Trip Reports

• Time of Year: Summer
• Travel Method: Train, Rental Car
• Resort: Caribbean Beach Resort
• Accommodations: Standard Room
• Ages Represented in Group: Adult
• WDW Experience Represented in Group: Veteran, Frequent
• Comments: Michel is an avid WDW veteran. Now, Andy is becoming one (two trips with Michele already). This time, they took Amtrak down to Florida, then spent a couple weeks scouring the area. The report was actually written during the trip, so it has a fun "you are there" feeling to it.

Finally squelching the procrastination that kept this from being posted, we finally share our memories from last summer's belated honeymoon trip to Walt Disney World.

My hubby and I keep a journal of our travels, and frequently pass the book back and forth in a he said / she said experience. I grew up with WDW; this is Andy's second trip. The transcription is exactly as it was written-unfortunately you will just have to imagine our illustrations.

To keep the true flavor, all Andy's comments are upper case, mine are lower case. Hope all enjoy it-TDC Pooh Peon

OUR HONEYMOON

OUR THEME (AND DON'T KID YOURSELF THAT IT'S NOT): DISNEY WORLD! (LET'S FACE IT FOLKS, IF I DIDN'T WRITE IT, MICHELE DEFINITELY WOULD!)

1:35PM AUGUST 19, 1996 -- DISNEY/MGM

WE ARE SITTING IN THE PRIME TIME CAFE WAITING FOR OUR TABLE. THE PRIMETIME IS LIKE THE SET OF 50'S TV SERIES WITH VINYL AND CHEAP FORMICA AS THE DECORATING THEMES. THERE ARE NUMEROUS OLD TV'S PLAYING SHORT CLIPS OF CLASSIS TV SHOWS (LIKE THE READER'S DIGEST VERSION OF NICK AT NITE). BUT THE KICKER IS THE STAFF. THE WAITER IS OUR BROTHER (OR SISTER), DAD'S THE COOK AND MOM'S THE MAITRE'D. THE FUN PART IS THAT MOM LOOKS YOUNGER THAN ME. WHAT KINDA FAMILY IS THIS?

MICHELE, BY THE WAY, WANTS TO MISBEHAVE SO THEY'LL MAKE HER STAND IN THE CORNER...HONEST!

2:35PM

WE'RE STANDING BY THE FERRY DOCK AT MGM. LAST TIME WE WERE HERE, THIS DIDN'T EXIST. NEITHER DID A LOT OF OTHER STUFF LIKE THE BOARDWALK, YACHT AND BEACH RESORT, ETC. IT MAKES IT FUN TO EXPLORE. FERRY'S COMING. MORE LATER.

6:30PM CARIBBEAN BEACH

WE'VE JUST FINISHED CHOMPING DOWN SOME PIZZA WE ORDERED FROM ROOM SERVICE. HEY, SOMETIMES IT'S GOOD TO EAT CHEAP, EVEN ON VACATION. NOW THAT YOU KNOW WHERE WE ARE, LET ME TELL YOU HOW WE GOT HERE. FOR THIS TRIP, WE DECIDED TO TAKE A TRAIN. AFTER ALL, TRAINS ARE ROMANTIC (REMEMBER NORTH BY NORTHWEST?) AND CONSIDERABLY ROOMIER THAN AN AIRPLANE (SEE MY NOTES FROM OUR ENGLAND TRIP>) WE BOOKED A TRAIN TO FLORIDA WITH A SLEEPER CAR. WHEN WE BOARDED OUR TRAIN AT TRENTON, WE WALKED UP TO THIS BEAUTIFUL BRAND NEW SLEEPER...AS WE THEN CONTINUED TO...OUR..CAR...A 30 YEAR OLD DARK, CRAMPED THING...OUR CABIN, SMALLER THAN THE ONE WE HAD ON OUR CRUISE A WHILE AGO, HAD TWO FOLDING BUNKS, A FOLDOUT SINK AND A TOILET RIGHT THERE IN THE SAME ROOM. IF YOU DON'T KNOW YOUR TRAVEL PARTNER WHEN YOU GET ON, YOU WILL WHEN YOU GET OFF...REAL WELL! PLUS, WHEN WE SAT DOWN, THERE WAS NO LEGROOM! (editor's note: Andy is six foot - six inches tall>)

BUT NOT ALL WAS LOST. FIRST, THE TRAIN HAD A BAR CAR! THAT SOLD BEER FOR LESS THAN WHAT THE AIRLINES ASK AND HAD COMFORTABLE DINETTE SEATS NEXT TO BIG WINDOWS. (OUR CABIN DIDN'T HAVE A WINDOW. IT HAD SOMETHING THAT USED TO BE A WINDOW, BUT WAS NOW A SEMI-TRANSLUCENT PANEL). NEEDLESS TO SAY, WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME THERE.

THERE WAS ALSO A DINING CAR WHICH BOOKED UP SO FAST WE DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO TRY IT UNTIL THE NEXT MORNING. THE IRONIC THING IS WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET A 4:30PM DINNER RESERVATION, WHICH WE DECLINED BECAUSE WE WANTED TO EAT AT 5:30. HOWEVER, DUE TO A LOCOMOTIVE FAILURE (OURS) OUR TRAIN WAS DELAYED AN HOUR AND THE 4:30 DINNER WAS PUSHED TO 5:30. THEN ALL THE OTHER DINNER SPOTS WERE SNAPPE UP AND ALL WE COULD GET WAS LAST CALL, WHICH WAS AFTER WE WENT TO BED. SO WE HAD BREAKFAST THERE THE NEXT MORNING.

WE'RE OFF TO MARKETPLACE (OF COURSE). AND THEN PLEASURE ISLAND. 'TIL LATER.

20 August 1996 (Walt Disney World-Yeaaaaaaah!!!!)

Buffet breakfast at 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian. What a beautiful resort-now why couldn't we have our Wedding Reception here??? Well, at a very nicely done buffet (great view-we're right in front) we're being visited by all our old friends: Chip, Dale, Pluto and Goofy (who couldn't tell us how he has a son but isn't married). I'm wearing my "bride" mouse ears, and we're getting red carpet treatment and lots of good wishes. (I'm REALLY eating this up!) Big Bertha, some type of big european music box is playing caliope music to se the mood and Minnie Mouse just borrowed my pen to make an entry of her own (next page). Now off to the MAGIC KINGDOM!

2:10pm

Waiting in the lobby of the Country Bear Jamboree. It's raining out (but we're prepared with rain ponchos!) and thus EVERYONE wants in because its under cover. We're smart puppies and jumped on (an almost non-existant) line to wait it out. But-what the hey-if we're gonna get wet, might as well go ride Splash Mountain next!

2:45pm

Okay, I lied. On line at the Haunted Mansion. Sign says 45 minute wait, but the signs are known to be wrong. Luckily, everything we have been on so far, both here and in the other two parks, has been only with a minimum wait! This journal is a wonderful pastime to make the wait seem less. Went to Pleasure Island last night and had a ball at the Adventurers' Club (oops-slight pause to fill in the "dead space" (AH-hah-had-hah!!)

THEY ALSO ASKED THAT NO ONE SMOKE ON LINE. AFTER ALL, THAT STUFF'LL KILL YA. PLEASURE ISLAND IS NOTHING LIKE IT WAS THE LAST TIME WE WERE HERE. THEN, IT WAS AN OUTDOOR SHOPPING MALL. NOW, IT'S AN OUTDOOR NIGHTCLUB. THE STREETS HAVE STAGE LIGHTING AND A SOUND SYSTEM PUMPS HI-FIDELTY DJ MUSIC THROUGHOUT THE ISLAND. PLUS, THERE ARE BARS RIGHT ON THE STREET AND NO OPEN CONTAINER LAW!!

6:30pm-Whispering Canyon Cafe

I wanna ride the wooden horsey!!!!!

(BELIEVE IT OR NOT, IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A READ WOODEN HORSEY. YOU KNOW, THE KIND THAT'S A HORSE HEAD ON A POLE. SHE WANTS TO RIDE IT ALONG WITH THE 4-YEAR OLDS.)

They will let me ride the horse, however I'm unsure of the reaction i would get from the patrons-or Andy! We ended up eating here because all the sit down eateries at the Magic Kingdom have turned into $$$$$ character buffets. All we wanted was reasonably priced good food. So we took the motor launcg to the Wilderness Lodge-an amazing replica of a trun of the century national Park Lodge. Andy was awed, and it's nice to know that we have reservations to stay here in December!! Family style chicken, ribs, beef, lamb, smoked sausage, etc. (Yes, it is $18 each, but the way we ate it was worth it!) Two wonderful sauces: disney's Maple Garlic (on Baked Beans) and spicy Barbecue (on everything else!) Oink-oink-oink-oink-oinky-oink!! The wait staff ("everybody down here sounds just like you!") is a trip. Our waitress is Looney Lucy and everyone here has a gimmick-from a racoon topped hat-to a kid lasso-ing cowboy-to the "quick" waiter with a slow draw of a pink watergun. there are lincoln logs at the entrance and cherry cobbler for dessert. Yeah, Looney Lucy may just have to hose me down. This place is great!!

LET ME GET BACK TO PLEASURE ISLAND. OKAY, WE ALREADY KNOW YOU CAN DRINK IN THE STREET. YOU CAN ALSO DANCE IN THE STREET, WHICH USUALLY HAPPENS WHEN TYOU DO ENOUGH DRINKING. BUT LET'S TALK ABOUT THE CLUBS. THERE'S A 70'S DISCO THAT LOOKS MORE LIKE AND 80'S CLUB, A COUPLE OF OTHER DANCE PLACES AND THE ADVENTURER'S CLUB, WHICH IS KIND OF AN INTERACTIVE THEATER BAR, COMPLETE WITH AUDIO ANIMATRONICS. MY PARENTS WOULD LOVE IT. BUT THE COOLEST THING IS THE NEW YEARS CELEBRATION. EVERY NIGHT AT MIDNIGHT THEY CELEBRATE NEW YEARS COMPLETE WITH A BAND, FIREWORKS, AND ABOUT 2 TONS OF CONFETTI THAT COME FLYING OUT OF CANNONS AT THE STROKE OF MIDNIGHT. BOY IT MUST BE FUN TO CLEAN THAT UP EVERY MORNING. THEN AGAIN, THE MAGIC KINGDOM IS WORSE...THEY HAVE HORSE-DRAWN TROLLEYS.

BACK TO OUR NEW YEARS PARTY. AFTER MIDNIGHT, MICHELE AND I WALKED TO THE EXIT, AND WOUND UP PARTICIPATING IN AN IMPROMPTU RENDITION OF THE ELECTRIC SLIDE (REFER TO THE ENOUGH DRINKING PART ALREADY MENTIONED) ABSOLUTELY THE BEST NIGHTCLUB I'VE EVER BEEN TO!

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 21 --DISNEY MARKETPLACE

TODAY WE MARK 22 MONTHS OF WEDDED BLISS. (AGAIN, IF I DIDN'T MENTION IT, MICHELE WOULD). WE ARE SITTING IN THE RAINFOREST CAFE. TYPICAL TO DISNEY, THIS PLACE IS PRETTY EXTREME. THE OUTSIDE HAS AUDIOANIMATRONIC ANIMALS AND A VOLCANO THAT ERUPTS EVERY NOW AND THEN. INSIDE, THERE IS THE GIFT SHOP (OF COURSE) AND THE MOST AMBITIOUS INDOOR AS OUTDOOR DECORATION SCHEME I'VE EVER SEEN. WITH FAKE FLORA COVERING EVERY SURFACE, INDOOR WATERFALLS AND FOUNTAINS, A SKYLIGHT SHOWING A FAUX STRFIELD, COMPLETE WITH SHOOTING STARS. pLUS, ANIMALS THAT OCCASIONALLY MAKE NOISE AND MOVE (YES, THEY'RE FAKE) AND THUNDERSTORMS (YOU HEAR THUNDER, STROBES FLASH AND THE LIGHTS DIM) THAT HAPPEN ABOUT AS OFTEN AS THE REAL LONES OUTSIDE (THAT IS TO SAY, EVERY 10 MINUTES) tHE ONLY THING BETTER IS IF IT REALLY RAINED ALL OVER THE TABLES. NOW *THAT* WOULD BE REALISTIC.

Lesson learned during this lunch: 1-- order ONE appetiser 2 -- share that appetiser 3 -- then and ONLY then decide if we need more to eat. Case in point: Andy ordered a pasta entree and I ordered a flatbread appetiser (serves 2 - 4) Flatbread was the equilivant of a 16" cheese pizza! Andy halped, but alas, there was food left over and no room for a Monkey business dessert (coconut bread pudding-Yuuum!) So my best guess is that we'll have to come back for dessert and more of Andy's creme de menthe/oreo/whipped cream, chocolate chip and more alcohol drink. (a speckled grasshopper!) Oh, the things we must do to remain epicureans! this morning we took a tour of the Disney vacation Resort, Old Key West. We told the cast members that we were interested in it purely from (oooh! another rainforest thunderstorm!) the perspective of seeing the floor plans for future rentals.

August 22, 2:30pm --Waiting for lunch at the Sci-Fi Drive-In

We took the nside animation tour at MGM this morning-we'll soon be switching to Andy for details. But first-an update on yesterday... We spent the afternoon doing nothing more strenuous than walking around Fort Wilderness and relaxing at its watering hole (the alcoholic kind- not to be confused with river Country!) Good thing the afternoon was laid back because we spent the evening at the Backyard Barbecue-an all-you-can=eat spread of hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken, ribs, etc. AND all the beer and wine one can drink! This was coupled with a Country And Western Band.

THE BAND WAS GOOD AND CAME COMPLETE WITH A LINE DANCING INSTRUCTOR WHO GAVE US A FEW LESSONS AND TURNED US LOOSE ON THE DANCE FLOOR. TROUBLE WAS, THERE WERE SO MANY OF US OUT THERE WEAVING, BOBBING AND OCCASIONALLY COLLIDING THAT IT BEGAN TO LOOK LIKE THE LONG ISLAND EXPRESSWAY (WITH ABOUT THE SAME NUMBER OF DRUNKS). AS MENTIONED BEFORE, WE WENT ON AN ANIMATION TOUR. SOME HIGHLIGHTS:

1. THE REALIZATION THAT OUR GUIDE WAS ORIGINALLY FROM WAYNE AND ONE OF THE OTHER GUESTS LIVED IN CLIFTON. THIS STARTED A CONVERSATION THAT GAVE THE REST OF OUR HAPLESS TOUR GROUP AN IMPROMPTU UPDATE ON THE TOPOGRAPHY OF NORTHERN NEW JERSEY. LIKE IT OR NOT.
2. "MY MICHELE, YOU DO KNOW QUITE A BIT ABOUT DISNEY, DON'T YOU???" -- QUOTE FROM NANCY, OUR TOUR GUIDE
3. A WALK THROUGH THE BACKSTAGE AREA. WE GOT TO SEE THE UNSEEN PARTS OF RIDES (LIKE THE PLAIN WHAREHOUSE LOOKING PORTION OF THE HOLLYWOOD TOWER PLUS A HUGE POWER TRANSFER STATION (THIS PLACE DOESN'T RUN ON HAMPSTERS, AFTER ALL!) i ASKED IF THE TRANSFORMER WAS ONE OF THE RIDES.
4. COLORING IN OUR OWN ANIMATION CELL. VERY SLOW. NOW I CAN SEE WHY IT TAKES FOUR YEARS TO MAKE A MOVIE. YOW!

THAT'S IT. NO MORE HIGHLIGHTS. MOVE ALONG, NOTHING TO SEE HERE.

AUGUST 24, 1996 CARIBBEAN BEACH

TODAY WAS AN EPCOT DAY, STARTING OFF WITH A HIDDEN TREASURES TOUR WHICH SHOWED SOME OF THE INSIDE VIEWS OF WORLD SHOWCASE. IT WAS INFORMATIVE, FUN, BUT A LITTLE HOT (FLORIDA IN AUGUST, AFTER ALL).

AFTER THAT, WE HAD LUNCH AT THE TAKE OUT RESAURANT IN JAPAN. PRETTY CHEAP BY DISNEY STANDARDS, THOUGH THE BEER WAS EXPENSIVE.

THEN WE WENT ON THE RIDES (OR WHAT PASSES FOR RIDES IN EPCOT) WHICH HAD *NO LINES!!* JUST WALK UP AND SIT DOWN. IT REMINDED ME OF WHEN WE WENT ON A NEAR DESERTED SPLASH MOUNTAIN (IN DISNEYLAND) FIVE TIMES IN A ROW, HOPING TO GET A GOOD PICTURE.

AT 3:30PM WE WENT TO THE ROSE AND CROWN (THE BRITISH PUB) FOR TEA (THREE GUESSES WHO'S IDEA THAT WAS!) IT WAS NICE, WITH TEA (OF COURSE) SCONES, LITTLE SANDWICHES, AND JELLIES ALL SERVED ON *ROYAL DOULTON CHINA!* (YES, MICHELE WAS EXICTED!)

NOW WE'RE OFF TO FIND SOME SUPPLIES AND GET DINNER, THIS TIME IN ORLANDO PROPER.

August 25, 1996 (A toast to 39 years of marriage to my parents)

5:12pm drinks at the California Cafe on the 15th floor of the contemporary Resort. Can life get more perfect than relaxing in a lounge chair with a pina colada overlooking the Magic Kingdom and the Seven Seas Lagoon?? (I'm at Walt Disney World!! I'm at Walt Disney world!!) This morning, after banana french toast and Protestant church service at the Polynesian, we went to the magic Kingdom. Once there, we headed for Splash Mountain, which was experiencing technical difficulties when we arrived. But a wait with no line is better than a wait on line, so we stayed and conversed with the cast members. A short time later the ride was back in service, with me leading the line stampede singing "Everybody's got a laughing place!"-much to Andy's (and the crowd's ) amusement.

AUGUST 26, 1996, 8:40PM

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

TODAY WE MET OUR FRIEND SEAN'S MOM FOR LUNCH AT THE BOARDWALK AND HAD A GREAT TIME TALKING ABOUT THEIR CLAN, DISNEY FACTOIDS AND HOW GOD-AWFUL THAT CASTLE LOOKED-THE FIRST TIME WE WERE ABLE TO GET A DISNEY EMPLOYEE TO ADMIT THAT.

THEN IT WAS OFF TO BLIZZARD BEACH FOR SOME FROLICKING IN THE CONCRETE SNOW. (FOR THE UNINITIATED, BLIZZARD BEACH IS A WATER PARK THEMED AFTER A MELTING SKI LODGE.) TO TELL THE TRUTH, IT DID LOOK PRETTY AUTHENTIC. I ACTUALLY FELT COLD (AT LEAST A LITTLE) WHEN I GOT THERE. WE WENT ON A GRAND TOTAL OF THREE SLIDES WHEN IT STARTED TO RAIN. SO WE DUCKED INTO THE WAVE POOL TO KEEP WARM, AT LEAST UNTIL LIGHTNING FORCED US OUT OF THE POOL AND UNDER A GAZEBO-LIKE SHELTER. WE SAT AND WATCHED IT RAIN FOR ABOUT HALF AND HOUR BEFORE GIVING UP.

IT'S NOW 9:00PM AND IT'S STILL RAINING. I DON'T THINK PLEASURE ISLAND IS IN OUR PLANS TONIGHT.

I JUST NOTICED A LITTLE KID WALK BY WITH HIS T-SHIRT PULLED UP OVER HIS HEAD. HE LOOKED LIKE BEAVIS..."I AM ******LIO...I NEED TEEPEE FOR MY ***"! (Webmaster's note: if you don't know what the asterisks are for, good.)

August 27, 1996 12:20pm

Lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe at Universal studios (except I'm not hungry!!). This looks like all the other Hard Rocks, and I personally prefer the one in New York. The crowd at Universal is a misnomer. We toured 2/3 of the park and have only been here since 9:00am. (After a cheap-Yeaaah! -- breadfast at the Waffle House!)

August 29, 1996 1:45pm Hall of the Presidents

Andy went off to check the pictures of the Presidents (I wonder if the next time we're here if Bob Dole will be on the wall??) We had breakfast this morning at King Stephen's Banquet Hall in Cinderella Castle. I've waited 23 years to get inside the castle and relished every minute of it. (Except the crane right outside our window seat -candy pieces were added to the castle last night-ugh!) At least the interior wasn't pink! One waiter-who diplomatically expressed his opinion mentioned that he could now tell people he worked in a pink castle. Considering the tights he was wearing-he should watch what he says!

2:30pm

Staking out a shady seat in Frontierland right where the Mickey mania parade comes onstage in about 30 minutes! (A shady spot because I'm still hurting a little from the sun I got yesterday when we rented water sprites from the Wilderness Lodge marina) We learned about this spot when we took the Keys to the Kingdom Tour this morning. The Keys: show, courtesy, efficiency and safety. This tour was great AND it was semi-private: we only had to share the tour guide with one other couple (from New Jersey as well).

I DON'T KNOW WHAT MICHELE DEFINES AS SHADY, BUT THIS DOESN'T FIT MY DESCRIPTION. THE PARADE WAS A TYPICAL DISNEY PARADE. LOTS OF MUSIC TAILORED FOR EACH FLOAT AND CHOREOGRAPHY AND ORGANIZATION UNHEARD OF ANYWHERE ELSE. TYPICAL.

AUGUST 31, 1996 -- EPCOT AREA -- 6:25PM

WE'RE SITTING ON THE BOARDWALK (DISNEY'S VERSION) WATCHING THE COMPANY CHRIS CRAFT (VINTAGE CHRIS CRAFT) SPEEDBOAT "BREATHLESS" SWISH BACK AND FORTH ACROSS THE LAKE IN FRONT OF US. WE WENT ON A CRUISE ON HER LAST WEEK. MORE ABOUT THAT LATER. SINCE IT LOOKS LIKE RAIN, AND WE'RE OUTSIDE, I'LL HAVE TO FINISH THAT THOUGHT LATER.

10:15pm

We made it to our sleeper cabin on Amtrak.

SEPTEMBER 1, 1996 11:20AM -- SOMEWHERE IN VIRGINIA

HELLO FROM THE SLEEPER CABIN. IT'S THE SAME TYPE AS LAST TIME, BUT AT LEAST THE SEATS ARE A LITTLE MORE COMFORTABLE. AND WE KNEW WHAT TO EXPECT, UNLIKE THE WAY DOWN. HOPEFULLY, WE'LL BE IN TRENTON BY 5PM AND HOME BY 8. DURING BREAKFAST THIS MORNING, THE TRAIN RIDE GOT SO BUMPY OUR COFFEE BEGAN SLOSHING OUT OF ITS CUPS AND ONTO OUR LAPS. KINDA LIKE EATING DURING AN EARTHQUAKE.

NOW LET'S RECAP SOME PARTS OF OUR VACATION NOT MENTIONED BEFORE BECAUSE WE WERE TOO BUSY DOING IT TO WRITE ABOUT IT:

• BLIZZARD BEACH: YOU HEARD ABOUT THE FIRST VISIT, WHICH WAS A LITTLE ABBREVIATED. WE WENT AGAIN WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND STAYED TIL CLOSING, TRYING JUST ABOUT EVERY SLIDE EXCEPT THE SUMMIT PLUMMIT. MY FAVORITE WAS AN ENCLOSED PIPE TUBE SLIDE. THE SPACE MOUNTAIN OF WATER SLIDES, IF YOU WILL. ONE OF THE GUIDE BOOKS DESCRIBED IT AS LIKE BEING FLUSHED DOWN A TOILET. i DISAGREE, AND BESIDES, HOW DO THEY KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE FLUSHED DOWN THE TOILET?? ANOTHER BLIZZARD BEACH FEATURE WAS A SLOW MOVING RIVER ENCIRCLING THE PARK THAT YOU COULD FLOAT AROUND ON INNER TUBES. PART OF ITS WINDING PATH WENT THROUGH AN ICE CAVE (REMEMBER THE PARK'S THEME) THAT DRIPPED ACTUALLY FREEZING COLD WATER (WELL, POURED IS MORE LIKE IT) IN TRUE ROMANTIC FASHION, MICHELE AND I SPENT CONSIDERABLE TIME AND EFFORT TRYING TO PUSH EACH OTHER INTO THE ICE WATER. ISN'T THAT CUTE??
• WATER SPRITES. WE RENTED THESE ON THRUSDAY FROM THE WILDERNESS LODGE. THAT'S IT.
• THE "BREATHLESS" CRUISE. THIS WAS MY BIRTHDAY PRESENT, BY THE WAY. HEE, HEE! WHAT A BOAT! AS YOU READ BEFORE, THE BREATHLESS IS A VINTAGE CRIS CRAFT SPPEDBOAT. (IT'S ACTUALLY BUILT NEW OUT OF ORIGINAL PARTS BY CHRIS CRAFT. THEY MANAGED TO BUILD 35 LIKE HER BEFORE THE SUPPLY OF ORIGINAL PARTS RAN OUT) WE WENT ON THE FIREWORKS CRUISE THE FIRST THURSDAY OF OUR VACATION, WHICH CONSISTED OF A BLAST AROUND THE LAGOON, THEN OVER TO EPCOT TO WATCH ILLUMINATIONS. AFTERWARD, ANOTHER BLAST AROUND THE LAKE AND THEN BACK TO THE DOCK. HOWEVER OUR CRUISE WAS LIKE THE BONUS PACK...FIRST, WE GOT TO LEAVE 15 MINUTES EARLY SINCE THE BOAT DIDN'T NEED TO BE CLEANED FROM THE PREVIOUS CURISE. WE SPENT THAT TIME SCREAMING AROUND PERFORMING TIGHT TURNS AND OTHER SPRAY-SOAKING STUNTS LIKE A HIGH SPEED 180 DEGREE SPIN. WHEEEE! THE LAST TIME I HAD THIS MUCH FUN ON THE WATER WAS WITH A JET SKI. THE ONLY WAY IT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER IS IF I WAS ALLOWED TO PILOT HER. BUT ONLY ONE BREATHLESS AND AN ASKING PRICE OF ALMOST 100 GRAND, DISNEY PREFERRED TO HAVE A CAST MEMBER AT THE WHEEL. BESIDES, I NEVER WOULD HAVE TRIED THE STUNTS OUR DRIVER PULLED. NOT WITH A BOAT THAT RARE! BUT THINK OF WHAT A GREAT JOB OUR DRIVER HAD. "HERE TAKE OUR VINTAGE SPEEDBOAT OUT AND ENTERTAIN OUR GUESTS. HAVE FUN!" I WOULD LOVE THAT. AND YOU CAN BET OUR DRIVER DID. SO MUCH, IN FACT THAT HE LET US SAY OUT AN EXTRA HALF HOUR BECAUSE WE WERE ENJOYING OURSELVES SO MUCH. WE DEFINITELY TIPPED HIM WELL!

(I know this trip report was very different from the usual. We weren't writing for anyone but ourselves at the time, but had a lot of fun doing it. We hope some of RADP enjoyed our rambling. Our upcoming trip may (just may) fall more into the guidelines of a RADP trip report!!)

Michele and Andy Timm

mitshu1@aol.com (Mitshu1)

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