Trip Reports

The planning details of this trip were orginally posted in my trip planning report on Brian Bennett's site on February 11. It may be helpful to review that information prior to reading the actual trip report. This is fair warning that this is quite lengthy. I suggest printing it, getting a glass (or bottle) of wine, curling up on the couch and reading. I have set off tips and special notes with brackets. These are little discoveries that I though others might find interesting and/or useful.

Summary Details:

Dates of trip: February 21 - March 6, 1999
Travel Method: Plane, personal and rental cars
Resort: Offsite-Embassy Vacation Resort Grand Beach
Accommodations: 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, full kitchen (w/clothes washer and dryer), dining and living rooms and screened patio
CHARACTERS:

Kim - me, mid 30s, trip planner, tour guide and trip report author, veteran
Bill-my husband, early 40s, veteran
Jeff-my brother, early 30s, veteran
Melissa-Jeff's girlfriend, late 20s, frequent
Taylor-Melissa's daughter, 3 1/2, 2nd visit
Maureen-my mom, mid 50s, rookie
Terry-Bill's mom, early 70s, frequent
PLANNING:

Planning this trip began after Bill and I returned home from our FL vacation in February 1998. Although we stayed in Kissimmee in 1998, we did non-Disney things (gasp!) except for Pleasure Island, Cape May Café and the Boardwalk. I didn't feel there was enough new stuff to do since our visit in 1997 and we also wanted to visit off-site attractions that we never had time for during previous Walt Disney World trips. So we were holding out for the opening of Animal Kingdom, Test Track, Cirque de Soliel, Disney Quest, and Fantasmic to do WDW in full force this year.

We secured a timeshare exchange for two weeks, February 21 - March 6, 1999, at the Embassy Vacation Resort Grand Beach. This resort is located on Lake Bryan off SR 535 south/east of I-4 at exit 27. It's across the road from the Vistana Resort where we stayed during our 1994 trip. This location is very convenient to WDW without traveling on SR192, I-4 or International Drive. We stay at timeshare exchanges because we already own them and we have been able to exchange to locations that are convenient to Disney property, mainly in the Kissimmee or Lake Buena Vista areas. In fact, when we stayed at Silver Lake Resort in 1997 we could see the tree of life structure being built at Animal Kingdom from our bedroom window. Since we have already made our investment in them, they are also economical for us thus we have no additional costs at check out except for phone calls. When we first purchased our timeshare weeks, Disney had a timeshare facility (what is now Old Key West) that was part of the same timeshare pool as ours and we planned on exchanging from time to time to stay at this WDW site. Unfortunately for us, Disney no longer participates and we were never able to stay on site. We also find our timeshares very comfortable with multiple bedrooms, full kitchens including a washer and dryer, beautiful grounds and excellent facilities. There is always more space than the two of us need so we always invite friends and family. We asked family and friends to join us again this time and by the first week of January 1999 we had the list above of those who were able to join us. Isn't it hard to believe it takes 10 months for people to decide whether they want to travel from upstate New York to Florida in February/March, stay for free in our timeshare and visit WDW!?!

During those ten months, as usual, I was busy studying guidebooks, surfing the internet and putting together a proposed itinerary so we can make the best use of our time and have a wonderful vacation. I kept everyone who might be joining us in mind and have, hopefully, included something for everyone. As suggested by guidebooks and RADP members, I included taking breaks at the resort in the afternoon to give everyone a chance to relax (nap, swim, read, enjoy blender drinks, etc.) in order to increase enjoyment and limit "meltdowns." This is a new concept in my usual "commando touring" itineraries of the past. My purpose for creating the itinerary is to help guide us to have a fun vacation. If following the itinerary is not doing that, we will need to be flexible, change plans and have fun. We also will have to understand that our interests and ages are varied so we may need to split up and go in different directions at times then regroup later. This will allow us to see and do things that interest each of us and make the most of our time both creating a better experience. This is the fourth trip I have extensively planned out. During our first visit in 1986, I thought WDW was only MK, the MK resorts and EPCOT. I kept hearing other guests talking about other places at WDW (Marketplace, Fort Wilderness, River Country and Discovery Island) and went home feeling we had missed a lot. I decided that I didn't want to miss anything the next time and wanted to be much more prepared so I have studied and prepared a plan for each trip since.

This is how I went about planning and building this year's proposed itinerary:

I created a list of attractions/restaurants that are new this trip, attractions/restaurants that we didn't get a chance to do or did in previous trips and were so great they are worth repeating this trip.
I referred to guidebooks, web pages and RADP and added the following to my list: best days to visit each park; park hours; parade, fireworks and show times and schedules; overlooked attractions, good restaurants, discounts, phone numbers, addresses, directions. I read a lot of "trip reports" posted on web pages or RADP searching for more tips. (special thanks to Deb Wills and Brian Bennett)
I took into consideration various discount programs that were available to us and added their benefits to my list:

Jeff and I have the Magic Kingdom Club card free of charge through our workplaces. We will use these for discounts on park admission and restaurants, tours and purchases at the Marketplace. We also receive discount cards for Sea World, Busch Gardens and Universal Studios through our workplaces but will only be visiting Sea World this trip.
I bought an Entertainment Book for the Orlando area. I looked into purchasing one after reading a trip report from another guest who used one. I was able to look through the book and decided we could get our money's worth from it so I bought it for $30. There is a coupon for Pleasure Island to buy two admissions, get two free. This alone will pay for the book since admission to PI is about $20. It also includes discounts for other attractions/restaurants I felt we would use such as: 50% off admission to Discovery Island for up to six admissions; buy one admission, get one free for Church Street Station for up to six admissions; buy one guided tour/get one free at Sea World for up to six admissions; buy one entrée, get one free at Juan and Only's, Harry's Safari Bar and Grill, Maya Grill, Max's Café and Max's Grill and a number of other restaurants very close to the Embassy Resort.
I clipped coupons from tourist flyers/booklets that a friend brought home from her family's December 1998 trip.
I receive Disney's Insider Magazine and sent for the Magic Delivery package it offers after reading in a trip report about another guest doing so. I would have totally forgotten to send for this if it wasn't for my reading that trip report. I was concerned that it wouldn't arrive before we left since the coupon said to allow six weeks for delivery and it was just six weeks when I read the trip report and mailed in my request. The package arrived in three weeks and included the following: a magnet, a passport to have stamped in at least three parks and mail back to Disney for a pair of limited edition pins, a coupon for either watching IllumiNations from a special viewing area in Epcot or taking the Family Magic tour at the Magic Kingdom, a coupon for 20% off the character breakfast at Artist Point and a coupon for 10% off a spa treatment at the Grand Floridian Spa and Health Club. I plan to use the coupon for the special viewing area for IllumiNations and the 20% off at Artist Point character breakfast. We will also get the passport stamped and mailed back to receive our free pins.
I looked into Terry joining the Disney Dining Experience for Florida residents for $60 but decided against it. I felt we had enough other discount programs to fall back on and the money spent on the E book was a sufficient investment. Perhaps this was the wrong decision, however, since we could use the DDE next year too and the E book will have expired by that time.
I checked out web pages for other places beyond WDW and added details from those to my list too.
I decided upon our admission media. At first I thought we would get the five-day park hopper-economical and flexible. Then I decided that I couldn't limit myself to visiting WDW for only five days when I was going to be there two weeks. I thought some more:
I like the flexibility of being able to hop between parks
I wasn't planning on visiting any water parks or Wide World of Sports
We have the discount coupons for PI and DI.
I felt we all needed to have similar admission media in order to tour together. I pondered getting the six or seven-day all-in-one hoppers but didn't need the extra admissions to the minor parks and the price was almost as much as an annual passport. For the number of days I wanted to spend in the parks this year and by securing a timeshare exchange for our trip in 2000 in early February along with the cost comparison, I decided Maureen, Terry, Bill and I will be purchasing APs for $311.63 with MKC discount. Terry will actually purchase the Florida Resident's Seasonal Annual Passport since she is eligible, the blackout dates don't fall on our next trip and the FL Resident Season AP is less than our APs. This way we can use our passports next year, too, and make the most of our investment. Jeff, Melissa and Taylor will be getting the five-day hopper passports based on their length of stay and uncommitted plans for next year.
The next step in building the itinerary included mapping out a table including each day for the two weeks broken down by morning, afternoon and evening and filling in parks, shows, tours, breaks and meals:
Disney Theme Parks:

I noted which days were best to visit each park and which days served as early entry days for WDW resort guests only. Since we are staying off WDW property and not eligible for the EE days, I decided it is best for us to go to a park the day after an EE day. From this information, I assigned a park to a day on a best-day-to-visit after an EE-day. From past experience, I plan on getting to the parks early each morning for rope drop. I fit the Spectro Magic parade in on the only evening it was scheduled to take place during our stay. I will make a touring plan of specific attractions to visit for each park but plan to take a slower pace than our past commando touring thus taking in more live entertainment and spontaneous events since there are fewer "must do" attractions.

Disney Shows/Tours and "Beyond" Disney Attractions:

As always, we will visit the Belz Factory Outlet Mall just to shop at Character Warehouse and Character Premier for discounted Disney stuff.

Since we didn't get to Sea World last year, I planned for at least one day and perhaps two if they are still offering the "second day for free." We will also take one of their one-hour guided tours ($6.95) using the E book coupon for buy one/get one free.

Terry's only request is to attend church on Sunday morning. I am leaving it to Terry to decide on where. The Shrine on Vineland Road off SR535 that we visited last year is just around the corner from Embassy.

Last year we visited the Lakeside Winery in Clermont and the Renninger's Antique Center in Mt. Dora and enjoyed the day very much. I thought of repeating this or visiting Cocoa Beach one day.

From information I found on Deb Will's site and guest experiences regarding various behind-the-scenes/guided tours, I decided to make reservations for me, Bill, Maureen and Terry for the Keys to the Kingdom guided tour at Magic Kingdom ($40.50 per person with MKC discount) and the Backstage Safari Tour at Animal Kingdom ($60 per person). I called and made these reservations on January 7. Since these tours are for those over 16 years old, I saved them for the day Taylor would be going home. The age limit is set so that there isn't a chance for children to see one of the characters walking around backstage without a head or a princess without her wig and smoking a cigarette.

I plan on seeing Cirque de Soliel at Downtown Disney. Since the tickets are non-refundable and cost $56.50, I plan on purchasing tickets once we've decided if we will have time or indeed want to go sometime during the two weeks.

We plan on meeting a few family members and friends who live near WDW now and then during the two weeks.

The Disney run community of Celebration was on the "to do" list the last trip and we didn't have time for it, so I though we could try again to visit this time.

Restaurants:

I filled in restaurants for lunch and dinner trying some new and returning to some great places. I checked the restaurants out for entrée price range, food type/quality and atmosphere. Plus, I can't pass up a chance to save some $$ so most of the ones I chose, both on and off WDW property, participate in some sort of discount program (MKC, coupons in tourist flyers or the E book). They are also very close to the resort so we don't have to negotiate the unsightly, traffic filled or confusing SR192, International Drive and I-4 wasting time. TIP: I called 800-459-5432 to make Priority Seating arrangements instead of WDW-DINE. I called the special number for tours, (407) 939-8687, when making reservations for those. Once when calling the 800 number to make additional PS arrangements, I was transferred to the toll number in order to make payment for the tours.

I made PS arrangements for the WDW restaurants and included four character meals (two breakfasts, a lunch and a dinner) for Taylor and of course, for the big kids too. I noted these restaurants and times on the itinerary. The first time I called for PS was about the second week in January (or about 45 days prior to our arrival). I had almost no problem getting the exact days and times I asked for even with a party of seven. I called again for an additional PS and to adjust another the last week in January (or 28 days prior) and had to chose between an earlier or later seating than what I asked for. The last time I called was the first week in February (or 21 days prior) and also had to chose between an earlier or later time. I could really see the difference in getting what I wanted by calling earlier even though I only called 45 days in advance and not 120 days. I still have to call to make a PS at the AK Rainforest Café seven days prior to the date I want.

I made a bonafide reservation for the Hoop De Doo Revue dinner/show. The first was made the end of October for 4 adults; I canceled this and made another one for 6 adults/1 child in December. Hoop De Doo is something I've considered for each trip. What held me back from doing it was mixed reviews from other visitors. They either love it or hate it with some people making it a part of every trip while others say they will never go back. So, I finally decided to give it a shot expecting the show will be "hokey" (hopefully in a fun way and not a bad way) and the food to be plentiful (hopefully pleasing and not too greasy). The show runs 90 minutes and I chose the 7:15 p.m. show. The cost is $38 plus tax for adults (cost for child??) and we could have gotten a 20% AP discount on the 9:30 p.m. show, but I felt that was too late, especially for Taylor.

For the restaurants beyond WDW, I will make reservations for them a few days before we plan to visit them depending on how the itinerary is going.

In past trips we have eaten breakfast most days at the resort and will do so again. This saves a lot of time in the morning when trying to get to the parks for "rope drop." It also gives everyone the freedom to get up and have their breakfast when they are ready and not have to wait until every one is up and ready. I have planned a visit to the Publix at the intersection of SR535 and SR192 during afternoon of the day we arrive to stock up on breakfast stuff (coffee, juice, milk, cereal, bagels and cream cheese) and also snacks, fruit, beer, wine for afternoon breaks and late night munchies.

Making our travel arrangements went like a breeze:

There is never any question, discussion or decision making on how we are going to travel; we fly. I made airline reservations for Bill and I in October. We will be using frequent flyer miles we have accumulated from our US Airways VISA card and previous flights. We were able to get a non-stop round trip flight on US Airways' Metrojet from Albany, NY to Orlando, FL. I was very pleased. On Thanksgiving weekend I made a reservation for Maureen and was able to get her on the same flight as us. I was very very pleased. In January, Jeff made reservations for himself, Melissa and Taylor. He also got on the same flight as Bill and I. Woohoo! We will take two cars to the airport and leave them at an off-airport parking lot that will shuttle us to/from the airport for $42.25 a week. Our cost for two weeks is $63.75 with an E book 25% off discount. Terry will drive from West Palm Beach and meet us at the airport in Orlando.

Since Terry offered to drive to Orlando and meet us at the airport, we (Bill, Maureen and myself) will have use of her car and not need to rent a car for the first week. It's a big car (we actually refer to it as a boat) but not big enough for all of us and our luggage; so Jeff, Melissa and Taylor will rent a car for themselves. This will also allow us the freedom to go in different directions from time to time.

Jeff, Melissa and Taylor will fly home after the first week. This is the same time Terry and Maureen leave Orlando with Terry's car to spend time in West Palm Beach. Bill and I will stay at the Embassy Resort and rent a mid-size car from National at the Dolphin Hotel for the weekly rate (Monday - Saturday) of $139 with E book coupon. I chose National because it is on WDW property which allows us to continue touring WDW not rely on Terry and Maureen to drop us off somewhere off site to pick up the car before they leave. We will drop it off at the airport when we fly home with no drop-off fee and get US Airways frequent flyer miles to boot. I knew from reading another guest's trip report that the Hilton Hotel in the WDW hotel plaza also rented Avis cars but their rate was more than National. I also checked with Hertz and Alamo but only Alamo was cheaper (by only $.39) than National and they were both off site. I only checked these four rental agencies because we earn frequent flyer miles from them to use toward our next trip. Terry and Maureen return to Orlando for the last two days of the trip, so we will have both cars. So Terry doesn't have to drive home in the dark, she will leave mid-afternoon on Saturday, March 6. Since this is much earlier than our 7:10 p.m. flight, having the rental car will allow Bill, Maureen and I the freedom to do something Saturday afternoon besides sit at the airport after Terry leaves.

Just a few more comments before I get to the itinerary itself:

Since Jeff, Melissa and Taylor will be going home after the first week and Maureen and Terry will also be leaving for a side trip to West Palm Beach for a few days after the first week, I concentrated on fitting in every WDW park, Sea World and Pleasure Island or Church Street Station into the first week. The second week's itinerary is more loose and flexible.

To help my family with budgeting money, I included costs for the tours and prices or entrée ranges for the restaurants on the itinerary. For my benefit, I included confirmation numbers and times for PS and tours.

When preparing the itinerary, I pretty much did what I felt everyone would like for two reasons. One, Maureen and Terry both gave me a free rein. Two, I didn't know Jeff, Melissa and Taylor were coming for sure until January, and I wanted to get it started long before then. Then, Jeff and Melissa were undecided on what they wanted to do. They did, however, show some interest in visiting Daytona and perhaps Universal Studios. I gave draft copies of the proposed itinerary to everyone the end of January for their review and questions/comments. Maureen and Terry thought it was fine. Jeff and Melissa were pleased that included all the stuff they wanted to do (hooray) except Mickey's Luau so I gave them the phone number to call to make those arrangements on their own. Also, they decided to visit Daytona one day and will not participate in my itinerary that day. They chose not to visit US since the new Islands of Adventure is not open yet. I was glad they were pleased with the itinerary and had assured them all along that they didn't have to follow my itinerary when they didn't want to but that I would include them in everything just in case they did want to participate.

THE PLAN:

Day One--Sunday, February 21:

Bill and I leave home; pick up Maureen; park car at off-site parking lot (E coupon for 25% off); take shuttle to airport; meet Jeff, Melissa and Taylor; flight leaves Albany at 7:35 a.m.
Flight arrives in Orlando at 10:29 a.m.; meet Terry; Jeff, Melissa and Taylor pick up rental car
Have lunch at Bill Wong's Chinese buffet (coupon for $2 off tropical drinks), shop at the Character Warehouse and Character Premier at Belz Outlet Mall
Check in at Embassy Vacation Resort Grand Beach after 4 p.m.
Two of us go out and pick up groceries while the rest unpack and get settled
Dinner at Landry's Seafood Restaurant (E card for a free entrée) (Jeff, Melissa and Taylor may see Mickey's Tropical Luau instead)
Day Two-Monday, February 22:
Tour Disney/MGM Studios
Lunch PS at 12:10 p.m. for Mama Melrose's (10% off with MKC)
Leave for break at resort after Mulan parade (I need to make our reservation before 5 p.m. using coupon from Magic Delivery to view IllumiNations from special viewing area)
Dinner PS at 7:00 p.m. for Cape May Café
View IllumiNations from special viewing area
Enjoy BBuskers entertainment on Boardwalk
Day Three-Tuesday, February 23:

Breakfast PS at 8:10 a.m. for Cinderella's Royal Table (hopefully finish very close to or soon after rope drop at 9:00 a.m.)
Tour Magic Kingdom
Leave for break at resort early afternoon
Visit Fort Wilderness petting zoo, stables and nature trail late afternoon
Dinner show reservation for 7:15 p.m. at Hoop De Doo Revue
Watch Electrical Water Pageant from beach after dinner show
Day Four-Wednesday, February 24:

Tour Epcot Center
Lunch PS at 1:00 p.m. at Garden Grill (10% off with MKC)
Leave for resort for break after lunch
Watch Fantasmic at 7 p.m.
Dinner at the Crab House (coupon for 15% total bill)
Day Five-Thursday, February 25

Tour Animal Kingdom
Lunch at Rainforest Café (try to get PS around 12 noon)
Leave for resort for break mid-afternoon
Dinner at C&N Steakhouse (E card for free entrée)
Visit Pleasure Island or Church Street Station (use E coupon for buy one admission/get one free) (Taylor will stay behind with either me, Maureen or Terry)
Day Six-Friday, February 26

Tour Sea World (make reservation for one-hour guided tour using E coupon for buy one tour/get one free)
Lunch at Sea World
Dinner with family from FL at restaurant of their choice
Day Seven-Saturday, February 27

Breakfast PS at 8:40 a.m. at Artist Point (20 % off coupon from Magic Delivery)
Tour Discovery Island (E coupon for 50% off admission)
Take boat to MK about 2-2:30 p.m., watch Magical Moments parade at 3 p.m., see flag lowering at 5 p.m.
Dinner at either Tony's Town Square Café for 5:10 PS (10% MKC discount) or Chef Mickey's for 5:30 PS
View Spectro Magic parade at 7:30 p.m. and Fantasy in the Sky fireworks at 8:30 p.m.
Day Eight-Sunday, February 28

Church at Terry's choice
Brunch ???location undecided
Drive to Lakeside Winery & Vineyards in Clermont, then on to Renninger's Antique Center & Flea Market in Mt. Dora OR skip winery and antiques/flea market and go to Cocoa Beach
Watch Fantasy in the Sky fireworks from Contemporary 15th floor at 7 p.m.
Dinner PS 7:50 p.m. at Artist Point
Try to catch geyser after dinner and the Electrical Water Pageant at 9:35 p.m.
Day Nine-Monday, March 1 Jeff, Melissa and Taylor fly home this evening and their daytime plans are up to them Kim, Bill, Maureen and Terry's day:

Keys to the Kingdom Tour at 9:30 a.m. (MKC discount)
Lunch in MK during break in tour
Maureen and Terry leave for West Palm Beach after tour
Kim and Bill continue touring and pick up car at Dolphin Hotel at their convenience
Leave for break at resort or tour MGM
Watch Fantasmic at 7 p.m.
Dinner reservation for 8:30 p.m. at Harry's Safari Bar & Grill (E card for free entrée)
Day Ten-Tuesday, March 2

Tour Magic Kingdom
Lunch at Jungle Jim's (E coupon for free entrée)
Break at resort or tour Animal Kingdom until closing at 6 p.m.
Dinner PS 6:40 at Maya Grill (E card for free entrée)
Pleasure Island or House of Blues
Day Eleven-Wednesday, March 3

Tour Epcot Center
Lunch at Tempura Kiku
Break at resort or continue touring Epcot
Dinner reservation for 6 p.m. at Juan and Only's (E card for free entrée)
Watch IllumiNations from Matsunoma Lounge
Day Twelve-Thursday, March 4

Visit Disney Quest or return to Sea World for a "second day free"
Maureen and Terry return from WPB late morning/early afternoon
Lunch at ??? possibly Church Street Station, possibly stop at Belz again on the way
Visit Church Street Station and stay into evening/night hours
Day Thirteen-Friday, March 5

Animal Kingdom Backstage Safari Tour at 8:45 a.m.
Visit Celebration and have lunch at Max's Grille (E card for a free entrée)
Break at resort
Dinner at Peebles at 6:30 p.m. (E card for free entrée)
See Cirque de Soliel at 8:30 p.m.
Possibly (Kim and Bill only) catch Little River Band performance at House of Blues at 11 p.m.
Day Fourteen-Saturday, March 6

Check out of resort by 10 a.m.
Visit/shop Downtown Disney
Lunch at Planet Hollywood (free gift with coupon and $10 purchase)
Stay at Downtown Disney or perhaps return to Belz
Terry leaves for WPB during afternoon
Leave for airport by 5 p.m., drop off rental car, flight leaves Orlando at 7:10 p.m.
Arrive Albany 9:52 p.m., pick up car, drop off Maureen and head for home
Sunday, March 7

Unpack, do laundry, begin writing trip report and planning for next year's trip!
The Trip

Sunday, February 21 (Travel, Bill Wong's Famous Super Buffet, Belz Outlet Mall, check-in Embassy Vacation Resort Grand Beach Orlando weather: cloudy with some sprinkles, 58 degrees)

Bill and Kim left home at 5:20 a.m., picked up Maureen on our way and were at the Park and Fly lot near the Albany (NY) airport by 6:30 a.m. A shuttle from the Park and Fly took us to the airport terminal where we happened to run into Jeff, Melissa and Taylor. There was a big line at the ticket counter, but it moved quickly and we were soon at the gate and boarding. Jeff, Melissa and Taylor sat in the row behind us on the plane. During the flight, I gave Taylor a Disney tote bag filled with a book containing Disney fairy tale stories, a Mulan coloring book, crayons, an autograph book that I made, Mickey lollipops, an Ariel (her favorite character) figurine and a "Barbie type" mermaid doll. This along with other things Melissa brought kept her busy during the flight. [For the autograph book I used a spiral notebook ($2) the size of a Disney autograph book ($6) and paper cemented clippings of Disney characters I took from various Disney brochures in it. My plan was to have the characters autograph the page with their picture on it. I also wrote her name and address in it in case it was lost and found, it could be returned to her.] The flight to Orlando was uneventful, landed on time at 10:30 a.m. and Terry met us at the gate. The gate area was very crowded and we assumed it was because this was the end of the President's Day week and people who took the week off were now heading home.

Jeff, Melissa and Taylor went on their own to pick up their rental car and would be meeting us at Bill Wong's Chinese Buffet on International Drive. Bill, Kim, Terry and Maureen took Terry's car to Bill Wong's. [Hint: We took the Beeline from the airport but instead of going all the way to I-4 and then to International Drive, we got off at Sand Lake Road and took that to Kirkman Road which intersects with International Drive right at the corner where the restaurant was located. I'm sure this saved us time and also tolls since we only paid $.75 in tolls.] We arrived at 11:30 a.m. but the restaurant didn't open for another half-hour, so we visited the stores around the restaurant. People soon started gathering outside the restaurant and we took this as a good sign that it was a good place to eat. By 12 noon there was quite a crowd and we joined them. We were seated right away and instead of waiting for Jeff, Melissa and Taylor, we began our meal. Everything was very fresh and actually cooked right behind the buffet tables. The buffet consisted of the usual Chinese dishes and also a salad bar with seasoned peel and eat shrimp, some American "comfort foods" (mashed potatoes, gravy, beef, etc.) and a dessert bar with scoop your own ice cream. The bill for Bill and Kim was $22 with tip. It was very good, especially the shrimp and the cinnamon ice cream. We felt this restaurant was definitely worth a return visit. We watched and watched for Jeff, Melissa and Taylor, but they didn't show up.

After lunch we headed to the Belz Outlet Mall (1:30 p.m.) to shop at the Character Warehouse and Character Premier. Bill waited in the car and read while Terry, Maureen and Kim shopped. The mall was very crowded and loud. There was a lot of merchandise in both stores but I didn't see much I had to have right then. I did buy two three-park pins for Bill and I with our names on them for $.99 each. I later saw the new version of this pin on WDW property for $5. I planned on visiting Belz again before the end of our trip and would buy later after having a chance to see what was available on WDW property.

We drove to our timeshare exchange at the Embassy Vacation Resort Grand Beach on SR535 in Lake Buena Vista and checked-in at 3:40 p.m. We were in building 1, unit 132 and the unit included the following:

full kitchen with a refrigerator/freezer, microwave, stove/oven, toaster, blender, coffee maker with supplies, dishes, glasses, silverware, pots and pans, towels, soaps and other miscellaneous kitchen items
closet with a vacuum cleaner, broom and dust pan, ironing board and iron, washer, dryer and laundry soaps
dining area with a table and chairs for six
living room with a sofa sleeper, chair, end and coffee tables and a TV,VCR and CD player in a cabinet
screened balcony with a round table and four chairs and two Adirondack style chairs
bedroom with two double beds, dresser, stand and closet (Terry and Maureen)
bathroom with shower/tub, toilet, single sink
bedroom with a king size bed, night stands with drawers for clothes, a wicker chair, TV in cabinet with drawers for clothes, whirlpool tub, shower stall, two sinks, closet for clothes and closet for toilet (Bill and Kim)
bedroom with a king size bed, night stands with drawers for clothes, TV in cabinet with drawers for clothes, large tub, shower stall, one sink, closet for clothes and closet for toilet (Jeff, Melissa and Taylor)
The unit was in excellent condition with the furniture and appliances showing no signs of wear. The rooms were very bright and decorated in a homey country style with plaids and florals in blues and greens and yellows. We enjoyed a wooded view and could also see the lake to the left. I considered it a relatively small resort. It was very quiet both in the unit and around the resort. It was decorated with white clapboard siding, red shingled roofs and lots of gables. Sound like the Grand Floridian? The common areas were well kept and landscaping nice also. The lake was gorgeous and almost in a natural state with hardly any development along its banks. There was a gazebo on the end of a pier in the lake, a sand beach with lounge chairs and hammocks among the trees. There was no swimming allowed in the lake but there were canoes, paddle boats, fishing poles and other water sports equipment to rent. The pool area consisted of the main pool, Jacuzzi and kiddie pool. There was also a volley ball court, gift shop, game room and barbecue grills.

Soon after we arrived in our unit, Jeff called for directions to the room. Come to find out, they waited on line for their Alamo rental car for two hours. Alamo's excuse was their computers were down. After leaving Alamo they drove to Belz but didn't think they were in the right place since they expected to see the Disney stores from the outside of the buildings. As soon as they brought their bags up to the suite, they had to leave for their 4:30 p.m. reservation for Mickey's Tropical Luau.

Bill, Kim, Terry and Maureen settled in and enjoyed a bottle of wine that Terry brought. At 7:00 p.m. no one had an appetite yet for a big dinner so we decided to get something lighter at the grocery store. Therefore, I chose to go to Goodings at the Crossroads Plaza instead of Publix (cheaper) like I originally planned since we were looking for "ready meals" for dinner along with groceries. I remembered Goodings having a lot of this type stuff from a previous trip but couldn't recall if Publix did. Goodings did have what we were looking for in a light dinner but we found their groceries to be as overpriced as others had reported. A couple of things I recall that I buy all the time at home were Tropicana orange juice (big plastic jug-94 oz?) was $5.99 and at home they are $4.39. Also the Philadelphia cream cheese was $1.69 for an 8 oz brick and at home they are $.99. All totaled the groceries (breakfast and sandwich stuff, fruit, soft drinks and munchies) came to $90. Maureen treated. Thanks Maureen! Bill picked up wine, beer and Kaluha bushwhackers at the liquor store next door ($40). [Note: While we were in Goodings, I checked at the service desk to try and get a coupon book for the shops and restaurants in the Crossroads Plaza. I had heard about the book on RADP. The clerk didn't seem too knowledgeable and said she hadn't seen any in about six months and didn't think the booklets were still available. I was disappointed.] Jeff, Melissa and Taylor were at the resort when we returned. Taylor gave a very excited description of the luau. I didn't understand her mention of "pearly shells" but Melissa explained that it was on one of Taylor's videos. It was obviously very exciting to Taylor to see something from her video in person. Bill, Kim, Terry and Maureen had sandwiches while Jeff tried to play his video from the luau on the TV but he couldn't get it to work. We watched some TV and went to bed.

Monday, February 22 (Disney/MGM Studios, Mama Melrose's, Cape May Café, IllumiNations Weather: sunny but chilly, temps only in the 50s)

We were up, everyone helped themselves to breakfast, as was the case most mornings, and on our way to the Studios at 8:00 a.m. We parked in the front row and walked to the ticket booths! There was no line at the ticket booths. We purchased our passes (Bill, Kim and Maureen got Annual Passports with MKC discount; Terry a Florida Resident's Pass and Jeff, Melissa and Taylor got four-day hoppers with MKC discount). We were inside the park at 8:30 a.m. but rope drop was not until 9:00 a.m. I was disappointed since I expected it to be 8:30 a.m. and had gotten everyone there early and then we had to wait. Melissa picked up a big pen to go with Taylor's autograph book. Tower of Terror was first for everyone except Terry and Taylor who waited for us. With all of us together, we moved slowly to ToT after rope drop and by the time we got Terry and Taylor settled the line had grown quite long. We waited about 30 minutes and the ride was the usual, except for Bill lucking out by getting the seat belt seat. After a coffee break, we moved on to see Taylor's favorite character at Voyage of the Little Mermaid. We had a short wait and during the show Taylor was on the edge of Melissa's lap with her hands over her mouth in total amazement almost as if she was in disbelief that she was really seeing Ariel on stage. During the Ursula scene, however, she sunk into Melissa's arms for protection. After the show Jeff and Melissa let Taylor pick out some Mermaid souvenirs (a picture frame which was on sale and a jewelry box) which they had sent to package pick-up. We saw/road the Great Movie Ride next, western scene, with a short wait but long enough to enjoy some of the movie clips. Mickey was scheduled to make an appearance outside of the Animation Building, so we went there and waited and waited. I checked with the cast members inside the gift shop and they said he's always on time and should be out soon. After some time, Bill and Jeff checked, then I checked again. Finally, a half hour late, he showed up. The whole time we waited we were preparing Taylor for his appearance since she was very scared of the characters during her visit two years ago at age 1 1/2. When Mickey appeared, Taylor became very frightened even though we were quite a distance away (at the entrance of the long queue area). We let everyone else go by us and then Melissa got in line to get Taylor's autograph book signed while Taylor stayed with the rest of us. We started to make our way towards Mama Melrose's where we had a 12 noon priority seating. Along the way we saw Piglet, Minnie, Chip and Dale (who we caught imitating a child who was picking its nose, we all said, "Yuk!" he was very funny and, of course, Taylor talked about Dale doing this for quite some time), Tigger and Pluto. Taylor, who was in her stroller, would not let us wheel her close to any of them. She preferred to yell her greetings (hi and thank you) to them from a distance. Maureen got some autographs for her and Minnie wrote a long note. We saw Kermit near Mama Melrose's and Maureen got his "stamp" in the autograph book. The restaurant was practically empty, the food and service good but we felt the portions small for the price. We took advantage of the MKC discount and saved $9 on our total bill of $92 w/o tip. [Hint: We didn't have the check separated into four checks and I struggled to figure out who owed what. We made this mistake a few more times but soon learned it was much easier to ask for separate checks when dining with a large group. It didn't seem to be a problem for most places to do this for us.] Total for Bill and Kim was $30 w/tip. After lunch we walked into the Hunchback of Notre Dame theater, got good seats in the front on the right side and saw Matt the Juggler. As we were walking to our seats a young girl approached and gave Taylor a Pluto made from those long skinny balloons. It was absolutely wonderful-for the girl to give it to Taylor and the Pluto itself. I don't know where she got it from. It was not something that you could buy anywhere. The show itself was great as usual. We lined up and enjoyed the Mulan parade, including the dragon, next. Jeff, Melissa and Taylor continued to tour the Studios.

I wanted to make arrangements to watch IllumiNations that evening from a special viewing area in Epcot with a coupon I had from the Disney Magic program. The directions on the coupon said to make the arrangements at guest relations at Epcot before 5 p.m. on the day you wanted to do so. I stopped at the guest relations at the Studios to see if they could make a call and take care of this for me. The cast member who waited on me made some phone calls and said that I could call the number she gave me. I asked her to call which she did a number of times but the line was on voice mail. We (Bill, Terry Maureen and I) drove to Epcot and I went in to guest relations. Cast member Cathy tried the number, too, and it was still on voice mail. She took my name, family size and resort phone number and said she would keep trying to make the reservation and then call me at the resort. By the time we got back to the Embassy, there was a voice mail message from Cathy letting us know that the arrangements were all set and we needed to meet at the potato cart in the United Kingdom between 8:30 and 9:00 p.m. We relaxed for a while with frozen bushwhackers. Jeff, Melissa and Taylor returned to the Embassy and we left together for the Cape May Café at 6:35 p.m. for our PS at 7 p.m. The restaurant was not as busy as it's been on previous visits and we had no wait for our table. When I made the PS, I was told we would have to sit at two tables for four, but we were all seated together at one big round table. The meal was as good as always and easier to get to the buffet with the small crowd in the restaurant. Our total bill was $155 w/o tip. Total for Kim and Bill was $44 w/tip. We finished at 8:30 p.m. and Jeff, Melissa and Taylor returned to the Embassy.

Bill, Kim, Terry and Maureen walked to the International Gateway and checked in at the potato cart. The cast member said we could do what we wanted until closer to 9 p.m. so we visited the UK shops. It was quite cool and windy (45 degrees) and we noticed the park was practically deserted. At 8:45 p.m. there were huge empty spaces (20 feet wide) all along the railing and I realized we really didn't need to have made the special arrangements in order to see IllumiNations. We went back to the potato cart anyway and were escorted to a side walk area next to the Rose and Crown. Bill and I have watched IlluniNations from a patio table at the Rose and Crown many times and this was the same view. I don't feel IllumiNations is the same or as good as it used to be the first time I saw it in 1994. After the show, we walked around to the Boardwalk. None of the booths or carts were open and we didn't see any sign of the Boardwalk Buskers either. I guess it was too cold. We checked out the lobby, pool area and shops. Maureen and Kim bought wind breakers, with a Mickey on them, on sale for $9 marked down from $30. Good deal; Maureen bought three to give as gifts. We walked back to the Beach Club and then drove back to the Embassy.

Tuesday, February 23 (Magic Kingdom, Cinderella's Royal Table, Hoop Dee Doo Revue Weather: mostly sunny and 69 degrees)

We were up and out at 7:40 p.m. for our 8:10 a.m. PS at Cinderella's Royal Table (ten minutes later than I had planned for), parked in the third row at the MK parking lot, tram to TTC. Had to let a cast member know we had PS for Cinderella's Royal Table in order to be allowed on the monorail. We were delayed on the monorail (mechanical difficulties of some sort) for what seemed like an eternity. We arrived at the MK gate and, again, had to let a CM know we had PS for Cindy's and they actually checked off our name on a list. We were very late now (30 minutes), so we moved quickly down Main Street to the castle. [I really wish we weren't so late and could have walked leisurely down Main Street and took a ton of great pictures with the park empty. Next time I will plan to arrive a lot earlier than my PS so I can do just this.] At the castle, we checked in at the podium, were sent right upstairs to the restaurant and were seated at two tables for four as I was told we would when I made the PS. The dining room was smaller than I expected but more beautiful. The breakfast food and service were quite good. Our tables were on the elevated section on the far side of the room so we could easily view everything that was going on. Hearing and seeing Taylor's excitement when she saw the first character from across the room was heartwarming. She shouted and pointed, "Hey, it's Cindarelly!" Besides Cinderella, we saw Snow White, Alice, Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty and the Fairy Godmother who was downstairs. Four cameras plus video recorded each visit with Taylor. Maureen had her picture taken with her favorite, Peter Pan. He made her promise to visit his ride. The bill for Bill and Kim was $36 w/tip. Next we visited Taylor's favorite, Ariel, at her Grotto. Taylor was in such awe and wanted to just stay and stare at Ariel. She moved on, however, with no problem. Next we ran into Pinochio, Cindy's mice and the Big Bad Wolf. Taylor, obviously, was not scared of the princesses or Ariel. She also did okay with Pinochio and the mice if they came to her in the stroller. We weren't paying attention and made the mistake of accidentally wheeling her too close to the Wolf and she got frightened and cried. It was time we split in two groups with Jeff, Melissa and Taylor in one going off to do little kids attractions and Bill, Kim, Terry and Maureen in the other to do big kids attractions.

Bill, Kim, Terry and Maureen went on Peter Pan to keep Maureen's promise and then: Splash Mountain, Haunted Mansion, Every Day is a Holiday, lockers, Tiki Birds, Pirates of the Caribbean, Rail Road to Toontown, Mickey's House, Tomorrowland Transportation Authority, Carousel of Progress, Buzz Lightyear, Time Keeper, and Space Mountain. We experienced lines of 10 minutes or less with the exception of Space Mountain which was 30 minutes. It had been such a long time (1986) since Bill and I did the old Tiki Birds that I couldn't remember it other than that we didn't like it but the new version wasn't so bad, maybe because I'm older now and it was short. "Chunky tuna tostada!" Bill and I really enjoyed BL and got stuck in the first shooting room so I racked up 293,400 points. It was now 3 p.m.; we planned on seeing the parade another day so decided to head out of the park ahead of the crowd. We stopped to get an ice cream and cookie sandwich at the bakery, to the lockers and the gift shop outside the gate for postcards on the way. We took the express monorail to the TTC and walked to the car. Stopped for gas off WDW property and then back to the Embassy by 4 p.m. for some rest and frozen bushwhackers. Oh, I lost my camera lens cap at some point in the Magic Kingdom.

Bill, Kim, Terry and Maureen left the resort at 5:30 p.m. for Fort Wilderness for our 7:15 p.m. reservation for the Hoop Dee Doo Revue. After we parked we took the bus to the Settlement Depot and wandered around checking out the Trading Post and the marina until the ticket windows opened. We ran into Jeff, Melissa and Taylor who just arrived from spending the whole day at the MK. We purchased our tickets ($93 for Bill and Kim), checked in and had our group's photo taken before we were called to our table. Our table was in the second to the last row away from the stage on the main floor. I was pleased that the food was much better than what I expected and everyone else thought it was good too. Jeff and Taylor provided added entertainment for us. Jeff got caught with barbecue sauce on his face while still eating his ribs when they brought the lights up at one point. The look on his face was priceless. Taylor really got into the napkin waiving thing and had us in stitches, too. The photo taken before dinner came out very well. They made up two packages consisting of an 8x10 and two 2x3's in a plastic magnet frame for $20 each. Terry and Maureen each bought a package and shared them with the rest of us. We were all back to the Embassy by 10 p.m.

Wednesday, February 24 (Epcot, Askerhaus, Fantasmic, Landry's Seafood Weather: mostly sunny, 70 degrees)

Bill, Kim, Terry and Maureen were up and heading for Epcot at 8:20 a.m. Jeff, Melissa and Taylor stayed behind and did some laundry before heading to Epcot. We parked in the sixth row, walked to the gate where we had no wait to enter. We rode Spaceship Earth first and then made 12 noon PS for Askerhaus at the guest relations kiosks. Maureen and Terry had never seen how the kiosks work and thought that talking to the person on the television was neat. I had made a PS for the character lunch at the Garden Grill previously, but since Taylor wasn't handling the characters very well, we decided to eat at another location. We checked on Test Track and guess what?...it wasn't open. The attractions we did next were: Honey I Shrunk the Audience, Land, Living Seas, Mexico and Norway all with no to ten minutes waits. I noticed a new addition to the Norway pavilion, a playground made from a Viking ship with a padded ground cover around it. We finished the ride and movie in Norway just in time for our PS. The buffet lunch here was just as good as we remembered and a great value even without the 20% AP discount. The bill for Bill and Kim came to $32 w/tip. We later learned that Jeff, Melissa and Taylor had lunch at Mexico.

After lunch we toured Germany, Italy, American Adventure and saw the show, Morocco and watched the tumblers, and United Kingdom. We noticed construction going on near the UK and Canadian pavilions. I figured it was something to do with the millennium celebration. We then took a beer/restroom break and happened to run into Jeff, Melissa and Taylor. All seven of us headed over to see if TT was running yet. When we got there the cars were running but they weren't letting people queue up. Before we had time to decide what to do next, they let people in the queues. We got Terry and Taylor settled and Bill, Kim, Jeff, Melissa and Maureen got in line. We were in line about ten minutes and it shut down. There was an announcement that said it would be a minimum of one hour before the ride would start again and if we didn't want to wait, we could exit the line which we did. Regrouping with Terry and Taylor we decided on the Energy pavilion next. Taylor was frightened of the dinosaurs. We walked over to Ice Station Cool and did some sampling. I was the only one who knew about the Beverly and had some fun with it. I thought it tasted like the stuff my dentist sprays in my mouth before using the Novocain needle. We got Taylor on video when she tasted it and after she straightened out her face and could speak, she said something like "Your just teasing me now!" to Jeff (videoman). She had us in stitches again! We watched the dancing fountain while we discussed what to do next since there wasn't really enough time to do anything else at Epcot but we were a little early to leave for the Studios for Fantasmic. We decided to leave and regroup at the Studios to see Fantasmic. I stopped at lost and found to see if I could get a lens cap for my camera. Of course, I wasn't looking for mine since I lost it at MK but I just wanted a replacement. They gave me a box the size of a shoe box filled with them! I found one that fit and was content.

It was 6 p.m. when Bill, Kim, Terry and Maureen entered the Studios for a 7 p.m. Fantasmic show. I sent them on ahead to the amphitheater while I waited for Jeff, Melissa and Taylor. We set a meeting place for after the show in case I didn't regroup with them. Jeff, Melissa and Taylor arrived about 20 minutes later and we headed for the amphitheater. We saw Bill, Terry and Maureen waving to us and they had saved us seats too. Wow, I never would have thought that we would find them and that they would have seats saved for us. We were in the Pocahantas section and watched the preshows: two guys with a ladder routine then a guy who went over the rules and did the camera flash wave which was really cool. "Kodak thanks you!" We all thought the show was great. Back to the Embassy. Bill, Kim and Jeff went to Landry's Seafood on SR535 for dinner while everyone else stayed in. Luckily, the restaurant was less than a half mile from the Embassy because I forgot the Entertainment Card entitling us to a free entrée, so I drove back and got it while Bill and Jeff were waiting for our table at the bar. It was 9 p.m. and we still had to wait for a table. The selection and price of the food was what you would get at a Red Lobster. The bill totaled $50 with tip and included a $15 savings from the free entrée. Bill for Kim and Bill was $32 w/tip. Back to the Embassy and to bed.

Thursday, February 25 (Animal Kingdom, Rainforest Cafe Weather: very cool in the morning with temps in the 50s but turned out to be sunny and 70 degrees)

Bill, Kim, Terry and Maureen were up and headed for Animal Kingdom at 7:15 a.m. We parked in the first row and took the tram to the gate and waited until 8 p.m. when the turnstiles opened. Couldn't help but get caught up in the crowd as it moved quickly through the Oasis. It was either go with it or get run over. Maureen asked where everyone was running to. I didn't find the Tree of Life as impressive as I thought I would. We walked past it and on to Kilimanjaro Safaris. I was very concerned when I saw that the line was extending beyond the entrance. We got in line anyway and it soon started moving all that long way to the jeeps. I can't imagine having to wait in all that! We saw lots of animals but no zebras. When I saw a hippo in the water I was instantly excited and pointed it out. In that same instant felt embarrassed because I thought to myself "It's fake." and then I thought, "no, this is Animal Kingdom and the animals are real here!" The safari was longer than I expected, the poaching segment was shorter and I agree with others who feel that it could be left out. We walked the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail next. It was crowded and people were still moving very fast through here. This made relaxing and enjoying the animals impossible. We headed for It's Tough to be a Bug next and walked slowly through the queue pointing out all the animals. We sat close to the front and enjoyed the show but didn't get stung. Next was Legend of the Lion King but I didn't think we had enough time to get there and still get in so we shopped for a while before heading over for the next show. We were there before they even let people in the queue. In hindsight, we could have made it to the previous show and gotten in. For our show there were lots of extra seats and people were walking in up until the last moment before the show started. The show was very good and loud like others have commented. Maureen enjoyed it very much. We wandered through the Tree of Life Garden next and slowly through the Oasis to the Rainforest Café were we met Jeff, Melissa and Taylor for our 12 noon PS. We sat in the Atlas room. The portions here were very big and most couldn't finish it all so sharing is a good idea here. The bill for Bill and Kim was $48 w/tip. After lunch we split in our two groups again.

Bill, Kim, Terry and Maureen wandered through the Cretaceous Trail and Dinosaur Jubilee. There were few people in these areas so we were able to take our time and enjoy them more than PFET in the morning. Countdown to Extinction was next with no wait at all. I really enjoyed this ride more than I expected I would and didn't think it was as rough as others have reported. At one point during the ride when you pause in front of a dinosaur, something went wrong because the lights didn't come on so you could see it and it didn't move either. When we rode again another day, this wasn't the case. Terry lost her hat on CTX even though she had it secured to her belt. We filled out a lost and found card (name, home address and description of item) at the attraction and were told to be at the lost and found desk at the main gate about 15-30 minutes after closing. After the ride closes for the day they pick up all the lost stuff in the attraction and bring it there. The Flights of Wonder show was next which we enjoyed. As we were leaving the theater the Parade of the Artimals was about to pass by so we found a place along the path in the shade. I enjoyed the parade much more than I had expected to from others reports of it. It reminded me of Carnival parades in the Caribbean. The Maharajah Jungle Trek was open so we walked through it. The tigers (6) were putting on a grand show playing with a ball in the water so we spent some time there watching them. I liked the theming of the ruins throughout this area very much. The Kali River Rapids Ride was open but we didn't want to get soaked (wearing jeans and sweat shirts) and decided to do it another day. Walking out of the Asia area we saw a vine slowly moving as if it was alive. It was a guy on stilts dressed up in vine and leaves. It/he really drew a crowd and was kind of scary they was he "stalked" around. Next was Journey in to Jungle Book which was okay. Since, we were going to stick around to get Terry's hat at closing we filled the time by doing Kilamanjaro Safari and Pangani Forest Exploration Trail again. There was no one in the queue for KS but we had to wait a few minutes while the regular cast members along with "a suit" were trying to organize the jeeps. The "suit" said something to the effect that they had too many running and were trying to get them straightened out. Perhaps they were taking some off line. As they were going by, I noticed one had a trainee driver with his instructors-clipboards and all. The driver of another one asked the "suit" if the family on board could go again without getting off and he let them. We finally got on one and saw just about the same animals maybe less as our morning trip. We didn't see any zebras at all during either trip today. When we exited it was close to closing but we were allowed to enter PFET. We enjoyed this visit much better, since we were just about the only people there. The cast member at the mole rats exhibit was quite excited and pointed out an activity that she had never seen them do before. A mother was moving her babies to another den. We watched her do this for some time while the cast member told us that mole rats have different rooms for different things (to eat, sleep and excrete) and are very neat animals. We were able to see and spend time watching the gorillas this time too. I was hoping to see the hippos under water but they were on land. After exiting this attraction we walked slowly to the main gate. We took some pictures from the Africa/Asia side of the ToL. I think this angle is prettier than the view from the bridge beyond the Oasis. The late day sun was casting a nice light on it too. When we reached the main gate, we checked at lost and found but it was too early. When the bag arrived from CTX Terry's hat was in it. We were all pleased since it was a souvenir of a pervious WDW trip with her late husband. We drove back to the Embassy via SR192 just to show Maureen "the strip." Needless to say, it was busy with traffic and we didn't get back until 7:15 p.m. I am really glad we didn't have to take this route to get back and forth between the Embassy and WDW. Back at the Embassy, I phoned and made plans with my Uncle who lives in the area to visit with him the following evening for dinner at Chili's on SR535. No one felt like going out for dinner so we ordered pizza and wings in.

Friday, February 26 (Sea World, Chili's Weather: sunny and 70 degrees)

Bill, Kim, Terry and Maureen were up and out for Sea World at 8:40 a.m. We took International Drive north from SR 535 and there was no traffic at all. We used a $2 off parking coupon I had clipped from a AAA trip pix. After we parked and before we even had a chance to open our doors another car pulled in next to us. Nothing unusual but what followed was a first for us. As soon as the car stopped the kids flew out of the vehicle and the mother followed as fast as she could. When we got out of our car, Bill realized that the lady's car was still running. Thinking it might just be the fan, he checked the ignition and sure enough the keys were still in it so he ran after her and told her. He found out she also locked the doors-bummer. The car was gone when we left at the end of the day so we assume she got in it or had it towed. We saw many people in a big rush throughout our trip, and have a similar story to tell from our second visit to Animal Kingdom. Stay tuned. We used my Anheuser Busch discount card when purchasing our admission tickets and saved $5 on each, plus we got our "second day free" passes too-great deal. Next we signed up for the polar one-hour guided tour and used the Entertainment book coupon getting one free tour with each purchased saving about $14 total. Out tour was at 11 a.m. and didn't allow us to see any shows prior so we started out touring the Key West area where we saw sting rays, the dolphin feeding pool (from topside and bottom side-neat) and the manatees before the tour.

Our tour began outside the polar bear/beluga whale exhibit. We went behind the scenes and saw the beluga whale backstage area, the food preparation area, water filtration area, polar bear backstage area and the penguin backstage area. In each area we spent some time while our guide explained about each area and the animals. We got to pet a penguin too. It lasted longer than an hour and was well worth the cost ($7 per person w/o discount). We saw the Clyde and Seamore show next. It was a new script and was even funnier than the old version since the trainers and/or the animals didn't quite have it all down yet and they made some mistakes. The trainers covered really well, though, after they stopped laughing, and went on with the show. The mime entertaining before the show was as funny as ever too. We headed over to the Hospitality Center for lunch since the Clyde and Seamore show just let out in to the restaurants near the exit. One the way, we ran into Jeff, Melissa and Taylor. Since they had done different attractions than we had during the morning we continued in separate directions.

The Hospitality House had a limited menu of deli sandwiches/cafeteria style and, of course, free beer. The bill for Bill and Kim came to $13. Lunch took too long for us to make the next Shamu show so we wandered through the Clydesdale Hamlet, saw the Penguins and the Dolphin Show. We did Terrors of the Deep (sharks) next and then on to Shamu. We finished the day with some shopping and headed back to the Embassy at 6 p.m. Sea World is a great park. I think it is just as nice and well run as the Disney parks. Bill and Maureen liked Sea World the best of all five parks we visited. While Bill, Kim, Terry and Maureen relaxed a bit back at the Embassy, Jeff, Melissa and Taylor returned.

Bill, Kim, Terry, Maureen and Jeff met my Uncle at Chili's. We were seated right away and received poor service after we asked for separate checks. The food was good and inexpensive but not plentiful enough for some. The visit went quite well, however. The bill for Bill and Kim was $23 w/tip. We stopped at Goodings on our way back to the Embassy to pick up some groceries and were in again at 9 p.m. We chatted a while and turned in for bed at 10 p.m.

Saturday, February 27 (Artist Point character breakfast, Embassy's pool, Magic Kingdom, Tony's Town Square Cafe Weather: sunny and 78 degrees)

Bill, Kim, Terry, Maureen and Jeff were up and out at 8:30 a.m. and headed to the Wilderness Lodge for our 8:40 PS at the Artist Point character breakfast with Winnie, Eyeore and Tigger. Since Taylor was frightened of the characters, she and Melissa stayed behind. Breakfast was good and plentiful. Each character visited our table twice and we took photos and video. We used a coupon I had from the Magic Delivery program for 20% off the breakfast. Total bill for Bill and Kim was $24 w/tip and a $5 savings. After breakfast we walked around the checked out the gift shop, hotel grounds and dock area. The Wilderness Lodge is so beautiful; this would be my first choice to stay on site if money was not an issue. On our way back to the Embassy, we stopped at Walgreens on SR 535 to get Taylor "swimmies" for the pool. Mission accomplished and we were back at the Embassy at 11 p.m. and soon heading for the pool. Melissa and Taylor had already been in and said it was great. Everyone stayed at the pool until 2:30 p.m.

After showers, Bill, Kim, Terry and Maureen headed out at 3:15 p.m. for the Magic Kingdom. I had planned to catch the Magical Moments parade at 3 p.m., the flag lowering at 5 p.m., have dinner at Tony's Town Square Café at 5:10 p.m. and then watch Spectro Magic and Fantasy in the Sky. Since we were later than I had planned, we started by shopping on Main Street and then waiting on a bench for the flag lowering. We saw some cast members dressed in band uniforms, but nothing ever materialized into a flag lowering so we headed in to Tony's for our PS at 5:10 p.m. I was really disappointed since this was something we hadn't seen before. We were seated right away, right inside the doorway and the restaurant was really really loud. A quiet corner would have been welcome, but we didn't speak up. The food was good, however, and we got a 20% discount with our APs. Total bill for Bill and Kim was $40 w/tip and a $9 savings.

After dinner we wandered up Main Street. People were lining up for the 7 p.m. Spectro Magic parade. I had planned on watching the 9 p.m. parade so we continued on towards BTMRR since we hadn't done it on Tuesday. We stopped in the Hall of Presidents on our way and watched that. Back on track for BTMRR we saw an uncrowded piece of rope on the parade route in Frontierland so we filled it in. What great luck as the parade started in about ten minutes. After the parade we, again, headed for BTMRR but the wait posted was 20 minutes and we would have missed Fantasy in the Sky so we decided to skip it and headed towards the front of the castle via Adventureland. Got a great spot by the partner's statue so we could see Tinker Bell fly which she did about 10 minutes later. We went on the Jungle Cruise next. The captain was a dud and we couldn't hear her anyway due to the loud noise the motor was making. Next we did the Swiss Family Robinson Tree House. Some things are better experienced in the day time and some at night. This is definitely better experienced in the day. We finally got a ride on BTMRR and this is better experienced at night. We wandered through the shops in Frontierland until they closed at 9 p.m. We wanted to get ice cream but were on the wrong side of Main Street and the 9 p.m. Spectro Magic parade had already begun so we sat on a bench near the Crystal Palace and watched SM again through the trees and crowd. We got our ice cream and were standing on Main Street eating it and watching the crowd go by. A girl about 5 or 6 years old went by riding on top of the roof thing of one of the MK strollers. Next thing we know there is a big commotion and crying. Of course, the stroller broke and she fell off. Why do parents let kids do obviously dangers things? Poor kid. We took the ferry back to the TTC since there was no wait and we walked right on and were moving in no time. Tram back to the car and to bed at the Embassy at 10:20 p.m.

Sunday, February 28 (Mass, Lakeridge Winery, Artist Point Weather: mostly sunny, but very windy and a brief thunderstorm, temps in the 70s)

Bill, Terry and Maureen were up and out to 9:30 a.m. Mass at Mary Queen of the Universe Shrine on Vineland Avenue (just off SR535 near I-4). Jeff, Melissa and Taylor headed out to find the Belz Outlet Mall and the discount Disney stores there. After mass Bill, Kim, Terry and Maureen drove the Lakeridge Winery in Clermont where they met a family friend, Aunt Edie. There was a festival with crafts and food scheduled at the winery but it was so very windy that the craft and food booths had to be taken down before they blew away. We toured and tasted anyway. Bill, Kim and Maureen had cases of wine shipped home to share with friends instead of bringing them tee shirts. This worked out very well, we didn't have to carry a lot of souvenirs home and the wine arrived two days after we got home. We followed Aunt Edie to the Seafood Grill restaurant in Clermont and had lunch. There was a thunderstorm while we were inside having lunch-great timing.

Aunt Edie first visited WDW in October 1971 and during the recent 25th anniversary grand opening celebrations televised on TV, she got to hold the 1971 sign. Needless to say, she was very excited at having the experience. Unfortunately, she was visiting by herself that day (she visits WDW once a week!) so none of her family or friends could share this moment with her. She was quite surprised when she discovered a picture of herself from that very moment on the roll of film from her camera. She said that Disney magic struck and while she was holding the sign during the celebration, someone must have picked up her camera and took her picture.

Back to our regularly scheduled trip report...returning to the Embassy after lunch, we found that Jeff, Melissa and Taylor had found the Character Warehouse and Premier stores. Their bedroom floor was covered with bags full of the stuff they bought at them. Melissa was very pleased with the selection and prices and was disappointed that they hadn't gone there sooner. Bill and Terry took naps while Maureen and Kim took off for Belz. Maureen got souvenirs for her co-workers' children and lots of stuff for her too. Kim got a Mickey Mouse watch (Disney Timeworks) for $33 (originally $75) and a WDW visor for $3 (originally $12). After seeing the prices at WDW, both Melissa and Maureen, like me, welcomed the prices at these stores. We regrouped at 6:10 p.m. and we all left the Embassy at 6:30 for dinner together at Artist Point.

Our first stop was the Contemporary Hotel where we pressed pennies and quarters and watched the Fantasy in the Sky fireworks at the MK from the 15th floor observation decks. There was a private party in the California Grill, so we were directed to watch from the other deck (to the left as you exit the elevators). There were only two people watching from the CG deck but I guess that's what "private" means. We took the launch to the Wilderness Lodge for our 7:50 p.m. PS at Artist Point. I thought dinner was very good and so was our service. Terry ordered the cream of onion soup to have as her entrée but they brought it with our appetizers. Since she didn't ask to have it served with our dinners, she let it go and ate it. When they brought our dinners, they brought her another bowl of soup. Our waiters apologized for bringing the first bowl too soon and gave her another bowl. Lucky for us she was full from the first one and shared it. It was excellent. Melissa didn't find anything she cared to try on the menu so she asked to have a large salad made which our waiter did with no problem. He also brought her plain Italian dressing since she didn't want to try those on the menu either. Jeff paid for our portion of the bill in exchange for our hospitality in having them stay with us at the Embassy. Thanks Jeff! Bill and I don't know what our bill came to since we never got to see the check but felt it had to be $70+. We watched the Electric Light Pageant and took the launch back to the Contemporary. The launch was heading for Fort Wilderness but we were the only people on the dock, so he took us to the Contemporary. I think it's neat how you can't see the Contemporary from Wilderness Lodge and vice versa, but they are just on the other side of an island from each other. Stopped for gas before returning to the Embassy and to bed.

Monday, March 1 (Travel day for some, Magic Kingdom's Keys to the Kingdom Tour, Columbia Harbor House, Epcot, National Rental Car, Harry's Safari Bar and Grill Weather: sunny and 70s)

This is the day Jeff, Melissa and Taylor fly home. They planned to hang out at the pool before leaving for the 7:10 p.m. flight home. Bill, Kim Terry and Maureen said good bye as we headed out at 8:30 a.m. to the MK for our Keys to the Kingdom Tour. We took the ferry from the TTC because the monorail station was full and the ferry was empty. We checked in at City Hall and waited on a bench outside until 9:30 a.m. when our tour began. Our guide was David from Sanford, MI. He lead us back through the train station where we introduced ourselves and gave the name of our favorite character. David commented that he finds that a person's favorite character often shares the same personality traits--interesting. He told us four things that we had to remember and look for throughout the parks-safety, courtesy, show and efficiency. He brought these up a number of times and we talked about it in various areas throughout the park (w.e. there is no "show" in the backstage areas). The word "team" at WDW stands for "together everyone achieves magic." He also talked about how visiting the MK was like going to the movies starting with the ticket booths, the train station as the curtain and the names on the buildings on Main Street the credits, then the rest of the park as the show. We walked down Main Street and he pointed out some of the names on the windows and told who they were and why they were there. Walt's window is above the ice cream parlor facing the castle. He also talked about the forced perspective thing with the second story being smaller (3/4 ?) than the first. He pointed out that many of the walkways are a reddish color and this is because Kodak found that this color makes all our pictures look better. We stopped at the Partners statue where David told us that a Mickey and Minnie topiary was originally there. The statue was put there after guests commented that there was no remembrance of Walt Disney in the park.

As we walked toward Tommorrowland, David pointed out the new location of the Mickey and Minnie topiaries at the entrance to the rose garden (to the left before you walk over the bridge). As we walked over the bridge, he turned to us and asked if we felt a change and he pointed out that the atmosphere had now changed that we were in TL. One obvious thing was that the music was different. He also pointed out that the bridge is built with a slight rise as you walk toward TL. This is to get you to look up (from reading your map) as you enter the new land. He later pointed out that in keeping with the TL theme, the hotel that you can see from TL is the Contemporary. Before we rode the TTA, David talked some more all of which I can't recall-sorry. I think it's impossible to remember every thing he told us that day there was just so much. I wouldn't mind taking the tour again just to help remember a little more. He did talk about Mickeys being hidden throughout the park and took us into a gift shop in TL (Mickey's Star Traders?) where we were to find one. I found it!! It was a Mickey head constellation in the stars. We left TL by walking through Cosmic Ray's Starlight Café and saw Sonny Eclipse. David said that Sonny was part of the grand opening of Cosmic Ray's and he was so popular that he was made a permanent part of the restaurant. Cosmic Ray's is so efficient in the number of people it feeds and the amount of food it serves in such a small space that it beat out McDonald's Corp. until recently. McDonald's studied its operation and now tops Cosmic Rays but their restaurant is much larger and even has multiple stories.

We took an out of the way sidewalk from Cosmic Rays past Cinderella's wishing well and to the castle. He also pointed out the peasant statue/fountain near Tinkerbell's Treasurers and by looking at it from a child's point of view the statue appears to be wearing a crown. He talked about the castle, it's height, construction and there being no apartment. He said, however, that there is a small dressing room up there that his wife, who is also a cast member, has used and Tinkerbell also uses. After we went back stage he said that there are about four women who play Tink and that they have to weigh-in before they get on the wire to make sure they are within a certain range (about 104 pounds ?). If they are too heavy they will fly too fast and if too light they will have to pull themselves along the wire to get to the other side. Getting back to seeing things through a child's eye...David mentioned how some children will see Tinkerbell in her gift shop but it's not all that obvious to adults. He sent us in to see if we could find her. We thought it had to be something really low but it turned out not so. I saw it was lights moving across a wall into a lantern which would then glow while her music sounded. Too cool.

Next was a restroom break and then we had to take an oath that we wouldn't take any photos while we were backstage. We went backstage through a doorway and a gift shop right next to the Lion King Show. Here David took some time to tell us stuff he couldn't before like the info on Tink cast members. First stop was a small office called the Mouse Pad where cast members begin their training, next was a map of the utilidors. This word comes from utility and corridors. We stopped by the uniform costuming department where he went over the Disney look and requirements for hair, jewelry etc. We had a chance to peek in the door at the characters costuming department too. I was really glad I didn't see a character walking around without a head but I did notice a very tall guy walking around in a tee shirt and bloomers with red hearts on them-the Queen of Hearts herself...ahh...or himself? We spent a few minutes in the cosmetology department and saw the Belle ball wig being styled. This is the most elaborate wig and takes a long time to do. Cruella's wig was being washed and brushed out. We peeked in the room where the princesses put their make up on. We happened to hear the ice moving through the garbage pipes. After this we went back on stage through the same door we left, we walked along another out of the way walkway from the castle to Liberty Square where we took a lunch break. David suggested the Columbia Harbor House which is where we went. The food was your typical fast food fish, chicken tenders and chips. The bill for Bill and Kim came to $13.

We regrouped near the Liberty Bell and David noted that if you put an 18 in front of the numbers above the doorways in LS that would be the year that doorway represented. Neat or what? Next we visited and rode the Haunted Mansion. David talked about the theming in this area and how all plants and gardening was made to look unkempt. He pointed out the wedding ring in the sidewalk and said that it was just part of a previous gate system that maintenance decided to leave there and then the sotry was make up about it being the wedding ring. He led us in the HM through a passageway near the exit and then we walked into an empty stretchroom. He had given us instructions earlier on where to look for two hidden mickeys while we rode. We only saw one-the plates on the table in the ballroom. We'll have to ride again to try and find the other one-a scepter in the grave yard scene in the end of the ride.

As we walked from the HM through Liberty Square and then Frontierland, David pointed out the architecture of the buildings and how they related to the different areas in the US that they represented. The HM was built to resemble a Hudson Valley, NY mansion. Liberty Square represented Boston, MA and Philadelphia, PA where he pointed out two lanterns in a window-something to do with the saying "One if by land, two if by sea" or vice versa. In Frontierland the architecture went from St. Louis, MO to Colorado to New Mexico Arizona with the big thunder Mountain Railroad. He said that Splash Mountain was definitely out of place at its location since it represents Alabama but it was the only place to fit it in.

We repeated our oath and were lead backstage again on the roadway that the parades depart FL and crossed the RR tracks. There were lines painted on the ground to let you know when you couldn't be seen from onstage, but with the train crossing there you weren't considered safely backstage until you went behind a big wooden gate. Here is where the parade floats are stored and lined up. We saw some the Easter floats being spruced up with new paint. David said that the filming of the Easter parade is done weeks in advance and sometimes if the weather doesn't cooperate on the day of filming, film from past years will be used. He also said that all the clocks on Main Street are set at a particular time and will not move during filming. Preparations were being made for the day's 3 p.m. parade and we saw the costumes being laid out on big tarps. Everyone who has seen the Spectro Magic parade floats has already described how unappealing they are in daylight. We looked inside the Ursula float from Spectro Magic to see the drivers seat and the seat for cast member who is Ursula. The Ursula CM practically sits on the drivers shoulders with their legs hanging down in front of the drivers chest. I thought that was real close quarters. We saw the garbage plant and the back of the building that houses Pirates of the Caribbean too.

We went back onstage and rode PotC looking, again, for a hidden Mickey David told us about-in a lantern in the treasure scene. Outside of PotC he asked Bill to climb a set of stairs on the side of the building to the second floor to show the forced perspective thing again. The doorway Bill stood next to came to his chest! We walked our way through Adventureland and to Main Street. People were lined up along Main Street since the 3 p.m. parade was about to come through. David lead us right down the middle of the empty street so we could see and feel what the cast members in the parade do. Back at City Hall the tour ended. Keys to Kingdom the highlight for me, never walked so slow from place to place in park and took paths and saw things I never noticed before. Refreshing.

At this point, Terry and Maureen left the park and would be driving Terry's car to West Palm Beach to spend some time at Terry's home there. Bill and Kim stayed in the MK and rerode Buzz Lightyear, got some ice cream and caramel corn while watching some of the 3 p.m. parade and then got a Dole whip. The Dole whip wasn't as good as I expected, but I enjoyed it. We left MK and took the monorail to Epcot. On our pass through Future World on the monorail we could see that Test Track wasn't running so we didn't even bother to head there. We listened to Off Kilter perform and I didn't think they were so great. Bill thinks we sat too close so it was too loud and would have been better if we were further back. We walked to the Dolphin Hotel to pick up our National rental car but when we got to the desk there was no one there and the guy at the Virgin Travel desk said it closed at 5 p.m. It was now 5:10 p.m. I didn't know they closed at 5 p.m.! We called the number left on their sign and a shuttle was sent to pick us up and take us to the Car Care Center. The bell boy in front of the Dolphin gave us the impression that it might take a while but the shuttle arrived in about five minutes. At the rental desk at the Car Care Center the lady tried charging us $46 more than I had planned on. I had my trusty notes with me with the price I was quoted when I made the reservation and every extra cost, fee and tax added on. When she saw that, she said that I obviously knew what I was talking about and gave us the car for my price ($165) plus $10 for a tank full of gas. Geesh! She gave us a bunch of choices in midsize cars and we chose a green (not white-every car in the parking lots are white) brand new (less than 5,000 miles) Oldsmobile Alero.

We drove back to the Embassy; it was 6 p.m. and relaxed for a couple of hours before heading out for our 8 p.m. reservation at Harry's Safari Bar and Grill back at the Dolphin Hotel. I had originally planned to get the car there but leave it while we took a launch to the Studios to rewatch Fantasmic but the mix up with the car changed those plans and we needed a break anyway. Dinner was nice and our server, Perry, was the best of all our dining experiences. I asked him about the spiciness of a particular dish made with curry and told him I was real wimp when it came to spicy hot so he advised me to have it made with oil and garlic instead. It was a mixed seafood dish over pasta and was wonderful. We used our Entertainment Card to get one entree free ($25 savings). Our bill came to $48 w/tip. Since we told Perry we were from upstate NY, he asked how we got an Orlando Entertainment Book and told us that another couple traveling from out of state had recently been in the restaurant and gave him their book since it was their last night in Orlando. He hinted at us doing the same and if it had been our last night, I may have since I enjoyed him so much. I planned on mailing it to my Uncle which I still haven't done. We walked around the Boardwalk, back to Embassy and to bed at 10:45 p.m.

Tuesday, March 2 (Disney/MGM Studios, Jungle Jim's, Animal Kingdom, Maya Grill Weather: sunny with temps in the high 70s)

We (Bill and Kim only until Terry and Maureen return on Thursday) were up and out at 8:30 a.m. for the Studios. Bill got a coffee and danish from the Starring Rolls Bakery while we waited for rope drop at 9 a.m. We moved quickly following the cast members to the Tower of Terror. We were third and fourth through the turnstiles and we got in the first car of the day too. It was a brisk walk from the library to the car which they didn't even tak the time to fill up so Bill quickly moved into the seat belt seat, again. The doors closed and our ride was like none we had ever experienced before. We dropped so many times we both lost count so I am guessing at four or five. Whoo Hoo! It was 9:10 a.m. when I checked my watch as we exited. On to Star Tours with no wait and then we walked around the deserted NYC Streets. We made our way across the park to see the Beauty and the Beast Show and caught Four for a Dollar's last two songs. Darn, I wish I would have been more alert and planned to get there sooner so we could have caught the whole performance. We took the Animation Tour next with a short wait. This has definitely changed a lot and, I think, for the better. After this it was 12 noon and we left the park, walked to our car and hit the road to the Crossroads Plaza where we had lunch at Jungle Jim's. We used an Entertainment Book coupon and got one free entrée ($6 savings) so our bill came to $16 w/tip. The restaurant had few customers so we ordered, ate and were back on WDW property at the Animal Kingdom by 1 p.m. Obviously we ran into no traffic on I-4.

As we were waiting for the tram to pick us up in the AK parking lot we noticed a parked car nearby with it's front door wide open and no one around it. Soon security came along on a bicycle, circled around it, walked over to it, locked and shut the door. We were sure that someone in such haste to get on a tram completely forgot to close their car door. Boy, some people really need to relax and slow down. Once we entered the park we hit the Pocahontas and her Forest Friends show first. It's not the razzle-dazzle that the Lion King show is but when I thought of the training involved to get those animals to perform, it's a great show. There were a large amount of trees in the seating area of Grandmother Willow's Grove; unfortunately, most did not have their leaves at this time of year. Therefore, there was a lot of sunlight coming through which made it somewhat uncomfortable even in 70 degree weather. I can't imagine sitting there when it's 90 degrees. We queued up to see Tough to be a Bug again. This time we had a longer wait but this allowed us to be able to read and enjoy all the bug movie posters. Sometimes having to wait for an attraction has its benefits. This is especially true here with both the posters and the animals hidden throughout the trunk and roots of the Tree of Life. We rode Countdown to Extinction, again, next with no wait and enjoyed it as much as the first time. The dinosaur that didn't light up or sound last time worked this time. I didn't think this ride was too jerky or fast at all. In fact, I thought it would be more fun if it went faster, like a roller coaster. We walked through the Maharaja Jungle Trek again and planned on riding the Kali River Rapids ride but it wasn't running while we were in Asia.

We decided to take the train to Conservation Station since we hadn't done this on our previous visit. We just missed a train and had to wait for another while a large crowd gathered. Bill and I got separated by the "pushing and shoving, I have got to get a seat because my life depends on it mentality" crowd that joined us so we didn't set near each other. I had mixed feelings about seeing parts of the Kilimanjaro Safari ride with its natural habitat areas along with the animal housing buildings and cages. On one hand, it was neat to see how well themed the natural area is and how well hidden the concrete buildings and cages were from the safari jeeps. On the other hand, however, seeing the contrast took some of the magic away from the safari experience. I knew that the housing areas were there and I realize their importance for monitoring the health of the animals, but I kind of wished I hadn't seen them like that. By the time we arrived at the train station and walked to Conservation Station, we had lost patience with being among a hoard of people. We referred to it as a "meltdown" and blew through the exhibits and left. It wasn't until we hit the solitude of the parking lot that we felt any relief. Both days we visited AK, we found the park to be jammed packed with people yet attraction queues were virtually all walk-ons. It's too bad that the walkways don't allow for more space for people to move around. It really took its toll on us.

Back at the Embassy we relaxed with frozen bushwhackers. We headed out again at 6:20 p.m. to Coronado Springs for our 6:40 p.m. PS at the Maya Grill. The restaurant was very quiet as there were few people dining. We found the food good and plentiful. We got one entrée free ($24 savings) with our Entertainment Card so our bill came to $54 w/tip. We were in and out within one hour. It was a beautiful night with a full moon which made for a real pleasant walk around the lake, to the Dig Site and back to the main building. I enjoyed this resort much more than I expected I would. It was so peaceful and beautiful, even romantic walking round the lake with all the lights shimmering on the water. Best of all, there were no people and loud noises. Not for long, however, as we headed for Pleasure Island.

Using an Entertainment Book coupon for admission we bought two admissions for $40 and got two free to use next year saving $40. We headed for the Wildhorse Saloon first since the next Comedy Warehouse show wasn't for some time. We had drinks while we watched people dance and listened to the live band. I had a Lynchburg Lemonade that was really awful (too sour). We moved on to the Comedy Club ten minutes before the next show and watched the entertainment on the West End Stage while we waited. We sat on the second tier of seats and the show was good as usual. They are a very talented group. The Adventurer's Club was next where we were ushered in to the library. It was the same show we had seen twice before, so this was ho-hum. We didn't stay after the show and headed back to the Wildhorse Saloon before returning to the Embassy at midnight.

Wednesday, March 3 (Market Place, Epcot, Tempura Kiku and Juan and Onlys Weather: rain in the morning, then partly sunny and very windy, 70 degrees)

We were up and out at 10 a.m. and headed for the Market Place for some shopping. We hit World of Disney, the Home Shop and the Gourmet Pantry. It was raining most of the time we were here, the crowds in the stores were manageable and I picked up everything I had seen, and wanted, in the parks and wanted. This way I could take advantage of my MKC discount. My purchases came to $131 so I saved $13 with my MKC card.

Next we headed to Epcot and our goal was to have lunch and see as much of the live entertainment as possible. We zipped through Future World and caught a launch leaving for Japan, Morocco and France. At our first stop we saw the drummers in Japan. We waited for the fife and drum corps to perform in front of the American Adventure but since the program in the outside theater was running late, they were delayed. We had to choose between them and the Voices of Liberty and we chose the latter. We sat on a bench inside the AA for about ten minutes before the performance began. When the fife and drum corps did begin, a cast member closed the doors to the outside. In the past, we always seemed to catch the very end of the VoL performances so we had never experienced an entire performance. We enjoyed it very much.

We were feeling hungry for lunch by now (1:00 p.m.) and I had wanted to try the tempura in Japan so we set out to find the restaurant. It wasn't where I thought it was, but we found it and were seated right away without a PS. The room was very small (seats for about 20 people tops) and set up in a "U" shape. Inside the "U" was the preparation/cooking area were four chefs prepared sushi and tempura meats and vegetables. We were served hot towels for our hands and then a broth soup with no spoons. We figured out to just drink it from the bowl. The tempura was wonderful and we could have eaten seconds with no problem. We had never eaten at a restaurant of this type so it was a really neat experience for us. Our bill came to $34 w/tip. Next we wandered to France and waited for Bubble Nicholas. It was very windy but he appeared anyway performing within the protection of the buildings. We had only seen him on the Inside Out TV show so this was fun. We wanted to listen to the bag pipers in UK and Canada but neither groups showed up.

The next performance we saw were the Kristos in Innoventions. This family (mother and two sons) was the best entertainment we caught all day. I guess it blew us away because it was both new to us and so unusual. They showed such great strength, flexibility, trust and choreography with a bit of mystery too. We had a dinner reservation at Juan and Onlys at the Dolphin Hotel for 6 p.m. and we needed to decide whether we were going to go back to the resort before dinner or just stay at Epcot since time was getting close. We decided to stay, but went to the parking lot to get our sweatshirts and moved the car closer to the entrance. When we returned to the park, we wanted to catch the tam tams in the Out Post but even though they were in the live entertainment schedule, there was a sign at the Out Post saying they weren't performing today. The disappointment of having entertainers not show up all day long was really becoming annoying at this point. We tried one more time and waited around for the acrobats in China but they never showed either-probably due to the wind. On the bright side, we enjoyed wandering through the department store while we were waiting, something we had never done before. We intentionally didn't make it to our 6 p.m. reservation because we weren't feeling hungry yet and wanted to see some more performances. Well we didn't see anymore performances but the passing of the time made us hungry so we walked to the International Gateway and then took a launch to the Dolphin Hotel and found Juan and Onlys.

We had no problem getting a table at 7 p.m. since there were very few people in the restaurant. We had a lovely table by a window overlooking the water and the food was really good and abundant. We used the Entertainment Card and got one entrée free ($14 savings) so our bill came to $30 w/tip. After dinner we had to walk back to Epcot because the launch could not safely dock at the Dolphin due to the wind blowing so hard. This turned out to be a good thing because we happened upon the Boardwalk Busters. Excellent show. The kid volunteer made it all the better with his not wanting to cooperate. It was hilarious. Back in Epcot we caught IlluniNations from the deck/steps just outside of the Matsunoma Lounge in Japan. We couldn't see well and were kind of bored so we started walking heading toward the American Adventure, Italy, Germany, etc. On the way past the attractions board in Future World we noticed that Test Track had been changed from delayed, when we checked earlier in the day, to closed. Back to the Embassy and to bed.

Thursday, March 4 (Magic Kingdom, Celebration, Max's Café, Church Street Station, Olive Garden Weather: sunny but cool, low 60s)

Up and out at 8:55 a.m., parked at the Contemporary and walked to the MK. I took some pictures of some great views I discovered while on the Keys to the Kingdom Tour. We rode the left side of Space Mountain, a first for us, with a short wait. We wandered to Tom Sawyer Island but couldn't fit on the raft and had to wait for the next. It was a long wait because the riverboat was coming through and the raft had to wait on the other side. [Note: While we were waiting I noticed that some of the people who just returned from the island were carrying paint brushes and a cast member was giving them something in return for them. We asked the cast member what that was all about and he told us something that I wasn't aware of-imagine that. The paint brushes are hidden throughout the island and everyone who finds them gets a "go to the front of the line pass." He said that all of them had been found for the day which was too bad for us.] Once on the island we wandered around, fed the ducks and I found an area by the fort that is a great place to take photograph the BTMRR, so I took one. Once again we missed getting on the raft and had to wait and again the riverboat came. Back on the main land, it was time to head out of the park to meet Terry and Maureen back at the Embassy.

We walked back to the Contemporary then drove back to the Embassy. Terry and Maureen were waiting for us. We caught each other up on our adventures while we were apart and then headed out to discover Celebration and get some lunch. We parked in a large public parking lot in Celebration and began walking down the main street until we found Max's Café. It was quite busy at 1 p.m. on a Thursday and we had to wait for a table. We were given a beeper (actually it vibrated) that would let us know when a table was available. We wandered up a side street past a bakery with wonderful looking bread in the window and then browsed in a shop specializing in reproduction antiques. After about 15 minutes, our table was ready. We were seated in one of the many large booths. The inside resembled a diner decorated in the art deco style. The menu was typical diner fare-soup, salads, burgers, sandwiches and dinners. We used an Entertainment Book coupon for a free entrée ($5 savings) bringing the bill to $30 and Maureen treated. Thanks Maureen! We walked around some more after lunch and noticed that a hotel was being constructed near the main street area. We also browsed in the Wyland Gallery before returning to the car. We drove around the streets admiring the various styles of houses. There were styles from every corner of the US and the landscaping complimented the theme of each home (southern mansion style had magnolia trees while a southwestern home had cactus). We drove past the school and the golf course too. Of course, as one would imagine a Disney community to be, everything was clean, well planned and appealing to the eye. It was also very quiet and peaceful.

On our way back to the Embassy, we stopped at the Lake Buena Vista Outlet Mall on SR535. I was shopping for a pair of sneakers and had a coupon for 15% off at the Reebok store there. I found a pair and with the discount of $6 I paid $36. [Note: Right next door was a store called Character Corner. It had discounted WDW clothing but not nearly the stock that the Belz stores did. While walking across the parking lot to a shoe store we found that the Character Corner was having a huge tent sale filled with greatly discounted WDW clothing and accessories. I don't know how long the tent sale will be in progress, but it is well worth checking out and closer to WDW property than the Belz Malls.]

We returned to the Embassy before heading out again for Church Street Station at 6 p.m. Traffic on I-4 was thick and warning signs threatened big delays but we didn't experience any. We parked under the highway in a self-serve, pre-pay parking lot. Each space was numbered and you pre-paid by entering the space number in a centrally located meter and paid for however long you expected to be. I can't recall the cost per hour, however. We paid our admission to Church Street Station using an Entertainment Book coupon for a free admission with each one purchased (it was good up to six admissions). Admission for the four of us was $40 which was a $40 savings. We had the time so we did some shopping in the Exchange before the first show in Rosie O'Grady's. This show features jazz music, singers and can-can dancers. Since all of the tables were taken on the first floor when we arrived, we sat upstairs on the balcony. The chandeliers were so large and hung so low we couldn't see the whole performance. They served free popcorn and we ordered drinks. I got their specialty, a flaming hurricane, which was very good and in a souvenir glass. The next show was beginning in the Orchid Garden and was a 1950s theme. Again, there were no tables available so this time we stood at the bar but were very close to the band. The Cheyenne Saloon was next with live country music and dancing which I enjoyed more than the Wildhorse Saloon. We sat in one of the upper tiers and could see pretty well. The shows were enjoyable and I would have enjoyed them more if we could have gotten better seats at each. I didn't think there were too many people, there were just very few seats especially in Rosie's and the Orchid Garden. When Bill and I visited 12 years ago, it was much more crowded than it was this trip. During our last visit the streets and buildings were mobbed and we could barely get in the buildings let alone see the shows. I absolutely love the décor and theming inside each of these establishments. The stained glass, wood work and light fixtures were just beautiful. It was 10 p.m. and we were feeling hungry so we wandered around until we decided on where we wanted to eat. The Olive Garden in the Church Street Market was chosen and I was disappointed with the experience. I usually love the Olive Garden but I thought this was our worst meal during our entire two weeks. Our waitress was new and really bad plus the food was not up to their usual standards. The total bill came to $39; I had a coupon for $3 off and Terry treated. Thanks Terry! We headed back to the Embassy and to bed.

Friday, March 5 (Sea World, C & N Steak House, Cirque du Soliel Weather: sunny and low 70s)

We were up and out at 9 a.m. and headed to Sea World via I-4 and had no problem with traffic. Went right to the gate with our "second day free passes," resigned them and were in with no problem. We picked up a schedule and map and headed for the first show, Dolphins, which was one that we had seen on our previous visit but Maureen wanted to see it again anyway. We were surprised to find that the show was slightly different than it was the previous week and figured each show depends on which trainers are working and which dolphins are being used. Since we saw all of the exhibits on our first visit and only three (out of nine) shows, our goal today was to see the remaining six shows. While waiting for the Dolphin show to begin I studied the schedule and figured out a plan that would allow us to see all of the shows we missed the first day and redo whatever was possible. [Note: If you want to see all the exhibits and shows at Sea World there is no way you can do this in one day. It is just impossible so plan on two days and the "second day free" opportunity makes it a great value.]

These are the shows and the order in which we saw them: dolphin, Shamu, lunch at the place just outside Shamu stadium, water skiing, pets (dogs, cats, birds, raccoon, weasel, pig, etc.), birds, Cirque del Mar and the Polynesian shows. All the shows were excellent and most of them now have a preshow which are really enjoyable too. The mime at Cirque del Mar was hysterical and was even part of the show. [Note: For lunch I put a little strategy into play and chose the only place between the show we would see before lunch and the show we would see after lunch. We left the stadium a few seconds early and moved quickly ahead of the crowd. We were among the first in line and within minutes the restaurant was inundated with the rest of the crowd from the Shamu show and the line was quite long. We had plenty of time to sit and eat instead of waiting in line and rushing through our meal.] Lunch for Bill and Kim came to $17. After the shows we did some shopping and were ready to leave at 4:30 p.m. This was Bill's favorite day of our two weeks. He really enjoyed all the shows we saw today. The only show we didn't see was the last one of the day. I chose not to stay and do this so we could go to Cirque du Soliel that evening instead.

Back at the Embassy, I called WDW CRO to buy tickets for Cirque du Soliel and was told that since the show I wanted to attend was less than 24 hours away, I had to buy them at the box office. I asked for the box office number and was told there wasn't one. I hadn't purchased these tickets sooner because I really didn't know until we were done at Sea World if we were going to go or not. Bill and I drove to Downtown Disney to the CdS box office and were able to get great seats by taking one single and three together. This was fine since the single was very close to the others. We returned to the Embassy and were off again at 6:15 p.m. to the C&N Steakhouse on Palm Parkway off SR535 north of the Crossroads Plaza. I called ahead and made a reservation, but after arriving it was obvious there was no need since the restaurant was practically empty. It was a weird set up with the C&N steak house sharing the same building and restrooms as a Japanese steakhouse. It appeared that both restaurants were run by the same people. The steaks were very good and reasonably priced. We asked for separate checks which seemed to be an inconvenience but was done. Bill and I used our Entertainment Card and got a free entrée ($11 savings) so our bill came to $34 w/tip.

We drove to Downtown Disney's West Side parked and walked to Pleasure Island and back to waste some time before entering the Cirque du Soliel theater. I find it hard to describe the CdS show or my feelings about it. The show was old time circus acts (tightrope, trapeze, clowns, strongman) with some new twists (roller bladers, mountian bikers, singers, ballet dancers) performed on a stage that kept changing (sections of floor moving up and down and background changes). All this performed at the level of a Broadway production. The music and effects were wonderful and weird at the same time. At times there was so much going on at once that I was overwhelmed by not being able to watch everything. I felt as if I was missing stuff. It was like nothing else I had ever experienced in one sitting. We thoroughly enjoyed the show. After seeing it I felt the $60 ticket price was justified since it was as good as or better than shows I've seen on Broadway. We saw many of the acts that were performed in CdS throughout our two-week's visit between WDW and Sea World. However, if we had seen CdS first, it would have made all the other performances look amateurish. Our seats were in the center of the theater behind the technical/sound booth and provided an excellent view. The theater appeared to provide good views from every seat but there was very little leg room and we felt cramped by the end of the 90 minute performance. Bill said he almost got up from his seat just so he could walk around and stretch but didn't want to bother other guests around him by doing so. Back to the Embassy where the Weather Channel was forecasting snow with blizzard like conditions for our travel home day.

Saturday, March 6 (Market Place, Belz Malls, Home Weather: A perfect day-sunny and 86 degrees)

We packed up and checked out by 10 a.m. It's so nice to only have to pay a $3 phone bill when checking out of a timeshare. We saw Terry off as she headed back to West Palm Beach. Bill, Kim and Maureen went to the Market Place and shopped for those last minute "do or die" items. I picked up four boxes of Mickeyroni and cheese which I had seen in Epcot earlier but waited to get with the MKC discount. It cost a lot more, at $3 a box, than the Kraft variety but it was excellent-the white cheese flavor was very tasty and creamy. I gave three boxes away and ate one myself (literally-right out of the pot!) I had given a box to a friend and her kids loved it so much they asked her buy some when she went to Orlando for a convention a few weeks later. She brought four boxes home for them.

We had lunch at Planet Hollywood at 12 noon and had no wait for a table as the place was empty. [TIP: I noticed a card on the table announcing that Planet Hollywood now accepts PS by calling 827-7827.] The bill came to $55 w/tip and Maureen treated again. Thanks Maureen! We saw the costumes Jack and Rose wore in the movie Titanic at the top of the stairs on the second level. After lunch we stopped in the gift shop and used a coupon I had for a free gift if you purchased $10 or more in food or gifts. I expected a pin or key chain but the gift was a nice PH coffee mug. Due to the storm at home, we called the airline next to check on the status of our flight which was on time. If our flight was canceled, we wanted to know before we turned in the car and were at the USAirways ticket counter so that we could make arrangements to keep the car an extra day and get a hotel room for the night instead of staying at the airport overnight. As we were walking back to our car we commented on what an absolutely gorgeous day it was, the best of all our days, but that by 10:00 p.m. we would be back to winter in upstate NY.

Once we got to the car, we drove to the Belz Mall for the third and final time this trip for more "do or die" shopping at the Disney discount stores. I spent $60 total and got most everything at half its original cost except for four picture frames. They were originally $20 each and I got them for $2.50 each. I found them in a temporary Disney store called the Christmas Loft (I think) that was on the other side of the carousel from the Character Warehouse. It was selling mostly Christmas merchandise and Maureen and I thought these frames were probably originally sold at the Wilderness Lodge because they were made of wood with a pine cones and boughs stenciled on them. At 4:30 p.m. we were finally finished shopping and packed our new purchases in our luggage. We called the airline again and our flight was still on time. It was still a little too early to head for the airport so we drove to Universal Studios and thought we might walk around City Walk. Since we had to pay $6 to park in order to do so and had so little time we passed on this.

We drove to the airport instead via Kirkman and Sand Creek Roads and it was 5 p.m. when we returned our car at the National lot right across from the terminal. I was surprised and relieved when the receipt was correct at $175. It was a good thing we had lots of time because we found a long line at the USAirways ticket counter and it was 6 p.m. by the time we got to the gate. Our flight was still on time but other flights leaving from the gates around us (Rochester, NY and Baltimore, MD) were either delayed or canceled and everyone sitting around us was just buzzing with talk about the storm. Bill got us some slices of pizza that were surprisingly good. We left 86 degrees in Orlando, on time, at 7:10 p.m. and arrived in Albany, NY, on time also, to 21 degrees, snowing and blowing with about 8 - 10 inches of snow on the ground. Yes, it was quite a change from the Disney Market Place earlier today! I called for the Park and F