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Dania Dewese-- December 2003 -- Walt Disney World (ASMuR, PCR)This is Dania's first trip report for MousePlanet.Cast
The Plan:
Background info: For those who don't know, I was on the Disney college program last spring. I figured that I probably wouldn't be heading back to Disney til 2005 and then it would be Disneyland. When this spring I got my taxes back and realized I would be getting around $900 back in refunds I jumped at the chance to plan a disney vacation for this christmas. I booked the Dream Maker Silver for the convince and also for the option of taking a tour which is what I've always wanted to do. I kept looking at airfare and it finally dropped early fall and was able to get roundtrip with no stops for around $180. I at first had booked the whole stay at All Star Music, sometime during the summer I found out that Pop Century would be opening while I was there and that cinched it for me. I called and had it changed where I split my stay. The next biggest challenge was the food. During the planning stages I was looking at not making any reservations til at least 90 days out but none of my big ones til 60. Disney then decided to change the PS schedule on me which did help in the fact that I was able to get ALL my PS's 90 days out. I got all the ones I wanted and was happy. The trip I thought was years off was finally about to happen. Now withouht further adieu here is the report. Day One: Wednseday
December 11, 2003 Today was the day I had been waiting for over 6 months. I was up at 4 am getting the final things together to head for the airport. We were on the road by 5 making only one stop and arriving at the airport by 7:30 am. Mom and I said our goodbye's at the check-in point and I got through security rather quickly. Since I had a little over an hour to kill before they would board my flight I walked the terminal looking at shops and just killing time. They boarded the plane right on schedule and we were on our way around 9:15 am CST. The flight was uneventful and we arrived in Orlando around 1 pm EST. Tiffany towncar met me at the baggage claim and we got my bags and headed for the resort. Didn't make the offered grocery stop due to not really needing anything. Got to ASMu on time and got checked in quickly. My room was ready so I high tailed it over there to put my things down. I was in Callypso(sp?) building closest to the main building. I was on the second floor right at the stairwell. The room was very nice and comfy. I put my things down and put together my fanny pack and headed for the bus stop. Arrived at MK around 2:30 and made my way to Liberty Square. I intended on going on Haunted Mansion but since I got there before the parade I went in search of my friend Lisa. I found her waiting in the area roped off for wheelchair/sign language interpretation. I joined her and watched the parade, enjoying watching the interpreter's signing as well. After the parade was over and we agreed to meet up at Comedy Warehouse that night, I went to ride The Haunted Mansion. It was almost a complete walk-on and I got my first ride of my trip in quickly. I walked through Fantasyland not really wanting to ride but just enjoy walking and being back in the park. I found that there was little wait for Snow White so I hopped on and got another quick ride. I then checked on the line for Phillarmagic and found that they were just now letting people in for the next show. All I can say for Phillarmagic is WOW. It is now on my top 10 list of must rides of every trip. The build up is great with all the posters that line the que. Make sure to look at them because some are very entertaining. I found a seat in the middle section about a third of the way back. This had to be one of the better seats in the house because it seemed that I could see everything that was happening and got in on all of the effects. This attraction gets two thumbs way up for me. After the wonderful Phillarmagic, it was time that I needed to head out of the park and go to Chef Mickey's. Instead of hoping a monorail, I walked the pathway from MK to Contemporary. I arrived about 20 minutes early and checked in. I was seated within 10 minutes of checking in and was introduced to the buffet. The selection of food was good and everything I tried was wonderful. The desserts were the best though, I loved sampling everything. The characters made their way to me but I was having trouble finding someone to take my picture with them as they came. Ended up having to flag down someone almost everytime. The character interaction though was superb. I definetly will go back again someday. After having my fill of Chef Mickey's, I went downstairs to catch the bus to Downtown Disney. I swear they take the longest route to get there but I arrived at PI on time. Joined Lisa downstairs for the first Comedy Warehouse show of the evening. I did attend a couple of shows during my stay at Disney but this was the first one since last year. I can't remember who the cast was except for Jake and Chris. The first show was filled with mostly CM's so it was a crazy mix. The one skit I do remember was the take on jeporady. We got some silly questions including ones on Michael Jackson and Hillary Clinton. All too soon the show was over and we were heading out to wait for the next show. When we were seated for show two, the interpreters came over and spoke with us. I knew them both from last year and it was nice to see them again. The show began and it was a little less rowdy the second time around. They did the phone call as the first skit. The guy that picked up actually works for Disney. Then they were looking for audience members to do the skit were the paused the scene and you supplied what was said next. I was picked to go up on stage and help with that scene. I must confess it was a lot harder once I got on stage to supply answers then when sitting out in the audience. We kept the actors on their toes that's for sure. I came away with a free Comedy Warehouse button for participating. Today was an overall success and I did pretty much everything I had planned. I got back to the resort by midnight, set the wakeup call for early tomorrow, and was asleep shortly. Best Thing(s): Close room location, being apart of a Comedy Warehouse
skit Day Two: Thursday December 12, 2003 Well today I had the pleasure of trying out the Princess Storybook breakfast for the first time. I got into Epcot early and made my way to the back where they had just opened for breakfast. I was seated almost immediatly after arriving and was given my bread choices to munch on while they got my hot breakfast ready. The princess' for that day were Mulan, Snow White, Belle, Jasmine, and Aurora and they made trips by my table a couple of times. The food was very good and the characters were wonderful. After I had my fill of breakfast, I made my way back to the front of the park and to the very little single rider wait for test track. I got through the line and into a car within 10 minutes which was almost a record for me. The trip was good with the exception of a unexpected delay at the first brake test. Looked around in the shop afterwards and then headed for Mission: Space. Well I hate to say it but I made it through the que and preshow and ended up skipping out on the ride. I'm not much for a spining type ride and when the spiel said it did alot of spining then I was like uhoh I'm out. I did get to enjoy the preshow and I did play with some of the stuff in the exit area. Maybe next time I'll actually give this a try. Now it was time for Living Seas. Made it down to Sea Base Alpha just in time for the water tank demo. After that did some looking around before heading up to the Manatee presentation. I missed this the last few times during my program due to rehab but I really enjoyed seeing it again. Next we made our way to Journey into your imagination with Figment. This was where I had the bad part of my day. We got stuck first in the very begining of the ride but only for a few moments. We got going again and seemed to be that we would make it through the ride. The ride broke down again but this time it didn't start up again. We were stuck for a good 10 minutes in the skunk room til they came to get us. The only problem was that I was with my friend Lisa who is in a Power chair. After we talked, I was sent ahead to go enjoy Living with the Land interpreted, while she waited on Reedy Creek to come get her out. Living with the land was a good ride and I enjoyed taking some pictures and watching the interpreter. I also made note that sometime this week I had to come back and do food rocks. I made the decision to head to the electric umbrella for lunch since I really wasn't in the mood for something fancy. I also while in the land pavillion cancelled my reservation for that night at Garden Grill and made it for tuesday. After lunch I did the House of Innoventions tour. I enjoyed this tour last year and it was neat to see what additions they had made since the last time I was there. I really like the new bathtub they've installed. I want one for my home now lol They also had installed a garage since I last saw it and I thought that was neat as well. Lisa and I had finally met back up and decided since we had time to kill I should try Honey I shrunk the audience! I have never even tempted to ride this ride due to my fear of two things, snakes and mice. I was surprised at just how much I liked this show. I really wasn't as scared as I thought I'd be and actually kept my eyes open through most of it. I definetly will do this one again someday. We then headed toward England for the 5 pm World showcase players presentation of "A Christmas Carol". We made it earlier then figured so we were able to meet Pooh back in the kids store and hear Father Christmas tell his story. The world showcase players were as good as always and the guy the picked to play scrooge was a riot. I always enjoy their "Holy Grail" skit and I have to add this one to my list of enjoyed shows. I had been noodling the idea of getting in the standby line for the 6:45 showing of Candlelight Processional and Lisa agreed so off we went. She went ahead of me and got us a place in line while her husband got us some drinks. We enjoyed the end of the first show while we were waiting. When it was our turn to go in, we asked to be seated in the hearing impaired/sign language interpreted area. We were sat down toward the very front and had a nice view of the whole stage. This night's narrator was David Ogden Steirs and I must say he did an excellent job. I never realized until later that he was also on MASH many years ago. The interpreter for that show was Angela. If you ever have a chance to see her interpret I would say go for it. She gets into her interpreting very much and her body language convey's exactly what she is interpreting through her signs. I loved how she even signed true German and Spanish for the two songs that were sung in those languages. I think my favorite song she signed though was O Holy Night. This presentation was the best I have seen in the two times I've seen Candlelight. When I left Lisa after Candlelight, I went in search of food. I made the decision that I was to tired to go anywhere else so I headed back to the food court at All Star Music. The food was good for a food court and I took it back to the room to finish. I also watched a bit of tv before turning in and caught the end of Lilo & Stitch the movie. Set an early wake up call and hit the bed around midnight. Best Moment(s): Seeing Angela interpret
Candlelight Processional and enjoying Honey I shrunk the Audience Day Three: December 13, 2003 Today was to be another first for breakfast, Donald's Breakfasarous. When I had gotten this priority seating I had asked for the earliest available and was able to snag a 8 am seating. When I arrived at the park 20 minutes til opening I was the first one in line to head to breakfast. After they took the names of those there we walked through a very quiet park back to Dinoland. I was seated at I guess what they would call table 1. I was closest to the buffet and first in line for the characters which I loved. The food was plentiful and everything I tried was delicious. The characters come in two's here with one set coming around 8:15 and the next set coming 30 minutes later at 8:45. Today they were Goofy and Donald first, then Mickey and Pluto second. The characters were all dressed for a christmas safari including Goofy with Reindeer antlers with garland on them. After breakfast and character antics, I walked over to dinosaur and was first in line for the first ride of the day. I really enjoyed riding this and almost bought the picture because I looked truly terrifed this time lol I rode tri-cera tops spin then before heading out of dinoland for a quick dash cross park for Festival of the Lion King. One word for this show is Fantastic! I saw it many times while down on the college program but now they have it enclosed and it's even more spectactular. This was also a signed show so I enjoyed that as well. My favorite part is when the bird/person flies and today I was almost disappointed because she didn't fly but once, but when she flew I had my breath taken away again just by how beautiful it is. This show is on my must do list every trip. After Festival it was a mad dash to Pocahontas for her next show. This one is getting a little tiring to me but I also enjoy the theme. If you've never seen this show, I would say see it once but unless your like me and like to watch interpreter's work then it's not worth seeing more than once or twice. Once Pocahontas was finished I had time to get a quick ride in on Kilomanjaro Safari's. It was a quick 10 minute wait and I was seated on the end of the third row and off into the African Savanna. This trip we got up close with some Giraffe's and a white rhino who was very close to the vehicle. Also say the male and female lion out on the rocks. Got a glimpse of one Elephant but it seemed the rest were inside or hiding. Lots of other animals were grazing further back from the road so we only got quick glimpses. Now it was time for my second favorite show in AK, Tarzan Rocks! This was also a signed show and a special moment for me. My last saturday on my program I was able to make it to AK for one last interpreted show and Tarzan Rocks ended up being the one I made it to. I had seen it before of course, but what made it special was I had gotten to finally see one of the gentlemen interpreter's in action finally. Now flash forward over a year and here again it was the same gentlemen interpreting the show this time around. The show was wonderful as always and I love the antics of the rollerbladers. Another one of my must do's on every trip. Off to lunch I go after the show, and funny thing is I'm back at Resturantasaurous in Dinoland. Seems I can't stay away from the place lol. The food of course had changed to McDonald's fare but that was okay. I had the cheeseburger meal with the peanut butter brownie which was delicious. I also talked with Lisa during lunch. Flight's of Wonder was fast approaching so we hoofed it over to Asia and got in line. This show is really a very unique show and if you've never seen it before I highly recommend it to anyone. The birds in the show are absolutely beautiful and well cared for. I loved the fact that the bald eagle, the symbol of america, has a prominent place in the show. This show is unlike any I've ever seen before and probably one I will never seen again outside a disney park. Afterwards Lisa talked me into doing It's Tough to be a Bug while she went back to Discovery Island to get our places for the parade. This is another show I had no desire to do up until now. After the enjoyable experience with Honey I shrunk the audience in Epcot and a little convincing I decided to give It's tough a try. I got on the end of the row just in case I got freaked out and leaned forward. I know this isn't the best way to experience this show but I got most of the special effects with the exception of the bee stings. I did enjoy the show but it's not on my must do list for now. I had a little bit of shopping time left before the parade so I went in search of a few gifts I needed to complete my christmas list. I picked up a gift for a friend having a baby next year and some hot chocolate mix for a single's party and had it shipped back to my resort. Once that was taken care of I headed through the tree of life area back to Discovery Island. For the parade we were set up in front of Creature Comforts. The interpreter's came out and we talked for a bit while waiting for the parade. Came to find out that tonight was going to be Vince's first night interpreting Candlelight Processional. I really now wish I could have made it to see him do so. The parade was a good as I remembered it with a very special surprise. Some of the characters actually signed back to us and I got some of that on film but one of the characters actually took over and signed part of the parade for us. I think that was the most magical moment of my entire trip when instead of vince or kelly signing an actual character signed instead. This had to be something unplanned because both Vince and Kelly were quiet surprised but it was a nice surprise. After the parade was done I had to run to catch the bus to MGM but it never showed up in the 25 minutes I was waiting and I had a PS for 5 pm at Hollywood and Vine so I ended up having to hail a cab. I barely made it to Hollywood and Vine but was seated almost immediatly. The food here was okay but not something extra special but I did this for the fantasmic dinner package seating. I almost in the far right hand seating area for the show which wasn't the best seating but I was just glad to have a seat. The show was good as always and I loved the princess floats. Mickey saved the day and I headed out with the first group of people as soon as the last fireworks sounded. I then hoped a boat to Boardwalk since I had started collecting the Santa's Pin List stamps. I got my stamp there and hoped the bus to MK to collect my stamp there as well. When I arrived I went into the Emporium and got my stamp. This was a late night for MK so I thought about hanging around for the 10 pm Spectro parade. What cinched my decision to stay was the fact that I found a prime curb side seat 10 minutes before the parade was to start right on main street. I grabbed that quicker than you could say Mickey and chatted with the people who joined me along the way. The parade was as good as I remembered it but you could tell it was the late parade because there wasn't as many performers for some of the floats. I did enjoy it though and will always see it on future trips. Now I had to make my way back to my hotel for the last night at All Star Music. When I returned I began packing my stuff that I had taken out during my 3 days at ASMu and set an early wake up call. I also made a trip by the front desk to see if I could arrange transportation from ASMu to Pop Century and they were able to accomodate me even if it was after the time I had wanted to arrive. Off to bed I went dreaming of a new resort tomorrow. Best Moment(s): Festival of the
Lion King, seeing Vince at Tarzan Rocks Day Four:
December 14, 2003 I think the day went wrong from the very start. I had asked for a ride from ASMu to Pop Century the night before and had explained that I had a schedule to keep for that day. Well when I hadn't recieved the call for transport by 8 I grabbed my bags and made my way down to luggage services. The guy that usually does the transport was running late so that was where the hold up was. Thirty minutes later I was finally on my way to Pop Century. A complete review of Pop Century will follow later but I will give some thoughts as I write these next few days. The first view of the resort was impressive and the lobby was very nicely done up for christmas. I got in the line for check-in and was waited on almost immediatly. I should have double checked here when I was given my room key but of course this being a new resort and all I didn't think to ask where the room was in exact location. The CM circled the general area which looked to be close to where I had requested. I thanked them and followed the map to the 70's building. When I found my room it was on the very far end of the building closest to the lake! I had requested close to the main building and I know when I had talked to the CM she said it was. This room was at least a 5 minute walk from the main building and for me that just wouldn't work. I put my stuff down and cried for a bit mad at myself for not asking point blank exactly where the room was located. I then called the front desk and explained the situation. I asked if they had a room closer to the entrance and they said they would check. I also explained that I was in a hurry and was there anyway they could transfer what little luggage I had taken to the room to my new room. They accomodated both requests and after making sure I had everything I would need for at least the morning I made my way to the bus stop. The MGM bus was waiting for me when I got there, and I hoped on hoping I wouldn't be late. My first stop after getting inside was Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular. Since it was raining they only did the very first scene which was okay but would have rather seen the whole thing. Also got to meet one of the new interpreter's name Summer here at this show. We chatted for a few and I got Indy's autograph and picture. Next we were off to try Star Tours, but we couldn't get up the ramp with the power chair due to it being so rain slicked. We made the decision since we were in the area to do Muppet Vision instead. This was a riot as usual and we had really good seats. I really hope this attraction stays around for years to come because it's such a fun one. By this time we were soaked, so we decided to do another inside attraction. We needed to be at Millionaire for the 12?? show but they were loading the 11?? show as we walked by so we decided to go ahead and do both of them. We were chosen to be in the ring of fire seats which was so neat. I got on the leader board twice but never in the #1 position. The show was fun and the host, Olga ??, was wonderful. We went back outside and got back in line for the 12?? show. This time they only had available one seat in the ring set so I took that while Lisa went to sit over where the interpreter would be. I could still see her from my seat but not up close. I only made it on the leader board once this time and Lisa got up there either once or twice. This show was good as well. We only had a little time between Millionaire and Backlot Tour so we made it to Backlot and waited for that to start. The water tank crew was a hoot and they hammed it up this day. This was the first time I had taken the tour since they tore down residential street and I must say it makes a interesting new tour. I did get a few good pics over the wall but nothing much. The tour made a few extra stops but nothing much added. We had some time to kill before Animation so I suggested we do The Haunted Mansion tour. This was almost a waste of time because the leader of the tour couldn't be clearly understood. It was nice though to see the sets and look at some of the props. I just wish they had a better layout of it. Now on to the Animation tour. This has also changed since I was last here. It used to be the Robin Williams thingy but now it's all about Mushu in the begining. It was interesting to see where Mushu came from but I do miss the old film. Next it was on to a talk by one of the people about the animation beginings and why the animators were on hiatus at the time. Next we went down the hallway where we saw some storyboards and such. The other new part is the drawn to animation academy. We were seated in rows with a drawing desk in front of us. The animator took us through the steps on how to draw Stitch. I did a fairly okay job but the gentlemen actually gave me his copy as a suviner to keep. Since there was no signed parade today, I said goodbye to Lisa promising to meet up at MVMCP and headed back to the resort. This time I was presented with a key to room 0159 which was about as close as you could get to the main building from the 70's building. The new room was just as nice as the original but much closer. My luggage had also been delivered along with the things from my original room. I called the front desk to thank them for moving everything. I took a quick tour through the shopping/food court combo on my way to the bus for MK. The food court is nicely setup and easily accesible. The shopping area is smaller than the food court but does have a wide variety of things to look over. I found that I would definetly be coming back here before the end of my trip to pick up a few things. Exited out of the shopping area and waited only a few moments for the bus to the MK. Got to Mk and was directed to the line for MVMCP ticket holders. Got my wristband and headed into the park. After making a quick stop I headed directly for supper at Crystal Palace. Checked in and was taken to the seating area almost immediately. I was given a nice table toward the back of the restaurant and the waiter took my drink order and told me about the buffet. Piglet was headed my way so I decided to wait on him but low and behold he made a 360 turn and walked off. No explanation, no nothing, off he went toward the other side of the restaurant. Same thing happened with Tigger and that really upset me. Waiter came and said oh they'll be back they needed to go over to the other side for now. He made some lame excuse that I had just gotten there and I would be around awhile. Well, I decided to get some food and just go with the flow. I was still a little upset but I was like it'll work out. The characters finally made it back to my side of the room and were working their way past tables. Piglet was first making the rounds and did the two tables before mine and then skipped mine and continued on around. At this point I was beyond upset because here I had waited out Piglet and now he skipped me. This pretty much set the tone for how my luck with characters would run this night. The manager did see this happen and made a point of telling Piglet that there was someone behind him that he missed. I was able to get a picture with him thanks to the manager. While I went after desserts the manager did two other nice things for me, he got me a front of line pass for use at Toontown fair and then also gave me a postcard with the pooh friends on it. I was able to get Tigger, Eeyore, and Pooh to sign the postcard. This did help lift my spirits a bit but it still hurt that I was actually skipped. After waving good-bye to the almost bad experience I made my way to the front of the park in search of two things. I hadn't gotten my button for the night and I needed to find out where the line for the pins was at. I stopped first at the Exposition hall and found that this was where the previous nights pins were located. I got in line here and decided to wait it out. While waiting I struck up a conversation with the people in front of me. We talked about where we were from and I asked where they got their buttons. They said when they got to the TTC and I asked if we could get them anywhere else. I was informed that city hall had them so I asked if they would hold my place in line and I ran over and got mine. When I returned they were showing the pin set and which pins would be available to buy there. The line moved at a snail's pace but I was able to purchase pins from all the previous nights except night 1 and 3. I then made a quick stop at the Emporium to pick up the night's pin. Once that was done it was off to Goofy's country dancing jamboree holiday style. This is one show that I doubt I'll ever see again or at least see interpreted. They have the interpreter's on one side of the stage and with so much of the activity going on around the floor it was hard to watch them. The show was cute but definitely not something I'll make a point of seeing again. Moved to Hall of President's area and got in place for the Christmas parade. I was looking most forward to this since the last time I saw it was during the daytime 2 years ago. I can't believe how beautiful it was during the nighttime. While waiting for it to start I made my way to Columbia Harbor House where they were serving Hot chocolate and cookies. Made it back to the spot with a bit to spare. The music, the dancers, and all the characters made the parade so magical. I loved how they had the princess' riding either on a horse(s), horse drawn carriages, and other things to do with horses, it was just magical. My favorite though was Chip and Dale baking. They are my favorite characters of all time. Santa Claus bid us a merry Christmas and then it was time to make a decision. I really wanted to get some more hot chocolate but I also wanted to get my picture made. I decided to head toward Small World and check out the line. What I found was about a 10 minute wait so I hopped in line. Got talking to other families and the wait passed quickly. Got my picture taken and made my way toward the front of the castle as wishes was going on. Got a nice view of most of the fireworks as I made my way to the front of the castle to watch the 9:30 Celebrate the Season show. The show was wonderful and if you ever get the chance to see it then definitely go for it. I loved the music especially and the characters were great. This was now the moment I had been waiting for. The next show on the schedule was Mickey's Twas the Night Before Christmas Show. I had heard such wonderful things about it and it was to be the last show of the night I would see. I was enchanted from the very first moment it began. The way the intertwined the classic story and what was happening on stage made the whole thing come alive again once more. I couldn't help but cry at some points because it was so enjoyable. This is a definite not miss on my list for years to come. Since I still had an hour or so before the park closed I choose to go ride a few quick rides. Since I was close to Space Mountain I made a bee line for it first. Within 20 minutes I had made a quick trip through space and was making my way into Fantasyland. First I made a stop in Mickey's Toontown to use my back door pass. I guess due to the time of night I really didn't need it since there was hardly anyone waiting in lines. I got a little sad when the Fairy Godmother had to leave before I got up to her but I knew that hopefully I would see her tomorrow. I did get my wish to see Cinderella in her holiday attire and got a wonderful group picture with some of the characters. Also spent a little time with Chip and Dale as well and they really did cheer me up too. Now it was time to go back to fantasyland to get a few last rides in. The place was nearly deserted so I had my pick of the rides. My first stop was Dumbo since it was all decked out for Christmas. Then I made a quick trip to never never land which was the last ride of the night for me. I slowly made my way to the front of the park stopping to enjoy some snow and the music. I made it to the bus stop and waited about 10 minutes for a bus to Pop Century. Got back to my room, made an early wake up call, and then went to bed. Good Moment(s): Mickey's Twas the Night, Celebrate the
Season, Playing Millionaire twice and getting onto the board, New room location
Day
Five: December 15, 2003 Today was the one of the days I'd been happily anticipating since the planning of this trip. I woke up excited to be going to eat with the Princess'. I got to the bus stop in record time and the MK bus was there within minutes. When I got to the MK they were finishing the opening ceremony so I didn't have to worry about finding the right place to check in. I met a few quick characters on my way toward the castle. I was in hopes of getting in a little earlier and the pixie dust must have fell on me because they were able to seat me within 10 minutes. I had probably one of the best seats in the house, I had a window view out over fantasyland and I hadn't even asked for it. The princess' for the day were Snow White, Cinderella, and Aurora. Mary Poppins and Aladdin were also on hand to greet and sign autograph's. All of the characters made the rounds at least once and I was able to get some wonderful photos. The breakfast was good as well and I definetly hope to do it again. I made it out of the castle around 9:50 so I ran around to the front in hopes of catching the last bit of Cinderella's Surprise Celebration. I did catch the tail end of it but was hoping to make it back again later. I also met up with Lisa and we chatted a bit as we headed for the fantasyland. We decided to get a ride in on Winnie the Pooh before we caught Belle's Storytime. This was a fun ride as always, and I loved the theming of this ride and wish I could do it more often. I'm an old Pooh lover at heart so this ride is always on top of my list of must rides. Now was the time for Belle's Storytime. I have always loved this show but this was the first time I've seen it interpreted. I was in complete awe of how well it was done and how it all came to life. This is probably one of my favorite stage shows in all of MK. We were now on a mission to the Jungle, the jungle cruise that is. The ride through the jungle was as fascinating as always and watching the interpreter trying to sign all the corny jokes was even better. The skipper was probably one of the better ones I have had on my many jungle crusises. She hit all the jokes just right and even kept us on our toes. We bid adieu to the jungle and headed off for some relaxation. This relaxation came in the form of Scoop's Pin Talk. I've been a pin collector for almost 2 years but this was the first time I did the pin talk. Scoop was as dapper as always and had us laughing the minute we met him. We played some pin games and then he showed us how pins were made. It was really fascinating listening to him describe the process but I also loved the hands on approach. He even pointed out different types of pins people had on their lanyards and explained some of the differences in the pins. I really had a wonderful experience. Once we were finished I got a special treat in that I got to trade pins with him as well. I actually had some pins he was looking which I found surprising since I figured he had to have a huge collection. I got some really neat pins in return and am so glad I went. I did miss part of the afternoon parade because the pin talk/trading lasted so long but I did catch some of the end of it. Afterwards I met up with Lisa and we went to Columbia Harbor House for her to get some supper. I had a drink since I was going to be eating a bit later. We talked about alot of things but most of it centered around signing and how I might come to work in Florida someday. I also decided since I did see Spectro on saturday that I didn't want to see it again and cancelled my Tony's reservation, I opted instead to eat at Planet Hollywood. The final show Lisa and I saw together this trip was The Sword in the Stone. This is a fun show for the little children but not as much so for the adults. I did enjoy watching merlin pick a CM in training to be the bodyguard. He was quiet stunned to be picked out but he fit the role perfectly. The first two kids he picked to try and pull the sword out were to shy but the third one was eager to try. As everyone know's the kid was able to pull it out and it was happiness all around. Lisa, her husband, and I made our way out of the park after this. I bid them goodbye as I was headed off to Wilderness Lodge to locate something before I headed to downtown disney. I looked around the lodge and hoped to someday to stay there. The tree was beautiful and I loved the music as well. I found what I was looking for and hoped the boat back to the MK and then the monorail to the Polynesian. I made walked around the resort looking at the decorations. I was mainly on a search for my last stamp for Santa's pin list. I got that at the little shop outside news from Polynesia. I had my completed map and was ready to head to downtown disney for shopping and food. I got off at the marketplace stop and went into the new scrapbooking store. I was in search of rubber stamps but didn't find the ones I was looking for. I did pick up some photo stickers and a notebook for my cousin. I then went into the days of christmas shop. I was mostly just looking because I really didn't want to take something breakable on the plane with me home. My last stop was the Pin Traders shop. I got me a few pins and got the completer pin from the map. I was hoping to do some trading as well but no one was around. I then went back to the bus stop and caught the first bus that came since all the ones at Marketplace were heading to west side. Got off the bus at westside and headed directly for Planet Hollywood. I turned in my voucher and was seated almost immediatly. The only complaint i had was they seated me right down front so I was unable to really watch the monitors but otherwise it was a good experience. The food was delicious that's for certain. I had the chicken strips for starters and then I had the Cheeseburger for main course. This was probalby one of the best meals of the trip and my waiter was really good. After I had a full stomach it was time to head back to the hotel. I set an early alarm for the morning and hit the bed and was fast asleep. Best Moment(s): Belle's storytime, Scoop's Pin talk Day 6: December 16, 2003 The phone woke me up at 7:30 just like I had set it and I was dressed and out the door by 8:15. The Epcot bus was waiting on me when I arrived and I made it to the gates by 8:30. I got through security and got into the right line for those going to the tour. I got to Guest relations a little early and had time to check out somethings while waiting for the rest of the group. The tour starts exactly at 9 am in front of guest relations. You will go through a special line to get into the park early so you can make it there by 9. They will check your name off the list and if you haven't already pre-paid then you will pay then also. They will give you a name tag and tell you to make sure you have it on at all times especially when you go backstage. The first thing of the tour you will do is read a quote of Walt's and then listen to your guide tell you a little bit about the meaning of it. Then you are asked to do something silly. We were made to stand in a line, take two steps forward into the future and then you must as well take one step back into the past. We made our way to Innoventions next where we learned about walt's dream of the future and how he wished he could build a community where people's houses would be open and he would install these new gadgets in those houses to be on display. While in Innoventions we took the House of Innoventions tour. Our guide asked each of us to pick our favorite room and at the end tell her why we chose that room. I think most of all us picked the bathroom because of that tub with a wide screen tv built in LOL Next we made our way toward the east(I think) side of the future world. We stepped inside the building to the right of innoventions east that usually is vacant unless for special occassions. If you've never been inside this building you will be impressed by the pictures along the far wall toward world showcase. The pictures lead you through the span of Walt's career. His dreams and plans for everything including Mickey Mouse. In here we learned about his vision for Epcot and also about how the imagineers tried their best to live up to that dream. When we exited the building we came to the big circle heading toward the pavillions. Our guide told us about how the inner group of circles are connected to the outer circles that are close to it. I found it very interesting how some of the things that were connected you wouldn't in a million years believe they were. After this we made our way to the Living Seas. We didn't go inside the main building but instead went backstage. We went up to the second floor where the lounge is and where special parties are held. I must say the view from those windows are magnificent. This used to be where the old sponsor for the living seas had it's lounge but it is now just used for parties and such. We left here and made our way to the Land pavilion where we had our break. We were given about a 20 minute break to get refreshments and to just relax. When we met back up we went backstage again. This time we went into one of the greenhouses and got a quick lesson. We walked past where they are constructing the new Soarin' ride which looks wonderful even in the begining stages. We were shown how they care for the different plants and were allowed to smell some of them which was nice. We also learned how we could make our own watering system at home. I plan on someday actually taking the behind the seeds tour. After we finished at the Land it was time to move onto one of my two favorite stops in the trip. We went inside the gift shop of the Imagination pavilion and took a trip down memory lane. For many of you who visited this pavilion years ago you will remember the upstairs was where the imagination labs used to be. Well I'm happy to report their still up there and largely intact. We were able to see into the old rooms but weren't allowed into them. I also had a rare chance and got my picture taken with the big figment that is housed up on that floor. We also got to play with the old pin tables which was fun. I also found out an interesting tidbit, from the second floor you can see out into the jumping fountain area but did you ever look up during the day? If you have ever done that you haven't been able to see into the upstairs but if you do the same thing at night when the nights are shining up toward the second floor you will be able to see up there. I think that is a neat effect that's for sure. Now that we had seen everything on the east side it was time to head over to the west side to finish our tour of the pavilions. The first stop on this portion of the tour was Universe of Energy. We mostly stood outside and chatted about the different types of energy and about how the pavilion has changed over the years. We then moved on to the Wonders of Life pavilion and were told a few fascinationg facts. One of the ones that shocked me was that the pavilion will be going to seasonal opening starting in January. I really do like the pavilion and was glad that I had a chance to catch the rides again during this trip. We also got a glimpse at a couple of hidden mickey's inside the pavilion while we were talking. Our next stop was the newest pavilion at Epcot. Due to the nature of the ride and limited space we weren't able to go inside to take a tour but we did get a good look at the simulator. We also went inside the gift shop and found a few hidden characters. As we exited she also allowed those who wanted to get fastpasses for later to get them. We headed for Test Track and one of the last stops on the tour. We were on our way to costuming when she asked if all of us would like a special treat. She took us back through the special guest entrance and we rode Test Track without a wait. That was the best surprise of the trip and I'm glad some didn't decide not to ride. We then made our way toward costuming which was a walk from the Test Track area. We first made a stop in the College/Internation trailer that also housed the book library. We got to listen to a young International student from China who had been there only a month. She really was nervous but it was interesting to hear about her experience. We then made our way into costuming where we saw rows upon rows of costumes for almost everything in Epcot. They had hanging a complete Guest Relations outfit so we could see how all the pieces fit together. She also explained how the system they have differs from most of the other parks. The have castzooming, which is where they can get outfits for a few days in advance and then not have to come in and pick them out each day. This allows them to start work at exactly the specified time and leave at the specified time. We also got glimpses of some of the costumes being made. We then went back down the hall where there were murals that had been done by cast members. That was a neat hallway because there were some many different designs. My two favorites was the mural done by engineering that had sound accompanied with it. The other was the costuming picture which was on the only corner of the hallway. One one side was the mice making Cinderella's gown(the process) and then the completed Gown from the Fairy Godmother. The last part of the tour was spent walking to the docks where we would get to see some of the friendship boats and possibly the globe from Illuminations. As we got closer our guide also informed us that she had set aside seating for us by Italy for the night's performance of Illuminations and if we couldn't make that night's then she could make it where we would be allowed to go another night. At the dock we noticed that the globe was missing but that some of the boats were docked. She explained that this is where they were moored when not in use and the globe was kept here til late in the afternoon when it and the barges were moved out onto the lagoon. We made the trek toward China to exit from backstage and she asked us to notice how the countries seemed closer together from the back then from the front. She explained that it was how the imagineers designed it to make it look farther than it was. I also noticed that Mexico and Test Track were alot closer backstage than onstage. That is mostly due to the fact that the Odessey Resturant is there as well. When we reached China she told us how good of a tour group we had been. She also gave us our tour pin and said that if any of us were interested in eating in China we could get a discount of 20%. I had made reservations at the Garden Grill so I declined but waited around since she told me that she could take me back to the front via backstage. After the tour was finished I made my way to the Garden Grill for my lunch reservation. On the way I did stop and make a few trades at the Pin area. I was seated quickly once I arrived at the Garden Grill and almost immediatly Chip showed up. Chip had to find someone to take our picture but we got that taken care of. All the characters made the rounds twice and I got a wonderful meal as well. I love this place! Made a beeline to Food Rocks! afterwards since it will be closing soon. I will miss this show because it's so much fun. I guess they thought it was getting dated but I disagree. The show was less than half full so I choose to sit in the middle of a row for the best view. Now I had some time to kill so I decided to use another of my vouchers I had received and get my photo taken for the leave a legacy tile. There was no line when I arrived so I got this over with in a little over 15 minutes. I am glad I did this because now I have a permanent marker in disney. I also did Spaceship Earth while I was on this side. I love this ride and could ride through this numerous times without getting tired. I also love exploring the new ideas at the end of this ride, some of which I wish I had. It was getting close to time to head for UK so I bid farewell to future world. Today's World showcase players show was King Arthur and the Holy Grail. I've seen this one so much that I know it by heart. It was fun though as always and the guy the picked to be king was fabulous. He really got into his role and had us laughing at how well he did. The interpreter did a superb job as always. After the show ended I had to make my way to the American Gardens theater to line up for the Candlelight show at 6:45. There was no line when I arrived and they were about to seat the next American Adventure show so I did that first. I love this show and definetly could sit through it every single trip. As I was making my way back to the pavillion they were letting people in. Since I was apart of the dinner package I got in immediatly. I had already asked to sit in the sign language section so I made my way over there. There was already people sitting there so it was nice to not be alone. The interpreter for this night's show was Tara and she was wonderful. She is another awesome interpreter that really got into her role. I am so glad I did this on my last night of my trip. Wouldn't miss it for the world. After the show was over I made my way directly to Rose & Crown. I had a back up plan just in case I wasn't seated outside but I was lucky enough to get a table right along the railing. They had closed the curtains due to keeping the warmth in and also the rain out. My food was delicious and at 9:20 they let the curtains up and we were able to step down onto the lower patio and watch the show from there. I had a wonderful view of Illuminations and I got teared up as usual. I love this show. After it was over I slowly made my way back out of the park. I lingered in the lights of wonder area watching them change colors and just enjoying the time. I wish I could visit every christmas because I really miss the atmosphere. Back to Pop Century to pack and finish last minute things before check out in the morning. Made couple of phone calls to arrange baggage pickup, express check out, and wake up call and then went to bed. Best Moment(s): Candlelight
Processional and my tour guide Sarah Day
Seven: December 17, 2003 My wake up call came at 8 am and I was up and at em. I had called last night for baggage pick up and knew they'd be here shortly so I quickly assessed my baggage situation to make sure I hadn't forgot anything and then checked the door for express checkout. While I was going over my bill, baggage services came and stowed my gear for me. I did notice one discrepincy on my bill so off to the front desk I went. Somehow my tour was charged to my room key instead of being used for a magical wish. The front desk was able to right the situation and gave me an extra wish for the trouble. I thanked them for the great stay and bid adieu one last time to Pop Century. At the bus stop the studios bus was waiting for me so I hopped on one of my last bus rides of the trip. From Pop Century it is only about a 5 minute drive to the front of the studios so we were there in no time. It had been misting off and on that morning but I was still hopeful that all of Indiana Jones would go on. They were able to do the whole show so I had an enjoyable time watching the whole production once again. After the show was over I made my way to 50's Primetime in hopes I could get seated earlier than noon. I got checked in a few minutes before they opened and was seated almost immediatly after they opened for lunch. I had a wonderful server, she sat down at the table and we gabbed about my day, how I liked the parks, and just general fun. She made sure I ordered an appitizer since it came with my wish, and I had the brischon(sp?) cheese plate. That was very delicious and I saved some of the toast that came with it for later on the plane. For my main course I had my favorite, Mom's fried Chicken. I was able to eat almost all of it but my auntie Claire was nice enough to bring me a to go box for the plane. She did scold me a couple of times for not eating my beans and for putting my feet up LOL I had the smores for dessert and they were heavenly. I definetly give this place high marks on everything! Since I was able to have lunch earlier than expected, I was able to make the next showing of Who Wants to be a Millionaire. I didn't ask for the fastest finger row since I wanted to be able to watch the interpreter. I never did make it onto the leader board this game but I had fun no less. It had actually turned off rather cold during the day and I decided to opt out of the Backlot tour since I had already seen it once. I instead went to the 1:15 showing of Beauty and the Beast. I love this presentation and it definetly didn't disappoint. Four for a Dollar was wonderful as always with some christmas tunes and they even sang to a girl who having her birthday today. I love this show! The Magic of Disney Animation was my next stop and I made it over even before the interpreter did. It was just as fun as on Sunday and this time I learned how to draw Goofy. We also saw a couple of animators at work but they were mostly just doing some clean up work on some art nothing major. It was nice though to see some there. I made a couple of purchases in the store and then made my way toward the ABC theater where I would bid farewell to my interpreter friends for the last time this trip. I was really wishing I would be able to stay and see the parade but I knew I'd be cutting it very close if I did. I said my goodbyes to my friends and wished them well. I found a Pop Century bus waiting on me at the bus stop and we made it back to the hotel in plenty of time. I looked around in the gift shop one last time making sure I hadn't missed something I needed. At four my driver arrived and we made the trip to MCO. Our plane was late arriving at MCO so we were 30 minutes late taking off. Luckily we got some good air and only arrived 10 minutes late. My parents met me at baggage claim and I was home by midnight. Best Moment(s):
Auntie Claire at 50's Primetime Final Thoughts: Well this trip has come to an end and it doesn't look like I'll be back to WDW for a few years to come. I really had a very enjoyable time even if there were some bad moments. Christmas is the very best time to go if you have the time and the week I went was perfect crowd wise. Resturant and Resort Reviews will come shortly but I wanted to hit the highlights. Best
Food: 50's PrimeTime Also I've had a few people inquire about my link with the interpreter's. I am not hard of hearing nor am I deaf to start off with. I am though a teacher and a novice at ASL. At my home church I work with children and I teach them basic ASL and we have even done some things in church. When I graduate from college I plan on moving possibly to Florida to pursue my dream to teach children with hearing difficultes ASL. I discovered the interpreter's last year during my College Program stint. I believe the first time I ever saw them interpret a show was Cinderella's Surprise Celebration. I had to find out more so my next stop was Guest Services. I inquired about whether these interpreter's were on a schedule within the park or did they only do special occassions. The guest services person handed me a two page printout with all the parks listed. I was surprised to learn just how much stuff they did interpret. From that point forward I tried on my days off to go to some of the shows that were being interpreted that day. I struck up a conversation with one of the interpreter's one day named Brian and the rest is history. If you have a love for watching some interpret, you are in need of their services, or just are interested in seeing what I'm talking about I highly suggest you go to Guest Services on your next trip and ask them for a schedule. They will be very happy to help. I really hope my reports haven't been boring and actually have been a good read. I tried to include as much information as I could. My next Disney trip for sure will be Disneyland in 2005 for the 50th anniversary celebration. I "might" make a disney cruise next year but that's still in the tentative stages at this point. May all your days be magical. Dania Dewese DisneyCP2002@aol.com Mail a Comment to Dania Dewese |
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