Trip Reports

Cast of Characters: All Disneyland Veterans, Last trip to WDW 12 Years ago. Keith (Me), Shivahn (Wife), Jessica, 14 (Daughter), Alyssa, 10 (Daughter), Taylor, 14 (Niece), Nana (My Mom), Papa (My Dad)

Thursday, June 24th

Up at 4 a.m., to catch the shuttle van at 5 a.m. Got to John Wayne Airport with no problems. Flight to Dallas Fort Worth was uneventful. We were almost two hours late getting out of DFW because of mechanical problems. American Airlines decided they needed to change the tires on the nose gear. We landed in Orlando about 5 p.m. (45 Minutes Late). The driver from Tiffany Town Car was waiting at the bottom of the escalator to the baggage claim area. We got a Sky Cap for the ten bags we had, waited a few minutes while the driver brought the van around and we were off to Walt Disney World. It took 20-25 minutes to get to The Wilderness Lodge. The pictures in the brochure or the ones posted on the Internet do not do justice to this Lodge. It is magnificent, as you walk in and look up to the top of the seven story lobby with all the timber beams, totem poles and teepee lamp shades you get dizzy. The lobby has overstuffed chairs for your lounging enjoyment, a fire place with rocking chairs in front of it. It also has its own Hot Springs bubbling up in the lobby opposite the entrance. Check in was a breeze, we got most of our requests except for the bunk beds for the girls. The only thing that bothered me a little was the Bellman tip scam. One unloaded the bags from the van and another delivered them to the room when we called for them. Since I had been warned about this I did not tip the first Bellman, he could get his share from the second one. We got settled in and called for a refrigerator that arrived very quickly. Made a trip to Roaring Forks for our refillable mugs and then off to the Magic Kingdom by way of the Motor Launch. Had about a 10-15 minute wait for the launch, a 5-10 minute ride to the Magic Kingdom and then the fun began. It was really a great feeling to be back in the Magic Kingdom again. We walked down Main Street towards the Plaza Restaurant for dinner. We were informed it would be an hour wait and they would not be able to seat our entire party of seven at the same table. We elected to pass and try and find somewhere else to eat. We got seats on the lower level of the Plaza Pavilion patio, near the water and enjoyed a dinner of Chicken Strips, an Italian Sub and Mickey's Value Meal (Pizza) which came with Garlic Breadsticks that were fantastic. The girls and Shivahn went to Tomorrowland while the old folks saved the table and chairs for the Main Street Electrical Parade and Fireworks. This sounded like a good idea at the time. However, since I did not heed my wife's advice to bring my Poncho with me, of course it rained and rained and rained. But, not discouraged we watched the MSEP, not the best seats but okay, then waited for the Fireworks. We got Fireworks but, no Tinkerbell, she must have forgotten her Poncho too. After the Fireworks we headed for the main gate to catch the launch back to Wilderness Lodge. We then had our first transportation problem. Too many people, not enough launch's. Was this to be an Omen of how the whole trip was going to go. Not at all, the suits got on the problem and got it solved, we were on our way to Wilderness Lodge in about 20-25 minutes. We refilled our mugs and off to sleep.

We have early entry at Epcot tomorrow.

Friday, June 25th

Mickey called at 6 a.m. so we could get to early entry at Epcot. It was a good plan anyway, however we were not moving as fast as was hoped. No names will be mentioned. We met down at Roaring Forks around 7 a.m. for some Oatmeal, Bagels, Scramble Eggs and some kind of Sausage Patty Biscuit thing. Breakfast was okay but, not outstanding. After breakfast we headed for the bus stop to catch a ride to Epcot. We only had to wait a couple of minutes and we were off to the park with the giant golf ball. We got in the park around 8 a.m. and headed straight for Test Track which was sporting a twenty minute wait. Shivahn and girls got in line, Nana and I opted to sit it out, I was feeling the effects of my Sausage Patty Biscuit thing. All the girls loved the ride even my little Dare Devil Alyssa. Shivahn didn't think it would be worth a 60-75 minute wait, but twenty was okay. We then headed to Spaceship Earth, it was closed due to technical problems when we first came in, but was now up and running. It had a 5-10 minute wait, the wait wasn't bad as the line constantly moved. We all liked the ride, I did think the volume was a little loud, I noticed this on a number of rides, maybe the Imagineers are a little hard of hearing. From there we headed towards World Showcase as we had Priority Seating at San Angel Inn in Mexico at 11:30 a.m.. The atmosphere was very nice and I would rate the food as average, nothing special. We tried the Tacos Carbon, Quesadilla de Pollo, Nachos de Pollo and the Ensalada Mexicana (taco salad). After lunch we headed back to the Wilderness Lodge for naps and swimming. Shivahn took the girls to the pool which they really enjoyed. The Geyser wasn't working this day, but was later in the week. Due to some severe thunderstorms the pool was closed around 5:30 p.m.. The girls came back up to the room, got Nana and off they went to the Magic Kingdom in the rain. They ate at Pecos Bill's and said the food was good. They had hamburgers, a chicken wrap and chili cheese fries. The girls washed it down with Rootbeer Floats. They then went on Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion and Winnie the Pooh all of these with no more than a twenty minute wait. They all liked the outside of the Haunted Mansion better than the one at Disneyland, but liked the inside at Disneyland better. Alyssa really like the Pooh ride (that darn bear). They got back to the room around 11'ish, I think I was still napping.

Tomorrow we have early entry at the Magic Kingdom***

Saturday June 26th

Mickey called at 6:00 A.M. again! I'm getting tired of that Mouse calling. Shivahn, the girls and I headed for early entry at the Magic Kingdom, Nana and Papa slept in. I found a table in Tomorrowland to use as a base of operation for the morning while the girls did rides and Shivahn got us some breakfast from the bakery on Main Street. The girls started with The Tomorrowland Speedway then met up with us for breakfast. The park was now open to the general public and was getting a bit crowded. Since we were going to be back for an E*Night on Tuesday we decided to head over to Epcot. So we caught the Monorail over to the Transportation and Ticket Center and from there transferred to the Epcot monorail. All in all a very smooth park transition. The girls wanted to ride Test Track again. It had a 90 minute wait, so the girls got in the singles line and waited 15-20 minutes. The singles line is used to fill open spots in the Test Track cars. The cars hold six people and if they have a party of four or five they pull someone from the singles line to fill the empty seats. You may not get to ride in the same car as other people from your group, but it beats waiting an hour. While the girls were riding Test Track Shivahn went off on her own exploring The Land Pavilion in Future World, I went and found a bench by the World Showcase Lagoon and enjoyed the sights. After a while Shivahn found me on my bench and had Nana and Papa with her. They had decided to come in and join us.

The kids showed up a little later and we all took the ferry over to the Germany Pavilion and started our tour of the World Showcase. The girls had bought World Showcase Passports when we arrived at Epcot and they wanted to start getting them stamped. This is a great idea for kids, it makes the different pavilions a little more interesting for them. A cast member from the different countries stamp the passport then write a greeting in their native tongue and translate it for the kids. While we were in Germany we got a couple of Pretzels. They were not very good, maybe I have been spoiled by Roll Gold. We strolled over to Italy where Alyssa learned how to ask for a Coke in Italian and the girls bought some chocolate. We then headed over to the American Gardens Theater for the showing of International Storybook a cute little character show. After the show we were all hot and hungry so we went into the Liberty Inn for lunch. It was nice and cool and the food was very good. We had a Grilled Chicken Sandwich and some Chicken Fingers. We then found ourselves headed for Japan and what trip to Japan would be complete with out a Yaki-Gori (shave ice) this is an excellent way to cool off. The girls shopped in Japan while I tried to keep Papa from bothering everybody in the World Showcase. After shopping Nana, Papa, Alyssa and Taylor decided they had had enough and headed back to the Lodge for a rest and some swimming. Shivahn, Jessica and I continued on around the world, next stop Morocco. We also toured France, United Kingdom and Canada before calling it a day. Shivahn liked Canada the best because of the little wet behind the ears lumberjack that was flirting with her. YES, I have issues... After Shivahn was done with promoting foreign relations we headed back to the Lodge. The girls went swimming for awhile and we made plans to go to Downtown Disney . Downtown Disney is made up of three section. The Market Place which has shops and stores. Pleasure Island which is mostly night clubs and the West Side where there are restaurants and Disney Quest. All three areas are in walking distance of each other. Now when we made the plans to go it was a little cloudy. When we got on the bus it was a little cloudy and windy. When we got to Downtown Disney it was pouring. I remembered my poncho this time, although it didn't do me a whole lot of good. We ended up eating dinner in McDonald's to get out of the storm and hoping the storm would blow over, no such luck. So we took off shopping in the rain. It finally let up a little as we headed back to the Lodge around 10:00 p.m.. Sent the girls to Roaring Forks to refill the mugs (I love kids) and to bed.

We have early entry at MGM-Studios tomorrow.

Sunday June 27th

That darn Mickey, again with the phone call at 6 a.m. Got moving and caught the bus to Disney MGM-Studios for early entry. Jessica and Taylor headed for the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, while we headed for The Great Movie Ride. We all enjoyed this ride. We got the western show and enjoyed it. The hard part was trying to keep Shivahn from singing along with all the show tunes. Then we headed for the ABC Commissary for breakfast, not bad, basic eggs and bacon. Jessica and Taylor met us at the commissary then we headed for the rope drop to get on the Backlot Tour. The tour was okay, too short and nothing real special. Typical back lot tour of facades of houses from the movies and television. Sets made to look like they have been used in the last decade. The best part was when my family tried to set me up on the right side of the tram to receive the brunt of Catastrophe Canyon. Tram pulls into a canyon then there is a earthquake, explosion, flash flood were all going to die type thing. Well the laugh and the water was on them, the left side got all wet. The girls did Honey I Shrunk the Kids set and weren't too impressed. We had Priority Seating at 50's Prime Time Café for lunch. What a hoot. The entire place looks like a kitchen from the fifties. While waiting for your table you sit in the living room and watch television shows like Leave it to Beaver, Dennis the Menace etc. Your server is MOM.

You have to set your own table and be sure not to get caught with your elbows on the table. Mom served us Meatloaf, Chili Fries, Chicken Strips, Turkey Sandwich and Caesar Salad and S'mores for desert. Once again the girls washed there meals down with a shake. I'm beginning to see a pattern here. Mom gave the girls passes to go to the restroom to wash there hands before dinner and were quizzed as to the color of the soap upon their return. I was given a Whiner Baby Dunce Hat after complaining that the girls were not sharing the desert menu which was on a view master. So I drew Mom a picture on my place mat since I had been bad and she hung it on the wall for all to see. I was so proud. This is definitely a must do dining experience. We headed back to the Lodge and decided to stay in for the night due to the severe thunderstorms going on. The Lodge actually lost power for a second or two after a lightning strike. Shivahn and I did wash, Okay she did wash I just followed her around. I can't help it I've been following her for nineteen years. We had dinner at the Roaring Forks consisting of Nachos, Chicken Strips, Pizza, Chili and I had a Hot Dog after I got the one that Jessica dropped on the floor replaced. Roaring Forks is okay, but is a little confusing at first about were you order your food, where you pick it up, and when you pick it up which order is yours. We lost an order of Chicken Strips when another guest just picked them up with there order and took off with them. They were replaced, but they could use a little better control over the process. An early night for lots of rest.

Tomorrow we are going to the Animal Kingdom.

Monday June 28th

Phone rings 6 a.m. Guess who? ( Note to self, buy cheese and trap.) Today we go on safari in the Animal Kingdom for the first time. Got there and proceed to the rope drop in the Safari Village for the Kilimanjaro Safari ride. After the 8 a.m. rope drop we are on our Safari vehicle in about 20-25 minutes. The line moved very quickly. We saw lots of animals, they were everywhere. We even had a Giraffe try and stick it's head in the truck. The ride is rough and fast at times, but our guide made sure we had time to see everything. I must agree that I could do with out the poacher story. We then took the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail. I found this very enjoyable , even in the heat. I especially liked going in the aviary and trying to spot the different types of birds with the aid of the card we were provided. I think Alyssa really enjoyed that too, She was very good at it. Then the gang took off to do Countdown to Extinction. Nana and I went to get a table down by the river at the Flame Tree Barbecue for lunch. When everyone got back we had a lunch of a Bread Bowl Salad (excellent), Slab'o'Ribs, Smoked Beef Brisket (little fatty) and I don't remember what Jessica and Taylor had. After lunch we headed for the Tree of Life to see the 3-D show It's Tough to be a Bug. This show is great, but the Queue area is to long and winding. I guess it needs to be so you can see all the carvings in the tree, but what a hike. I have never seen so many people jumping up and down, screaming and hollering in my life as I did in this show. The stink bug was the best. After the show the old folks found a bench and the girls took off to complete their Animal Kingdom Passports which are similar to the Epcot ones. Only in Animal Kingdom you get special stamps to put in your passports. When they were finished we headed over to do the Kali River raft ride, but it had a 90 minute wait so we passed on it and headed for the gate to go back to the Lodge for a rest. That evening we headed for MGM Studios for Priority Seating at the Sci-Fi Diner at 7 p.m., we didn't get in til around 7:30. This was a cool restaurant. You sit in a convertible car facing a drive-in movie screen where they are showing clips from old 50's Sci-Fi flicks like "IT came from Outer Space", "The Colossal 50 foot man", "Attack of the Amazon Women" what a way to go. All seven of us were able to get in one car, the three girls in the front seat, Nana & Papa in the middle and me and my date in the back. Good thing the car didn't have any windows are we wouldn't have been able to see the movie.

We had the Take Me To Your Turkey (turkey sandwich), Space Chips (nachos), Veggie Burger, Chicken Strips and for dessert Chocolate Creeper Cake, Kosmic Creation (torte) and of course the girls washed down their meal with a Coke Float. We then headed over to The Great Movie Ride again. We got the western show again, but still enjoyed the ride a lot. After The Great Movie Ride the girls wanted to do The Voyage of the Little Mermaid. We had about a 15 minute wait for the last show of the evening. It was only about half full. I have to admit I wasn't looking forward to it, but it was a cute show. I really liked the black light puppets. We then headed for the 11 p.m. Fantasmic show. We weren't sure what to expect of this show, since we see the one at Disneyland quite often. I did like the fact that it was in a stadium, no long periods of standing before the show. The Bell Hop Boys that entertain before the show were very good. As for the show I have to say I like the one at Disneyland better. The one at MGM seems to be on a smaller scale and not as Grandiose. When the show was over we headed out of the park and back to the Lodge. Had Jessica refill our mugs and of to bed.

No plans tomorrow except for lunch at Whispering Canyon & E*Night.

Tuesday June 29th

Mickey called again, but I didn't care, I wasn't getting up. Shivahn, Jessica and Alyssa were going to go to Typhoon Lagoon this morning. I was going to do some wash and hang around the Lodge. The girls brought me breakfast from Roaring Forks before they left. I did a load of wash at the Lodge. I reverted back to my bachelor days everything in one machine. The laundry facilities are nice, but they could use a few more machines. They had six washers ($1) and ten dryers ($1). Watched some television waiting for the girls to get back for Typhoon Lagoon. They could also add a few channels to the selection of television channels, I think there were more Disney Vacation Club advertisement channels then regular ones. The girls got back about 12 noon, which was good since we had Priority Seating at Whispering Canyon at 12:30. Shivahn said the bus ride back from Typhoon Lagoon took about an hour, it made six stops in the Old Key West Resort. They seemed to have a really good time at Typhoon Lagoon. I think the Shark Reef attraction was the biggest hit. Jessica had an up close and personnel look at one of the Sting Ray's that took a liking to her. They changed and got ready and we made our Priority Seating on time and got seated right away. We tried the following: Rancher Rick's Chix's (chicken nachos), A Little Nutty (salad), Tomahawk Toss (club sandwich) and I had the Morgan Manor (steak) very tender. The girls of course had the bottomless shakes. We decided to take a little rest before we headed to the Magic Kingdom for our E*Night. I was exhausted from doing wash. We got to the Magic Kingdom around 4'ish and headed for Tomorrowland so we could do The Carousel of Progress before it closed for the night. We got on the next to last performance. It was pretty much as I remember it from Disneyland, the voice was no longer Rex Harrison's and the last scene has been upgraded a little. From there we took a ride on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority (people mover) , then to Time Traveler a show with Robin Williams as an android taking you throughout time. We then headed across the park to get dinner at El Pirata Y El Perico in Adventureland. We had Nachos, Taco Salad and some Chili. The girls got a few of the stamps they needed for their Magic Kingdom passports they had bought. The locations for the stamps in the Magic Kingdom where a little harder to locate. Most of locations were not noted on the park map, so you had to ask and most of the cast members didn't know where they were either. Then we headed over to Splash Mountain Photo Shop to get our wrist bands for E*Night and rode the train around the park once to see everything. We got of the train back at Splash Mountain and the girls took off to finish their passports and the old folks headed towards Liberty Square. Shivahn radioed that she had found a good place outside Pecos Bill's to watch the Main Street Electrical Parade, so the old folks went and saved the benches for the 9 p.m. parade.

The girls came back with their passports almost complete and we watched the parade. Something I noticed that was the same at the Magic Kingdom and Disneyland, are the people that have the nerve to walk up 5 minutes before a show or parade starts and try to push there way in, Oh well. It was nice to see the parade again. After the parade Nana, Papa and I went to see The Country Bear Jamboree, the girls took of to finish getting there passports stamped and also rode The Jungle Cruise. Shivahn said it was better than the one at Disneyland. We met up and watched the 10:45 Diamond Horseshoe Saloon Revue Show, it was okay, but it was no

Billy Hill and Hillbilly Show. When the show was over it was time for E*Night to begin. E*Night is a private party for quest that are staying at a Walt Disney World Resort it is not open to the general public. Tonight's hour were 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. The park closes and only quests with a wrist band are allowed on a certain selection of rides. There is an additional cost for the wrist band. The girls headed for Splash Mountain first, then Big Thunder Railroad, then we all headed for the Haunted Mansion. We all liked the outside of the Haunted Mansion at Magic Kingdom a lot. From there we headed for Tomorrowland and a few trips on Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger ride. A pretty cool ride as long as your partner doesn't spin you into nausea. You sit in a car that has the ability to spin as it moves along a track and you shoot your laser gun at targets throughout the ride. We took a short break at The Lunching Pad for drinks and cookies. Then the girls hit Space Mountain which they seemed to like better than Disneyland's. Taylor and Papa went on The ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter, the rest of us chickened out. I waited for Papa & Taylor while the rest started to head down Main Street to shop it was getting close to 2 a.m. and the park would be closing. Papa and Taylor both were very impressed with the ride. We caught up with Shivahn, Jessica and Alyssa at where else but the Main Street Bake Shop all with goodies in hand. Nana was already in the Emporium shopping. We all walked through the Emporium to look around then waited for Nana by the Fire House. She finally finished getting her purchases and it was now about 2:30 a.m. and the park was closed. We got on the Monorail to the Ticket & Transportation Center and then the bus to the Lodge. It was a very long day, but E*Night was worth the $10.

No plans Tomorrow. Try and recover from E*Night.

Wednesday June 30th

No call from the Mouse today. YEAH!! We were up earlier than I though we would be. We decided that we would get a leisurely start this morning and head for Epcot once we got moving. The girls went and got us breakfast from Roaring Forks. I had wanted to try their Breakfast Pizza all week, I should have waited. Got the bus to Epcot. Nana and Papa headed for Spaceship Earth, the rest headed for the Wonders of Life pavilion. The girls did Body Wars and then walked around while Shivahn tried to find Nana & Papa (long story). Once we were all together at Wonders of Life we sat down and got a bite to eat at the Healthy Food Restaurant, that stuff will kill you.. Then Shivahn, the girls and I went on Cranium Command. A cute little show. We then all headed for Universe of Energy to see the show. It was okay, but I'm not a big Ellen fan. I have one piece of advise , when going through the dinosaur part watch out for the spitting ones. I leaned over to get a closer look and did. I missed the next few minutes of the show while I cleaned my glasses. After the show we split up. Papa and the girls headed for Test Track, Nana, Shivahn and I headed for World Showcase to get a bite to eat at Cantina de San Angel in Mexico. We ordered our food, Taco Salad, Burrito, Nachos, wow the wind is blowing a little, found a table, wow the sky is getting a little dark, sat down to eat, wow there goes my taco salad clear across the patio. Wow here comes the rain and more rain.

Once again I was prepared and brought my poncho, however it was in my daughters backpack at Test Track. We tried to stay dry but it was impossible there was no cover at the restaurant. We contacted Papa by radio and let them know we were moving to inside the Mexican Pavilion. We found out that they had shut down Test Track because of the lightning and they were all safe inside a building. It took about 25 minutes for the rain to let up to a steady drizzle. We all met up in Mexico and started walking around the World Showcase. The girls worked on finishing their passports and we just had a good time in the rain. We stopped in Norway and took the boat ride and watched the movie. I have never seen so many Trolls in my life. Since our dinner was interrupted in Mexico we decided to try China and ate at the Lotus Blossom Café. We had Sweet & Sour Chicken, Egg Rolls and Fried Rice and ate inside with no wind or rain. Food was very good. We continued our stroll around the world, we by-passed Germany, Italy and American Adventure as we had seen them the other day. Alyssa did stop in Italy to try and order a coke in Italian, but they only sold them at the small cart outside and it had been closed due to the weather. We made a stop in Japan and Morocco for Jessica to purchase a few items that she wanted. Then we had to stop in France for pastries and souvenirs. Then past the International Gateway and on to United Kingdom and Canada. The girls had now got all their stamps and their passports were completed. Shivahn was a little disappointed, she couldn't find her lumberjack friend, Oh how sad. I stopped with Papa and watched the band Off Kilter. We then kind of all got separated for awhile, but found each other at the entrance to World Showcase. I had some how ended up with a Cinnamon & Sugar Beavertail from Canada. A thin pastry like thing. I had a bite and then offered to share it with the rest of the family, I won't ever make that mistake again, I hear it was really good. We had talked about staying for Illuminations, but decided to leave and beat the crowds to the bus. Back to the Lodge and to bed.

Tomorrow is our last full. Dinner at Whispering Canyon.

Thursday July 1st

Last full day, and that darn Mouse called again. Everybody was heading off in different directions today, trying to do their favorites before we leave tomorrow. Shivahn, Jessica and Nana headed for Downtown Disney for some shopping. Alyssa, Taylor and I were off to Typhoon Lagoon for a last swim and I don't know what Papa did. We had breakfast from Roaring Forks and due to a miscommunication I had a Breakfast Pizza again yummy. Alyssa, Taylor and I had a great time at Typhoon Lagoon. The rest of the group also seemed to have a good time shopping. We had agreed to meet back at Wilderness Lodge around noon and then head for Disney Quest. Shivahn and Jessica had gone to Epcot after Downtown Disney for some last minute shopping there so they were going to meet us at Disney Quest. We all arrived at Disney Quest with in about 10 minutes of each other. This place is unbelievable. Five stories of games and interactive activities. We established a home base on the fifth floor by the snack bar and turned the kids lose with a radio. Nana and Papa only stayed til after we ate, then headed back to start packing. The snack bars were sponsored by the Cheesecake Factory. We enjoyed Pizza, a Beef Sandwich, French Fries etc. After Nana and Papa left Shivahn and I joined the kids in exploring all the fun things to do. We spent about 5-6 hours there and had a great time. The favorite attraction was the design your own roller coaster followed by the Virtual Jungle Cruise as a close second. I won't even discuss the Virtual you drive Treasure Hunt.....We strolled through the gift shop, you have to, that's where the exit is, how Disney, we picked up a few things and headed back to Wilderness Lodge. We had Priority Seating at Whispering Canyon for dinner. Our Priority Seating had been at

5 p.m. but we changed them to 8 p.m. so the kids could spend more time at Disney Quest. Dinner is an all you can eat family style BBQ.

They bring a large skillet with Chicken, Sausage, Beef Brisket, Ribs, Turkey legs, Texas Cheese Toast, Corn on the Cob, Garlic Whole Potatoes and Baked Beans. To have a really good time be prepared to interact with your server. Before dinner we had gone to the Mercantile and made a few last minute purchases. After dinner we went to our room and started packing. This has got to be the saddest part of the trip. It was also the only time that we had a problem with Disney Merchandising. As we were packing we notice that a couple of items that we had just bought had been wrapped in tissue paper only and were broken and chipped. Jessica and I took them back down to the Mercantile to hopefully exchange them. I was anticipating there might be some trouble since we had left the store and been carrying the bags around awhile. I was pleasantly surprised when the manager told me that they should have never left the store wrapped that way and she would get us replacements and package them correctly. This only took a few minutes and we were back in our room again. As we (okay Shivahn) was packing I decided that I should check a picture frame that I had bought for damage. As I unwrapped it pieces began to fall out of the tissue paper. It was now 11 o'clock and the store was closed, so I called down and got the manager and told her who I was, and that we had found another item damaged. She took the UPC number and said she would have a replacement sent up to our room. Around 11:30 there was knock at the door and there was the Manager and a Supervisor with a replacement for the broken frame. It was nicely wrapped in bubble plastic and taped. They offered their utmost apologies and said they had included a little something extra in the bag for our trouble. I don't know of any other company that gives this much attention to customer satisfaction. We finally finished packing about midnight and went to bed after asking the Mouse to give us one last wake up call................

Friday July 2nd

Mickey got us up at 4 a.m., called the bell desk for bag pick up at 4:45, in the lobby at

5 a.m. and off to the airport with our talkative driver (NOT). Flights home weren't the best, maybe we were just being over critical because vacation is over. Arrived in Orange County around 11:00 a.m. Got bags and found Shuttle Van then headed home.

Okay Chamberlain Family you have just spent Nine days at Walt Disney World Resort...had the time of your lives...What are you going to do now???????

WHERE GOING TO DISNEYLAND...

Disney World and Disneyland in the same day.

Friday July 2nd P.M.

Yes, we did go to Disneyland. We arrived in the Pinnochio lot around 6 p.m. and took the short tram ride to the front gate. Walked to the gate wiped out our annual passes and we were in. I must mention that I do like the method of entry at WDW better, were you insert your pass/card in the turnstile reader. I think it is faster than handing it to a cast member for scanning. We walked down Main Street to the recently refurbished Plaza Inn. Got our usual table near the walk way so we could watch the Mulan parade at 8:30 and Shivhan and Jessica went to Casa Mexicana in Frontierland for our dinner. Which consisted of Enchiladas, Tacos, Taco salad, Rice and Beans. We saw the All Star College band play a few times. They put on a very good high energy show.

We got out our cards, played a few hands of a game called Phase 10. Jessica and Alyssa hit a few rides but mostly stayed at the table reminding us how crazy we were. We watched the parade and then the Fireworks. Waited for the Fantasmic crowd to make there way out of the park. While we waited I had the one thing I could not find at WDW a Mighty Duck Hockey Puck Ice Cream Sandwich. Two 4" Chocolate Chip cookies with Vanilla Ice Cream in the middle. A little note here you must let it thaw for 5-10 minutes before trying to eat it or you'll be seeing your dentist the next day. After the hockey puck and the crowd had cleared on Main Street we headed out and got the tram back to the parking lot around 10 p.m. Realizing we had been up for almost 21 hours today, but who cares, we did accomplished our mission two different Disney resorts in two states on the same day. Next maybe Tokyo, Florida and Disneyland..... We were home and in bed by 11 p.m. both glad and sad that Mickey wouldn't be calling in the morning.

General Notes:

The weather wasn't very good. High 80's all week with 90-95 % Humidity, which made the heat index (big word) in the high 90's. We could count on the rain or thunderstorms to start about 4-5 p.m. every night. But you put on your Poncho and go for it and make the best of it.
We had bought Motorola family radios before we left, they worked extremely well in keeping us all in touch when we went our different ways. We had three total for the seven of us.
I didn't mention much about the transportation system. That's because there wasn't much to say. I think the transportation system worked flawlessly. Except for a bus ride home from Typhoon Lagoon that was a little long and the first night trying to get back to the Lodge from the Magic Kingdom everything else was exceptional.
We did not have a bad dining experience on the trip. However, I would stay away from the Breakfast Pizza & Sausage Patty Biscuit thing at Roaring Forks.
We did come across a few cast members in the Magic Kingdom that weren't as informed as we would have liked. Yes we are spoiled, but we did not encounter a single rude or impolite cast member the whole trip.
We had a great time and hope it doesn't take twelve years before we get there again. Planning has started for a December 2000 trip. I guess it's back to reading trip reports again.

Keith Chamberlain

Goofster57@aol.com

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You just read a trip report that was originally published in our MousePlanet Trip Reports column.

Reader-submitted trip reports have always been an extremely popular feature here at MousePlanet. In order to improve the search functionality and shorten the time from when you submit a trip report and the report gets published, you can now post your trip reports directly to our Trip Report forums. The forums are moderated, but reports should become available for reading very quickly.