Trip Reports

Joy Morris - November 10-17, 1998 - Offsite (Sheraton Inn Lakeside)

Time of Year: Fall
Travel Method: Plane, Rental Car
Resort: Offsite (Sheraton Inn Lakeside)
Accommodations
Ages Represented in Group: Elementary, Adult
WDW Experience Represented in Group: Infrequent
Comments: Joy's report covers the family's trip in mid-November. I enjoyed the brief play-by-play description of the trip, but also the list of trip comments and suggestions at the end of the report.


General Info: There were three people who went Mom/her (age 37 and the writer of this long thing), Dad/husband/him (age 38 and the master video taker), and daughter age 8. This is our second visit to DisneyWorld, the first being 4 years ago. We flew and stayed off-property at the Sheraton Inn Lakeside. We used a rental car to get around except when we went to Disney and then we used the bus system from our motel (it was free). We went November 10-17, 1998.

Day 1 - We spent the first day of our vacation traveling. It was a six hours of flying to get there and much of it was turbulent and so we ladies were worn out as we both got a touch of travel sickness. We rented our car from Thrifty car rental. We were supposed to get a great week deal. I had read about taxes and insurance charges on the internet so I knew that I did not want insurance and to expect a bunch of taxes. There were a bunch of taxes but the guy at the counter told me that I had to take something called PDW by law. I didn't know what that was so we signed the papers. Our car that was supposed to be $150 came to over three hundred dollars. Later in the week we found out that we did NOT have to take PDW but they wouldn't credit our account because gee they had insured us after all. We were ticked to say the least. So the main gripe and our first tip for Orlando travelers, DO NOT USE THRIFTY CAR RENTAL. We stayed off property because money was a consideration for us. I had tried to work a deal with Disney for a similar rate but it was a no go. We stayed at the Sheridan Inn Lakeside. This motel is off 192 near Splendid China. It is an okay place. The rooms were clean and relatively quiet. It has swimming pools, miniature golf, paddle boats, a store, and a buffet restaurant all close to the rooms. The staff was friendly but not extremely so. We have stayed there before and probably would again. We ate dinner there and the husband and daughter went swimming. Swimming in the pool was one of my daughters highlights and she did get several chances to use the pool.

Day 2 - The first Disney day. We had two PS set for this day, one of the few since we wanted to limit the preset times as much as possible. We started at the Studios. Our hotel had a shuttle from the motel to the parks that ran on a regular basis. This morning the slow shuttle picked us up and this caused some delays that we didn't have any other day. When we got to The Studios, it was about 9:00. We had seating reservations for breakfast at the Soundstage at 10:15. Time to do rides then. TOT was already getting lines according to the board so we went to the Great Movie Ride. And got on in less than 10 minutes, basically a walk on. This trip we got to sit in the front of the car and had the gangster trade off. He was great as he kept telling me not to touch the controls or I might have to be wasted. My daughter loved the ride, especially the Wizard of Oz part, since we had just seen the movie on the big screen. She was ready to go again which we did later in the day. We had hoped to get to Little Mermaid next but the lines were long. We wandered a bit since we were close to our dining time but yet not close enough to go. Finally we just checked in early. We were told it would be 30-45 minutes so we went off to ride Star Tours, my husbands favorite. When we got back they didn't have table since they had called our name while we were gone. It hadn't been 30 minutes. But they got us a table quickly, except it was behind a stair. I personally didn't like eating here. The food was only so so and the table was at the back so we had a long wait to get characters to our table. The best was a guy who did Aladdin, he seemed to get into the part well, but we had to wait over an hour to see all of the 5 that were out and about. Wouldn't do it again here but it has already moved to a new restaurant. After our breakfast we headed to the Animation Tour. It had been one of my favorites on our last visit. The Robin Williams-Walter Cronkite movie is still good but I was disappointed in the tour. I was amazed at the changes in animation in four years, with the advent of computer graphics there is less to see on the tour but there is also less to see on the tour as it is more rushed and there was less going on. I felt disappointed to see so little going on and we were rushed through the viewing while part of the movie played. I also noticed a group of hearing impaired people had some problems because the interpreter only did his thing during the cast member talk and not during the movie. The Mulan parade was fun. Loved the dragon. We also enjoyed the fact that the music wasn't the same song over and over. We had PS at the Sci-fi. We ended up waiting fifteen minutes for our seat- the maximum they say you should have to wait. The trailers were fun as usual and got to see them all because our service was very slow. We got a little restless to say the least. By the time the food came and we had eaten, we had started into the same shows again. We saw the Muppets 4-D and loved it. We happened to hit the line for the Hunchback show at the right time and saw that. I enjoyed the use of puppetry in this and the lack of much of Frollo. We rode Star Tours again. We almost never encountered much of a line which is why we love off season. It was time to hit TOT. When we were there last the were just building it. About a ten minute wait and it was worth it. Then it was 15 after six so we headed to the line for Fantasmic. We got fairly close to the front only to find out we were in the maybe get in line. We decided to wait and see. The way it works is they start seating people for the show at about 5:30-6:00. Then they let it standing room crowds. Lines after this are to see if there is standing room left. We were in the third standing room line. We got in to see the show but at the very very back of the amphitheater. My husband had to hold my daughter so she could see. We could see but not terrifically and even at the back the sound was very loud! I will say now that my husband enjoyed the show. I will be booed I am sure but I wasn't that impressed. I felt like I had been inundated all day with the same cartoon clips and wanted more from the big battle scene, like more use of the villains. I did like the big ship at the end but I wouldn't make a big point of going again and I certainly wouldn't wait in line 2 hours to get a seat for it. After that we caught a ferry to Epcot which turned out to be more a hotel line but still it was a different view of things and a chance to see the BoardWalk. We had to wait to catch the shuttle back to our hotel and we were pooped. What we liked least about this day was scheduled time to eat since it messed with the flow of seeing things.

FAVORITES: His: Star Tours, Star Tours, Tower of Terror, Sci-Fi Cafe Hers: Jafar, Great Movie Ride, Hunchback Show Child: Tower of Terror, Great Movie Ride, Tower of Terror, Great Movie Ride, Character Autographs

Day 3 - It was up very early. We had to be at a different hotel by 6:00 so that we could go up in a hot air balloon. Orange Blossom balloons in Orlando gives Balloon rides that last about an hour plus you help set up and take down the balloon. We got to see Epcot and Animal Kingdom from the air plus the sunrise. The pilots are great and the fee includes breakfast, a champagne or juice toast, and a "pilot's license". It was a little scary and alot of fun. I had read that Animal Kingdom can be done in about 4 hours or so and that it clears out in the afternoon, both are relatively true in the off season so we headed there after our balloon ride. Because the park is new to us we weren't as sure what we wanted to start with so we headed to Camp Mickey and managed to get right into a line (but we did wait 20 minutes in the line) for the Lion King show which is just as great as everyone writes. The people are so talented and it isn't just another brief recreation of the movie but a new experience. After that we headed over to the Boneyard which my daughter loved but I didn't see since I bought ice food and no food was allowed in. Then we went on Countdown to Extinction. A jerky ride that could use more plot, rates an okay with us but not one we went back to. We also saw Bugs Life twice, I loved the bug exit and the tree of life is amazing. We wish we had spent more time looking at it but since there was never a line for the show we just walked through. The safari was also great, we went about 4 and got right on. We saw a lot of animals including hippos, cheetahs, lions, giraffes, the various deerlike animals, birds, and more. We also thought the little red bit was a waste and figure that they could live it out and nobody would care, its still very educational. Took the train to conservation station which I thought was a waste of time. It isn't that unusual for us to get to pet sheep and goats but I LOVED THE ELEPHANT WASH AND DRY. The March of the Artimals parade was a weak parade, our least favorite of any Disney parade. We ended up having to watch it twice as we tried to get to another part of the park after we saw the end. We wanted to see more of the shows but didn't make it. We did get right in at Rainforest Cafe at the end of the day to have coconut bread pudding and pizza both were very good and the atmosphere was fun. Back to the hotel for a swim.

FAVORITES: His: The balloon ride!!! Her idea but he liked it the best. Safari Ride, The Lion King Show, Tough to Be a Bug Hers: Tough to be Bug, Lion King Show, Safari Ride, Rainforest Cafe, Balloon ride over EPCOT, The wash and dry elephants. Child: The Boneyard, Rainforest Cafe, swimming in the pool

Day 4 - It was the Mickey day. Today we went to the Magic Kingdom. Got there just before opening so we had a quick breakfast by getting treats from the bakery. We headed over to Splash Mountain just as the park opened. We got right on and then right on again. We Loved Splash. Both times we sat in the front. Then we got Brer Fox's and Brer Bear's autograph. We headed over to Thunder Mt. This is very much a roller coaster ride so once was enough for me but they went back on it. The first wait for 10 minutes, the second was about 20. My daughter loved this ride. In fact she loved all the roller coaster rides which she had been to short for before. Then we went over to Pirates, which seemed a bit out of sequence and even had a " the ride has stopped temporarily". Still it was fun, we can yo ho with the best of them. My husband bought a shot glass that said "yo ho a pirates life for me". We saw the new Tiki show. It was enjoyable but my husband wished they had sung more and shortened the tiki curse. Dole whip break and catching autographs with Baloo and King Louie. Up and around the Swiss Family Tree House. Definitely lots of steps, which was hard on my knees. We went to Tom Sawyer' Island which my daughter loved when she was younger and still loves. She needed the chance to run and be active. Her favorite thing is to go across the barrel bridge. I like going through the caves with my sunglasses on so that it is very dark and harder to find your way through. We went to Hall of Presidents for my husband, my daughter slept. The Haunted Mansion had to done. The ghost sat on my lap. We walked on to Small World which still brings back memories for me. I love it. My family tolerates it. They rode teacups and the grand prix speedway. We rode the skytram after about a 30 minute wait. That was one of our longest waits. We tried Buzz Lightyear twice. I really loved shooting at the Zs. My daughter, the eight year old had a harder time hitting the targets and so she only on twice , the second time under a bit of nagging but wouldn't do it again. The nice part of going at this time of year is that it is easy to things more than once. Now it was time to head to EPCOT for the evening. We rode the monorail over. We went to the land and had a great dinner in the basement marketplace. Every one had what appealed to them. Then we saw Food Rocks, which was too loud, way corny and a lot of fun, especially if you know the songs they do take offs from. Then we headed out to get a place for Illuminations. We were already slow so we settled for a spot near a pole. I also started trying some of the food festival. We saw Illuminations and then headed back to the motel.

FAVORITES: His: Splash Mountain, Pirates, Thunder Mt, Illuminations (except for the jerk who wouldn't let our daughter share the bench with his kids) Hers: Splash Mountain, Buzz Lightyear (it didn't hurt that I kept getting the highest scores) The Wine and Food Festival, Tom Sawyer Cave with sunglasses, Child: Tom Sawyer Island, Splash Mountain!!!!!!, Big Thunder Mountain, Illuminations

Day 5 - We slept in a little today, we didn't get up until 8 am (yes for this trip that was sleeping in). We rushed out and got the shuttle to Epcot. We rode Spaceship Earth. Then stood in line for 10 minutes for Ellen's Energy Adventure. It was much better than the old version. Then we went to Cranium Command, it is very funny. Next we headed to Honey, I Shrunk show and got in about 3 minutes to start. This was a great 3D experience but I could see where it could be disturbing to some, my daughter anticipated the mice thing and put her legs up but she still loved it and wanted to see it again. On to World Showcase, my favorite place. My husband and I tried food at each booth. The eight year old would only try a few things and held out for the hot dog fix. We also bought a passport for her, an idea I got off someone's trip report. The passport gave her something to do that was exciting to her. She also had her autograph book and we saw a lot of characters at Epcot. Many of the countries had characters and the English Garden had plenty. Another great thing is the fun stops for kids. They are simple activities but she looked for them so they gave her reason to go from area to area. We all loved the Maelstrom, I especially love the trolls. My husband loves the movie in China. It is very beautiful scenery but I have to watch with one eye at times so as to avoid motion sickness, my daughter was restless. We took time to view each area and go through the shops even though we didn't buy much. Be sure to watch at the Japanese courtyard because the performances there are always fascinating. We saw a lot of characters as we went from country to country. We watched part of the show at the Showcase. It was Disney songs sung in different languages. What fun. I bought a hot dog at the American Pavilion. Wow, This is the one time I really went wow at the price. A hot dog here was $5. I bought her a kid meal instead which was a hot dog, drink, and fries for $3.75. She wanted another one but I was just in a no mood. We got her something later and she was more willing to try things when she was hungrier. After World showcase, we saw Shrunk again, tried the cool drinks at Ice Station, and watched the Fountain dance. Then we headed over to Magic Kingdom to see the Spectral Magic Parade. We ended up waiting over an hour to get good spots but this is the one long wait that was worth it. This parade magical and enchanting in the dark. Then we went to Splash Mt so a quick ride and missed the fireworks, oh well.

FAVORITES: His: The Dancing Fountain, Honey, China's movie, Cranium Command, The night parade Hers: The food and wine festival, The ice station, Honey I shrunk, Cranium Command, The Maelstrom, French pastries, the night parade Child: Autographs, Splash Mountain, the night parade, painting a picture in France, meeting a bagpiper, Honey I Shrunk

Day 6 - We had to do laundry first thing so we got a late start to Universal. Fortunately there were never long lines so we got to see a lot of what we wanted to. My husband and daughter rode Back to the Future. I passed since all the guide books said beware if you get motion sickness. We saw several fun characters on the way there. Lines for Characters are smaller here so there was a lot more interaction, about the best difference between Universal and Disney. A Harry gave us big hugs and stuck his face right up to the camera as my husband recorded and even turned the camera on my husband. Jaws was next and my daughter's and my favorite ride here. A lot depends on the guide but ours was great and it was fun and a bit scary. We then did Kongfrontation (okay, not very scary but very short), Earthquake (fun, and wild, mildly scary to adults but our daughter was frightened by the fire), and saw Twister. We ended up at the very end of the line for the Twister show which made it less enjoyable for us adults but better for our daughter who did not like it at all. By this time she was a little shaken from two "scary rides in a row" and we had to slow things down for her. We had a seafood lunch and then went to Hanna Barbera. This ride made me glad that I had skipped Back to The Future since I got queasy on this one and the family agreed it was a lot tamer. Loved the Flintstone car and props in the shop after the ride. Then we braved the Nick Studios tour. A wow from the eight year old and a snooze from the old folks but tolerable. Then I opted to go to the playground with her while my husband saw the Terminator show. This was the longest line he ever had on the trip, waiting over 30 minutes for a show. Saw Jaws again and then the stupid Graveyard review(thumbs up from the kid). Again a loud show. Are all tourists supposed to be deaf? Then the park closed. Husband took a had to have pic of him with Xena, the only character he would have his picture with except a family picture except Mickey.

FAVORITES: His: (besides Xena who had no comparison) Terminator, TV theme songs on PA, Back to the Future, Twister Hers: Give me Disney where rides are longer and less jerky, except I loved the characters especially Harry who gave me a great hug, Lucy Tribute, and Jaws Child: Jaws, the characters, Fievels playground, Nickelodeon studios. Hated Twister and Earthquake.

Day 7 - We decided to hit the highlights and catch anything we missed that we still wanted to see. So we started early with Magic Kingdom. We waited for the transportation center to open. This was an early entry day for Disney guests but this did not seem to make the crowds larger first thing in the morning. We rode the ferry this time because I love the view going into the park as you ride. We rode Splash Mountain (twice of course), then we rode the train around to Toon Town to catch Mickey's autograph, long line. Walked over and rode Space Mountain, then they went on it again while I did Buzz Lightyear. We took some family pictures around the castle. *** note-- we never had any problem finding someone who would trade photo services with us. There is always someone who wanted their picture taken too!!***** We saw the Lion King show without much wait. We like it but not as much as the one at the Animal Kingdom. Then we caught the monorail to catch the monorail. We waited one pass so that we could ride up front.. That was fun even if our driver wasn't very talkative. We did learn that the drivers trade off with the loaders to keep from getting bored. At Epcot we got right on the things we wanted. We went back to catch Honey one more time. We went to eat French Pastries and try some wines. We caught more characters in the English garden. Got some souvenirs. Then we went back to MGM and rode the Great Movie Ride, saw Little Mermaid finally ( it seems shorter to us with less puppets than 4 years ago. Does anyone know if this is so?), Tower of Terror twice (actually I didn't go but I was entertained by a boy who was trying to convince everyone that Tower of Terror was just to common until his mother rode it and came back and said it wouldn't be to scary for him, ah youth), Star Tours, Muppets 3-D.

FAVORITES: All the day since we made a point to do all the things we liked before except the two shows, which we enjoyed as well.

Day 8 - We would be leaving today so we ate the buffet breakfast at the hotel and packed up our stuff. Then we played miniature golf at our hotel before finally leaving. We headed to the beach. I am from the Northwest where the water is cold so I love beaches and especially in Florida where the water is warm. We played in the water and picked up seashells at Cocoa Beach but didn't find any genies (remember that the characters from I Dream of Jeanie lived at Cocoa Beach?). We made a quick stop to the Kennedy Space Center to get some stuff for my husband who collects space items. I wished we had more time to stop at the orange grove stands by the side of the road but we ran out of time. We turned our car in and checked into the airport. I want to say that I bought a shirt and some great pins at the airport Disney gift shop while we waited for our plane. Then it was home to the cold weather. 80's in Florida, 30's at home. BRRRRRR. For days after we missed the warm.

Notes:

We love going off season. we purposely scheduled our trip that way even though it meant taking our daughter out of school and making up homework. you get to see so much more and spend hardly any time in lines.
We saw lots of Character this visit, we did one Character Breakfast, stood in line twice at Toon Town, but mostly found them out in the parks especially at MGM and at Epcot in the English Garden. We recommend the passport and Autograph books for kids, our eight year old loved doing both.
We all used fanny packs only. Mine had a camera, money, some basic first aid stuff, lotion, and the passes. His was bigger because he had the video camera with batteries and film plus a few munchies, souvenirs, and money. Our daughter had her own for a disposable camera, autograph book, pen, and her own spending money.
We didn't mind staying offsite except the long bus ride back to the motel when we were tired. But since we only used our room to sleep (and not much of that) we liked spending less money. I hope to some day stay at a Disney Resort since everyone makes them sound so fun.
We like our five day passes since it allowed us use of Disney Transport and the ability to park hop which is helpful in the off season as most parks close early except for Epcot so you can spend time there after a day somewhere else.
We got into collecting pressed pennies. It was an easy thing to carry around, great memories of the trip, and cheap.
I would also like to add a footnote. I trash Thrifty (and still am angry) but I should be fair and note that our travel agent was able to get a refund of the insurance they suckered us into.
Joy Morris

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