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Sue Guindon -- February 2004 -- Walt Disney World (AKL)

This is Sue's second trip report for MousePlanet. Here's her first:

• May 1997

Well, I love reading others' trip reports, so I knew I had to return the favor and make one of my own. It takes some time, but what a great way to relive our wonderful visit! I will warn you, my reports are very long and detailed, so if that bores you, I apologize, but I did not want to forget anything!

The Cast

• Myself, 46, substitute teacher, mom, former USAF Navigator (and theme park ride operator all those high school and college summers ?). Disney fanatic who would love to go more often! (FW campground '78, offsite '81, '83, Dixie Landings '97, Shades of Green '00, offsite '01 with DS's high school band trip, Contemporary '03)
• DS Peter, 17, high school senior and aspiring civil engineer, fellow Disney fan
• My mother, 74, mom of seven, grandmother of 16

Bit parts: My sister Carol, 44, and her DD Molly, 17, high school cheerleader competing in the national championships

Left at home this trip: DH Bruce, 49, DS Tim, 15, and DD Claire, 12

Trip background

My niece was going to WDW for the second year in a row to compete in the championships Feb 7&8. My sister would accompany her and the team, and when we were all gathered at Thanksgiving, my mom mentioned that she would really enjoy going as well, especially since she had an old hopper pass with 2 days left on it. Being the dutiful daughter that I am, I suggested traveling down with her. (Florida in February from Ohio? A chance to get another Disney fix less than a year after our last trip? SUCH a sacrifice for me, let me tell you!) She is starting to have a little trouble getting around physically, and she did not relish the idea of being in the midst of cheerleaders the whole weekend! Once I got the idea in my head, of course I wasn't going to let it go, especially after Grandma came up with the idea of taking my son Peter along as kind of an early graduation present. Peter loves WDW as much as I do, so it was just a matter of him deciding whether he wanted to miss 3 days of school. He is a great student, and the timing worked out well, at the beginning of a quarter and all his classes just starting to gear up to prepare for AP tests in May. So he decided to go for it! Now we had to tell his brother (Tim, 15) and sister (Claire, 12). They were fine with the idea…as long as we promised senior trips for them, too!

I got online and found $148 AirTran fares, and then I called Shades of Green (DH is retired military). They're still putting up SoG guests at the Contemporary, where we had stayed in March and loved it. But I wasn't too broken up when they said they were full, because I really wanted to try something new, especially since I would be splitting the room with my mom, so we could splurge a little. I was offered CBR and CS for $69, I think, and AKL for $124. We had visited AKL on the previous trip, and I never thought I could afford to stay there, so I jumped at the chance. The atmosphere is just so unique, I knew we had to try it. We wouldn't have the full week we like to have (we were flying down Fri and home on Tues), but we just said we would enjoy what we were able to do and not worry about what we could not find time for, especially at Grandma's pace some of the time ?.

FRIDAY, 2/6
We were scheduled to fly from Dayton through Atlanta to MCO, arriving at 4:30 pm, but the weather in Atlanta was pretty lousy, so everything was delayed. Peter rolled his eyes at the hordes of cheerleaders on our flights, but they really weren't too annoying. We ended up arriving at MCO about 6:15 pm, when we were met by our courteous, professional Cartier towncar driver. It turned out our luggage had caught an earlier flight than we did, something we discovered when we went down to baggage claim to find it in a pile in the corner by the carrousel, totally unattended. That was unnerving, but we grabbed it and waited for our driver to get his car. Before he left to get the car, he made sure to tell us that if someone came up and told us they were supposed to give us a ride, we should not take them up on it! I guess some drivers try to nab others' fares. Anyway, we were in for the first wonderful surprise of the trip, when he pulled up in a white stretch limo! After a day of crowded airports and delays, it was a very nice, relaxing journey to AKL. The Cartier fare was $85 round trip, plus a $10 tip each leg.

Our second nice surprise was when we checked in. We knew from our previous visit that arriving at the AKL is a great sensory experience, between the sight of the amazing lobby, the smells, the music…it is an amazing place, the best themed of all the resorts, in our opinion. There was no line at check in, something I was worried about on a Friday evening, and the CM was very welcoming. I had written a letter to guest services at the resort a few weeks ago, asking for a room relatively close to the lobby because my mother has trouble walking far distances. With the SoG rate, we were only entitled to a standard view room, but we were given room 3427, which we thought was a wonderful location (not far from either the lobby or the elevator to get down to Mara) and best of all was a savannah view room! I was not counting on that at all, and it was wonderful waking up in the morning and looking out to see zebras, wildebeest, ankole cattle, and elands.

Our plan this first evening was to have Mom stay at the resort and relax and recover from the journey, while Peter and I went to the Contemporary to buy park passes at the SoG ticket office and have dinner at O'Hana's. Our late arrival meant my plan to watch Wishes from the Contemporary or the Poly wouldn't work out, but I knew that might happen, so it wasn't that big a deal. All that mattered was that we had arrived! We all went down to Mara to get Mom some dinner and all of us refillable mugs. We enjoy these as souvenirs, and consider the drinks in them while we are at the resorts as a bonus! Mom got settled in (she got a pizza and some fruit), and Peter and I decided to take either the Epcot or MK bus, whichever came first. Yes, it would be longer to go to Epcot and take the monorail over, but I admit it, we're weirdos, we LOVE the monorail. Peter has the model, knows all the colors, etc., etc., so we did not complain when the Epcot bus showed up first. We enjoyed the journey and got to the Contemporary at 8:30 or so. Peter hung out on the concourse while I schlepped over to the ticket office to get us 3-day Stars and Stripes passes (the military version of UPH or length of stay passes, $158 each), and a one day pass for my mom, since she only had 2 days left on her old hopper. I was glad I knew where the ticket office was, off in a room in the garden wing, because it is not well labeled until you are right on top of it. Then it was off to the Poly to see if we could get into O'Hana's. I had not made a PS since I knew flights would be unpredictable, but we were seated in just a few minutes anyway. A little aside about our "dining philosophy" this trip: Peter is a relatively sophisticated eater who enjoys nice restaurants. When we go to WDW with the entire family, those get expensive, so we enjoy them sparingly. But this visit, with just 2 or 3 of us, our goal was to try places we had never been before, and it turned out to be a great decision, adding much enjoyment to our trip. We absolutely LOVED O'Hana's. For those who have not been, it is a family style dinner, about $24/person, which includes coffee, tea, sodas, or fruit juice. You are started with warm rolls flavored with banana, then the starters are brought out. Honey coriander chicken wings, shrimp and vegetable wontons, green beans, salad with honey lime dressing, and fried rice -- the rice was just okay, but the rest was fantastic. After you have a good start on those, the server brings over long skewers of barbecued meats -- turkey, steak, shrimp, and pork, and you can have as much of any as you like. The dipping sauces (peanut, cilantro ginger, and fruit sauce) were all good and added so much flavor. We decided not to add an extra dessert (about $5 more), and I am very glad, because as the crowning touch to a wonderful meal, the server brings fresh pineapple chunks and warm caramel sauce to dip them in. Heavenly! We will absolutely make this a family tradition, especially with the welcoming atmosphere (O'Hana DOES mean family, after all, as any good Lilo fan knows!). After dinner it was a little after 10:00, so we knew our only hope to avoid the nightmare Downtown Disney bus routine was to get to Epcot soon. Our karma must have been good this evening, because we walked over to the TTC to catch the monorail to Epcot and made the very last AKL bus of the night from there, about 10:30. Sometimes, life is just too good for words, you know? ? We settled into the room for a great night's sleep, looking forward to our favorite park tomorrow…Epcot!

SATURDAY, 2/7
We had brought a few breakfast bars and things for most mornings, so since I was the first one up about 7:00, I took the mugs down to Mara to get tea for everyone, as well as a little fruit and some cereal and milk for my mom. Cheap meal! We ate out on our balcony, watching the animals…what a treat. Yesterday had been a record-setting 85 degrees, and it was still nice, but they were calling for the possibility of a few showers this morning and cooler temps. I had picked up a couple of ponchos at the SoG shop the night before (I like the SoG ponchos because it's so easy to spot my "green" family in the sea of "yellow" people when it rains!). Well, Peter had to point out to me that the only way it would NOT rain was if I actually CARRIED the ponchos to the park, so I threw them in the backpack and off we went. (For the record, it did NOT rain at all that trip, so anyone who was there can thank ME for that preventative measure!) Anyway, we decided to hit Epcot first, as that is our favorite park and Mom would use her one day, one park pass there. We met my sister Carol there, because the cheerleaders were practicing all morning, so she had the free time to come over. We had decided to rent Mom a wheelchair at most parks, as her pace is very slow and she would be exhausted at the end of the day if we did not. It worked out well. For the most part we parked it outside attractions and she just walked in, but it was nice to have. The first thing we did was go to get fastpasses for Mission Space, which was not open when we were there last March. We did Energy, a family favorite, before our MS time. Carol, Peter, and I all loved MS. It's such a unique attraction. I had purposefully not done a lot of research about it, because I like to be surprised. After that we got FP's for test track before heading over to Ice Station Cool and the Land. We rode the boat there and then did TT before Carol had to leave. By this time world showcase was open, so after grabbing a couple more FP's for MS, we strolled over there to look around and go to Chefs de France for lunch. I bought Tim the third Off Kilter CD (Celtic Armadillo) on our way through Canada. He has been a big fan of theirs since our visit in 2000, and this past spring he got their second CD and had the band sign it and had his picture taken with Jamie. I would have watched them and had them sign this one, as well, but I knew they were off on Sat, so I just got the CD. Anyway, we were seated almost immediately for lunch, and we all ordered the classic lunch of French onion soup, ham and cheese sandwich with salad, and crème brulee ($15 each). The sandwich was fine, and the rest was marvelous. Our service here and at EVERY meal was fantastic this trip. With drinks and tip, the bill was $60, a bit high for lunch, but worth it. After lunch we strolled back toward MS, and Peter and I enjoyed our second "mission" even more than the first. We even survived without an engineer, because the woman who was supposed to be there chickened out! I talked to the CM at the exit for a while, and she explained that the people who get sick are usually people who look around or close their eyes, because the visual inputs from the screen are what "trick" your body into thinking you are pulling g's or whatever, and not just spinning, which can lead to motion sickness. Anyway, we think it's a great attraction. We decided to head back to AKL for a break in the afternoon before coming back for dinner and Illuminations.

At the Lodge I went for a short swim. It was cool, but the water was fine, and I also spent some time in one of the hot tubs. There are lovely, set among the vegetation and in spots where you can see the animals. Peter and my mom just relaxed in the room and the wonderful lobby. It was starting to get quite cool and breezy by the time we headed back to Epcot, and the weather report was calling for temps dipping down close to 40, so we took a couple extra layers with us. When we got there we picked up another wheelchair (no extra charge if you save your receipt from that day, even if you change parks) and worked our way around the world showcase. We rode El Rio de Tiempo in Mexico and watched the acrobats in China, then Mom and I did American Adventure. I was sorry the Voices of Liberty were off on Saturdays, but as I said earlier, our attitude was that we would enjoy whatever we did and not worry about the things we couldn't do or didn't have time for. Peter finds AA a bit too sappy (I love it and cry every time, but to each his own!) so he wandered a bit and planned to meet us at Canada for dinner. We were seated at Le Cellier within about 15 minutes at 6:45, without a PS. Our server, Emily, was so wonderful. Peter and I ordered cheese soup, which we both enjoyed, and the three of us split two entrees, the prime rib and the pasta with scallops and shrimp, with a side of asparagus. It was all wonderful, including all three kinds of breadsticks. Dinner for the 3 of us was $55 with tip. After dinner, it was getting so cold that Mom decided to skip Illuminations and head back to AKL. There was no way Peter and I would skip it, so we shopped and wandered. We love the shop in Japan; I got Bruce (my wonderfully tolerant DH) some rice candy there, which he loves. There were not nearly the crowds we expected staking out spots to watch Illuminations, probably because of the cold, so we were able to nab a wonderful spot on the bridge between the UK and France at 8:40. As we waited and talked, it just hit me what a great opportunity this was to spend time together in such a wonderful place. Peter is a great kid, and I will miss him when he heads off to college next year, but he is SO ready to step out and accomplish things that I'll be happy to send him on his way. Illuminations, especially, is a bonding experience for the two of us. We got the CD in 2000, so we have the music engraved in our memories. On our trip last spring, he and I managed to see it 3 times. So even though we shivered as we talked, it was a wonderful night. When the narration began and the torches were "blown" out, I got chills that had nothing to do with the temperature. We enjoyed every second of the show, and as has become our personal tradition, when it was over we slowly walked the long way around the world showcase, to savor the experience and to listen to the Tapestry music as well. (We mourn the passing of that parade…I hope they bring back something similar some day.) We browsed a bit in Mousegear before heading to the AKL bus. The other advantage to taking our time in a leisurely park exit is the lack of crowds at the bus stop. We were still in bed by 11, thinking about a great Boma breakfast in the morning.

SUNDAY, 2/8
We had decided to do one bigger breakfast on our trip, and what better place to enjoy it than at Boma, right in our resort. We made 7:30 PS's, but would have been fine without them, I think. Our server was wonderful, explaining some of the African choices and recommending the house juice blend, which is included in the buffet price ($15/person). It was delicious, a combination of 5 juices -- I think orange, pineapple, lemonade, papaya, and guava. The food was amazing. I had lots of fresh fruit, including some wonderful strawberries and melon, and the vegetable breakfast pizza. There is an omelet bar where the chef will make any combination you wish. I had a delicious one with grilled veggies, mushrooms, tomatoes, and cheddar and swiss cheese. I tried the bobotie and wasn't too crazy about it, but I've never really liked corned beef, but Peter and I both enjoyed the quinoa porridge -- a little like oatmeal, but with its own unique flavor. Our server said it was high in protein, so we may have to look for it to have at home. I sprinkled brown sugar and a few raisins as well as some of the toasted quinoa on top. We all ate until we were stuffed, planning to eat a light lunch!After breakfast we hopped on the AK bus. My mom had never been there, and Peter and I enjoy the park very much. It would not be a vacation destination by itself, but it has such a different feel from any of the other parks and a handful of wonderful attractions. We only had a few hours there, as we wanted to go to Molly's cheer competition in the afternoon, but I'm so glad we went. When we got there, we got a wheelchair and headed straight for the safari. Even though it seemed as if everyone had the same idea, it was still a very short wait. We had a great safari. It was very cool (temp in the low 40's, wind chill a bit lower than that), but beautifully clear, and the animals were terrific. Mom enjoyed it very much. After that and a walk through the pangiani forest trail, we went to the Legend of the Lion King, one of my favorite attractions anywhere. Such a great spectacle of music, color, dance, movement, and energy! It filled early, so I'm glad we headed there when we did. The show did have a bit of a "false start" when the mikes did not work at first, but then they restarted and it was wonderful, as always. They have enclosed the theater completely since the last time I was there, and on this cold morning that was a very good thing! My only complaint about this show is the horrible traffic pattern for the exiting crowd. There is so much congestion, especially with the rows and rows of strollers and wheelchairs. I'm not sure what the answer is, because I think the irregular, natural looking paths in AK add to its theming and appeal, but this can be quite annoying. So we just went to the restrooms to the left and waited for the crowd to die down a bit before finding the wheelchair and making our way to Tusker House for lunch. Last visit we had used the meal deal at AK and ate at Flame Tree, so we wanted to do something different. The meal deal is a great choice if you are going to be at the park most of the day (I think it's $12/adult, and you get a drink and entrée of your choice, plus a popcorn or ice cream and another drink later in the day), but since we knew we would be leaving soon, we just split a rotisserie chicken with mashed potatoes and green beans, a turkey wrap, and some corn chowder. The wrap was kind of mediocre, but the rest was very good. And lunch for the three of us was plenty after such a big breakfast, and it was only $18. After we ate we took Mom to the path around the tree of life to see the carvings. I love to see it, always finding something new. We strolled toward the exit to head to MGM. The weather was warming up quite a bit, turning into another beautiful day.Our plan was for Peter to wander at MGM while we went to the cheer competition. (He loves his cousin but just could not see spending a few hours listening to cheerleaders scream when he could be at the parks…and Molly had given him full absolution!) The only bus to Wide World of Sports, where the competition for their division was being held, is from MGM, so we just went from one bus to the other. I would have loved to take Mom on the boat over to the Boardwalk area, but we just did not have the time this trip. The bus took a while to show up, but we were soon over at WWS. I had never been there; it is quite the complex. The stadium for the Braves' spring training games is nicer than many regular stadiums around the country, and the arena where the competition was being held was huge. We met up with my sister and wished the girls luck, then settled in to watch their division. It was great -- to me, it doesn't really matter what activity kids decide to get involved in, as long as they take part in SOMETHING bigger than themselves. They learn so many life lessons from being part of a team and having a goal. My boys have both been members of a competitive marching band, and I know that is true for them. Okay, off the soapbox and on to the cheering…lots of screaming, jumping, dance, and spirit later, the girls were happy with a fourth place finish and the knowledge they had done their best. It was now about 4:00, and our plan was to spend a couple hours at MGM before Carol, Mom and the team went to Rainforest Café for dinner, while Peter and I ate elsewhere at DD.Our main goal at MGM was to go to the last Millionaire show at 5:40. Carol and I love that attraction, and Mom wanted to see it on our recommendation. The first time I had seen it was at California Adventure in 2002, where I was lucky enough to get into the hot seat and make it to the 500,000 point question (I will ALWAYS remember that the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court was John Jay!). Last visit to MGM I had managed seventh, fifth, and second place listings on the top ten board. This time I only made it to eighth place once, but it was still a great show. The host was hilarious, and a 14 y.o. girl did great, making it to the 64,000 point question. After her was a 20-something man from Canada, who made it to 16,000, I think. The host was so funny with him. When he asked the guest what his favorite attraction on his trip was, he said Sea World. So of course the host said, "There are 4 parks here at WDW, and Sea World is NOT one of them…your questions just got a LOT harder!" After Millionaire we just did a quick run through the One Man's Dream display. I just felt the need to pay a tribute to the man who started it all!  Then I called Peter on his cell phone and we made plans to meet at Fulton's. He had had a great afternoon, doing R&R Coaster and couple other things at MGM before taking a break at AKL and then going back to Epcot for another ride on MS! By the way, we could not have done this trip the way we wanted without cell phones -- what a great invention! Transportation to DD is a bit frustrating, with no buses directly from the parks. So we went to CBR and hopped off at the first bus stop to wait for a DD bus. It did not take too long, though, and soon Peter and I were on the "boat," waiting just about 20 minutes for a table. This was our definite splurge dinner, since we both love lobster and crab. The crab dip they serve as a complimentary appetizer was great, as was the warm sourdough bread. Of course the lobster and crab was to die for! Dinner with tip was about $100, far from an everyday occurrence for us, but worth it. Our server, Stephanie, was French and just wonderful. After dinner we got a few souvenirs at World of Disney and Once Upon a Toy (love that store) before catching the bus back to AKL. Mom, Carol, and the girls had a great dinner at Rainforest, as well. We had one more day to enjoy!

MONDAY, 2/9
Finally it was time to go the MK! We had another light breakfast, with tea or hot chocolate in our mugs and breakfast bars with a little fruit from Mara. Peter and I also split one of the yogurt/granola cups, yummy. It was still a little cool but was supposed to be MUCH warmer today, with a high in the low 70's, so we were looking forward to that. We wanted to do Mickey's Philaharmagic first, as that was not open on our last visit. We got right in at the beginning of the show, and we all enjoyed it. Love the apple pie smell! I great little attraction, MUCH better than the Lion King show it replaced. After that it was off to Tomorrowland, where we met Carol for a couple hours. We rode Space Mountain once with a short wait, and then got FP's for later, as well. After that we were happy to see Carousel of Progress was open, so we enjoyed that. It is an old family favorite from 26 years ago, so it has definite sentimental value! Then it was a spin around TTA before getting FP's for Buzz Lightyear. We rode SM again with the fastpasses, and then we had a few minutes to kill before our Buzz time, so we did TTA again! This is just a relaxing, nostalgic little ride, and it's a chance to talk. We even took Grandma on Buzz. She was hilarious, only got 1000 points but had a great time. She's already talking about doing better "next time"! After that it was time for Carol to leave to join the girls, so the three of us walked her out and then went to Tony's Town Square restaurant for lunch. What a lovely experience! Yet more wonderful service, and a great meal. Peter got the Pizza Bianca, and Mom and I split a salad and the Pasta al Forno. The atmosphere here is so relaxing and pretty, we would highly recommend it. Lunch with tip was $40. It was now turning into an absolutely gorgeous day, warm and sunny. We left the park to go to the Contemporary to use the business center to check in for our flight and print out boarding passes. Not vital to do, but if it's convenient, it sure makes things easier later. It is a bit of a trek to get to the business center, since it is out in the convention center part, but the staff was helpful and it didn't take too long. After that we decided to show Mom the GF and relax there a little while. She found a cabana on the beach for a little doze (yes, I have a picture!), while Peter and I just walked a bit and enjoyed the sun and the atmosphere. I'm not sure I would stay here (even if I COULD afford it!), because it seems just a bit "stuffy", but it IS a truly lovely place.

We wanted to get back to the MK in time for the parade, because Mom wanted to watch that while Peter and I rode rides. We got back and got Mickey ice cream bars before we found Mom a spot to watch in Liberty Square. I hate fighting the crowds at parade time, but Peter and I managed to make our way through to get FP's for BTMRR. The return time for Splash was much later, and the standby time was 65 minutes (we just don't do anything over about 15 without a FP), so we just watched the end of the parade and then went to get FP's for Jungle Cruise before going to collect Mom. We have found that although the official written policy about FP's is that you can only hold one at a time, and you can get a new one at the start of your return time or two hours later, whichever comes first, there are certain attractions the system lets you "double up" on. So it's always worth just sticking your pass in the machine and seeing what comes out! We took Mom to Pirates first. She wasn't crazy about the long walk into the ride, but we loved the movie and enjoy this attraction, so we wanted to do it. After that Peter and I did Thunder with a very short wait thanks to FP (standby was 45 min), and then we were off to Jungle Cruise. The posted standby time was 15 minutes, but the queues were totally full with post-parade crowds, so I'm sure it was much longer than that, so this was a great ride to have a FP for. It was a walk-on for us, and our intrepid river guide was great. We don't go often enough to know ALL the jokes, so it was fun. We followed this with Haunted Mansion and a natural last stop, Small World. Can't leave the MK without that! Mom was getting tired, so she wanted to head back to AKL to pack and relax, just catching dinner at Mara. My original plan was to stay at MK for Wishes, but it was 5:30, there really wasn't much else we really wanted to do at the MK, we had an 8:00 PS at Boma which we did NOT want to miss, and I had had very little time at MGM. So Peter and I hopped on the monorail and got right on an MGM bus. We got there an hour before closing and went straight to Tower of Terror, which was only about a 15 minute wait. Great ride, very long drop sequence. Some horrible dad made his SCREAMING daughter, who was only about 4, go on it with him and his older daughter, who was about 7. By the end of the ride, they were both crying hysterically, and he was laughing. Argh, some parents. Those poor girls will NEVER enjoy that ride, poor things, they seemed so traumatized. Anyway, we followed that with a great ride on R&R Coaster before closing time. A perfect end to a great park day! We got back to AKL in plenty of time to refresh a bit before our Boma time. The dinner was a fitting end to our culinary adventures, as well. We tried everything! It's about $24/person, which includes non-alcoholic drinks. I had a South African lager which was quite tasty. Favorites for us on the buffet were the soups and stews, fufu (sweet potato dish), spiced roasted chicken, prime rib, and just about all of the desserts, especially pineapple cheesecake and zebra domes. With drink and tip it was $63. After dinner it was time to pack and savor our last night in such a wonderful resort.

TUESDAY, 2/10
We had the same Cartier driver on the way to the airport, although he just had a regular towncar this time, no stretch limo! He was on time, and it was an uneventful trip home. I'm not sure when we'll get back, but I know we will sometime!

SUE'S TOP TEN (for this visit, anyway):

10. MICKEY'S PHILHARMAGIC -- A great 3-D experience, with wonderful music and few nice little effects. The transitions between scenes are not exactly smooth, but who cares?

9. CHEFS de FRANCE, TONY'S TOWN SQUARE, LE CELLIER -- I grouped these together as wonderfully pleasant dining experiences, not too expensive, with warm, hospitable atmospheres and very good food. All of these places were very happy to allow us to share entrees, something we love to do when we have to way to take leftovers home!

8. LEGEND of THE LION KING -- A must see for me every visit. Great music, dance, color, rhythm, a real feast for the eyes and ears. If they could just fix the congestion of the exiting crowd….

7. RESORT HOPPING -- Even though we did not have enough time to do much of this on this trip, it is so much fun to me to visit WDW resorts, even ones I would never stay at due to cost or my own personal preference. Even using all the Disney transportation options to get to the resorts can be relaxing if you are not too "Type A" about it; we love a nice boat ride when we have time. And the best part -- it's FREE!

6. O'HANA's -- what a wonderful experience, both for the atmosphere and even moreso the food. We will definitely be back here.

5. BOMA -- see O'HANA's! I mean, where else can you try African foods as well as familiar favorites in such a unique environment?

4. MISSION SPACE -- If you can handle it physically, it's a very original, enjoyable attraction.

3. ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE -- Even if you do not stay here, take the time to visit. It is incredibly themed, a total sensory experience and an escape from the bustle of the parks. I would definitely stay here again.

2. FASTPASS -- We are spoiled by this, so much so that we refuse to wait more than 15 minutes for anything! It takes a little planning, but it is SO worth it. Know when you go to a park what you want to do and which attractions have FP, and plan accordingly.

1. ILLUMINATIONS -- I can't imagine this ever not being #1 on my list. Some of that is just family sentiment, but it is just such a wonderful spectacle to end a WDW day.

BOTTOM LINE:

Our share of an AKL room : $277
Towncar transportation: $105
Park tickets: $316
8 wonderful meals for 2: $411
Souvenirs: $80
Flights: $370
Escape from reality and shared family time: PRICELESS

I hope everyone enjoyed my very long TR. I know I will be happy to have it for all the memories!

Sue Guindon

BSPTC@aol.com

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