Trip Reports

January 20-27, 1999

The Troops:

Judy Taylor - 37 , RN, planner of trip and author of the report
Dave Taylor - 38, CPA, videotaper of trip
Mackenzie Taylor - 7 , 2nd grader
Kathie Bicknell - will turn 60 last day of trip, My mother
Dick Bicknell - 65, retired Navy Seabee, my Dad
Background: Dave and I both grew up in S. Calif. So we are veterans to DL. For the last 8 years we have lived in Boise ID, but get to a Disney Park 1-2 times a year. This will be our third trip to WDW. My parents also went frequently to DL in the 70’s and 80’s. But they haven’t been to DL in over a decade, and have never been to WDW. Since Dad is retired Navy, he will be sponsoring us all to stay at Shades of Green. This used to be " The Disney Inn " , and was designed to be a deluxe resort. It is now leased by the Department of Defense as a military recreation center. We will only be paying $84 a night ! (note that no taxpayer funds are used...the rec. centers are funded by profit generated by the base exchange’s) The Taylors will be flying Delta ($333 each RT), my parents will be flying standby on NorthWest. This is at a very reduced cost for them since my brother Rick is a NW pilot. We will be using annual passes that we purchased for our 7 day trip last year. They expire 2 days after our trip will be over, and were a bargain when you figure that we used them for over 14 days of admissions. M&D will buy passes at SOG (these will be discounted plus no tax will be charged).

The Objective:

Have fun, enjoy the surroundings and sunshine.
Hit the highlights of all 4 parks with minimal crowds
Enjoy one sit down meal each day
Make a memory video with our first video camera
The Invasion Plan: I presented each trooper a laminated copy the night before we left ! On the back I had placed the small maps of the parks from the back of " the Unofficial Guide " . Of course I had been working on the plan for about 3 months , and received some feedback and made changes during the process. The biggest frustration was waiting for Disney to release the E- Ticket dates. Note that this plan mainly provides structure. It doesn’t presume to tell you what to do once you are ... where your going !

Wednesday 20th

Arrive in Orlando flight # Delta 974 @ 4:32

Meet Tiffany Town Car driver @ baggage claim - reservation # D14859

Arrive @ SOG - reservation # 005063 , buy passes and E Tickets

Take walking path to Poly if early view 6:30 fireworks from beach

7:00 Dinner @ Ohanas # 135-429-83

9:00 View Electric water parade, star watch from a hammock on the beach

Thursday 21st

7:30 Catch bus to Magic Kingdom (line up for Splash Mountain @ 1200)

1:00 Return to SOG for Rest and swim

3:30 Return to Epcot

6:00 Dinner PS @ Biergarten reservation # 13265662

9:00 View illuminations

Friday 22nd

7:30 Catch bus to Epcot , ride Test Track if open

12:00 Lunch PS @ Teppanyaki reservation # 13265698

1:30 Walk to International Gateway and catch boat to Studios

3:00 View Mulan Parade in front of Great Movie Ride ....then ride it !

7:00 View Fantasmic !

Saturday 23rd

7:30 Bus to Magic Kingdom (line up for Splash Mountain @ 1:00)

2:00 Return to SOG for Rest and swim

4:45 Arrive @ Magic Kingdom view Flag Retreat

5:00 Take boat or bus to Wilderness Lodge

5:30 Dinner PS @ Whispering Canyon reservation # 13265712

7:00 Return on boat to Magic Kingdom (OR switch to Epcot to ride Test Track)

7:30 Spectromagic (check out view from train station)

8:30 View Fireworks , park closes @ 9:00

Sunday 24th

7:30 Catch bus to Disney Studios

2:00 take boat to Epcot

6:30 Return to SOG

7:00 Dinner SOG Prime Rib Buffet

8:30 Swim under the stars, or Shop @ Downtown Disney, or Play @ beach , or veg

Monday 25th (EE MK)

9:30 Catch monorail to Contemporary Resort

10:00 Breakfast @ Chef Mickeys reservation # 13265721

11:30 Catch bus to Animal Kingdom

4:00 Return to SOG for rest & snacks

6:00 Monorail to Magic Kingdom for 7:00 - 10:00 E Ticket Night

Tuesday 26th (EE Ep)

9:00 Breakfast @ Cinderella Castle reservation (for 3) # 13265735

11:00 Catch bus to Animal Kingdom , switch to Epcot or Studios @ will,

view Fantasmic or Illuminations

*Review Bill @ front desk for accuracy, pack luggage

Wednesday 27th (Happy Birthday Kathie !)

8:00 Catch Bus to Magic Kingdom .... say goodby

12:30 Meet Tiffany Town Car @ SOG to Delta Flight 652 @ 2:45 to Atlanta

Provisions: We planned to do a lot of snacking. We each carried a back pack with goodies. We had fruit roll-ups, dried fruit and nuts in zip loc. bags, packaged cookies, nutrgrain bars, cheese and cracker packets, and my Mom’s wonderful homemade beef jerky.

My last couple of trips I have kept my souvenir buying to mainly ride pictures (TOT, Splmtn , CTX) and picture frames. The following is a chart that I made for Kinz to keep track of her spending money. The rides are all ones that she has never been on, or a different version than DL. The ones that are scarier are obviously worth more $ !

Tip ! Having your young child earn their spending money by trying " new " rides is the surest way to get out of Fantasyland !

Mackenzie’s Money Chart (I have added her comments for you)

Magic Kingdom $ Comments by Mackenzie
Haunted Mansion x 5 It was great ! I liked when the statues singed
Splash Mountain x 5 I got wet. I didn’t know it had lots of waterfalls.
Tiki Room x 1 I loved the Tiki Room song.
Buzz Lightyear x 1 Fantastic ! I loved shooting at the Z’s
Lion King Show 1
Sky Buckets x 1 I can fly !
Paddle Boat x 1 The cabin was burning
Bear Country x 1 It was musical. I liked the part where they all sang together.
Hall of Presidents x 1 It was beautiful
Epcot $ Comments
Test Track x 5 Rats ! It broke when we were on it.
American Adventure x 1 It was swell, I was happy to be an American
France Movie x 1 It was beautiful when it looked like we were riding in the balloon.
Canada Movie x 1 I loved the Canada song.
China Movie x 1 I liked it when it showed the Great Wall.
Studios $ Comments
Great Movie Ride x 5 I liked it. The Wizard of Oz part was best.
Mulan Parade 1 The red and yellow lion looked like he would eat me.
Magic of Animation x 1 It was funny when the cartoon man pretended to be all the different dwarfs
Fantasmic ! x 1 It was magical
Animal Kingdom $ Comments
Countdown to Extinction x 5 It was scary when the dinosaurs popped out
Tough to be a Bug x 5 It tickles when the bugs run under your bottom.
Safari x 1 I loved the baby giraffe. It was cute.
Junglebook Show x 1 Baloo wasn’t really dead.
Lion King Show x 1 The blue bird flew!

The After Action Report:

Wednesday 20th

Arrive in Orlando flight # Delta 974 @ 4:32

Meet Tiffany Town Car driver @ baggage claim - reservation # D14859

Arrive @ SOG - reservation # 005063 , buy passes and E Tickets

Take walking path to Poly if early view 6:30 fireworks from beach

7:00 Dinner @ Ohanas # 135-429-83

9:00 View Electric water parade, star watch from a hammock on the beach

Reality:

All went well for us, our flights were on time, and the food was even good. Our tiffany Town car driver Bryan met us at the foot of the escalator going into the baggage claim area. He gave us the bad news that Mom and Dad (M&D) had missed their flight, and weren’t expected in until 7:50 . Oh well.....the best laid plans ! We were quickly on our way in the luxury of the Town car.

We arrived At Shades of Green (SOG) within 20 minutes. Since Dad is the Military sponsor of both of the rooms , we knew that the rules said that we needed him to check in. Well, we walked up to the front desk ready to plead our case. When we said who we were the women told us that she had just gotten off of the phone with my mom, and they now weren’t expected to get in until 10:00 ! Luckily she had pity on us and allowed us to check in. It helped that I had kept my maiden name as my middle name when I married. So with my driver’s licensee I was able to prove that I was a Bicknell and a Taylor ! Because SOG is a military retreat center, there is of course security. There are cameras, a manned gate at the entrance, and people have to show their room key to get on the bus every time. We were given connecting rooms (102 & 103) on the ground floor next to the quiet pool. I was a little concerned when I saw that the pool was open till midnight, but we never had a moment of noise from the pool. Our room was very nice. It had 2 queen beds, an armoire with TV and VCR and 4 drawers, a 4 drawer chest, a love seat, and a cafe size table with 3 chairs. We had a nice patio with 2 chairs and a cafe table. As I had heard, the rooms were larger than our room we had @ Wilderness Lodge. Also there was a 4 cup coffee maker with free coffee in the bathroom.

The original plan called for dinner @ Ohanas, etc. This was because I didn’t want M&D to have to buy passes for the first night. But since we had our annual passes, we decided to head for MK ! We took the SOG bus to the TCC, then transferred to the monorail. We had time to ride Dumbo, the carousel, and Snow White, before it closed for the night. We bought hot dogs at Casey’s corner, and enjoyed watching the colors change on the castle.

Tip: There is no need to join the hordes to exit the park. Both the bakery and Casey’s Corner are open. Grab a snack and sit in the cool, all the transportation will continue for another hour after your done. This also saves you from standing on the ride home !

We took the monorail to Poly, and spent some time on the beach playing in the hammocks. As I understand it, the pools are of course reserved for the people that are paying big money to stay there, but officially the beaches are open to any guest. I beleive this is because the beaches have lots of watercraft that are available for rent by the general public. It also is a way that anyone can enjoy the electric water parade.

Then we asked for directions from the bell captain in front of the Poly, and took the walking trail back to SOG. The trail is a nice 10 minute walk on a lighted path. You cross 1 street via a cross walk, but it mainly parallels a wooded area with a small pond. Over the course of the week we saw turtles, lots of cranes and birds, an alligator, and deer. M&D made it to their room @ 11:00 ! But assured us that they were still able to stay on The Plan.

Thursday 21st

7:30 Catch bus to Magic Kingdom (line up for Splash Mountain @ 1200)

1:00 Return to SOG for Rest and swim

3:30 Return to Epcot

6:00 Dinner PS @ Biergarten reservation # 13265662

9:00 View illuminations

Reality: Believe it or not things went just as planned. Actually we chose to walk to Poly and catch the monorail. You really know your vacation has started the first time you walk onto (still wet) Main Street in the cool of the morning..with the crowds well behind you. The music is playing, and you can smell the petunias and the bakery ! And with early entry you can indulge the children in your group by walking straight down the street and into the castle. We got all of Fantasyland done in the first hour of the surprise morning. Trust me these rides are so much more enjoyable when you spend 3-4 minutes in line.

Tip: even if you usually avoid the early entry parks , I recommend doing early entry @ MK just to get FL done. You can then leave for another park, or go to breakfast @ 9:30 knowing you have just gotten the best use of your time available in WDW.

For the rest of our time , we did the highlights in each land. I always figure that if you do your " not to be missed " favorites of each park the first day you are there...it is insurance against disaster , and all subsequent visits/ rides are frosting. I nearly blew my own advice this trip. Mackenzie really wanted to ride the skyway gondolas the first day, since she had never been on it and she really wishes she could fly and this looked like a decent substitute. Although I knew it was a big deal for her I dismissed it since it wasn’t a ride that was on other troopers " To Do " list. Well the next time we were in MK it was windy and the ride wasn’t operating. I am very lucky it was up the last day we were there and you had better believe that we were in line at 11:00 waiting for it to open ! Dave taped the whole ride, and I think that it is a great addition to the vacation tape.

Tip: Allow each member in your party to chose 1 Must Do in each land (you hopefully will get a lot of overlap) the first day. It is more fun to see a little of each land, each day than to try and exhaust each land before moving on to the next. This of course will only work if you will return on other days ! Also to be fair, the children’s choices have to be given the same weight as adults.

We enjoyed the rest time at SOG, then right at 3pm we walked to Poly and caught the monorail to TCC, changed to the Epcot monorail, and walked into Epcot @ 3:30 ! What a crew ! Of course we were rewarded with a second " Wow we really are here " experience when we walked under the " ball " the first time.

We knew we didn’t have a lot of time to kill prior to dinner, so we did Spaceship earth, then walked straight over to hear the voices of Liberty and do the American Adventure. What an excellent experience. My 7 year old was even crying hard at the end because she was so moved. We had never eaten at the Biergarten, and enjoyed it very much.The food was good, but what made it enjoyable was the inside village , and the entertainment. I do have to say that the very good looking waiters just capped it off ! My daughter and I did the polka and the Chicken Dance during part of the floor show. Since we were a party of 5 there was no one else seated with us, so that was nicer and more private. It was here in the Germany pavilion that we found my daughter’s favorite souvenir. The Teddy Bear shop had the small rubber painted figurines that you see all over the park for $3, but in Germany they had Mickey and Minnie dressed in costumes from the different pavilions. Over the course of the week she returned 3 times, and bought 7 different ones.

Of course there is no better way to end a Disney day then with Illuminations, a stroll out of the park once the crowds have cleared, past the fountain and with a stop to play on the fiber optic sidewalk.

All in all a great first day.

Friday 22nd

7:30 Catch bus to Epcot , ride Test Track if open

12:00 Lunch PS @ Teppanyaki reservation # 13265698

1:30 Walk to International Gateway and catch boat to Studios

3:00 View Mulan Parade in front of Great Movie Ride ....then ride it !

7:00 View Fantasmic !

Reality: We found out when we arrived that there aren’t direct busses to Epcot from SOG. One bus goes to the TCC, from there you can catch the monorail to MK or Epcot. The 2nd bus goes to Studios and Animal Kingdom. We caught the monorail @ TCC, and were on our way via the Epcot monorail. We did The living Seas, Spaceship Earth, and The Land boat ride, then started walking to the Teppanyaki Dining room in the Japan pavilion. Along the way we bumped into the Pooh characters @ the England pavilion, and Cinderella @ the France pavilion. Teppanyaki was also new to us. We had a nice chef , and enjoyed the meal. I had the person who arranged our priority seatings add a comment that we were celebrating my mother’s birthday. Well, Japan was 1 of the 2 restaurants that did anything about it. They brought out a whole cake ! It was enough for us and a Man and his son from New Orleans who shared our table with us !

It worked out well to switch parks after our meal. We skipped the first boat right outside the gateway, and walked past the beach and yacht club, and caught the boat to MGM @ their hotel dock. This is a very enjoyable boat ride and a great way to catch your breath inbetween parks. We got there just in time for the parade. We are big Mulan fans, and enjoyed the parade a lot. Next we rode the Great Movie ride. This was one of the rides I had prepared Mackenzie for, so she wouldn’t get scared during the Shoot Out scenes.

Tip: If you want the cowboy bank robber side , take a 90 degree turn to the right as you walk into the waiting room with the movie screen. If you want the Gangster side walk straight.

Next we made sure we hit our favorites this first trip , so we rode Star Tours, Saw Indiana Jones Stunt Show, and Muppets 4 D. We would have done Tower of Terror (TOT) but saw the hordes streaming into Fantasmic, so we thought we had better join them. Wrong Choice ! Here is my most controversial tip ! Next time I would show up no earlier than 15 minutes prior to show time. We got there 40 minutes prior , and were herded into the next to last section on the left side. People who walked in 10 minutes prior to the show were seated in the same section on the right side, and thus were also the closest to the exit. There really doesn’t seem to be a bad seat in the house. There was even a standing room only section that looked perfectly adaquate. I was also disappointed with the show. I thought the Pocahontas live action part was horrible, why show fighting ? The emphasis on evil was way overdone. I think the DL version is much better. Since we had used the boat to get to the park, we were unclear where the SOG bus would show up. We never did find it, so we took the Poly bus, and walked home.

Once back in our hotel, we had snacks and a late swim. It really felt like our rooms opened onto our private pool. It was so quiet that the stress kinda melted away.

Saturday 23rd

7:30 Bus to Magic Kingdom (line up for Splash Mountain @ 1:00)

2:00 Return to SOG for Rest and swim

4:45 Arrive @ Magic Kingdom view Flag Retreat

5:00 Take boat or bus to Wilderness Lodge

5:30 Dinner PS @ Whispering Canyon reservation # 13265712

7:00 Return on boat to Magic Kingdom (OR switch to Epcot to ride Test Track)

7:30 Spectromagic (check out view from train station)

8:30 View Fireworks , park closes @ 9:00

Reality: This was a great plan ! I just wish it had happened ! The day started well, with us getting through FL and TomorrowL during early entry. All the troopers really enjoyed the new Buzz Lightyear ride. It is nice that you can never move your car, or spin it wildly, based on your preference. We used the rest of the morning to hit the second tier attractions (Tiki room , Swiss Family tree house, Jungle Cruise etc.) and repeat favorites. We then lined up for SM, fully expecting it to take an hour, but last time we went on it early in the day, I got soaked, and was miserable in wet jeans for the rest of the morning. So this was planned to coincide with returning to our room, and changing clothes. Well, the thought of an hour wait...and the reality are two different things ! What a hard way to spend 60 minutes !

Tip: I think having a change of clothes, and requesting the back seats would be easier. We are too spoiled by short waits !

Well we knew from the weather that a storm was heading in, so we took the monorail to the TCC, and caught the SOG bus home. Right @ 3:00 it started pouring. I felt so sorry for the poor people who had waited for the parade ! We enjoyed a rest in our room, and ended up taking a Taxi to WL since no one wanted a boat ride in the rain. It was only a $3.70 fare ! We had a fabulous meal . We all got the all you care to eat meal. Tip:If you are a meat eater....head here for a treat !

We were lucky and were sat outside of the main dining room in an alcove

(almost a verandah to the far right of the restaurant) that only had 4 tables, and a window view outside. So it was much quieter than normal. Although our daughter missed out on doing the races etc., I don’t think she minded.

Next we headed to Epcot with the hope that Test Track would be open, and small crowds due to Spectromagic @ MK. At this point it had stopped raining. Well, no go on TT, but we rode Spaceship earth, completed everything in the Wonders of Life pavilion, and got to watch the fireworks from illuminations just by standing in front of the pavilion.

Tip: Make sure that you experience each park in the dark. There is just a different magic to these places when they are lit at night. I think the Studios especially is much better themed at night. I suppose this makes sense since they are emulating Hollywood.

Sunday 24th

7:30 Catch bus to Disney Studios

2:00 take boat to Epcot

6:30 Return to SOG

7:00 Dinner SOG Prime Rib Buffet

8:30 Swim under the stars, or Shop @ Downtown Disney, or Play @ beach , or veg

Reality: Well, it was bound to happen....there was rebellion in the ranks. We really all voted to sleep in a bit. At the Studios early entry really isn’t necessary to get through the attractions, it just is a way to extend your day a bit. In fact we all voted to head to Epcot since we had just scratched the surface. We got there at 9:00 and did Spaceship Earth, Energy Adventure, and HISTA. We repeated the Land boat tour, since my Mom really enjoyed it, and caught a bite to eat at the food court. This finished out future world for us. We spent the rest of the day exploring World Showcase . We did all of the movies, and rides. We made a point of catching the wonderful Voices of Liberty at the America pavilion and repeated the show also. I hoped we would just stumble across the other live entertainment.

Tip: although it should be statistically improbable, we did not wander across a single live act all day ! If you really want to see a particular show, plan it into your day !

We had bought Mackenzie a passport, and she enjoyed finishing up all of the stamps today. I think we left around 5. We had a fantastic meal at SOG, then topped off the evening with a stroll to Poly to play on the hammocks and watch the Water parade.The parade is not an extravagant thing, or very long, but it is free and well done. Do it if it fits into your plans. This was a wonderful day, and it made me rethink my habit of park hopping every day. There is something to be said for immersing yourself in one park for an extended time. Especially during times when the parks are open for fewer hours anyway.

Monday 25th (EE MK)

9:30 Catch monorail to Contemporary Resort

10:00 Breakfast @ Chef Mickeys reservation # 13265721

11:30 Catch bus to Animal Kingdom

4:00 Return to SOG for rest & snacks

6:00 Monorail to Magic Kingdom for 7:00 - 10:00 E Ticket Night

Reality: We carefully prepared our back pack before we left the room, because the new version of the plan Had us leaving AK, and going to Ohanas for dinner @ 6pm , then Dave and Judy going on to E Ticket night, all without going back to the room. My parents had been disappointed about missing Ohanas the first night (we were station at Pearl Harbor from 72-76, and enjoy the Hawaiian culture) so the concierge at SOG had gotten us PS for this night. Breakfast was a great time. We had never done chef Mickeys, actually I had never stepped off the monorail at this station before ! The buffet was very nice, and the characters were frequent. We had visits from M&M, Chip & Dale, and Goofy in the lobby. At the end of breakfast, the waitress brought my Mom a birthday cupcake ! They were very nice and packaged it to go upon request. You couldn’t get to stay at this hotel because I think the grounds are so cold and un- disney, but I admit I was impressed by the airy feel and all of the light, once you got away from the monorail station. There are also great views from the common areas. Still, except for the view it seems like a nice Marriot, not a Disney resort.

Next we rode the monorail to the TCC and waited for the AK bus. I had read a lot of negative things about AK. Specifically about it feeling crowded because of too narrow walk ways, and not having enough in the park to disperse the crowds. Being a big DL fan, what I had envisioned was a park like Disneyland, where everything is to a smaller scale, which makes it a little more intimate and charming. I figured I would just enjoy soaking up the atmosphere, even if there wasn’t much to do. Boy was I wrong ! It started out really well, the Oasis was beautiful, cool, restful, and lush. Next we did Dinoland. CTX was a disappointment. It didn’t even approach scary / thrilling . Indy at DL is much better. I must admit I do usually enjoy things better with repeat riding, so maybe next time.... We walked into the jungle Book Show which was very good. It was quite true to the movie, so I would make sure you view it prior to your trip. We headed to ITTBAB movie. This had about a 20 minute wait, which was swallowed up by picking animals out of the Tree of Life. I vote the full size stallion as my favorite animal ! This was a quick movie ! I felt there was a very loose story line. The effects were fun and to my mind not scary, but it sure could use more story in-between effects. The best effect was the one you get " in the end " . We walked by Asia, but it wasn’t having a preview. Next we went to conservation station. We enjoyed it, although this ride would be the easiest to improve. They need to add some more visual interest during the train ride (even flowers would be a nice change. After a while the green just runs together) and add some exotic animals to the petting areas. We timed getting in line for the Safari with the afternoon parade, but we still had just about an hour wait. The Safari was great, it more than met my expectations. We even got to see the lioness. We capped the day off with the Lion King Show. These were very high energy and talented performers. It was well done, although the seats were uncomfortable enough that I wished the show was about 10 minutes shorter. At the end of the day it was unanimous that we would not come back the next day. As someone who just enjoys being in the parks, finding benches , and soaking up the atsmophere.....AK is a bust. The walk ways are so narrow that if you stop you get trampled. And the Village areas are nothing but shops, with no themed space for sitting, let alone dancing and enjoying the music. I can only hope that Disney will revamp, tear out the overdone banana trees and add some usable room.

We rode the bus to Poly, and after a little freshening up in the Restrooms, headed in for dinner. The food was great as always, the steak just melts in your mouth. We also got to watch the fireworks from our table. One of our waiters was really kind to Kinzer, and brought her 35 little umbrellas that you usually stick in drinks. She also did the coconut races, and holahooped. Like the Whispering Canyon, this is great meal, in a place that is really child friendly.

Dave and I went off to e-Ticket night. We enjoyed it although we got less done than last year. I am sure that it was because of Space Mountain being down. I really enjoy being in the park when it is really dark. I think a very romantic thing would be to go to e- ticket night and just stroll through the dark and ........find those benches ! It is especially fun to walk through Adventure land because nothing is open, and it is deserted.

Tuesday 26th (EE Ep)

9:00 Breakfast @ Cinderella Castle reservation (for 3) # 13265735

11:00 Catch bus to Animal Kingdom , switch to Epcot or Studios @ will,

view Fantasmic or Illuminations

*Review Bill @ front desk for accuracy, pack luggage

Reality: The Taylors headed to breakfast in the castle, with a plan to meet the Bicknells at 11:00 in front of the carousel. This was a make it up as you go along day, the only thing we knew for sure was that we would skip AK. Our first treat was having all 7 of the Dwarfs walk into the little flower market part of Main Street just as we were walking past. We were able to have visits and hugs all by ourselves for 5 minutes prior to anyone else showing up. Plus we still made our PS on time. One bonus benefit of being prompt and ahead of schedule ! We really enjoy Cinderella’s Breakfast. Peter Pan is definitely a hoot ! If you ever wished for Disney characters to talk...this is your breakfast ! This is one of my favorite times to take pictures. They always turn out well. This year our video footage was a great bonus.

Once we met up with M&D we followed the urge to see some favorites in MK. We did Carousel of Progress, HM, POC, The Steam Ship, The sky gondolas , and the People Mover. It was so interesting to see Space Mtn being worked on. We hope that they are adding the sound tract to the cars like in DL. We headed back to SOG and ate at the Evergreen Sports bar there. We sat outside on the patio, by the pool, so avoided any " Bar " feeling. We had their (rightly) famous onion rings and hamburgers. Because of all the golfers , this is open to the general guest public. If you are wondering about whether to stay at SOG, head here for an inexpensive meal and check it out.

We figured that if we hustled and caught the bus, we could spend the last 2.5 hours at the studios and do the things we had missed previously. So off we went ! We quickly did the Great movie ride (cowboy), The animation tour, and capped off the day @ TOT. I got the " seatbelt seat " which is the center seat back row. Without the lap bar holding you so tightly , the ride is a lot more fun ! Ask for it if you dare ! I was proud of my parents for doing this. I’m not too sure that they had planned to get on Splash Mountain, Star Tours, CTX, or TOT, but It is hard on the ego when your 7 yo grand daughter does ! After riding them all they were much milder than they expected. In fact I think Splash Mountain was my Mom’s favorite.

The inspiration hit us that Epcot was right next door, and open for another 2 hours ! we rode the boats over. The Taylors went to Germany to get the last figurines, the Bicknells went to the China pavilion to see the movie again. The Taylor’s were waiting on the front benches @ China for M&D, when it was announced that the Acrobat School was going to put on a show. My parents arrived just as it was starting. They had everyone on the ground sit, so we had perfect seats ! These kids were phenomenal ! And cute as bugs !

Tip: Catch this show !

Then we hurried to get in line for the Test Track preview ! We waited in line for an hour (as expected) got on our cars ...were off.....were broken....were evacuated.....were disappointed ! Oh well all the more reason to come back. On the way home I congratulated my parents on becoming official Disney Commandos, on the merit of doing 3 parks in 1 day ! We headed back and spent till 2400 packing ! I had 5 big picture frames and a china figurine to get home in one piece.

Wednesday 27th (Happy Birthday Kathie !)

8:00 Catch Bus to Magic Kingdom .... say goodby

12:30 Meet Tiffany Town Car @ SOG to Delta Flight 652 @ 2:45 to Atlanta

Reality: Since we had all ready done our favorites 2 and 3 times, we skipped going to the park today. Instead we ordered room service and had a lovely breakfast beside the pool right outside of our room. Because M&D really wanted to catch the plane this time, we moved up our arrival time to the airport to 1200. Bryan showed up right on time with our town car. It was still fairly comfortable with the 4 adults and child. This was with Kinz in the front which we usually would never do. (I just said a quick prayer first !) As soon as we checked in we found out our plane was delayed until 3:15. Believe it or not it was fairly easy to kill 3 hours. We had a sit down lunch at the Chili’s, rode the glass elevator, explored the shops, and found a nice sitting area in the atrium by the starbucks coffee wagon. We only headed to the gate about 30 minutes prior to the flight, which was quite soon enough. We made it to Boise @ 9:30, and picked my parents up @ 10:00 !

All in all it was a great trip. Having the plan really freed us up from using all of our time voting what to do next. SOG was a great resort, and the Polynesian felt like our second home by the end of the week. Because Disney transportation is pretty complicated I tried to spend some time covering it. But here is one last...

Tip: Whenever you have a choice between a bus and a boat, take the boat ! Also, even if you are not staying there take the resort launches to both the Wilderness Lodge and the Poly to eat a meal there and explore the resorts. This is also fun at night.

The rest of this report is our totally subjective Favorites ! I will remind you of our ages if it will be of help. And thanks for staying with me. Writing a trip report is a great way to relive the magic.

Tip: one the souvenirs I bought was the " Official " CD. It is wonderful ! It has the songs from most of the parades (electric, remember the magic, Spectromagic), Illuminations, rides, and the movies from all 4 parks (19 in all). I still get misty eyed during the music from the Canada movie, and the American adventure. It was $20 very well spent.

Magic Kingdom Favorites

Rides Spots for relaxing Meals / Snack

Judy, 37

Big Th. Mtn, sky gondolas, Cinderella’s Castle
Splash Mtn, Carousel of Progress, Character Breakfast
Rockets @ night, People Mover, Aunt Polly’s Landing
Dave, 38

Big Thunder Mtn
Splash Mtn, Jungle Cruise, Strawberry Fruit Bars
Buzz Lightyear, under the Liberty tree
Mackenzie, 7

Buzz Lightyear, Carousel of Progress, Hamburger @ Cosmic Rays
Haunted Mansion, Sky Gondolas
Peter Pan, It’s a Small World
Kathie, 60

Splash Mountain, On the Riverboat, Aunt Polly’s Landing
Bear Country, Carosel of Progress, Tom Sawyer Island
Hall of Presidents, Under the liberty tree
Dick, 65

Big Thunder Mtn, Any bench in shade, Strawberry fruit
Pirates of Carib. bars
tie- Riverboat & Bear Country Jamboree
Epcot Favorites

Future world ride Pavilion Meal / Snack

Judy

Spaceship Earth, America, Biergarten
Cranium Command, China, Teppanyaki
Land boat ride, Mexico Mexican (inside)
Dave

Honey I Shrunk..., China, Teppanyaki
Cranium Command, America, Strawberry Bar
Universe of Energy, Germany (Model Trains), French Pastries
Mackenzie

Spaceship Earth, Africa (drums), Teppenyaki
Universe of Energy, Mexico, The Land Food Court
Food Rocks, Canada, Ice Cream Bar
Kathie

Spaceship Earth, China, Biergarten
Cranium Command, America, Teppanyaki
Land Boat ride, Canada, Strawberry bars
Dick

Friendship Boat, China, Biergarten

Spaceship Earth, America, Teppanyaki

Test Track, Canada, Strawberry Bars



MGM Studios Favorites Animal Kingdom Favorites

Favorite ride / Show Favorite ride / show

Judy

Star Tours, Safari
Great Movie Ride, Lion King Show
Tower of Terror, Oasis
Dave

Star Tours, Safari
Muppet 3-D, Lion King Show
Tower of Terror, It’s Tough to be a Bug
Mackenzie

Great Movie Ride, Countdown to Extinction
Mulan Parade, Safari
Fantasmic!, Jungle Book Show
Kathie

Star Tours, Safari
Tower of Terror, Jungle Book Show
Indiana Jones, It’s Tough to be a Bug
Dick

Indiana Jones, Safari Ride
Tower of Terror, Lion King Show
Great Movie Ride, Junglebook Show


Best Meals Best shopping Best Overall Park

Judy

Whispering Canyon, China Pav., MK now, Epcot when rehabs are done
Ohanas, Mexico Pav
Chef Mickeys, Showcase Plaza
Dave

Whispering Canyon, China Pav, Epcot, I really enjoyed WS
Shades of Green, Star Wars (MGM)
Ohanas
Mackenzie

Chef Mickeys, Germany, Animal Kingdom because it’s new
Shades of Green Buffet, Tinker Bell Shop MK
Ohanas, Canada
Kathie

Biergarten, China Pavilion, I loved Epcot- all
Whispering Canyon, The countries shows.
Teppanyaki
Dick

Whispering Canyon Wilderness Lodge shop
Ohanas China pavilion Magic Kingdom
Shades of Green
And you all Have a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow ! Now please take small children by the hand, gather your personal belongings, and exit this report. Dissmissed !



Judy Taylor

JBTMSN@AOL.com

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