extremely tired. When we arrived, we went to our rooms and went to bed. Day 2- Monday, April 9, 2001 Actual: We woke up a little bit later today, considering the fact that we had less driving to do- it was only about 6 or 7 hours from Santee, SC to Kissimmee, FL and our resort. I was the first one up (as usual) and went to go look out the window at the highway, which we would be hitting soon. It was to be a beautiful sunny day in Santee, the sun had already rose (it was about 7:30 am). Mom and Dad must have heard me get up, because they arose just after me. Mom got out of bed immediately while Dad sat there for a minute. They both went into their bags to find clothes for the day, so I figured I would too. After we got dressed, my brothers arose as well and got dressed. Just then we heard a knock at the door that connected our room with my aunt and uncles' family. It was Victoria (my youngest cousin). "Morning! We're ready for breakfast," she said rather loudly. So, we all went together to the breakfast room downstairs. The hotel had exterior corridors, but it was a warm South Carolina morning, so we didn't mind. Upon reaching the breakfast room, we were in for a pleasant surprise- and something we'd never seen before. The breakfast wasn't a standard continental one, it was a hot buffet breakfast. I had French Toast sticks (which were pretty good) while almost everyone else had pancakes. After breakfast, Dad and Uncle Chuck went to go check out while we loaded up the car. Before he checked out, Dad moved the van under the little overhang they have in front of the hotel so it would be easier for us to carry our bags out. After everything was loaded, I went across the small 2-lane road (which paralleled I-95) that our hotel was on to take a few pictures of our van under the overhang of the Ramada. Besides getting a nice shot of the van, I was also able to capture a nice shot of the front of the hotel. After Dad and Uncle Chuck came out and went to their respective cars, we were off. I remember really liking South Carolina- it was so rural along I-95 (a lot like NC) but a little bit hillier. It was also much nicer today than it was yesterday (sunnier). Mom and Dad actually began to experiment with the radio- they looked for stations they liked, but really didn't find any. Soon we entered the first new state of the day- Georgia. All I can remember about Georgia today is that it was rural as well (just like Southern VA, NC, and SC), and its highway signs were slightly different than the other states'. Dad said something about speed traps in Georgia, so he was extra careful about going over the speed limit. Not much else to say about Georgia- it was rural and pretty boring. Since the exits corresponded with the mileage to the Florida border, I counted it down. When we passed the 10-mile marker, I began to get restless. Finally, we crossed the St. Marys River into Florida. The first things we saw were the Florida Welcome Sign and-what else- Palm Trees! We soon entered the city of Jacksonville. I loved Jacksonville- it was the most interesting place we had driven through the whole way down! There were the tallest buildings, most bridges, and curviest roads we'd seen the whole way (besides New York City, of course). For some reason, I automatically assumed that the whole way to Kissimmee would be like this. However, I was disappointed when the road turned to the same 2-lane, quiet, rural highway it was in Southern VA, NC, SC, and GA. I would say the only exception was the palm trees at regular intervals along the highway-particularly at interchanges (of course there were some palm trees in GA and SC, however there were many more down here). After about 80 miles or so, we finally exited I-95 onto I-4. Despite what many people say about Interstate 4, there was little traffic (probably because it was only about 1:30-2:00 in the afternoon). Interstate 4 was similar to I-95 for a time (rural and wooded), but once we approached the Orlando metro area it became highly populated with homes and office buildings. We headed right through downtown Orlando (2nd interesting city) and straight ahead past the Disney exits to our exit- 25B (now 64B). We exited I-4 and headed West on US 192 to our hotel- the Comfort Suites Maingate Resort in Kissimmee. When we found the hotel, we were pleasantly surprised. It's like a luxury hotel, I remember thinking to myself. Of course it wasn't a luxury hotel, but the new construction made it look somewhat elegant, at least to me. My parents and brothers were also impressed with the hotel. We parked the car, and stepped out for the first time since GA. It was very hot, perhaps a little too hot for Florida in April. (Must have been 90°F). Now there was just one problem: It was 2:30, and check-in time was 4:00. Dad thought it might be possible to check in early, but we would have to get lucky. We decided to give it a try, so we paraded towards the hotel's impressive lobby (Of course, nobody wanted to stay behind in the warm (soon to be hot) car any longer!). The air conditioning in the lobby was a relief from the strong FL heat (Despite the heat, it was cloudy). Dad and Uncle Chuck inquired about checking in an hour and a half early. It was their lucky day- our adjoining rooms were already ready! As they proceeded to check in, Mom and Aunt Meg toured the lobby and the gift shop, and we basically followed. After the check-in process, we headed out to our rooms to check them out and drop off our bags. This was when we caught our first glimpse of the pool and gardens area. It was really beautiful, with so many palm trees that it was hard to forget you were in Florida (a nice touch for us because we lived in NY and never saw palm trees except in pictures and movies). Upon arrival in our rooms, we were again pleasantly surprised. The rooms were large and clean, and they were complete with a separate bathroom area and a separate sitting area (couch). We put down the bags we were holding and went down to the cars to get more. Once the rooms were completely loaded, we popped our heads into Aunt Meg and Uncle Chuck's room and decided we would head down to the pool. The kids (except for me- at the time I didn't want to) got into their suits and we headed down to the pool. The pool area had many places to sit, so the five of us grabbed lounge chairs while the five kids jumped into the pool. Later on, Aunt Meg persuaded me to go in too (after all, it was hot!), so I did. After about 1 ½ hours in the pool, we headed out to dinner. We tried Shoney's and Perkins, but the crowds and wait turned us off, so we left both places. We kept heading East on US 192 trying to find a suitable restaurant for dinner (and believe me, there were many choices!). We finally settled on my favorite restaurant- Pizza Hut! After a great dinner, we headed back to our hotel and called it a night- Magic Kingdom tomorrow!! Day 3- Tuesday, April 10, 2001 Actual: We hopped out of bed rather early (maybe about 7) and got dressed and went to the bathroom. We then met up with Uncle Chuck and Aunt Meg and my cousins and we all went down to the breakfast room inside the lobby for the continental breakfast (included in the room price). After breakfast, we all piled up into my family's van (to pay the $7 parking toll only once) and headed down US 192 to the WDW Entrance. We headed up World Drive, when we approached the MK toll booth. We paid the $7 parking toll and parked our car. We then took the tram to the TTC. The view of Cinderella Castle from the TTC was my first-ever live view, and was captivating. Since our Park Hopper passes were pre-purchased, we did not need to purchase tickets, so we bypassed the ticket booths and went straight to the Monorail entrance. I can't remember if there was a line for the monorail or not, but I do remember heading slowly through the Contemporary Resort on the way to the MK main entrance. This is so cool, we're heading through a hotel lobby, I remember thinking at the time. Anyway, we soon approached the MK and went inside. The view of the Castle and Main Street was captivating as well. We headed to the right- over to Tomorrowland- first. The first ride we wanted to go on was Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, however, it was closed for temporary repairs, so we got a Fastpass for it and went over to the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway. I had already been on rides like this at Hersheypark and Dutch Wonderland in Pennsylvania (much closer to home) in the past, so I was anxiously awaiting Disney's version. It was a lot of fun! I rode with Aunt Meg, and the others paired with who they wanted to pair with. Aunt Meg made fun of me for crashing into the guide in the middle of the road- I must have crashed 100 times! Anyway, we left the Speedway after our ride was finished and I immediately took note of the gigantic line for the Speedway now. Timing was everything. It was now time for our Fastpass for Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. We hopped right on with virtually no line, due to the recent reopening. It was a great ride- My final score was 1,000-something, while my brother achieved a score of 999,999,999! I didn't think it was possible. After Buzz, we went on Winnie and the Pooh and It's a Small World, a couple of more rides (that, sadly, today escape my mind) and then headed to our PS at The Crystal Palace restaurant. (Aunt Meg made our PS reservations back in March.) It was a character lunch, so I was surprised to walk into the Palace and find no characters walking around. We were seated immediately. It was such a relief to be in the air-conditioned restaurant and out of the extreme heat! (which by the way was abnormal for Florida in April- it was between 90 and 95 degrees and felt hotter). After we were served the main meal, the characters from Winnie the Pooh came out- and we were able to get autographs! I don't even remember what I had, but I do remember that the meal was very good. After lunch, we headed over to Toontown, where we visited Mickey's house (but, regrettably not Minnie's). I had read about Mickey's house in the Birnbaum's WDW Guide, and anxiously awaited our visit. The line going through Mickey's house was incredibly long- mostly because people were taking their time examining Mickey's residence and everyone was waiting to see Mickey in the Judge's Tent behind his home. When we finally approached Mickey, the 6 of us were able to get autographs and the four adults took our pictures. I believe we then headed for Jungle Cruise. Our skipper was very friendly (unfortunately I forget his name) and made many jokes, which I thought were pretty funny- including "The Nile is the world's longest river- and if you don't believe me, you're in denial". He even tried to scare us by going "Look up in that tree! A Hippo!" and I was the only one in the whole boat that looked up! He saw me and said "Sir hippos can't climb trees." I knew that, I thought to myself. My family must have fell over laughing (along with the rest of the boat!) It was embarrassing, but nevertheless funny. My family still makes fun of me for that! Soon after Jungle Cruise (and a couple of small rides such as Dumbo), it began to get dark. We had been contemplating since we arrived in Florida about Big Thunder Mountain. David, Kevin, Jessica, and even Victoria wanted to ride, but I wasn't sure because I'm not really a roller coaster fan. Anyway, we headed over to Frontierland and the ride's entrance and got Fastpasses for it. I'm not exactly sure what we did during the time before the Fastpass was good, but I do remember that I was thinking about Big Thunder the whole time. When we got there, I decided to go on- after all, how often do we go to Disney? The 5 of us got in line (Brian, of course, was too short (and too young) to ride, so he stayed behind with the 4 adults). The Fastpass line moved swiftly (I love Fastpass- it's a great idea!) while the regular line looked as if it was 2 hours long! (It was the April holiday week, after all). We encountered a short wait, but only 5-10 minutes- much better than the standby line. We were soon strapped into the trains. I sat in between Jessica and Kevin. Soon the trains took off. I loved the ride! The ride and MK scenery mixed together provide for a very pleasant experience. I would definitely recommend this ride to anyone, even if you don't like roller coasters. Well, we exited Big Thunder (with smiles on!) and headed for the main entrance in preparation for the famed and popular fireworks show (it was now fully dark). While we waited, Victoria decided she wanted to ride Dumbo again, and nobody else would go with her, so I did. We had fun, and then we went back to waiting with our family. (Aunt Meg watched us during the ride and waved when we passed by). As the show approached, we got more and more excited. Crowds began to form all around us as people filed in from all areas of the park. As 10 pm approached, we saw Tinkerbell herself fly away from the castle! Then, the fireworks began. It was incredible- and it was my first-ever live fireworks experience. Anyway, after the show, we followed the advice of the guidebooks and hung around in the Main Street shops for a while, while most people tried to leave. Despite our waiting, the traffic leaving the MK and down World Drive and US 192 was horrible! (I normally don't mind traffic, but I was squished into the van!) Anyway, we arrived at our hotel at around 11:15 and crashed. What a day! Wednesday, April 11, 2001 Actual: We arose about the same time as yesterday and headed to AK. We parked, and headed for the entrance. Upon entering, we made a beeline for Kilimanjaro Safaris and got a Fastpass due to the already long line (Guess we weren't fast enough!). We toured Africa for a while until our Fastpass was ready, When we went on Kilimanjaro (with a very short wait- similar to Big Thunder), we were amazed at the number of different animals we saw! It was a spectacular ride, though a little bumpy. Dad and I sat in the last row of the car and took pictures (actually, he took video). I loved the end part where the driver accelerates to catch the poachers! After Kilimanjaro, there was pretty much nothing else to do in AK. We didn't want to go on Kali River Rapids, as we were heading to Epcot and didn't want to get too wet (it would take to long to go back to our rooms and change). So we basically just grabbed an ice cream and left the AK for Epcot. The drive to Epcot from AK took maybe 5 or 10 minutes (not long) and we parked in Epcot without a problem. (For those of you with Park Hoppers that are driving and parking in each park (and are off-site guests)- save your first parking ticket! If you change parks during the day, just show the attendant your parking ticket and you will not have to pay to park at the 2nd park's lot). We entered Epcot, and headed for Spaceship Earth. I loved Spaceship Earth. It was a mixture of fun and interesting. I was sitting next to Mom. There was just one problem- as we were heading backwards, the ride stopped due to temporary technical difficulties! It felt like 15-20 minutes (though it probably wasn't) before we moved again. About 5 minutes later (closer to the end), it stopped again! I thought it was funny, but my group was getting p.o-ed. Anyway, after Spaceship Earth, we headed over to the Living Seas pavilion, at the request of Kevin and Brian, who love animals- especially fish. It was unbelievable in there- so many different kinds of fish (many tropical) that I had never seen before! We also saw the sharks and other exhibits. We then proceeded towards World Showcase. We looked at Test Track, but decided not to go on since it looked too fast for us (or most of us, anyway). However, we went into the car gift shop at the exit and were able to go into some of the GM cars (Since GM sponsors Test Track)- like the Auto Expo at home. Anyway, after that we finally headed for Spaceship Earth after a quick bathroom stop for the others. Our first country was Italy, and we took some pictures in front of the beautiful Italian architecture. We then caught the parade (I think 3 PM). The CMs at the World Showcase are very talented performers, therefore they were fun to watch. After the parade, we simply walked around World Showcase and toured for a while. I don't even remember getting dinner, so I'm not sure if we did or not. It was soon time for the evening IllumiNations spectacular. Everyone was beginning to get a spot to stay (most people sat on the concrete), so we did too. When it finally began, it was amazing! It was a cross between a fireworks spectacular and a light show. I especially liked the lit-up Earth. They also even lit up Spaceship Earth for the occasion. It was true Disney Magic. It was also true Disney chaos when everyone tried to leave after the show. We had to wait a few trams before we caught one that wasn't overly crowded. When we did, we all piled in the van again and waited in 10 years of traffic before finally reaching US 192 West and our hotel. We crashed- another fun day! Thursday, April 12, 2001 Actual: We arose at the normal time and got breakfast. Then we headed to MGM. Unlike the past two days, it was, unfortunately, cloudy. This didn't stop it from being unbelievably hot though. It was cool in the morning (maybe around 60°F), but of course it got much warmer as the day progressed. We parked at MGM and took the tram to the entrance. The first thing we saw upon entering the park (besides the ticket booths) was Timon! We wanted to get his autograph, so we did, and he took a picture with us. He even did the peace sign in the picture. After meeting Timon, we proceeded to the Backlot Tour, which I found interesting. I was a little nervous though, I have to admit, at the part where they release all of the water and set the truck on fire. It was pretty cool, though. We then proceeded to Al's Toy Barn (Unfortunately not a real store) where we could meet Woody and Buzz. When they arrived, a CM announced: "For those of you who want autographs, you can put your pens and pencils away because Woody and Buzz will be stamping." I was surprised, and a little disappointed. But I waited in the short line (there was one family ahead of us) for a stamp. We then proceeded to Pizza Planet for lunch. The pizza wasn't the best I've ever had (That's Pizza Hut), but it was ok. The atmosphere was awesome too- almost just like the Pizza Planet in Toy Story! It even had the arcade portion (which we didn't really spend any time in). After lunch, Jessica and Victoria saw a station which braided your hair with certain colored beads (at least I think that's what they are) and they wanted to do it. That must have taken at least ½ hour out of our touring time, so the rest of us got a little tense, believe it or not. We were ok afterwards, however, when we headed to Beauty and the Beast. On the way there, on New York Street, a Toy Story army truck came. It was so cool! They were yelling "Move, Move, Move!" Just like in the movie. When we got to Beauty and the Beast, we took seats towards the back- but they were great seats with great views. The show was outstanding- almost of Broadway quality. There isn't much else to say about the show (it's a lot like the Broadway show if you've ever seen it), so afterwards, we headed to The Great Movie Ride-which was very cool. I was shocked at one part- where the building practically exploded into flames- but of course it was under control. It was a really cool ride overall- I would also recommend it to anyone. It became closer to our time for Fantasmic! . Upon entering the theater about a ½ hour early, we took seats near the middle of the amphitheater. We talked for the ½ hour until the lights went out (it was now completely dark) and the show began. I loved seeing Mickey up there! Of course, his voice had to be amplified so everyone could hear him. But it was simply a great show- displaying good vs. evil. Lots of lights and firework displays! I especially liked when Mickey battled the dragon. Don't want to give too much away- go see it the next time you're in MGM! Well, just like at MK and Epcot, there was a huge mass of people leaving MGM after Fantasmic! (however it wasn't a complete crowd because there was still another show of Fantasmic! left. We exited the park and headed for the tram. After boarding the tram, there was a sort of incident. To this day, I'm not exactly sure what happened, all I remember was that everyone thought someone was hit by the tram and so the tram was stopped for a few minutes between MGM parking lots. I do also remember that it was a false alarm, nobody was hit, by I still wonder why the tram stopped. (If anyone was on the tram that day (Thursday, April 12, 2001) and knows what happened, let me know!). We arrived back to the hotel a few minutes later and went to bed. No major theme park plans for tomorrow. Friday, April 13, 2001 Actual: We took advantage of the fact that we had no major theme park plans for today and slept in. We must have awoke at around 8:30-9:00 or so. We went and had breakfast, then we came back to the rooms because the kids wanted to get changed into their suits to go into the pool. This time, I got my suit on too and jumped in. It was great! Though it was morning, the pool temperature and air temperature were just right for hopping in. And the pool was empty because everyone headed to the attractions for the day. Therefore we had the greatest time. At about 2:00, Mom and Dad pulled us out of the pool. It was time to get ready for Kevin's game. Kevin got his soccer clothes on and we changed into our normal clothes. It was right then that Aunt Meg, Uncle Chuck, Jessica, and Victoria came from their room with a muffin with a "43" candle on it (obviously "4" and "3" candles together) and presented it to Mom. She was happy, as she hadn't expected anything. We also gave her our cards, which she read and gave us all a hug. It was then time to leave for the game. We then got into the van and headed for Disney's Wide World of Sports. When we got there, we parked the car and purchased our admission tickets. We headed over to the field and met Kevin's coach, Patti. She asked us how our vacation went so far and we had about a 5- or 10- minute conversation about the drive down and the Disney parks. Soon, it was time for the game to start. I'm not really into soccer, so I explored part of DWWS. It's a really nice place, if you ever have to play there (or want to!). I walked back to the field around 4:40 or so and watched the last 20 minutes of the game. Unfortunately, our team lost 2-1, probably because they weren't used to the extreme heat- a parent on our team said his car's rearview mirror measured 102° - in April! Even for Central Florida, that's too hot, too early. It doesn't even get that hot in the summer! (highs average 92-95 each day). It was now time for dinner, so we went back to the hotel and met up with Aunt Meg and her family. After Kevin got changed into normal clothes, we decided to walk over to Giordano's, a nice full-service Italian restaurant in the Formosa Gardens shopping center in Kissimmee, adjacent to our hotel (literally- we walked there from our hotel along a nice landscaped path). It was still hot, so we were glad to escape into the air conditioning. We decided to keep the order simple and just all have pizza (my favorite food). Dinner cost $37.00 (I believe that price is for everyone). We then went back to the hotel and went in the pool for a while. At about 9, we got out and went to our rooms and to bed. Saturday, April 14, 2001 Actual: We woke up a little after Mom and Dad did. Me, David, and Brian automatically decided we didn't feel like sitting at a soccer game- even if it was at DWWS, the best soccer fields in the world (compared with all of the other ones at home). Mom and Dad weren't ready to argue at 7 in the morning, so they said we could stay with Aunt Meg and Uncle Chuck and their family. We readily agreed. David went back to bed, but I didn't feel like it, so I stayed awake. Aunt Meg then came into our room (obviously after knocking) and asked who was going and what was happening. Mom told her, and she agreed. After the left, it was just like home again. We were just lying around watching TV, like we did at home when we weren't doing homework. It made me angry in a way because it didn't feel like we were in Florida (even though there were a few- thousand palm trees and a large pool outside our window. There's really nothing else to say about the morning, besides the fact that Mom and Dad came back from the game (which they won 5-0) after stopping at Dunkin Donuts (which they also stopped at on the way there) on US 192 in Kissimmee (near the Pizza Hut we ate at on our first evening). We then prepared and left for the 2:00 game. After the game (which they lost 2-0), we headed up I-4 to Orlando for Titanic. We exited I-4 at the crowded International Drive exit and headed down I-Drive to Titanic. When we arrived, they took our names and told us to wait for the next tour guide. In the mean time, since it was very hot, we got sodas. We were then called in, and to our relief the building was air-conditioned. The tour of the Titanic Exhibit was amazing. It was recreated to look exactly like the actual ship. We started out in the Grand Staircase portion of the ship. Then we were led throughout parts of the ship. I remember that the final scene was being outside on the deck- it was even cold out to recreate the weather of that evening! Anyway, after Titanic, (I keep skipping around in this portion of the report because I don't remember much from this portion of the trip and my report is too long anyway), we headed back to Kissimmee. For dinner, we went to Shoney's, a restaurant you can't find in NY. I remember the food being ok (if I really hate food (or really really like it) - then I remember it, which is why I can't remember what I had for dinner here- because it was ok). The whole time, we were trying to convince to 4 adults to let us stay another day, but they refused since there was no reason to (Kevin didn't have a game due to his losses). After Shoney's, we went back to the rooms and began to pack up our things. We eventually called it a night and went to bed. Sunday, April 15, 2001 (Easter Sunday) Plan: Unfortunately, this is our last day in Florida. Since it is Easter Sunday and my mother is a pretty devoted Catholic (for the most part), she will want us to attend church in the morning. After that, we will leave and drive to either NC or VA, where we will spend the night (Dad is hoping VA because it is closer to home than NC, leaving less driving for tomorrow). Actual: We woke up around 6:30 because Mom wanted to attend morning mass (I believe it was 7 am) at a nearby church in Kissimmee. We all got up to go to that (except for my father- he stayed back to pack the car). While I was there, I noticed how different FL church was from NY church. After church, we stopped at Dunkin Donuts on US 192 in Kissimmee. After we got back, we packed the car, checked out, and left FL at about 9:55 am. We stopped for an hour in GA (at a McDonalds) and hit rain in SC. Eventually, we stopped for the night at a Comfort Inn in Lumberton, NC (farther South than Dad wanted to stay). We weren't fond of the hotel, it was sort of old and falling apart, and we couldn't get adjoining rooms.
Monday, April 16, 2001 Actual: Can't remember exactly when we arose, but it was early (around 4 am). Dad and Uncle Chuck checked out and we left the hotel around 4:45 am. We drove until VA, where we stopped for breakfast at Krispy Kreme. Dad and Uncle Chuck also got gas at this point. We hit the road again and didn't stop until Maryland, where we got lunch at a Rest Area on I-95. We all got Sbarro. It was raining, and the place was crowded. * * * There isn't much else to say about the ride from Maryland home. It turned sunny around Delaware, and stayed sunny until we got home. Uncle Chuck and Aunt Meg broke away from us when we got into Brooklyn, as he knew the way home from there. (They live ½ hour West of us in Deer Park). We got home about 4 pm, but we couldn't pick up the mail or our birds until tomorrow. Mom never likes to unpack when we get home, so we just relaxed. We would unpack and take care of everything (including developing our pictures) tomorrow. It was a great trip! We're looking forward to our next one in July 2004! Jason Kerman jasonsk28@hotmail.com Mail a Comment to Jason Kerman |
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