Trip Reports

Time of Year: Fall
Travel Method: Plane, Shuttle Service
Resort: PO
Accommodations
Ages Represented in Group: Adult
WDW Experience Represented in Group: Veteran
Comments: Jen and Jo spent a nice week scouring the entire resort. This is a fun report...and has the longest list of final thoughts I've seen in a trip report in eons (except for my own).

September 27-October 4, 1998

The Pre-show

Greetings one and all. :-) Before we get to the good stuff, I thought I'd better give you a little background on who we are and how this trip came about. So sit back, relax (go ahead, get a soda, I’ll wait...)

Cast of Characters:

Jen (me)~ 29 years old (for at least a few more days), the planner, this marks my 10th trip to WDW.
Joann (aka Jo)~ 35 years old, older sister, the follower (pretty much just goes with the flow), also 10th trip.
Show dates: Sunday, Sept. 27 - Sunday, October 4

A little bit of history (no, there’s not going to be a quiz): Our very first trip to the World was back in October 1971, shortly after it opened and just after my 3rd birthday. I remember loving Dumbo. :-) The family didn't go again until Labor Day weekend '84 and again in '85. Great times, both. The next trip wasn't until '92 when it was just Mom, Jo and myself for a short trip. But that’s all it took-Jo and I were hooked. :-) She and I have been back every year since. This past April we had the chance to go to Anaheim for a convention (for fun) and took the opportunity to briefly check out Disneyland. We thought that vacation would be the only one for us this year, but WDW was calling. During the summer, as job stress started to really get me down, I gave myself a choice: either quit my job and find something that doesn’t make me want to throw things (at people!), or stay and be miserable until a fall trip to WDW could be arranged. Amazingly I chose the former. In July, I gave my notice and told Jo WDW would have to wait (she's a great sister, she understood). Then the mail came. My father had found some bonds my grandmother had bought years ago and had forgotten to mail. WDW was covered! I booked the same day the mail came. :-)

The Details: When I booked in late July, the MKC discount on the room was unavailable, but we did get the discount on the LOS passes. Better than nothing. Booked Port Orleans, our favorite moderate. In the past 6 years, we've only had to stay elsewhere once-'96 it was sold out, so we stayed at Dixie Landings (nice, but we missed PO).

Booked air on US Airways out of Providence, RI (about 45 minute drive from home and both closer and easier than Boston’s Logan airport). In the past, we've taken a limo to Logan (gift from Mom), but with Providence's TF Green airport construction done, it's very easy getting in and out. In Orlando, we've done both Mears and rental cars in the past (usually choosing rental cars when we want to do Universal). This year, after all the good recommendations about Tiffany, we decided to give it a try. No Universal this year.

The Pedometer: To make things a little more interesting, we decided to bring along my pedometer, so we could try and figure out just how far we walk each day (don’t you always feel like you’ve walked a million miles?) It proved to be a little unreliable (it seemed to gain mileage when in my fanny pack) and didn’t like being dropped (it stopped working on day 6). Other than that, it was very interesting to see just how far a body can walk with the right incentive. ;-)

So now you know who we are and how we got to WDW this go round (and I applaud you if you're still with me). :-)

As they say, on with the show! (You know, I was thinking about not posting this, since it's liable to get long-winded, but I decided to for mostly for two reasons: I had taken notes, so I might as well use them, and despite my previous experience with the World, I made some real doozies as far as mistakes were concerned. So maybe someone can learn from my errors. Don't worry, nothing really bad happens, we got pretty darn good at making lemonade). :-)

Sunday, Sept. 27

Quote of the Day:

'Boy it’s hot.'
3:30am, the day begins (for Jo). She’s the big sister, so she gets up first and lets me sleep 'til 4:00am (isn't she a sweetie?). By 5:10am, we're in the car and on our way. Parked in long term parking ($35 for the week) and hopped the shuttle to the terminal by a little past 6, for a 6:50 flight. While sitting waiting for the flight, in the waiting area next to our gate (ours was too small), I couldn't help but be mesmerized by the color display screen over the entryway. It was just like the one in MuppetVision pre-show! Since this gate wasn't being used yet, the display had ads on it and it was very colorful and creative. Got a laugh when Jo came back from a walk and said as much before I could say it. :-)

Flight to DC was uneventful (thankfully) and early, as was the flight from DC to Orlando (I love it when they're early!). By the time we got from the plane in Orlando to the baggage terminal, both the Tiffany Town Car driver and our luggage were ready and waiting. Cool beans, off we go! Flight was supposed to _land_ at 11:15am, we were on the road and waiting in line to check in at PO by 11:45am. :-)

Check-in went mostly smooth (we've had more cheery front desk clerks). Room was ready (yay!). I had decided not to put in any special requests for room/buildings since we've been in 5 different buildings and I couldn't decide what to ask for and we'd just be delighted to be there. I had reserved a standard room, but was given a garden view, building 7. :-) Not the closest building to everything, but not too far to walk either (besides, when you’re all pooped out from a day at the parks, doesn't _every_ room feel 3 million miles away?) ;-)

Unpacked, rested a while, decided on just using the room safe, instead of the safety deposit box at the front desk like usual (feeling lazy). Separated money for the tips for the end of the trip (hk, bellman, driver), so I wouldn't be tempted to spend it. Then it was time to get changed and head on out!

Finally, around 1p we boarded our first bus (for Epcot) in search of food. (Got zippo on both flights, just soda, bummer). I got to make the food decision, but I was tired and hot and not really in the mood to eat, so we decided on the Sunshine Food Fair in the Land, so we could mix and match stuff if we wanted. Jo had baked potato, I had potato skins (too much cheese for me, but ok). Perhaps not the healthiest meal (you'll see a trend here) but it was something at least.

*Now we get to the part where I tell you how we headed on over to the UK to watch the World Showcase Players and then to Canada for Off Kilter. You’re going to be seeing this combination a _lot_ as we spent a great deal of time walking between these two pavillions. Both Jo and I are great fans of both shows and have really been looking forward to seeing them again (good thing we get along so well)(also a good thing the UK and Canada are so close together <g>).*

So yes, we headed on over to the UK and caught the first of many wonderfully funny shows. These folks are just priceless! Then made it to Canada with a few minutes to spare before the first Off Kilter show. Decided to stand (bad idea, it was way too hot) and had a blast (I missed these guys!). After the show, went to buy the tape and the CM in the Trading Post got me all excited when she asked about other merchandise. I thought she was telling me they _had_ other merchandise. Turns out she was asking me if I'd _buy_ other Off Kilter stuff and what kind. I say 'Yes, of course' and unfortunately could only think of t-shirts, but afterwards other stuff came to mind (like a video). <g> Headed back over to the UK for the WSP and another rendition of 'King Arthur and the Holy Grail' (grail, grail, grail, ugh!). Since it was a while til the next OK show, we decided to take a walk around the Showcase (isn't that what everyone does when they're utterly exhausted?) ;P After the next OK show, I got my tape jacket autographed (such sweet guys)(turns out Tony's got family not far from where we live, can you say, 'small world'? <g>)(and I somehow ended up promising to come back)(like they were twisting my arm). ;-)

Started heading out as I wasn't feeling well (combination of the heat and lack of food/water {I hadn’t been drinking a lot of liquids, although once I finally bought a bottle, I refilled 3 times in quick succession and nearly floated away}). Took the rose path back to Future World (some really lovely colored roses, but they were looking a bit wilty). Checked on HISTA as I was feeling a bit better and stayed since we just hit the beginning of the pre-show (my favorite part). Such a fun show, lots of good-natured screaming going on, but sis was cheating by putting her feet up.

After HISTA, took the bus back to PO for a brief rest. Then made PS for Crystal Palace on Monday and Whispering Canyon on Tuesday (I didn't make any PS beforehand) before hitting the Floatworks for dinner. Bought our very first refillable mugs (don't ask why we've never bought them before, I have no idea). I had a good Grilled Chicken with a (very small) fruit cup. Jo had pizza. Then, strength regained, we headed to the Arcade for a little battle with the Terminator. I won. :-) Even made the day's top ten scores. (Hey, sometimes it's the little things you've got to appreciate.) Quarters spent, we headed back to the Floatworks for dessert (and the first of many pieces of chocolate cake)(for the trip, not the day). ;-) Then off to bed. Wake-up call set for 5:45am for Monday. Oh yay. ;P

Mileage walked-approx 6 miles.

Monday, Sept 28.

Quote of the day:

'Capital P, capital U, capital SH', the talking trash can spelling his name. <g>
Once again, the advantage of not only being the baby of the family, but of not wearing contact lenses pays off. Jo's up at 5:45a, I get another half hour. We're on the bus by 7:15, not at all full, but because the driver heads to all of the DL stops, bus ends up standing room only (she hit the main DL stop last, that put us over the top). Get our first sight of the MK by 7:45a! Hit Space Mtn first, with about a 5 min wait. Only right side open, way fun! Go back again and they have both sides roped off...? Just getting ready to open left side, so we get to be first. Fun, but not nearly as wild, imo. Head over to AE without any wait. Lots of little kids, but none of them seem scared. Way to go kids! Great crowd for this one. :-) Hit the Wedway/TTA, one of my most favorite rides. Great place to catch the breeze and see the sights. Then head on over to Splash Mountain, by way of Adventureland. Cut through next to the Country Bear Jamboree and yikes! The line for Splash Mtn is way long! But actually, they just haven't let anyone in to the queue yet. Phfew! Just 9am, not a long wait at all, nice and refreshing. But, we got a little stuck...after the big drop, at the waterfall on the right side (and guess who was sitting on the right side?) Yep, I was in the last row and the only one in our boat to get soaked. Probably stuck about 2-3 minutes. The family in front of us thought it was hilarious (well, ok, we were all a bit giddy).

Next, one of both of our very favorites, the Jungle Cruise. Only... it's closed for 3 weeks! :::sniff, sniff::: I missed it! I knew it was closing, but forgot to double check the date (I thought it was later in the week). Oh well, since we're here, let's do Tiki Birds (we've never actually done the TB). Well, I _loved_ it! Of course, I can't compare it to the original, but I thought this incarnation was hilarious (Jo gives a thumbs up as well).

The pineapple place hadn't opened yet, so we pressed on to more attractions. Skyway didn't open for another little bit, so we walked on to the Haunted Mansion (it was probably just after 10am and there were no crowds to speak of). Came out and stood in line at Skyway, due to open any minute. More than 10 minutes later, we gave up. Not opening for some reason, no CM to give us an idea when. Oh well. Walked back to Tomorrowland, hit the Wedway again (hot and tired, needed a rest). Not enough time to do Timekeeper before 11:30a PS at the Crystal Palace, so we watched the Holidays Show (very good, btw!) then headed for lunch.

CP was _very_ crowded when we got there. Seems they just start serving lunch at 11:30, so they had to seat everyone. Not that busy once inside. Pretty nice buffet. Tigger and Piglet came around first. Both had some fun with the couple next to us. She had a scrunchy in her hair that Tigger kept pulling out and both Piglet and Tigger had some fun with the gentleman's crew cut. They were awfully cute. :-) Got pix with everyone, thanks to the nice lady at the next table (sis was at the buffet when Piglet came over). I wasn't sure who was more excited at that table, the mom or the child. <g> The food was nothing special, but the atmosphere is nice (ladies, be sure to check out the ladies room, it's quite lovely).

Headed back to the Timekeeper, bit of a wait, so I headed to the ladies room near Aunty Gravity's and that's where Jo ran across the Talking Trash Can. What a hoot! This thing was totally messing with the minds of the kids it was talking to. It was encouraging one little girl to get ice cream on her shirt, then drop some (I think it was hungry <g>). It asked another young lady how old she was, then if she dated younger trash cans. And it got one family to take a picture with it (and how does one explain this picture to friends?)... ;-)

After the Timekeeper, we headed out. But first stopped at the Cinema, but were depressed because of the changes. So I bought Jo a stuffed/bean bag Little Brother from Mulan. :-) Then we picked up our picture that was taken in front of the (non-pink!) castle (which turned out to be our only picture together) and headed to home. (Bus was waiting, yay!).

Rested a bit, then headed to Epcot. Too late for the first OK show (bummer), so walked onto Spaceship Earth, then Ellen’s Energy. Headed to Canada for the 6pm show. Jamie the bagpiper was absent, but the band was rocking anyway! Hit the World Showcase (still doing King Arthur, we asked about Romeo and Edna since they usually alternate shows, and they said it would be back... hmm...). Were going to try to squeeze the French movie in, but couldn't. Spent the rest of the night alternating between the UK and Canada and drifting in and out of the UK shops trying to get cool (and trying not to drool over the David Winter Cottages in the Queen's Table). One of the OK shows they brought out Mike the sound technician to dance for the audience (to get us to sing along). What a trooper he was! Superfreak indeed. ;-)

Headed back to PO after the last OK show for a snack of chocolate cake and a few rounds of Terminator with Jo. Then off to bed. Another early day Tues (and late night, as it's E Night at the MK).

Approximate milage between the two parks: 8.5 miles.

Tuesday, Sept. 29.

Quote of the day:

'I'm such an idiot'. Jen on Jen
Another early morning, 5:45am wake up, yada yada. At the bus stop by 7:20am for EE into MGM and I notice how full the Epcot stop is. How odd... Equally odd is that there is no-one at the MGM stop... One sinking feeling coming right up. I pop into Guest Services to confirm that I'm an idiot and I've mixed up the Epcot and MGM EE days! Oops! Wed. we were going to sleep in and skip Epcot EE. Jo is dying to get on ToT so we decide to stick with MGM today and probably hit it again EE on Wed so she can do ToT again.

(Overheard at the bus stop-Mom was relaying a tale to someone about how she let one of the kids set the alarm the other day. She woke up in a panic at 6:30a thinking the alarm never went off. Rushed through a shower and got dressed, only to realize that it was only _4:30a_! Ooops, kid had reset the clock. ;-))

Get to MGM _really_ early. Which isn't bad, it gives one ample opportunity to people watch. We saw lots of dads being good sports with kids on their shoulders already. One little girl had a stuffed wolf beanie that she was running up and down dad's face. He was such a trooper! Another dad was carrying a little girl and when the theme from Summer Place started to play, he was dancing with her. It was so cute.

Finally 8:30a and gates are opened. Head to rope on Sunset and wait with the gathering crowd. One CM mentioned that after the inital rush on ToT, which lasts a few hours, there's hardly a wait the rest of the day (we'll see...). 9am and we get the music and welcome to MGM that I don't know if I've ever heard the whole thing, cool! A very quick walk to ToT and we're airborne! (Btw, we always take the left line, and it's always quicker.) Seems to me they've added a bit to the first half drop and they leave you hanging at the top just a bit longer (had a great view of the coaster before the wall was closed in later in the week). Did one more, but line prohibited a third visit. On to Star Tours! Took the left line, especially as everyone in front of us took the right side. Walked past about 30 people in the right lane (went by so many that I thought maybe the left was closed and no-one told us). Ended up about 5 ppl from the front, with a few min. til boarding. Got front row, didn't seem as bumpy as I remembered, although sis turned green nonetheless (she loves this ride, but didn't take her dramamine beforehand). Only once for us. Grabbed some fruit and soda (health nuts, aren't we? <g>) and then walked into Indy. Great show, I love this one! Headed on over to the Muppets and were the last ones being let in before the line was held. Completely missed the preshow (bummer) and found two seats smack in the middle of the front row (which of course begs the question, why don't folks just move all the way down?...). Turns out tech problems, but fixed in a few min and on with the show. I don't recommend front row to catch all the effects (Waldo bouncing on people's heads totally missed the mark). Did Movie Ride next with barely a 5 minute wait then time to head out, we're hot and tired, but just _have_ to check to board for wait times on Tot-5 min. Okay, let's go! Hit it four times, with nary a wait (it was just after 12pm when we checked the board).

Head out to catch the bus to Wilderness Lodge for 2pm PS at Whispering Canyon (which I kept calling Whispering Pines, cracking my sister up, she thinks it sounds like a rest home). Got there plenty of time to look around, very beautiful place! Went in early and were seated right away (the place was empty). Server was Deputy Dianne, she was very nice and fun. There were a few shenanigans with other servers and tables, but mostly it was pretty quiet 'cause the place was so deserted. Jo had bean soup (very good!, Dianne brought two spoons so I could try it) and grilled chicken. She enjoyed it. I had a very good (if messy) pork sandwich. Very delicious sauce. Ate all my baked beans (mmm..good), but left the cole slaw. Too full for dessert. So we paid and headed out. Now it gets interesting. Figured we'd take bus to MK (it's the closest park) and then bus to PO for a brief rest before hitting Ecpot. Only there isn't a bus to MK, just boat. Sis wants to take bus, so we wait to see who comes next. Finally, after about 15 min, end up on MGM bus, with brief stops at Poly and GF. Get stuck in traffic, 10 minutes dead stop outside the GF. Our rest time at PO is getting shorter and shorter. Oh well. Make transfer at MGM and get back to our room at PO some 50 minutes after finishing lunch. :::sigh::: That leaves about a 10 minute 'rest' before heading out to Epcot for the 4:30 Off Kilter. Thanks to traffic we hit Epcot at 4:25. Yikes! We hoofed it to Canada, making it in the middle of the first song. Pfew! Another great show!

Time for another adventure. The Dilemma-it's E-Night at the MK (which is a good thing), but we want to try to catch the 6pm Off Kilter show if we can. Decisions, decisions. As far as I know, we have to get our wristbands and be in the park by 7pm. So, should we stay for the 6 show and risk not making it into the MK in time? We decide to test it. After the 4:30 show, I set the stopwatch on the pedometer and off to the MK we went, via monorail. If it takes less than 40 minutes, we're safe for making the MK by 7pm. Takes 43 minutes. Hmm.. Get our wristbands overhear the gentleman next to us ask about coming in late for E-Night. CM says 'No problem'. Wow! I asked him myself to be sure and was told as long as you have _either_ your wristband, or your E-Night Ticket/card, they'll let you through the turnstiles, no matter what time. Well, well. So we head back to Epcot for the 6p show, more hoofing involved, as we hit Epcot at about 5:57p, made it to Canada just after the first song. Decided to stay for the 7:20 show so we can have a brief rest, as feet were protesting. (The rest of me loves the band, but my tootsies were singularly unimpressed.) (Btw, in between, we caught the Holy Grail again in the UK {surprised?}. Totally excellent King! I love it when the audience members really get into it). Awesome Off Kilter show. They brought onstage Canadian CM Chris to dance for us and he was so into it. Tossed his maps up in the air like so much confetti, so cute! Crowd was loving it. Very rowdy show, worth staying for. Headed over to the MK, got in line for Space Mtn at about 8:15p. Only did one ride, few minutes wait, but it was fun (I loved being asked by the CM, 'So, where would you like to sit?' (yes, I chose the front, thanks). It was great to see the park at night, all lit up, but with a small crowd. The castle looked beautiful with it's changing lights. Headed on over to BTMR next, hadn't done that one on Monday 'cause wait was too long. Few minutes, very fast moving line and away we go. Both Jo and I really enjoyed this one a lot! Then off to Splash Mountain. Front row, so we got a little wet. <g> I decided to go again, Jo sat it out. Third row this time, but still lots of fun. Time for home before I drop where I'm standing. Brief stop for cookies and off we go. Wow, my feet are blistered and sore and wishing they were on vacation. ;P

Approximate milage: 10 miles. Ugh.

Wednesday, Sept. 30.

Quote of the Day:

'Is it a bad thing if my feet hurt already?' Jo upon waking up Wednesday morning.
Up early to catch the bus to MGM for EE (finally got my days straight). Beyond pooped, between the heat and all the walking yesterday. Hit ToT four times again (have I mentioned this is my sister's favorite ride?). Third time on it was so empty the car was sitting open waiting for us. 'Sit anywhere' said the CM. :-) On the fourth go round, a child started to cry in the library, and the parents brought her on the ride anyway. Poor thing was in tears the whole time, 'Daddy, I want to get off!'. Not a happy camper. Good luck getting her on anything else remotely dark today. I ended up in the seatbelt seat, more floaty than I remember, but fun! On to Star Tours, just once. Walk on, got last row, much more bumpy feeling. Sis turned lovely shade of green. Some fresh air and she's better.

Grabbed something sweet at Starring Rolls and ran into family of four we had met on the bus. Mom had been unsure about ToT. Turns out she did ride it. Once. Was plenty for her. (Way to go, Mom!) Headed over to the Animation tour, but it had 10 min wait, so Jo went to buy some sunglasses to replace once she lost in the OK-MK Dash last night. ;-) Got in the new queue for the Animation Tour. Was fun, they've changed it since last year, pretty much reversing the way the tour used to run. Jo prefers the old way, I liked this one fine. Love Robin Williams and Walter Cronkite and especially the montage at the end. Came out of the tour and the entire Soundstage court area was totally empty! Weird. Only 11am, but we're pooped, so heading out. Both ToT and ST were listing 5 minute waits. (We still headed home.)

After a nap, headed on over to the Marketplace and hit all the stores, but bought very little (just some Christmas ornaments). Had lovely lunch at the Gourmet Pantry. Delicious egg salad sandwich and soda just hit the spot for me. :-) Had a great CM behind the counter, she was both chatty and helpful. Walked through Pleasure Island, onward to DisneyQuest. Bought 90 credits and we each programmed a CyberSpace Mountain (each level 2, remember Jo's face after Star Tours?). Lots of fun, wow! Only about a 10 minute wait each time. Played some of the other arcade games, gathering tickets as we went. Had some absolutely delightful cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory! Tried to get on the web, but couldn't get where I wanted to go. Send some email postcards, which friends got a hoot out of. Then I discovered an affinity for Whack the Alien. <g> Got really good, too. I discovered a lady watching me and she confessed that half the fun was watching all the folks get so into their games. Finally we both used up all our credits and cashed in our tickets (330 or so). Got in an incredibly long line to redeem them that was going nowhere fast. After about 10 minutes of not moving, we decide to head home and give our receipt away. I turned around, and there was the lady who'd been watching me play. She gratefully accepted the points for her kids and said she'd always remember me playing with such enthusiasm. Wow, I've been remembered, how cool. :-) We came out only to discover it rained while we were inside, our first rain and we missed it! We take the trek to the bus stop, two of almost every bus but ours comes, and _finally_ ours shows up. Rested a while, soaked my poor feet and then went and did some laundry listening to OK on the walkman. Quiet night, we're both too tired to have any more fun. ;P

Approximate mileage: 7 miles

Thursday, October 1.

Quote of the Day:

'Shop'. My code word for 'Quick let's get in that nice air-conditioned shop before I turn into a big ol' puddle of melty goo out on the sidewalk.'
Off to Animal Kingdom! At the bus stop in plenty of time to catch the first bus (I forgot they don't start running until 30 minutes before, not an hour like the rest, so we were early.) Despite this, we still made it to the AK during the opening music instead of beforehand. Beautiful place! Grabbed a map, and off we went. Goal was Safari, then CTX, then Tough to Be a Bug (maybe). Then explore the park. But, oh my, there's a lot of walking. And goodness it's hot. Got to the Safari with a 10 minute wait posted. But most of that was simply walking. Had no wait to board the tram. Simply amazing all the animals, just about everyone was out except the lions. Jo snapped some really great photos. Driver was good, but sounded scripted (I know he _is_, but it really sounded it to me). Then took the trek to CTX (have I mentioned it's really hot yet?). Not only is there not a wait, there isn't even anything resembling a crowd yet. Cool ride, both sis and I enjoyed it, but it was a tad too dark for me. Finally time for It's Tough to Be a Bug. Thanks to RADP, I was prepared for some of what was coming, so it wasn't as bad as I thought. What was great, was the walk to the theater. The Tree of Life is quite simply incredible! Wish we'd had a longer line to enjoy it. <g> Went into the theater and I didn't sit all the way back, and advised sis not to either. Neither of us got stung. Only part I really didn't like was the very end part, can you say, 'Ick'?! After surviving the bugs, it's time to eat something. We somehow kept getting lost, despite the map, and signage just wasn't doing it for us. Ended up eating at the bakery in Harambe (name totally escapes me). Fascinating decor inside. And virtually empty. Nice and cool place to catch a rest. Off to Pangani next, very cool, but I had no idea it was so long. On a day my feet were happier I'm sure I'd have stayed longer. We did see lots of animals though, including the gorillas. :-) Starting to poop out, but we were in time to catch the Lion King show, so off we went. Sat right near the exit as advised and enjoyed the show immensely! Wow, what a production! Grabbed some of the _most_ delicious cookies from the cart in Camp Minnie-Mickey on the way out and it was back to the hotel around noon. Thoroughly exhausted, this heat was going to be the end of me yet.

Had a good long rest and it was over to MGM for the Mulan parade. We went a bit in advance so I could buy a stuffed Queen of Hearts for a friend at work who's wife is totally into the Queen (her stuff if very hard to find). Enjoyed Mulan very much and then headed back to AK to the Rainforest for 4:30 PS. Never done Rainforest before, decor was interesting (we sat right next to one of the fish tanks), but food was just ok (I had pasta that had something in it I just didn't like). Had a great server, very enthusiastic. For some reason, it was right about now that I remembered that the Crystal Palace (which we ate at on _Monday_) offers a MKC discount. Poop. After dinner, it was back to PO for some fun at the Arcade with the Terminator and then some feet soaking for me before bed.

Approximate mileage: Lost track after mile 5.

Friday, October 2.

Quotes of the Day:

'Hey look, the chicks are back', Lisa from the World Showcase Players upon seeing us for yet another show.
'Uggh, in 14 years they've turned it into a kiddie park.' Over heard after the Cranium Command preshow (but I know I heard him laughing during the show). :P
'They have a cult following'. Overheard at one of the Off Kilter shows. Heh, heh, heh.
The day dawned before we did. About time. ;-) Up at our leisure and off to Epcot around 9:30am. Not a big crowd at all, considering it's EE day. Tried Horizons first, it was down temporarily due to technical problems. Ok, off to Cranium Command. Also down due to technical problems. Hmm...conspiracy? Oh well, off to Journey, then HISTA with nary a wait on either. Grabbed breakfast at the Fountain View. Been way too long since I've had one of their great fruit croissants. Mmmm, mmm, good! (Don't worry, I'm not turning healthy on you, it's the cheese I love.) <g> While leaving, saw a little car with lots of flashing lights go by, went to investigate. Was comedy team (LAFF 911), one of whom must've been an American cousin to Chris from the World Showcase Players, the resemblance was amazing. <g> Cute show, we missed the beginning, but they eventually had the crowd doing the YMCA. :-) Checked on Horizons (still down) and Cranium Command (back up), but decided to catch them later. Off to France for the movie, which we've never seen, but after some great reviews here, decided to see. I enjoyed it tremendously (it's a sit down show, how could I not? <g>). But really, it was not only beautiful, but the music's great, too. Decided to head over to Beaches and Cream for lunch, but not upon perusing the menu, I didn't really want a hamburger (and I should have checked the menu online before I left, but I forgot this one). Ended up back at Epcot, at the Electrical Umbrella instead. But first, since we were back in the area, did Horizons since it was back up, and then Cranium Command. Grabbed lunch of a chicken sandwich, which I really enjoyed, Jo just had a hot dog and fries.

Perused the David Winter Cottages in the Queen's Table, finally deciding on two, courtesy of my wonderful sister (one for birthday, the other for Christmas). CM Nick was the epitome of patience as he had to keep going in the back for different pieces and boxes. He was really lovely. Finished in plenty of time for the first of the day's World Showcase Players shows, which as always, was wonderful. Let me take a second to acknowledge the wonderful troupe of players we saw all week: Chris, Doug, Michael, Lisa, Jen and (I think) Alison. They were all wonderful! What they can do in the face of an uncooperative audience participant is amazing. We had only one show where Galahad was not playing along, and they just kept on going.

The first two Off Kilter shows were Jamie-less (jury duty), but the guys had plenty of fun without him. I got a great pix of Mark and Randy (bassist and guitarist, respectively) sitting on the wall in front of the stage-they jumped down for a visit. :-)

We drank lots of water and Sprite and visited a lot of shops all day, as the heat was, well, hot. ;P But we did very much enjoy our evening in the UK and Canada. It was home after the last OK show, thoroughly exhausted. (When we got the schedule for the week, it only listed OK through Friday. Turns out there was a new schedule for the weekend due to the Bear and Doll Convention and the band _would_ be playing Saturday. We probably could have hit Pleasure Island Friday or Saturday instead, but were plenty happy with the decision to stay in Epcot).

When we got back to PO, we stopped in the food court for the requisite late night snack. While in line, Joe, the CM at the register remarked on my t-shirt (I'm a big fan of Highlander: The Series, it was a HL t-shirt). Turns out Joe was a big fan, too, and his fav character and mine were the same. :-) So we had a lovely chat while Jo decided what she wanted, thank goodness there wasn't anyone else in line. <g>

Saturday, October 3.

Quote of the Day:

'We beat Test Track, we beat Test Track!', Randy from Off Kilter on the release of the band's CD. ;-)
Decided to finish MGM and do some repeat stuff, so we were once again at the rope to ToT in the morning. Only rode twice, with about a 15 minute wait after the first ride. Back to Echo Park for fruit, as the Anaheim fruit stand hadn't opened yet. Then off to Indy again. Another great show, but the CM performing Marion kept losing her scrunchy. Very enthusiastic audience members. :-) Caught the Backstage Tour, got nice and wet (not very though) on Catastrophe Canyon. Finally got to find out why the Earful Tower had blue ears (had been wondering that all week). It's because of Fantasmic, although the CM I asked wasn't sure what exactly they were going to do with it (she thought maybe paint stars on it).

Headed back to PO for lunch (I was craving their grilled chicken sandwich). Then a brief rest before heading back to Epcot for one last night with Off Kilter and the World Showcase Players. (Which would mean we never did hit either Pleasure Island or Fantasia Gardens... we just need a few extra days, that's all. <g>)

Thoroughly enjoyed the day/evening. During the second OK show, two Canadian CM's showed up during 'Nova Scotia/Scotland the Brave' and brought my sis and I to our feet to dance! It's not enough we clap and sing along, now we've got to dance, too? <g> Those Canadian CMs certainly are a lot of fun! Earned us each a hug from Randy after the show, so if we were looking silly at the time, it was definitely worth it later. ;-) Decided to request a song after the 6pm show (Randy, ever accommodating, said, 'Yep'). So off we went to catch the WSP, as they surprisingly brought out Romeo and Edna, cool! The crowd had great fun with this one, and I think we had some of our most enthusiastic participants all week. Shortly after 7pm, and not long after Jo placed an order for fish and chips at the cart outside the Rose and Crown, it started to rain. :-( Thunder and lightening, the whole bit. Both Off Kilter shows left were cancelled. It did stop long enough for the last WSP show of the evening, but started again around 8pm. :-( Ah well, we had great fun anyway, but since the weather was predicted as nice, ponchos were left in the hotel, so we were wet. By the time we got back to the hotel, any thoughts of heading over to PI were gone, as the tired, dripping messes that we were just craved sleep.

Sunday, October 4.

Quote of the Day:

'Well, if you're not going to buy me Jon Bon Jovi's guitar, I guess it really is time to leave.' Me to Jo at Sid's in MGM. (It was only $1250.00). ;-)
Ok, I've put this chapter off long enough. Leaving is such a downer.

But, some fun first. :-)

Up early for MGM EE (yes, we're going to squeeze in some more fun, Tiffany Town Car's not picking us up 'til 11:30am for 1:10p flight out.)

Decide not to check out (the CM at check-in never did ask if we wanted to do Express Checkout), but to hit the park and be back before 11 to freshen up right before we leave. (We're all packed.)

Get to MGM and ToT by about 7:40 and ooh, we've got some crowds today. And it's foggy, really, really foggy. Jo gets a few rather artistic photos of the Tower Hotel coming out of the fog. It turns out to be the busiest day we've seen. Do ToT twice, with a 5 min wait the first time, 10-12 the second. Jo wants to do a third, but I'm done for this trip. To tired to do the walk around again. Decide to sit and wait for her where you see your photos, what a hoot that was! Watching all the people (big and small) coming off with all sorts of expressions was just fascinating. There was one couple who did the baby swap and dad was waiting with their 2 little girls while mom rode and dad was just bouncing up and down, he was so curious waiting to see her reaction. He was priceless! (and she came off shaky, but smiling). Tried to buy fruit at Anaheim Produce, but the CM practically vanished before our eyes (he was there one second, and gone the next), oh well, breakfast will wait. We do Great Movie Ride with zero wait, then the Muppets, also with no wait. And we missed the preshow _again_ but time is of the essence, so we don't wait for it to recycle. By the time we get out of the Muppets, the sun is shining, but it's time to go home. :-(

Bus shows up after about a 12-15 minute wait and the bus driver mentions (to another driver waiting to take over) that the busses are running behind because of the left turn light into MGM, it's delaying everything (we had about a 5 minute wait at that light getting into MGM)(more construction woes).

Make it back to the room around 10:30a and call Bell Services shortly thereafter. Bellman shows up about 20 minutes later. We head off to the food court for one last snack. Noticed our Tiffany Town Car waiting, wave to the driver inside and go to get our bags but they hadn't arrived at the Bell Desk yet (it's about 20 minutes after they were picked up). Driver was Don, he gets out to look for us, not realizing that the ladies waving to him were his passengers. Bags finally show up and we're off to the airport. Don was lovely, very chatty and personable.

At the airport in no time. Made the mistake of using curb-side check-in. The gentlemen will take your bags right then, but you'll still have to check in at the gate (they made it sound like you didn't have to check in anywhere else, oh well, not a big line anyway).

Not an especially memorable flight, except that we actually got fed on this flight (it might only be 2 hours, but a person does get hungry). ;-) Have about 1 1/2 hour layover in DC, time spent reading and listening to Off Kilter on the walkman. :-) Flight delayed about 20 minutes, but I'm not feeling too bad about that, as there's a flight waiting to take off for other parts that's been delayed 2 hours already. Yikes!

Arrive in Providence safe and sound, if a bit colder (not that I'm complaining)(much). ;P Remember that $35 for the week parking fee? (Just nod, I'll never know if you mean it or not...) Turns into $45 because we're over 10 hours into the second week. Good thing we've got $$ left. <g> 45 minutes later we're home, regaling Mom with our vacation tales (well, ok, Jo was regaling, I was getting online). <rbg>

The End

In no apparent order (I can only do organized for so long), here are some random musings:

Weather-well heck, have I mentioned it was kinda hot? ;-) This proved to be a bit of a problem as we couldn't make it through a whole day without nearly dropping without a rest. In the previous 6 years, we've gone various weeks in September, and the last two years in mid October and mid/early November, respectively. We were spoiled by much nicer weather the last 2 years. We've actually had better weather in previous September visits, too. This year was just tough (not a lot of rain, though, that was real nice).
Feet-see Weather above. It did a number on my feet. Got blisters on my blisters. Anticipating tired and angry feet, I had brought some powdered foot soak stuff and it helped a lot. :-) (I did change socks during the day and shoes each day, so they'd air out.)
Water-I could just tell when I had gone too long without water. I can't recall the last time I had to drink so much. I tried buying one bottle of water and just refilling it, but overnight, the chemicals in the water settled, and that's all you could smell. Had to at least get one new water every day. (Or Sprite, that worked for me.) :-)
Crowds-We found them not to be that bad. Always got larger as the day got closer to noon (and we started to leave the park). But Epcot especially didn't seem that crowded anytime of the day. Saw lots of firefighters and their families, but they didn't seem to add to the crowd factor much. Waits for the attractions were pretty reasonable for the ones we _really_ wanted to go on, and we just skipped any that were way too long for attractions that aren't a must see for us.
Bus Service-pretty good as always. Only seemed slow when we were in a rush. And it always amazes me just how many people they can cram on a bus. ;-)
Port Orleans-I just love this place, it's so pretty. Got a pretty big kick out of all the lizards (chameleons?) hanging around the walkways, it was fun to watch them scurry away as we approached. Had a few problems with HK though. Namely a light that remained out from the time we checked in, until we left (we even took the light bulb out for her and left it on the counter-it was still on the counter when we returned that day, and she short-sheeted my bed one night. I admit to being a little frustrated that night.) But the room was nice, just the right size for us and we both _love_ having the two pedestal sinks, such a help getting ready in the morning.
Wake-up Calls-we'd never done wake-up calls before. I hate getting up to the sound of the phone, gets me all wound up. It's a good country station and the radio alarm for us. :-) But with a head's up from RADP, we decided we had to at least hear it, so we set it for 15 minutes before we needed to be out in the morning, as kind of a 'get your butt in gear' type of warning. Very, very cute. :-)
ToT CM's-had _lots_ of fun with guests. And we had a lot of fun CM's. :-) Sometimes it can be hit or miss, but most of our CM's ths year were heavily into character, which always makes it more fun, imho.
People watching-what a great past-time at WDW. :-) One of the many wonderful things about the World is that it brings so many different people together in one place and there are so many opportunites to just sit and wonder just how could that guy be wearing courgoroy pants when you're about to faint from the heat? Or, if you're like my sister, you could window shop without the windows. ;-)
Cheeriest CM's-Epcot CM's on Friday, October 2nd. Each and every CM we walked by said 'Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening, How are you doing today?'. Every single one. It was kind of weird, in a good way. :-)
Favorite Shows-Well, at this point, if I said anything other than Off Kilter and the World Showcase Players, you'd probably think I was nutty (ok. nuttier ;P). Yes, they were of course my favs (Jo, too)(and yes, we are indeed two separate people, she just shares my great taste <g>). My favorite new show would be the Festival of the Lion King. Absolutely beautiful!
Favorite Old Attraction-For Jo, ToT (another obvious one, I know, I know). Me, tie between ToT and Splash Mountain.
Favorite Attraction We'd Never Done Before-Tiki Birds for both of us.
Overall, this vacation rates two thumbs up from both of us. In hindsight, there's plenty that we didn't do, but save for catching the Jungle Cruise before it went down for rehab, there really isn't anything we missed that we hadn't done before, or felt couldn't wait for next year. (Hey wait, I haven't finished unpacking from this year's trip, how'd I get to talking about next year already?!). :-)
This ends the Two Sisters tour of the World. I hope you've enjoyed our show. Please look around you, gather up all personal belongings and take small children by the hand. Step carefully, as the walkway is moving at the same speed as your vehicle. And have a *Disney* Day! :-)

Jen Downs

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