Who/When/Where:

• Who: Sue (me - 43), DVC member
• Dates: April 26 - 29, 2002
• Travel Method: Personal car
• Resort: Leesa's Condo (1nt), Disney's Old Key West Resort (2nts)
• Experience: Extremely experienced

INTRODUCTION:

This is another of my short trips - really just a long weekend, but not around any particular holiday. It was scheduled that way right from the start, trying to cram monthly trips to WDW into a reasonable vacation day allotment at work, since we are no longer allowed to earn extra time off when we work extra hours. Although I would really like to stay for at least a week at a time, short trips are better than no trips, lol, and help bridge those gaps between the longer trips.

I mentioned at the end of my last trip report (March 2002) that I had been diagnosed with breast cancer and would be undergoing treatment, so the fact that this is a short trip made it easier to work around the daily radiation treatments and minimize the number that will have to be missed and tacked on at the end. The treatments and the cancer have not altered my lifestyle at all, and I do not expect them to have any effect on this trip or future trips - except for 1 thing. Originally plans called for me to work at least a half day, to minimize the time off, but priorities change and they can live without me for the whole day! I have better things to do with my Friday :-)

As usual, the theme parks are not a big priority this trip, but since I have the time I will probably try to visit each park even if it is just to briefly wander around. The real priorities are seeing friends and being at the Comedy Warehouse (these 2 things go together, generally <g>). Friday I will spend with my friend Kathy, and then Friday night pick up Leesa for a night at the Comedy Warehouse, where we will be joined later by Diana from St Pete (LDRS TRAVEL Ears on aol). The only bad news is due to Grad Nights Pleasure Island does not open until 9pm on both Friday and Saturday. Why the teens have to be on PI is beyond me - and it eliminates 2 shows that I otherwise would have seen each night, and pretty much forces me into being out until 1am. So, the trip report is likely to not get finished & posted until sometime the next day - rather than being there when people get up in the morning. Hey, blame Disney....not me! Friday night I stay at Leesa's, and then move to OKW on Saturday for 2 nights. It is supposed to be perfect water park weather, but since I am supposed to keep the area receiving radiation out of the sun, it is unknown at this point whether I will bother going to one, since wearing a shirt or placing a towel/washcloth across the top of my swimsuit would look a bit strange. I do plan to relax and just putter around, with no real plans beyond Friday.

A couple of days before the trip I was notified of a conference call I need to attend, scheduled for 10am on Friday! Thank goodness for cell phones - and for a friend like Kathy who does not mind my turning her home into my office for an hour! The alternative was to postpone our visit, and there was no way that was going to happen - but it did cause my treatment to get canceled for the day because I have to be on the road before they open now. I will miss several more during my cruise, but it will not jeopardize my health in any way as long as I complete each one in a reasonable timeframe. So, all in all, things worked out for the best!

Since this is such a short trip, I do not plan to take pictures except at the Comedy Warehouse. Those will be uploaded to the Comedy Warehouse album on Ofoto after I get home, for the people who enjoy those pics. This trip probably sounds pretty dull - but right now it is exactly what I need, and I cannot wait to get it under way!

The plans (subject to change) so far...

• Fri 4/26: Spend day with Kathy, pick up Leesa, Comedy Warehouse
• Sat 4/27: Check in OKW, Epcot, AK late, Comedy Warehouse
• Sun 4/28: MK, Comedy Warehouse
• Mon 4/29: MGM, drive home

DAY 1 FRIDAY APRIL 26, 2002:

• Who: Sue (43), DVC Member
• Kathy (dznynut)
• Leesa (42), Comedy Warehouse Regular
• Diana (ldrs travel ears)
• Plan: Spend day with Kathy, Pick up Leesa, Comedy Warehouse

Actual: I managed to set the alarm correctly this time, and was on the road to Kathy by around 7 as planned, arriving approximately 9:45. The conference call was boring, but it was certainly more comfortable lounging around Kathy's and chatting with her during the parts that did not apply to me than it would have been sitting in my office! I laughed when immediately after the call ended my phone rang and it was my co-worker saying that was the most boring hour of his entire life to date, lol! I had to admit he was right in his assessment <g>.

Kathy and I had a wonderful time, but since we were not at WDW and were not discussing any exciting Disney-related news, I will skip the blow-by-blow report of our day. It worked out really well that we skipped the theme parks for today, since the conference call was much easier to accommodate from her home. Besides, we really only use the parks to wander around in (except to see Gus, of course) and with it being so hot we were happy to skip both the heat and the crowds. She made me banana bread and some of her delicious chocolate & marshmallow cake stuff, and sent some to Leesa as well - thanks! While there I discovered a problem with the laptop - namely, it would not load the operating system and seemed unaware it even had one! I sent a hasty email to Leesa asking her to be ready to take a look at it before we headed out tonight, and arrived by 4 thinking we could easily get it fixed before dinner - hah!

I will not bore anyone with the computer trouble details, especially since I barely understand some of it myself, but we were still working on (trying to re-install Windows) when we ran out to pick up food to bring back for dinner around 6:30 - Subway for Leesa and Taco Bell for me. We were still working on it at 7:30 when the lightning and rain started, and still at 8:00 when the thunder began and the lightning increased. Ugh! We finally reached a point we could shut it off - after 8:30, and flew out of the house and into the car to get to PI. In the torrential downpour it was hard to see, and not knowing these roads in the rain it was nerve wracking to be driving in the dark like that. However, we were hoping it would not be raining at WDW, and were right (the rain had already passed there). The next problem was incredible bumper to bumper traffic outside the entire Downtown Disney area. We were at a standstill for quite a while, and the situation was made worse by traffic cones that blocked 1 of the turning lanes - but at the very end rather than the beginning so everyone (including me) tried to use the lane and then had to move over at the last minute if someone would let a car in. Some big bus squeezed into a tiny spot in front of me at one point, and we were surprised my front end did not get taken off! Needless to say, it was a horrible stressful commute! By now it was 9, but our luck finally turned around.

We drove right into a handicapped parking spot (Leesa has a placard, but we figured the spots would all be taken) and then found almost no line at the turnstiles to enter PI. We got through quickly and went to the elevator, but it was not working. After wasting time trying to get it to come, including me trying to access it from upstairs, I went back down and told her it was not going to work. These stairs next to the stage are not as long as the ones next to the Comedy Warehouse, but they were still enough that after walking up them Leesa was having trouble. Joe was the cm on the line and he sent us down to the back door, even though normally Leesa does the regular line for the 1st show (then backdoor to avoid the stairs for subsequent shows).

Joe let us in within a couple of minutes, and we met Jen B's mother and another relative. We took our seats on long row and waited for the show to begin. The 9:20 cast was Brian, Krista, Matt, Mary & Jen B. Brian opened the show and did a pretty good job on the phone - a lady from Kinko's answered and later in the show he was hysterical as a person working at Kinko's. Krista & Matt did a one-act play called the Pencil, and he was purposely being annoying clicking an imaginary mechanical pencil (it was funny when he started doing this in the next show, too - I think he forgot it was a new show for a moment, lol). Forgotten Songs were next, and although I did not write them down, they were pretty good. Next was Up Your Alley, with Mary as host Yo Landa. Brian was the very gay Roger from Kinko's and was an absolute riot, incorporating things from the phone group earlier. Jen B was Dr. Megan Hurtz, a licensed computer therapist. The 3rd contestant was a guy from the audience, and the topic was Testing Software. It was full of sexual innuendo thanks to the audience who all seemed to think some variation of "how do I turn my software into hardware", and questions about "floppies" were the funniest and cleverest things the actors had ever heard...sigh. Don't get me wrong - I enjoy a dirty joke or humor with innuendoes, but I just prefer to let the cast go there rather than the audience forcing it - it doesn't let us see what funny stuff the cast might have done that isn't dirty. The game was pretty funny though, and overall it was a good show.

We went outside to meet Diana and sure enough - here comes Diana running in slow motion with her arms outstretched, lol - she said she was practicing for this November when a bunch of us will be here together! It was great seeing her again - she is a lot of fun! Her daughter Jody and friend Craig were with her, but they went up to get in the regular line while Diana stayed with Leesa & me. I went upstairs to let Joe know we were a party of 3 in case they were counting that closely up there, and when I came back Nancy was there. Diana figured "you must be Nancy" and Nancy figured "you must be a friend of Sue's", and it was pretty funny. Nancy spent her break with us, and then went back to work as we headed back into the club.

The 10:40 cast was Matt, Jen B, Krista, Chris & Philip. They did Fill In The Blank with Philip and Chris as a brother & sister who work at the Comedy Warehouse, which was pretty funny. Their mother was pregnant again and wanted them to adopt and raise the child as their own. Next they did the game I have heard about but never seen - Letters to the Editor. 3 actors are on stage, each pretending to write a letter to the editor of a certain magazine, but they're all on the same topic and where one leaves off the other one picks up, making sense of what has been said. Matt was writing to Stuff (a guys' magazine), Krista to Better Home & Garden, and Jen to In Style. The subject was corsets. They did a good job - this game seems to be more work than some of the others, and I imagine if it does not go well (for example if the magazine styles are not particularly funny), then it could be tough. These 3 actors did a great job, though. Finally, they did Cliché - the favorite of many! Matt was tortured, and Diana suggested the cliché she used 18 months ago when Philip was tortured - When elephants fight, on the grass gets hurt. Philip was hysterical when he heard it, but I am not sure if that was because he remembers being tortured with it, or just because it struck him as funny. They did a great job, though, and the clues given were all completely different from last time.

After this show Diana hooked up with Jody & Craig for the Adventurer's Club, while Leesa & I went back to the backdoor after chatting with Jim Roberts. The 12:05 cast was Philip, Chris, Krista, Jen B & Brian. Chris & Jen did Scene Freeze where the 3 song styles were Reggae, jazz & polka. The scene was a mother & daughter doing laundry, but the mother was a bit of a sleazeball - smoking pot, sleeping around, flashing guys - much to the embarrassment of the straight laced daughter (Jen). It was very funny! They did an excellent Schmeopardy also. Jen was the host Alexis Quebec. Philip was Trevor, a British chimney sweep. Krista was Stephanie Martin, a dog groomer specializing in hairless Chihuahuas. Brian was Mes Calin, a very manic chemist. He was extremely high energy, and Krista's character was almost comatose, lol, so they all played off each other well.

After the show Krista came over to tell us which TV commercial running now is Paul's, and we were shocked because we had both seen it but did not even recognize him at all. Paul is the very funny heavyset guy with dark hair who used to work at the Warehouse (along with his twin Peter). The commercial is the one for Kia, where the 2 women meet at a school reunion, and the one without the Kia bragged about having gone to the prom with some guy...and is still with him - and now that guy is some big goofball (Paul). It's a funny commercial.

We headed out to the car, and Leesa asked if I was hungry & wanted to get something to eat. I was LOL since I could barely stay awake to laugh during the last show, and had been up for 20 hours at that point, so I said "No freakin' way". She is used to being up at night and sleeping during the day, so she was raring to go, while I was ready for bed, lol. Back at her place we checked on the computer and I went to get some sleep around 2 while she stayed up working on the damn thing.

Overall the day was very good and very bad - not much middle ground! This whole laptop thing is a nightmare, but the bright side is it happened when Leesa was around rather than happening in Alaska or back home! Thank goodness she knows how to work on computers, or I would have been without the laptop for weeks while it was in the shop. The first half of the day was perfect - keeping in touch with Kathy via computer and telephone is fun, but no substitute for actually spending time in person. Likewise, I look forward to the nights Leesa & I spend at the Warehouse, and we were lucky to have 3 terrific shows. While I am not particularly thrilled with my laptop right now, lol, I consider myself lucky to have a friend with the knowledge & time to fix it :-)

DAY 2 SATURDAY APRIL 27, 2002:

• Who: Sue (43), DVC Member
• Leesa (42), Comedy Warehouse Regular
• Plan: Check in OKW, Epcot, AK late, Comedy Warehouse

Actual: I woke up around 6:30, and got up around 7 when it sounded like Leesa was up. Sure enough, she had not gone to bed yet, and thought the laptop was finally fixed. Windows was operating, and so was aol, but most of the other stuff did not...grrr! We continued working on it while I showered & dressed, and finally about 10:30 it was as done as it was going to be. Leesa was tired and needed to catch some sleep before I came back to get her for another Comedy Warehouse night. There are still things that need to be done, but hopefully I can do most of that from home - Leesa said fixing it was only slightly easier than reformatting the whole damn thing, but she knew I have some things on here that cannot be replaced and I desperately wanted to keep them. They are still on here, and the most important stuff I can store on a floppy when I get home.

At OKW the security guard said Welcome Home - at last, something going right <g>. Walking up to check in, Angelo was on the phone but saw me and waved - I headed inside and was shocked at the long lines to check in! Diana had just finished checking in, so the time passed quickly because we were chatting. She invited me to lunch at Olivia's with mom, but I declined because I did not want to eat a big lunch if I would be eating later with Leesa. It was tempting, though!

When it was my turn, my studio was not ready, but the cm checked to find one that was and came up with one that met my requests as well. At this point I would have taken almost anything and been forever grateful, lol, so I was ecstatic to actually end up with a better location than originally assigned. I was going to be in building 45, which is nice unless I would be on the end where the buses squeal to a stop at the stop sign. Instead, I am in building 37, which does not get bus noise at all yet is close to a bus stop and in the area I like best. On the way out I stopped to chat with Angelo, Dave & Randy at bell services - they are always so nice to me (got another Welcome Home here, too). Dave was telling me that starting July 1st guests on the cruise will be picked up at OKW rather than having to go to another resort.

I drove to the studio and moved in. I made the mistake of turning on the laptop (now I'm paranoid that each time I turn it on it won't work - ugh) and fairly soon had to force myself to leave it alone to go out and enjoy my "vacation"! I hate knowing that I am behind in doing something I want to do, though. Thank goodness Adie & Lisa are off on a retreat where there is no internet access - they would be cursing me out to no end for not getting that report posted last night, lol! I decided to head to Epcot, and went through the whole "should I drive or should I take the bus" thing, eventually deciding to let Disney transport me. Of course, I must have just missed that bus because it was about the 4th one to arrive - oh well! I got to Epcot around 1 and entry through security was quick and painless.

I was hungry, and thought about Le Cellier, but I figured it might be busy and I really did not want to spend a long time on lunch. At the pin station I remembered telling Tim I would look for a pin he wanted, so I stood in line over there to buy the silly thing (I'm definitely not into the whole pin craze) and then headed to World Showcase. Epcot was pretty busy, due to the Flower & Garden Festival and also lots of groups at the robotics competition. While walking around I checked most of the menus but did not find anything that I would eat enough of to bother getting. Chris comes in handy at times - I do not want a whole burger, but a few bites of one taste great every now & then <g>. It was really hot walking around - it seemed like it went from "slightly too cool" to "slightly too hot" overnight, with no real period of perfect weather. It will get worse before it gets better, though!

At Test Track I got in the single rider line, but when I saw that it was backed up almost to the entrance of the building I decided it was not worth the wait and returned the pass to the cm. I ended up buying a pretzel near there, and ate part of that for my lunch. Surprisingly, it was not like the pretzels in MGM, but it was still good (prefer the other kind though). I sat in the shady area by Innoventions to cool off in the breeze while I ate. On the way out I rode Spaceship Earth with maybe a 5 minute wait, and noticed they've added safety warnings on video screens as you go up that tunnel. It was a nice relaxing ride, and then I left the park. The OKW bus arrived within a few minutes, and I was back in the studio before 3pm.

The software I had been using for trip reports was not operating (needs to be reloaded from the disk at home) and had destroyed what had been written thus far, so I started over again with Friday in Microsoft word. I am sure what I had written was absolutely brilliant and entertaining, but sadly all you will ever see is the drivel I rewrote this afternoon, lol! I got day 1 done and posted, and then updated to this point of day 2 - very glad to be caught up with the report. It was 4:30 by then and I had until 6 before I needed to leave to get Leesa. Actually, a nap sounded pretty good - but I don't see myself sleeping during the day. I had hoped to get over to see Gus at AK, but at this point there is not time today (sorry Kathy). When I returned to aol, Leesa was up & online. We finalized plans for tonight, I took care of some email, snacked on some of the chocolate/marshmallow stuff and then got changed into long pants for the evening. I froze at the Warehouse in shorts & a tank top last night, so tonight I will be better prepared!

Our plans changed slightly - delayed by about an hour while we each had other things to do, but we still managed to fit everything in. I picked Leesa up and drove to the Premium Outlets, where we quickly looked in the Character Premiere store. We each ended up buying the same thing, as a gift for different people - she had never been there before and liked the prices a lot better than at WDW (don't we all, lol). As we approached Downtown Disney traffic was either at a stand still or crawling along - very frustrating!! Finally we got past the hotels on Hotel Blvd and entered at the Marketplace figuring it would be faster to drive through a crowded parking lot than sit in traffic on the road - we were right! We got a great parking spot (close to the handicapped spots so we left those for someone else who would need it later) and walked over to the West Side for dinner.

This whole area was mobbed - I cannot remember when I've seen it this crowded, and frankly hope it's a long while before I see it like that again! We finally made it to Wolfgang Puck Express, got something quick for dinner, and luckily got a table being vacated by a couple of guys. The restaurant was also very busy the entire time we were there. I got the caprese salad, and Leesa got a strawberry smoothie and the bbq chicken - around $15-16 I think. When we finished we got up to leave and a family swarmed over to wait for our table (although we only had 2 of the 4 chairs because we let someone else take the empty ones earlier) - which was perfectly understandable but they stood IN MY WAY. I was picking up our trash to throw away and they had all these little kids (about 3 of them) all around me, plus the mom - I could not move because they had me blocked in, but they could not really get to the table because I was in their way. Duh - it reminded me of a bus pulling up and the people waiting to get on storm the door and stand there, which means the people on the bus can't get off!

Finally I got around the rug rats (cute kids, tiny even compared to me <g>) and we made a stop at Candy Cauldron to get Leesa's cotton candy, then headed to PI. Entry was quick and the elevator was working tonight so we got in the regular line. Sue from Ft Pierce was there and came over to talk to me - she & Dan made an impromptu trip up tonight, so it was nice to see them. Leesa & I were further back in line and we spent the 20 minute wait talking to a solo guy in front of us. It was such a chore ;-) - he was handsome, intelligent, nice personality, good job, great hair, well dressed, nice lips, strong arms, but unfortunately too young <g>. He was a very pleasant line buddy though! He ended up going to a single seat, and we got the last 2 seats on the row below long row (on the floor). Jim Roberts was working again tonight, and I think he stopped by on his way to his spot.

The 9:20 cast was Krista, Greg, Philip, Matt & Chris - an excellent cast. I was glad to see Greg, since he had switched with Jen B and was off last night, and does not work tomorrow. Actually Leesa and I were talking tonight that we seem to have a good cast now, unlike a year ago when things were kind of rough here. I think one thing that helps is the 3 "new" actors are really old-timers. Matt worked here for years, and is outstanding - just excellent, consistently. Chris used to be full time and is back now, and Brian worked as a sub for a few years. Last year we had too many people who were brand new, and it really hurt the shows in my opinion. Anyway, that's my expert opinion, which does not matter to anyone but me <g>.

They did Fill In The Blank with 2 audience volunteers, with Philip and Greg acting the scene. Next Philip led the others in a Should Have Said (ring the bell and make the actor go back and say what they should have said) scene about a harmonica - very funny. They also did the game where each of 4 actors has a certain thing or word, and has to build a scene around that, while the 5th actor directs which scene they all have to switch to - making sense out of whatever positions they were in when he freezes the scene. They did a great job on this one - and the entire show was very funny!

We stayed at the back door and talked to Jen B's mom Jeanette and aunt (Marie?). The 20-30 minute gap between shows passed quickly - Jeanette's really nice, which is no surprise. The 10:40 cast was Jen B, Philip, Joy, Greg & Matt. I think Philip opened this show with the phone, and got a female who was a bit of a trip. She was with her fiancé, and when Philip asked her what hobbies her fiancé had, and clarified by saying "what does he like to do" - her reply was "me". Aaah, how classy <g>. She was kind of a pill before this - not outright making stuff up, but trying to be provocative or cutesy - which Philip was not having any part of. I figured some of the actors would create verses that were not going to be particularly flattering to her, and I was right, lol! I didn't write any of the stuff down, and it's possible aol wouldn't want me to anyway <g>, but it was very funny.

Next they did a scene with 3 styles of song, where the actor directing (Jen) would interrupt at any point and have them create a song titled with whatever words were just spoken. Matt and Joy were a dysfunctional married couple - she an advertising executive and he a former executive who now was a house husband doing her laundry all day long. They did a cute salsa song titled "It Sucks". Then Matt made a noise - nk nk nk (kind of like something a bratty child would say to irritate a sibling) and Jen stopped the scene there and made him do a song titled "nk nk nk" in the style of ska. I had never heard of ska - it is kind of island-ish, and since nk nk nk makes no sense at all the song was absolutely hysterical! Matt is just the guy to pull off something like that, too. The final song was a swing song called "That's What it's all About".

They did Schmeopardy with Matt as host Alex Quebec. Greg was Sven Jorgensen, who's been a pilot with Lufthansa Airlines for about 2 months but has a fear of flying that he overcomes by drinking brandy. Philip was Max Squeegie, who works as a window washer on the exterior windows of submarines on stealth missions. Jen was Maria (very long last name that went on and on and on and on, lol), who works as a bikini waxer at the Playboy mansion. This was one of the funniest Schmeopardy games I'd seen, and the whole show was excellent. If I did not have the driving to do, I would have stayed for the last show - most likely it was also great! But, in the interest of not being up all night we agreed to not stay.

We chatted with Joy for a while after the show, and some of the others, then Greg came over with a hug. They are all such nice people, but he's been especially good to me. He's currently directing a show in the FL Fringe Festival, and Jen's in it - he'll email the exact dates, but it sounds like it's most of the weekends between my trips again, so unless I make another trip in 2-3 weeks I will miss it. We left the club and said goodbye to Jeanette & Marie, then left PI. The crowds coming in were huge, and the lines at both ticket buildings were all the way across the street. We cannot imagine all of these people buying a ticket when the place closes in 2 hours, but maybe that just means we are turning into old fuddy-duddies or something!

I took Leesa home and headed back to OKW, getting there before 1am. I wasn't ready to sleep yet, so I went ahead and finished up the report to get it posted. Overall the day followed the plan, except for missing Animal Kingdom. I hope to fit that in later. I am very glad the laptop is functional again, despite some work that remains to be done, and thanks again to Leesa for her work! The Comedy Warehouse has been excellent every show, and it's such a pleasure to have that laughter to look forward to each day :-)

DAY 3 SUNDAY APRIL 28, 2002:

• Who: Sue (43), DVC Member
• Plan: MK, Comedy Warehouse

Actual: I'd set the alarm for 6:30 and got up then, allowing time to get ready at a relaxed pace and head to the MK before it got too hot and crowded. After a relaxing breakfast (Blueberry Morning cereal & cappuccino) I left the studio just after 8:30, stopping at the car for my sunglasses. Last night when I returned I was fussing about there not being any parking spaces in front of my building, so I parked around the side of the building across from me. When I got out of the car I realized my building was further back - lol, I was trying to park at the wrong building, and ended up even further away. Duh - to top it off, most of the spaces at my building were empty! Oh well, walking is good exercise.

I arrived at the bus stop about a minute before the MK bus did, which was a wonderful surprise! With the people at my stop it was pretty much full (the seats), but there were still 2 more stops to make - so many people ended up standing. We got to the MK just ahead of the herds of cattle coming from the TTC monorail and the ferry boat, but by walking quickly I was able to not get caught in that mess! For once security here was a breeze and I was through the turnstiles in time to hear the 9am rope drop announcement. First stop was Space Mountain to get a Fastpass (9:45-10:45) and then I headed to Fantasyland.

I walked on the Pooh ride, and then did the same at Peter Pan. Since it didn't seem terribly crowded yet I decided to try Big Thunder Mountain Rail Road. It had a 20 minute standby time posted, but it did not look like people were backed up in line so I went on in and pretty much walked right onto the next train - getting my favorite seat (the last row of the last car). I love this ride, but never realized until today that it has a certain jerkiness at times. A week ago I would have been fine, but at this point in the radiation treatments that area is feeling somewhat bruised but being in broad daylight I was not about to ride holding myself to keep anything from moving <g>. I enjoyed the ride though, and quickly forgot about any temporary discomfort.

Next I rode the Haunted Mansion, which had a 5 minute wait posted instead of the usual 13 minutes. It was not busy at first, but the room got pretty full by the time we were let in. By now it was 9:45 so I headed back to Tomorrowland and used my Fastpass at Space Mountain. As the rocket was going up the hill I remembered Diana's comments about her bra being no match for this ride, and realized I was in for a repeat of Big Thunder, and this time didn't care if they saw me on the cameras, lol - comfort came first! Hopefully I won't read on the internet about some lady pervert riding Space Mountain - the ride was great, but once was enough for today. The guy in front of me had never ridden before, and really enjoyed himself - it's fun to see people riding for the first time.

The Tomorrowland Transit Authority was beckoning, so I rode that next. When I got off the park was pretty jammed, and I knew the time had come for me to get myself out of the place! I walked over to the Contemporary to get some pictures for an article, and then took the Downtown Disney bus. It stopped at the Poly & GF, but thankfully it no longer stops at that awful Ticket & Transportation Center! After another stop at Typhoon Lagoon I got off at the Marketplace and took the rest of the pictures I was needing. At Ghiradelli I got my sample, but since I still have some at home I did not buy anything today. In the World of Disney I bought the candle jar topper that I liked last trip - it has the icons from the 4 theme parks on it, and is pretty cute. A friend sent me some candles last week, including one in a jar, so the timing was perfect!

Shopping done, I sat on a bench in the shade and waited for the Trumbo Ferry to OKW to arrive. The only other people on it were the driver's wife and toddler, and we had a nice chat on the ride back. At OKW I walked to the Peninsular Road stop and rode the next bus to my stop, moved my car over to my building, and went into the nice cool studio for a while. I plugged in the camera to recharge some, and updated the trip report while snacking on some of the (delicious) banana nut bread and a piece of that pretzel from Epcot.

Around 2:30 I drove over to Animal Kingdom, knowing I would not be returning directly to OKW so my car would be a much more efficient choice than Disney transportation. Entry was quick and I headed first to Dinoland to check out the new Primeval Whirl attraction. Sorry, but this entire area just screams TACKY to me - I do not like it at all. However, Primeval Whirl looks like an interesting ride. I had gotten a Fastpass before I saw the side with the hill, and ended up chickening out on riding, lol! I imagine it is something I would do with friends though - it doesn't look too horrible. It looked like 4 (or 6 maybe) people were seated together, in a round vehicle that spins freely as it moves along the track, so there's no way to predict which way you'd be facing at any point. I watched it for a while, and then decided to get back to Harambe and see if Gus would be out.

As I approached Asia, I heard Budge's voice - he used to work at Comedy Warehouse many years ago. I got a glimpse of him doing the show, but the cast member would not let people stop in that area so I only stayed for a few seconds before continuing on. In Harambe I quickly walked the Pangani Trail until I came to the gorillas. The family is not out right now because their habitat is being replanted. On the bachelor side I found Spike (the youngest one) playing down in the water by the 2nd bridge. He was splashing, laying back and sticking his legs up, and frequently beating on his chest - drawing a large crowd of people watching him. A couple of times I could smell Gus, and finally noticed him hiding under the bushes - only his feet were visible. Spike was sitting directly across from him, and watching him while beating his chest. The other 2 guys were in the water for part of the time, with Spike for a while and then they wandered off.

Eventually I went and sat on a shady bench since the bridge was so crowded, and I waited to see if Gus was going to appear. Finally he started to move, and quite a while after Spike had left, Gus came out of the bushes and climbed up onto the grass where people could see him - mostly with his back to the crowd. I did several pictures, but won't have time to really check them until later this week. Gus headed back towards his cave, so I followed him down there, as did another lady with a camera, and the keeper who was taking data. Unfortunately for Gus, Zawadi or Spike was in his cave and showed no signs of leaving. It was interesting watching the 4 guys interact, and it was pretty much just me, the keeper, and that other lady who stayed for any length of time. I made a comment about her camera, and she asked me if I was Sue - she turned out to be one of Kathy's gorilla friends (Lisa from Texas) and had recognized me through her (and MousePlanet) so we spent time chatting while watching Gus and taking pictures. I knew of her from Kathy, but what a coincidence to actually meet her like that.

We were on the first bridge for quite a while - absolutely roasting in the sun! Gus was clearly not looking very happy - his expression was mad and some of his movements supported that. The keeper didn't know what the problem was, but I would not be surprised if at least part of it was the younger guys taking his cave, and just generally challenging his position as the dominant male - all very natural behavior but probably irritating to him. Eventually he was able to get into his cave, and after a while moved so far in we could no longer see him. I felt like a sweaty puddle at this point, so I said goodbye to Lisa and left the park. I was on the trail for about 90 minutes or so, and the time passed quickly - too bad it was so damn HOT out!

I drove over to Animal Kingdom Lodge and the security guard waved me in without asking for id when he saw the resort parking pass. Once inside I headed directly to Mara and decided to bring the soup back to OKW so I could get out of my wet clothes & cool off. The soup of the day had vegetables in it, so I stuck with the tomato bisque. Driving back to OKW it felt like I hit every single red light, lol, but eventually I was back in the nice cool studio. Soup may seem like a strange choice when it's so hot, but I didn't care - it's what I like. It was delicious, and I updated the report as I ate, then took a quick shower and ate more of the chocolate & marshmallow stuff - it needs to be gone later tonight or it will melt in the car tomorrow.

Before 7 I drove to Downtown Disney, happy to see none of the traffic that was such a bother the previous 2 nights! I parked at the PI main gate and walked down to the West Side to check on gifts for a couple of people, and then walked back to the Marketplace to take the last picture I needed. I was feeling pretty tired and thought about possibly only doing the first 2 shows tonight, but ended up not having to do that. I had some time to kill so I sat on a shady bench by the waterfront behind the Comedy Warehouse and just relaxed until it was time to go upstairs and get in line. It was a gorgeous night - good temperature, slight breeze, not too humid. Inside the club, while the line was slowly working its way downstairs I chatted with the manager (Carlotta?), then Jaime, then Deb, and finally Joe before being seated in long row. The waitress was someone I did not know, and she did not seem to realize that my cup was from the club. She tried to tell me they would not put my drink in there, and I assured her they would, and to please take it and give it to the person working the bar.

The 8:00 cast was Jen (from here on out, since Jen K is no longer part of the cast and Jen Br only subs once in a while, Jen B is now officially just "Jen" in my reports), Matt, Jake, Brian & Chris. The server brought my drink (in the cup) and continued down to serve the rest of the row before working back collecting the money. I noticed someone rush out of the bar and come up to my row - just as I was about to taste the drink she grabbed it out of my hand and said "No - the pineapple juice was bad". She made a new drink quickly and brought it back out. Jen led the Should Have Said game, with Jake building a deck and ending up with a sinkhole instead. They created a musical set in a Laundromat in Tahiti, starring Jen as Lola the Tahitian Laundress. Matt was a guy who liked to be stinky until finally Lola made him some soap that he would use because manure went on the flowers that created the fragrance, and then he was no longer banished from the island.

They did Scene Freeze, where the 4 actors each create a different scene and then it all gets mixed up. Matt's scene was Thursday eve, Chris had "impossible", Jake had "plethora", and Jen had shoe horn. It was actually a pretty good show, but not as good as the previous 2 nights. Outside I saw Jeanette & Marie (Jen's mom and grandmother - not aunt) and talked to them briefly and then ran upstairs to get in line for the next show. The couple in front of me were from the same area of Massachusetts as me, and are big CW fans - it was fun talking to them and we ended up being seated together.

The 9:05 cast was Jen, Chris, Jake, Matt & Joy. They did Emotions, with Matt & Jen as a couple who just bought a new igloo on Ebay, and they did an excellent job - the audience was in hysterics. They did Letters to the Editor with a subject of thigh-high leather boots. Jen wrote to Games (crossword puzzles) magazine, Jake to the Journal of Light Construction, and Chris was an elderly wife writing to Playgirl. It was actually very funny - from what I've seen and heard from others, this could have been the best so far. They did Should Have Said again, with Matt leading the game. Joy was a typing student with 11 fingers, Jake was another student who typed faster than Joy, and Jen was the teacher. This scene was also great - overall the entire show was excellent. One thing that I think really adds to the show is when something that happens or is mentioned early gets carried through or referred back to later on in that same show - Matt is really good at doing this, and I've started to see a couple of others do it as well.

Outside I talked to Dee while she was trying to warm up from the frigid air conditioning in the club and when she went in I sat & talked to Marie until Jeanette came back. We all chatted during the break and they invited me to join them for the next shows - since I had stopped being tired once I got in the first show, I decided to stay out late after all! They're both really nice, and very proud of all the kids/grandkids - including Jen of course.

The 10:30 show featured Jen, Brian, Chris, Matt & Joy. Most of the show was Conducted Story, conducted by Matt. He and Philip are my favorite conductors because they get so enthused and involved in the game! The story was "Lasagna is best when made in New York City". Joy died by rubber underwear in a Frederick's of Hollywood store. Chris died from talking too much - actually her husband Brian shot her to shut her up, lol! That left Brian and Jen, and neither would make a mistake no matter what changes Matt threw at them, so he had them wrap the story up together. Jen spoke normally and Brian interpreted it into sign language - this is always hysterical.

After the show Jen came over to us - we exchanged greetings and when I said the show was very good, she indicated she wasn't so sure. I admitted it wasn't as good as the previous show, and she definitely agreed with that, lol. She was surprised when I said the Conducted Story was one of my favorites, because she said the stories can drag. I explained from my perspective (not being up there working, but sitting back being entertained), the deaths are the real entertainment and although sometimes the story might drag too much there are so many changes in style and interruptions for the deaths that it still works for me - and sometimes the stories themselves are actually funny enough to stand on their own with the added fun of the deaths. When I think back to what I have on tape, my favorite scenes include many Conducted Story deaths, and some Forgotten Songs.

Jeanette, Marie & I headed outside to wait for the last show of the night. I figured since it was my last night I might as well stay. The 12:05 cast was Matt, Jen, Brian, Chris & Joy. Brian let Should Have Said, where Joy was planning a wedding. Jen came into the scene and it became a commitment ceremony rather than a wedding, since she was Joy's fiancé. Matt joined as Joy's dad, who was initially shocked to find his daughter in love with a woman, but then admitted her mom was a lesbian too. He said he was ok with it, with his motto being "The more lesbians the more fun" and as an aside (out of character) made some crack about that's what he keeps telling his wife, lol! The scene was really funny.

They did Forgotten Songs next, which were all great. Chris & Jen did "Frankie the Narcoleptic Weasel" with Jen frequently falling asleep suddenly. Brian & Joy sang "Stuck With the Ex", and Matt did "Can't Believe I Went Away with my Nieces & Nephews". Schmeopardy was the last big game, with Chris as the host (forgot to give a name). Brian was funny as a toll booth worker who had to go to the bathroom because there are no bathrooms in his booth. Matt was Michael Eisner, CEO of Disney. Jen was a permanent drunk, by the name of Mrs. Eisner! The categories were all about beer or whiny celebrities, and the show was really funny. At one point Jen had to pee, so she used the Seagram 7 bottle she was drinking out of and used that - and then Brian picked it up and turned his back to relieve himself as well - it may sound crude, but it was very funny in the context of what was going on. They each played their character very well. Overall this show was excellent, too.

I said goodbye to Jeanette & Marie, then drove home to OKW and finished up the report before going to sleep. Today was a pretty full day - I did everything I wanted to do at MK, squeezed in time for Gus at AK since I missed that yesterday, met Kathy's friend, got my soup at Mara, and then saw 4 great shows at the Comedy Warehouse and had terrific people to talk to while there.

DAY 4 MONDAY APRIL 29, 2002:

• Who: Sue (43), DVC Member
• Plan: MGM, drive home

Actual: I purposely did not set the alarm, since it was nearly 3 before I went to bed. I did leave the drapes open a bit so I would know when it was daylight and not sleep too late. Today will be a long day, including a baseball game tonight, and I want to be able to get to sleep after the game so I can get up for work the next morning! About 7:30 I woke up, and took my time packing and getting ready for the day. I ended up not leaving the studio until 9:30 or so, dropped the laptop off with bell services and drove to MGM Studios for a short visit.

Both security and park entry went very quickly, and the park did not seem very crowded at all. I mostly just wandered around, but did walk right onto Star Tours around 10:15. I was surprised there was not at least a short wait here. A couple of the seats had seatbelts that did not lock properly, so one family had to leave and wait for another ride. Hopefully they won't keep putting people in those seats and then moving them all day long <g>. After the ride I sat on a bench for a few minutes, and then decided since there were no other rides or shows I wanted to do, I would start the drive home. At OKW bell services brought my laptop out, and then refused the tip! Since I always have my car, I never use them for luggage handling except to store my laptop during hot weather, and always tip whoever retrieves it for me.

The drive home was tedious, but free from any spinning across the median strip incidents, lol! The last hour was tough, though, since I was leaving my vacation behind and was somewhat tired from all the fun!

SUMMARY:

Overall it was another excellent trip! Rather than list the positives and negatives (pressed for time now), I'll just include them here. Really the only bad thing was the laptop problems - which are completely unrelated to Disney, and I challenge anyone to prove how they could be held responsible, lol! The traffic at Downtown Disney on the weekend was horrible - something to remember for next year, and we hated losing the first 2 shows at the Comedy Warehouse on Friday and Saturday due to the Grad Night parties.

The positives far outweigh those inconveniences, as usual. Spending the day with Kathy was wonderful, and she did a terrific job of pampering me while I was on the conference call for that hour. Leesa was a lifesaver with her computer repair skills, and it was great spending 2 nights at the Warehouse with her. The comedy shows were excellent all three nights, and the cast was all regulars rather than a bunch of subs. Jen's mom and grandmother were excellent company on the last night, and without them I most likely would have skipped the last 2 shows - and missed Conducted Story. Gus surprised me by being out for so long, although I would have preferred he was in a better mood, and I enjoyed meeting and talking to Lisa on the Trail. I was able to take several pictures, which will get downloaded and uploaded for Kathy and any of her gorilla friends as soon as I can.

OKW was great, and after spending a night at the Boardwalk last month, it felt really good to be returning "home" to OKW. No offense to BWV lovers - it just is not the resort for me, just as OKW is not the first choice of many others. I cannot wait to return again!

My next trip is Memorial Day weekend, with Friday at Leesa's and Saturday/Sunday nights at OKW again (repeat of this trip, minus the computer problems, hopefully), unless I come up for a non-Disney weekend before then to see the show Greg is directing, which Jen is performing in (Leesa - interested??). Since the next trip is over a holiday weekend, it would make sense to skip the parks - just do Comedy Warehouse at night and sleep in each day, but we'll see.

Right after the next trip my son Chris & I will be taking a cruise to Alaska, which we've been looking forward to for a long while - long before breast cancer entered the picture. Canceling or postponing was never a consideration - treatment will resume after the trip. Since the cruise is not Disney, I will not be posting that report on RADP or the aol trip report board. I will put it on the DVC board (as long as the monitor allows it) because we can use our DVC points for Holland America cruises to Alaska, and that is the line I am sailing. Anyone who wants to receive it via email, drop me an email before 5/30 and I'll add your name to the address book list.

Thanks for reading!