Trip Reports

Time of Year: Fall
Travel Method: Plane, Rental Car
Resort: ASMR
Accommodations
Ages Represented in Group: Adult
WDW Experience Represented in Group: Frequent
Comments: Sheri's report was first posted to this site as a planning report. The planning information is still there (there's a wealth of knowledge for anyone that wants to know more about planning), but now includes all the details from the trip, too. Another great feature is the excellent background material on previous trips that the family has taken (including some excellent critiques on some of the WDW resorts!)

October 14 - 20, 1998

Introduction:

Participants: Me - Sheri (36), the planner, and an accountant at an insurance firm; Rich (38), the bestest husband in the whole wide world (see below) and a systems analyst at a computer software firm.
When: October 14-20, 1998.
How: Airline from Omaha, NE.
Last time: June, 1996 as a family with above participants and a then 13-year-old son, Chris. Before that, six times for me (five with hubby), six times for hubby.
Where: All-Star Music Resorts
How and Why I Wrote This Report

How – I used a small notebook and wrote one line reminders during the day. Back in the room with a cup of wine, I hand wrote the details in a larger notebook. I re-read and refined during the trip. Then, back at home, I typed into Word. If you ever saw my handwriting, you’d know why typing was essential. I also did one last job of editing. It didn’t take any time away from the vacation – in fact, it enhanced it.

Why – I love reading trip reports. And I can go back anytime I want to re-live this vacation. I tend to lose details and that’s why I packed this report with a ton of them. I didn’t write this report just for the Disney fans – I wrote it for myself. I did a report on our trip to New England last June as a practice run. I go back and re-read it all the time. Warning – this is a long report – the kind I like to read.

Background

I love Disney and Walt Disney World. My first trip was in 1977 for my sister’s high school graduation. I was fifteen at the time. We were not the in the J. Paul Getty class so my parents saved for a year and we stayed at the Fort Wilderness Campground. We were so impressed with the Disney style. I never forgot a detail of that trip. At the time, only Magic Kingdom was open but we still managed to stay in Orlando for a full week. That was still back in the old E ticket days. My, how times change. My husband, Rich, went to Disney for the first time in 1976 (he thinks) on a band trip in high school.

For our honeymoon in 1982, my in-laws offered us a trip anywhere in the continental United States. I didn’t check with Rich and just said "Disney World". So we went. We stayed right outside the Main Gate (can’t remember the hotel – just that it was OK and nothing fancy). The package included a dinner at the then Lake Buena Vista Club. For a naïve 19 year old (me) and 21 year old (Rich) we were totally overwhelmed. We had a wine steward just for us! Very classy but very un-us. We made it to the World twice in 1985 but only because we were stationed at Keesler AFB in Biloxi, MS which was about a 10 hour drive. We went in August for just three days and stayed at the Quality Inn on International Drive. The area wasn’t quite as built up as it is now. We tried to do EPCOT in one day with a three year old but never saw any of the countries. We met Rich’s parents in October of that year for a convention and had Magic Kingdom all to ourselves one night. We stayed across from Sea World on that trip since that’s where the convention was. That was it for Disney for a while.

We then moved west to outside Omaha, Nebraska. I started a family vacation tradition and Disney was the trip for 1993. That’s when the bug really hit me. I started with Birnbaum and quickly found all the other books next to it at Walden’s. We did it big with a stay at Dixie Landings for nine days and ten nights. Fantastic trip. I decided that I would go to Disney World every three years for the rest of my life. Enough time to savor the planning and have things change but enough time to also save and not get bored with it.

Wouldn’t you know, Rich’s parents convention was in Orlando in 1994 so we went down early to enjoy Disney World before meeting them. This time we enjoyed Shades of Green with our military privileges. We then moved offsite across from the Convention Center for the rest of the time. The difference was like day and night. I decided then that I would never go to Orlando and not stay at a Disney hotel.

Then it’s 1996 and it’s been three years since our last family vacation to Disney World. I didn’t count the 1994 trip! So we went back and this time stayed at Caribbean Beach for nine nights and ten days. Caribbean Beach was nice but Dixie Landings is still number one in my book. I quickly planned for a 1999 trip. Then, read on.

One quick note here. Brian Bennett suggests that if you’re going to compare hotels, restaurants, etc., it’s nice to know why you liked something more than another. Here’s my list of places I’ve stayed at on Disney property (would never stay offsite if I could help it) and my opinions of each. Feel free to disagree anytime – they are only opinions.

Fort Wilderness Campground (1977) – the best campground I’ve ever stayed at and I’ve stayed at quite a few. Trouble now is that I’m spoiled for hotels so I don’t think I’ll ever camp again.
Dixie Landings (1993 and again in 1999) – the best hotel on Disney property except for Shades of Green. It’s quiet, secluded and really makes you feel like you are in Louisiana in some bayou. We stayed in Alligator Bayou and will request the exact same room next year. We were in building 27 which was perfectly situated for us to the food court and pool. A bit of a walk to the buses but we didn’t mind. We loved the main pool area and spent a good portion of our time there.
Shades of Green (1994) – if you are in the military, run, do not walk, to this lovely hotel. Great location to walking to the Polynesian. You will have to do that or use the horrible, non-Disney transportation. However, the transportation from the Poly and the nearby TTC cannot be beat. The prices here are incredible if you work for the government. Unfortunately, I can never stay here again.
Caribbean Beach (1996) – nice hotel but we preferred Dixie hands down. I was disappointed that you can’t swim in the "beach" area so it’s just for show. Also, I didn’t get the feel of seclusion that I did from Dixie. We stayed in Aruba which we requested because it was far enough away from the pool and food court. Disappointed in the pool. We thought it was too small and the hot tub was right in the middle of the pool.
Port Orleans – we haven’t stayed here but spent some time back in 1993 when we stayed at Dixie. This would be my number two choice after Dixie. The pool is large and themed well but I just saw too many kids. When you get to my age and you’ve already raised the one child you will have, you need a break from the little ones.
March 17, 1998

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to me!

I have been reading the trip reports on Brian Bennett’s site since I first discovered it a month or two ago. I have a long ten day trip planned beginning June 18, 1999 but I just love reading and learning about Disney. Last night, out of the blue, I asked my husband, Rich, if I could get airline fares for less than $200, could we go to Disney World in late October? To my shocked amazement, he said "Yes!" He said that as long as it was a cheap trip, we could go. Woo hoo!

Our now fifteen-year-old son, Chris, was told about the upcoming trip last night. He said that was fine as long as he wasn’t going to go. I hadn’t really expected him to make the trip so it will just be Rich and me. This will be our first extended vacation with just the two of us. We have made weekend trips without Chris but nothing major. We plan to leave after work on Wednesday, October 21st and come back late on Monday, October 26th. I, of course, will make all the arraignments and will just need to tell Rich when to be at the airport. I’m not planning on any fancy sit-down meals. Since Chris won’t be going with us, we can get up early and enjoy the Early Entry at Magic Kingdom. I don’t think we’ll need it at any of the other parks. I’m going to get to ride Dumbo! I’ve been there seven times before and the one time anyone rode, I did the Mom thing and took the pictures while Rich and Chris rode. That picture remains my favorite picture of all time. Chris is three, blond, and totally adorable.

I’M GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!

I ran over to the mall during lunch and picked up the 1998 version of Birnbaum’s book along with the Guide Without Kids. My latest editions are from 1996. I quickly jumped to when the golf classic was going on and found out it was scheduled for the same time as my trip! I immediately moved mine up one week. So now we’re leaving on October 14th and coming back on the 19th. Good thing I remembered about the golf and checked. I want to avoid large crowds since we won’t have a lot of time (well, five days is a lot of time for most people).

I called 1-407-WDISNEY and was put through right away. I seem to remember having to hold a long time last time I made reservations. I talked with Zoe and made the reservations at the All Star Music Resort. I was really tempted to get Dixie but I promised Rich this would be a "cheap" trip so I resisted the urge. I paid attention to the Guide Without Kids and booked a third floor room in Broadway. It’s supposed to be quieter. I requested non-smoking king size bed. The rooms with the king size beds don’t have a tub, just a roll-in shower but that’s fine. We’re not tub people anyway. I used my Magic Kingdom Club card (thank you Central States for the freebie) and got a 10% discount so my nightly rate was only $74.59 including tax. So I saved $37 already and we haven’t even left yet!

Then I looked at the ticket prices and could have slapped myself for not thinking of this earlier. We’re going in October, 1998 and we’re going in June, 1999. Duh! Annual Passports here we come! Huge savings. We’ll just get Chris a Length of Stay pass next June and we’ll use the Passports from October! It’s more outlay of cash up front but we’ll save a lot next year. I’ll just take the additional money out of my vacation fund and we’ll be set.

I checked airfares out of Omaha and the cheapest was $292. Forget it! I’ll wait and the prices should come down. I can get out of Kansas City for under $200 but I don’t want to have to drive the three hours each way. So I’ll wait on that.

OK, I have the hotel, tickets are set, and airfares should come down. I’m ready!

April 28, 1998

We (OK, I) have decided to fly out earlier than planned and come back later. We’ll go sometime in the afternoon of October 14th and just work 1/2 day. Then, Delta has flights coming back at 6:00 AM on the 20th so we’ll stay later and work the afternoon of the 20th. OK, so I probably won’t "work" but just check emails and voice messages but I’ll at least get paid for it. My company has a perfect attendance policy that rewards employees with 1/2 day of vacation if they have perfect attendance for four months. I don’t think I’ll be getting sick this year (at least not until after October). I checked Deb Wills internet site a least a dozen times and tried to get a nice restaurant for us to eat at. I think we maybe, probably, might, be set on Bonfamilles. I tried to interest Rich on Gulliver’s, with the $50 off coupon from Rita Aeros but no go. He just couldn’t figure out the menu. Seems he hasn’t read the book.

May 6, 1998

Last night I called CRO to extend our stay at the All Star by one night since we’ll be checking out on Tuesday, the 20th, instead of Monday, the 19th. Again, I was put through almost immediately. Turns out they don’t have the Magic Kingdom discount for that one night so I had to go with the regular rate. I was tempted to stay offsite but then I thought about having to pack up and leave and then stay in some other hotel for just one night. No way, give me Disney the whole time. While I was on the phone, I decided to ask about how far in advance you can make hotel reservations. Doesn’t seem like there’s any time limitation so, yes, you got it, I booked my ressie for June, 1999. We’re in at Dixie Landing June 18-27, 1999. It feels strange making reservations 13 months in advance but I’m so determined to go. With my original All Star reservation with MKC, the extra night at regular rate, and the 1999 trip, I now have three Disney reservation numbers. I hope I can keep them all straight!

July 10, 1998

WOO HOO! It pays to be persistent with airfares! I went home at lunch yesterday, just a last minute thing, to check on airfares. I have internet access at work but don’t like to use it for personal surfing. When I logged into my travel site, I saw that the major airlines were having a fall sale! Could it be? YES! Omaha to Orlando for $213, including tax! If you live around this area, you will realize what a big savings that is. I don’t know if airlines think Omaha is out in the middle of nowhere but the fares here are ridiculous. The same trip was $326 just two days ago. TIP: Don’t settle for high airfares. Be patient, and a deal will happen. So we leave on Wednesday, October 14th at 12:45 PM on Delta with a two hour layover in Atlanta and get to Orlando around 8:00 PM. On Tuesday, October 20th, we leave Orlando at 6:00 AM (argh!), go through Cincinnati and get back to Omaha at 10:00 AM.

July 31, 1998

This is for all those people who are unsure about renting a car or not renting a car. I consider myself a Disney World "expert" but I always go round and round about whether or not to rent a car. If you already have your own wheels or have already decided you are definitely not renting a car, move on to the next date. Otherwise, here are some details I went through on deciding on a car versus Disney transportation.

This trip is supposed to be a "cheap" trip, remember? So renting a car never even entered my mind. Until I started reading all those trip reports on Brian Bennett’s site! I really wanted to go resort hopping and it just didn’t seem possible with the limited Disney transportation from resort to resort. It seemed like I had to include a visit to Downtown Disney if I wanted to visit another resort after the parks closed. Mears Shuttle from the airport at $25/person was a "cheap" alternative but then I realized that our arrival time (8:00 PM) and departure time (6:00 AM) was probably not going to work out with them. I really thought about the Florida Town Car and was willing to give them a try at $75/carload. A little bit more expensive than Mears but it was a direct connection from the airport to the hotel. The first car rental quote I was given by National, the official car rental company of Disney, for a compact car was over $200 for the entire time. I decided the limo was the way to go.

But then I got nervous. When we went in 1993, we didn’t have any car. We just used the Disney transportation and had no problem. All the other times (except 1996), we drove to Disney so we had our own car. However, 1996 proved to be the trip that will always make me question the rental car.

Our second attraction during that 1996 trip was Alien Encounter. During one scene, there is a puff of air that goes into your face. My son, Chris, must have had a something on his contact lens and he ended up with the scratch on his eye. We didn’t realize this until we were well into the line at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. The poor kid had to ride with tears in his eyes. We went to the First Aid place on Main Street but once they realized what the problem was, they had to refer us to an outside clinic. I can’t remember the actual name of the clinic but it was right outside the Lake Buena Vista hotels, close to Goodings. If you ever need a clinic, this is a good one. But, they don’t take insurance so it’s cash or credit card. There is a Disney transport that will take you there but there’s only one transport. Luckily, we had a car and could drive ourselves. One woman at the clinic had a very sick child and had to wait until the transport showed up to take them back to Disney. After Chris got his eye patch, we were able to drive ourselves right back to Caribbean Beach where the kid just conked out and slept. We had to go back the next day for the eye patch removal so we were able to drive back and get that done.

Also, my husband and son love to shop the Marts – K Mart, Wal Mart, Target, you name it. So when we go as a family, the car is essential. However, this trip, I wasn’t sure. So I decided that $150 would be my limit. If a compact car cost more than that, I wouldn’t rent one.

TIP: Shop around for a rental car. The prices change just as often as airfares! The over $200 original quote I got from National turned into a $157 from Thrifty. However, Thrifty is not at the terminal and I wanted to avoid a shuttle ride (had a disastrous one in Boston). I surfed and surfed on the internet. I found a deal that gave me $24/day at Dollar. For the six days I’m going to be there, it’s $144.

TIP: When figuring whether or not to rent a car, always calculate the "hidden" costs. The Dollar website has a listing of ALL the extra costs. Here’s a rundown. It’s $5/day for any additional driver. Usually, Rich gets to drive the entire time, I get to navigate but we always pay for the extra driver. Also, there’s a state imposed $2/day surcharge. Don’t ask me why, there just is one. That’s an extra $12. Then there’s the 10% airport concession fee. That’s on top of the other fees. I know that this fee is charged in just about any airport in the country, even in Omaha (although it’s not 10% but 8%). Then there is a $.05/day recycling fee. Now, I’m a big environmentalist but a charge to recycle the batteries and tires? So my great $24/day really comes to over $34/day and I haven’t even looked at sales tax! I can get it down to $29/day if I don’t have the additional driver. At a savings of $5/day, that comes to $30 for my trip and that can buy me a nice lunch or dinner.

So I ended up booking over the internet for the $24/day at Dollar. I will not do the additional driver. If an emergency happens, I’m sure I will be forgiven. I can’t avoid the other fees but I will have the opportunity to resort hop. I want to visit Wilderness Lodge and Coronado Springs. Also, my husband loves the pizza at Dixie Landings so that might be a dinner opportunity. And we will be able to get to and from the airport when we want to, not when someone else says (I’m the kind of person that has to be there an hour before departure).

I hope this helps anyone who wants some information on renting a car or using Disney transportation. Not getting a rental was fine in 1993 but getting one in 1996 really helped us in an unusual situation. If the parks were open longer during this trip, I wouldn’t even consider a car. We’ll probably end up using Disney buses during the day and the car at night.

September 8, 1998

The October hours were just posted. There has been rumors flying about the opening of Fantasmic! The last one I heard was October 1st but now it’s back to October 15th. My first scheduled day! I had planned on going to MGM that day but because it was the day after an early entry day. My fellow co-workers who are Disney fans say to go for it and enjoy the opening. I think we’ll go in the morning and then judge the crowds as the day goes on. If things get too crowded, we can just hop the boat to the Epcot resorts and visit Epcot for a while. Magic Kingdom is open until 9:00 PM the Saturday we’re there with showings of the SpectroMagic parade and the Sorcery in the Sky fireworks. However, Saturday is currently an early entry day so my plan was to go there early and then leave mid-morning to go to Epcot. Now, maybe we’ll have to return to Magic Kingdom if we want to see the parade and fireworks. At least Illuminations is being presented every night so I won’t have to make any decisions about that one. There are no fireworks scheduled for MGM.

I called CRO today and ordered our Premium Annual Passport vouchers using the Magic Kingdom Club discount. The passes are $397.53 each plus $3 shipping charge for a total of $798.06. Sounds kind of expensive but since we’re going to be going for a total of 15 days planned so far (and another maybe next September for my father’s 70th birthday), it’s only $26.50 per day. That’s cheaper than Worlds of Fun in Kansas City for a day. What I’m getting is not the actual Passport but you exchange the voucher at any Guest Relations at any theme park. Then, for the next 365 days, we get to visit any Disney theme park, water park, or pleasure park (Pleasure Island and Discovery Island). I’m not planning for us to go to any water parks or pleasure parks this trip but I decided to go for the Premium Passport since I’m sure prices will go up before our next scheduled trip in June. This way, I pay the 1998 rate instead of the 1999 rate. The vouchers should be here in the next two weeks (they came within a week – two very expensive pieces of cardboard).

The week before

My co-workers are ready for me to go. I’ve been driving them crazy. I have a wipe-off board outside my cube and I’ve been counting down the days for months now. Here’s a list of all the last minute things I’m doing to get ready:

I’ve decided to take a box of wine, 1/2 liters of Coke and Diet Coke, and champagne in our suitcases so we won’t have to buy things down there. The champagne is for mimosas. I read a trip report where a honeymoon couple started the day out with this drink and I thought it sounded fun. This is kind of like a second honeymoon. I was going to take the OJ with us as well but Rich surprised me again and decided just to buy it down there at the food court or in the hotel store. He thought maybe the luggage would get too heavy.
I’ve enlisted the help of all of our friends to drop in on Chris while we’re gone. We have every day or night covered. I’m probably going to get flamed for letting a sixteen-year-old be on his own for almost a week but Chris is a very responsible young man. He’s stayed at home on his own for weekends ever since he was twelve. He’ll have all our friends’ phone numbers and he doesn’t panic in an emergency. He has a car so he’ll be able to drive to and from school. We’ll check the mileage before and after just to be sure he doesn’t take any road trips. We’re taking a prepaid phone card so we can call him from the parks if necessary. He can cook enough to make his meals at night. Also, all of Chris’ friends are mature, responsible people. They are polite and well mannered. "Please" and "thank you" come out of their mouths, not swear words (at least not in front of us). I guess if you trust your child enough, you can feel comfortable leaving him on his own. It’ll be a learning experience for him since he’ll be leaving for college in less than two years.
One week before, I faxed my room request to All Star Music. I had already requested Broadway and then spent two months agonizing over whether to move the request to Country Fair. I personally don’t like country music but it’s the furtherest building from the main pool and the food court. Most people wouldn’t like that but we are without children and would like some quiet time. Also, it looked like Broadway rooms had a possible view of the parking lot where Country Fair doesn’t. Yes, it means we’ll have to walk a ways to get to the buses and parking lot but our quiet time together is going to be well worth it. So Country Fair it is.
One week before our scheduled Friday night dinner at Gulliver’s, I called the Swan and made priority seating for 8:00 PM. It’s a little late but we’re going to Magic Kingdom that day and it’s open to 7:00. If we want to make a full day of it, we can. If we leave MK early, we can always walk around the Boardwalk and the other hotels.
Six days before our scheduled lunch at Rainforest (Animal Kingdom), I called WDW-DINE and made priority seating for 11:00 PM. I wanted a 1:00 lunch but they didn’t have anything for a party of two at that time. I told Rich that I could probably call back and get the time I wanted if I said I had four people but he said he didn’t think we should lie while at Disney World. So we’ll just eat a little early. TIP: call for priority seating the minute you can. I waited one day and didn’t get what I want. I learned a lesson for the June trip – I’ll be calling four months ahead of time. NOTE: I was asked what Disney resort I was staying at and when I would be arriving at Disney. And I was asked for a home phone number. Now why they would be calling me at home when I’m down at Disney World is beyond me. I could see it if I called several months in advance but Rainforest only accepts priority seating seven days in advance. I know because I called several times just be sure.
The day before we left, I called Delta and reconfirmed all our flight times. I did this a couple of times since I bought the tickets. Last time I called, I found out we will leave Atlanta earlier than expected and get into Orlando twenty minutes earlier than originally. That’s twenty more minutes I’ll have at Disney!
I honestly don’t think this much planning went into the D-Day invasion.

Day One – Wednesday, October 14, 1998

This trip is definitely going to be good. On the way to work, "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" was on the radio. Is this a sign?

Left work exactly as planned at 11:00 AM. Yes, I actually did do work. Of course, my co-workers stopped in my cube to wish me a good time. How can I not have a good time? Wrote on my wipe-off board "Heigh Ho! Heigh Ho! It’s off to the World I go!"

Got to Abbott parking offsite at the airport at 11:30. So far, so good. We’ve been using Abbott for eight years and usually the shuttle bus is there before we’re even out of the car. This time I actually had to wait. The bus was there in under five minutes and the driver apologized. Hey, no problem, I’ve still got time.

Check in with Delta was a breeze. No line, no waiting. Went upstairs to the boarding area snack bar and got myself a large beer for $4.35. Rich is getting a ride to the airport from a co-worker. He has his own ticket and his suitcase. I’ve already told him that if he’s late, I’ll see him at the hotel. I like getting to the airport an hour ahead. Rich’s thinking is more like fifteen minutes. It’s lead to some lively discussions whenever we travel. I usually get my way since I threaten him with having him do all the travel arrangements.

Rich showed up in plenty of time and he joined me for a beer (again, $4.35). We took off on time – 12:45. We dozed on the plane and also read a little ("Beanie Power" magazine for him – more on that later – and "The Unofficial Disney Companion" by Eve Zibart for me). My book is wonderful and I urge every Disney fan to read it. It gives you the history of Disney World from a Disney fan but with some of the bad also mentioned. Very good.

Kudos to Delta for giving us a full can of soda, pretzels, AND peanuts. Arrival into Atlanta was 15 minutes ahead of schedule around 3:30 PM Eastern time.

Deplaned and tried to see what gate we’d be going out of. Our flight didn’t leave until 5:50 PM so we had over two hours to kill. Our flight wasn’t on the monitors but we saw there was an Orlando flight leaving at 4:10 at gate A2. We were at B7. Could we try? We did. We actually were almost at A2 with plenty of time to spare when I realized that even if we switched flights, there was no way our luggage would be able to do the same switch. Oh well, it was only 1-1/2 hours difference. So we went in search of food.

Sidetrack – we went into three different stores and bought six Beanie Babies. Clarification – Rich bought them. He’s a huge collector and this is his latest obsession. I indulge him just as much as he indulges my Disney. He got Waves, Quackers, Gracie, two bunnies, and Iggy. Each was $6.99 and they will not figure into the budget for this trip.

Had an early dinner/late lunch at Chili’s Too. We decided just to order an appetizer and a few drinks. We had the nachos (extremely good), I had two glasses of wine, and Rich had two beers. Total with tip was $24.

Arrived at our gate just in time to hear the pre-board announcement. The timing of this trip is great! The plane is an L-1011 with the configuration of 2 seats on the left (where we are), five in the middle, and 2 on the right. It’s been a long time since I’ve been on one of those. We waited on the tarmac for twenty minutes before taking off. Finally took off 1/2 hour behind schedule but made it into Orlando at 7:30 – about 10 minutes late. On board, I had a glass of wine for $4.

I wanted Rich to go and get the rental car while I got the bags. He didn’t want to get separated so we waited for the bags together. Our two were the last two bags to come out. We went down the one level to the rental car area to the Dollar counter and found our first line of the trip. I gave Rich an "I told you so" and made him stand in line while I sat. I do have to give the Orlando airport a big thanks for all those seats they have throughout the plan. After twenty minutes, Rich finally was helped. We tried to use the Dollar upgrade coupon from Rita Aeros’ book but we would have had to wait for a supervisor approval and that would have taken another twenty minutes. No thank you, we’ll just take the compact car. We ended up getting a $119 weekly rate which was better than the $24/day. WOO HOO! But then we had to go back up to the luggage claim area, walk to the opposite end of the building, go back downstairs, and across the street to our car. TIP: check to see where your baggage claim is and where you’ll pick up your car. We passed another, less crowded Dollar counter on the way to the car.

The car is fine for the price. No bells or whistles but practical. Found the Greeneway with no problem, paid the $2.25 total in tolls (all in quarters – I was prepared). Saw the first purple signs and followed them with no problem to the All Star Music. We’re here!

Check in at Melody Hall took no time despite our first almost glitch. My request for a king size bed was being honored but the only buildings that have king beds are in Jazz and Calypso. Those are the closest buildings to Melody Hall and the main pool. Exactly what I didn’t want. So I asked if I could get a double bed room in Country Fair. Jon, the cast member, pulled a little computer magic. There wasn’t one room available for all six nights so he had to move people around. He was surprised that I was so insistent on Country Fair since the room they had for us overlooked the main pool He said Country Fair is the quietest area. I said exactly why I want it. So we were booked into 6552 which is on the second floor of Country Fair building #6. I wanted third floor but after Jon did as much as he did, I just took it. Jon also was very good with going over the layout of the hotel and all the little incidentals.

We stopped in quickly at Maestro Mickey’s for Rich to get cough syrup. He’s been nursing a cold all week and he’s reached the last stage. Cost was $6.25. I checked out the 20 oz. Coke prices. I brought 6 20 oz Diet Cokes (for Rich) and 3 20 oz regular Cokes from home in the luggage. I bought a six pack of 20 ouncers at home for $2. The price for one 20 oz here is $2.12. TIP: Take your own! Beer is $6.00/six pack. That’s not too bad but I’m glad we brought our five liter box of wine in the luggage.

Found our room with no problem. For all I’ve heard, I was expecting less. Here’s a detailed description of the room. Two regular size double beds with appropriately themed quilts. Wallpaper border with banjos, boots, and fiddles in the main room The wallpaper in the bathroom matched the bedspreads. The light fixtures were cool – musical notes or stars. The curtains had musical notes on them. A nightstand with one drawer and storage underneath. A TV stand/dresser with six fairly roomy drawers. A small table with two chairs (my only complaint if I had more than two people – this table can be bigger; there is room). The bathroom area has a lot of open closet space with a long shelf on top. There is a bathroom vanity with a sink separate from the toilet and shower. The vanity doesn’t have much storage space but it’s OK for us. There’s lots of floor space for suitcases, etc. Luggage was two trips for us but I can see where it would be hard for someone who has a lot of heavy luggage. The other buildings were closer to the parking lot.

Unpacked and everything fit comfortable with two empty drawers. Call home to Chris who didn’t want to talk because "Voyager" was on. Then relaxation in the room watching "Law and Order", working on the report, and drinking wine. We also brought a fold up cooler from home so after a couple of trips for ice, the Cokes and champagne (also brought from home) were cooled down for the night. Bed at 11:30 after setting up a 7:00 AM wake up call. Rich wanted to set the alarm but I insisted on Mickey.

Day Two – Thursday, October 15, 1998

"Time to get up, pal!" Yeah, Mickey! I am definitely not a morning person but this morning, I was up first. I’m pretty particular about shower pressure and All Star is just fine. Also, I get irritated with being able to hear other people in their rooms and outside while I’m in my room. I heard a few bumps during the night but nothing major. The curtains kept out all the light.

The shower has the infamous body wash/shampoo dispenser. NOTE: This is environmentally correct. Since 1990, I’m a huge environmentalist so Disney gets high marks here. Also, you re-use your towels if you hang them on the racks. There’s also a separate container for glass, cans, and newspapers. The plastic 20 oz Coke containers were recycled by the pool. The body wash/shampoo dispense didn’t bother me but it did Rich. He said he was uncomfortable turning towards the shower head to get the stuff. And he’s definitely not a "body wash" person – give him a bar of soap.

While Rich was showering, I went to the food cart to get some orange juice for the mimosas. (They set up a cart towards the back of the hotel so you don’t have to walk to the food court for breakfast). Here’s where the vacation took a turn. Another woman was headed for the same place. At a very fast pace. I noticed a lot of people doing the same. The food cart looked like a roach coach – not that it looked tacky (in fact, it was designed to look like a radio) but the people looked like roaches crawling around it. Hey, you’re on vacation, relax! Bought 2 orange juices for $1.50/each. On the way back, I decided no commando mode for me. I told Rich the order of the day was relaxation.

Had our mimosas which were fantastic. It’s a must for us on future days and future vacations. Walked to Melody Hall for the bus to MGM. I think any bad things said about All Star are blown way out of proportion. The walk to the buses from Country Fair did not take that long and it was a pleasant walk past the piano pool, a nice fountain, and the guitar pool. I especially like the theming of the "road" between the two Broadway buildings. It looked like a New York street. Our view from our room is of trees and grass. No parking lot at all. Granted, this is not a Disney "resort". It’s not intended to be. This is the best $74/night hotel I’ve stayed in and we stay in a hotel at least once a month. If you want Disney at a discount, this will not disappoint.

Arrived at the bus stop and got a surprise. At Dixie and the Caribbean Beach, we just kind of milled around until the correct bus came. Here’s everyone stood in line. We waited through three Animal Kingdom buses and three Magic Kingdom buses before an MGM bus came. The wait was only ten minutes, though. We left shortly after 8:15. We had a talkative driver, Joe, but we couldn’t hear very much because the people next to us were talking loudly the whole time. I don’t understand why people can’t keep their conversations semi-private.

Got to MGM and found Guest Relations to exchange our vouchers for the actual Premium Annual Passports. We encountered Frank from Arlington, VA. He was very helpful and explained all our benefits. He remarked that his sister was from Lincoln, NE and he flies there every Thanksgiving. I then said we used to live in Alexandria, VA so it’s really a small world. Then, a big WOO HOO! We had to sign a voucher for our passports. Seems the price went up $21/each after I bought them over the phone. We didn’t have to pay the extra bucks but we had to sign that we bought before the price increase. I saved $42 by buying early!

Since the turnstiles still had long line, we went into the little gift shop outside and bought an autograph book for $5. I wasn’t sure if I was going to do autographs this time but decided to get one just in case. We waited until the turnstiles were opened and the lines manageable. And then we attacked the biometers. We both passed with flying colors according to the cast member. We stopped in a couple of shops while waiting for the rope drop. At this point, we decided not to do rope drops anymore. I kind of felt like a cow on a cattle drive. Not worth it in my opinion. I’d be happy arriving at the park 15 minutes after the rope drop.

We decided to see The Great Movie Ride first. But it wasn’t working so went over to Star Tours. We had about a ten minute wait but I was making it a point to notice details on the trip and so I soaked in all the queue line action. Look everywhere – there’s a lot going on that most people miss. Boarded for the trip to Endor and I smiled the entire time. The people in front of us were first timers and the mom applauded after every segment. Lots of oohs and aahs that made me re-appreciate this attraction. Unloaded into the shop but didn’t see anything for Chris (HUGE Star Wars fan – even knows all the names of all the extra characters in the Cantina scene).

Went over to Muppets 3D and right into the preshow. Had a 3-1/2 minute wait so I walked around to see all the sight gags. My favorite – the poster of Jim Henson looking like a Muppet. His genius was taken too soon. Our instructions for entering the theatre was to "sit wherever you want". Huh? Not the typical Disney line. We picked our row and sat right in the middle of the theatre. The family behind us was having a canary because the daughter stopped without moving all the way to the right. Hello – did you listen? Mom finally calmed down when she realized everyone was already in the theatre and there were plenty of seats untaken. Enjoyed the show as always but was disappointed the gift shop didn’t have any Waldo merchandise.

Went back by The Great Movie Ride which was now open. Rode with a ten minute wait which I thought was too long. Later, it was over 30 minutes so I’m glad we went when we did. We had the western view. We were in the last row of the first car which was perfect for the narration and action. Now we have to re-watch "Indiana Jones" and "The Wizard of Oz". And we have to rent "Casablanca" which we never have seen.

Then it was off to The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. We checked the tip board and saw a fifteen minute wait with two drops. We walked right into the lobby. This is the one attraction that makes me shake BEFORE I get on it. Through the library, through the boiler room, and here we are in the elevator. And we’re in the front row. Yikes! OK, I can do this. I’ve survived it before. Up to the top, down to the bottom, up to the top, I’m still OK and haven’t screamed yet, open up the doors, snap the picture, down to the bottom, OK we’re done and I’m still here. Wait a minute. BACK TO THE TOP! Now I’m screaming. And I screamed all the way back down. Go through the shop. No thank you, I’ll come back when I’m more stable.

By this time it was 11:00 and Rich had had an oatmeal bar in the room and I had nothing so we decided to get something to eat. We went to the Sunset Ranch Market and Rich got a foot long hot dog ($3.45), I got a baked potato with cheese and bacon ($2.50 plus 60¢ each for the toppings) and we split a Coke ($2.25). It really hit the spot. The cheese sauce and bacon bits were in separate containers so you could put on as much or as little as you wanted. Rich remarked that no one person could eat all the bacon in the container and I ended up using about 1/3 and I like bacon on my potatoes. During the meal, Rich asked me why I was shaking. I kept it up for the next five hours. Thank you, Twilight Zone for the "thrill".

We really like The Animation Tour so we headed for that knowing it had changed since our last time. Wait time was 30 minutes so we reluctantly skipped for the time being. We did go into the Animation Store since we collect sericels. I saw a nice poster of Walt and Mickey at Magic Kingdom crossing a bridge but it was $20 unframed and we knew it would cost us an extra $100 to get it professionally framed. So I settled for a $4 magnet of the same thing.

We then exited to crowded conditions. Started up Mickey Avenue and dismissed Voyage of the Little Mermaid since the line extended out into the sun. Next up was The Making of Armegeddon. The next show was 10 minutes away so Rich said to go for it. Once in line, I remarked that I wasn’t going to get a lot out of it since I never saw the movie. Then I was informed Rich never saw it either! Rich and Chris go to movies all the time and I knew Chris saw it so I assumed Rich was with him. But we went through with it and I’m glad we did. The tour started out with producer, Jerry Bruckheimer, explaining how an asteroid really could hit our planet (note – you stand during this and you also can see live, working studios behind glass). We then moved on to how the music was incorporated into the movie (again, you stand and see live studios). Then we went into a sit down theatre (thank you) and saw how the beginning sequence was done (SPOILER – real footage combined with computer generated images – excellent) and how NASA and the Air Force were instrumental in the making of the film. I went in tired, a little hot, and a little frustrated, and come out very satisfied. Nice presentation and I hadn’t even seen the film.

Eeyore, Piglet, Tigger, and Pluto were out so I took some pictures. This is where I decided to bag the autographs. Tigger was setting up shop and a mom went ballistic. Her daughter was off seeing another character and the mom went screaming for the poor girl to get over to Tigger. Then, the mom had to get everyone into one picture and she just went into this total control mode. I don’t need that – today’s word is relaxation. I should have used the autograph book to get signatures from Joe, the bus driver, and Frank at Guest Relations. The people that mean the most. Don’t get me wrong – getting the characters is great but on this trip I’m focusing on relaxing and the small details. I decided if I want autographs, I’ll do character dining. I’ll wait until June.

Next stop was The Backstage Tour which also changed since we were here last. We waited three minutes until Nicholas Cage and John Malkovich told us how things were done in "Con Air" (another Jerry Bruckheimer film – sense a trend?). I always wondered how they did that Las Vegas crash scene (SPOILER – combination of miniatures, live crowd action and CGI). Then we moved on to the water sequences that we last saw in 1993 as part of another tour. This was OK and the couple they picked as "volunteers" were significant others who kissed at the end – kind of nice. Then onto the tram tour. New were the George of the Jungle treehouse and a few more vehicles. The other note – they were busily putting up the Osborne lights. It’s only October 15th! I know they have 4-1/2 million lights to put up but it’s not even Halloween. Rich and I both agreed that maybe it’s too much – just about every square inch of the backstage houses are covered. I’ve never seen the Osborne lights and I’m sure they’re spectacular in December but they are not particularly attractive in mid-October. Once we got into Catastrophe Canyon, we had another first timer experience. We were the only two in our row (I think the seater forgot to put more people in there). There was a family behind us and the little girl was so excited. She was sitting on the left side. The wet side. I looked at her during the whole canyon scene because I thought she was going to die from happiness. She shrieked, giggled, laughed, and smiled all at once. I’ve seen this presentation so much I usually ignore everyone around but I’m glad I’m noticing small things. Made my day.

Afterwards, we meandered back down Mickey Avenue and saw The Voyage of the Little Mermaid was only a ten minute wait. It actually was only five minutes and in we went. Behind us, we had a little girl (two or three years old) who did NOT want to be there. She cried and whined while her parents tried to talk her into it. No dice. The lights went out and I thought "put it aside, just try and enjoy". And then the girl just wailed. Mom finally took her out. Chris never had a problem with the Disney attractions and he’s been going since he was three so it’s hard for me to understand kids’ reactions. But if my kid starts whining before the show starts, I’m out of there.

Then back to The Animation Tour with a twenty minute wait. I remember when this was a walk on because no one cared. This also has been changed since last time. And I think for the better. We started with the classic Robin Williams/Walter Cronkite film. Robin as a Lost Boy is so cute. They did a very nice job of putting in the new stuff regarding the computer animation. Then, on to a real animator talking and drawing. Here I offer advice. I read trip reports about the Tour and thought the group would be small. However, it’s huge. Once you get into the room with the animator, you’re instructed to sit on the floor so everyone can see or stand to the side. That’s fair but they tell you that after you’re in. I promptly sat down because there were people behind me. Rich, on the other hand, just can’t sit on the floor. His body style (short, stocky) doesn’t like it. He finally settled in but I wish we knew this ahead of time – we could have headed for the sides and been more comfortable. It was a great presentation, though. And more Robin Williams. Then, onto a walk through the studios. There was more here than there was the last time. Advice – take your time. At the end, there’s nice presentation of current and past Disney animators on how they get their ideas but you can see from just about anywhere. After that, it’s into the theatre for magical animation moments. KID ADVICE: If you haven’t prepared your child for Bambi’s mother’s demise, ask to skip this. They go through the good, the bad, and they ugly. All sadness, all villains, and happy endings but if your child might freak out actually seeing the Bambi Mom death scene (they show the whole thing), opt out.

One very nice thing about Disney owning ABC. They have posters all over MGM of current ABC shows and they are high on "The Practice". I could look at Dylan McDermott all day. And I did. Billboards, posters, and right in front of me on The Backstage Tour. If you don’t know what to watch on Sunday nights, I do.

After the animation lesson, we hauled out since it was 2:55 and the Mulan parade starts at 3:00 and we actually had seen just about everything we wanted. I am not a show person so don’t flame me for not seeing Indiana Jones, Beauty and the Beast, or The Hunchback of Notre Dame. We skipped through shops and got out of MGM and headed for the boat to the Epcot resorts. Aargh, one just left. OK, we’ll wait. Relaxed a little and then boarded the Friendship to the Boardwalk. Our destination was decided on the way since I needed a beverage and my stomach was a little empty. So we decided to disembark at the Boardwalk and go over to the ESPN Club. Rich wanted to go there on Sunday and watch football (we’re both in a fantasy football league) so we thought we’d check it out. At ESPN, we were sat in a nearly empty place. Marcus was our server and he was great. We ordered two Bud drafts, one water (for me – I had a dehydration headache), and we split the Overtime Fries (chili cheese fries). Rich asked Marcus how the crowds were on Sunday and Marcus sat down at our table with the scoop. It’s a hour wait for a sit-down table and the bar area is a "cannot move" zone. So we decided if we wanted to see football, it’s going to be in our room. Snacks were fantastic. Total was $16.65 (Rich had an extra beer since I was still finishing mine). We left $20 including tip. Walked over to the International Gateway and Epcot.

First stop was Canada for the film. We waited all of three minutes. Thought I’d remember all of it but I was pleasantly surprised. Through England for beers ($11 for both). Walked through the countries and stopped between America and Italy to finish the beers. As we were sitting there, I saw a totally new view across the lagoon of Norway. I remarked to Rich that I never saw a view like that he said, "we never stopped between America and Italy before". Just one more reason to come back again and again with new sights (like noticing the maple leaves on the fences in Canada). We then went through the remaining countries stopping at Norway for another beer ($11). The server here was very friendly. We took the beer into the entrance from World Showcase to Future World but I just couldn’t bring myself to walk through Future World with a beer. So I suggested we grab a bench and wait for the next fountain show. We no sooner sat down then off it went! Rich was disappointed in the music last time but liked this version. Then a quick trip into Centorium where were saw cels we couldn’t afford. Next stop – buses.

When we got to the bus stop, things were pretty loose. People just milling around. Then – a tour group! I noticed and Rich and I moved into the line and cut them off. Notes about the tour groups. This one was mostly men, non-Brazilian but we couldn’t figure out from where. Very loud in the bus waiting area but quiet on the bus. We did notice other groups in the parks but it seemed like they were groups of four or five and wearing T-shirts with sleeves. Not obnoxious at all – just plentiful.

Back to the hotel with no problem. Made a quick stop in the store for a six pack of beer ($6) and a large carton of orange juice (64 oz.) for $3.40. Much better than $1.50/carton from the food cart. Back to the room for "Friends", football, "Fraiser", football, "ER", football. A call to Chris to find out weather at home rainy (here it’s about 90 and very sunny). Things OK. The first check went bye-bye as Dennis didn’t show. Chris did go out a couple of times so we’ll see when we get back.

Another note: We haven’t seen a lot of wheelchair abuse. A suspicious one at Twilight Zone (which doesn’t save you anything since the entire queue is wheelchair friendly) but nothing else. Rich is noticing the wheelchairs but only after I pointed them out. He agrees everyone seems like they are legit.

Called for Mickey to wake us up at 7:30. We switched times because of the rope drop mentality. We live in Nebraska – we know how cows feel. Rich is in bed and snoring by 11:30 (he’s still nursing the cold). He had a good game from Barry Sanders who is on his fantasy team. I’m gone by midnight (don’t ask about my fantasy team – someone has to be at the bottom).

NOTE: We thought about early entry for Magic Kingdom on Saturday. Bagged it. See what all that pre-planning does? You need to be flexible and go with your feelings at the time.

Day Three – Friday, October 16, 1998

Phone rang at 7:30 but no Mickey, just music. I was tempted to roll over and go back to sleep but today is Magic Kingdom. Did the morning routine including the mimosas. I watched the internal Disney channel and was glad to see they changed the show from yesterday. Left a $2 tip for the maid along with a note asking for extra soap for Dotti Saroufim and her hospital kids. Walked right onto a bus and off to the Kingdom.

Walked with throng up Main Street. The Seven Dwarves were marching along and people were rushing to see them. It’s hard to slow down and enjoy. So we ducked into the jewelry store. I was looking for Mickey/Minnie wedding bands. They had some nice ones but the man’s was $450 and the woman’s was $400. I guess our original ones will have to do. My entire wedding didn’t even cost $400.

Went left at the Hub and over to a quiet Adventureland. Jungle Cruise was closed, maybe that’s why it was quiet. The Enchanted Tiki Birds Under New Management was next. A show had just started so we relaxed. We were positioned perfectly to see the preshow. At least we were until a family of six with a very hyper Type A Grandma came in. She positioned the two kids in front of us with Dad on the right, Mom on the left, and herself next to Mom. Poor Grandpa was left to fend for himself. From his demeanor, I think he’s used to it. Relax, people, relax – Disney isn’t going anywhere. The new show is fantastic. It makes fun of itself. I think the Tiki God is fantastic. Rich thought the voice was Tina Turner. I didn’t think so but maybe? The only bad thing was the voice of one of the birds in the preshow is that of Phil Hartman. Another talent taken too soon.

Then on to Pirates of the Caribbean and right into the boat. No wait at all. We noticed the changes and thought they improved the ride. And I don’t care if the wife selling scene isn’t PC – I like it. Did the pressed penny at the end as my souvenir.

On to the Laughing Place. Splash Mountain has to have the most congested entrance area. Not only do spectators stand there and watch the logs coming down, families always stop right at the entrance and decide if little Jimmy is going to be brave enough to go on it. Make that decision to the side, please. We had about a twenty minute wait but that was OK. We went into left queue so we go to see Brer Frog and all the sayings on the wall. Also, they show the pictures of the people currently on the ride right before they go down. It changes with each group. Pretty cool. Into our log. Two ladies behind us were first timers and I really enjoyed their reactions to everything. They loved the fall and immediately said "let’s go on it again!" Two guys in the next log were clapping along with the music after the fall. When we were stopped at the waterfall for our dousing, a macho guy was on the right, wet side. He started yelling at his seatmate "move over, move over!" Pretty funny. Did another pressed penny on the way out.

Next up was Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. The sign said ten minute wait but people were pouring into the line. We joined and while we were in the "depot", they opened more queues. For a while there were looked like square dancers doing some sort of Disney dance. After that, we grabbed a couple of pretzels in Frontierland – cost $4.

Then on to 999 happy haunts at The Haunted Mansion. The wait was maybe five minutes. We noticed all the new stuff plus stuff that was there before but we just saw now. I think I could go on that ride 100 times and still see something new.

I always have to stop in and browse The Yankee Trader. This time I bought Mickey cookies and Minnie cookies for work ($9.95 each), a really nicely shaped chocolate filled tin with all the characters on it ($8.95), and Rich got some hard candies for himself and his office mate ($1.50/each). Charged it to the room and had it sent to the room as well. I just love that perk of staying onsite.

We just walked through Fantasyland. The lines were long and we just missed The Legend of the Lion King and we didn’t want to wait for the next show. Well, I can’t say It’s a Small World had a long line – Rich refused to go near the place.

Our destination was the new Buzz Lightyear ride but – Disney glitch – it was closed down. OK, on to Alien Encounter. And I mean directly into Alien Encounter. This was my third time on this so I actually relaxed this time and really enjoyed the effects. Others were not so lucky. A girl of about 8 years old was sobbing on the way out. She yelled, "that wasn’t funny, I’m never going on that again, I want to go on a fun ride!" She had a brother who looked like he was not very much older and he was fine. Rich sat next to a four year old and she was fine. It’s just every kid is different.

Off to Space Mountain. The sign said 40 minutes and we debated. It was about 12:15 and we have basically been on everything else we wanted to go on at Magic Kingdom. Rich said "what else are we going to do?" The line continually moved so the time went by quickly. Did you ever notice the destination board when you enter the queue? We saw the following destination – BETULGEUCE (a homage to Michael Keaton?) – SIRIUS – REAL SIRIUS – and GAMMA GAMMPA. We wanted to go on the right side (Chris is a die hard left side fan so we always do that side) but no one was going to the left. Off we go. I swear this ride is rougher and faster than before. I was really whipped around. Also, it is lighter. I hate heights and the knowledge that there’s nothing around me (don’t ever try and get me onto a ferris wheel again). Therefore, I hate roller coasters but I’ve never had a problem on Space Mountain since I never could see the track. Now I can. I was a little shaky after the ride.

We decided to leave since we were basically done. But when we went back by The Timekeeper, it was only three minutes to show time. In we went. Here’s a hint to people – if there’s a large waiting area, use every inch of space. On Haunted Mansion, Alien Encounter, and The Timekeeper, we moved from the back to the middle and even to the front by using the empty right or left side of the general crowd. There are no bad seats on any Disney attraction so move up. Went to 1900 Paris and got a dose of Jeremy Irons (love him) and then headed for the exit. Stopped in the Emporium on the way out. Is this place ever uncrowded? Pressed another penny. We then saw the new Animation Store and stopped in. Saw some nice, but expensive stuff and wished we could hit Powerball.

On the way to the buses, we stopped to see our brick. We were one of the first to get a brick on the Walk Around the World back in 1994. I didn’t even hesitate when we received the literature – within two days, we paid our $90 and we had a brick. The position is directly in front of the right entrance booths behind the tree. You can stand on our brick and see the Magic Kingdom entrance plaza. OK, so it’s a $90 rush most people can live without but it works for me.

The bus pulled up in less than five minutes. I barely had time to sit on the concrete and open my notebook and the bus was there. Back to All Star and we decided to check out the pressed pennies. They don’t have anything specific to All Star so I passed. Came back to the room and found seven extra soap packets. Thank you, maid! Extra $2 tomorrow.

Lounged in the room for about an hour. Rich checked out his Beanie Baby magazine for all the Disney beanies and made a list of his "must dos". I called Gulliver’s and changed our priority seating from 8:00 to 6:30. We wanted 7:00 but they only had 6:30 – better yet. Headed out 192 to Goodings for more beverages and a newspaper. While I was getting the newspaper I made the biggest mistake of the trip. I picked up a discount coupon book. Said coupon book listed a Beanie Baby store. We’ve got over three hours to our dinnertime so we had to go. Very vague directions on the coupon – 2 blocks south of International Drive, corner of Carrier and Kirkman next to Hampton Inn and the Mobil station. Alright, I can find International Drive (I’m the navigator, Rich is the driver – trust me, this is the only way it works in our family). We find the Drive and drive it just about the whole length. WOW! Why would anyone intentionally stay here? Very congested at 3:30 PM. I was getting aggravated so I decided we’d go as far as Belz Outlets and then haul butt back. Drat! There’s Carrier Drive. Turn right! We’re in the left lane. Hold up traffic to turn right. Make a U turn or two then we’re there. Rich goes in and I elect to read the newspaper in the car. I didn’t get far as Rich was back within five minutes. Expensive Beanie Babies. OK, let’s find I4 West and go back home. Huge jam on International Drive. I admit I got very testy (Rich used another word that rhymes with "witchy") and I wasn’t even driving. Finally got back to All Star about 5:00 PM.

Relaxed for an hour (I worked on the report) and then headed out for Gulliver’s. We had never been to the Swan so we left at 6:00. Here’s an important note for all the Dolphin hotel haters. According to Rich, the animal lover, that really is a dolphin on top of the hotel. If you’re thinking of a dolphin along the lines of Flipper, think again. Flipper is a bottle nosed dolphin with is actually a porpoise. A true dolphin does look like what is on top of the hotel. Education mode off.

We couldn’t find Gulliver’s once we found the Swan. A sign said "restaurants" which we followed but then it was Palio’s to the right and another one to the left. No Gulliver’s. Rich asked and we followed the directions but didn’t really see it was Gulliver’s until we were right on top of the podium.

Very nice atmosphere. Great service. If you don’t have kids and you’re seated towards the middle of the circular restaurant, don’t expect the characters to come to you. We had Rafiki, Timon, Rafiki again, and Timon again while we were there and had no interaction. It is hard for the characters to get in between the tables so they set up any tables with kids on the outside. We were seated next to the central fountain. I did not book the dinner because of the characters and remember, I’m off the autograph mode, so it didn’t bother me. But I’m giving a warning to anyone who is expecting a lot more. We ordered the 8 oz filet ($18.95) for me, the prime rib ($19.95) for Rich, French onion soup ($4.95) for Rich, and a $24 bottle of White Zinfindel. The wine was an indulgence but it was the cheapest bottle. We used Rita Aeros’ coupon and ended up paying $20.97 for the "meal" (read – wine) and a $12 tip. I also loved the tradition of the wine in the thimble cup. Good, but not great, meal and I’ll only repeat with the coupon.

I wanted Rich to write a thank you to our waiter on the charge receipt. His name was Michael but it wasn’t spelled the normal way. I told Rich to put "Michael’s" name on the note but to spell it correctly. Rich asked how to spell it. I said I didn’t know but just to get it right. Rich made me put this in here to prove I’m not perfect.

On the way out, we decided to stop at the Swan gift shop to see if they had the thimble mugs from Gulliver’s. They didn’t but they did have Disney beanie babies. Rich found a lot on his new list of "must do"s. I have to admit, I added to the obsession by saying "You have Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy so you have to get Pluto. You have to have the Fab Five." So Disney is over $74 richer by us.

We debated playing Fantasia mini golf but Rich prefers daytime golf so we went back to the room. I wrote up the trip report and Rich watched "Buddy Fero" and "Nash Bridges". Called Chris and while everything was OK, we got some disturbing news. A kid at Chris’ school took a shotgun to school. He left it in his car and said he going to go hunting after school. But his mom called the school because she thought he planned something else. So the school locked down – you could leave but no one could enter. The check in for tonight was still a couple hours away (we knew that but Chris didn’t) so don’t know how that’s working.

Day Four – Saturday, October 17, 1998

Sleep in day today. Rich was up by 8:30. I wasn’t ready so he went in search of a newspaper to read by the pool. That’s his normal routine on vacation when I sleep in. After he left, I kind of just dozed. I did hear water noise from the other rooms (showers and flushing) and there was one kid running up and down the hall outside. Parents – hotels are not playgrounds so keep your kids under control so they don’t bother anyone else. Up by 9:30. Rich came in and said it was raining. OK, now I know we’re in Florida. Waited in the room and watched ESPN. Flyers won last night – unbeaten so far in this young hockey season.

One warning on the All Star rooms – the door stop is on the floor in front of the window. I mention this because Rich tripped over it on his way to look out the window. It’s in prime position for stubbed toes.

Off to sunshine and Epcot at 11:15. The bus was ready to take off but the driver noticed we were coming (we did not run) and opened the doors for us. Into Epcot and past Spaceship Earth which had a line – I know you can do this without a line. Over to Honey, I Shrunk the Audience and it was a walk on! We were the last people admitted into the waiting area but we managed to get around most of the crowd by using the empty space to the right. We ended up with middle seats and made sure our feet were on the floor. I loved the preshow – Rich thought it was boring. I’m the photographer in our family so maybe that’s the explanation.

Next up was The Land and The Circle of Life with seats three rows from the top which were great. This film always brings tears to my eyes. I’m a big environmentalist but I left this film thinking I’m not doing enough. I recycle everything including my calculator tape (as an accountant I probably save a tree a year) but now I want to do more. On to Listen to the Land with a ten minute wait. Good narration and now I want to do even more for the planet. Maybe I should avoid this place in the future or I’ll become a tyrant.

The it was Ellen’s Energy Adventure. Not a good choice after the last two attractions. Hey Exxon – wasn’t that duck I saw in The Circle of Life a victim of the Valdez disaster? OK, calm down, listen to the message. We need energy to live and we need to figure out the best possible combination to make it work. OK, rant off. This is the most improved attraction. We love Jeopardy and Jaime Lee Curtis so it was a thumbs up in our book. NOTE: after the doors opened after the preshow, we could board wherever we wanted. We did the last row of the first left car. Perfect for everything. Everyone else did the middle car and were crowded – we were the only ones in our row.

By now it was after 2:00 and our stomachs took notice. Over to Electric Umbrella for a bacon double cheeseburger and fries ($6.29), cheeseburger and fries ($5.59) and 2 beers ($8). My only complaint is that you can’t get anything ala carte. I can do without fries but I couldn’t just get the burger. I didn’t ask so maybe you can but I didn’t try. Loved the fixing bar since I love the pickles and I can munch to my heart’s content.

After lunch, it was time for a Jeremy Irons fix so on to Spaceship Earth. And it was a direct on to Spaceship Earth. Remember the line from this morning? We really, really like Jeremy Irons so we enjoyed the attraction a lot.

After Spaceship Earth, we walked by and then into Centorium in search of beanies. $83.74 later we had five new beanies, a Piglet plastic figure, a Piglet plush figure, and a Mickey & Minnie wedding vase. The beanies, of course, were for Rich. I had decided Piglet was my favorite character so I was going to collect anything with just Piglet. The vase was because I like it and Rich has been getting me a bouquet of flowers just about every week for the last two months. Arranged to have the whole lot sent to the room after we charged it to the room.

Then off to Horizons for maybe the last time (Test Track promises "A New Thrill for a New Year" – what year 2000?). Rich noticed the citrus smell and I didn’t even tell him about it. We chose the sea ending since Chris always picks the space scene. The attraction stopped twice for a short time (not enough to go through one cycle of the narration). The sound was terrible as I couldn’t hear too much on the speakers inside the vehicle. The other stuff was fine but the in-car narration was bad.

On to Wonders of Life and our favorite attraction. Oops, Cranium Command just started, see you in 18 minutes. Over to the shop to see if they had athletic beanies. No. Back over to Cranium Command but no line at Body Wars. Total walk on.

Now, I always have a problem with Body Wars. I can and did do Star Tours and love it. This one, though, has always made me feel sick. I finally beat it. Once we boarded, I realized my feet didn’t reach the floor (Rich compared me to the Ewok on the Star Tours preshow). I’m only 5’1" so I wasn’t surprised but then I thought maybe that was the source of my sickness. So I propped my feet onto the bottom of the seat in front of me (no, I didn’t bother anyone in the seat) and off we went. Great show and no sickness. If you get sick on motion simulators, try it.

Back to Cranium Command where we were in the preshow within three minutes (enough time for me to quickly write up some notes and for a little girl to notice Eeyore on Rich’s shirt – loudly). Great show that played to ½ crowd. We were towards the top and in the middle – again, great seats. We first discovered this gem in 1993 and probably have seen it six times since. Wonderful presentation.

We were basically done with Future World (The Living Seas was being cleaned – it was open and I could watch the fish for hours but I wanted clear water). So onto China to check for - - beanies! (Beanies are manufactured in China). No luck but stopped in Germany for beer ($11). We sat on a bench next to the Kidspot and people watched. We did appreciate the Kidspots, though. Chris bought an Epcot passport in 1993 and we had a hard time finding the signing places in each country. The Kidspots are in the open (but shaded) and the hosts are very kid friendly. Nice touch.

Stopped in the gift shop at America and pressed another penny. It was here I discovered the $3 worth of quarters I had just for this were gone. Rich remembered he heard coins rolling around in Body Wars. Great. Oh well, I have more.

After China, the destination was Great Britain but we took the long way. Great Britain for beanies again – Winnie the Pooh beanies. Nothing there so we started to head for home. Quick stop in Canada for Molsons ($10). Sat again and people watched. Also we were encased in clouds of small bugs. They would swarm our heads, leave, and then a new swarm would come. No one was safe. We also watched the mallards go flying across the lagoon, double back, loop around the Illuminations ball, and then land on the beach in Canada (yes, there’s a beach in Canada). Rich thought the Top Gun pilots should take lessons.

We spotted the Port of Entry. After $28.62 we were the proud owners of two more beanies, a Piglet beanie for me (I can actually enjoy it), and a Piglet "puppet" (it’s actually a kid’s bath mitt but it’s a puppet for me). Wow – this is the most we’ve spent at Disney on souvenirs.

On the way out, the Fountain show went off and we stopped to watch. Different from before – do not miss this! Wonderful!

Out to the buses and right on to an empty bus. On the ride back, it was just us. Very weird. Back to the room where we found our package from yesterday waiting. Also waiting were more soaps and a bottle of shampoo! Another $2 tomorrow.

Called Chris and check up #2 failed. A friend of Chris’ who works at a sub shop called last night and said their checkouts failed and could Chris come and look at it? Mind you, Chris has his own website and computers and him are like brothers. Long story short, Chris fixed the problem and was rewarded with a free sub. But he was gone from the house during the time our friend, Tim, was supposed to stop by (remember, Chris doesn’t know the times). Check #3 worked today, though. Everything fine – cats are still breathing.

Called the pizza delivery for a 16" pepperoni for $16.22 which included $2 delivery charge and 15% tip. Service great but the pizza does not live up to Dixie. I barely made a slice. Rich did OK but agreed we could have done better. Rich’s pizza was enlivened with crushed red pepper in packets we brought from home. We have a food travel bag was always take with us. I took a large Ziploc bag and filled it with plastic utensils (3 each); packets of ketchup, mustard, parmesan cheese, red pepper, salt, and pepper; corkscrew; bottle opener; small Ziplocs; and folded large Ziplocs. The bag isn’t very thick so it can easily slide into a side pocket and not take up too much luggage space. Relaxed and watched horrible CBS Saturday night TV.

Day Five – Sunday, October 18, 1998

Another day without the alarm. Rich was up at 8:30 and I followed. Had our last mimosa (ran out of champagne) and headed for the bus to Animal Kingdom by 9:50. Another bus line. The weather today was hot and sunny – hotter than any other day. We stood. Then we stood some more. The bus stops are not shaded and there are no benches. We waited the full 20 minutes for an Animal Kingdom bus. I think I could have walked to Animal Kingdom in that time – aren’t we an Animal Kingdom hotel?

Into Animal Kingdom for our first look around. We didn’t get over there until almost 10:30 and our lunch reservation at Rainforest was for 11:00. We stopped at Guest Relations for a map and a pressed penny. Not much time so we headed for The Tree of Life just to look. On the way, we stopped to see some of the birds and animals. This was hard to do since people were just pouring into the place. I really think people miss a lot since they’re in such a hurry when they get there and then they’re too tired on the way out. We saw the Tree and then headed back to the Rainforest Café. I felt like a salmon swimming upstream. Thank goodness Rainforest has a quiet entrance from inside the park. You have to get your hand stamped because Rainforest is not part of Animal Kingdom and is not Disney.

The check in process at Rainforest is a zoo (figuratively, not literally). I had to stand in line at the podium behind people without priority seating. "Oh gee, dear, it’s a 40 minutes wait, do you want to wait? Oh darling, I don’t know, what do you want to do? Gee, dear, it’s up to you. Can we sit at the bar?" Hey, make a decision! Finally had the safari slip in my hand and then we stood in line for the Gorilla room. Man, they seat you slowly here. There were plenty of extra tables but the hosts just took a long time getting to us. We entered Rainforest at 10:45 and we were seated by 11:00 but all that time was spent in line. I can’t imagine this place during customary lunch or, even worse, dinner hours.

We ordered a couple of beers and perused the extensive menu. I had just about the entire thing memorized since I printed it out from Deb Wills site so I was pretty much decided on the Paradise Flatbread. Rich ordered the ½ lb burger with bacon and substituted the fries for the chips. We enjoyed the animation and the thunderstorms but after days of Disney, it underwhelmed me. Our food came but Rich’s burger had no bacon and he had no fries. Back it goes. It came back within a few minutes so no big deal. Ordered another round of beer and looked at what other people were eating. Total cost including tip was $42.49. Half of my flatbread went into a plastic container. I wish they had an environmentally friendly way to keep leftovers. Oh well, at least it wasn't styrofoam. Our opinion of Rainforest is the same as Planet Hollywood – been there, done that, don’t have to do again.

Back into Animal Kingdom where things were less congested than 1-1/2 hour before. Found It’s Tough to be a Bug with a 20 minute wait. I honestly think the reason for this wait is because everyone is so busy looking at the Tree and taking pictures. I know my neck was craned up the whole time and I took ½ roll of film. We had our first unpleasant line experience. The line here is fairly wide – you could probably fit 2-1/2 people across it. Rich and I were side by side and this guy behind us just slowly kept creeping up on my left. I loudly said to Rich that I should just let him by because he was so insistent. He didn’t get the hint and he ended up going in front of us. Then, he practically knocked down the couple in front of us! I then said very loudly that the couple should let him by because he probably had somewhere important to go. That one I know he heard. His significant other went around the right side and they finally just accepted their place in line. The woman in front of us thanked me for saying something. I mean, there’s like 500 people per show and unless you can skip ahead 500 places, you aren’t accomplishing anything. And it’s not like the Tree is going to pick up its roots and head for Universal!

We entered the theatre and headed towards the back. The 3D shows, to me, are better from a back seat. We were all the way to the left and then noticed no one in the row behind us so we moved back and over to the middle for great seats. I knew all the tricks of It’s Tough to be a Bug but I thoroughly enjoyed. Rich really liked the ant (Flik) and does anyone know if the voice is Dave Foley of "News Radio"? Sounded like him. Since this is a new attraction, there’s a lot of audience talking throughout the film.

Onto Countdown to Extinction with another 20 minute wait. The line queues here are way too wide. I think they should extend the left/right separators out to the door. I thought this was a motion simulator and was pleasantly surprised to see it was an actual ride. I thought the storyline was fine to follow and we enjoyed the ride. There were some kids crying at the end. I didn’t think the effects were that scary but I’m 36 years old. Rich was surprised on how shaky the whole thing was. One bad note – how many times do we have to be reminded that this attraction is sponsored by a "generous" grant from McDonald’s? Why don’t they just let us know how many millions McDonald’s gave to Disney to get their logo on the ride?

It was close to 2:00 PM and the sun was very hot. The safari ride was a 45 minutes wait and we figured the animals would be smarter than us and head for their homes for a nap. It’s Sunday and football is on in the comfort of our air conditioned room. So we figured the safari can wait until June and we wanted to watch how our fantasy teams were doing so we headed for home.

A few Animal Kingdom notes: I didn’t have any problems finding anything. I used the map and we didn’t get lost or have to ask for directions. My sense of direction is great (daughter of a truck driver) so that was to my advantage. Also, I walkways here are narrower than the other parks which tends to congest things. I didn’t notice this, Rich did. I think once the novelty of the new park wears off, this could be a great place. Right now people are just in too much of a hurry to do, see, and leave.

We stopped on the way out to get a Safari Piglet ($12) and to press another penny. Out to a waiting bus and back to All Star. Stopped at Maestro Mickey’s for 2 six packs of beer ($12). We had debated taking the car and going offsite for the beer but it would have saved us $3 and we decided it wasn’t worth the effort.

Back to the room for a nice rest. I left another $2 maid tip and got more soaps. I’ll have a nice package to send to Dotti and the kids. We watched football all afternoon and into the evening. Yes, I know I’m at Disney World but this is a vacation and it was a well needed and well appreciated break. We both kicked butt in fantasy football (Steve Young is having an awesome year for Rich. I took a good, hard hour long nap around 6:30. Rich gets into this more than me so he flipped on ESPN and got us caught up on the scoring. Once Piglet and I woke up and Chris Berman went through the afternoon games, we headed for Maestro Mickey’s again. Wow! Where did all the beer go? Another six-pack ($6), a box of Cheese Nips ($1.50) and a porcelain Piglet ($5) and we’re going back. Called Chris for an update. No check in today and none scheduled. Things fine and the cats are still acting confused because we’re not there.

On the way back from the store, we talked about the kids we’ve seen. Chris is a 16 year old and will be the only child we are blessed with. He was raised to respect himself and others, especially his elders. He also says "please" and "thank you" and is as polite as we were in our youth. So it’s hard for us to see trash mouthed, chain wearing, tattooed, attitude bearing, young people of today. But we think there’s a new day coming. The kids we encountered were very polite and pleasant. I’m talking for the most part, the under 12 set. We don’t think any kid has been less than well spoken and respectful to others. There’s hope out there. I don’t know if it’s just Disney but I haven’t been annoyed by any child yet.

Once in the room, we found the Yankees winning 6-0 over the Padres. As Oriole fans, yeck! I checked the other channels while Rich went to get ice. I found the Disney Channel with the Alice Adventures. Rich lasted about 2 minutes and then begged me to find something else. OK – watch the Yankees blow out the Padres. I’m just waiting for 10:00 and "The Practice". I bought a bottle of wine when we went to Goodings and it’s on ice for the show. This is simply the best thing on TV – better than ER. If you haven’t seen it, take a Sunday night and watch. It didn’t win the Emmy for Best Dramatic Show for nothing. The baseball didn’t last very long. It looks like the Yankees will go on top 2-0 in the series. Darn. We went back to the Disney Channel and found "Donald in Mathmagicaland". Great classic. I think they took the "classic rectangle" a bit too far but we enjoyed. Onto Dylan McDermott (OK, and the rest of the cast) and then we called it a night.

Day Six – Monday, October 19, 1998

Slept until 8:30. Well, we were woken up at 7:00 by a guy standing right outside our door yelling to his wife to remember the safe key (there’s a small wall safe in each room). Also, our new neighbors were very noisy in the bathroom with someone taking a bath and running the water for a long time (this is environmentally bad – taking a shower uses less water – rant mode off). Rich is up first and then he’s off to Maestro Mickey’s for a newspaper (football scores, you know) and to recheck us in. Remember way back in the beginning, I extended our stay by one night. Well, Disney is treating that as a separate reservation. So we have to check out and then check back in. This means new keys, and a new car pass. It also means the cleaning crew thinks we’re checking out today. I’ll leave a note for our wonderful maid and tell her we’re staying so she doesn’t have to do a check out process twice.

Then, the biggest bus glitch. The bus stop to our destination, MGM, was mobbed. And I mean mobbed! There were an awful lot of young women there so maybe it was a tour group but I think 10 buses could have shown up and still it wouldn’t have been enough. OK, creative thinking time. A Magic Kingdom bus came and we were able to get on. During the ride, I came up with the idea of going to Wilderness Lodge for a look around and then taking their bus to MGM. We arrived at a packed Magic Kingdom with a Wilderness Lodge boat waiting. Over to the Lodge for our first time ever.

We really liked the pool area and Rich loved the bubbling hot tubs. We have an outdoor hot tub at home and we’re in it just about every night so we really notice the quality of hotel tubs. We watched the geyser go off from the Outlook and the headed for the lobby. Maybe because I’ve seen the real thing at Yellowstone, I didn’t get the overwhelming feeling some other people have had. We found the buses and an MGM one had just pulled out. Oh well, we’ll sit in the shade and wait for the next one. We just sat down and up comes another one. Off to MGM via the Grand Floridian. That hotel is too white! On the way, we saw the PGA golfers practicing for the tournament this weekend. Couldn’t make anyone out but we could see all the preparations going on.

Our purpose at MGM was to see more beanies. Rich wanted any dalmatian, Flubber, or Marie from the Aristocats. We figured a movie studio was our best bet. Once we got to MGM, Rich expressed an interest to get Terrorized again. I really didn’t want to shake for the next five hours so we passed (me thankfully, Rich reluctantly). We went through just about every shop but didn’t find anything.

We did take The Backstage Pass tour. We had Barbara from New York, New York for a guide. During the first stop to see the 101 Dalmatian animatronics, we had a guy who’s presentation was just a little too scripted. Then, on to the blue background. OK but nothing great. Onto Soundstage 1 where they are currently filming "Mortal Kombat Conquest". This is not a Disney production and Barbara explained that New Line Productions is being very cooperative with letting Disney guests watch the action. This is something I’ve never seen before – an actual production. Soundstage 2 was empty but Barbara said it had been used last week for a Sony CD commercial coming out at Christmas. So if you see an ad where a guy is frantically trying to find a last minute present and he literally runs into a music store, well, it was filmed at MGM. Soundstage 3 had another set from "Mortal Kombat". Next was the 101 Dalmatians props. I like that we could take our time and look around as much as we wanted. Although the tour was total walking and standing, it was enjoyable.

We ended up at the Soundstage Catering Co. for a soft pretzel and beer combo for $6.95 each. Here’s a hint if you are ever here for a meal. Take your food outside the main serving area towards the Backstage Tour. There’s a heavily shaded seating area. We were there at 12:30 and it was virtually deserted. It’s very quiet – unlike the main area. Also, the pretzels were huge! About twice the size of the ones we had at Magic Kingdom. I finished about ½ of mine and Rich managed to finish his but with a struggle. Nice, cheap way to fill the stomach. We sat and people watched and decided what to do next.

We basically had seen and done everything we wanted to. We had discussed our priorities before we left so we both knew each other’s expectations. Now it was time for some non-park activity. We decided to test our golfing skills at Fantasia. We figured the easiest way there was to take the bus back to All Star and then drive.

Out of MGM and right into a bus. Except for the transportation FROM All Star, the buses were great. Back to the hotel and then drive to Fantasia. It’s really sunny today so the golf course was pretty hot. We took advantage of all the water provided. I have to give Disney high marks on the cooling stations and fountains all over the World. Rich won after we were both impressed with the toughness of the hills on the course.

After golf, we headed over to the Marketplace. Yes, I know we could have saved 10% on all those beanies if we bought them at the Marketplace with our Magic Kingdom Club card. However, until we were playing golf, we didn’t know we were going to the Marketplace. We operated on the "if you see it, buy it, because you might not see it again" mentality. No problems parking (front row, in fact). We loved the Lego figures and then onto The World of Disney. The store was not crowded at all (3:30 PM on a Monday). We didn’t see anything different but Rich picked up the Bambi character beanies (gee, do you think he has them all yet?) and I got new sunglasses (mine from 1993 are terribly scratched) and a Piglet keychain. $45.32 after discount. We then went into the Christmas shop and the art store. Saw nothing we couldn’t live without. We figured we were done with Disney so we headed back to the room to pack.

We had more soaps in the room! A total of 23 to send on. Fortunately, I packed an extra carry on bag in our luggage. The beanies went into the main compartment (they just fit) and the soaps went into the pockets. Rich is going to have a hard time carrying that through the airports. I packed the wedding vase in the luggage. It is encased in styrofoam (yes, I do save that to reuse) so it should be fine (it was). The cookies are in my carry on. Unfortunately, all the Piglets are being packed. Poor guys have to ride with dirty laundry but, like Rich says, Piglet is a pig.

Went to the food court for the first time. Got kind of an eclectic dinner – meat lasagna with a breadstick for Rich, a side order of meatballs for me to which I added a cup of grapes and a glass of wine. Total was $11.97. Well, that was the total the second time around. The first time, I was charged $18.66 for the glass of wine. It turns out she charged me for a bottle of wine. Rich was all set to pay until I said something (is he getting used to Disney prices?). The problem was immediately corrected and we all had a good laugh.

Dinner hit the spot and then back to Maestro Mickey’s for beer and wine. Wow, next time, I’ll pack a case of beer! I just didn’t anticipate this much down time. The beer, again, $6.00 for a six pack and the bottle of wine was $6.75. Yes, you can get cheaper outside but I really didn’t want to get in the car and drive out 192 to save $2. Don’t get me wrong, offsite has a ton of monetary values but it didn’t make sense to us tonight.

Back to the room for a final call into Chris (we tried earlier and he was on the internet). Visit #4 worked. It was the same guy who was supposed to stop in on Thursday but he "totally forgot". I wonder who’s more responsible – our same age friends or our 16 year old? Checked in with work to find a semi-serious voice mail. I prepare financial statements for Warren Buffett and it’s quarter-end so we have a mega-deadline. Guess what day I get back – yep, deadline day. Oh well, I’m still in relax mode. Watching football, "Ally McBeal", and then football. 3:45 AM will come awfully early.

Day Seven – Tuesday, October 20, 1998

Oh boy, it’s tough to get up at 3:45 AM. The phone range and it was music. But then it turned into Mickey. That had me up and going. If you get music for your wake up call, hold on and wait. Maybe Mickey will surprise you. Quickly through the morning routine and out to the car by 4:30 AM. No problem to the airport and we had plenty of change for the tolls. Dollar check in was a little slow but the problem came with how to get to Delta. We’re supposed to go where? Fortunately, Rich found our correct place and we walked and walked to Delta. I really don’t think the location of Delta and Dollar make for a good combination in Orlando. Delta check in was also slow and I was concerned about being able to take a bathroom break before we took off. We finally made it to the gate with a very much needed bathroom stop. We are on Delta Connection which means we have the extreme pleasure of getting onto the tarmac to board our plane. It’s not a prop plane but it’s not a full-size plane, either. I honestly cannot tell you anything about the flight from Orlando to Cincinnati. There were extra seats so Rich moved across the aisle and I took out the contacts and laid down across our row (remember, I’m only 5’1" so I fit comfortably) and heavily slept the entire way.

Arrival and departure from Cincinnati uneventful except for all the suits. I think every Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati businessperson was at the airport. I wanted to use a phone for a quick call into the office and I had to wait. And everyone was in a hurry. Welcome back to the real world. No thank you, my new motto is "relaxation". Rich and I just kind of chuckled in between flights. Off to Omaha on time.

Good marks to Delta for all four flights on time (we were late into Orlando but that was due to having to wait to take off).

Final thoughts and Overall Impressions

We love All Star. I’ve decided to change our reservation in June from 9 nights at Dixie to 5 nights at All Star and 4 nights at Dixie. I love Dixie but if I can save $50/night and still get a great hotel, I will.

I’m glad I knew as much about Disney as I did. Knowing where to sit in some of the attractions really helped. I tried to include any good seats we had so other people can enjoy. The Disney knowledge made me appreciate the details. The trip reports I read beforehand were invaluable. From the first day, we slowed our pace. I threw out the commando mode and we had a great time (and not one argument). We did have the luxury of knowing we’ll be back in June and next September so we didn’t have to do it all. My biggest surprise – my reaction to Splash Mountain. I’ll probably continue to do this attraction but without all the former anticipation.

With our Annual Passports, we received holders. My card never did fit into the holder but I was prepared. Rich collects sports cards (ever wonder what our house looks like with all these collections?) and so I brought along 2 plastic hardsided card holders. They worked great. I would recommend something like that to anyone who is using a paper ticket. The cost of the holders is less than 25¢ each. It’s great security again tears or rips.

The prepaid phone card worked wonderfully. Our card was 120 minutes for $17.99 from Sam’s Club. It’s good for up to 15 months so we can use it when we go on other trips. I wanted the phone card in case we had to call Chris from somewhere other than our room. That didn’t happen but it was good to know I could.

The onsite McDonald’s – we passed this at least twice a day. My opinion (and Rich concurs) is that it’s big, brassy, and gaudy and it fits in with everything else. I don’t think it’s tacky. If we were staying at Dixie, I doubt I would even know it’s here. Would I eat there? Probably not since there are so many other food options. Of course, I don’t have small children that can be insistent on what they eat.

I did pressed pennies this trip. To be honest, I never knew they existed before. I only got the ones that meant something to me. I will attempt to collect them all in future trips. Thanks to Kenny Cottrell for maintaining the list on Deb Wills site. I followed the hints (face side to the right) and collected pre-1982 pennies before I left. I few I got were perfect. Be careful, though. Some of the machines shoot the penny out onto the floor.

That concludes this very long trip report. If you’ve made it this far, congratulations. I am already planning the June trip but will limit the pre-planning to what parks are early entry (I did the "day after early entry" route and it worked fine) and what the restaurants menus are (Chris is very picky). I’ll do another trip report so check back in early July for that one. Our trip will be about twice as long so be prepared! Please email me with any comments or suggestions.

Sheri Niklewski

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