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Sheri Niklewski -- June 2002 -- Walt Disney World (Offsite)

Background

This started out as a solo trip report for a weekend fling while the husband was out of town. I returned from that trip on a Sunday and by Tuesday had the reservations made for the very next weekend! Since a lot of the particulars for both trips are the same, I'll do one introduction for both weekend trips. I'll also just do one Final Thoughts and Overall Impressions and one section for the Good, the Bad, the Ugly, and the Exceptional. At the end, I will compare and contrast the two trips. The first one was me alone, the second one was with my husband. I found that even though Walt Disney World remained the same, I had totally different experiences each weekend. And the only thing that I repeated was another ride on the new Journey into Your Imagination with Figment attraction.

Introduction

When: June 21 - 23, 2002 (weekend #1 - my solo trip)

June 28 - 30, 2002 (weekend #2 - with my husband)

Participants

• Me - Sheri (40) for both weekends - the planner and report writer, accountant at a manufacturing firm. Yes, you will question my sanity by the time you are done with the report.
• Husband - Rich (42) for weekend #2 - he really needs the trip for various reasons.
• Where: Offsite - for the shortness of both trips. Plus, I had a free room for both Saturday nights.

How: Personal vehicle from Georgia

Experience: Veterans

Hotel

I wanted the hotel for both Friday nights at the same Days Inn we've stayed before. Lake Park, GA off exit 5 of I75. Clean, efficient, and more importantly, cheap. A king size bed for one adult is $33.15. There is nothing fancy about this place but it's a great stopover for us. There is a complementary continental breakfast (mini muffins, mini cinnamon rolls, OJ) and I stock up enough for the whole weekend. I love travelocity.com. That's where I make the majority of my online reservations. I did get this for weekend #1. However, for weekend #2, I was too late and the place was booked. Not surprising. We had stayed here two Fridays ago for a trip to St. Augustine for a wedding and there was no vacancies. So trying to book on a Tuesday night before you leave on Friday wasn't that smart.

I tried a ton of different places in the Valdosta area. They were either too expensive for a few hours sleep or booked. I finally found a Scottish Inn at Exit 18 off I75. Absolutely bare bones but for $40/night and a room to go to, I'm not sneezing at it. No continental breakfast but we can always cruise down I75 and crash the Days Inn one. Just kidding - we wouldn't do that.

My good friend, Adrienne, suggested that I redeem my Starwood Preferred points for my Saturday nights in Kissimmee. I stayed at the Swan four times in the last year and racked up these points from the Sheraton/Westin program. I usually don't do this kind of thing but thought, what the heck. So I went looking. Wow!

For weekend #1, I'm in at the Sheraton Four Points (4018 W. Vine Street) for absolutely nothing. Just points off my balance. But I had over 5,000 points and this was only 2,000 points. I think I know where this place is (east side of I4 and a ways but not that bad for just one night) and know a shortcut out of Disney property. Not too bad for a totally thrown together trip.

Then, I realized that I read the information wrong and got the Sheraton Four Points all the way down on Highway 192 instead of the one much closer. For weekend #2, I read all the way through and booked the Sheraton Four Points at the Maingate. Much closer. I don't anticipate any problems with the free rooms. I'll still have points left but not enough for another free room. Gee, I might have to actually pay for something at some point!

Tickets

We both have an Annual Passes and that's the only reason I would ever consider something like this. Ours expire in July and I thought the Memorial Day trip would be the last on the pass. Not for us. Two more short trips. This thing has more than paid for itself. Renewals are coming up (I actually received the vouchers the day before I left on weekend #1).

Touring

Extremely relaxed for both weekends. However, on weekend #1, I had two "must sees" for this Fling. One is to go to MGM and check out more Star Wars stuff for our son, Chris. Mega Star Wars fan. We got him some nice things on the last trip and now I'll have to look for more (Dexter Jettster - whoever the heck he or it is). I think that will be my first stop. I might work in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Play It and/or Rock N Roller Coaster with FastPass if I can. Not critical but you never know. We did both of these on the last trip within an hour so I was spoiled then. The other "must see" would have been Off Kilter. But, thanks to Steve's entertainment site (http://pages.prodigy.net/stevesoares/index.htm), I saw where Alberta Bound would be filling in for Off Kilter on Sunday.

Normally, I almost live on Off Kilter on my visits, and you'd think I'd be upset. Not so. Since Jason, who amply substitutes for Off Kilter members when needed, is part of Alberta Bound. We saw Jason, a fiddler, fill in for the Off Kilter keyboardist over Memorial Day and he was great. So I'm making it a point to check out Alberta Bound. Steve didn't have the times posted for Alberta Bound (just the summer dates) but I emailed him and he was so kind to get back to me with the schedule. First show on Sunday is 1:30 so I'll see that and then head out. Enough time to make the drive back and get a good night's sleep before work the next day. Everything else is a crap shoot. I'm playing it by ear. I will try and see Randy, the Boardwalk juggler, on Saturday night if I can. I might get adventurous and try out Jelly Rolls. Rich would cringe at the $5 cover charge and the prices for drinks. But I can't get too many drinks and $5 is nothing. So we'll see about that Saturday night. It's something I've never done and always wanted to do.

For weekend #2, I didn't know if Off Kilter would be playing on Sunday. I would not have access to Steve's site on Saturday when he updates the schedule so we'd play it by ear on that one. No other plans in the works. This will be Rich's trip entirely. He will set the pace and what we do. He needs to de-stress.

Food

Oh man, there's no way on either weekend that we would take time to sit down and eat. It's going to be grab and go. Egg rolls at Lotus Blossom Café, pizza at the Boardwalk, pretzels at MGM or Animal Kingdom. Real healthy diet for the weekends.

The Plan

For both weekends, it will be for me to come home after work and then leave for the Valdosta area around 6:30 to avoid the Atlanta traffic. Our drive is I85 from northeast of Atlanta to I285 around Atlanta then I675 to I75 south of Atlanta. I75 all the way to the Florida Turnpike. Then off to Route 27 to Highway 192 and Kissimmee. The drive is utterly boring but it's well worth it. It's nice to break up the drive down with the stay in Valdosta. The drive back is the killer. Seven hours of interstate. Ugh. We do listen to the Atlanta Braves on the radio so if anyone wants all the different radio stations that will give you baseball, just let me know. In the fall, I'll compile the ones that will give football coverage. And, by the way, I really tried to listen to Braves on my solo trip but I found that Skip Carey's voice is about as dry as unbuttered toast. A total monotone. Not good for a single person on a Friday night. I played Off Kilter on my CD player instead. Much, much better. On Sunday, departure was set for after the 1:30 shows in Canada. Back to our house around 10:00 each time.

That's all the introduction for both weekends. I thought this would be a short report but, true to my form, it's quite lengthy. So grab something nice to drink, lock the doors, and enjoy.

Weekend #1 - The Solo Fling

This is the story of a lady named Sheri

Whose life was about to get very hairy

At work, the boss was away

And this mouse wanted to play

The work had to be done

And Sheri was ready for fun

At home, things were quite hectic

With things ranging from bizarre to eclectic

The husband would be out of town

And the prospect of being alone brought a frown

So Sheri decided to head to the World

After all, she had been such a good girl

It was going to be a very quick trip

And the finances would not have to be dipped

How to have the most of a day and a half?

Could she do it? Of course, everyone says with a laugh

So sit back and relax and enjoy

There's something here for every girl and every boy

Why

Oh boy. I don't know how I can explain this one. My husband, Rich, was laid off last summer and hasn't found anything yet. Our son, Chris, lives in our house back in Nebraska. We are the landlords. Of course, repairs needed to be made that Chris and his roommate couldn't take care of so Rich was taking a trip back there to fix things up. Rich's parents would drive down to Georgia from Maryland, pick up Rich, and then the three of them would spend some time in Nebraska with Chris. I would stay in Georgia and be an accountant. Good plan. Plus, the timing was critical because my boss would be on vacation during this time and once she got back, a co-worker would be on vacation the next week. I'm backup to both of these people so there was no way I could take any time off. I knew work would be stressful so having Rich out of the house would be good.

But he would be gone for a whole weekend. I am not working on the weekend, no matter what. No reason to. The weekdays would be hectic enough. I want to relax. To me, driving is very therapeutic. In the Atlanta area, you certainly do enough driving but it's not all that peaceful. I wanted to be out on the road for the weekend. I thought about doing Calloway Gardens since that would be a nice drive and a good day trip. Then I got to thinking one day going to work (always a bad thing).

We had just gotten back from our Memorial Day trip to Disney World. Easily driven and we had a great time. Why couldn't I just go back during the weekend Rich was gone? It would be totally insane but I could do it.

So, just three weeks before this little adventure (and about a day after we got back from Memorial Day), I approached Rich with my plan. He started to shake his head no but then I said "tell me one good reason why I can't go and I won't go". He couldn't. I'm going. I'm calling this My Fling. It's totally off the cuff and spontaneous. As spontaneous as an anal retentive accountant can get.

Dedication

I guess I should just dedicate this trip to myself. Sounds totally selfish but it is my trip. I love exploring Disney World on my own with no one else to think about. And I'm doing it as cheaply as I can. If I had stayed home and just did things in the Atlanta area, I'd probably spend the same amount of money. But now I can enjoy Disney World and have a super great weekend. And not have to listen to Rich complain when the credit card bills come in. Yes, I deserve this!

The Week Before

The work situation actually wasn't that stressful. In fact, it might be nice to have the boss gone and out of contact for a week! Our small accounting department really relaxed, took care of everything, and was fine. We even managed to figure out how to cut out over $100,000 in payments for the week.

The personal situation wasn't that great as the air conditioning on the in-laws' van broke on their way from Maryland to Georgia. It couldn't be fixed easily so Rich drove the thing 1000 miles to Nebraska in June with no air conditioning. Also, while Rich was getting this news and trying to deal with taking our most spastic cat into the vet for ear mites, he decided to see if our local service center could look at the van. That was a mistake. Because on the way home, a screw in the road decided to jump up and implant it into the pickup truck's front driver's side tire. We have an extended cab Silverado 1500. The thing is huge to me. All this the night before Rich is leaving for Nebraska. Can you say "freak out?"

I convinced Rich (that's a polite way of saying that we had an argument) that I would take care of the truck and he would handle his parent's van problem. The trip was delayed just a half day for the verdict to come back that the AC was DOA. And then they got lost on the way out of Georgia. And then they hit major construction outside of Chattanooga. Man, I was glad I was going south instead of north and west!

I had the truck towed to the service center. Thank goodness for AAA. The tire was plugged for free. There was no way I could arrange for it to be driven home by me. The night before my trip, the truck was still at the service center. I guess it'll sit down there until Monday night because I can't walk the five miles and drive the darn thing back myself. But at least it's fixed and there's no charge. Can't argue with that.

My main concern was with our cats. We have three of them. Since Rich is home during the day, they naturally are bonded with him. Todd, Gus, and Belle are such sweethearts. But they are sensitive to changes. Having Rich out of the house was enough for them. They reacted by knocking over a plant and just being plain silly with their food and other habits. Unfortunately, once they realized that I was the primary caretaker, I'm going to be leaving them. I hate to think about what they will be doing when I'm gone! Just think about those three hyenas in "The Lion King" and you've got my cats. Todd is the Whoopie Goldberg one. The one in control. Gus is the Cheech Marin one. The devious one. And Belle is Ed - the one without a clue. But put them together and they are lethal. It might take a couple of weeks but they will forgive Rich and me. Eventually. Hopefully. One day.

Day One - Friday, June 21, 2002

One bad thing about leaving for vacation after work is that you have to work all day. I did fine up until 2:30 when everything that was critical for the day was done. It was hard to concentrate on the other important but not "have to do" items. It didn't help that another co-worker was going on a week long vacation and she was antsy to get out the door herself. But 5:00 came finally and I was on my way home.

I had changed my plans to include a trip back home instead of leaving from work. I did this because of the cats. They had accepted Rich being away within a day but I wanted to make sure they had enough food (Gus is a pig) and water (Todd likes to drink from the bathroom sinks). It was a good thing that I did this. No, the cats were fine. But the Atlanta traffic reared its' ugly head. I live and work north of Atlanta downtown. So that means to get south, I have to drive right through it. I take the perimeter road, I285, but that's no better then going directly downtown when there's traffic. I listened to the radio on the way home and every major road had backups at 5:15. My departure time got moved back to 6:30. That was enough time for me to get home, feel guilty for leaving the cats, answer emails, pack the car (carefully so the cats didn't know what I was doing), and then head out.

I actually had a goal with my drive to Lake Park. A fellow newsgroup poster and reader had asked if anyone had suggestions for stops on I75 from Atlanta to Disney World for children. So I offered to write down the mile markers for rest stops and see if there were any other distractions along the way. If anyone is interested, email me and I'll send you the details. It'll be a short email back because there's absolutely nothing to do on this stretch of the drive. Boring, boring, boring. I had all these CDs with me for diversion but I didn't listen to any of them for the first three hours. I must have been stressed with work and home because I just wanted the silence.

I did make one maintenance break and then tried to get to Lake Park on the gas I had. It was getting to be 10:00 PM and the gas gauge kept going down (I didn't have a completely full tank when I left). The thought of being stranded alone along a Georgia interstate on a Friday night didn't leave me feeling very comfortable so I pulled into a gas station about 30 miles from Lake Park. I wish I would have continued on. It was a fine station except I couldn't pay at the pump. I just wanted to do that and go. The clientele, if you could call these people that, were a little scary. You did have to slide your credit card outside and then go inside to sign the receipt. This was a BP and I have a BP card. I was instructed to slide that in the cash slot. I did that and chose the most expensive gas since my car needs to be babied. I went in to sign and got the receipt and had another maintenance break. Then I got the heck out of there. I wanted to take a shower! But the next day I looked at my receipt and saw that I was charged $1.19/gallon instead of $1.39/gallon. The lower price was for the cheap gas. The big signs saying "cash or credit, no difference in price" was a total lie. And I didn't get the cheaper grade of gas - my car would not run on that stuff. So, if you are traveling on I75, don't trust the BP station off Exit 39.

I got to the Days Inn around 10:30. I had been thinking that this would be my last stay here. It's a decent place and certainly cheap enough. If they had a frequent stay program, I'd probably never have to pay for another Days Inn again. But I think I'll be back. Sure, the rooms are adequate but the staff really made the stay this time. We had just been here the weekend before on a trip to St. Augustine for a friend's wedding. When I walked through the door, one of the desk people just smiled and said "she's back!" I was completely dumbfounded. I was taken care of immediately and even given the same room Rich and I had last month. This place might not be the Ritz but the personality more than makes up for it. I think I'll continue to patronize the place. That's the Days Inn off I75 Exit 5. $33.15/night for one person before taxes. Shameless plug off. BTW - for the second weekend in a row, there was no vacancy. When I checked out the next day, the clerk said they could have easily given out 50 more rooms if they had them. So make your reservations when traveling.

I took essentials into the room and then had to decide on a game plan for the next day. I was debating getting up at my normal 6:00 or sleeping later. It was 11:00 and I decided that the drive was enough and I was going to bed. So getting up at 6:00 was the plan. I could always turn off the alarm if I wanted. And silly me didn't even bother to check the weather at Disney World for the next day. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Day Two - Saturday, June 22, 2002

Got up and slowly got ready. The alarm never did go off but I'm in the habit of waking up at 6:00 so it was 6:08 when I raised myself out of bed. I took my time and went to the front desk to check out. Again, very friendly service. I helped myself to the complimentary continental breakfast which, for me, was mini cinnamon rolls and mini blueberry muffins. I filled two styrofoam coffee cups with these and I'd munch on them on the drive.

I started out at 7:00 AM. I figured I'd be parking at the Swan by 10:00. Plenty of time for a good day. The morning was foggy and overcast but I thought Florida would cooperate and the clouds would burn off. I was wearing shorts and a halter style shirt. It's June, it's Florida, and I was stupid enough not to look at a weather forecast.

I had sprinkles on the way down but nothing major. I was still taking notes on anything to do with kids on the drive and found the Don Garletts Attractions. At this point, the sun finally poked its way into the day (about the only time it did) and I was getting pretty happy. Unfortunately, I was also driving along the interstate doing 77 MPH (speed limit is 70 and you can flame me for going 7 over the limit) and was cruising along at an entrance ramp to I75. And there were two vehicles merging into the interstate. The right lane was totally clear. I was in the center lane. The second vehicle, a pickup truck, decided that the first vehicle wasn't going fast enough. So instead of just waiting in the right lane, the pickup thought he'd move over to the center lane immediately. Um, I'm there. I would have moved over to the left lane to keep everyone happy but the pickup didn't give any indication of his move. He just did it. My front doors were at the same point as the back of his pickup. Needless to say, my brakes flew on and everything in my car, including all of my breakfast, flew to the front of the car. Thank goodness for seat belts and every other safety feature these days. I did hit the horn to let the guy know he was being stupid. I hope that he just didn't see me. That he had a blind spot. He wasn't a speed demon or anything but that was such a dangerous situation. I am an aggressive driver but I'm also a cautious and careful one. I am aware of every vehicle around me. If I hadn't, there would have been a horrible accident.

We continued on and the pickup was about a half mile ahead of me the entire way. I ended up passing him on Route 27 on the way to Disney World. And what did I do? Absolutely nothing. Road rage is stupid. I honestly do think the guy never did see me. It was a Grr Moment but one that can be gotten over. And I did.

Along Route 27, the skies opened up and it poured. One of the reasons I could pass the pickup. I had the windshield wipers on full blast. I was considering all the options. It was too early to check into the hotel. I knew that I probably wouldn't have a room ready by early afternoon so I thought 10:00 would be pushing it. But, miracles can happen and I made it to Disney property with the rain completely stopping. I parked at the Swan since I wanted to go to MGM and check out Chris' Star Wars figures for him. Wexler Jettster. Whoever he is.

I had attempted last night to call Rich and let him know that I was still alive. But the cell phone would not cooperate. So I tried from the parking lot at the Swan. I called the Nebraska house. It was 9:00 back there so I figured Rich and his parents would be there to continue the yard word, etc. A very sleepy Davey (Chris' roommate) answered the phone and reported there was no one there. So I called the hotel where Rich was staying. Yep, the landlord has to stay at a hotel. No answer. Then I called my mother-in-law's cell phone. Finally, a human! They were just turning into the Nebraska driveway so I said I'd call back in five minutes. Cell phone to cell phone calls can be brutal with transmission.

After our conversation (everything fine back north and west), I headed out to MGM. My only goal here was Tatooine Traders for the Star Wars figure. Dexter Jettster. I took the walkway from the Swan and crossed over to the one from the Boardwalk. The Swan one dead ends at Buena Vista Drive so you have to cross over to the other one. The sun was peaking out at some points so it was a pleasant walk. I arrived at MGM just as a tram was unloading from the parking lot. I'm not normally at a park this early so the arriving crowds were a little strange for me. But, everyone piled into the security lines to the left. The ones to the right had almost no one in them. Until this family that had about five huge backpacks and one luggage thing on wheels went right in front of me. I dodged them and had my little fanny pack that was already unzipped and ready to go and I was through. I saw the same thing with the admission turn styles. Everyone lined up at the left ones, no one at the right ones. Check them all out.

I wanted to try for a FastPass to Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Play It before I checked out Chris' figure. I love playing this game. It's always changing based on the questions and who is sitting in the hot seat. Rock N Roller Coaster and Twilight Zone are fine but I'd rather go on those with someone else. I headed to Millionaire first. I had noted the times (thanks again Steve!) for the shows and it was past 10:40 for the first one. But there was still 2 minutes left for the show and in I went. No FastPass needed. Hint - this is June, it's supposed to be crowded. Yet I walked into the Millionaire show with 2 minutes left and there were still plenty of empty seats. So, if you want to do this, do the first or second show. Without FastPass.

The question for the hot seat was to put four John Travolta movies in order from latest to earliest. I was #7 on the board. Not good enough for the hot seat (which went to a young woman named Rory) but enough to show that I am a John Travolta fan. Rory faded fast and was replaced by a woman named Sherry from Georgia. She didn't last long either and the show ended and I was no where on the leader board. But I thought it would be funny if I was the next person in the hot seat. Didn't we just have a Sheri from Georgia? If you were there this day, no that was not me in the hot seat.

I headed over to the Tatooine Traders for the figure. I also wanted to get an exclusive Disney resort pin of Jango Fett for Chris' friend for Christmas. These guys geek about Star Wars all the time. I got the pin and didn't have high hopes for the figure. Nope, no Dexter Jettster. I had these totally off the wall eight year olds just driving their dads crazy with the figures. "I want that one". "No, that one". "No, maybe a poster". Some dads were nicer than others. Tatooine Traders can be a mob scene sometimes.

And then I did the old Rich Niklewski trick. I moved aside the front figures and looked all the way in the back. To every single one of the hundred some that they had. There he was - Dexter Jettster himself. And what's that behind him? Another one? I grabbed both of them. I checked every single stupid figure there and I had the only two Dexter Jettsters. Am I good mother or what? By the way, Dexter Jettster is a cook in a Courscant diner and picks up plenty of information as he's serving to his patrons. He's an old friend of Obi-Wan Kenobi and he's always willing to share his information for a price. OK, whatever, it makes my son happy so it makes me happy.

Mission accomplished, I'm in search of food. I head for my favorite spot - the Studio Catering Company and the beer and pretzel combo for $8.16. I knew I'd never be able to finish the pretzel since Rich and I usually share one of these huge things for lunch so I was prepared for the leftovers. But I sat for about an hour and just watched people and chilled out. The sun was out at various times so I had high hopes for the day. Ha!

I finished up and decided to go to the Animal Kingdom and check out the new Primeval Twirl. But I walked by the darn Millionaire show again. Starting in 5 minutes. Darn it. I had to go. This show (I think it was the third of the day) was full. Hint, hint, hint. Go earlier. Fastest finger question. Put these Aaron Spelling productions in order from earliest to latest. I am a TV junkie. Especially this type of mindless stuff. Number three on the leader board. I had the guy next to me say "I don't even know what Dynasty is". We had a very nice British lady in the hot seat and she did fairly well. But she answered one wrong and was replaced by a guy who had done the show before. He was very relaxed and comfortable but tanked after the 32,000 point question when he used all three lifelines on that one question.

Both shows were very enjoyable. The stage manager and the host for the two shows I saw were the same. It does get a little old with the bantering they do but it's the guests in the hot seat that make or break the show. They canceled the original show but I hope Disney keeps this one going. I like the mental diversion during the day.

By now, it was after 1:00 so my plans of going to Animal Kingdom were shot to heck. I wanted to check out where the Sheraton Four Points was so I wouldn't have to try and find it at night. And I had a free stay and I didn't want to have to deal with paperwork when I was tired. I headed out via the Osceola Parkway as far down as I could go and avoid Highway 192. I was successful. I don't like 192 that much. Too many traffic lights and tourists. OK, I'm technically a tourist too. How do I survive Atlanta traffic? I avoid it as much as I can.

I had called the Sheraton to ask which mile marker they were located at. Highway 192 does do a good job with mile markers. Big signs indicating where you are. I was told to look for mile marker 14 and then "you can't miss us". Well, mile marker 14 is a ways down there (Disney entrance is around 6 or 7) but that's OK - it's a free room. I got off Osceola Parkway ($.50 in toll) at 535 (actually Pionciana Road) and tuned onto Highway 192 which at some point changes to Vine Street. I was at mile marker 12. I passed 13, then 14 and watched for the Sheraton. Nothing. I kept going and was ready to turn around or make a phone call. I saw mile marker 15 go by. I was going to switch lanes from the right to the left for a turn around and I saw this little sign for Sheraton Four Points. Ugh! It's not immediately noticeable at all and it's beyond mile marker 15. I am so glad I checked this out during the day. And it did make a nice break from the drive and the parks. And everything else. Oh, I am so glad I did this now.

The place is nice and I was helped by a trainee and her supervisor. Everything with the free room was in order and they just needed a credit card for an imprint. Not a problem and I anticipated that. Just in case I trash the room with a wild party or something. But the room wasn't ready and I had anticipated that as well. I just wanted to check out the location and make sure everything was OK with the free room. Actually, I felt like I was treated like royalty with the Starwood Preferred program. "Would you like to check your bags now?" Err, no, I really just want to get back to Epcot, thank you very much.

So I get back into the car and drive to Disney World again, using Osceola Parkway. Again $.50 but it's so worth it to escape the clog at World Drive. Always drive around here with quarters in your car. These toll booths were unmanned so you had to have correct change. A few years ago, I didn't know that and just drove through because all I had was a dollar bill. I'm still free and they haven't charged me yet. But I would never cheat the system. I threw in the quarters and went on my way.

On the drive, the skies really, really opened up and we got such a downpour. I know the Disney area quite well but it was hard for me to tell where I was. OK, Boardwalk on the right, next turn is the Swan/Dolphin, etc. But where the heck is it? I finally made it to the Swan lot (in the same space as before) with the deluge going on and on and on. I figured it was a typical Florida storm and it would be gone in a half hour. There was no way I'd make it from my car to the Swan without getting drenched. So what to do? Take a nap! So I did for a half hour. Guess what - when I woke up, the skies were clearing and the rain was letting up.

The mission at Epcot was simple. Check out things for other people. Actually, the first stop was going to be the new Journey Into Imagination with Figment. I am so glad this guy is back. I have such fond memories of our first trip to Epcot with a three year old Chris. I walked onto this ride after a brief stop because a very ancient lady absolutely, positively did not want to sit on a wet seat. I guess people with ponchos had been on this right before her. So the Cast Members and I'm assuming a great-great grandson made sure the seat was totally dry. Then they were off and I was the first one on the next vehicle. And I loved this. It's such a great combo of thinking and imagination. It fits into my life so much. Rich is the total logical one. I am the creative one (yes, an accountant can be creative). Chris is in between. Actually, he scares me with his knowledge and his creativism. Yeah, he's my son but he's kind of like Steven Spielberg or George Lucas. You never know what they will come up with. So I rode this attraction with such a goofy grin on my face. My guys might not be with me physically but they are always there with me mentally and emotionally. Family moment off.

After Figment, I checked out Image Works and even though I didn't do anything here, I enjoyed watching the other families having a great time. Some people might think it's lame but seeing this one kid going crazy with creating music just by moving his hands made the day. The sun is out, I'm at Disney World, can it get better? I checked out the store at the end (there's always a store at the end) and thought about getting the Figment patriotic figure. But I have Mickey and Goofy but Figment, hum. Maybe later. Maybe next month. Maybe tomorrow. Didn't want to carry around a bag.

So off to The Living Seas to find a CD for my stepmother. We've been looking for almost a year and they never have it in stock. It's always "we might have it next month". Same thing all over again. When Rich and I are here next month (and like they'll have it in stock), I'll bring something to write on and I'll contact the distributor directly. But I did pick up our niece's Christmas present. Shanna is majoring in marine biology at the University of Delaware. So I got her a dolphin necklace in this beautiful blue color that will look so nice on her. And I picked up some earrings to compliment it. Shanna and I spent such a great hour at The Living Seas last July so this was kind of special.

Next up was Spaceship Earth. I knew it wouldn't be crowded and I was right. Rich always falls asleep on this so it's been a while since I've seen it. Nice break and I love the Jeremy Irons narration. But the ride could be improved. A bit bumpy and I'm sure technology has developed since this was first opened. After this, I went by the Electric Umbrella for a maintenance break and to check out the menu. Lines were way too long so I continued on. Into rain. It started out harmless enough but just a pain. All the kiosk places were closed but I wanted to walk around World Showcase. In the rain? Yeah, but what the heck. I made it as far as Canada and grabbed a beer when the rains started getting steady. I went over to the empty Off Kilter area and stood under an umbrella there while deciding what to do. I had a steady stream of families and groups joining me to try and stay dry. And I had a good time of watching all those yellow poncho people go by. I actually thought I'd go and buy one. The rain was not going to let up anytime soon. The storm this afternoon was a typical Florida storm but this rain was not.

So I was deciding what to do. I was going to try and see Shockwave since we had loved Blast last year. But I didn't think that was going to happen. Tapestry of Dreams at 6:15 was probably going to be canceled and more than likely, so was the 7:45 show. Illuminations would go off at 9:00 but it was only 5:00 by now. What to do? I hadn't really had decent food all day. The mini muffins and cinnamon rolls and the pretzel. Since it was raining, I figured LeCellier and Rose & Crown would be mobbed. I thought about Cape May Buffet but thought that would be crowded too. While I was thinking about this I was "entertained".

By two brothers. In their 50s, I think. They were drinking their way around World Showcase. We talked for a while and I wish I could chug a beer because I just wanted to get out of there. They kept offering to buy me a beer in the United Kingdom and I kept telling them thanks but no thanks. I didn't want to leave first because they could follow me. I'm sure they were harmless but there was no where to go. I felt safe but vulnerable. So I waited them out and the need for beer got to them so they headed for the UK. I waited five minutes and then scurried past that pavilion and out the International Gateway. In the steady rain. My goal at this point was the Big River Grille. Great plan. The ESPN Club had a line way out the door. I just wanted a meal indoors and to dry off.

I was treated very nicely at the Big River Grille. Even given a table for four for just little ole me. My server was attentive and offered me a nice cup of clam chowder. Excellent! I followed that with a house salad and it was just perfect. I had a good glass of wine because I figured I'd go back to the room and crash. I handled the check ($20) and then went outside.

Damn Mother Nature! It stopped raining! There was still the 7:45 Tapestry of Dreams and the 9:00 Illuminations. But I was cold. I was wet. I'm not a wimp but there's no way I can do those things in the clothes I was wearing. Oh well, move on. Go to Disney World! I hit the store at the entrance to International Gateway. I can get into a kids large T-shirt (Disney sizes typically run large) so that's what I was looking at. Only to see these great sweatshirts on sale for $30. Score! I'm a happy camper. The Cast Member took one look at me and asked if I wanted the tags cut off so I could wear it now. Absolutely! Oh, warmth. I need a sweatshirt in Florida in June? You got it. I'm used to going around in shorts in 40 degrees but the rain and the lack of sun got to me today. Be warned.

On the way over to International Gateway, I was stopped just outside the entrance. This young lady (probably early 30s) wanted to know what this led to. I told her Epcot. She said she was staying at the Swan and was looking for the Hard Rock Café. Err, you're a long way from there. I said that was at Universal. She asked where City Walk was. Again, I said Universal. This is one thing some people don't get. The distance between Disney World and Universal is about 15 or 20 miles. You can't just walk from one to the other. Universal, to me, is another world. The lady thanked me and continued back to the Swan. I don't think she wanted Disney World at all.

But I was happy and there was no stopping me. I hadn't done a walk around World Showcase yet. What is up with that? That's usually the first thing Rich and I do. Things were still kind of damp with the rain and I didn't have too much in mind to do. Just a walk with a stop in the shop in America. I did that and wanted to buy one of everything there. One of these days, my basement will be completed in red, white, and blue.

I did go into the shop in Norway and checked out the trolls for Lindy. I scanned the line for Maelstrom but it reached the door and I was not in the mood to wait for anything. I knew the rain was gone for good because when I passed the pathway to Future World, Test Track was going strong. It hadn't been working all day due to the rain. I thought about the singles line but then decided the call of Tapestry of Dreams was louder. So I went. With a detour out to the Boardwalk to see if I could find Randy, the juggler. It was still dripping and I didn't see him so back over to Epcot. My pass certainly is getting a good use tonight!

All the way back around to Germany. Which is our favorite spot to view Illuminations. I walked along with the parade as I went. I love this music. I was singing along to it and I'm sure everyone in the park thought I was nuts and I probably am but it was such a great time. My only problem was that I didn't have a husband to embarrass with my antics. I made it to Germany and scampered over to the overhang with the aide of a Cast Member directing the guest traffic. Hint - when walking around during Tapestry of Dreams, look for Cast Members with lighted sabers. They are the traffic directors. You can easily bypass the parade with the walkways if you know where to go. The Cast Members will be directing you. I easily cruised into Germany with plenty of time to spare. I watched the rest of parade and then had such a great time. Again. Another magical Illuminations viewing and this time it didn't involve a little girl. But such special people.

A nice young woman, in her early 20s and maybe late teens, came up and asked if I would take a picture of her and I'm assuming, her boyfriend, also the same age range. I often offer to take pictures for families, especially when I'm on a solo trip so this was definitely not a problem. I was on the Germany overhang which, I think, is *the* best place to view Illuminations. No obstructions in your way and people don't notice it until the very last minute. I asked the couple if they had ever seen Illuminations. They said no and I explained that I thought this was the best spot. They decided to wait for the show. Which got a conversation going.

And what a conversation. These two will be such a contribution to America and the world in the future. It was beyond a Candle Moment. It ranks right up there. They were on a week long research project with the Living Seas. Counting fish or something. I can relate. Rich's niece, Shanna (the one I bought the jewelry for) is into marine biology and stuff and my dad and stepmother are the most advanced scuba divers you can get. And don't get me going into my father-in-law and brother-in-law and Rich and their devotion to the ocean (I rhyme!). We talked and shared stories. They were staying at Coronado Springs which is one of my favorites. They had never been to Epcot before and had a ton of questions. The guy asked (he was next to me) what Epcot stood for. I kind of laughed but gave him the official version and then gave him the alternatives. He really laughed at the alternatives and that made him ask me even more questions. I managed to answer them all including the one about why Walt Disney chose this area to build. He was astounded that St. Louis was even considered.

I had warned the guy that our spots would be prime about 10 minutes before show time. He didn't believe me. Right before 9:00, I suggested he turn around. He did. "Wow!" I didn't do a "told you so" but I was close. It was Saturday night in June at Epcot. Lots of people after the rain. And then we had Illuminations.

This guy and his girl thoroughly enjoyed the show. I don't think anyone will ever be able to put words together to get this experience down. I have been blessed with the last two showings of Illuminations. Just a few weeks ago, Rich and I experienced this with a blond haired girl named Caitlyn and now I got to do this with a young couple. I was so blown away. I'm 500 miles from home, 1500 miles from my family, and I was having a great time. I never did get this couples' names but I do thank them from the bottom of my heart. The day could have tanked because of the rain and me being alone but it finished so nicely. Was I done? Heck no! It's Disney World!

I said goodbye to the couple and made my way back to the International Gateway. Along the walk, I saw so many families trying to get a nice picture with Spaceship Earth ("the ball mommy, the ball") in the background. I think I snapped at least a dozen pictures so mommy or daddy could be in the picture too. All along, I was listening to the end of the Illuminations music. Well, Illuminations was over but the music still plays to get people out. I didn't walk, I floated. Oh, Epcot at night. I was in heaven!

Over to the Boardwalk and I was looking for Randy, the juggler but not having much hope. I also thought about doing Jelly Rolls but I was lagging. It was close to 10:00 and I had been on the go since 6:00 AM. Marathon Disney day for me. But there's a crowd, there's a familiar voice and guess what? It's Randy! I caught the last 10 minutes of his show and then waited until the kids got their autographs and the crowds dispersed. Usually, Rich will be the one to talk to the performers. But he was in Nebraska and not in Florida. "Randy, could you tell me when I could see you next?" He said tomorrow which, unfortunately, didn't fit into my plans. Darn. But I told him how much we like his performance and then asked if it would be all right if I gave him a kiss. For Lindy, of course. Not for me. No, certainly not for me. Although I did have Rich's permission for it (yes, I truly did). He said of course. Nirvana! Oh, thank you so much Randy! Oh, it was for Lindy, though. Yep, sure was. Of course.

If I was floating after Illuminations, well, I don't know what I was doing after seeing Randy. What a sweetheart! I think I glided back to the car. No Jelly Rolls for me. Nope. Feet have to be on the ground for that. I got in the car and headed back to the Sheraton. I used to Osceola Parkway again and paid another $.50 in tolls. So glad for that roll of quarters (we actually add to it during the year and always have $5 ready to go). Made it to the hotel and went in to get my key card. I was greeted at the desk and when I gave my name I was told "well, there you are!" Oops. I guess I should have waited for the room after all.

This was a freebie, remember. It was now after 10:30 and I'm just getting to the room. And what a room. No, nothing major but it wasn't the darn Days Inn. Two queen beds, a fold out couch, a nice desk area to work at, a big bathroom, very nice soaps and shampoos, etc. And I didn't realize it when I first got there, but they put me first floor and with a walk out pool patio room. Extra special touches were an oatmeal raisin cookie (taken home to Rich) and two bottles of water. And I'm paying what for this? Wow, this is a repeater with my "free" points.

This place has exterior corridors and three floors. I wasn't here long enough to check out the extras but they do have a Disney ticket counter in the lobby and a car rental place here too. The only downside to it is that it's all the way down on Highway 192 after mile marker 15. If you have to drive that distance a couple of times during the day, it can be a pain in the neck. After I checked in earlier and was driving back, I decided that the next time I was coming to the hotel, it would be for the night. So this place is not good for taking an afternoon break. That's my opinion.

I enjoyed some time out on the patio but the length of the day was kicking in so I got ready for bed and crashed. I debated on what time to get up and decided that I had really done everything I set out to do and then some. So seeing Alberta Bound at 1:30 was the only thing I wanted to do on Sunday. I wanted another stroll along World Showcase and I was going back to pick up some Figment stuff for myself and my mother (for Christmas). World Showcase doesn't open until 11:00 so I planned to leave the Sheraton at 10:30. I set the alarm for 9:00 just in case. Then I crashed.

Day Three - Sunday, June 23, 2002

My hopes for sleeping in were dashed. Remember the exterior corridors here? Some parents think they make for a great playground for their kids. Never mind that there are plenty of grassy areas around the place. Let's allow Billy and Jimmy run up and down outside people's doors at 7:30 in the morning. And we won't bother to tell them to be a little quiet and not yell "I'm coming to get you". Grr. So I struggled out of bed at 8:00 and still used the plan of leaving at 10:30. I just took my time getting ready. The kids never took a break. I guess Do Not Disturb signs have no meaning to some people.

I worked on the trip report and realized that today would be a typical Florida day - sunny and warm. No rain. I packed up the car and had my only really big downfall of the trip. Last night when I pulled into the parking lot after getting my room key, spaces were at a premium. It was late Saturday night and I figured that. I don't mind parking a ways from my room and I didn't have that much stuff to carry in. But I'm talking about two spaces left anywhere close to my room. The only one near it had the cars on each side of the space almost over the line. I maneuvered my car into the space and was extremely careful not to let my doors touch the cars on either side. Thankfully, I am a small person.

This morning, one of the cars was still there. The one on the driver's side of my car. I packed my stuff using the passenger side. Not a problem. The kids were still running around the corridors. I finished up and was getting into the car to go up and check out. The kids finally stopped running. Because the car next to me was their car. They watched as I attempted to get into my car. The door slipped a little and just rested against their car. They loudly said "oh - you're going to pay for that". I thought that was totally uncalled for. First of all, these kids were about seven or eight. Do they really pay attention when they open their car doors? Secondly, nothing was done to either car. At least I made sure I was so careful. I got a little testy and said that maybe I would have been more careful if I hadn't been woken up so early by them running in the corridors. And you know what the little monsters came back with? "We're timeshare owners". Like that gives them the right to be rude to other people. I said I didn't care, got in the car and left. Ooh - it's kids like this that (1) make me glad my only one is grown and turned out fairly well and (2) makes me appreciate the nice couple last night.

But I let the bad feelings go and went to hand in my room key. Even though this was a free room, I was treated very warmly by the front desk staff each time. I was told that there would just be a $3.50 resort fee charge. I saw the sign when I had checked in. Just about every Kissimmee hotel has some sort of resort fee. This was for the coffee in the room, local phone calls, etc. Things I didn't use. I did make sure the soaps and the shampoo and lotion went into my bag, though! I cheerfully paid $3.50 for the stay and I was on my way back to Epcot. I used Osceola Parkway again to avoid Highway 192 and paid the $.50 in tolls again. And parked at the Swan again. I did swing by to see the progress on Pop Century and it looks like there was some since last time. Construction here was stopped shortly after September 11. I hope they get it finished soon to alleviate some of the All Star crush. Another value resort is sorely needed.

Once I got through the turn styles, I realized that I was getting hungry. I wanted a walk around World Showcase so I went through France and then continued on over to China and the Lotus Blossum Café. A couple of egg rolls and fortune cookies (four of them - I ate two and saved the others) later, I was happy. On the way, I saw two "kids", about Chris' age (man, it's hard accepting that guys and gals in their early 20s could be my kids!), debating about the Nine Dragons menu. That's the sit down place in China. Lotus Blossum is right next door. I heard "expensive", and "time". So I approached them with an "excuse me". They said they wanted Chinese food and I suggested Lotus Blossum. They went over there with me. I entered the line since I knew what I wanted. I'll tell you, these Cast Members know how to treat a guest! The guys were handed a menu with pictures and were left to decide if they wanted to stay or not. They did and I didn't see them until after they finished (they ate inside, I took a table outside) but they looked happy. Nine Dragons is on my short list of places to try but just not this trip. And not on these guys' list either.

Then I went on to Journey Into Your Imagination with Figment. I honestly was just going to pick up the present for my mother and some things for myself. But that darn Figment was just calling out to me. I could hear him. So I had to ride it one more time. I again had a goofy grin on my face when I left the ride area. I picked up the things I wanted and I must have done good because my mother is not getting her Christmas present. Rich claimed it for himself! More on that later.

It was getting close to 1:00 so I headed to Canada for Alberta Bound. I grabbed a beverage to tide me over and waited on the benches. A few groups joined me and all thought they were here for Off Kilter. I explained that this was Alberta Bound and what I knew of the group. One lady was downright rude. She insisted that the show schedule had Off Kilter on Sunday. I asked when she had picked up the schedule. A few days ago. That's because the new show schedule comes out on Sunday. The sign at the pavilion even said "Special Guest Performers". I had asked the Cast Member at the beverage cart how she liked Alberta Bound. She didn't even know Off Kilter wasn't there. I was glad because that's a testament to Off Kilter's popularity but a little disappointed because sometimes something different is a good thing.

I knew I would have a good time with Alberta Bound because Off Kilter was letting them use their stage. That's a good sign. There was a little bit of a delay with getting things started but then we went on with the show. Wow! I am so glad I stayed for this. The music is traditional Canadian tunes (Jason is from Canada) with some Anne Murray, Gordon Lightfoot, and other Canadian artists thrown in. I think the female singer's name is Angie (yes, there was a female performer on the Off Kilter stage!). Her voice was incredible. Mitch was on the guitar and did vocals. There was another guy on the upright bass (I forgot his name, sorry) and then Jason on the fiddle. I really liked the group. So much that I will not be disappointed if they sub for Off Kilter on a regular basis. I still love Off Kilter but this was a nice change of pace.

After the show (the snotty woman left giving Jason the chance to comment about a Walking Ovation), I wanted to make sure that the group knew their performance was very appreciated at least by me. I'm so used to having the big Off Kilter crowds and the audience wanting autographs after. Not the case this time. I was the only one to approach the stage. I addressed Jason and then told him why I was here and said they far exceeded my expectations. Angie and Mitch overheard me and we passed some comments. Jason said that I should tell "her over there". It was either their manager or someone connected with Epcot because I did say that this woman needed to keep Alberta Bound in Epcot for as long as she could. She said she knew. I am so glad I stayed for this. And a special thanks to Steve for all the information he gave me before and after this show.

It was time to head for home. Such a depressing thought but the weekend was great. I headed back to the car and reversed my drive. But this time it was seven hours instead of being broken up over a night. Ugh! I had the CD player blasting away. I did two gas stops. I tried to make it to Georgia before a fill up but that was not going to happen. I might have been able to do it but the thought of being stranded on the side of the road was not appealing to me. The second gas stop probably was not needed but I had been driving for almost four hours straight so I had to make a stop just to stretch. It did rain off and on during the drive. I got home right around 10:00 which wasn't bad.

I opened the garage door and had to take in the recycling bin and the mail and the two totally soaked newspapers from the weekend. So that gave the cats plenty of time for me to enter the house. Imagine when you were younger and missed a curfew and your parents were waiting up for you. That's what I was greeted with. All three of them in a row. Todd was in the front with Gus next and then Belle. Boy, did I feel guilty! But I made up with them in short time with new food (Gus emptied the regular bowl but the gravity feeder was getting a good workout), a replacement of water, and lots of loving. Rich called shortly after I got home and they were halfway back to Georgia. I quickly checked emails and then went to bed for work the next day.

Weekend #2 - De-stressing the Husband Fling

A short time ago in a land called Georgia, there lived a man named King Rich. The King was a fantastic man but things became quite complicated for him. He first had to endure a week long trip with the Royal Grandparents to the Land of Nebraska. That left him feeling quite down. A King doesn't have much to do when the economy is so low and that didn't help poor Rich. And then the King found out that his only child, Prince Chris, was not as princely as he had hoped. The King felt as depressed as he had ever felt.

Luckily, the King had a beautiful wife, Queen Sheri. Who deemed that a diversion was in order. What better way to cheer up a King than with a Mouse? The fair Lady had just returned from a visit to the most wonderful World. A World where cares disappear and fun is to be had. The order was decreed and the Queen and the King were set to depart. To this magical World of Disney.

Why

Honestly, I innocently suggested this trip when Rich was feeling very low. I had just returned from my solo weekend Fling and it did wonders for me. Rich had been back in Nebraska tending to our house there and dealing with our son and some things that had come up in the past year that we were unaware of until this trip. I didn't find out about any of it until after Rich got back. Plus, Rich had to deal with his parents on the trip. We love Bobbie and Ed but they are not us and we are not them. They are in synch with each other, we have our own patterns. It makes for traveling with them a bit difficult. This actually was the very first time Rich had ever traveled completely alone with his parents. I think it might be the last.

After we shared stories (some of Rich's were horror ones) about our week apart, Rich had said something about me not picking up enough Figment Opening Celebration beanies and how they wouldn't be available in July when we go again. So I said the weekend was open and I was not opposed to spending two weekends in a row at Disney World. Rich just grunted. I mentioned the free Sheraton room. I mentioned the room in Lake Park, GA on the way down would be cheap. I gave him the grand total of my trip just two days before ($130). I said it would be cheap. I even pulled out his Annual Pass and said "Donald Duck sure could use a break". He didn't say yes but, more importantly, he didn't say no. So I made the decision for him. I even told him I'd drive the entire way.

Dedication

This trip is completely and totally for Rich (yeah, I'll enjoy myself too). I told him he will lead us around and we'll do whatever he wants to do. I don't even care if it's to get there and just sit by the pool all day long. He needs to take his mind off everything for a while. Even if just for a weekend. Rich is so conservative and anal retentive. I have to get him relaxed or he'll be like the Tasmanian Devil.

Day One - Friday, June 28, 2002

Went into work feeling pretty darn good. I even finished all my priority daily stuff by 3:30 so leaving at 5:00 was very realistic for me. Until...This is the close of the month for the sales people. They were hustling to get every single sale they could shipped and into the books. So their pace was very hectic. One of the sales managers was going to be on vacation Monday and wanted her invoicing done after everything shipped but on Friday night. There are only two people to do invoicing. Me and Kathy. Kathy was in San Francisco on vacation. I didn't think she'd want to fly back for this. The problem was, this was not communicated to me until after 4:00. None of my reservations could be changed after 4:00. Scottish Inn had a same day, 4:00 cancellation policy and the Sheraton had a two day policy. So my plans were locked in. I would have gladly stayed if the sales manager could have told me when the invoices would be ready but it looked like it would be a long night. I normally invoice the next day. This was out of the norm. My boss (who also had plans for the weekend) finally told me to go home around 5:15. Gee, thanks. That's the height of Atlanta traffic. Add to the fact that this sales manager really doesn't like me all that much so I'm sure there will be repercussions on Monday morning. Now I was the one needing this weekend!

I got home in enough time to leave by 6:30. We were taking Rich's Corvette (or the Baby) so Rich loaded that up and we were set to go. Except...The silly cats. Todd, Gus, and Belle love to be down in the basement. Eventually, we will get it all fixed up and changed into a rec room. However, right now, we still are unpacking from the move last year. So there are plenty of places to run and play and hide. They love it, especially shy little Belle. All three of the critters were down there. I chastised Rich for even considering leaving them down there when we were heading out of town. We didn't want to leave the door open because the basement is not air conditioned. So we got Todd up, which was easy. He comes when called. I had to entice Gus upstairs with some olive juice (Todd and Gus are addicted to it like catnip). Belle was another story. She's spastic and avoids touch with people unless it's on her terms. These were not her terms. We scared her with our tactics of trying to get her upstairs so we decided to leave the door open after all. By this time, it was close to 7:00 and both of us were sweaty and tired. We start to leave and who should come shooting up the basement stairs? Belle! Only to have Gus go back downstairs, followed by Todd! We got both of them back up and then closed the door. Honestly, I think the damn cats did this on purpose. They knew we were going away because of the suitcases and tried to get us to stay.

So it was much later than we anticipated leaving. Nice for the traffic but not great for the drive which is boring to begin with. Rich took the first two hours to get us near Macon. We stopped for dinner. Rich wanted McDonald's. Yeck and I had that twice this week for lunch. But it's Rich's trip so we went. But he saw an Arby's which is what he really wanted. So we went there instead. I had Arby's the other two days this week for lunch. I was happy with getting the large order of potato cakes and Rich grabbed a super roast beef combo. I took over the driving to get us to Valdosta. We did listen to the Braves on the radio and, unfortunately, they ended up winning. Drat. Our Orioles lost to my Phillies and the dreaded Yankees won. Not a good baseball night for these fans (other than the Phillies victory but that was over Baltimore).

Unfortunately, the stretch of I75 between Macon and Valdosta has lots of construction areas on it. Plus, it had started to rain. And I was driving the Baby. Flashbacks to the Easter trip. Rich is obsessed about this car. He was not a happy camper with the situation. Every time I would reach for my drink, I thought he would pass out. He wanted both my hands on the wheel, my eyes on the road. How long have I been driving? 24 years? I did the posted speed limits and had cars whizzing by me the whole time. I even slowed down below the limit during the rains. Rich ended up being in a bad mood when we got to the hotel. Grr Moments.

We pulled up and I went to the "office" to check in. Someone who looked eerily like Jabba the Hut was squeezed behind this tiny desk. A sign on the door said "no vacancies". I said that I had a reservation for the night. Jabba grunted "you must be Sheri". I said I was. He said I got the very last room for the night. It was close to 11:00 and they would have given my room away at midnight. If I had stayed to do that invoicing, I would have had no room at all for the night! I'm going to make sure the sales manager knows that when she gets back from vacation. Jabba processed my credit card and then asked me if anyone told me the rate. I quickly thought about giving a lower amount but I was honest and said "$40". Jabba barked that I knew that was before taxes, right? I said, of course. I'm so glad I knew Rich was out in the car just in case one of Jabba's tentacles came out or something.

We left the car where it was since our room was just down at the end of the row. We grabbed the essentials and then went to the room. What can I say about the Scottish Inn? In the words of Bette Davis, "What a dump." I don't want or need much but this place was awful. There was only one small full size bed in the room and it still felt tiny. There was a TV and that was about it. The sink was outside the shower area which was nice in the morning because all we wanted to do was get the heck out of there. They did give us soap which was surprising. The wallpaper in the shower was about ready to fall off the wall. We were both tired and cranky so we turned in quickly. We did have a debate about what time to get up in the morning. I wanted 6:00. Rich said that was three hours before he normally gets up. But then he said no, he's been getting up around 8:00. So I suggested we split the difference and go for 7:00. Lights out after a very stressful day for both of us.

Day Two - Saturday, June 29, 2002

The alarm dutifully went off and Rich made me go first to get ready. Not a problem since I just wanted to get out of there. While he got ready, I packed up what little there was to pack and got park ready. We were loading up the car by 7:30 and I checked us out. This time behind the desk was a lady with more nose rings than I wanted to count. Cross off the Scottish Inn at Exit 18 on I75 as a place anyone in their right minds wants to stay at.

We went to the gas station across the street to top off the tank. I fueled while Rich got his "breakfast". Two huge Diet Cokes. $16 later, the Corvette was happy and we were off. I was hoping our day would be much better than yesterday. We did have this boring stretch of drive enlightened by a guy on a motorcycle who looked like the last time he took a bath was last century. He had all his worldly possessions on the bike, including a full size lawn mower! Kind of like Easy Rider Lawn Boy.

It was foggy and a little overcast on the drive but by the time we got to Ocala and the Disney Welcome Center, the sun was out and we knew the day would be brighter. Rich claimed he was still good to drive. That's just his way of saying "ain't no way I'm letting you drive the Baby again". So I let him. It's his trip after all. I had my breakfast which were chocolate chip cookies I brought from home. We have such simple tastes. I was so careful not to get crumbs in the Baby. We attempted to put down the top since the day had gotten nicer but the luggage in the back prevented that. We'll have to pack differently for the trip home.

Our first stop was going to be the Sheraton. I didn't anticipate the room being ready but it was on the way to Disney World. It's around Mile Marker 5 on Highway 192. Between Black Lake Road and Sherberth Road directly across from the entrance to Splendid China. All my paperwork was in order for the free room and much to our surprise, it was ready at 10:45 in the morning! Excellent. We drove back to building 14. This Sheraton has lots of different buildings, all two stories. We were all the way at the end of the building and on the second floor. No balcony but we look out over a nice gazebo and some falling water. It was called a garden view and was nice. The pool was around on the other side of the building so it was convenient if we wanted it but we didn't have to deal with pool noise. We wouldn't have a problem remembering the room number. It was 666.

The room itself had two larger double beds, a dresser with six big drawers, a table and two chairs, the TV. It also had a floor safe that would be big enough to put a video camera and other things in it. Not a wall safe. There was also a refrigerator which was nice for Rich's supply of Diet Cokes and my water bottle. The sink is outside the shower area. There's also a Pizza Hut Express here for some fast food. Pick up or delivered to your room. Not a bad deal for free.

We unloaded the car and then relaxed in the room until about noon. I asked Rich what he wanted to do since this was his trip. He said we hadn't done Animal Kingdom the last time we were here (Memorial Day weekend) so he wanted to go there. And do Kali River Rapids. I always get soaked on this thing and I think he did this on purpose. He said that he didn't really have to do MGM this trip. And Magic Kingdom is a no no for a Saturday for us. So Animal Kingdom first and then Epcot after. Great plan.

I actually gave up and let Rich drive us onto Disney property. I love that intoxication of seeing the purple signs and feeling home. But it's the Baby and he's driving the Baby so I let him. We got to Animal Kingdom and saw that the parking lot trick is a thing of the past. We did a variation of it and were still able to walk to the entrance. Using those parking lot trams is not something we like to do. We'd rather walk. I think it's just seeing these people running out of their cars, running up to the trams, cramming themselves into one, and then running to the entrance, that doesn't appeal to me.

We went through security with Rich being able to breeze through since he had nothing. I unfortunately, got behind a family who thought this was where you showed your tickets. The mom had a huge backpack with multiple zippers and I thought I'd be here forever. But she was so flustered that the guard just had her open her fanny pack (also with multiple zippers) and didn't even check the backpack. I know some people have a problem with Disney security but it's there for a reason. Even if I had to wait five extra minutes for the backpack to be checked, I would have understood.

Once through the turn styles, Rich led us back to Kali. We looked at the wait board and everything was pretty much 20 minutes or less. We walked back to Asia and Rich mentioned Flights of Wonder. We love this show and it usually starts on the hour. So the next one would be 1:00. We went and got FastPasses for Kali for 1:10-2:10 so seeing the show went into the plans. Much to my surprise, the FastPass area here was not as crowded as it normally is. After getting the FastPasses, we left this area and I told Rich that if he was hungry, he should speak up. A pretzel, he said. Ugh. Those things are massive and I just had one last weekend. But he wanted one. So we stood at the pretzel cart outside the Flame Tree BBQ. I think this is getting to be a routine just like the beer and pretzel combo at MGM.

While in line, there was a family of four behind us. Mom, Dad, and two little kids. The girl was about five and the boy about six. The girl was insisting on getting two pretzels for her and her brother. Because she was hungry. Dad takes one look at the size of the pretzels and says no way, they would share one. I had to laugh and tell the girl that Rich and I even share one and it's a struggle to finish it. The girl was not convinced. But the parents were grateful we enforced their idea. Mom said that if the girl was hungry later, they would simply get another one. Two things to remember here. One, Disney portions are huge so check them out for kids. Two, don't give into your kids just because you're at Disney World.

We took the pretzel and our beverages back towards the Flights of Wonder. I knew they wouldn't let anyone into the theatre until about 15 minutes to show time. So we sat on a bench nearby and listened as a trainer entertained the people in line with an owl and facts about the bird. Did you know that 3/4 of an owl's skull is taken up by his eyes? That doesn't leave much room for a brain. An owl is not wise. An owl relies on his sight, his hearing, and his smell. Not his intelligence. There's your education for the day.

After the masses went into the theatre, we followed leisurely. Again, we were directed to the right when there were plenty of seats to the left. But we hadn't ever seen the show from the right so we sat there. The Cast Member who was doing the directing looked like she had the personality of a wet paper towel. Wherever she lives, there's a side of the bed that she should have gotten out of.

Our trainer was Missy and we've seen her before. She's very good. We didn't have Guano Joe who we like but Guano Jane. This is the part of the lost tour guide who is afraid of birds but comes around when he/she sees how wonderful birds are. Rich kind of groaned when Jane came out because we've never seen a female in this part. But she was very good. We enjoyed the show as always. Again Hope, the American bald eagle made me cry. Good job America for bringing this species back!

After the show, Rich approached Missy. When we were here over Memorial Day, we were sitting on a bench at Epcot and just watching things. We both saw the same thing but neither one of us could believe we saw it. A bird had come down towards a grassy area at World Showcase Lagoon. And picked up something and carried it off. Said something was alive. It looked like a mouse or maybe a baby bunny. Rich and I were too stunned to speak and just looked at each other like "did you see that?" Rich, the eternal bird lover had to try and find out what kind of bird did that. The only one he could identify was a bald eagle. But Hope certainly was bigger than what we saw. Rich asked Missy if bald eagles were common in Florida. She said they sure are. In fact, Alaska is the only other state with more bald eagles. But the Florida eagles are smaller than the Rocky Mountain variety. And that's what we saw take the mouse (I hope) or the baby bunny (I hope not) away. Missy said she wasn't surprised at all. Said they do it all the time. Wow, that natural food chain is something else, isn't it? OK, we had our lessons for the day, back to Kali and FastPass.

We went over to the FastPass line. Err. Where is it? They moved it so you go through the queue along side the stand by people. Which is nice since you get to experience the queue again. But we went through there so fast that we didn't see very much. We got to board early since they needed a party of two. When we got into the raft, Rich announced that no one had to worry, we were there to get wet and we would. He said I always get wet. The girl next to me said "good, I don't want to get wet". She was with her boyfriend. As it turned out, everyone in the raft were such good traveling companions. So we had a great trip. At the first drop, I just turned to the girl and said, "You're going to get it but watch the people across from you". It happened just like I thought and the people on the other side of the raft laughed at first but then they got soaked. Then we had the second drop and I knew I was relatively safe. But the girl and her boyfriend weren't. I started to laugh. The girl looked at me and I said "He's going to get wet". And the boyfriend got absolutely, totally soaked. Everyone was laughing and had a great time. Everyone thought that was it but then we went through those dang elephant shooters. There was a preteen boy on this that said Popeye at IOA was a lot better. Yeah, it probably is. But this is pretty nice too.

OK, now what. Rich said "The bugs." So off to It's Tough to be a Bug. Ten minute stand by which I knew was a walk on and we did. We went around the people who didn't move all the way down the row. Grr. With this attraction, I do *not* like sitting in the middle anyway. There's an effect that almost had me exiting from this thing last year. I won't spoil it but something comes out of the screen and it just enveloped me and I couldn't breathe. You get the full effect if you sit in the middle. So I tend to go off to the side now. Rich, on the other hand, wants to sit in the middle again. See you later, my dear. The show was enhanced with all the effects, especially the last one. We had two women on my left who were rookies. One of them just leaped up at the end. Of course, I had to laugh.

Since we were on the left side, we exited very quickly and I asked Rich what was next. He said on to Epcot. I'm not going to complain. I thought he might want to do the Safari but he later said he just didn't feel like walking back there. I should add that after the Flights of Wonder, Rich was totally lost and I had to guide him around. He'll never get this park. We did stop and get a couple of orange juice bars for $2.50 each. Animal Kingdom is the only Disney park that sells these. Rich thought they looked good and I had flashbacks of my first ever trip to Disney World way back in 1977. I didn't think orange juice could be that good on a Florida June day. I thought these were pure bliss. Rich thought they were going to be more "solid". It's frozen juice, how solid could it be?

BTW - we skipped Dinoland entirely. Rich does not like Dinosaur anymore because he says it's way too loud. Personally, I like it. And neither one of us likes the new Chester and Hester area with all the carnival type attractions. We liked the look and the feel of Dinoland before this "improvement". But we don't have kids so your mileage may vary.

We headed out and the day was getting very hot. The car had the temperature at 94. Ugh. But it's June and it's Florida, what do you expect? Rich drove us over to the Swan for parking. We strolled along the Boardwalk and then got to the International Gateway. Rich immediately went over to get a show schedule to see if Off Kilter would be there tomorrow. Dear, my darling, that won't give us tomorrow's schedule. The show schedule is Sunday to Saturday. The new one won't be out until tomorrow. I don't have internet access or I could log on and check Steve's site. We'd just have to play it by ear.

By this time, I was getting very tired. I think we had been walking for miles and miles. Rich got us a couple of beverages from Canada and I was thoroughly embarrassed because Rich knows this Cast Member! From frequent visits during Off Kilter shows. We asked about Off Kilter tomorrow but she didn't know either.

We took the drinks and sat at a bench next to the Refreshment Port, aka McDonald's. I took off my shoes and socks to try and dry off from Kali. Even though I didn't get the big wet, I was right next to the people who did and I got plenty wet. We talked about what we wanted to do. Blast II: Shockwave was on at 4:30 and it was around 3:30. We loved Blast last year and even saw the show in Atlanta. Rich did such a non-veteran Disney thing here. He actually asked if the show was free! Yes, it is. Included in the price of admission. Rich wanted to see the show. By this time, the clouds were rolling in. But we decided to do the first show and see what it was like.

While we were sitting there, we noticed all the people flocking to McDonald's, err, the Refreshment Port. The menu is just chicken nuggets and fries. So many people saw those cleverly disguised golden arches and wanted hamburgers. Nope, not going to get them here. I have faithfully avoided the McDonald's while at Disney World. There's just too many other options. OK, like a pretzel is a gourmet meal but at least it's not McDonald's.

There was a line shortly before 4:00 for Shockwave. We sat at the tables at the Liberty Inn and waited until the masses were released. Then, just like at Flights of Wonder, we strolled in after. We found good seats and it started dripping. All the seats under cover (via Annual Pass advance seating - we could have done this but decided to take our chances) were taken but the rain was not that bad. It was dripping, that's all. We settled in and had a nice couple next to us and a nice family behind us. Two rows in front of us, an older couple put up umbrellas and completely blocked the entire stage area for everyone behind them. I groaned. Rich went to ask a Cast Member what the policy was for something like this. The Cast Member said she thought it was ponchos only, no umbrellas. But another Cast Member came through and told the couple that they just needed to keep the umbrellas as low as possible during the performance. The old lady (she wasn't that old but what she did really ticked me off so I'm calling her old) demonstrated what she thought was low and her husband never moved. We could see most of the stage. The couple next to us and the family behind us couldn't. Both moved. Then the old lady turned around to see if she was bothering anyone. Of course, we had all loudly discussed the family and the couple leaving. So I told the old lady that there was no one behind her because she was rude enough to have an umbrella. She just shrugged and turned back. I was so mad. But what happened next just amazed me at the total rudeness of this woman. She folded her umbrella and went off. She got in with a group of Annual Passholders that were being let in to the covered area. She timed it right so she was with a large group and I'm sure the Cast Member checking the entrance just assumed the old lady was with a valid group. The old lady found a couple of seats and then waved for her husband to join her. I was shocked. First, by the behavior of the couple with the umbrellas and then the audacity of this woman to get into the Annual Pass area.

With the umbrellas gone, and the family and the other couple gone, we suddenly had sought after seats around us just five minutes before the show. It was still dripping and this couple sat next to us for a while and then the husband wanted to go because he was afraid it would storm. Rich said this was just liquid sunshine and they should stay and they wouldn't be disappointed. They did stay and they were not disappointed.

We loved Blast last year and even went and saw the touring show in Atlanta. I thought Blast II:Shockwave would be a disappointment. It was not. Was it as great as Blast? No, it wasn't. No sequel is. The only one Rich and I could come up with was "Rambo" was better than "First Blood". But just like "Godfather II" was an excellent film, "Godfather" was better. Shockwave was here before going onto Broadway. Blast was performed by a seasoned cast after it had already won a Tony award. So there's the difference. There were a few minor errors but nothing major and nothing that distracted from the show. The troupe received two well deserved standing ovations and I will never listen to "Bohemian Rhapsody" again without thinking about Shockwave.

BTW - Blast and Shockwave are basically percussion and brass marching bands with a lot of dancing in it. It's hard to explain but to this non-music lover, they are great. Shockwave adds woodwinds into the mix. They take classic and contemporary tunes and jazz it up a bit with lots of motion and rhythm. We bought the Blast DVD last year and have watched it numerous times. We even put it in when Rich's parents were at the house but just for background music while we ate dinner in the kitchen. We ended up moving into the living room because we just had to see the show. Bobbie and Ed loved it. (And since we've been back, we've watched the DVD twice - it's addicting to us.)

After the show, the rains that had been dripping continued. Rich still wanted to do Journey Into Your Imagination with Figment so we headed over there. Remember, that was the original intent of this whole weekend. To get more Figment Opening Ceremony limited edition beanies. Ha! What an excuse. We meandered all the way over to the Imagination pavilion and Figment was a walk on. I love this show and Rich thought it was "OK" (remember, he's the totally logical one). I don't think I can get him on this all the time but I'll trade him one of his favorites for this one. I am so darned glad the purple guy is back.

We did pick up some more Figments after the show and Rich insisted that I get the mini snow globe too. I tried to protest but I don't think very many words got out. I think I might have weakly said "oh no, that costs $12" but then took it anyway. Purchases in hand, we left the store. This is a weak point for me. All those purple Figments.

We encountered steady rain. Much steadier than before. Rich suggested Honey, I Shrunk the Audience right next door as a diversion. We were the last people to be let in which was nice since Rich doesn't particularly like the "True Colors" introduction. But we were in time to hear and see the entire Nigel Channing pre-show thing. Then into the show where we did get nice middle seats. Unlike It's Tough to be a Bug, middle seats here are nice. We enjoyed the show and were a little concerned with the three little kids right in front of us. But they were fine. Probably because their mother was laughing hysterically throughout the whole thing. I might see this show over and over again but the reactions of others makes it for me.

We left here in the rain. OK, what to do now? It was after 6:00 so dinner was in order. We briefly discussed Rose & Crown and LeCellier but neither one of us felt like Disney portions or a "formal" dinner. We talked about ESPN Club and the sports was the draw but I'm not thrilled with the menu. Big River Grille was an option but I just ate here last weekend and Rich can't tolerate their home brews (I know, he doesn't have to get one, right?). So we turned out thoughts to offsite. Gasp!

When we were here in January with Rich's parents and our friend Lindy, we thoroughly enjoyed New York Pizza World on Highway 192. Rich loves pizza. He calls it the food of the gods. And he loves the pizza here so that's very high praise. The menu is varied and has hot and cold sandwiches, lots of pasta, calzones, a small salad bar, kids meals, beer and wine. With our group of seven in January, no one was disappointed at all (even my picky mother-in-law). Plus, it was on the way to the Sheraton. That was our destination.

And we are so glad. We had such a nice experience. It wasn't a Disney moment but it happened because we were here because of Disney. Does that count? New York Pizza World is not the Ritz. Far from it. In fact, it's a little tacky inside. But those kind of places usually have the best food and this was no exception. And the whole visit was highlighted by our server. Manny. I think he just came down to Florida from New York yesterday. He's at least 60 years old and has such an Italian/New York accent. Very animated.

Now, understand Rich's love of pizza. He can easily handle a large pizza all on his own. I didn't want pizza and the cheese steak sandwich with onions looked good to me. Manny came back to take our order and Rich ordered first. A large pepperoni pizza. Manny said that would be more than enough and turned away, not realizing I wanted a sandwich. We stopped him and I ordered the sandwich. Manny said "da lady, she musta be hungry". Like I was going to have pizza too!

Manny brought out the pizza and said that Rich was going to have some leftovers. Like half a pie. Rich said he was up to the challenge. My sandwich was brought out and the portion rivals Disney World. Manny said I would be getting a doggy bag too. Well, it must have been the rain. That's our excuse and we're sticking to it. All I had left was the crusty ends of the sandwich and Rich managed everything but two slices. Manny was impressed. At one point during the meal, he sat down and talked with us. Rich told him that we were here in January and enjoyed it very much. Manny said that he would have remembered us so where did we sit. We pointed out the table which was at the other end of the restaurant. Manny said "oh, that's the boring section". It was such a nice dinner.

The bill was slightly under $30 and we tipped Manny not only 20% but rounded up after that. He did such a great job and totally enhanced the meal. On the way out, Manny shook our hands and said that next time we needed to request his section and he'd be sure to remember us. That's New York Pizza World at 7531 Highway 192. The plug for the report.

When we left fully stuffed from the restaurant, it had stopped raining all together. We discussed and dismissed various options for the night (Tapestry of Dreams/Illuminations, Boardwalk, Downtown Disney, miniature golf either next door or back at Fantasia, Jelly Rolls). This was Rich's trip so I had him make the decision. Back to the room for some rest and relaxation. He pointed out that we had been going for over 13 hours and that was a record for us at Disney World. Very true. So we headed to the Sheraton for some down time. And what down time for me. I took what I thought would be a ten minute nap. Two hours later, I woke up! We turned in for good after midnight. It was a great, but soggy Disney day.

Day Three - Sunday, June 30, 2002

We had set the alarm as a defensive move for 10:00 AM. But I was awake and working on the report right after 8:00. Rich stayed in bed. He's used to me tapping away on trips. He finally rolled out of bed around 9:30 and got ready for the day. I followed with the getting ready part. I have to say that this shower was so, so much better than that Scottish Inn one. I actually felt clean after! We didn't have much to repack so we stayed in the room until the check out time of 11:00. The only charge we had was the resort fee of $3.50. That basically paid for the delivery of the Sunday Orlando Sentinal. Every hotel charges for something. I attempted to checkout via the TV menus but it wasn't going to happen so we just left (after leaving the room key cards on the desk).

Our goal for the day was more of Epcot and to see if Off Kilter was going to be performing. So we went back to the Swan for parking. On the way, we were stopped at the light at the McDonald's on property outside of the All Stars. We were making the left hand turn to continue past Coronado Springs and onto the Swan. I don't know if we looked like we knew what we were doing or what but this lady in a car next to us asked if we knew how to get to the Swan. I said "sure, just follow us". She had to slide over to the left turn lane but she did follow us to the parking lot. Actually, we left her at a red light but it was the one right outside the Swan. We thought she'd figure it out. And she did. We didn't see this woman after but I'm glad we could get her to her destination. Rich has been lost on his own on Disney property and he says it's not pretty. I've never really been lost. Yes, I've taken wrong turns but I've never been lost.

The day was overcast and storms were predicted. We walked over to Epcot via the Boardwalk and went through International Gateway. The Cast Member here actually asked me if I needed a map. Rich later said they ought to have patches. Something like 20+ visits, please do not ask if I need a map. I politely declined while Rich was over getting a show schedule. He said, and I do quote "oh crap". That meant Off Kilter at 1:30! Whoo hoo! They had four shows scheduled for the day but by just staying for the first show meant we wouldn't get home until 10:00 at night. No way I can get Rich to commit to anything more than that.

Rich was still deciding what to do (except he had no input to Off Kilter) and he picked The Land. He said he wanted to do Living with the Land. I can do without this one but Rich wanted to see it. I think it's his father is spilling over. We got to The Land right after 11:30 and the stand by time was 30 minutes. FastPass return time was 11:45-12:45. Duh! We got the FastPasses and then some beverages to pass the time. We wanted to see Circle of Life but it wasn't open yet. After we were done with the drinks, we went right up to Living with the Land and were seated immediately. Past all those people who still had a 30 minute wait. Our guide on this was definitely a rookie and stumbled over quite a few things. She was just plain boring. But Rich and I still enjoyed it, mainly because we had seen it before. Rich did express an interest in the Behind the Seeds tour (he wanted to know how those people got into the greenhouse) so we might have to check that out in the future.

I wanted to do another walk around World Showcase so we bypassed the Circle of Life. It'll be there next time. On the way out of The Land, both Rich and I did a double take. Don't we recognize these two women walking the other way? One of the women did a double take too. The other one was looking backwards. It's our friends from the Off Kilter Sunday shows! We thought we'd see them back at the show but we've never encountered them anywhere else. They were headed in for lunch and we agreed to meet up at our seats back in Canada. What a nice treat!

Rich and I did a nice walk around the lagoon and stopped to get a Norwegian beer. Rich loves stopping here for the "scenery". I let him have some guilty pleasures every once in a while. We ended up back in Canada shortly after 1:00. The skies were very ominous. Our friends were there and we dried off some of the benches. It had spritzed off and on all day. We set up the umbrella over our bench and sat and talked until show time. Rich had wanted a hot dog but the stand where he usually gets it (at the entrance to World Showcase) had just been setting up when we walked by it. So he went off to get one now. I enjoyed the time with our friends. Rich returned with a true foot long dog. I wasn't that hungry and was angling for a slice of Boardwalk pizza later on the way out. The skies still looked ominous and there was some distant thunder. We could only hope for an Off Kilter performance. Remember, they have very sophisticated and very electronic equipment. As much as I love to enjoy Off Kilter, I don't really want to see one of them electrocuted.

1:30 came and went and we thought that the guys would not be performing. It was thundering, but it wasn't lightening. So about 1:35, we hear the sound of the bagpipes announcing the arrival of Off Kilter. Whoo hoo! Jaime, the lead singer and bagpiper did say that for the past three weeks, every time he played the bagpipes, the bad weather came in. Would today be any different? They started playing and sure enough, it really thundered. Loudly. No rain yet. That song done, the group decides to do one more (hopefully) but it had to be an instrumental. No way these guys were going to be touching their mikes today! Right in the middle of this tune, there was a huge bolt of lightening over World Showcase! The guys finished the song and then ended the set. Heck, I was scared and I didn't have thousands of dollars of electrical equipment to contend with.

Right after the guys finished, there was a huge clap of thunder and a very close bolt of lightening. I am so glad Off Kilter stopped performing when they did. Even though we only heard two tunes, it was enough. We said goodbye to Off Kilter and to our friends. We'll be back for Labor Day (another trip is coming but Off Kilter is, well, off - Alberta Bound will be there and I'm making sure Rich sees them). I really wanted that Boardwalk pizza and it was on the way. So we stopped there. It still wasn't raining. Until I ordered. Then we had the rain that would rival Noah's Ark kind of rain. Wow!

We got a table that was sort of, kind of, under cover. We still had some spray but we were dry for the most part. We are used to Florida June storms. Not a problem. Give it a half hour and it'll move on. Not this time. The ducks were having a great time since deep puddles were formed all along the Boardwalk. But they even tired of the "game". It was getting close to 2:30 and we still have the 7 hour drive back. What to do? I finally gave up and said that we needed to get some ponchos. Somebody shoot me!!! I made Rich go up to the pizza window and they said that the ESPN Club should have some. So we raced down there. All sold out of the adult sizes. Go figure. That was it, I was determined to go back to the car and just be soaked. Rich made me go into the Screendoor which is the shop at the Boardwalk and we ponied up the $12 and got two adult, yellow, gag me, Disney ponchos. There just was no other way to get the heck out of Dodge today.

We both took off our already soaked shoes and socks (outside the store, of course) and then put on the ponchos. We still got wet but not as bad as we would have without them. Actually, we had a lot of fun going through all the puddles along the way. "Just singing in the rain, we're singing in the rain". OK, it was like a monsoon. Oh well. We had anticipated this and had dry clothes ready and waiting for us in the car. Which we reached after pulling off the ponchos and throwing them behind the passenger seat. Then we climbed into the car. Have you ever tried to change clothes in a Corvette? Ain't possible. So Rich drove us out of Disney World and tried to avoid all the arks we passed. It was that bad. Rich is such a purist but he was driving in bare feet. No way to put on shoes in our condition. Unfortunately, the first place we could pull into to change was the rest area on the turnpike. About a half hour away. We sat there soaked until we reached the stop. I had gotten the dry clothes out of the bag (thank goodness we thought about this) and both of us ran into the bathrooms to change. We had to put shoes on, of course, to enter. We both felt much, much better after getting into something dry.

Rich continued to drive and we tried to make it out of Florida on the gas we had. I snoozed for a while and Rich woke me up outside Gainesvillle. He asked how much further to Georgia. We weren't going to make it. So we just got $10 worth of the Florida gas at their prices. Yesh on those taxes! Rich still drove until the Florida gas ran out and we filled the tank with the cheap Georgia stuff. Then I took over driving. It had stopped raining so I guess Rich felt safe enough with me behind the wheel. Plus, I think he was tired. I drove us the rest of the way home. We made it right around 10:00 PM.

I did have one bad incident on the road. We hit some traffic but not that bad. In front of me, in the left hand lane, was a red Chevy van (I have the license number). The van was doing 75 MPH. Steady. In the middle lane was an open topped Jeep. Someone on the passenger side of the van started throwing things from the window into the Jeep. I thought maybe this was just two friends who wanted to have some dangerous fun on the road. But as things played out, we realized that the Jeep didn't know the van at all. Scary moment. The Jeep slowed down and moved over to the right lane (there are three lanes here). But right before that, whatever it was that was being thrown out of the van bounced up and hit the Baby. Whoa! Highly, highly dangerous. I slowed down myself and blew the horn to let the van know that the game they were playing wasn't that nice. The very kind "gentleman" in the passenger seat flipped me off. Such nice Southern manners (they were from Georgia). Rich grabbed a pen and paper and wrote down the license number just in case we had damage. I managed to get past the van (using extreme caution in case of repercussions) and then we could calm down. After several miles, we realized that we should have grabbed the cell phone and called the Georgia State Patrol (at *GSP) and reported a possible drunk driver. What other explanation could there be? We had the license number and could have easily given the police the mile marker where all this happened. A big Grr Moment because there could have been serious damage done here.

The cats were glad to see us and didn't cause us too much grief with the house. Belle was hiding under the bed and Rich was concerned she was still ticked off at us. But she came out eventually and was fine. I do think we'll be staying home for the next three weekends.

Final Thoughts and Overall Impressions

Hotels

* We'll be back at the Days Inn just because it's cheap and efficient. The staff here really makes up for everything. The continental breakfast, for me at least, is great. I stock up on mini muffins and cinnamon rolls and they lasted me the whole trip for weekend #1.

* I would highly advise against Scottish Inns. Just yeck. Thankfully, I had this "experience" while I was with Rich. I'm not sure what I would have done on the solo trip. Jabba scared the stuffing out of me.

* The Sheraton Four Points for weekend #1 was very nice with a great staff and I was given a fantastic room. However, it was too far down on Highway 192 for me.

* The Sheraton Four Points for weekend #2 at the Maingate had a front desk person that probably would have rather been anywhere except at work that day. And the room was an average but nice room. The grounds were pleasant and the complex big enough but with enough buildings so you didn't feel like you were overwhelmed with people. The location could not be beat. Of the two Sheratons, I'd pick this one purely because of location.

Touring

* We didn't have much that we had to see. I wanted to check out that Star Wars figure and Chris was grateful I scored on it. Alberta Bound was another must see and I'm so glad I did. Off Kilter, again, were terrific even though the one set we could see was cut short because of weather. Glad they did that, though.

* Journey into Your Imagination with Figment is vastly improved from the version 2. And it's better than the original. That's my opinion. You'll have to check it out yourself. But it did do me a world of good to see all these little kids with Figment plushes all over the park. A whole new generation gets to enjoy the purple guy.

Food

* Lots of fast food - soft pretzels, egg rolls and fortune cookies, hot dog, Boardwalk pizza.

* I had the unplanned dinner at Big River Grille. I was treated very nicely even though I was soaked and a single person. The menu was a little limited for dinner - I really wanted a sandwich but they just had dinners. But the clam chowder hit the spot for the cold and rainy night.

* New York Pizza World and Manny is a definite repeater for us. I think Rich is salivating thinking about it in just three weeks.

The Ugly, the Bad, the Good, the Exceptional (start with the worst and work ourselves up to the best)

The Ugly

* Both the road incidents. Mine on the way down with the truck just about hitting me. And ours on the way home with the stupid van throwing things at other cars. Driving responsibly is dangerous enough but doing idiotic things is just plain ridiculous.

* Scottish Inns - shudder. Rich and I now liken that to when the hyenas in "The Lion King" keep saying "Mufasa, Mufasa, Mufasa" over and over again. Total shudder incident.

The Bad

* The old lady and her husband at Shockwave with the umbrellas and then moving to the Annual Pass area without having the credentials. Just plain rude.

* The guys drinking around the world during weekend #1. I don't think I would have encountered this if I had been with Rich.

The Good

* Finding Dexter Jettster for Chris. Very exclusive so he can complete his set of figures. Well, he is the son of a collector. You can imagine what our houses look like!

* Alberta Bound - if they are subbing for Off Kilter, check them out.

* Buying those damn yellow ponchos the last day. I have resisted these things for years even though we've been there during heavy storms. I just couldn't take it anymore. Since then, all my Disney friends have said that if I bought a poncho, the rains must have been bad. Oh yeah, they were. But take notice that I don't put the rains in with the Bad. It's not a Disney trip without rain.

* The Sheraton Four Points (both of them) and the free room - can't beat that.

The Exceptional

* Off Kilter (they always rate an exceptional). I'm so glad they stopped the performance when they did. I want them around for the next time!

* New York Pizza World and Manny. We will definitely be back. It really is a short drive out of Disney World for a nice, cheap offsite dinner.

* Watching Illuminations with that very nice young couple. Our country and our world will get better with people like this to lead us on.

* Randy, the juggler for letting me kiss him. Unfortunately, he was on vacation for weekend #2 so we didn't get to see him. I would have asked for another kiss then too. Not to shy at Disney World anymore, am I?

Comparing and Contrasting the two Weekends

The Solo Trip

* It was so liberating to go on my own and do what I wanted when I wanted. On Saturday, I got up at 6:00, something I couldn't do the next weekend with Rich. And I just kept going until 10:30 that night.

* I did not like being at that gas station on my own at 10:00 Friday night with the species they had wandering around outside. I think this was a local hangout for some of the more colorful characters of the town. Next time, if I can't pay at the brightly lit pumps, I'm out of there if I'm on my own.

* The seven hour drive back by myself was brutal. Thankfully, I had an ample supply of CDs and my windows were rolled up so I could jam to them and stay awake.

The De-Stress Trip

* I was so glad I knew Rich was waiting for me in the car when I checked into the awful Scottish Inn. My friends said that they're not sure they would have remained there. We didn't have a choice - all the other local hotels were booked for the night. If I had been on my own, I don't think I would have ventured from the room and would have had a chair up against the tightly bolted and chained door. It was that scary.

* It was kind of nice to let Rich do what he wanted so I didn't play tour guide (except for leading him around Animal Kingdom). That sounds contradictory but I had my own freedom the weekend before and then I relaxed and let someone else make the decisions the next time.

* Sharing the driving. Enough said with the boring drive.

* Being able to have fun in the rain with someone else. Even Rich let his conservative nature down and was kicking up in the puddles. Silly yellow poncho and all.

People ask me how I did it. How did I go to Disney World two weekends in a row and not get tired of it? Well, like I said. Walt Disney World didn't change. The experience did. The only repeat was the Figment ride. I'll probably pass on this next trip (in three weeks). We didn't do a lot of things. Rich thought about Universe of Energy but the timing wasn't right. It'll be there next time. We both wanted the Circle of Life film but it wasn't open when we were ready. It'll be there next time. Rich passed on MGM when we were there together and I passed on Animal Kingdom on my solo trip. They'll be there next time. We didn't even think about Magic Kingdom. It'll be there next time.

And the things that won't be there next time? Walt Disney World constantly has to change. It has to get rid of what is not working and bring in something that is. Like the Journey into Your Imagination attraction. Thank you Micheal Eisner (or whoever) for realizing version #2 was a total mistake and for correcting it. And Rich and I might not like the new Dinoland but other people do. The rumors of Sounds Dangerous closing were rampant during this trip but it's still going to be there. If it had closed for something else, we would have been disappointed but looked forward to something new. The Millionaire show is a definite improvement. And when Mission:Space opens (hopefully still in 2003), look for that double entrance area of there and Test Track to be mobbed. Much like Rock N Roller Coaster and Twilight Zone at MGM.

I do have the luxury of being able to make many, many trips in a year due to where we currently live. But if I never make another Walt Disney World vacation, I'll always have my memories and my trip reports. I go to Disney World to escape from the real world. And it works. I have Grr Moments but somehow, they don't seem that important.

The next trip will be July 25-28. We will be meeting with Adrienne and her family for dinner at 1900 Park Fair at the Grand Floridian. We'll be staying at the Polynesian for Friday and Saturday night. Another short trip but if Adrienne is going to be in Florida, so am I. After that, we have Labor Day weekend to meet up with another friend, Lindy. For that trip, we're in at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, savannah view with a wonderful Georgia resident rate.

Feel free to email me with comments or questions. I seriously do have all the baseball radio stations listed and all the rest stops along I75. Just put "trip report" in the subject line so my filters don't put you into a junk mail folder. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed.

Sheri Niklewski

disnut8@hotmail.com

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