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Alan Taylor -- February 2002 -- Walt Disney World (Offsite)February 19 to 25, 2002 (Presidents' Birthday week, but not the weekend) Introduction Well, I've been reading these reports - and there are certainly some great ones out there! And it seems like most of the reports are from people who've stayed at the All Stars. And they have something in common: a certain kind of energy. There's a kind of scrappy, can-do spirit to them. A low budget for your trip can lead to a lot of adventures. Something about living with a little adversity, brings out the adventurous streak. "We've scraped together the money for this trip, and darn it, we're going to have a good time, even if we do have to sometimes wait 40 minutes for a bus." And perhaps the over-the-top whimsy of the place contributes to the energy of the reports as well. I'm aware the place does have its fans. (I've never been there.) It just has a different kind of atmosphere. Reportedly, there are sometimes cheerleaders running through the halls at all hours of the night - reason enough for a visit some time. It's still possible to write a great report if you stay at a top place, of course. All I'm saying is, in general, the lower the budget, the better the chance of interesting things happening. In fact, one excellent writer, Kevin L. - I see from his history that he once stayed at the something or other Youth Hostel. That would have been an amazing report! Bathroom down the hall? That would have re-defined the state of the art of writing. Personally, in the old days, I once almost slept on a yellow school bus being used to shuttle people to the off-site hotels. The driver would have let me. In those days I didn't believe in reservations even. And I would've happily slept in that bus, except I did eventually score a room. Too bad, that would have been a great trip report. With that in mind, for this trip I'm not even staying at the All Stars, I'm going to be off-site. And no rent-a-car for convenience either; I'm doing all the parks with shuttles. And even a shuttle bus from the airport, no limo for me. So you may want to bookmark this report right now. To further the adventure, I found out 2 days before my vacation that I, uh, no longer had a job. Any kids reading this are probably unlikely to comprehend the magnitude of this, or the poor timing, but for an adult, it's a real bummer. Yes, I was laid off, and I'm going to Disney World! I spent much of the next few days expecting the crew to come around and film the commercial. And did I think for one second about canceling? Nope. First of all, I really needed this trip. I hadn't been to the World in 6 years, or anywhere in 5 years, through a tumultuous period in my career. This was supposed to be the trip to celebrate finally arriving at some stability. I'm not making this up. Besides, the plane was booked, the hotels were booked, and I was going the next day to buy my Park Hopper. What are you going to do? No way I was canceling. Day 1 (Tuesday, Feb. 19, day after Presidents' Day) My philosophy of traveling doesn't allow for extreme flight times. I don't want to suffer on vacation. So both flights are scheduled near noon. And those days are strictly traveling days. Then I have 5 complete days in between for the parks: 4 at Disney, and I'll try 1 day at Universal. With that in mind, I'm splitting the trip between 2 hotels: partly due to location, and partly because both places intrigued me and I couldn't decide. The first place, Sheraton Studio City, is near Universal, and they have free shuttles to both places. It's a very sleek, modern tower with a "40s and 50s movies" theme. Then the Howard Johnson is closer to Disney, and you might say, what's intriguing about a HoJo? Well, in my youth, our family trips always involved HoJo's. And the HoJo always meant "We're here. We can sleep. How do we get to the pool?" Yet in all my years of adult travel, for some reason I hadn't been back. So this was a sentimental choice. And both places boast large-screen TVs in the rooms - this was important to me, because I was planning to watch a lot of the Winter Olympics in the evenings. So I was set - my trip started out with one of the great deals available in New York or any city: the "Train to the Plane." It's not called that anymore, but it's basically the same thing: you take the A train that goes to Howard Beach, then hop onto a shuttle bus to get to your terminal. Traveling time from downtown Manhattan or Brooklyn to JFK: about an hour and a quarter. Cost: $1.50. And what about air travel in this era? Well it's a whole different story now. I was searched and searched. Wanded over and over again - there were more wands on this trip than in a Harry Potter book. And I kept beeping too. Apparently there's a lot of metal in blue jeans. I resolved to wear pajamas next flight. And they do something that was VERY tough on me: they keep separating you from your possessions. "Empty your pockets. Put this in this tray, put that in that tray, stand over there." We New Yorkers develop a sort of imaginary chain connecting us to our possessions, especially things like wallets, wads of bills and credit cards. And you never let that chain be broken, because if you do, your possessions will be gone. So this was very tough, especially since I thought, once having gone through the metal detectors and finally satisfying them after a thorough patting down of my body, I was in the clear. Then while sailing down the ramp onto the plane, they stopped me again. I'd made the mistake of thinking a carry-on was the easy way to travel. No. It targets you for a thorough search AGAIN. So they're pawing through my bag, separating me from my wallet again, etc. And of course you can't resist. That's the last thing you want to do, give them attitude. And on some level, you know they have an extremely difficult and important job to do. Truthfully, I don't know if the carryon was what did it, because they seemed to be searching about half the people on that ramp. Still, I resolved to check my bag next time. Maybe, for next trip, I'll have myself tranquilized and FedExed. What a relief it was to get on the plane! I was trying out Jet Blue, intrigued by their marketing strategy of being: 1. a budget airline, and 2. a pretty nice way to fly, not exactly "no frills": leather seats, TV or movies or something at your seat, etc. They were also the most aggressive about increasing cockpit security. So - the TV thing turns out to be very interesting. You get a little, maybe, 4 by 5 inch screen with about 25 channels of satellite TV. Controls for channel, volume and brightness are on your armrest. On one channel, there's a map of your route, and as you progress, a picture of a jetliner hovering over the map shows where you are. And air travel is so fast - by the time you sip your 7-Up, you've passed both Carolinas. I flip the dials and, now, I don't have cable or satellite TV at home, but is my impression correct? Is there a lot of stuff on satellite TV that COULD stand not being televised? Example: a competition with large men pulling railway cars with rope. Then, on the Game Show Channel - there's a Game Show Channel? - there's a show hosted by Dick Clark. Wow, that guy never ages! Ahh, Gene Rayburn ... that was a _____________ show! Well, okay, I keep flipping the dial. I discover that, on a 4 by 5 screen, you can't tell women's hockey from men's hockey. It's truly a lot of fun, you completely forget about something like getting a magazine. By the way, on this trip I'll be that smallest of Disney minorities: smaller than octogenarian vegetarians, smaller than Universal executives, smaller than people with purple toenails: a solo traveler. Why go it alone? Well Salma said no, Jennifer said no, and Michelle said she had to go win a gold medal. So what are you gonna do? Anyway, there are pluses and minuses to doing this. Mostly minuses, though. Travel should be shared with someone, and Disney is VERY much set up for couples and groups. The smallest booth in that Land restaurant seems to be for 7 people. The only advantage to being by yourself is that you do whatever you want, on exactly your schedule. In fact, one time I went to Disneyland with a group of 9 people. Eventually we just split up and went in 9 different directions, because we were sick of compromising on ride choice. Anyway, the flight was pretty smooth - there were 3 or 4 babies fairly close, but the train pulling competition must have calmed them down, because they were pretty quiet. Food is pretty minimal on Jet Blue, though, at least on this flight. I'd advise passing on those blue potato chips. Fortunately, the drinks are decent, with the usual deal: soda free, booze costs. I'm not making up the blue potato chips either. So: on to Orlando, and boy the "leaving a plane" part is so much easier these days than the getting on part. It's a sunny little airport there - it gets you in the mood right away. There was maybe a 20 minute wait for the Mears bus, really no problem with my relaxed schedule. I'd arrived at the airport at 4 pm - as long as I'm in my room in time to watch the ladies skate at 8, I'm fine. While waiting, I took note of the beautifully sweet-smelling tropical air. There's something so different down here, even compared to a day of the same temperature up north. The bus ride was maybe 40 minutes, including one (yes, just one) very interesting stop before my hotel. We went over to the Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal. And here's where I don't understand people complaining about additional stops at other hotels, because I LOVE seeing other hotels. And this one was a beaut. This is Universal's attempt to "Out-Disney Disney." It's similarly themed to the Tokyo Hotel Mira Costa, which is to say "Old World Italian." (No more or less incongruous here than in Tokyo.) And it's a nice try. You could see the people's eyes lighting up, the ones who were staying there. Their imaginations were going, "Ooh. We're in Italy. We're in Italy." Well, not quite. But it is a real eye-catcher: a large compound arranged around a lake, buildings of different sizes and shapes, with all sorts of Mediterranean colors. It was SERIOUSLY cute. One gripe I have with it, is I think it needs some "aging." It's just all a little too neat and new-looking to be authentic. But definitely posh, and well worth the side trip. And then the Sheraton - it was almost exactly as I'd pictured it from the website, very satisfying indeed. It was more plush than I usually get, with plenty of size, in-room coffee maker, ironing board, and yes, a terrific large-screen TV. I specifically asked for a high floor and got 18 - great view. I can see Universal, several hotels in the area, their whole layout and everything, and off in the distance, I think, Orlando itself. And at night the view is all sparkly, like one of those idealized Disney cities of the future. The curtains are kind of fancy. The center part is translucent; you have to reach around in back to find the solid panels you can close for overnight. Someone, I'm not gonna say who, could actually sleep one night there before figuring this out. Beds are both Queen and very comfy. Some might prefer a firmer mattress but I was fine. Don't know if they'd have a firmer one on request. Really lots of space, plush carpeting, and some fun theming. Way more subtle than Disney would do, but plenty for me. You have Cary and Marilyn on the walls, instead of Buzz and Woody. And nice art-deco type light fixtures, etc. Terrific place. The Sheraton was so nice, I was concerned about the quality of the trip report. Here's how it works when you're relying on the shuttles to take you to the World. You want to know the schedules, how you reserve a time, and what kind of flexibility (you pray) you have to blow off an appointed return trip, if you're caught up in a great live music performance or something. Now, even though your hotel may have a free shuttle, there are also paid shuttles, and then you have the "Plan C" of getting a cab. One free shuttle plus one cab, can still be less $ than a rent-a-car for the day. Big downside to this is, how do you take a mid-day break? This is the one great tangible advantage of being on-site, it seems to me. Early entry? Don't want it. I like sleep. E-ride nites? No thanks. I like the regular everyday atmosphere. I don't want to be just racing onto rides. Whisking purchases back to the room? No thanks. There are practically no purchases, because I hate shopping. Guaranteed admission? This sounds nice, until you realize, it's only relevant when a park is PACKED. And who wants to be there then, anyway? But that mid-day break, maybe a quick swim and a nap, mmm, that would be sweet. The closest I came, in the past, was an EMERGENCY break I took in my parked Ford Escort, seat reclined as much as it'd go, as I was about to CONK OUT between Muppets at MGM and expensive fish at Epcot. The rent-a-car is the poor man's hotel room. But on my budget for this trip, no way. And I'd read some horror stories about shuttles recently - drivers losing their way or whatnot. Maybe we'd end up in Celebration, and travel by time warp back to the fifties. Or maybe our driver would drop us off in Splendid China, thinking it was part of Epcot. Well, it would help the trip report. But the shuttle turned out to be very straightforward, and the driver was totally competent. You reserve for the Disney van the night before (or up to 30 mins before, in fact). The Universal one you just walk on. (In fact, you could conceivably walk to the park, but it's quite a hike - maybe 20 to 30 minutes down Universal Drive or Universal Way or whatever. There is a water park pretty much across the street, as well as a haunted house attraction.) The times for the Disney van are a little limiting, but they work out okay, as long as you're not a commando or a person who has to be there for rope drop. Morning departures are at 8:45, which for me was perfect, and 10:45 for stragglers. Dropoff is at Magic Kingdom (i.e., Transportation and Ticket Center) only, which really isn't an issue. Evening pickups are a little limited but mostly it works: 5:40 at MK, and 9:40 at Epcot, which is plenty of time to watch Illuminations and mosey back to your van. The 5:40 at MK was the one that troubled me - that's just too early. I would've liked a 7 or 8 option somewhere. Trip itself is about a half hour, with at most one intermediate stop. Now, Universal is a big bus, and your mornings are something like 8:30 and 10. Eves are 5:40 and 6:40, just right. Morning trip is direct, as the Sheraton is the last of about 7 hotel stops. Eves, you think, closest first, right? Nope. You see ALL the other places, none of them as grand as the Portofino, 5 minute waits by the hotel lobbies, etc. Not fun, this. If you like seeing huge pink hotels, you may enjoy the tour more than I did. You do get home in 40 mins anyway, but I opted to hop out at the next-to-last(?) stop and hoof it, as soon as I could see my hotel. The morning trip is really 5 minutes, so if you average them, you're doing okay. And did I mention, you just walk on, no reserving needed. You can also take this bus to Sea World. Actually, you can save a lot of time if you hop out of that return bus, as you pass through the big intersection near the Sheraton, en route to the other hotels. This will work even better if you have a red light. Of course, if you unfortunately have a green light, this calls for a Scopa-style Trip Tip: Get up near the driver, and fake motion sickness. "Oh, that Incredible Hulk, I'm really feelin' it now!" Can you see the geography? Universal is home plate. The Sheraton is third base. The bus passes through shortstop, and then goes through a whole tour of the outfield and the bleachers, before returning to third base. Jump out when you reach Derek Jeter. Both shuttles have plenty of flexibility. For the Disney van, call by 4 pm if you're changing plans, either switching 5:40/9:40 or skipping altogether. The Universal bus is so casual, they don't care when you come back, or if you come back by bus at all. If you do, again just walk on. Plan C, the taxi, for the Sheraton from Disney would have been $30+; for the HoJo it turned out to be $15 before tip. Day 2 (Wednesday, Feb. 20) First actual "vacation" day. General plan:
I've been to the World a handful of times before. My list of new things to see:
Okay - so. No commando stuff. This is a vacation. Even one day off-World. Slight debate Universal/Sea World was won by Universal, since I'd been to the fish park already. It was enjoyable, but I haven't felt compelled to go back. The Living Seas probably has a lot to do with that - also we have a rather good aquarium at Coney Island. The fun part, really, is scheduling all this stuff. So I head into the Magic Kingdom, and one of the things I'm looking for is, with the much-discussed cutbacks, will I notice a difference? Well I'd say so. There seemed to be a lot less music and shows and whatnot. Much of what they have is presumably freebies - to them. The Saskatoocha High Marching Band or whatever. And I actually can enjoy that stuff, and obviously it's a lot of fun for the kids playing - it's just that it's not up to par with the pro acts I've seen there in the past. They did have one nice character show in front of the castle, but nothing of note in Tomorrowland for instance. As for the park itself, it's the same old classic place. But something wasn't quite working for me this day. Actually, that's pretty common. I don't really get into it right away, it takes the accumulation of several days to feel the effect. First ride, a new one for me: Buzz Lightyear. Have to say, so-so. Better maybe if you like playing video games. (I pretty much retired after Ms. Pac-Man.) Nice day-glo colors, at least. My score was about 500. Then a beaut: Carousel of Progress. This is the kind of attraction that's so unique to Disney. The mix of story, visuals, sense of humor, the way it makes you think about your life and also where you stand on the time line of history, in a fun way - just right. Hard to believe it's apparently on the endangered species list. Turned out to be one of the top 3 or 4 rides on the whole trip. Space Mountain - rougher than I remembered, and this concerned me because, a few years ago, I had some surgery done, and was advised to avoid overly strenuous activities. So where do you draw the line on a strenuous activity? My doctor said boxing was out (so I have to talk my way out of bar fights now), but skydiving should be okay if I wait at least a year. Then where do amusement park rides fit in? I don't think we discussed this. Anyway, I was a little sore after that ride, more than I'd expected. It's not that it really hurts, it's just that I have some attachments that aren't entirely natural, and you don't want G forces tugging things around, or rough, jarring movements. So this was an unfortunate start, with some other rough rides planned ahead. Truly a fiendish ride, and I say that with respect. Remember how revolutionary this ride was when it opened? A roller coaster indoors, in the dark? Anyway, one decision I made was that I'd go to the tamer of the two Universal parks. Meanwhile, I did the best I could to enjoy myself. Fast Pass on Jungle Cruise. Hasn't Fast Pass just revolutionized the whole thing? It just completely changes the process. Waits aren't an issue. You almost go through TOO fast, you want to slow down, and catch some of the visual details in the queuing area. Fast Pass also on Splash Mountain. Rode in front, got a little wet, just fine. And so on - all the usual highlights, but not actually all, I wanted to save some for another day. In the eve, I hopped onto the monorail over to Epcot - I love that approach to Epcot in the dark. Interesting thing about the shuttle's limited schedule: I had been thinking of leaving the parks about 7 or 8. But since the only really viable choice was 9:40, I ended up staying longer and getting a quick spin through Epcot and a nice experience with Illuminations (still, in my opinion, the best attraction at Disney). I'd been feeling a little like I'd outgrown MK (I'm about 40). Now I'm usually the first to defend the idea that Disney entertainment is aimed at all ages, but ... something about MK wasn't quite working for me this time. Epcot was more my speed. My mood brightened considerably upon entering that park. It's interesting when you just arrive at night, as fireworks position jockeying is going on. The people there have had a full day, lots of great experiences. And even though you haven't had quite those experiences, you can still kind of share the vibe. Illumi is such a great way to cap off the day, especially with a frosty Margarita in your hand. My ambivalence about it in preparation, was just based on the fact I'd done it, and don't feel the need to keep doing attractions repeatedly. But I'm really in awe of that show. Day 3 (Thursday, Feb. 21) The plan is Universal, and that's really only a prelude to the Olympics in the evening. I'm so psyched to see Michelle K. win her gold medal. God, she skated beautifully 2 nights ago. She had a spin there that was just unbelievable. Hop the bus to Universal at 10, easy ride. The entrance to the whole Universal complex is quite grand - they really do a nice job of setting up the anticipation. At one point, half the crowd peels off and heads for their favorite park; the other half goes the other way. And I couldn't discern any noticeable difference between the two crowds - the same size, and similar age groupings, etc. The entrances are maybe 200 yards apart. Theoretically, the newer one, Islands of Adventure, is much more thrill-ride oriented. They have a few movie-themed rides, including one everyone loves, which annoyingly is there instead of the studios: Spiderman. But mostly it's big, fast roller-coasters that are the draw. Then the older Universal Studios is similar to Disney/MGM, with some differences I'll note shortly. My experience at MGM a few years back had been disappointing. My feeling about movies is that they work best in totality, not broken up into little chunks taken out of context. Also, some of the attractions are about de-mystifying how movies are made. Sometimes I think it's better to have it be a mystery. It's more magic that way. Well, in theory, I suppose, the idea is that the theme parks add a third dimension, and possibly other senses to the experience. Anyway, I was up for another try, and wanted to see how Universal handled the concept. Theming turned out to be very similar - your basic Hollywood-type street with attractions scattered around. Park has a different tone than Disney, more of an outlaw feeling. In fact, they were pumping "Smells Like Teen Spirit" out of the speakers at one point. Park is as clean as Disney, and in fact the bathrooms are nicer. It's a little more spread out in places; there's more of a conventional amusement park feeling. Rides vary from mid-Disney quality to quite excellent, in my opinion. The one which really knocked my socks off was Jaws. Terminator came close, earning a lot of points for ambitiousness. This isn't a full appraisal of Universal, because I skipped some of the signature rides due to motion concerns. Namely, Back to the Future (reputedly the best of the flight simulators at any park, and also by far the roughest). Also Earthquake. And Men in Black, though that was more due to the fact I didn't enjoy the movie, nor did I much enjoy the supposedly similar Buzz at Disney. The area where Men and Back are, is very nice. Your classic World's Fair pavilion type of thing. Very impressive, particularly with the beautiful sunny weather. Had a real pang to go into Back, but decided against it. And Kong I just didn't get to. But I did do Twister (quite fun), the Hitchcock presentation (worthwhile but not really an improvement over simply sitting down and watching a full Hitchcock film), ET (very fun but they have a seriously outmoded queuing system), Terminator (which really is very clever, with the pre-show and all), and Jaws which not only was a terrific ride, but had the only queuing area that really approached Disney. Now as for that ET line? Well, at Disney there are lines sometimes, yes, but you're moving. At Universal a lot of the time you're just standing still. And this was especially true at ET, where you're basically in a holding pen. I would strongly suggest using "Express" on this if you can figure it out. This is their version of Fast Pass, and it's just not as good a system. With Fast Pass, it's ride-specific. Right in front of the ride is the setup. And they tell you exactly what time range you'll get, before you put your card in. Perfect. Now at Universal, there's a kiosk area for a cluster of 3 or 4 attractions. You can be standing right in front of the ride's entrance, and the Express thing is down the block somewhere. Then, when you find it, you have an ATM type of screen to navigate. Not the simple Disney system, of pop in card, retrieve card and fast pass. Bottom line, I was there all day, and never got to use Express satisfactorily. One other attraction I want to mention because it's very good: Animal Planet Live. I'd been a little disappointed when the attendant suggested I should enter the theater an hour and a half before show time in order to get a seat. Anyway, I took a chance and waited until about 45 mins before, which worked out fine, and it turned out to have a nice sort of preshow, live animals included. Very pleasant wait, and at least you're seated. The show was full of high spirits and good humor, and it whetted my appetite for Animal Kingdom the next day. Also I want to mention the theming was very nice around Jaws, an Amityville theme. Disney quality there. Restaurants were quite good in the park too. Example: four cheese ravioli at a counter-service place. Two parts of the park face each other across a canal - a nice touch. Bottom line on Universal is it is worth a day, in my opinion. Not quite up to Disney standards, but still a fun vacation day. Then home for the skating, and what can I say? I think I was as low that night as I've ever been on vacation. When she fell, I fell. You just can't get so emotionally attached to what someone else is doing. You have no control over it. Seriously, I had a very tough time sleeping that night. We still love you, Michelle. Day 4 (Friday, Feb. 22) Now back to Disney, and also moving day. It's already time to check out of the Sheraton and I'm feeling serious sentimental stuff. I just love checking into hotels, seeing what stores are nearby (this one has a Walgreen's near, and a plethora of Chinese, Japanese, and McPizza Hut restaurants to choose from, plus room service in the hotel). The arrival had been so full of anticipation, and then so satisfying in terms of hotel quality, and now I really hated to leave. But that was the plan. Also on this morning I looked out the window, hoping to enjoy that great view one more time, and instead saw dreary rain. Turned out to be the first day I can remember in Florida when it rained ALL DAY. Only a drizzle for much of the time, but the sky never really cleared. Switched from planned Animal Kingdom to Epcot, where attractions are indoors. Well, Epcot doesn't work in the rain. Seas of folks in yellow ponchos were stumbling around as if on autopilot - no joy there at all. The place just doesn't work without sunshine to where you can enjoy walking the paths, enjoying the flower beds, looking down through the crystal-clear ponds at the rounded stones below, and whatnot. So, I went through the motions of hitting about half the highlights - U of Energy, first time I've seen the "Ellen" version and, well, gotta say ho-hum. I can remember when, in my youth, I was utterly blown away by the ride system. Still impressive but less so with experience. A nicely ambitious show, but the hokiness doesn't really work for me. And - as in several Future World shows - do you really learn much? Actually in The Land we did learn that storms are the beginning of another cycle in the circle of life, or something like that, and this was of some comfort. I'm not being entirely sarcastic; it was a bit of a lift. It just would've been a MUCH better lift to walk outside and see sun poking through the clouds. No such luck. My lack of sleep and day's lack of sun really had me down. I did enjoy the Land boat ride and Circle of Life film, Food Rocks less so. Man that pavilion is SO MUCH nicer with sun streaming through the roof. Things picked up a little in World Showcase, especially as day wore on. Had a few words with pretty and delightful CMs in China and Japan. Enjoyed American Adventure yet again. Incidentally, crowds on this trip were light enough that enforcement of "Move all the way down the row" was pretty lax. Shows were generally 2/3 full. Moseyed around a little, caught France film, which was very cheerily intro'd by CM. That film may just be the best film ever made, in terms of just use of the film medium. Certainly the best 18-minute film ever. They never tweak this presentation because what would you tweak? Incidentally, if you like the music from that one (the main theme), check out Days of Heaven - it uses the same music, also to great effect. Must say, as day turned to early eve, the mood picked up considerably. Lights were coming on - always an awesome sight. Raindrops were still falling here and there, of course, but by now this seemed like normal Earth weather. Also, at night you don't expect the sun, so you don't miss it so much. Even so, I opted to leave the park at about 6:30 because I was transferring to my second hotel and wanted to get a jump. Ended up taking a cab which becomes the adventure ride "Does the cabbie know where the hotel is? And will he be honest?" It turned out to be $15 on the meter, towards the low end of the estimate, and I rewarded the driver for being straight with a $5 tip. (I later realized that it's probably less from MGM.) Howard Johnson (Maingate East) turned out to be a dandy place; this and the Sheraton are a case study in the differences between a ** and a *** place. In the essentials, they were the same. Both clean, comfy places with easily controlled temperature, 25" TV, usable bathroom, sleep able bed, quiet overnight. The Sheraton just pampers you more. Much plusher bathroom and carpet. Slightly larger and softer beds, maybe 25% bigger room. Shower pulsates with power. And the places have completely different styles: Sheraton a sleek tower with outstanding view, HoJo the classic 3-story walkup motel in sprawling multi-building complex, where the front desk clerk hands you a map so you can find your room. Rather nice architecture, don't laugh, somewhat like Beach Club or, let's say, a nautical New England feel. It was plenty quiet in my room for me, though there was some pool noise with hours 8 am to midnite. If more quiet is important to you, you can request a room that's non-poolside but still away from the highway. Sheraton had just a hush at all times. Room service too, a nice perk I used 3 times. Both places have ample food nearby. Sheraton was distinctively themed and designed in terms of light fixtures etc. HoJo classic generic, but large-screen TV and cabinet, just as in Sheraton, a nice touch of elegance. I briefly used the Sheraton pool - okay, nothing special. Didn't use HoJo's but the kids were definitely enjoying it, and adults liked the hot tub just fine. Anyway, the whole point is, HoJo is "enough" - what I generally call Days Inn Standard. Everything works. Sheraton definitely pampers you. Is it worth another $30 a night? Day 5 (Saturday, Feb. 23) More rain. No big surprise, as forecast had said so - and this time, it turned out to be a pretty good day. Several reasons: 1. I had a great night's sleep. Man oh man, what a difference that makes! 2. I was accepting the rain at this point. Expecting it, used to it, willing to make a go of it. Sort of. Took free shuttle in - a large bus, but only a handful of passengers. Heard horror story from one couple about return bus, prior evening, supposedly being a no-show. They got into it a bit with disbelieving morning driver, who assured us all that if you're in right bus lane at right time, the bus'll be there. This is a rather flexible bus, with no reserving necessary. Morning departures are at 7:35, 8:45, 9:55, etc. and then pickups staggered at all 4 parks. In theory, morning dropoff is Magic Kingdom only, but driver let us vote and we picked MGM then Epcot. Now I was about to enter Epcot when I had a change of heart. Hopped the monorail over to MK (Transportation and Ticket Center) and walked to Poly, planning breakfast and a general look-see. I always like to visit the Poly at some point, and this just seemed like a good time for it. Amazed at how sprawled out that resort is - it took quite a while, especially with "Hurricane" theming lowering visibility, to find Great House. Usual Wow! factor upon entering - this is my favorite-themed resort - but some disappointment that the huge tropical garden in center was hidden behind brown cloth for future refurbishment. Had to fill in the picture from memory. So on to breakfast. 'Ohana, the most upscale place, was just mobbed. Seems everyone had the same idea I had - with the rain outside, you might as well stay in and have a nice meal. As best I could make out, there was a waiting list, to get a beeper, to make a priority seating - for tomorrow! So I looked at the coffee shop place instead, and that wasn't much better. The woman in front of me, and I, were each quoted a 25 minute wait. Well, I was pretty hungry by now, so I huffed off to Plan C. I grabbed a blueberry muffin and black coffee at a counter nearby, and went over and finished my breakfast in a little couch area, before I would have even opened my menu at the other places. Lots of fun lounging in a lobby like that - the public areas are about 85% of the theming in a resort, aren't they? That lobby is huge - and it so conveys, or I imagine it does, the feeling of being in Hawaii or Tahiti. Those are two of my fave "to visit" places. I'm gonna be disappointed, though, if they don't actually have tiki torches around the grounds, and piped-in music singing to you from the bushes. Then I hopped on the resort monorail for my first visit to the Grand Floridian (which I can never remember if it's Royal Floridian or Grand Floridian). So I walk in and my jaw just drops! This place truly lives up to all the hype. Disney has really outdone themselves with the swellegance of this place. I thought to myself, "So this is how the other half lives." It was Royal AND it was Grand. Sort of like a wedding cake opened up and turned into a hotel. Sat in lobby a bit, fantasized playing the piano there in the center (it would help if I knew how), then strolled around outside a bit. Here's one of those great Disney view alignment things: As you stand near the pool and look back up at the hotel, and take in the opulent splendor of it all, about the only thought you can have is "Wow, I've made it." Only I HAVEN'T made it, I'm a frigging unemployed word processor. But that's the beauty of this place - this hotel is really a transporting experience. It felt like I'd stepped into an F. Scott Fitzgerald story. Oh, I've got to grab Muffy, and we're off to the polo match! In the real world, it was back onto the monorail and into MK for some mop-up. Did Haunted Mansion - still after all these years, I don't know how they do those translucent ghosts in the big dining hall, and don't want to know. Ambled around, did Yo ho, Yo ho again and actually it had a bit more of a line than it had on Wednesday. It dawned on me, "Wait a minute, I'm at the Magic Kingdom on a Saturday!" Funny how you lose track of days of the week on vacation. And I found out how significant this was, in Fantasyland. There were posted waits of 25 mins for Winnie the Pooh, and 45! mins for Peter Pan. Did former - hard to say it's worth that wait. Fantasyland is the one part of Disney that really is aimed more at kids. Next was one of the exceptions, Small World (10 min wait). This is truly a classic that stands up. I noticed that, just as in Mexico boat ride, you start out by gliding past a restaurant. Ride itself has effect of many Disney attractions, making you think "I should go there ... I should go there." It really can serve as the springboard for future trips. Now, how was MK in the rain? Actually, somewhat better than Epcot, in my opinion. One, with the low light levels, they had many of the lights on already - that's always a lift. And it was just kind of peppy. Still, mood was a little weird. People were going on Splash Mountain to dry off. Spotted a family wearing Animal Kingdom ponchos, so I asked them, and it turned out Yes, 1. They were there yesterday in the rain, and 2. They had a good time. The animals WERE out (which figures, to some extent, with the coolness). And the shows were "walk right in." So I made up my mind to head over there in early afternoon. I wanted to save tomorrow as one clear day of sunshine, per the forecast, for Epcot. I had some reservations about my first impressions of the new park being influenced by the weather, but still it seemed like the right thing to do. For lunch, I took some shelter in a counter-service place near Pirates. I ate my tacos while looking out through the raindrops at the pretty Caribbean-themed courtyard. Mexican food is a pretty safe bet in the parks. Had this been Epcot on a nice day, I could have washed my meal down with a delicious margarita and then licked the salt off the rim. Under the circumstances, I settled for orange juice. Then - monorail to TTC and bus to AK, and it was interesting to be again reminded of the vastness of the World. Got to see a bit of one of the golf courses. Seemed pretty nice. Some of the sand traps were becoming water hazards by now, of course ... (Rain totals ended up topping 4 inches over the two days.) And I caught a glimpse of Blizzard Beach above the tree tops. Looks impressive. Then Animal Kingdom - and my impression of it is somewhere in the middle of opinion range. I think it is basically a zoo, a slight step up from the Bronx Zoo concept of providing cageless habitats, mixed in with some Disney theming. I thought the safari ride was quite funny and clever, saw decent collection of 4-legged creatures but nothing to put Bronx to shame. Did both walks, and here the habitats for gorillas and tigers were a big step up from Bronx, as I recall. Saw gorillas actually acting like gorillas, stalking around, circling each other, climbing a tree looking like Kong, picking off a branch and chewing it. Bronx gorilla backdrop used to be a brick wall. But they do bats better than Disney, for instance, based on my one observation. (Update: It seems the Bronx Zoo and Animal Kingdom are engaged in a contest of one-upmanship. They now have a wonderful habitat in the Bronx called Congo Gorilla Forest. And they are planning a new tiger habitat, called - Disney fans, you will love this name - Tiger Mountain. And the Bronx Zoo even has rides, including a Skyway!) Birds? Hard to say, because on this day at AK they weren't doing the full bird show. They just brought out 3 birds and did basically a show-and-tell. And of course there were various stork-like birds around the grounds. Okay, I gotta say AK was hampered by the rain too. Mood just wasn't right. Many many food stands etc. were closed up. Just can't say I've really seen the place, and am considering a visit Sunday A.M. Caught Bug movie, and think this is probably the cleverest of these 3-D shows. I laughed plenty, though I can understand the concern that some might be freaked out by some of the effects. But when _________ happened, and when __________ happened, man, I laughed hard. Nice coziness to the venue. Finally, caught the Dinosaur ride. Had some motion concerns, but went on, mostly out of defiance. Truly can't enjoy this kind of ride at this point, because my attention is focused on "can my body handle these shocks?" instead of disappearing into the story of the ride. Okay, decent thrill ride, I guess. People of a certain sophistication are gonna realize that the dinos aren't really gonna attack you, so where is the remaining thrill at that point? Maybe if someone cute grabs you. My advice is to bring along someone you're fond of, who's easily frightened. Still, if you're gonna be shook up in the dark, I think Space Mountain is more fun. So - 5ish, and on to Epcot, largely to kill time till 8 o'clock bus because at this point I'D BE HAPPY TO NEVER SEE ANOTHER DROP OF RAIN! Just not really into it at this point, figure I'll catch China film and get a bite of French pastry. Want to save Living Seas, Norway, maybe Test Track for tomorrow in the sun. Anyway - China film is still one of my faves. Then over to France for an excellent peach tart, then just really moseying around. A little cooler and windier today than yesterday, in addition to the rain, so patience is wearing thin. Took some comfort in Japanese gift shop, where mood was a lot cheerier. Made my one souvenir purchase of trip, a postcard of idyllic Japanese garden (photographed in sunshine). Did Mexico ride again, and (the unthinkable) boat ride across the lake from Canada to Morocco. I'm thinking, I'd rather not be here, because don't want this to be my memory of Epcot. Eventually, I make my way out to bus lane, gratified to see several other people from HoJo waiting, and bus turns out to be on time and fine. Bop over to MGM pickup, then one other hotel (Days Inn), and ours. Home at 8:40. Didn't see folks from morning bus in evening. Hope they got home all right. Tomorrow it BETTER be sunny! Day 6 (Sunday, Feb. 24, last touring day) Sunshine, glorious sunshine! You've never seen anyone so happy to see the sun. Bus today is full, and driver, a real character from Italy, is in rare form. We hear altogether 4 versions of what EPCOT stands for. He clues us in on the highlights of each park, speeds of some of the rides, etc. A little of the history of how Disney bought up all the land too - always an amazing story. I decide to hit Animal Kingdom. On Disney bus over there, I'm wedged in near 3 bratty brothers. Sheer torture, and no way out, the bus is standing room only. Sometimes a little inhibition in a person can be a good thing. Is it necessary to always be telling people what you want, RIGHT NOW, at a screeching volume? This is the self-limiting part of a trip to Disney. 3 or 4 days, and I'm ready for a change. Some of those ill-behaved families just wear me out. Inside the park, Wow! what a difference the sun makes! The place just looks 100% better. Some of the theming is an Afro-Caribbean, multicolor style, and the sun really brings out the colors. A tad chilly - gorillas are wearing parkas. And so am I - temps are forecast to range from 48 to 70, and I figure it'll be cooling down in the eve for Fantasmic, so I want my coat close at hand. I head straight for Festival of the Lion King. Turns out to have a two-part wait: standing outside, then sitting in. Advantage to this system is you can scope out the crowd outside, for anyone you want to sit at least 5 rows away from! Inside, they'll try to funnel you to a particular spot, but you can deviate if you pretend to be deaf. Pick a row, go all the way down, you should be okay. That's actually a good system, I don't know why so many people resist. But forcing you into a particular row, that makes no sense. I'm not gonna have a highly-touted show ruined for me by a stupid family punching each other all the way through. Show itself was a lot of fun. A great way to start the day - a colorful, high-energy presentation. Actually I did find out why people resist moving to the end of the row. If you're at the extreme right, you'll likely be distracted during the last 10 mins of the show by the constant parade of people with infants making emergency exits. Sit towards the middle. After show, I just walked around a bit, grabbed a muffin and coffee, enjoyed the views of the rivers and everything, saw some monkeys and birds. And that's all this was really - just a quick spin to see the place in the sunshine. With all I had planned today, had to leave at this point for Epcot. Can someone explain to me, the hand stamps though? With a park hopper ticket, what's the significance of hand stamps? Took bus to TTC, then monorail, cause it's more fun that way than just one direct bus. Love that tour of Epcot on the monorail, particularly today when it's all sparkly and colorful, as it should be. The plan is some mop-up: Test Track (maybe), The Making of Me, Norway, Canada (maybe), Living Seas, quick stop in The Land to see it with sun streaming in. And then basically just moseying around, soaking up atmosphere and views. Well I have motion concerns due to surgery a few years back, so a discussion with CM out front of TT was in order. He said it was as rough as Space Mountain, so sadly for me that meant it was out. Where's Horizons when you need it? Sparkly cities of the future ... Underwater habitats ... It's warmed up nicely. Parka is around my waist now. Listen, I'll take a parka over those wretched ponchos any day. I enjoyed the very cute and charming Making of Me, amazing how young Martin Short looks, then strolled up to Norway, and followed that with a nice relaxed lunch at the outdoor Mexico place - burrito and frozen marg. Amazing how many people have trouble with the receipt number system. "56? 56?" 56 is, inexplicably, off in Japan. Doesn't it make more sense to wait around for your food? I head over to water's edge with my eats, and then find out that theming from Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds has flown over here from Universal. The seagulls are getting on my nerves, the audio-animatronics are WAY too realistic, so I move inland a bit, finish burrito, then take to strolling to finish my drink. This is how Epcot should be! Walking around in the sun with a frosty drink in your hand. Down to Living Seas, a little disappointing at first until I remember the second floor observation area's where all the action is. Very nice, tranquil, attraction. That turtle just keeps floating by ... Decide to pass on Canada as time's running out, so it's one of those "last walks around World Showcase" (sigh), pausing for a nice show of drumming at Japan, then leaving by foot for MGM. Path wasn't so clearly marked, so I had to ask several CMs for directions, disproving the myth that men won't do such a thing. In passing, first view of Boardwalk area. What can I say? Nice try, but not quite, fellas. Same problem here as at Portofino Bay Hotel in Universal. Something like this has to be OLDER. It needs a few rough edges, some rust here and there. It can't be all shiny and new, it just comes off as bland that way. Come up and take some photos of the real Coney Island. Anyway - very nice stroll along canal WITH SUN bouncing off water, the way the earth is supposed to be. I arrived at MGM at 4:30, planning whirlwind tour of hilites: ToT, RnR (maybe), One Man's Dream, and of course the big show to finish it off. Compared to my visit 6 years back, I'd say this place has grown into a nice little park. Better theming, really, than Universal. Just tighter. So I head over and do classic maneuver of grabbing Fast Pass for roller coaster, then doing other ride standby, then eventually back to use Fast Pass. And Twilight Zone T of T was quite a treat. Now THAT'S theming! This is how you do old. Just a joy to see all the details they pack into the hotel design. CM, at loading area, was getting grief from father of a family of 8. Littlest was below height limit, despite all attempts to allow tippy toes, include outstretched hair, etc. CM was being firm, in a respectful way, but father was all "Why you bein' so mean?" Now, having ridden the ride, with the amped up intensity level they've put in, I have some advice for that father, and others in that situation: no matter how much you want to stick up for your kid, if the CM says your kid is too small, listen to her. She knows. Man, that's gotta be a tough job. That ride is just brilliant, in a demented mad scientist kind of way. WAY more intense than I remember from previous trip. Great fun in a "can't believe I survived that" way. Then I took in the Disney bio, quite touching. In the pre-show area, I liked the pic of outrigger canoes at the Polynesian. Meanwhile I'm feeling a little shook up from ToT and starting to doubt whether coaster is a good idea. Someone on bus this morning had assured me it was a smooth ride, and CM outside was encouraging - that I could wear glasses with my elastic strap. This implies a certain mildness. So I go through the Fast Pass line, enjoy the pre-show, head into the loading area, and ... uh-oh. That thing just takes off like a rocket! I'd heard about 0-60 in under 3 seconds, but when you just hear the numbers it seems manageable. When you SEE it, and can hardly believe what you're seeing, and with that tire-squealing sound, well ... So you have a few minutes to watch a few more cars line up and take off, as you inch closer to boarding. A million thoughts went through my mind in those minutes, but ultimately I told the CM I had to chicken out. "Better safe than sorry," she agreed, and I headed off to the exit with my tail between my legs. That was a tough, painful decision, but really, the thing just takes off like a rocket, a rocket I tell ya, and that's only the beginning! And no, that's not true, I do have them, I just want to keep them intact, along with my other body parts. Er, guts, that is. So - on to Fantasmic - but first a quick slice of apple pie, expecting a "no food" situation in the theater. Turns out there's LOTS of food inside, in keeping with one of those EPCOT meanings, Every Pocket Cleaned Out Totally. Also 2 of the meanings of MGM. Wait a minute - I'm not gonna spoil the bus driver's joke for him. I'm in at 6 for the 7 show, and get a decent seat, maybe 1/3 of the way back. One of a gaggle of cheerleaders jumps up and leads the crowd in various waves, as only a cheerleader can. Time passes okay, but believe me I'm kicking myself over that Aerosmith decision. Show is another one of those Disney pull-out-all-the-stops extravaganzas, quite affecting, which was why I left theater muttering "Allergies. Allergies." Then out into the night, and here I discover possible reason for that couple's bus mix-up the other night. There are TWO Lane 27's, about 150 yards apart. And in the dark, in the rain ... that would have been tough. Fortunately, a mysterious guy with a flashlight points this out to me. So I hustle over to the other place, the one marked with a sheet of paper attached to a traffic cone, instead of painting on the asphalt. There's a crowd waiting for the bus - a good sign. Bus is on time, easy ride. Quite a day, the experience overload kind of thing, the way it's supposed to be. Home for Wendy's dinner and watching Olympics closing ceremonies. Unable to find other writing supplies, I'm writing today's report on Wendy's napkins. Hope I don't leave anything out. (Later found stationery in drawer.) Day 7 (Monday, Feb. 25) Controlled panic, showering and packing my stuff. Breakfast was just a banana from gift shop and free coffee from lobby. Shuttle to airport was about 5 mins late. You have to allow for some slack, due to the other pickups (there were apparently about 3 or 4 before me; I took the last seat in the van and then straight to the airport). Some of these drivers act like they're being paid by the word. And in a way they are. There's a certain psychology to tipping, you figure, I should give them something if they're putting out so much effort. Even though trip was uneven, there's all the usual sadness about it ending. Trip not really a great one, just too many clouds, but a very interesting one. Felt like amazingly full days, there are so many decisions and sub-decisions you make on a trip like this. Airport experience is very humdrum. Seeing all the markers in reverse - the little Sea World shop, the little monorail, etc. However, security works out much better for me this time. I check my bag, and I'm wearing my slacks which have less metal in them than my jeans. I take off my belt, glasses, and remove ALL my possessions (which are in clear sandwich bags) BEFORE even once stepping through the detector. And NO BEEPS! I'm standing there waiting to be wanded, and they just wave me through. It takes me a moment to realize they're letting me go. I really should teach a class at the Learning Annex. I breezed down the on-ramp - but the guy in front of me got plucked, and let out a big "Oh, Brother!" Flight completely smooth. Train to plane in reverse - definite sentimental feelings as I recognized all the things I'd seen on the trip down, only now my trip was over. I'm on the wrong side of the platform, dammit. Always amazed how many people in New York, in winter, dress in only two colors: navy blue and black. Holy cow, people, there are more than two colors in the universe. Okay, that's all I'm saying about that. And home. And to bed, for a 3 hour nap. CONCLUSION I'm a little Disneyed out for now. Don't see another trip down there for several more years. Tokyo is more likely, because DisneySea is pretty much all new. (Gotta find me a charming guide/translator.) I either want that or an actual World's Fair, where everything is fresh. My next trip will most likely be to more "real" places anyway. I think that's the true message of Disney: not that it's a small world, but that it's a big world, with a lot of cool places to visit. Tentatively: Hawaii and Japan Spring 2003, maybe a quickie to Puerto Rico before that. Each hotel worked out great, but the splitting thing really was kind of silly. Only a real hotel aficionado should do something like that. I'll still fly, just be more prepared. Highlights of Disney this time:
Things missed:
The End. Thanks for reading. May your own trips to Disney be blessed with sunshine. Alan Taylor altaybk@aol.com Mail a Comment to Alan Taylor |
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