Trip Reports

Ryder Family Trip Report, 9th - 16th August 1998.

Prologue

This trip had been in the planning for over two years with various hotel reservations being made last August. Our hotel, the All Star Music resort(ASM) was booked via disney.com, with much less trouble than the hotel for our week in Baltimore prior to the Florida excursion. This was the second trip to Florida for Brendan and me, the first was in 1992 when we attended at conference on International Drive. Then we had a day at the Magic Kingdom and one at Epcot. The same trip we went to Los Angeles and had two days at Disneyland. In 1994 we visited Paris and made a day trip to EuroDisney (as it was then).

This is Jenny's first visit and I guess I built a lot of hopes and dreams around her. I organised a number of character meals in advance, and spend months planning an itinary, making sure that there were rest spots during the day as recommended on RADP. But...'the best laid plans of mice and men gang aft astray...'

Let me gloss over some of the gorier bits by saying that we are a normal family and certainly not all sweetness and light. Any paragraphs that allude to getting Jenny out of bed are usually peppered with threats, cajoling and an occasional fight over the bed clothes. Cranky means tears and the adults had a few sulks too. There were also tons and tons of hugs, kisses and cries of joy. I think it says something that Brendan's most persistant memories are of watching and delighting in the expressions on Jenny's face throughout the week.

Finally this report is not only being written for RADP but will in a slightly different form be used as the basis of a memory book for Jenny and for us. If it is too long for some, I apologise but I have always preferred the trip reports which give some background to the days, and which give the reader an enjoyment of others experiences. This report will also show how pandering to the preferences of a toddler gives an abbreviated and repetitive view of the parks, but we knew most of this in advance and we will wait until she is older before trying a more commando style approach to WDW.

The players are:

Helen Ryder (36) - author of this report and the Disney buff in our household. I am a nuclear medicine radiographer in a busy public hospital in Dublin Ireland and, boy, did I NEED this vacation!
Brendan Ryder (36) - draughtsman, surveyor, longsuffering husband and wonderfully generous, he 'put up' with a whole week of Disney for us...
Jenny Ryder (3) - very cute child with the cunning and temper of a cheeky kitten :-) and thanks to excellent training (exposure to videos, holiday planners, brainwashing...) as much a Disney nut as me!
Our finances don't allow us to visit the US very often so this was a 2-centre holiday, the first week 8/3 - 8/9 was to the World Science Fiction Convention in Baltimore, MD. We travelled there with our good friend Noreen, who shared a suite with us to cut costs. We are all science fiction fans, in fact Brendan and I met at a Star Trek Convention in England in 1980, so a trip to the Worldcon, especially an American one, was a great start to the vacation. Many of our friends from the UK and Ireland were there, and the week gave us a chance to catch up with North American friends whom we had met when they had visited Europe, and making new friends - a bit like RADP meetings!

Jenny is no stranger to SF conventions - her first one was at 6 weeks old, but whereas she usually tolerates them well the promise of WDW made her very impatient at this one, so I took her to the Disney store in Baltimore (The Gallery) to spend some of her pocket money - we had given her £1 per week to spend or save in the months prior to the trip, and her grandparents had given her some money too so she had about $70 of her own. She quickly spent a good proportion of it on a Tinkerbell outfit, costing about $50. She looked adorable in it once we were back at the hotel, and she had a great time 'sprinkling' everyone in pixie dust from Tink's wand I don't know why but she always gave me the role of Captain Hook...

I also bought our WDW passes in Baltimore, 5-day Park Hoppers, using my MKC card for them and also for Jenny's purchases. We decided on these passes since Brendan isn't a great swimmer, so we wouldn't be going to the water parks and neither of us are fans of nightclubs so Pleasure Island would be a waste. We decided to take a day out from the parks to shop and visit other resorts - this worked out well in the end. Actually the MKC card worked out well too, but I have to admit that sometimes I forgot to use it, or sometimes didn't realise that the card was valid for certain restaurants. This happened when I sneaked back to the Disney Store in Baltimore to buy a belated birthday present for Jenny, a little pearl necklace with a Pooh charm - I ignored the card even though I had to get out the credit card next to it!

DAY 0 (Sunday 8/9) - TRAVELLING TO FLORIDA

Brendan, Jenny and I flew to Orlando from Baltimore/Washington International Airport by US Air. It was fun trying to get to the airport. Our friend Noreen was staying on in Baltimore until the next day when she would be flying back to Ireland so she helped us down to the lobby of the hotel with our luggage - two suitcases, a childs' collapsable stroller, various camera cases and bags with toys and magazines to keep Jenny amused - not a great amount considering we were international tourists. The receptionist called for a taxi which arrived quite quickly, but then the problem started. Brendan and the driver loaded the trunk, but then were unable to close it. It would bang shut but then fly open again as the catch broke loose. They were a good 15 minutes at this game, with the hotel porter getting into it too, and Jenny and I sitting inside the cab, doors open, baking in the afternoon heat. Finally the driver said that it was okay, we were ready go. 'Great!' said Bren, testing the catch - and up it flew again! I certainly didn't want my dirty washing strewn across three lanes of a Baltimore highway so I put my foot down - get us another cab!

A second cab arrived in minutes but again the trunk was very full - not surprising since it was already half-full with the driver's personal effects - but this guy had two elastic ties to secure the lid over the luggage and off we went. It wasn't a long trip to the airport and we had plenty of time - Brendan hates travelling with me because I get hyper about making sure we are on time ('Do you have the passports?','Is this the right terminal?', 'Bren, get a move on, our plane is leaving in 10 hours....!') so we always have plenty of leeway on our departure times. I much rather sit for 2 hours in the terminal, knowing we are safely there, than fuming and fretting in traffic.

Check in was fine, though because our BWI to MCO tickets were issued in Ireland we couldn't use the skycaps service. They let us gatecheck the stroller, and we made our way through security to the gates. Here it got weird - normally I am fine going through the scanner and Bren gets stopped because of the thick jangle of keys he carries. I get to be the one who has the body search this time, even though the most metal I am wearing is my watch, some rings and the clips on my bra! Sensitive things, aren't they? Meanwhile Jenny's walkman and our laptop computer went through with no comment.

The plane left the stand just a few minutes late after 8pm, and we were due to arrive at MCO at 10.05pm. The flight was fine, no turbulance, but I started to spot some lightning from the window about 30 minutes before landing - it didn't seem to delay us. I had hoped that Jenny would sleep on the plane but no such luck - now we were (finally) on the way to her beloved 'Mickeyland' she wasn't going to miss a moment of it! I was a bit concerned because we had a 10am Priority Seating the next day and I didn't want her too tired, but well, that's kids. During landing I could see plenty of lights but couldn't see what I really wanted to see - WDW!

Down safely, we retrieved the stroller (BTW, in Ireland we tend to call a stroller a 'buggy' - I got severely corrected by my daughter when I initially used the US term, though by the end of the week SHE was asking for her 'stroller'!) and headed to the rail for the journey to the main terminal. At this point I remembered a RADP thread, 'When do you feel you are REALLY at WDW?', and listened out for the instructions to keep away from the doors. The magic didn't click in till later though.

Jenny had remained in the stroller so when we disembarked we used the elevator to get down to the baggage reclaim. I looked around for our driver from Tiffany Town Cars but didn't see him, though other names were up on boards. We decided to look for our baggage on the carousel and worry about that later, but we didn't have to wait for long. Brian, our driver, had been waiting at the bottom of the escalators but since we had used the elevator we had missed each other. I was delighted to find that Brian came from the Wirral, an area in the north of England. Although I am married to an Irishman and am resident there I am originally from Yorkshire, England and somehow seemed very reassured (though an American would have been equally as welcome). All our cases were retrieved and we headed to the car.

Wow! What a car! I was expecting something long and sleek but was VERY impressed by the limousine - no keys, electronic doorkey pads, LED display on the dashboard, GPS locator and electronic maps. Apparently most of the TTC fleet are top of the range vehicles, 1 -2 years old. The ride was extremely smooth and we grinned with delight as we saw all the neon signs and billboards - Terminator at Universal, Wet 'n' Wild, Sea World - we weren't going to be visiting these places but it made it all the more real somehow. We chatted to Brian during the drive - he has been in the States for 2 years now and has worked for TTC for about 9 months. I mentioned that I had tried to book with Florida Town Cars some months previously but had been unhappy with the lack of response to my reservation request and so had cancelled via email and booked with TTC instead. Brian had done some work for JC Edwards and FTC at one stage and passed on his opinion of the company. (There was an update of our abortive booking during our week at WDW - see later)

The drive to the All Star Music resort took about 25 minutes, and after only 15 minutes Jenny keeled over with exhaustion. Poor thing, she had been so excited and just couldn't stay awake to see our arrival! We unloaded her stroller first and popped her in it, then got the bags. The luggage services were brilliant! They came across to the car immediately -'Are you checking in, madam? We'll get these to your room right away. You don't know which building you are in? Don't worry, it will be on our computer', and off they went!

We went to check in, not a long wait as it turned out. The CM was fine and I was delighted to find that we were in Calypso, Building 10, as we requested. I bought an E-Ride ticket for myself for the Tuesday night - Brendan doesn't like rollercoasters so he volunteered to look after Jenny that night. We were offered the option of charging on our room cards but we declined - I figured that we had our credit cards easily available and anyway I had heard of some people checking their bill at the end of their stay to find that they had double charges on their bill. As I had requested express checkout it didn't seem worthwhile. We picked up some park maps for Epcot and MGM, which is what I had planned for the next day, then we were so hungry and thirsty we headed straight for the Food Court for Cokes, bagels and cheese. I bought two refillable mugs - I reasoned that it wouldn't be worthwhile to get one for Jenny as she could always share mine. I had told Brendan about them in advance but I don't think he had realised what refillable meant in Disney terms - he was delighted to find that he could hit the beverage counter whenever he wanted!

Before heading to the room I visited Maestro Mickey's, the resort shop, where we picked up some milk for Jenny's bottle (at 3 she still likes the reassurance of a bottle at bedtime and in the morning) and also got an autograph book and pen for the character breakfast the next day. We exited the rear of Melody Hall and were greeted with the benign warmth of the Florida night and the sounds of music, laughter and splashing from the area of the guitar pool. It looked wonderful, very inviting, and I knew that Jenny would be thrilled to see it the next day.

Calypso is only a few minutes away from Melody Hall and our room, 0640, was on the third floor to the rear of the building. I noticed a building site some distance behind us though I didn't immediately recognise that it was the new AS Movie resort. It looks to be in the advanced stages of building, as we would hear over the week when we left our room during the day. The room was extremely cool on first entering but we soon got used to it. My priority was to get Jenny ready and settled into bed, do some basic unpacking for the next day then - sleep!

Before we turned in for the night I used the phone to set a wake up call for 7.05 am. Mickey, don't be late!

DAY 1 - (MONDAY 8/10) - EPCOT AND MGM STUDIOS

The phone is ringing - why is the phone ringing? Who would be calling me at this time of the morning? Oh well, pick it up and find out. Mickey? Oh hi, Mickey, yes I'll get up in a minute. Just a minute.

Mickey!

Well, maybe the wake up call wasn't quite such a revelation, but I did get up and into the shower FAIRLY quickly. Getting the other two members of the family out of bed was a different proposition.

'Jenny, Mickey called.' Grunt. 'Come on sweetheart - who's going to have a birthday breakfast with him?' Uurgh. 'Come darling, he'll be so disappointed if you are late.' Wraagh, no!, grunt. A flick of the sheets and a lump disappears under the bedclothes.

Bren wasn't quite so bad, and I finally managed to get 'Tink' to wake with a warm bottle of milk and by switching the TV onto the Disney Channel.

Getting everything ready each morning was a performance, putting on the suncream (to save our soft Irish skins - factor 16 for us, factor 30 for Jenny), packing the cool bag with the creams, tissues, spare camera film, cool bottles of water from the fridge, fitting everything into the little basket under the stroller. We had bought a spray/fan in Baltimore but by the end of the week we found it rather cumbersome, and I had become tired of being 'spritzed' all the time, so we just brought the fan attatchment leaving the bottle in the room. Hats for everyone, though my chic straw looked a little worse for wear from the suitcase.

We aimed for the Food Court as Bren insisted that he wouldn't be able to survive until 10am without food, so a mug of coffee and a bagel later we were on our way to the Epcot bus stop, delighted to find that a bus was at the stand already. Our experience with the park buses was very positive all week, we usually got on the bus okay, only on the early entry day to the MK was the bus too full to take us, and we had to wait for another - but more on that later.

The fascinating thing about travelling on the Disney buses is trying to catch sight of the other parks and resorts on the way. Coronado Springs, pointing out to Jenny the Earful Tower and 'the big silver ball', trying to see what Dixie Landings looked like from the road - all these places I had read abour on RADP and had waited so long to see. What you have imagined and what a place really looks like can be so different.

Once at Epcot I was like a stormtrooper - no, we go PAST Spaceship Earth, we'll ride that later; here, go right, that's Innoventions, its just a video game hall; there we are, straight ahead, that's The Land! We went straight in, parking the stroller in the shade outside.

The Land Pavilion was EMPTY! It was shortly after 9am, so I knew everyone would have made straight for HISTA or Body Wars, but I didn't expect such silence. I could see people going into the Garden Grille for the CB, but I felt almost embarrassed as we approached the CMs at Living with the Land. I think they were pleased to see us and get some 'business'. The girl who drove our pontoon boat (I am blessed with an infamous memory - remember faces, forget names) made it very cosy and of course we were able to ask more detailed questions through the ride. I remembered the ride with pleasure from our last trip in 1992 but I had heard that they added a thunderstorm at the beginning, so I held tightly on to Jenny, whispering reassurances that it was all make believe. She relaxed a little once we were past that, and we pointed out all the features of the ride - chickens, fruits, and the vegetables growing in the labs. Bren is a space buff and was interested in the NASA experiments especially anything to do with the future space station.

After we disembarked we headed to Food Rocks but the show wasn't due to start for a while so we browsed through the shop next to it. Jenny was thrilled to see Lion King toys but didn't make a big fuss as we pointed out that we could look around at the 'big shop' where they had a bigger selection of toys for her to spend her money on. The 'big shop' was to loom large over the next day or so, because I planned to visit Downtown Disney and the World of Disney on Wednesday morning to avail of my MKC card discounts for souvenir and present shopping.

Okay, time for Food Rocks, and again we were the only people in the theatre. Isn't it LOUD!! Bren and I really enjoyed it, especially Pita Gabriel, but the theme of the show went over Jenny's head, and the gruesome green moldies frightened her. 'I want to go now mummy.' 'Okay sweetheart, it is nearly over' Fortunately it was, but it was only 9.40am and our priority seating wasn't until 10am. I didn't want to go see Circle of Life as we would then miss our time but the queues didn't look long at the Garden Grille - oh heck, let's check in now!

There was no problem, they could seat us almost immediately and I confirmed with them our vegetarianism, celebrating Jenny's birthday and the possibility of bringing out the little present I had bought her as a surprise. Our table was on the upper deck of the restaurant so we saw very little of LwtL ride as we circulated very slowly. From the first Jenny was very excited and dying to see Mickey and Minnie. Rick our server introduced himself and I reminded him of our food preferences, and Brendan distracted Jenny whilst I slipped him the present to hide until later. As always Jenny absorbed herself in colouring the children's papermats supplied.

One aside here - whereas in Ireland childrens' highchairs are readily available in restaurants, booster seats for toddlers aren't. I was very impressed by the fact that every restaurant we visited in the US, Disney or not, including the food courts, had these booster seats for that inbetween age.

Our first visit by a character arrived quickly when one of the chipmunks appeared by Jenny. I thnk I was holding my breath here - would all my preparation be in vain. No fear, Jenny was not in the least intimidated and it was big hugs all around :-) Out came the camera and on with the photographs! BTW, the camera got a lot of comments throughout our trip, because it is a FisherPrice childrens 35mm camera with binocular vision, side grips for little hands, a simple press button to charge the flash for up to three minutes, manual wind-on and simple exposure button. We got the camera as a gift for Jenny's birthday in July and she loves using it. I shared it on this trip but Jenny took quite a few creditable photographs. Brendan has a 35mm SLR.

Dale wrote his name on Jenny's place mat (which she promptly scribbled over - mom, get out the autograph book) so I made a mental note - Dale has a big red/brown nose and teeth spaced apart. Fine, file that away. Next came Mickey who did the honours and then Chip (chocolate chip nose, teeth together), who took a fancy to Jenny's RADP pin - and mine and Brendan's! After he had pinned then all onto his neckchief he casually sauntered off, leaving Jenny screaming with laughter. Of course, chipmunks are only mischievous, so he returned the pins with a definite (silent) chuckle. Later in the meal Dale sat down in Jenny's seat and proceeded to drink her orange juice - Bren got a great shot on the camera. Finally the one Jenny had been really dying to see arrived - Minnie. She was ever so sweet, lots of hugs and kisses from and for all. I liked the blue check gingham dress, I think it suited her better than the red one she usually has.

In the middle of all this the breakfast arrived with the most delicious cinnamon fried toast, fabulous eggs with three cheeses and Brendan has raved about the fried potatoes with cornflakes ever since. Washed down with gallons of orange juice then coffee we voted it a great start to the day. However - Jenny is the plainest eater possible, and apart from a few nibbles of a sweet roll wouldn't eat anything. I wasn't too worried as she had eaten part of a bagel earlier on and she got the value of the meal in meeting the characters.

Rick was an excellent host, he reminded me of David Doyle who used to play Bosley in 'Charlie's Angels'. When it was time he led the other servers in a chorus of Happy Birthday for Jenny, with a presentation of a cake, a card signed by Mickey et al., and of course the little 'present from Mickey'. Jenny was thrilled and I felt it was a great start to the week. BTW I had heard that diners got a straw hat to wear and keep, but thee was no sign of them. Was this discontinued or is it only for lunch or dinner.

When we left the restaurant we say that the pavilion was starting to get busy, with lines forming at LwtL. I decided that we would finish here with a visit the The Circle of Life. The Lion King is one of Jenny's favourite films and she really enjoyed this presentation.

After we left The Land and retrieved the stroller I was all set to head towards World Showcase and Mexico because I wanted to meet Donald and ride Rio del Tiempo (we had missed this pavilion on our last visit) but Jenny surprised be by insisting that she wanted to return to the hotel. It turned out that she wanted to swim. She has always loved the water and I had promised her a swim in our hotel in Baltimore but that pool had turned out to be freezing and we could only last a few minutes before our teeth started to chatter. Okay, I had planned to leave the park before noon anyway so that we could take a midday rest as recommended, so we headed to the buses and back to the hotel.

The swim was a great success. In Calypso we were only a few steps away from the guitar pool, with its smaller childrens pool. We all went in the water, though Brendan isn't a swimmer, and Jenny took turns with us, back and forth between the two pools. We must have spent a full hour in the water but I then insisted that we all got some rest as we had travelled the day before. I dried Jenny and myself and we went back to the room whilst Bren picked up some lunch for us which we ate in the room. He settled on the bed with Jenny to rest and watch TV but I had a job to do first, so off I trotted to the laundry from our first week in Baltimore. A tip here, I armoured myself with a book and my ASM mug, and had very relaxing time to myself, sitting on the veranda of the laundry room. If you are a busy parent I am sure you realise what a luxury that is.

I rejoined Bren and Jenny for a rest, and a few hours later we woke, very refreshed and got ready to head back to the parks. Because Monday was an early entry day for the MK I decided to avoid it and we caught the bus to MGM Studios. We hadn't made it to this park on our visit in '92 so it was all new to us, though I had researched it on RADP. Jenny loves the Little Mermaid so we decided to start there and made the 5.20 show, walking straight in. Jenny has been to the cinema before but is not that familiar with the surroundings so she sat on my knee. We loved the start of the show, mixing the film and live action, and the 'downpour' and the bubbles distracted her totally then - disaster! Ursula is big, and loud, and scary! I was enveloped in a death grip, reassuring a terrified tot. I have to say that I don't think Disney takes enough thought that some of their tiny guests cannot distinguish fantasy from fact. They may love the film in the comfort of their own home, repeating it ad nauseum on the video, but this was larger than life and very intimidating. Saying that I thought that the whole piece was superb.

Once outside Jenny was immediately distracted by the VOTLM shop. By this time she was dying to get another costume, and I was trying to restrain her, wanting to wait for DVM and using my MKC card. I had begun to realise what a nightmare of retailing WDW is especially for parents. Time for icecream and to cool down. We wandered away from this area in the general direction of the Beauty and the Beast theatre where the next performance was due at 6.15, Bren eating a Hercules bar and I had a Mickey ice cream which Jenny shared. We walked straight into the theatre and into seats some distance from the stage but with a good view. The fan was very useful during this show, where the ceiling-mounted airconditioning was of limited value.

Beauty and the Beast was a great success. Jenny wasn't born when the film originally came out on video so she has only seen the original film once, but she has the Enchanted Christmas video and also the storybook so she was very familiar with all the characters. The staging was beautiful and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Jenny got so involved that during the fight scene at the castle Jenny started shouting, 'Come on Beast, get him!', to the amusement of everyone around.

Jenny deserved a good runaround at this stage so we headed over to the 'Honey I Shrunk The Kids playground. I somehow expected this area to be larger, I felt quite claustrophobic though in reality it wasn't as crowded as I was led to believe in RADP reports. It was hot and sticky though and the showers from the burst pipe wasn't as cooling as I hoped - I just felt more sticky! Jenny had us sliding and climbing and jumping with her. I stood back and let Bren do most of the slides - I can do rollercoasters but slides scare me!

We got Jen out of the playground with the promise of a return another day and we relaxed with a coke and popcorn at Studio catering. Bren loves the Muppets, so we decided that Muppetvision 3D would be our next port of call but when we came to leave the cafe the quick way through New York Street was shut because of the impending fireworks. Ah well, we walked the whole way round and made the last showing of M3D with time to spare. The preshow is a hoot! The story jumps around the television sets making it real fun to follow, and the LED message board is very witty too - you are spoilt for choice for entertainment. Time up, and we were led into the theatre - and sat there. It must have been nearly ten minutes before the show started and the cast members were apologetic, saying it was a hitch with the projector. This was Jenny's first experience of 3D and she had fun with the glasses. The show started well, Jenny loved the bubbles (again) and recognised the scene with Honeydew and Bunsen from the WDW-CDRom. Suddenly things changed. At first I thought it was just me - I was wearing my 3D glasses over my own spectacles, and the 3D ones were a pair where on side had broken - but then Bren started to fidget. Yes, one of the projectors had broken and we lost the 3D effect. Off came the glasses and we watched the rest of the film in 2D. Apologies were again forthcoming at the end of the show, but we shrugged and decided we would have to come back another day.

Because of the delay in starting the show, Sorcery in the Sky was already underway when we left Muppet3D, so we collected the stroller and made our way out of the park, watching what remained of the fireworks over the buildings. Jenny's attention was caught by the street sellers and she had to have the Minnie fibreoptic torch. It was a lovely reminder of her first day at a Disney park and she used it again and again during the week.

Back to ASM, and the food court was still open. Jenny and I changed into our swimming gear and dashed for the pool whilst Brendan organised a late supper for when we returned to our room. I managed to get Jenny out by 11.30pm, dried her off and then we all enjoyed pasta and vegetable lasagne in bed!

DAY 2 (TUESDAY 8/11) - MAGIC KINGDOM

Today was the day when everything seemed to go wrong, and caused us to revise our strategy for the remainder of the week. If you have very young children, read and learn from our mistakes!

Mickey woke us again this morning. We were lucky all week, we always got his personal call from the Mouse. Jenny was very tires and cranky, poor thing, so Bren picked up some breakfast from the Food Court while I tried to dress her. I planned to be at the entrance to Fantasyland for the rope drop and the Dumbo dash, because I REALLY didn't want to spend ages queuing for a two-minute fairground ride. We caught the bus to the MK, Jenny snuggled on my lap trying to get a few more minutes sleep. I felt awfully cruel but genuinely thought that she would rally.

My haste caused us to arrive at the main gate at 8.15, when the only people entering the park were the lucky ones heading to Cinderella Castle for breakfast. Jenny started to complain that the sun was too strong so we sat her in the stroller with her sunshade umbrella open, and tried to block out the direct sunlight. She also wanted to be picked up and carried - I should explain at this point that at only three years old she is already 3foot 2 inches tall, and though she hasn't got a spare inch of fat on her she is very heavy. I have a slipped disc which was triggered five years ago and still get pain from time to time, so have to be careful what I lift. You can't always resist a pleading child so I gave in more often than I should. Bren sometimes carries her on his shoulders but this gives him pins and needles down his arms. If you saw two very heartless parents refusing to jold their child during this week, that's us!

The gates opened at 8.30 and we started to walk down the shady side of Main Street but Jenny started to cry bitterly. We stopped at a bench and I got her out of the stroller. Her right eye was watering and red and she was screaming that it hurt. It looked bad, and we agreed that we would go straight back to the hotel. 'No I want to go on Dumbo!' cried Jenny. NOW what should we do? After cleaning the eye it seemed to help her so we decided to risk one ride on Dumbo and then play it by ear - at the first sign of problems we would leave.

We headed up to the castle where the rope was still up. Jenny started to dance around - oops, restroom time! But we are under Cinderella castle! At 8.55am! I asked a CM at the entrance to the restaurant where the nearest restroom was. 'Up thirtyone steps,' I was told. O-kaaay, risk-the-back time, we made a quick sprint up the spiral steps in the castle, back down (wave at Fairy Godmother, Jenny) and we STILL made rope drop.

Cast members slowed the rush to Dumbo, but we were amongst the first riders. I told Brendan to hang back further down the queue, so Jenny and I rode first. She loved it, and flew the elephant high, which became a running joke as 'silly Daddy didn't like to go high! (Giggle)'. We hopped off, and I lifted her over the railings for daddy's turn. The excitement had distracted Jenny so we let her decide what she wanted to do next and so we went straight on the caroussel (oh, what a surprise) and mummy had to go on the smallest horse.

Peter Pan was next. I LOVE this ride, I have been on it at three parks now and just the thrill of flying over London. The queue was about 10 minutes long and Jenny was intrigued by the pirate ships, not quite believing that we would be riding in one. It was very different from the other rides she had experienced but she loved it. Next was The Legend of the Lion King, Jenny's favourite film and certainly a hit in this case. The preshow surprised me - I had seen clips of the show on the CDRom but didn't realise that there was live action involved. Once again, the main show was rather loud but that didn't upset Jenny, who adores this film. The number of times Bren and I have had to play Mufasa and Sarabi to her Simba... Now we were on a roll. Jenny hadn't mentioned her eye since early morning, so we decided to keep going. Brendan didn't mention it to me at the time but he had started to develop a blister the previous day. I had packed moleskin which I was using on my heels as a precautionary measure (it worked, my feet were fine all week) so I gave some to Bren. I think his was too far along though, and it caused him to limp for a few days.

Off to Mickey's ToonTown Fair (MTTF) and something I had been looking forward to - Goofy's Barnstormer! Jenny is a daredevil and I was really keen to see if she wanted to try this. She just made the age requirement and was well over the height needed. I let her watch for a few minutes to see if it would be too intense for her, but no, she still wanted to try it. Dad was sent off to rest his weary feet in the shade. Brendan on a rollercoaster? You must be joking. I like my husband to be in a GOOD mood all day :-)

There was no queue so we ran through to the loading area and were put under a set of wings (Jenny's favourite spot). I put my left arm protectively round her and off we went! Wow, it may be only 60 secs, but WHAT a minute! It was one of the yippiest coasters I have been on and we were laughing and screaming throughout. As we slowed and pulled into the load area again I asked Jenny if she liked it.

'Again, again!' (Sorry, you have to be a Tellytubbies fan to get that reference)

There were only a few people waiting to load so the CM said we could stay where we were. Yes! After the next ride I insisted that we had to go back to her daddy, who had been watching us. 'Did you like it Jenny?' he asked. 'We are going on again!' she enthused. I shrugged my shoulders and we were off again except - Jenny wouldn't let me hold her and yep, she bumped her head. We came off the ride and she was crying. Someone behind me sympathised, obviously assuming that she had been frightened, and I had to say no, she loves it really!

The crying seemed to trigger Jenny's eye problem again so I figured it was time for a break and we headed back in the direction of Fantasyland and Pinnochio's Village Haus. It was just before 11am so there was no service but we picked up some drinks and a shaved ice at one of the outside stalls. By this time Brendan's toe was really hurting and Jenny, though better in the cool air, was very tired. She had also remembered about the costume she wanted to get and started complaining that she wanted to buy it NOW! I figured it was time to return to the hotel for a long rest, so I promised we would buy it the next morning. Children of three still have no true concept of yesterday, today and tomorrow - she was NOT going to be fobbed off. I suppose in retrospect I should have forgotten about the MKC card and bought it in the Main Street Emporium but I was starting to get a headache and couldn't think straight. I was determined to get some benefit from the card, so we gave in and said that we would go to the 'big shop' now.

Before leaving the MK we called into the First Aid centre, a haven of peace. We weren't the only people there but we were seen very quickly. The nurse thought that the eye inflammation could be due to some sun lotion getting into it so she rewiped the eye and gave me a bag of moist sterile swabs for further use. She recommended the Centra-care medical centres if we still felt unhappy about it by the evening. We also got some plasters for Bren's blister but I felt that two invalids in the family was enough and so I didn't ask for any headache tablets at that stage - a big mistake.

By the time we got out of the park Jenny was fast asleep in the stroller. Knowing our daughter we reasoned that if she woke up back at the hotel without her dress she would really create a scene so we decided to continue to the Disney Village Marketplace. We could pick up lunch there and she was sure to be awake within the hour.

The monorail was fun but the queue for the buses at the TTC was not. I really pity those people who get shuttles from outside hotels, their collection points were so exposed. The DD bus was very crowded, especially with a sleeping child in my arms, and it is also the bus for Typhoon Lagoon. I tried to distract myself from the headache by following our journey but the long distances between parts of Disney property became very apparent during that bus ride.

Jenny woke up soon after our arrival in DVM and we headed straight for the World of Disney. My first impression of DVM is how bright the area seems and that apart from the stores there is very little shelter from the sun. Inside the Disney shop we were stunned at the size of the place and the array of goods there. The first port of call was the children's section and the princess costumes. 'I want this - no, I want this!' Getting Jenny to make her mind up was a distinct problem with such a choice, and we finally whittled it down to Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty or the Little Mermaid. I was happy that she chose the lovely Cinderella dress as she would be wearing it for breakfast at Cinderella Castle later in the week. At $55 it was more than she had left of her spending money but we had realised this and decided we would spoil her a little this week, so we made up the difference and also bought a pretty Cinderella handbag to match.

Since we were there we decided to go ahead and do the souvenir and present shopping that I had planned for Wednesday morning. We made our life easier by buying t-shirts for all the nephews and nieces and knick-knacks like fridge magnets for the older folks. I also wanted to get boxes of biscuits for workplaces and Jenny's Montessori school and some Minnie and Goofy pasta for Jenny herself (the pasta queen of Dublin). We arranged for most of the items to be sent to the hotel - I was amazed at the amount of paperwork required for this - but we kept the Cinderella dress as Jenny couldn't bear to be parted from it and because foodstuffs might be affected by delays we were told to keep the biscuits etc with us. I also asked about the headache tablets and was told that the Gourmet Pantry probably stocked them.

Food was foremost on our minds and we looked at our map of Downtown Disney. We didn't want anything big so I suggested Wolfgang Puck Express, near the Gourmet Pantry, so that I could kill two birds with one stone. Brendan was complaining that we had done the one thing we had said we wouldn't, and that was stay out in the midday heat - his temper was starting to fray and his energy was almost totally gone. At Wolfgang Puck we were frustrated to find that the only tables available we outside with no airconditioned comfort but we were too tired to move any further. He sat on one of the benches whilst I got the lunch - pasta for Jenny and a 3-cheese pizza for us plus sodas and orange juice. They cook to order so I stood there, head pounding, feeling sicker and sicker - this wasn't a headache, this was a full-blown migraine... The only cure for this is medication and sleep, but that wasn't going to come soon. I paid for the food, practically threw it on the table in front of Bren and dashed to the Gourmet Pantry. 'Save my sanity!' I pleaded, and I was swiftly directed to the medication section.

I made my way back to Bren and Jenny to find Jenny needed the bathroom. I looked at the bottle in my hands, then sighed at took Jenny by the hand. Poor love, she had no idea why her mommy was sobbing quietly. The rest of the lunch is almost a blur. I ate because I knew I had to after taking the Advil, but stumbled onto the bus and can remember the gorgeous cool of our room back at ASM. All three of us tumbled into the beds with relief.

That rest was the best thing in the world for us. When we woke at 4pm we felt so refreshed. Bren and I talked and we revised our plans - I had noted that we would visit the Animal Kingdom this afternoon but after reading on the newsgroup that there was very little shelter in this park I wasn't going to risk a repeat of the morning. Besides, I had a ticket for the E-night at the Magic Kingdom and didn't want to do a lot of park hopping so... back to the MK it was. I took another tablet as a precaution, we picked up some rolls at the food court and set off for the buses.

The first thing I did when we entered the MK was to change my ticket for a wristband. I was going to be solo because Brendan had volunteered to look after Jenny and take her swimming whilst I did the big rides. We noticed that a lot of characters were out amd about in the Town Square - Eeyore, Goofy, Chip and Dale and Pluto. The line for Eeyore was the shortest and he was very cute and friendly. We had just started to queue to see Pluto when they took a water break, so we headed up Main Street to Adventureland.

I was really keen to see the new Tiki room so that was our first stop, but the show had just started so we got some ices and sat at the tables nearby. Remembering the recommendations about the citrus swirl I ordered one of those and also a chocolate and vanilla yoghurt twist. I enjoyed both but I am a chocolate fiend so the twist grabbed me. Actually I found during the week that I enjoyed the frozen yoghurts more than the genuine ice creams.

We all thoroughly enjoyed the Tiki Birds. I remember it from '92 but I feel that the interplay between Zazu and Iago livened it considerably especialy for the young children who can identify with these characters. Jenny laughed a lot but was worried a little when Iago got his just desserts from the Tiki goddess!

It was now getting dark and nearly 9pm, so we headed towards Frontierland. As we passed the Pirata y Perico I realised that this was the point where the Spectromagic parade would exit, so we staked out a spot where the paths crossed. All through the trip we had carried a water bottle which I filled with ice from the machine at the hotel before each excursion, refilling from the water fountains. We had to make three or four trips for refills during the wait, we were so thirsty.

The humour of the waiting crowd was great except for one incident as the parade reached us.One guy with a video camera insisted on standing by a wall on the wrong side of the ropes and ignored CM instructions to get behind the ropes. After reinforcements arrived to assist in crowd control he and his embarrased wife were finally escorted away and I presumed out of the park.

I cannot describe how beautiful I thought Spetromagic was. The lights, the colours, the music. I have been singing that music the whole time since I got home. Jenny bounced between our arms pointing out her favourite characters and flms, waving and cheering the whole time. I had a moments trepidation when I saw the Balrog approaching but was relieved when Jenny shouted, 'Look mummy, it's Batman!' The mechanics involved in that figure alone must be tremendous.

The parade over, we headed to the Jungle Cruise. Brendan had very few things he really wanted to see during the week but this was one of them. I expected to see a queue but there was only one boat partially loaded. We were waved aboard with another family, and the pilot was pleased that she would have a full boat. She was very good, acting her lines not delivering them and raising quite a few laughs. That helped Jenny who I felt was a little nervous, though she denied it. As we finished the ride we heard some cracks and saw fireworks bursting over the trees - were we destined never to see the fireworks at the parks?

It was time for E-ticket but Jenny didn't want me to go. I walked back to the hub with them but straggled behind as we neared the crowds. Bren gave me a quick grin and a wave and motioned for me to leave, so I turned and headed back to Frontierland and Splash Mountain.

There has been talk on the newsgroup about how busy the E-ride nights are getting mre and more crowded. Well the line at Splash Mountain was 30 minutes long. In a way I was pleased because it did move fairly easily and I was able to gaze at all the things that I missed on my last trip because I was so scared! I took this attitude with the ride as well - I screamed at the drops but enjoyed the details. I especially like when you come out into the air the first time, and seeing all the lights over the MK. The ride itself took longer than I expected - I guess I am not used to the care that Disney take in making their 'rides' into 'attractions'. Of course I had to get my photo to prove I had survived, so I had that sent to my room so I wouldn't spoil it on the other rides.

Big Thunder Mountain was next, with only a 10 minute wait. I enjoyed this but I felt a little jolted afterwards. I guess I was still tired after the migraine as it always leaves me feeling a little drained. I headed over to Tomorrowland, picking up a Mickey icecream sandwich on the way.

Space Mountain - my favourite ride in '92. Then I had had the opportunity to ride both at WDW and DL in less thant 10 days. I know that a lot of people prefer the one at DL even without the new music, but I like the rockets at WDW where you fly solo ie. in a line. It personalises it for me! It was just as god as I remembered but unfortunately the ache in my neck had gotten a little worse. I had planned to visit the Haunted Mansion and Timekeeper too but I decided that withdrawal was the better part of valour and to make my exit whilst I could still do it gracefully. On my way out of the park I picked up a Coke and some fries at Casey's Corner which I ate at the tables outside. I met Dan, a CM on the college program and we chatted for a while. I don't know much about the college program but it certainly seems like a great job for the summer vacation.

An uneventful bus back to ASM and I sneaked into the room. Bren was still awake and told me that he and Jenny had swum up to midnight! This Florida climate is a wonder for us northern folks! We planned a late start the next day so I snuggled into bed for a long sleep.

DAY 3 (WEDNESDAY 8/12) MAGIC KINGDOM

Today I had planned for us to go to Downtown Disney for souvenir shopping but since we did that yesterday we opted for a late start and a swim. We had a 2.45pm priority seating in the MK at Tony's Town Square Restaurant and then there was a RADP meet at Splash Mountain at 6pm.

After our very early morning and late night the day before, and the consequent bad humour from all of us I felt I had to lay back a bit. I woke early with my daughter cuddled into me. I ought to explain that Jenny hasn't yet got out of the habit of waking and asking for mummy during the night - my nocturnal musical beds are notorious at home.

We got a phone call at about 8.30 from an unusual source. I ought to say here that we had received a number of messages on the voice mail, but none pertaining to this person. It was JC Edwards of Florida Town Car. Some months before I had sent a reservation via his web page but had received no response. I tried emailing again, no response. Finally after I had read a quite a few posts on RADP about this firm I decided to cancel his services, again via email. None of the posts bounced back to me so I presumed he had received them. NOW he was asking me where we had been on Sunday evening! One of his drivers had looked around the airport for us until 1am. I told him that my flight had been changed after I cancelled my reservation so I had felt no need to inform him of it, that I had cancelled his services and that I had felt if he didn't feel it necessary to answer my emails then I was certainly not going to give him my custom. He claimed he had left some messages for me - I knew damn well he hadn't. I don't know if he was looking for money or an apology, but he got neither. I will say at this point that Tiffany Town Car answered all my correspondance promptly and kept me informed at all times.

Movement was slow this morning, showers lazy and we didn't head down for breakfast until 10.30am. Jenny loves hash browns and proceeded to demolish a plate of 6 this morning, as well as cereal. I don't often get a cooked breakfast so I indulged for once.

After breakfast we decided to wander round to the childrens playground. Jenny wondered where the swings and slides were - her definition of a good playground - but the sand was already too hot underfoot and the metal was very warm to the touch. We decided to change for a swim, which we thoroughly enjoyed. Jenny was becoming more and more confident in her armbands and was making tentative efforts to let go of me.

Time marched on and we were soon dressed and on the bus back to the MK. Bren and I had discussed the fact that Jenny had spent all the money she had saved, and knew that she would be upset at seeing all the other toys in WDW's overstocked shops if she wasn't able to buy anything, so we agreed that she could have one present each day, preferably small. Today she really wanted a doll so we headed to the Emporium. There was little discussion - she wanted Ariel. No problem, we found her and bought her quickly and mom then had to spend five minutes pulling the box apart to get her out.

We had arrived at about 1pm, too early for our seating so I suggested that we take a round trip on the WDW Railroad. I had read that strollers were not allowed on the train so we parked ours at the station. Later we saw others with folded strollers so we would have been able to take ours on. The ride was fun, seeing the lands from the back and the commentary highlights the things to look for. At Toontown Fair we saw some of the Seven Dwarfs out signing and if I had the stroller with us I might have been tempted.

Back at Main Street we spotted Pluto signing pawprints so Jenny and I queued to meet him. It was coming up to our PS time so we headed to the restaurant, Jenny immediately made a beeline for the TV which was showing Lady and the Tramp (of course!) and almost had to be wrestled away when we were seated. We were in what they called the patio, which looks to me more like a Victorian-style conservatory. Service was excellent, Jenny asked for her usual pasta and demolished it with alacrity. I chose a roast vegetable pizza and Brendan had an eggplant and portabello mushroom pasta dish - very tasty. Would we like dessert? Is the Pope Catholic? Bren's adoration of American-style cheesecake stretched to a strawberry one and my chocolate fix was slaked by a chocolate mousse cake. Music and cheers outside heralded the arrival of the afternoon parade so Bren and I took it in turns to view it with Jenny from the veranda, finishing our desserts and coffee this way.

After lunch we headed for an afternoon in Tomorrowland. First stop was the Carousel of Progress. This had been closed for repairs the last time we came so it was very new to us. I loved it! Don't let this one go folks. The mechanics that make up this attraction, the animatronics and most of all the rotating seating is a superb example of what Walt Disney was trying to do with all his ideas for the future. By relating each era to a relative - grandparents, great-grandma Eveline - even Jenny could understand some of what was going on.

On to the Tomorrowland Transit Authority. Sorry, I still call it the Peoplemover. Does this go faster than it used to? I felt it was quite zippy in some places. Jenny loved it but got a bit surprised when we saw into Space Mountain.

The Speedway. Well if I was doing Goofy's Barnstormer each time with Jenny then daddy could get the whiplash on this one. The wait was thirty minutes and I knew she would want to be held during this time so off they went. I went up to the grandstand to wave, cheer and take photos.

It was nearly time for me to go to the RADP meet at Splash Mountain but on the way back through Fantasyland Jenny spotted the Teacups and asked for a ride. It wasn't too long a queue so I decided to make the sacrifice (Brendan won't go within ten feet of it, he says it makes him nauseous just looking at it) but Jenny solved my dilemma - when she realised how fast the cups spun she backed out gracefully. So off they went to the carousel (again) and off I went to Frontierland.

Splash Mountain was as usual a very busy area but after a few moments searching I spotted a red badge. 'Hi, I'm Helen from Ireland!' 'Hi Helen from Ireland, I'm Bruce from here, and this is Marco and Laura'. Bruce was Bruce Metcalf, one half of the extremely witty Zazu and Iago team on RADP (with Ronnie/JIROMI) and though I didn't catch Marco and Laura's surname, they were here for three weeks from Milan, Italy. We met shortly before 6pm and Bruce and Marco made regular searches through the crowd by 6.15 there was still no sign of Joe, the college program CM who originally suggested the meet. I had made arrangements to meet Bren and Jenny at 7pm so I recommended that, at this stage, we ride! So off we went.

The wait was the longest I had experienced so far in our holiday but the time passed quickly. Bruce was a fountain of information about the ride and the park and kept us amused throughout. I noticed some of the other guests quietly listening in, fascinated. Laura had ridden Splash Mountain before but was still apprehensive about the drop so we made a tactic agreement that we would NOT scream, 'We're all going to DIE!!' I blush to say that I kept reassuring Laura to a point which I now realise must have seemed like pressure - me who defends my husband's right NOT to ride (though he did survive Splash Mountain on his one and only ride). On with the ride, Bruce and me at the front of the log, Laura and Marco behind. I had never noticed until Bruce pointed out that the logs are cut at the front to divert the main force of a splash away from the riders. Bruce warned Laura of every drop and I think in the end we all totally enjoyed it.

When we got off the ride we went to check the photos. I couldn't justify a second one so when Marco and Laura went to order theirs I had to wave goodbye to everyone and set off to meet Bren and Jenny at Pinnochio's Village Haus. I was 20 minutes late by this time so he was very relieved to see me. They had ridden the carousel during my abscense then queued for 30 minutes to ride Dumbo, so both of them were enjoying the cool of the restaurant. It certainly provided a cooling off point for us during our trip both physically and emotionally.

What do you want to do now Jenny? The carousel? Oh, how unusual.... Thank heavens there was little or no queue for this during the week or I would have been in a foul humour by the time we left. After nearly splitting a skirt sitting astride I took to riding sidesaddle during the remainder of the week.

Bren had mentioned that he thought we had been letting Jenny have too much say in our choices during the week so instead of asking her we simply took her to It's a Small World, which for some reason she had been refusing to ride. Of course she enjoyed it, as we tried to point out the Irish and English dolls in the displays. Afterwards we knew what she wanted next, so it was back to Toontown and Barnstormer. Unfortunately there was a longer queue here than previously and as we were reaching the loading area the ride broke down and we were asked to exit. Jenny was so disappointed that we took her to the County Fair to meet some of the characters.

Here Jenny chose to see Mickey's Friends and when we were finally admitted we saw that they were Goofy, Pluto and Minnie. Jenny was bouncing with happiness, she loves the Goofy Movie so could hardly wait to meet him. Big hugs and kisses all round and with Pluto too when her turn came. I saw her visibly soften when she approached Minnie - does Miss Mouse turn all girls from little tomboys to the sweetest creatures on earth? Jenny adores her and had no fear at all. When Jenny was done squeezing her in two Minnie turned and pointed to me. It took me a moment to realise that she was pointing to my RADP badge. 'Oh yes Minnie, my name is Helen.' Shake of head, then white gloved fingers mimiced typing on a keyboard.

'Oh, yes I'm on the Internet. I'm on the Disney neswgroup.' Double thumbs up! Minnie Mouse is a lurker! Hi Minnie, you made my day for me!

We headed to the Toontown Rail station and boarded for Main Street. We arrived just as Spectromagic was starting at the town square and we stopped to admired it for a minute before we were politely ushered down the exit slope. We hadn't planned to watch it but frantic cries from Jenny made us turn back into the square to see the whole of it. Jenny bounced with happiness on her father's shoulders (he paid for it later) and some girls nearby were very amused when she put her hands over her eyes 'so I won't be frightened of Batman (Balrog) or the Big Bad Wolf, mummy.'

Once the parade was wending its way down Main Street we tried to keep ahead of the rush by heading straight for the buses. We had an early priority seating the next morning and I hadn't planned on being out too late. Fortunately Jenny fell asleep on the bus so I didn't have to fight over the swimming pool, so I popped her straight into bed while Brendan headed for the food court. I noticed we had a message on the answering machine. A friend from Dublin was staying on International Drive with his family and I had made PS reservations for Epcot for Thursday evening for all of us, but he had left messages earlier in the week hinting that they couldn't make the dinner. He now finally broke the date as their plans for the day had changed and they wouldn't be going to Epcot. Ah well, never mind. We ended the day writing loads of postcards (finally) and eating very delicious ice cream.

DAY 4 (THURSDAY 8/13) MAGIC KINGDOM AND EPCOT

Severe resistance this morning from Jenny as we tried to wake her. It was early entry day the MK but after the problems earlier in the week I had given up on my original plans. However we had PS for 8.55 at Cinderella Castle and I knew she would be thrilled to see the princesses so I persisted in dressing a sleeping child. We had promised that she could wear her Cinderella dress this morning and I think that is why we were finally successful.

The bus stop was of course very busy but when the bus arrived I was dismayed to realise that there was no way we would all fit on it. Sure enough we were left at the stop with time ticking by. I reckon at least eight buses came and went before another arrived for the MK - in reality probably only about 15 minutes. I kept checking my watch and my pulse slowed down when I realised we were going to make it.

Checkin at the castle was quick and we were directed straight up to the restaurant. Jenny was still very tired and wanted to sit on my knee all the time, though she perked up when Cinderella arrived at the table. I felt that Jenny was shy with the 'face' characters but she posed adorably with Cinders for a 'sisters' photo, both of them in sparklely blue and much admired by the princess. The others came in quick succession, perhaps too quick - Peter and Wendy, Belle and Snow White. Photos all round.

Bren opted for the cooked breakfast whilst I chose the healthy option for Jenny and myself - cereal, fruit and yoghurt. What I didn't realise was that they would all arrive on one dish - no way would Jenny touch it! The CM ttok pity on us and got a plain bowl of cornflakes and some toast. Jenny ate some of the toast whilst I tried to eat my breakfast around her (she was STILL cuddled on my knee).

Once the meal was over we went to the restroom and I changed Jenny out of the costume and into t-shirt and shorts. She was still a little cranky so I distracted her by pointing out all the tiny metallic multicoloured Mickey 'confetti' on the carpet - Mickey Magic! She was delighted and insisted on trying to pick it all up until I persuaded her to leave some for other children. Dad was still in the restaurant settling the bill so we joined him there and Jenny showed the Mickey Magic to one of the CMs, who promptly put her had into a little bag and pull out a load of the stuff for her. We put it in the bag with her Cinderella dress (and forgot about it back at the hotel when I pulled out the dress to hang up, which is why we had Mickey Magic all over the floor of our room for the rest of our stay).

Off to Fantasyland (again), onto the carousel (again) and Dumbo (again and again). I am so glad that Jenny will be a few years older by the time we come back, maybe we'll get to have a bit of variety in our rides.... However I made no complaint about our two rides on the Barnstormer - these crowds were amazingly light for August. Into Donald's Boat for a good play. Don't ask me why, when there is perfectly good stroller parking outside, Brendan brought Jenny's stroller into this area. The seat became wet (of course) and caused trouble when Jenny refursed to ride in it (sensible girl).

Into County Fair to see Winnie the Pooh, Piglet and Tigger. We never got to see Donald, by the way, we always just missed his sessions. I spotted Captain Hook and Prince John a few times at the Character Greeting spot near the Lagoon but Jenny wouldn't have liked it. We could have seen Ariel but her wait time was between 15 minutes to an hour and I kept avoiding the moment.

The early start had tired us all so after a quick break we headed back to the hotel for our swim and rest. During the swim Jenny noticed another girl playing with a Little Mermaid plastic moneybox in the pool. I had refused to let Jenny bring the LM doll down so when she asked for a moneybox I agreed that it could be her little present for that day. We bought one at Maestro Mickey's on the way to Epcot that evening. I had also called at guest relations to change our 8pm PS for the Rose and Crown, figuring that as our friends were not coming I could free up a table for someone. Before cancelling the CM checked to see what other reservations were available and could only find one for 7pm. Forget it, that was way too early to justify taking a table for Illuminations so I held onto the original reservation.

In Epcot we headed straight for Spaceship Earth. It always feels weird going down the backwards slope, but the starscapes are magnificent. Horizons was our next stop. I wanted to see this before the rumoured closures, though I can't remember if we saw it in '92. Yes, I smelt the oranges! I had to hold Jenny through the 'IMAX' sequences, even I felt we were flying over the landscape. When it came to choose Jenny and I pressed the desert button but Bren chose the space one (surprise, surprise) which he got.

On exiting Brendan declared that he was hungry ('but we are eating in less than an hour!') so we went to get some chips, apple pie and coffee. I wanted to see Journey into Imagination again so we headed there next, but I had forgotten about the imagined 'Horrors' and had a little girl clinging part way through. She posed happily with a large Figment plush at the exit shop.

Into World Showcase, we were 15 minutes early for our PS. Bren saw a stall selling fabric/balloon beach balls and decided to get one for Jenny. Of course she chose the largest, with Mickey and the gang around the countries which came with a smaller ball. Only then did Dad ask the price - $22! Well, you can't disappoint her now, Bren. So he dug into his wallet, grinning sheepishly.

We wandered through to the UK and checked in. I asked for a waterside table and was given the flashing light indicator, and we decided to look in the Pooh shop to pass the time, where we picked up an Eeyore magic facecloth. Bren asked how long it would be so I told him their was a long wait for the patio. He wasn't happy, because again he was feeling the heat and also because I had told him that smoking was allowed there. We are both non-smokers but Bren is virulently so. I went back to change the request to an indoor one. This wait wasn't so long and we were seated by a girl from Skipton, Yorkshire. I am originally from Leeds, Yorkshire so there were lots of smiles.

The Rose and Crown would not be my first choice for a meal. I booked for this evening because we had expected to be with our friend and his family and I know Dave enjoys a pint or two, as well as being a 'meat and two veg' man - and of course there was Illuminations. I had checked the menu in advance on WDWIG and the vegetarian choice was vegetable curry (Oh how inspired). I figured that Brendan would go for that and I would share an adult portion of fish and chips with Jenny. I also asked for a dish of mashed potato for Jenny as I know she likes it. Er, not when chips are present. I ended up eating the mash (very nice) whilst Jenny demolished the chips, and I did manage to persuade her to have some of the fish pieces. I enjoyed the meal but have to say that when I was growing up in Leeds there was a 'chippie' on our street corner run by a lovely couple called Norman and June and yes they did wrap their fish and chips in newspaper BUT with an interlining plain white wrapper so the print didn't spoil the food.

Brendan unhappily didn't really enjoy the curry, he said it was too spicy with very little flavour. However the food wasn't the prime reason for coming here and shortly we stepped out onto the patio to watch the fireworks. I did regret not actually having a table, I felt a little in the way standing there, but we all enjoyed the spectacle.

Once the fireworks were over I persuaded Brendan not to head straight out in the rush, but we instead turned left out of the pub and over the bridge into France. We took a leisurely stroll around the World Showcase past Morocco, Italy and the US. Finally we realised how late it was and how tired we were and caught a Friendship boat in Germany across to World Showcase Plaza. Looking back across the lake I realised that we have never properly visited any of the pavilions I mentioned and probably wouldn't this trip either.

We headed for the exit, stopping to watch a display at the Dancing Fountains and Jenny jumped around on the fibre-optic sidewalk (more Mickey Magic!) Jenny was all for another swim back at the hotel but fatigue hit and she was asleep before we got there. Once again Bren and I settled down with a bowl of ice cream before turning in for the night.

DAY 5 (FRIDAY 8/14) DOWNTOWN DISNEY AND DIXIE LANDINGS

When we got the 5 day Park Hoppers we knew that we would have to spend one day out of the parks and today was that day. I expected to sleep late this morning but instead Jenny and I woke at 8am. We looked over at Daddy's dozing form and quietly slipped into our swimming costumes. The swim proved to be a memorable one! Jenny swam on her own for the first time, admittedly the arm bands did most of the work but she was kicking furiously and making an attempt to move her arms. From now on it would be 'I don't need you Mummy'. What a heartbreaking phrase, yet one to be proud of when your little girl takes another step in growing up (the code phrase for me to hold her when she got tired was, 'Mummy I need you!')

I had no idea what time it was when Bren came down to the poolside to meet us - in retrospect we should have had a leisurely breakfast at one of the poolside tables. Instead I hustled an outraged Jenny out of the pool so that we could dress to eat in the food court. She was so happy - not!

The plan for this morning had been swim, then Downtown Disney for shopping, heading to the cinemas to see Mulan in the afternoon then dinner somewhere. What I hadn't counted on was our early start, but once the breakfast was over I didn't want to get back into a wet costume so we headed straight for DD.

I love windowshopping. I can mooch around a shopping mall all day and generally Brendan is pretty tolerant but not in Florida heat. First we went to the Days of Christmas shop where I was determined to get a Disney souvenir ornament. This is not to Bren's taste, there is only one year-round Christmas shop in Dublin so I indulge myself when I come to the US, but he thinks it is a bit ridiculous and over the top. Anyway I finally chose a Donald Duck globe ornament.

Next was the Mattel Shop. I am a Barbie collector, though my collection has slowed since Jenny was born. I wanted to see the new display of dolls but I was very disappointed with the store. I expect some kind of Barbie extravaganza, instead I saw less variety than I would have seen in a toy store at home. I saw one item which was on sale and which in retrospect I should have got. Instead I saw some Little Mermaid doll outfits which were reduced so Jenny chose one as her present for the day.

Into World of Disney, where I picked up some more presents for family, and chose my own present - a snowglobe with Cinderella Castle and a CD of Music from the parks. Brendan chose a grey polo shirt with a small embroidered Mickey. Brendan was very hot and irritable by this time saying that we had done it again, rushed and stayed out during the hottest part of the day. As I said earlier, I agree - in retrospect we pushed ourselves when we didn't need to. It was about 12.30pm by now so I suggested we walk to the West Side to the AMC cinemas for the 1pm showing of Mulan. It took a while to get there, following the map - sometimes I thought that Brendan placed too much faith in my trip preparations, he forgot that I didn't know my way around either.

On arrival we found that Jenny was fast asleep in her stroller, so that scuppered the early film showing. We desperately needed a drink, so following a map we headed to Forty Thirst Street, but there was no free indoor seats. Bren needed to sit down so we backtracked to the Village Marketplace via Pleasure Island. It is ridiculous! There are so few refreshment places that do indoor, airconditioned seating. We were wilted and frayed and I was getting desperate. Relief! We arrived at Ghirardelli's to see INDOOR TABLES (I suppose to give you a chance to eat your icecream without it melting too quickly). Bren sat with Jenny whilst I ordered ices and drinks. I chose what seemed to be smallish dishes - two scoop sundaes. I was horrified when I saw the huge cups topped with strawberries, cream and cherries! I can never get used to American proportions... It was a waste, we could never have finished it, but at least it kept us occupied during the downpour that suddenly materialised outside. It had not rained during our time in Disney (maybe at night, but not that we could recollect) so this was our first reminder of how the heavens literally open during the summer months. It kept up for a full 30 minutes and we started to feel a little selfconscious hogging a table for so long. We decided to make a dash for World of Disney again, which woke Jenny on the way.

Back in WOD I bought another t-shirt that I had forgotten I needed and also a toy for Jenny for Christmas. She had got a Buzz Lightyear toy earlier in the year and had been all enthusiastic to get a large Woody. Having seen the costumes though, that plan had been shelved. I still checked the price of Woody and found he was substantially cheaper here than in Dublin, so after discussion with Bren we made a sneak purchase. Thank heavens for room deliveries, she still doesn't know.

Recovered from our overheating we set off again for West Side and the cinemas. This time we were 30 mins too soon so I suggested to Bren that we look in Virgin. Moan! We hadn't realised that they had a cafe, and that we could have saved ourselves a lot of grief. We didn't want to buy much, just a couple of magazines (a Barbie Bazaar for me) and got a coffee and some lunch for Jenny. (I had been tempted to buy The Little Mermaid and the Lady and the Tramp videos - we have a dual playback system - but I am glad I didn't as I found LatT just released when we arrived home, with the LM due later this year.)

We went straight into the 3.10 showing of Mulan. This won't be in our cinemas until November so we thought it was a great opportunity to get ahead of ourselves. I do buy some of the Disney videos so we see the films (repeatedly) but Bren didn't like Hercules, he thought it was too commercial, but he really enjoyed Mulan.

For dinner I had suggested we take the riverboat to one of the Bonnet Creek resorts. Bren pointed out that the map stated that the boat was for Port Orleans and Dixie Landings guests so I had to reassure him that Disney transportation was open to ALL resort guests. The boat ride was lovely, Bren was very impressed by the glimpses of the Treehouses at the Disney Institute, Jenny was delighted to spot 'King Triton and the water dragon' at the PO swimming pool. I was using this as a fact-finding mission for possible future trips so I wanted to see Dixie Landings, and we disembarked there. We were delighted to see the surreys and if we hadn't been so hungry we would have been tepted to hire one. Looking around I was surprised at the size of the resort especially the plantation-style buildings. Looking at the resort map outside the main reception I got a glimpse of the scope of the layout - quite extensive for a young family. I don't think I'd like to stay in Magnolia Bend but I didn't see any of Alligator Bayou so I'll reserve judgement there.

We went into Boatwrights and as it was only early evening we were seated straight away. I like the design of this restaurant, the CMs were very friendly and helpful. Jenny was amused to see that the napkins were like mummy's cleaning dusters at home. We looked at the menu and were a little dismayed at the lack of choice for vegetarian entrees - vegetarian linguine. We said this to the server and he told us that they also could do a vegetable plate - special rice, sweetcorn, mangetout, fried potatoes. I when for the plate and Bren took the linguine. We have to say we were not very impressed with the vegetarian options in WDW though I do know that we had been unable to make it to some of the more favoured restaurants - Spoodles, Artist's Point, California Grill. The plate was fine but Bren thought the linguine was extremely bland. Normally we like to try a variety of food in restaurants, often swapping plates, but this time after a taste of the linguine I opted to hold onto the rice, thank you. I couldn't hold onto the sweetcorn though, Jenny adores corn on the cob and appropriated it on arrival to add to her own pasta dish. Desserts made up for it though, I had a chocolate confection and Bren aimed at the Louisiana cheesecake.

After dinner we wandered into Fulton's, Bren took Jenny to buy a pencil with the end shaped like the Mickey symbol. I had left to look outside again by the time they had finished their purchase, so Jenny ran out excited. I don't think she put any pressure on the pencil but it snapped. I immediately took her back into the store and a CM made an exchange with no quibble, but Brendan hadn't believed me when I told him they would.

Tomorrow would be a full day so we decided to head back to DVM to pick up the bus back to the All Stars. As we queued up for the boat Jenny declared to the waiting queue that next time we came to WDW we would stay for THIS many weeks and THIS many weeks and...(I think her fingers indicated at least a three month stay)..and that next time we would have a little baby... My eyes flew open at this and I think that vigorous shakes of the head indicated to the laughing crowds that mummy didn't think that was quite right!!

There were two incidents whilst we were on the river. I understand that launches can be hired by the guest - well I think this one thought that he was a speedboat champion. The captain got on his radio pretty sharpish. He had to use the radio again when we neared DD and saw another boat run aground. They sounded so embarrassed!

One more time around DVM, Jenny played at the Lego playground and then she and I had a little trip on the kiddies train. She was tired and I was hoping she would fall asleep again, but no such luck. There was a young girl of about 7 or 8 sitting opposite us who started to chat about her trip to the Goosebumps show and how she was chosen for it. My knowledge of Goosebumps is that it is a TV series and a series of books and that is IT! She didn't take the hints though and Jenny couldn't settle. The girl's enthusiasm was great but it developed into an argument with her mother which was quite embarassing to witness. I know, I have all that ahead of me.

Pool time again with Little Miss Independent. We had this special game in the pool - she was Ariel, I was her sister Arista, daddy was Prince Eric and we had to SWIM VERY FAST to get away from Ursula. Ursula 'popped' up in any part of the guitar pool, so we had to be very careful... :-)

Early bed tonight for tomorrow was our last day in the parks.

DAY 6 (SATURDAY 8/15) - MGM AND MAGIC KINGDOM

Once again we didn't rush to the park, having breakfast in our room. We had a discussion about which park we wished to go to, bearing in mind that it was early entry at the Magic Kingdom, it was a weekend and that we had not been to the Animal Kingdom at all. Jenny immediately said she wanted to see The Voyage of the Little Mermaid again and Bren wanted to see a full version of Muppetvision 3D so there was no contest - MGM it was!

The difference in the crowds was obvious when we arrived to face a queue waiting to get in. They must send out the troups at weekends because we saw Minnie, Chip and Dale and King Louis heading towards the waiting crowds as we entered. Jenny's mind is like the wind - it changes every minute - so our first destination was the HISTK playground. This place got hotter and steamier on every visit. Our bottle of ice water was like precious booty here, coveted by all (parents)! I kept an eye on the time as I wanted to make it to the Hunchback of Notre Dame performance. I was determined that this visit would not be a pure rerun of Monday. One recovery stop later and we made it to the show.

The preshow today was Randy the Juggler and boy did he have a hard time working the audience. As he said, half of his jokes were for him too, but the chainsaw juggling did draw a lot of appreciative applause. Jenny has seen the HOND video once but we don't have it at home so I was expecting a lot of questions. The performance was magnificent, Clopin was brilliant and I was very impressed with Frolo, his makeup was superb. I voted this the best show but Brendan prefered Beauty and the Beast. I think that was because HOND was an interactive show, very dynamic and has to compact a complex story into 20-30 minutes. Afterwards Jenny joined all the other children in collecting the confetti scattered on the floor :-)

Jenny's turn now and we crossed the park to go to the VOLM, but the next show wasn't until 1.15pm, another 25 minutes. Back towards Muppetvision 3D, again another long wait so we decided to cool off in Pizza Planet. Where were Woody and Buzz? Over on Mickey Avenue! Not our morning as far as timings go. We fancied a pizza so I got in line when a cast member approached me. 'You know there aren't any pizzas available, don't you?' 'Er, this IS Pizza Planet? No pizzas?' We had totally missed the news that there had been an explosion at a gas facility in the north of the state which had cut off the supply to the rest of Florida. No gas, no pizza ovens, no flame grilled burgers, no hot water in the hotels, no laundry, no fresh linen. I spoke to a CM at an ice cream stall later in the day, commenting that he probably hadn't been affected. He grimaced. The guests had NO idea of the chaos behind the scenes. The management quickly got notices around WDW regarding the limited food options available.

We got a salad and fries, and we tried our hand at some of the games. We didn't know about the idea behind the prize tickets, and a CM had to tell us what they were worth. We got a transfer (removeable tattoo) for Jenny - her own little lion king!

Into M3D, wissing the preshow. Everything was working this time and it was excellent. I think when Jenny is older she will love 'Honey I shrunk the Kids' at Epcot. The parade was over when we came out and the heat was tremendous so we had little argument from Jenny when we decided to head back to the hotel, even though she didn't get to see VOTLM.

Our plans for a swim were disrupted when the thunderstorm started. Jenny was so upset that we brought her to the balcony at the front of the building to show her that NO ONE was trying to swim. We were flying home the next day so I decided to do some laundry - less do do when we got home. At this stage I hadn't realised that the laundry rooms had been affected, I got drenched dashing to the padlocked laundry room! The thunderstorm didn't abate for another 30 mins so I carried on with the packing. Our parcels from Downtown Disney had arrived (all our purchases were delivered directly to the room) and I pulled out the extra holdall we had packed on our outward journey. It has a great capacity yet packs very flat so it saves us buying extra (expensive) suitcases for all our gifts and souvenirs. I also rang the front desk and arranged for a luggage pickup at 10m the next morning.

Time marched on and still the pool hadn't reopened. Finally I changed a protesting child out of her swimming costume and into a dress ready to go the Magic Kingdom. Poor love, I remember how frustrating it was when I was child and I couldn't do something. No matter that it may be out of your parents control, they are STILL to blame! Because of her lack of rest Jenny fell asleep on the bus, so on our arrival I used the time to catch up on collecting pressed pennies. I had been collecting them through the week working from a list I had printed out from WDWIG. I am sure this was out of date by the time I used it but it gave me an idea where all the machines were and I wasn't trying to collect them all, only the ones I was interested in. Jenny enjoyed this activity too, and she called them 'squashed pennies'.

Feeling a little parched we headed to Adventureland and the stall near the Tiki room for some frozen yoghurt and a coke. I know everyone swears by the Citrus Swirl - sorry but I am a serious chocaholic so a choc/vanilla twist it was. We were settled at the tables nearby when I noticed activity in the Congoasis character greeting area - Rafiki, Timon and King Louis were signing. I got up with camera and autograph book just as they went in for a water break. No matter, back to the yoghurt. When they came out again King Louis had disappeared and Baloo was there. I introduced myself to each of the gentlebeings in turn, explaining that Jenny was asleep. Rafiki kindly wrote 'To Jenny, sorry I missed you', and Baloo also dedicated his to Jenny. I got photos with all three and on the one with Baloo he has his hand on my head. I am grinning madly because a moment before his hand was over my face! Nevermind getting autographs for Jenny, next time I'm getting a book for myself!

'Beauty' was still asleep so we took the opportunity to just wander and enjoy the park. I was tempted to go to the Haunted Mansion, then the Liberty Belle but both would have entailed taking her out of her stroller and she was still asleep. We headed to Frontierland and watched the victims of Splash Mountain. I think that is rapidly becoming my favourite ride because it mixes 'show' and 'thrills' so perfectly, allowing plenty of time to enjoy both. The other mountains bring plenty of thrills but I never seem to have time when I am being flung around to enjoy the show. We sat by the water, taking time to be a couple whch is a luxury when you are a parent, then strolled back to Fantasyland on the waterside path.

Fantasyland must operate an inbuilt timer in Jenny because she woke up just as we passed under the archway near the Liberty Tavern. Children love to repeat favourite experiences so it was no surprise when she immediately begged to go on Goofy's Barnstormer. The queues had been unbelieveably light during the week, but were a definite 20 minutes now. As usual I went with her but 20 minutes of carrying a heavy child (you don't think she'd stand, do you?) put too much of a strain on my back and I declined when she clamoured for a repeat performance. 'Ask Daddy,' I begged. If looks could kill.... Brendan agreed, and off they went. I felt rather guilty because Bren won't even go on the back of a motorbike, but I thought he could survive a 60 second rollercoaster. He did - by keeping his eyes shut the whole time! 'She kept talking at me,' he said afterwards in a faint voice, 'she CHATTED during the whole thing!'

Our salad at MGM had not been very filling so for dinner I suggested Cosmic Rays for veggie burgers. The curse of the gas struck again. Hot dogs or breadsticks, anyone? We declined and started the hunt. The Plaza restaurant had a few vegetable sandwiches which sounded quite filling but I suggested checking out the Crystal Palace, which was supposed to have a good veggie selection on their buffet. The queue here was massive - I think the lack of variety available was sending everyone to the sitdown restaurants. I spoke to a cast member who said that their menu had not been badly affected, and that for a small family the waiting time would be about half an hour without priority seating. At the actual check-in desk they quoted me 45 minutes, but we decided to take it. I waited on the veranda whilst Brendan took Jenny off to get her some popcorn to keep her going, and to keep her amused in the shops. The wait was about 25 minutes and I was relieved to see them arriving back just as the call went up for the Ryder family. Jenny was hugging a stuffed Pluto, a lovely toy which had a leash shaped as a handle so she could make him 'walk'. Cute!

Jenny was thrilled to find that this was a character meal and would proceed on a hugfest with Pooh, Piglet et al. I was delighted to see the variety at the buffet and freely admit I pigged out. This was the best vegetarian meal I had had on property and I will definitely return. I couldn't choose between cake and ice cream for dessert - heck I took both :-) We could see Spectromagic coming through the windows so Bren and Jenny headed out to watch whilst I paid. My mistake, I had forgotten that my MKC card was valid here and I only remembered when I got home.

We watched Spectromagic from a path which runs from the hub to Adventureland (the one with the Lion King topiaries). The view wasn't the closest but was still sppectacular. Spectromagic proabably won't be here next time we are able to come to the US, but I adore the music. We stayed in the same spot to wait for Sorcery in the Sky with an English family. The little boy was all excited about seeing Tinkerbell fly, so I pointed out the wire running from the castle tower which would 'help her' start the fireworks. It didn't help, he got excited at every passing plane. He and Jenny hit it off, so they kept themself amused. Finally the announcement came and off went the little green pixie. I didn't know what to expect myself and was very impressed. Bren just shook his head and wondered at Tink's bravery. Our spot wasn't the best for the fireworks, they appeared to the left of the castle and some of the lower shots were hidden by the trees, still, it was a lovely end to the last day in the park.

Back to ASM, and into the pool until closing!

DAY 7 (SUNDAY 8/16) EATING, SHOPPING AND HOME

As much as I would have liked a lie-in I pushed myself out of bed so that I could finish the packing. A cold shower woke me up (darn that gas explosion - but at least I wasn't one of its direct victims, I only heard about the casualties on the news that morning.) Bren and I worked around Jenny until it was time to wake her. We had a 10am PS at Minnie's Menehune Breakfast at the Polynesian Resort (it had been 9am but I had changed it earlier in the week once I realised that early starts didn't suit us.) Finally we were ready, after checking all drawers and shelves and the bathroom for items we may have forgotten. Anyone else paranoid that way? I always forget something. We piled the luggage by the window as requested and opened the door to leave - and found the checkout slip taped to the door! I'd forgotten about the express checkout! A quick glance to make sure all was in order and we set off. One thing about this - because we had used our Visa card for purchases instead of charging to the room we didn't have to check for any mistakes as some others have complained of, eg. double charging of items etc.

We got the bus to the MK then the resort monorail to the Poly. There was a long wait at the Contemporary, as there always had been. Even allowing for water buses, I find this monorail the slowest part of the WDW transportation system. At the Poly we looked around the shop on the second floor for a little while, and got a Pocohontas pressed penny. Actually we got three the same as the machine seemed to be stuck on one design.

'Ohanas seemed very busy, we sat near the television for a few minutes before we were called for our table. I don't know if this was the 'cousin' system but instead of being brought in individual parties to the restaurant we did a kind of group march through the premises each holding a tray of muffins. When we were seated we had a nice view of the boats parked at the marina, and across the lagoon. Jenny was delighted to see grapes in the fruit dish as she isn't fond of the watermelon they usually supplied at breakfasts, so I scooped them all out onto her plate. The CM serving us noticed this and brought her a HUGE bunch in a dish just for her (at the end of the meal he insisted on doggy bagging the remainder, saying that they would only be thrown away). We had got wise to Jenny's eating requirements by now and she had cereal whlst we scoffed the lovely eggs. She was amused by my dribbling syrup over my Mickey waffle, but I really loved the little bread buns so I asked for more. 'Bread buns, madam? Do you mean the waffles?' 'No, the soft white round buns.' 'Bread?' 'The ones that were served in the skillet!' 'Oh, biscuits!'

Let's get this straight: your fries, my chips; your chips, my crisps; your cookies, my biscuits; your biscuits, my bread buns.... Divided by the same language...

The characters were Minnie, Goofy, Chip and Dale - 'Mummy, Goofy's wearing a skirt!' - and we saw plenty of them. Jenny enjoyed the dance around the room, trying to catch up to Minnie. She is definitely her favourite and Jenny had to say a special goodbye to her when it was time to leave. We went down to the lobby to look at the gorgeous waterfalls, around the shops (tres expensive) and out towards the beach. Jenny loved the small pool near the beach and the beach itself, but I had a bag with our swimming costumes as I had planned to swim when we returned to ASM. We caught the launch to the MK which was delightful, and as we looked back towards the Poly Brendan said, 'I would love to stay there someday.' Hooked!

Bren surprised me when he said he didn't want to go straight back to the hotel, and he suggested we go to DD. Now he tells me! However we hadn't been on a paddle steamer all trip. so we got one across to the TTC. There were only a few of us travelling in that direction and Jenny and her Pluto toy were welcomed aboard by the 'captain' over the loud hailer. After a little wait at the TTC (Ghod, I hate that wait in the sun) we got on the bus to DD and promptly lost Jenny to the land of Nod.

We took advantage of our sleeping daughter to share an ice cream at Ghiradelli's, then we went back to the World of Disney store. Bren had done the budget for our holiday allowing us $150 per day, including food and presents. If we went overbudget one day we were careful the next day and most often came out ahead. Because of this he suggested we get ourselves a last present each to the value of $30 per person. Jenny was still asleep, and he couldn't find anything he really wanted, but I found a lovely pair of earrings, half-hoops of Austrian crystal with the Mickey three-circle motif in crystal dangling from the hoops. They are very discreet and I have received loads of compliments.

Time for our bus to the ASM, and Jenny finally woke. It was too late for our swim so as she and Bren picked up some lunch in the Food Court I slipped away to toss the hotel towels in the collection bins near the pool. Very clever of Disney, to use plain white towels - not only does it save money on purchasing but the patrons are not tempted to keep them as souvenirs!

After lunch Bren and Jenny sat in the lobby watching a video whilst I went to collect the luggage from the luggage room. It turns out that they are not able to bring the bags into the front lobby as I thought they might but it didn't matter anyway as Brian and the limo from TiffanyTown Cars arrived at 3pm, bang on time. We loaded up the car and off we went! Goodbye WDW, we'll be back!

The journey to the airport was fine, and we arrived in plenty of time for checkin. This was a British Airways flight to London Gatwick where we would pick up our connectin to Dublin, and the queue was already long. A stewardess came round asking us the usual security questions about our luggage and preclearing us, speeding things up. We checked everything through to Dublin, keeping the stroller until the gate. After offloading the luggage I suggested one last look at the shops before we proceeded to the gate. Of course that meant the Disney Store and Jenny found a Peter Pan playset for $10 which we got to keep her amused on the plane.

When we were checking in the desk clerk said it had been difficult to find three seats together. She had some very good seats, but did we mind a poor view of the television screen? I think that I was too polite when I said that I WOULD prefer to see the screen if possible. We were seated right up against a bulkhead near the galley, totally unable to see the tv. Later we would find another limitation when trying to sleep, as our legs were so cramped.

The plane pulled out on time from the stand, but we were then stranded on the runway when a sudden thunderstorm broke above us and raged for over an hour. Finally the pilot shut down his engines and started the inflight entertainment to keep us all happy. The area was still misty with rain when we did take off so I was unable to have a final view of WDW.

We didn't make up all the time on the flight and after a very disturbed night with lots of turbulence and a daughter who wouldn't sleep anywhere but my knee we landed in Gatwick at 7am. This airport has two terminals and of course the Dublin flight left from the other one. As we disembarked we asked for Jenny's stroller and where annoyed when we heard that it had gone straight through with our other luggage. She was asleep, so we had to wake her otherwise we could never have managed to make the 8.05. The Dublin flight was fine, but although WE had made the connection, our luggage hadn't, and wouldn't until until 11.30pm that night, when it was delivered to our house. Bren's parents had met us at the airport and since we didn't have any large suitcases with us they drove us home, saving us the expected taxi fare.

Jet lag bit me on the homeward journey and all I can remember was tumbling into the house, bidding a grateful thank you to Mum and Dad and hitting the sheets cuddled into my darling little daughter. Bren, oh, he was exiled to Jenny's room!

TRIP MUSINGS

The overall trip was wonderful, we really had a ball at what we did but there was so much more than anyone could attempt. Here are a few afterthoughts that might interest people.

HOTEL

The All Star Music resort was great. No the bedrooms aren't large, but if you are intent on visiting all the parks then they are just a place to sleep. I was very impressed by the housekeeping service, they were highly visible and very efficient. The theming of the hotel itself was, to my eyes, great fun, lively and perfect for kids. Jenny certainly loved it. I enjoyed being in Calypso, it definitely wasn't noisy though we did have a third floor landscape view. The laundry rooms were great, I wish my washing machine worked so well, and the refillable mug scheme delighted Brendan. Brendan did have some reservations, he expected more of the music theming, possibly he thought that there would be live music available sometimes. I think that would be great in the early evenings by the pool area.

On our next visit Brendan definitely wants to go upmarket. Our choice would be the Polynesian but that is way beyond our budget. I liked Dixie Landings but looking at the resort map I think it is way too big and I thought Magnolia Bend was a little 'ordinary' - I don't know quite how to put it, but maybe Alligator Bayou would suit us more. Jenny wants the 'Dragon hotel', she is dying for a swim in the pool at Port Orleans. I liked the look of it too, I think it would suit me fine and as it and DxL are sister resorts we would get the best of all worlds.

PARKS AND RIDES

The heat kept me away from the Animal Kingdom when I realised how much we were all affected by it. Obviously I would like to return out of high season when it is cooler but as we combine these trips with conventions we are somewhat trapped by the dates. To my mind we saw so little but in a way we had decided to subsume our wishes to Jenny's preferences. As she grows older she will be able to understand that this is Mummy and Daddy's holiday too and give us a break when it comes to the types of rides we go on. Things we missed that I wish we hadn't:

Haunted Mansion
Riverboat
Timekeeper
All of World Showcase!
HISTA
Most of MGM
Indiana Jones show
The Great Movie Ride
The Backlot Tour
All of Animal Kingdom
Jenny and I watched the vacation planning video last night and she kept pointing out things we DIDN'T see. My responses were: 'We'll see that next time sweetheart' 'You were too small for that darling' 'I thought it might be too scary for you dear' 'I thought it was too scary for Mummmy!'

FOOD

As vegetarians I think we were disappointed at the lack of variety in the fast food areas, and at the lack of taste in the sit down options. I loved the Crustal Palace buffet, and the Garden Grille breakfast, Bren would put GG at the top of his list. I was very aware that there were more suitable places to try which I really wanted to go to but we just couldn't make it - Spoodles, Artist's Point, Beaches and Cream (oh god, I really regret missing this one...) but there is always next time. Anyway, we didn't starve by any standards.

I also don't think that I would book as many character breakfasts. This holiday was very special as it was Jenny's first and she was thrilled to meet everyone, but next time I will save the treats for our leaving morning, plus one other.

MERCHANDISE

This place is a parent's nightmare! Everything is 'I want!' I wasn't thrilled with the emphasis on plush (Beanies everywhere) and I felt really sorry for Pocohontas - a whole film dedicated to her and not a scrap of merchandise to be found. I was also surprised at the lack of Mulan merchandise in the World of Disney, it was pathetic.

I think our strategy for Jenny next time is one small present per day - she didn't want to wait so that Mummy could use her MKC card, and I shouldn't have been so inflexible on smaller purchases. I hear there is a pilot scheme to have the card accepted in the parks. Considering the percentage of people who might have this card I can't see that allowing the discount there would hit Disney's pockets too much and it would please the guests.

Finally, the strategy of early rising, midday rest and late nights didn't work too well for us. It can be very hard to get a child to rest when there is a swimming pool calling her name. She is also glued to her bed in a morning, and this is where we lost a lot of touring time. Go with the flow, and remember, WDW is not going to go away!

I hope this trip report wasn't too long for you all, and that you have enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Many thanks to all those who helped in the planning of this trip, and all my friends on RADP. I'll still be hovering on the newsgroup - Brendan has suggested we go to Disneyland Paris next March!

Dublin, Ireland

Helen, TDC Lady Ambassador from the Magic Kingdom to the Celtic Realm also Jenny, TDC Sweet Maid of Main S'ree' YouSay (sic)

Helen Ryder

bhry@iol.ie

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