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Sandy Schubert -- June 2001 -- Walt Disney World (ASMuR)June 22-27, 2001 Who:
Day One - Waiting in line and in line and in line It is 4:00 a.m. Time to rise and shine and tell DH (Andy) that the time of departure will be 6:00 a.m., at the LATEST. He of course, as usual when we go on trips, has not yet even begun packing. This annoys me. DSs #1 and #2 are woken up at 5:00 p.m. Well, Chris kind of lays on the couch until 5:15 a.m., until I threaten to leave him there if he doesn't get up. Okay, it is now 5:50 a.m. and Andy has just started the process of locking up the house. I'm not amused. He's changing light bulbs (could this not have been done LAST night?) and announces that he must collect all of the trash from the house and put it in a public garbage can before we can go anywhere. This is another ritual that he has established in order to freak me out prior to every vacation. It works every time. We finally leave at 6:10 a.m., and make the obligatory stop at the garbage can down the street. Whatever! We get to the extended stay parking lot at the Pittsburgh International Airport at 6:50 a.m. It takes awhile to find a spot, but we finally find one in 10B. We get to the US Airways check in at 7:00 a.m. for a 7:56 a.m. flight. The counter is incredibly packed, and I start getting nervous (is this just me, or does anyone else tense up until you finally get on the plane to Orlando)? The lady from US Airways is letting a whole bunch of people with 7:30 a.m. flights check in ahead of us. Then 7:50 flights. I tell her that our flight is 7:56 a.m. and she tells us to stay put, and lets the 7:50 people go in front of us. Now I'm getting mad. After what seems like forever, we check in at 7:30 a.m. We have just enough time to get through security, zip to the gate, and hit the ladies' room. I squeeze in a magazine purchase, and we board. The plane is packed. There is a woman with 3 small children that needs 3 seats together to sit with them. The stewardess asks for volunteers to give us their seats to accommodate them. We all had aisle seats, apart from each other by several rows, so Andy, who always has insisted on an aisle seat, as he has to sit on the end, gives up his seat, along with his two seat mates, for a middle seat. It's times like this that I remember that I love him (even though he doesn't pack on time and has to throw out garbage on the way to the airport every trip! ) We take off and I pull out my notebooks to start taking notes for my trip report. I can't find my pen! I ask the stewardess, and she lets me borrow hers, but I find mine shortly after and return hers. I look through my Passporter as the child behind me repeatedly kicks my seat! My seat mate notices my Passporter, and asks me if we are going to WDW. It turns out that she and her family are going to Universal, so we compare notes, and realize that we have much in common. This made for a great flight down as we talked about our kids, our love of shopping, and our shared Christian faith. We got a "snack" on the plane (bagel), and too late, after I had started munching mine, the stewardess asked me if I had ordered low cal. Ooops! Must have been one of my dieting moments when I ordered the tickets! Fortunately, they had enough to go around, since I obviously was eating someone else's bagel! DH got his low cal one, and his yogurt exploded when he opened it. The stewardess explained that this happens all the time, particularly to men in business suits. HMMM! As we are about to land, the stewardess asks me if we (Andy and I) drink. I say, "No, why?" She wants to give Andy a couple of those little bottles, since he was nice enough to change seats. He occasionally drinks, so she gave him two small bottles of vodka, and hands them to me. Craig wants to know what I am doing with them, as he knows I don't drink. They ended up sitting in the hotel room and made the flight home. I don't know what happened to them after that. I should have asked for another exploding yogurt instead. Andy would have liked that much better! Now we get to stand and wait for our luggage. Then off to the Dollar rental counter and another line. Twenty some minutes later, we get up to the counter. I had heard that you should book an economy car, and because car agencies rarely have any in stock, they will upgrade you for free. Didn't inform Andy of this, and he starts looking at the car selection saying "We'll never fit in this" and I am giving him this nasty look to keep quiet. The counter woman picks up on this and tells us we can upgrade to a brand new NEON (I own a Neon, this does not excite me!) for something like $8 or $10 a day. We also both want to drive, so they tack on another $10 a day. So, our $113 rental ends up costing $209. The counter woman also says we need to show proof that we filled up the car less than 10 miles from the airport, or they will charge us $4.45 a gallon when we come back. I'm not really happy with Dollar Rental at this point. But, I was not happy with Budget last year when we got a flat and they made us ride around on a donut, either. So, we go off to pick up the NEON. It smells bad. It smells like someone drank too much and threw up in it. It smelled that way the whole trip. Yuck! Brand new? I don't think so. We drive through the toll roads (have my exact change ready) and get to the All Star Music resort. We get to the lobby, and guess what - another HUGE line to wait in - yeah! Andy and the boys check the luggage at the front door, and I wait in line. Another 20 minutes. When I finally get to the counter, they have our request - The Jazz Inn, and we get a first floor room, 9429, towards the parking lot. I'm happy with this. But I'm not happy when I ask to purchase our E tickets for that evening, and the CM tells me no, because she has never sold any before. I say "So I have to go get into the Guest Services line then?" She says "Yes." Sigh! So much for the Disney training for this CM! We're all famished by this time, so we first head to the All Star Music Food Court. I had imagined more counters to be served from. But, there is a good selection of things to choose from. Craig and Chris get chicken (it's amazing our dear Craig didn't turn into a chicken by the end of the trip) fingers, I get a chicken quesadilla, and Andy gets a chef salad. Throw in some pretzels, cheese crackers, 3 drinks, and fruit, and the tab came to$38. After lunch, I get the E tickets from the Guest Services (not quite as long a line this time, thank goodness!) and we head off in the car to MGM. The sky is looking very threatening. By the time we get there it is POURING, and I only have 2 of the 4 dollar store ponchos that I had packed. Andy insists he doesn't need one, but I pick up a $6 poncho from the gift shop outside the park. So much for saving money there! We get through the ticket line and Craig becomes POSSESSED! He insists we much go through this torrential downpour to get a Fastpass for R-n-R, and then on to Muppets 3-D. We end up going through 2 gift shops, as it is teaming and we are getting soaked. We tell him at the 2nd one to go on himself to get the Fastpasses, and we will wait there. I see a Pooh pillow. HMMM! It is still pouring, but Craig leads us onward to Muppets going on and on about how he has waiting so long for this, and he is going to see it NOW. He is disappointed that we miss part of the preshow, but I am glad to be inside and dryer at this point. Muppets is better than I remember, even if there is a disparaging remark about Pittsburgh in it! Next stop is the Great Movie Ride with a 10 minute wait. It is not raining quite so hard now, but I am having major difficulty dealing with the HAT in front of The Great Movie Ride. What is up with that? It is hideous, and serves no good purpose that I can see, it only hides the beautiful recreation of Mann's theater. The HAT makes me mad! On to the Tower of Terror. Neither Chris or Andy have been to MGM before, and they really enjoy the theming of this ride, even though it is still raining as we wait for it (30 min.). This ride is much better than I remember it, (although Craig did not like it at all). We get a great picture (Andy is sitting in the middle and making this awful face), which I purchase with my room key. Uh-oh. This is going to be dangerous, and much too easy! I have the picture delivered to our resort, and pick up a floaty pen (I love those things!). It's now time for our FP for R-n-R. I love the preshow for this, but the ride is a bit jerkier that I remember. Dinner time brings us to our PS for Primetime Café (4:45 p.m.). I love looking around in here, as there are some items I remember from my childhood. The food is decent. Chris has a steak, which he really likes, Craig has BBQ CHICKEN, and Andy and I are not that hungry, so we get the chicken soup and small salad. We all got chocolate milkshakes, which were wonderful. Total tab was $63 plus tip. Unfortunately, our waitress wasn't really into her role, but another waiter, waiting on a large group, was great. After dinner, Craig informs us that it is time for Muppets, again. This time I ask the CM at the front to show us where the mat is that has the key under it. She shows us that it is off to the right at the entrance. I am impressed that we know about this! We decide to end our MGM adventure, as we are all in the need of a rest. I stop back at the shop with the Pooh Pillow and purchase it with.....my room card! Back at the ASMuR we purchase 3 refillable mugs, as Andy insists he doesn't want one. I keep telling him he should get one, but no, he says. Ok, I say. I get the smaller-looking one (I say this as the larger-looking ones, we discovered later, don't seem to hold more than the smaller-looking ones), and the boys get the other kind. I am impressed that the lids come in different colors, as I thought we would have to put names on them. I highly recommend anyone that can purchase these (ours were $8.99) get them, as they were well worth it. Even though we didn't eat at the food court that often, we did stop every morning and evening for drinks. I can't tell you how delighted I was to have a cup of coffee at that point in time. Aahhh! It was heavenly! And I needed it! We then unpack/rest for about 1.5 hours. As for the room. I thought it was great. I don't know why people complain about the size. Other than the beds being a bit small (Chris ends up sleeping on the floor anyways), it was fine, and really well themed. We liked the star and music-note lights. The soap/shampoo dispenser was a bit grody, , and there were some Mickey Mouse stickers stuck to the back of the bathroom door, that didn't appear to supposed to be there, but otherwise, I really liked the room. Then again, I'm used to staying in Days Inns! I can't see spending a ton of money on a room when you plan on spending so little time in it. After our rest, we leave at 8:30 p.m. for E ticket night at MK. We take the ferry over to the park. We wait in yet another long line to get our wristbands at City Hall. Spectromagic is running, so we are unable to book to Pirates as we had planned. The men in the family refuse to stay and let me watch the parade. When we can get through, we cut through the Emporium , and head straight to Pirates. After our December trip to Disneyland, this is very disappointing! Where are the fireflies? And the treasure room! Oh Well! It is almost park closing , and there is a very small line for Aladdin. We get on, and I am a bit sad that this is the new ride that the Imagineers have come up with. Yes, it is cool to see Adventure land, the torches and the new shop area like this, but could they have come up with something better than this? Chris is disappointed that only one camel is spitting water, and it is not coming anywhere close to us. It's now time for Eride night. We start with Splash. Andy has kind of a mullet thing going on with his hair, which Craig and Chris go after repeatedly. Andy and his wavy mullet get soaked. This leads to Chris' comment: "Cost of WDW vacation - $3,000. Wet mounds of curls: priceless." Big Thunder Mountain is next. This is way better than I remember. Perhaps this is because it is at night? But it was a lot of fun. We then do HM, and agree that we like DL's better. Off to Tomorrow Land. I'm getting REALLY tired about now. Craig racked up 189,000 on Buzz, compared to my 3,800! I then talk everyone into going onto TTA, which turns out to be the sleeper hit of the trip! This is great! We especially like the part when you go through Space Mountain. Why didn't I know about this before? Our last ride is Space Mountain, which we agree is better than DL. But we are tired now, and want to go back to ASMuR and go to sleep. Main Street is quiet and beautiful. We get up to the monorail, and I ask the driver if anyone is riding up front. It was a magical moment when the conductor said "I can take up to four." We all really enjoyed the opportunity to sit in front with the driver. We got back to the resort, showered, and went to bed around 1:30 a.m. It was a long, exhausting, but wonderful, day. Day Two - Can I go live in Canada? Beaver Tails, Cheese Soup and Hockey! We sleep in a bit later than originally planned, due to the long day yesterday. I get up at 8:15 a.m. There is this great full-length mirror on the bathroom door that enables me to just turn on the bathroom light, not the vanity one, and put my makeup on without too much disruption to everyone else still sleeping. I drink my pineapple juice (we bought a case of 6-oz cans in Pittsburgh for six bucks, and brought them in my suitcase. They were the perfect size to put in the ice bucket w/ice at night for a cool drink in the morning.) I wake everyone else up and tell them I am going to the food court to have devotions. Right before we left for the trip, a speaker at my church talked about going to WDW with his family, and making sure he had devotions first thing in the morning before he hit the parks. I'll have to admit, prior to this trip, I hadn't given too much thought to it while at Disney, but it was really nice to get away by myself in the morning, and still be able to have a quiet time with God in the midst of all of the people having breakfast in the food court. Speaking of the food court, I get there and realize that I have forgotten my protein bar. Oh horrors! Whatever will I do? Perhaps, pull out my room key and get a cinnamon bun! They poured the icing on it while I watched, and I knew it was going to be a good day! After coffee, cinnamon bun and devotions, I filled up the kids' mugs and headed back to the room. We were all slow getting started, but got into Epcot, the scheduled park of the day, at 10:15 a.m. A NASTY storm was brewing, so we get in the line for Spaceship Earth and hope we get undercover before the rain starts. We do, just barely. Craig loves this ride almost as much as Muppets. Andy and Chris are impressed with their first time on it. I enjoy it more than the only time I was on it, last May. After SE, we put on our raincoats and head for Ellen's Universe of Energy. I dislike the reference to evolution (which is all over Future World), but otherwise, find the show to be better than expected. Yes, it is now almost 11:30 and time for our PS at Le Cellier. Cheese soup here I come! I do, however, get nervous when we see that the Beaver Tail stand is closed. I'm wondering if it will stay that way because of the weather. I will be SO sad if I don't get to try one! As for Le Cellier, I cannot say enough good things about this restaurant. It is beautifully decorated, and the food was excellent! Our waitress, Laura, is the best. She is very informative and helpful. Craig (I think this is his only non-chicken meal of the trip), Chris and I decide on the Steak burger, and Chris and I must have the cheese soup, as well. Andy opts for the cheese soup and a salad. I am wondering what the thing in the middle of the table is that looks like a big candle holder. Turns out it is for the breadsticks Laura arrives with. 2 pretzel, 1 salt and 1 sourdough. YUM! And then out comes the soup, and we can dip the breadsticks in the soup. This is too good! We have to eat here all the time! The steak burgers are excellent, as well. It is so huge, I can't eat the English-muffin-type bun it comes on. Great meal - everyone - make your PS now! Laura is very gracious to tell us about her hometown in Ontario when I ask, as well as about pond hockey. We are big hockey fans, so we enjoy her story. Total before tip: $57.40. Excellent meal! It's still raining, so I insist on the boys ditching the 2 for a dollar cheesy raincoats from the dollar store, for 2 6-dollar Mickey ones. Andy still likes getting wet, apparently, so I leave him alone. We head back to Future World to see the Living Seas. On the way, we hit Ice Station Cool. We almost slip and fall on the snow going in, and I wonder how many people have done so. We really enjoy trying the different drinks. I know about the nasty-tasting Beverly, so I cheerfully tell Craig to try it. Wicked face I get! "I hate you!" he says! I trick both Chris and Andy into trying it as well, but don't get quite as passionate responses from them! My favorite is the one from Germany. The Living Seas is boring. I feel like I'm at a field trip. I used to be a PTA president, so I've done more than my share of them. I do like seeing the manatees at the end, though. Next is Living with the Land. The wait says 50 minutes, but fortunately, is only around 20. It was so cool to see cotton growing. We also have a banana plant at work that we grew from a baby, and it was cool to see other banana plants with fruit there. Andy dozes off. The CM who has been our host mentions that he put a lot of people to sleep, and didn't expect Andy to make it the whole trip. Next is Food Rocks. Although Chris and Andy protest, the males in the family admit it was pretty cute. We all like Pita Gabriel. Finally, it has stopped raining. After another trip to Ice Station Cool (but no Beverly this time), we head over to Test Track. Both it, and the fast pass for it are now open (both were closed when it was raining) and we get our FP for the early evening. I now announce that it is time to try Beaver Tails (keeping my fingers and toes crossed that the stand is open). Andy, the food police, is not amused that we are eating between meals, although I remind him that I had forewarned him that we would be doing so. We pass a CM blowing bubbles near Canada. Nice work, if you can get it! We approach the Beaver Tail stand, and yes, it is open! Craig and I get the Chocolate Hazelnut and Sugar, and Chris gets the Maple and Chocolate. Andy steams. These are good, but there is a bit too much icing, and it is a bit too sweet. Would try the cinnamon and sugar next time, but will definitely have another! Andy is now traumatized and makes stupid comments about the beaver tails the rest of the day. Sigh! We continue our journey of the countries. I look in the Tea Shop in England. We look through Morocco, and I get a great picture of Chris wearing a fez rubbing a lamp with a genie coming out of it. We don't stop again until Japan's gift shop. We glance in Yakatori House, as I had thought about going there for dinner, but it seems as though everything has veggies, which neither Craig or Chris are crazy about. We bypass the American Adventure, as we are still tired from the day before, and I fell asleep in it the last time we were there. Next stop - China. We look at the art exhibit, and the gift shop. We are never going to get Chris out of here! He ends up with a book, and I get a small egg with Pandas painted on it. I also enjoy the display window filled with pandas, as I have collected them since high school. Craig wants us all to go on the Maelstrom boat ride. It is okay, but not as great as I had imagined based on reviews. Andy comments to the boys that they should move to Norway, as he has noticed all the good looking female CM in Norway. Mexico is our next country to stop at. This is really nicely themed inside. The restaurant looks very cool also. But, the boat ride is LAME! I kept thinking, is this a joke? Who are those people in those cheesy videos? No, no, no! We then head back to the Sunshine Food Fair for the most unremarkable meal of the trip. Craig has CHICKEN tenders and fries, Chris has a BBQ chicken sandwich, which he doesn't finish, and Andy and I get chef salads. It has this NASTY looking ham on it. I go to the bakery to get fruit salad, and Andy has piled all of his gross-looking ham onto my salad. Yuck! I dispose of it. The salad greens are fresh, but overall the meal is very disappointing....until we get...two... MICKEY BARS! Andy and Craig give the Mickey Bars two thumbs up! I have two bites of Andy's, and I don't know what happened, but I had Mickey Bar chocolate all over me, my raincoat, my clothes, and my waist pouch. Had to stop and get cleaned up before another ride on Spaceship Earth. Total for dinner - $43. After SE, we go to Cranium Command, which is better than we expected it to be. It was then time for our Fastpass for Test Track. We waited about 15 minutes, and the ride broke down twice when we were on it. We were therefore not too impressed with it. Finally, about 7:45, the sun appeared! I had started to imagine going back to Pittsburgh as white as a ghost! I insist on seeing the TON parade. Andy stays with me, and Craig and Chris go to SE AGAIN, and then get in line to go back on Maelstrom. Turns out the ride go shut down while they were in line, as a boatload of people were stuck at the edge of the waterfall for quite some time! Andy and I really enjoyed the parade, and I took a lot of pictures. We all met up in the China gift shop. I wanted to stay for Illuminations, but didn't want to press my luck, as the family members had had enough Epcot for the day. We head back to ASMuR. I go up to Melody Hall to pick up the TOT picture from the day before and a newspaper from Maestro Mickey's. I took an herbal tea bag with me, filled up my Refillable Mug with hot water for it, and started writing notes for this report. I really enjoyed watching all the people, and was amazed at how many people will still eating at 11:00 p.m. Good thing Andy, the food police didn't see them! Day 3 - Animal Kingdom an'at I wake up at 6:15 a.m. Mickey calls me at 6:22 a.m. and tells me he's happy that we're here. This is too cool. I am so happy to be staying on property! The Mickey Soap bars make me happy, too. Being happy - that's what Disney World is all about! Time for devotions and to pick up coffee for me and pop for the kids at the food court. I'm good today, and actually ate the protein bar I packed, instead of a goody from the food court. We get to the gate of Animal Kingdom at 8:15 a.m., and head straight for the Kilamanjaro Safaris. "Follow me!" I say confidently, knowing only to bear to the left. Uh oh! They are filming in Africa, and the way there is blocked off! We are directed to Asia, so somewhat less sure of myself, I lead the charge. Fortunately, I still can figure out the way. The standby line is 20 minutes, but we only wait around 15. We see lots more animals this time than when I was there last time. Chris loves our driver, as he makes the ride seem more real with his accent, even though it is a bit difficult to understand him. Some giraffes are eating right off of the side of the road, and I get a couple of great shots of them. Next stop is Dinosaur, which has a 10-minute wait. It seems a bit better than last time, but I still think that the ride is way too dark. The Indy ride in DL uses the same vehicles as this ride, but is much, much better. Tough to Be a Bug is our next stop, with around a 10 minute wait. Chris and Andy have never seen this before, and really enjoy it. Andy wants to make sure we see it again before we leave for the day. I had wanted to see two shows at AK, Festival of the Lion King, and Tarzan Rocks (okay, no flames here, but I really like the Tarzan soundtrack, and rollerblading!) I notice this pink sparkly Mickey Head headband, that I decide I must have, before we go in for the show, and make a note to go back later and purchase one. Craig and Chris refuse to sit for this, so they go back for another ride on Dinosaur, and a trip through the Maharajah Jungle Trek. I am very disappointed in the Lion King. I really didn't like the movie, so that probably has a lot to do with it, but Andy doesn't care for it either. Acrobatic monkeys just don't do much for us. After the show, it is time for our PS at the Rainforest Café, and we meet Craig and Chris there. We are seated shortly after signing in, at a great table in the heart of the animatronics. I have a Natural (veggie) burger, but I don't like it as much as the one I had in Vegas. That one had a vinegar-based dressing, but this one tastes like thousand island. Not as tasty, but the waffle fries are very good and worth the extra money (I think it is $1.50) to get them instead of chips. Andy has a Buffalo Chicken salad, but the chicken isn't buffalo. He asks for hot sauce, which he receives. Chris and Craig have the CHICKEN club, which Chris declares is "bomb!" Our waiter, Josh, is very nice when he sees Craig and Chris are filling their water bottles with the pop refills, and brings them each a glass with no ice to finish doing so. He gets a nice tip! The total, with my Disney Club discount (10%) is $49.65. I also use the DC discount (15% for merchandise) to pick up a cute RC polo shirt for $6.99 before the discount. Craig gets a squeezie something or other that is on clearance, also. Next comes the worst part of the trip. We go to Chip and Dales to get the chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich thing recommended on these boards. Andy, the food police, has decided that we should share one, which I am okay with, as I am pretty full from lunch, anyway. I give him money to get one, and head back to get the pink sparkly Mickey head headband. They are sold out of the headbands! When I get back to Chip and Dales, all three guys are sitting on the bench, because Chip and Dales are out of chocolate chip cookies, and it will be 15 minutes for them to make some more. Craig says he does not want to wait that long, as it is really getting hot. No problem (I thought), we'll just get an oatmeal raisin one, which I do. Well, to make a long story short, this apparently made Andy irate (he says it's because he really wanted chocolate chip), and we got into a huge argument over this oatmeal raisin ice cream cookie sandwich, about half of which I ended up throwing out, as he refused to eat any of it (what a stupid thing to fight about!). We end up in the Maharajah Jungle Trek, and I am crying the whole way through. Sigh! I do, through my tears, notice how beautifully themed the Trek is. Now, when the going gets tough, the tough goes shopping, so I determine to find the pink sparkly Mickey head headband. I do, and feel a bit better. By this time, we are all tired and hot, so we use our Fastpass we obtained earlier for ITTBAB (which took longer than the standby line earlier) and head out. No Tarzan, but maybe next time (if it's even still there - I haven't heard a positive review yet!) We head back to the room, but it is not made up yet (around 2 p.m.) We have noticed that the tip hasn't been taken any of the days yet, either. On other non-Disney stays, we have left a tip every day, and it has been taken. We get some refills for our mugs and just rest for about an hour or so. Now it is time for "an'at" Now in Pittsburgh, "an'at" typically means "and other stuff" For instance, "We were just chillin' an'at." I have my own special interpretation. My "an'at" means a great shopping opportunity. For example, every other week I tell Craig and Chris that I am going grocery shopping an'at. "An'at" in this case means hitting the Disney Store, Old Navy, GAP , and the Family Christian store before I even get near the grocery store. So, as far as I am concerned, no Disney trip would be complete without "an'at" - meaning a trip to the Belz Outlets, and Downtown Disney! It takes about 30 minutes to get to Belz from the All Stars, and the adrenaline is flowing as we pull into the parking lot! I see, going in that there is a GAP outlet as well, but manage to stay focused on the Disney Character and Premiere stores. I briefly go into the Universal store, which wasn't there last year, and they have great prices (half off what is marked on items, which are already reduced), but I manage to refrain myself from buying anything there. I end up purchasing 6 WDW T-shirts for my extended family for $59 total at one store, and $21 for an embroidered Pooh sweatshirt and Pooh necklace for myself at the other. I am starting to dismiss the oatmeal raisin ice cream cookie sandwich fiasco a bit now. But there is more "an'at" to do. We stop at the Crossroads plaza Taco Bell on the way back. This is wonderful, as we are not that hungry, and only spend $15 for dinner. More money for an'at! We then leave for Downtown Disney. Andy, Craig and I get chocolate milkshakes at Ghiradelli's. I think they were around $3.00 a piece. Andy, the food police now declares that ice cream is okay for consumption, but pastries are not. (Must have been that Mickey Bar influence!) Whatever! The milkshakes are taking forever to make, so I leave and get a map to show the guys how to get over to the Virgin Megastore from the Marketplace. They leave, with the Disney Club Card, and the 10% off coupon in hand. (This was dangerous, as I later discovered, as Andy also had a room card!) Andy and I agree to call each other when we're done on our cell phones. I enjoy the opportunity to walk around solo, and visit all the shops I've been wanting to see (Art of Disney, Pooh's Corner, the Christmas Store and the Home Store). Surprisingly, I don't buy anything, just window shop, but really have fun doing so. I see a Pooh and Tigger statue that is incredible and huge in the Art of Disney store, and consider it a bargain at $125. However, I also realize that it would probably not last long in my house, given Chris' friends practically live there, so I make a note to self that it would be a good thing to get come empty nest time. I also notice that the Pooh's Corner store is much larger than last year. Did it move, or expand? I end up in the World of Disney, and decide on a black shirt with the Mickey Head outline and Walt Disney World embroidered in the primary colors. Unfortunately, on the one on the floor in my size the embroidering is starting to ravel, but a lovely cast member named Margaret calls, and has another one for me in a few minutes. I also get a magnet with Donald looking really mad, which is now on my fridge. He looks like he had an oatmeal raisin ice cream cookie sandwich incident also! Unbelievably, the guys take longer shopping than I do, and I end up waiting for the return of the Disney Club card to make my purchase. Turns out they have dropped $119, now charged to the room, in the record store! Oh well, guess they needed an an'at also! We get back to the hotel early that evening. Andy apologizes for the oatmeal raisin thing and does some laundry. I apologize for trying to punch him and almost breaking my hand on his watch - oh, forgot that part earlier! (Note to all the DH's out there, do NOT mess with a woman and her WDW treats!) I get refills and a paper at Melody Hall, and continue to work on the trip report. We go to bed early, as we have a big day ahead. Day 4 Universal Marathon - Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios in one day! I get up at 7:00 a.m., as we need to ride over to IOA/US for the 9:00 a.m. opening. My trip to the food court this morning includes a Mickey Waffle, as I figure I need a little Disney Magic to get me on my way! We get to the US parking lot around 8:45 a.m. I have flashbacks of last year when we had a flat tire and no one would respond to me as I was frantically pressing every "help" button in sight. I spent the entire hour we waited carrying on about how this would not happen at Disney! Fortunately, this year, our tires hold up, and we park on the roof of the building. I'm a bit concerned that our tickets from last year, which have one day of "park hopping" left on them (since I insisted that I could not be in Orlando and not go to the Magic Kingdom at least one day last trip!), will not work, as they got DRENCHED, along with me, on the Dudley Do Right Ripsaw Falls the previous year. That was the low point of last year's Universal trip, as I was miserably wet the rest of the day and cranky. Craig was so kind as to get me a Dudley Do Right beanie for Christmas last year to commemorate. I suppose this year that I will get an oatmeal raisin cookie! We get to the turnstiles of IOA, and the tickets work with no problem. We head straight to Marvel Super Hero Island and Spiderman, which we all loved last year. We attempt to use the Universal Express system to get a "Fastpass" for later in the day before we get in line (30 min. already!). I have to say that this system is bad. We were able to obtain two passes, and then another one printed out for several hours later. This also managed to mess up our ability to use the system as a family later in the day. And no employee in sight to help us out. Oh well, Disney it ain't! The line for Spidey is moving pretty well, and then the announcement that the ride is having technical difficulties. We stay put, and it is around 15 minutes before we start moving again, but the total wait is only 30 minutes. I request a front row seat, and do get it. This ride is incredible! Indy in Disneyland is my all-time favorite, but this is a piece of technological wizardry. It really looks (particularly when you are in the front row) like the characters are sitting right on the edge of the car. We all give the ride two thumbs up, again. It is now time to use the two good express passes, so Craig and Chris go on again, as Andy and I head over to Hulk, which they did not want to ride. After a 30-minute wait, we ride. This is my favorite coaster. The ride is very smooth, and I love the way you pretty much get shot out of a cannon at the beginning. Next we head over to Seuss Landing. We had planned to do much more in Seuss Landing this year (I love One Fish, Two Fish), but for some reason, only rode Cat In the Hat once. This is a great dark ride (I love the fish), but there is a bit more spinning than I prefer. We couldn't get Craig off this ride last year - he rode it four times! Seuss Landing, and in fact the entire park, is beautifully themed. In Seuss, you really feel like you are in a storybook, much the way Toontown in Disneyland is. After admiring our surroundings a bit, we head into the Lost Continent. The guys all want to go on Poseidon's Fury. I wasn't overly impressed with this last year, so I bulk, but Craig reminds me that this has just been reopened from a rehab. The show is now much better. The story is much easier to follow and I prefer the realistic characters as opposed to the cartoon ones that were in there previously. We decide to skip the Fire and Ice coasters this year, as they made us a bit queasy last trip. We are all now getting hungry. I had made a reservation for Mythos for dinner, thinking we would head back to Islands after Universal, but we decide to cancel that and eat lunch there, instead. I highly recommend this restaurant, as it has great theming, gourmet food, and decent prices (for gourmet food!). Justin, our server, recommends the wood fired pizza as an appetizer. Yummy! Andy gets a chicken Caesar salad, Chris gets a steak, I have the tuna with wassabe potatoes, and Craig has, surprise, a CHICKEN club! The service was slow, but we enjoyed just kind of chillin' here. Total, before tip, $69.91. The next land in our adventure is Jurassic Park. We decide to go on the JP River Adventure, as we had earlier decided to just hit our favorite rides, given we were cramming two parks into one day. The wait was posted as 45 minutes. 30 minutes into the wait, I had to get out of line. Too many people crowded together and too hot. I met the guys in the gift shop at the end of the ride, and enjoyed just being off by myself for a bit. They feel the ride was updated somehow, as they like it better than last year. At Toon Lagoon Craig plays "Fried Frog" as they have Gonzo dolls as prizes, but ends up with a lovely inflatable sword instead. Andy insists he knows how to get the Gonzo doll. He ends up walking over with another inflatable sword and says that he didn't want Chris to feel bad because he didn't have one. We find a really neat shirt that has a frog being a DJ on it for Chris at a cart. For some reason it takes the lady 15 minutes to figure out how to let us pay cash for this, but Chris wore it for most of the rest of the trip, so was worth it. Craig wants to hit the Marvel gift shops on our pass back through Super Hero Island to get a video and some comics, and then uses the single express pass (he wasn't aware of the single rider line). Andy and Chris hang out there, and I head to Port of Entry to purchase the park soundtrack, which they were sold out of last year. I end up waiting a while for them, so I take my picture at a machine that put an Incredible Hulk border on the picture, which was kind of fun. Everyone that sees it just kind of looks at me - but I like it! It's now getting well into the afternoon, so we say goodbye to IOA and head over to Universal. Chris and I sit at a station where they have misters by the Animal Actors (or whatever they call it now) show, and Andy and Craig get express passes for Men In Black. It is really hot, although I am not complaining, as this is the first day we didn't have to use the rain ponchos at all. I put my hair in pigtails while we wait. I don't think I have done this for quite a few years, but hey, I figure, it's hot, I'll soon be 39, so why not! Andy explains that they had a really hard time to get the express passes this time, but fortunately, there was an employee to help them out, so we will all be heading over there in the evening. As we enter Woody Woodpecker's zone, an employee with a camera actually convinces Craig to get his picture taken (not his favorite way to pass the time), along with the rest of us. I forget my hair is in ponytails, but it actually turned out pretty good. I tell Craig and Chris that I look more like their sister than their mom! We go on ET next, which is Peter Pan times three! Great ride! Craig entertains the entire group waiting for the preshow by doing finger puppets on the screen! We next go to see Terminator II, which was better than I remembered. Last year we sat on an end, and I don't think we got the full effects. This 3-D is very good in this show, but I imagine it would really scare small children. It is still really hot around 4:00 p.m. and Craig, Chris and I decide it would be a good time to get Lemon slushies. The food police reminds us that it is only an hour before dinner, but we get them anyway. Not happy, is the food police, again, but we ignore him, not wanting a repeat of the oatmeal raisin ice cream cookie sandwich disaster! Kongfrontation has a very short (5 min.) wait. I like this ride, and the smell of banana breath! The monitor doesn't work at the end though, which is a bit of a bummer. Earthquake is next. I raise my hand in the preshow to be cast as a shopper, and get picked! What appropriate casting! I get to shake and scream as we pretend to be in an earthquake on an escalator. That was a lot of fun! My big dream to be an actress, finally realized! We head to the Monster Café for dinner - same place we ate last year. The kids have pizzas and the pudding sundaes they really liked last visit, Andy and I have chef salads, and Andy gets a small fruit salad. Total with drinks $47. I try to feel out the food police, as I would really like that piece of chocolate cake they have there. He says to go ahead, but I decide to test the "ice cream is okay route." We go to Schwab's Pharmacy (which is cool, as Chris' nickname, since he was a baby is "Schwabhead!" , and Andy gets another chocolate shake, and I get the best hot fudge sundae I ever had with butter pecan ice cream. I manage to drop some of it on the sidewalk, but no food police comments. It worked! We ride ET one more time before it is time for Men In Black. This puts Buzz Lightyear to shame! I suggest we go back into the single rider line, as I noticed people walking on that way when we used our passes. We do walk right on as single riders. Andy and Craig want to do Back to the Future. Chris and I do not, so we hang out in the International Food Fair and enjoy the air conditioning and movie clips they are showing. No one seems to care that we haven't purchased anything. Afterwards, we think about doing Jaws, which we all thought was incredibly cheesy last year, but decide against the 25 minute wait. Craig and Andy do the MIB single rider line again, and Craig ends up being a Galaxy Defender! We hear about this for the rest of the trip! We do Kong one more time, This time the monitor works, and we see ourselves kind of just sitting in the car. We are supposed to look terrified, so it is pretty funny! The last ride, as the park is about ready to close, is Twister. We stand in the front row this time, and the effects are really better from that viewpoint. I go to pick up our picture from earlier in the day, and bird decides to leave a present on Craig's shoulder, so he hits the men's room to clean up. Craig noticed how the roles were reversed that day - Andy led the charge, and I lagged behind. The opposite is true in the Disney parks. I mean, I like the Universal parks, but it's just not the same. The magic is not there! They are great places to go with teenagers, though, and both Craig and Chris, as well as Andy, really enjoy the rides at both. They are Andy's favorite parks, although he admits that the Fastpass system at Disney is much better than what they have going on at Universal. We head back to ASMuR. I go to Maestro Mickey's and pick up the All Star Music Mickey beanie I had been wanting to get, and then head to the food court for a refill and to work on this report. I am really enjoying this resort, even though we don't spend much time at it. We go to bed, not too late, because tomorrow is MK day! Day 5 - The Magic Kingdom - Mission Dumbo, Pooh, and Mickey! Today I cheerfully wake up at 6:45 a.m., as it is time for my favorite park in WDW, the Magic Kingdom! I have several objectives in mind: 1. Ride Dumbo for the very first time 2. Eat lunch with Pooh at the Crystal Palace and get my picture with all the Pooh characters 3. Meet Mickey and get my picture with him (Yes, I realize that this sounds like a 3-year old, not a 38-year old talking!) and 4. Get a Dole Whip! On my way up to Intermission Food Court for devotions/breakfast/mug refills, I see and hear a man singing a wake up song (assumedly to his family) into his walkie talkie. Can't decide if that is cute or scary! Oops, forgot that protein bar again (I'm getting good at this ), so I have the croissant breakfast sandwich. I'm not quite sure where they get the sandwich idea, as this huge mound of eggs is plopped onto some cheese in a croissant which has been kind of torn apart, with some bacon added. It's okay, but should have stuck with the pastry-type items. On the way to the park, I take a picture of the McDonald's characters on the big McDonald's down the road from the All Stars, and notice, to my horror, that my camera battery is low. NO, this can't be. Not on MK day! And of course, I do have a spare battery, but it is back at the hotel. No time to turn around, Mickey is calling! So, our first stop, after the ferry boat and hitting the gates at 9:30 a.m., is the camera shop on main street for a new battery. Surprisingly, the battery was only $9.00. I was expecting it to be closer to $15.00, given I pay seven or eight at home. We decide to skip all of the rides that will be running that evening for E Ride, so we head straight to Fantasyland, and get a fast pass for Pooh. When planning this trip, I promised myself that I would ride Dumbo. I have always passed it by, but this time, no matter what, I was going to fly with the elephants! 20 minutes was the posted time, but it was more like 30. Andy was a good sport and stayed with me, but kept jokingly saying "See all of these little kids? Why I am standing in line with a 38-year-old woman to ride Dumbo?" Craig and Chris went on Snow White, and Craig came back to the line to see how long we were going to be. Excellent! I give him my camera and make him promise to take some pictures of my maiden flight! It's now our time to board! I can't describe how excited I was! When the ride finally started, I was just grinning ear to ear! What an awesome place WDW is - on the one hand, to have rides like Tower of Terror, Spaceship Earth and Pirates, which are incredibly complex and detailed, to ones like Dumbo, which is so simple but just plain fun! I'm glad Walt had the vision to make a place not only for children, but where adults can be kids again too. I smile every time I look at the pictures Craig took of this. Peter Pan now has a 15-minute wait, and from past experience, we know to jump at that opportunity (later in the day it was up to 80 minutes!). Even though this is an older ride, we feel it is really well done, and has a leg up on its counterpart at Disneyland. Its now time for our Fastpass for Pooh. There was a brief technical difficulty, but we get on pretty quickly. I look for Mr. Toad handing off the deed, but unfortunately cannot spot it. The lines are already starting to build, so we go on Small World, prior to heading over to the Crystal Palace for our 11:30 PS with Pooh. Normally, this is one of the highlights of my trip. I am a Pooh nut. I have just about every Pooh beanie made, Pooh watches, mugs, clocks, a snow globe, coats, slippers, PJs, etc., etc. So I really enjoy lunch with Pooh. However, this visit was not as memorable as the two before it. We have to wait 30 minutes to be seated (it looked like they were clearing everything out to switch from breakfast to lunch). The food was just adequate. They had Mahi Mahi instead of the salmon I've enjoyed there before, and it was really fishy tasting. The beef was very rare, which means I won't eat it. Chris thought it was good, though. Not much else on the buffet inspired me, so I ended up at the children's buffet with Craig, having mac & cheese and CHICKEN fingers. The characters took what seemed like forever to get around to the tables, and Piglet passed us by completely. The waitress did not do well in refilling drinks. Being a bit frustrated, I headed to the dessert table, not caring if the food police was going to surface again. Now there was a lovely bowl of bread pudding. THIS was awesome with a bit of ice cream on top. Good stuff - and I am so inspired by this bread pudding that I am already feeling better about dropping $80 here. Finally the characters come by (Craig and Chris are ready to leave but I announce that I am not moving until I get my picture with Pooh!), and at the very end, Piglet makes an appearance. So, although somewhat disappointed, I have accomplished #2 on my list for the day. It is very hot out, so we head over to the Hall of Presidents. We see the bust of George W., which I guess they are using to make his animatronic. Both Craig and I are relieved to see Mr. Clinton as a silent observer, and Mr. Lincoln back in his speaking role this trip. I think they should just stick with Lincoln instead of using the current president as the speaker. Next stop - The Tiki Room. Even though it was badly in need of rehab when we saw it in December, I still have to give the original show in Disneyland a big heads up on this "under new management" stuff. Where are the Tiki gods playing their drums? Lets all sing like the birdies sing?" sigh! I am wanting to fly to Anaheim as the show ends. (note to self: set up fare watcher on Travelocity for good deals to California!). Chris, Craig and I all decide that we now must have that Dole Whip. The food police starts about how can we even think about eating, etc. etc., but Dole Whip is kind of ice cream, so he subsides. Craig tries the Orange flavor and likes it, I have the pineapple, and Chris has a pineapple float. No problem finishing them, at all! After Dole Whips, we go on Pirates. I have one more objective that has not yet been met - Meet Mickey. I didn't meet him last August during our MK day, or in December at Disneyland. I'm due! Andy, Craig and Chris do not want to meet Mickey, but do want to see Carousel of Progress, which I can do without this trip, so we part ways, agreeing to meet at Mickey's house. I fly through the house to get to the line outside the tent. I wait about 20 minutes, and then have my encounter with the Mouse. I decide no matter what it looks like, I will buy this picture! I'm very happy, again, and don't have to wait long for the rest of my family. Sounds like I missed a rare event in Disney history, though. Apparently, in the scene where the boy is playing video games, his hand fell off and hit the floor! Craig said the show continued, with the hand on the floor, and the wires flapping away. I guess it was kind of like "Look Grandma, no hand!" We decide to start back for the hotel, as we will come back in the evening, and then do E Ride. We go past the crowds at the afternoon parade (one of these days I am going to get to stay and watch one of these - next trip I'm doing it!), as no one else wants to watch it. I pick up our picture that was taken on Main St. as we entered the park. Craig was still in MIB Galaxy Defender mode, wearing his cool shades, in the picture. Unfortunately, he lost them. They were official Pittsburgh Phantoms sunglasses (The Phantoms are a roller hockey team that lasted one (or possibly two) seasons here in Pittsburgh.) The glasses are probably in a Disney lost and found box even as we speak. We all appreciate the opportunity to crash at the hotel. The guys all listen to the CDs they picked up at Downtown Disney, and I start to pack what I can, as tomorrow we will be going home. The food court seems like the best place to have dinner, so we take our refillable mugs and head to Intermission. Chris has a Cheese steak sandwich, I have a foot long hot dog, Andy has a salad, grapes and yogurt, and Craig has, can you guess, CHICKEN fingers and fries (I believe I must have overdone it with the chicken nuggets when he was child. He is obviously now addicted!) For dessert Andy and I get Mickey bars, but I do not end up wearing this one, Craig has a Mickey ice cream sandwich, and Chris has a candy bar. Total tab: $38. I'm am now thinking how wonderfully inexpensive this is - I definitely have been brainwashed! We head back to the park around 7:30 p.m. and get our wristbands at City Hall for E Ride. I pick up my Mickey picture from the camera shop. I look like I'm three feet tall (actually am 5'11", but hunched over to be Mickey sized!), but must have it! Everything is incredibly packed at this point, so we walk around a bit, and end up on Snow White after a 20 minute wait. Next we go on Jungle Cruise. This is better than Disneyland, as it takes you through the temple ruins. The guys want to do Pirates again. I weigh Pirates, gift shop, Pirate, gift shop. Gift shop wins (since I've been on Pirates twice already). I find some cool TIKI BIRDS and buy them to hang by my computer at home. (Still haven't gotten a chain to hang them from, though.) I'm happy with my purchase! We attempt to get back to Fantasyland and almost get run over by Spectromagic. We were able to walk up the Parade route from Frontierland almost made it, but the Cast members chased us to about the Liberty Belle, where we had to cut into the crowd to make it the back way to Fantasyland. I REALLY wanted to stay and see the parade and meet the guys at Splash for E Ride, but Andy was tired and cranky, and did not want us to break up. Craig got EXTREMELY cranky when I suggested we stay put and watch the parade, and Chris was having none of it. (Yep, parades are a priority for next trip!). We get behind the crowds and make it to Fantasyland. There are still very long lines, but we do get on Snow White and Small World again. The parade would have been much better! It is then time for E Ride, so we go on the Haunted Mansion first, as it is closest. We then go on Splash, and head over to BTMRR, which is again a big hit. This ride is a blast in the dark - we ride it twice in a row. When then go over to Tomorrowland and ride TTA again, and then Buzz. Buzz is a let down after Men in Black, though. Then, totally exhausted, we get in line (about 20 minutes) for Space. Andy wants to sit up front, and does. He proclaims, that other than Tower of Terror, that was his best Disney ride of the trip. We take our last trip down Main St. around 11:45 p.m., and walk through the Emporium. I get a couple of last pictures. As we were just about to leave, Craig stops me and says "Take one last look Mom. You're not going to see it again, until you get home, to the living room (Confession time - I have the Sears Disney Town Square model set up in my living room!)." Sniff, sniff. I don't want to go, but I realize it's time to. We say goodbye to the soft lights and quietness of Main St. and walk slowly to the monorail. Last August, when we were leaving the park for the last time, we got on the monorail, and it got stuck for a half hour. We're doing fine until we pull into the Contemporary, where it is announced that the monorail in front of us is stuck! I hope this doesn't become a pattern! Fortunately, it only took about 15 minutes this time, and we were heading to our car. We got back to ASMuR, and lights went out after showers around 1:30 a.m. I'm sorry our trip is almost over, but glad we have had this magical time to spend together. We were never able to afford these kinds of trips when Craig and Chris were young, and I am cherishing each moment before they venture off into the world on their own. Day 6 - MGM - Hat anxiety, Drive-In Food, and flying back to the Burgh I get up at 8:00 a.m. due to the late night before. It's our last day. My last trip to do devotions/get mug refills, and YES, I have forgotten my protein bar again! AMAZING! This was the best breakfast yet - Sticky bun and fresh fruit cup. If I had known how good the sticky buns were, they would have been the all-week pick. I notice a buffet being set up in the far end of the food court. Looks like a band or other group has arrived! I reflect back on the two awesome band trips to WDW I took when in high school Our senior year was particularly awesome, as we really thought we were "all that" and as drum major, I got to lead the band down Main St.! When I get back to the room, the guys are up, and we start packing. We are out of the hotel by 10:00 a.m. I take one last long look at the clarinet player on the side of Jazz building 9, and we are off to MGM. We left this day open, and yesterday figured we would go back to MGM, as we didn't get much time to spend there in the rain our first day. I now see why it is suggested to stay away from the early entry park. It was MOBBED! We got to the gate at 10:30 a.m. and there were people everywhere! I'm thinking that perhaps the 4th of July crowd had started to arrive, as well. We got a fast pass for R-n-R to come back at 12:45-1:45. At least this time we didn't have to fight a downpour to do so! Gonzo, of course, next wanted to do Muppets. The wait was around the building at 30 minutes. I am used to walking onto this ride. We did see some cute Muppet movie posters while waiting, though. We were one of the last to get into the theater, and had to split up. Andy and I got a seat close to the front, which I enjoyed, as I had never seen the show from that viewpoint. The 3-D was not quite as good, but I got a new appreciation for the penguin band. By the time Muppets is over, we have a half-hour until we need to report for our PS at the Sci Fi Drive In. It is really hot, so we mosey through some gift shops to get out of the heat, since the lines are so long everywhere. We pass the HAT! It is still making me mad! We get to the ScI Fi at 11:50, and are seated at 12:25. This was DH's suggestion to try (we made the PS the night before), and I'm really glad he did. What great theming! It really reminded me of going to the drive in as a kid. Especially the ads for movie food. Also, contrary to the bad reviews I had read, we really enjoyed our food. Craig and I got the BBQ CHICKEN sandwich, which I thought was excellent, Chris had a Prime Rib sandwich that he really liked, and Andy had a tomato salad and chili. 3 of us got chocolate milkshakes, which were yummy (Craig was saving room for a Goofy Bar), and the total tab came to $63 before tip. (As DH had several chocolate shakes during this trip, I will provide his "Food Police Chocolate Milkshake" ratings in my final segment.) As we left the restaurant, the crowds were still thick, with lines even for the restrooms. It started to rain, but fortunately no where as bad as it had earlier in the week, but time to don the ponchos one last time. Craig found his Goofy bar, which he decided was good, but agreed with Fortissimo that the Mickey Bar is the best ice cream treat in WDW. It is time for our R-n-R Fastpass. I'm a bit concerned I will loose my lunch, as it was pretty jerky last ride, but the ride is pretty smooth this time, and lunch remains intact. I pick up a Christmas present for my brother (big Aerosmith fan) in the R-n-R gift shop, as well as a pewter castle frame that was on sale in one of the other shops. We head back to the Great Movie Ride. We have to wait 30 minutes, and I am again confronted with the HAT. The big, blue, obnoxious HAT. By this time, the guys are really tired of hearing about it, and tell me to get over it - but what is it's purpose? It's just BIG and UGLY! Okay, enough about the stupid HAT! I hope it goes away someday! We figure we have enough time for one more ride before we go to the airport, so I suggest the Magic of Disney Animation. This was a good pick. We are tired, and the relaxed atmosphere was perfect. Andy and Chris like the Robin Williams film (they had not seen this attraction prior). The montage of classic clips at the end is great, too. We're glad we made it our "wrap up" ride. We can't leave without Craig making a stop at the Muppet gift shop. I get him a Statler and Waldorf t-shirt, and he gets one with Beaker, as well as a Gonzo beanie! We know it is time to go home, so we head out to the tram to find the NEON (which still, BTW smells bad!) Our brains finally fried from trying to remember where we parked every time we parked, no one knows where it is, other than it is in film (which I only remember because I mentioned Andy, the film buff, must like this when we went in). Andy insists that the car is far from the edge of the lot, but when we finally find it ten minutes later, it is two rows away from it. We decide to take 417 back to the airport, which was nice for a change, as it does not seem as commercial. We stop for gas less than 10 miles from the airport as instructed, and pay $1.41/gallon, which sure beats $4.45 at Dollar Rental! 5:00 p.m. is when we arrive at the airport for our 7:30 flight, which is fine, because we are all beat and really tired of crowds and little kids! (we decide next trip will be when some of them are in school ) We had a painless drop off of the rental, so Dollar gets a "thumbs up" for that. There is a 15 minute wait at the US Air check-in, and then we are off to the food court for dinner. Craig and Chris get wings and pizza at Pizza Hut, and Andy and I get bagel sandwiches from the bagel place. The food police declares that everyone will get frozen yogurt at TCBY, but I put my foot down and say, "NO, I WILL BE HAVING AN OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIE!" I do, and he correctly does not comment, complain, or go into convulsions! A small victory, but a good one! Total bill for dinner - $38. We see our flight is delayed, so I take one last look at the Disney gift shop, but am able to refrain from buying anything. I pick up a magazine and a book at the newsstand and we head to the gate to wait for our flight. A couple with a small girl and a baby are seated across from us, and Chris really got a kick out of the baby. They gave her a tortilla chip, which she seemed to love, and then tried to give her some nasty-looking green baby food, which she kept pushing away and making faces at. The whole time Chris is saying (quietly) "MMM, Chip! MMM, Chip!" The dad ended up eating the rest of the chips, though, so I don't think the baby was too happy! The flight home is blissfully uncrowded, so we get to stretch out a bit. Chris and I snap a few goofy pics of each other on the plane, and we are off. I pop some praise and worship songs into my CD player, and realize that not participating in a worship service is the one thing I have really missed (along with my youth group kids) all week. Note to self: check out the House of Blues Gospel brunch next trip! As we fly over Pittsburgh, it is really a beautiful view. We get to see the city all lit up, and the new PNC Park and Heinz Field. If you haven't been to Pittsburgh, you should come visit. The town has really transformed itself from the smoky city to a thriving metropolis with a lot of technology companies now lining the rivers where the mills once stood. (And that is my "Pittsburgh Regional Champion" spiel for the day! ) We arrive in Pittsburgh at 10:20 p.m., pick up our luggage, and find the car. We unload the car, get showers and crash. I'm dead to the world until 9:30 a.m. the next morning, when Andy wakes me up. My tips, thoughts, etc. from this trip: All Star Music Loved this place! If you are thinking about staying on-site do it! It is certainly worth the extra money to do so. Disney Magic 24/7, what more could you ask for? The pillows are like pancakes, though, ask for extras! The sticky buns at the food court are bomb, and get a refillable mug - well worth the money if you are staying even a few days. MGM The magic of Disney animation, TOT, Muppets and RnR are musts. The HAT has to go! Prime Time has awesome milkshakes, and the theming at Sci-Fi can't be beat! AK Get to the safari first thing in the morning, as the lines seem to build throughout the day. The whole park also gets very warm in the afternoon. Maharajah Jungle trek is beautiful. TTBAB is a must. DO NOT get an oatmeal raisin ice cream cookie sandwich if you DH has his heart on a chocolate chip one! EPCOT If you are with DS Craig, ride SE as many times as you can! Ice Station cool was a refreshing surprise. Le Cellier blew me away. Everyone must try the cheese soup (dip the bread sticks in it!). Also - do not miss Beaver Tails in the cart located in Canada. Go on the Mexican boat ride if you need a laugh. TON is a must-see parade. MK Do the E ride nights if you possible can. Well worth the $12. The Exposition Hall is pretty cool. Ride TTA - great view of Tomorrowland and through Space Mountain. Eat many, many Dole Whips, and of course see the Tiki birds (even if they are inferior to those in Disneyland!) In General Be prepared for any weather - good rain ponchos are a must in June. Have good walking shoes, as well as bandaids and moleskin to prevent blisters. Get to the Belz outlets if you are a souvenir nut like me. BIG discounts over park prices. If you want to use the Disney Club discount at Virgin Megastore, you have to print out the web coupon to do so. 6 oz. cans of juice purchased at home fit nicely in the ice buckets at ASMuR. Don't schedule quite as much as we did into your trip. I would have enjoyed a little more time at the resort. Take chewing gum with you, as you can't buy it at the parks or the airport. Take a water bottle to save on drinks. Take the time to meet Mickey at the Judge's tent outside his house. Want to do next trip, missed this one
DH's Chocolate Milkshake Ratings
and the number one chocolate milkshake:
All in all, we had a great time, and I've enjoyed sharing it. Sandy Schubert pensfan92@prodigy.net Mail a Comment to Sandy Schubert |
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