Trip Reports

Thursday, September 4, 1997 (Arrival & Epcot)

We had a really early flight out of Chicago (6:30AM) so we woke up around 4:00AM to get the airport on time (for those of you who are familiar with Chicago...we flew out of Midway...soooo much easier than O'Hare!). Flight down was really smooth (and very crowded because the plane was continuing on down to Puerto Rico). Arrived in Orlando around 10:15AM and happily hopped aboard their own "monorail" to the main building at the airport (don't you just love that when you first arrive?). Met right when we got to the bottom of the escalator by Ken from Florida Town Car Service. Really great guy. He even played his Disney tapes on the way to the hotel (I had heard that he did that so it made the ride to the hotel even better!). He took a different way to the resort than we had before (it always seemed like a rite of passage to go by all the billboards and Mary, Queen of the Universe Shrine, etc. However, this way was much more scenic. Sighed as we passed under the "Welcome to Walt Disney World Resort" sign as "Hakuna Matata" wafted through the air...

We had requested early check in at the Poly and they said it would not be a problem. We also called Room Control 5 days prior to arriving (thanks to all the posts!) and requested a newly remodeled room (since we never stayed at the resort before we wanted the best). Checked right in and were told we were in Hawaii on the third floor. The room was GREAT! The windows and balcony were enormous, the beds big, the bathroom really nice and mable...all in all we could not have been happier with our room (well, maybe a King bed would have helped but they told us they only had those with the suites and we had a garden view).

Flipped on the "Disney World Network" channel (are there other channels on the tv's in WDW...I never even tried!) Unpacked and got ready to spend the day at Epcot (which is where we always spend our first night!). Stopped by the really nice snack shop and picked up some water (very necessary due to the humidity!) and a banana for my wife (hey, we ate healthy the first couple of minutes!). Browsed through the Poly gift shops for a while (a requirement when you first check in, isn't it?) Walked over to the TTC and boarded the Epcot Monorail. The Poly transportation is just outstanding! To be able to walk to the TTC and/or take the monorail to the MK was a BIG 'ol plus in our book!

Nearly empty monorail (nice quick & scenic ride...we always have to take a bus from the other resorts). As the monorail made the loop inside the park we noticed just how totally empty the park was. It was like a ghost town! We normally go in the off season but this was, hands down, the emptiest we had ever seen the park. We also love coming in May when the Flower & Garden show is going on so it was a little less "pretty" inside the park. It was around 1:00PM so we walked right onto the "Ball" (a must for every trip...especially when there is no line). However, it was a little sad that before the big climax (you know, when Irons says, "...aboard this...our Spaceship Earth!" and you see all the stars...) our car stopped before reaching the top of the ball...not quite as dramatic and goose-bump inspiring.

**On a side note, you must understand that my wife and I do NOT wait in lines. Any lines. We feel that there is so much other stuff to do (walking around holding hands, eating, drinking, just soaking up the atmosphere, eating, drinking, etc.) that we refuse to just stand in line...and wait. As a result, we will never, ever, ever go during the summer or any of the busier seasons. You couldn't pay us to go during the busy seasons (well...maybe you could). We also never feel the need to "do everything." We always like to leave things to do the next time we come back. As a result, even thought we have been to the park 5 times in the last 2 years, there is still LOTS we have not done together**

Whewww! Now, with that said, we headed over to Cranium Command. I had seen this about 5 years ago and was quite excited to see it again. Wonders of Life was empty! It was a little odd seeing no line for Body Wars, nobody on the bikes, etc. The preshow (with us and about 20+ other people) was a hoot! The show itself is really great. One of the best "edu-tainment" exhibits at Epcot. We both really liked it.

Sauntered over to World Showcase (our favorite part of Epcot!) for lunch at Mexico (another thing done everytime we come). Were seated right away and happily feasted on Fundido (the best anywhere), rice and a pitcher of Dos Equis. Continuing along on the "empty park thread", it was kind of weird seeing all the boats go by for El Rio De Tiempo with nearly NO ONE in them...boat, after boat was empty (couples could have a boat all to themselves...awwww)

Headed outside and...Pow! Bam! Ouch! Heat!!!!! Heat like we have never felt before in our entire lives. It was only around 90 degrees, but the humidity!! Oh, my God! It was brutal...we limped over to Norway for some Rhinges (ahhhh!) to cool down and shop. Maelstorm had no line but I was hesitant being caught in that line inside (you know, those dreaded hidden lines). I don't know if there was one...but I didn't want to chance it. Saw a Brazillian tour group walking toward Norway so we quickly decided to move on. They are really kind of funny to watch if you're not directly affected by them (another reason not to go in Summer). They had their flag and were singing...kind of cute (however, we were stuck with a group on the Haunted Mansion last May and it was anything but cute).

Hit China for a beer and an eggroll (really good...my wife's favorite eggrolls anywhere). Walking from China to Germany was grueling! This is a walk I will have to tell my grandkids about someday ("When I was young, you're mother and I nearly passed out walking from China to Germany..."). Tourists on the ground gasping for air, people jumping into the lagoon, etc. My wife says now that if she was outside for another 5 minutes she would have gone down for the count. I actually started to get a little sad thinking, "My God, if the whole trip is going to be like this...yikes!"). Well, as soon as we hit Germany...glorious clouds and a slight drizzle! Hallejujah! I have never been so happy to see clouds in my life! The weather instantly dropped 20 degrees. It was fab.

Strolled over to the UK (we had 8:00PM reservations at the Rose & Crown but didn't feel like waiting around until then). We planned on staying for the fireworks but since we saw them last May, September and again in May, we decided to take a pass this time. Watched British Invasion for a while (great...as always) and then went to a couple of the shops. Walking into one we saw Ian Frasier autographing his castles! We bought the 25th Anniversary one to have him sign it for us. He and his wife were really, really nice people (we wound up seeing them 3 additional times during our trip due to the Disneyana Convention going on). He told us that he's made one of the Wedding Pavillion that you will be able to buy at Frank's at the Pavillion around December. It looked great (because we were married at the Pavillion last May we kind of feel "obligated" to buy it).

Ate inside the Rose & Crown for dinner (we have always eaten outisde due to our desire to watch the fireworks). It was a lot of fun. Noisy, kind of nuts...just a pub should be. Split the fish & chips (smart move) and a yard of Bass so the bill wasn't bad at all. We've recently come to the conclusion that "splitting" things (beer, food) saves money! Wow it only took us 5 budget-busting trips to figure that one out!

Headed back over to the Poly via the monorail around 8:30PM. After a day at the parks it's just so nice to be "zipped" back to your hotel on the monorail. Walked back to our hotel past the torches and picked up a couple of drinks at the bar next to O'Hanana's. There's a reason they don't put the prices next to those little "fun" drinks of theirs. 2 drinks came to $17.00 (we did get special glass drink stirrers, though!) Who cares...we're on vacation. Walking outside, we were then really saddened that the Poly pool bar was closed! We used to always hang out at that bar when we were staying at other hotels. We later found out from an O'Hana bartender that it was due to the mosquitos (no one else would admit it). The pools were all closed at 7:00PM. Watched the fireworks from the empty bar area along with the Water Pagaent which was going on at the exact same time (talk about sensory overload!). Decided to call it a night and hit the sack around 9:30PM (hey, we'd been up since 4:00AM!)

Friday, September 5, 1997 (MK; Coronado; Marketplace; Victoria & Albert's)

Woke up early (for us) around 7:30AM. Since we had good sleep, we decided to head over to the MK first thing. We had planned to go only on Early Entry morning (Saturday) but since we were staying on the monorail line and were up early enough to beat the crowds, why not?! (We just love making those big decisions when were in WDW..."Gee, should we go to the MK or Epcot this morning?") Got a couple of bagels in the snack shop. Really nice snack shop...it was never crowded when we were there and had a really nice "quaint" feel to...not like the monstrous Dixie Food Court (which we like, however).

Hopped on the monorail and hit the MK. It's such a great feeling when you first hear that monorail voice: "For those of you who just joined us, welcome aboard...our next stop is the Magic Kingdom..." Walking down the monorail platform, under the railroad tunnel (I LOVE the old park posters!) and then "boom!" your in the MK! The music, the smells...it's kind of true when I read from someone that you really don't "feel" like you've arrived in DW until you've walked down Main Street. We were pleased to see that the lack of crowds from last night was not a fluke. Although it was about 15 minutes before opening...there was NO ONE THERE! It was great. We got a seat next to the moat near Adventureland and listened to the morning announcement. We really love being in the parks right when it first opens. To hear that announcement, see them pull the rope away, hear the "blast" of the Riverboat...

Now, please understand that my wife is NOT a thrill ride person in the least. She will not go on Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder, etc. I, on the other hand, am a thrill ride junkie (making a trip to Cedar Point every fall!) Since we were in the park before opening, I asked my wife if I could hit Splash Mountain right when the park opened since there would be no wait. She said sure and I should just meet her near the exit at 9:20AM. Well, I walked right on Splash Mountain. Wow...I could not imagine waiting in that cue! I was getting tired just walking straight through it! Great, great ride. I really think it is the best overall ride in the park. Not just for "The Drop", but for the whole atmostphere is puts you in. It's long, detailed, and very, very fun. How can you not smile when it's done! I really wish my wife would go on because I know she'd love all the characters but, as she tells me, she would be waiting...and waiting....and waiting for "The Drop" that she could not enjoy anything about the ride.

With me quite wet, we walked over to Fantasyland to do our all-time favorites: Peter Pand an Snow White. Question: While I do like Mr. Toad, why don't they turn it into a Winnie the Pooh ride? After all, Pooh is the fave of many kids (and adults) and we think it would be a great idea (but, alas, I don't those decisions)...

Walked on the Haunted Mansion with only 17 other people in our group (we couldn't get over the lack of crowds!). Loved it...I ALWAYS notice new things every single time I go on it. After the ride (and a little shopping), we decided to head over to Coronado Springs. We're REALLY big Disney resort people and get as excited seeing a new resort as we do a new ride or park.

Found the Coronado bus and left to go explore! Upon approaching it, we thought it looked...well, huge! The colors were really bright and fun and the lobby was just georgeous (very much like the Dixie lobby in shape). We always like to "rate" the different resorts based on certain criteria. For example: location and transportation (monorail, bus, etc.) Gift shop (snacks, beer, donuts, etc.) Food (food court, expensive restaurant, etc). Pool (themed and quiet) and so on. Like I said, we LOVE them Disney resorts!

Grabbed a couple of Coronas (hey, we were at Coronado) and went to look at the Pepper Market. Nice! The food smelled soooo good! The Maya Grill was pretty but those prices! Yikes! Higher than Flying Fish or California Grill! Walked out of the Maya Grill to walk around Lake Dorado and look at some of the rooms. Pretty lake (maybe it's just us but we absolutely HATE the look of the Dolphin hotel!!! Its giant triangle ruins so much landscaping everywhere (Coronado, World Showcase, Boardwalk, etc...arghhh! Oh, Gods of Disney, we beg of you to get rid of it!! Whew!...ok, I feel much better now, thanks).

So, the Casitas were nice and the Cabanas were REALLY cute (loved the "low" bed). Room size and style were very similar to other Moderates. Pool was great (needless to say). Overall, we really liked the hotel. However, we feel it lacked some of the beauty and isolation that you get when you stay at Dixie and Port Orleans. I know the theming is different but at those resorts you really feel like you're a million miles away.

Got on the bus to go to the Marketplace for lunch at Planet Hollywood. While the place IS loud and kind of annoying...the service is always great and food terrific (we always get the Cap'n Crunch Chicken Fingers and Margarhitta Pizza). Hit the World of Disney store before catching a bus back to the hotel for a quick nap before our big dinner at Victoria & Albert's!

Arrived at V & A's about 5:45 (reservations were fun 6:00) and walked around the resort (and right into a dress shop where my wife bought a new dress she wore for dinner that night!) Dinner was great. My wife is not into "different" food but she ate everything they put in front of her (for that price, she better!) and enjoyed almost all of it. The service is wonderful and not snobby or snootish at all. They were all very, very nice and made you feel quite comfortable. We got the wine pairings (unbelievable wine...the best we'd ever had!). I think we received a total of 6 courses ranging from seared venison to orange whitefish to a soup to cheese, blah, blah....overall it was a great experience...to do once. Our bill came to around $270.00 with tax & tip. Now, while the food WAS very, very good...it was food. For a special occasion it is really worth it (the personalized menus, harpist; rose; etc.). And they gave my wife her own personalized birthday cake! We're set for quite a while without needing to going back.

Went to Mizner's for a nightcap (and a $9.00 glass of wine...gotta love the Floridian!). Got the remainder of our drinks in plastic cups to walk back to the Poly. The walk is our favorite walk in WDW...very private, very quiet and very romantic. As we approached our hotel the fireworks began going off along with the Water Pageant. Ahhhh...only in WDW!

Saturday, September 6, 1997

Got up around 7:30AM and decided to take advantage of Early Entry...but not before having some Tonga Toast! Coral Isle was empty and our food arrived in record time. We decided to split the toast (another very wise move) and waddled out of the restaurant and onto the monorail.

Did the WEDWAY People Mover (I know it's the 'Tomorrowland Transist Authority'...but we still call it the People Mover!) Once again got to Adventureland before rope drop and did the Jungle Cruise on the first boat. Our captain was a little "lethargic" so the ride was a little lame. That ride really does depend on how good (or most importantly, bad) the driver is. Sauntered over to Pirates (always great) and shopped around the Bazarre for a while before taking the boat over to Wilderness Lodge. Great, great hotel (where we stayed on our honeymoon!). Got a couple of Amstel Lights and walked around the grounds. Since it was around 10:30AM, we loved hearing people saying "Hey...look at those two with beers...now, they're on vacation!"

Decided to take the boat over to the Contemporary and stop by the Disneyanna Public Day we heard so much about. Well, needless to say, we were not the only ones who heard about it. The place was packed to the rafters! They told us it would be about 3 hours of waiting in line just to get in...um, thank you, but no. Went up to the California Grill but they weren't open yet so since the weather was georgeous and we had some time, we decided to get a speedboat! Had an absolute blast! Those boats can really fly! For those of you who haven't ever done a boat at WDW...do it! It is a great way to see everything and it's a heck of a lot of fun!

Went back upstairs for a quick pizza. Made dinner reservations for 5:30 since our planned Luau for 9:30 was cancelled (they said to "low attendance" but we heard later it was the mosquitoes). Great pizza (however, it had goat cheese on it...and my wife HATES goat chees with passion so I was "forced" to eat the whole thing myself). Hopped on the monorail back to the hotel and got stuck at the TTC because they were "doing a check on their emergency brake system" (?). Sat on the monorail for over 15 minutes (whey they felt they had to do this with a full monorail is beyond me). As we were sitting, I noticed Andreas Deja (famous Disney animator...he animated "Scar", "Gaston" and "Hercules") was sitting across from us. He could not have been nicer. We finally got moving and went to our rooms for a quick nap (getting up early really wears us out!). Now, we were torn between California Grill and O'Hanna's for dinner. We had been to O'Hanna's before and were really tempted because it was "in" our hotel. We could just go eat...relax at the bar and not have to "fight" all the crowds at the Contemporary. After sleeping on it, we decided on O'Hanna's.

Reservations were for 7:00PM so decided to hang out at the bar for a while. Great bartenders! I told the hostess that we would like something by the window if possible. She said she would try but couldn't promise. She walked over to us at 6:45 and told us we had a window seat it we wanted it. We gathered up our drinks and when through the O'Hanna "routine" (being introduced to the chefs, shouts of "aloha, cousin" from everyone. All fun stuff.

Sat at a two seater near the window by the marina. Nice. Sun was just going down so we had to pull the shade or have our corneas catch on fire. Our waiter was great! The food was quite different when we were there a year ago. There were a lot more appetizers and no ribs (thank God!). Overall, we were really, really pleased with the food (I'm having turkey cravings already!) and the price and the service. However, there was a table of 5 middle aged people who did not "get into" or enjoy the whole meal at all. I think they were expecting a little more "upscale" place. We liked having all the kids playing games and running around...we will definetely return next visit. Oh, we told our waiter that it was my wife's birthday and we got a special piece of cake with a nice candle on it. Following the meal, I made sure to stop by and thank the hostess for the great seats. She seemed quite touched that someone simply stopped to thank her (on a side note, that's something that we always do. If we get great service, we will always ask to see the manager to tell them that our server and food were great).

Walked over to the bar for a couple of drinks following dinner. Quite small but very cozy (like a small living room) and enjoyable (especially when the keyboard player is playing). Our waitress found out that it was my wife's birthday and she put every wacky plastic drink stick (dolphins, parrots, etc.) in her beer, brought out another piece of birthday cake as the keyboardist played "Happy Birthday." It was quite sublime...long live the Poly! Picked up our nice picture they took during dinner, got a bottle of champagne and then ordered a room service pizza (can't believe we still had room!) and went to bed.

Sunday, September 7, 1997 (Disney Vacation Club Purchase & Departure)

Awoke about 7:00AM (don't you just HATE waking up on you last WDW day?). Leaisurly packed up everything and then it happened. The moment that changed our little WDW lives forever. Ready? Here we go...we decided to call CRO to make reservations for May for our annual anniversary trip. Well, as I'm sure you know the rates for all the hotels just keep goin' up and the dates you can use the MKC just keep goin' down! When we figured that we would EASILY spend around $2,000 for our May trip alone...we decided to visit the Disney Vacation Club table to ask a few questions. We had nothing to do until 4:00PM when our flight departed anyway...

Now, we had called about a year ago and looked at the material along with the video. Nice, we said, but out of our budget and it doesn't make sense that you pay that much money AND still have to pay over $500 in annual dues?! Well, we went up the Poly DVC location and sat down. The guy (can't remember his name) was very nice and arranged for a DVC van to pick us up at the Poly and take us to OKW. They would give us the tour and buy us lunch at Olivia's. Hey, free lunch!

The van arrived in about 10 minutes and drove us over the OKW. We had stayed at Dixie several times so we always drove by it...but had never been inside. Very, very nice. A MUCH different atmosphere than the other resorts. I had heard that it really didn't have the "theming" that the others had and I can see that. It was very much like a really cool country club (loved the golf course running through). The driver gave us a quick tour before dropping us off at Harbor House (the official DVC headquarters). Our guide, Gib McCain, then took us on "The Tour." We told him that we looked at the video so he said we could just skip the "movie" because it was the same as the video. First impression was that the presentation was very, very low key. Not high pressure AT ALL! My brother went to a time share presentation a year ago near Chicago (because they offered him a free trip "just to listen"). It scared me just to listen to his story. Very, very high pressure sales tactics!

Gib took us into the different "resorts" (actually diffent rooms with models of all the resorts, complete with wave sounds in the Vero Beach room!) and then finally to the actual rooms at OKW. First was the studio. Very nice (especially with the fridge and microwave). The one-bedroom was AMAZING! We instantly fell in love with it!!!! Needless to say by the time he showed us the Grand Villa we were ready to sign right then and there!

The tour was followed by "question time" in one of the offices. Well, we asked all the questions we had (we came very prepared) and he gave us the answers we were looking for. The MAIN reason for our joining was this: After we pay off the initial payment (around $10,000) all we then EVER have to pay are the annual dues every year (around $600). You get the DVC for 45 years. When we realized that over the past 3 years we had spent close to $5000 on rooms ALONE we knew that this was for us. To be able to stay in a one-bedroom for over 7 nights and STILL have points left over (we got 170 points) for $600 A YEAR was the selling point. Now, this is important: IF YOU DON'T GO TO WDW FREQUENTLY (meaning nearly EVERY YEAR) IT WOULD NOT MAKE SENSE TO JOIN!!! The deals are when you stay at the Disney Vacation Club resorts! It was also very important to us that we be able to stay at the other WDW resorts if we chose to (Floridian, Wilderness Lodge, Poly, etc.). Sure enough, we can! And it is STILL a bargain for the $600 a year dues. You can stay at the Grand Floridian during December for 6 nights at the cost of your annual dues! As you know, the Floridian goes for nearly $270 a night. Multiply that times 6 and you've got a pretty penny going towards your hotel costs! Now, you CAN stay at a LOT of really, really great places all over the world BUT it will cost you (in some cases) nearly 3 or 4 times the number of points per night it would to stay at your home resort in WDW. It's nice having the option, though.

So.....we decided to go for it! (insert wild cheers and applause) We used their new plan to have the cost of your current stay put toward the cost of the DVC. Good deal but make sure you do it before you check out! Sure, some people don't like the DVC because you can't "sell" it or "don't get anything out of it when it expires in 45 years." Well, you know what...who cares! We're going to get 45 years of great Disney vacations for us, our families, our friends, our kids, etc....all for the price of the annual dues. It will save us BIG, BIG money (again, because we are very frequent WDW visitors!). Ok, I could go on, and on talking about it...let's move on!

Free lunch at Olivia's was great! The server saw all of our DVC stuff and said "hey, welcome to the family!" Awwwww! Purchased a DVC Magnet and keychain and then got on the bus to take us back to the Poly where we gathered our bags and said goodbye to our room. Florida Town Car was right on time (I always get so depressed thinking, "the last time I was in his car and saw him was when we were arriving!") No Disney music on the way to the airport (I think he knew better than to torture us like that). Bid farewell to "The Ball" and as I put my arm around my wife thought, "you know, life just keeps gettin' better and better."

P.S. First DVC trip is planned for May 10th-17th with 3 nights in a one-bedroom at OKW and 4 nights in a Boardwalk Studio!

Derek & Anne DeBoer

Adu219@aol.com

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