Trip Reports

Monday Evening of May 11th to Sunday, May 17th

Introduction

One day I was curious about the difference between Disneyland (I live in CA) and Walt Disney World and so did a websearch turning up such gems as Deb’s and Brian’s site. I went from knowing nothing to a burning desire to go the WDW. I read reports, the newsgroup and guidebooks and devised the perfect 2 week "do everything but still have down time" trip in October (after the Oldsmobile Classic) for our family of 2 adults and 2 daughters, age 4 and 7. I was excited to say the least and it was busy saving money and tweaking the trip when we went to Disneyland in December. We had fun but some problems too. Then it was that I figured out that 2 weeks was way to long for these ones to be gone and that the more adult parks would not interest them enough until they were older. I scrapped the trip. I still really wanted to go. Enter my relatives. My sister and mom got together and offered me 6 nights of watching my children so my husband and I could go! Woohoo! I quickly planned again and so starts the most wonderful vacation and second honeymoon (15 years married) starting May 12th through 17th....

Monday, May 11th

So it is May 11th and the dream trip is about to start by taking the girls to my sister’s house whose husband will ferry them to and from school during the week and catching the San Fransico to Los Angeles then to Orlando overnight flight. Leave at 7:00 pm and arrive in Florida 5:30 am. I called the airline (United) at 2:30 and verified everythng was on time picked the girls up and took them to gymnastics got home and my husband tells me "I checked our filght and the airlines cancelled it" What?!? Sure enough they had and would not have called to tell us either as they automatically booked us on the next flight an hour later. Maybe an hour doesn’t matter to you but when it means you will miss your connecting flight which the last one of the night by the way, it makes you very upset! I was in tears actually. My husband figured out a way through O’hare that would get us in at 11:00 am. He was very proud but I was moaning the lose of our Animal Kingdom morning (yes, I got up by 4 am here to make those Rainforest Cafe ressies at 12:00 a week ahead of time). After so much bad luck I felt we had to have a break and we did. Our flight got in 10 minutes early (the SF to LAX one by the way was delayed for 2 more hours ugh!) Florida Town Car was their waiting and our bags appeared within 5 minutes. Florida Town Car was very good by the way as I called the night before changing our pick up time. We were at the Yacht Club at 11:40 and checked in. I confirmed my no smoking close to the main section and suddenly a 12:00 PS seemed possible as the desk attendant said they would hold them for 15 minutes. Out to the bus stop and within 3 minutes our bus appeared. We made it to RC at 12:05 and and our first fru fru drink by 12:15. Now our vacation had truly started!

So hubby and I are seated in front of the Gorilla and appreciating Rainforest Cafe at the Animal Kingdom. I especially am appreciating the Mojo Bones appetizer while he eats the Pieces of Ate with unilluminated cilantro (I hate cilantro!). I switched my game plan on the plane as I wanted more AK time so I knew we could be relaxed and save the safari’s and Lion King Show for another day. Our first ride .... Countdown to Extinction. No line, airconditioned , interesting and good ending ... a good start. I bought my first pin at the bones site store and we headed for It’s tough to be a Bug. This line is very deceptive. Looking at the carvings is wonderful but I needed my spray bottle with fan (thanks trip reports) as it was in the 90’s and much of the line is in the sun.

We both loved the show. I tried to warn a dad about the intensity for his 5 year old daughter and did suggest she sit in his lap and take off the glasses. He was appreciative after but the animatronic guy still scared her. I was really glad not to have my kids at this one

I found a pin that I liked better (gold tone with the tree and animals) and they exchanged for me no problem. Thank you! It was hot. We were tired. It was near 3:00. It was time to get our room. Thank you bus for being there and off we went. Knowing how I don’t like waiting, I had thought to rent a car but without kids and hubby and I not wanting to drive, we didn’t. It was a great decision. The transportation worked efficiently at the Yacht Club.

Our next bit of magic happened when we got to our room. Not only did they honor our request but at my AP rate of 189.00 we got a beautiful 4th floor room overlooking the water and the wedding gazebo (we saw 3 weddings while we were there). They didn’t even in know that this was our 2nd honeymoon as it officially isn’t until June 25th so I didn’t feel comfortable telling anyone there. Room 4131 was way beyond my expectations. I had scheduled some down time after our difficult night but hubby was game to go so after a rest and shower we headed off to the Marketplace and all my Disney dollars (105) on presents and got my MKC discount. By the way if you want them to send it to your room, tell them first. The clerk had to do it over but it was a great way to go and arrived the next morning. It was still early for Pleasure Island so we stopped for a drink at Fulton’s Crab House. This was great as I had to choose between there and Portabello’s and thus got to check out both. We then bought PI tickets and headed off to the 1st showing of Comedy Warehouse. I was happy as I had read it was the easiest to get into. The show is hysterical and the people so quick. I had a blast. we headed over to Portabello’s which was so noisy! They did not have my reservation but said they could get us in. A few minutes later we were seated outside. This was perfect! It was quiet and had a view of the lake. We had one of our best dinners here and enjoyed the sangria type drink they brought at the end on the house. Next stop Adventurer’s Club. I am not sure about this one. We saw the general and the Inaugration and then were invited to taste beer which was not my drink and so left and headed... back to Comedy Warehouse. We were front row this time and it was equally inspired and totally different. Boy, I hope they have something like this back home! Now it was getting toward countdown but I was ready to count sheep so back to the room we went. From tears of despair the last night to tears of mirth tonight, this was turning out to be quite a ride!

Wednesday, May 13th

Now my husband’s habits here in California are to get up at 4:00 am and get ready for work while I sleep to 7:00. I had planned for this by explaining where to get coffee and how I would signal I was up, but it was my dream plan so I guess I was excited enough to break the time zone barrier. We were up and ready by 8:00 (5:00 my time) and received the Mickey wake up at 8:05 (someone online had suggested off times might help getting actual voice instead of music or silence and it worked for us everyday). We went downstairs to grab a bite and drink and walked on to Epcot. I never had a problem with the biometric scanner although warned here so I was prepared for naught. We walked past England and Canada and off to HISTA. This was fun. I was careful to move the backpack so it didn’t block anything and enjoyed my husband’s surprise. My kids like this series so it was a good topic but Bugs still reined supreme. Then up to the Image Works before it got crowded with kids. I found two items I loved the brightening shapes on the floor that make sound and the orchestra conducting. I am looking forward to bringing the kids here in the future. Then downstairs again for the JII ride. It had a line! "No, this isn’t right", I told my husband "Let’s take a bathroom break." Sure enough it was a walk on when we came out. He was impressed with my knowledge but not the ride Then off to the Land. My only goal here was the boat tour as I wanted to save the other for to be fresh when our kids come with us. (This was my general plan to hit all things the kids wouldn’t want to do and save new experiences also to do with them) I liked the boat tour very much and would like ot sign up for the walking tour some day. We were making great time so I took us over to do Body Wars before lunch. Oh, no! I did get motion sick. Thanks to online warning I just looked down in my lap peeking up to see what the story line was and if it might not always effect me. Somehow the filming of whooshing along just did it to my stomach but not husbands. Cranium Command was more my speed and we both enjoyed it. We caught a few skits of the Anacomical Players and played with the sensory equipment before heading to the Living with the Seas. It really takes a long time to get to the aquariums but I enjoyed the ride though the tanks. I loved the manatees. The biologist was there to answer my questions and kept throwing out heads of romaine lettuce which this slow stately creatures would chomp. I could have hung out there much longer but realized out 1:30 PS at Coral Reef was coming up fast. I hope it doesn’t take to long to get out! No problem and to the restaurant. This was perhaps my favorite meal of the trip. I loved our aquarium view, the help was so friendly and the food was delicious an getting 10% off was great too. My husband and I usually order differently and then share everything. Every dish from chowder, salad, entree and even dessert (the individual Boston Cream pie is super) was wonderful. We also were entertained by the sea turtles, manta, shark, schools of fish and scuba diver that came around.

We waddled back to our room and took a short nap and shower and got ready for our new time as this was when our cruise had been scheduled. I decided not to go to AK tonight as I thought we might miss the 5:30 showing of Lion King and so we took the boat to MGM. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do Tower of Terror but when we saw the 90 min wait, I decided not! We saw the Great Movie Ride, Indiana Jones and Voyage of the Mermaid. I wondered about saving this for when our kids joined us but am glad we didn’t. We both enjoyed the smooth transitions of media in this show and I would be happy to see it again. I picked up another pin to add to my hat here and quickly caught the boat back to the Yacht Club. There was a message light flashing. Uh oh. It was my sister so worriedly I called her to find out that my 7 year old who was to busy with her cousins to talk to us last night decided she really wanted to talk to us tonight. Oh, whew!

She was a little sad as I told her about the manatees and our lunch but brightened up when my sister told her to hurry since they were going out to pizza. That worked like a charm and I was guilt free for another day!

We headed to our dinner at the Yachtsman Steakhouse and ordered the Chateubriand for Two as recommended here and it was very good. We really enjoyed our waiter here. Ricardo please come back to the Bay Area soon. I promise we will try not to have an earthquake this time! When we requested a fast departure to try and see Illuminations from our room. he was great. Turns out we couldn’t see the fireworks, just the glow on France so we relaxed, called Mears for a Universal pick up and went to bed.

Thursday, May 14th

I let my husband take Mickey’s call this morning then down for a cup of coffee and of to met Mears to travel to Universal Studios. It cost $20 round trip and they were on time at 8:15. The lady on the phone said we would be there by opening without problem but we weren’t as the shuttle also stopped at Beach, Swan, Dolphin and Boardwalk. It was comfortable and we made it about 9:00 and then did the trek to get to the gate. Used given advice and looked for an open seller and there she was at the booth at the end with no one in line! Thanks for the tip. Noticed that finally some of the people from the 20 deep lines came and joined us. I marched us to Twister first as it was new and recommended. We walked about half way through the line before stopping. I did enjoy watching the screens while we waited of actually home movies of twisters - especially the one where they talking about how it is coming right toward their apartment and the glass bursts in front of them and then they decide maybe they should leave, uh duh. This attraction is really great! We both highly recommend it for preteens, teens, and adults. Then off to Terminator 3D where we walked right into the preshow.. I really liked the personal touch of the actress but the show was not to my taste as I liked both HISTA and Bugs better. We went and caught the Blues Brother show which ws very hard to find as it outside on a street but filled with good music and sax playing. We then caught Back to the Future which was I walk on too and really fantastic! We went on ET which did not say our names and called Mears to pick us up as we were really hot (still weather in the 90’s). I thought we would have time for Hanna Barbera and we just got in as the last 2 people so made it. It was cute! Went shopping for another pin for my hat and found sales! Wow, got my pin for my hat collection and a manatee bean bag for one daughter and a monkey for the other (2.99 each) and the sales clerk asked if we had AAA which we do and so took off another 10%. I wish we had time to shop more at these prices but wanted to trek back to pick up by 2:30. We were there but the shuttle was not for another 5 minutes (thank goodness for the fan mister) and waited 10 more minutes for people who did not show up. My favorite picture taken at Universal Studios was a special effect shot where you stand on an x in front of a clear screen but when developed it has the Hollywood sign on the hill behind you. Neat!

We rested, we showered, we got ready for Epcot! Once again we were ahead on my A list of must sees and so sneaked in Horizons. I picked the Underwater scene for us and found the whole idea fun. I do think it could use a little kick and be kept as a good attraction but I guess that is not to be? We explored Canada. Bought engraved leather bracelets for the girls and then checked in for our 7:30 Rose Crown PR. Thaks to advice I asked for a water side table and said we were willing to wait however long and they gave us an electronic coaster that flashes when you are paged. Hubby stayed and drank a half yard of beer while I explored. I collect tea pots but did not buy any newones here. I fell in love with the intricate chess board pieces in between the shops and tride to find my informal Clan pattern but they only carried the formal one. Did also here some of the Beattles type performers who were great but had to rush back as our table was ready. We had a lovely time here and tried the selection of meat pies, cheese board and trifle as being English but ordered the very good prime rib as foundation. Illuminations started right on cue and other than occasionally being distracted by the light tower that shines on the Pub it was very nicely coordinated. We finished our tea and paid the bill and walked slowly back to the Yacht Club via a beach swing.

I realized that I had bought pins for my hat every where but Pleasure Island and wondered if they had one. Hearing about great Disney service, Idecided to call. They put me through to PI who told me they had just received their new millenium pin and I could certainly charge it to my room and they would have it delievered tomorrow. I went to bed that night charmed with the Disney magic.

Friday, May 15th

I couldn’t believe we were up by 7:00 this morning but took advantage of it by heading off to Animal Kingdom. I knew I wanted to do the safari early or very late so this was the morning and it was great. I was very excited to see the animals in their natural habits and complimented the guide on his deft handling of jeep, spotting animals, and running story line. My photos turned out well too so I feel like I went on a mini photo safari in Africa. My last must was the Lion King Show so we headed over to Camp Minnie Mickey and enjoyed the sculptures of Disney characters doing outdoor things. Being a Camp Fire leader I had to get a picture by Daisy Duck leading the ducklings on a hike. I enjoyed the show. It was very interesting watching the whole tech part. We were in the warthogs section and the energy of some of those animal dancers is fantastic!

Well it was only 9:00 and I had completed the musts for AK so we headed to Disney Studios. My plan had been to come here until Sci Fi PR at 2:30 go back to swim and then return for the night. We decided to finish what I wanted to see (my husband is sooo accommodating and ended up returning to the Yacht Club at 5:30. I very much enjoyed the Muppet 3D and have always liked them but couldn’t find any Beaker merchandise. We went on Star Wars which is exactly the same as at Disneyland but as we came out of the ride, there was Chewbacca. As I was asking the CM if I could go over to him, he snuck up behind me and gave me a good scare. I definitely had to have his picture now and had a huge grin to go with it. My one character photo of the trip. I hadn’t planned on doing any of the production type tours since we had been to Universal California not long ago but ended up in Superstar which was entertaining and seeing Catastrophe Canyon which was interesting from the back side. We still had time before our PS but went early and after a short wait sat in our car. Atmosphere is the big kick here and was worth it and although the food was not great, the shake was! we headed off to see Hunchback and Matt the juggler which I was very excited about after all the praise online. On the way I got to instruct some kids on how to work the umbrella (thanks for that tip) and they had a blast! Matt was there but his timing was off and he kept losing things and although the Hunchback’s Out There brought tears to my eyes, I was still expecting more from the show so came away disappointed (It had been a long day and it was still too hot) So back to the boat and up to get changed for the pool.

Now this is an amazing part of the Yacht Club. The pool. I think I failed to mention that we had already sampled the current pool at night and even went down the waterslide(last ones of the night). We were impressed. Today it was more crowded but we went around once and tried the other side. Found the bubbling water and went behind the waterfall. Then back to get dressed for dinner. Found the message light flashing when we got back so of course I was worried until I found it was just a package delivery to be made. Whew!

Tonight we walked to the Swan and had dinner at Palio’s. The bread is great and the welcoming wine appreciated. The violinist was playing some Andrew Lloyd Weber tunes very well and we were enjoying our food with the comfortable though that our $50 coupon would cover a great deal of dinner. Dinner came to $8.83 before tip so $21.00 for a meal was well worth it!

We strolled back to the room via the Boardwalk and did enjoy the look of the hotel and pool. The surrey bikes sure looked fun. The Epcot Ball looked beautiful with its many colored lights. Now we could eat dessert but I was sure Beaches and Cream would close before we got there. Not so says hubby and dashes off to be one of the last customers and take our bounty up to our room. These sundaes are a forceful reason to stay at the Yacht Club.

Saturday, May 16th

Off to Epcot today on our last day of vacation. I had planned it as a full day without break but we had so few lines that we got our swim after all. Headed through International Gateway to Spaceship Earth with less than a 5 min. wait. I enjoyed this especially knowing the details to look for. The way down is fun. Next was Ellen. This was a funny blend of edutainment and I really appreciated. I can’t wait see my daughter’s reaction as likes Bill Nye and wants to be a paleontologist (I purposely didn’t check out the bones at AK so that it would be new to both of us). t was now almost 11:00 so time for our "around the world" trip. I took hubby straight to Maelstrom-no line- and my kind of water ride (dry). I got a picture of us in front of the big troll in the gift shop and felt guilty not buying anything. I did try very hard this trip not to be uncomfortable asking CM to take pictures of the two of us. I was tired of having pictures of just one or the other or scenery and really waned us both to be "there".

We headed back to Mexico and rode Rio del Tiempo. Uh, okay. I had PS at both San Angel Inn and Marakeesh so that we could make up our minds that day. It sure is dark in there but very cool. We traveled on. I love the colors and architecture of China. What is in their background that influenced their intricate molding and bold colors? After seeing World Showcase I think I would like to take a class in Origins of Cultural Architecture or some such. Morocco’s coloring too is unusual to me. We saw a woman in the Japan shop get a nice size pearl in her oyster and have it made into jewelry. That looked fun! I really wanted to hear the Voices of Liberty so we made sure to be there for their performance which was outstanding. I have been in choirs and accapella work is so hard but they were perfect. One of my highlights. We had to rush to Marrakesh for our reservations after American Adventure but when we got there, realized that they were uncrowded (1:30). I was pleasantly surprised that I liked the sweet flavor of the food as we shared a sampler plate and the hotness of the sauce on the rice. This was definitely a good choice. we did not get a belly dancer however but a musical concert. I was happy with that and hubby didn’t complain and enjoyed his Moroccan brew (he tried to get a Beck’s in Germany but the line was long). We finished up in France with me trying to get hubby to stand right in front of Chip’s spout and even though he did, the cup didn’t spit until he left. Drat! He got me earlier with the mist from the water dragon’s mouth in China so thought I could get revenge! I decided on the boat back to the Yacht Club as I was hot and tired. We rested and then went to the pool. More crowded today with children in inner tubes so my favorite time was sipping a Strawberry Daiquiri pool side. Aren’t people friendly on vacation?

Time for a shower and ready to go to Magic Kingdom. I debated about going here at all but since there are differences from Disneyland and I was curious how Spectromagic compared to the Electrical Light Parade, we went tonight. No problem with the shuttle bus and as we go to the entrance who is it but Naughty Mr. Hook. I gasp and he intimidates me. My 4 year old is in love with all things Peter Pan and so I knew we had to get a picture I fumble for my camera and snap him threatening my husband with his hook. At least he didn’t steal anything like that boy’s baseball cap. It was a light hearted way to enter the MK. What’s new? Well let’s try Timekeeper. all right this is well done. Then on to Carousel of Progress. Good job, we like this. I remember the America Sings at DL. Then onto TTA or Wed way as I know it and we like the good view of Space Mountain (long line though). I thought we would take the Skyway to Fantasyland as reminiscent of our last Fireworks ride in DL before they took them down but the line was ridiculously long. Oh, well. We passed the Coke mister truck - cool! Tried for the Lion King Show but I was afraid we would miss our priority seating at Cinderella’s Table yet we wouldn’t get another chance to see it. Nope, had to duck out as the pre theater wait ended. Oh, well. Now the castle is wonderful! If I could choose where worked at MK is would be here for the costumes alone. We did not have a window table but as the next row back it was wonderful. Our waiter was fun and the food good. Worth the price for good food and good ambiance. Now that it is dark it is time to see the difference in Haunted Houses. Well, not that different so on to Big Thunder Mountain. I have never been on the DL one at night so maybe I would feel differently but this ride was fantastic! I am sure it is longer and more involved than DL and I had a blast! The fireworks in line were a nice touch, too. Just missed the American Adventure show but can catch the last one after Spectromagic so on to check out Pirates - well not much different there.

"Time to line up?" asks hubby. "Okay" say I. But after sitting I say, "Maybe we have time for one more - too long for Jungle Cruise but walk right into New Tiki Room. Hey I liked this. It was fun and fast paced and so better in my mind to the DL one I had seen in Dec. Then we dashed across the ropes to watch the parade right in front of AA. The parade was fun. I liked the newer stories floats but it is very similar to Electrical Light Parade without the really catchy music. Do if you despair of seeing ELP again, try Spectromagic. Parade passes, we enter the AA and sit for a few minutes. I enjoyed this show and watching for the figures to move during roll call when it wasn’t their turns. Came out and the park was closed. I wanted to do a little shopping to let the crowds get out but the crowds were staying right there in the store. Got to the line and it was huge for the shuttle. All the other hotels lines were diminished so it looked like we had missed a turn. Two shuttles finally turn up and are cheered loudly and packed full. I am so tired now that I can’t wait to get back to the room and sleep. We have to leave at 9:00 in the morning.

Sunday, May 17th

End of a great vacation. Check out was smooth. FTC was on time. I had to check the Disney Store at the airport but was disappointed to find it is not The Disney Store that accepts MKC but just an extension of the parks. Easy flight home with a short stop in Denver and back to the house to relieve Papa and Nana and hand out gifts.

Planning was critical in feeling like I had accomplished all my top priorities. We would have had a wonderful time being by ourselves for 5 days but Disney really added layers of memories. It seemed like we had been gone for a longer time. Sometimes expecting too much diminished the experience but usually knowing about the attraction added to it.

Favorite restaurant: Coral Reef
Favorite 3D: It’s tough to be a Bug
Favorite thrill ride: Big Thunder Mountain at night
Favorite show: Festival of the Lion King
Favorite motion simulator: Back to the Future
Favorite picture: E-mailed postcards from the ATT booth in Innovations
Unexpected Favorite: The Comedy Warehouse
Favorite Snack: Mint chip sundae at Beaches and Cream
Finances

Yes, this trip was expensive (2,400) but worth it. I started saving a year in advance and every time I made a reservation, I tried to pay that deposit. I bought an annual pass for myself as the extra $100 allowed me to get the AP discount on the room saving $400. We used frequent flyer miles for the airline tickets. I budgeted high for food as I had alot of sit down meals but we came under budget for that. I asked for Disney Dollars for Christmas and Birthday so $105 was already there. So when the Visa bill came in, I had the funds to cover it. Now I am saving for a possible surprise Mom and me trip when my daughter turns 8.

I might have just been rewarded for doing my trip report for on Friday after I posted the first one, my husband comes home and says, "Guess what, I might go to a conference in WDW in October. Want to bring the kids?" Hallelujah! Time to get those planning books out - Whispering Canyon Cafe Breakfast in the castle, Never land Club ...... Oh, yeah. I‘m not supposed to get my hopes up too much.

April Bishop

asbishop@ix.netcom.com

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