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David Olson -- August 2002 -- Walt Disney World (ASMuR)
Background: Marie has been complaining about lack of attention since the arrival of her little brother. Since daycare for our son was closed the week of 8/5-8/9, we decided to take our biannual big trip. Peter is 15 months old, and I did not look forward to taking him on a trip he would not likely remember. Grandma was available and more than excited to take him for a few days. I took a lot of time consulting with guide books, my brother who has been several times in the last couple of years, my sister, and last but most important were several web sites (including this one). I made many PS in advance as I fleshed out our itinerary. With a month and a half advance notice, there was only one PS I could not get, CRT character breakfast. The CMs I spoke with (PS arrangements took several calls to plan) were happy to mention the PSB breakfast at Epcot as an alternative. I also found out that my employer has special ties to Disney, and has a discounted ticket program as well as a corporate DC membership. I ordered park hopper passes and got the DC membership and booked a stay at the All-Star Music resort ($377 for 4 nights). Marie does not know how to swim yet and since River country was closed there did not seem to be a point to buy plus passes. Besides I can say in retrospect that with 5 days, there was no time for a waterpark. Marie has stated that our next trip WILL include this. When the DC card came, I went to the Disney store at the local mall and bought some souvenirs for Marie. The pin lanyards with 4 pins 2 to keep and 2 to trade for $15 (before the DC discount) were a great deal. The same package at the parks was $25. Marie would get the princess pink one. I also got her a few extra pins to trade. They had T-shirts on sale 2 for $15 - before discount ($18 each at the park) so I bought her one with Tinkerbell and another with the Princess club. Mickey Mouse would deliver these presents to her under her pillow if she had been good the previous day. They were also themes to correspond to that days activities. Tink for the Family fun tour, and the princess for the Story book Breakfast. Day One: Wednesday 8/7/02 MK 5:30 A.M. Up early to go to the airport. I had checked us in for the flight the previous day at work on the computer so when we got to the airport we used the curbside luggage drop off. We then walked passed the check in lines strait to security. This was certainly going very smoothly. Tiffany Town Cars was prompt and good service. No waiting. We stopped at a grocery store for breakfast items and snacks (beer for me). We also bought a Styrofoam cooler for $2.00 to put OJ and milk in (did I mention beer). I preregistered for the room while Amy and Marie watched the cartoons on the TV in the lobby. We then hopped on the bus to the MK. As the bus approached the MK it became apparent that the $0.99 ponchos I had would be quite valuable. A downpour started and it was raining in sheets by the time we got off the bus. A family next to us looked at our ponchos and asked where we got them. They had none. When I told them Target and how much they cost, another family putting on their yellow MM ones said they paid $5 each for theirs. We were about 5 minutes away from our PS time for lunch at the castle and because of the rain, we scurried along just trying to get out of the rain. I checked in at the restaurant and they opened the doors for us. We looked like three wet mice (OK, so the expression is rat, but mice works better especially here). As we deponchoed, I looked over at the throne and saw Cinderella just sitting there. There was no one around, so I pointed Marie in her direction and sent her over. We had not had a chance to buy an autograph book yet so we gave Marie my notebook that we kept with us to record events on our trip. Shortly after, we were called to go upstairs and eat. I especially enjoyed my Major Domo pie, Marie had chicken nuggets, and Amy had ??????? The rain had stopped when we were done. We left the castle for Fantasyland and Marie declared the first ride would be the teacups. There was a very short line, and in ten minutes we were getting dizzy. The line for Dumbo was long so we went to Tommorrowland and rode the Astro Orbiter, then the Tommorrowland transit train, and on to Buzz Light Year. Marie had the high score between the three of us! Marie declared Buzz as the best ride - at least until SM. Back to FL for the carousel and I got us fast passes for Pooh and we rode on It's a Small World. Rode MaoWP and found that we needed to slow down. I got FP for SM, and we walked over to Toontown and strolled through Minney's house. We went over to the character lines and this was the only time we really waited to do this. Marie saw Pooh, Tigger, and Eore. Time for more adventure so we went over to Space Mountain. Fast Pass rules! We walked right in. Marie had never been on a roller coaster before, so I was a bit concerned on how she would do. There was no time for her to get nervous and she loved it. We went over to the Indy cars and Marie and I drove the circuit. It was time to grab some food at Cosmic Ray's and figure out what to do next. They were expensive and they were large, but the Magic Moments pins were worth it for us. Marie loved being able to turn it on herself, and we were always amused when they went off (PP,IASW,ITTBAB). (They do different things for the different special moments.) Tomorrowland turned out to be one of our favorite places in the MK. Tomorrowland Transit Authority was a surprise favorite if Marie's. Mom and dad did not disagree. We found ourselves in Fantasyland at 9:00 and it was almost deserted. We were able to ride the Peter Pan, Dumbo, carousel, and Snow White before the fireworks. We moved over to the rose garden, which was almost empty, unlike the very crowded main street and sat on a bench and watched Tinkerbell and then the fireworks. Day Two: Thursday 8/8/02 AK? Change in plans. The BOSS said she wanted to go back to the MK and that was final. So much for my PS at AK... so on to the MK We hopped on the train to Frontierland. Splash Mountain had a 10-minute wait (more like a 10-minute walk through the Q area) - Marie really liked this ride with the exception of the big plunge at the end. Over to BTMRR. With a 30-minute wait, we decided to just get in line. If my writing seems short and abrupt, it is not intentional, but it does mimic the feel of this portion of the trip. CBJ A show was just about ready to start and we walked in with 1 minute to spare. Next stop was Pirates of the Caribbean. When we had left the gift shop, Captain Hook and Mr. Smee were there. Marie got in a short line, and was being teased by Hook when Wendy showed up to help her. Tacos for lunch and then on to get FP for Jungle cruise and with seconds to spare we ran into the Tiki Birds. Time for JC. Marie was not to sure about the caged tarantula - watch it real close. Now we were hot and tired, so we were going to go back to the Hotel, but as we went by the castle, Cinderella's surprise party had just started and Marie wanted to watch. There was a big crowd so Marie got a seat on dad's shoulders. At the end the characters were coming down the ramp and we just happened to be standing on the left side. A line started forming for someone so we got in near the front. As it turned out, the line was for Minney - one of Marie's favorites. Finally, we got back to the hotel for a swim and a rest. MGM Dinner at Momma Melrose I thought I had a PS for the Fantasmic package. When I tried to check in, the CM realized my PS was for the previous day. She looked at her manager who gave a nod. Within 10 minutes we were seated and had something to drink. I had the filet and Amy ordered the risotto. The filet was good, but being Italian in descent, I have to give two thumbs down on the risotto. Marie had the cheese pizza and she did like it. Star Tours - Marie really liked this ride (as well as mom and dad). After this we looked for the flight simulator type ride for her. Muppets 3D - was also enjoyed by all. Marie kept trying to grab the little guy flying around. I was worried she would hit the people in front of her. She also kept peeking around her glasses to see if it was really there. (I still like ITTBaB best) Fantasmic was next. Our waiter told us to be at the gate for the package at 8:20. It was nice knowing that we would be able to get a seat without too much waiting. Marie tends to get bored. While we were sitting, the crowd decided to amuse themselves and started doing the wave. First just one direction, then back and forth. Eventually it got old but it was time for the show to start. Fantasmic is a great show and is definitely worth seeing. By the time the show started the entire theater was full including the package area. Day Three: Friday 8/9/02 MK Went to get my coffee and check out the character caravan to see how it worked and whether I should try and get Marie down to the lobby for the second one. I talked to the hotel manager and he told me that there were different characters at all three AS resorts and the schedule is staged so you could theoretically run from one to the next and see some more. I did get the troops up and out for the second time and Marie met Goofy and Timone. HM A 5-minute wait? Where are all the lines? What's all this? Has anyone ever noticed Walt's head in the singing quartet? On the way to City Hall to go on our tour, we noticed that CSP would be starting in a few minutes. There were only a few people waiting for it to start and Marie had said she wanted to see it again because we had missed the first few minutes last time. There was plenty of time so Amy and Marie sat down in the middle up front, and I strategically placed myself on the right side of the stage. After seeing how things worked last time, I knew just what to do to get in line to meet Mickey. After the show, the characters came down the ramp from the castle and a CM stepped in front of me saying 'Single file please...' I let a few people push ahead of me and when the girls got over to me, we were next in line. The entire process took about 5 minutes after the show was over. The Family Fun Tour was indeed fun. Note that kids 7 and older may find it too silly and boring or even (gasp!) embearassing. Marie appointed herself the carrier of the scroll. About half way through the tour, I could see that the stroller would be an asset. As the sun got higher and hotter, she was slowing down but refused to give up the scroll. Finally I convinced her to let the guide take it back. The tour ends in a roped off park where we were supposed to find the Captain's hook. Belle arrived with the hook and took pictures and signed autographs. Then we were told we could go on a ride. Marie walked with Belle holding her hand all the way from Liberty square to IASW and then we walked through the exit and got on the ride with Marie sitting next to Belle. Hot and tired, we wanted to cool off so we went to the Hall of Presidents - Marie's comment was "Why did only a couple of the presidents get to talk?" As we left the hall, the street was roped off and there was a crowd for the parade that would start in a few minutes. Realizing that even if I could get to the stroller, I would not be able to go anywhere, so we found a spot for Marie on the curb and waited for the parade. We all baked for about 15 minutes while we waited for the parade to get to where we were. Marie was overheated, but did not want to leave. The afternoon parade was nice despite the heat. With some prompting, Marie joined in the broom bucket brigade. There were other opportunities for her to participate, but I think she was just too hot and didn't go out to do any of the other activities. The CMs in the parade just invited any kids that wanted to go. Story time with Belle. Lunch, BLY, SM, BLY, TimeKeeper We then left for the monorail station to go for dinner. I asked if we could ride up front with the driver and they said yes, but only for one stop. That was fine because the Contemporary was the next stop anyway. Marie went to the Mouse Club and it was time for an anniversary dinner for Amy and myself at the California Grill. We were seated in the wine cellar in the back. At first I thought is was a poor location because we could not see the MK. As we left to go pick up Marie, I realized why it was so special. The main dining area of the CG was LOUD. The noise level was more than I could have withstood to truly enjoy a special meal. I had the Zinfandel glazed pork roast with polenta, and Amy had the Chicken. We shared an appetizer of ravioli and a butterscotch crème Brule for desert. The food was excellent, but the pace was off. They had just brought my drink when the appetizer showed up. Why does Disney think that dining should always be rush, rush, rush? Marie had an OK time at the club, but was disappointed because she was the only kid there. Back to MK via Monorail. Did BL again, and TTA. Went back to Fantasyland again for another evening ride-o-rama. PP, Carousel, Dumbo, and carousel again. After the last ride on the carousel, we just stayed by Dumbo to watch fireworks. Casually we made our way to pick up our pictures from mainstreet. This line is huge! I wish I had made the effort to get these pictures earlier in the day! Bus back to the hotel. Day Four: Saturday 8/10/02 EC The Princess Storybook breakfast was one of the high points in my daughter's trip. In attendance was Snow White, Mary Poppins, Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), Jasmine, and Belle. It was a typical fast pace breakfast, and the characters stopped at each table only long enough for an autograph and a picture. This was what I had expected, but it was enough for my daughter. I must add that Marie turned quite shy at this point and that if she had engaged the characters in conversation, they would have stayed longer. I figured this out and started prompting Marie with questions such as: What was your favorite part of the movie? Which of the seven dwarfs is your favorite? Can you say supercalif....? You get the idea. On the bus over from the resort, we met a family also going to the breakfast. They had called that morning for a PS and were told to 'come on over'. I had been checking for openings for CRT and was told both were booked solid. It looked like there were quite a few empty tables, and they may have been trying to calculate just what the pace and capacity should be. Test Track - I am glad we had a chance to go on this ride. It lived up to expectation. I guess we will just have to come back to see Space when it opens! Body Wars was next followed by Cranium Command. It would have been nice to have more time to stay and look at the interactive exhibits here, but we had not gone on Tower of Terror, and Marie made us promise we would not leave Florida before we did. We did go on Spaceship Earth, and then I asked what would the fastest way be to get to MGM. A CM suggested the ferryboat to MGM (via the Swan, Dolphin, Boardwalk, and Beach Club -25 minutes). This was a good choice. A nice relaxing ride and a chance to see some of the other resorts- air-conditioned too. MGM Our first stop was to see Beauty and the Beast - This is a nice production and reminds me of some Broadway shows. Tower of Terror was next and was the only ride Marie did not enjoy for the entire trip. I think it was because the restraining bar was high enough to allow her to move too much when she was between us. I have heard that Disney may replace the bar with individual seat belts. I think that would be a good change. Next was the Voyage of the Little Mermaid followed by the Rockin' Roller coaster. This was the only ride Marie was too small to go on. She had a minor meltdown because she couldn't go on it, but that is for the better. I am positive she would not have liked the ride (both mom and dad thought it was a blast). The Great Movie ride was next. Marie was very concerned as to how they turned the gangster into a skeleton. Next stop was HISthe K play area. We found a spot for the parade and enjoyed it. After the parade, we rushed to catch the bus for Pioneer Hall. I have heard many good things about the Hoop Dee Do Review. I had also heard to allow for a lot of extra time to get there. It took us only 25 minutes by bus. We had time to walk around the petting farmyard and go shopping at the trading post. While I did not like the idea of having pictures taken, (I paid enough for the dinner didn't I?) the one of Marie turned out nice (we only got the one package). We all enjoyed the review and Marie says it was the high point of her trip. She especially enjoyed it when they made us dance because of our anniversary. We took a launch back to the MK and had to stop and wait for the electric water parade to pass by. It was a fortunate coincident. We caught the bus back to ASM. Marie wanted to play in the arcade instead of watch the fireworks for a third time. The arcade was barely tolerable for me and there was only one game Marie could play - stomp the spider. After she had enough tickets for a prize, I pushed her out to go swimming. We went for about a half-hour (it was close to 11:30). I liked the piano pool better than the guitar pool for Marie because of the longer area of shallow water. The guitar was always crowded around the steps. We went back to the room. Mom had gone to sleep, and after Marie was in bed, I started to pack for leaving in the morning Day Five: Sunday 8/11/02 AK This was a perfect place to go. The pace was much slower, less crowded, and would not take all day to see everything (Yeah, right!) Legend of the Lion King was first on our list of must dos at AK. As we entered the park, CMs were hawking 'This way to LOLK - next show in 5 minutes - still room.' This was another great show and was Broadway meets Disney at the circus. After the show we went to sit down and figure out what to do next when I saw Chip and Dale running around. I was hurrying to get her book out when I heard a CM say they would be back out in 5 minutes. We decided to wait and it was a good choice. Marie got to meet Chip, Dale, Donald and Daisy. The only one we had a wait to see was Daisy (10 minutes). Since she had already met Mickey and Minney, we didn't have to wait for them (here there were long lines). The talking plants just outside Camp Minney Mickey were fun. I had not heard about them before. We saw some people talking to the shrubbery and stopped to look when we heard voices talking back. They made a bunch of plant jokes through the conversation. Much like the bear jokes at the Hoop Dee Do Review. Next we found one of the Family activity areas and Marie got her book and first stamp. Suddenly we lost our relaxing day and now had a mission to get all the stamps. Kilamanjaro Safari was great and because of the clouds and light sprinkle (more use for the .99 ponchos), there were quite a few animals out and about. Our bus had to go around a couple of giraffes and stop for a white rhino to cross the road. We had to rush around to get the stamps for Marie's book because time was short. We had not planned to do the walking trails, but I liked them (The stamp activities were located at the end of the trails). We all enjoyed the aviary sections where there are birds flying all around you. The guide sheets that help you identify them were especially nice. It's Tough To Be a Bug was a great show. I thought it was the best thing at AK. Be sure to read the movie posters in the lobby (preshow). It did scare quite a few younger kids. After several surprises you could hear children crying. Marie said she did like most of the show, but was scared by a couple things. I will not give details, you have to see it for yourself. Again, caution is advised for children 5 and under. Marie is more like 7 than her actual 5 1/2. Remember she loved Space Mountain. Dino land was the last stop. We did not go on Dinosaur because we had concern about it scaring Marie. She had seen previews of it on the vacation planning video and was not real interested. After her reaction to Tower of Terror, we decided to skip it. While Marie waited to do the last stamp activity, I needed to use the bathroom. I walked right past Goofy who was just standing there. All the kids around were in a short line for Mickey and Minney. At the AK more than anywhere, the characters were able to walk around and interact with people rather than have lines for autographs with CMs shouting 'Have your books open, pens ready, cameras on!' Pluto was the only new character for us here. The bone yard playground was a good place for Marie. She found another girl to play with for a while. I did have to go with her through the climbing maze, but that was all right. We went to where the parade would pass closest to the exit and found a spot to watch. The parade was OK, but not as good as the one at the MK or MGM. It was too loud, and they also had way to many cars with AK guests. After it was over we rushed to the bus and went back to the resort to pick up our bags. The Tiffany car was waiting, so we loaded up and headed out to the airport. A CM at the AK had told me about a major accident on the main road out to the airport. It had been closed for a few hours and to expect some delay. The ride went quick and we checked in. I love e-tickets. We went to the food court to get something to eat. We never did stop to eat today other than snacks. We also did some shopping at the Disney store. I was surprised to find out that the airport store does NOT give the Disney club discount like the stores at the local malls. Amy wanted to change into something warmer for the plane ride then we went to the plane and got right on. We picked up our bags and went to the waiting car for the ride home. Over all the transportation was very efficient, and we never ran into any problems over the entire trip with only one exception (That was the bus to get to the character breakfast). Are we home yet? We were exhausted and since it was 10 P.M. we all went to sleep. My alarm went off way to early the next morning. Summary I thought we were going to try taking it easy, but somehow it never worked that way. We never had a chance to use our mini golf tickets, which Marie remembered as we were getting into the car to go to the airport. Does anyone know if these expire? If they don't I will save them for the next trip which has been planned for in 3 or 4 years. I had intended to write things down as they happened, but we often found ourselves hurrying to catch the next show, or the wait was just a few minutes, or walk in the holding area with 1 or 2 minutes before the next show. This report took a while to write because we barely had time to simply record what we did. As we were organizing our pictures, we realized we had missed a few things in our log. Marie got to meet 23 different characters. We really were not trying, but they all just worked out. We saw quite a few more, but Marie did not want to meet everyone. At AK the Country Bears scared her a little. And we saw Gene, Alice, and the Mad Hatter on our tour with no time to stop. We would have liked more time at MGM and Epcot. I could have done without AK, but I would have missed ITTBABug. Ok, and the Kilamanjaro Safari too. They were worth the trip to AK alone. Marie enjoyed the activities and the stamp book. The Disney transportation system was very good, and the AS resort was great. The only thing I did not care for were the beds. They were comfortable, but so high that even Amy had trouble climbing in at the end of the day. Total cost of trip - Approximately $2,000 for absolutely everything. David Olson David.Olson@toro.com Mail a Comment to David Olson |
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