Trip Reports

The Cast:

Al, age 40, Theatre Production Manager at a New Jersey University. 7th trip to WDW. Longtime central New Jersey resident. Lover of Disney parks. The storyteller.
Diane, Al's wife, same age range (let's not get her mad!), Psycho-Socio Rehabilitation student at a local college. Diane has lived in Miami and New York City before moving to the 'burbs to be with me and is a former stage manager. Lover of shopping.
Where: Dixie Landings Resort all four nights.

When: 3/5- 3/9

Day One

I was a little worried when I made the airport car service arrangements when they didn't ask me for specific directions despite the fact we live in an apartment complex on a street loaded with apartment complexes. "Hmmm, I guess it's their business to know these complexes." I thought. Well as we waited at 5:45 AM for that pick up I began to worry. I knew they only allowed a half hour to get us to Newark, which didn't allow much pad time. Finally, seven minutes late the driver arrives on foot. He was wandering around the complex trying to figure out the incomprehensible numbering scheme. The driver and car arrive at our door and we're off! "I hope this Continental "E-Ticket" thing goes okay." I say to Diane as the Route 1 industrial corridors speeds by on either side of us. "Me too!" Diane replies. An E Ticket is Continental Airline's new way of traveling. Rather than being issued a ticket, you're given an itinerary with a confirmation number. You just show your ID and go.

According to the Continental people, all we had to do was check our luggage with a sky cap and we'd be set. No further check in. We nervously surveyed the long line of people ahead of us for the sky-caps as we tightened our jackets against the early morning chill. It's finally our turn and the sky cap doesn't know how to do an E Ticket. He finally gets it entered and tells us that he doesn't "know how to issue the boarding passes." It's now 20 minutes before flight time and we race through the airport to our gate to get our boarding passes. We find out afterwards that there are machines throughout the terminal in which we could have simply swiped our credit card (to prove it's you), entered the confirmation number and it would have spit out the passes.

The flight is uneventful getting in very close to on time despite leaving Newark 40 minutes late. We collect our luggage and it's off to the rental car counter.

Bad Experience with National

We find the National Car Rental counter with no problem. I get in line while Diane watches our luggage and cracks one of her textbooks to study for the test she has the day after we return. Well she got in lots of study time. The line was just ridiculous. They're were only four or five people behind the counter including those to serve National's frequent renters club who could just cut to the head of the line. I was truly amazed at how slow this process was. I've rented from Alamo and other off site rental agencies and in less time then this was taking one catches a bus, is driven to the rental location, stands in line and drives away, all with friendly employee's who even smile and cheerfully give you directions to WDW for the thousandth time that day. I had pre-paid for 5 days ($133.94 plus taxes) for our mid-size car, so I couldn't get out of line and go to a competitor. 45 minutes later: It's a rude clerk and "Go out this building, into the next one. Go under the street and you're in stall blah-blah." Sounded simple, but when we got into the next building, we immediately found an elevator that went up, and no sign of down. Now I'm hot under the collar. I've had no sleep, have had to wait in a long line and now we can't find the damn car garage. Diane is also getting irritated as we wander around aimlessly with no one around to even ask. Finally after I cut through a closed set of car rental counters I spot an escalator going down and we're off.

Dixie Landings

We cheered when we saw the purple signs and knew we were there. Yea! Disney World!! But we quickly came to realize that cute as these purple signs are, they're hard to read until you're right on top of them.

Dixie Landings was easy to find though, and we were soon greeted by a pleasant CM who welcomed us and directed us where to park while we checked in. We were there early, around noon and they didn't have a room ready for us unless we wanted a smoking room (No, yecch). We checked in, but we were going to have to stop back to get our Resort IDs converted to room keys and find out where our room was. I reminded them that we had requested Alligator Bayou as close to the main building as possible. More on this later.

We joined the queue for Guest Services to buy our APs since we plan to return in January. The CM informs us that we can't purchase them here, that we must go to the Guest Relations window at any park to purchase APs. So we get back in the car and it's off to Disney/MGM Studios.

Disney/MGM Studios

I chose MGM as our first park for several reasons: it didn't have early entry that morning, you can do most everything in one day and it's a favorite of ours. After parking the car, I change to sandals while Diane, after making sure no one is looking, swaps her sweater for a T-shirt. We head for the Guest Relations window where the CM informs us that the man in our resort had very outdated information: you could buy an AP at any ticket booth. So we head back to the ticket booths which thank God have very light lines. I choose one with no line (always look around when there's more than one line!) and we're greeted by a very magical CM who turned around our day for us. I told her I wanted to compare a 5 Day All-In-One vs an AP since we planned on coming back in January. She cheerfully showed us all the options and agreed that since we don't go to Pleasure Island or the water parks much that the AP was a good buy. She chatted us up about New Jersey and explained how to use the AP and how much we saved with my MKC card. Now I really and truly knew we were in WDW! We left the booth with smiles on our faces and went to try out the biometrics machine. A kindly old CM helped us check in and we were on Hollywood Boulevard!!

It was now 12:30 PM and we were starved! I had read rave reviews of Rosie's Red Hots on RAPD so we headed for Sunset Boulevard. The RADPers were right! They were yummy grilled hot dogs with a choice of toppings. We both opted for foot longs with fries. While I went for the well dressed dog with mustard, onions and chili, Diane went for the naked dog with ketchup. We enjoyed our lunch under an umbrella on the pleasant patio that's shared by the Sunset Market, Rosie's and Catalina Eddie's Ice Cream. The day was beautiful, warm, but not hot, sunny but not blinding.

After lunch Diane bought a Grumpy cap at a stand near where we were eating that I had spotted on my way to the Men's room. Diane loves Grumpy and we kept our eyes out for both Grumpy merchandise and Grumpy himself. From there we headed to the Tower of Terror (TOT) admiring the rather excellent and beautiful theming that makes up Sunset (and Hollywood) Boulevard. Being at technical theatre person and a theatre architecture fan, I really appreciate the details that went into these facades. Last time I was there, in '96, these were just facades. Now most of them house stores, and nice stores at that.

The wait sign at TOT said 30 minutes. We asked the CM if it was really only 30 minutes. He said "yes" and we joined the line. Actually, it turned out he lied. The wait was closer to twenty minutes. Diane had never been on TOT, so I was little nervous to how she would react; "It's A Small World" is more her speed. When I had proposed the trip as a Christmas/Chanukah present, Diane had promised me she'd go on the thrill rides if I'd go into the shops and not bug her about shopping. We were about to face the first test. The first "bellhop" led us into the library where a very polite, very tall young man offered to stand behind us so we could see the TV. Diane and many of the "guests" began whispering "Is this it? Is this elevator?" But I kept mum. The next "bellhop" lead us to the elevator and the next thing we knew we were in the Twilight Zone! The 3D effects were more vivid then I remembered them and quite enjoyable. Then came the drops!! I laughed. Diane screamed. We got off and I expected Diane to say "never again." Instead she said, " Can we do it again?"

We headed back towards the Great Movie Ride, our next stop and found Goofy with practically no wait by a neat antique car. I joined the line and Diane snapped my picture. Then we took turns taking photos of each other by the antique car. We were having a great time, our worries of the morning and the real world far behind.

I steered us toward the side of the Great Movie Ride (GMR) where normally you enter only to find that we could enter through the front doors. There was no line. We paused in the lobby long enough to look at the Ruby Slippers (from the Wizard of Oz) on display and joined the very short queue in the theatre. Here they show the trailers from the great movies that are featured in the ride. We just missed the first ride and waited for the next one. Less then five minutes from the time we entered we were on a tram, in the first car, right behind the "driver." Okay Fellow RADPers, do they really drive? I watched closely and it seemed to me that the steering is just as much a prop as it is on the Jungle Cruise. When they reach certain areas, the vehicle stops, a light on the dashboard turns red, they do a spiel, and when it turns green they press a button, the ride goes forward and so on. We thoroughly enjoyed this ride and I took in lots of little details such as what was on the computer screens in the Alien section (crew rosters and such). I hope they add more modern movies soon since Alien and Indy are about the newest they have.

After playing on the stars and hand prints for a minute we headed for the Backstage Studio Tour (BST). As we passed the Voyage of the Little Mermaid, the CM was hustling people to come in, no wait. So in we went! We missed the pre-show, and were ushered right into the theatre where we sat in the rear. It's a cute show with great laser effects and puppetry, but the story is so chopped they might as well just sing the songs and skip the dialogue.

We continued on to BST. There was a five minute wait. They changed it since I last visited. At that time you went on the tram first and did the walking tour afterwards. Now it's reversed and you start with a water effects (battle scenes at sea) demonstration and then you walk through a props warehouse where you're shown a video with Bett Midler about making movies. Then we boarded our trams. Before we boarded, I said "Hon, if memory serves me correct, the left side gets mighty wet. Do you want me to take that side?" "No, we'll see." Of course after we're seated the guide announces "Ladies & gentlemen, guests on the right side (ha ha) may get wet, so you may want to change sides if you don't want to get wet." Diane, of course says "See! You were wrong.!" just in time not to hear the guide saying "Ha ha, he he, I mean the left side gets wet." So she got soaked. After exiting the tram we strolled through the AFI exhibit checking out props and costumes from famous films such as Evita and Star Wars. Diane browsed in the gift shop and purchased some bargain, marked down T-shirts.

Next we meandered through the NY City street set. I remember when they made a big deal of it, showing it off on the tram tour and how they'd play up "if no one is shooting on it, you can visit New York Street." Now it's just part of the park, not the working studio. It would take them a week just to get all the souvenir and snack carts out of there.

Our next stop was Muppets 3D. This is one of my favorites and was another walk in. Unfortunately we missed the pre show which I enjoy. We laughed heartily but the 3-D hurt Diane's eyes and by the end she gave up on wearing the 3-D glasses. She laughed even without the 3-D! On the way out we checked out the wonderful Miss Piggy Statue and some of the other gags and then we were off to my favorite at MGM: Star Tours.

This too, was a walk on. The only problem with "walk on's" is that you don't get to enjoy the pre show which helps get you in the proper frame of mind for the attraction. Star Tour's pre-show is particularly great with R2-D2 and the boarding calls to Endor and such, but you can't enjoy them when the crowd is running along at a breakneck pace. We had to wait for the "next shuttle" when we reached the boarding area and were then seated in the last row (which IMHO is the best place to experience Star Tours). As usual I loved it. Diane, however, only thought it was "okay." Too bumpy for her likes.

We strolled around Echo Lake, enjoying the theming. Gertie needs a paint job! I noticed in several places through out our trip, areas in need of maintenance that surely has Walt turning over in his grave. Faded paint, worn out rugs and graffiti. Not in overwhelming quantities, probably not enough for most people to notice, but too much for me!

Diane wanted to shop at Sid Cahuenga's One-of-a-Kind but didn't end up buying anything. It was here that I really noticed the rugs. They were totally threadbare. If it was deliberate for effect, it didn't work. I just got the feeling of cheapness, missing maintenance, not of atmosphere.

Now it was time to go back to DxL, get our room keys, change and head over to the Boardwalk to Flying Fish for our 8:00 PM PS . While at DL we did a little exploring and bought the insulated free refill mugs. At $1.55 a small cup, we quickly recouped our investment, and got a nifty souvenir. Our room was in building 16 in the Alligator Bayou section. We had asked for building 14, but hey, 16 wasn't bad.

The room was beautiful. The beds were made out of tree branches, which I assumed were fake, but upon close examination realized they were the real thing. We both really enjoyed the rustic theming of the room, right down to the old-fashioned pedestal sinks. We unpacked, changed our clothes and went in search of the Boardwalk

The Boardwalk

The Boardwalk proved difficult to find and even more difficult to park in. We were directed to a small self-park area just to the left of the gate that was completely full. Several other turns brought us to unlabeled, but gated parking. After much backing up and turning around, we finally found a space near the convention center.

We walked into Flying Fish right at 8:00 PM and were seated immediately at the last available table. The restaurant is stunning with brilliant colors and "flying fish" flying from a Coney Island style parachute ride. There's also pinpoints of light set into the ceiling that change color. I was disappointed to see that their signature dish, red snapper wrapped in potato was sold out. Instead I ordered the Spice Crusted Yellow Tuna with Tempura Vegetable Roll in Soy Sesame Sauce while Diane ordered the Char Crusted New York Strip steak with Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, Snap Peas and Sauce Foyot, minus the sauce. They were both delicious. My tuna was cooked rare, almost raw, just enough to to flavor it with the spices. The roll was excellent as was the Petite Mache Salad that topped the tuna. Diane enjoyed her steak sans sauce and then asked for A-1! I thought the chef would come out with cleaver in hand, but the waiter "managed to find some" which he brought in an indiscreet bowl. Shortly after our entrees came, Diane ordered the Lava cake as is suggested in the guide books. Only one problem: the Lava Cake is a warm chocolate cake with a liquid center and orange ice-cream. Being a long time, confirmed insomniac who's sensitive to caffeine, I can't have chocolate at night and the waiter neglected to take my dessert order when Diane ordered the cake (it's suggested you order the cake early as it takes a long time to prepare). By the time the waiter took my dessert order, Diane's Lava cake came out. At the waiter's suggestion I ordered the Bow Tie Crepes with Meyer Lemon, Blood Orange Custard and warm Berry Coulis. It was fantastic, probably the best dessert I ever had. Diane said both the steak and the dessert were the best she ever had. A truly wonderful meal. We plan on trying California Grill on our next trip and compare the two.

We walked the Boardwalk and found it to be a bit of joke. Being from New Jersey, we know boardwalks. This is not a boardwalk! It's a strip of shops, clubs and restaurants that has a broad board sidewalk. Hey, imagineers! Boardwalks have "beaches", then water on the "ocean" side. Just water is a "pier"! Unless you're going to bar hop, there's not much to spend your time on here.

After retrieving the car we once again had fun with purple signs with tiny letters. Hey guys! Us older folks just can't read two inch letters in time to react! Disney Landings next left, aaahhh, we're in the right lane! Also, are we a "Village Resort" or what? And how about a sign at the next left that says "DxL, PO, et al turn here? It was very frustrating.

Thank God we had a quiet comfy room to crash in. We had been up 19 hours at that point and I had hardly slept the night before. We were both exhausted. So after watching one of the house channels promoting Disney's parks we turned in.

Day Two

We awoke refreshed and ready for our visit to the Magic Kingdom. After heading to the food court for a quick breakfast, we made our way to the bus stop for the ride to MK. The MK bus stop was crowded. A bus arrived after about 5 minutes which quickly filled to capacity, but luckily with us on it.

There's something magic that happens whenever I see the floral Mickey embedded in the berm in front of Main Street Station. I guess it's just how I know I'm really and truly at WDW and harkens back to my youth when the Magic Kingdom was Disney World. The magic feeling continues as soon as I emerge from the tunnel under the railroad and I see Main St. USA with Cinderella Castle in the background. We strolled down Main Street drinking in the sights and the yummy smells emanating from the bakery and headed to the hub. After a quick stop at the tip board we were off to Adventureland and the Jungle Cruise!

An amazingly short 10 minute wait was posted at the Jungle Cruise entrance. We quickly joined the line where we were entertained by a soundtrack full of puns. Did they always have this soundtrack? I don't remember it but it sure made the wait go fast. Before we knew it we were on our boat enjoying our adventure through the jungles of the world. The skipper did a fine job despite playing to a rather unresponsive audience.

Next we walked onto one of my all time favorites, Pirates of the Caribbean. As usual it was excellent. With our timing still running well, we walked right into the The Diamond Horseshoe revue just as a show was starting. Unfortunately, we had to stand. We thought the first act was pretty lame, but the so called magician (comedian is more like it!) kept the place roaring and the dancing girls were terrific!

We continued on to the Hall of Presidents where once again we walked right in just in time for the show. It's neat how they have Clinton giving a speech and the narration by Maya Angelou gives the show a fresh perspective. Some people think the HOP is a bore, but we enjoyed it. After a short walk across Liberty Square and a 10 minute wait in line we found ourselves the guests of 999 happy haunts in the Haunted Mansion. The new bride is great!!

By now our stomachs were reminding us it was lunch time. We thought we wanted to eat in the Plaza Restaurant, but after looking over the menu, decided that fast food was what we were after. The Plaza Pavilion was about the closest counter service restaurant (we didn't want hot dogs again, so Casey's wasn't an option). We both had the pizza which was rather tasteless, but not terrible, which I supplemented with a salad.

Since we were in Tomorrowland, we decided to try and go on something before the parade and settled on the TTA. I'm glad they didn't remove this ride when they did the Tomorrowland renovation. It's such a great way to relax. This attraction moves just fast enough not to be sleepy but slow enough to make it a joyous, relaxing ride. And the fact that there's never a wait for it makes it just wonderful after a morning of walking.

It was time to camp out for the parade and we chose a spot on the Tomorrowland side of the hub. I watched the workmen repainting the castle, adding the details that really make the castle sparkle. Diane had brought homework and used the wait to study. What is it that makes parents with small children show up for the parade at the last minute and want to shove their kids in front of adults who had the foresight to stake out seats? I truly love kids, but don't shove 'em in front of me! (although if you politely ask I'll be happy to let them sit in front of me) The Magical Moments Parade finally started and neither of us were thrilled with it. It's better than the Mickey Mania parade of some years ago, but not as good as the Lion King Parade.

After an ice-cream and some beverages, we ambled back to Liberty Square just in time to board the Liberty Belle Riverboat. This is their new boat. Any bets as to if the old one shows up in "Fantasmic!" ? This is another nice relaxing ride. We rode on the bottom level watching the engines and the engineer keeping them running. I love the Mark Twain narration.

We followed the water edge path to Splash Mountain where the wait was posted as 45 minutes. Neither of us felt like waiting that long, so instead we walked up the stairs to the WDWRR Frontierland Station. After a short wait we boarded the train. Diane wanted to indulge in her favorite past time, so we disembarked at Main Street and hit the shops. We visited the Gallery which is now located where the bank used to be. While Diane shopped I surprised her and ordered a custom pencil drawing of Grumpy for her from the resident Gallery artist. She loved it!

We worked our way down Main Street and through the castle into Fantsyland. Snow White's Adventures was our first stop with only a five minute wait. I never rode the old version of this attraction, but we both enjoyed the new one. Just before we boarded we met fellow RADPer Art who spotted my homemade RADP button. We didn't really get to talk as our car was pulling in just as we said hello. Next stop was the pretzel cart where we split a cinnamon coated pretzel before walking over to Peter Pan's Flight. This is a delightful ride. Airy, fun, well done.

Completing our Fantasyland tour for the day was the venerable It's A Small World. I didn't like this ride when I was a kid, and I still don't. But Diane does, so what's a husband to do (ride it and SHUT UP! <g>)?

It was almost park closing time and our feet were aching for the Jacuzzi, so we strolled back down Main Street just as the beautiful lights were turning on. The twilight colors along with the little lights outlining the buildings was just stunning. We paused to take a few pictures and then caught the bus for Dixie Landings.

The Marketplace

After relaxing in the Jacuzzi and pool, we changed our clothes and waited for a launch to Downtown Disney. We hoped to eat at Fulton's Crab House, but they don't take PS. This was a sign that this was to be one of those nights...

It started with the launches. They're small, holding only 24 passengers, and where does everyone want to go on a Friday night? Downtown Disney of course. So we're waiting, and waiting and our stomachs are beginning to complain. We finally arrive at the Marketplace and after being a bit disoriented, we arrive at Fulton's. It's now after 9:00 PM and we figure a table for two won't be any problem. Wrong! Hour and fifteen minute wait. So, we decide to try Wolfgang Puck's Express.

Talk about chaos! We find Wolfgang's with no problem. It's the old Minnie Mia Pizzeria. But there's a huge line out the door. We join it anyway. A worker comes out and hands out little menus. She then asks you what you're going to order and escorts you to the appropriate part of the serving line. We both want chicken. She leads us inside and we stand in front of the chicken station. The chefs are also the servers and they all seem to be cooking pizza and pasta. We wait. And wait. Finally after standing there for fifteen minutes I flag down a chef/server and ask if anyone's handling the chicken. She says she'll serve us. We get our chicken and move down the line to the desserts. Same thing. This time I flag down someone right away. We pay and head out to the patio where the tables are located. Now we get to eat at a dirty table since no one's bothering to bus the tables. The chicken turned out to be about on par with Boston Market, but the garlic mashed potatoes and the desserts were excellent.

We hit some of the shops where Diane has a bad time with one of the sale's clerks. I bought the Disney architecture book with the Disney dollars Diane gave me for my b-day back in August and get my MKC discount. I had wanted the book for awhile, but it vanished from our local Disney stores. It's a great book!

Exhausted from a long day and the disappointment we had experienced at the Marketplace we head back to the boat landing for another long wait. We decided the Marketplace is not a good place to go for dinner. None of the restaurants take PS. They all have obscene waits lasting until late at night. Most of the chains you either have back home or have gotten negative reviews by RADPers. Next time we'll stick to the parks and resorts for dinner.

Day Three

We started the day with a quick breakfast at the DL food court. We both had breakfast sandwiches, Diane a bacon 'n' egg biscuit and me, a Cajun chicken 'n' egg biscuit. We shared an order of hash browns and filled our mugs with their "very" hot coffee. The food was very good and reasonable: $8.00 for the both of us. After heading back to our room to pick up our cameras and such we headed for the bus stop to begin the day at Epcot.

Like the rest of the trip the weather was nice, sunny in the morning, cloudy in the afternoon with a gentle breeze and just warm enough to wear shorts. The bus came soon after we arrived at the bus stop and we were on our way!

Epcot

Diane wanted to start the morning with one of her FW favorites, "Living With the Land." This boat ride is usually one of the longest waits in Epcot, but this morning there was literally no line. We just waited for the next boat and walked right on. We had a nice peppy guide and enjoyed this combination of Audio Animatronics and futuristic greenhouses very much.

Next stop was one of my favorites, Journey into Imagination. This was also a very short wait, about 3 minutes. As we boarded I realized that once they close Horizons, this will be one of the last Omni-Mover attractions left in Epcot. The ride was delightful and the theme song is still running in my head! We then exited through the side door right into the HISTA line, which was one again about 3 minutes. It's interesting to compare this attempt with Muppets 3-D. Although I enjoy M3D's comedy more, I think the effects are far more refined on HISTA and whereas M3D hurts my eyes, HISTA does not.

It was now after 11:00 and Diane was anxious to hit World Showcase. Our first stop was a quick visit to Canada where I tried one of the infamous Beaver Tails. I went for the cinnamon and it was yummy, but I don't think I've ever met any fried dough I didn't like! Next we went shopping in the UK and then visited France where we had 1:00 PM PS for Chefs de France. Diane shopped in the perfume store while I had my picture taken with the Beast. From there we joined the short queue for the film "Impressions de France." After enjoying the film (Diane LOVES France) we checked in for our 1:00 PS and were seated right away.

Chefs de France is lovely. The atmosphere is bright and beautiful and the service is impeccable. We had a pretty young server from Cannes named Johanna who made this a truly memorable lunch. We both ordered the delicious French Onion Soup to start and munched on the fresh baked rolls. Diane had the "Steak Frites" (done just the way she liked it) and I ordered the "Pot-au Feu au trois viandes et ses legumes" which was described as "most popular disk of France: assortment of beef, veal, and chicken simmered in a seasoned broth with fresh vegetables, horseradish sauce." Diane loved her steak, but I was disappointed in my dish. The beef was corned beef (I expected something more along the lines of beef chunks), the broth bland and the horseradish sauce (served on the side) wasn't enough to punch it up. So my wife (who was enjoying practicing her French) sent it back for me. Johanna whisked the offending dish off the table and proffered me the menu to try again. This time I ordered the "Supreme de volaille sauté aux champignons sauvages" (Sautéed chicken breast with wild mushrooms on a basil potato puree) which was great. The potatoes were to die for and the chicken was flavorful with a nice crispy skin. We decided to come back later for dessert at the Boulangerie Patisserie and bid Johanna "au revoir" and set out for Italy.

While my wife shopped (do we detect a pattern here?), I watched a performance of "I Cantanapoli" who perform classical music with kind of a new age twist. They dress in period costumes but add an electric bass and keys to the usual strings, and unlike most classical musicians, they SMILE! This group appears to enjoy playing as much as the crowd enjoys listening! Their performance was one of the little unexpected pleasures which make WDW so special to me.

Now that we had some room for dessert we headed back to France to Boulangerie Patisserie. They have an incredible delectable array of treats here as well as as quiches and beverages, but it should be noted that they have different desserts than Chefs de France. We were seated by the dessert counter when we had lunch and I was watching them make some amazing looking desserts, which we assumed would be available at the bakery, but alas, they are not. However the desserts they did have were incredible! We both went for chocolate cake, mine with raspberry, hers with praline. Now stuffed, we headed back to FW and right onto Horizons. I don't see why they want to get a rid of this attraction. It has some dated moments, but it's otherwise fun, and joyful. I love the orange scent and the OmniMax screens. It will surely be missed. Next stop was Universe of Energy, another short wait.

This was my first time on UoE. On my other trips we either didn't make it there because we ran out of time or I was traveling with people who hate it and won't go in it. I thought it was okay. Ellen makes it a lot more fun, but there's still moments I was busy checking out the infrastructure rather than paying attention to the story. I like the way the ride vehicles form the theatre and then split apart. Very cool. UoE won't make my "must see" list, but I would go on it again.

Magic Kingdom / Spectromagic

The sun was dropping when we came back outside and that meant it was time to head back to the Magic Kingdom for Spectromagic. We took the Monorail to T&T and transferred to the MK line. We arrived at the MK just as the 7:00 Spectromagic began. Our plan was to watch the 9:00 show, so we hopped the WDWRR to Toontown Fair station and walked to Tomorrowland. After a very short wait we sat ourselves 4th row center in the Carousel of Progress and enjoyed our journey through progress. I don't know why Disneyland ever gave up this ride. It's fun and it's up and nearly everyone walked off smiling and humming. I really liked the new "future family" scene. Next stop was Timekeeper. How can you not like an attraction that Robin Williams hosts? The show was very uncrowded with the parade going on and for once I could really see the audioanimatonics action. Very cute!! Diane loved it, giving it a solid five.

As we exited Timekeeper, we heard oohs and ahhs and bangs and booms and knew that the Fantasy in the Sky fireworks had begun. We found a viewing spot and enjoyed them immensely. This was the first time I've gotten to see them in WDW. Usually go in the "off" season when they don't run Fantasy in the Sky." I would later realize that I like them a lot better than the new Illuminations.

We decided we'd watch Spectomagic from Liberty Square and headed in that direction looking for some late dinner. We settled on the Columbia House where we had an excellent fast food dinner. Diane had the fish and chicken strip combo and I had the clam chowder in a bread bowl. Both were very good.

We found a great spot to watch the parade right in front of the HOP. It was great! There was a little wall to sit on, there was a popcorn and drink cart right across the street (and a bakery right down the street) and hardly anyone was there. The next thing we knew the lights turned off and the parade began! There is true Disney magic in this parade. The music, the lights, the characters, it just makes you smile and feel warm and fuzzy inside. I shot the parade experimenting with a new film (Kodak Max, which turned out very well). I got some great shots!

After the crowd cleared we meandered our way back to Main Street and out to a waiting bus. Tired but happy, we settled into our bed in our cozy room at DxL and said good night.

Day Four

Magic Kingdom

We decided that this would be our morning to sleep in and after a leisurely breakfast at the DL food court, boarded a bus for the MK. After checking the tip board we went straight to Splash Mountain which was listed as a 30 minute wait. But there must have been some sort of problem because the wait was much closer to an hour. This was Diane's first time on SM and she loved it! I really love it too, but I wish they would re-release Song of the South so I could better understand the storyline. I also really love the music on this ride. After purchasing our photo, I headed to BTM while Diane did some more shopping. This wait was posted as 20 minutes but only took ten minutes. While I was waiting I saw an intersting variation on the "baby swap" (This is when parent one goes on a ride while parent two holds the baby. When parent one returns, he/she hands the baby to parent one and gets on the ride.) the "seeing eye dog swap" . I really think it's great at how well Disney accomodates people with disabilities.

Diane and I hooked up again and tried to make it through the parade crowd to Mickey's Toontown Fair. After we realized that it was quite impossible we watched a few minutes of the parade and then headed for the Frontierland WDWRR Station and hopped on the next train to Toontown.

Our main purpose of visiting Toontown was to get Pooh's autograph and photo for my niece. After a few minutes we joined the queue in City Hall for the 100 Acre Wood. The line moved fast and the time went fast as I helped a little girl figure out the character puzzles on the queue's tv screens. Pooh, Tigger and Eeyore were in the greeting area and we got autographs and photos from both Pooh and Tigger.

Chef Mickey's

We had 6:45 PS at Chef Mickeys at the Contemporary so we departed for the monorail. After arriving at the Contemporary we looked around the shops and checked in at Chef Mickeys. We were seated immediately in the upper seating area. Our waitress was very nice, but otherwise Diane was disappointed. She was not prepared for the noise level and the franticness of this restaurant. It was almost impossible to talk and many of the children were running around and playing, making each trip back from the buffet an adventure. The salad bar was excellent as was the roast turkey at the carving station. But the main attractions (food wise) were a disappointment. The prime rib only came out as medium well or well done. Rare in any form was unavailable. The peel and eat shrimp were inedible. I'm not sure what was a matter with them, but as soon as you tried to peel one it would disenigrate in your hand into mealy little pieces that would further crumble if you tried to peel them. The dessert bar was fair, nothing special here. The characters were fun. Chef Chip visited us several times and "asked" me how the soup was. When I told him it was delicious, he "told" me that he had made it. Dale stopped by but spent no time with us and the same with Chef Mickey. We left quickly as Diane was very unhappy between the noise, the activity level and the fact that she only eats steak rare. We boarded the monorail and were off to Epcot to watch Illuminations.

IllumiNations

After visiting Norway and Germany found a spot by the bridge in Italy and settled in for the show. I loved the old Illuminations. I hated the new one. The old version had a great flow and was very dignified. It started off with a beautiful intro, showing the countries one by one through the country's signature music and a beautiful display of light. The old version had an ebb and flow, it built up gracefully and ended spectacularly,and had a distinct beginning, middle, and end. As all things Disney strive to, it told a story. By contrast the new version starts with a leftover intro of "Remember the Magic" followed by a welcome message from each country in their native tongue. Unless you immediately recognized the tongue, by the time you figured out which country it was, the next one had already begun. What followed was equally disappointing. I thought it was tasteless, incoherent and crude.

It was more fitting for a county fair than Epcot. Lights blinked on and off spasmodically, crude colors scrolled from one to another much too fast and fireworks just erupted. There was no story. Instead of being a well choreographed dance of lights, lasers and fireworks, this was more like the mosh pit at a heavy metal concert set to classical music. I'm not sure I'll even bother with Illuminations if it's still this version when we return in Janauary. Bring back the old Illuminations, please!

After making our way towards the main entrance we browsed in some of the shops. We hoped to kill enough time that there wouldn't be too long of a wait for our bus. It didn't help. When we arrive at the bus depot, it was quite crowded, but the buses just kept rolling in one after another, making the wait rather short!

There was still a few gifts we were looking for, so browsed in the Dixie's huge gift shop upon returning (funny how the main bus stop is right next to the gift shop). I was too tired to bother buying anything so we stopped by the food court for a late snack. Tonight was our last night. Sigh. It was too bad the main pool was closed, because a nice relaxing sit in the spa would have been the perfect way to end the night. Instead we went back to our room and began to prepare for check out the next morning.

Day Five

After gathering our belongings we reluctantly packed our bags and strolled to the DXL food court for our last breakfast of the trip. We got back to our room just at check out time (11:00 AM) and found the maid already clamoring to get in. So we loaded the car, waved good-bye to DXL and drove to MGM/Disney Studios. Our plans were to see the few things we had missed, eat lunch, shop and if we had enough time, head to MK to end our trip.

MGM/Disney Studios

We were amazed at how much more crowded the park was than on our visit on Thursday. It was mobbed! Diane and hoped to get in another trip on ToT, but the line was about an hour. Our first stop was a must for me, the Animation Tour. This was first for Diane. We both enjoyed the pre-show area and roared at the pre-show film with Robin Williams and Walter Cronkite. One of the guide books said they were going to replace this film soon so I asked the CM if this was true. He said "no way." They plan to update the film, that it's very popular and Robin is staying. It was lunchtime when we actually got into the animation area so very little work was taking place. They've changed the tour. You can no longer just watch the animators at your own pace. Instead they herd you along, and at the end, rather than a video presentation, they have an animator give a live demo on video monitors of how to draw characters. I like the new ending. But I miss the self paced tour of old.

We continued on to "Backstage Pass to 101 Dalmatians" where they demonstrated how special effects such as bluescreening and the use of puppets and animatronics in the movies. The tour concludes in an area where they have several major set pieces and props from 101 Dalmatians. Being theatre people we enjoyed this display very much. They had the exterior of Cruella's mansion as well as some of the interiors, her car and costumes. Scene designs, models, costume sketches and other design elements were also on display. These were of particular interest to me. It was neat to see how the "big boys" do it and gratifying to see that they do it much the same as we do, but on a bigger scale with a much bigger budget. At the end we asked the tour guide a few questions and were very surprised that despite her offering to answer questions, she was clueless! We asked her if the working part of the studios, as opposed to the theme park, was a union shop. She answered that no, she was a college intern and wasn't in a union. I rephrased the question and she responded "Well, the studios are really owned by Disney. They're leased to Touchstone Pictures who operate them separately from Disney." Diane and I just looked at her and each other and knew any further questions were fruitless. All she knew was the tour script. I've heard since then that the studios are indeed IASTE (the union that represents most stagehands & technical folks).

Next we did a little shopping and started thinking about lunch. We looked at the menu at Hollywood Brown Derby but decided since our time was so limited that we'd eat fast food and settled on Backlot Express. This place has a great fixin's bar so you customize your sandwich to your heart's content. We both had burgers which were good. The theming of this restaurant is excellent. We ate in one of the shop areas which was realistic right down to the catalogs in the "foreman's office." Some of these same catalogs sat on my desk some years ago!

As we left the restaurant the Zero to Hero parade was passing by. IMHO, this movie was one of Disney's worst and neither of us were real interested in watching it, but passage was virtually impossible so we watched the last few minutes of the parade roll by. Just as soon as the parade ended, we started making our way back to NY Street and to the Backlot Theatre to see "Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame-- A Musical Adventure." This 32 minute show was excellent. The time frame gives them just enough time to flesh out the story, unlike DL's version which I found to be a bit confusing and rushed. The singing and acting are very well done as are all the technical elements. The characters all looked eerily close to their cartoon counterparts. The set and costumes were beautiful and well designed. Although some of the younger children became restless the bulk of the audience was enthralled throughout the performace. We both rated it a "must see".

It was now time to do all the shopping I had ignored during the rest of the trip. Off to Sunset and Hollywood Boulevard's myriad of shops we went. We were disappointed that the huge Mickey's of Hollywood Shop was closed for refurbishing. I found a nice shirt for myself and some gifts for the folks back home. We decided to say good-bye to MGM and finish up our shopping at MK. After debating taking a bus vs moving the car, we decided to drive after just missing the MK bus.

Magic Kingdom

The crowds at MK were just unbelievable. Although it was late afternoon and the park was open late, Main Street was packed! We headed into the Emporium where it was almost impossible to move, never mind browse. I was still looking for a sweatshirt for myself and gifts for my nieces, but I was getting might discouraged. We headed out for a breath of air and I decided to investigate what was occupying the former Disney Clothiers Store building. Much to our surprise there was a very uncrowded, unmarked little shop that had primarily marked down merchandise. We quickly found some nice but bargain priced Pooh T-shirts for my niece and a cool Mickey sweatshirt that was featured in last Christmas's Disney catalog (the shorts, the gloves, the shoes, the mouse) marked down to $25! Score! The temperature had been dropping rapidly and I gratefully accepted the clerk's offer to cut off the tags so I could wear it.

The AAA courtesy desk was also housed in this storefront, so I visited them to check directions back to the airport. They gave a map and directions using I-4. I inquired about taking the Greenway, especially since it was rush hour. The women told me that she and AAA recommend the I-4 Route. I was rather surprised since all the advice I've heard recommends the Greenway, so I asked her for that route. She gave me vague directions that left me feeling uneasy.

We decided to eat our last meal at MK and headed to Cosmic Rays in TL for dinner. I wasn't real hungry and ordered the buffalo wings while Diane ordered a roasted chicken dinner. Both were very good. The only bad food we had had was the pizza at Plaza Pavilion. Some folks really put down Disney fast food. We found it generally to be good and the prices comparable to local fast food establishments. The only exception was drink prices which are real "gotchas."

After visiting a few more shops that were unbearably crowded we decided to depart MK and head for the MK ferry to T&T. After leaving the ferry we joined the line for the parking lot tram. I looked at my watch and began to get rather nervous about making it to the airport on time. This line was LONG! Finally we got on a tram, in the very last seat, in the very last car. I decided to ask the tram hostess for directions to the airport. She thought for a moment, and then gave me the best directions we had received on the entire trip. The hostess sent us through an unmarked short cut by the Epcot entrance that took us straight to the Greenway and got us to the airport in plenty of time.

MCO

I was concerned that if the National car return was as slow as the pick-up counter we could be in real trouble. We were pleasantly surprised that it was just the opposite; fast, efficient and courteous. I asked the Women from National if there were skycaps available and she immediately sent one over for us. This fellow was a candidate for being a CM. He was a real "up" as he cheerfully and courteously led us right to the check in line.

Usually I make it a habit to call the airline and confirm the flight before leaving for the airport. But for some reason the thought simply didn't occur to either of us. Too bad. For we soon discovered that our flight was delayed almost three hours (thunderstorms in Newark) and we were at the airport about an hour and a half early! Sigh. We could have watched Spectromagic, had a nice dinner and visited an attraction or two for a final time. Instead here we were stuck in the airport. Oh well. Diane broke out homework and I cracked my new Disney architecture book. A young lady visiting her boyfriend during spring break struck up conversation with us. Before we knew we were squeezing into our 737 and leaving Orlando behind.

The 737 is one uncomfortable plane. We will avoid flying on one in the future. The seats are so close together that once the guy in front of Diane reclined his seat, Diane had to recline hers in order to lower the tray table. To get out of the seat to go to the john took a kind of sideways sliding maneuver. This made for one unhappy wife. She was tired, squeezed and had an exam the first thing the next morning.

Home Again

After deplaning we headed for the baggage area. We all waited at the carousel that bore our flight number. Nobody's luggage seemed to be there as all these tired passengers watched the same pieces going round and round. Finally someone shouted "Hey, Flight 448, your luggage seems to be coming up on carousel number 3." We all rushed over and sure enough, there was our flight's luggage. Unfortunately our bags were amongst the last off. One of my bags was the very last piece of luggage to hit the carousel! So at 1:30 A.M. we awoke my poor father to come pick us up. We headed straight to our apartment. Diane headed straight upstairs while I hopped in my car to rescue my dog who had spent the last five days boarding with her trainer and the last 8 hours at my Dad's and was bound to be very confused.

Reunited with my beloved Eskie, I headed home. It was now 3:30 A.M. and I and the dog were wide awake. After playing awhile I finally hit the sack besides Diane who's alarm would be going off in another 2.5 hours. Sleep finally came. With visions of WDW dancing in my head...

Conclusion

It was an excellent trip and a great time of year. All of March is considered to be Spring Break time and so you pay full prices at all the resorts. But the first week of March gives you advantage of the parks running at full steam with light crowds. Very few schools are on break that week. So you get late hours, fireworks, Spectomagic, attractions running at capacity (both sides open) with almost nonexistent lines. Timing is everything. Our last day (Monday) spilled into the next week and the crowds were just huge!

Dixie Landings was beautiful and comfortable. The rooms are beautifully decorated, quiet and roomy. The pool is great and the food court features a nice selection and reasonable prices. The only downside is how spread out it is. Diane has a bad ankle and after walking all day in the parks, the 5 minute walk to/from the food court was very difficult for her. Although we would stay here again, we hope to stay at the Wilderness Lodge (which is much more compact) when we return in January.

A Tip: the soda in the fast food restaurants is cheaper than the twenty ounce bottles of Coke sold by the street vendors, but the water sold by the street vendors is cheaper (ounce for ounce) and larger than that sold at the counter service restaurants.

Thanks for reading our TR!!

Al Schaefer

adschaefer@earthlink.net

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