Trip Reports

Cast of Characters:

Me (Aisha Chandler); 25 yr old Adminsistrative Assistant
Pete; my 31 yr old boyfriend
Mom
Dad
Sasha (my 18 yr old brother and recent high school graduate; Congrats, Sash!!)
Just a little history on how this trip came to be:

For some time, our family had been wanting to take a vacation together, but really didn't quite know where to go. We had thrown around the thought of going to the Grand Canyon, San Francisco, the Napa Valley, Sedona, Arizona, and some other points in Northern California (we live in Los Angeles).

It was my idea that we go to WDW to celebrate Sasha's birthday (who would turn 18 July 27), and as a graduation present. Mom, Sasha, and I had gone in Aug '88 and Dad had gone in Dec '94. Then in July '96, I went again with Pete (his first time). Since this year was the 25th Anniversary, I thought it would be a good idea to see the changes and additions to DW. Mom didn't understand why I wanted to go AGAIN, and why I wanted to go in the summer, Sasha just wanted to go, as when we went the first time in '88, only the Magic Kingdom and Epcot were open.

When we finally got the time of year (summer) decided upon, (Mom didn't hesitate to grumble that she'd rather go in the fall), I set about making plans for the four of us (at this point) to go. When I finally decided upon the Wilderness Lodge (had stayed there when we went last July, and fell in love) for our party, I was told that Dad wanted to go, and I needed to rearrange the plans. So, after checking around, and making a reservation at the Boardwalk Villas, I decided to switch over to Old Key West (OKW), because I found by reading online, that it was bigger, (at least for five adults) and there wasn't that much info on the BW Villas, as they were new. That was a decision I didn't regret...

Friday, July 25 -- Travel day

As our flight left at 11:00pm, we felt we should have the entire day to get ready, as there was a million and one things to do. Our day started off by Pete and I taking our dog, Beckett (a very overactive 2 yr old Golden Retriever) to the kennel. All week Pete had asked me if I was going to miss him, and I thought I wasn't, until I actually put him in his living quarters. At that point, seeing the look on his face broke my heart, but I knew we couldn't take him, and he would be taken care of, so Pete and I signed the papers and left, not to see him for the next ten days. After running various errands all day, around 8:00pm, Mom came to our house to pick us up, as the shuttle service was picking all of us up at her house. He (the driver) was supposed to be there at 9:00pm, but didn't show up until 20 after, after he called and asked for directions because he was lost. After an uneventful ride and wait at the airport, our 11:00pm flight from LAX to MCO was finally underway at 11:15.

Saturday, July 26 -- Arrival

We finally arrived in Orlando about 7:00am, still groggy from the overnight flight, but we soon perked up once we were in the airport. We gathered all of the bags, and then Pete, Mom and I rode the Hertz shuttle bus to pick up our rental car, while Dad and Sasha stayed at the airport with the bags. After picking up the car, we picked up Dad and Sash and were finally on our way to OKW.

Since our room wasn't ready yet, we got our passes and Dad treated us all to breakfast (guess the Disney spirit had set in) at Olivia's. Everyone ate huge meals, except me, who had the fruit plate. (Flying, for some reason, curbs my appetite). During the time we're eating breakfast, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were out of place (in a pleasant way, of course) because we were all in long pants, and long sleeved shirts, and such, while everyone around us was in shorts, sandals and tank tops. Breakfast worked wonders, and with some food in our stomachs, we were ready to take on anything (or just until we walked outside into the heat and humidity!) :-)

We explored a little bit of our surroundings, and because I wanted to show the family where Pete and I stayed the year before, we hopped in the car and drove over to the Wilderness Lodge. I wanted them to experience the same awe once they ecountered the lobby area. Needless to say, they were duly impressed at the scope of the hotel. Since we had parked quite a distance away from the entrance (partly due to how big our car was, a Lincon Towncar, the hundreds of cars in the lot, and the fact that any shade we could find was towards the back of the lot), no one really wanted to walk outside to the pool area, but my Dad and I convinced them, and they were treated to a spectacular view of Bay Lake, Discovery Island, and all of the water sprites zipping across the lake. I told them that on the hour, a geyser shoots up, just on the other side of the pool, but we had just missed it. Rather than wait for the next one, we decided to drive over to the Marketplace.

We found the World of Disney, and walked inside. WOW!! I've never seen so much Disney merchandise, and it was PACKED with people. Once inside we immediately lost my Dad and formed a search party. We stuck together for fear we might loose someone else. We squeezed our way through tour groups, small children running loose, strollers, and various other tourists, when I spotted my Dad looking at some baseball caps. Reunited, we left the mega store, with promises to make it back (never did) and stopped for ice cream, before we made the walk over to Pleasure Island. This is when Sasha noticed the sign that announced the LegoLand store/attraction that is slated to open this fall. Being the HUGE Lego fan that Sasha is, he "moped and complained" that we came to early and that he would definitely be back this fall. Mom said, "Be my guest. But next time the trip is on you," and we all agreed. :-) We made our way to Pleasure Island (via the walkway). This is where we would split, (Me, mom and Pete-and Dad and Sasha), not to see Dad and Sasha until later on that evening.

It was now about 12:30, and we were tired of walking (remember, we're still in long pants, socks, and long sleeves, so all we wanted to do was find some shade and SIT DOWN!!) We found a bench in front of the Pleasure Island AMC theaters and tried to figure out what to do next. Dad mentioned he wanted to go to EPCOT, and Sasha agreed to go with him. The last thing we (Mom, Pete and I) wanted to do was to tour a park at midday in our travelling clothes, so we decided to watch a movie, (which would kill 2 hours, and if it our room still wasn't ready, we could wait in the lobby) and suggested they do the same. They couldn't be swayed, so they walked over to the bus stop, while I walked back to the Marketplace parking lot and brought the car over to Pleasure Island. We decided to see "Air Force One." The movie didn't start until 1:30, so by the time we returned to OKW, our room was ready and waiting.

Surprisingly, the front desk honored all of the requests I made when booking the room, even though the CM at the desk told me they were pretty full. We were on the first floor, water/golf course view, just across from Miller's Road bus stop (later to learn the first stop in the entire complex), and a short walk from the Hospitality House and Turtle Krawl. Bldg 17, room 1712) I was very impressed, and felt that I could spend my entire vacation there, and not even venture outside. (Maybe when I have a month long vacation). We had a two bedroom villa, complete with a full kitchen, including microwave, coffeemaker, blender, dishwasher; everything we have at home. It felt as if we were at someone's house instead of a hotel room. The color schemes of mauve, pastel pinks and greens, and the door mat out front that read "Welcome Home" immediately made me feel right at home. We unpacked and relaxed a little and showered, as we had 6:10pm priority seating ressies at the Garden Grill. It was getting pretty close, and Sash and Dad were not back from Epcot yet, so I didn't know if I should cancel, or if the 3 of us should go. But we had the keys, they didn't know what room number we got, and if they did come back, no one would be there. So, I went to the front desk and left the keys, but when I got back to the room, Mom had decided to stay and wait for them. In order to make our priority seating time, Pete and I drove to Epcot, and made our seating time at 6:10 on the dot. This was the first time for both of us at the Garden Grill, and dinner was all you can eat, and consisted of roasted chicken, fried catfish nuggets, (VERY good) salad, bread, smashed potatoes, and stir-fried vegetables. As I had eaten very little at breakfast, I was starving, at ate more than I usually do at home (we're at Disney, so my "diet" was out the window!). This was a character dinner, so Farmer Mickey, Minnie, Chip and Dale made the rounds, and sat down at our table each time, and colored on our place mats (it wasn't busy, so they had time to do this). Chip and Dale came and sat with us more times than should be allowed :0), and I asked both of them if they could get me a job working with Mr. Eisner. They thought my chances were good, but I thought I should ask the Mouse himself. Mickey also seemed to think my chances were pretty good, so who knows. =) This is the "revolving" restaraunt, that circles the scenes from The Land boat ride. We sat on the upper level (there are 2), so we could just see the tops of the scenes. After the flight, and all of the moving around we did during the day, it was nice to finally sit down to a nice dinner, to take our time, and let the reality that we were finally in DW to settle in. We had 8 more days to relax and enjoy everything, and this was just the beginning!! After dinner, we drove over to Gooding's Supermarket in the Crossroads Shopping Center. I grabbed just a few items, fruit and soda, to tide us over until we could get over to the Publix on the 535 and 192. On my way out of Gooding's it started to sprinkle, so we grabbed a quick bite for my mom at McDonald's and squeezed our way out of the parking lot (it was bumper to bumper). When we got back to OKW, Dad and Sasha were there. They told us they had gone to all THREE parks, and finally came back when it started raining. By this time, it was about 9:00, so after a little TV, we called it a night.

Sunday, July 27 (Sasha's Birthday)

My "itinerary" had us arriving for early entry (EE) at the Disney Studios, but jet lag got the better of us and we ended up arriving at MGM about 8 am. Pete is one of those people who absolutely HAS to have his coffee, so he asked me if there was any made. When I told him no, he wanted me to make it, so he wouldn't be the one waking my father up, as he was sleeping on the sofa sleeper in the living room. We have to be up at least an hour before we want to leave, Pete said. Truer words were never spoken.

On our way out, everyone was finally awake, so we told them we would meet them at 11:30 in front of the Sci-Fi Dine In Theater, and they agreed. We were finally on our way!! This trip would find the five of us spending very little time together as a group, so unless noted, when I refer to we, I'm speaking of me and Pete. We decided to catch the bus to MGM , and waited about 15-20 minutes.

When we arrived, we checked the wait times, and since the Tower of Terror was in excess of 30 minutes, we decided to see do Star Tours, as the wait was only 10 minutes. Just as I remember from last year, and pretty much the same as the Disneyland version, but still enjoyable. We sat in the front row, and I'd be hard pressed to tell the difference in terms of jerkiness between the last and front rows. The only thing I disliked was that they changed the focus to the Energizer bunny. When you exit the star cruiser, instead of posters of the different destinations, there's the bunny, and at the end of the exit ramp, there's this holographic image of guess who?? You got it. The bunny. Not really sure what he has to do with the ride, but since Energizer sponsors it, what could I expect>

Oh well... After Star Tours, we practically ran over to the Muppets 3D show, and the line was non existent. But, on the way over, Pete had to light up a cigarette, and by the time he was finished, a definite line had developed, so I jumped in before it got too long. Wait time was about 15 minutes including the preshow. This was the first time we had seen it, and we both liked it. I remember watching the Muppets when I was a kid, so it definitely brought back memories. The two "old fogies" in the balcony were funny, as was Miss Piggy (as always). Very happy to see everyone "move down to the end of the aisle" until all the seats were filled. :-)

After the Muppets, we thought about catching the first showing of Indiana Jones, but passed, as we would be late to meet my parents, so we decided to see "One Saturday Morning" since people were walking right in. The theater was barely half full. This show pretty much consisted of basics of how sound and effects are synchronized with what you see on screen; in this case a scene from the new 101 Dalmations cartoon. First you see the scene w/o any sound or color and then, it's played back with the sound effects. Next, some volunteers from the audience are asked to use the different set ups on stage to create the same sound effects as the engineer does. Finally, everything is put together, and you witness the final effects. I found it to be interesting, but it wasn't one of the better shows, I thought. Pete just kind of sat through it, and the host seemed as if he was struggling to keep the audience interested. Wonder how long it'll last.

By now it was a little before 11:30, so we waited just across from the Sci-Fi. I thought we could get a head start on the lunch crowd, so I decided to go in and see how long the wait was. Big mistake!! The lobby was bursting at the seams with people! Pete and I had eaten there last year, so we weren't missing anything, but Mom and Sash had never been, and I thought it would be neat for them to experience sitting in the cars and watching old B movie clips. Food is nothing to rave about, and pricey for the usual burger and fries fare. After we waited and waited, I told Pete we should leave as it was 12:00 and no sign of our missing 3 anywhere. Pete wanted to wait, so I said if they're not here by 12:15 we should go. Lo and behold, at exactly 12:15 I saw my mom and brother. They had gone over to Belz Outlet, and then to Gooding's Supermarket to pickup some groceries, but my Dad had gone back to the hotel to put the groceries away, and would come after he was done. My Dad is an excellent cook and was going to make lasanga. After we waited a little, Sasha discovered the line for Star Tours was manageable, so he and Mom decided to go. I was about to go with them when we found my Dad. While Mom and Sasha went on Star Tours, Pete, Dad and I grabbed a bite and a table at the Commisary.

After Mom and Sasha were done, we went to the Muppets again, about a 20 minutes wait, then over to the Great Movie Ride. Pete and I couldn't believe how fast the line moved in comparison to last year. It moved very well until we got to the part where you watch the clips of all the movies as the line zigs around. When we finally got to board, we were on the "cowboy car." Unbeknowest to me, (until I read it on the message boards), this ride has two different scenarios played during the tour. One, the "gangster car," (which we had last year), had a mobster type guide shooting it amongst the scenes from old '30's type Jimmy Durante gangster movies. The other, the "cowboy car," has the same concept, but instead the action takes place in the old west; an outlaw cowgirl robs a bank and takes over the guiding duties of your car until she meets her fate, at which time, the original guide resumes her duties. Enjoyed this ride alot, didn't like the scenes from "Alien", because I never knew if it was going to jump out. It didn't last year, but you never know about these things! :-) By now, it was about 3:00 and big, black clouds were starting to find their way over MGM, and Mom didn't want to ride TOT, so we decided to make our way back to the hotel, and when we boarded the tram, it had started to sprinkle.

Back at the hotel, we had time to rest, grab some snacks from the groceries, the guys had bought earlier, and decide on what to do for the afternoon. I took a nap while Pete wached TV. Later, Pete, Mom, and I drove to the Publix on 535 and picked up some breakfast foods, coffee, and other odds and ends. On the way back, we drove throught the parking lot of the Lake Buena Vista Factory Outlet. Pretty much your everday, run of the mill outlet. I figure if you've seen one, you've seen them all. We didn't see any unusual stores, so we made our way back to DW to get ready for our 7:15 priority seating time at the CA Grill.

Since it was Sasha's B-day, I had hoped we would stay long enough to watch the fireworks over the MK. I read the great reviews and how if you ate dinner, to be sure and stay long enough for the fireworks. We were just a little late for our seating time, so the hostess told us it would be 20 minutes. Looking at the spectacular view, it passed quickly. I asked her if we could have a window seat, but she told me there they don't have window seats that would accommodate 5 people, and it was very crowded, so I didn't think we would get one even if there was seating for 5 by the window. Well, dinner was very good, and we were seated within view of the MK!! Dad had the pork tenderloin, I had the mushroom/feta cheese pizza, Sasha had the beef tenderloin pizza, Mom had the stir fry, and Pete had the duck and quail, very interesting. Pete is from Wisconsin, so he's eaten game and venison, but never quail. I considered it an acquired taste, not something I could eat everyday, but to each his own. When we were finished eating, our wait person, (can't remember his name), asked if we wanted dessert, we declined (too full), and he then left, but then he came back with a plate that had Happy Birthday written in chocolate around the rim, and on the plate was a chocolate dessert that was in some kind of geometric wave pattern!!. (I wondered if that was the Chocolate Wave??) Boy, we're we surprised. When I made the seating reservation, the CM told me that the CA Grill didn't do anything for birthdays, but whether they did or not, we left our server a big tip!! We walked out onto the observation deck and watched the fireworks from all three parks. Talk about killing 3 birds with one stone. We also saw the launch of what we would later find out to be a Japanese Atlas rocket from Cape Canaveral.

After dinner, we made our way to MK and the Alien Encounter. We had been trying to get my mom to "ride," and she finally gave in. We waited about 10 minutes in line, saw the preshow, and right as we were about to enter, we were stopped in our tracks. We stayed standing in line for about 15 minutes with no explanation as to why. This didn't help my mom's nerves any, and she was sure it was a sign not to "ride." But the doors then opened and we took our seats!! This is one of my favorite things at Disney. I thought my mom went through it pretty well (the time she didn't spend grabbing my arm, that is.) She exited smiling and laughing, so I knew she was okay. I figured she should try it at least once, and she made me proud. Pete, Sash, and I made our way to the GranPrix Raceway while Mom and Dad went to the Hall of Presidents. We met up again just before closing and drove back to the hotel, where we turned in for the night. Another perfect day at Disney.

Monday, July 28

This morning found us (me and Pete) at MGM again, because I HAD to see the Hunchback show and I wanted to catch the Beauty and the Beast show, too. Pete says I like the shows too much, but I think the stage shows Disney puts on are some of the best anywhere. Can I help it if I like the parades and shows? They're just ssssooooo good.

We were in time for the first show, and lined up near the entrance. We were let in not long afterwards, and the preshow started as the theater was filling up. We saw the preshow with Matt, and since this was the first time we had seen the preshow, we really didn't know what to expect. He was very good, and kept this both of us enthralled the entire time. He juggled regular rubber balls, bowling balls, a machete and an apple. What got me was when he juggled all of them at the same time and took a bite of the apple at the same time!! He said the trick is knowing which one to take a bite out of!! So far, so good.

The show started, and it was even better than I remember, their voices sound just like the ones from the movie. I could watch it over and over, and thanks to my video camera, I will! (much to Pete's dismay) :-). We made our way over to Beauty and the Beast, and I didn't think there would be any seats left, as they had already let the line in, and it seemed everyone in front of us was going there too. Luckily, there were quite a few seats left, and we found some in the middle. The last time we saw this show, we were treated to a preshow that had four acappella singers, (don't remember the group's name), but this time, nothing. Oh well, just gave me more time to find the right light balance for the video camera. After Beauty and the Beast we decided to leave because it was getting really crowded and extremely HOT. We drove back to the hotel and suited up for a swim at Turtle Krawl.

There was quite a few people at the pool, and most of the chairs were taken, but we did find 2 out of the way in the shade. After about an hour, we saw my mom and Dad who asked us if we had seen Sasha. We hadn't seen him back at the room, but before we left for MGM he said he was heading over to Typhoon Lagoon. Well, they would drive over and look for him, and with that they left. We swam a little while longer, but got out at about 1:15 and walked over to Good's Food To Go and parked ourselves under and umbrella table. My Unofficial Guide to WDW (or was is Birnbaum's?) told me to try the conch fritters, and boy did I!! They are absolutely wonderful. They're mussels, coated in seasoning, and dipped in a spicy batter, then fried; they look like small hush puppies. Beware though, they are expensive. $5.95 for 5 of them. A very hungry person could finish them off and not even know they ate anything. I think they're worth doing at least once, but on another trip to the pool I had them again. (Oh, by the way, their onion rings are wonderful too!!)

After lunch, we walked back to our room and found everyone there. They were getting ready to leave so the maid could clean the room, and asked us if we wanted to go. I hesitated, as I was all wet from the pool and my hair was atrocious. But I changed my mind and the 5 of us drove around Orlando-down International Drove, past Sea World, Universal Studios, and the bigggest teddy bear and Raggedy Ann I've ever seen. I guess they are building a new mall with a FAO Schwartz store. Can't wait to see it when it opens, it'll be an attraction in and of itself. While driving around I noticed how new and modern everything looked, from the convention center to the high schools. With all the money in tourism the city of Orlando makes, it's no wonder. We finally ended up at the Belz Factory Outlet. I wasn't in the mood for shopping (Pete couldn't believe it), but I finally loosened up and ended up buying a few things. On the way back, Dad wanted to pick up a few more things for the dinner he was making that evening. I printed out the directions someone posted online about a Wal-Mart Superstore, and we eventually found our way there. This place was HUGE!!! We have Super K-Marts and Target Superstores, but I think this one over shadowed both of those. We stuck together for fear of getting lost, and first hit the grocery section. We were there about an hour and by the time we left it was pouring SHEETS of water. Luckily, Sasha had gone to the car to wait before it started raining, and he was able to drive up to the front, where we ran to the car and threw the bags in the trunk before jumping into the car soaking wet. Really didn't bother me, I left straight from the pool. Shoes were soaked, but they dried very quickly. When we finally got back on to DW grounds, our car was the only one wet. Dad said it seems Walt doesn't let it rain in DW :-).

Back at the hotel Dad made a shrimp pasta dinner while Pete and I showered. By the time we were finished dressing and freshening up, dinner was ready, and we sat down to wine, Miles Davis on Dad's portable CD player, the skies clearing and a rainbow just in front of our patio. Our vacation couldn't get any more perfect than this. Family all together, enjoying life and each other's company in the perfect setting. I wanted this moment to last forever, but I guess I'll settle for the memories (and the video, of course).

After dinner, Pete, Sasha, and I headed over to Epcot. We thought we could make it before it closed, but by the time we entered the gates it was 9pm and we decided to leave.

We drove over to the Contemporary and walked over to MK. Neither one of us had ridden any of the rides at night, so we ran over to the Railroad Station to catch the train into Frontierland. I guess everyone else had that idea too, as it was crawling with people, even during the SpectroMagic parade. Needless to say, we missed the first train, and waited about 15 min until the next one. We got off at Frontierland, but not before enjoying the great breeze the ride generates.

By this time, there was a heavy sprinkle coming down, so we walked very quickly into the line for Big Thunder Mountain The line was very deceiving. We walked all the way to the stairs, where it then deadlocked. The sign at the beginning said "From this point, 15 min." Yeah, right!! We found nights to be some of the busiest and crowded times at the MK, more so than any other park. Thought nights were supposed to be easier. Oh well.... After waiting about 45 min, we finally got on, and enjoyed every minute!! Riding at night is so much more exciting than during the day. We caught glimpses of the parade, and the colors from the lights are spectacular. We thought about doing it again, but wanted to ride Splash Mountain more. This line was the longest I've ever seen it-day or night!! The sign said 45 min, and we wanted to ride it a night pretty bad, so we jumped in line. We spent 43 minutes (Sash timed it) in line, first in front, then around in back, (where we caught glimpses of the fireworks) inside, then back outside, and finally to the board area. We almost got on a little earlier when a CM asked for a party of two to ride, but we all stayed together, and it was worth it. Sash put up his umbrella when we came to a dip that splashed water on us, and he was the hit of the boat. The picture at the end showed him with his hands raised and his fingers in a "peace" sign on the way down the drop. Kids...

After Splash Mountain we walked back to Main St. and was caught by the last SpectroMagic parade of the evening. There were still ALOT of people out, so we decided not to stop and watch it, but beat the crowd out of the park. I wanted to stop for ice cream (those smells they pump into the park had me sold), but I wanted to get out of the park more. We squeezed our way up Main St., on the sidewalk, and I've never been bumped more times with a stroller in my life, but it moved fairly well. Finally made it out of the park and over to the Contemporary, but we didn't go straight back to OKW, because Sash wanted to play in the arcade; so we stayed there till about midnight and then went back to hotel to turn in for the night.

Tuesday, July 29

We (Me, Pete, Mom and Sasha) rose early to catch EE at Epcot, while Dad stayed back and made the lasanga. Our first stop was Universe of Energy. We had missed this last year, and I enjoyed it, although some of Ellen's one liners weren't all that funny. I especially liked Bil Nye, try to catch his show whenever I can. After UOE, we walked over to Body Wars, and had about a 30 minutes wait. From there we saw "The Making of Me", which was also something Pete and I missed last year. I had heard about this film and really didn't know what to expect, but I thought it was cute, but Pete thought it was too (oh, how shall I say), simple. They have to keep it lighthearted, I said, after all this is Disney. Oh well... Afterwards, Pete and I moved over to Cranium Command, (another first) while Mom and Sasha decided they wanted to go to World Showcase. We continued on to Innoventions. It was too crowded to really get to see any hands on stuff, but we did spend some time going searching the web on the computers that were logged on to the Yahoo!! site. I asked where the computers were that were logged onto AOL and the CM (are the people who answer the ?'s at Innoventions CM's??) told me that was at the Apple exhibit. I knew it would be busy, so we passed but on the way out we looked at the GM electric cars.

After we got back to the hotel for lunch, we told Sasha he should've stayed for CC, because it was really funny, and the two "we're gonna pump YOU up" guys, Hanz and Franz from "Saturday Night Live" were in it. That changed his mind, and he said he would have to go see it.

For lunch, Pete and I had the mini pizzas we had bought at Publix and watched some TV talk show all the way through. Dad had driven Mom over to Belz Outlet Mall to buy the radio that she had seen the day before; they were still gone after we finished lunch, so we headed off to BB, while Sasha was back off to EC.

When we got to BB, there were clouds looming, but the sun was still shining, so we carried on. We rode the kiddie slide, Teamboat Springs, Toboggan Racers, and Snow Stormers. (I hated climbing those stairs, but the chair lift line was TOO long). After about 2 hrs, the clouds we had seen had moved overhead, and we started to see lightening strikes. The taped announcement then came on stating that "Due to inclement weather, the park will be closing." (Pete said he felt sorry for the people waiting for Summit Plummet. Waiting and climbing all those stairs, and they had to come down! What a bummer!!) We made our way to the lockers and trying to get our things was a complete nightmare!! Everyone trying to leave at once!

Pete got our stuff, and I returned the locker key, and we squeezed our way to the entrance. It wasn't the first time those of us taking the bus to OKW were the last to leave. I don't know what it is, but more often than not, the busses back to OKW from the parks were very slow in coming. Several people in line commented on how slow the busses were, also, so it was good to know that it wasn't just us who thought that. On the bus, the clouds finally opened up, and it was pouring. I think we got more wet running from the bus stop to our room than we did at BB!! When we got inside Dad said we should have called him to come pick us up!! Now he tells us!! :-) Pete and I showered and then sat down to a lasanga dinner.

After dinner the skies cleared and we went to Pleasure Island and immediately got in line for the Comedy Warehouse. I looked around and saw people carrying umbrellas, and with my luck it always seems to rain if I don't have mine, so I asked the CM if I could run to the car and get mine. He said they were letting in in 5 minutes, so if I left now, I could probably make it, but he would let me in if the line already moved. Needless to say, I got back before the line moved, and guess what?? It didn't rain for the rest of the night. :0)

I liked the improvisation at the Comedy Warehouse. After CW we went over to the Adventurer's Club, but it was closed until 9:30 for a private function. Pete bought a drink and we walked around a little, checking out the clubs and the games. We watched a man try to flip a chicken into a pot, (he didn't) and then made our way back over to the Adventures Club. I liked the artifacts and the pictures, but I couldn't really get into what was going on downstairs. Guess I'll try once again next year.

I had been wanting to try the Jazz Club, but Sasha told me he had heard it was smooth, easily listening jazz. We got there about 15 minutes before the next set and found a table against the wall. We ordered 2 drinks and a chocolate brownie drenched in chocolate sauce w/ vanilla ice cream; Mickey's Something or other, can't exactly remember the name. The Chicago Jazz and Blues Kings were playing that night, and I enjoyed them very much; lots of trumpet and sax playing, just what I like. I will definitely go there again. After the jazz club, Pete asked if there was anything else I wanted to see, and since there wasn't we left and was back in our room by 11:30. End to another great Disney day, but they're going by way too fast. Oh well.

Wednesday, July 30

Earlier in the week, we had driven over to the Kyle (or was it Richard) Petty raceway, because Pete is a big auto racing fan, both Indy and NASCAR. Pete is very careful (read: serious) when it comes to money, so I was totally surprised when he said he was seriously considering spending the $300+ to take 8 laps around the course. I encouraged him, and thought today would be a good day, but he decided not to, so we decided to go to MK instead.

We caught the bus about 7:30 and the bus was full by the time we left OKW. We headed straight to Space Mountain, where we got separated because Pete had to get some coffee. Luckily a kind CM let him run through the side of the line that wasn't being used, and he found me in the line on the left. (He remembered that I said I would take the left side if I had a choice).

After Space Mountain, we headed over to the Hall of Presidents, and the Haunted Mansion I wanted to see the Lion King, but on our way over, we saw that the Snow White line was only 5 minutes so we hopped in line. Afterwards, we made our way over to the Lion King and waited about 20 minutes. A woman standing behind us struck up a conversation with Pete about the town in Wisconsin Pete's from (she knew because his T-shirt had the city's name on it).

After Lion King, we took the ferry to the TTC, and caught the bus to the Marketplace. I wanted to eat at the Rainforest, but the line was way too long for lunch and it wasn't even 11:30, so we decided to walk over to PI and eat at Planet Hollywood. Pete had the bacon burger (had a hard time paying $9.00 for a burger, but he thought it was good) and I had the club sandwich.

After lunch, we rode the bus back to OKW and I napped while Pete watched TV. After my nap we caught the bus to Epcot and headed straight for HISTA. On the the way to HISTA, a show was starting that had about 4 men and a woman dressed in blue bodysuits (looked like aliens to me), and they were doing gymnastic type "stuff" (for lack of a better word) on top of what looked to be a very large podium. I wanted to stay and watch, but Pete wanted to get to HISTA, before the line got to long (we saw on the board that it was only about 15 minutes). I said that it wouldn't get that long in the 10 minutes that we would watch the show, but Pete practically dragged me over, and it's a good thing he did. We were able to get in line with about a 20 minutes wait, but not soon after, it stretched around the ropes about 4 times.

After HISTA, we saw the Junkanoo bus, and watched the singing and dancing for a while. It had started to sprinkle, so the bus didn't stay out that long. By the time we made our way to Mexico, the rain was getting heavier and by the time we were at Norway, we had to stop to get out the poncho and umbrella. I still have my poncho from my trip in '88, and it was a bit small, but it did the job. Pete started his own version of Drinking Around the World, starting in Norway. When we got to China, we waited outside while Pete finished his beer and then saw the movie and grabbed a snack from the counter service. We toured all of the countries except Canada and the UK. When we were finished with the countries, it was nearing 8:00, so we decided to find a seat for Illuminations 25. We found great seats to the left of the UK, right next to a family from Maryland. By 8:30 the spots were all filled. After Illuminations, we headed back to OKW to turn in.

Thursday, July 31

We slept in this morning. After eating the breakfast Dad made, Pete and I drove over to the Yacht Club. I had heard wonderful things about the pool and wanted to see for myself. I told Pete on our next trip we're either staying here or at the Beach Club. After returning the car so my mom and Dad could use it, we walked over to Good's Food To Go and had more conch fritters and onion rings.

After lunch, we headed over to MGM. When we walked in, the Hercules parade was playing so, I stood up on a small wall and taped some of it. We figured we should try to catch TOT during the parade, and just as we were making our way over, the parade ended. I thought everyone was going to go stratight for TOT and the line would be long by the time we got there, but we waited about 20 minutes. The line was so short we rode it 5 times in a row!!

After TOT we headed over to see if we could catch the Indiana Jones show because I wanted to tape it. We got there just as the casting director was picking volunteers. I decided not to tape it because they had cut out the airport scene since it had been raining earlier.

After Indiana Jones, it started raining again and we rushed over to the Little Mermaid. Next to Hunchback, this is my favorite show. We waited in line for what seemed like an hour, and by the time we were let in the line was stretching beyond the cover. I think most people came to escape the rain.

After the Little Mermaid, we rode TOT again (couldn't resist with such long lines) and would've ridden it again, but it was closing time, so we exited the park, not without catching the last of the Fantasy In the Sky fireworks and sorcerer Mickey.

We drove across the street to the Boardwalk and had the wings at the ESPN club. A football game was on so Pete felt right at home. (TVs in the restroom- nice touch). We walked off our wings around the Boardwalk, and finally got in the car to go back at 11:30.

Friday, August 1

We all rose pretty early this morning. My mom asked me if I would drive Sash over to River Country, as she thought she would get lost and my Dad had gone jogging. I dropped him off at Fort Wilderness and asked him if he wanted to go to the Hoop De Doo. I had ressies for the 7:15 show. He said no, and off he went.

When I got back to the room, Dad still wasn't back yet, so Mom, Pete and I drove over to Fantasia Mini golf. We stopped at the Hospitality House first, so I could buy the Hoop De Doo tickets for that evening. Only Pete and I wanted to go, but the CM at the front desk said since it was short notice, I might have to pay for the other 3. Well, she made a call, and we were able to cancel our other 3 tickets. They could definitely be sold, since they were for the 7:15 show on a Friday.

When we got to Fantasia Mini Golf, I got a large soda at the counter, but when I gave it to Pete, he dropped it. I had planned to buy another one, but a CM saw our spill and gave us another one. How absolutely wonderful. After that, I carried the soda, and Pete carried the fan/spritzer bottle, although we really didn't need it, since this turned out to be one of the cooler days due to cloud cover. Mom didn't want to play, so she sat the entire time. I gave her the car keys so she could go eat, or shop, or anything, but she just wanted to sit. We made it back to our room at 12:00 and then we caught the bus to Typhoon Lagoon. We really didn't eat any lunch because we wanted empty stomachs when we went to the Hoop De Doo.

We spent all of our time at the wave pool, (except for the two slides) and at 3:50 we left, so we would be on time for the Hoop De Doo. Once we were changed, we got in the car, and as we pulled out, 2 lizards crawled onto the hood of our car. I guess they had been hiding out underneath. After driving a little, one flew off , and the other we had to shoo off at the gas station. I still wonder what happened to them.

We parked at Fort Wilderness and caught the bus to Pioneer Hall. Got pictures of Minnie Moo and checked in at the front of Pioneer Hall. "Howdies" told me our seats would be upstairs, and I was perplexed because I thought the earlier you reserved, the closer your seats were to the stage, and I made ressies in February. Well, when we were shown to our table, we were about 2 rows back on the first floor!! All was not lost. We had a great time at the show (Pete played a washboard), and ate till we were stuffed and finally turned in at 11:30. Tomorrow's our last full day.

Saturday, August 2

We rose early to catch all the things we missed and to do a few of our favorites. At Epcot we did The Land, Circle of Life, Spaceship Earth, and the Living Seas. We spent lunchtime at the ESPN club, and afterwards rode the boat to MGM. I started to nod off in the boat, but Pete elbowed me in the ribs to keep me awake. At MGM, we rode TOT a few more times, and when we got in line for the Indiana Jones stunt show, it started to rain, so the line was let in early. The airport scene was cut out of this showing too, because of the rain, but I taped it anyway.

It was nearing dinner time, so we decided to catch the bus to the Polynesian to have dinner at Ohana's. This was a first for us, and we enjoyed the atmosphere. It really made us feel like we were in Hawaii, and brought back memories of our July '95 trip there. We would have eaten more (it's all you can eat), but we just weren't hungry.

After dinner, we shopped in the hotel for a while, and caught the monorail to the MK to catch the bus to OKW. When we got to our room, we were soaking from the rain, and tired because we had a non-stop day, but we started to pack our things so we wouldn't have to rush in the morning. We went to bed at 11:00.

Sunday, August 3

We woke at 6:30 to make our 7:30am priority seating time at Chef Mickey's. I will definitely eat here again. Mickey, Minnie, Chip, Dale and Goofy are on hand at this character breakfast. We were seated next to a window and had a great view of the castle. Breakfast was a buffet, and had all the usuals plus some things I hadn't seen before. We used our flex fleature and didn't have to pay a cent! Not even the gratuity!! After breakfast we drove back to OKW and Mom, Dad and Sasha then drove over to PH to get the shirt that comes with the flex feature. We finally checked out, about 11:15 and drove to the airport to await our flight home.

This was, by far, the best vacation I've had and it'll always be special to me because the entire family was involved. Sasha is going away to college and I'm sure it'll be awhile before we're all together again. But long live the memories!!

Aisha Chandler

alover25@aol.com

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