Trip Reports

Time of Year: Fall
Travel Method: Plane, Shuttle Service
Resort: YCR, PBR
Accommodations
Ages Represented in Group: Adult, Senior
WDW Experience Represented in Group: Frequent
Comments: Lynne and her mom stayed at two premium resorts during their visit. This is a summary style report, and has a lot of helpful details about the resorts and parks. I especially enjoyed Lynne's meal descriptions and various comments


Arrived on 10-28-98 departed 11-7-98

General Information

Just returned from the best 10 days at WDW ever! I'm new to this trip report thing, so I thought rather than a day by day type report, I'd try a multiple part report with each section a summary of a certain topic (resorts, food, Animal Kingdom etc.). That way, you can read what interests you!

Some background. Been planning this trip for almost 2 years (since returning from last one). Decided to really do it up right this time and planned some neat things (Illuminations cruise) and to stay at 2 deluxe resorts (Poly and Yacht Club). Travelled with my mom (and best friend) who is 69 and has trouble with her legs sometimes, so before I planned everything I told her I'd be glad to push her in a wheelchair if neccesary. Some days we got her one, others no. It's definetaly a different experience with a wheelchair, and I can't imagine anyone who doesn't need one wanting to try it.

We left Pittsburgh on Wednesday, October 28 at 8:15am on US Airways. Returned Saturday November 7 on same. Unfortunately, they broke my suitcase pull handle making the darn thing worthless (and they do not do anything to make up for it). Oh well, at least it was on the way home. Now I have a good excuse to get a new set

The weather was great (it was a little warmer than I expected...around 85), until Wednesday when we got some of Mitch. Rained all day Wednesday, and then clared up by 11am Thursday. It was cold after that though... definitely pants and a sweatshirt weather Wed. - Sat. Still toured the parks though.

A friend of mine from work and his 2 friends were down about the same time as us. We met them for some breakfasts and dinners and toured the parks a bit too. This really adds to the fun of the vacation when you meet up with others. Kind of keeps mom and I from getting on each others nerves too much.

Feel free to email me with any questions on any of the parts I post. Hope to have them all up by next week.

Resorts

On our last trip 2 years ago (stayed at Dixie Landings), we went to the Yacht Club for dinner on our last evening. After dinner, we walked out back and saw the Boardwalk and Illuminations. Well, this did it for me...I fell in love with the place. Decided next trip I'd stay here no matter what the cost. However, mom has always loved the Poly since we stayed there in 1972. So, after reading about other RADPers hotel switching experiences, I decided to split our stay, with the Poly being a surprise for mom. I kept this a secret for over a year.

We arrived at the Poly around noon on Wednesday. My mom was very confused when the bellman asked to check our luggage and I said "yes". She thought we were there to pick up our luau tickets, then were taking a bus to the Yacht Club (we took Mears from airport-that will be in another part). She was a little peeved about having to get a bus with our luggage! I finally had to tell her, and she was very excited! She didn't even mind that we would have to pack up and move after 4 nights.

The Poly looked as wonderful as I remembered it, and we ended up with a 3rd floor room in the Hawaii building. Our room wasn't ready, so we had lunch at Capt. Cooks (got my refillable mug...aren't these a great deal?). The pools were very nice, and I later found my favorite spot to be a hammock on the beach. Sipping a beer while swaying in the breeze with a view of the Magic Kingdom...what a life!

Room still wasn't ready, so I rented a water mouse. Now, for any of you out there who like speed (like myself), you must rent one of these little boats! It was such a blast! Zipped all around the lagoon and over to Fort Wilderness. Loved to hit the ferryboats wake...WEEEEE!!! One caution...I later rented one at the Yacht Club..these do not go nearly a fast (due to lagoon's size). If you like 'em fast, rent at one of the MK area resorts!

Room was ready around 2:00. I'd have to say the room was nice, not spectacular. The bathroom was nice though! Had a partial lagoon view (paid for garden). Could see the Grand Floridian. Hawaii is a great location though...you are the bulding right between the 2 pools and 3 minutes from the main building (great location to make use of that mug). I'd have to say the atmosphere and convenience to MK is what you are paying for here. We received a little gift too..a photo album and Mickey balloon with a card to celebrate our homecoming. I guess this was because I had mentioned to the aloha guide when they gave us our little tour (and our lei...what a nice touch) that we hadn't stayed there since 1972 (unless they do this for everyone?). Very nice. It was beautiful at night with the tiki torches lit. Our first night, we went to the luau (had front row seats too) and then walked out to see the water pageant and MK fireworks. Okay Poly, you got me. Until...

Sunday we packed up and headed to MK (Cindy's for breakfast). Poly bellman took our luggage and said they'd ship it to Yacht Club. Spent the morning at MK, Called from a house phone around 1:30 and found out our room was ready, so off to YC. Luggage was there waiting for us.

All I can say is "WOW". We loved it here! Even mom admitted to liking it better than the Poly. The room was so nice...well decorated and so clean looking! Our balcony (4th floor) looked out on Stormalong Bay and we could see the Eiffel Tower and American Adventure building at EPCOT. Not bad for a standard view. Loved the double sinks (though the toilet/shower area is a bit tight), mini bar (I thought the prices were really reasonable...a Coke was cheaper than the machines), and coffee maker. The whole hotel is just gorgeous!

Stormalong Bay was a blast. Loved floating in the current pool on a tube. Walked to EPCOT a few times. Very convenient if you just want to grab a wine from the Food & Wine festival and catch Off Kilter or British Invasion.

So, overall the Poly was nice, but it's the Yacht Club that gets my vote for favorite resort. Since we stayed 10 nights though, it was nice to have a change of atmosphere. The YC was even cheaper than the Poly as I was able to get A MKC discount for it. So next trip, it's YC all the way! (Though I wish they'd put a hammock on their beach!) And for those that wonder, resort switching is a piece of cake, and took maybe an hour out of our time to pack up and unpack again. I'd do it again if I had a long trip planned.

If anyone has any questions on either of these resorts, feel free to email me.

Food

As usual, this trip we experienced some real highs and lows with WDW food. We are not really big eaters, but while on vacation I like to have a good dinner every night...I feel this is a big part of the whole vacation experience. I had made PS for almost every restaurant we visited. Only changes we made were to skip Palios and go to LeCellier (looking back, probably should have stuck with Palios and the $50 coupon) so we could experience some nighttime entertainment at EPCOT (and it rained and everything was cancelled anyhow). Also, blew off Yachtsman Steakhouse to try Alfredos (due to my friends tates..not a steak eater and my fear of steak after LeCellier incident) and didn't care for Spoodles menu so went with Boatrights. Had no trouble making PS for these restaurants on the day of the meal.

Breakfasts were all very good. We did the following...Breakfastasourus at AK, Grand Floridian Cafe, Taranonga (sp) Terrace at Poly, Cindy's Royal Table, Yacht Club Galley, room service at YC, Spoodles, Cape May Cafe, Crystal Palace, and grabbed a muffin on our last day at the coffee bar at YC. Most of these were buffets, except GF, Cindys (LOVED the french toast), room service (had a wonderful Mickey shaped waffle), and the coffee bar. Some had characters, and all had a great variety of foods. Something for everyone with lots of fresh friuts and hot dishes.

For lunch, we did mostly fast food. Ate at Capt. Cooks at Poly, had tea at GF, hot dogs at MGM, Norway, Columbia Harbour House at MK, YC pool bar, Rainforest at AK, Yakatori houe in Japan, Sci Fi at MGM, and Pizzafari at AK. Tea at the GF was a nice experience, but I enjoyed the one they used to have at England better (cheaper and better sandwiches and pastries). The pastries shaped like swans were almost to cute to eat! We also had the added attraction of seeing the space shuttle take off from here. The waitresses called everyone over to the window to watch. I really enjoyed Norway. Good buffet with lots of choices. I'd go back again. Don't be afraid to try new things here...some odd things were very good. Beer was good too! I'm not a big Rainforest fan. I thought the food was just okay. Atmosphere is the ticket here. By the way, make PS for here if you can. They were telling everyone a half hour wait, but we got seated immediately. Sci Fi was good this trip...had the hamburger with barbeque sauce. Tasty.

Dinners. Some were excellent (CA Grill, Wolfgang Pucks, Liberty Tree Tavern), some were good (Alfredos, Cape May Cafe), some were just okay (luau, Artist Point, Boatrights), and some were awful (LeCellier and Flying Fish). I'll comment on the really good and the really bad.

CA Grill was a great restaurant. A bit more bustling than I anticipated but fun. We ate late (8:30, after Fantasmic), but the place was still full when we left at 10. On a side note, I'm always amazed at the number of small kids eating dinner at 10 at night. Oh well, to each their own. The meal was great. Good wine. Mom and I split the goat cheese ravioli appetizer, and I had wonderful (huge) scallops and risotto. Dessert was to die for...chocoate souffle with peanut butter ice cream in the center Yum. Pricey ($103 with tip for 2 adults), but worth it.

Wolfgang Pucks was fun too. I guess the new thing in the restaurants is this open grill thing. Had the spring roll app., and shrimp pad thai. Delicious and way too much to eat. Not too expensive.

Liberty Tree was the usual turkey, ham, and steak meal with all the trimmings. Everything was good, and since it was Halloween party night the characters had masks on. Cute.

Flying Fish. Must have hit it on a bad night. Met up with my friends here. Our drinks and appetizers were good. Then, it seemed to take an unusual amount of time for our food. Over a half hour since our app, were eaten and no food in sight. When I flagged down the waiter and told him we had to be at the YC dock by 8:30 for our Illuminations cruise (we were seated by 6:30 and it was now 7:45), he said the food was being plated now. We saw him in the (open) kitchen, and somethng didn't seem right. He was shaking his head and seemed upset. Well, the food finally came out. Most of it was cold and my fish was raw! We called the manager over and he was very apoligetic. Said the whole meal was on them. I'm sure this cost them about $150, but since we only ate appetizers and drinks I thought this was fair. I can't help but wonder if the waiter screwed up something with our order. Other people after us were eating way before us. Oh well. Dinner ended up being a sundae at Beaches and Cream for mom and I after the Illumnations cruise.

Le Cellier. Had a bad expereince with steak here. This may be partially my fault. I can't look at meat if it has any red in it. I ordered my steak well done. It came to the table almost RAW! I thought they must have given me someone else's steak. Second time it was still pink. Waitress said the chef was handling it personally. Third time still pink. So, I said just forget it, I was full on the cheddar cheese soup and bread. Mom was done eating. The waitress talked me into the shrimp and pasta dish. It had no flavor at all. I ate 3 bites. They ended up not charging me for either entree though. Dinner was pizza in the room that night.

Misc. - Beaches and Cream was fun with great sundaes. Loved the refillable mugs at Poly. YC mini bar was reasonably priced and well stocked. Had my first 2 Mickey bars..very good. Cheesecakes at Disneyquest were wonderful. $2.50 for a bottle of water on an 86 degree day was a bit annoying. Food and wine at EPCOT was fun. Feel free to email me with any questions on any of the places I mentioned. Next part...Animal Kingdom.

Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom. Our first time here. What can I say? I LOVED this park! We visited on 3 different days. On 10-29 (Thurs.) we got there around 7:50 and left at 1:15. On 11-3 (Tues.) we got there around 8:15 and left around 2:00. And on 11-6 (Fri.) we got there about 1:00 and left after the 3:00 parade. Our only goal on Friday was to see the Lion King show again and we left the Magic Kingdom at 11:30 to make the 1:00 show. Unfortunetaly, on the bus at TTC we were told AK was closed due to capacity! Oh no! Our last day and Lion King was my moms favorite thing so we wanted to see it again. Went to EPCOT, but instead of going in I said lets try AK anyway...I had to pick up my safari Tigger and we could get him at the outside the gates store if neccesary. This bus driver told us it was now open, and we heard them say over the dispatch that "Animal Kingdom is now back to normal". Yeah! When we did get there, many people seemed to be streaming out. So, either go early or late (would have gone first thing but we had breakfast PS at Crystal Palace).

Safari - went on this twice, both times first thing in the morning. First day we walked right on (8:06) and saw a few animals including the lion. The second time mom was in a wheelchair and they loaded a special jeep at the exit of wheelchair guests. This was about 8:20 and this time we saw a lot more animals (except no lion) and they were closer. I really enjoyed the safari, but like many others think the Big & Little Red story could go.

Lion King - this was our favorite thing here. The singers were fabulous as were the acrobats and dancers. I'm always amazed at the talent of some of these performers! They should be on Broadway! The first day we got there 20 minutes early for the 11:00 show and got good seats in the lion section. On the packed Friday, we got there 45 minutes early for the 2:30 show and by 2:00 the theater was full. Sat in front row of elephant section (wheelchair) this time. So, my advice is to see one of the first shows of the day if possible.

Tree of Life - very cool. Not as big as I expected though. Good chance to see a lot of it while waiting for It's Tough to be a Bug.

Bug - good movie. Saw this one twice also. Still think Honey I Shrunk is best 3D movie, but this is a close section. I love how eveyone screamed at the ending effect!

Countdown - I liked this too. The first day we walked right on twice in a row. I love the technology used on this. Does anyone know what a ride like this must cost to build? Went on this for a third time on Tuesday. Waited about 20 minutes that time. I guess some days are just more crowded than others.

Pangani Falls - went here on second day right after safari. Saw a lot of gorillas, including the new baby. So cute. Mom loves gorilla and could watch them all day. They are very humanlike, aren't they?

Conservation Station - my advice here would be if you don't have little ones that must pet the sheep and goats skip it. Did this right after Falls. Just a long train ride out and back and all we did was listen to the rainforest in the sound booths (though that was neat). I'll skip it next trip.

March of the artimals - after the LK show on the last day, we stopped (had too) to watch this on the way out. Kind of interesting, but not something I'd wait around for.

That's about all we did. Never got to see the bird show, Jungle Book or Pocohantas. Ate breakfast at Donalds Breakfastasourus first day, lunch at Rainforest second, and lunch at Pizzafari the third.

I loved the merchandise at this park. Had a hard time deciding on the stuffed safari 100 acre wood characters (got Pooh on second day then decided I had to go back for Tigger too). I think these make really different souveniers, and they come in so many different sizes and price ranges. Loved them all!

This was definetaly the most crowded park. It was a little difficult getting by, especially with a wheelchair. Many people seemed lost (saw a few families fighting over which way to go), but I thought it was fairly easy to navigate. I wish they'd open up the gate near Countdown. I guess this is closed so everyone doesn't run there ASAP. I did have to laugh at all the CMs stationed at other attractions to try to talk you out of running to the safari first thing. One even said not to go because it was foggy and you wouldn't see any animals (we saw the most this day).

Magic Kingdom

Spent a lot of time at the MK this trip. This was mainly due to the different events we attended, like the Halloween party and E-ticket. Here are some highlights...

E-ticket on 11-3. I really thought E-ticket was a great experience! We got to the park around 6:55 and exchanged our ticket for wristband. The only problem was the 7:00 fireworks were delayed (the PA system said technical difficulties), so we got stuck in the crowd and couldn't get to Tomorrowland. Oh well, we got to see Tink fly right over us and the fireworks (for the 4th time this trip). They were over about 7:15, so we made our way to Tomorrowland. Walked right on Buzz Lightyear twice, then Astro-Orbitor (never did this one before, but since there was no line), and Space Mt. Don't care for Alien Encounter, so skipped it and tried Timekeeper. However, it was having "technical difficulties" too. Seemed to be a theme tonight. Made our way over to Fronteirland and walked on Thunder Mt. twice. Rode Splash Mt. and was the only person (mom sat this one out) in my log...and no one was in the logs in front of me or behind me! Kind of eerie. I just stayed on for another go around (2 people hopped in the front seat on this trip). Tried Country Bears, but...yep, technical difficulties. They couldn't get the curtains to work, and we sat there for awhile watching the curtains open and close on the bears and listened to a CM tell a VERY LONG joke. So, went back over to do Buzz 2 more times without getting off. We had already been on the Haunted Mansion and Pirates twice this trip, so we skipped those. Minnie and Tigger were in Tomorrowland, and you actually could stay and talk with them (Minnie was being very flirty with her attendant..I scolded her and threatened to tell Mickey...it was very cute). Time for the park to close (we did 10 rides in around 2 and a half hours),so we headed out of the almost deserted park and hit the bakery for a little snack to take home. Walked right on the YC bus and was back by 10:30. I suggest that anyone who enjoys the rides available to do E-ticket. It was awesome!

Mickeys Not So Scary Halloween Party - did this on 10-30. While it was fun to see the park decorated up, I don't think I'd go again. It was pretty crowded, and the parade was just okay. The headless horseman was neat though, and we didn't see the witch fly down before the fireworks as we were in Liberty Square. We did have a good dinner at Liberty Tree beforehand though. The characters were in masks, and Chip pointed to my RADP pin and wanted to know all about it. I explained we were a group on the internet that loved to talk about Disney and him. He made little typing motions with his paw and shook his head like he was very interested. Very funny. We only rode a few rides. The best was Haunted Mansion which looked especially eerie and had lots of mist and fog. Did Jungle Cruise and Splash. Waited too long for the parade (it seemed late). We got our free picture in the mail today. Of course, it had an order form for more prints! Moms legs were bothering her, so this may have led to my dissapointment with the evening (she didn't want a wheelchair). We left around 10:00 (got a snack at the bakery to take back...hmmm I sense another theme). Hopped the boat to the Poly.

Spectromagc - saw this on Oct. 31. We came to the park on the boat from Wilderness Lodge after dinner at Artist Point just to catch this. Arrived around 8:30 (missed the first parade), and sat until the fireworks at 9:00. The park was very crowded, but cleared out after the fireworks. Managed to snag a seat on the upper level of the train station. I highly recommend this spot! The best place to see the 10:00 parade! It was gorgeous as usual. I'll miss this.

Buzz Lightyear - LOVED this ride! Went on it 6 times. This was moms favorite...she kept wanting to go back on it. It may have to do with always wanting to beat your score (neither of us ever did more than 160,000), but it was addictive. Especially when you walked right on, which we did all but one time (on our last trip Friday Nov. 6).

Spent 2 mornings-early afternoons here too. On Sunday, Nov. 1 we ate at Cindys (great French toast), hit Tomorrowland (first Buzz ride) and then Mansion, and new Tiki show with our friends. I think I liked the old Tiki show better. Our friends left and we did Pirates, had a Dolewhip, and did Peter, Small World, and the teacups. Now, my goal this trip was teacups and Dumbo because I don't think I've done them in 20 years. I chickened out on Dumbo though. Maybe if I could have borrowed a small child...Ate lunch at Columbia Harbour House (never been here before...liked it) and used a house phone to see if our YC room was ready (this was resort switch day). It was so we grabbed a sundae on the way out (what is it about this park and food!) and got the YC bus. Weird to take the monorail from the Poly over and go back to the YC, but definetaly a good thing (see previous report on resorts).

Also visited MK on our last day (11-6). Had breakfast at Crystal Palace (the Pooh characters were great) and hit a few favorites one last time (Buzz, Space, TTA, walked through Toontown and got train back to Main Street). We left around 11:30, as we wanted to get to AK for Lion King show (little did we know it was closed due to capacity...see AK report). We had really done alot in this park this trip, with E-ticket and Halloween party. Actually walked through the gates a total of 5 times this trip. A record for us.

If you have any questions on this part or any others, fell free to email me. Next ..on to EPCOT for food and wine!

EPCOT

I've always thought of EPCOT as my favorite park. I'm not really sure why I like it so much, but I think it's the most beautiful of the parks and the most laid back. Though I feel the park is really lacking in big time attractions (the only one I would go out of my way for is Honey I Shrunk the Audience) I always enjoy it here.

First trip here was on Saturday 10-31. Monorailed over from the Poly, and got mom her wheelchair (since this is a big park) right at park opening. Walked right on Spaceship Earth, then did Living Seas, Land (boat tour and Food Rocks) and then Honey. Wanted a frozen drink from the Land pavillion, but they weren't serving at that time (around 11:00). Bummer. Hit Ice Station Cool too. Loved that Beverly! Thought all the others were drinkable. Kind of neat. Is this permanent?

Headed over to WS. This is my favorite part of the park. I was dissapointed to see that most of the entertainment started around 3:00. Moms limit in a park is usually till about 1:00 (then we usually swim in the afternoon and get ready for dinner and evening activities), though we made it till 2:30 today with the chair. This lead us to change our Wed. plans (EPCOT morning, swim afternoon, Palios for dinner) to hitting EPCOT late and having dinner in a country so we could catch some entertainment. This didn't really work out though, as you'll see later.

Anyway, did Mexico (boat ride) and Norway (boat ride). It was now time for our 1:00 PS at Norway. This was a great lunch, and those Norwegian guys. Wow. I think I've found my favorite country Walked through the shops of China, Germany and Italy. Got the boat over to WS and left. May have stayed longer, but we wanted to throw in a load of wash before our friends picked us up for our dinner at Artist Point.

Well, on Wednesday the rain hit. We decided to brave it anyhow and went over around 2:00 (after I spent the morning at the marketplace and Disneyquest with my friends while mom did more laundry). Got our Mickey ponchos at the YC and boated over. Went to Yakatori House for lunch and then got the boat to FW. Sighed at Test Track, rode Horizons and Body Wars. Sent some email postcards from Innoventions. By this time (around 5:00) if wa cold and we were wet. Tried to make PS for Yachtsmans Steakhouse back at hotel so we could shower and change for a nice dinner without getting saoked, but they were booked. I found this hard to believe, as every time we passed there was no one there, unless everyone else from the hotel decided to eat there that night because of the rain. Oh well, since we had to go through Canada to get out anyway, we went into the Electric Umbrella for coffee and a beer. Not sure what was going on here, but the CMs were chaotic. Waited 15 minutes for my drinks. Lots of stuff banging and very confused atmosphere. Weird.

Made our way back in the rain a bit early to Canada and were seated right away. Thought about changing to United Kingdom (as I ran over to see if my friends were there as they had PS, but like probably 75% of normal people the rain kept them away) and in retrospect probably should have, but we ate at LeCellier (see my food report for the gory details). All the entertainment was cancelled due to the rain. Left around 8:00.

So, still determined to catch some entertainment, I went over (just me. mom rested) from MGM the next day. Got there around 4:00 and headed straight for food and wine (the rain had cleared up that morning, and though it was a bit chilly the sun was shining). Got a glass of Australian wine (not bad) then had an Ice wine from Canada (the sweetest wine ever) and sat down for Off Kilter. As I was waiting, who passed but my friend from work. Small World! So, he and his friends joined me for a wine and the show. This was the first time I'd seen Off Kilter...they were great! Funny too. Next, friends left (I'd be seeing them later at Flying Fish and Illumnations cruise) so I was off to France for some escargot and French wine. Saw a living statue. Cute. She wanted a kiss from this kid for his hat back, but he would not do it. After about 5 minutes (the kid wouldn't give in), I trundled off to UK for a beer and British Invasion. Good band. Time to leave to change for dinner, so my beer and I walked back to YC.

The next day was our last, so decided to change our Yachtsman Steakhouse ressies to Alfredos (due to my friends dislike for steak and wanted to spend a little more time at EPCOT...did 3 parks this day as it was too cold to swim anyway). Saw the Chinese acrobats, had some chicken satay from Southeastern Asia, and headed to Alfredos for a good dinner, The accordian player used to live in Pittsburgh, so he sang a song with all kinds of Pittsburgh stuff in it. Very funny. Illuminations went off while we were eating. Left the desserted park for the boat back to YC. A nice way to spend our last evening.

Any questions, feel free to email. Next part...MGM and Fantasmic.

MGM

Spent the least amount of time here than any park this trip. Just 2 half days and went in one evning just to catch Fantasmic. Though 2 of my favorite attractions are here (TOT and Star Tours) and my second favorite show (Hunchback, second only to Lion King), there seem to be less things here that I fell I must do. Skipped the backlot tour, as I couldn't stand to see the water thing again (with the Miss Mayday?) and walk through all that stuff. If you could just hit the tram tour, I may have done it. Also miss Superstar TV, as I loved the time I was in the Lucy skit.

The first day (10-30) we arrived right at opening.. I exchanged my free passes that I received last Xmas for my seasonal job at TDS (so, at least it was good for something), and we were off. Waited a bit at rope drop, then strolled down to TOT. Had a nice conversation with the rope man on the way down. He was very talkative and friendly...just like all the CMs were. Rode TOT twice, second time in the seatbelt seat. This was fun! I even bought the picture, since I'm the only person smiling and waving at the camera in the shot. I never buy these, but just this once I had to. We also did Star Tours, Muppets, Movie Ride and Mermaid before a little browsing in the stores and a hot dog for lunch. Moms legs were tired (this was a pre-wheelchair day), so we headed back to the Poly for our swim (needed to rest a bit anyway as tonight was Hallowen party).

We visited again on 11-5. This was on one of our rain days, but as soon as we got off the YC boat at MGM the rain stopped. YES!! It was quite cold however, and I was glad I had the sweatshirt on (wish I'd worn jeans though). Caught the first Hunchback show (and Matt the juggler). Love this show. I think Clopin is really talented. On to Sci-Fi for lunch (had a really good hamburger). Fun, but it was a bit chilly. Hit Star Tours again, then played around in the soundworks (had no desire to see the new show). I love the 3D soundstations! Went on the animation tour, which was different from the last time I went. Then caught Beauty and the Beast. 4 for a Dollar were off that day, and I'd really wanted to hear them since RADP thinks so highly of them. Oh well, maybe next time. Hit TOT one last time and ending up catching the Mulan parade as it was that time. A nice parade. Headed out about 3:30 for my wine tour of EPCOT.

On our first full day (10-29), we went to see Fantasmic. Left the Poly at 5:30 and were in the gates before 6:00. Made the long walk to the theater and were seated pretty much in the center near the top. I got a beer and spent the time writing out my postcards. This was a very productive way to spend the hour...got them all done. A few other people were reading. I would have loved to see the show again, but an hour is an awful lot of time to invest in waiting. I thought the show was really good. Definetaly a must see on each trip. Loved the boats that floated by with all the lights and the giant snake. Mickey saved the day again! Getting out wasn't too bad, but there was some confusion from the CMs about which bus went to the Contemporary (we had 8:30 CA Grill ressies). Finally got one only to be let out at TTC (driver said he couldn't go to Cont.) and find out the monorail was down. Oh well, on a different bus and still in plenty of time for our wonderful meal. Oh, and when we got on the monorail to the Poly after dinner, we asked and the monorail was never down. Lack of communication tonight!

I still enjoy MGM (used to be my favorite park), but I find there seems to be less that I want to do. Even skipped Indy this time (which I was even an extra in once). I'll always go for TOT and Star Tours (and still love Hunchback and Mermaid), but find myself a bit bored with some of the atttractions (Indy, Great movie Ride, backlot, making of). I think many things here need revamped as when you've seen the same shows for 10 years they get old. However, the new additions (sound show, Doug, Goosebumps) really feel like they are kids only attractions. Pleae do some major overhawl with this park Disney! Does anyone else feel this way? The coaster should be fun, but new updated shows would be nice (and new movie ride scenes).

Well, thats all for this part. Any questions, please email me. Next will be my wrap up section, with everything that didn't fit into other parts (Disneyquest, Illuminations cruise, etc.).

Misc.

Disneyquest. Loved it! I want one of these here in Pittsburgh! Went once on a Monday evening, hardly anyone there and again on a rainy Wednesday morning with even less people there. This surprised me as I thought it would be more crowded. The first night, mom and I got 30 points each. I did Cyber Space Mt. (my favorite..my ride wa a 4 out of 5 scariness factor), Aladin, Treasure of Incas (twice), the alien thing and Hercules. Mom just watched so I used all her points too! Used the rest of our points on skeeball. I love the machine you feed your tickets into to get a reciept. Chuck E Cheese needs this! Spent about 2 hours here (mom waited outside for the last hour) and grabbed us some cheesecake (excellent) to take back to the YC. The next time I went with my friend from work and his 2 fiends. This was more fun, especially on the attractions you need 4 people for. We did Cyber Space (only a 3 scariest this time), Hercules, Jungle Cruise (this was very fun too..thought I was gonna fall out), alien thing, and Buzz Lightyear bumper cars. Had more cheescake! Yum. Took about 2 hours to go through 88 points. I think the new pricing policy will be interesting...will some people ever leave? A neat addition to WDW.

Illuminations Cruise. Did a pontoon from the YC. A very nice experience. There were 7 of us on the boat, and our driver (Lori) was very nice. It was a bit chilly though (we went after Mitch had passed through), but the blankets and champagne really helped. Of course, now I'm spoiled fo ever watching Illuminations any other way again. Though you do miss out on seeing the countries lit up, the lasers and fireworks are fantastic.

Mears. I think next time I'll go for the Town Car. There were hundreds of people waiting on the sidewalk to board the busses. They were filling one of the big buses with people for about 10 different hotels (All Stars, Boardwalk, Holiday Inn Sunspree, etc.). Why don't they do one with all WDW area hotels, then one with I4 area hotels, etc. ? Luckily, mom and I were put on a small van that only stopped at the Hyatt and Swan first (before Poly). The lady screaming out "party of 2 for the Vista Suites" has a rotten job. When she did call you, there were so many people you couldn't fight your way through! Maybe the situation at the other terminal (A?) is better. On the way home, we were picked up at 9am for our 11:15 flight (only cause I told them it was 11) on an empty big bus. Not a good sign. We stopped at BC and Boardwalk, and the driver said he had 38 people at Carribean Beach! Before we got there, he called his dispatcher and said he needed a van to meet him because he had 38 people to pick up and there was already too much luggage! Sheesh. Thought we'd never make it there, but arrived a little after 10. Advice...tell them your flight leaves an hour before it actually does just to be safe. We made it, but got to the gate just as boarding began. Wonder if anyone ever missed their flight? I just think I'll pay the few extra dollars for a calmer experience next time (it doesn't help to have your mother going "we're gonna miss the flight" the whole time).

Marketplace. I used to enjoy shopping here more. Just really hit the World of Disney store (and this was more than enough for my pocketbook) and 2Rs and looked at the Lego displays. Bought some chocolate bars from Ghiradellis. Had the fist one last night. Didn't think it was as good as a Hershey bar. I am glad that you can catch the bus at this end or West Side end. Usually got off here and picked up the bus at West Side. When I got on the bus here after Disneyquest, a lady asked me what was here...more shops? I guess Disney needs more advertining on the West Side stuff. I liked it, especially since 2 of my favorite things (Disneyquest and Wolfgang Pucks - great dinner) were here. Wrap up:

Good:

Yacht Club (my new favorite hotel)
Animal Kingdom (especially Lion King)
Speedboat at the Poly
Illuminations Cruise
Breakfasts
Some dinners (CA Grill, Wolfgang Pucks)
Poly grounds at night
Stormalong Bay
E-ticket
EPCOT entertainment
Meeting friends from home
Weather (all but 1 and a half days)
Buzz Lightyear
Disneyquest
Bad:

Mears
Some dinners (Flying Fish, LeCellier)
Poly room (not really bad, but dissapointing)
US Airways breaking my luggage on the way home (and they don't do anything about it)
Well, thats it. As you can see the good far outweighed the bad. Thanks for sticking with me on my first trip report. I know it was a bit boring, but hope you found some of it entertaining or useful. Feel free to email. Now its back to the real world. Got to start that Christmas shopping..

Final Thoughts

Just a few things I wanted to mention...

One of the neat things we stumbled upon (while shopping at the Emporium) was the barbershop quartet serenading a little boy who was getting his hair cut. You could see/hear them from the doorway to the shop. The little boy did not look very happy, but the quartet sounded great!
Came across a talking water fountain at EPCOT. Very cute, but I think the people walking by must have thought I was crazy to be standing there laughing out loud at a fountain!
Had a rainbow kaki gori...very tasty. Especially liked the honeydew flavor!
Is it a rule that all CM's have to make that "Pooh on your shirt" comment? After the fourth or fifth time, it's not funny anymore!
Enjoyed seeing Piglet for the first time at Crystal Palace. He's an odd shade of pink though, don't you think? I felt sort of guilty too, as on this trip I probably consumed at least on Piglet's worth of bacon, ham, and sausage!
That's it for now...

Lynne Migliozzi

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