Trip Reports

Jon - 32, WDW Veteran

October 6-10, 1999

Plane, WDW transportation

On-Site, Grand Floridian

This is an introduction to a most unusual (pre) trip report. As a bit of background, I’ve been to WDW at least 15 times in the past 10 years or so. Given that I live in New England, that’s a lot of trips (for me). Some of these were short, some were week long vacations, but I’ve always had a fantastic time. Probably 5-6 my trips were business related, which is always a plus. A little business… all expenses covered… a fair trade in my book. I’m a big fan of WDW and read many trip reports (thanks Brian Bennett) and generally keep up to date with WDW news and rumors.

Last May (1998), my wife and I stayed at the Beach Club for a short, 3 day trip. We had a great time and really dined and toured with style. On top of that, my parents and family (including and my wife and I) spent Christmas, 1998, at WDW. We stayed at Old Key West for 5 nights 12/21 - 12/26, and had a wonderful family vacation. Although my wife is not a Disney-nut by any means, she does appreciate the beauty, excitement, and great resorts that only WDW can offer. After our Christmas trip though, my wife was ‘Disney’d out’.

So how could I get to enjoy WDW, at length, with her approval? As I was pondering this, I got some fantastic news. In October 1999 I will be at WDW for 4 days on business related to a large golf tournament that I am involved with.

From October 6-10, I will be staying at the Grand Floridian, all expenses paid, including park passes, golf, meals, etc. Although I’ve been to Orlando many times on business (and usually made time to visit WDW), this time will be truly unique. I will have some business to attend to, but most of the time I will be free to explore and relax. Needless to say, I am very excited.

During the past 10 years, I’ve stayed at: Dixie Landings (2x), Port Orleans (2x), Caribbean Beach, Coronado Springs, The Poly, Beach Club, Yacht Club, Old Key West, and Wilderness Lodge (2x), but never the GF. As you can tell, I love staying on property. Honestly, I enjoy it as much as the parks. I especially love the WL and BC, and I’m looking forward to experiencing the GF as a guest, as I have spent a great deal of time there in the pool, using the marina, dining, etc.

The only problem with this great trip is that my wife has a conflict and will be unable to join me (as we initially planned). She does however agree that I should go and have as much fun as possible in four days. She’s the best.

Anyway, so that’s the intro. As a WDW ‘veteran’ there’s really not much on my must do list. I just plan on being flexible and enjoying myself. I really like just walking through the parks, soaking up the little details that make WDW special. I’m very tempted to hit Islands of Adventure for a day, but since I’m staying in the GF for 4 days, I really don’t want to leave Disney. My logic is that I can always visit IOA in the future, but a trip like this is too good to waste anywhere else.

Things I definitely do want to do include some new things and some personal favorites:

New:

Rock ‘N Roller Coaster (please be open)

Kali River Rapids (I’ve been to the Asia walk-through and loved it)

Cirque De Soil

Disney Quest

Favorites:

Tower of Terror (new drop profile)

Wandering around EPCOT (and Test Track) enjoying the new Millennium entertainment

Electrical Water Pageant (for some reason I just love that)

Adventures Club (amazingly funny and entertaining)

Typhoon Lagoon

I enjoy reading other people’s reports. Hopefully, this will be interesting and helpful for others out there.

Ok, here’s my late September revised plan, one week before this great trip. Based on my work schedule, it looks like Pleasure Island, Cirque, and Animal Kingdom won’t fit in. But, I will get a lot of time at Epcot and The Studios (as part of a private party). Pleasure Island is also out, as most of my nights are booked with business event, although these will be a lot of fun. I also got to visit Islands of Adventure a few months back, so there was no need to head over there. Much to look forward to, so here we go……

Actually trip report begins here (based on my memory of four fun days):

Ok, so it was a once in a lifetime, all expense paid, VIP Disney trip. It really was a lot of fun. Having said that, as a WDW 'vacation' it was a bit odd. More on that to follow. I’ve been to WDW on business many times, but never like this.

Day 1 - October 6 (Wednesday)

I flew into Orlando from LA (more fun with business travel...), and after a nice, but long United flight, I was met at the gate by a driver and his assistant (I have no idea why he needed an assistant) to escort me to the Grand Floridian. So far, so good. After finding my bags we were off to the GF, where VIP check-in was set-up in the GF convention center, just past the main building. After receiving my room assignment, I was issued a 4 day park hopper pass, a VIP test track admission, a Pleasure Island pass, and tickets to several dinners and events. Cool. I could get very used to this.

After taking care of some business and a quick impromptu meeting (it was a business trip), I headed to my room in Sago Key, building 5, between the marina and the monorail line.

So, I'm walking to Sago Key, and the place is spotless. The grounds are beautiful, the sun is shining, and all is good at WDW. I do notice several cleaning carts and trucks, but don't think much of it. I walk into Sago Key, a stand-alone 5 story building a good 400+ yards from the main building, and well.…...., honestly, I was underwhelmed. It's lovely, but it has none of the stunning impact of the main GF lobby, or Wilderness Lodge, or Beach Club, or Dixie.....etc. Perhaps my expectations were too high, I mean it is a very nice building. The 'lobby' of Sago Key is similar in concept to the main building, with an open air 'center lobby' that stretches up to the roof, 5 stories above. That's nice, but the lobby itself is a bit understated. Some flowers on a center table are about all of the decoration that was out. It just doesn't scream (or even whisper) Disney magic.

The style of decoration was very ‘Mary Poppins’, in muted reds and pastel tones. Nice, but it reminded me of a ‘Grandma’ house. A very big Grandma’s house, but you get the idea.

I headed to the elevator and went off to find my room. It was about 5:00 when I checked into my room, on the 4th floor. I opened the door, not sure what to expect. It was a lovely room, that's probably the best word, lovely. The room was large, but not huge, about the size of YC or BC I guess. The vanity area was on the right, and it was a very big area with two marble sinks and lots of counter space. The bathroom was standard Disney tiny, but it did have 2 cool, plush GF robes and tons of bonus towels in a wicker rack. The room had a very high vaulted ceiling, about 15+ feet with a ceiling fan. The vaulted ceiling was definitely the best part of the room, it just felt different and special. The amoir was a nice design (wood) and the fridge was hidden in a matching cabinet next to it. The 2 queen beds had an attractive wooden frame that 'appeared' hand carved. The table/chairs, and nightstand were essentially standard issue for WDW, but matched the rest of the furniture.

As an odd side note, my mini-fridge was stocked only with juice, soda, and water. There was no beer or wine and no snacks. I didn’t plan on using them, but I felt like I wasn’t snack and alcohol worthy. Which in fact, is not true at all.

The light switches next to the bed were slide dimmers, a neat touch. The porch was small (3x5 ?) and had a solid 1/2 wall. There were 2 plastic chairs and a table occupying most of the space. My view wasn't too great. I overlooked the back shore of the lagoon (just past the marina on the right as you approach from the water). There was the monorail line, which was great when the monorail passed by, but a essentially cement beam otherwise, with some construction equipment and a supply barge on the shore. It wasn't a very attractive view.

The appointments in the room were very well themed Victorian, if you like that sort of thing. This included picture of the GF in the ‘old days’, at the turn of the century, without the monorail, etc. Very cute, and a nice Disney touch. I noticed these throughout the resort. Also, all the soaps, shampoos, etc. were different from other resorts, even premium resorts. The soap was French milled, or something like that, and it smelled. I suppose it was supposed to smell pretty, but I found it annoying. I called housekeeping for standard Ivory soap, but they informed me they didn’t have any. ?. ?. So, by the end of the week, I smelled like a 68 year old woman. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

Here’s a summary of my GF impressions. The GF is a beautiful resort, the dining options are great, rooms are nice, the grounds are beautiful, and the Magic Kingdom is right across the lake. But, it just didn’t light me up like other WDW resorts. Here’s why:

1) It's very pricey. My 'water' view room overlooked a back part of the lake with the monorail line behind that, which was ok, but nothing magical. The base cost for that room, I believe was $325, which I had for the corporate rate of $250. For that price you can get 4 nights at All-Stars, 3 nights at a moderate, or 2 nights at Wilderness Lodge. I like to ‘live like a king’ when I’m on vacation at WDW, but to me $325 isn't worth the 'extras' you get at the GF.

2) For getting to and from the MK, it's a great location: 1 monorail stop or a boat. It’s easy and enjoyable. But what about other destinations, you ask? Good question.

Epcot appears easy, it's all on the monorail. Ah, but welcome to a little Disney secret. It's much, much easier to drive to Epcot. Here's how to get to Epcot: 1. Walk to main building to get monorail. 2. Wait 3 stops to get to TTC. 3. Transfer to Epcot monorail. 4. Wait for monorail. 5. Off to Epcot. I did this twice, and the fastest time was 45 minutes (the other was 60 minutes). I love the monorail, but this is as frustrating and time consuming. What other resorts takes 45-60 minutes to get to Epcot? (answer: none)

Animal Kingdom - all bus. But…..... it's a shared bus with the Polynesian and Wilderness Lodge. That's right, for $325, you have to share a bus system. Sorry, but that's not a great plan, in my book. In fact, it’s pretty lousy.

Downtown Disney - same story as AK.

Boardwalk - forget about it. Monorail to Epcot. Walk through Epcot to Boardwalk. Lovely trip, just not the quickest route, for those who don't have an extra 1 1/2 hours. Or, you can change at DD or TTC. Both options are a pain in the behind.

Although you can get anywhere from the GF, it just seems like a lot of trouble and hassle. In fact, other than the MK, it's transportation system is not better that the All-Stars's, or moderates (which are fine). My lesson here: even though you're at Disney's premier resort, you should have a car (or use a bunch of cabs, which is what I wound up taking several times). Transportation at the GF is ok, it’s just not much better than anywhere else.

3. The pool is ok, but nothing special. I do like the attendants serving food and drinks poolside, but other than that it’s a pretty average pool, by WDW standards.

Overall, the GF is beautiful, it really is. But I just don’t get any sense of whimsy or Disney Magic. I realize the WL or Poly isn’t for everyone, and some feel they ‘try too hard’ in their theming. But those resorts are unique and special. By way of comparison, the Yacht and Beach Clubs are upscale, less-themed reports yet they feel like Disney magic from the moment you arrive. It’s a personal decision, but even if they were all free, the GF isn’t for me.

Enough about the GF, on with the report. Having flown in from LA, I felt gross, so I headed to the GF health club for a workout. After looking for the club next to the pool, where it was 3 years ago, I found it down a nice path on the way to the Wedding Pavilion. The club is very nice. It’s also a full service SPA, which I didn’t really explore, but looked impressive. The health club has a wide range of equipment and was a nice place to spend an hour. For those who care, it’s not quite as nice as the Yacht Club/Beach Club, but much better than Old Key West. By the way, they never asked for resort ID the 2 visits I made to the GF health club.

On my way back from the health club I stopped at the GF beach and sat on a swing for 15 minutes. I was the only one on the beach, and it was very relaxing. It was just nice to be at WDW, hanging out.

Also, there was significant building/construction occurring on Big Pine Key, building 9. The whole building was walled-off, and everything from the roof to the landscaping was being worked on. I’d never seen anything that extensive before. As I began to notice, there was a lot of construction, major and minor throughout WDW.

Back at my room, I settled in to watch game 1 of Red Sox vs. Indians series and generally relax. I ordered a burger and a beer from room service, which arrived 30 minutes later. The tip of 18% was included + a $3 delivery charge. Dinner was approx. $30. A bit high for a (good) burger, cold beer, and soggy fries. But I digress.

At 8:50 I headed down to the boat dock to watch the Electrical Water Pageant. I remember seeing this as a kid with my family, and I still love it. The music has been updated, but these are the same floats as they were 25 years ago. For those who haven’t seen this, I strongly recommend checking it out. It passes by the GF, Poly, WL, Contemporary, and Ft. Wilderness nightly.

So, afterwards I went back and watched the Red Sox lose. Long day, unfortunate ending.

Day 2 - October 7 (Thursday)

I had a 7:00am meeting in the main building, in a concierge suite. Although 7:00am is not my ideal time for a meeting, it was a business trip. The suite (4th floor) was beautiful, and huge. It had a very large living room with tons of details, a 2nd bathroom, and a separate door off the hall. There were French doors to the bedroom, which was similar to my room without the vaulted ceiling. There was balcony in each room overlooking the pool and MK. There were also fresh flowers all over the suite, it was very impressive. I don’t know the cost of the room, but I’m sure it was a fortune.

Before the meeting I grabbed breakfast at the concierge breakfast on the 3rd floor. I had to be escorted up to the concierge floor (3-5), but once there no one checked. Breakfast was ok, but nothing special, although the view overlooking the lobby was great. It was typical breakfast food, but it wasn’t nearly as nice as the Yacht Club concierge service, although the view was much better. Again, it seemed like a lot of money for minimal incremental value. I took breakfast back to the suite and worked for three hours.

The meeting ended at 10:00, and I decided to head to Epcot for the morning. After a lengthy monorail ride, I was into Epcot by 11:00. I didn’t have many must-do’s, so I wandered around for a while. Here’s a summary, and an arbitrary 1-5 star rating, based on my personal views (I wasn’t going to take a poll, so this is all you get):

Weather: Misty, giving way to sun

Crowds: Very, very light

I love Epcot, and I think it’s a great place to wander around. It seems to handle crowds the best of any park, although there were none today. It was a bit ‘cold’ during the 1980’s, but they’ve done a great job of making it more lush and landscaped. Also, the street entertainment is probably the best of any park. There’s so much to see without stepping on any attraction.

Let’s review the 2000 ‘stuff’ on Spaceship Earth: ok. Not as bad as the Castle Cake debacle, but it seemed a bit cheesy - not terrible though. As for the ‘leave a legacy’, well……. I hated it. It seemed sooooo commercial. While the concept is nice, the postage stamp photos are odd and a bit bizarre. By the way, if people think Disney will keep these as a permanent legacy, you’re kidding yourselves. These will be down in a year, count on it. The granite monoliths themselves look interesting, but the ones with the photos already mounted looked ugly and tacky. I don’t care for the Walk Around the World personally, but I think it’s well done and stylish. I smile when I see all the bricks. IMHO, the Epcot legacy pictures don’t match up at all.

The fountain just before SE has been updated to better match the new design and it looks much nicer. Nice touch. Overall - 2 stars for new Millennium entrance stuff

I had a head of the line pass as part of my business meetings (through the GM offices inside Test Track) which I used. The line was 40 minutes, but I was on in 5. By the way, inside the ride, during the ABS breaking part, if you look up you can see a glass window overlooking the ride. That’s the GM offices and hospitality inside the attraction. I waved to a lot of cars, but no one was looking.

I really like Test Track. I think it’s an appropriate addition to Epcot and the concept of discovery (which is the parks unstated new positioning). I wouldn’t wait more than 15 minutes for the ride, but I think line will slowly decrease in the next few months as the newness wears off a bit. Test Track - 4 stars

I strolled over to the new Imagination Pavilion, not sure what to expect. I liked the old ride, but was looking forward to the updated attraction. It’s always great to do something new at WDW, regardless of what it is. It’s just so exciting. The line was less than 10 minutes, and the ride was cute. I won’t describe it in detail, but it was a nice little replacement and well themed to the overall Pavilion. Figment is in the ride in a couple of places. I didn’t love Eric Idle, and thought they could have found a better ‘host’. The interactive play area after the ride was ok, but I didn’t do much. Didn’t this used to be on the 2nd floor (in the old ride)? For some reason, I remember it being more ‘fun’, although I can’t put my finger on exactly why. What’s up there now? Overall Imagination rating - 3 stars (cute, but I wouldn’t wait more than 10 minutes)

Then, it was on to the new Millennium pavilion. I was very curious about this, and looking forward to seeing how they pulled off adding 15 new countries in a temporary manner. Well, it was nice. I love the country pavilions at Epcot, but this clearly wasn’t in that league at all, not even close. On the other hand, it was a good, educational glimpse at these nations, in an even briefer format that the existing pavilions. I only spent 30 minutes in the ‘tent’, not really doing much. This seems to be a great place for children to learn about other nations and cultures, but there is very little in the way of passive entertainment. Is that bad? Not really, I guess. But even at Epcot, where ‘discovery’ is the theme, the Millennium tent is a bit of reach. By the way, the little food court area is a good idea (food from different countries in a McDonalds style setting).

Overall though, I just couldn’t escape the feeling that I was in a temporary tent the whole time. While wandering, I saw boxes, extension cords, etc. lying around that you would never see anywhere else at WDW. It was a good idea, but it seemed too forced and temporary for me. International Pavilion - 2 stars

I wandered around the countries for a while, grabbed some food in China, rode the Malestrom (walk on, 3 stars), and got a beer in the Outpost area. I like what the Outpost has become. I remember it being very, very empty for years, but Disney has filled it in nicely with food, entertainment, etc. It’s a peaceful little area, a good place to sit down and have a beer. Which I did.

The sun was out now, and I was getting tired, so I headed out of Epcot. Stopped to ride Spaceship Earth (no wait), which is a true Epcot classic, if such a category exists. I don’t understand why anyone would wait for this, but I guess its power as a guest magnet can’t be ignored by 1st time visitors. I give SE 4 stars.

I spent some time poolside at the GF when I returned at 1:30, and as I was relaxing I watched a small boy (3 or 4 maybe?) throw-up in the pool. Lovely. I totally understand that kids can’t help themselves sometimes, but I avoided the pool after that. Oddly, no one from GF made any attempt to clean it up, although the parents tried their best. Also, his parents let him back in the water 5 minutes later. Needless to say, I was done with the pool for day.

I went back to the room for some work, a quick nap, and then got ready for a huge, fantastic, and generally awesome event - a private party at the Studios. During the past 20+ years of visiting WDW, I’ve never been able to attend a private party at any of the parks. I’ve been to Pleasure Island and Resort functions/parties, but never at a park. Based on this experience, it was well worth the wait.

At 7:00 all participants and executives associated with the golf tournament (and their families) were bussed to the back of The Studios, passing behind TOT, the Sound Stages and Catastrophe Canyon. We drove down Residential Street, and were dropped off at the entrance to NY Street, by the archway. As we exited the buses (3,000+) , and walked through the archway, we were greeted by at least 200 cheering ‘fans’, who threw confetti, asked for our autographs, and cheered. Some even had signs and banners made for specific groups or players. Now, all tournament players were amateurs, so this was exceptionally cool.

After about 5 minutes, confetti exploded from all of the buildings on NY Street, and a band kicked in. All around NY Street, and side street down to Beauty and the Beast Theater were food and drink stations set up. There were at least 50 of these, and the food (and open bar) was excellent. Also, Muppets, the Pizza Planet arcade (all free play), and Star Tours were open for only for us. The main park closed at 8:00 for ‘normal’ guests, and we had the back ½ all to ourselves. After I grabbed some food and a drink, I headed off to Star Tours. Although I’ve been at the parks when it was very, very slow, this was unbeatable. I was the only person in the entire que, from front entry to my ride vehicle, and I was the only one in my Star Speeder. I’ve been on Star Tours dozens of times, but I’ve never had more fun. I was laughing the whole time. After, I stayed on and did it again. Star Tours - 3.5 stars (5 when they update the film next year)

At 9:00, the rest of the park ‘opened’ to us, and we could ride TOT and RNR, in addition to what was already open. By 8:30, I was very curious, so I slipped out a ‘back way’ (we weren’t allowed past the Chinese Theater or Star Tours) and into the rest of the park. It was deserted, but no one was working, cleaning, etc. I truly had the park to myself. I made a call to my wife to share my excitement, and then wandered around. At Indy, they were rehearsing with a new crew, which was very cool to watch (quietly in the back).

I went back to the Animation Courtyard and spent some time checking out the details of the park, which are quite impressive. I then snuck down to Hollywood Blvd, where Fantasmic was getting out. I just watched the world go by, until I was about the only one left on the street. CM’s quickly set up 25+ dessert and coffee stations, and changed all of the marquees to reference the group and event we were part of. It was very impressive.

Eventually, RNR and TOT were opened, and I was on RNR at 9:00 sharp. WOW! I’m not a huge coaster fan, but I rode it 3x in a row, and 3x more later in the evening. What a great attraction! Exploding off with Aerosmith blasting, right into a loop is so unexpected and completely fun. Again, I was laughing the entire ride. I also though the G Force building and especially the loading area were extremely well themed. Although not as impressive as TOT, this is still one of the best attractions in all of WDW. I thought it was much better that Hulk at IOA, which is its obvious competition. RNR - 5 stars

I rode TOT 2x, which is one of my favorite attractions anywhere. The new drop sequence was ok, but I don’t think the drops were as intense. Maybe its just me, but I prefer the older (TOT2) drop sequence. TOT - 5 stars

To end the evening, we were treated to a private 11:00 Fantasmic showing. I enjoy Fantasmic, although the water screens are overused, and become somewhat boring. The finale however, it unbeatable. Sorcerer Mickey, directing fireworks in celebration is one of the best scenes in all of WDW. That really is Disney magic. Fantasmic - 3.5 stars

So, after a very long and exciting day, I was back to GF by 12:30.

Day 3 - October 8 (Friday)

Today was a VIP/business golf tournament, held at Osprey Ridge. Although it rained off and on for most of the day, it was still a lot of fun. We left the GF at 7:00am, and tee’d off at about 8:30. Well, we finally wrapped up 6+ hours later. It was very slow on the course, due to rain, bad golfers (me included), and lack of pressure (we had the course for the day). Thankfully there were many snack carts, food stations, and drink carts available. We certainly were well fed and fully ‘beveraged’ by the time we finally finished, although we were soaked.

By 4:00 we were back at GF, and I settled in to clean up and relax a bit. I had planned on heading to the Magic Kingdom for the afternoon, but I was exhausted and it was too late to race to a park just for a couple of hours.

At 7:00pm there was a business reception/cocktails at the GF Convention Center, which is actually quite nice. It really fits in with the rest of the GF, and is very stylish. The reception was followed by a business dinner at the GF Convention Center, which was excellent. After dinner, I decided I’d had enough business for the evening, and left to spend time at one of my favorite spots, the Wilderness Lodge.

I took a cab from the bellstand, and within 10 minutes I was walking into that wonderful lobby. I just love the smell and the music that’s playing as you enter. It really is perfectly designed, as far as I’m concerned. I got a Wilderness coffee at the bar, and just relaxed in the lobby and up in some of the alcoves on the 2nd-4th floors. I wandered down to the boat dock, and just enjoyed the evening (it was warm with no rain) before heading back to the GF. As a test, I walked into the GF lobby, but there was no ‘smell’ or even music to set the mood for guests. It’s little details like that that I look for at WDW.

Day 4 - October 9 (Saturday)

I started my day with another business meeting from 8:00 - 9:00, and then headed directly over to the Magic Kingdom. This is the only place where GF transportation was outstanding (1 monorail stop). I headed into the MK and I was just so happy to be there. It was hot, sunny, and there were light puffy clouds in the sky. It looked like something from a postcard.

I really didn’t have a burning need to see any particular attraction, although I did want to check our Pooh if the line wasn’t long. At 9:15, there wasn’t much of a crowd, so I headed to Tomorrowland to help Buzz defeat Zurg. Buzz is an inexpensive attraction (for WDW), but it’s well designed, and fun for kids and adults. I hope Disney keeps adding this type of ride, in addition to TOT and coasters. Buzz gets 4 stars.

I started to look around for breakfast, and realized that except for the main street bakery, the only MK breakfasts are character buffet’s. There are very few options for breakfast in the MK. As the morning worn on, and my hunger increased, I became frustrated by this ridiculous situation. I grabbed a coffee at Tomorrowland Terrace, and I was the only one in the place. I later wound up with a turkey leg in Frontierland at 11:00, which was a bit, um, heavy for the first meal of the day. I felt queasy for the next couple of hours. My bad. I digress.

After buzz, I went on Space Mountain (10 minute wait). I like SM, but it is nothing compared with RNR. I know, it’s not a fair comparison, SM is 20 years old; but they are both indoor coasters. After SM, I realized how amazing RNR really is. SM - 3 stars. I took the train around to Frontierland to ride Splash but the line was huge. Thunder Mountain was closed, which may have been part of the problem. I saw the Tiki Room show, which I love. I don’t know why, but I think it’s a great attraction, I love how everything in the room comes to life - 4 stars.

It was getting hot by now (10:30) and the crowds were increasing. I wandered around for a while, just exploring, and wound up with a Turkey Leg for brunch (above). After that mistake, I didn’t feel like doing much else, so I headed back to the GF. I decided to take the water shuttle, which I love. It’s a great way to get around at WDW.



It was a beautiful day, so I picked up the paper (the Orlando Sentinal is an awful paper), and some work, and picked a spot near the pool. I was still a little freaked out about the pool incident from the other day, so I stuck to the Jacuzzi.

After showering, I decided to watch the Red Sox - Indians game at ESPNZone in the Boardwalk (which is a great place to watch ‘your team’ play). I sucked it up and took the monorail (50 minutes to Epcot), and then walked through Epcot and out ‘the back’ to get to ESPN. It was much longer than a cab (over an hour), but it was a cool way to get there. At ESPN, I watched most of the game with 10-12 people from Boston, who I didn’t know, and some from Cleveland, which was fun. I had to get back to GF in the 6th inning, so I got at cab at the Boardwalk, which only took 15 minutes.

I got ready for another private party at the Contemporary as I watched the end of the game, which the Sox won. It was shaping up as a great day all around. At about 7:00 I monorail’d to the Contemporary for a huge (3,000+ people) beach party in the Contemporary Convention Center ballroom. The party was well done, with bands, food, drinks, games, dancing, etc. However, being by myself (not counting clients), I felt out of place, so after an hour or so I walked over to MK to watch the MSEP.

I was really looking forward to the parade, which I hadn’t seen since I was a child. When I entered the park @ 8:00, it was PACKED! MOBBED! SCARY! I have never seen it that bad. It was also very hot (85+), so that made it worse. It took 10 minutes just to get from the entrance gates through the ‘tunnel’. There were people 10 deep watching the start of the parade. People were in trees, in flower beds, on railings, it was a madhouse. I found a spot in the back of the porch near the camera store and saw most of the parade. It really was great, and very impressive even if you didn’t remember it from years ago.

As the parade moved up Main Street, I realized there was no way to get into the park, it was just too crowded. I ducked into the camera store to cool off and wait for a while. While inside, I, ‘um’ took a wrong turn and wound up backstage, behind Main Street. Very cool. I nonchalantly walked over to Tomorrowland and ducked ‘onstage’ behind the Tomorrowland theater, which was empty. I didn’t do this intentionally, although I had an idea of where I might wind up. By the way, I was dressed corporate casual, and didn’t look like a tourist as much as a corporate CM, without a nametag.

I thought that TL wouldn’t be as crowed, but it was also packed. Space Mt and Buzz had 45 minute waits, so I rode TTA and had a nice, relaxing time. I stayed on for another trip, as TL was nuts. By the way, I think TTA is the longest ride in MK, nearly 15 minutes. TTA gets 4 stars.

I wanted to catch the Fireworks and Tinkerbell at 9:00, but people were packed in so tightly no one could move from TL to the Castle. I couldn’t take the crowd so I swam upstream as far as the TL Plaza Restaurant, and got ‘stuck’. CM’s, sensing a problem, opened the backstage area (where I had just come from) and directed traffic that way to the park entrance. While I was heading out via backstage, the fireworks started, and I just took a seat and watched. It was great watching them with backstage CM’s, although it was weird being backstage 2x in 1 night.

I finally escaped MK, and walked back to the Contemporary. The beach party was still hopping, but I headed up to the California Grill for some Sushi with Yoshi. I travel all over the US, but the C. Grill is one of the best restaurants anywhere, not just in WDW, but anywhere in the US. Yoshi, the sushi chef is brilliant. I sat at the sushi bar, had some great wine, and excellent sushi. I highly, strongly, deeply (get the idea), recommend the C. Grill for dinner.

By 11:00, I was stuffed and tired, and took the monorail back to the GF for the night.

Day 5 - October 10 (Sunday)

Time to go home. Although it was a successful business trip, and I love WDW, it was odd being there for 5 days without my wife. I’ve done 1-3 days on business solo before, but I started to feel out of place, and was looking forward to getting home.

By the way, in 4 days I didn’t have any fantastic, or awful CM experiences or services at GF, until today. Last night I: 1) Put out the room service card for breakfast at 7:00am and 2) Checked with the front desk to see when busses started to Animal Kingdom (8:00am) opening - I was told between 7:00-7:30am.

I was planning a good breakfast in the room while I got ready (as not to repeat my MK mistake), then a few hours at AK before I left. So, I was up, packed, and showered by 6:45, just waiting for room service. And waiting, and waiting….. At 7:15, I finally called to check on my order (which had been taken from my door the night before, so I know they had it). It turns out it never made it into ‘the system’. I’m sorry, what? At a $350 per night resort, a standard order for coffee/juice/bagel gets lost after it’s taken from my door? Room service offered to send up coffee and toast within 15 minutes, but I had no patience for that and I left for the bus.

After racing for the bus (I wanted to get to AK before opening), I was informed by some guests that they had been waiting since 7:00am, and no AK busses had arrived yet. By 7:45am, we were all starting to get angry. When the 1st AK bus of the day finally arriver at 7:55am, I was really frustrated. This is not great service, and certainly not what I expected from GF. We arrived at AK after 8:00, but there were very few people entering, so I felt a little better.

I had 3 hours at AK, and the only thing on my to do list was Kali Rapids, which was new to me. I intentionally wanted to slowly enjoy wandering through AK, as I think it’s Disney’s most interesting park. It may not yet be the best, but the design and flow are wonderful. After :30 minutes of exploring, I walked onto Kali (no line, and only 2 others on my raft). Great que, and a very enjoyable ride. Why, however, is it soooooo short? I hate to compare, but Islands of Adventure has a Popeye themed raft ride that is great, and 2x (or more) as long as Kali. The whole Kali experience is outstanding, it’s just a huge letdown in length. I loved it, (and went again without getting off my raft) but I would be very upset if I waited and hour in line. Kali - 4 stars with no wait, 2 stars with a 30 minutes+ wait.

I spent some time in Dinoland, and walked the Creatasous(?) trail, which was peaceful. This isn’t even on the AK guide map anymore, but when the park opened they were calling this an ‘attraction’. I went on CTX, and had fun. It’s a pretty scary ride, but relies too much darkness with things jumping out at you, for my taste. There’s no subtlety, or suspense, just……. Boo, roar, Boo, dark, Boo. CTX - 3.5 stars.

I got some breakfast at Tusker House. The restaurants at AK are great - good food and perfectly themed. I ate outside, as it was a beautiful day. Even the ‘back’ of Tusker House overlooking the river is perfectly themed. I think that AK has by far the best nooks and crannies of all parks.

Speaking of which, I was able to find The Secret Path. I made it a point to search for this, and I’m glad I did. It was short, but very, very cool. Even on a packed, hot day, this would be a magical little spot. I doubt anything like this exists in any other WDW park. It’s worth searching for. As a hint, it’s NOT in Dinoland, Camp MM, or the Oasis, that’s all I will say. Bravo to the imagineers for small touches like this Secret Trail - 5 stars

(Bonus design and theme points for Flame Tree outside patio, also excellent)

I watched ITTBAB, which is a great attraction. It is very intense, and I can’t imagine small children not getting scared, but it’s well done - 4 stars.

It was about 11:00 now, and I headed out to bus world. The park was getting crowded, but not too bad yet. After a :15 minute wait, the GF bus arrived. However, it was shared with WL and Poly, so it took 25+ minutes to get back to GF. Ugh - I was not happy with GF transportation.

I was scheduled to have a courtesy car take me to the airport at 12:00, but none were available, so they used a Mears bus. Just for me! I felt very silly, but I had to get to the airport, and that’s all that was available. Very funny, and a nice way to end my trip.

Footnote: GF messed up my billing and I was charged twice for 1 room night when I received my AmEx bill. Not for the whole trip, just 1 night. Can you tell I didn’t love the GF?

Trip Summary

Grand Floridian: Liked it, didn’t love it, would never pay for it. If you want to spend the money, I recommend Beach/Yacht Club, or a suite at Wilderness Lodge. Based on value (which is so subjective), I’d recommend the WL, PO, or DL.
Epcot: It’s great to have all of the construction completed, and the opening of Imagination is a good thing. I’m sorry I missed Illuminations and the Parade of Nations, they’re on the top of the list for next trip. Epcot is really a great park, and it continues to improve each year.
Magic Kingdom: Love it, but it’s very odd being there without a family. That was the only spot where I felt out of place traveling solo.
Studios: The RNR is fantastic and a great addition (as was Fantasmic). However, this is still clearly the 4th park. I hope it continues to evolve, because although it’s much better than Universal Studios, it’s not in the same class as other Disney parks.
Animal Kingdom: It’s only been 2 years, but it just keeps getting better. Asia is a huge improvement, and I can’t wait for Beastly Kingdom. In 3-5 years, will really be a stunning park, it’s already very impressive.
WDW on business: Find a reason and do it. It’s a great way to see The World.
California Grill: Best WDW restaurant by far, one of the best in the country
That’s all from a much longer trip report than I planned to write. I had a great time, and I’ll be back on different business for 3 days in January at the Yacht Club. Can’t wait.

Email me with any questions,



Jon Hickey

Jonathan.Hickey@bsh.com

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