Trip Reports

This is it, folks - my very first trip report. I hope I don't make too many mistakes. There will be lots of Woohoos and Boohoos, depending on the situation. Here goes:

Our recent trip came about because my husband had meetings at the Grosvenor on 3/18 and 3/19. Naturally, my daughter and I just *had* to tag along. (Woohoo!) When I told my friend Tricia about our trip, she decided to visit her mom, who lives near West Palm, at the same time, and drive up to WDW to see us for a couple of days. My mom also happened to be in Florida, in Palm Bay, helping out her brothers, who have been ill. So she agreed to drive over with my cousin and see EPCOT with us one day. This, then, became my big reunion trip.

The participants: Me (39), my hubby Mike (40), our daughter Jill (7), Tricia (38), her two kids, Gaby (6) and Daniel (2), and her mom Maureen(?), my mom (69) and my cousin Evelyn (39). Whew! Got that?

Tuesday, 3/17

We started out from the Atlanta suburbs on Tuesday, March 17th. Mike left work at noon, and Jill got home from school at 2:35. We were off to Hartsfield just before 3 PM. It's 38 miles, and we were making great time. Very little traffic. Our flight was scheduled to leave at 5:35 PM. As we approached the South Terminal, we came upon our first glitch - a flashing sign that read: SOUTH LOTS FULL. USE NORTH LOTS. Well, this wasn't too bad. It's happened before. So we pulled into the right lane to go to the North lots. And guess what? There was another flashing sign that read: NORTH LOTS FULL. USE SOUTH LOTS. Can't they come up with one sign that says ALL LOTS FULL. YOU'RE OUTTA LUCK, BUDDY?

Anyway, we switched back to the South side, because sometimes the lots are still actually open. As we approached the South lots, we saw traffic cones and ropes blocking the entrances. Onto the new West lot. Same story. Continued to the North lots. More cones and ropes. This was the first time that we've been shut out. Tuesday is a big business travel day. So we knew we had to use a Park 'N Fly lot outside the airport. Do you think they provide directional signs? Nope. We got back on I-85 and swung around to Camp Creek Parkway. We saw nothing at first, and I could feel little beads of sweat breaking out on my forehead. My mouth was getting dry. Panic was setting in.

Then, there was a sign: PARK 'N FLY. (Insert sound of heavenly hosts singing.) Relief. We pulled into the entrance and got a ticket. The guy at the gate then tells us that they only have valet parking available at that time. Panic again. The black clouds were settling in over my head, and I thought: I'll be damned if I'm gonna go away for 5 nights, and leave my car keys with a bunch of dishonest, money-hungry, $9 a day-charging, car-stealing strangers. I somehow stammered out a PC version of this sentiment to the gentleman at the entrance, and he said we were welcome to try driving around and searching for a spot ourselves.

It didn't look good. There were rows upon rows of cars that had been valet parked behind other cars, which meant the people at the lot *had* to hold onto the keys to move the cars if necessary. We drove around aimlessly. My eyes were glassy by then. I had visions of the plane taking off without us. Then, miraculously, I saw a space. I frantically screamed to Mike, and he hustled to get there before someone else. We were in. (Woohoo!)

We caught the shuttle bus to the airport. There was a long line to check our bags, but we managed to get to the gate in time, only to discover the plane would be a half hour late taking off. Does Delta *ever* leave on time? We grabbed a snack and took our Sudafed. We looked out the window, and the fog was thickening. Finally, they started to board. We were off!

The flight itself was uneventful. But have you noticed that the bag of peanuts has shrunk to the size of a Hershey's Miniature?

We arrived at MCO a little after 7 PM, and retrieved our bags promptly. I really like the Orlando airport. Very clean and attractively decorated. We stepped outside to the Mears shuttle office, and bought 3 round trip tickets to Dixie Landings. Used my $3 coupon. Mike paid for his ticket with his corporate card, since it was a business expense. I used our personal AMEX for me and Jill. $36 for one adult and one child.

The shuttle turned out to be a full house. It would stop at the Doubletree, Hilton, Grosvenor and DI before dropping us at DxL. I didn't mind. I was so happy to be there, and it was like getting a little tour of the property. It felt weird to be driving in at night. We usually take a 7 AM flight and arrive very early in the day.

At last, there it was: Dixie Landings, looking just the way I remembered it from our previous stay there in 1994. Back then, it was Magnolia Bend for us. This time, it was to be Alligator Bayou. We tipped the Mears driver a couple of bucks, our luggage was loaded onto a cart for us, and we stepped into the lobby.

The check-in area is really very impressive. I looked up to see those giant paddle fans hanging from the ceiling. They weren't moving at that time, but when they are they always remind me of "Gone With the Wind," when all the Southern ladies are napping at Twelve Oaks, and the slaves are fanning them as they sleep. Disney has really captured a bygone era here.

We waited a few minutes, and then it was our turn. Jill was starting to get cranky, but she refused to sit on a couch and watch the movie that was playing (Bambi). She hung on me instead. I had called the resort on Sunday and asked for the Rooms Controller. I was referred instead to the front desk, and I requested buildings 14, 15 or 18, since they're close to the food court and main bus stop. They had placed us in 18, so I was happy. We charged three nights on Mike's corporate card, and then had them switch over to our card for all the other charges. The room came to $154.29/night, including the tax.

Jill and I bought 4 Day Value Passes, since we didn't plan on park- hopping. With the MKC discount, it was $136.36 for me, and $108.89 for her. Mike got a one day ticket, because he would be in meetings for 2 days, and then he would be receiving a free one day ticket for Friday. His ticket cost $40.02 with the discount. We found out that the first bus to the Marketplace would leave at 7 AM, which was good for him, because he had to be at the Grosvenor by 8. We received our AMEX fanny pack, and then we went onto our room.

We arrived at building 18. Our room was 1824, on a corner of the first floor, so we had two windows. I discovered the next day that this was a smoking optional building, but we never would have known it from the room. It didn't smell like smoke at all, and there were no cigarette burns anywhere. I don't know why they ignored the non-smoking room request, but it worked out all right. The room faced a pathway and another building, so we didn't have to look out on a parking lot. We were also close to a quiet pool.

When Mike saw the room, he said something that he would continue to say throughout the trip. I don't know what got him started on this routine, but he said, "This room kicks a**." He said it like a surfer dude, and it was pretty funny. Any time he came across something he particularly liked during the rest of the trip, he said it again. "This ride kicks a**." "This restaurant kicks a**." He tried to say "butt" instead of "a**" around Jill, but he usually forgot. She thought it was pretty funny.

We tipped the bellman another couple of bucks, and looked around the room. A trundle bed! (Great big Woohoo!) That meant I didn't have to sleep with Jill. I would have some room. As soon as she saw the bed, she started to cry that she wanted to sleep in the big bed with me. (Boohoo!) We finally compromised. One night with me, the other four in the trundle. Here's some advice about the trundle situation. Unless you have 5 people and desperately require the trundle, don't ask for it. They will charge you $15/night. Almost all the Alligator Bayou rooms with double beds also have trundles, so chances are, if you get Alligator Bayou, you'll get a trundle. For free. If it turns out there isn't one, you can always request a cot.

I really liked the furnishings. The bedposts are very clever faux logs. The armoire has a pierced tin design, like an old pie safe. There was a padded bench where we put our big suitcase. Double sinks. Thought I saw some hidden Mickeys in the floral wallpaper design in the bathroom. Was it intentional, or were those just little berries?

It was 9 PM by this time, but we needed something to eat. Off to the food court in the dark. Here comes my one complaint about the Alligator Bayou section. All the pathways twist and turn, and it's very difficult to get from point A to point B without getting lost. And we were close to the food court! It seemed to me that when we stayed in Magnolia Bend, it was a breeze to find our way around. The twisting walkways and lush vegetation certainly add atmosphere, but chances are you'll get lost at least once, or go past the turn to your building.

We bought three refillable mugs at the food court, along with some light snacks. The mugs are $8.95, and they have a very cute picture of Brer Rabbit being chased by Brer Bear and Brer Fox. The only problem is, they come in just one color. It's difficult for a family to tell their mugs apart, and I had a cold, so I didn't want anyone else drinking from my mug. If they could make different colors for the lids and handles, that would be great. I know Caribbean Beach has different colored mugs. Jill solved the problem by writing our names on the little yellow stickers on top of the mugs. The cashier draws a happy face on the sticker once you've paid for the mug.

Then it was off to bed. I tried to set the alarm clock, but it was quite a puzzle. I never could figure it out and get it to work. Mike set his watch alarm, and I arranged a wake-up call. Jill loved hearing Mickey during our last stay in 1996 at CBR, so I was looking forward to the call in the morning.

Wednesday, 3/18

This was to be a big day for me. I was meeting my friend Tricia. She was my best buddy in high school. We shared many a teen-age trauma. Somehow, we had lost touch. I hadn't seen or heard from her in many years, when she suddenly sent me a letter in the Summer of '96. She had tracked me down after much searching. Enclosed in the envelope were photos of her, her husband, and her two children. I broke down and cried for the rest of the day. I was so touched that she cared enough to find me. We have been corresponding ever since, first by letter, and lately by e-mail. I just went online in January.

She would be driving up from West Palm early in the morning, checking in at DxL, and then coming to the MK. We planned to meet at the Partners statue in the Hub at 10:30. If she didn't arrive, I was to try again at 11:30. If she still wasn't there, I would meet her at the Crystal Palace at 12:30. I was nervous about this. Would she think I looked really old? I have gained weight over the years, and I was never slim to begin with, so I worried about that too. It had been 15 years since I last saw her, and 20 years since I graduated from H.S. Nerve-wracking, let me tell you.

The phone rang at 6:15 AM. I lifted the receiver and waited for Mickey's distinctive voice. Instead, I heard...nothing. Dead air. I waited and waited, but no Mickey. (Boohoo!) Oh well. I was up, and I was goin' to the MK! It doesn't get any better than that.

Mike showered first, since he had a business meeting. Then it was my turn. I put on my new Winnie the Pooh shirt, denim shorts, and a sweater. I made sure I had my RADPin securely attached to the sweater. Mike left a little after 7 to catch the bus to Downtown Disney. It was strange to see him in a suit at Disney World. I got Jill ready. I decided to put our Mickey ponchos in her backpack, since there was a threat of rain. Then we hustled to the food court for a bite to eat.

She had a bowl of Froot Loops, and I got a bacon, egg and cheese biscuit. This was to be my breakfast staple throughout the trip. I had one every morning except one. They were very good. The bill came to $4.45. Then we ran back to the room to brush our teeth and drop off our mugs. Time to hit the park!

We twisted and turned our way to the bus stop, and caught the MK bus pretty quickly. We arrived before the gates opened. This was the one day of the trip when we were able to accomplish this. I have to admit, I'm a theme park commando. Jill and Mike said later that I'm like General Knowledge from Cranium Command when it comes to the Disney parks. "Let's go, Scuzzy! Get your sorry butt outta bed and let's get to the parks!" I just can't help myself. But I knew I would have to tone it down this trip, because I would be dealing with a stroller and a wheelchair, and a bunch of folks who really don't "get it" when it comes to Disney. (Sigh)

Anyway, they opened the gates at 8:30, and we walked down Main Street. We stopped to snap pictures at the flower carts on the left side of the street. We walked up to the Hub and looked at the castle. It looked very good, especially the gold parts. Nice and shiny. That damn crane was an eysore, but I was able to block it out from certain angles. The moat looked kind of depressing all dried up.

We walked to the Adventureland bridge to wait for the rope to drop. They had painted some of the colorful poles on the left side of the bridge, so they were roped off, and everybody would have to squeeze onto the right side. We were on the right, very close to the rope, when they gave the signal. I held tightly onto Jill's hand, because I didn't want to lose her in the ensuing wildebeast stampede. We cut through the restroom area across from the Swiss Family Treehouse (which was closed for rehab). Jill had said she wanted to start with BTMRR, and wait for later to ride SplMtn with Gaby. When we got to Frontierland, most folks were running toward SplMtn, so we easily crossed the bridge to BTM and walked right up to the loading platform.

She started to chicken out and panic at the last minute, although she's ridden the ride several times at both WDW and DL. I would have none of it. We boarded the train and rode. I enjoyed it, but it seemed kind of slow to me. I think they start out slow in the mornings. From now on, I'm going to try riding it at night instead.

After that, we decided to head back to AL and ride the JC. We passed the McDonald's fry stand on the way back, and I think it's very well done. Great theming. For some reason, I was expecting a little pushcart, but it's nothing like that. It's a freestanding unit (or trailer, perhaps?) that looks like an old railway car, painted in a dark rusty red. I think there's some old luggage or steamer trunks piled on top. There are a few golden arches painted on it, and a sign that reads: THERE'S GOLD IN THEM THERE FRIES, or something like that. It wasn't open then, but I did like the way it fits in with Frontierland.

We rode JC, and we had a female skipper for the first time ever. I wish I could say that she was good, but she was just kind of blah. Next, we hit PotC. When we came out, I saw a pressed penny machine. I had never even noticed these things before I started reading r.a.d.p., but I thought we'd give it a try. Jill chose the picture of Goofy as a pirate. I can't believe how flat the penny comes out! And such a weird shape. Jill really liked it.

I wanted to do Haunted Mansion next, but Jill said she wanted to wait for Gaby, so we did IASW and I said "Hello Dollies!" Then we rode the carousel. By that time, it was getting close to 10:30, so we went through the castle to the Hub to wait for Tricia. I had a feeling she wouldn't make it by 10:30, so I just relaxed and watched all the folks taking pictures in front of the statue. I got a snapshot of Jill with the little Brer Rabbit statue. Sure enough, she didn't show by 10:45, so Jill and I headed over to TL to use the restroom and catch CoP.

There was some kind of timing glitch with CoP, and we heard an announcement saying we would have to watch one scene twice, but that never happened. I think we picked up the first scene a little late, though. Rover is my favorite character. I love when he picks up his ears. I think they use the same AA dog throughout the park. He sure looks like the one in PotC (the one holding the keys).

By the time Grandma won that virtual reality game and Dad burned the turkey again, it was time to head back to the statue. This time I was nervous. I kept looking down Main Street, and I finally saw Tricia, and she saw me. We headed toward each other and finally got to do a BIG hug (Good Boohoo!). I then kissed Gaby and Daniel (in his stroller), and gave her mom a nice hug, too. They did the same to Jill, who was meek as a mouse around these new people. It felt so good to reconnect. She said they had given her a room in building 16, just across the quiet pool from our building.

It was time to do some attractions! We started with Snow White, which only had a 10 minute wait. Daniel got a little tense, but made it through like a big tough guy. Then we rode the carousel again, and watched Merlin do the Sword in the Stone ceremony while we waited our turn. This was especially appropriate for me, since I had played Mordred in our H.S. production of "Camelot". Everybody liked the carousel, and then Gaby was dying to do Mr. Toad. We headed over there, and it was a 20 minute wait. Tricia and I got to catch up a little while we waited. We did the left side, and saw Rapunzel. Jill and Gaby were terrible drivers! We had some near misses. We were all happy and giggly when we got off the ride.

I had made 12:45 PS arrangements at Crystal Palace, and it was 12:35, so we rushed over there, going around the right side of the castle because there was a character show going on on the Forecourt Stage. The front porch of the restaurant was a zoo! I got on line to check in. There were masses of strollers parked out front, and dozens of folks milling around the porch. We waited about a half hour for a table. While we were waiting, Tricia handed me a page from People magazine. I saw a goofy photo of a guy wearing a chef's hat, holding a fire extinguisher over some burned food, while reading a copy of "Gourmet Cooking For Dummies." I read the caption, and realized that the guy was John Kilcullen, who had graduated from H.S. in the Bronx with me in 1977. He is the one who came up with the idea of the "Dummies" books, and now he's the CEO of IDG Books, a $150 million company. Rich, rich, rich. (Woohoo for him, Boohoo for the rest of us poor slobs.) So I've been thinking...how about a book titled "Walt Disney World For Dummies" researched and written by moi? "Hello, John? I don't know if you remember me or not, but I went to high school with you, and I've got this great idea..."

We finally got a table, and we were all famished by then. I love the topiaries of the Pooh characters at the front of the restaurant. They appear to be made of dried flowers, and the colors are gorgeous! Such a delightful touch. We had a very nice waiter, whose name escapes me at the moment. I gave him my MKC card for the discount, because I intended to pay for lunch. It was Tricia's birthday. The food was wonderful! I must say, I went to three buffets on this trip, and the food was delicious at all of them. I was especially impressed by the fact that the seasonings were not bland. None of the food tasted wishy-washy. In fact, there was some terrific spicy marinated eggplant at the salad bar, and the lamb ragout was spicy as well. My picky daughter actually ate 3 mini hot dogs. These things turned out to be her favorite dish at WDW. She ate them at every buffet, and also at the Rainforest Cafe. My favorite was the mashed potatoes (the chunky kind with the skin still on). Mmmmmmm.... Tricia raved about the bread pudding at the dessert bar.

Bring on the characters! I think the highlight of the day was seeing Daniel's reaction to the characters. It was an instant LOVEFEST. He just reached up and hugged Eeyore, stroking his fur and smiling from ear to ear. When Tigger was at the next table, he kept grinning and saying "Tigger, Tigger" and pointing to him. No fear at all. At some point, Jill had to use the restroom (This would happen at least 10 times that day. I think she was nervous.), so I took her and Gaby to the Ladies' room. Well, three stalls just isn't enough for a restaurant the size of the Crystal Palace. Hey Disney guys, if you're listening out there, some remodeling is needed here!! We had a looooong wait. It was *so* long, in fact, that Tricia eventually broght Daniel in to change him while we were still on line. It turns out that Pooh had visited our table while we were gone, and Daniel had gotten so excited he needed to be changed! So the girls missed Pooh. Drat! And when I returned to the table, Tricia's mom had already paid the check, too!

After lunch, we headed over the AL bridge toward Frontierland with the idea of riding SplMtn or BTM. On the way there, we passed a character greeting area, and Aladdin was there. Gaby had wanted to see Aladdin more than any other character, so of course we stopped. Jill got pictures with Baloo and King Louie, while Gab saw Aladdin, Timon, and Rafiki, I think. Jill and I were laughing at Louie's arms, which are incredibly long. We even shook his plastic hand. I don't think there's any way Louie can sign autographs. The CM's hand must only come halfway down the inside of the arm on the costume.

The lines were long at the mountains, so we decided to stake out a good spot and wait for the parade. I laid out our ponchos for the girls to sit on, since it had sprinkled earlier and the ground was a little damp. As soon as they sat down, a CM came by and asked if they'd like to be in the parade with the Aladdin float. Much excitement. Jill never would have done this by herself, so I was so glad Gaby was there. They were given instructions, and then we waited for the parade. When that music started, I got all choked up (just like always). There I was with my best buddy and our kids, waiting for a Disney parade. Tricia and I just looked at each other and grinned. This was really something special. When the Aladdin float stopped, the girls got up and rubbed the magic lamps, and then they played "Genie Says", which is just like Simon Says, but with the Genie's voice. They were hopping on one foot and flapping their arms like chickens. They had a blast. Daniel just loved the whole experience. I thought he was going to wheel his stroller right across the street, because he kept bouncing up and down excitedly and leaning forward to see what magical thing was coming next. A definitely Magical moment for all of us. (Woohoo!)

We decided to give BTM another try. Tricia's mom sat on a bench with Daniel while we girls waited on line. It was about a 15 minute wait. Well, I think the train moved twice as fast as it had earlier in the day! We were zooming around those curves! It was great. Daniel still hadn't taken his nap, and showed no sign of tiring, so we went to PotC with him. He loved it, and Tricia bought him a pirate hat afterwards, which looked adorable.

Next, we hit the Haunted Mansion, because Daniel had told Tricia he wanted to go in the "scawy" house. Well, as we entered the stretch room, he had a change of heart, and said "No scawy house, mommy," but it was too late. There were "no windows and no doors" to escape. He came through it all just fine, though. But we decided to give him a break and do IASW to get him all happy again.

Then Tricia told me that she and another little girl had been the models for the Irish dolls at IASW. In 1964, when she was 4 years old, she went out to Flushing Meadows in Queens, while they were still building the attraction for the World's Fair, and she and the other girl wore kerchiefs and posed for pictures. So when we passed the Irish section, I looked at the doll, and, sure enough, it's got her dark hair and a little kerchief. From now on, I'll wave to "Tricia" whenever I pass her. I knew there was a reason I liked this attraction so much. : )

Next, the 5 of us (excluding Tricia's mom) rode the Tea Cups. I don't know how we fit, but somehow we made it, and the girls spun us like crazy. After a few seconds, Daniel got dizzy, and Tricia covered his eyes for the rest of the ride. We were all a little disoriented after that.

We hit the Barnstormer next. Jill and I had never tried it, but Tricia and Gaby had done it in 1997. We waited about 20 minutes. Tricia warned me that it was as wild as BTM, but I just couldn't believe it. Well, she was right. In fact, this ride surprised me twice. First, because it's so zippy and the banks are so steep. And second, because the darn thing is over in about 30 seconds, tops. I think half that time is spent in ascending the first hill. I wasn't the only person to say "That's *it*?" at the end of the ride. It's got to be the shortest attraction in Disney history.

After that, it was time to stake out a spot for SpectroMagic. We decided to head down Main Street and get as close to the exit as possible, so we could make a quick getaway. Our plan was to feed the kids at the hotel and head out to Pleasure Island. We got a good spot right across from the cinema. Once again, I got chills when the music started. I love this parade. Daniel loved it too. Give that kid a box of popcorn and a parade to watch, and he's in heaven.

A great way to end the day at the MK.

We all returned to DxL, and Tricia reported to the front desk to complete her check-in process. I took Jill back to our room. Mike had left me a note saying that he had gotten a *free* ticket to PI to use after his *free* meal at Wolfgang Puck's. Gotta love this business travel.

I got Jill a peanut butter sandwich and chips at the food court, and then took her to Tricia's room. Tricia's mom volunteered to watch the kids while we partied at PI. Off we went for some grown-up time!

Tricia had a LOS pass, so I was the only one who needed a ticket ($15.23 with MKC discount). We got our wristbands and walked up the street toward the Adventurers' Club and Comedy Warehouse. And who should we meet but Mike, having a brewsky with Robert, who had attended the meeting with him. Tricia commented on how young Mike looks. (It's true, darn it. He's got Dick Clark syndrome.) There was a line outside the Comedy club, and it had started to drizzle, so I ran over and found out that the last show would be at 12:05. Tricia and I went to the AC, while Mike and Robert went to check out 8TRAX for a bit of nostalgia.

****Warning: some slight AC spoilers follow. Nothing much but a description of some of the wacky characters, but if you've never been to the AC and don't want to know anything about it, stop here.****

Tricia had never been to PI before, so I told her she was in for a treat. We went downstairs, and they announced that the next show would be starting in the Mask Room, so I had Tricia save us a couple of seats while I ordered the drinks - a Kungaloosh for me and a Tiger Lady for her. Of course, I became the target of a joke from Gaby the Maid when I walked into the Mask Room carrying two drinks. : )

We settled in for some entertainment. The masks started doing their thing, and Gaby engaged in some banter with the two lecherous masks ("Come up here and sit on my chest!" "Crush my grapes and make me wine!" and that sort of thing.) Then Gaby left and the masks started picking on some blonde in the corner (they always pick a pretty blonde). I won't reveal anymore jokes, but it was a cute little show.

After that, we strolled out to the bar area. Tricia and I both happened to be wearing red tops, and we were standing next to two other people wearing red shirts, so Pamelia Perkins, the club president, directed "all the red people" to move to the right side of the room. Of course, we did as we were told. When Pamelia walked by us a little later, Tricia pointed out the little bird's nest in her hairdo, and I almost spit my Kungaloosh across the room.

We took a good look at "Zeus and his rod," the statue in the middle of the room. Very funny. Then Babylonia, the Goddess of All Things Fertile, or something to that effect, started smoking. Babylonia, you see, is a very large mask on the wall, with moving eyes. I had never seen her in action before, but she was a hoot. She picked out two hapless guys in the room, and she had them bowing to her and doing all sorts of gyrations and pelvic thrusts in her honor. It's quite amusing to see two grown men obeying a fertility mask. Babylonia's got a great voice, though. I think I would have obeyed her, too.

Shortly after that, the Colonel started up, and Mike was standing right underneath him. He had walked in with Robert unnoticed by us. The Colonel is an audio-animatronic British officer with a riding crop or something in his hand. He sits above an armoire and interacts with the guests. He suggested to one lady that she could loosen his nuts and he would accompany her anywhere (hehehe). He tried to get Mike's attention by swinging that riding crop at him, but it missed Mike's head by about an inch. Finally, Mike realized the Colonel was speaking to him.

He picked on Mike and a couple of other folks for a little while, much to Tricia's amusement. She was thinking about throwing her little swizzle stick thingy at him, but decided against it.

The next show was in the library. The four of us got seated and ordered drinks. That would be my second Kungaloosh and Tricia's second Tiger Lady. And neither one of us had had dinner. Woohoo! (hiccup). This show was a new one for me and Mike. Robert had never been to PI before, so everything was new to him.

Samantha Sterling was the star of the show. She looks like a kinky version of Joan Embry, that lady from the San Diego Zoo. Samantha sang a few songs, teased a few guests, and then got some guy named Kevin to make a complete fool of himself, much to our amusement and that of his wife. Kevin was a middle school principal, which led to even more jokes once he started doing his suggestive gyrations and thrusts. (Hmmmm, there was a lot of that going on that night.) Gaby the Maid said that she would try her best to get sent to the principal's office.

Gaby, Samantha, and Pamelia sang a cute little song and did a "Kevin dance" that left us all hysterical. Then, we filed out of the library and across the way to the Comedy Warehouse. Robert had to leave, and then Mike left too, because he had another meeting in the morning, so Tricia and I were left to have a girls' night out.

While we were waiting in line outside, it started to pour. Neither one of us had a poncho or umbrella. We tried to stand right up against the side of the building, but the little overhang offered no protection whatsoever. We were drenched within seconds. Here's another suggestion for the powers-that-be at Disney: put a canopy over the waiting area! When I got back to the room later, I discovered that the red shoulder pads inside my sweater had run all over my new

Winnie the Pooh shirt, leaving red stripes. Yuck!

They finally let us in. I think Tricia and I were the oldest people in the room. Everybody else seemed to be Spring Breakers. I think it's true that these shows get raunchier as the night goes on. Let me tell you, after seeing that show, I will always associate the Cretaceous Period with Pornography. (Don't even ask! You had to be there.)

The troupe of five consisted of one guy and four women. I had seen some of them before. These people are extraordinarily talented. There was one bit where the guy left the room and someone from the audience came up with a saying that he would have to figure out by engaging in little skits with the four women. Well, by the time he put the whole phrase together and said "If the ladies don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy," we all went wild. You would not believe the creative ways in which the women conveyed the phrase, word by word.

All in all, it was a terrific night, despite getting soaked to the skin.

Thursday, 3/19

Thursday was to be Disney Studios day. I had requested a 6:30 wake-up call, and when the phone rang, I just picked up the receiver and dropped it back down again, figuring I wouldn't hear anything anyway, just like the day before.

I was exhausted. The Kungalooshes had taken their toll.

I was supposed to meet Tricia at the bus stop at 8:15, but she called at 7:55 to say she would never make it. We changed it to 8:30. Jill and I scrambled to get ready, and I took her to the food court. She said she wasn't hungry, but she wound up eating an entire Mickey Mouse pancake. I was so tired I had forgotten to bring the mugs, but the cashier took pity on me and gave me a free cup. Coffee!! Ahhhhh...

We made it to the bus stop at 8:28, but Tricia wasn't there. A Studios bus pulled up at 8:30, but we had to wave bye bye to it . She finally showed up at 8:45, only to say that they hadn't eaten yet, so they would meet us at the park. The theme park commando in me almost had a stroke at that point, but I cheerfully said we would meet her at the Chinese Theater at 10 (choking noises in my throat).

The next bus came at 8:55. I tried to talk Jill into riding ToT with me before Tricia got to the park, but she adamantly refused. No Gaby, no ToT. (Boohoo!) As it turned out, it didn't matter. The wait was already 75 minutes when we arrived at the park.

We casually strolled up Hollywood Blvd. Mickey was on Sunset Blvd., so we stopped and I took Jill's picture with him. They were playing 1940's music on Sunset. Big Band stuff, "The White Cliffs of Dover," and so on. I love that era. It was very atmospheric standing there soaking it all in.

We headed toward the theater, and the Toy Story green army men were driving around in some kind of vehicle, with the sergeant shouting orders at people: "Take your hands out of your pockets and get moving, soldier!" Hehehe. I just love that guy. I wouldn't mind playing that part. Not at all.

We checked out some of the hand/footprints in front of the theater, and listened to Broadway show music. I heard the "Camelot" medley, and it brought me back to my high school days. I also heard "South Pacific" and "My Fair Lady" and other great shows. Some people asked me to take their picture in front of the theater. I hope it turned out OK. It started to drizzle (a sign of things to come).

Tricia arrived around 10, and we decided to do the GMR first. Daniel said "Gwate Movie Wide" as we entered the lobby. We saw the gangster scene instead of the western scene. There was more machine gun fire than I remembered. Tricia said Daniel's heart was beating *really* fast, but he never said a word. My favorite part is the film clips at the end.

Voyage of the Little Mermaid was our next stop. I hadn't seen the show in awhile, and I had forgotten just how good it is. The water effects and puppetry are wonderful. Lots of oohs and aahs when that wall of water appeared. We were sitting near the back of the theater, which made it even better. When we left the show, there was even more water waiting for us outside.

We walked down Mickey Ave. to see Woody and Buzz, because Daniel loves "Toy Story." But just as we arrived, they were going back inside because of the rain. (Boohoo)

As the rain got heavier, the yellow ponchos magically appeared. Jill and I put ours on. Tricia's mom said it looked like a cult: the Yellow Poncho People. Here's another item that would be nice in different colors. Just try finding your kid in a sea of yellow ponchos!

We decided to report early for our PS at the Soundstage. We showed up at 11:30 and took pictures of the kids in front of the Grandmother Willow tree in the lobby. I hadn't been to this restaurant since it was all done in an Aladdin motif. Now it's got elements of "Aladdin," "Pocahontas," "Hunchback" and "The Lion King." They play music from all the movies. I absolutely LOVED the giant painting of Quasimodo, with that glorious sky in the background.

The buffet food was excellent once again. We met five characters: Pocahontas, the Genie, Meeko, Rafiki, and Esmeralda. The Genie

was great fun. Tricia told him she loved his gold earring, and I said Esmeralda must have the other one. A CM passing by got a big kick out of that. This time, I paid the bill. ($74.40 with tax & tip)

There was a handicapped little girl at the next table, and she seemed to be afraid of the characters, so they were being told not to stop by the table. At some point, however, Esmeralda came by with a birthday card that looked like it was signed by the characters, and the family and CMs sang Happy Birthday. We found out later that the little girl loved Esmeralda, so she was the one who brought the card over and spent some special time with her. Disney Magic in action.

After lunch, we headed toward Star Tours, and encountered Woody and Buzz. Tricia's mom stayed with Daniel to meet them, and Tricia and I took the girls to Star Tours. LONG line. I don't think I've ever waited in line for this attraction, but this time I got to walk through the entire Ewok Village area as the line wound round and round. We finally made it to the ride, and were seated in the back row. (Woohoo!) This was the highlight of the day for the girls, who squealed with delight through the whole thing. The back row is definitely the best place to sit. Jill bought a stuffed Ewok on the way out, and promptly named it Fluffball.

After this, I really wanted to catch the HoND show. I highly recommended it to Tricia, but Gaby didn't want to see it. They decided to try the Backstage Tour, and Jill and I went to see HoND. We got there early and caught Matt the juggler. He was just as good as I remembered from our last trip. Anyone who can hold a spinning plate on a stick in his mouth while spinning a hula hoop on his leg, while juggling two balls with one hand and operating a yo-yo with the other is OK in my book. (I don't know what kind of weird book that would be - WDW for Jugglers, possibly?)

The show was tremendous! Clopin was unbelievable. Why isn't he on Broadway? He should be. Esmeralda and Quasi were also wonderful. She had incredible turquoise eyes. I wonder if she was wearing contacts. Frollo is still pretty lousy, in my opinion, and his makeup is awful. Phoebus doesn't really have much to do, but he looks nice doing nothing anyway. I love the capes, the puppets, the fire, and the bell-shaped confetti. I brought some of the confetti home with me. A totally terrific show.

I met up with Tricia afterward, and she said they really enjoyed Catastrophe Canyon, so she had a good time, too. It was getting close to parade time, and the rain had ended at some point, so we headed over toward the Chinese Theater. We made a bathroom stop along the way, on Mickey Ave., and as we walked into the bathroom, Jill slipped and fell, I slipped and nearly fell, and then Gaby followed us in and fell on her bottom. The bathroom had just been mopped, but the strange thing was, it had all dried except this one little spot, which we had all stepped on. No harm done, luckily.

We found a good spot for the Parade, and Tricia and I each bought some popcorn for the kids. The Hercules parade was lots of fun. I snapped many pictures for Mike, because he didn't get to see the Studios this trip, and by our next trip, the Mulan parade will be running. Hercules is a hunk. There was also another guy in the parade, who looked like he could play Aladdin, who was adorable (sigh). And I just love that music!

We decided to catch the last showing of BatB, so we walked down Sunset. We picked our seats and waited for the show. I had loads of fun with Daniel, who kept calling me Bubblebutt. That's his favorite expression. "You Bubblebutt!" he would say, and I would point at him and reply "No, *you* Bubblebutt!" Yikes, that kid is a cutey pie. We had to entertain ourselves this way for quite awhile, because Four for a Dollar weren't there (Big Boohoo!) I was really looking forward to hearing them.

While we waited, the heavens suddenly opened up and the rain came tumbling down. The stroller was parked out in the open, and got drenched. It was hard to hear the show at times because the rain just kept up. This show isn't in the same class as HoND, IMO, but visually it's stunning. Flash bulbs were a-poppin' when Belle and the Prince appeared together in all their finery near the end.

After that, things just fell apart. ToT had a huge wait, so we gave up all hope of doing that. Curse that wretched motor! Tricia had suddenly gotten the idea of eating at Whispering Canyon, where she had eaten last year, so I ran to the phones by the restrooms on Sunset and called Mike back at the room (and woke him up-oops). I asked him to see if he could get a PS, and then I called back a few minutes later. The best he could do was 8:10. Too late for the kids. BTW, a roof over those phones sure would be a nice touch (drip, drip).

Well, there wasn't much left to do then but head back to the hotel. We had originally planned to take a dip in the pool with the kids, but that obviously wasn't going to happen with all the rain. So we waited for the bus, when what to our wondering eyes should appear, but the famous "cattle car"! Yes indeed, folks, we rode back to the hotel in a giant trailer. But a nifty trailer it is. Way cooler than a bus, and much larger. There are raised sections at the front and back, so you can sit up high. There's an intercom to speak to the driver. I really liked it, except for the fact that the A/C was turned way up, and we were all wet and freezing!

Tricia decided to order pizza in the room for her group, and Mike, Jill, and I tried Boatwright's. The entire restaurant/food court area at DxL was a mob scene due to the weather. Nobody wanted to leave the resort. We waited 50 minutes for our table. We were starving, so we ordered a sampler appetizer platter, consisting of ribs, cheese bites, and some very spicy wings. By the time we finished that, we could barely eat our entrees. I had ordered the catfish filet, which was gigantic, and I think Mike ordered a pasta and seafood dish. Jill had plain pasta. We had very good salad and rolls, too. ($51.36)

Then it was time to go to Fulton's General Store to buy presents for Tricia and her mom (who had given me a Mickey watch, and Jill a sweatshirt). Tomorrow I would say good-bye.

Friday, 3/20

Friday was farewell day for Tricia and the gang. She was heading back to West Palm, and her husband Gary was flying down to meet her and stay at her parents' for a few days.

The phone rang with the wake-up call, and this time I picked it up again with the hope of hearing Mickey. Maybe the little problem had been fixed. But alas, all I heard was music. It was better than nothing, but it still wasn't the Mouse. Where *was* the little fella anyway?

We all met outside Tricia's room, and took group photos. I gave her the birthday presents we had bought, and we had something for her mom, too.

I had discovered that worrying about my appearance and whether or not I had changed too much was just plain silly. All the haircoloring, makeup, and dieting we had done didn't matter one tiny bit. What I saw was the Tricia I had always known and loved, and I think that she would say the same for me. We only had a brief time during this trip to really feel like girls again, but it was truly memorable. When we were at Pleasure Island, we forgot that we were moms for a little while. We were just two gals acting goofy (and a little tipsy). I got an e-mail from her today, and she's talking about going back (just us two) for my 40th birthday next year. If anything could lift my depression about turning 40, it would be spending the day with Tricia at Disney World!

Until then, though, we all hugged each other and said our good-byes with just a touch of sadness. I think there was more happiness involved than anything else, because we had really and truly reconnected, and we knew that we wouldn't lose touch again this time. So, how can I describe it? BooHoo *and* WooHoo, I suppose covers it all. : )

This would be the only day of the trip when my little nuclear family would be at a theme park without meeting friends or relatives. So I informed the troops that I was back in commando mode, and I intended to try to do the big attractions I had missed on Wednesday (namely, Splash Mountain, Alien Encounter, and Space Mountain). I ordered them to get their sorry butts to the bus stop, pronto!

We made it into the park around 8:50. Mike had gotten two free tickets from the folks sponsoring the business meeting, so he used one for the MK and saved the other for my mom on Saturday. (Such a good son-in-law.)

We made our way to the rope at Adventureland and prepared for the rush. Our destination was Splash Mountain. Off we went! People were running, laughing, and shouting all at the same time. Jill and I quickly pooped out and resorted to walking quickly. Mike was way ahead of us and joked that he could have gotten there, done the ride, and been waiting around for us by the time we got there. I do believe he was right.

Somehow, we were still able to walk right onto the loading platform. Jill and I sat in front, and Mike was in the second row. We all adore this attraction, and we were singing along and admiring all the cute touches. The two little bunnies still weren't talking. I think someone posted this recently. They used to say something about Brer Rabbit, but now they're quiet. Now here was the big drop.....WooHoo!!!!! I got just wet enough - no big blotches, just a pleasant, refreshing spray. We admired our photo on the way out, but since we already have one, we didn't buy it.

Mike's opinion? "This ride kicks a**!"

Well, that partially satisfied my cravings. I would check out Tomorrowland later. We hit BTMRR next, and again I thought it was slow in the morning. Can anyone confirm this phenomenon?

We backtracked to AL and rode PotC prior to doing the Adventureland Challenge. I recently posted our Challenge experience, and this is what I said:

We just did the challenge on Friday, 3/20. It was lots of fun. Just check the sign that sits along the main path near the Tiki Room in Adventureland. It will give you the times for the challenges. We went at 10 AM. There was another one at 11, and then several more throughout the day.

We waited a few minutes for a CM to show up. Finally, a guy named Russ came by and got things started. There were about 12 of us there. The first thing he wanted to know was how we had all heard about the Challenge. I shouted out "Newsgroup!" and he seemed a little puzzled, so I elaborated by saying "DISNEY Newsgroup," and then he seemed to understand. He explained that we would be doing a challenge that involved only one clue: a riddle. He handed out a sheet of paper to each team captain (that would be me, thank you), with a map of Adventureland on one side. He warned us not to flip it over until he gave us the instructions.

Basically, you are searching for a golden idol hidden somewhere in AL. It will not be inside shops, attractions, waiting areas, or restaurants. It is within reach of most people, and you won't have to climb onto or over anything. The idol is 16" high.

We had 15 minutes to complete the search once we turned over the paper and read the riddle on the back. The riddle was a clue that spelled out the area in which the idol was hidden. We were able to pinpoint the area within a couple of minutes, and we began our search. It wasn't long before we heard Russ yelling that the idol had been found by someone.

It turned out that somebody had moved the idol from the spot where he had hidden it, so it was actually found *outside* the search parameters. Oh well. The guy who won had won a previous challenge a couple of years before. Hmmmmm... I believe his prize was a certificate to get on the attraction of his choice without any wait. I heard him mention something about a character greeting, too. Somehow, the idol lost an ear, or a horn, or something, during the search. I wonder if they have extras. It looked pretty weatherbeaten.

Anyway, the rest of us (the 10 LOSERS) got to ride Jungle Cruise without a wait. This worked out well for us, because we had just ridden PotC prior to the Challenge, and JC was our next stop. Russ brought all of us over to the JC, and made us put our thumbs and forefingers in the shape of an "L" (for LOSER) on top of our heads. How humiliating! He left us in the priority line, and then this very intense female CM came over and asked us if we had a certificate or something to go to the head of the line. We all just stood there, stupidly making the "L" sign, as though that would prove we were worthy of riding without a wait! She seemed pretty annoyed with us for not having any paperwork, until finally someone pulled out the paper with the riddle on it and showed it to her. This seemed to satisfy her, and we were all let on the next boat. Jeez! Did she think the ten of us just got together and plotted to ride the JC without waiting? Surely she must experience this LOSER group several times a day.

So the losers got to ride, but our skipper was really pathetic. I've been on this cruise lots of times, and I've only had one memorable skipper. He was absolutely great. I realize the material is groan- inducing, but this guy was brilliant. It's amazing to see the different ways each skipper handles (or mishandles) the jokes. I swear I could get up there and do a better job. Maybe next time I'll bring a watergun and hijack the boat.

All that idol-searching had made us hungry, so we made our way to the Main Street Bake Shop. Mike had a huge banana nut muffin, and I had a scrumptious cruller twist. Jill just sucked on one of those ring pops that she had bought at Fulton's General Store the night before.

We decided to do Haunted Mansion next, so we walked over the bridge to Liberty Square. Just as we got to the other side, we noticed some characters in the little park behind the Christmas Shop. This park is so secluded, most folks never even realize it's there. I had never been back there myself, but it was delightful. The Czarina had mentioned it in an e-mail, and said how wonderful it was. She was absolutely right. It's shaded and EMPTY. There are several tables that overlook the bridge, and I think this would be a wonderful place to watch the parades in comfort. Just get some refreshments, pull up a chair, and watch the floats go over the bridge. I think I'll try it on my next trip.

Anyway, Mr. Smee and Daisy Duck were standing back there. I didn't see this listed anywhere as a greeting spot, but it was a great thing to stumble upon. (Maybe that was the whole idea. The best Magical Moments are the unexpected ones.) There was a group of young women (Brazilians?) having a group picture taken, and that was it. Nobody else but us. So Jill posed with Mr. Smee and then Daisy. It turned out that Jill was wearing exactly the same colors as Daisy - pink and yellow - so they looked great together. And Daisy was no taller than Jill. If it weren't for her big hairbow, they could have been twins! (Well, Jill doesn't have a beak and feathers, but you get the idea.)

We continued on toward HM, and Mike ran into some guy who had attended the meetings with him! There I was, wearing my RADPin and searching for fellow newsgroupers, and it was Mike who runs into someone he knows. The guy had never been to Disney World before, but he had done BTM and SpaceMtn, and had been able to snag Tigger's autograph for a co-worker, so he was just happily strolling around enjoying the atmosphere before he had to leave.

We visited the "scawy house," as Daniel would have put it, and then moved on to Mr. Toad. This time, we did the right side. I have to say, I think the right side is *way* better than the left side. I mean, I like Rapunzel, but the right side's got all that neat barnyard stuff, and it just seems so much livelier and brighter.

We decided to show Mike the very wild but very short Barnstormer, so we headed toward Toontown. Just as we got past the tea cups, we noticed a large crowd gathered where the Grand Prix Raceway meets Toontown and Fantasyland. We thought perhaps there was a character greeting going on, but when we got closer, we saw what was causing all the commotion: a mother duck and about ten little ducklings were being shooed away from the dangerous racecars to a safer area. It was the cutest darn sight you can imagine. Those ducklings really do follow behind the mama duck in a straight line, just like in the cartoons. Everyone in the crowd was smiling at the sight. Another unexpected Magical Moment. WooHoo for the duck family!

Mike on the Barnstormer: "That's *it*?"

Now it was time to give Mike a dose of Princess Magic, since he had missed Pocahontas and Esmeralda at the Studios. So we went to the Hall of Fame. The room wasn't marked PRINCESSES anymore. It just read FAIRY TALE FRIENDS. But a CM confirmed that Alice, Pocahontas, and Sleeping Beauty were in there. We had never met Sleeping Beauty, so this was great. Her gown is gorgeous. I got photos of Jill with her and Alice, and then we included Mike in the shot with Pocahontas. Aren't I a good wife?

It was time for lunch, so we headed over to Cosmic Ray's, where Mike and I each had a double decker burger and fries. The burgers were very good. I didn't come across any bad food at all during the entire trip. Jill just had grapes and fries, and some tomatoes from the fixin's area. Of course, we sat down front, so I could listen to the stylings of Sonny Eclipse. During lunch, there were two heavy downpours, and the whole place got eerily dark. I was glad we were inside and dry this time. ($19.15)

After lunch, I stopped to make a phone call outside the restrooms near the tea cups, and suddenly I felt Jill pulling on my sleeve and yelling "Mom! Mom!" I turned around, and there were Tweedle Dee, Tweedle Dum, and the Queen of Hearts walking toward the tea cup greeting area. They must have emerged from a little door to the left of the ladies' room. It was kind of surreal. They just seemed to appear out of nowhere.

Jill wanted to do the Raceway, but the line was very long, so we thought we'd ride TTA until it got closer to parade time. I had never been on TTA, but I thought it was a godsend. No waiting, a nice, comfy padded bench, a stiff breeze, and a view of Tomorrowland. What more could my tired legs ask? We rode it twice in a row at Jill's request.

We passed over the stage in Tomorrowland, and I heard "Goin' to the chapel, and we're gonna get ma-a-a-ried..." so we looked down and saw this little girl and boy dressed like a bride and groom, doing a dance routine. They were adorable. Later on, we passed a whole group doing a tap number.

For just the *tiniest* split second, I thought how great it would be if they could speed up TTA and turn it into more of a thrill ride. But then I thought, nah, just keep it the way it is. It's like a moving rest area. Something that's desperately needed for all those folks with sore feet and cranky little babies.

After our second go-round, it was almost parade time, so Mike and Jill went to the Raceway, and I went to AE. I sat in the front row. Thoroughly enjoyed myself. I met them afterwards and happily told them I had been slimed by the alien. Jill was all excited because she had steered the racecar by herself. I happened to look over at the AE building, and there was NO LINE, so I told Mike he should go and get slimed. So off he went, and Jill and I got back on TTA for two more trips. Four trips in one day!

This time, I had a weird experience. As we entered the Space Mountain structure, where it's very dark, I smelled the unmistakable scent of marijuana. I couldn't believe it. Someone had obviously taken advantage of the darkness to indulge. It was an unpleasant intrusion for me. (A very big, sad BooHoo here.)

We met up with Mike, who said he enjoyed AE more than he had the first time he did it. We went to see the Timekeeper. Robin Williams is so great. Bravo, Robin!

Mike and I had planned an evening out at the Boardwalk, so we decided to get going. We walked over to the Hub and boarded an old fashioned fire engine to take us back to Town Square. We had never used these vehicles before. It was fun. We wanted to see the flag ceremony, but it started to rain, so they didn't have the band and the birds. They just took down the flag with no fuss. Maybe next time.

We caught a bus to the Boardwalk, and looked around the lobby a bit. There is a magnificent chandelier hanging in the main entrance. It's got huge horses on it, and the ceiling seems to go on forever. Very impressive sight. We loved the miniature carousel and wooden roller coaster, too. There are some fabulous lounge chairs in the lobby. Gigantic, comfy, tufted chairs that I could sit in all day. I also loved the wicker chairs on the front porch.

We got Jill a slice of pizza and some pink lemonade at the Spoodles takeout window. The pizza was the size of two regular slices, and well worth the $3.25 price. She couldn't finish it. Then we took her over to the Harbour Club. She cried and hung onto us, but one of the ladies there distracted her so we could make our escape.

We walked back to Spoodles for our 7 PM PS. We were early, so they gave us a beeper and we strolled the Boardwalk for a bit. It wasn't long before our table was ready. We were seated near the front entrance. I liked all the Mediterranean accents - Italian, Moroccan, and Greek. The restaurant is very noisy, though.

There was a stack of colorful little plates on the table, but no containers of flatware. I could have sworn I saw photos of that. I think they must have recently changed this, because the waitress even mentioned that they put out the plates and flatware for sharing all the appetizers. But we just had the usual flatware wrapped up in our napkins. I think the waitress was still thinking there were lots of utensils on the table, because she wound up taking away Mike's knife halfway through the meal, and then she took our clean spoons away before we had our specialty coffees. It was kind of strange.

We ordered the scallops wrapped in bacon, the Calabrian vegetable stew, the grilled portabello mushroom, and we each ordered the pear and arugula salad. A waiter brought us calamari instead of the scallops, so that had to be brought back and corrected. The mushroom and stew were both good, and the scallops were excellent. The salads came out last for some reason. The arugula has a bitter taste, which was nicely offset by the sweet, thin slices of pear. The balsamic vinegar dressing was quite good. There was also bread served with hummus and a feta cheese spread. We asked for seconds on the bread. I enjoyed some marinated olives, too, but Mike doesn't care for olives, so he passed on those.

I had a specialty drink during dinner, and we both ordered a white chocolate specialty coffee after dinner. When the bill came, Mike noticed that we had been charged for calamari instead of scallops, and we couldn't remember if they were the same price, so we pointed it out to the waitress. She came back and said that the scallops were a dollar more, and she actually increased the bill. I couldn't believe it. Let's see...they took away our silverware, they brought us the wrong food, put the wrong charge on the bill, we pointed it out, and they increased the bill. Oy. I almost took it out of her tip, but then I figured, why go nuts over a dollar? ($70.59 with tax & tip)

Um...Mike did NOT say "This restaurant kicks a**."

Our next stop was Jellyrolls. I was really looking forward to it. I was a little put off by the $5/person cover charge (I thought it was $3), but in we went. Mike ordered a beer, but I just wanted to sit and enjoy the music for awhile, and didn't order anything. For some reason, they don't accept your Disney resort ID as payment. It's either cash or credit card.

The place was smaller and less themed than I expected. Based on the description in Rita Aero's book, I thought the decor would be something special, but it just looked like a regular (but cleaner) bar.

There were lots of empty tables when we walked in. It was before 9 PM. There were two piano players. One was mellow and laidback, and the other was...well, in-your-face. He quickly targeted us, and began to make me feel uncomfortable. He was telling some pretty lame jokes, and seemed to expect the dozen or so people in the place to be clapping their hands, stamping their feet, and generally having a raucous time. I hate feeling *forced* to participate. To me, the music should naturally inspire folks to sing along, and the more people in the place, the more likely that is to happen.

Thankfully, two new performers came out after awhile, and more people started coming in the place. All four of the performers were excellent piano players. I wished they would just *play*, instead of talking so much.

To give you some idea of the kind of thing that goes on, there was an elderly lady celebrating her birthday with her large family, and one of the performers insisted she get up onstage, sit on the piano, and then all the men in the room had to go up to the stage and serenade her with "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling." It was pretty bizarre. Maybe I just wasn't "likkered up" enough to enjoy it properly. (Actually, I'm sitting here laughing about it now, because it was so weird, but PLEASE don't ever take me there for my birthday.) : )

We picked up Jill at 10 PM, and it turned out she had enjoyed herself. She made a beaded necklace and colored several pictures. When we walked into the Harbour Club to get her, all the kids were lying down with pillows and blankets, watching "Hercules." It was cute. Reminded me of going to the drive-in with my cousins when I was a kid. We would all go in our p.j.'s and fall asleep before the movie ended.

Saturday, 3/21

Saturday was family reunion day. We would be meeting my mom and my cousin Evelyn at EPCOT. I hadn’t seen my mom for months, and my cousin in years. The phone rang with that wake-up call, and I thought, maybe it’s Mickey this time. But no. More music. Waaaaaa! Where in the World was Mickey? : (

I didn’t feel like walking to the food court, so Mike went there, and I nibbled on a chocolate and vanilla pretzel that we had gotten at the Boardwalk bakery the night before. These things are humongous. Try one if you’re over that way. Two people can split it. Jill had some of the Rice Krispies treat we had bought her.

We caught the bus to EPCOT, and I was pleased to see that the Port/Dixie bus stop is the closest one to the main entrance. I don’t know how that happened. Usually it’s the most expensive resorts that get this treatment. But it was a nice little treat.

Jill and I went through the gates, and I rented a wheelchair for my mom, who has bad knees from her years as a softball catcher in the late 1940’s and 1950’s. She was ahead of her time. Jill, naturally, wanted to ride in it, so I pushed her back to the turnstyles to wait for Nana. Mike waited outside the gates to give my mom her free ticket.

While we were waiting, I suddenly noticed that the backs of my hands were blue. It took me a few seconds to realize that my brand new denim shorts were bleeding onto my skin. My hands turned blue whenever I put them in my pockets, and my thighs were turning a lovely shade of indigo. It was pretty disgusting. That’ll teach me to wash all denim before wearing it. I ran to the restroom to wash my hands, and I avoided putting them in my pockets for the rest of the day.

My mom and Evelyn showed up a little before 9:30, and Ev stopped to buy her ticket. I had told her about the coupon for Fla. residents at McDonald’s, so I think she got a $10 discount. Thank you, r.a.d.p., for that tip. There were many hugs all around, and my mother fussed about the wheelchair, but I insisted she use it to travel between attractions. We just parked it with the strollers each time. (Yup, Maria, this was the "big stroller." Can’t they give the grown- ups a little sun shade like the babies have? Oh well.)

Our first stop was, naturally, Spaceship Earth. The line hadn’t gotten long yet, so it only took a couple of minutes to board. The Roman ruins smelled particularly smoky. I love Jeremy Irons’ voice. I know there are a lot of Walter Cronkite fans out there, but (cough, cough) Jeremy’s voice is sexier. Hey, there’s no real live Disney guys to gawk at on this attraction, so I’ll take what I can get.

My mom had a little trouble getting out of the car at the end (the stiff knees), so they had to stop the moving platform for a couple of seconds. Since we had been traveling through the ages, I joked with her that she had stopped time for all the people still on the ride.

We went to HISTA next, because I wanted to catch it before the lines became impossible. We walked right in near the end of the Kodak stuff, so we didn’t wait much at all to get into the theater. I had warned my mom that it would be a total sensory experience, so she lifted up her legs a little when the mice were duplicated, but they got her anyway. (WooHoo!) Jill had chickened out and had her legs up on the seat, but she dropped them back down long enough to experience some of the effect. And boy, that snake is SCARY!

Next, we went to see Figment on JII. Ev is a Figment fan. She’s got a liitle one at home on her windowsill. She collects little animal figurines. I warned them when it was picture time, but they weren’t quick enough. Jill and I were the only ones looking into the camera and smiling pretty.

My mom and Evelyn hadn’t had breakfast, so we headed over to The Land food court for a bite. Something for everyone there. Mike and I had very good baked potatoes topped with veggies and cheese. Jill had a giant fresh fruit bowl with strawberry yogurt sauce. We all helped her finish it. We decided to skip the boat ride, since we had all done it at one time or another, and the line was terrible. Ev had been to EPCOT once, and my mom had been there twice, but it had been awhile.

We headed over to UoE, because they had never seen the Ellen-ized version. I just love this attraction now. It used to be soooooo boring, especially that film at the end. Ugh! Now it’s fun all the way through. We didn’t hit any lines here, either. My mom even got a seat on a bench for the first part. Mike thought Jamie Lee Curtis looked good even as a geek. ("Jamie Lee kicks a**!") All I had to look at was Bill Nye the Science Guy and Alex Trebek. Oh yeah, and Albert Einstein. (BooHoo!)

Our next stop was Cranium Command, which was new to mom and Ev. Once again, we walked right in. This was going great. Ev said she felt like she was getting the Guided Tour. She couldn’t believe it. This is such a great attraction. Ev thought it was "adorable." I think Mom was a little overwhelmed by all the stuff happening at once. But I just love the whole thing.

It was starting to get late, and I knew Mom wanted to see World Showcase, so we, uh, well, uh, we skipped Horizons. Please don’t hate me. I really do enjoy Horizons very much, but we only had one day, and we just couldn’t do everything. I feel so guilty about it, though. However, looking on the bright side, we’ll be going back in early October, and what are the chances Test Track will be open by then? Ha!! So I bet we’ll see Horizons again. In fact, it’ll be first on my EPCOT list.

We headed over to Mexico. The wheelchair-pushing was really starting to get to me. Not my back or my legs, but my hands, strangely enough. It was difficult to turn the thing. It wasn’t too bad going straight, but Disney just doesn’t have straight paths between attractions. There’s always some kind of curve or twist. So Mike took over for awhile and I rested my hands.

We entered the Mexican pavilion, and I was impressed once again by how lovely it is. We walked right on to El Rio del Tiempo. I gave those merchants in the marketplace scene an air-slap as we drifted by. Ev said she expected them to come out of the wooden door that’s just past the movie screens, to continue their sales pitch.

We all wanted to browse a little after the boat ride, so we split up. I went into the beautful shop on the left side of the plaza and asked for our RADPer CM friend, Alison. I was determined to meet someone from r.a.d.p. I had been walking around with my RADPin on for days, and hadn’t met anybody. (And where were you, Jim Pertierra? I looked and looked, but no luck.) The CM behind the counter was kind enough to call Alison for me, and she came out in a couple of minutes to meet me. She even put on her uniform jacket so she would look real official. I was very impressed. (Hi, Alison!) It was so nice to meet a RADPer live and in person. I introduced her to Mike and Jill, and we had a little discussion about the CM costumes. I just love the ladies’ Mexican dresses. Thanks for a Magical Moment, Alison!

All this Alison talk reminds me that Evelyn kept commenting throughout the day how much Jill reminded her of her sister, Allison.

****We interrupt your regularly scheduled trip report to bring you a shameless plug from your sponsor. Anyone who would be offended by blatant advertising in a Disney trip report is asked to refrain from reading the following paragraph.****

(Ahem!) My cousin, Allison Smith, is an actress. She played Annie on Broadway for a very long time. Longer than any other actress, I believe. She played Jane Curtin’s daughter on "Kate and Allie." She recently had a short-lived series on ABC called "Spy Game."

Yes, folks, she was actually cancelled by a Disney-owned network! But I forgive them. She just finished filming an episode of "Michael Hayes" with David Caruso. She had to dye her hair again so it wouldn’t be the same color as his. She recently got another pilot for an hour-long comedy/drama. I have no idea what the premise is. Probably a twenty-something thing like "Melrose Place" or "90210." Anyway, if you see her name in something, please watch it. At least once. Even if it’s not on a Disney-owned network. I like my relatives to eat and have a roof over their heads, OK?

****We now return you to your regularly scheduled trip report.****

So, we did some shopping in Mexico. They had some beautiful, Easter egg -colored pottery. Ev bought little painted wooden carvings of a turtle and a frog. Jill got a keychain that looks like a Mexican hat.

We walked outside to the cantina, where I just had to try the watermelon juice. It was delicious. I had a couple of bites of Jill’s churro, as well. Wonderful. Ev got a Mexican beer. Mike wanted to wait until he got to Germany for that.

We moved on to Norway, where the line for Maelstrom was very long. We skipped it (sigh). We looked around the shop, and I got a photo of Jill with that big, ugly troll. What a nose! BTW, those Norwegian girls have the cleanest, shiniest skin I’ve ever seen. Do they even have any pores? They were promoting a new Norwegian perfume, which smelled wonderful. The scent was all over the pavilion.

Next came China, where we just did a little shopping. Jill got a keychain with a horse on it, because she was born in the year of the horse. Ev bought a little marble frog carving, and took a group picture of us.

Germany was next. Lots of good stuff here. Mke got a beer and a couple of pretzels for us to share. I bought those German animal crackers, which are so different from the American version. They have so many different kinds of animals in the bag, and they taste more like crackers than cookies. My mom and I each bought another kind of German cookie with chocolate. While we were sitting in the square, the big clock struck three, and the dolls came out of the little doors. A boy and a girl. Charming. Try to be at this pavilion on the hour to see the clock.

We headed over to Italy, where Rondo Veneziano was about to perform. What a delightful surprise! They came out in what looked like 18th century costumes, complete with powdered wigs. I should have known something was up when I saw one of the women wearing sunglasses with her wig, and the guy with the electric guitar. The music was classical, but modernized. It was really enjoyable, and very different.

Next, we made our one big mistake of the day: we went to see the American Adventure. We walked into the building near the end of the Voices of Liberty’s performance. They are really inspirational. We entered the beautiful theater and settled into the comfy seats to watch the show. And that’s when it happened: we all started to doze off. Mike said my mom was actually snoring. I can’t quite put my finger on the problem with this attraction. I think the building is magnificent, the preshow entertainment is awesome, and I even think the show is well-constructed. I especially like the Civil War section.

But it puts us to sleep every single time.

Mike suggests that you wear tight shoes and drink lots of coffee before entering this attraction. I have to agree. Maybe they could replace it with a live show, or, as Mike said, pick out a certain period in American history and do a show about it, instead of trying to cover all the bases in one program. It’s just too long.

Anyway, it was getting close to our dinnertime, so we passed by Japan and Morocco. We caught the backs of Aladdin and Jasmine’s heads as they were walking away. I guess we just missed a character greeting. I didn’t get to see the Crazy Moroccan People Flingers, as JT called them. Rats! Maybe next time.

We all wanted to go to the French pastry shop, even though we knew dinner was just around the corner. I suggested we buy things that would keep well, and save them for the morning. When we got to the shop, we experienced our longest line of the day. It’s a great idea to have counters on both sides of the shop, though. It really keeps the line moving.

I bought an apple turnover, an almond croissant, a chocolate croissant, and a Mickey-shaped cookie for Jill. What an imagination, huh? She goes into a French pastry shop and gets a plain sugar cookie. Evelyn bought a pyramid-shaped coconut macaroon, and my mom bought a croissant.

Ev just couldn’t wait to eat hers. She shared it with us, and it was heavenly. We walked over the bridge toward the UK, and we heard British Invasion, so we went in the back to see them. They were playing a Beatles’ song, but Ev pointed out that they looked more like the Monkees. That one guy really does look like Davy Jones. He waved to me as I took his picture. We enjoyed several songs, and then it was time for dinner.

Sometime during this performance, Mom had put her pastry bag under her arm while she was holding something else, and the bag had gotten flattened like a pancake, with her croissant still inside. I told her she now had a croissant matzoh. I wonder if she ever ate it.

We dropped off the wheelchair at the International Gateway, and walked to the Beach Club. We had PS at Cape May Cafe. We freshened up, and then admired the lobby. More great furniture. Lovely pinks and greens. I think I want to live in a hotel lobby.

We were seated immediately, at 5:45. The buffet was splendid. I think it was better this time than the first time we went there. I tried a little of almost everything. Beef tips, chicken parmigiana, fried shrimp, those terrific mashed potatoes. It was all very good. Jill had three more of those little hot dogs, and amused herself by drawing on the paper table covering, with Evelyn’s participation.

And that dessert bar! You must go and try the little chocolate balls. They’re to die for. We were all stuffed by the end of the meal. I also like the pretty decor at Cape May. The murals on the walls depict beach scenes from the turn of the century. There are croquet mallets and balls used as decoration, and sand castles, too. All very colorful. And the lighting is not harsh; it’s very soft and relaxing. ($108.66 for the five of us, with tax and tip, and worth every penny.)

We walked off dinner by going back to EPCOT. We picked up the wheelchair again and headed back toward the UK. We checked out The Toy Soldier, where Nana bought Jill a Tigger keychain. We loved the toy castle scene in the window, with the moving figures. Most of the shop is now devoted to Pooh and friends.

British Invasion were playing again. I found a nice bench across from the Rose and Crown, and decided to save it for Illuminations. Mom and Jill waited with me, and Mom told Jill lots of stories (mostly embarrassing) about my childhood. Jill kept saying, "Tell me another one!" Mike and Ev each went off to explore a little.

Off Kilter began to play nearby. I could hear them, but I was too tired to get up and walk over there. Mike went to watch them. He said one guy was wearing a backwards baseball cap and a leather jacket with his kilt. "Off Kilter kicks a**!" I agree. I enjoyed the sound.

Finally, it was time for Illuminations. Our view was partially blocked by some trees, but we still enjoyed the show. I like the parades better, though, I must confess. I do think the pavilions look magical with all the little lights.

We joined the masses and headed toward the main entrance. The crowds really had not been that bad the entire day. It was very windy and chilly, though, and we were all a little cold. Evelyn had a Jeep, so she and Mom were preparing themselves for a cold ride back to Palm Bay.

I dropped off the wheelchair, and got my Mickey Dollar. We walked Mom and Ev out to the tram pick-up, and said good-bye. Everybody had had a really good time. Mike, Jill, and I went to the bus stop, which was very crowded, but the buses just kept coming one after another, and it didn’t take long for us to get back to "Lixie Dandings," as I called it, which made Jill laugh.

This was our last night at the resort. I was starting to get sad already about leaving.

Sunday, 3/22

This is the FINAL installment. I promise. I really do have a life beyond the borders of TripReportLand. I just wish I could remember more details about it. Getting back to our story...Sunday was it. The last day. Oh, how I hate the last day at Disney.

The phone rang. The wake-up call. Well, I wasn't gonna be fooled again. I had had just about enough of dead air and crummy music. If they weren't gonna give me Mickey, then I wasn't gonna bother listening. I picked up the receiver, and promptly let it drop back down. I closed my eyes because I didn't want to face the last day.

A short time passed, and I gradually became aware of a sound. It was very faint...sort of a high-pitched voice...where *was* that coming from? OH MY GOD!!!! It was coming from the phone! I hadn't laid the receiver in the cradle properly, and the connection had never been broken. I picked up the receiver and put it to my ear...just in time to hear the END of Mickey's wake-up spiel. Waaaaaaaaaaaa!!! They had finally given me Mickey, and I had carelessly thrown him away. What a fool I was. (Gigantic Mouseketeer BooHoo!) Now I have to wait 'til October to be awakened by Mickey again.

(Sigh) Well, I was up, anyway. Somehow, we managed to get ourselves ready, and we dragged ourselves to the food court. One last bacon, egg and cheese biscuit. We also nibbled on the delicious croissants from Boulangerie Patisserie. We saved the apple turnover.

Back to the room for final preparations, and then we called Bell Services to pick up our luggage. The bellman was there within a couple of minutes. By then, it was 10:45, and I wanted nothing more than to lie down and take a nap. But since we only had the room for another 15 minutes, that was out of the question.

I had left a tip for the maid, who, BTW, must have been the most unimaginative maid at Disney World. Never once did she touch Jill's stuffed animals and do something creative with them. Jill had brought a Sorcerer Mickey doll from home, and she bought an Ewok and Lady (from "Lady and the Tramp") during the trip. We left them lying on the table each day, hoping they would be magically rearranged when we got back. But they never were. They were just lying there forlornly, untouched. That's what happens when you have great expectations, I guess.

So, off we went to walk around the resort a little and snap some pictures. We got to Ol' Man Island, and there were people swimming in the pool and relaxing in the hot tub. Oh, how I wanted to join them! We had never made it to the pool the whole trip, due to weather conditions and lack of time. I was sorely tempted to retrieve our swimsuits from the suitcases, but we really wanted to see Downtown Disney, and I didn't feel like lugging wet suits around after we swam.

We had decided to take the boat, because the only Disney transportation we had used during this trip was buses (and the "cattle car"). We waited at the dock. A lady and her daughter were attempting to feed the ducks in the water, but the seagulls had used their incredible radar to detect food from 10 miles away, and they were divebombing the area. It was like a scene from "The Birds."

The skipper showed up and rescued us from the scavengers. The boat only holds 24 people, but luckily it wasn't crowded. We sailed down the "Mighty" Sassagoula, stopping at PO, where we admired the sea serpent slide. That slide has freaked Jill out since she was three years old, and she never wants to stay at PO because of it.

We got to the Marketplace and headed for World of Disney. I bought a keychain for Jill's teacher, a gift for our neighbor, and some things just for us. This place has some fantastic decorations. The ceilings are all whimsically painted, and there are some huge characters hanging from the ceiling and otherwise being displayed throughout the store. My favorite is Alice in Wonderland near Plush Mountain. It's a fun atmosphere in which to shop.

Then we walked over to the Lego store. This place is an attraction in itself. There are incredible Lego creations all over the place. Fantasy dinosaurs, a sea serpent in the water, an old man sitting on a bench (snoring yet!), a spaceship, a guy with a camcorder, which is itself completely constructed of Legos, and an entire playground for the little ones. The colors are eye-popping. Bring your camera. There are some wonderful photo ops.

I wonder how they keep the figures from falling apart. The Legos must be secured with adhesive of some kind. How in the world did the artists figure out how to build these things? And just how many Legos are used? There must be millions of them. I kept thinking, they can't *really* be made of Legos, but it sure looked like they were.

They were having a contest to name the sea serpent in front of the store. So I came up with the name AL-LEGO-RY (Allegory). I thought it was appropriate for a mythical creature made of Legos.

We walked over to the Rainforest Cafe then to add our name to the waiting list. This would be our second time ever here.

The wait was an hour and ten minutes. We had planned it so that we would eat around 2:30. My legs were tired, so I told my hubby that I would sit and watch the parrots while he did some shopping. My daughter decided to wait with me. We very happily enjoyed their antics and learned a few parrot facts while we waited.

They called us to the elephant at 2:15, and then we waited a few more minutes inside. We were seated right next to one of the fish tanks. On our last visit, we were next to the gorillas. We enjoyed watching the beautiful fish. There was one that I called the Easter egg fish, because it was pink, yellow, and lavender.

We decided not to order an appetizer this time, because we knew the portions were huge. My daughter got the Three Amigos (mini hot dogs), hubby ordered the Plant Sandwich (portabello mushroom), and I got the Eyes of the Ocelot (meatloaf). Everything was delicious. My daughter polished off the three franks (no buns, thank you), and tried to eat all the chips. We helped her along. The chips were very good, with a barbecue flavor. My husband thoroughly enjoyed the large sandwich and the specialty fruit drink he ordered. I loved the meatloaf (especially with the caramelized onions), and the garlic mashed potatoes were yummy. The veggies were spicy and good.

Final bill (with tax and tip) was $46.00. We were all full. We enjoyed watching the elephants and experiencing the "thunderstorm." The bar stools are also a hoot to see. The gift shop has some beautful shirts. My husband was wearing his green polo with the frog mascot (Cha !Cha!). I joked that Tracy the talking tree was Grandmother Willow's sister.

We had a fun time, and I definitely recommend the restaurant for WDW visitors. Just be prepared for the wait, and put your name in well ahead of time. Then go browse in the shops or watch the parrots.

After our meal, we passed by Ghirardelli's, so Jill and I got ice cream cones. (We're never too full for ice cream.) Vanilla and Toasted Almond. Yummy.

We made our way to Pleasure Island, and then to the West Side. The first store we came to was Starabilias. There's some wonderful but very expensive stuff in there. We saw a $9000 jukebox and a 1940's Good Humor Ice Cream cart with bicycle attached for $7500. I took a picture of Mike and Jill in front of the Good Humor cart, because my grandfather used to sell Good Humor from a cart like that. The place was so full of merchandise that we didn't even go all the way in the store. It was too crowded to move. I sure hope they have some more reasonable items in there, or I can't see them staying in business very long.

We went into Magnetron, and I thought that place was great. So many cute magnets. The food magnets looked good enough to eat, and the ones with sound effects are a riot. There were lots of nostalgia items, too. I Love Lucy, the Beatles, etc. I was reluctant to leave.

The Virgin Megastore was indeed MEGA. I got a headache just looking at it. The Cirque du Soleil building seems enormous. I thought I was looking at the Georgia Dome. Disneyquest is huge, too.

I thought the Bongo's building was fantastic. The giant pineapple, the palm tree columns, the whimsical furniture. I loved the whole effect. And they were selling some very attractive tee shirts. I'm sorry I didn't buy one, because I really liked them.

House of Blues looks so old and decrepit, it's hard to believe it's new. They've done a fabulous job with the theming.

We looked in the window of the Candy Cauldron, and that was lots of fun, too. They've got large figures of the Queen/Witch from Snow White.

Wolfgang Puck's looked very interesting, too. Mike said he had a great meal there after his first meeting.

At 4:30, we caught the bus back to DxL, and relaxed in the Cotton Co-op Lounge until it was time for the Mears bus. When the bus arrived, it had huge Disney murals painted on the sides, even covering the windows. The window paint was actually on top of some kind of scrim, with tiny holes in it, so you couldn't see into the bus from outside, but you could see outside if you were sitting in the bus. This particular bus had a Little Mermaid mural on it. It was a moving billboard, and a very colorful one at that.

The Delta flight home was mostly uneventful, but just before takeoff, a man showed up with the same seat assignment as Jill. We were already in the seats, so he was out of luck. I don't know what they did for him, since the flight was full, but it just goes to show how important it is to check in early, and board the plane as soon as your row is called. Delta has become notorious for bumping people involuntarily.

That's all folks.

Hey, wake up out there! You're not at the American Adventure, y'know. : )

I want to thank all the nice RADPers who have posted their kind comments, and e-mailed me privately about this report. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. I haven't been able to reply to every one, but I want you to know that I am grateful for all your encouragement. I really don't know what motivated me to go into such detail with this thing, but once I got rolling, I couldn't stop.

Does anybody know what day it is? Jeez, I need some Tylenol.

Ronnie O'Rourke *TDC GRUMPY, EXTRAORDINARY PESSIMIST AND KEEPER OF ALL WORRIES*

JIROMI@aol.com

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