Trip Reports

Trip Report - The Reunion

7/10/1998 thru 7/16/1998

Prologue

Planning for this trip started during late summer 1997 shortly after the death of our Father. We had traveled as a family since the early sixties starting with a tent then progressing through a series of pop-up campers to a motor home. We decided to hold our first family reunion without our parents at Walt Disney World as a tribute them. We booked a Villa at the Disney Institute for Saturday July 11th through Thursday the 16th. Of course the best plans can go awry and sadly all were not able to attend. My oldest sister and her husband ran into difficulties during their home remodeling and my brother started a new career and was not able to get time off. So it was down to two younger sisters (Andree 35 and Laura 28) who are infrequent visitors to Disney World, my brother’s son (Dallas 7) a rookie and me (Mike 37) the veteran. Having made a minimum of three trips each year over the last ten years, I’ve been able to stay at every resort. I changed our reservations to the Wilderness Lodge since it’s my favorite resort at Disney World.

Since we live in Louisiana and Mississippi, the original plan was to make the drive to Orlando. Once the group dropped to four, I arranged for a direct flight out of New Orleans. Delta partner Comair runs Canadair Regional Jet service on the route and I was able to get a $140.00 rate using my Skymiles membership.

The flight on Saturday morning was for 8:00am which would have meant leaving Baton Rouge at 5:00am so I booked a room at the Airport Hilton. Staying at the Hilton is a trick I learned when working for a cruise line in Miami. A one-night stay entitles you to leave you car parked at the hotel avoiding the high rates for airport parking.

I drove to Baton Rouge Friday afternoon and picked everyone up for the ride to New Orleans. As expected there were several delays due to construction and accidents. What should have been an hour drive took almost two hours. After check-in, we had a nice meal and hit the bed for a good night’s rest. The alarm went off and we were up in a bolt hitting the lobby in record time.

Also, this is my first attempt at using the Anti-Early Entry Format. In the "good old days" the Early Entry was a blessing for resort guests. You got to hit the most popular attractions with very short lines while everyone from off-property had to wait for the regular park opening. As Disney added more resorts I noticed that the Early Entry lines got longer and eventually there wasn’t much difference to regular openings. This trip I decided to try a theory that I saw on someone’s page. For lack of a better term I call it Anti-Early Entry. Visit the park that had Early Entry the day before. The idea is that since people had a chance for Early Entry at the park the day before and they will be using another park for Early Entry, that lines should be shorter.

While requesting a "woods view" at the Wilderness Lodge, I also requested and received a 7th floor room. Many have noted that the balconies on the 7th floor have a "knee" wall instead of a railing that interrupts the view. I’ve found that the solid wall allows you to keep the sliding door open and the cold air from the room will fill the space keeping you cool. If having a view is important to you, do not stay on the 7th floor.

Day One Saturday July 11th

The airport in New Orleans has been under construction for as long as I can remember. After negotiating the work areas, we made it to the gate. The agents for Comair did a great job paying special attention to my Nephew. Upon boarding, the Captain presented him with a pair of wings to commemorate his first plane trip (he was the only youngster on board). The skies were clear almost all the way into Orlando and we spent most of the time spotting landmarks along the gulf-coast.

[ BTW Comair has a program called Pink Tag which allows you to carry your luggage to the plane. Your bags are tagged and placed on board. Upon arrival your bags are returned and you never have to wait at the baggage carousel.]

Michael with Florida Towncar Service was terrific. He sat outside and chatted with me during our stop at the Goodings grocery store. If the five-passenger format fits your plans I definitely recommend using their service.

We arrived at the Wilderness Lodge just before noon and made it through check-in in less than five minutes. Our bags were in the room just minutes after us. After a quick change out of our travelling clothes (I was involved in a plane incident that convinced me of the merits of leather shoes, denim pants and a long-sleeve cotton shirt), we hit the bus stop and started resort hopping.

The Contemporary Resort was our first priority. When we had lunch at Chef Mickey’s my Nephew immediately developed an aversion to the characters. I think he was a little surprised by their size. The food was good and the service was great. The girls heard the call of shopping so my Nephew and I took off for the Magic Kingdom.

As we approached the Magic Kingdom from the Grand Floridian on the Monorail, all he could say was WOW. We made it through the turnstiles and headed down Main Street as the sky started looking very ominous. It was only the beginning of the rain Central Florida needed. As the shy darkened the Castle seemed to glow. We stopped in the middle of Main Street and watched as the color slowly changed from red to blue. This elicited a simultaneous WOW.

My Nephew had heard from a friend that the Timekeeper was really cool so we headed for Tomorrow Land. There was quite a queue so we hit the Tomorrow Land Transit Authority. As we approached Space Mountain, we noticed the line was stopped outside and they were turning people away. Once we got inside the lights were on and there were technicians walking the tracks. This was the first time I’d ever had a camcorder with me while the lights were on so I shot constantly. Seeing that it was "only a roller-coaster" alleviated any existing anxiety he had about riding. We walked right into Timekeeper which was his first exposure to a Disney attraction and it had a definite impact. As we exited he pointed to Carousel Of Progress and said, "that one next". I heard him singing along with the theme song and knew he was in the spirit of things. As we exited, the sky opened-up and the rain started. I hadn’t planned on rain and didn’t bring my camcorder case or poncho’s. The attractions were all stopped during the storm so we sat with a large group of people for almost an hour while the water levels rose. After a while these large bugs started coming out of the bushes looking for a dry place. Several made it up the shorts of those sitting on the ground and they immediately started doing a rather funny dance. After the rain we hit the Astro Orbiters and headed back to the Wilderness Lodge.

We met the girls and went for a nice swim in the WL pool. Soaking in the hot tubs removed the last bits of real world stress we had in our bodies and minds. As usual we had a nice meal in Whispering Canyon, I get a kick out of the cast of characters they’ve developed over the years and the food is always great. I like the fact that you can specify what items they put in your skillet. Stopping by Roaring Forks to buy our refillable mugs, we headed out to the beach to watch the Electrical Water Pageant and the Magic Kingdom Fireworks topping off a wonderful day.

Day Two Sunday July 12th

The Anti-Early Entry theory worked great at the Magic Kingdom. We were queued for the opening of the Monorail, the front gate and the 9:00am presentation at Adventure Land. There was no running or crush of people all trying to get to the same place at the same time. We hit the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Splash Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, Swiss Family Treehouse, Tiki Birds and Haunted Mansion before 11:30am. Columbia House served as our lunch stop and we made a few adjustments to our schedule. Fantasy Land went quickly with It’s A Small World, Peter Pans Flight, Mr Toads Wild Ride and the Teacups taking less than an hour. The Brazilian groups were there and I must say that they were much better behaved than in past years. As we walked through Tomorrow Land the "robot" trashcan started chasing my nephew. He must have been the first victim because soon there were dozens of kids in the area.

It was starting to heat-up so we headed back to the Wilderness Lodge for a swim and nap. Lunch at Roaring Forks was un-remarkable. My Philly Cheese-Steak sandwich was bland and the burgers were dry. Nap time ended at 5:00pm and we headed back to the Magic Kingdom for the evening. Tomorrow Land was busy but not crowded due to a light rain that lasted all evening. I noticed the Brazilian groups that were so prominent in the morning were no where to be found. My sister informed me that the World Cup final was being played between France and Brazil so maybe they were watching the match. Almost on cue I noticed the first group of somber Brazilian and it was obvious they lost. We hit Space Mountain, Carousel Of Progress, Timekeeper and Alien Encounter. My Nephew got cold feet at the last minute so I bailed-out with him before the show. Trekking to the Contemporary for our meal at the California Grille I ran into a buddy of mine. We’ve been out of touch for several years and catching up was fun. The meal was great and afterwards we walked outside to watch the fireworks. We took a boat back to the Wilderness Lodge, refilled our mugs and sat in the lobby chatting with other guest. All in all it was a relaxing carefree day.

Day Three Monday July 13th

Once again, the Anti-Early Entry theory worked. We hit the opening just right and walked straight into Tower of Terror. This time my one of my Sisters got cold feet and took the chicken exit with my Nephew. My other sister and I hit the ride twice more before we’d had enough. We stopped for breakfast at the pastry shop on the corner as you leave Sunset Blvd. You can see the structure for Rockin’ Roller Coaster and it looks like at least part of it will be enclosed. The gates leading to Fantasmic were open and there seems to be a lot of work left to do.

After the Great Movie Ride we did the Animation tour then headed to the Backstage tour. The day was getting hot so we hit the Honey I Shrunk The Kids play area. My Nephew loved it and I got a lot of great pictures. We walked down New York Street and soaked up the atmosphere. After a short break we did Muppet Vision 4D and Star Tours. Star Tours was our first significant wait of the day but was still only 10 minutes. It was lunchtime so we made our way to the 50’s Prime Time Café for our Priority Seating. The Cast Members were wonderful and the food was great. We lingered for a while to time ourselves with the next performance of the Indian Jones show. We got seated front and center just behind the control consoles. I’m surprised by the intensity of the heat every time I see the show.

We hit the bus stop and headed back for an afternoon swim and nap. I wasn’t tired so I refilled my mug with coffee and took a walk around the lobby of the Wilderness Lodge stopping to admire the view from the third floor sitting area above the entry.

We had a Priority Seating for 6:30 at the Concourse Steakhouse so we hit the boat to the Contemporary. As we approached the dock, a mother duck and her ducklings were walking across the path. As I was shooting video it started raining. We ran for cover at the dock and waited for the boat… and waited and waited. After 35 minutes the boat arrived and the Skipper apologized for the delay saying something about the weather. We made our seating and I was very impressed by the level of service. The food was perfectly prepared and very delicious.

We hopped a bus and headed back to the Studio for the fireworks. My Nephew got up the courage to try Tower Of Terror and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was still early to sit and wait so we did Star Tours again and the ABC Sound Studio. The sound booths at the exit are still my favorite "unknown" attraction at the studio. The fireworks were awesome and the music terrific. It’s still my favorite at Disney World. We hit the bed early in preparation for the next day.

Day Four Tuesday July 14th

5:30am comes early at Disney World but obviously not early enough for the wakeup call. The call was almost 15 minutes late. I hit the lobby looking for a coffee refill. Nothing, nowhere, not a drop of coffee in the place. What were they thinking? I finally got the attention of the Cast Member prepping Roaring Forks to fill my mug but was so distraught I forgot to ask for sugar and cream. She ended up handing me the sugar and cream through the tiny windows along the ramp from the lobby. We missed the first two busses and got to the gate at 7:05am.

The entrance is even more spectacular than I had read. The morning air was cool and misty giving the area a rainforest look and feel. We headed straight for the Kilimanjaro Safari and walked right in. The ride was interesting but lacked a sense of adventure. Maybe it’s just too real. The animals were out in abundance but it’s almost impossible to take pictures or video while you’re bouncing around in the bus. The Gorilla Falls Expedition Trial was fantastic.

Approaching the Tree Of Life from the back was incredible. Even from a distance you can pick out the different carvings. It’s Tough To Be A Bug was hilarious. I had read that it was very intense and not suitable for young kids but the ones in attendance seemed to enjoy it as much if not more than the adults. Several people got up to leave before the ending and missed the punchline. Too bad for them.

Next was DinoLand USA. I’ve had Countdown To Extinction on my mind since riding Indiana Jones at Disneyland last summer. What a ride! The effects are incredible and the show as a whole was the best presentation at Disney World (if you like that kind of thing). The Boneyard served as a playground for both adults and kids. Several of the AAU Girls Basketball teams were touring at the same time as us. One of the girls commented to her friends that they were "the biggest people here except for the fanny packers". I took my fanny pack off and stuffed it in my Sisters backpack. I walked Cretaceous Trail while the others played.

We took the Discovery River Boats at Safari Village and I actually dozed off. I’m sure in a few years there will be some maturing of the park, but for now Animal Kingdom just doesn’t cut it as a Disney park. By this time we were done with Animal Kingdom so we headed to the bus stop. The girls wanted to checkout Coronado Springs because they are scheduled to attend a conference in the fall. When they saw how far you have to walk between the rooms and the conference center they decided to make reservations at Wilderness Lodge.

We planned to take an afternoon break but the first bus that arrived was headed for Epcot so we changed gears and hit Future World. There were several Brazilian groups in the area but they were very well behaved. We stopped at Living Seas, The Land and Journey Into Imagination. Honey I Shrank The Audience had a long queue but it started to rain so we decided to get in line under the awning. I wasn’t amused when a lady in line started describing the show to my sisters and warned about the effects. Luckily my Nephew was paying attention to the fountains. The rain was steady so we decided to move Downtown Disney. I had purposely avoided Downtown Disney on my last two trips so I could receive the full effect once it was finished. What a place!!! Dinner at Bongos Cuban Café was practically perfect. The Chef even came to our table to ask our opinions on the meal. Next we went to the Virgin store where my sisters spent over two hundred dollars on music.

By this time my Nephew and I were getting tired of shopping so we stopped the girls and we all went to Disney Quest. I had heard it was like a Dave and Busters or Gameworks on steroids. There is no comparison. Most if not all of the attractions are Disney originals. Some Disney regulars may remember the Aladdin Magic Carpet ride workshop at Innoventions. Well, the ride is complete and out of this world. It’s been scaled back from the original concepts they displayed and tested but it runs in real-time with no obvious defects. We did Hercules, the River Raft, Design A Coaster and Mighty Ducks pinball. One of my favorites was the Treasure Of The Incas where you drive a truck from a console. The truck has a video camera mounted on top to show you where you’re going. The other members of your party can watch the truck as it moves beneath the floor and shout directions. Disney Quest has something for everyone and is very entertaining.

We skipped the clubs since we had a seven-year-old with us and were back at the Wilderness Lodge by 11:00pm.

Day Five Wednesday July 15th

Since things had gone so well and we had more than enough time to see everything we had left on our list. We decided to sleep a little late and head to Spoodles for breakfast. Once again the transportation bug bites us and we almost missed our Priority Seating. The place looked great the service was good. This early visit gave me an idea of what to expect later in the day for dinner. The Boardwalk was virtually deserted but we did get a chance to stop by the Wyland gallery. I was a little dismayed to find a virtually identical copy of a table I bought at the Las Vegas gallery. While they are "different" the design is identical to mine. The boat to Epcot pulled up so we hopped aboard. The International Gate was just opening when we arrived so we headed straight to the American Pavilion for the first showing of American Adventure. The Voices Of Liberty were in fine form and as usual we grabbed a seat on the floor to get the best sound. As we entered the theater and took our seats I noticed my Nephew raising the seat and looking underneath. When I asked him why, he looked at me like I was crazy and said "rats and bugs". The family in the row behind us overheard his explanation and died laughing.

After the show we headed for China, Norway and Mexico. We hit Canada and UK within an hour and decided to complete our tour of Future World. Horizons is still my favorite attraction in Future World. It combines the elements I prefer most; Sitting, Air Conditioning, Music and Technology. Universe of Energy and Wonders Of Life were completed in quick succession. Our Priority Seating at the Garden Grille in The Land was coming up so we headed in that direction. I had almost forgotten about the talking drinking fountain because the area is under construction. I asked my Nephew if he was thirsty and he said yes. I prepped the camcorder and started taping as he hit the button. The look on his face was priceless. We lingered for a while so he could hear all of the different sayings. I wasn’t aware that the Garden Grille was a character dining location. My Nephew had avoided the characters throughout our trip and I was worried that he would feel uncomfortable. The Cast Members did a great job of keeping Mickey, Minnie, Chip and Dale at a safe distance. Out of the blue my Nephew asked why Mickey wasn’t stopping at our table. I motioned to the Cast Member working the characters and all four descended upon our table. According to my videotape they spent over seven minutes at our table and my Nephew really hammed it up for the camera.

We stayed in Future World for the rest of the evening and saw most attractions several more times. I was amazed at the lack of lines. Innoventions offers several different levels of activity. The Coke Cool Station was one of our first stops. Since I travel quite a bit, I was familiar with most of the products they have available but my sisters were very adventuresome and tried all of the selections. After drinking the Coke products we headed to the Electric Umbrella for a snack and to give my Nephew a chance to experience the Talking Trashcan. It took a little prodding to get him to throw the trash away but when he did I followed him with the camcorder. The startled look on his face melted into the biggest smile of the day as he realized what was happening. As the time for Illuminations neared, we made our way to World Showcase and got a spot next to Canada. The show was spectacular as usual and there was a tinge of sorrow in my heart since it was the last time for me to see Illuminations before the Millenium show takes it’s place. The night was young so we headed to out for a little entertainment. After visiting Club ESPN, we hopped a bus to Pleasure Island. The Adventurers Club was as enter, the cast is deep into a story so we grab seats at the bar. My Sisters were completely taken by surprise. We headed to House Of Blues so I could grab a souvenir for my boss. With five days at Disney under our belt, we’ve met all of the goals we had set for the trip and still had half a day left. We caught a bus back to Wilderness Lodge and hit the bed with a real sense of accomplishment.

Day Six Thursday July 16th

There was no alarm or wakeup call this morning. I actually slept until 7:00am, which is rather late for me. We hit the Wilderness Lodge lobby with smiles on and met some really nice people from Japan who were just arriving. They didn’t know you could use your Length-Of-Stay passes before you got your room so I explained it to them and they took off. Breakfast at Whispering Canyon was more boisterous than usual. More than ten people had to be shamed for various offenses.

I caught my ride to the Richard Petty Driving Experience and kinda went into overdrive mode. The Ridealong Program is just what the doctor ordered. The wind and noise with the smell of fuel and oil in your nostrils… but I digress. It was over a little to quickly but I have the memories of blasting around the track at over 130-MPH for three laps. Next trip I promise to take the driving program where I’m sitting behind the wheel. I received a late checkout at the front desk so we called for our luggage pickup just before 1:00pm. A leisurely walk around the grounds and it was time for Michael from Florida Towncar Service to pick us up. At 1:35 on the dot Michael arrived and loaded our bags for the trip to Orlando International. As we rounded the Magic Kingdom parking lot I realized I was leaving for home and wouldn’t be back until the Fall. See ya soon Mickey! The trip back was uneventful and the service on Comair was great again.

Epilogue

We got to see everything we wanted but in no way saw everything. Now that they’ve added Animal Kingdom, I’ll have to increase my stays to six or even seven nights.

While the Animal Kingdom was entertaining, I felt that there just wasn’t enough to fill an entire day. Maybe I don’t get it but there seems to be an emphasis on stage shows and demonstrations. The park definitely has room to grow as evidenced by the long walks between attractions. Dinoland seemed to be the most complete of the areas. Countdown To Extinction might just be the most complete trill attraction at Walt Disney World. The Boneyard is a nice play area for children and adults and Cretaceous Trail makes for a nice break from sensory overload. The Discovery Riverboats doesn’t offer enough sights and sounds to make it interesting. There are many areas where there is simply nothing to look at but trees and bushes.

The Tree Of Life is simply spectacular. While the rest of the gang went to the stage shows, I walked around the tree and spotted as many animal carvings as possible.

It’s Tough To Be A Bug is very entertaining and not nearly as scary as others have said. All of the kids in attendance thoroughly enjoyed it (of course it’s possible that parents had kept the most easily scared kids away).

Kilimanjaro Safaris will one day be an equal to "safari" rides at other parks around the country. One of the highlights of an attraction like this is seeing and photographing the animals but because Disney decided to make the trail so rough it’s almost impossible. I used both a digital camera and a camcorder with image stabilization and ended up with three minutes of useable video and nine photos that had to be taken at wide angles to minimize image blur.

I’m dreading the day the Horizons closes. There’s just something about the ride that thrills me every time I see it. There was no noticeable activity at Test Track. Journey Into Imagination is starting to look a little worn. The Land was in better condition than in past years. I always enjoy the Living Seas pavilion. Ellen’s Energy Adventure was quite entertaining and my Nephew thought the Jeopardy game concept was pretty cool. Wonders Of Life seems too busy and the queues for Body Wars are always too long. There seems to be a lack of innovation at Innoventions with too much emphasis on games and stores.

World Showcase is one of the best-maintained areas of Disney World. All of the pavilions were immaculately prepared and the Cast Members from the host countries are great.

Disney-MGM Studios looks like it’s still going and growing strong. The addition of the Rockin’ Rollercoaster and Fantasmic will make it my number one park early next year. I can’t wait for David Copperfield Underground to open. 30 million dollars for a restaurant with levitating tables? This should be cool!!!

The Magic Kingdom looks really good after the 25th anniversary celebration. The Castle has never looked better and I really like the varying colors they use at night. Swiss Family Treehouse is always a treat and the "New" Tiki Room was better than I expected. I had feared that messing with something so good could only result in compromise but Disney really pulled it off. Slash Mountain seems to get wetter every year. I always enjoy Peter Pan’s Flight and my Nephew thought it was great.

I didn’t include Fantasia Gardens golf in my trip report because we were unable to complete the course due to a transportation snafu at Wilderness Lodge. The bus drive forgot to change the destination sign and didn’t ask why his bus was empty with a crowd of people waiting. If Disney insist that Wilderness Lodge is a premium resort they must improve the bus transportation. Due to timing, we had maximum waits at the Wilderness Lodge bus stop and the exchange at the Magic Kingdom bus stop that put us behind schedule on several occasions.

Mike Arceneaux

mondo@datasync.com

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