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Bill Nuzzo -- May 2001 -- Walt Disney World (AKL)
Pre-Trip Hola all, The time is winding down, now less then 19 hours till we arrive. This trip will just be me & my wife, the kids will be with us on the Sep/Oct trip at the Polynesian. For this trip, I began searching for discounts in January, and was very flexible on dates, basically allowing for any openings in May with the exception of Memorial Day weekend. We maneuvered between the Beach Club, Contemporary, and Polynesian, all with slight discounts, but eventually settled on the special Savannah View rate of $179 a night, for 7 nights at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. We ended up booking this rate in mid March. We will arrive May 10, and leave May 17th. We managed to get an early morning flight from Albany, NY, leaving at 7:00am, arriving at MCO at 10:00am, at a cost of $215.50 each r/t. We live about an hour south of Albany, so that means we will be on the road about 4:30am. I contacted Tiffany Towncar, and wanted to take a slightly different route. I asked if they would agree to a one hour stop at the Character Outlet at Belz, and they agreed to do so for an additional $25, which seemed fair enough to me. So we will get picked up at MCO, driven to Belz for one hour, then off to AKL. The return journey will be the standard hotel to MCO. I also have the $8 coupon for Tiffany thanks to Passporter 2001. Since this trip doesn't involve the kids, I was more concerned with hitting different restaurants. I also booked a backstage MK tour for us, which came to $98 for the two of us, with the AP discounts. I also plan on at least one jaunt around Seven Seas Lagoon on a watersprite, which also usually has a slight AP discount. The rough schedule, which is always open to change, is :
I have both the old RADP pin, and the new one, although I'll most likely be wearing the new one. I'll be the guy with either a tye-dye dancing bear cap, or some type of tye-dye shirt, or both. Feel free to say hello if you see us!!! Day 1 Thursday, 5/10/01 Up at 3:30am, shower, get the van loaded, and off to Albany (about 70 miles). Stop at Denny's on Wolf Rd for a quick repast, then the last mile or so to Albany Airport. Check-in luggage at the curb, and get our boarding passes at the gate. We ended up getting a row to ourselves, which allowed a bit of extra space. The plane left about 7:10am, and I settled back with the new George Carlin book. We arrived shortly before 10:00am at Orlando. We were met by JR from Tiffany, who had us loaded up and on the way by 10:30am. We had previously arranged with Tiffany to make a 1 hour stop at Belz, in order to visit the 2 Disney outlets. We got there shortly before 11:00am, and managed to hit both stores in under an hour. For those of you who are unaware, they are in adjacent malls, and you can occasionally find different items in the two. We got a bunch of picture frames, including some 2000 ones (for our Dec 2000 pics) at deep discounts, and also snagged a two tiered WDW Character globe, for $60. This same globe is still selling in the parks & resorts for $120. This is a nice addition to our collection of Disney snow globes. Usually I have been able to find a watch everytime I go to Belz, but there really wasn't anything nice at either store, other then the generic Mickey or Pooh stuff you can get anywhere. My wife also found a couple of tan Mickey shaped pillows, which will go good with our new couch. I believe they ended up at $9.99 each. We spent about $250 between the two stores, quite a start considering we hadn't even been in town for 2 hours yet. We then left Belz, and headed to check-in at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge. I had sent in a fax on Tuesday 5/8, hoping for a king sized bed (non-handicapped room), and non-smoking. As we drove down the road towards the AKL, and turned right to the gate, you could barely see the resort. Once we cleared the guardhouse, then you could get a view of the resort. It is set back nicely and the size is deceiving. It does not look as large from the front as it does once you enter. We pulled under the overhang, paid JR (using the $8 off coupon in Passporter), and were met by a bell services person, who was very happy to welcome us to the Lodge. Our luggage was brought inside, and we were directed to check-in. We were met by Lynn, who was one of many CM's who really made us feel at home. He welcomed us, explained the features of the resort, and let us know our room was ready. We were told we had Room 2234, on Kudu Trail, which is the Savannah that would best be described as being behind the check-in desk. I had hoped for the main Savannah, but since I asked for the king bed, and received it, I couldn't really gripe. After finishing up the paperwork at the check-in, including the form you have to sign accepting eviction for feeding, harassing, or otherwise interfering with the animals, we were escorted to our room by another bellperson. The lobby is grand, somewhat similar to the design of the Wilderness Lodge in it's size and openness, but still totally different. There is a walkway across the fifth floor near the large Savannah view window, that is designed to look like a rope suspension bridge, a large African headdress ( like 250 lbs and 10 feet tall large), along with clusters of sofas and chairs around handcarved tables. There is a five story tall glass window overlooking the main Savannah and the firepit. As the lobby is on the 3rd floor, we had to take the elevator to the 2nd floor (due to the luggage, otherwise you could just walk down the stairs). We then made a left down Kudu Trail, and were brought to our room. All of the rooms have a handcarved ceremonial shield on the front door. When we opened the door, we saw that in addition to the king sized bed, there is a daybed in the room too. The room was roomy enough for us, although not quite as large as those at the Polynesian. It might have been a bit tighter with two queens instead. After unpacking, I look out the balcony, and saw there were hardly any animals at all outside. I figured it was one of the slack times they had mentioned. We left the room, and headed down to explore a little, and find some victuals. For some reason I had thought that Boma was open during the afternoon for lunch, but it turns out they only are open for breakfast & dinner. We found our way to The Mara, the food court which is entered from the outside of the resort, adjacent to the pool. We bought a souvenir refillable mug, my wife had a grilled chicken sandwich, and I had the sugar cane chicken. The total came to $23.08. The menu is not that of your average food court. While the generic pizzas, burgers, and chicken sammiches are on there, there are quite a few different items, such as the sugar cane chicken I ordered, tofu , African salad, Tamarind (I think) chicken pizza, etc. The sugar cane chicken is skewered chicken on sugar can sticks, with a side of tofu. I was able to ask for and receive a replacement for the tofu as a side dish, although for the life of me I can't remember what I replaced it with it wasn't fries). The menu is also animated, with the selections displayed on a large screen overhead, and every few seconds one item appears in a larger display, showing a picture of it, then is replaced by another item, and so on. There is still the static display with all the selections listed. As was found throughout our stay here, the staff was exceptionally friendly and helpful, always eager to explain an unfamiliar dish or answer any other question. After finishing our grub, we went back to the 3rd floor, where my wife was magically drawn to the gift shop, Zawadi Marketplace. This seemed to be the theme for this vacation, I don't think there was a gift shop she missed in 8 days. In fact I think WDW added a few gift shops for the week knowing she was on the grounds. After the requisite purchase of pins and other AKL trinkets, we were off to the bus stop. As you exit the front of the lodge, you bear left. There is an overhang all the way down to the bus stops, of which there are 5. We noticed, which I have mentioned in other posts, that several of the Standard view rooms have their balconies under the bus walkway overhang. Not only does that provide almost no view of anything except the walkway, but it would seem to be extremely noisy, especially late at night with returning guests, especially the exuberant ones returning from PI. We made our way to the MGM Studios bus stop, since we knew Doug Live was in it's final days, and we wanted to catch as many as we could before they ended it's run. The bus arrived rather quickly, and we were off to MGM, with only 4 other passengers. We arrived at MGM in about 15 minutes or so, and were in the gate in no time. There did not appear to be much of a crowd, and a check of the tip board (after navigating a few shops up the main drag) revealed that other then RnRC, there were basically no waits at any of the major attractions. We made it to Beauty & The Beast about 5 minutes before the next show started, and caught the tail end of 4 For A Dollar. I have seen B&TB quite a few times, but don't recall ever seeing this group. I guess it's just timing, because they have been performing there for quite a while. When B&TB started, it seemed different than we were used to. It turns out that it has been revamped since we last saw it in Dec. Certain scenes have been eliminated, with other ones added. The main difference is there is now a segment dealing with the spell on the beast by the witch, which I don't think was in there before. The sequence of songs seemed a bit different also, although I can't say for certain. In the end, however, all went well and they lived happily ever after, at least until the next show. We then made our way over to Doug Live, and caught the show, again making it there with about 5 minutes to go. The Doug in this show did not seem to have as powerful a voice as some of the other ones I have seen, but it was still a good show, although my enthusiasm was dampened knowing it would only run two more days. I made some small talk with some of the CM's who worked there, and they also seemed upset over it's imminent closing. After Doug, we walked around the large wall surrounding the construction of the BAH, which was at level 2 of the blue pieces. We then hit the Great Movie Ride, getting the Gangster ride. The ride was a walk on, and they were only running one set of trams, instead of two. After TGMR, it was over to The Little Mermaid, and once again, we were there just as they were allowing people in the theater. We had good seats, middle of a the row, towards the rear. After VoTLM it was back to Sunset Blvd, and a quick trip up and down and up and down and up and finally down the Tower of Terror. This was also a walk-on, although once we got through the pre show room, there was about a 5 minute wait inside. I ended up with the seatbelt seat once again, we had a lively bunch of people on the ride, which always makes it a bit better. After that, it was time to head over to the Polynesian, for a hearty Hawaiian repast at 'Ohana. We caught the bus, and got the Polynesian just before 6pm. It turns out it was just in time for the Torch Lighting ceremony, which we had never seen before. This was pretty nice, involving the Chief doing a call with the conch shell, gathering everyone, and then lighting the torches to the drumming. He then did a brief fire dance with the large stick he uses to light the torch. After that, it was inside to meet our cousins and put on a few more pounds. As usual, the food was excellent, and with Hector providing excellent service, we were off to a good start. The tab came to $56.16, which included one adult libation apiece, and the all you can eat feast. After savoring the last bit of pineapple in caramel sauce, it was off to the monorail station, for the MK. Since Spectromagic was only running two nights during our trip, it was high on my list. We arrived at the MK at 8:00pm, and made our way up Main St (ducking into a few shops and causing WD stock to go up again, naturally). We checked the tip board, found there was no wait at Pirates, so made our way over there. As is often the case, POTC was a walk-on, and we were soon enjoying the strains of Yo Ho, Yo Ho, A Pirates Life For Me. After Pirates, we walked to Jungle Cruise, saw a posted 15 minute wait, and figured why not. JC always seems better at night, and in 10 minutes we were on board, with our skipper, who after all that time in the Jungle, still smelled, smelled danger that is. He brought us back safely, and I figured it would be a great time for a nice tasty Dole Whip to enjoy Spectromagic with. Unfortunately, they must have drawn off the cashiers from the Dole Stand to man gift shop registers for my wife, as the Dole Stand was closed. So off we went to Main St, and managed to get a spot right in front of Casey's for Spectro, with only minutes to go before the parade. It was great to see Spectro after all this time it has been gone due to the rehab, and no matter what anyone says, I still enjoy this parade much more then MSEP. After Spectro, my wife suddenly remembered that there might have been a display or two she missed in the Emporium. After picking up some more ballast for the bus ride back, it was off to the bus stop and back at AKL by 10:00pm. A quick trip to the pool and spa was the perfect end to a day that started about 22 hours earlier. About 5 minutes after hitting the sack, something seemed wrong. It turned out the power in the resort went out at 11:30pm. I guess it was out for a half hour or so, but I'm not sure, as I was soon sawing logs. Day 2 Friday, 5/11/01 Day 2 started off unexpectedly with a persistent banging noise. At first I thought, ahh, perhaps one of the numerous wild animals living on the Savannah had a different type of mating call. However, the persistent banging noise turned out to be the sound of the contractorus generalus, doing work on the unfinished part of the lodge. They were so kind as to vary the hammering, with the occasional sounds of sawing and other such sounds. Always nice at 7:30am, although I didn't mind, as I enjoy getting up early at Disney. A quick peek out the window revealed a multitude of animals, including 4 giraffes, and numerous birds near the waterhole. Quite stunning actually, and more then made up for the construction noise. After a breakfast at Mara , which consisted of another souvenir mug ( one for her coffee, one for my sody pop), her western omelette, and my scrambled egg platter ( $21.60 total), we were off to the bus stop. The game plan today was for a water park, then MGM in the afternoon. We decided whichever water park bus came first was ours, and Blizzard Beach turned out to be the destination. We arrived there about 9:30am, with a 10:00am opening. We were told that normally they allow people inside about a quarter of the hour, but today they would not due to a private group being inside. There was a small crowd waiting for the gates to open, and there was a CM hawking refillable mugs up and down the line, in a rather loud voice, for the time we were waiting. They were going for 9 clams with the refills, and they are the same mugs you can get in lieu of your $2 deposit at the locker stand ( albeit without the unlimited soda). It seemed more in place at a ballpark, not at a Disney Park, the way it was being hawked. For some odd reason, my wife didn't buy one, which must have truly confused the suits at WD HQ. Anyway, once we got in, we got a locker, and were settled in chaises right near the meltaway bay in a few minutes. While the missus decided her tan needed work, I decided I was better off at the various slides and what not. I took the ski lift up to Teamboat Springs, and got in with a another couple. As it was still early, and the weather was not hot, I should have been prepared, but I wasn't. It seems like some of the snow is still melting, and was melting right in Teamboat Springs that morning. Nothing like being chilled at 10:07am on a wild tube ride. After getting off TS, it was onto the tube creek for a float halfway around the park. I got off at the slide area, and rode the enclosed slide down 2x. I then wandered back, grabbed PJ, and we were off to try TS together. By this time, it was about 20 minutes to get on, between the chair lift and the line at TS. We got put in with another couple, and for some reason, the tube was really spinning wildly this time. It was great ride, and is one of my favorite at either of the waterparks. After that, we both did a circuit on the tube float creek, and then hit the Meltaway Bay for about a half hour. After melting away in Meltaway Bay, it was time to head back to AKL. We caught a bus, with only two other people on it, and were back at AKL at 12:30pm. After changing, and checking out the animals on the Savannah once again, it was back to the bus stop. We caught a bus to MGM, and were inside in no time at all. The crowds seemed a bit larger then the previous day, I don't know if this was due to the Star Wars Weekends, or just a normal Friday. The tip board for TOT said 13 minutes, so we figured we'd hit that quick. Unfortunately when we walked to TOT, the board at the entrance said 55 minutes. I asked the CM at the gate which was correct, and he told me it was 55 minutes. I asked him to let someone at the tip board know, as they had 13 minutes posted. RnRC also had a long wait, so we meandered back towards the main drag (with the requisite stops at any structure that had merchandise for sale). I noticed that the tip board had been updated for TOT by the time we got back there. We asked about the Fantasmic Dinner Package at the booth behind the tipboard. We were interested in the Brown Derby or Hollywood & Vine. Both had available seatings, but H&V had the later one, at 4:50pm, so we went with that. If I went with the Brown Derby times available, I would not have been able to catch either of the two remaining Doug Live shows that day, so it made the choice easy. After completing the PS, we walked over to The Great Movie Ride. They had a 10 minute wait posted, which would allow us to do the ride, and then go over to Doug Live with about 10 minutes to spare. As it turned out, the wait was just under 20 minutes, and we ended up doing the ride (Gangster side again), and getting to Doug just in the nick of time. The Doug today was much better then yesterday, and they also had my favorite Pork Chop, and Skeeter. The show was excellent, but bittersweet, knowing that it had but one more day to go. There seemed to be much more emotion in the singing today also, on everyone's part. After Doug, it off to Hollywood & Vine, where we enjoyed the buffet. One disappointment was the buffalo mozzarella and tomato salad. It should be called the tomato salad, with a hint of buffalo mozzarella. I'm used to tomato & mozzarella salads that are about 50-50 of each. This one was about 99% tomato, and 1% mozzarella. The other items were still good, especially the flank steak, the smashed spuds, and the coconut cake. Total for the two of us came to a measly $42.94, including tip. What a difference from our other trips with the kids, where we are used to meals costing around $150 or more. After loading on those extra pounds, we decided to do the Animation Tour. This is always enjoyable, even if it sometimes comes across as a long commercial for their latest film offering. The CM's in the tour were very enthusiastic once again, and I still loved the film at the end ( and even managed a tear during the Bambi scene, but don't tell anyone). After the tour, and donning the shades to conceal the watery eyes, it was back to the Little Mermaid. Once again, the timing was perfect, in the theater in about 2 minutes after walking up. We then did the backlot tour with Catastrophe Canyon, ended up getting soaked, and couldn't believe how different the backstage streets look without the Osborne Family lights on display. It was now after 8:00pm, so we headed down to Oscar's, where we told to be by 8:30pm for our Fantasmic Seating. We got to the gate at 8:30pm exactly, and after flashing our pass to the CM, were allowed entry to the backstage walkway. I'm surprised they didn't really check the pass, or take it. Perhaps they change colors each day, as this one was orange, but it seems like if they don't change colors, you can keep your pass and use it another day, if you were so inclined ( and judging from some threads on the newsgroup, I know there are some who are so inclined!!). We ended up getting to the theater about 8:40pm, and were seated 3 rows from the top in the Ursula section, which is the 2nd from the far right. The seats were fine, and certainly beat arriving an hour or more earlier for a slightly better view. One thing that upset me was the two rows behind us were for handicapped, and one family sat in the handicapped row behind us, and refused to leave. The husband, when he was told they were for handicapped people by the CM who was in that area, said that they weren't handicapped, but they weren't moving either. Seemed like a nice example to set for his kids. There were still other seats available. Maybe someday he will have a true need for those seats, and then he'll appreciate them. The theater quickly filled up, in fact they ended up filling the standing room sections. There was no preshow, I don't know if they are gone for good, or just during off seasons. At a few minutes after 9:00pm, the show started. The view from our seats was perfect, especially considering that we arrived at 8:40pm. As has happened before, Mickey had some scary moments, but in the end he saved the day, and all was well in the Amphitheater. We made our way out, and after being detoured by the slim chance that perhaps one of the stores had added something to their displays that wasn't there two hours earlier, we made our way out to the bus stop, and back to the wilds of the AKL. A brief walk around the outdoor Savannah, a refill of the mugs, and off to the room, to unpack the days haul of loot, and rest my weary dogs. Day 3 Saturday, 5/12/01 Who said you can't do 4 parks in one day? Well, we found out you can, and still get quality time in. Although one of the parks was Typhoon Lagoon, instead of the a regular theme park. Day 3 started without any construction sounds, but we did get the pleasure of a fire alarm going off to make up for the lack of construction noises. Once again, there was a large amount of animals, including giraffes, bongo's, and other wild creatures outside our balcony on the Savannah. Quite the experience to see first thing in the morning. Anyways, today was another waterpark, since we did BB yesterday, it was Typhoon Lagoon today. After waiting for a bus, which must not have been going along with the bus on demand program, one finally arrived. We arrived at TL at about 9:40am, and were let in right away, and got our locker. They held us up inside before the little bridge to the beach, but once the rope dropped, we had our chairs in a minute. I managed to get in a few water slides, a lazy river float, and a trip through the shark reef in no time at all. I was then joined by PJ for a another trip around the creek, and then we spent sometime in the wave pool. I was very happy with the speedo goggles I bought for this trip. I they allowed me to wear my contacts and keep my eyes open underwater with no problems at all. One thing that really surprised me though, I bought the goggles at target before the trip, and paid $10 for them. The exact same ones were for sale at TL for $6.50. I don't know if it was a mistake or not, it just seems weird to see something like that priced lower at WDW. Speaking of speedos, there should be some sort of law banning guys from wearing Speedo's bathing suits in public. I think that less that 1% of the male population has the physique to wear a speedo, but that doesn't stop guys who make me look like Arnold Schwarzenneger from donning those things. It seems to be mostly English guys for some reason. You'd think even if the guy who so naive as to think he looked good in one of those, his wife would make sure he didn't set foot in public with one just as a matter of pride. At noon, the wave pool reverted to the small waves, and we reverted to the bus stop (after a mandatory stop at the gift shop, which remarkably ended without a purchase!). We were back at AKL by 12:20pm. A quick shower, shave, and hello to the animals outside, and we were back on the bus (without Cowboy Neal at the wheel) and enroute to MGM again. We arrived at 1:15pm, and the crowds were about the same as Friday, but nothing horrendous. We managed to get a PS for the 50's Prime Time Cafe for 1:30pm, and hustled directly (via Keystone Clothiers of course) to our appointment with Cousin Melissa. After being given the rules of the house, and told to keep my elbows off the table, I enjoyed the fried cheese appetizer, which I highly recommend. I don't recall having this on prior trips, but can guarantee I will have it on future trips. I had the fried chicken which consisted of a large portion with 3 pieces of fried chicken. My wife had the pot roast. She would have gotten the clean plate sticker, except for the piece of chicken that materialized on her plate before Melissa's final inspection. I was the recipient of the airplane feeding of my green beans, which brought great merriment to those around me ( and fortunately was not caught on film). I also had a great chocolate malt with my meal. Cousin Melissa did an admirable job, and we had a great time. The people sitting next to us seemed to be locals, and also were very into the show, making it a better environment. The total came to $47.01 with tip, again very reasonable for the amount of chow and the service. After exiting the Prime Time, and returning to the 21st century, we saw we had some time to kill before the final two Doug shows. My plan was to catch both of them, and possibly be picked for the Beats for the 2nd to last one, while filming the final one. We caught the Drew Carey Sounds Dangerous show, which I would much rather have seen join the list of historical attractions in place of Doug Live. I guess something like that is cheaper to run in the long run then a show like Doug. After SD, I did the sound booth in the exit area, but tired of that after a few minutes. After a walk around past Star Tours, which had about a 20 minute wait, but a large crowd in front due to the SW stuff, we wandered back to the ABC theater. We got inside, sat towards the rear left area, and didn't get picked for the Beats. Oh well, guess it wasn't meant to be. The show was very good, with my favorite actors and seemed to be picked up another notch in the singing and delivery. There seemed to be a few "suit" types in the back, maybe if they had seen the show once or twice during it's run they would have allowed it to stay. The MC made mention of some people in the front who had seen Dough something like 600 times. I didn't get to see who they were, but I think they are the people I saw outside the theater before the last few shows, including one guy wearing a Bluffington Bowl shirt. Anyway, after the show was over, a large amount of the crowd went right back to wait for the final show. I got to talk to quite a few more CM's, and also saw a few of the actors who came to see the final show. There were also a large amount of "suits" showing up, and I made a point of talking to a few of them, and letting them know my opinions concerning the closing of Doug. One of the suits told me that it was being closed because it had been there a long time. I told him it was only there a bit over two years, and anyways, if it was old, why did the MGM Park Guidemap refer to it as NEW! Doug Live ?. He didn't have any satisfactory answers, not that it would have made any difference. We were eventually let in, and I decided to sit in the middle, but slightly right, in order to get the best spot for videotaping. BTW, I managed this by waiting in the aisle until enough people had gone in, NOT by stopping in the seat I desired and causing people to walk around. That's another one of my pet peeves at WDW. The theater was pretty full, and was quite noisy. The MC made mention of it being the last Doug Live, and the crowd went wild. The actors put on a fantastic show, and brought down the house. During the Dr Rubbersuit scene, Roger/DR momentarily lost his train of thought, resulting in some good laughs all around. At the end, the cast was given roses by someone up front, and Doug & Patty came back out a 2nd time after the cast had been announced and the Beats/Quailboy had left. and hugged on stage. The video came out great, and while I'm sad the show is over, I am overjoyed that I got to experience the last one, and record it for posterity. After the final Doug, I was not in the mood to stay at MGM, so it was off to Epcot. We decided to take the boat over instead of a bus (is there a bus from MGM to Epcot?). We made it in about 20 minutes, and enjoyed a nice leisurely ride. We went in, and the first stop was believe it or not, NOT the World Travelers store. However, once we crossed the small bridge to France, PJ decided she could not travel another step without a personalized parasol from the sidewalk artisan. After getting that, it was off to Japan, where we enjoyed the parade I now rank right up there with my beloved Spectro, which is Tapestry of Nations. After soaking in the vibrant percussion, and being recipient of numerous waves and smiles directed right at me from the great CM's who do the parade, it was time to hit the Flower Power show at the American gardens Theater. An old favorite of mine, the Marshall Tucker Band was set to perform. I was worried, as the two main members of MTB, Tommy & Toy Caldwell, had gone to the great concert hall in the sky, and the band really only had one original member, vocalist Doug Gray. I also was worried that being at Epcot, they would play some of their later stuff, which was more 3 minute pop oriented, then their earlier jammed out stuff. They hit the stage at 7:10pm on the dot. It seemed like a large portion of the crowd had come specifically to see them. They surprised me by opening with Take The Highway, and doing a very nice job with it. I started recording it, but alas, my battery died about 8 minutes into it. They finished that song, Doug said they were only allowed to play for 30 minutes due to the setting, and then mentioned that they had a song they like to play that usually takes about 20 minutes or so, but they would try to squeeze in a little shorter time. I knew this meant that 24 Hours At A Time was coming, and wasn't disappointed. It clocked in at about 12 minutes, and although Dougs vocals aren't what they were in 1975 2 when I last saw MTB, the band more then made up for the any drop-off. Next up was another old favorite, Can't You See, which also was done very well. I was hoping that the 30 minutes wasn't strictly enforced, but unfortunately it was, and the set was over. Only 3 songs, but still, a very good 3 songs, and a nice surprise to see at a place like Epcot. After MTB, it was time to make our way to the MK, for the late running of Spectro. On the way out of Epcot, we hit Spaceship Earth, since there was no line. The ride stopped for a few minutes by the Egyptian scene but soon we were on our way. We exited Epcot, and caught the monorail to the MK arriving just before 9:00pm. I was wondering why very few people were exiting the park. I had thought that Spectro was at 8 & 10pm that night, but it turns out they were at 9 & 11 pm. So we were met by a large crowd of people still entering the park. We decided to hop on the WDW RR (too bad Bruce Metcalf was off at DL ), and rode over to Tomorrowland (actually Mickeys Toontown station). We took the back walkway towards SM, did a quick ride on the WEDWAY (TTA) then walked out towards the Plaza Pavilion for Fantasy in the Sky, getting a great spot right under Tinkerbells path, about 2 minutes before the fireworks. The only drawback was the incessant voice from above, from the TTA, that kept saying every 30 seconds or so, "Now entering Metropolis Science Center". After Fantasy, the crowds started the mass exodus. We moseyed across the front of the castle, and over the bridge to Liberty Square. We found some empty seats right at the end of the bridge, grabbed a sody pop, and staked our claim to some great real estate for the 11:00pm Spectro. There were a couple of nice CM's there at the bridge for parade duty, and we got to talk to them at length, making the short wait that much more enjoyable. In no time at all, the majestic sounds of Spectromagic were coming our way, and we enjoyed our vantage spot with a wonderful parade. In fact, a few of the princesses made a point of waving specifically at me, knowing how much I enjoyed the parade. After the CM's with the light up jacket carrying the rope passed by, signaling the end of the parade, we made our way down Main St, making sure to add a few dollars to the cash registers along the way, and helping to do our part to raise the stock price of WD Company. By the time we hit the bus stop, there was not a large crowd, and we were back at the resort at 12:10am. I tried to watch the animals out the balcony, but the way our room was situated, it was not conducive to nighttime viewing. Oh well, the only animals I was really concerned with at that time were my aching dogs, and within minutes I was busily sawing logs again. Day 4 Sunday, 5/13/01, Mothers Day Sunday came rather early. We had a 10:00am appointment for our backstage tour at the MK, the Keys To The Kingdom Tour. I got this for $98 for the two of us, with our AP discount. We were at The Mara for a quick breakfast, her Western Omelette, my scrambled egg platter ($12.07). After a quick satisfactory pat of my ever expanding stomach, we were off to the bus stop. We arrived at the MK at about 9:30am, where Jasmine was given a nice flower to wear in honor of Mothers Day, and went to the courtyard adjacent to City Hall. Our names were checked off the list at the table that was et up for the tour guests, and we were each given a name tag with the Keys To Kingdom logo, and our names on it. They also provided complimentary coffee & tea for the tour guests. We were given a laminated menu from Columbia Harbour House, and asked to make a selection for our lunch ( which is included with the tour). I didn't see the fish basket on the menu, and asked about it. The CM, Clay, told me that if I wanted it, he would make sure I got it. Princess Jasmine chose the salad for her lunch. When everyone was accounted for, we assembled at the Roy Disney & Minnie statue near the flagpole. Clay, our Tour Guide, began with some of the history of WDW, and some background on Walt & Roy. He also explained the meaning behind some of the names in the shop windows above Main St. Clay, who has been a CM for 7 years, was exceptional. His love of Disney came through clearly, and he made the tour more then just a recitation of facts and figures. He took us down ( or up) Main St, stopping to point things out, and explain in detail things we would encounter along the way. He never seemed to be stumped by a question either. We made our way to Tomorrowland, where we rode the TTA. All along the way, he had pointed out hidden Mickeys, and other points of interest. My wife & I rode the TTA car with him, and got to ask him some questions that have popped up from time to time on the newsgroup. After TTA, and a tour of Tomorrowland, we went through Cosmic Rays, to Fantasyland, and then into a CM entrance near Snow Whites Scary Adventures. We were taken down in the elevator to the utilidors, and spent about an hour down there. During that time we were shown costuming, the wig shop, and other places of interest, including the main entrance behind IASW that the CM busses drop off the CM's at. After the utilidor, it was back up to Fantasyland, into Cinderella's Castle, out to Liberty Square, and on to Columbia Harbour House for our lunch. I had assumed that we would be brought in and stuck on line, since it is sort of a fast food type place. However, a room was set up for us upstairs, and our lunches were awaiting at tables with a little place card. Attached to the place card was a very nice Keys to The Kingdom tour pin. I subsequently received numerous queries about that pin throughout the remainder of my stay. After enjoying my bounty from the sea, it was off to the Haunted Mansion. Once again, some background was provided, and we were brought in through the CM entrance. We then entered the stretching room,and enjoyed the ride. After the ride was over, we re-grouped at the exit, and Clay asked if any of us had heard about the mystery of the hidden ring. Well, I have been on the HM dozens of times, and have always looked for the ring, with no luck. Thanks to Clay, I now have seen it, and can point it out to others. Once that was done, it was off to another backstage area, the production center where the parade floats are kept. This was interesting to see, and I also was able to see how the floats are driven. We also saw the large vacuum system that sends the park trash through tubes, which actually was better than it sounds. After that, it was back to the on-stage area, as they call it. We rode POTC, and then were gradually brought back to Main St. The tour itself was right at 5 hours, and was very informative. If you have a chance to take it, by all means do so. I don't know if all the guides are as good as Clay, but he was really superb. After that, we didn't want to stick around for 3:00pm parade, so we caught a bus back to AKL. We freshened up, waved hello to some animals, and made our way down to Boma, for a Mothers Day dinner. I hadn't thought in advance about how hard it would be to get ressies for Mothers Day, and we almost had a disaster. However, they told us if we showed up right at opening, 5:00pm, they would get us in without a PS. We were there a little before 5, and were seated shortly after. Our server was Jules, who did a wonderful job. The selection was very large, and the choices were not would you would find in your run of the mill buffet. We were both very satisfied, especially with the dessert bar. I guess with all the walking on the Keys Tour, I was entitled to put some tonnage back on. The total for the two of us came to $50.30, including tip. We then caught the bus to DD. We made our way through the shops, buying a nice 4 Park beige/tan throw in Disney At Home, $55 minus 10% with DC. When we went to pay, I was shocked to realize I had left my DC card in my wallet, where it was safely ensconced in the room safe. I had been using a fanny pack, and only carrying my room key card, which I used to charge purchases, so had no need to carry my wallet. However, my wife had her old MKC card, and they accepted that for the 10% discount. We then made our way to World of Disney, where numerous pins, collectible coins, picture frames, CD's, a video, a few beanies, and many other items magically appeared in our basket. After we were done, I believe Eisner took another stock bonus thanks to my wifes purchases. We had our loot shipped to the resort, otherwise I would have risked severe back strain lugging all that stuff around. We went to Pleasure Island, with the hopes of catching at least 2 CW shows, and hitting the Adventurers Club. We got in line for the CW show, I can't recall if it was the 8:00 or 9:05pm one. I asked the CM at the line entrance which performers would be on ( a tip learned from WDW1972) . Since some of the veteran perfomers have left, I have noticed a real decline in the improv work, and was curious as to who would be in the show. When I asked the CM, she first told me that "local comedians" would be performing. I told her I was aware of that, but was wondering specifically which CM's would be on for this specific show. She seemed rather bothered, and told me she had no idea rather brusquely. I was rather surprised, and saw another CM at the other end of the ropes. I asked him the same question, and got the same response. When I asked for specific performers, again I was met with a disinterested rude response. Anyway, once we got in, we got stuck in the front area with the chairs by the wall, where you have no table in front, just a shelf behind you. The waiter took forever to take our order, and didn't return until halfway through the show. The show started with them announcing Carol Stein ( or maybe Steiner) on the keys, and she played for almost 10 minutes. She might be talented, but I know we don't go to CW to her a keyboardist. We go for improv comedians. Anyway, they finally came out, and I recognized Jen, the heavy set girl, who is one of my favorites. She has really gotten some good laughs in the shows I have seen her. There is also another person, a thin, young guy, who I first saw in December. He appeared very nervous then, and was constantly fidgeting with his hands, and just appearing uncomfortable on stage. I don't recall his name, but he was not much better tonight. It was painful at times, he really seemed out of place up there, and a couple of times he bailed out when it was his turn to do something. The show was not that good at all, part of the problem was the input provided from the crowd didn't really provide anything special, and part of it was some of the performers just didn't have anything funny to add. I don't think I laughed once during the entire show. At the end of the show, they ran off the names so quickly, that I didn't even catch them. After the show, we hit the AC for a few minutes. We just watched from upstairs for awhile, but never went downstairs. I was still a little bummed out about the CW show. We then hit the Animation Store, checked out some framed artwork, and found out that they do not accept the DC discount, whereas they used to take the MKC discount. Soon it was time to get back on line for CW again. I asked the CM again if they knew who would be performing, got another round of 'I don't know" and waited to enter. This time we were seated halfway up on the left, which was pretty good. This time, while Jen wasn't in the crowd, a few others I recognized and liked were, and the show was much better then the first one. It was also helped by the guy who took the phone call providing some great info, not the least of which involved his being a rock guitarist/undertaker who was at WDW with his best friends girlfriend (although it turned out there was a legitimate reason for it). The nervous guy even got a few good ones in, and there is a slightly older woman who is very good, along with two other guys with glasses, one with a shaved head, and one who is a bit stocky. WDW1972 can probably name them, but alas, once again, the names were rattled off at the end, with referring to each one, and I was unable to catch them all. After the 2nd show, we decided it was time to head back, and caught a bus back to the Lodge. Once again, the animals were out in force, but due to the location of our balcony, and the fencing area, it was tough to see many at night. Day 5 Monday, 5/14/01 Our plan was to sleep late, and head to Epcot. However, the sounds of the native tradesmen once again woke us up earlier then we expected. I guess thats the price you pay for staying in a resort that is still being built. Anyways, we ended up at Mara, where I had a nice bowl of oatmeal, with a healthy dose of syrup, and she had her usual western omellette. The total was $6.35, which I just realized by checking the receipt, didn't include the oatmeal. I don't know how that happened, because the way Mara works, is you get a checklist type thing near the food station, when you place your order. You bring that to the register, where they tally it up, and then when it is put in the register, it goes to the server with you table flag number, who then goes to the food area, gets your food, and brings it your table. In other words, if the oatmeal is not on the receipt, it would be my understanding it would not go to the server, who would then have not brought it. I didn't even realize until now, when I looked at the receipt for this trip report. We headed over to Epcot around 1:00pm or so. I got a FP for TT, and while we waited for the FP time, went over to the Living Seas. I always enjoy spending time watching the sealife, and this was no exception. When we were done there, we criss crossed the main area, with the usual stop at Pin Central. We hit TT, and were on in about 5 minutes. Some young kid who did the single riders line got in our row, and was asking alot of questions. He ended up really enjoying the ride, as did we. After we got off, I decided to go back on through the single riders line, while Jasmine decided to wait for me. Incredibly, she did so on a bench by the exit, rather then in a store. I was on in 5 minutes using the single riders line, along with a family of 5, that included a gent who must have been 90 years old. I guess it's only appropriate that I was behind a 90 year old guy on the highway ride, this being Florida. Anyway, to make things even more realistic, the ride broke down, in the heat chamber of all places. Fortunately, they turned the heat lamps off, or we would have been rotisseried to a crisp. After a good ten minute wait, we started up again, and finished up the ride, none the worse for the wear, all exiting in one piece, even the elderly gent. I must say, I was sort of surprised seeing him in the car, but he was real good with it. When I say he was close to 90, I'm not exaggerating either. I met up with the missus outside the exit, and we walked over towards WS, the Mexico side. After the required stop at the shop as you enter WS, and a few pictures along the topiaries, we bypassed Mexico (sorry Paragon), and stopped off at the Norway Bakery for a quick bite. We split a ham & cheese open faced sandwich, and a piece of raspberry cake, with a coke ( $10.87). As usual, they were delicious. We then rode Maelstrom, where I pointed out the hidden Mickey in the mural to a few people, dodged the curses of the trolls, skipped the travelogue, got detoured by the store, and finally made it back out to the WS. I found a pressed penny machine near the exit to the Norway store, which I had never noticed before. I asked , and found out that other then the American Adventure, it is the only pressed penny machine in the International Pavilions. Needless to say, I got a few, including one for my youngest, who collects them. We then stopped at China, and of course made our way through the store. We then made our way to Germany, and lo and behold, found our way into the stores. Once we were done there, we stopped in Italy, where can you believe it, there was another store to peruse!. After that, we hit the American Adventure, just in time for the end of the Voices of Liberty set, and then a nice air conditioned escape into the American Adventure. Unfortunately, I had the misfortune to sit next to a guy who sprawled out into as much space as he could, and promptly fell asleep, snoring throughout the show. Where is the Tough To Be A Bug stinger effect when you need it most? After that, it was off to Japan, where we hit the Yakitori House, for a nice shogun combo, skewered beef, chicken, shrimp, and rice, for a total of $7.69. I had a nice rainbow kaki-gori to wash it down afterwards. We had PS for Chef's D' France for later, so I had to slow down with the snacks. Anyways, we next found the highlight of the trip for Jasmine. Of course , it involved shopping. We found our way into the large department store in Japan, where my wife found the display where you pick an oyster, and get a pearl from within. We watched a few people do this, and it was fun to watch. For $12.97, you get a voucher, and hand it to one of the 3 young women at the display. They give you a set of tongs, and you pick an oyster from one of two tanks. They then take the oyster, and slice it open, and remove the pearl from within. If there is no pearl, you get a 2nd one. When they do this, they are reciting a speil, which seemed to basically always go " Ohh, you make very good choice, you pick very nice pearl". But when you pick one that is 7.5mm or larger, which might be one of every four or five, they give another similar spiel, usually in unison, ending with all 3 saying "Congrat-u -rations" while doing a drum roll on a drum that is hanging there. It was fun to watch. So needless to say, she decides to do it, and on her first try, gets a 7 and 3/4 mm pearl, producing the chorus of congrats, and the drum roll. Then she decides the pearls would make nice gifts for our daughters at home, so she buys a few more. After getting done with the pearls, and the settings you buy to put them in, she had spent almost $300. But she did end up with a very nice set of earring, and two nice charms for our daughters. I finally managed to drag her away from there, thanks to our PS at Chef's. We worked our way over, and settled in for a tasty dinner. I had the tomato tart appetizer, and the Duck A L'Orange entree, with a glass of Fonset Bordeau. She had an Iced Tea, with something called a Supreme Volaille (according to the receipt), which I can't recall, but think was the chicken dish. The total came to $63.29, not including tip (add another $12). The duck and tomato tart was excellent, and if they gave clean plate awards there, I would have won the gold medal. Afterwards, we found a nice spot near the Germany Train display to wait for Reflections of Earth. I whiled away the time with a large, cold liter of Becks from a stand in Germany ($10). Our vantage point was good, and we had a nice view of the show. Afterwards, we waited a while as the crowds exited, and took our time leaving. When most had left, we then walked our way towards the front, of course stopping at Mouse Gear to purchase a few things that we had somehow overlooked before. One thing I love about Epcot, everytime we are leaving after Illuminations, there are always CM's standing by the pavilions wishing you good night, never seeming to rush you along. By the time we hit the bus stop, there was no crowd, and we were on a bus and back at the Lodge with no delay. Day 6 Tuesday, 5/15/01 Today we had decided to return to Epcot in the early part of the day, then off to the MK for E Night. I bought my e ride tickets at the Guest Services at AKL. The price has gone up to $12 since our last time, when it was $10. I still enjoy it, and think it's a fair price. We caught the bus to Epcot, and made our way through Future World, with only a few minor distractions (Pin Central, Mouse Gear, Art of Disney). We went back towards WS, with no specific plans for chowing down. We finally decided on either Akershus in Norway, or Beirgarten in Germany. We traipsed over to Norway, the buffet menu didn't sound that bad, and the price was certainly a bargain, so we inquired about a walk-in seating. We had never eaten here before, and figured it was time to try it. We were seated immediately, and set out to hit the buffet. There is quite a selection, but there was really very little that appealed to either of us. We gave it a try, but sampling many of the dishes, but ended up with some old standbys, the sliced ham and turkey, tomato salad,, Swedish meatballs. The dessert we had was fantastic however, a chocolate mousse Viking ship, with a raspberry sauce. We split this, and enjoyed every bite of it. The total for the two of us came to $34.08, plus $7 for the tip. We also got some nice pictures of the interior while we were in there. We made our way around WS again, and as luck would have it, found ourselves back inside the Mitsukoshi Store again. The young clerks welcomed my wife back warmly, no doubt knowing that they were in for another big payday. As luck would have it, she wanted me to videotape her getting a pearl, and the first one she got, ended up being a double, that is two pearls in one oyster. This of course resulted in the obligatory round of congrat-u-rations and a drum roll, all captured for posterity on tape. Of course after that good luck, she had to purchase a few more pearls, but never hit the jackpot again. After helping to further cause a US-Japan trade imbalance by purchasing pearls and settings, we finally moved on and walked around the rest of the WS, only occasional stopping at stores. I guess after the excitement of the pearl hunt, it was tough to top it in run of the mill stores. We gradually made our way through the WS, stopped and enjoyed some of the topiaries and garden exhibits along the way, and finally exited the park and hit the monorail station. We monorailed over to TTC. Since we had some time to spare, we caught the resort monorail to the MK, as the regular direct MK monorail was temporarily down. We hit the MK, got our E Night wristbands, made a quick emergency Emporium stop, dropped off my camcorder battery at the camera shop for a free recharge, then left and went back to the monorail. We then hit the Contemporary via monorail, checked out the shops, and met a real nice CM at the pin booth in the concourse. He had worked at Disneyland Paris, and I got to talk to him for awhile about DP. I have always wanted to take a trip there, perhaps in the next few years. After a little while there, we caught the resort monorail to the Polynesian, where we had PS for 'Ohana again. We were seated quickly, but ended up in the rear area, instead of the main room. We did have a nice window seat however, and a great server. Unfortunately, I can't find the receipt, so I don't recall her name, or the total cost. As usual the food was great, topped off with the pineapple with caramel sauce to finish it up. Afterwards, we moseyed around the Polynesian, I got a nice embroidered Polynesian shirt marked down to $9.99 (good to wear when we stay there in Sept), and she managed to find a few more pins that she had somehow missed. We then decided to take the boat to the Mk, since it was such a nice evening, and we were in no rush. After a nice relaxing boat ride, we got into the MK just as E Night was starting. We went over and did Buzz Lightyear, where I probably didn't scare off too many aliens, hit SM a couple of times, then worked our way back to Buzz, where I had somehow became a much better alien destroyer. We then hit the HM, which is always better at night. Then off to BTMRR & Splash Mtn, each of which got 2 rides apiece. Again, these two are also much better after dark. The first time I rode with the missus, the second time I stayed on, and she got off. I had a bunch of kids get on my log in front of me, and when the big drop came, they sat on the rear of the seats. When we went to the picture display, after waiting for quite sometime, the CM checked, and said that the pictures would not be displayed or sold due to the kids sitting up on the back of the log seats. I guess they double check them before putting them on the display monitor where the guest see them. We then headed back to Tomorrowland, stopping in front of the castle for a couple of pics with the big cheese, Mickey. Once back in Tomorrowland, we rode Astro Orbiter, where jasmine ended up loosing one of her pins. We didn't realize it until getting back to ground level off the elevator. The CM called to the emporium, and made sure we were given a replacement pin free of charge, which we picked up when we left. I then hit Space Mountain. The first time I rode, they somehow missed me in the waiting circle for one cycle, so when I got off the ride at the end, the CM from the loading area had called to the CM at the exit area, and told them to send me back up through the back way for a re-ride, avoiding the line. That was very nice of them to do that. After that, I rode once more going through the regular line, which was between 5-10 minutes. We then called it a night, hit the Emporium, and caught the bus just as the rain started about 11:30pm. Day 7 Wednesday, 5/16/01 Today's plan was to hit MGM, as they were having a pin celebration event there. We arrived at the park just before and were given a wristband which entitled us each to purchase two limited edition pins at the Celebrity 5 & 10. There was a 3rd LE pin that was sold out earlier in the morning. We went over, got our pins, and were given a sheet that had a series of questions that entailed going to 7 different shops ( right up our alley), answering a question, and receiving the privilege of being allowed to buy a pin, that went on the sheet. If you got all 7, you were then given an eighth one free at Pin Central. I decided to try for Millionaire FP's, since we had never seen that. I got our FP's, and also made PS's for 50's Prime Time for lunch. We hit a few shops, got a few of the pins, then hit millionaire. As we were let in, there was an open seat in the fastest finger row, and I was asked if I wanted to sit there. I have only seen the TV show 2 or 3 times, and am not all that familiar with it. They eventually started the show, and it was time for the fastest finger test. I screwed it up, and some kid who was around 8 years old ended up winning, in about 1 second according to the posted timer. It seemed that he must have just hit the right sequence at random, and quickly. He bombed out on the $200 question, and a woman was next. She got a few right, and when they flashed the audience scores at the $1000 level, I was in 4th place. They show the audience scores by seat number at the major levels, 1000 & 32000. Every seat in the crowd has a display console to pick answers, not just the fastest finger seats. After the next few questions, I knew I had done well, and when she bombed on the $16,000 one, I knew I could be in the running. The display the scores starting with # 10, down to number 1. When the they were all displayed except for the top score, I knew I had made it, and sure it enough, when they displayed the top score, it was my turn to hit the hot seat. After a few whoops and yells, I bounded the few feet from my seat ( which just happened to be seat # 1) to the hot seat. Even though you only play for pins, and a possible trip to NYC , which is about 90 miles for me, I was still very nervous. After a few personal questions, we were off. I got through the early questions easily, and at the 8,000 hit a question about the Garfield comic strip. As luck would have it, I hate that strip, and never read it, so I had to waste a lifeline on it. I then got it right, used a second lifeline (50/50) on a question about "The Perseis" (meteor showers), and eventually made it to the 500,000 level. The question was what did Friedrich Buschmann patent in 1822, in Germany. The choices were trolley car, typewriter, accordion, and egg beater. My gut feeling was the typewriter or accordion, but then I thought about the train display at Germany. I had to go with the final lifeline, the call a stranger. Let me tell you, you can't always depend on the kindness of strangers, he recommended the typewriter, I decided what the hey, picked typewriter, and got the ole heave-ho. The correct answer, which I will now always know, is the accordion. Anyway, I reverted to the 32,000 prize level, and got a WWTBAM lanyard, with pins for each level up to 32,000 (ten in all), a WWTBAM Golf Shirt, embroidered; a WWTBAM baseball cap, and a home version on CD Rom. Not a bad haul either way. Anyway, once I put on the lanyard and pins, it was amazing how many people came up to me and talked about it. We then headed over to 50's Prime Time, where we had the fried cheese, and we split an order of meat loaf. Our cousin today was Susan, and she also did a fine job. No need for the airplane feeding, as we cleaned off our plates. The total today was $26.13, plus a tip. We then tried Millionaire once more, but I never even got on the scoreboard. We made our way back to AKL, and had dinner again at Boma. Our server tonight was Gilberto, who also did a fine job. The food was as good as it was on Sunday, and the selection was excellent again. As usual, the dessert bar was our undoing. The total came to $42.30, plus tip. Afterwards, it was back to Epcot, for ToN & ROE. As luck would have it, we found a great spot on the bench right along the lagoon, at Japan. Obviously the missus made a stop in Mitsukoshi to check on the pearl situation, while I waited on the bench. Miraculously, she only got one pearl tonight. Anyways, she was kind enough to head over to Germany, and get me a large frosty libation while I saved the bench. I then got to record ToN in the dusk, and once again, thoroughly enjoyed it. Our spot was perfect, because all I ad to do was swivel around for ROE, which started about 15 minutes after Tapestry ended. We had a great spot, and I got a great video of it. After it was over, we once again took our time leaving, savoring our last full night at WDW and Epcot on this trip. All too soon, we were back on the bus to AKL, and soon I was dreaming of accordions. Day 8 Thursday, 5/17/01 As with all good things, this trip is nearing it's end ( along with these missives from your intrepid scribe), We had done a small bit of packing the previous evening, but this morning called for some major league packing. It seems that we should have followed the advice of Chico Marx in the Coconuts, and brought along a couple of empty suitcases, knowing they would be full when we left. With all the stuff we bought, obviously there was a problem with fitting it into our bags, but somehow we managed. Bellservices came, and took our stuff for storage, to be picked up when Tiffany came for us at 4:00pm. Our check out was done already, with the express check out feature, so we didn't even have to go to the desk for anything. We wandered around the lobby and then caught a bus to MGM. My wife was really enthusiastic about the Millionaire show, and wanted me to try it again. We hit the park, got inside, and got FP's for the show. We also got a PS for Hollywood & Vine for lunch. When we got into Millionaire, there was a returning player, so there was no fastest finger to start the game. He did pretty good, but eventually bombed out , I think at 64,000. I wasn't even on the scoreboard for the audience, having gotten one question wrong. When the next player hit the hot seat, I again got one question wrong down the line, which was enough to keep me off the board. The game eventually ended, and we got FP's for the show after our lunch seating. We went over to H&V, and were promptly seated. The characters were all over the place, and as it wasn't too crowded, we got plenty of attention, and the corresponding pictures to go with it. The food was good as usual, and I enjoyed some more of the coconut cake for dessert. The tab came out to $35.94, plus tip. After we left, I didn't realize it until we were back at the lodge, I discovered I had left my lens cover on the table. The CM at the AKL called over, and found it had already been sent to Lost & Found. It was distinctive in that it had a Mickey Mouse sticker on it. Anyway, it arrived home in the mail yesterday (5/25), with a nice note attached. After leaving H&V, it was back to the Millionaire. As usual, I screwed up the fastest finger question. I had been seated in Seat # 132, which just happens to be the radio number of my police car. I thought that was a good omen. Anyway, the guy who was in the hotseat was doing pretty good. When he got to the 32,000 level, the big display screen flashed to the audience, specifically his family members, who were sitting right across from hi. They were caught on screen giving him the signs for the correct answer. The host saw this, and admonished them, but didn't take any action. He had started to say a different answer, but when he saw that, he changed his answer and got it correct. I was a bit upset, because now when they showed the audience scores, I was # 1. I am all for someone going all the way in the hot seat, but not by cheating. On the next question, I watched, and his family did it again, even though they were not on the screen. He looked at them, saw there hand signals, which were pretty blatant, and picked the correct answer. After that question, it appeared the stage lighting was changed, making it very difficult for him to see his family. As luck would have it, he bombed the next question, and when the audience scores were posted, yours truly was once again bounding down to the hot seat. I can't say I felt any sympathy for him at that point, especially after the host had made a point of saying something to the family. I then got up to the $1,000 point level, before the game ended. I was then taken aside, and told I would be brought back for the next game, in half an hour. The cast was very supportive, and really made me feel good. When the next crowd came in, after the preliminary stuff, I was introduced and was back in the hot seat. I got to the $64,000 question this time, where I discovered that Ag is the chemical symbol for silver, not gold. Oh well, back to the 32,000 prize level, and a second helping of the prizes I had won the previous day. After being loaded up with my prizes, I was put back in the crowd, just as another contestant bombed out. So now all audience scores went to 0 as a new contestant came on, and when she bombed at $1,000 level, I was again in the # 1spot. However, as they displayed the scores, time ran out and the show was over. I had a sneaky feeling that they hit the buzzer because it wouldn't look too good if the same contestant came in the hot seat 2x in one show. Anyway, I left happy, and we had to make it back to AKL to meet JR from Tiffany. We made it to AKL about 3:30pm, made a last run through Zawadi marketplace, and waited for JR. He arrived promptly at 4:00pm, and we were on our way to MCO for the flight home. Our flight was delayed about a half hour, but we still arrived at Albany at 9:15pm, and were home before 11:00pm. Summary We managed to hit MK, MGM and Epcot, along with TL & BB, and DD, & PI. We never made it to AK this trip. One of the advantages of having an AP is the fact that you don't have to rush through and hit a million rides a day to feel you got your moneys worth. We managed to cover a lot of ground, some days doing a lot, some days doing very little, but always enjoying each moment at WDW. All in all, it was a very good trip this time. The highlights were the beauty and exceptional attitudes of the CM's at AKL; the Keys to The Kingdom Tour and CM Clay who gave the tour; seeing Spectromagic again after the hiatus; Tapestry of Nations and Reflections of Earth; seeing the great cast of Doug Live in the final show; and finding out how much fun the Millionaire show is; the fact that even though sometimes it seems like Disney is cutting costs, the vast majority of the CM's are just incredible people, who really make the guest feel special; and the people of RADP, who have provided so much info over the years that it makes it very easy to know what to do and where to go at WDW, including, but not limited to : Deb Wills and her site, Jen & Dave and their Passporter book and site, WDW1972 and her TR's, Craig at the AKL desk, formerly of the Polynesian, Bruce Metcalf, and many others. Some of the lowlights were the constant construction interruptions at AKL, the rude CM's and lackluster performers at the 1st CW show, along with the overly long emphasis on the keyboardist; the jerk at Fantasmic who took four seats for his family in the handicapped section, on a full night, even though he wasn't disabled ( by his own account) because he wanted to sit near the top of the theater; and the fact that it seems like many attractions and smaller stands are closing earlier then the parks; and park management that can shut down a show like Doug Live while they have park maps touting it as NEW!. Thanks for reading, Take care, Bill Nuzzo trprt@valstar.net Mail a Comment to Bill Nuzzo |
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