Trip Reports

9/25/99 - 10/4/99

WHO ARE WE?

Noreen - 31 years old; Vice President at an Investment Banking Firm in New York City. I will be doing most of the work in planning the trip, including writing this report.
Paul (my husband) - 31 years old; Multimedia Developer at a Management Consulting Firm in New York City. Paul may insert his comments throughout the report.
We've been to Disney World several times in the last few years. It has become our favorite Vacation. We went to Disney Land (California) for the first time in January 1997 and became engaged at Sea World.

PLANNING

We started to think about our September/October 1999 trip to Disney World as soon as we returned home from Disney World in October of 1998. We didn't know if we were going to go in March/April 1999 or wait until later in the year. It turned out that I changed jobs in April so we had to wait. In the past Paul and I planned our trips spontaneously (about 2 weeks before we went on them), but since we now own a timeshare (Vistana) we plan in advance. We bought a floating week at the end of 1995 with first use in 1996. So far we've only exchanged once through RCI to go to California; we usually use our week in Disney World.

A few weeks before our trip, I received a letter from Vistana (the timeshare) that they are changing the way they look at the use weeks for owner of the Lakes section (which is where we own). There used to be two different configurations - one where you have use weeks of September, January, and the first two weeks of December and one where you can go any week. They are now changing it so everyone who owns at the Lakes can go any week - based on availability of course. I was very happy about this since we had the use weeks in January, September, or the first two weeks of December. There have always been ways to go during other times of the year but they each had their issues. One way was to deposit your week with RCI (the exchange company) and do an exchange back into Vistana for the week you want. This cost approximately $75 and you weren't guaranteed that a villa would be available in the section that you want. The other way which came about a year ago was that you can book at any time but if it wasn't your use week, you paid $25 a night but you are guaranteed to be in the section you wanted. Meanwhile, this is the first trip to Vistana that is during our use weeks in the last two years (so we've tried the two methods of getting around it). I'm very glad this will no longer be an issue and we can just go to Vistana whenever we choose.

Our vacation plans for any given year usually include two 10-day trips (usually 1 to Disney) and several long weekend trips. The 10-day trips usually include flying somewhere instead of driving. Most of the time the travel days (to and from Disney) were wasted since we were tired from being up late and packing the night before so didn't really do much the first and last day of our trips. I'm hoping to make better use out of those days this time.

I will try to note the prices we paid for things throughout the trip but won't be compulsive about it. I'll know what we spent for a meal in a restaurant because we'll have a receipt but for how many ice cream bars, bottles of water, etc that we buy during the day, I won't keep track of.

Lodging

On April 21, 1999 I booked one week at our timeshare (Vistana) for Saturday 9/25/99 to Saturday 10/2/99. The timeshare is within 3 miles of Disney World - right in Lake Buena Vista on SR 535. It's a floating week which means we are not locked into a specific week for every year. We just call and tell them when we want to go and based on availability we can.

On April 21, 1999 I booked three days at Disney's Yacht & Beach Club Resort at the Beach Club side from Saturday October 2 to Monday October 4 - using my Magic Kingdom Club discount it came out to approximately $469 including tax.

Car Rental

We are definitely going to rent a car as we have in the past. Since the majority of our trip will be spent staying off-site, a car is a must. Also, we've found a lot of fun things to do and restaurants we like off-site and want the flexibility to go. We may use the inter-park transportation sometimes (for park hopping), but I like the convenience of knowing my car is waiting for me in a lot and not having to depend on a bus/tram/boat. Paul wants to rent a convertible as we've been doing for the last few years.

On Friday, August 13, 1999, I reserved two cars for our trip with two different car rental companies:

Avis - A full size car with unlimited mileage for $290.15. I reserved a full size with Avis because they need a credit card number to reserve the convertible and there is a cancellation fee if it's not within 48 hours. They told me it's because there is high demand for convertibles. Rather than bother, I just reserved the full size with only my name and no credit card number.

Hertz - A convertible with unlimited mileage for $543.72

Paul decided to call his corporate travel department on 9/24/99 and was able to get a better deal through them. It was with Payless Car Rental which I've never used before but I guess it can't hurt to try. However, I won't cancel my reservations with Hertz and Avis until we are set up with our car from Payless (better safe than sorry). It's a Convertible for $199.99 per week plus $44.99 each extra day with unlimited mileage. Their phone number is 407-856-5539.

Flight

On Friday, August 13, 1999, I booked our flight. We were able to get a great price on Delta Express round trip from Newark NJ to Orlando for $145.93 per person. On Saturday, 9/25/99, we fly out at 7am landing in Orlando at 9:50am. Coming home on Monday 10/4/99, we depart at 8:20pm landing in NJ at 10:55pm.

Attractions

I'm thinking of signing Paul up for a day at the Disney Institute - maybe a cooking class (since he loves to cook) and a golf class (since he keeps saying he wants to play golf).

I called the Disney Institute on 9/12/99 to get some more information about the times for the classes/programs. According to the web site a single program costs $69 and a full day (2 programs) costs $99 but also includes use of the Fitness Center. When I called I found out that golf is a clinic and not considered a program so ineligible for the $99 with another program or use of the fitness center. Also, the use of the fitness center for people taking two programs will end after 9/30/99. The golf clinics are given at 8am for about 2 hours. The cooking programs are offered at either 10am or 2pm. You cannot be late for the programs so they don't allow you to take golf at 8, then cooking at 10.

Food

There are some restaurants we've been to on previous trips and will probably repeat such as the Cape May Café at the Beach Club (for the seafood buffet) and Wolfgang Puck Cafe at the Westside. Some of the restaurants I'm hoping to try for the first time this trip are in Epcot (Le Chef's De France, San Angel Inn), at MGM (Brown Derby), at the Resorts (California Grill, Spoodles, Beaches & Cream). I'm thinking of booking the Hoop De Doo Revue as well but I don't know if Paul is into going to that. I'm also thinking of a character breakfast with Winnie the Pooh (maybe at the Crystal Palace) since that was Paul's favorite childhood character.

Another Restaurant we would like to try is Emeril's at Universal City Walk. Paul enjoys cooking and his favorite cooking show is Emeril Lagasse's show. He even has all of his cookbooks.

We find it hard making dinner and/or lunch reservations in advance. We're usually very spontaneous with these things. I don't know what I'll want to eat two months later or even what time I'll want to eat. We've also run into a few problems during our trips because we'll run around at the parks and by the time we leave and are ready to eat dinner it's late and many times the restaurants are closed by the time we get there. We've ended up with cereal, leftovers, or any 24hour place we can find for dinner several times during our last few trips. At least while we're in the timeshare we will have a full kitchen which we will make sure we have some food in. It's a great convenience (as well as a money and time saver) to have a regular breakfast right in the timeshare.

Since it's the off-season and we like to eat late, hopefully we won't have too much of a problem getting into the restaurants we want to eat at.

Admission Media

I originally thought we would buy the all in one hopper passes since they don't expire - I think we may have a day or two left from last time. We also plan to spend some time at Universal's Islands of Adventure and maybe Busch Gardens in Tampa.

I recently read that Disney changed the all in one hopper to hopper plus which limits the hopping you are able to do among the water parks and Pleasure Island.

Since we are flying in early and leaving late, I'm thinking of getting the premium annual passports which will allow us to hop around as much as we want and not feel like we are wasting a day if it's only a partial day in the parks. Also, this gives us that much more incentive to get back to Disney within one year.

I read that there is a 5 park hopper pass including Sea World, Universal Studios, Universal Islands of Adventure, Busch Gardens, and Wet N Wild for $196 + tax for 10 consecutive days of unlimited park hopping. There is a 4 park hopper pass including all of the above except Busch Gardens for 7 consecutive days of unlimited parking for $159 + tax.

I guess before we buy our passes we need to figure out where we'll be spending most of our time.

Other People

Paul likes to invite other people to join us in Disney World for two reasons. One - we have a two bedroom, two bath condo at the timeshare so we certainly have the room. Two - I like to run around (typical commando mode) while Paul is more laid back. If other people are with us, it tends to slow us down a little.

Paul's brother Phil is thinking of joining us for the first few days of our trip. He's never been to Disney World before so it will be fun to show him around and see it through the eyes of someone who's a rookie. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to make it.

It ended up just being the two of us this trip.

General Planning

I've read that it's useful to make a rough outline of what parks to hit on what days as well as make priority seatings in advance of the trip. I've printed out the park hours for the dates we're there and am trying to come up with a rough game plan. I've also listed things we don't want to miss. I'm trying to use the blocks of time method (ex - morning, afternoon, evening, night). Paul doesn't like this idea because he feels it takes away the spontaneity of just having fun on vacation.

I've made several variations of what parks to go to when, but nothing is set in stone. I haven't made any priority seatings since I haven't gotten Paul's buy in to this planning yet.

DAY BY DAY

The week before our trip

Hurricane Floyd hit Florida a little over a week before our trip and luckily there wasn't any damage - I heard they closed the parks for two days for the first time in Disney history.

On Thursday 9/23/99 (two days before we were to leave), my boss called me and told me she needed me to stay and not go since something may come up while I'm gone that needs to get done. I can't change my trip with two days notice. I already changed my last trip to the Bahamas on her request. This department has absolutely no respect for people's personal time. I don't think this is a place I want to work for much longer.

The day before our trip - Friday 9/24/99

I went to work and did what needed to be done before I left. Paul worked late again and didn't get home until about 1am. He decided to stay up all night since we had an early flight.

Saturday 9/25/99

I set the alarm for 3:45am to make sure I had enough time to get myself ready and make sure Paul is ready. He tends to leave things until the last minute.

I arranged for car service to the airport with Metropolitan Car Service. I requested a Lincoln Town Car but a regular sedan showed up instead which was $10 cheaper than the Town Car ($40 including tolls and tip). They arrived promptly at 5am. Since there was no traffic we arrived at the airport by 5:25am. We checked our luggage at the curb then went to the gate to wait. There wasn't even an attendant at the gate yet to check us in. We boarded at about 6:40am. The plane was very small - only 20 rows. They only had beverage service. But the flight was quick and got us there on time. It was Delta Express and very inexpensive ($145 each round trip).

We took the shuttle to the Payless Car Rental that Paul arranged yesterday. In the past I've always insisted on sticking to Hertz or Avis. I was pleasantly surprised. We walked in and there was absolutely no line - we just walked right up to the counter. The woman we dealt with was pleasant and efficient. We were on our way in a Gold convertible Chrysler Sebring within 15 minutes.

We arrived at Vistana around 11am. We did a pre-check in but the room wasn't ready yet. We left our luggage with bell services and went to Epcot. Since Annual Passport holders don't have to pay for parking we told the parking attendant that we were here to buy annual passes so we weren't charged the $5 to park.

We stood in line at the regular ticket window for approximately 15 minutes then when it was our turn found out we needed to go to Guest Relations since we were trading in Park Hopper Passes with some days on them towards the purchase of Premium Annual Passes with a MKC discount.

We stood in line for 45 minutes at Guest Relations. It wasn't that bad since we spent most of the time talking with the other people on line. It turns out we each had 3 days left on our All in One Hopper Passes that was worth approximately $100 per. The total for the two Premium Annual Passes with the MKC discount and the credit from the days left on the All in One Hopper Passes came to $600.92. It sounds like a lot but considering we can use it for the next year and we usually go to Disney each year, I'm very happy about it. I probably should have just taken care of buying the passes at the Guest Services area at Disney Marketplace. That's where we bought our passes last year and there was no line. While on line at the Guest Relations window, there was a CM going down the line asking people what they needed to make sure they were in the right place. This was a smart idea.

The lines to go through the turnstiles were long as well. When it was our turn we told the Cast Member that we just bought annual passes and didn't know how to do the finger check thing. She pushed a button and didn't even want our passes. She basically let us in for free since she wanted to move the line along.

Our first stop was Spaceship Earth which was a walk on. It stopped briefly twice during our ride.

I tried to take a picture of Paul in front of Spaceship Earth with the "2000" on top of it. This is when I realized my camera is broken. I just put a new roll of film in it but the back (where the film goes) isn't staying closed. I guess I'm going to buy some disposable cameras to capture my trip on film and add a new camera to my Christmas list.

I wanted to go on Test Track but the wait was listed as 75 minutes on the Tip Board. Paul suggested we eat lunch first since we were getting hungry from not being fed on the plane.

Then we went through Ice Station Cool. We both liked the Watermelon soda and agreed that the Beverly was terrible - it tastes like medicine.

It was about 1:30 so we went to the UK Pavilion and put our name in at the Rose & Crown. We were told it would be a 1/2 hour wait. While waiting we watched a show from the World Showcase Players doing "King Arthur and the Holy Grail". Last time we were here Paul was picked to be Knight Galahad but he didn't want to be chosen today so hid until the roles were assigned. Our beeper went off almost exactly on the 1/2 hour and we were seated. We shared the Mushroom Medley appetizer that contained various types of mushrooms in a cream sauce with a Phyllo Pastry on top. It was very good. Paul ordered the Cottage Pie and I had the Fish and Chips. We both had soda. It started raining while we were eating and we were outside but under the awning which they pulled down side awnings since we were getting wet. The bill with tax and tip came out to $44.74.

After lunch we quickly walked to the American Pavilion to catch the 3pm showing of "Lord of the Dance". It was already full but people were standing and watching from outside the theater so we joined them. It continued raining and became a steady downpour. Almost everyone started leaving the theater since it wasn't covered. I guess it's nice to have outdoor shows but since it's Florida I personally would prefer it to have been indoors and air-conditioned where the rain wouldn't have been an issue. We left after 10 minutes because we were getting soaked. Of course, my rain poncho (which I bought at Universal Studios several years ago and carry on all my trips to Florida) was back at Vistana in the luggage.

We walked over to Test Track not expecting it to be up and running but it was working with a 40 minute wait so we got in line. Announcements were made that the ride could shut down due to the inclement weather. But it didn't and we made it into our car. We saw the single riders line and figured we would try that next time but wanted the full experience for our first time. It was really strange that they sent our car through with just Paul and I on it and 4 empty seats.

We left Epcot and drove over to Publix to stock up on some groceries (spent $57.92). We like to have snacks, soda, and breakfast food readily available so we don't have to spend time going out for breakfast each day. Also we like to have some regular food just in case we run into our usual vacation dilemma of being ready for dinner after most restaurants have closed.

We drove over to Vistana and our room was ready. We had them deliver the bags to the room as well. The condo is beautiful as usual (2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, living room, dining room, kitchen, washer & dryer, balcony, and a Jacuzzi in the master bedroom). We also have a nice view of one of the pools. We have the top floor (4th) which has nice high ceilings with a skylight in the living room.

I did some unpacking and worked on the trip report. Paul took a nap

I woke Paul around 7:45 and we drove over to I192 looking for somewhere to buy a disposable camera. We found a Wal-Mart and bought two regular disposable cameras with flash, one water camera, and a pedometer (so we can see how far we walk at Disney) (cost $39.49).

We were both getting tired from getting up early (me) and not sleeping last night (Paul). We ended up eating the TV dinners we bought at Publix for dinner - Wolfgang Puck's Chicken & Spinach Pasta Wrap and Wolfgang Puck's Mushroom & Spinach Ravioli. For TV dinners, they were very good.

Sunday 9/26/99

I woke up around 7am but Paul was still sound asleep. I got myself ready then made breakfast - bacon, eggs, bagels, and orange juice. Then I woke Paul. This is one of the great things about having the timeshare - we can just have breakfast there.

Paul said he wanted to go to the Marketplace. He's always complaining that I like to run around so much in Disney while we come here every year. I guess he does have a point; we don't have to see everything every time we're here. But we should see all the new stuff.

We drove over to the Disney Institute to look into the various cooking classes and/or the golf clinic for Paul. After speaking with the program representative, we signed up for Celebrations - Southern Cooking for tomorrow (Monday) at 10am for both of us. Paul wanted me to go as well.

We drove over to Downtown Disney and walked around for a while. We stopped at Bongos Café outdoor stand and bought two empanadas - one chicken and one beef for $2.66. We walked through Pleasure Island into the Marketplace. World of Disney was packed today. We bought several ornaments in Days of Christmas. Since we are getting one of them engraved, they were able to package the whole bunch that we bought and will deliver it to the Disney Beach Club once we check in next Saturday. This was convenient since we won't have to carry breakable ornaments around with us.

We walked back over to the West Side to have lunch in Wolfgang Puck's café. We ordered the East/West appetizer (which had 4 pieces of California Roll, 2 pieces of chicken satay, and 4 pieces of some type of spring roll), Volcano Roll (which was an eel roll with cream cheese piled with melted mozzarella cheese on top), and an order of Shrimp Pad Thai. I had soda and Paul had a fruity drink. We didn't like the Volcano roll - instead of mozzarella, they used Swiss cheese and we just didn't like it. The waitress was so nice, she took it away and took it off our bill ($47.95 including tax and tip).

After lunch Paul wanted to watch a football game that was on. So we went back to Vistana. I'm not interested in football so I went to Animal Kingdom. It started pouring - luckily I had my poncho. I just missed the 3:15 show of "Tarzan Rocks" so I went on Countdown to Extinction with a 20 minute wait. Then I saw the 4:30 "Tarzan Rocks" - it was cute but not spectacular - Paul would have taken a nap during it. By the time the show ended the park was closed so I drove back to Vistana to get Paul who ended up missing his football game since he fell asleep.

We both went to MGM around 6pm. It's Soap Opera Weekend and we arrived just as their parade was starting so we watched and saw a few actors/actresses that we knew. Years ago we both used to watch "All My Children". Then we headed over to "Rock N Roller Coaster". The Fastpass was closed so we got in line. It said the wait was 45 minutes but it turned out to be 30 minutes. We even waited for the first seat. Just as Disney does an exceptional job with all of their attractions, this ride did not disappoint. Then we went on "Tower of Terror" which was a complete walk on. The new sequence of drops made this a lot of fun. We got off Tower of Terror around 7:30 and walked over to get seats for Fantasmic which started at 8pm when the park closed. The show was very good and we got a jump on the crowds out since we were sitting near the back.

We drove over to the boardwalk and valet parked. We had dinner at Spoodles. We did not have a priority seating and walked in to find out how long the wait would be at 9:10. They said they could seat us right away. Paul wanted to walk over to ESPN club to see the score of yet another football game so we told them we'd be back in about 15 minutes. We came back about 9:30 and were seated immediately. We ordered several appetizers: Bread Bowl with Rock Shrimp; Mediterranean sampler (which was pita bread with various dips and vegetables); and flatbread pizza with tomatoes, onions, and cheese. We were planning to order a linguine with various seafood entrée but were too full from the appetizers. So we skipped the entrée which Paul complained about later (all we had for dinner was basically various types of bread). Then we ordered the amaretto glazed flan for dessert. Paul didn't want it but it sounded good so we got it and I had him try it too - it was delicious. ($53.99 including tax & tip)

We came back to Vistana around 11pm and did some laundry and worked on the trip report. Since we have the washer and dryer right in the room, I'm always throwing laundry in. Maybe it's strange, but I enjoy doing laundry.


Monday 9/27/99

We had frosted flakes on the balcony for breakfast.

We drove over to the Disney Institute for our class - Celebrations: Southern Living Style - So Long to Summer. We were there around 9:30 to sign in and the class started at 10. There were approximately 15 people in the class. What was nice is that you didn't have to do everything - some of the prep work was already done for you. Cost for the two of us $138.

The menu was as follows:

Monterey Cheesecake

Broccoli and Cheddar Hand Pies

Cheese Pennies

Pinwheel Cookies

Pecan Shortbread with Blueberry Filling

Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

Avocado Biscuits

Chicken & Wild Mushroom Firecracker

Peach Cobbler Ice Cream

Lemonade Ice Tea

After cooking all morning, we were able to eat. It was set up as a buffet and we started eating around 12:35. We were done by about 1 and left. It was a nice way to spend the morning - very different than the usual running around the parks and fighting the crowds. One man in the class said he hasn't even been to a Disney Theme park yet and he's already been here for 5 days. When you leave they give you a Chinese food box filled with the Cheese Pennies and the Pinwheel Cookies (each rolled separately in Disney paper) and a Southern Living Magazine as well as a book containing the recipes of the dishes we made today.

We drove to Typhoon Lagoon next. It was pretty empty. We basically went in the wave pool and stayed there for 2 hours. The big waves were going and we were having a good time jumping around in them. Unfortunately, I left the water camera in the room so I had to buy another one here - approximately $16. A new thing Paul figured out is that when the big wave hits you, if you put your feet up out of the water, it flips you over - so we did this numerous times. Paul doesn't really like all the walking involved in going on the slides. Just when I got him out of the wave pool and ready to go on some slides it started pouring. So we got dressed and left. After we left and got in the car I realized I forgot to turn in the locker key. I went back to the entrance but the CM said I needed to have my pass to get back in. So back to the car to get the pass, then back in to return the key.

We stopped back at Vistana to change and drop off our stuff they gave us during the cooking class.

We were ready to go to the Magic Kingdom now. I know it's a Monday and an Early Entry day but since it was already after 5pm, I was hoping most people would have left by now. We parked, took the tram, then the monorail to the front gate. For some reason I remembered this as taking a long time - but it was very quick today. We were strolling up Main Street against hordes of people strolling out of the park. The handout of Disney Times I picked up when we first arrived in Orlando said Magic Kingdom was open until 8 tonight, but they were closing at 7 instead.

Our first stop was Tomorrowland for Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. Paul has never been on this and since he likes video games, I figured he'd really enjoy this. We waited about 10 minutes and we were off. I scored around 26,000 and Paul scored around 55,000 - so we both qualified as "Space Ranger - 1st Class".

I don't understand why Disney insists on using powder soap in the restrooms. I really don't like it - it's gritty and doesn't lather well. So I carry my own liquid soap that I use.

Then we walked through to Fantasyland for the Winnie the Pooh Ride. We waited 1/2 hour for this one. I guess it's crowded because it's new but neither of us were particularly thrilled with it. It was cute but not worth a 1/2 hour wait.

While in Fantasyland we rode Cinderella's Carousel with no wait - just walk up and pick a horse. We also rode Small World with no wait.

Off to the Haunted Mansion and walked right into the first room. This ride is always fun.

It was about 6:45 and the park was closing in 15 minutes but we managed to get over to Pirates of the Caribbean quickly and get in a ride. There was no wait whatsoever, they were sending along empty boats. We had a whole boat to ourselves.

Once we exited Pirates the park was closed so we made our way to the exit. The line for the monorail extended slightly down the ramp but moved quickly and we made it onto the first monorail that pulled in. I guess it helped that when it pulled in, a gate was opened right near us (I'm guessing it was a wheelchair entrance) and we jumped right on. The tram was waiting for us as well and we quickly boarded and got to the car.

We debated going to Epcot until they closed and having dinner there or just going to Pleasure Island. Paul wanted to go straight to Pleasure Island so we did. We arrived about 5 to 8 and got in line for the 8:15 Comedy Warehouse show. We were the second couple in line and had great seats - front row on the floor in front of the stage. The room was pretty crowded - all the rows were filled - but not doubled up like at the later shows. I tried the Comedy Colada (a Pina Colada) in the souvenir cup and Paul had a beer. The show was funny as usual. We were let out around 9:15 and I asked Paul if he wanted to get back in line for the 9:20 show but he didn't. We were getting hungry and wanted to look for some dinner. We stopped in the Adventurer's Club for about 15 minutes and watched the show going on in the Main Room. We left around 10pm and were getting tired - all of this running around was catching up to us. We couldn't figure out what we wanted to eat but decided we didn't want it to be a long affair. I suggested eating the Pasta we have in the room but Paul didn't want to cook or spend the time cooking. So we stopped at Wendy's for takeout on the way back to the room. Dinner Cost $9.30.

We came back to Vistana, had our dinner, and ran the dishwasher. I went in the Jacuzzi in the master bedroom. It was very relaxing. Paul was too tired to join me and was sound asleep before I got out. Then I went to sleep too.

Tuesday 9/28/99

Today we got a pretty late start. Paul has been doing so well keeping up that he deserved a day to sleep a little later. We had breakfast in the timeshare.

We got to MGM around 12:15. We walked right into the 12:30 Doug Live show. It was very cute. Since I wasn't familiar with the cartoon I didn't really know what to expect. Paul took a nap in here.

Then we were able to walk right into the Drew Carey Sounds Dangerous show - again with no wait. This was very cute as well. The CM's are so helpful. There was a bratty kid screaming and crying because she was scared of the dark. The parents didn't have the sense to just take her out and not ruin the show for the rest of us. But the CM went over to the little girl with a flashlight and talked to her and calmed her down. After exiting the show we played with some of the interactive stations that were available.

We went to the 50's Prime Time Café for lunch. We didn't have a priority seating and showed up around 1:30. We were seated within 15 minutes. Our server "Cousin Claire" played her part very well. I had the 1/2 turkey sandwich and cup of soup with a sprite. Paul had the meatloaf and a chocolate shake. They were both very good. Our bill with tax and tip (after MKC discount) came out to $33.83.

After lunch we went on the Great Movie Ride - again a walk on. We asked for and got the Western side. I've been on this ride numerous times and always had the gangster side in the past.

Then we went to Muppets 3D. This is always cute and again no wait. This is the first time we saw the whole pre-show. I guess going during the off - season is paying off. Either that or the crowds are all over at Rock N Roller Coaster since that just opened.

We went on the Backlot Tour - Catastrophe Canyon. Paul wasn't feeling that well at this point.

Then we went through Backstage Pass to 101 Dalmatians. Paul seemed to be getting worse during this.

We went back to Vistana so Paul could rest and I went off to Epcot around 7pm.

I went to Test Track and got in the single rider line. The posted wait time for the regular riders was 40 minutes, and I was in a car within 10 minutes. This is definitely the way to go. I'm glad we waited the first time and saw all the exhibits but after seeing it once I don't need to see it again. There were several families using the single rider line too. I guess it's worth it to be a car or two behind the rest of your party if it saves you over 1/2 hour of waiting.

I hurried over to Canada in the World Showcase to catch the 7:40 show of Off Kilter. They were pretty good. It was pretty crowded too. Then I decided to try a Beaver Tail - I got the cinnamon and sugar one for $3. Pretty good but basically it's just fried dough.

The tapestry of nations parade was going on so I watched some of that. I walked over to Mexico to look at the menu at San Angel Inn to see if Paul and I should plan to go there for lunch during our trip.

I waited for Illuminations 2000 in the back of the Mexican Cantina. It was a good show. It was more focused on the earth and fireworks around it than highlighting the different countries. Because of this I don't think there was a bad seat.

Getting out of Epcot after Illuminations was a nightmare. It took me a long time to get to the exit. I found my way back to Vistana OK but at the intersection where I make my left turn into Vistana, there was a big accident and the whole road was blocked off. I asked the cop how I could get into Vistana and he directed me around the next block and the back way in.

Paul cooked dinner - Pasta and Meatballs while I was out so dinner was ready when I got back. Paul was supposed to sign himself up for the Computer Animation class at the Disney Institute but didn't do it yet. We ate then did some laundry and worked on the trip report.

Wednesday 9/29/99

Paul wanted to take the computer animation class this morning at the Disney Institute. When we called they didn't want to enroll him since it was almost time for the class. They suggested he just show up at the podium and if he's on time, they can enroll him. So we drove over and he dropped me off at the bus stop to get to Epcot since it was time for him to check in. If he dropped me off at Epcot (which was the original plan) he would have definitely missed his class. He ended up missing it anyway - but we didn't know that at that point. We planned to meet in Epcot in Mexico in front of the San Angel Inn around 1:30 for lunch.

Epcot has special hours 8am-4pm today and tomorrow due to a press event. I went straight to world showcase to America to see the 10am showing of "Lord of the Dance." It was a great show and nice and empty but hot.

Then I walked into the American Adventure and saw the 10:45 show of the Voices of Liberty then the 11am show of the American Adventure. It was very interesting and patriotic. Since I'm not much of a history buff, this was a good way for me to see some US history.

I went over to the Land and saw Food Rocks, then Living with the Land. This was the first time I saw Food Rocks and I thought it was really cute.

I walked over to Honey I Shrunk the Audience in the Imagination Pavilion. I haven't seen this show in about 2 years so it was fun to see again.

Then I walked over to Mexico to meet Paul who was late and didn't show up until 2:10. I rode El Rio Del Tiempo while waiting. We had lunch in San Angel Inn - no priority seating, but were seated immediately. I had the Plato Mexicano (which was like a combination plate of several Mexican dishes - soft tacos, enchilada, and something else) and a Sprite; Paul had a chicken and pasta dish and a coke. The service wasn't up to Disney standards. Considering the restaurant was pretty empty, we shouldn't have had to look for our waiter as much as we did. Neither of us really liked the food that much either. The best part was the chips. However, neither of us are big fans of Mexican food to begin with. The total with tax and tip was $35.53.

Since Paul missed his class, he spent the morning going back to the timeshare to take a nap then driving around the area.

After eating we went on Test Track. There wasn't a single rider line operating but the wait was only 10 minutes so it wasn't necessary.

We left Epcot and decided to explore some of the other Disney Resorts. Our first stop was the Grand Floridian. It was a little stuffy for our tastes. It was definitely beautiful but just didn't have that comfortable back home at Disney feel to us. Then we went to the Polynesian - everything is very spread out. We stopped at All Stars just to see how loud and garish they really are. They lived up to their reputation - they are loud. So far we've only stayed at the following Disney Hotels: Port Orleans (Sept 97), Dixie Landings (Oct 98) , and this trip we will be staying at the Yacht & Beach Club (Beach Club side) (Oct 99). We've been very happy at each of the hotels we've already tried.

We drove over to Belz Outlets next. We bought sneakers, shirts, bras, and ornaments in the Character Warehouse (just the ornaments are from Character Warehouse).

Then we came back to Vistana for Paul to see some of the Mets game and me to work on the trip report.

We went out for dinner around 9:30 to this place right on 535 called Landry's Seafood House. It was across the road from Vistana. Paul found their ad in one of those Orlando magazine's that you find everywhere. It was very good. We started with two appetizers - Stuffed Mushrooms and Fried Zucchini. I had the broiled seafood combination that included Sea Bass, Shrimp, Stuffed Shrimp, Scallops, and Crab Fingers along with rice and vegetables. Paul had Stuffed Flounder with a mushroom, scallop, shrimp, and crab meat topping along with rice and vegetables. We both had soda. Our waiter was very friendly and described the different dishes (he should have worked for Disney - that's how nice and helpful he was). It was very good and we couldn't finish our food so we brought the leftovers back with us to the timeshare. Total with tax and tip was $64.43.

Thursday 9/30/99

Paul signed us up for the 7:30am Vistana Owner Preview which was to try to get us to buy another timeshare week in the newest section of the resort. We went but didn't plan to buy another week. Also, the newer units are smaller than ours and don't offer any better amenities. It took about 1 1/2 hours and we were given $50 for our time.

We headed over to Universal Islands of Adventure around 11:15. We received a Dodge owner (we have a Durango) 15% discount card for the 3 day escape pass and a special coupon book. We bought two of the 3 day escape passes which came out to $207.16 with our discount. We'll probably only use it the one day this trip but the unused days don't expire so we'll have it for our next trip.

We started out with the Amazing Adventures of Spider Man which had a 30 minute wait. We thought this was very well done. It had good 3D effects and you were tossed around just the right amount.

Then we went on the Incredible Hulk Coaster with a 10 minute wait. There are lockers by the entrance to this ride (as well as Dueling Dragons, and Jurassic Park River Adventure) so you can store your stuff and not worry about it on the ride. The lockers are free for 90 minutes. This ride was a lot of fun - we even waited for the front row. Considering how much it flips you around, it was very smooth and you didn't feel like your head got banged around too much. The most surprising thing is when it's going up the initial hill, which normally goes slowly all the way up then takes off to go down, it shoots off before the top of the hill so you feel like you're being shot upward before flipping and going down. Paul went on a second time in the back row.

Then we went to Jurassic Park River Adventure and used the free lockers there. I even put my water shoes on and left my sneakers in the locker (I hate having wet sneakers). We didn't even get wet on this one - just spritzed on slightly. I put my sneakers back on after this ride.

Then we went to Dueling Dragons - again using their free lockers. This had about a 15 minute wait - again we waited for the front row. This was also a very smooth ride considering you're flipped around a lot. Paul went on twice here too. We wanted to get the roller coasters done before lunch.

We went on Cat in the Hat which was a walk on. This was very cute but it spun you around pretty quickly for what I thought was a kiddie ride.

The park is laid out like a big circle around a lake and we have now completed that circle and were back at the entry point so we started our way around for the second time.

We had lunch in the Comic Strip Café which was closing some of their service counters since it was already about 2:45. I ordered a combination plate that had a fried piece of fish, a chicken finger, fried shrimp, a hush puppy, and French fries and a soda. Paul ran over to Wimpy's and got a double cheeseburger, fries, and onion rings. My food was terrible. Paul's cheeseburger was good. Lunch cost approximately $20. Then Paul wanted an ice cream cone. While I went to get Paul the ice cream he fell asleep in the booth - snoring and everything.

It was really hot out so I put my water shoes back on and we went on some of the water rides. We started with Popeye & Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges which is a whitewater raft ride. In the center of the raft was a covered thing that you can store your belongings so they won't get wet on the ride. We got soaked but our stuff stayed dry. We went on this twice.

Then we went on Dudley Do-Rights's Ripsaw Falls which is a typical log flume ride. We got a little more wet here. Then Paul wanted me to go on alone so he can tape me which I did. By myself I ended up in the front seat and got soaked.

Then we went to Poseidon's Fury: Escape from the Lost City which was pretty silly. Also, after going on the water rides and being wet, we were freezing in here.

Paul wanted me to go on One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish so he could video tape me. This was really cute. It reminded me of Dumbo at Disney World but instead of elephants, it was fish that you control to go up and down to avoid the streams of water being squirted at you.

We were ready to leave Islands of Adventure. I wasn't thrilled with this park. The rides are OK and the theming is pretty good but I don't feel the need to run back. It was more rides than attractions or experiences. We were able to go on everything we wanted to (some things more than once) without a wait. The only thing we would have gone on but didn't feel like waiting (there was a 45 minute wait) was Pteranodon Flyers. We didn't see any of the shows either.

We stopped at Emeril's hoping to be able to have dinner there but the earliest they'd be able to seat us was 10pm and it was only 7ish when we were there. So we will try to make reservations for another night.

We came back to Vistana and did some laundry. We figured we could eat the leftovers we have from last night for dinner. We called Emeril's to make dinner reservations for another night. We have reservations for tomorrow night at 10:30 - it was either that or Sunday at 10pm. I didn't realize it would be that booked or we would have tried to make reservations for earlier in the week. Everything else we've done this trip has been pretty empty.

Friday 10/1/99

We had breakfast in the timeshare - bacon and eggs. We have to start using up our food since we are checking out tomorrow for our move to Disney's Beach Club.

We headed over to the Animal Kingdom around 12pm.

We walked right into Tough to Be a Bug. This was really cute; we both enjoyed it.

Then we headed over to Countdown to Extinction, which had a 10 minute wait. The picture came out cute, so we bought it.

We walked over to Asia to go on Kali River Rapids. Since there was a 20 minute wait, we got a Fastpass instead. We both had trouble getting the Fastpass. We'd put our cards in but no pass came out. Finally the cast member helped us and we got our passes. We walked through the Maharajah Jungle Trek while waiting for our Fastpass time. Paul didn't like it very much. It was hot and a lot of walking and you didn't see too many animals. We were able to get on Kali River Rapids quickly with our Fastpass. I put my water shoes on once again and this time wrapped my rain poncho around my shorts/waist kind of like a diaper. It may have looked silly but at least my shorts stayed dry. There was a fountain near the exit to Kali River Rapids that Paul stuck his head in. It was very hot.

Then we walked over to Kilamanjaro Safari which had a 20 minute wait. Fastpass was working but there wasn't anything else in the immediate area that we were interested in going on. We got on our vehicle in about 20 minutes and were on our way. We saw lots of animals.

We left the park then to go get lunch - it was already 3pm. We were thinking about sushi. So Paul drove down 192 because he remembered a Japanese place near the Ramada that we stayed in years ago. Unfortunately, they didn't open until 5. Then we decided to head to Disney's West Side to go to Wolfgang Puck. But we got lost so had to go in a big circle. We finally got there and there was no wait - it was about 4pm by now. However, the two hostesses were a little confused and instead of seating us and the other couple waiting to be seated, they stood there discussing the seating chart for 10 minutes. We started off sharing a California Roll and an Eel Roll; I had the Pumpkin Ravioli; Paul had the Shrimp Pad Thai. We both had soda. We got our appetizers pretty quickly but our entrees took a really long time. The waitress came over and apologized and told us that dessert would be on them since we've been waiting so long. It's not like it was crowded or anything. So for dessert Paul had the key lime pie; I had the Crème Brulee Trio (which consisted of Vanilla, Amaretto, and Chocolate mini crème brulee's). Paul also had an iced cappuccino. We were stuffed by the time we were done. With tax and tip it came out to $66.47.

We came back to Vistana for a little while. Paul wanted to rest. I went swimming in the pool. Paul ended up sitting on the patio (which faced the pool) to watch me.

We went to Pleasure Island around 8pm. Christina Aguillera was performing at 8pm so we wanted to see her show. It was packed. She performed until a little before 9. Then we went into the Adventurer's Club and saw a show in the library. We walked over to the Marketplace and did some souvenir shopping. With our MKC discount we spent $135. We had them do the package delivery. At first the cast member didn't want to do it since we aren't checking in until tomorrow and don't have a room number yet. When we told her the Christmas store did it, she did it as well. This worked out well as we didn't have to carry all our packages.

There was tons of traffic on 4 which we needed to get to Universal City Walk since we had dinner reservations at Emeril's. We ended up trying to find another route and getting on 4 later on after the traffic jam. We arrived at Emeril's around 11pm and were seated immediately. We started with the fried calamari and the soup of the day (which was crab & corn chowder). I had the Sauté Shrimp with pasta. Paul had a Duck dish which had duck, foie gras, and mushroom bread pudding. It was very good. With tax and tip it came to $82.84.

We came back to Vistana and did another load of laundry, ran the dishwasher, did some packing for our move to the Disney Beach Club, and worked on the trip report.

Saturday 10/2/99

Today we had to check out of Vistana by 10am. We finished up some of the food and threw out the rest. We got everything packed into the car and were out by 10:15. We tried to get Paul enrolled at the Disney Institute for this afternoon's computer animation class but they were all booked.

We did pre-check in at Disney's Beach Club (part of the Yacht & Beach Club) but our room wasn't ready yet. I didn't really expect it to be. We had the car valet parked, and they stored our luggage for us.

We walked over to Epcot which took about 5 minutes and entered through the International Gateway which left us near England in the World Showcase. We went into Millennium Village which had numerous interactive attractions to play with. Paul wanted to see if there were any cancellations for the computer animation class so he could go. We walked back to the Beach Club for lunch at Beaches & Cream. We waited about 5 minutes for a table. I had the single cheeseburger with fries and a sprite; Paul had the double cheeseburger with onion rings and a sprite. The food was very good. The total with tax & tip was $23.08.

Our room still wasn't ready and Paul was tired from all of the running around we've done so far. He decided not to run to the Disney Institute and was planning to go to DisneyQuest instead. The plan was for me to go to Magic Kingdom since I wanted to see the Main Street Electrical Parade and we'd meet at Pleasure Island. Paul was too tired to do that - he just wanted to get checked into the room and rest for a little while. Since I wanted to go run around (as usual) he told me he'd wait here or go to Disney Quest and we can meet at Pleasure Island.

I walked back over to Epcot. I waited 30 minutes for the new Journey Into Your Imagination ride that replaced the old Journey into Imagination ride. It was very cute.

Then I stopped in Innoventions and sent a few of the IBM picture postcards. I didn't remember too many e-mail addresses off the top of my head so only sent it to my sister, Paul, and possibly my mother (if I got her e-mail address correct).

I went to Test Track to go on the single rider line but the ride broke for a little while so I ended up waiting about 15 minutes. This wasn't bad considering the regular line's wait was 60 minutes.

I walked to Norway in the World Showcase to get a Rice Cream then walked all the way around the world showcase to get to the International Gateway.

When I got back to the Beach Club I was told the room was ready - room 5691. Somehow, we were upgraded to the Nantucket Suite. I was shocked when I walked in and saw this room - it's beautiful. There's an entry hallway, a powder room, a living room with a TV and stereo system, two balconies (one in the living room overlooking the boardwalk and entrance; the other in the bedroom overlooking Stormalong Bay); the master bedroom has a master bathroom with a Jacuzzi, shower stall, toilet in it's own room, and a mini TV. Paul had just gotten into the room about 10 minutes before I got back and was as amazed by the room as I was. I guess it's just Disney Magic at work here.

Paul was too tired to go to Disney Quest so decided to just stay and rest. He didn't want to come to Magic Kingdom with me either. So I took the Disney bus to Magic Kingdom. When I arrived (about 6:30) people were already staking out spots for the Main Street Electrical Parade scheduled for 8pm.

I went on Jungle Cruise with a 20 minute wait. The skipper (Jungle Jim) really got into his job which made the ride fun. Then I walked through the Swiss Family Treehouse.

It was almost time for the Main Street Electrical Parade so I walked over to Main Street. I found a decent spot near the beginning of the parade route and I only arrived 15 minutes before it started. The parade was fabulous. The lights and floats were just spectacular. Although there was a 9pm fireworks show, there was a mass exodus after the parade.

I called Paul back at the Beach Club to find out what he wanted to do. I ended up not staying for the fireworks but taking the bus back to the Beach Club. The bus between the Beach Club and the Magic Kingdom makes 3 stops - Yacht Club, Beach Club, and the Boardwalk. We went down to the Cape May Café for the clambake buffet. We always enjoy this. I usually end up eating more from the kids buffet than the adult one. The total with tax and tip was $52.30.

After eating we walked along the beach and sat in the swings for a little while. Then we walked over to the Yacht Club. We strolled along Stormalong Bay. Then we came back to the room

Sunday 10/3/99

We went to the Cape May Café for Goofy's character breakfast. We were thinking of trying to make reservations for Crystal Palace but Paul didn't want to rush to get to the Magic Kingdom for breakfast. The one here at the Beach Club was very good. There was a nice selection of food. We had pictures taken with Goofy, Chip, and Dale. Cost with tax and tip was $37.70

We drove over to the Marketplace to buy a few more things, then came back to the Beach Club to finally go swimming in Stormalong Bay (the pool). Unfortunately, just as we got to the pool they closed it due to lightning and thunder in the area. We went back upstairs and Paul watched part of a baseball game while we waited for the pool to re-open. It opened back up around 3 so we went swimming. What a great pool. There was so much to do. There's a slide that comes off a boat. Paul got stuck in the slide and didn't make it all the way down. There was a section that pushed you around in a circle. There was a lazy river, but it went up to 8 feet deep so Paul had to stay out (since he can't swim). There's a "quicksand" area where air bubbles the sand up and you sink in then when the air stops you're stuck. Unfortunately, it wasn't a bright sunny day, but a cloudy one.

We came back upstairs around 5:30pm. The maid came by for turn down service but since we were there felt silly and told her it's not necessary. After she left, Paul wanted me to ask her for the chocolates that they left last night. So I opened the door and asked her if we could have a few of the chocolates even though we didn't want the turn down service. She gave me a huge handful of them.

Paul made us a priority seating for Chef's De France in Epcot for dinner at 8:30 tonight. This was the first time we made a priority seating this whole trip.

We dropped off two of our disposable cameras in the gift shop for developing. It should be ready tomorrow at noon.

Paul wanted to take the boat to Epcot. We could have walked faster. But we took the boat instead.

We went to Innoventions and sent some of the e-mail post cards. It wasn't crowded so we sent a bunch to different people that we remembered the e-mail addresses for. Then we went into the Home Theater of the Future presentation. We wandered around a little more then had to head over to World Showcase to France for our Priority Seating at Chefs De France.

We were seated immediately in a seat near the windows (not right next to the window but the next table in) so we could see Illuminations 2000. We both had soda. We started with two Appetizers - A shrimp, scallop, and crab cake and an order of Escargots in a garlic sauce. For our entrée's Paul had the beef and I had the salmon. We shared a Peach Melba for dessert. The food was very good. Total with tax and tip was $82.63. We saw Illuminations from inside the restaurant. The windows were opened and the lights were dimmed. Since there were a lot of trees and things outside we didn't have an unobstructed view but at least were able to see some of the show.

The last boat back to the Beach Club left Epcot at 10pm and we just missed it so we walked. I wanted to walk anyway since we just had a big meal.

We did some packing so we wouldn't have to worry about it tomorrow. We didn't really unpack at the Beach Club since we were only here for a few days; but since we bought so many souvenirs we needed to rearrange the suitcases.

Monday 10/4/99

Paul called the front desk in the morning to inquire about a later check out. They said we can keep the room until 1pm with no charge.

We went to Epcot in the morning. We went into Innoventions for a while. We sent another IBM e-mail postcard. Then we found an area that let you send video e-mail for 10 seconds. So we did that too.

We had an early lunch 11:25 at Pasta Piazza since we didn't have any breakfast today. Paul had the pasta with meatballs which came with a salad and a breadstick. I had the Mickey Pizza. We both had soda. The total was $14.62 which we charged to the room.

We played some more in Innoventions then had to go back to the Beach Club to check out. Paul wanted to take the boat even though walking would have been faster. We called Bell Services to have them hold our luggage for us while we continued playing.

We took the Disney bus to the Magic Kingdom. We wanted to go on Space Mountain but the line extended out of the building. We got Fastpasses but they weren't valid for 1 1/2 hours and we didn't know if we would stay in Magic Kingdom that long.

We went on Carousel of Progress next. Paul fell asleep and was snoring. When it ended the woman in front of us commented to Paul "You really enjoyed that ride". ("I only napped for a couple of minutes"). This was a comment Paul added when he read the report.

We decided to go back to Epcot then. We took the monorail to the TTC, then switched for the Epcot monorail. It started pouring while we were on it - a torrential downpour.

We stopped at the Leave a Legacy station and bought a spot on the pyramid. For $38, we take our picture and it will be etched into these stone fixtures at the entrance to Epcot. The picture is small - I think 1*1 inches; but it's supposed to be up there for 25 years.

We went back into Innoventions for several hours. My rain poncho's age is starting to show - the neck area is ripped so I have to hold it together so I don't get wet. I guess I'll be buying a new poncho on our next trip.

Then it was time to head back to the Beach Club. We walked back. We had a final dinner at the Cape May Café for the clambake buffet. Cost with tax and tip was $50.30

Then we got the car and drove to the airport. It was still a torrential downpour. We returned the car at the Payless lot and jumped in their shuttle bus. I would definitely recommend Payless - we had no problems with them at all.

Our plane left 20 minutes late. Then when the plane began it's initial descent into Newark Airport, it had to go back up and circle around again. So we ended up landing late as well - around 11:30pm instead of 10:50pm. We got our luggage and jumped in a cab to go home.


FINAL THOUGHTS

We've been discussing our future Disney Trips and thinking that next year we may come for a full two weeks (one week in a Disney Hotel and one week in our timeshare). Surprisingly, this was Paul's idea. I guess we'll really be getting or money's worth out of our annual passes this way.

We had a great time and I'm already looking forward to the next trip. Especially since we have Disney Premium Annual Passes and two days left on our Universal Passes.

One thing we didn't do this trip that we thought we would is work out. I've been going to the gym pretty conscientiously for the last few years. Paul just joined a gym and has been going. But then again, we were on vacation. Vistana has several fitness rooms and the Disney Beach Club has a fitness center. Maybe next time.

Running around the parks by myself for periods of time (when Paul needed to rest) worked out very well. I don't think I'd be happy by myself for a whole trip but for short amounts of time it was fine. And it gave Paul a chance to relax a little without me being bored.

We thought the ability to have the things we bought shipped to our room was a big convenience. However, we still needed to make room in our suitcases to get everything home as well as ensuring that fragile things were packed carefully. Next time we may try to do all the shopping at once and have it shipped home.

There are a couple of things we'll try to do differently next trip. First, we'll try to pack less. We always over pack a little, then buy a lot of stuff and have trouble getting it all home. Second, we'll try Paul's less running around day.

Noreen Chin

Noreen.s.chin@ssmb.com

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