Trip Reports

Time of Year: Spring
Travel Method: Plane, Shuttle Service
Resort: DL
Accommodations: Standard Room
Ages Represented in Group: Adult
WDW Experience Represented in Group: Veterans
Comments: Derek and Anne took their first anniversary trip in May of 1997. They were married at WDW last year. If you're interested in knowing how to have great second honeymoon, this repot can give you some great ideas!

Sunday, May 11th

Very smooth flight from Chicago down to Orlando. Met at gate by Florida Towncar Service (they were actually around 20-25 minutes late due to "car trouble"...we didn't really care...we were going to Disney World!) Weather was a little cloudy but warm (mid 80's). The car was really nice as they had Disney brochures and booklets to read on the way to the hotel. J.C. was a really fun and personable driver. I don't know about anyone else but I just LOVE the new "Welcome to Walt Disney World" sign that you drive under when you first arrive "on property." It really makes you feel like you've arrived in a "whole new world" (pardon the pun). On the flip side, it also makes it REALLY sad when you pass under it on the way back to the airport!

Arrived at Dixie and waited for about 10 minutes to get checked in. We just love the lobby at Dixie. Since we bought our 5 Day Park Hopper tickets at the local Disney Store we could go straight to our room (after exploring Fulton's General Store, of course!) We requested a King bed in Alligator Bayou...and got it! We were really jazzed as we've stayed in the other section a few times. The room was really great. A corner room (makes the room look a lot bigger) with a great view! Very close to one of the quiet pools which made it great for those late-night swims.

Planned on taking the boat to the Marketplace but the line was just a little too long (we knew we wouldn't make it into the next boat) so we decided to take the bus from the bus stop out front. In true "magical" fashion, a bus pulled up right when we got to the depot. Had to stop at the other 3 stops at Dixie before going to the Marketplace. I know that this seems to bother some people but it really didn't matter to us. It was like a 5 minute addition each time getting on the bus at the front (the nice scenery doesn't hurt).

Arrived at the Marketplace at went straight to Planet Hollywood. The company I work for has done some work for restaurant chain so we were put on the P.X. list (like a VIP list) and were seated within a few minutes. Food was really great. That's the thing about PH, it may be loud and annoying and overly commercial...but they have damn good food (IMHO). Got the Capn' Crunch fingers and an order of the Pizza Margharetta (sp?) along with some beer. Really great and very filling.

Left PH and walked over to the new World of Disney store. Now, we were last in DW in September...just days before the store opened (talk about painful!) and were really excited to see it. It did not disappoint! The detail in all the murals and characters scattered about the ceiling were amazing and very funny! Also, I like how it was broken down into different rooms. The "Villian" room (with the watches, etc.) was the best! They play great Disney music throughout the store and (combined with that "first night at DW" feeling) brings about a feeling of contented Disney bliss!

Left the Marketplace and decided to the boat back to Dixie. What a great boatride. Nice and relaxing with a great view of the treehouses (lookin' a little dated, IMHO). Oh, the construction on Downtown Disney is really starting to take shape. You can tell where the HOB, Cirque, Virgin, etc. are going (especially after looking at the photos following the show in the Welcome Center at MK). That's really going to be outstanding (we're huge fans of Cirque!) and bring about yet another reason to stay additional days in DW!

Monday, May 12th

Woke up at the ungodly hour of 5:30AM! Don't ask why...I'm still shocked! We planned on going to the MK on the Suprise Morning so we just got ready a little earlier than planned! Since the first bus picks people up at 7:00AM, we headed out the door for the Cotton Mill (food court) a little before 6:00AM. I was pretty suprised how many kids and families were up and out at this time. Don't get me wrong...it wasn't like a mob scene or anything but...I normally don't start breathing until after 8:00AM! The food court opened at 6:00AM and we just got some coffee (really good!), a bagel and some cereal and walked around a bit. Dixie is just a really beautiful resort early in the morning. It was a little drizzly (not quite poncho weather) and cloudy as we made it to the bus stop at 7:00AM. We were joined by 4 other families (all the parents chugging coffee) as we waited for the first bus. Sure enough, right at 7:00AM one pulled up. By the time we made it to the MK it was totally full.

Now, this was our very first Suprise Morning at the MK and really did not know what to expect. Would it be worth it? They opened the turnstiles at 7:30AM and distriubted a sheet saying what is open that early. My verdict: I will ALWAYS and ONLY go the MK on a Suprise Morning! It was fantastic! We walked right on Snow White (great!), Mr. Toad's (another gem!) and Peter Pan (one of the best!). It was so refreshing to walk around Fantasyland with BARELY ANY KIDS! As everyone know, Fantasyland is always the land totally packed with strollers and kids (which, of course, is expected) but it was so romantic to stroll around, choose whaterver ride you wanted and just...walk right on! Did the Carousel (very romantic) and headed over to Tomorrowland where we did Alien Encounter (one of our favorites...it always makes me laugh to hear the kids screaming and crying afterwards!) and made it over to Adventureland just as 9:00AM rolled around. Walked right on Jungle Cruise (a lot more fun than I remember!) and Pirates (a classic). Splash Mountain was shut down for the first part of the morning (not that my wife would have gone on it!) so we did a little shopping and headed back to the hotel (with all the crowds just arriving we were like salmon going upstream! It was a great feeling to know that we did all we wanted to do at the MK and people were just arriving!

Back at the hotel we picked up a pizza at the food court and took a nap (with the Disney information channel on, of course!). It was raining while we took our nap for the day (getting up at 5:30AM tends to wear you out). Woke up to the sound of light drizzling as we headed over to Epcot for the night! Bought a couple of Mickey ponchos at Fulton's just in case... Well, it was drizzling for a while when we first got there but then...sun! Glorious sun! It was such a great feeling!

We hit Horizons for the first time in a long time and it was cute. Nothing really special, however (meaning, I won't really miss it when it's gone). We had 8:00PM reservations for the Rose & Crown (we always go there our second night at the same time!) so we began our voyage "around the world." We like to imbibe a bit in World Showcase but this trip we learned a valuable tip...split the beers! We hit Mexico (Dos Equis), Norway (Rhinges), China (Tsang & good eggrolls), Germany (Becks!), U.S. (Sam Adams), Morocco (finally...they have a beer!) and then "stumbled" (j/k) on down to the U.K.!

The U.K. is really our favorite country. This time around it was even better with the wet streets and the British Invasion playing all the songs of the 60's. They were outstanding. We just sat on a bench for close to an hour (Bass in hand, of course) and looked and listened. It was a real highlight. Got seated at the Rose and Crown right at 8:00PM (priority seating rocks!) right on the outside porch near the water. Perfect seats! We were really thrilled. Started off with mussles (always good) and we each ordered the fish & chips. Now, I was really hesitant to order the fish & chips (not really a fish guy) but it (combined with the vinegar...and the couple of Bass beers...) was great! I would defiantly order it again.

Illuminations 25. What can I say that has not been said already? Just a real disappointment all around. One of the highlights of the old show was the introduction of the countries along with the theme song. Gone. Why?? The new show is really just a big loud disorganized mess. And please put a moratoreum on "Circle of Life." Big hint: when the show concludes...sit! Don't leave! Everything is so much easier and quieter and calmer 20-30 minutes after the show. If you are eating...get a desert and just relax. They are not going to throw you out! The buses are going nowhere! IMHO, nothing can ruin an entire day faster than the cattle call for the buses following the nighttime shows.

My wife went to the big gift shop on the way out as I watched the Fountain show. That is one great show! Goosebumps are inevitable whenever I watch it (especially at night). I just flicked on the camcorder (along with my fellow "Fountain-Heads") and taped away. Following the show, I went into the giftshop after my wife and ran into Goofy, Pluto and Winnie! Took some photos for the scrapbook as we headed toward the Dixie bus. Back "home" we picked up some munchies from Fulton's and concluded another great day (come to think of it, we've yet to have a bad day!)

Tuesday, May 13th (our anniversary night!)

Breakfast at Boatwrights. Another fabulous tip: Split the omlett. It is so huge and filling that two can happily feast upon it. Good breakfast restaurant (I hear it's bad for dinner). Pleasantly full, we headed over to Typhoon Lagoon. I really think this is the best of the waterparks. Yeah, Blizzard may have better rides but Typhoon has THE wave pool! Let me digress for a second, the buses from Dixie to Typhoon are a real pain! Not only does it stop at Typhoon but it stops at Pleasure Island and the Marketplace (obviously, the same goes for traveling to those places). On the return trip, it was an hour bus ride! It's just so frustrating to have to sit and wait at Pleasure Island and the Marketplace when all you want to do is go!! Renting a car would come in so handy in those situations.

Ok, where was I...oh, hit Typhoon right when it opened and did the lazy river and the wave pool. Not really a slide person when I have to wait in lines which is something I refuse to do. Upon returning, decided to head back over to the Marketplace for some shopping (took the boat!). On the return trip, we got off at Port Orleans and walked the carriage path back to our resort. What a nice long walk (and good way to prepare for all those upcoming calories!)

Got all "dolled" up (being our "big night") and took the bus over the MK to walk to the California Grill for dinner. This is where we all ate after our wedding so, needless to say, it holds a very special place in our hearts. We had reservations (Priority Seating) for 6:15PM and were seated right away at a window table in the room toward the back of the restaurant. We have never eaten back there but really enjoyed it. You get a whole different view (especially of Bay Lake) than of the MK like we are used to. Our waiter was fantastic. He asked if we had ever eaten there before and we happily filled him in on our story. The food (a spicy tenderloin pizza and the BBQ beef filet) was absolute perfection. The BBQ beef is, without a doubt, my all time favorite food on the planet! Thinking about it now makes my stomach rumble! Well, here's the "magical" part. Toward the end of the meal the waiter asks if we would like any coffee. I tell him we would like to see a desert menu. A few minutes go by and then out comes the waiter with a GIANT plate holding EVERY SINGLE DESERT (a total of 6!!) they had along with one candle right in the middle and "Happy 1st Anniversary" written in chocolate on the plate! We could have cried we were so touched! Our waiter took our pictures with us and our desert and all the other diners came by to take a look and congratulate us. It was a truly magical moment of Disney CM's going above and beyond the call of duty (and thus, another reason to keep us coming back!).

After dinner we headed out onto the observation ledge and noticed the "Tree of Life!" It was (from what we could see) pretty complete. It's quite easy to spot given that it's...a GIANT tree! Took the monorail to the Grand Floridian to walk around a bit. It is just amazing. Another suprise, we asked the front desk if we could take a look at one of the turret rooms we have heard so much about. Suprisingly (well, not really considering it's DW) they said "sure!" A really nice guy took us up to one of the turret rooms, told us all about the concierege service and even asked if we wanted to hang out up there for some of the free food and drinks (we politely declined). I could never imagine any other hotels (besides Disney) happily showing you their best suites simply because you asked.

Got a couple of drink at Mizner's (on the second floor) and walked over the Poly for the Electrical Water Pageant and the fireworks. The walk, for those of you who haven't taken it, is just sublime. You truly feel like you are in another world...very, very romantic. Took a look at the pavillion (it looks really great at night...made us kind of wish we had a nighttime wedding). Couldn't believe it's been a whole year! Continued our walk over the Poly on the new (I think it is) sidewalk from the pavillion to the Poly. Heard the Luau going on and made us considering going the next time. Sounded like a lot of fun. Got some drinks inside (quite expensive) and then decided to just get the big bucket of Mai Tai for $12.00 (to split, mind you). Much cheaper (and a lot of fun...everyone wants to know what it is, etc.) Watched the EWP. Really enjoyable. Nothing "high tech", just pure Disney fun. Walked further down the beach (at the advice of a CM) and got a cabana for the fireworks. This was perfection. This is the way to watch the fireworks. Near total seclusion. True, you can't hear the music but the view is unforgettable and ambiance more than make up for it! Just sitting with absolutely nothing and nobody in front of you but the lagoon and watching the fireworks explode over the castle. I now can't even imagine watching them from inside the park amidst all that madness! This was "Romantic Disney World 101" ...and it was perfect way to end our ver special day.

Took the monorail back to the MK and then back to Dixie where we picked up a 6 pack and some more munchies at Fulton's. Encountered a very "saucy" CM at Fulton's who asked me for my ID. Fine (I'm 24 and do look a bit on the young side). Looking through my wallet, my wife said, "Just use mine." The CM then said, "I need to see BOTH of your ID's." I complied but upon thinking about is was kind of puzzled. Why did she need both? Did she think that if I was under 21 and my wife was not, I would buy the beer? I don't know...it just struck a nerve (we encountered her later and she was giving attitude to a new CM...it 's just her personality we figured).

Wednesday, May 14th

Got breakfast at the Cotton Mill foodcourt (eggs...pretty good at the time but later on...massive grease attack!) and spent some time at our quiet pool. Great pool. Nice size and never crowded like the "main" pool. Decided to head over to Epcot for another of our DW traditions...quesa fundido/Dos Equis at San Angel for lunch!

On our way, w first hit Spaceship Earth (or, "The Ball", as I call it). Without a doubt, the BEST ride at Epcot. Just amazing. I love the part at the very top where they say, "...spaceship earth" just as your car turns around and you see all the stars around you. The Jeremy Irons naration is great. A real favorite of mine. Made P.S. reservations for 3:00PM (not crowded) and were in heaven. The fundido is SO GOOD at this place! Never a wait and with less people the restaurant is even more romantic. Following lunch, headed over to Canada to view "O' Canada." Never saw any of the Epcot films before and was quite disappointed with this one. Bad music and the film looked really dated and tired. I hear that the France film is much better so we'll check that out next time.

Following the film, the hunger pains started again and we headed over to the Yacht & Beach to look around. We stayed here on our honeymoon last year (along with the Wilderness Lodge) and enjoyed it. A little overpriced but great location (next to EPCOT!) and now the Boardwalk. Had a quick lunch at Beaches & Cream (we each had the kid's hamburgers-good) then walked over to the Boardwalk to spend some time at the resort. I have to say, we liked this resort more than I did the last time we looked around. However, I think the "craziness" of the Boardwalk area would start to drive me a little nuts after a while. The Inn looked very cozy and much quieter (love their quiet pool). Nearly fell asleep on the giant chairs overlooking the Boardwalk...very relaxing.

Slowly got more energy and sauntered over to Big River Grille for a few beers. Great beers (and the food looked really good, too). Nice bartenders, too. Inquired about Jellyrolls and he told us it was a "lot of fun...they play contemporary music and it gets pretty crazy toward the end of the night!" We took his advice and arrived right when it opened at 7:00PM. There were probably 10 other people in the whole place and totally packed by 10:00PM. My summary: One of the best experiences of the WHOLE trip! This place was a real blast!! We stayed until after 1:00AM! All of the piano players were great (sets of 2 stay for about and hour and then they change off). All were really funny and played with the audience a lot. They took requests and were extremely talented and great singers ("Piano Man" was amazing!!!). Their Disney melody was a riot! I highly recommend spending an evening here...another winner from the folks at DW. Left around 1:00AM (with numerous Jellyrolls plastic cups in hand) and strolled along the Boardwalk (very quiet and romantic) to the buses back to PI and then to Dixie. (On a side note, if you're like me, I already start to get a little sad on the second to the last night of a Disney trip because I can't help but start to think, "Oh my God, tomorrow is the last night!" I know I shouldn't...but I can't help it!)

Thursday, May 15th

Finished off the donuts we had in our room for breakfast and hung out by our quiet pool for a while reading the paper and swimming before hitting the food court and splitting a calzone and some pasta. Another hint: If there are two of you...simply split a drink. I know it's "illegal" but you can get free refills (hey, in Disney, every little bit helps!). Hit the MK for the Spectromagic Parade. On the way there, the Contemporary was having some kind of convention and traffic was really backed up (it took around 45 minutes to get to the MK!).

Once there, we went to the Welcome Center. Really enjoyed looking at all the memorabilia and the pre-show film (it's a shame that most people don't bother to watch it!). The actual show was pretty lame. All it really was is a big commercial of things to come (continuing to "beg" people to come to the Disney Institute, Animal Kingdom, Cruise Line, etc.). After the show, the model of the AK was really impressive. It really gives you a feel of what the park will be. I can't wait!! It looks like it will be really romantic with all the foliage and waterfalls...looked at some of the pictures of Downtown Disney, Coranado Springs, etc. All in all, an enjoyable show (to get you excited about what's to come).

Made our way over to Cinderella's Royal Table (formerly King Stephan's...). We had P.S. for 5:15PM and were seated promptly at 5:20PM. This place was packed (the waiting room downstairs). Some family had been waiting for close to an hour and really put a big stink with the manager. The P.S. really helped us out on nearly every occasion. I highly recommend to use it for ALL of your dining reservations...even for lunch. We were seated at a two-seater window seat overlooking Fantasyland. Nice! You tend to forget that you are actually IN the castle! Following dinner we made our way around and watched the Timekeeper (pretty fun...much better than the films in EPCOT) and, of course, Snow White. It was pretty sad thinking to myself that the last time I was on Show White it was during my first morning at Disney World!!

Gearing up for Spectromagic, we headed over to Main Street and staked out a good spot to watch about 15 minutes before the parade. Main Street truly becomes magical at dusk. Everyone waiting for the parade, the people entertaining the crowd in the streets, the lights, Jimminy Cricket's voice over the speakers...it was pretty "goose-bump-inducing." The parade is simply fantastic. I just love it so much more than the Main Street Electrical Parade. The music is just so wonderful and the floats beautiful...it is Disney at it's finest! I also forgot just how long the parade actually is...a nice suprise. Since we watched it near the start of Main Steet we were able to get right out. It is such a mob scene following a parade (kind of jolts you right back into reality!) Looked out over Seven Seas Lagoon for one last time (sighing loudly) and took the bus back to Dixie. Got some pizza at the food court and called it a night.

Friday, May 16th

Since our flight wasn't until around 8:00PM, we pretty much had a full day ahead of us. We slept in a bit and then packed. Put our bags into Dixie storage and took the bus to the Magic Kingdom to go to Discovery Island. We had never been there and since it was included in our hopper pass...why not? Well, sadly, we won't be going back there anytime soon. Sure, it's a nice place...but it smells and the birds drop their "ammo" all over the place. If I had to pay $12 a head to get in?!... Left Discovery and headed over to the Wilderness Lodge. I just love that place. That's where we spent the first part of our honeymoon (in the honeymoon suite) and it just "feels" so good to be in there. Went to the great giftshop and bought a Lodge license plate and some Amstels and sat in the lobby for a while...decided that we would be staying here when we came back in May!

Took the bus to the maketplace and headed over to the Rainforest Cafe for lunch. Here's a word of advice...EAT AT THE BAR!! There was a wait of around 1 ½ hours for a table and we just walked up the bar and ate there with no wait. I'm pretty underwhelmed with this place. I think it's really overpriced and not all that good. Still, a nice atmosphere. Shopped a bit at the World of Disney and then reluctantly got on the boat back to Dixie.

I swear, watching people arrive at DW as you are getting to leave is VERY difficult! Driver was right on time at took us to the airport. Passing under the "Welcome to Walt Disney World" sign and looking back at it from the rear window, we bid our goodbyes to Disney World and instantly began counting the days until our return.

The End...

Derek & Anne DeBoer

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