Trip Reports

August 15 - 22, 1999

Special Experiences: Chef’s Table at Victoria and Albert’s, Cirque du Soleil

We totally loved Disneyworld. It was the perfect honeymoon. It truly was magical, and we had no worries the whole time we were there. Transportation was already taken care of, you could do whatever you want whenever you wanted to, and there was always something new to try.

We saved a lot of money by sharing meals and ordering water to drink. We are not drinkers at all, so we saved money by not buying alcoholic drinks. Sharing meals turned out to be fun, and we were able to try different things. We were always full, and when we did order our own entrees, we could not finish them and couldn’t fit in dessert. The towncar was definitely worth the money-a nice, comfortable ride for just the two of us to and from the airport. We always left a housekeeping tip, although we forgot to write it down most of the time. We kept a journal each day of all the things that we did and paid for, so we could keep track of expenses and remember all the things we experienced.

We wore fishing hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen every day, and did not get the least bit sunburned. The hats were definitely a good idea, and kept us a lot cooler. We each carried a fanny pack with ponchos, money, sunscreen, etc. Justin attached a small umbrella on his belt and I carried a water bottle in a strap. We left the parks each day in the afternoon (around 2 or 3) to go back to the resort and nap, swim, rest, or shower. This helped us not to get too tired or hot during the day. Probably the most important thing we did was relax-we didn’t make a point of riding every ride or running from attraction to attraction. We stopped to smell the flowers, listen to a band, or watch a miniature train go by, and enjoyed all of the sights, smells, and tastes that were available.

Our camera broke the first day we were there, but we didn’t know it. We kept taking pictures, and ended up with 11 rolls of ruined film. We got about 5 clear pictures, some recognizable but very blurry pictures, and mostly just black or white splotches. We wrote this journal as a way to remember all the things we lost with the pictures.

We have written the trip report in chronological order with each day’s expenses added at the end of that day’s report. The report is extremely detailed since this was the first visit for both of us and we tried to write down everything.

Sunday, August 15

We started the day at 5:30 a.m. We showered, got ready, packed our things and left our hotel in Lubbock for the airport. We flew to Dallas, then boarded another plane to Orlando. The flight seemed long, and we both dozed off through the whole trip. We were given pound cake and drinks, but since I was feeling queasy with morning travel, I didn’t enjoy it much. Finally, at around 1:10 Eastern time, we arrived in Florida!

We proceeded to baggage claim and met our Tiffany Towncar driver, Brian. He was very nice, and went to get the car while we found our luggage. Brian helped us carry our luggage to the towncar, then opened the back door for us. We climbed in and were off to Disneyworld! We went through several toll booths and were very glad that we didn’t have to worry about transportation while we were there. After a 20 to 30 minute ride, we arrived at Port Orleans. The entrance was beautiful. Brian dropped us off at the main entrance and Bell Services stowed our luggage for us.

We entered the beautiful lobby with wrought iron trim and Mardi Gras masks and checked in. The cast member who checked us in said that she was informed that it was our honeymoon, and brought us an envelope with a letter that was good for a free champagne toast at Scat Cats lounge. She said our room was not ready yet, but we could call and have our cards activated by phone later. We called Mom and Dad to tell them we made it. We were starving, so we went to the Sassagoula Floatworks Factory, our food court, and ordered an individual cheese pizza and a soda to share. It was very good and was just enough to keep us going. We realized at this time that we usually waste a lot of food at restaurants. We decided to try sharing everything, from appetizers to entrees. We were always full with just half the food, and saved a lot of money.

We went out to bell services, stowed our backpacks, donned our fanny packs, and walked to the bus stop. We waited less than five minutes for a bus to Animal Kingdom. The bus was cool and comfortable, and after a few stops at Dixie Landings, we were off to Animal Kingdom. We arrived at Animal Kingdom and walked to the main entrance. We swiped our passes, and the moment we entered the park, it started raining. We put on our ponchos and made our way to the Oasis.

We walked through the Oasis, and stopped to see a huge anteater. We kept walking until we reached the Tree of Life. It was magnificent. We finally found the entrance, and walked quickly through the tree since it was now pouring. We reached the inside, were given 3D glasses, and waited for the show. We sat on long benches in a beautiful theater and watched “It’s Tough to Be a Bug.” This show was a wonderful way to start our Disney experience. It was full of 3D tricks, as well as interactive things such as smelly stinkbugs, crawling cockroaches, and stinging bees.

When the show ended, we walked outside and found it was pouring even harder than before. We decided to make a run for it (we weren’t going to let anything ruin our honeymoon), and made it all the way to the Tarzan Rocks show. This show was also very good. It featured musicians singing the songs from Tarzan, roller bladers, dancers, and aerial ballet (Tarzan and Jane swung from cloth sashes over the stage). Justin really liked watching the production manager do all the backstage work from his spot in the center of the theater.

After this show, we walked straight to Countdown to Extinction. The line was only about 10 minutes long. We liked this ride. It was very bumpy, and featured a trip through time to find a specific dinosaur while being hunted by a Carnitaurus. A little scary, more bumpy than anything. After this ride, we had about 10 minutes to make it to our priority seating at Rainforest Café.

We made it to Rainforest Café and were seated near the elephants. Paul was our waiter, and was very nice. We enjoyed the atmosphere, but were ready for the food. We shared a Salmon Artichoke Dip with pita bread, which was very good. We also shared the Rasta Pasta, a dish with bowtie pasta, broccoli, chicken, and a cream sauce. This was also very good. After dinner, we looked around the Rainforest Café store, then decided to head home for the night. We stopped at the small shop just outside the entrance to Animal Kingdom and bought postcards. We boarded our bus and were on our way back to Port Orleans.

We went straight to the front desk when we arrived, and they gave us a map of the resort. We walked along Rue D’Baga and Rue’D Blues to our room, which was in Building 1. We were disappointed at first because it looked like our room was going to be in the back of the building with a horrible view, but we actually had a corner room with two windows looking out over the river and the quiet gardens. It was perfect. The room was very nice, with a king size bed and a two sinks. We rested, took a bath, then decided to go back to the food court and get some dessert. We walked though the streets to the food court, and ordered a chocolate cookie, a slice of chocolate cake, and some milk to take back to the room. We ate our desserts, filled out our postcards, and called it a night.

EXPENSES

Towncar with tip $100.00

Tip for Bell Services, 5 bags 8.00

Pizza and Coke at food court 7.00

Rainforest Café (1 appetizer, 1 entrée, and tip) 30.00

Postcards 7.00

Cookie, cake, and milk at food court 5.00

Total Expenses 157.00

Monday, August 16

We got an early start so we could make it to the Magic Kingdom’s early entry. We went to the lobby, mailed our postcards, and waited for our bus. The bus came within 5 minutes, and we were at the Magic Kingdom by 7:30. We swiped our passes and made our way to Main Street U.S.A.

Main Street was beautiful, and we knew we would have to come back here later in the day. But for the moment, we were on our way to the big rides. We walked to Tomorrowland, and went straight to Space Mountain. We didn’t really have to wait in line, and boarded the roller coaster before we knew it. The ride was an indoor roller coaster in the dark, with stars whizzing by as we rode. There were no big drops or loops, but it was a fun ride.

After Space Mountain, we walked to Alien Encounter. We walked in, watched the preshow, and were seated in the theater/ride. The ride was more of a show, and at times was very scary. The ride would go pitch black, and you could feel and hear the alien right behind your seat. It was a lot of fun.

We walked across toward Frontierland, aiming to ride Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. For some reason, this part of the park was roped off, and it looked like some new cast members were going through orientation. We were let into this area after 10 to 15 minutes, and walked straight to Big Thunder Mountain. We didn’t have to wait long. The roller coaster was a lot of fun. We then made our way to Splash Mountain. Again there was hardly any wait. The ride had a slow beginning, in which you were able to see the adventures of Brer Rabbit, Brer Bear, and Brer Fox. It all led to a huge drop into the water below and the conclusion of the Brer story. We liked this ride.

After these big rides, we decided we were starving, and headed back to Main Street to grab a bite at the Main Street Bakery. When we got there we realized that everyone else had the same idea, because the line was extremely long. We waited it out, and it moved very quickly. We bought a cherry danish with a chocolate milk to share, and had a seat at the bar. The danish was very good, and again was just enough to fill us up. Most of the pastries were huge.

After breakfast, we walked through Main Street, stopping to visit the Main Street Cinema and watch a preview for Tarzan. We looked through a few shops, then decided to head over to Adventureland. The first place we stopped was the Swiss Family Treehouse. It was more of an exhibit to walk through, but we weren’t impressed with it. Everyone was hot and tired and really needed something a little more exciting.

We then headed to the Jungle Cruise. We had about a 5 minute wait, and boarded our boat. Our driver was very annoying, which took away from the ride. We liked the sights, with the elephants and crocodiles in the water nearby. We then made our way to the Enchanted Tiki Room: Under New Management. We walked right into the preshow, then walked into the show. This was an animatronic show with Iago and Zazu leading the Tiki birds. Out of all the songs they sang, our favorite was the original “in the tiki tiki tiki tiki tiki room!” It was a good show.

Our next stop was Pirates of the Caribbean. Again, a short wait and then onto the boat. We liked the ride, and thought the animatronics were great. We decided it was time for lunch, so we headed over to Liberty Square. I had wanted to make a priority seating for Liberty Tree Tavern that day, but we were not sure where we would be around lunch time. We ended up eating there anyway, and only had a 5 minute wait before we were seated. The hostess called out our name, “Hear ye, Hear ye, we are now seating the Esquivel family from the territory of Texas!” We were seated and looked over the menu. Against our better judgement, we decided to each order an entrée. I ordered the Capitol Idea, which was sauteed veggies over rice and red beans. Justin ordered the Cape Cod Pasta, with penne, lobster, broccoli, and a cream sauce. We also had wonderful hot dinner rolls. Neither of us could finish our entrees. We did enjoy the meal, though-both dishes were excellent.

After lunch, we decided to see the Hall of Presidents. We waited in the lobby for about 10 minutes, then entered the show. The first part of the show was a movie about our country, which was very good. The best part was the roll call, in which each animatronic president nodded his head. Each president had his own ways of fidgeting and moving, and it was great to watch. After this, we were tired and hot, and noticed that the crowds were getting very big. We decided to head back to the resort for the afternoon. We stopped to take a picture in front of the flower cart on Main Street, got our hands stamped, and caught the bus to Port Orleans.

When we reached Port Orleans, we decided to get a snack at the food court. We bought a souvenir mug and some Bon Bons, and took them back to our room. We snacked and then fell asleep, and woke up at 5:25, 5 minutes before our priority seating at Bonfamille’s! We quickly got dressed and headed to the restaurant, which was just off the main lobby. We were seated immediately, and had an excellent waiter named David. We decided to share everything, and started with a bowl of French Onion Soup. It was very good, and we were also given crusty bread with our meal. We had pink lemonade to drink, and for our entrée, shared the Citrus Trout with mashed sweet potatoes and green beans with onions and mushrooms. It was all very good, and filled us up.

After we ate, we hopped on a bus back to Magic Kingdom. We went to Tomorrowland to ride the Timekeeper. This was a fun show with the voice of Robin Williams and a 360 degree screen. After this, we decided to wait in line for Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, even though the line was about 25 minutes long. We waited, boarded the ride, and I spun us around while Justin and I shot at the targets. By the end of the ride, my score was only around 30,000, while Justin’s was in the hundreds of thousands. But it was a lot of fun. After this ride, it was almost time for the Electrical Parade, so we made our way to the Main Street Camera shop to try to get our camera fixed. Sometime during the day it had broken. The cast members were unable to fix it, so we just found a spot along the sidewalk of Main Street and waited for the parade.

The parade was wonderful! All of the floats and characters were lit up with lights, and the music was cute, too. We had such a good time bouncing to the music and watching the parade. After the parade we inched a little closer to the castle, until we reached a spot with no trees in the way. We waited 15 or 20 minutes, and then the Fantasy in the Sky Fireworks began with Tinkerbell lighting up the castle! The fireworks were beautiful, and we couldn’t believe that they did this every night. After the show we made our way back to the entrance, and waited a few minutes for our bus. We rode back to Port Orleans, and went to our room. We soon found we were hungry once again, so we went to the food court to grab an individual cheese pizza, a cookie, and a free refill in our souvenir mug. After that, we decided we didn’t want to go to sleep, so we took a midnight swim in Doubloon Lagoon, the resort pool, then jumped in the spa for a bit. After that we called it a night.

EXPENSES

Danish and milk at bakery 3.00

Liberty Tree Tavern (2 entrees and tip) 30.00

Souvenir mug and Bon Bons at food court 13.00

Bonfamille’s (1 soup, 1 entrée, lemonade, and tip) 33.00

Pizza and cookie at food court 6.00

Total Expenses 85.00

Tuesday, August 17

We started the day early and went to the food court at 7:00 for breakfast. I had cereal and milk, Justin had a banana, and we were soon on the bus to Animal Kingdom. We decided to do the big rides first, so we made our way to Africa and followed the first crowd to Kilimanjaro Safaris. We walked right through the line and boarded a jeep very quickly. Our guide was African, and his accent helped make the ride even more authentic. We rode through the savannah, and were able to see elephants, rhinos (including a baby rhino), giraffes, and so many other animals. We chased some poachers and made it safely back home. We really loved this ride.

After the safari we decided we had time to visit the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail before the first showing of Festival of the Lion King. We walked through the trail, seeing mole rats, lots of birds, and hippos. The best part was the gorillas. One of the gorillas had just had a baby, and we got to watch it play. It was so cute! We also saw a huge silverback, and were so surprised at its size. It was very interesting, and we know we missed so many little things.

We went next to Camp Minnie-Mickey to see Festival of the Lion King. We still had some time to spare, so we walked a short way to the character greeting trails, where we saw Mickey and Minnie! I wanted a picture with Mickey so bad, so we waited in line. But every time I got close, some mother cut in and pushed her kids ahead of us. I was getting upset, and I guess Mickey saw that, because after that picture, he ran over to me and gave me a hug, then motioned for us to pose with him for a picture. Justin and I posed and were so excited. We also saw a huge orange gorilla (we think he’s from Jungle Book), and even though he scared me, I ran over and gave him a hug and we took a cute picture together. We saw another trail for the Hundred Acre friends, and found that Eeyore and Tigger were posing for pictures. We waited in line again, and I took a picture of Justin with Eeyore. He was so cute, and acted so shy, then came up to me and kissed my hand with a loud smooch! It was so cute. I then wanted to pose with Tigger, and when he saw my Pooh and Tigger hat, he took it off and put it on himself! We took the picture, and he wanted to keep my hat, but he eventually (reluctantly) let me have it back. We thought it was all so cute-we were acting like kids trying to get a hug from the characters!

We then went to the Lion King Theater to see Festival of the Lion King. We were in the Warthog section, and had a great time. The props were wonderful, and the dancers were just beautiful. It was all choreographed so well, and we truly thought this was the best show at Disney (at the time). After the show, we made our way to Asia and went straight to the Kali River Rapids. We didn’t have a long wait, and soon boarded a raft. We sat together with a couple of other families, and ended up being the only ones who got completely soaked! We seemed to hit every waterfall and every splash. When we got off the ride, we were squishing around in our shoes.

We then went to the Maharajah Jungle Trek, in an attempt to dry off. We walked through and saw tigers, birds, and huge bats. After the trek, we walked back through Asia and caught part of the Indonesian Independence Day Celebration. There was singing and dancing, with girls dressed up like china dolls. It was very interesting. After this, we decided to watch Flights of Wonder, so we had a seat and waited for the show. It was such a fascinating show, with so many different kinds of birds with so many talents. Justin loved this show, of course. After this, we were starving, so we headed back to Africa.

We decided to eat at the Tusker house, because we heard that the food there was quite good. We shared a ham, chicken, and Swiss cheese hot sandwich, some seasoned potato wedges (so good they didn’t need ketchup), and an apple juice. It was perfect. We sat out on the patio, which was empty, and enjoyed our lunch. Afterwards, we decided we wanted dessert, so we visited the Kusafiri Coffee Shop & Bakery, and go a huge piece of chocolate cake. We heard a live band playing outside, so we took our cake to a little stone wall and sat and listened to the African band. It was wonderful.

We then boarded the Wildlife Express to Conservation Station. We explored the station, seeing the behind-the-scenes stuff and visiting a sound booth with sounds of the rainforest. It was very realistic and interesting. We looked around, heard thunder, and decided to head back. We boarded the train again, and headed back to Africa. As soon as we arrived, it started pouring. It was raining so hard that everyone, even those with ponchos, was tucked away in shops and restaurants. We stopped at a shop, but it was so crowded that we decided to brave the waters. We put on our ponchos and crossed the street to the Tusker House Restaurant, and found it just as crowded. We got lucky and found a small hallway where the phones and bathrooms were, and sat at the end of it to watch the rain. It was nice. When it lessened up a little, we put our ponchos on, opened our umbrella, and walked back to Safari Village in search of some wooden windchimes we had fallen in love with earlier in the day. We went from store to store in the rain trying to find them, and finally found them hidden from view because they had been tucked away out of the rain. We bought them, then walked through the rain to the main entrance and left the park. We boarded our bus and were on our way (cold and wet) to Port Orleans.

We took a shower and a nap, then started getting ready for our dinner at Victoria and Albert’s. I put on my evening gown and put my hair up in a French twist, and Justin ironed his shirt and wore his coat and tie. We called for a taxi, and when we got to the main lobby, a taxi van was waiting for us. The driver came around, opened the door and set out a stepping stool for us, then drove us to the Grand Floridian. We arrived and the bell boy opened our door and helped us out. The resort was beautiful. We walked in the lobby, which was amazing, and asked directions from the concierge. We walked through the lobby and up the stairs, and into the lobby of Victoria & Albert’s. We waited about 5 minutes and were allowed into the restaurant. We saw the harpist in the background, and when we told the Maitre’D our names, he asked us to have a seat on a small bench so he could make sure the kitchen was ready for our arrival. He called the kitchen, then escorted us through the restaurant to the kitchen. There was a beautiful table in a corner of the kitchen, set up with wine glasses and a service plate, and several types of silverware. We were so nervous! The Maitre’D pulled out my chair and a waiter placed my napkin on my lap, then did the same for Justin. We met our waiter and waitress team, Victoria and Albert, and were informed that the chef would be with us shortly. Soon the chef came to the table, welcomed us, and opened a bottle of champagne. He toasted us, then went back to work. Right away our waitress brought a plate with a tiny appetizer on it, and a tiny fork to eat it with. She said the chef wanted us to taste this, and that it wasn’t on the menu. It was a small stack of homemade thin potato chips, cucumbers in a cream sauce, dill, and caviar. It was amazing. We were disappointed that there wasn’t more of them! We had no idea how much we were going to be eating that night!

Our waiter or waitress brought out each course, and the chef who created it would come explain what it was, and how it was made, and told us to enjoy it! We went through ten courses altogether, and were stuffed by the end. I will include a copy of our menus (we tried different dishes) to look at. Each course was amazing-the presentation was beautiful, and the flavors were just beautiful together. We had a crusty bread with Mickey-shaped butter with the meal, and were given the bottle of champagne to finish. During the meal, I decided to go to the bathroom, and was escorted there by a man in a suit who just happened to be there. On my way back, another man in a suit happened to know that I was at the Chef’s Table, and escorted me back to the table, where my napkin had been folded across my chair. He pulled my chair out for me, then placed my napkin back on my lap. After the meal, the Maitre’D came and thanked us, and I was given a red rose. We were also given a chocolate for our wedding present. It was the most amazing experience, and we were so glad we were able to do it.

After dinner, we left the restaurant, stopped to listen to the band that was playing in the lobby, and had Bell Services call for a taxi. We sat outside and our taxi was there shortly. We reached Port Orleans, and on our way back to our room we noticed that jazz music was being piped into the courtyard. It was very romantic, with the street lamps lighting up the cobblestone streets, so we decided to dance. We danced to a beautiful slow jazz song, all dressed up, and everyone smiled as they walked by. We went back to the room, changed, and watched TV for a bit, then, amazingly, got the munchies. We went back to the food court and got some beignets and a refill of soda, then got some maps for tomorrow. The beignets were hot and fresh-they were a French version of doughnuts, and were covered in powdered sugar. They were very good. We had our snack and called it a night.

EXPENSES

Cereal, milk, & banana at food court $5.00

Tusker house (sandwich, potatoes, apple juice) 9.00

Kusafiri Bakery (chocolate cake) 4.00

Windchimes 18.00

Taxi and tip to Grand Floridian 15.00

Chef’s Table and tip 300.00

Taxi and tip to Port Orleans 13.00

Beignets at food court 2.00

Total Expenses 366.00

Wednesday, August 18

We started the day by packing up all of our stuff so we could check out of Port Orleans. We called Bell Services to come pick up our luggage, but they said it would take 15 minutes, so we decided to take it ourselves. We took the luggage, then went to the lobby to check out. Afterwards, we went to the bus stop to wait for our bus to MGM Studios. We reached MGM in time for early entry.

We immediately made reservations for a Fantasmic Dinner Package with a dinner at Mama Melrose’s. Then it was straight to the rides. We went first to the Tower of Terror. This ride had a great preshow. The line was in a spooky old hotel, and it was based on a Twilight Zone episode. We boarded the elevator and were seated in the back corner of the ride. The elevator goes up a few floors, and you see a spooky little scene, then it takes you up a few more floors to a scary floor with ghosts and eerie stuff. Then it goes pitch black and you are dropped several times. It was so fun!

After the Tower, we went to the Rockin’ Roller Coaster. It’s an indoor roller coaster starring Aerosmith, with great loops and barrel rolls. This was our favorite ride in all of Disneyworld. After this ride, we walked over to Star Tours. This was a simulator-type ride based on Star Wars. It was okay, but not real thrilling. We loved the huge Imperial Walker outside. After Star Tours, we went to watch Muppet Vision 3-D. There was a cute preshow, then a 3-D show that was hilarious. After that show, we went on the Backlot Tour, which showed different backstage stunts. There was a short train-type ride that took us through a movie set neighborhood, then through Catastrophe Canyon. It was very interesting. After that, we saw Voyage of the Little Mermaid. This show featured great puppetry and special effects.

After the show, we decided to eat. We went to the ABC Commissary for lunch. We shared a Quesadilla Club, some fries, and a lemonade while watching short clips about new ABC sitcoms. After lunch, we sat down for a little while at a table outside the restaurant, and just watched people go by. We then walked to the Great Movie Ride. The line was extremely long, but we waited anyway. The ride took us through some great movie scenes, then to a short film highlighting the stars of film. After this, we went to the Toy Story Pizza Planet to take a few pictures. We went to the Honey I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set to look around and take a few pictures. After this, we were hot and thirsty, so we decided to go find something cold.

We walked back to Echo Lake. I went to Min and Bill’s Dockside Diner and got a chocolate milk shake, which turned out to be more like a cup of ice cream. I also got a cup of ice for free, and filled it up with water from our water bottle. Justin went to Peevy’s Polar Pipeline and got a raspberry slush. We sat at a table with an umbrella, and tried to cool off. We decided to shop a little, then check in to the Yacht Club. We looked through a few stores, then got our hands stamped and walked to the boat dock. We boarded a boat and were off to the Yacht Club!

We reached the Yacht Club and checked in. The cast member checking us in told us that we had been upgraded to the Concierge floor. We were so excited! We stopped at Bell Services to ask them to bring our luggage up, then found the elevators. We had to swipe our card in the elevator in order to access the fifth floor, which was solely for Concierge guests. We got off the elevator and a woman met us to explain how everything would work and to point us toward our room. Our room was beautiful, with a mini bar and a big balcony. We went out on the balcony and could see the Boardwalk and our dock. It was beautiful. A bellboy brought in our luggage and explained a few more details to us, and we jumped on the king-size bed at the thought of getting upgraded. A room on the concierge level would cost us an extra $200 a night, and we got it for the price of a regular room. It was awesome. The floor had a lounge, and it offered snacks during the day. In the morning, a continental breakfast was offered. In the afternoons, snacks like popcorn, dried fruit, chips and salsa, cookies, and drinks were offered. In the evenings, wine and cheese were offered, and at night desserts and cordials were offered. We went to the lounge and got some chips and salsa, tea, lemonade, and some cookies. The cookies were awesome, and are what we are still craving now. We went back to the room and took a nap, then showered and got ready.

We left the resort and walked to our dock. We found a duck-food dispenser and put in a quarter. We fed the ducks, then waited for our boat. We rode the boat back to MGM, and walked through the park straight to Mama Melrose’s. It was packed, and they were only taking people with priority seatings. We waited a little, then were seated. Our waiter was very busy, because he forgot us a few times. We decided to each get an entrée, so I got the Shrimp Risotto and Justin got the salmon. During the meal, I noticed that a very tall man was seated directly across from us. He had a cast member sitting with him, and everyone was going out of their way to be nice to him. I recognized him from somewhere, and thought he might be a basketball player. Justin finally saw him, and freaked out. It turned out to be Jowan Howard, a professional basketball player, sitting across from us! We were so excited.

Next, we decided to watch the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular. It was a funny show with great insight into how stunts are done in Hollywood. After the show, we had some time to spare, so we walked back to the Tower of Terror and rode it again. It was much better at night. We wanted to ride the Rockin’ Roller Coaster, but the wait was an hour, and we had to get to Fantasmic. We went to a candy shop, and Justin bought cotton candy, I bought a Mickey-shaped turtle candy, and we shared a Kiwi slush. We walked to the back entrance to Fantasmic, and were allowed in. We sat in reserved seating and waited for the show. The show was amazing! It was based on Mickey’s dream, and had awesome fountains, floats, and fireworks. This was my favorite of all the fireworks shows, and afterwards I became a Mickey freak. After the show, we bought a Sorcerer Mickey doll (I couldn’t leave without it), then stopped at another shop and bought a Pooh doll. We left the park and rode the boat back to the Yacht Club. We were tired, so we called it a night.

EXPENSES

Club sandwich, fries, lemonade at Commissary $12.00

Milkshake and raspberry slush 6.00

Tip for bellboy 10.00

Mama Melrose’s (2 entrees and tip) 42.00

Candies and kiwi slush 10.00

Mickey and Pooh dolls 30.00

Total Expenses $110.00

Thursday, August 19

We started the day early with a visit to the concierge lounge. We got bagels, juice, milk, smoked salmon, pastries, cereal…it was great. We took it all back to the room and ate it on the balcony. We even got an Orlando newspaper delivered to our door every morning. After breakfast, we went downstairs and to the dock, then walked to Epcot.

We walked in through the International Gateway, and made our way to Future World. We stopped at the fountain to listen to a brass band play. They were excellent. Afterwards, we found our way to Spaceship Earth. We waited in line and boarded the ride. It was a very educational ride about the history of communication, filled with animatronics. We liked this ride a lot. After that, we headed over to the Living Seas. We watched a short film on how the oceans were created, then rode a hydrolator down to Sea Base Alpha. We looked at all the displays, then watched a dolphin show.

After the Living Seas, we made our way to The Land. We rode Living with the Land, a short boat ride with lots of information about agriculture. We were very impressed and wanted to take a Behind the Seeds tour (but we forgot). We looked around the building, then went on to Journey into the Imagination. We watched the 3-D show Honey I Shrunk the Audience and loved it. Afterwards, we decided to move on to the World Showcase. We stopped at a street vendor and bought a World Showcase Passport. You could take the passport to each country and have it stamped and signed.

We started at Mexico. The ride Rio del Tiempo was closed, so we just looked around inside the Mayan temple. It was a large marketplace with all types of Mexican goods. We bought a stone carving, and decided to buy one small souvenir from each country. We went back outside, and watched Huitzilin dancers. Then we moved on to Norway. Once we reached Norway, we stopped at the Kringla Bakery for lunch. We shared an open-faced roast beef sandwich and a lefse. The sandwich was cold and had a unique flavor. The lefse was like a cold tortilla rolled up around a sweet powdered-sugar like filling. They were very good. Afterwards, we visited the Stave church, then rode the Maelstrom. This was a Viking ship ride through scenes of Norway, with a tiny drop. After the ride we watched a film on Norway. We visited one of the shops, and bought a beautiful woven mat.

We walked on to China, and saw The Wonders of China, a 360 degree film. It was really good, and afterwards, we visited a shop and bought a wooden bowl and two soup spoons. Outside, we found another vendor that was selling beautiful blue and white bowls, so we bought one. We decided to head to the Yacht Club for the afternoon. On our way back to the International Gateway, we bought a Mickey ice cream, which turned out to be excellent. We went to see if Test Track was open, but the line was over an hour long, so we just walked back to the resort.

At the Yacht Club, we got some snacks from the lounge, then decided to take a swim. We went down to the resort pool, Stormalong Bay, which was basically like a small water park. We swam in the sand-bottomed pool and rode the lazy river. We loved the way the sand felt in our toes. We went back upstairs and showered, and tried to decide whether to go to the Boardwalk or not. It had become very dark and cloudy, and it looked like it might storm soon. We decided to brave it, and walked across to the Boardwalk. We had a priority seating at Spoodles, and walked right in. It was a large, airy restaurant, and we loved the atmosphere. We started by sharing a flatbread with vine-ripened tomatoes, basil, and caramelized onions. We then shared a plate of penne with roasted bell peppers, portabellos, and pesto. We each wanted different desserts, so we splurged. Justin got the fire-roasted strawberries with black pepper ice cream and chianti sauce. I got a smore, which was made with two scoops of a chilled, rich mousse covered with a homemade marshmallow and toasted, and topped with graham cracker biscotti. It was very rich. After dinner, we walked along the boardwalk and peeked in all of the shops.

We walked back to Epcot, and caught the British Invasion playing in England. They were playing Beatles songs, and we didn’t mind that it was sprinkling the whole time. We shopped a bit, then moved on to Canada. We watched O Canada, a 360 degree film, and shopped some more. We decided to stake out a spot for Illuminations. We weren’t sure where would be the best place to watch it, but we found a spot near the Rose and Crown Pub. While we were waiting we wanted a snack, so Justin walked around looking for one while I kept our spot. He came back with a hot dog, chips, and some candied almonds. Soon Illuminations began, and was a great fireworks show with lasers that was choreographed to classical music. The finale was great, with tons of huge white fireworks.

After the show, we walked back to the Yacht Club. We stopped at a vendor and opened our own oyster and got our own pearl. We named it Isabel. The vendor wanted to sell us something to set it in, like a necklace or a ring, but we just wanted the pearl. We stopped at the concierge lounge and picked up some desserts and took them back to the room. After they were gone, we called it a night.

EXPENSES

World Showcase Passport $9.00

Stone Carving from Mexico 5.00

Sandwich and lefse from Kringla Bakery 7.00

Woven mat from Norway 11.00

2 bowls and 2 spoons from China 8.00

Mickey ice cream 2.00

Spoodles (1 appetizer, 1 entrée, 2 desserts, and tip) 44.00

Hot dog, chips, and almonds 5.00

Oyster/pearl experience 12.00

Total Expenses $103.00

Friday, August 20

We started the day with a continental breakfast in the concierge lounge, then walked to Epcot. We went straight to Test Track, but the line was already an hour long. We decided to wait anyway, and finally reached the ride. We had little test cars and were taken through a series of tests, like bumpy roads, sharp curves, and high speeds. It was a lot of fun. Afterwards, we went to the Wonders of Life. We watched Cranium Command, a cute show about how your brain works together with the rest of your body. We also rode Body Wars, which was a simulator-type ride that takes you through the human body.

After the Wonders of Life, we decided to head over to the World Showcase since we had a priority seating at the Restaurant Marrakesh in Morroco. We took a boat from the Future World side over to Morocco. We walked in to Marrakesh and were seated immediately. We had a very nice waiter, and decided to try a few new things. I started with the Harisa soup, which had lamb and tomatoes, and Justin had the Beef Brewat rolls. These rolls were made up of a seasoned beef filling enclosed in a pastry and dusted with cinnamon and powdered sugar. I thought it would be gross, but they were actually amazingly good. We then shared the Royal Couscous sampler, which had lamb, chicken, and vegetable couscous. We loved it. Justin drank a Moroccan sunrise, which was a mixture of pineapple, strawberry, and orange juices. We thoroughly enjoyed this meal.

We stopped at a few of the shops in Morocco and bought a beautiful small ceramic box. We then moved on to Japan. We first bought a Kaki gori, which was a sno cone, and we chose the honeydew flavor. It was very good, and we finished it quickly before going into the Bijutsu-kan Gallery. After seeing all the small figurines, we stopped at the Mitsukoshi department store, where we found a small decorative fan and some beautiful plates which we plan on using as dessert plates. They are rectangular, and we think they may be sushi plates or something. We went to the American pavilion next, but didn’t see anything because we were already hot and tired, and the clouds looked threatening.

We went to Italy, and looked around the shops and buildings. We bought a small decorative box in one of the shops. We moved to Germany next, and again just looked around. We bought a small crystal bowl in one of the shops, and then decided the clouds were getting a little too scary. We walked back to the Yacht Club. We showered, took a nap, and got snacks from the concierge lounge.

We took a bus to Downtown Disney, and got off at the West Side. We looked around and decided to eat at the Wolfgang Puck Express. It was a counter-service type of restaurant, and we decided to share two pizzas so we could taste two different kinds. We got a spinach, gorgonzola, and mushroom pizza and a spicy chicken pizza with a root beer. We sat outside at one of the tables and enjoyed our dinner, which was very good. Afterwards, we visited the Virgin Music Megastore, and found several CDs and books that we wanted. We didn’t buy anything, just looked around.

We walked to Cirque du Soleil, and waited to be let in to the huge theater. We were let in, and shown to our seats. I had ordered the tickets about 6 months earlier, so we expected to have the best seats in the house. I was very disappointed when we were seated in the second section up, right against the railing. However, as the show progressed, we discovered that they actually were the best seats-we had more leg room than any of the other viewers, and the characters would often come right up to us along the first aisle. We also had a clear view of all of the acts, while those closer to the stage had to look straight up through the net or under the performers. We bought a program and enjoyed the show. There is no way to explain this show-it is a masterpiece of art, music, choreography, dance, and talent. It was perhaps the most beautiful show we have ever seen, and we were thrilled at the end of it.

After the show, we walked through the West Side and peeked in a few of the shops. We headed for Pleasure Island, and had to wait in line while the cast members at the gate checked I.D.s. Once we were let in, we looked around, then went into the Adventurer’s Club. This club seemed very relaxed, but we had just missed a show in the main room, and it was very crowded, so we decided to go to another club. We went next to the Pleasure Island Jazz Company, and listened for a bit to a jazz band that was playing. We visited the Rock n Roll Beach Club. We liked the music here, but it was very crowded, so we moved on to Mannequins. This place was the most crowded-you couldn’t even get near the dance floor. Finally, we found 8Trax, which wasn’t quite as crowded and was playing great 70s tunes. We danced for a few songs, then decided it was time to go when someone spilled beer on me. Overall, we were not impressed with Pleasure Island, but then for two people who don’t really drink or go clubbing, that could be expected. We caught the bus to the Yacht Club, and called it a night.

EXPENSES

Marrakesh (soup, appetizer, entrée, drink, and tip) $39.00

Box from Morocco 7.00

Kaki Gori sno cone from Japan 2.00

Dessert plates and decorative fan 25.00

Box from Italy 8.00

Crystal bowl from Germany 3.00

Wolfgang Puck Express (2 pizzas, drink, and tip) 22.00

Cirque du Soleil program 10.00

Total Expenses $116.00

Saturday, August 21

We started the day with a continental breakfast in the lounge. Afterwards, we took a bus to the Magic Kingdom to finish up some rides that we had missed. We started by walking to Liberty Square to ride the Haunted Mansion. We loved it! It was spooky and lots of fun. We then walked to It’s a Small World, and thought it was cute. We crossed over to Peter Pan’s Flight, and thought it was a fun ride. It basically took you through the story’s famous scenes. Next was Snow White’s Scary Adventures and the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, which were much like Peter Pan’s Flight. We liked them, though.

We walked to Mickey’s Toontown Fair, and on the way, stopped at a hat vendor. We modeled some bride and groom Mickey ears, and the cast member took a picture of us. We bought a pair of regular Mickey ears, and I wore them through the rest of the Magic Kingdom. We looked quickly through Minnie’s house, but it was very crowded, so we went to Mickey’s house instead. We walked through, then decided it was time to leave. We boarded the train and rode over to Main Street U.S.A. From there we left the Magic Kingdom and rode the monorail to the Transportation and Ticket Center, then to Epcot. The monorail was a nice, short ride to Epcot.

When we reached Epcot, we went straight to the Wonders of Life to see the Making of Me. This was a cute film about childbirth. After this, we walked over to the World Showcase, and decided to finish up the countries we had missed. We walked to Canada, and bought a small totem pole and some perfume that we had fallen in love with, called Roots. We walked to England, and bought some British pub coasters with various ads on them. We realized we were hungry, and walked over to France.

I had wanted to eat at Chefs de France, but I didn’t think we would get the chance to. We walked up to the restaurant, and there was no wait! We were seated near the windows, and had an excellent waiter. The service was great, and so was the food. We were brought a very crusty bread with Mickey shaped butter to start with. Justin started with the onion soup, which was excellent, and we shared a tomato, mushroom, and goat cheese tart. The tart was amazing, with vine-ripened tomatoes and a perfect pastry crust. We then shared the sauteed chicken breast with pureed potatoes and mushrooms. This was very good, though a bit buttery. After the meal, we were given chocolates. We looked around in the French pavilion, and bought a little pewter Eiffel tower and a beautiful mirror for our friend Leti. We wanted to see the French film, but we were tired, so we walked back to the Yacht Club, where we took a nap and showered.

We went downstairs to eat dinner at the Yacht Club Galley. I started with the clam chowder, which was pretty good. Justin had an okay Caesar salad. We then shared salmon with potatoes, spinach, and tomatoes, which was excellent. The waiter even portioned out two plates for us, which we thought was especially nice. Usually the waiters/cooks put the entrée on one plate and bring an extra clean plate. The meal came with an awesome cheese bread. After we ate, we looked around Fairings and Fittings, the shop at the resort. We stopped at the arcade and played a few games with the change we had collected throughout the week. Afterwards, we stopped at Beaches and Cream. We shared a Milky Way Sundae, which was huge! It had ice cream, miniature Milky Way bars, caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, nuts, whipped cream, chocolate and white chocolate shavings, and a cherry. We sat outside at one of the little tables and ate about half of it before we were completely stuffed. After the ice cream, we went back to the room and called it a night.

EXPENSES

Mickey ears $6.00

Perfume and totem pole at Canada 34.00

Pub coasters from UK 8.00

Chefs de France (soup, appetizer, entrée, and tip) 33.00

Eiffel tower and mirror at France 20.00

Yacht Club Galley (soup, salad, entrée and tip) 33.00

Arcade 10.00

Beaches and Cream (sundae) 6.00

Total Expenses $150.00

Sunday, August 22

We started the day with a continental breakfast in our room. We called Bell Services to come pick up our luggage, and a bellboy was at the door within a few minutes. He took our bags, and we reluctantly left our room. We had Express Check Out Service, so we didn’t have to check out downstairs. We said goodbye to our resort and took the bus to Downtown Disney. We got off at the West Side, and went straight to DisneyQuest.

DisneyQuest is a five-floor complex with all sorts of interactive games. We paid for our tickets and waited to be admitted. We were allowed in and boarded an elevator. There was a short cartoon playing on the wall, and then we were taken to the 3rd floor. We walked to the Mighty Ducks Pinball Slam and were allowed on immediately. We each took a station, and were thrown into a life-sized pinball game. I won the game with the most points, which I was very excited about. We then walked to the Buzz Lightyear’s AstroBlaster. Justin absolutely loved this game. We both rode in a bumper car that was completely enclosed. I drove the car around, trying to pick up cannon balls, while Justin placed them in our cannon and shot at other cars. It was a lot of fun.

We walked down to the first floor and rode the Jungle Cruise. We had a blast on this game. We were in a raft, and actually had to paddle our way through a virtual world. When we slid down a waterfall, we were even splashed with water. After this, we went to the Treasure of the Incas. We took turns driving remote controlled cars through an underground maze by looking through cameras that were placed on each car. We would shout out directions to each other so that we could find the hidden treasures. We found three treasures, and received some tickets to trade in for prizes. We played Hercules in the Underworld, which was a fun 3-D game in which you collected lightning bolts to defeat Hades.

We went up to the second floor and played Aladdin’s Magic Carpet Ride. This was a virtual reality game in which you rode a carpet through Agrabah in search of jewels and the Cave of Wonders. We looked around at the creative centers, where you could customize stickers and create a toy, but they were not working very well, so we moved on. We went to Cyberspace Mountain next. We created our own roller coaster on a computer, then were able to ride it in a simulator. Our coaster was named Atomic Banshee, and was rated a 5-the scariest. We rode it and had a blast.

We went upstairs to the fifth floor and played Invasion! An Extraterrorestrial Alien Encounter. This was a fun 360 degree shooting game. Afterwards, we went to the IntergalacTicket Trading Post to trade in our tickets for two FunDips. After this, we decided to leave Disneyquest.

We walked to Bongos Cuban Café and were seated immediately. We ordered a Papa Relleno for an appetizer. It was a meat filling surrounded by a fried potato crust-it was excellent. I ordered a pan con bistec sandwich, and Justin had the club Cubano sandwich. Both were very good. When the check came, we realized that Justin had lost his wallet. I paid for lunch and we rushed back to DisneyQuest. We went straight to the lost and found, and described the wallet. They had found it, and we filled out some paperwork and checked for anything that might be missing. Everything was there, including a few hundred dollars in cash. We were very grateful.

We walked through Downtown Disney, stopping at any interesting shops. It began to rain, or actually, to pour, so we quickly walked to the World of Disney. This store was huge! We found 2 t-shirts and a Disneyworld frame. We stopped at the Pooh Corner shop and bought some stickers for the scrapbook. We then walked to the Christmas shop and bought a Pooh ornament for this coming Christmas. We also stopped at Guest Services and got two Disney Dollars for the scrapbook.

We stopped at the Ghirardelli Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop, and I had a chocolate milkshake and Justin had an Ultimate Frozen Mocha. They were both very good. We walked to the bus stop and caught the bus back to the Yacht Club. We asked the bellboy for our luggage and waited for our towncar. Brian was already waiting for us, and we packed up our luggage and were off to the airport. We were extremely sad, and after a few adventures like running to catch our flight in Dallas after catching the wrong tram, we made it to Austin where our friend Leti was waiting for us.

EXPENSES

Bell Services $10.00

Housekeeping Tip 5.00

Admission for two to DisneyQuest 53.00

Bongos (1 appetizer, 2 sandwiches, and tip) 30.00

2 t-shirts and frame 49.00

Stickers 5.00

Pooh Christmas ornament 4.00

Disney Dollars 2.00

Ghirardelli shake and mocha 9.00

Bell Services tip 2.00

Towncar tip 10.00

Total Expenses $179.00

Justin and Crystal Esquivel

CR36738@swt.edu

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